When traveling, safety is just as important as the scenery. And while there’s no way to completely eliminate risk, the travel insurance provider Berkshire Hathaway has revealed its annual ranking of the world’s safest countries for travel in 2026, highlighting destinations where peace of mind comes with the plane ticket. The safety scores are based on traveler surveys, data from the Global Peace Index and Numbeo’s Safety Index, and an average of the GeoSure Global scores for the major cities in each country. To help you plan your next journey worry-free, below we explore the safest countries for travel in 2026.

5. Canada

Canada has been listed on Berkshire Hathaway’s safety index ever since its inception in 2018, and for good reason. In addition to the country’s fifth-place ranking overall, it’s home to the top six safest cities in North America on Numbeo’s safety index, with Quebec City taking the top spot this year. Canada also ranks among the 15 most peaceful nations on the 2026 Global Peace Index, with low levels of conflict, political violence, and violent crime.

However, there are a few safety considerations for visitors. When visiting tourist hot spots and metropolitan areas, such as Niagara Falls or Toronto, be aware of your surroundings and avoid leaving items in your car, as break-ins can occur. Additionally, Canada’s great outdoor adventure spots, such as Banff National Park and the Whistler ski area, attract many tourists who are unfamiliar with the remote terrain. It’s crucial to follow local guidelines and warning signs to avoid accidents.

4. Iceland

A recurring favorite of Berkshire Hathaway’s annual list of the safest countries to travel to, Iceland receives more than 2 million tourists annually. And what’s not to like? It’s the world’s most peaceful country, according to the Global Peace Index, and the second-happiest country in the world, per the World Happiness Report. Iceland’s capital city, Reykjavik, also boasts a strong sense of community and is surrounded by natural beauty, making it a welcoming home base for visitors exploring the island nation.

Popular activities in Iceland include bathing in the Blue Lagoon, viewing the northern lights, and hiking to glaciers and waterfalls. However, Iceland’s dramatic landscapes come with a unique safety hazard: volcanoes. Lava flows may occasionally impact main roads along popular tourist routes, possibly leaving drivers stranded. Always use caution and monitor local guidance during periods of eruption.

3. Austria

Known for its Alpine beauty, Austria is new to the safest countries for travelers list in 2026. Austria ranks fourth globally on the Global Peace Index, cited for its low rates of internal conflict, violent crime, and political terror. However, in busy urban centers such as the capital, Vienna, visitors should use extra caution, as petty crime and pickpocketing do occur, even in such a safe country.

Beyond the cities, Austria has no shortage of appeal for visitors, whether you’re enjoying world-class skiing in Innsbruck or trying culinary staples like Wiener schnitzel at a local gasthaus. While exploring, it’s important to follow safety warnings, especially in Alpine regions where avalanches may occur. Moreover, altitude sickness and mountain sports such as hiking and biking can pose safety risks.

2. Australia

Australia has ranked in the top 10 safest countries each year since 2018. It also ranks in the top 20 overall on the Global Peace Index, with particularly low rates of violent crime, political instability, and terrorism. The top three safest major cities in the country are Canberra (the capital), Adelaide, and Sydney, respectively.

Many tourists head to Australia to enjoy outdoor activities such as snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, exploring the wild outback, driving along the Great Ocean Road, and surfing at Byron Bay, to name a few. But visitors must remain vigilant, as the biggest risks for tourists in Australia occur while outdoors. This includes extreme weather and natural disasters, such as wildfires, as well as coastal hazards, including rip currents and jellyfish. Follow all posted signage, heed weather warnings, and be aware of your surroundings while enjoying Australia’s beautiful landscapes.

1. The Netherlands

Known for its historic canals, colorful tulip fields, and charming windmills, the Netherlands ranks as the safest country for international travelers in 2026. Travelers surveyed by Berkshire Hathaway gave the country nearly perfect scores for health and overall safety, as well as high rankings for the safety of female travelers, LGBTQIA+ travelers, and travelers of color. However, if there’s one thing tourists should keep an eye out for in the Netherlands, it’s bicycles. Because the Netherlands is the leading cycling nation in the world, pedestrians should be aware of bicycle lanes to avoid injury.

