Birthday gift trip - city chosen sounds dangerous!

[Lyrixs21]

It was my birthday yesterday, and my partner booked a surprise trip for the two of us plus our 3 year old to go to Brussels on the Eurostar for two nights next weekend (4th July).

Neither of us have been to Brussels before, or indeed Belgium, so I excitedly started to do some research last night once he told me what the surprise was. As I delved into searches about Brussels, once thing kept coming up - how unsafe it is! I didn't go looking for information on safety, but it just seems to be a constant feature of discussions on the city. It's not a city I know anything about (bar always thinking it sounds a bit boring) but my main takeaways from my extensive research last night is that it is unsafe (shootings, drugs, petty crime) has a level 3 terrorist threat currently ('Serious') and is just generally dirty, unsavoury, and boring.

I now don't want to go after reading all that, and particularly don't want to bring my three year old and put her in any danger. I'm a little surprised my partner booked it in one sense, as it's very hard to find anything positive online about it!

Do I:

• Tell him what I've read online and how I feel and that I'd prefer not to go? This seems a little rude given he has spent time and money researching things and booking it for my birthday, and I know I'll end up feeling bad.

• Or, do I go, put up with it, but potentially not enjoy it because I'm worrying about safety and feel anxious and on edge? Based on what I'm reading I'm really not keen. I have found since we've had our daughter I am more concerned about safety generally but I expect that's normal?!

He did mention he looked at Amsterdam but that the hotels were crazy expensive another option for me might be to offer to pay for the hotel in Amsterdam and we change the Eurostar to go there? That way, we are still going and still going to experience the Eurostar and have the weekend away, but without me fretting and not really wanting to be there!

Any thoughts welcome.

Brussels station is the only place family have ever been pickpocketed but the rest of the city felt safe

Brussels is perfectly safe. Just don't go on the piss, get into fights and have your bag stolen as you drunkenly snore on the bus. All real life examples from my brother who thinks Brussels is awful and dangerous.
There are parks and palaces and chocolate and lovely squares. And I love the Atomium for its madness.

Been living in Brussels for the past 10 years, never had issues. Don’t beleive everything you read online and filter your results. It’s much smaller than London and the center / tourist areas are perfectly fine.

I took my three kids to Brussels, solo. I didnt feel unsafe at all

If you have time hop on the train to Bruges it is absolutely gorgeous and such a lovely place to visit. Plus the food is amazing!!!

What a lovely thing for your partner to do! I have been to Brussels both on my own, for work and in a group- I have only ever had a lovely time and never felt the slightest bit in danger. The food is outstanding, the city is immensely walkable and pretty and the people are lovely. Go and have a great birthday; you can't protect yourself from everything, even if you never leave the house. Please don't let your daughter grow up being scared of setting foot outside her front door.

I do wonder if you struggle with anxiety a bit.

The things you list are the same in most cities.

The terrorism threat is sadly a sign of the times. Our own threat level is ‘substantial’ at present.

I once worked for a company whose head office was in Brussels and most of my colleagues lived there. he sense I got was that there are some really nice parts (and I have experienced some lovely parts) and some very very dodgy parts. The difference between the two is bigger than in some cities. Also be prepared to pay a fortune to travel from your station to hotel. Being home to various large NGOs, multinational corps and European Commission. NATO etc a lot of things are a major rip off. Taxi from airport to hotel one kilometre away - 20 euros.

Don't believe all you read online. Also, any city is going to have those things going on. You might like to check the chance of a terrorist event in London, esp central London, which should give some perspective.
Brussels is perfectly safe and a pleasant city to visit - DD and DB go quite often (tho' mostly work).
Go and have fun. NB Never look a gift horse in the mouth.

Oh my good lord. Peak MN.
Logged on expecting to see Tehran or Damacus.

Brussels is a great city. I took my own DC there last summer for a few days and we had a lovely time. We walked all over and never felt unsafe. You need to be sensible in the same way that you do in any big city but its hardly akin to visiting Terhan right now! You can also easily get the train to Bruges or Ghent if you run out of things to do. Try not to let anxiety spoil your trip and you will have a great time.

I bet London is at high alert now because of the Iran bombings, and yet millions of us just go about our lives.

I live in Brussels so I was surprised to see that there was a level 3 terrorist threat and I went off to google...
now the only thing I could find was this website which seems to contradict itself... if you read the bit about belgium the "latest update" sentence says use normal safety precautions... I think the bit further down is where you might have gotten your info... but there's no terrorist threat in action at the moment. I work in an environment where we would have to be informed and we've had nothing...

now as for public transport strikes... we get those regularly!!! today for example... no flights in or out of either airport... fun times!

www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/europe/belgium#:~:text=There's%20an%20ongoing%20threat%20of,public%20areas%20are%20possible%20targets.

Go to Amsterdam instead of Brussels because you won't feel so unsafe? You do know that Amsterdam has a major red light district (prostitution is legal) as well as still being a place for drug-touring (afaik)? And you think Brussels is worse!

Oh come on, there’s nothing wrong about a weekend trip to a European capital. Sounds like your DH can’t get anything right? Around the station isn’t great in Brussels but that’s the same in Paris. And crime stats, terror threats, drug use etc is definitely not worse than London, Amsterdam, Paris which all seem to be fine for you to visit?

Bloody hell I thought you were going to say Mogadishu not Brussels - it's lovely, food is amazing, loads to do and see. You sound ridiculously anxious - your poor DP. Google "is London safe for tourists" and see what that says - you would think everyone was being stabbed the moment they left their hotel.

It is as dirty and dangerous as any big city. It is more beautiful and historically interesting than many. I think that you will enjoy it.

So was my son. The only city where I’ve ever been robbed was Berlin and I’ve been to Tel Aviv and Cairo. As tourist destinations go I’d say Brussels is close to the top of the list of the safest.

You do realise the UK is on level 5 currently! Brussels is no more dangerous than any other large city in the UK! Just go and enjoy the culture!

Brussels is neither unsafe nor boring. Last time I went to Amsterdam there was a multiple stabbing incident in Dam Square - it’s still no more unsafe than any other large city. Are you generally very anxious?

This is silly. Brussels is perfectly safe. Just stay out of Molenbeek which is a no go zone (I once found myself there by accident and never again, and it will be wonderful.

There was a stabbing last week 5 minutes from me in SE London. And yet, life goes on.

I thought you were going to say he’s taking you to the Darien Gap or somewhere-but Brussels? You’ll be fine.

Of course it's not dangerous! I've never read such nonsense. Just go and enjoy

Isn’t that the same as the current threat level across the whole of the UK?