Club Cruise CEO Amanda Huber Reports April 10 Travel Changes for U.S. Travelers Visiting Europe and the UK

As of April 10, 2026, new international travel requirements are drawing increased attention from U.S. travelers planning trips to Europe and the United Kingdom. According to Amanda Huber, CEO of Club Cruise, the most important updates right now include Europe’s Entry/Exit System (EES), the UK Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) requirement for many American travelers, the fact that ETIAS is still not yet required, and the continued use of REAL ID for domestic U.S. flights. For travelers trying to understand the latest Europe travel rules, UK entry requirements, and passport concerns in 2026, Huber says the key is not panic, but preparation.

Huber said the April 10 travel conversation matters because many Americans are hearing about new border systems and digital entry requirements without understanding what actually affects their trip. Club Cruise is advising U.S. travelers to focus on four things before departure: whether their itinerary includes the UK and requires an ETA, whether their first Europe arrival may involve biometric entry processing under EES, whether their domestic identification meets REAL ID standards, and whether their passport has enough remaining validity beyond the trip.

While the new April travel changes are important, Huber said one of the costliest mistakes remains the same every year: travelers failing to review passport timing early enough and discovering too late that a documentation issue can derail the trip. 

Huber said travelers heading to Europe should understand that the new EES process may make a first arrival feel a little slower as biometric information is recorded, but that does not mean travel has become more difficult. Instead, it reflects a broader move toward more modern and digital border processing.

For travelers going to the United Kingdom, Huber said verifying ETA requirements before departure is now one of the most important pre-trip steps. Even a simple oversight can create major problems if a traveler assumes they can board without first checking what is required for their specific itinerary.

Huber added that U.S. travelers should also continue treating REAL ID as standard for domestic air travel. While many travelers are now used to the rule, she said last-minute documentation surprises still happen and can easily disrupt an otherwise smooth trip.

Just as important, Huber warned that one of the most common reasons travelers are denied boarding internationally is not because of a dramatic new rule, but because their passport does not have enough validity remaining beyond the trip. Club Cruise urges travelers to check passport dates early and to aim for at least six months of validity beyond their final return date.

“This is one of the most preventable and most expensive travel mistakes we see,” Huber said. “People assume their passport is fine because it has not expired yet. Then they learn too late that the destination or airline required more validity than they had left.”

She noted that this can become especially painful financially because documentation mistakes are often not covered the way travelers expect. If one traveler in a couple, family, or group is denied boarding because of passport validity, the rest of the trip may still go forward without them.

Huber said that is one of the top reasons travelers still benefit from working with an experienced travel agent.

“One of the most valuable things a professional travel agency can do is help clients catch the issues they do not know to look for,” she said. “At Club Cruise, we do more than book vacations. We help travelers prepare properly.”

That practical support includes travel-planning guidance, passport photos, and an onsite TSA PreCheck® enrollment center through IDEMIA, giving Club Cruise a level of traveler-support infrastructure few agencies can offer. 

For travelers preparing for upcoming trips, Huber recommends four simple steps: check passport validity now, verify any UK ETA requirement, understand that ETIAS is not yet required, and allow a little extra time for first-time arrival processing in Europe.

“Travel is still absolutely worth it,” Huber said. “The key in 2026 is simple: be informed, be prepared, and do not let a preventable document mistake ruin a great trip.” 

For more information:

Club Cruise

www.clubcruise.com

1-800-CLUB-SEA

Official traveler resources:

Europe EES: www.travel-europe.europa.eu/en/ees

UK ETA: www.gov.uk/eta

UK ETA App: www.gov.uk/guidance/using-the-uk-eta-app

ETIAS: www.travel-europe.europa.eu/en/etias

TSA REAL ID: www.tsa.gov/realid

TSA Acceptable Identification: www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/identification

U.S. Passport FAQ: travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/passport-help/faqs.html

U.S. International Travel Information: travel.state.gov/en/international-travel.html

About Club Cruise

Club Cruise since 1991 is a Leading California-based luxury travel brokerage specializing in cruises, tours, Europe, international travel planning, a Viking Authorized Store and personalized traveler support. The company also operates an onsite TSA PreCheck® enrollment center through IDEMIA as part of its full-service travel agency environment.

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