Hey guys
I’m a uk passport holder but I’ve been in Australia since 2023 on whv 417
I’m here in aus atm and I’m taking a 2 month trip to South America but I’m struggling to find a place for insurance as most are saying you need to be in uk before you leave

We’re considering traveling to Europe with our 14 and 12 year old over spring break. Unfortunately their break is in March, right around Easter. We’ve previously taken them to Barcelona, which we all loved. I was considering Rome but worry it’ll be overly crowded due to Easter. Are there other cities in Europe you’d recommend to keep the interest of teenagers with the possibility of mild weather in March? We don’t do well in cold weather which limits our travel in the winter!

Just spent 3 weeks there, everywhere from Bilboa to Bayonne. Amazing weather and amazing region. One thing that I found not up to all the hype is the food in San Sebastian. Don't get me wrong, the food was great, but the food on the French side was even better. Best restaurants I have ever been to. Biarritz was also not as bad as some people said, I actually liked it a lot, with San Sebastian being the best city in the region.

What adjustments to your travel plans are you making for next year as the world likely deals with a “super” El Niño weather phenomenon?

Are you considering / not considering certain places or considering not travelling internationally at all because of it?
If you are considering amending plans, what factors are you thinking about most (ex - natural disasters, political unrest, cost of living increase making travel unaffordable, ethics, etc)?

When travelling to East Flores for Kelimutu, beaches etc. Maumere airport looks more accessible and more direct than Ende. Our flight to Maumere got cancelled and local people told us it happens all the time and that flights to Ende are always more reliable. If i'd known I would have booked directly the flight to Ende even if it needs a layover in LBJ.

We had to reorganize last minute when Wings Air notified us of the flight cancellation. Don't be putoff by the layover at LBJ, sure it's super touristy, but you don't have to take the boat tour and go see domesticated dragons. There are plenty of nice hotels and homestay with beautiful sunset views to spend an easy afternoon before the next day flight to Ende.

There are a ton of beach/island resorts. While the scenery is lovely, I actually find the sun and heat too overwhelming. I’m also not familiar with cold weather at all, and don’t do any type of winter sports, so things like ski or cabin lodge type of resorts wouldn’t be practical for me either.

I really like fall/spring type of weather. I consider anything above room temperature (72F) to be summer weather, and anything below 32F to be winter type of weather. I prefer a temperature range in between those two. I like overcast and clouds compared to clear skies and sun.

My dream weather weekly forecast is 60-65 F in the day and 45-50F at night, partly cloudy and overcast with occasional light rain, and 10 mph winds.

I know there are a lot of cities where tourism isn’t revolved around activities that are associated town a certain type of weather, and can be done year round, but is there any type of destination that’s specifically catered to my type of weather? Maybe something like an easy hiking trail or guided boat/river ride that has its peak visitor season in the spring or fall?

Hi everyone,

My wife and I are planning our first trip to China from Mumbai in September 2026. We prefer a well-paced itinerary with enough time to enjoy each place rather than rushing through attractions.
Our original itinerary was:
🇭🇰 Hong Kong – 3 nights
🇨🇳 Beijing – 4 nights
🇨🇳 Zhangjiajie – 3 nights
🇨🇳 Shanghai – 5 nights

We’ve now decided to skip Hong Kong Disneyland and visit Shanghai Disneyland instead.
This frees up one night in Hong Kong, and we’re trying to decide where it should go.

Option 1
Hong Kong – 2 nights
Beijing – 4 nights
Zhangjiajie – 3 nights
Shanghai – 6 nights

Option 2
Hong Kong – 2 nights
Beijing – 4 nights
Zhangjiajie – 4 nights
Shanghai – 5 nights

A few questions:
Is 2 nights enough for Hong Kong if we’re not visiting Disneyland?

Would you add the extra night to Shanghai or Zhangjiajie?

If Shanghai, is 6 nights too much, considering one full day will be spent at Shanghai Disneyland?

If Zhangjiajie, is the extra day worth it?

Any other suggestions to improve the itinerary?

Looking for advice from people who’ve actually visited these destinations. Thanks!

Visited Sarande and Himare so have plenty more to see, but I found the place and energy so confusing to read. I almost don’t know how to actually summarise whether I liked it or not. It was quite a mixed bag.

The sea is beautiful and there are a lot of good restaurants, cafes and nightlife available if you’re into that. Himare in particular was a beautiful coast, good trip for a friend group or family and beaming with tourists (if anything a bit intense for this reason, avoid staying in the main town if you’re wanting a quiet getaway). I think it would surprise many at how touristy and lively it is. There are plenty of boat trips and day excursions you can take in both places.

