15 March 2026
Won’t kid myself: There exists a viable concern about flying in the direction of a war zone. Especially one started and executed by my own country. It is disconcerting that my government has declared Egypt, and for that matter, the entire Middle East, as a place from which Americans should immediately flee.
Travel Plans
For many months, I have been planning a trip to Tunisia and Algeria. I’m the sort of traveler who figures “as long as I am in the neighborhood.” Therefore, I thought I would zip over to Cairo. Travelers have long awaited the opening to the Grand Egyptian Museum or GEM. I felt this as good a time as any to visit. Thus, I added a few days solo travel to revisit Cairo, check out Alexandria, and see some sites long overdue for a revisit.
I tend to do a lot of planning. I love to do so. Usually, I develop a Plan B and a few times, a Plan C. Rarely, last minute inconvenience results in a hastily organized Plan D. So, with a firm Plan A in place, I imagined I was prepared.
Unfortunately, I had not planned on a war. I figured our US government had enough bombing and threatening postures on its plate already. Wrong! Canada, Venezuela, Greenland, Equador and Cuba appeared to offer limited distraction, political domination, and economic exploitation.
On 28 February, the U.S. and Israel launched attacks at approximately 9:45 a.m, dropping bombs on Tehran. In fact, over 1,000 targets were blasted just this first day. In retaliation, Iran fired missiles at US bases within several countries of the Middle East, including Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Dubai in the UAE.
Now What?
I remember canceling multiple trips and staying home for over 2 years when Covid hit in late 2019. The first year, I could justify my decision. I had planned on hiking in Italy, one of the worst hit countries. A group tour around the Stans cancelled as these countries closed down. Scientists had to figure out what was happening and what to do about it. Once vaccines were developed, it seemed about a year before I began to feel some herd immunity had developed.
Why?
My decision to travel towards a war zone is not a decision taken lightly.
Covid-affected travel opened very slowly. Until things came close to normalcy, I saw no reason to reschedule any travel plans. Why travel to Italy, or anywhere, when restaurants and museums remained closed? Our wonderful national parks suffered overcrowding with those with nowhere else to go. So, I did not travel again until late 2021. I still regret not having planned some international travel earlier.
My 54-years of travel experiences, my education, reality, and a healthy dose of reading, combine to tell me not to react to the fear in others. Reading history and examining an atlas broadens one’s perspective. Also, it eases unwarranted fears. Perhaps, the luxury of a Pinot Grigio also helps.
So What About Government Warnings?
The long-standing advice from travel gurus suggests to avoid the US State Department’s travel advisories. Instead, follow the UK Foreign Travel Advice. Why? I don’t know – perhaps the US government offends so many people. Perhaps, its citizens need to get out more.
About 48% of Americans owned a valid passport in 2024, a sharp increase from about 5% in 1990. Of course, that big increase has a lot to do with needing a Passport to travel to Canada and Mexico. About 71–76% of US adults have traveled abroad at least once, yet over 25% of Americans have never left the country. As one friend put it, “Why leave, everything is here?” (That would require an entirely new blog.)
Younger adults under 30 are more likely to have passports (about 53%) than people aged 45–64 (around 33%). Education shows an even larger gap: about 71% of people with postgraduate degrees hold passports, compared with roughly 24% of those with a high school education or less. Geographically, the largest numbers of passports issued in 2024 were in California (about 2.8 million).
However, travel experience varies widely. Only about 11% of Americans have visited ten or more countries, while about 19% have visited just one foreign country. Mexico and Europe remain the most common destinations, with about 33.5 million visits to Mexico and 15.8 million to Europe in 2022. Scarier still, roughly 1-10 Americans have never ventured out of the state where they were born. About one-third of Americans prefer destinations where English is widely spoken.
My Advice?
Read rather than react to fear. Historically and politically, Egypt remains uninvolved in the Middle East’s chaos. No US military bases are located in Egypt. A 1979 treaty formally ended decades of war. Today, many tourists travel to Sharm el-Sheikh for holiday, which was returned to Egypt in 1982, as part of the final phase of Israel’s total withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula.
I visited solo to Sharm el-Sheikh in 1981, looked across the Red Sea at Jordan, the coast of Egypt just a few miles distant. The scariest thing were the Israeli Bus Drivers.
Look at an Atlas!
Maps can be one’s friend. Geographically, by air, Paris is closer to Kiev (1200 miles) than Cairo to Tehran. Iranian missile-target Dubai sits just across the Gulf of Oman from Iran. US targets in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia sit almost as close. Cairo is over 1,500 miles away from this conflict zone.
I prefer reading and understanding history and geography rather than listening to those who respond to a fear of things they don’t know or understand.
I’m not saying that caution doesn’t count. Each person has their own level of tolerance or fear. I avoid mocking the endless stream of “Will I be safe” asked by those going to everywhere from Paris to Cairo. People have concerns about security and their safety throughout the world.
We are in unprecedented territory with much uncertainty as to where this war will spread and its unanticipated consequences. We must be kind, even when these questions seem far fetched and fueled by unjustified fears. Ultimately, there exists those travelers who are more risk averse than others.
I am well aware a tragedy can happen in Egypt or Cairo. There are individual crazies everywhere. I’m just saying, for me, I am going to Cairo as planned. I’ll feel as safe there as I do on an American street or in one of our schools.
Never Ending Challenges of Travel
Earthquake! Really? For a Californian, no deep concern. However, Mother Nature seems to be purposely messing with the traveler’s head.
Then, as if one might get too comfortable:
Where does one find the joy in travel? Sometimes, it requires deep searching.
Plan A Remains
I expect inconvenience. Many evacuation flights are passing thru Cairo at this time. I expect things will improve both in the air and on the ground over the next week. Will this war be over? Tragically, not in my lifetime. The US and Israel have practically guaranteed that. The bombing may stop, the hatred and distrust will not.
I hope the Iranian people gain their freedom and dignity. Also, as much as I hate the thought, the US and Israel must finish what has been started. However, if I avoided all the countries that my US government has offended in the past year, and longer, I would be one of those stats sitting home – feeling trapped.
Years ago, a very wise young lady made the statement to me “We like Americans, it’s your government we don’t like.“ I never understood that statement – until our current government.
I know from experience, Americans are well liked around the world and not just because we bring a tremendous amount of tourist dollars into a country. They like American people. However, it’s clear many of them do not like our government. Truthfully, I couldn’t agree more.
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