Travel News · 4 min read · May 18, 2026

Know Before You Go: Holiday Extras launches a free destination risk checker for summer 2026

The new interactive tool combines live FCDO data with four expert risk signals and seasonal patterns — giving travellers a clear, calm picture of the destination they’re considering, at the time of year they’re considering it.

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Holiday Extras has launched Know Before You Go, a free destination risk checker timed for the summer 2026 holiday season. The tool draws on four risk signals — political instability, crime and security, health risk, and natural disaster exposure — weighted against the live FCDO advisory level for each country, and overlays seasonal disruption patterns so travellers can see whether they’re heading into a peak risk window or a quieter one. It’s the first of seven pre-holiday steps Holiday Extras recommends, including checking live FCDO advice, buying and understanding travel insurance, and knowing where your essential documents are. Travel is safe for the overwhelming majority of people; this tool is designed to make the picture clearer and easier to act on.

With the summer holiday season fast approaching, travellers planning their trips are facing an unprecedented volume of warnings. Uncertainty linked to conflict in the Middle East, converging with familiar seasonal risks, has created a travel landscape that can feel more complex than ever.

Yet while the noise about dangers and disruptions can feel overwhelming, the vast majority of travel plans go without a hitch. Concerns can be quelled with a little bit of planning. That’s why Holiday Extras — the UK’s market leader in holiday extras including airport parking, airport hotels, lounges and more — has built a planning tool that makes understanding travel risk as simple as possible.

How it works

Know Before You Go draws on four risk signals used by experienced travellers, security professionals, and the analysts who brief government travel advisories. Each signal is weighted against the current FCDO advisory level for the destination country.

Destinations are scored and presented alongside a seasonal layer that shows how disruption patterns typically shift throughout the year. That means travellers can see not just the general risk picture for a destination, but whether they’re heading into a peak risk window — or a quieter one.

Seven steps for a hassle-free trip

Know Before You Go is the first of seven steps Holiday Extras recommends before any trip. Using the tool is the starting point; a little more preparation goes a long way.

1. 1
   Check your destination risk levelUse the Know Before You Go tool to get a clear picture of what you’re heading into.
2. 2
   Read the FCDO’s live adviceThe Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office publishes up-to-date travel advisories for every country. Always check before you go.
3. 3
   Buy travel insurance — and understand itPurchase cover before you travel, and read what it does and doesn’t include. Knowing your policy matters most when you need it.
4. 4
   Know where your essential documents arePassport, insurance policy number, emergency contact numbers. Have them somewhere accessible if anything unexpected happens.
5. 5
   Check entry requirements for your destinationVisa rules, health documentation, and border requirements vary. Double-check these well ahead of travel.
6. 6
   Register your trip with the FCDOThe FCDO’s LOCATE service means the government can reach you in an emergency abroad.
7. 7
   Save your airline and insurer’s contact detailsHave them to hand on your phone before you leave, not just in a confirmation email you’ll need signal to find.

“Travel is one of the most enriching things you can do with your time and money. It is, for the overwhelming majority of people, extraordinarily safe.”

“While conflict in the Middle East and perennial risks are genuine concerns, they won’t impact travel plans for most of us — but the relentless news cycle and headlines, paired with the way our perception of risk is calibrated, may nevertheless prompt some of us to opt out and miss an opportunity to jet off.”

“There is no way to remove all risk or stop disruption completely, but this tool has been designed to put minds at ease and make it easy for travellers to assess the risk level of the destinations they’re considering.”