International travel plans with all these politics going on

[Anonymous]

Ultimately I think they still want our tourist $$$.

[Anonymous]

Also came here to say they still want your money. You might get charged a bit higher than people from other countries, but they will still mostly be nice to your face.

Most Canadians are nice to everyone regardless of where they’re from. There are even some MAGA Canadians.

[Anonymous]

We were in Italy during Trump's first term and an older waiter at a restaurant said "God bless your President Trump." I'm as anti-Trump as they come and never talk politics with strangers, so his comment was surprising. I think it was a genuine comment. I simply smiled.

[Anonymous]

NP. I largely agree that travel to Europe, Asia, Canada is all fine and people don't care.

But we were planning a trip to Mexico in April and one to South America in August, and are rethinking both. Especially Mexico. It just feels like we have no idea what's going to be happening in Venezuela in 3 months and we maybe don't want to be flying in and out of Mexico City if certain things are going on. Especially given that the whole pretext to the Venezuela actions was drug trafficking.

So yes I do think there are international destinations that maybe we should reconsider at the moment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We plan to do international travel this summer. With the news of Venezuela today, talk about Mexico next with some countries prohibit free USA tourist visa, are there any countries that are guaranteed safe and not hostile to US for international travel this summer? I want to book plane tickets and hotels. Do you think Canada will be a safe choice? How about Asia?

Has Canada ever been hostile towards anyone?

Do you not read? They're (rightfully) angry that Trump keeps saying he will annex their sovereign nation and turn them into the 51st state. I doubt anyone would take out that anger on tourists though.

[Anonymous]

We have a tradition of going to Atlantis or Baha Mar for the Super Bowl every year. Its the only trip DH and I take without kids and its the perfect time of year because my SAD is in full effect by Feb. However, I feel, nervous, in a way I didn't before. Perhaps irrational but it is a gray cloud over the trip.


PS: I know those resorts aren't classy and its basically Disney as fas as worldly travel goes...its just a tradition we like. Nothing more nothing less.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have a big vacation to Europein a couple months and have mixed feelings on the trip. I haven’t been abroad in about two years. Not sure what the sentiment is toward Americans? I’m sure with everything Trump has done and said he’s going to do, and now Venezuela, I can’t imagine Americans being viewed favorably. Even though I didn’t vote for Trump and this madness, I feel dirty, I feel complicit.

I don’t really care about my vacation. I care more about our country and hopefully some of our elected leaders finally standing up to the bully.

Nobody cares about you personally as an American right now. If you met someone who is Saudi would you blame them for what MBS does? Probably not. We went outside the US this summer and everyone was very nice.

PP, here. You’re right, that personally nobody cares about me when I travel abroad. It doesn’t change the fact that I’m embarrassed and ashamed of my country. We were never perfect, but I always thought of us as one of the good guys.

The problem is you. This is what you think. Meanwhile the world is filled with imperfect countries and dysfunctional politics. And I'm talking about western countries.

I was abroad twice in 2025 and lived overseas during 2016-2020 and people outside the US aren't going around hating American tourists. They have their own politics and political leaders they care more about (and usually despise).

2016-2020 is the good old days vs where we sit as a country today

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ultimately I think they still want our tourist $$$.

Of course. And most people are reasonable and don't assume you support the takeover of their country just because you're American. I would be worried about getting stuck in a country if Trump decides to take over the countries he's threatened (Colombia? Mexico? I guess most people don't travel to Greeland) because airspace restrictions may occur, but if you're flexible and don't need to be back exactly on date X, it should be ok.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are going to Hawaii this summer and should be fine.

Yes, Americans are pretty well received in America.

No duh. But we’re talking about Hawaii here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have a big vacation to Europein a couple months and have mixed feelings on the trip. I haven’t been abroad in about two years. Not sure what the sentiment is toward Americans? I’m sure with everything Trump has done and said he’s going to do, and now Venezuela, I can’t imagine Americans being viewed favorably. Even though I didn’t vote for Trump and this madness, I feel dirty, I feel complicit.

I don’t really care about my vacation. I care more about our country and hopefully some of our elected leaders finally standing up to the bully.

Nobody cares about you personally as an American right now. If you met someone who is Saudi would you blame them for what MBS does? Probably not. We went outside the US this summer and everyone was very nice.

PP, here. You’re right, that personally nobody cares about me when I travel abroad. It doesn’t change the fact that I’m embarrassed and ashamed of my country. We were never perfect, but I always thought of us as one of the good guys.

And what makes us "one of the bad guys"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We plan to do international travel this summer. With the news of Venezuela today, talk about Mexico next with some countries prohibit free USA tourist visa, are there any countries that are guaranteed safe and not hostile to US for international travel this summer? I want to book plane tickets and hotels. Do you think Canada will be a safe choice? How about Asia?

Has Canada ever been hostile towards anyone?

Do you not read? They're (rightfully) angry that Trump keeps saying he will annex their sovereign nation and turn them into the 51st state. I doubt anyone would take out that anger on tourists though.

Some of you just do not have one iota of understanding about Trump. It's kind of pathetic how delusional you are.

[Anonymous]

Just booked summer travel to England with a stopover in Iceland. I have a few nervous feelings about it and will definitely get travel insurance, but we keep putting off big trips* and I can’t keep feeling paralyzed.

*Covid, then travel chaos, then family stuff, then fear of losing my fed job,

[Anonymous]

There’s always politics going on. If you wait for it to stop, you’ll be waiting forever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were in Italy during Trump's first term and an older waiter at a restaurant said "God bless your President Trump." I'm as anti-Trump as they come and never talk politics with strangers, so his comment was surprising. I think it was a genuine comment. I simply smiled.

That guy roots for Lazio soccer. Italy still has lots of fascist-friendlies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. I largely agree that travel to Europe, Asia, Canada is all fine and people don't care.

But we were planning a trip to Mexico in April and one to South America in August, and are rethinking both. Especially Mexico. It just feels like we have no idea what's going to be happening in Venezuela in 3 months and we maybe don't want to be flying in and out of Mexico City if certain things are going on. Especially given that the whole pretext to the Venezuela actions was drug trafficking.

So yes I do think there are international destinations that maybe we should reconsider at the moment.

I wouldn’t go to Colombia but Mexico is fine. There is zero chance we would invade Mexico. We have a lot of American investments there that would be disrupted plus Mexican investments in America (bimbo for instance owns many American factories). Plus even if you change the regime, that will have zero effect on the cartels. And there’s no real way to go against the cartels — the sophistication of the cartels would make the afghani taliban folks look like kids with slingshots. There is some chance that the U.S. will put so much pressure on the Mexican government that they do something to upset the current balance that keeps the capital and the tourist areas largely safe, I guess. But I think the odds that would flip back on Americans on vacation is still pretty low.
Mexicans, in general, don’t blame us for our crappy government, just as they don’t blame themselves for their own crappy government. Mexicans are pretty pragmatic about that stuff.

Also I’d say Ecuador doesn’t have much choice but to treat American tourists well. They run on the American dollar and don’t print it (obviously) — so they need American trade and tourists or their entire economy collapses.