Nervous to travel there

Why?

Honestly I’d be more concerned driving from Laguna to downtown LA!

Concerned, yes.

Cancel your trip, no.

Just show those you meet that not every American has gone insane.

I agree with the others. It will be fine. I'm going to Scandinavia in July, and I fully intend to have a wonderful time. I'm not worried about the political atmosphere at all. I feel the same way they do for the most part, and I'm not going to be concerned about it.

This might help relieve your concerns:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/denmark/danish-reaction-to-american-tourists-in-light-of-threats-to-greenland

I would not cancel my trip but I would be very aware of current events here and there, what is happening in the area you want to travel to and have travel insurance. These are not “normal” times but it has not gotten to the point where Americans are cancelling trips to Europe.

Each person has their own risk tolerance, so you'll have to decide that based on information that is meaningful to you, not what other people tell you. Speaking for myself, I would be concerned if a country had a Level 3 or higher from the US State Department (if you are American - here is Sweden's page for reference https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Sweden.html) I might reconsider travel if the requirements to enter the country were complicated or very difficult to get. I might be concerned if there was active military conflict in the destination country, but I did knowingly travel to Thailand during a civil uprising (as I said, each person has their own risk tolerance). I concur with the recommendation to have good travel insurance; it may not be your destination country that has issues, but any unexpected sudden event worldwide could cause disruptions in travel plans (e.g. air traffic).

I am scheduled on a tour to Scandinavia in April and am worried about the political atmosphere there.

The political atmosphere "there" is not an issue. You might be concerned about something different?

I am more concerned about US citizens being banned from even traveling to Europe (and I don't think most travel insurance would cover that).

The happenings of the next week might give us all more clarity.

I wouldn’t be concerned about a ban. This is my view from Europe. I just came home to France today from Egypt where Americans were treated like everyone else. It’s the same here in France.

Unless it is completely going to blow up into an actual military conflict, I cannot think of a reason to worry - and in that case the worst option is that US will either not let you out, or Europe not let you in.
The likelihood of an actual additional security risk is, I would expect, almost zero. And the atmosphere can be significantly improved by avoiding red baseball caps and similar accessories.

This isn't Scandinavia, but here, what the US is and isn't doing is at the bottom of the list for conversational topics and news stories. On the rare ocassion it does come up the conversation is respectful.

""I am more concerned about US citizens being banned from even traveling to Europe (and I don't think most travel insurance would cover that).""

Why should they be banned??? We live in Europe, and no American will be banned (Unlike in America, where foreign tourists were turned away at immigration for reasons that were not clear.)

Others have mentioned travel insurance coverage and cost depending on the circumstances.

Considering news of travelers stuck in the Caribbean for an unplanned extended stay recently,
I would take into consideration things like,

Cost of extended lodging and food,

Cost of alternative transportation or extended rental car contracts,

Cost / Inconvenience of unplanned "vacation" time from work or school.

Instead of an extra 3-4 days of Rx meds, maybe 7-10.

Think about, "What if xxx happened. What would I do? How would I budget for it?"

Meaning, "I have a plan if X or Y or Z happens."

Could be airline cancellations, hurricanes, blizzards, or even political events.

Knowing I have a plan or even that I feel like a self-sufficient person who can make a plan on-the-fly, is calming to me.

khansen, excellent points. I started a thread on the subject some time back that didn't go too well, but the best suggestion that was made was if you travel solo have a virtual travel buddy that always knows where you are and what you are doing. If you go dark on them they know you are in trouble and call the calvery.

Posted by Mr É 🇺🇸
Republic of Texas / U.S.A. / Magyarország / Budapest
01/19/26 06:23 PM

the best suggestion that was made was if you travel solo have a
virtual travel buddy that always knows where you are and what you are
doing. If you go dark on them they know you are in trouble and call
the calvery.

Thanks.

I call it "sending the posse".

Even this last trip home, I used it.

When I got back to the hotel, I would call family to let them know I was "back safely".

For those who have Medjet Assist, they offer an emergency evacuation plan that can be utilized in case of war, conflict, terrorist activites and natural disasters. You call them and they arrange your evacuation.

Go, and don't be worried about your safety.

Me, I'm going to Europe (twice) this year. If I see demonstrations against the current madness, I'm not going to avoid them. I'll run straight to them and join in, expressing my support for their cause and dispensing hugs if I can (have done that once before, years ago, when I encountered an anti USA protest overseas - and after some initial skepticism, was warmly welcomed with smiles and pats on the back, as a friend and an ally).

When I got back to the hotel, I would call family to let them know I
was "back safely".

This is really a simple and brilliant idea. Just a WhatsApp message before you go out and when you return.

When I got back to the hotel, I would call family to let them know I
was "back safely".

This is a good practice and something our family has always done in everyday life. One or two words is all it takes in a message. Home, hotel, landed, or made it to work (mostly used in snowstorms),are the most used.