✈️ Travel Confidently: Summer 2025 Tips & Insights with Travel Designers

  Depending on how you want to look at it, the summer of 2025 is already one-third gone. That’s if you think summer started on Memorial Day weekend. Or, if you go with the summer solstice viewpoint, it’s barely begun.

            Either way, people are traveling this summer, with weekend getaways, long road trips or flights around the country and abroad. A survey by Bankrate found that 46% of Americans plan to go somewhere this summer, an increase of only 1% from last year, signaling a possible slowdown in travel after the post-pandemic boom. Popular overseas destinations include Europe (the UK, Spain, France, Germany and Greece top the list), Mexico, and Canada. As always, we tell our clients to make sure they have a Real ID, required now for domestic air travel, and if going abroad, renew their passports if they’re less than 6 months away from expiration.

            It seems that Americans who plan to travel this summer are worried. USA Today travel writer Christopher Elliott noted recently that they’re worried about a lot of things. A survey by Aon Affinity Travel Practice found more than a quarter of travelers (28%) are concerned about illness preventing a trip, and almost as many (26%) are worried about cancellations or delays due to bad weather or a natural disaster. Nineteen percent say they’re fearful of global conflicts. Half of respondents have purchased travel insurance to protect their trips.

            It’s not unreasonable to be concerned about problems impacting your travel plans. AXA Partners found that 7 in 10 Americans experienced travel mishaps in the past year. Some of these undoubtedly were caused by the travelers themselves, through unavoidable situations like sudden medical problems or simply poor planning. Others were out of their control, like bad weather, flight cancellations or delays, or issues at their destination.

            It’s possible to worry too much, though. Elliott cites the case of a woman from Spokane, Washington, who months ago had booked a cruise on the Danube for this summer. She grew concerned that water levels on the European river might be too low to accommodate the cruise ship. When river levels are low, cruise lines sometimes substitute bus tours for that part of the itinerary impacted by low water. I just checked, and the Danube is currently experiencing fluctuations in its water levels, showing lower than normal levels due to a dry spring and warm temperatures. Particularly impacted are the upper regions of the river near Passau, Germany, where most upriver cruises disembark, and along the Hungarian section; our cruise back in 2012 departed from Budapest. We also went in October, when river levels are more stable and robust, rather than in summertime.

            The Spokane woman dealt with her anxieties by booking everything herself through her credit card, which offered cancellation insurance, and she also made sure her US-based health insurance would cover her in Europe. Just to be on the super-safe side, she purchased a medical evacuation policy through Medjet. (Undoubtedly, this was a lot of work for her. We do that work on behalf of our clients, saving them the trouble and making sure all their bases are covered.)

            Elliott advises his readers to do exactly what we tell our clients:

• Book tickets that offer flexible change policies, along with travel insurance that covers long delays and cancellations.
• Work with your travel advisor (that’s us) to avoid the most disaster-prone areas, like the Caribbean during hurricane season.
• Many US travelers are concerned about the political climate they’ll encounter overseas. Some who spoke with Elliott said they’ll pretend to be Canadians, just to avoid any issues. We always advise our clients to just be themselves, be polite and respectful of local customs, and express an interest in learning about the culture of the places they’re visiting.
• Health concerns can certainly be valid, but if your doctor clears you to travel, there’s no reason not to. Just take sensible precautions and make sure you have medical insurance that will cover you outside the country.

Elliott says that what travelers should really worry about is lack of preparation. Buying non-refundable tickets, ignoring insurance, or booking online through a third-party site without checking their policies are common mistakes. One of his strongest recommendations: “Book through a reliable agent.”

That sounds like pretty good advice to us. Give us a call, and we’ll help you get where you’re going, as worry-free as possible!

  Sue Tindell