As I write this, we’re putting the finishing touches on an upcoming trip to France (more on this later). And, while we’re excited to add a new country to our list of places we’ve been, the first thing I saw when scrolling through my news app this morning was protests and demonstrations happening in Paris and throughout France. As always, great timing, right? Does this mean there is a travel advisory?
The silver lining is that this reminded me to check the State Department’s website for any travel advisory changes or related information. If you’ve never visited their website, the State Department has all kinds of information online, some helpful for travelers, and other information that’s just generally interesting. For now, head on over to their Travel Resources section, where there are a few things we’d suggest doing:
- Register in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). They’ll have you create an account, share your information (phone, address, e-mail, passport information) and information about any upcoming trips you’re going on. This puts you in their database so, if something goes sideways in the country, they know you’re there and how to contact you. In total, this took about 5 minutes to do.
- Check out the Travel Advisories for the place(s) you’re heading. As of the writing of this post, France has a Level 2 advisory, which means to exercise increased caution. For as long as we’ve been traveling, I’ve never seen a country with less than a Level 2 advisory, which, at least for me, suggests normal operations. To be sure, it’s always good to be cautious and take steps to prevent yourself from being a target. However, when advisories are Level 2, I’m still comfortable traveling to my destination. As you might have guessed, this underscores the importance of enrolling in the STEP program.
The nice thing about looking at the travel advisory is the State Department gives you more information about what’s going on. In this case, they’re letting me know that the Level 2 advisory for France is at least partly due to a security alert regarding events happening in Paris. They even tell me where, approximately, in Paris the events are expected to take place. This helps me understand where I should and shouldn’t go, at least around the date of the alert.
Other than these, there’s lots of information to peruse on the State Department’s website, including information for traveling students and a checklist to help you get ready for your trip. It’s worth repeating that none of this takes much time to do and can help give you some peace of mind for your adventures. So, if you haven’t done so already, head on over and stay informed!