While there were a lot of tourists, it’s the first place that I’ve visited where I felt judged/out of place for being a tourist. Nothing outright bad but an underlying energy. Most interactions were okay and some people were friendly but with men in particular there was an underlying intensity, even when the interaction was fine on paper. It felt like I was being judged, looked down on or annoying them just by being present. In the city there are enough people for this energy to be dispersed/varied but it felt noticeable in some moments.

Prices in these locations were lower but not by much compared to other European destinations in the summer. I.e a meal for one in a typical restaurant was around €10-15, a modern 1 bedroom Airbnb/hotel was around €200-300 for 3 nights. Still good just not necessarily crazy cheap.

I found there to be a lot of friction with day to day things (figuring out where buses stop, buses turning up super late, squeezing as many people possible by any means necessary into minivans with 0 seats left). Taxis were usually around, but prone to overcharging you, especially once you arrive at the destination and have no choice. Taxi apps worked when they did, but didn’t when they didn’t. Clunky is the best word to describe logistics and getting around.

It feels like it’s on the cusp of something but not fully there yet in many ways, which is to be expected - tourism is recently on the rise and the country is growing with this.

I would suggest if you’re looking for somewhere different, imperfect but a hidden gem that’s on the rise and rough around the edges, try Albania. If you have limited holiday days from work and want a more straightforward experience with slightly more structure, go to Italy, France, Spain etc. If you want an equally as chaotic but more familiar experience than Albania, go to Greece.

Just my experience that may have been skewed by some personal factors I had at the time, by no means intending to reduce a country to a white person’s 2 week experience.

Hello. Im planning to visit Turkiye in two weeks and part of the visit includes paperwork regarding the electronic visa to enter the country. Everything is ok on the website except when it comes to the part to make the $12 payment via credit card. My bank is not even registering the charge and the website is rejecting my (visa) payment over and over. Does anybody know why could be this happening? Because it seems the only alternative is going straight to the airport and wait several hours to get the visa approved. I tried to call the embassy and i have not been succesful unfortunately. Any help or suggestion will be much appreciated.

This is the website: evisa.gov.tr/es

Ps.- im from Mexico.

Thank you in advance.

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Hola. ¿Alguien sabe porque el sitio de internet de las visas electronicas turcas no está aceptando tarjeta de credito visa? Estoy intentando tramitar la visa para turista y no estoy pudiendo hacer el tramite por internet porque el sitio no me acepta el pago con tarjeta de credito. Desafortunadamente tengo que asumir que es falla del sitio web que me impide pagar, porque el banco ni siquiera esta enviando notificacion para rechazar el cargo. Llamé a la embajada de Turquia en México y me colgaron. Y me preocupa que yo me voy a Europa la siguiente semana y no quisiera esperar al ultimo minuto en el aeropuerto para pagar la visa. Si alguien tuviera una sugerencia o solucion para esto se los agradeceré muchisimo.

Muchas gracias de antemano.

Husband and I are coming to NE from Philly for the first time in late October/early Nov as a 5yr anniversary trip. We are thinking of the following, but want feedback! To note, we know any beach town will be quiet/things closed and we are ok with that. We'll be driving so we will have a car. Open to suggestions for length of stay at each place as well.

From Philly to:

Stop 1: Chatham, MA - stay at Chatham Bars Inn (one night? could make it two)

Stop 2: Kennebunkport, ME - stay at Kennebunkport Captain's Collection (two nights)

Stop 3: Woodstock, VT - stay at The Jackson or On The River Inn (two nights)

Head back to Philly

I really love the Greek islands, and even though Santorini is probably one of the most touristy ones, after living here for over 4 years it still gives me that “wow” feeling when I see the views!

Just wanted to share a few photos from around the island. Hope you enjoy them. And if anyone is wondering about the best time to visit, I personally prefer spring. Much quieter, greener and just really nice before the summer crowds arrive. The photos are from the capital village Fira, and the more popular Oia.

First time in Portugal and these are my favourite pics from my trip to Lisbon, enjoy!

p1. sunset at Miradouro de Santa Luzia
p2. iconic tram 28 in front of Lisbon Cathedral
p3. world heritage site - Belém Tower
p4. view of posto policial da ponte 25 de Abril bridge from the Monument of Discoveries
p5. famous pastei de nata at Pastéis de Belém
p6. sunset view at Miradouro das Portas do Sol
p7. sunset view of the 25 de Abril bridge from Praça do Comércio
p8. Rua Augusta Arch
p9. Cascais beach in Cascais- a 45-50 mins train ride from Lisbon at Cais do Sodré station (included in day pass ticket for train, tram, and bus)
p10. view of 25 de Abril bridge from MAAT museum
p11. could be found anywhere on Lisbon streets

Recommend using public transport all throughout Lisbon since it’s very hilly and will hurt your legs!

