Should You Travel Amid Shutdowns And Conflicts

Should you still travel as the holidays approach and the news cycle churns? We tackle the question head‑on with a calm plan you can use today, blending practical airport tactics, smart destination choices, and a mindset that keeps adventure alive without ignoring risk. From U.S. shutdown ripple effects to global conflict awareness, we map what’s changing, what’s not, and how to adapt without losing the joy that makes travel worth it.

We start with the realities on the ground: longer TSA lines, potential air traffic delays, and what a partial national park service means for your itinerary. You’ll learn why early departures are still your best bet, how to pad your schedule without derailing your day, and what to pack to stay calm when queues stretch. Then we widen the lens. We talk through current conflict hotspots and share a simple approach to vetting destinations using government advisories, trusted news, and smart tools, so you can shift plans with confidence instead of fear.

If you’re a solo traveler—especially a woman—this conversation is for you. We highlight safer picks like Iceland, show how to find local substitutes for big‑ticket experiences such as Christmas markets, and offer creative pivots: trains over planes, road trips over red‑eyes, and small itinerary tweaks that protect your time and budget. Prefer the support of a community? We explain when a vetted group tour adds comfort and how patience and empathy toward frontline workers will smooth every leg of your journey.

Ready to travel with discernment instead of doubt? Press play, build a smarter plan, and keep your sense of wonder intact. If this helped you feel more prepared, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s on the fence, and leave a quick review to help others travel confidently.

Sign up for Travel Summit

https://thetravelcoachnetwork.mykajabi.com/travel-coach-virtual-summit-2025

Chapters

• 0:04 Setting The Big Question
• 1:03 U.S. Shutdown: Airports And Delays
• 3:58 Early Flights And National Parks
• 5:10 Global Conflicts And Risk Checks
• 7:18 Five Practical Ways To Travel Now
• 10:52 Virtual Travel Summit Invitation

