England

The most important change starting February 25, 2026 is an entry fee/authorization from the United Kingdom. For many years, visitors from 85 countries have been able to enter the UK without a visa. Among that list are the United States, Canada, and France. Starting on the above date, visitors from those countries will need to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization or ETA before their visit.

A prompt to obtain an ETA will be sent by air carriers before travel and the fee will be £16. The ETA is good for two years or until passport expiration, whichever is sooner. Once the ETA has been approved, the traveler can visit as many times as they wish until expiration of the ETA. Importantly, the need to acquire an ETA applies to those simply traveling through the United Kingdom on their way to another destination.

Lest you think that this can be paid upon entry, no, it must be paid for and approved before travel. If you do not have an ETA, you will be denied entry into the UK. The British government recommends that you allow for a minimum of 3 business days before your travel to obtain an ETA. They do note that most people currently receive a decision within minutes, but I would err on the safe side and give at least those 3 business days.

Mexico’s Archeological Sites

The ancient Mayans and Aztecs constructed some of the most stunning cities in all of history. Their beauty and complexity never cease to amaze visitors and impress upon them the scale of the society they built. Each year they attract tourists from all over the world to bask in their wonder, including us. This year it will be more expensive than before if you want to visit Mayan or Aztec sites in Mexico.

Nichole at Kohunlich Mayan Ruins in Mexico. (It was very bright that day)

Reportedly, the travel fees to enter the sites are increasing from 104 pesos to 209 pesos. Exchange rates shift but, at the time of writing, this is around $12 US. The stated increase appears to be for the most popular sites, like Chichén Itzá, Tulum, or Cobá. Other sites may see different increases in their price. Typically, these fees are rolled into the booking cost of excursions to the sites. Travelers to the locations will likely see an increase in the cost of booking the excursion rather than paying any fee when arriving at the park.

Rome’s Trevi Fountain

Although hardly the oldest structure in the city, Rome’s famed Trevi Fountain has certainly made a splash with tourists since its completion in 1762. Every day, the breathtaking Baroque water feature draws in thousands of visitors. That, it seems, has become a bit of a problem for the locals.

Starting this year, Rome will assess a €2 fee to enter the fountain. Before you read into that phrasing, no, you cannot enter the waters of the fountain. This also isn’t the only site in Rome that will introduce entry fees this year. The Napoleonic Museum, the Giovanni Barracco Museum, and the Villa of Maxentius will all be assessing entry fees.

These new fees come as European nations are grappling with ever-rising complaints about over tourism. Italy, in particular, has seen tourism explode in recent years. Popular ports like Venice and Rome have seen huge increases in the number of visitors. These fees are introduced to curb mass visitation or, at the very least, generate revenue to build infrastructure to better handle the massive influx of tourism.

I doubt that we’ve seen the last of these fees and, let me reiterate, I understand why many of them are being assessed. The more people travel, the harder it becomes to maintain an area. That being said, if you’d rather travel somewhere a little more off the beaten path, you may want to check out one of my favorite places in the world.

The post New Travel Fees Around The Globe Starting 2026 appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

Despite it being more than a year away, planning ahead and booking soon might be the only way to get on some of these cruises!

An eclipse is a life-changing event.

Why is Eclipse Cruising the Hottest Cruise Right Now?

For a long time, solar eclipse cruises were something only done by small, boutique cruise lines or charters at exceedingly high prices. However, the 2017 eclipse that went across the USA sparked a real interest in eclipses for many Americans. In 2024, a few lines offered an eclipse cruise, which we were a part of, and they were a smash hit. Now a growing list of cruise lines are unveiling total solar eclipse cruises for August 2027.

The rising popularity of eclipse cruises means that lines, such as Princess, are selling out of the itineraries for 2026, and cabins on 2027 sailings are moving just as fast. In the past, we observed an increase in cost the closer eclipse cruises got to the departure date, so if you are interested in doing one, you’ll want to get a deposit in as soon as you can.

Important!

The safest way to secure the best price is to book now but with a REFUNDABLE deposit. Typically, cruise prices will increase over time, sometimes significantly. In the rare event the fare goes down, having a refundable deposit makes it much easier to reprice to the lower cost.