Beyond its safety credentials, visitors flock to the country for its diverse attractions, from the bustling streets of Amsterdam to the solemn World War II memorial sites scattered throughout the country. Meanwhile, The Hague ranks as Europe’s third-safest major city, according to Numbeo. It’s home to the Peace Palace, the Binnenhof, and the Mauritshuis Museum, boasting famous 17th-century works by Rembrandt and Vermeer.

Top 15 Safest Countries for Travel in 2026

Below, check out the full index of 15 countries in Berkshire Hathaway’s 2026 safest countries report. (Note: This list was published before the regional conflict in the Middle East, which is impacting travel warnings to the UAE. Follow your country’s travel guidelines when considering a trip to this region.)

• The Netherlands
• Australia
• Austria
• Iceland
• Canada
• New Zealand
• United Arab Emirates
• Switzerland
• Japan
• Ireland
• Belgium
• Portugal
• France
• United Kingdom

Tipping is arguably more prevalent in the United States than in any other country. For many services, it’s often expected that customers leave a 15% to 20% gratuity. Still, there are certain instances when you don’t need to tip at all, and knowing when not to add a gratuity is useful intel when traveling around the country. Here are five things you shouldn’t tip for when traveling in the United States.

Counter Service

Whether you just landed at the airport or pulled off the highway to stop at a service station, you may be tempted to grab a burger and fries at the nearest fast-food restaurant. But unlike at eateries where waiters bring the food to your table and clean up after you, there’s no expectation to leave a tip at eateries that offer counter service. 

Etiquette experts say tipping in these types of eateries — whether larger chains like Starbucks and McDonald’s or local delis and takeaways — is entirely discretionary. And research from the Pew Center reveals that just 12% of Americans reported leaving a tip for counter service. So, you shouldn’t feel obligated to leave a gratuity, even if you see a prompt on the touch screen to do so. That said, it would certainly be appreciated by the staff if you left a few dollars in the tip jar to thank them for excellent service.

Hotel Receptionists

If a hotel valet parks your car, a bellhop brings bags up to your room, or a housekeeper cleans up after you, then leaving them a few dollars is a standard gesture. (For more detail, see our ultimate guide to tipping at hotels.) However, there’s one scenario where leaving an additional gratuity is quite uncommon: at the front desk. 

When checking in, you may be asked to provide your credit card for the cost of the room or incidentals, but there’s no need to tip on top of that. There are, of course, exceptions where you may want to thank the receptionist for going above and beyond, such as if they booked you into a specific room or handled a special request, but there’s no expectation of you doing so.

Flight Attendants

Many flight attendants go out of their way to ensure the comfort and safety of their passengers. But no matter how excellently they perform those duties, you shouldn’t leave them a tip. According to Travel + Leisure, the majority of major airlines discourage staff members from taking any cash tips, and per Fodor’s, some companies like United and Allegiant have banned the practice outright. 

One notable exception is budget airline Frontier, which is known to prompt passengers who buy food or drink to leave a gratuity on their digital tablet, according to CNBC. If you’d like to thank your flight attendant for their assistance, kind words of gratitude are always appreciated, or you can go above and beyond and gift them some individually wrapped candies or other tokens of your appreciation.

Certain Professionals

Urgent medical issues can arise at any time, even when you’re on vacation. But if you suddenly need to see a doctor or visit a hospital while traveling around the U.S., leaving a tip should be the last thing on your mind. As noted by etiquette expert Thomas Farley, there’s no need to tip people who earn a full salary or perform a trade, such as doctors, lawyers, teachers, and plumbers. Farley states that “it would be highly unorthodox and very awkward” to do, and perhaps even misconstrued as a bribe. Medical costs are already high enough, even if you have insurance, so don’t worry about paying any more than you need to.

Unsafe Drivers

In the U.S., it’s customary to tip taxi or ride-share app drivers (such as Uber or Lyft) 20% at the end of your ride. Even mediocre experiences generally warrant at least 10%, according to etiquette experts interviewed by Reader’s Digest. 

But if you feel unsafe while riding in the back of a car, you should never feel obligated to tip the driver. Maybe their driving was reckless, or maybe they made unwanted flirtatious advances. Either way, that type of behavior is highly unprofessional and potentially dangerous, and it should be reported — either by filing a complaint within the app or via a police report. Just try to be honest with your assessment, and don’t skimp out on tipping the drivers who do perform an excellent job.

