From the cobbled streets, to the vintage cafés where you can gorge on all the home-baked bread and pastries you want without feeling bloated or putting on weight, to the medieval castles perched on hills that look like they were sketched by Walt Disney himself—or more like, inspired the legend, per se…
Europe is calling this summer, and if you're anything like us, as in, a helpless culture buff with a penchant for the Old World, you will answer.
Before you go ahead booking those flights, however, if you haven't already, there's a couple of things you should know. Well, five of them.
Whether this will be your first time country-hopping across the pond, or you're a repeat visitor, this is no longer the Europe you maybe grew familiar with, whether it's safety or border rules. To keep it straight with you, a lot has changed, and we're not saying this to put you off visiting, but either you catch up to the new rules quickly, or you could be in for some real travel headache on arrival.
Worry not. In case you don't know me, hi, I'm Vini, Travel Off Path‘s official eurocorrespondant, and your favorite tale-weaver from Paris, and I'm here to guide you through you it.
Beware Of The New Entry/Exit System
We have to start with the big elephant in the room: the EES, or Entry/Exit System.
In case you haven't been keeping up to date with Travel Off Path in the last few months, maybe you're not aware Europe has undergone a major overhaul of its border rules. To sum it up, if you're traveling on an American passport, you're not required to undergo mandatory fingerprinting and a facial scan upon arriving to the Old Continent.
This is true for every entry point into the Schengen Zone, the (as of now) 29-country customs union where internal passport checks do not apply… or they shouldn't. But I'm getting ahead of myself here. 👀
If you have reservations about allowing foreign governments to access your biometric data, you might want to give (most) of Europe a miss from now on, and try these 5 European countries where EES does not apply.
Those who do not mind getting digitally computed will want to stick around to read number two.
Prepare For Massive Border Delays
As with any new border system, the EES is causing some truly massive, severely-disruptive delays. That is because travelers must first register with the system, usually by the form of submitting their biometric data at a ‘check-in kiosk' upon arrival, before proceeding to actual passport control.
Each EES registration takes on average between 60 and 90 seconds, depending on the European airport, and while this does not sound like a lot, picture you're landing alongside 1,000 other passengers, at the same time, and being funneled down the same arrivals hall.
It quickly turns into a living nightmare, especially if you're on a very short connection, or you have booked a train to your final destination that's leaving soon after landing.
From Lisbon, to Paris, to Milan, thousands of passengers have been missing flights even after arriving to the airport 3 to 4 hours in advance, and EES is to blame.
Even if you're leaving the EU, you must ‘check out' at an EES kiosk so they can actually keep track of how long you've been in Europe.
For those who aren't familiar with the rules, Americans generally get 90 days out of any 180-day period, but rules may vary drastically between European nations. Ahead of flying, use our Entry Requirement Checker to stay up to date with the current entry and stay regulations at your destination.
You Can't Enter Britain Without This Permit
Speaking of different regulations, in case you're planning on adding the United Kingdom to your itinerary this summer, you should know simply being in possession of a valid U.S. passport no longer suffices.
They now require Americans to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization, or ETA, as of this year. The UK ETA is an online form you fill out, including your passport details and a security questionnaire.
The whole process takes just under 15 minutes, maybe, but you must pay a £20 fee to obtain it (something like $27 based on the current conversion rate).
Unless you get a UK ETA, you can no longer travel to the UK, whether you're entering by air, coming by train from France, or taking a ferry from mainland Europe.
UK ETAs are valid for 2 years, or until your current passport expires, whatever comes sooner, and they allow you to visit Britain for 180 consecutive days upon each entry.
Seamless Travel May No Longer Be A Thing
Back to mainland Europe, we're sure you've heard of the word ‘Schengen' before.
We've hinted at it briefly already, but assuming some people might genuinely not know what this even means, here's the brief summary:
Schengen is a passport-free zone encompassing 29 European countries currently (though it might be officially 30 next year). In practice, you only go through a passport check when entering the zone from a non-Schengen country.
For example, on a flight from the United States to France. Once in France, you can then travel onward to 26 other countries without undergoing the same border scrutiny again. Whether you're flying or simply driving from one country to the next, it feels as smooth as crossing Stateside lines.
Or it should be.
Thanks to the latest migration waves that have hit Europe and the growing security threats, many European countries have now re-established border checks among themselves.
I was genuinely surprised flying back home from Austria last week, only to be directed to a newly-installed border booth in Paris.
Now, it's not like this is any major inconvenience, particularly for those of us who aren't actually on the run or evading spot passport checks. Be that as it may, I still missed my shuttle as one of those long, snaking lines quickly formed at Beauvais Airport's minuscule Schengen Arrivals hall.
Last year, we were also stopped by police driving from Italy into France, when usually you can just breeze through the border. In short, make sure you prepare for spot checks, and some delay if you're country-hopping around Europe this summer, as they can be enacted with little to no warning.
Europe Is No Longer The Safety Bubble It Once Was
Last but certainly not least, there's the issue of safety.
You've probably been bombarded in recent years with horror stories coming out of certain European countries, particularly France, the United Kingdom, and Spain, regarding religious extremism, the rise in knife crime across urban centers, and higher rates of criminality in general.
While cities like London, Paris, and Barcelona remain relatively safe, we wouldn't be the first ones to let our guards down this summer, when touristy spots like Montmartre (in the French capital), or La Rambla (in the Spanish hub) get much busier than usual.
Right now, Barcelona in particular scores a decent 75 out of 100 on the Traveler Safety Index, indicating moderate-to-high safety levels:
The general safety advice applies: keep your wits about you in public spaces, never leave items unattended on beaches or tabletops, however calm it may feel, and avoid untouristy, crime-ridden districts far from the main zones you really have no business venturing into.
Flying to any European country this summer, make sure you have look at the Travel Advisories page beforehand.
EuroSummer 2026
