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.

All of the UK is currently on a terror threat 3. Brussels is bound to be safer than London, it's about as risky as going to Edinburgh (she says unscientifically).

I think Brussels is safe - we had a great long weekend there recently. We also went to Ghent for the day (so pretty!) and that's a great option if you don't want to spend all your time in the city.

This, what have I read. How sheltered to think that Brussels is dangerous 🤣🤣

I do think Brussels was boring but is no more unsafe that any other major European city. Would you feel uncomfortable going to London? I found I felt safer in Brussels than London and I would travel to either city without fear. If you are comfortable with Amsterdam then I can’t see why you wouldn’t go to Brussels.

Brussels! Lol! It's fine, you'll have a lovely time. It's not exactly Kabul.

Sorry, I can’t edit my post but just wanted to add that if I were you I would graciously accept the present and not try to change the destination. Your partner has tried to do a lovely thing. So what if he didn’t get it 100% right? If my husband said thanks but I want to go elsewhere, I’d feel gutted. I’d also be reluctant to arrange further surprise trips in the future.

Honestly, Brussels really is safe. And though it’s dull, you are only going for a weekend. It has a couple of good art galleries with decent permanent collections, some nice restaurants and is a pretty enough city to walk around and enjoy the walk. Will it change your life? No. Will you want to return? Probably not. But you can still have a perfectly lovely weekend. I would look into things you might find interesting, book into nice restaurants and enjoy it for what it is. I wouldn’t bother with a day trip if you are only there for 2/3 days.

Brussels is a lovely city and quite underrated, IMO. I'd go back in a heartbeat.

However I've never taken a small child on a city break, we always did pool/seaside holidays when they were little. I think you will enjoy it a lot more if someone can have DC for the weekend!

You're mad, sorry. It's fine. Just boring as hell.

If you think my home city is boring, you’re not looking properly and not enjoying the culture and everything which makes Brussels special.

I'd expected this to be about Johannesburg or somewhere with similar violent crime levels.

You do know that people are more likely to leave a bad review than a good one? Many many people will not have experienced those issues that you've read about. They wouldn't post saying "we had a fab time there were no muggings, harassment from men or pickpockets"

Oh yes, on a fab double decker train. My abiding memory of Ghent quite a few years ago was that there was a Greggs. It took me by surprise.

Brussels is lovely!!! I have been many many times. It's definitely not a dangerous city at all.

From your title I thought you're going to somewhere like Lagos! Brussels is a gorgeous European city with loads to see and good food and you'll have a great time.

You might even be able to do a poo when you're there. Living on the edge, MN style.

I am Belgian and I find it hilarious that anyone could think Brussels is dangerous 😂

I am actually flabergasted that anyone in England would be that ignorant (or scared) of any EUROPEAN capital . 😮🤔

All your options sound incredibly dramatic. Brussels is a lovely city. You could Google any city and any old rubbish about it being it being unsafe would pop up.

I'm baffled and the thinking that Amsterdam is safer than Brussels.

It’s not dangerous! It’s just incredibly dull.

This is a very strange reaction OP. Following your way of thinking, you wouldn't go to any large city. Have you always been hyper vigilant?

Brussels is fine, certainly no more dangerous than Amsterdam. If you take very basic precautions (not waving phone around, keeping wallet in a sensible place and not walking around dubious areas late at night) you will be absolutely fine.

Maybe look to see if you can stay in a more residential area but I recall it being extremely civilised with lovely leafy streets, nice markets and an excellent museum of modern art.

Brussels is just as safe as many other European cities including London.

I’ve been there several times and walked around on my own a lot. No issues. Do take the train to Ghent or Bruges for a day. Lovely!

We based ourselves in Brussells but actually went to Bruges and Ghent on our holiday. It was just that the hotel in Brussells was cheaper and more convenient for the Eurostar - its about an hour on the train to Bruges and then about 40 mins to Ghent, as I recall. If you really really don't fancy a Brussells base then your Eurostar ticket should include onwards travel to any station in Belgium, or at least, it did for many years if it still doesn't, so you might just be able to change the hotel. But Brussells is not an unsafe destination for a family holiday by any stretch of the imagination, and probably equally if not more safe than Amsterdam depending on what you do/stay and go. I'd rather avoid hen/stag/weed parties as a rule, particularly if travelling with little ones... but again, that's just one small area of Amsterdam and you can have a perfectly happy family holiday in either city.

All of the things you describe happen in every big city including London and Glasgow (which I believe remains the stabbing capital of Europe). Watch out for pickpockets. Avoid wandering round dodgy looking housing estates at night. You should be grand.

I would have no problem going to Brussels with my 3 year old.

Thought you were going to say he'd booked a trip to Tel Aviv 😂 but I wouldn't think twice about taking my 3yo daughter to Brussels. Amsterdam I wouldn't take my 3yo to, to be honest. I loved it, but not the most kid friendly city.

i actually stayed very near the station when i went because i saw a beautiful apartment in airbnb.

booked it and then told my friend who lives there and she said it was a bad area.

we stayed there anyway and didn’t have any issues.

i wouldn’t recommend it to you but what I’m saying is that even an area considered dodgy was totally ok.