European Travel Procedure Updates

There are a few changes coming to the process of traveling to Europe, and we wanted to keep you in the loop.

1. Starting in November 2024, the European Union is introducing a new EU Entry/Exit system. This electronic registration, where your photo will be snapped and your fingerprint scanned, will occur when you enter or leave the EU. It is replacing physical stamping of passports. Once it's in full operation people should be able to move through quickly, but there could be longer waits at Passport Control when it is first rolled out.
2. Starting in mid-2025, U.S. citizens traveling to Europe must submit an ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) authorization. An ETIAS authorization will cost 7 euros (approximately $8) per person, and you'll be able to apply online. The European Union suggests people apply at least a month before travel, though it typically will take less than five days to process your application. 
   
   The EU is not yet collecting ETIAS applications. We will let everyone on our email list know once the system opens and the ETIAS authorization becomes required. At that time, we will also be reaching out directly to anyone who has booked travel with us in 2025, to make sure they know what to do. Once you have your ETIAS, it will be good for three years, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.
   
   You can read more about the ETIAS here. 
   
   

Takeaway from both of these items: these steps may be a little bit inconvenient (and if we're honest, it's a bit of a bummer to lose the fun of collecting passport stamps), but they are nothing to be intimidated by.