2026 is a year of big events, new travel fees and more travel documention to secure for Americans traveling both domestically and internationally. Our travel team at Motivation Excellence is here to help save you some headaches, time and maybe a buck or two.
Let’s break it down!
Big Events
Beware if you’re traveling around the cities hosting the Olympics and World Cup games. Plan for extra time in lines at airports, on the road, and even at your favorite restaurants.
- The Olympics and Paralympics
It’s a winter Olympics year and for the first time ever it’s being hosted in TWO cities. Both Milan and Cortina, Italy will be holding medal events. Both cities are in the northern region of Italy, and they’re roughly 250 miles apart. Milan will be the home to the opening ceremony and ice sports, while Cortina and surrounding areas will be home to snow sports. The closing ceremony will be in a third location, Verona, a city between Milan and Cortina.
Dates: February 6-22 for the Winter Olympics
March 6-15 for the Paralympic Games
Schedule of events: 2026 Winter Olympics
2. FIFA World Cup
It’s also a World Cup year, with North America hosting the month+ long series of games. Eleven cities in the United States, 2 in Canada and 3 in Mexico will host games and the accompanying hoopla.
Dates: June 11 – July 19
Schedule of games: 2026 World Cup
For both the Olympics and the World Cup, our travel team warns of several impacts on travel whether you’re going to the events or not:
- Air travel: travelers might experience higher fares as demand increases, with even non-host cities seeing pressure as aircraft are redeployed to high-demand markets
- Hotels: host cities will see capacity reached quickly and will likely implement minimum stay requirements and non-refundable terms, also look for rate hikes, even in surrounding regions
- Congestion & Infrastructure: all modes of transportation will be busier, services will be strained and security will be tighter – all adding to overall travel times and tourist lines
Extra Travel Documentation
Whether you’re flying within the United States, or to the UK or the EU, you’ll need to make sure you have the correct IDs and pre-approvals before you get to the airport. Be prepared for more biometric data collection wherever you travel, as well.
- TSA ConfirmID
If you still have not switched to the Real ID, and you forget to travel domestically with your passport, you’ll be required to pay $45 to go through the TSA ConfirmID system. It’s easy to do, but the fees are per person, so traveling with a family of 4, could create an unexpected increase in the trip budget.
- Visit the TSA website
- Pay the $45 fee per traveler
- Keep the receipt and show it at the airport
- A TSA officer will guide you through the final steps of the process at the airport
This will be required starting February 1, and be advised that the portion at the airport can take up to 30 minutes, so plan accordingly so you don’t miss your flight.
2. ETA: Electronic Travel Authorization
Also starting in February, The UK’s pre-approval requirement for travelers flying into UK airports will kick in. This is not a visa. Eligible visitors without an ETA will not be able to board their transportation and cannot legally travel to the UK as of February 25, 2026. You need to apply at least 72 hours before your travel date. Even if you’re just connecting through the UK, if you’re required to pass through passport control, you’ll need an ETA. There is a small fee, but it’s good for two years once you’re approved.
3. EES: European Entry/Exit System
The Entry/Exit System (EES) is an automated IT system for registering non-European Union nationals travelling for a short stay, each time they cross the external borders of the countries participating. It started rolling out in October of 2025, with full implementation expected by April 10, 2026. Make sure you have enough time between connecting flights to accommodate this extra data collection. Also, make sure you’re not planning to overstay the maximum days allowed in the EU since this was developed to track just that.
4. ETIAS – European Travel Information and Authorization System
This process will be required for Americans flying to one of 30 European Union countries. There will be a small fee that’s paid online during the application process. This is not in effect yet; however, it is expected to be sometime in the last quarter of 2026.
Prepare Now, Enjoy Later
Traveling is fun! Seeing new places close to and far from home is priceless, especially when you share it with loved ones. Being prepared long before you pack is critical to planning a minimally stressful travel day. Our entire team at Motivation Excellence hopes this information helps your next travel adventure be full of great memories that create the desire to continue exploring our amazing world!
