Preparation is the key to comfortable travel. Before leaving home or completing your plans, get familiar with the Canadian government’s website Travel.gc.ca. Scroll down to your countries of interest and pay particular attention to Risk Levels, Safety and Security, as well as Entry & Exit regulations for each country you plan to visit, each of which is designated a security level by Canada. Pay attention to these – they are informative and valuable. A little about risk levels: The green-coded nations, designated Exercise normal security, for example (which applies to the United States and many others in the Western Hemisphere as well as Japan, Singapore and Australia) calls for only the common sense and vigilance that you normally practice every day. The second level, Exercise a high degree of caution (yellow) calls for more rigorous attention and you’ll note that this applies to many of the European countries on your wish list including Italy, France, Spain, Belgium, Sweden, The Netherlands, Turkiye and several others. Don’t panic. This doesn’t mean that you defer your trip, but you do increase your vigilance: keep your wallet, purses, cash or cards in safety control at all times. European pickpockets and con artists offering “private tours” or street directions are very keen at spotting their marks. And Europe, because of its conglomerations of languages, cultures and political persuasions (which also makes it such a dynamic place to visit) is prone to spontaneous disturbances or demonstrations. If you see any public disturbances that might be getting out of hand, get out of there immediately. Don’t stop to take camera shots. Get back to the safety of your hotel until all of the ruckus is over. Unfortunately, many nations you have on your “be sure to visit” list are in that caution grouping, so stay aware of your surroundings. And try not looking like a tourist (which demands another whole article). If your destination is coded “Avoid non-essential travel” on the Travel.gc.ca website, be aware that if you have any emergency or need for medical services while in the designated country (or region within it), you may be beyond your government’s ability to assist, and there may be limits on some of your travel insurance range of benefits. It’s a risk level which you should consider. If the warning is elevated to “Avoid all travel,” what more do you need to know? These designated warning levels are not to be treated lightly, and they can pop up in the most unexpected places. Mexico, Canada’s most favoured vacation location outside of the U.S. consists of 32 states – 13 of them (at last count) designated “Avoid non-essential travel.” Documents you’ll need Your Canadian passport is golden, one of the most highly favoured throughout the world. So, keep it safe. As a Canadian citizen, you don’t need a visa for your trip. However, Canadians travelling to the U.K. (England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland) need to file an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) online prior to departure. It’s a simple process which will cost you 16 GBP. It will be linked to your passport, so there is no need for you to print it out. Once you file, it may take up to three days to receive approval. Visit www.gov.uk/eta to apply. For travel to most countries in Europe, you won’t need a visa for stays shorter than 90 days. But beginning sometime in 2026 (a still somewhat flexible start date), you will need a European Travel Information & Authorization System (ETIAS) travel permit which can be easily completed online. It’s not complicated; it asks just a few questions about civilian status, criminal background, citizenship, residency status, nothing too difficult. The cost is minimal and approval is usually quick. Once you’re registered, you can travel through the Schengen zone of 29 European countries (including Iceland) without further border checks. Of course, in Europe, nothing is a certainty and there are occasional individual, short-term border shutdowns by individual countries for internal anxiety moments, but these are few and should not affect you. Schengen refers to the town (in Luxembourg) in which the system was conceived in 1985 to reduce internal border controls between member nations. It has since expanded to embrace most of Europe. NOTE: Do not confuse ETIAS with the ESTA, which some countries require for entering the U.S. Canadians don’t need the ESTA. Before leaving Canada, sign up on Registration as Canadians Abroad, a free service that allows the Government of Canada to notify you in case of an emergency at your travel destination or a personal emergency at home. You can do this easily in a few minutes from the Travel.gc.ca site. Registration also keeps you updated about potential disruptions along your travel itinerary. And it’s free. No excuse not to take this additional backup for your security abroad. © Copyright Milan Korcok 2025. All rights reserved. Milan Korcok, a dual U.S./Canadian citizen, resides in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He can be reached at mkorcok@aol.com CSANews | SUMMER 2025 | 25 Travel
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