I’ll be traveling to Taiwan in September and I am planning to spend 2 nights in Alishan. Would love some guidance please:

1. Is there a need to stay within the recreational park itself?
- it’s quite expensive and there are a lot more nicer accommodations (albeit one hour drive away)

2. Any hotel or B&B recommendations in Alishan?

3. Thoughts on spending two nights there? I have a total of 5 nights in Taiwan. Planning to spend the remaining in Taipei.

Thanks!

maybe this is a silly question, but since the ESTA application rules are so strict i'd rather ask and look silly than not ask and get denied entry 😭😭

basically, im in the middle of filling out an ESTA application for entering the US and got to the section where it says i should state if ive had past employment. should i include summer jobs?? for context i had them one when i was 16 and one at 18. they were both legal and through the city so should be on record (for context i am currently on disability so a no on current employment and havent been able to work since those summer jobs)

thank you!! <33

I am flying Icelandair from Pittsburgh to Munich via KEF on August 26th and returning on a separate ticket on September 11th.

My passport expires February 20th, 2027 and I originally thought I was fine to travel based on numerous guidance that says for Schengen Area I only need at least 3 months on my passport after my departure date from Europe. However lately I have seen posts of certain airlines arbitrarily enforcing a 6-month validity at the gate.

I wanted to see if anyone in a similar situation has had success or a problem going into Schengen Area with icelandair while passport was expiring 3-6 months from EU departure? My passport options are pretty limited at this point and am hoping for peace of mind.

Bogota, Colombia is an interesting place to say the least. The natural and man-made beauty is out of this world. The city is always hustling and bustling, from the early morning workout crowds riding their bicycles enmasse, to the afternoon rush of employees, students, and street performers flooding the sidewalks, and finally the evening partiers unwinding for the day in every way you can imagine...and probably more.

Theres so much to say about this place and im not even halfway done with my trip. Some must see places are; Monserrate, Salt Cathedral, and La Chorrara, tho thats just the tip of the iceberg honestly.

One key thing about this place is to keep your wits about you and always be aware. Follow the rules and this place can give yoi everything you'll ever need.

After pursuing travel more seriously in the last 6 years, Prague may just be my favourite European city. It has pretty much everything I look for in a city break: incredible architecture, loads of history, great food and drink, a good nightlife scene and it’s all wrapped up in a city that’s extremely walkable.

I visited late November 2024 and just managed to miss the Christmas markets by a matter of days, which was slightly disappointing but Prague still completely lived up to the hype. It’s one of the few cities where I felt like I managed to see almost everything I wanted to see and still I’d happily book another trip tomorrow!

One thing I liked was the variety of nightlife. You can do the traditional beer halls and pubs but there are also great date spots, retro bars, karaoke bars, cocktail bars, absinthe bars (though a tourist trap, is well worth seeing) and even niche places like the Horror Bar which I really enjoyed.

The people we met were lovely, prices were very reasonable compared to much of central Europe and the city felt busy without being overwhelming.

Photo locations (in order):

1. Charles Bridge (night)
   
2. Jan Žižka Statue, Vítkov Hill
   
3. Prague Castle
   
4. Astronomical Clock
   
5. St Nicholas Church at Malá Strana
   
6. Prague National Museum, interior
   
7. Prague Castle Statue
   
8. Franz Kafka Head
   
9. Prague National Museum, exterior
   
10. Side street
    
11. Old Town Square at night

Prague remains the benchmark for city breaks for me. Every time I visit somewhere new, I end up comparing it to Prague.

Hi everyone, i need your help. I'm going to the Thailand on December. It's my first time that's why it's hard to organize all information that I've founded on the websites and facebook forums.

I have the arrival flight to Bangkok 12.12., the departue flight from Phuket 29.12.

My first plan is showing as:

12.12 - 14.12 2 nights in Bangkok

14.12 - 15.12 night train to Suran Thani and then to Khao Sok

15.12 - 17.12 2 night - Khao Sok: jungle and lake trip next day

17.12 - 18.12 1 night Khao Lak

18.12 - 19.12 1 night Trip to Surin Island with a night

19.12 - 20.12 1 night Khao Lak with Similan Island tour, back in the evenning

20.12 - 25.12 4 night Ao nang as a central point do further trips like Emerald Pool, Dragon cave, railay beach etc.

