Is It Safe to Travel to Europe Right Now? An Honest Answer From Someone Who Welcomes Travelers Every Week

June 1, 2026Naila GulzarCorporate

If you are asking whether it is safe to travel to Europe right now, here is the short version before you read another word: yes. Europe is safe, it is open, and for most travelers coming from the US, Canada, and other visa-exempt countries, the biggest risk you will face is not danger. It is misunderstanding how the new travel rules work. With a little preparation, the right documents, and clear information, your trip to Europe can still be smooth, enjoyable, and completely stress-free.

I am Mónica Romero, founder and director of Spanish Express, and I am also a host teacher, which means I do not write this from behind a desk reading government bulletins. I welcome students into my home from all over the world, week after week, year after year. Europeans, Americans, Canadians, Australians, people from every corner of the map. I see them arrive nervous because of something they read online, and I watch them leave wondering what they were ever worried about.

That is exactly why this blog goes deeper than the usual checklist. I am not summarizing a travel advisory. I am telling you what actually happens once people get here.

The Advisory Levels Sound Scarier than They Are

Here is the thing almost nobody explains properly. When you look up France, Italy, Spain, Germany, or the UK on the US State Department site, you will see a Level 2 advisory: “exercise increased caution.” A lot of travelers read that word “caution,” picture something dramatic, and start second-guessing the whole trip.

Let me translate what Level 2 really means in practice. It is the same level the State Department gives to most of Western Europe, more or less permanently, and the reasoning is almost always the same standing language about terrorism and the possibility of demonstrations. It is not a reaction to something happening this week. It is a permanent note that says, essentially, “this is a major region with big cities, so stay aware like you would anywhere.” That is it.

For comparison, the level that actually means something serious is Level 4, “Do Not Travel.” Right now that applies to places like Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus because of the ongoing conflict there. Those are genuine conflict zones, and they are nowhere near the destinations you are actually considering. Meanwhile, countries like Ireland and Portugal sit at Level 1, where the advice is simply to “exercise normal precautions,” the same baseline you would use anywhere.

There is even a clear pattern worth knowing: much of Eastern Europe carries a lower risk rating than the big Western capitals, because the Western Level 2 warnings are driven mostly by terrorism boilerplate rather than anything a tourist is likely to encounter.

And the safest countries on earth are right here on this continent. Iceland, Switzerland, Denmark, and Norway consistently rank at the very top of global safety indexes like the Global Peace Index, with low crime and remarkable social stability. So when someone asks me, “Is Europe safe?” my honest answer is that Europe is one of the safest regions in the world for international travelers, full stop.

Violent crime rates across most European cities are dramatically lower than what many of my American guests are used to back home. The advisory wording just does not capture that, because advisories are written to cover liability, not to describe how a normal trip actually feels.

The One Real Complication this Summer Is Not Safety. It Is Getting There

I want to be honest with you, because a blog that pretends everything is frictionless is not worth your time. There is one genuine wrinkle right now, and it has nothing to do with how safe Europe is to be in.

An ongoing conflict in the Middle East has disrupted jet fuel supply across the region, and the knock-on effect has reached European aviation. Jet fuel prices have more than doubled, and several airlines have responded by cancelling flights, trimming routes, and adding fuel surcharges heading into the busy summer season. This touches transatlantic travelers too, with some US carriers raising fares on European routes.

Notice what this is and what it is not. It is a logistics problem, not a safety problem. The conflict is in the Middle East, not in Europe, and it does not make Paris, Rome, or Seville any less safe to walk around in. What it means in practice is this: book your flights sooner rather than later rather than waiting for prices to drop, because the trend this summer is upward, not down.

Where you fly from can matter as much as which airline you choose. And if a flight does get cancelled, knowing your passenger rights and having the right insurance turns a crisis into an inconvenience. Which brings me neatly to the single piece of advice I will not budge on.

Travel Insurance Is the Part People Skip and Regret

Of everything in this blog, this is the one I feel strongly about. A basic travel insurance policy covers medical emergencies, trip delays, and lost luggage, and any one of those alone can justify the cost. The medical piece, especially, because a hospital visit abroad with no coverage is the kind of surprise that does not just ruin a trip, it follows you home.

With flights more likely to shift around this year, insurance matters more than usual, not less. Standard policies cover trip interruptions and cancellations, and some travelers add Cancel For Any Reason coverage for the extra flexibility when plans are uncertain.

I am not here to sell you a policy. I am here to tell you that in years of welcoming travelers, the ones who ran into trouble and were fine afterward all had one thing in common, and the ones who got stung all had one thing missing.

US citizens can also enroll for free in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, STEP. It takes about five minutes and connects you to real-time updates and your local embassy if anything significant happens while you are away. It is the kind of small, boring step that you never think about until the one time you are glad you did it.

