The United States is generating a lot of headlines around the world right now, most of them negative. No matter your politics at home, people around the world are not impressed with our tariffs, border control, arresting of immigrants, or slashing of foreign aid. So is it unsafe or uncomfortable for Americans to travel right now?
I remember traveling to Europe in 2003 when the United States under President George W. Bush attacked Iraq. Europeans were mostly incensed at what seemed to them a made-up war. And I heard about it from Europeans. I distinctly recall a contract guide we hired for a morning in Ireland who was excellent on his subject matter and unapologetic about bashing the war and President Bush. I was always aware people might challenge me over my country’s policies.
For whatever reason, now is different. I have been to five European countries on two trips so far this year and not once has anyone asked me about our politics, our border policies, or our tariffs.
Tourism is probably down from the US to Europe and is definitely down from Europe to the United States. Two of my recent cross-Atlantic flights have had a lot of empty seats, which had not been the case much at all since 2022. I am seeing lots of tourists in major cities like Amsterdam but fewer Americans than I am used to. I even received a message just today from a hotel in Kortrijk, Belgium, telling me because of slow bookings they were closing the hotel and upgrading us to their sister hotel! Airline flights are still quite inexpensive.
It all seems quiet and relatively … normal.
My daughter and I took a train from Amsterdam to Brussels yesterday and she was surprised that not only was there no border, there was no acknowledgment at all that we had entered a new country. When our group of nine traveled by van from Montenegro to Albania in May, we had a short wait in line and then flew through passport control in 30 seconds. The internal borders in Europe are as open as always.
The Zephyr staff have also been traveling this year with distinct experiences in different destinations.
Katie Schroepfer shared “Traveling to Costa Rica as an American right now was a refreshing reminder that kindness still transcends borders. Even with the chaos our country seems to be caught up in, I felt safe, welcomed, and embraced by the spirit of pura vida. People weren’t just friendly; they were compassionate, often expressing sympathy for what we were going through back home. It was a beautiful mix of adventure, perspective, and hope.”
In March Stephanie Vidergar spent three weeks in Australia guiding a tour and traveling with family. Her experience was one of “A few people being curious about what was really happening in the US and seeking a better understanding of things. It was more a sense of amusement and intrigue than anything else. Everywhere we went, people were happy to have us and were very hospitable and kind.”
So I sort of hate to pick out a silver lining from what many people around the world think is a turbulent situation in the United States but it is actually an excellent time to travel. One caveat is that the dollar has weakened, making everything a bit more expensive. But even the exchange rate is not bad – it was worse in both 2018 and 2021 with the Euro. A second is that while I with a US passport have had no issues at all with re-entry, I can not vouch for what it is like for those on US visas or with green cards.
My professional travel advice? Now is a great time to travel abroad.