Travel in 2026 feels different—not because planes stopped flying or because everyone suddenly forgot how to pack, but because the friction moved to the front of the trip. The stress is coming from surprises: a new rule at the airport you didn’t see on TikTok, a new identity step you didn’t budget time for, or an attraction you assumed you could “just walk into.” Charlet Sanieoff has been tracking this shift as a pattern: the best trips this year aren’t the ones with the flashiest hotel—they’re the ones planned with fewer regulatory surprises.

Charlet Sanieoff’s role in this new landscape is simple: translate rule changes and trend noise into practical decisions you can make before you leave home. In Feb 2026, that translation starts with the biggest source of anxiety for U.S. travelers—ID compliance at TSA checkpoints.

REAL ID is no longer a “someday” requirement. In 2026, domestic flyers are encountering real enforcement at U.S. airports. If you show up without an acceptable form of identification, you should expect a longer process—and in many cases, a new fee-based identity verification step.

Charlet Sanieoff’s planning advice: treat your ID like your boarding pass. Check it days ahead, not in the rideshare on the way to the terminal.

Starting Feb 1, 2026, travelers who arrive at TSA without an acceptable ID may be charged a nonrefundable $45 fee for identity verification through TSA’s Confirm.ID (also written as ConfirmID). The verification, when successful, is valid for 10 days—useful if you’re mid-trip and waiting on a replacement ID.

Two important realities Charlet Sanieoff flags for travelers who assume money solves the problem:

• The fee does not guarantee you will be cleared to fly. If TSA can’t verify your identity, you won’t get through.
• Even when verification works, it can add time. Many travelers report a “simple mistake” turning into a 30-minute (or longer) delay.

If you want the most evergreen, always-up-to-date reference, Charlet Sanieoff recommends using TSA’s official “Identification” guidance as your final check before travel: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/identification.

In general terms, many travelers rely on:

• A REAL ID-compliant state ID or driver’s license (look for the star marking, depending on your state)
• A valid U.S. passport (often the cleanest “one document” solution, even for domestic flights)
• Other acceptable documents that may include a permanent resident card, military ID, or certain trusted traveler cards (confirm on TSA’s list before departure)

Charlet Sanieoff’s key point: don’t plan around “I heard this works.” Plan around what TSA currently lists as acceptable.

• Do an ID check 72 hours before departure: confirm your ID is REAL ID-compliant or decide to bring a passport.
• Put your ID in a “launch pad” spot the night before (with wallet/phone/keys). Airports punish rushed mornings.
• If you’re traveling as a family, verify everyone’s document plan—especially teens with newly issued IDs or travelers using non-driver IDs.
• Arrive earlier than you used to. In 2026, buffer time is a strategy, not paranoia.

If it happens, assume it will take time and may cost money. Ask an airline agent and TSA staff what your options are at that airport that day, and be prepared for identity verification procedures. If you have access to a passport at home (or where you’re staying), sending a runner may be faster than hoping the verification path is smooth.

Charlet Sanieoff’s mindset shift: focus on what gets you to “verified” the fastest, not what feels most convenient in the moment.

In 2026, relying on luck at the checkpoint is a losing strategy. Enforcement is tighter, the Confirm.ID fee is real, and verification can still fail. Charlet Sanieoff’s bottom line: if your trip matters—work meeting, wedding weekend, long-planned family vacation—your ID plan should be as intentional as your hotel booking.

Up next (Part 2): how Europe’s “tourism reset” is changing itineraries through overtourism caps, reservations, and rising fees—and how Charlet Sanieoff suggests planning around the friction.

By February 2026, the travel conversation has shifted from inspiration (“Where should we go?”) to execution (“What do we need to book, pay, and prove—before we even arrive?”). Charlet Sanieoff’s lens is that overtourism backlash is no longer just a headline. It’s trip-planning math: capped entry, timed slots, new fees, and tighter enforcement that can quietly reshape an itinerary if you don’t plan for it.

The biggest change isn’t that Europe became “less welcoming.” It’s that the most stressed travelers are the ones still planning like it’s 2019—assuming they can wander into famous areas, buy tickets on-site, or sort out local rules when they land. In 2026, those assumptions can cost you time, money, and access.