The Real Day-to-Day Risk Is Petty Theft, and It Lives in the Same Few Spots

If something is going to go wrong on a normal trip, this is the category. Not war, not terrorism. Pickpocketing and distraction scams, and they cluster in extremely predictable places.

I could almost draw you the map. The Barcelona and Paris metros at rush hour. The steps around the Trevi Fountain in Rome. Las Ramblas. The crowd watching a street performer. Greece, Italy, and France get flagged for this most often, and the common thread is always the same: high foot traffic plus distracted visitors equals opportunity. Anywhere tourists stand still, look up, and stop minding the bag on their shoulder.

The classic setups are the distraction ones. Someone “accidentally” bumps into you, or a friendly stranger asks you to sign a petition or hands you a flower, and while your attention is on them, a second pair of hands is already in your bag.

Overcharging taxis from the airport is another, which is exactly why I tell my students to use the official trains and metros wherever they exist. Europe’s rail and metro networks are genuinely excellent, and using them is both safer and cheaper than climbing into an unmarked car at arrivals.

Here is the part that matters more than any single trick: almost all of this is avoidable with basic awareness. Keep your bag in front of you in crowds. Do not carry your passport and all your cash in the same pocket. Leave your passport in the hotel safe or in the apartment or home you are stating and carry a photocopy or a photo on your phone instead.

Research the neighborhood around your hotel before you arrive, especially anywhere you might walk back to after dark, since even very safe cities have a few areas best avoided at night. And if you can travel in spring rather than the absolute peak of summer, you will notice the crowds, and with them the pickpockets, thin out considerably.

The Mistake I See Most Often Is Not a Safety One. It Is Paperwork Panic

This is where travelers get tangled right now, so let me be very clear, because the internet has made it needlessly confusing.

Europe has rolled out the Entry/Exit System, the EES, and as of this year it is fully operational across the Schengen Area. What it means for you, practically, is that your passport will no longer get the old ink stamp. Instead, on your first entry, you give a few fingerprints and a facial scan, and the system records your entries and exits digitally. That is the whole thing. It even tracks the 90-days-in-any-180 rule for you, so you no longer have to count in your head.

Two honest things to know. First, because the system is still settling in, you may hit longer queues at big hubs like Paris and Rome, especially on your first crossing. Build in buffer time and do not book a tight connection. Second, and this is the one people get wrong constantly:

ETIAS, the online authorization you have read about, is not required yet. It is expected later, and when it arrives, it will be a short online form you fill in before you fly, much like the US ESTA. Right now there is nothing to apply for. If a website is trying to charge you for an ETIAS today, close the tab. You do not need it, and that site is not official.

Confusing the EES, ETIAS, and an actual visa is genuinely the most common pre-trip mistake I see, far more common than anyone running into a real safety issue.

A Few Local Rules Worth Knowing, Especially in Spain

Since most of my students come to Spain, let me flag something practical that catches visitors off guard. A wave of new local rules is now in force, and the fines are not symbolic. Many Spanish beaches, including those in Barcelona and across the Balearics and Canaries, are now smoke-free and vape-free zones.

Drinking alcohol in public spaces, the botellón, is banned across most major cities, and disruptive behavior such as public drinking, excessive noise, or rowdy conduct can carry fines running into the thousands of euros.

None of this is aimed at the kind of traveler reading a blog like this one. But “I did not know” is not a defense here, and the rules vary by region, so a quick check of local signs and tourism office guidance is worth five minutes. Respect the place and the place is wonderful to you. That has always been my experience, and it is what I want for every guest.

So What Should You Actually Do With This?

Go. That is my honest guidance after years of welcoming travelers from every continent into my home. The fear that keeps people from booking is almost never matched by what they experience once they arrive. The breathtaking landscapes, the rich history, the cities you have been imagining: they are right there, and they are safe to enjoy. Sort your flights early because of the fuel situation, buy the insurance, stay aware in the obvious crowded spots, and the rest takes care of itself.

What I will gently push you on is what you do with the time once you are here. So many travelers spend a week in Spain seeing the sights from behind a phone screen and fly home without ever having a real conversation in Spanish. They were perfectly safe the whole time, and they still missed the best part.

That is the gap our home-stay immersion programme, SHIP, was built to close. You live with a Spanish teacher, in a real home, and you speak from Day 1. Not in a classroom rehearsing phrases you will never use, but at the breakfast table, at the market, in the actual texture of daily life. It is the difference between visiting Spain and genuinely beginning to understand it. If you are already satisfied that the trip is safe, and you should be, the next question worth asking is how to make the time truly count.

A Personal Invitation to My Spanish Homestay Immersion Program (SHIP)

I should be clear about one thing: Spanish Express does not provide visas or handle travel authorization. We are not an agency for that, and I would never want you to confuse the two. What we offer is the real thing. Living with a teacher, immersed in the language and the rhythm of Spanish life, speaking from the very first day. All of this is included in our Spanish Homestay Immersion Program (SHIP).