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:04

Welcome to Solo Travel Adventures. I'm Cheryl Esche, your host. Well, it is October of 2025, and the holidays are around the corner. And I have a big question for you. Should you travel right now? I get asked that by others, and maybe you're thinking the same thing. Should you travel right now? And what do I mean by that? Well, there is a lot going on in the world. And maybe you don't feel safe traveling. But if we waited for there to be complete peace across the whole world, which you know will never happen. There's always something going on. Many of us would never leave our homes. So I'm going to talk today is whether you should travel right now amidst what is happening in the world. Well, I'm going to first start with uh the US. If you are in the US, as you know, we have a government shutdown happening right now, and it is going on three weeks since the government has shut down. And what does that mean for travel? Well, first of all, that does mean that there are longer lines and it will take you longer to get through TSA or security at the airport. Mainly because, yes, these people are considered essential employees. So they are still reporting to work despite not getting paid likely. So some may be showing up, some may not be. So they might have, they might be short staffed, but there is still people showing up. Thank goodness. I am grateful for that. But I have heard that there are many long lines. Someone gave the example online just the other day that even though they have what's called TSA pre-check, which kind of makes the the whole security uh system a little faster for them to get through, it took them four five 56 minutes, they said, to get through with with TSA pre-check. Now, someone that doesn't have pre-check, it probably took longer. So do expect that part to take a while. There's also been talk, air traffic controllers again are considered essential employees, so they are still having to report to work. However, I read recently that um you might experience delays in your flights, mainly because they are experiencing staffing issues. Again, people are still showing up. So just be ready for that. So if you already have something planned, especially around the holidays here, which were coming up on uh the U.S. celebrates Thanksgiving in November, and then of course Christmas or Hanukkah, other holidays happening in December are around the corner. I don't expect our government to still be shut down by then, but there have been history of our government being shut down for 35 days. I think may have been the longest uh I have seen that the government has been shut down. Uh, I might be wrong about that, but that I do remember that time frame. I think that was in 2018 into maybe 2019. But, anyways, uh, do expect some delays. It doesn't mean you should not travel unless this is something you don't want to deal with. So you are still allowed to travel. We're still flights are still happening. Um, so don't just give yourself more time, is what I'm getting at. The other thing is if because of this shutdown, if you're getting that first flight out in the morning, this is gonna be your best bet. Because likely that 6 a.m. flight, that plane came in sometime overnight and it was sitting there. So it's already at the gate for you. Now, whether you got your crew uh, you know, arriving, and of course, making sure you get there plenty of time to get through security, you should be fine. So, just things to consider. Also, if you're in the U.S., because of the government shutdown, our national parks are only partially open, they're still open, but many of the visitor centers have limited hours, they're not offering a lot of those programs that they might offer. So just keep that in mind. Uh, you still can go, and if you go, because there is limited maintenance and trash pickup, that you carry out maybe everything that you bring in. Um, that would be very helpful if you plan to go to a national park. Just be mindful of that. Now, if you don't live in the US, uh your travel right now, you you may not have to worry about that. Except maybe you are wanting to travel to some areas that are right now maybe in some conflicts, whether it's um maybe there's some wars or just a political or civil unrest is usually the term that we use a lot of times when things are not settled in a certain country, whether it's they're changing um government structures, maybe there's some riots going on, or actual wars. And in just looking at uh, I do recommend go ahead and use Chat GPT or some sort of AI uh to help you search and pull up, you know, just like I did current wars and conflicts happening in the world right now. And they have listed uh believe it or not, Russia and Ukraine, there's still some conflicts going on there. Pretty obvious that there's something going on with Gaza, Palestine and Israel area, so that might not be a good region to travel to. Uh, Nigeria, not really much in the news, but uh there's some genocide going on in Nigeria, um, and Sudan is having still some issues since 2023. I do I do remember that happening. I happen to have been in Paris, actually leaving Paris in April of 2023, when um sort of this war or conflict broke out in Sudan, and it's still an issue. So we're looking at two and a half years later, still some issues in that country. So maybe traveling to the those places or near those uh countries, yes, um, be smart. Maybe those are not the best places to go, and specifically, maybe not the best places to travel solo as a woman. So I always like to say, obviously be smart, but the number one thing I will tell you, I don't want to instill any fear in you because number one, there are plenty of safe places to visit right now and travel to. And like, for example, Iceland. Please put Iceland on your list. It is safe and beautiful, and you can go and feel very comfortable as a solo travel traveler there. So there are plenty of safe places to visit, especially as a solo traveler. Number two, maybe you just want to stay local now and don't want to be um stressed out and anxious about maybe what is happening in the area you'd like to travel to. So maybe just stay local. Number three, I'd say get creative with how you travel. So maybe you want to stay away from air travel, maybe you want to try a road trip or travel by train and then be creative about where you go. Could you find a similar place? Uh, for example, I will insert this. I also just read because of a massacre that happened, I guess, in one of the Christmas markets. There are smaller towns in Germany that are not doing the Christmas markets this year. Now, of course, your bigger cities like uh Berlin and Nuremberg, they are having, they are still having their 2025 Christmas markets. But let's say you want to get creative and not go to Germany for whatever reason, and you try to find in maybe somewhere closer a little town that looks that has this German feel to it. Maybe that's what you do instead. So that's what I mean by get creative with where you go and how you travel. Since we're thinking, at least in the US, air travel is just delayed. That's all I'm gonna say. It's just gonna take longer. Number four, maybe you go with a group tour to feel safer. Maybe this is where you're gonna feel more comfortable and still traveling amidst the chaos that I like to say is happening in little pockets across the world. And finally, number five, I would just say if you're traveling now and into the holidays especially, just be patient. Be patient with other people, be patient with the workers that work for the airlines. Um, it is not their fault that maybe the flight is delayed. So be patient with them. They're trying to help you as best they can. And give yourself extra time, of course, in your travels. If you are traveling, you know, in the next two months or so, uh, we know it can get a little chaotic. So to answer your question, should you travel right now? The answer is yes, but use discernment, be smart about it, and you certainly can get out there and find a safe place to travel solo. Get out there and have that adventure. I wanted to share with you, I will be a speaker for a virtual travel summit. This is happening on November 15th, 11 o'clock Eastern Standard Time. And there will be 20 speakers in this virtual summit. I will share the link in my notes, show notes, where you could get signed up. It is free. I will be one of the speakers. So I hope you will get signed up and hear all the wonderful um travel coaches and such that will be speaking at this travel summit. And it is hosted by the Travel Coach Network, which is where I am certified as a travel coach through. So lots of great travel coaches through that network. So I hope you will join, and I'll see you there.