It’s safe to say that most travelers prefer a nonstop flight to reach their destination, but that’s not always possible. If you live in a small or midsize city with fewer direct flight options, you might have to settle for an itinerary that has a layover in an airline’s hub airport — say, flying from Columbus to London via New York’s JFK Airport. Most often, you’ll be able to buy this as one through ticket, either on a single airline or an airline and its codeshare partner. But in other scenarios, it might be beneficial to book those two legs as two individual tickets — although doing so comes with a certain level of risk. Find out everything you need to know about booking separate airline tickets.

What Are the Benefits of Booking Individual Tickets?

One of the top reasons you might consider booking each leg of your flight itinerary separately is cost. For example, KLM could be offering a flight from Washington, D.C., to Krakow, Poland, via Amsterdam that costs $1,500 round trip. But if you search using Google Flights — one of our favorite tools for finding flight deals — the site may suggest what Google calls a “virtual interline” itinerary. Instead, you would book the flight to Amsterdam with KLM and then book a separate leg on a low-cost carrier such as EasyJet and make a self-transfer to reach your final destination of Krakow. In this case, booking separately could save you a significant amount on airfare.

Another reason some travelers prefer to book separate tickets is that it often affords them more flexibility. For instance, if travelers have a preferred airline, but that airline doesn’t offer the flights they are looking for, they might book a portion of the itinerary to the preferred airline’s hub and the rest of the trip on a separate carrier. This often works well when trying to redeem points, too, as airlines may offer better redemption deals to certain airports. If you’re willing to get yourself to a different airport on a separate ticket, you could score that award ticket for much less. 

And finally, you might also consider booking separate tickets if you want to add a short stopover to your trip. If you’re flying all the way to Europe, after all, maybe you want to spend a few hours exploring Amsterdam before you continue on to your final destination. 

What Are the Risks of Buying Airline Tickets Separately? 

The single biggest risk with booking separately is flight delays. Because you’re booking with separate carriers, if your first flight is delayed, causing you to miss your next flight, the second carrier has no obligation to rebook you free of charge. In contrast, if you buy a single ticket with the same airline, the carrier is obligated to rebook you on the next available flight to your final destination. 

Another potentially thorny issue? Luggage. If you’re planning to check a bag on separate tickets, you’ll have to check it with the first operating carrier, claim it at your transfer airport, and then recheck it with the next airline. If your first flight is delayed, you may not have enough time to meet the baggage check-in cutoff time for your next flight, or if the first airline loses your bag, it might be more of a headache to locate it and deliver to your final destination. And if both airlines charge baggage fees for your ticket, you’ll end up paying more for checking luggage, too.

Finally, there’s also a risk that airlines could change their schedules. The risk is greater the further out you book, when most airlines have “placeholder” schedules. These schedules are based on historical passenger data — it isn’t until a few months out that many airlines adjust their schedules to what they actually plan to fly. If you bought a single ticket, the airline will reaccommodate you in the event of a schedule change, but if you book separately, airlines won’t rebook for free because of another airline’s schedule change. 

As USA Today explains, “The crux of the problem is that if you book separate tickets from point A to point B to point C, the airline operating your first flight has no responsibility to transport you to your final destination. What you may think of as a single trip is actually two separate itineraries, and each carrier is only required to fly you on the segment you booked with it.”

Tips for Booking Separate Airline Tickets

Despite the risks, it might still make sense to book a split ticket. If you do, be sure to leave a healthy buffer in between flights. Most experts recommend a minimum layover of four to six hours — or more if the layover involves an airport change or if you’ll have to spend extra time clearing customs and immigration. (If that’s the case, be sure to check entry requirements at your layover city — if you’ve booked separately, you’ll have to enter the country to check in again with another carrier.)

Some experts even caution against a same-day layover. “The only time when a split ticket can make sense is when you are planning to spend some extra time in your connection city — at least an overnight stay,” says Robert Niles, editor of Theme Park Insider. “That extra time gives you some wiggle room should your initial flight not get you to the connecting airport when you planned.”

If you’re planning to go this route, it may make sense to purchase travel insurance, too, which can cover you in the event of flight delays. But as financial website This Is Money cautions, you’ll need to read the fine print of your policy carefully to ensure you have full coverage. 

