With terroism everywhere, lately mosre so in Spain, is it safe to travel to Madrid?
The tourism board is cautioning tourist about taking the trains.

WHICH tourism board is cautioning people about the trains? The US tourism board or the Spanish tourism board?

And IS terrorism everywhere???? Really? WHERE? I haven't heard of a single terrorist attack in ... I can't even remember the last one - if there was one since the train bombing in Madrid last March. Spain's probably safer than the USA and (probably) definitely safer than your town in norther Illinois.

So to answer your question: YES. It's safe to travel to/around/through/over/under/within Spain and Madrid. That is, unless you have an accident due to a flat tire and don't get your pocket picked.

ENJOY Spain. Period. You'll love it.

Saludos, MadridMan

IT WAS THE AMERICAN TOURISM BOARD

I think, MM, she means the threat of tourism is everywhere. So,Karri, this means that no matter where you go, Madrid, London, Paris or Chicago, there is a certain amount of threat. So don't put your life and the experiences that life offers you on hold. Go to Spain. Have a good time and please come back and report on your trip. I would caution you on one thing though, if this is your first time. Spain is extremely addictive and you will want to return again and again. You may even become one of the elite few that actually make the move to Spain permanently. So, proceed with caution.

Hi Karri!

If the warning is coming from the American Tourism Board, then it is talking about American trains, and not the Spanish trains. I went to the State Departments website, which is usually where the travel warnings come from. Current Travel Warnings-US State Dept. I did not see any warnings for Spain. If you look at the counrty profile, it does mention the the March 11th bombings and the on going disputes with the Basque Separatists. However, skimming over the data, I didn't see anything really negative. So in other words, go for it! Go to Spain and enjoy!

And Mencey, thanks for the warning! We will be taking our first trip to Spain in September. From what I have read on the board and elsewhere, I expect we will be wanting to move to Spain as well. That reminds me...I have to buy a lottery ticket! lol

Louie

Well, as I always say, it is more probable to die in a traffic accident than in a terrorist bombing.

Numbers are cold and don't show the horror behind each killed, but if we analyse the numbers, you will probably realize how diffuse the risk is.

About 1,000 people have died by terrorist murderings in 40 years (counting those killed by ETA terrorists and those killed in the 11-M attack).

5,000 people die in Spain every year in traffic accidents.

40,000 people die in Spain every year due to diseases caused by tobacco.

In the last 10-20 years about 1,000 people have lost their lives in train accidents. None in subway accidents.

More than 2,000,000 people use Madrid's subway or Madrid's trains every day.

Judge yourself how risky it is to come to Madrid and using the train

Terrorist bombings have more a psychological impact than a real one. Only a chemical, biological or nuclear attack would be massive, but we are not free of risk anywhere.

Fernando

Most terrorist warnings are over-played. They've gone from not wanting to spread panic - to not wanting to get beat up for not warning people ahead of time about the "possible dangers". That means that every little rumor is now responded to (there were warnings about being in crowds at Portugals Euro2004 soccer games for example - how can you travel and not mingle???). There really isn't any place in Europe that I would "reasonably" worry about. Maybe I wouldn't wear an American flag tee-shirt in a Muslim neighborhood - but you may be shocked to see Spaniards wearing Americana all over the place! We're told to keep a "low profile" - and I saw Spaniards (& Portuguese) wearing teeshirts, coats, even a military jacket with an American flag patch on the arm!

Bottom line is, don't worry - chances are virtually nill.....

Fup

I think the American Tourism Board should be warning people not to use AMTRAK, the trains from hell!

Without sounding epistemologically arrogant,and personal philosophies aside, I would encourage you to take this warning in its due context. Fernando has done, as usual, a fantastic job of putting your worries in perspective. Yes , there is more of a chance here and abroad of being involved in an automobile accident than being the victim of terrorism.

Consciously, or unconsciously you know this and you take this risk everyday as you leave your home. We all do.

Travel to Spain knowing you are as safe there as you would be in your hometown. Take the same precautions there as you would at home. You may want to do a search of this forum to get helpful tips on traveling safely.

Have a nice trip. Spain is an unforgettable country!

Fernando and Booklady, you have once again hit the nail on the head!
When a famous journalist (whose name I have forgotten ) was asked if he was nervous about traveling to all the places he was sent to during various wars, uprisings, etc., the man said "I choose to live my hopes, not my fears."
That has become my mantra...and I say it again today since I leave for London in two hours!
I believe in travel! The risks are small and the benefits so great!

Thank you all. All the statistics did put it in perspective. Thanks