School Trip to Paris

[Verbena37]

Hi.
In a couple of weeks, my year 8 child is off to a Euro Disney with school for a couple of days and on one day, they are off into Paris City to visit a few places, eat out etc.
With all of the recent trouble in Paris, would you send your child? It's not really Disney I'm concerned about.....and I'm not worrying about any more shootings really I don't think. It's more the worry about more mass demos and protests and what that may entail. With 10000 troops with weapons being sent into Paris etc and the implications if something kicked off whilst they were there.
I just feel slightly uneasy about them going. Any thoughts?

Because this is France and it doesn't work the same way as the UK!

I said that exact same thing to DH but he was adamant it would work the same way.....sneaks off to tell him I was right

Ah OK, your trip isn't us then! .

I will nonetheless be passing on Bonsoir's link to my colleague who is organising a Paris trip in the next few weeks...but I do know it doesn't match with the info he's been given by the travel company - he's been coming to me for occasional advice about other aspects of running a trip to Europe as I do rather a lot of residentials.

Think how much money the travel comps will lose though.....perhaps they haven't divulged it on purpose? Although I'm sure our home office would put something more on their travel section if it were relevant?

They do rather depend on repeat business - & schools are pretty risk adverse, when it comes to a) trips to 'forn parts' & b) suppliers that have caused us difficulties in the past...

Verbena - I agree that the tour operators could lose a lot of money over this. Hence them not being neutral parties.

School issued details today. Said they had checked out the British Home Office site and it says be vigilant and they asked the travel comp.(think I will call them next week) and if parents are worried/have queries school say get in touch with them.
I had composed an email asking if they knew about French school groups suspension but didn't send it as a friend just told me that unless the British Foreign Office declare it unsafe, they won't get the insurance back [frown]

I meant

Then you should be contacting the Foreign Office and asking them to amend the advice on their page!

The very nice lady who supervises all entrances and exits and does reception/parent liaison at the annex where DD is at school was flabbergasted when I told her your story this morning! Her reaction was as mine: if Paris isn't safe for French schoolchildren, how the hell can it be safe for foreign schoolchildren?

Really?
Gosh.....I will show my DH your reply.
I did think I would contact the foreign office next week.

In fact, I think I ought to talk to the father of a very good friend of DD's (at her school, in her class), who happens to be No 2 at the British Embassy here in Paris and make sure the information is passed on the right person!

Ooh yes please....that sounds extremely helpful.

I have also just emailed the travel section at the British Foreign Office.

DH thinks I'm over reacting......he says it's no more dangerous than it was the week before the Paris incidents. I know what he means.....my main concern is that they have booked all these lovely site seeing things to do for the whole of the first day and it will be traumatic and stressful getting there and realising they can't do them.......as well as the potential danger of course.

From my perspective, where French are not allowed to do any school outings in Paris/Ile de France at all, it seems weird that your DH doesn't worry. It clearly is more dangerous than before the terrorist attacks because we are on "Vigipirate Alerte Attentat" which we weren't before the attack.

www.gouvernement.fr/en/news

Thanks for the link Bonsoir.....doesn't it say Jewish schools, not all schools? Or is it all schools?

So can I just check? No groups of children are allowed to visit any place of tourism? La Tour Eiffel, le Sacre Coeur etc, Les restaurants, Les champs élysées etc?

Jewish schools have armed troops outside.

There isn't any information on the government site in English about schoolchildren in general not being allowed out. I gave you that link just so that you and your DH could read what the French government thinks about security issues right now.

The "rule" is that French schoolchildren are not allowed out of school premises in any form of group or outing (no hanging about on the pavement), not that museums must refuse them entry. Which is of course a distinction but I'm not at all sure what the police and troops guarding the museums etc would do if a group showed up.

www.education.gouv.fr/cid85267/consignes-de-securite-applicables-dans-les-etablissements-relevant-du-ministere.html

Thanks for the link Bonsoir.
I will keep all the info in case I need to show school.
Emailed the Foreign office and it said they won't reply about whether travel is safe unless I resend it and say contact me....so I did!

lol at 'euro disney'

lol at no2

sure he is glad to be name checked on here bonsoir

Why lol at Euro disney?

I really can't imagine the French police are going to turn groups of english kids away from main tourist attractions.

Can you imagine the daily mail headlines complete with sad faces and the resulting impact on french tourism?