I qualified for Marbella 70.3 Worlds last July, 2024 when the US looked a bit different. This is not the place to talk politics. But today the US is very different compared to when I qualified last year. Is anyone else feeling deep apprehension and stress about traveling to the EU right now from the US? I am nervous regarding how we will be treated in Spain as Americans (I can’t blame anyone for feeling angry with the US). I’m also nervous about the govt shut down/ATCs going without pay, and all recent airline mishaps (i.e - news this morning showed a Delta flight that turned around mid-flight due to cracked windshield).
Has anyone traveled to the EU lately? I’m hoping you can calm my nerves. I’m a savvy traveler and racer. I have flown with a bike to Europe twice, the Caribbean twice, British Columbia, Hawaii, and all over the mainland USA. It’s not my first rodeo. But these are not normal times. I feel sick every time I think about my upcoming travel. And I should be excited to race in Marbella, Spain. I worked so hard to qualify for this race!
ETA: Please be kind. There is such a lack of kindness lately in the world
I am Canadian, but when they hear me speak they don’t know that. I can definitely see a change when I say I am, but even before I have never felt hostility in any way. I think the majority know not everyone agrees with what’s going on.
This is good to know. I am not far from the Canadian border. Is that enough for me to say I’m Canadian? Just kidding! But It has crossed my mind to say I’m Canadian or wear my Ironman Canada or Ironman Mont Tremblant shirts. I have plenty of them lol
The cracked windshield is a null point in this conversation. The reports are that it hit something. That could and will happen regardless of government employees getting a paycheck.
as someone currently working without a paycheck because of all this, my work ethic hasn’t changed. 99% of other federal employees are the same. For that other 1%, they’re writing their future. Just because there’s no paycheck doesn’t mean you’re not still being evaluated.
We went from the UK to Belgium and Norway in August.
Everybody was very friendly, outside of a coffee shop in Norway that clearly didn’t want business from tourists (regardless of country—if you didn’t speak Norwegian they didn’t pay any attention to you.)
I’m sure there are plenty of others here but I live in the EU (Denmark) and I really don’t think you have anything to worry about. Your President might not be the most popular man in Europe but unless you share a surname that can’t be held against you. You earned the right to race at Worlds, enjoy it!
I have a friend who did a bike trip to Norway this summer. She did say people were asking her and her friends what was going on in the US. And one person wanted to talk her friend’s ear off about it. I sounded like locals wanted to get a perspective from an American viewpoint. I don’t mind chatting myself with locals if they ask us questions. As long as people are nice about it.
No worries, we (Europeans) can tell the difference between an American tourist and an orange-leaning member of the political establishment.
I also remember traveling to Germany in 1999 and watching the German evening news absolutely destroy George W. Bush with no pretence towards being unbiased or something. German people are generally hopelessly fascinated by America and they were fascinated by America throughout the presidencies of Bush (hated him), Obama (loved him) and Trump (take a guess). Feelings towards nations outlast political leaders. If I am talking out of my ass, surely a German person will chime in!
I’m Spanish. You don’t have anything to worry about. Just try to avoid engaging with podemitas (extremist far-left). They are easy to identify. They look like scruffy buskers
Nothing to worry about. Once they know you are not a trumper they are very sympathetic. I have the opposite problem of getting back into the US on a green card and why I don’t want to aspire to becoming a US citizen
I did IM Copenhagen in 2018 and had a lot of great conversations with the locals. We (my husband and I) both would apologize first about Trump and that really made things super comfortable and pleasant. In Nice, France in 2019, we didn’t have the same nice conversations with locals. The French were fine but not super friendly. Not sure if it’s because our French was so bad, we were American, they were tired of all the tourists and racers, or it was during Trump 1.00 or maybe all of the above. But no problems back then. Trump 2.00 is basically Trump 1.00 on steroids and EPO combined ( ). ETA and the fact that we (not me!!!) voted him back into office a second time really makes us look stupid.
I lived in Ireland for a year when George W Bush got voted in a second time. I wasn’t an athlete during this time and spent much of my free time after work in pubs with my friends. I loved going to Irish traditional music festivals. Lots of German tourists along with other tourists from the EU would travel to Ireland for the music. I met some Germans and most were fine. There was this one woman who gave me a hard time for being an American and going on and on about Bush. I remember being stunned and kept trying to explain I didn’t like him and was now a legal resident of Ireland.
On a flight right now and airlines are fine. Except the Nashville airport now has airport police carrying semi-automatic rifles. You know how those bachelorette parties can get.
And my American cycling friends who have retired to Spain and Portugal are still there, all extremely happy with their decisions to leave the US.
Why would anyone give a shit about you being American? For the first time in God knows how long you actually aren’t involved in or started any wars, quite the contrary actually.
As for tarrifs.. meh you would have to be a moron to blame anyone outside government for that.
LOL I wouldn’t even know where to begin. Check out the Politics is LIfe Forum. We discuss in excruciating detail every horrible thing happening in the US right now.
Maybe there are a lot of people outside the US not paying attention and that will be good for us when traveling.
As an European (german) I would tell you not to worry. Most know at least roughly what’s going on. Most people won’t care where you’re from, some might want to indulge in a conversation with you and see your POV and if you meet an extremist you might get into an situation like in Ireland but that’s very seldom.
Most people can differentiate between politics and civilians and quite a few people in Europe aren’t happy with their government either, so they can relate to your situation.
As for your experience in France: The French are gernerally let’s say special towards foreigners.
I would be ready to have some conversations about politics, but I wouldn’t be afraid of anyone, especially in such a diverse environment that the worlds champs will be.