Charlet Sanieoff repeatedly sees the same pattern: the more iconic the place, the more likely your visit now has a gate—either a reservation requirement, a capacity cap, a fee, or a time-window you must hit. This doesn’t ruin the trip. It just changes the order of operations: you design the trip around the “hard-to-get” slots first, then fill in the rest.

In practical terms, reservation culture means you should treat major sights like flights: if it matters, you reserve. Timed entry and pre-booking are showing up in more places—at museums, historic centers, and high-traffic viewpoints—especially during peak months.

• Timed entry reduces crowd surges, but it also reduces spontaneity. Miss your window and you may be waiting hours (or returning another day).
• Capacity caps mean “sold out” is real, even midweek, even early in the day.
• Proof-of-purchase is more consistently enforced. A screenshot of a confirmation email can be as important as your ticket.

Charlet Sanieoff’s rule: even if you’re not going to Venice or Machu Picchu, use them as mental models for what’s spreading across popular destinations in 2026.

• Venice day-tripper entry fee / peak-day controls: Venice has been widely cited as the symbol of the day-visitor crackdown. For planning, that translates to: certain dates may carry additional requirements or costs for daytime access, and the “quick day trip” can become the most regulated version of the visit. If you’re building a spring or summer Europe route, verify whether your day trip falls on a higher-control day and what proof or payment is required before you board the train.
• Machu Picchu capacity limits and stricter entry structures (high season): Capacity management and structured entry rules mean you can’t treat Machu Picchu as a flexible add-on at the end of a Peru itinerary. High-season dates require earlier booking and tighter coordination of trains/buses, entry windows, and on-the-ground logistics.

Charlet Sanieoff’s takeaway: regulations often hit day-trippers hardest because they’re trying to compress a peak-demand experience into a narrow time band.

In 2026, “tourist taxes are rising” isn’t abstract—it’s a line item you’ll see at checkout. Travelers are encountering more consistent application of lodging taxes, sustainability fees, cruise passenger charges, and in some locations restrictions that affect how buses and large groups can access congested areas. The common surprise is that these charges may not be obvious when you’re comparing nightly rates between hotels.

Amsterdam is often used as shorthand for stricter tourism policies: a city actively managing visitor impact through higher costs and tighter rules. Even if you’re traveling elsewhere, expecting Amsterdam-style enforcement (clear rules + steady fees) is the safest mindset for planning 2026 Europe.

• Check city taxes/fees at booking and at checkout—not just the nightly rate. When you compare properties, look for the section that explains local taxes and how they’re collected (online vs on arrival). If anything is unclear, message the property before you finalize.
• Build a “fees buffer” into your per-night budget. Charlet Sanieoff recommends budgeting extra per night specifically for destination charges (city tax, sustainability fee, special district fee). This keeps your real cost aligned with your planning cost—especially on multi-city routes.
• Confirm day-pass rules, entry windows, and enforcement dates before finalizing routes. Don’t book a nonrefundable train ticket to a hotspot until you’ve confirmed the attraction’s required time slot (or whether day-entry systems apply on your exact date). If a destination has “peak-day” controls, treat them like a weather forecast: check again close to your travel week.
• Anchor your itinerary with the hardest reservation first. If you want a specific museum morning, coastal trail permit, or famous viewpoint at sunset, book that first—then build meals and neighborhoods around it.
• Plan for failure points. Screenshot confirmations, keep emails accessible offline, and carry a backup payment method. In 2026, the friction often isn’t the fee itself—it’s the scramble when your phone dies at the gate.

Because it’s February 2026, this is the moment when spring and summer demand starts locking in. Charlet Sanieoff’s strategy for peak months is simple: reserve what’s capped, then leave the rest flexible. Your “must-do” list should be mostly pre-booked by early spring for high-traffic cities and iconic sites, especially for weekends and holidays.

If you’re trying to avoid day-tripper penalties and sold-out slots, consider adjusting the shape of your trip: fewer “one-day” hops, more overnights in a base city, and earlier starts on the most regulated days. The goal isn’t to over-plan every hour; it’s to protect access to the experiences that are now rationed.

