Are you traveling over the long Memorial Day weekend?

If so, you’re one of 45 million people in the USA alone who will travel 50 miles (80 km) or more from home, say TSA and AAA.

45 million. That’s a new record number of holiday travelers on Memorial Day weekend trips.

despite increasing costs for gas (the majority will drive this weekend), airfare, hotels, and well, everything else.

Whether you’re heading out this holiday weekend or planning a later trip this summer, perhaps for the FIFA World Cup, Paul and I have 4 travel safety tips for summer 2026:

1) Consider quieter locations off the beaten path.

“80% of travelers visit just 10% of the world’s tourism destinations,” states National Geographic in an article on overtourism.

Accordingly, the hottest trending destinations for summer 2026 vary specifically between sources (AirBnB, AAA, TripAdvisor, etc.) but generally include:

• Europe - Paris, London, Rome, Athens, Berlin, and Milan

• Canada - Vancouver, the Canadian Rockies, and Toronto

• USA – Myrtle Beach, New York City, Chicago, and Las Vegas

• Caribbean – Aruba, Barbados, and St. Lucia

2) Save your place, space, and time.

Book your hotel, vacation home, ground transportation, flights, attraction tickets, and other reservations sooner rather than later.

Also, allow more time for border crossings and flights. For instance, book a 2 to 3 hour cushion for connecting flights. Arrive at the airport at least 3 hours or more for international flights, and 2 hours or more for domestic flights.

3) Protect your peace of mind.

We highly recommend securing your devices and data privacy with a Virtual Private Network (VPN) and a digital eSIM card. Our go-to resources are:

• SurfShark VPN ranks tops overall for digital security, user confidence, affordability, and unlimited device connections.

• Holafly eSIM cards have changed our travel game with global coverage, fast and steady internet connection, solid customer service, and zero data roaming charges.

4) Practice patience.

Counted breathing is an easy technique we use to practice patience and calm nerves. This simply mean gentle, deep breaths from the belly for several repetitions.

Inhale 2, 3, 4. Hold 2, 3, 4. Exhale 2, 3, 4. Hold 2, 3, 4.

So when you feel frustration, stress or anxiety arising, just slow breaths and silent counts. Anywhere, any time. Easy breezy.

Reader, here’s to your calm, cool, and collected summer adventures ahead.

Until next time,

Travel on, sparkle on, meaningfully✨

Marilee + Paul
​Spotlight Sojourns | Slow Travel
with the Hidden Gemologists®

PS: If you’d like to dive deeper into essential tips for your trips, click HERE for our article, “Travel Safety Tips: Lessons Learned from a Slow Travel Life.”

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