September 2026 Travel News Highlights

Travelers heading to Europe this fall may want to leave a little extra room in their itineraries.

The European Union’s Entry/Exit System (EES) is now fully operational across participating European countries, replacing traditional passport stamps with a digital system that records the entry and exit of non-EU travelers visiting for short stays.

Under the system, travelers may be required to provide biometric information, including fingerprints and a facial image, when crossing an external border into the Schengen Area.

While EES has been operating throughout the year, temporary measures allowed some border crossings to relax biometric requirements when passenger volumes caused excessive delays. Those temporary flexibility measures expired in early September, raising concerns that travelers could encounter longer passport-control lines at some European airports and border crossings.

Travel industry groups have reported significant delays at certain European airports since EES was introduced, particularly during busy travel periods. Travelers with connecting flights should consider allowing additional time between flights, especially when an itinerary requires clearing immigration before a connection.

The good news? Most travelers won’t need to do anything before leaving home. EES registration generally takes place when crossing the border, but understanding the process ahead of time can help eliminate surprises upon arrival.

Planning a European trip? Give yourself extra time at the airport, avoid tight international connections when possible and check current entry requirements for your destination before departure.

For additional information, visit the European Commission’s official Entry/Exit System information page.

September may bring cooler temperatures and the beginning of fall, but in the Atlantic, it also brings the historical peak of hurricane season.

Atlantic hurricane season officially runs from June 1 through November 30, with the majority of activity typically occurring during August, September and October. Historically, storm activity reaches its highest point in early to mid-September.

NOAA’s updated outlook currently favors a below-normal 2026 Atlantic hurricane season. However, a quieter season does not eliminate the possibility of individual storms affecting popular destinations throughout the Caribbean, Mexico, Florida and the southeastern United States.

For travelers, even a storm that never reaches their destination can create complications. Flight cancellations, airport closures, cruise itinerary changes and severe weather elsewhere in the airline network can all have a ripple effect on travel plans.

Anyone traveling to a hurricane-prone destination this fall should keep an eye on weather forecasts as departure approaches and understand airline, hotel and cruise line policies before leaving home.

It’s also important to remember that timing matters when purchasing travel insurance. Once a storm becomes a known or foreseeable event, purchasing a policy afterward generally will not provide coverage for losses related to that event. Coverage varies by plan, so travelers should always review their policy details.

For current storm information, travelers can monitor the National Hurricane Center and follow instructions from local officials at their destination.

Traveling during hurricane season? Planning ahead and protecting your trip early can make a big difference when the forecast changes.

Thailand-bound travelers should double-check entry requirements before packing their bags.

Beginning September 15, 2026, Thailand is revising its visa exemption and Visa on Arrival programs. Among the changes, the country is eliminating its previous 60-day visa exemption program and introducing an updated 30-day visa exemption for tourism for eligible nationalities.

The changes follow a review of Thailand’s visa policies and are intended to simplify overlapping entry programs while balancing tourism, security and economic priorities.

Travelers entering Thailand before September 15 under the existing visa exemption rules may remain through the date authorized when they entered the country.

Thailand continues to be one of the world’s most popular international destinations, drawing travelers to Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Krabi and its many islands and beach communities. The updated rules do not mean travelers should reconsider a Thailand vacation, but they do make checking entry requirements before departure especially important.

Visa requirements can vary based on nationality, length of stay and purpose of travel. Before booking or departing, travelers should confirm the requirements that apply specifically to their passport.

For the latest details, visit the Government of Thailand’s official information on the revised visa exemption and Visa on Arrival programs.

Travelers looking ahead to their next international adventure are getting even more options as airlines continue expanding their global networks.

September has already brought a wave of new and announced routes connecting destinations across North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America.

New service launching this month includes additional connections between the United States and Asia, while airlines are also expanding routes throughout Europe and Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, several major North American carriers have announced new international destinations for summer 2027.

Among the upcoming additions are new connections to destinations including Norway, Ireland, France, Croatia and Switzerland, along with expanded service to Asia and Latin America.

More nonstop routes can mean more than simply having another destination to choose from. For travelers, avoiding a connection can reduce total travel time and eliminate one of the most common opportunities for missed flights, delayed baggage and other disruptions.

The expansion also gives travelers more flexibility when planning international vacations, particularly those willing to compare nearby airports or build trips around newly launched seasonal routes.

So if your 2027 travel wish list is already growing, you’re definitely not alone. Airlines are making the world a little easier to reach.

Fall has traditionally been one of travel’s best-kept secrets.

Summer crowds thin out, temperatures cool down and destinations from Europe to the Caribbean enter their shoulder seasons. In a typical year, travelers can often find lower airfare and hotel prices along with fewer crowds.

In 2026, however, finding that perfect fall flight deal may require a little more work.

Airfare has remained elevated this year, and recent travel industry data suggests fall flights aren't seeing the usual dramatic drop from peak summer pricing. That doesn’t mean deals have disappeared entirely. Flexibility is simply becoming more important.

Travelers looking to save can compare departures from nearby airports, search flexible dates instead of selecting a specific weekend and consider destinations based on where airfare deals are available.

International travelers may also find opportunities by looking beyond the most popular gateway cities. Portugal, Spain and Italy remain popular fall destinations, while Japan and Southeast Asia continue attracting travelers looking to stretch their vacation budgets farther.

And there are plenty of reasons to travel during shoulder season beyond price. Smaller crowds can mean shorter lines at attractions, easier restaurant reservations and a more relaxed experience in destinations that were packed only weeks earlier.

Whether it’s a long weekend close to home or one more international adventure before the holidays, fall is still a great time to go.

Wherever fall takes you, protect the trip you worked hard to plan. Explore travel insurance options from Trawick International before your next adventure.