Europe Travel Guide 2026: Documents, Border Rules and Practical Precautions
Europe remains one of the world’s most rewarding holiday destinations, offering historic cities, dramatic coastlines, mountain villages and an extraordinary variety of food and culture. Alongside classics such as Paris, Rome, Barcelona and Amsterdam, travellers are increasingly exploring Slovenia’s alpine landscapes, Albania’s Riviera, Montenegro, northern Spain, Puglia in southern Italy and Portugal’s quieter interior. These destinations combine impressive scenery and local character, often with fewer crowds than Europe’s most famous capitals. Before booking flights, however, travellers should understand an important change at Europe’s borders in 2026. The European Union’s Entry/Exit System, known as EES, is now fully operational at the external borders of the Schengen area. It replaces most manual passport stamping with a digital record of entries and exits for eligible non-EU and non-Schengen visitors. The system records travel-document details, dates and places of entry and exit, a...