There is a lot of chat amongst friends and in the media about Australians cancelling planned holidays to Europe due to the risks associated with the journey there and back. I have a holiday planned, booked many months ago and which I have been really looking forward to, and I'm wondering how others are feeling about safe travel in 2026. What are your thoughts?

It probably would depend on which airline I was booked on and the route they fly. You can also expect fuel surcharges if things continue as they are.
Apart from that I hope Europe will be no more dangerous than it ever is this summer. More expensive yes, dangerous, no.
You may not be covered by travel insurance for cancellations you make as they do no cover war.

Travel is a personal choice. Consider your level of fear and risk and book accordingly.

Iran, someway from Europe
Flying since Ukraine started was always going to have an added frisson of danger

No way I would cancel. I still feel safer in Europe than in the US. As far as flying goes, you're far more likely to be hurt in a car wreck than on an airplane.

I respect all choices. Speaking only for myself, fear will not rule my life, nor will it destroy my desire to see the world.

I have a trip to Europe planned for late May and spouse has a trip to the Maldives planned for late April. We have no plans to cancel at this point, but I'm thankful I bought 'cancel for any reason' trip insurance, well before the shite hit the fan.

I can understand why Australians would think twice about flying to Europe, given where their flights typically connect. But, I don't think there's much reason for the rest of the world to think about cancelling European travel, especially if you've already paid for your airfare. I'm going to Italy in May and looking forward to it.

We are going to Calabria and Sicily in May and I'm counting down the days. No way are we cancelling.

SW France is awaiting us and we are really looking forward to it, we leave May 4th for a month and can hardly wait. A hypothetical cancellation is nowhere to be seen on my radar screen

Everyone is welcome here in my neck of the woods, Spain, as visitors will be warmly welcomed and very safe--no risks here, but unfortunately I can't speak to the price of an airline ticket from Australia at the moment or what sort of a connection you would have to Madrid !

Going!

Presently in Europe till the end of March, coming back in July.
Signed up for a Yacht Skipper Licence course which includes a return sail from Gdynia to Bornholm to meet the sea time requrement.
Wild horses couldn't drag me away.

dreamon, I guess the big issue for those in Australia or New Zealand is the typical stopover or connection in the Middle East, rather than actually being in Europe? A booking like that would give me pause, as we have no idea how long travel through that area will be disrupted. Acting proactively now to cancel or reroute a booking in, say, June could come with a significant price tag, as it would be well outside the airlines' reroute or refund window. It's a tough call, for many travellers, for sure.

As for those of us who don't have to go near the Middle East to get to Europe, it's business as usual; we're going from Canada to Slovenia in May and are looking at Greece (or France?) in the Fall.

Most flights to Europe for Australia, New Zealand, and much of Asia fly through the Middle East, and although not all flights, of course, stop in ports like Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, etc. many normally do. As I understand it, normally flight paths would be over the Middle East, Russia and/or Ukraine. It's the journey that is riskier than normal, not being in Europe itself.

51 % of flights from Australia to Europe go via the middle East so this has caused major disruptions to flights . Also means that other routes are affected due to increase in traffic eg via Singapore. The direct non stop flight from Perth to London now has to go via Singapore in order to refuel due to a longer flight path.

northie, that's interesting, thanks for posting. Do you happen to know what routes the other 49% take and which airlines? Are they also via the Middle East but not landing there or are they included in the 51% (which is actually lower than I'd expected if it includes planes in that airspace)?

When I lived in Perth, we'd fly to Europe via Singapore, but that was on Singapore Air and Star Alliance partners.

It's my understanding that flights from Australia that generally fly through the Middle East are now diverting elsewhere. I suggest you check with your booked airline and ask them how their flights are being handled.

It’s a tough spot to be in, especially after planning for so long. I have a close friend who just got back from a month-long trip through Italy and Greece, and honestly, they said the experience on the ground felt very different from how it's being portrayed in the media. They were nervous before leaving, but once they were there, they felt safe and were so glad they didn't cancel. That said, they did mention that having flexible bookings was a huge weight off their shoulders. Maybe hold off on the final 'cancel' button for a few more weeks and see how things evolve?

There is an insurance you can buy that, I believe, does cover travel travails in time of conflict. I'm in Spain now and looked this up for my sister,w ho was asking me a similar question...

The company is MedJet Assist and the policy is the Horizon; you'd have to read the details but here is the link:




https://medjetassist.com


<<<<Travel Security and Crisis Response Benefits:

24/7 Travel Security Response and Evacuation Services due to Political Threat, Terrorism, Natural Disaster, Pandemic and Violent Crime

checked
24/7 Crisis Response to Kidnap for Ransom, Disappearance, Wrongful Detention, Blackmail & Extortion>>>>

Not a policy I would ever hope to have to use!

That covers getting you out, if possible, from a war zone. It doesn't cover you cancelling before hand because of a war or whatever.

It is my understanding that it is up to the airline you are booked with to decide if they want to fly a route, and if not to find you an alternative route, which is why I said up thread it depends somewhat on the airline you are booked with.
They can of course cancel the flight with a refund if they do it early enough.

KLM is not flying to Riyadh, Dubai or Dammam until at least May 17th.

The more fuel sources hit in the war the harder it will be to get fuel to fly or travel anyway. This pointless war is hitting allies as much, if not more than so called enemies.