Is It Safe to Travel to Europe Right Now? A Business Guide
Headlines about protests in Milan, Brussels, Lisbon, Madrid and other cities have left many business travelers asking the same question: is it safe to travel to Europe right now? For most trips, the honest answer is that careful planning matters more than canceling. This guide explains what has happened, how to read official travel advice and how to keep yourself and your team safe and productive on European business trips as of late October 2026.
Key takeaways
- The 17 October 2026 protests took place in several countries, but they are not one Europe-wide movement and most areas are calm most of the time.
- The main risks for business travelers are transport strikes, road closures and crowds near demonstrations, not general danger.
- Always check your own government's official travel advice, such as the US State Department or UK FCDO, before each trip.
- Avoid demonstration areas, keep plans flexible and set up a simple check-in routine for your team.
- Employers have a duty of care: a short travel risk process protects staff and the business.
Europe remains one of the most visited regions in the world for business, and millions of trips go ahead normally every week. Autumn 2026 has brought a wave of cost-of-living protests and strikes in several countries, though, and some demonstrations have turned confrontational. Knowing what is happening, and where, lets you make sensible decisions instead of reacting to dramatic photos.
This article is general information, not security, legal or insurance advice. Conditions can change quickly. Check official government travel advice, local news and your insurer or travel management company before and during any trip.
What has happened in Europe this autumn
On 17 October 2026, cost-of-living protests took place in several European countries at once. Here is a brief summary based on reports as of 24 October 2026:
- France: the largest protests, with about 550,000 people according to the Interior Ministry. BizTips covers France separately.
- Italy: demonstrators clashed with police around Piazza Duomo in Milan.
- Belgium: protests in Brussels and Liège focused on education costs and school conditions; up to 195 arrests were reported.
- Portugal: thousands marched through central Lisbon at the call of the CGTP union over wages, pensions, housing and fuel costs.
- Spain: protests in Madrid and Barcelona focused on overtourism and soaring rents.
- Greece and Ireland: students protested in Athens over student housing costs, and more than 1,500 students marched in Dublin over living costs and fees.
Euronews notes that these are not one Europe-wide movement: demands differ by country. That matters for travel planning, because risk is local and tied to specific dates and places.
Strikes add a second layer
Alongside the protests, strikes have disrupted transport. Belgium had a national public-sector strike on Monday 12 October 2026, with rail disruption from the evening of 11 October through the last train on 12 October; trains and buses to Brussels Airport were also disrupted. A ground-handling strike on 9 October caused about 100 flight cancellations at Brussels Airport. In Italy, transport strikes are announced in advance under national law and often limited to set hours.
How to read official travel advice
Your government's travel advice is the best starting point for any trip. It is updated as conditions change and often lists specific areas or dates to avoid.
| Traveler | Where to check | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| US citizens | US State Department travel advisories | Advisory level, demonstrations section, local alerts from the embassy |
| UK nationals | UK FCDO foreign travel advice | Safety and security section, any advice against travel, protest guidance |
| Other nationalities | Your foreign ministry's travel advice | Current warnings and registration services for travelers |
As an example of how advice is framed, the US State Department has France at Level 2, "Exercise increased caution." Advisory levels for other countries change over time, so check the current level for each country on your itinerary rather than relying on articles or social media. Different governments may also describe the same situation differently, so if your team includes several nationalities, check each relevant source.
Pro tip
Sign up for alerts. The US State Department offers the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) for US citizens, and the UK FCDO lets you subscribe to email updates for each country's advice. Alerts often arrive before news reports and include practical details such as areas to avoid.
The real risks for business travelers
For most business travelers, the main risks are practical rather than physical.
Transport disruption
Strikes can cancel or reduce trains, buses and flights, and road closures around marches can slow taxis and rideshares. Cross-border trains can be affected by a strike in any country along the route. This is the risk you are most likely to meet.
Crowds and confrontations
Most demonstrations are peaceful, but some turn confrontational, as in Milan on 17 October. The risk is concentrated near march routes, central squares and government buildings, often on announced action days and in the evenings.
Opportunistic crime
Large crowds can create opportunities for pickpockets and theft. Normal city precautions matter more than usual on busy days.