The 2017 eclipse that started the craze.

What Cruises are Available?

Here are some of the announced total solar eclipse sailings for July 2027. Since this is the hottest type of cruise right now, we expect more to be coming. 

Regent Seven Seas has a 2027 solar eclipse cruise. For an exquisite time, Regent is one of the best in small luxury cruising. If you’d like to learn more about the Regent experience, check out our look at it.

Virgin Voyage’s Eleven-night sailing out of Barcelona will be a fantastic time, as they are making sure to be out at sea for the Eclipse proper, as well as going along to Portugal and Morocco.

Cunard is offering a solar eclipse cruise on the Queen Victoria with a ton of stops at beautiful European ports. Departing from England, you will get a wide variety of places including France, Portugal, and Spain.

For something truly unique, Viking River Cruises is offering a Solar Eclipse cruise on the Nile in Egypt. Experiencing ancient Egypt and a cosmically powerful event all in one trip. But don’t get your hopes up as they are currently sold out. But you can still hope spaces open up.

How Do I Get in on the Hottest Cruise Right Now?

If you want to learn more about what sailing a solar eclipse cruise is like, and why it’s one of the hottest cruises right now, check out our blog post of our experience on Princess Cruises off Mexico’s coast. 

While we expect other lines might join in on the eclipse craze, these are available now. They are all selling out quickly. So, if you are even thinking about this, consider reaching out to us to help get pricing and put down a refundable deposit to lock in your cruise now! 

The post What is the Hottest Cruise for 2027? appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.

An eclipse is a life-changing event.

Why is this the Hottest Cruise Right Now?

For a long time, solar eclipse cruises were something only done by small, boutique cruise lines or charters at exceedingly high prices. However, the 2017 eclipse that went across the USA sparked a real interest in people. Then, a few lines did an eclipse cruise for 2024, which we were a part of, and it was a smash hit. Now many cruise lines are unveiling total solar eclipse cruises for August 2026.

Seeing the growing popularity of eclipse cruises, they’ve become the hottest cruises on the market, with several lines, such as Princess, already selling out. These are cruises are likely to increase in cost the closer they get to sailing, so if you are interested in doing one, you’ll want to get a deposit in as soon as you can. 

Important!

The best way to secure the best price is to book now but with a REFUNDABLE deposit. For those most part, prices will increase significantly. In the rare event the fare goes down, having a refundable deposit make it easier to reprice to the lower cost.

The 2017 eclipse that started the craze.

What Cruises are Available?

Here are some of the announced total solar eclipse sailings for August 2026. Since this is the hottest type of cruise right now, we expect more to be coming. 

Azamara Eclipse cruises. Azamara, known for longer experiential port callings and smaller ship luxury, has three sailings. 

Virgin Voyages has two 2026 solar eclipse cruises. One sails for 12-nights from Barcelona to Rome and the other sails 15 nights roundtrip from England with visits to Scotland and Iceland.  

Cunard will have three solar eclipse sailings, and we have special pricing on two of them. We have arranged special group pricing on two Cunard eclipse sailings. These groups allow us to hold prices even if the standard price goes up. 

Finally, two of the smaller cruise lines, Atlas Ocean Voyages and Windstar Iceland have sailings. They are a boutique and luxurious experience small ship experiences. 

As we said before, Princess Cruises, who we sailed with for the April 2024 eclipse and helped cement solar eclipse cruises as the hottest cruises right now. On August 12, 2026, Sky Princess will sail directly into the “path of totality” on a  special 14-night Total Solar Eclipse Cruise which also visits France, Spain and Portugal. The cruise departs Southampton August 8, 2026. It is currently sold out but you may be able to snag a wait-list spot.

How Do I Get in on the Hottest Cruise Right Now?

If you want to learn more about what sailing a solar eclipse cruise is like, and why it’s one of the hottest cruises right now, check out our blog post of our experience on Princess Cruises off Mexico’s coast. 

While we expect other lines might join in on the eclipse craze, these are available now. They are all selling out quickly. So, if you are even thinking about this, consider reaching out to us to help get pricing and put down a refundable deposit to lock in your cruise now! 

The post What is the Hottest Cruise Right Now? appeared first on Far Far Away Travels.