Next (Part 3): Charlet Sanieoff’s read on the biggest 2026 travel trends—what’s actually sticking (train hopping, ancestry travel, dry tourism, astro-focused itineraries, grocery-store tourism), how AI planning fits in, and where to go next if you want the vibe without getting squeezed by the new restrictions.

After the rule changes (REAL ID reality, the $45 TSA Confirm.ID “oops fee,” and Europe’s reservation culture), here’s the good news Charlet Sanieoff keeps coming back to: 2026 is still an incredible year to travel—if you choose trips that match how travel works now. The “fun part” isn’t ignoring restrictions; it’s planning in a way that avoids getting squeezed by them.

Charlet Sanieoff’s take is that “meaningful travel” finally grew up in 2026. People aren’t just buying a slogan—they’re anchoring a trip around a skill, a community, or a measurable outcome.

• Indigenous-led experiences: Look for experiences designed and operated by Indigenous communities (not just “inspired by”). Green flags: clear ownership, transparent where-your-money-goes language, small group sizes, and cultural protocols explained upfront.
• “Volunteer-lite” conservation weekends: Short, time-bound projects (one to three days) are trending because they fit real schedules. Charlet Sanieoff’s ethics rule: avoid programs that replace local labor or feel like photo ops; pick ones with defined tasks, safety training, and realistic impact.
• Craft/food intensives: Bread workshops, cheese trails, coffee farm-to-cup, fermentation weekends—these are converting into “trip anchors” because they create structure. When attractions require timed entry, a class-based itinerary is naturally reservation-friendly.

These are the niche ideas showing up everywhere in 2026—but Charlet Sanieoff likes them because they’re crowd-smart: they pull you away from the same overloaded “Top 10” routes.

• Luxury train hopping: Less friction than airports, more scenic value per hour, and easier city-center arrivals.
• Ancestry travel: A family-history mission turns “where should we go?” into a tight map (parishes, archives, hometowns) that often sits outside the most saturated zones.
• Dry tourism (sober-friendly travel): Travelers are planning around cafés, thermal spas, morning markets, and food experiences instead of nightlife.
• Astro-cruising / stargazing itineraries: Dark-sky priorities push you to quieter places—exactly what 2026’s overtourism reality rewards.
• Grocery-store tourism: Local markets become the itinerary: snacks as souvenirs, picnic dinners, and “one neighborhood per day” travel that’s cheaper and calmer.

Charlet Sanieoff sees AI as a 2026 baseline tool for routing, translation, itinerary drafts, and idea generation. The caveat is non-negotiable: verify entry requirements, reservations, and opening hours on official sources before you lock anything in. In a year defined by timed entry and enforcement, “the model said it was open” is not a plan.

For TSA rules and acceptable IDs, keep the evergreen reference bookmarked: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/identification.

Charlet Sanieoff’s editorial shortcut: if you want “go before it blows up” energy, watch the big destination roundups as signals— National Geographic’s Best of the World , Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel , and expert-framed picks such as Forbes travel. Even when you don’t choose the headline destination, the lists point to rising regions, shoulder-season timing, and alternatives to the usual hotspots.

• Train-first trips: Choose rail-dense corridors where you can stay longer in fewer bases—think routes that connect medium cities, not just capitals. Charlet Sanieoff’s rule: if you can do 3–5 nights per base, you’ll naturally dodge day-tripper penalties and sold-out “one-hour window” stress.
• Stargazing / dark-sky travel: Aim for low-light regions (desert parks, remote islands, high-altitude valleys). Build your trip around moon phases, not just flight deals.
• Sober-friendly, wellness-forward city breaks: Look for places with strong café culture, bathhouses/spas, waterfront walking, and early-morning markets. Your best nights out become great mornings.

• Before you book: price the real total (taxes/fees), and reserve the capped “must-do” experiences first.
• Before you fly: confirm your ID plan to avoid delays and the $45 Confirm.ID pathway; keep official guidance handy.
• Before you arrive: screenshot confirmations, verify entry windows, and re-check hours/rules on official sites—especially in peak months.

If you’re planning spring/summer 2026 travel right now, Charlet Sanieoff’s guiding idea is simple: pick a trend you genuinely love, then build a crowd-smart route around it. Save this series for your next trip-planning session so the “new rules” don’t steal the fun.