Closures and changed plans
Shops, venues, attractions and even client offices may close early or move meetings online on protest days. Hotels and conference venues can be affected by strikes too.
Common mistake
Stopping to watch or film a demonstration. Even a peaceful march can change quickly if police move in or a group breaks away. If you see a crowd forming, move away calmly, take another street and continue your day.
How to plan a safe European business trip
Follow these steps for any trip to Europe this autumn. They take little time and remove most of the uncertainty.
- Check advice and news a week ahead. Read official travel advice for each country and scan local news for announced protests or strikes.
- Check strike calendars. Look at national rail operators, airports and, for Italy, the official strike calendar published by the Commissione di garanzia.
- Pick your base carefully. Choose a hotel within walking distance of your meetings or with several transport options, and away from main squares where protests often gather.
- Book flexibly. Use changeable fares and refundable hotel rates, and avoid scheduling critical meetings on announced strike days.
- Share your itinerary. Give a colleague your schedule, hotel and contact details, and agree on a daily check-in.
- Carry essentials. Keep a charged phone, a power bank, a copy of your passport, some local cash and your insurer's emergency number.
- Re-check each morning. Look at local news and alerts before heading out, and adjust routes if needed.
Hypothetical example
Imagine Priya runs a small design agency in Boston and has a client pitch in Lisbon. A week before the trip she checks the State Department page for Portugal, signs up for alerts and reads local news. She books a hotel a short walk from the client's office, schedules the pitch for the morning and keeps a video link ready as backup. When she hears of a march planned near the city center that afternoon, she works from her hotel and takes a different route to dinner. The names and details are made up for illustration.
Duty of care: what employers should do
If you send staff abroad, you have a responsibility to take reasonable steps to keep them safe. For a small business, that does not require a security department, just a simple, repeatable process.
- Write a short travel policy. Cover who approves trips, how advice is checked and what staff should do if plans change.
- Make it easy to say no. Let employees postpone or move a meeting online if they feel uncomfortable, without penalty.
- Check insurance. Confirm your business travel insurance covers medical care, trip disruption and emergency assistance in the countries concerned. Policies differ, so read the exclusions and talk to your insurer or broker.
- Keep contact details current. Hold an up-to-date list of who is traveling, where and how to reach them.
- Debrief after trips. Ask what went well and what to change for next time.
Know your passenger rights
If a flight or train is canceled, EU rules give care and a choice of refund or rerouting for flights whatever the cause, and set compensation for long rail delays. BizTips has a separate guide to traveling in Europe during strikes with more detail.
Your safe-travel checklist
- Official travel advice checked for every country on the itinerary
- Government alerts subscribed to
- Strike calendars and local news checked
- Hotel chosen near meetings and away from main protest areas
- Flexible tickets and refundable hotel booked
- Itinerary shared and daily check-in agreed
- Travel insurance and emergency numbers confirmed
Frequently asked questions
Should I cancel my business trip to Europe?
For most trips, no. The protests are local and tied to specific dates and places. Check official travel advice, avoid demonstration areas and keep plans flexible. If your government advises against travel to a particular area, follow that advice and talk to your insurer.
Which European countries have had protests recently?
On 17 October 2026 protests took place in France, Italy, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, Greece and Ireland, among others. Demands differ by country, and most areas in each country remain calm most of the time.
Does travel insurance cover disruption from strikes or protests?
It depends on the policy. Some cover trip disruption from strikes if you bought the policy before the strike was announced, and others exclude it. Read your policy wording and ask your insurer.
What should I do if I get caught near a protest?
Move away calmly, avoid confrontations, follow police instructions and head for a hotel, office or café away from the crowd. Check local news and official alerts for updates, and let your colleagues know you are safe.
Related reading
The bottom line
Europe has seen a wave of cost-of-living protests and strikes in autumn 2026, but for most business travelers the main risk is disruption rather than danger. The protests are national, tied to specific dates and places, and most of each country carries on normally.
Check official travel advice before every trip, sign up for alerts, stay away from demonstrations, book flexibly and keep in touch with your team. With those basics in place, you can keep doing business in Europe safely and confidently.
