Travel in Europe-political situation

I agree it's a touchy question.

Rick's colleague Cameron Hewitt wrote an excellent piece on this topic earlier this month: https://blog.ricksteves.com/cameron/2025/03/americans-welcome-europe-2025/

I agree with Mr. Hewitt's theme that Americans are still welcome in Europe in the age of Trump. However, I'm unlikely to travel mostly because of the political situation. The policies I see -- abandoning our allies, threatening invasions of peaceful countries, the wholesale destruction of the U.S. government -- in Washington make me leery about travel. And there's a personal dimension: My father served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and my grandfather in the U.S. Army during World War I. My ancestors helped fight tyranny, but now I see my government advocating for it. It would be hard to show my face in Europe despite most Europeans knowing Americans and their government are different things.

Here are some previous threads on the subject; as you'll see, they've all been locked at some point to keep our long-suffering moderators sane and divisiveness to a minimum. We're not supposed to wander into politics but they also realize that some Americans are nervous about travel abroad so we're asked to keep our personal political opinions out of the discussion. Make sense?

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/current-political-environment

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/austria/considering-current-political-climate-should-we-still-be-going-to-europe

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/czech/american-in-europe-in-today-s-climate

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/tours/how-are-americans-received-in-europe-right-now

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/germany/is-germany-safe-for-americans-right-now

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/reactions-to-americans

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/travel-during-this-administration

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/travel-during-this-administration

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/germany/as-an-american-do-i-have-to-worry-when-visiting

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/france/repercussions-resulting-from-new-administration

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/worried-americans

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/tours/us-reputation

I plan on Spain in June and am wondering about stability of the world
in general.

World stabity is a fair question. The forum members who live in Europe, me included, say nothing significantly different here in the EU than last year. But if it helps, sign up for the US State Department STEP notifications. You will be notified of anything of significance. Go, enjoy.

Cameron and Rick have excellent takes on the situation. Thank you! I appreciate them more now than ever. Their concerns and advice are welcome.

hey hey mcdermott910
this topic has been discussed and many posts deleted. it becomes too political with going off the rails. where are you flying from?
it's your decision, go don't go, we all have different opinions. if i have to ask people i don't know how they feel, time to cancel & stay home.
aloha

Greetings, mcdermott910!
As noted, with those helpful Forum llnks, there have been a number of similar recent queries here as well as numerous articles in various news sources.
I worry about two overlapping yet different situations (which always existed in any political era) as far as safety and travel- being targeted personally as an American and the potential for travel danger/disruption due to natural disasters, political unrest or just glitches (think of the recent LHR chaos).
Would you avoid Iceland, for example (volcanoes and earthquakes)? Yet I live my non- travel life in the PNW quite near a major fault line and a resident active volcano.
I have never thought about entry back into the US as anything but a routine albeit potentially lengthy process. Former Forum posts were about advantages of CLEAR or Global Entry- not if our phones should be purged prior to arrival!
Travel has broadened my global perspective. Sometimes I've also been fortunate to have really useful discussions- for example, in both northern Finland and Australia I was asked by hiking guides to help them understand our "gun culture" and the electoral college! I've always dressed to blend in with whatever environment I'm in and try to use basic phrases and in general be a courteous visitor.
Quite often you will be in touristic locations with visitors from many other cultures. I was surprised, last summer in Annecy, how many women on the streets were in burquas, for example.
I think it's down to being prepared for any kind of delay with backup plans. Subscribing to the State Department app or email alert was a great suggestion.
Beyond that it's a risk analysis situation where only you and your family can make the decision. Safe and happy travels!

No, I'm not trying to delve into politics here. I will check out those Rick Steves links above. Thanks to all who responded.

mcdermott910, it was a fair question.

There are massive protests in Serbia and Georgia, a war in Ukraine, new political forces shaping the EU government, European countries suggesting they will send forces to Ukraine and Russia threatening retaliation Then, there is impending worldwide economic collapse.

That's why the only factual answer (more or less) is that tourism in the EU (numbers, safety, price, reception, enjoyment) today is consistent with this time last year. Well, overall. Some places are a bit up, some a bit down.

If any of the European locals on the forum disagree, I am interested. I am a bit isolated here in Hungary, but I have made a few short trips out of the country in the last few months, and I do watch European news.

FWIW, I put off my usual Spring trip to Europe (May) to later in the year, a "wait and see" approach over my concerns. If I still have those concerns in the late summer for a fall trip, I will look at heading to Australia, or maybe Japan, and look at Europe in 2026.

Good luck to all.

Thank you Mr. E from Hungary. Good to get a European perspective.

American policies, war in the mideast, war in Ukraine, the pandemic, migrant crises, Ebola, Zika, mad cow, religious terrorists, bombings in the UK, Reagan/Thatcher protests, war in Vietnam, Czech uprising . . . I'm trying to remember a time when there wasn't something going on that had people fretting about the wisdom of leaving home. I'm actually more concerned about violence from the situation here in the US from my neighbors.

But I dont think people keep separate their view of people from government. After all, we had an election, and people voted for this. Just the same way we see support for Russian government among their people. It's just that most people that have an opinion, one way or another, aren't going to take it out on tourists. Unless you go to the wrong places at the wrong time and make an issue out of it.