Given the risks, you’ll always want to be prepared for the unexpected when booking separately. While your travel day may go smoothly — and save you hundreds of dollars in the process — make sure you have your essentials packed in your carry-on, including toiletries and a change of clothes, so you’re covered in case of unforeseen disruptions. 

Picture this scenario: It’s your last day of vacation and you planned to make the most of it, so you booked a flight home at 9 p.m. But despite your best intentions, by lunchtime you’re just ready to get home. So, you decide to head to the airport with hopes of catching an earlier flight. Chances are, you’ll be joining what’s called the “standby list” — here’s everything you need to know about how it works and how to take advantage of flying standby on your next trip. 

What Is Flying Standby?

Essentially, flying standby means that you don’t have a confirmed seat assignment on a flight. A passenger who joins the standby list could — like in the scenario above — have a confirmed ticket on a later flight that day, but they’re looking to catch an earlier flight. Or they could have missed their earlier flight (or been booked on a flight that was canceled or delayed) and they’re hoping for a seat on the next available flight out. 

Many airline employees (and often their relatives) also have standby privileges as part of their benefits. For a deeply discounted price, they can hop on any flight they want as long as there’s a seat available. However, this type of standby isn’t available to the general public. 

The term “flying standby” has changed in meaning over the years. In the past, passengers could simply show up at the airport without a ticket and hope to score a “standby” ticket on a flight with open seats, often at a significant discount. Nowadays, passengers need a confirmed ticket to fly standby — it essentially means they’re looking to exchange it for a different flight the same day.

How Does Flying Standby Work?

Most U.S. airlines offer travelers the option to make same-day changes. These are different from regular ticket changes because they can only be made on the day of travel. Rules vary by airline, but usually passengers are eligible to make these changes exactly 24 hours before their original scheduled departure time. This option gives travelers more flexibility on the day of travel — instead of having to pay for a more expensive last-minute fare, they can switch to another flight for a modest fee, or sometimes for no charge at all. 

Same-day changes fall into two categories: same-day confirmed or same-day standby. With confirmed changes, a passenger is able to exchange their ticket for a flight the same day and get a confirmed seat assignment right away, either by speaking with a reservations agent on the phone or at the airport, or by using the airline’s website or app. (Again, rules vary by airline, so be sure to check your airline’s policy.)

If a confirmed seat isn’t available, the passenger will usually have the option of same-day standby. This might be because the flight the passenger wants to take is full. But if there are any last-minute no-shows or passengers who miss their connections, the airline will assign any open seats to those flying standby. In other cases, airlines might hold back a certain number of seats for lucrative last-minute fares, but if they don’t sell, the airline will give them away to passengers on the standby list. 

How Much Does It Cost To Fly Standby?

Many U.S. airlines charge a fee for the peace of mind that comes with a confirmed same-day change (typically between $50 and $75, but often waived for those with elite status in an airline’s frequent flyer program). For same-day confirmed changes, passengers will get a confirmed seat assignment right away. If that option isn’t available, however, passengers can choose to join the standby list.

For example, as of late 2024, United lets you join the standby list for free, but no more than 24 hours before departure of your original flight, and you must be flying to and from the same airport. If any seats become available, they’ll be assigned to those waiting on the standby list free of charge. As on many airlines, the standby list has a specific priority order — elite members, for example, will jump to the front of the queue, while those without elite status will be prioritized after them based on the time they request to join the list.  

With American, same-day standby is also free, but you need to be a member of the airline’s frequent flyer program, and it’s only available when flying in the U.S., Puerto Rico, or the Virgin Islands. Similarly, Delta’s standby offering is free but available only in those same regions. Southwest, on the other hand, offers free same-day standby on all flights. 

Some airlines, like Alaska Airlines, offer same-day standby on a limited number of routes or ticket types. Otherwise, the only option is to make confirmed changes for a fee of $50 ($25 within California), if available. On JetBlue, both same-day confirmed and same-day standby changes cost $75, though the fee is waived for elite members. 

It’s important to note, too, that some fares may have restrictions when it comes to same-day changes. Usually, basic economy tickets are not eligible for this option. But if your ticket is eligible, flying standby could save you a considerable amount when your plans change last-minute on the day of travel.