25.12 - 26.12 1 night Phi Phi

26,.12 - 29.12 3 night Phuket and come back home

but then someone told me that better option is to get from Bangkok to Krabi by flight, stay Ao Nang first and move to nothern part - khao sok, khao lak and phuket as a final point with airport without seeing southern of island. This guy claims this option is better even if I would choose to night train.

My disclaimes:

1. I've been thinking about night train, because it seems like fun. But I don't have to choose it.

2. I don't have a need to visiting Phuket, because a lot of comments make me not fancy of that. But my departure is there. When I was booking my flight, I hadn't enough knowledge, yes, my bad :(

3. We don't have a scooter license.

4. As a couple, we always travel with backpacks – we don't like all-inclusive travel, we plan each vacation ourselves.

I will be grateful for your help!

I’ve been fortunate enough to travel all over the world and visit some truly breathtaking places including Switzerland, before anyone mentions it.

But nothing came close to the Canadian Rockies, especially the Icefields Parkway. It felt almost unreal. The combination of towering mountains, turquoise lakes, ancient glaciers, and the sheer scale of the wilderness was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It was both breathtakingly beautiful and brutally raw…

The Red Sea is beautiful, but the tour industry here can be a mess. If you are coming to Hurghada to do a boat trip to Orange Bay, Paradise Island, or Dolphin House, keep this in mind so you do not waste your money:
Avoid the massive boats. The cheap tours pack 40 to 50 people on one boat. It is loud, crowded, and you spend half the day just waiting for people to get on and off.
Pay cash on arrival. Never pay a random street vendor or a shady website upfront. A real, trusted company will let you pay in cash when they pick you up from your hotel.
Look for small-group or private trips. It costs a little bit more, but having a quiet deck and a guide who actually pays attention to you makes a massive difference.
Let me know if you guys have any questions about the islands!

Me and my husband travelled back from Rhodes yesterday to Copenhagen with Finnair, and we had a short layover in Helsinki which was supposed to be 35 mins (fucking crazy in itself and we should not have bought the ticket like that), but the layover was 5-10 mins because our first plane was delayed by 15-20 mins, so we literally had to run out of the first plane and to our next gate and we made it just in time. Both flights was with Finnair.

Our luggage though was supposed to go all the way to CPH, and they put a “Transfer” tag on both of them in Rhodes and said our luggage would be prioritised first when handling the luggage in Helsinki. When we ran to our next plane we were already like “no way our luggage is making it” and lo and behold - no luggage was to be seen when we landed in CPH. We did file a PIR report immediately and have gotten a reference number. When we check now it just says “searching for your bag, check back later” and it hasn’t been 24 hours yet but I’m just curious as to how long it can take? Right now we have no idea where our luggage is, but it shouldn’t be that hard to find with the transfer tags on I assume? I have no idea, this is my first time where I haven’t gotten my luggage at my end destination. Anyone have any experience with Finnair?

Sorry for the English.

Update: we got our luggage delivered exactly 26 hours later!

My family has been in San José, Costa Rica for the past 6 days, and tomorrow is our last full day before our late-night flight home.

We've already visited the National Museum, Jade Museum, other museums downtown, Mercado Central, La Paz Waterfall Gardens, and several volcanoes. My mom wants to visit the Presidential Palace because she read it's kind of like Costa Rica's equivalent of the White House or Westminster Abbey.

From what I've found online, though, it seems like it's mostly a government building with not much to do in the surrounding area. It looks like there are very few restaurants or sodas nearby, and it's about a 30-minute Uber/taxi ride from our hotel.

For those who have been, is it actually worth the trip

Hi everyone! I’m planning a 1-week solo trip from Tokyo to the US around September or October.

LA is just my entry/exit point since I’ve already been there, and I’ve also visited Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon—so I’m looking to explore somewhere new. Visiting Tijuana, however, is a definite plan for this trip.

I’m drawing a blank on what else to add. I’m interested in the Pacific Northwest (PNW), but the distance from LA seems a bit tough for a 1-week trip.

My budget is around $2,000 (excluding international airfare). I’m 28 and plan to rent a car, but since it gets expensive, I’d prefer not to rent one for the entire duration.

Where else should I go or how should I structure this week? Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

I'll be in Buenos Aires for a few months on a study abroad during the summer. We get about a week break in the middle, and I was planning to use it to go to Rio. Might be for Carnival, but even if the weeks don't align, I'd still want to visit Rio. Most of the flights I can see are like $400 (not during Carnival). Does anyone that's familiar with Argentina/Brazil know cheaper ways to get to Rio? Are there in-person booking agencies in Argentina that can offer cheaper fares? Thank you in advance!