Before traveling, you should always research your travel destination, check for travel advisories, and protect your trip with Travel insurance. While pre-departure planning for any trip is essential, what you do after departure is equally as important. If you ever find yourself in a situation where travel plans are disrupted due to unrest, natural disaster, or safety concerns, here are some tips on how to stay safe and informed:

• Prioritize your personal safety. If a crisis unfolds, remaining in a safe location is the best course of action until authorities instruct otherwise. You should monitor local government alerts, airport announcements, and if possible, instructions from hotel staff or travel partners.
• Contact a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. The U.S. Embassy can assist with evacuation information, communicate with your family, and provide updates on safe zones, if applicable.
• Make sure you have a reliable way to stay connected. Keep your devices charged and make note of emergency contact information. Identify any backup communication options such as hotel landlines and Wi-Fi hotspots should cellular networks become unreliable.

How Travel insurance can help during a trip:

• Political or Security Evacuation coverage may be included in your policy, but only if local authorities or the U.S. State Department issue a formal recommendation to leave a country. That coverage will not apply if a Level 4 advisory was issued prior to your departure. And, it’s important to note that evacuation is dependent on transportation availability. For example, airspace must be open and flights must be able to operate safely. To initiate an evacuation, contact your travel assistance provider, as an evacuation will only be covered if it is orchestrated by the carrier.
• Access to 24/7 Traveler Support. Most travelers may not realize their policy includes 24/7 assistance services that can help if you need to locate safe accommodations or rebook flights. This can be an important service should circumstances become overwhelming. Be sure to have your policy number and relevant contact information on hand just in case.
• Consider membership for Global Medical Transport, Travel Security, and Crisis Response. This type of membership may not require government-issued “hard trigger” to initiate a security response. A crisis response center can provide up-to-date threat information, guidance, and in-country services in case of a political threat or act of terrorism.

Learn more about Global Transport memberships.

Learn more about Travel insurance with evacuation coverage.

¹Thousands of Americans are stranded in war zone. NBC News. www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/trump-administration-fire-thousands-americans-are-stranded-war-zone-rcna261682, March 4, 2026.
²Some travelers stranded in Dubai are paying huge sums for private charter flights out. The Washington Post. www.washingtonpost.com/national/2026/03/03/stranded-travelers-iran-war-gulf-charter-flights, March 3, 2026.