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[ { "content": "NOTE: October 2023 **If the US Government has a Shutdown Passport Processing will slow down. There will not be a way around this. Do not trust 3rd party services.**\n\n___\n\n\n**For the last few years we've been getting multiple posts a day on American Passport Questions. To help alleviate the amount of posts, and make sure everyone is getting the same information I've created this Megathread.**\n\n___\n\nTHE BEST ADVICE IS: \n\n* APPLY AND RENEW EARLY. \n* ALWAYS CHECK YOUR PASSPORT'S EXPIRATION DATE. \n* PUT YOUR PASSPORT IN A SAFE AND SECURE PLACE WHERE YOU WILL NOT LOSE IT. \n* DO NOT WAIT TO CHECK EXPIRATION OR LOCATION OF PASSPORT THE NIGHT BEFORE. CHECK IT EARLY. \n\n\n___\n\n**[The 2022 Thread Can Be Found Here.](https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/v2m73y/passport_questions_issues_megathread_2022/)**\n\n**[The Winter 2021 / Spring 2022 Passport Megathread can be found here](https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/ps3cvv/us_passport_questions_issues_megathread/).**\n\n**[The Spring/Summer 2021 Passport Megathread can be found here](https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/nhe74a/passport_questions_issues_megathread_summer_2021/).**\n___\n\n#American Passport Information \n\n## How to Apply\n\n[All Information can be found here](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply.html).\n\nThere will be a form to fill out. Information on passport photos. What documents & IDs you'll need, etc.\n\n##Where to Apply\n\n[Then you'll need to see which avenue you'll need to apply at](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/where-to-apply.html). This could be an acceptance facility like a local USPS office, an actual Passport Agency, or via mail (for renewals).\n\n[If you are applying Outside of the US please see this information](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/need-passport/outside-us.html).\n\nNOTE: Many locations still have COVID protocols and do not accept same day or walk ins. \n\n\n##Processing Times Within the US\nAs of October 2023, times have been extended.\n\n[You can find the latest processing times here](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/processing-times.html).\n\nNormal processing is around 8-11 weeks.\n\nExpedited processing is around 5-7 weeks. (You also have the option to expedite shipping from the facility, that is an added cost is an additional add-on to Expedited passports.)\n\nUrgent processing within 3 business days. And you can book these appointments starting 2 weeks from your travel date if you've not applied before. If you have you can only call within 5 business days of your travel date. You can only make an appointment by calling 1-877-487-2778 or TDD/TTY 1-888-874-7793.\n\nLife or Death/ Emergency Service is around 72 hours/3 business days, and you can book these appointments starting 2 weeks from your travel date. You can only make an appointment by calling 1-877-487-2778 or TDD/TTY 1-888-874-7793.\n\nNOTE: This timing may not include shipping time. There have been issues in the past of USPS causing delays to and from the processing facilities and those delays are not accounted for in the official processing times.\n\nNOTE: Some facilities may be quicker, others may take longer, the above time is the average. We have had users saying an additional week or two has sometimes been added onto the above processing times at certain facilities so do not assume the stated processing times are accurate. Do not book travel \"to the day\" of when the processing time says they could be done with processing the passport, because again, it does not include shipping times.\n\nNOTE: It can take up to 2 weeks before your status changes to \"In Process\".\n\n**Some people have gotten their recently submitted expedited passports quicker than stated times BUT NOT ALL. Do not plan on being lucky, get your application in early and expedited as needed.**\n\n**Many people are saying that both Normal and Expedited processing is taking weeks longer than the above-listed processing time.**\n___\n\n#Frequently Asked Questions for Applying Within the US\n\n### What is the status of my application?\n\nCheck here: https://passportstatus.state.gov/\n\n### They cashed my check, does that mean my passport is coming soon?\n\nNo. During covid they have been opening the submitted paperwork and cashing the check first, and then often sitting on the paperwork for up to 2-6 weeks. Them cashing the check doesn't mean they are processing it or that everything is going well. \n\nOnce they start processing it, if they find errors, or your paperwork, IDs, etc aren't in order you may hear from them and be told how to correct the issues.\n\n### Can I get a same day passport.\n\nNot likely during covid since they aren't taking walk in appointments.\n\n### My trip is in a few days and I just realized I don't have my passport/it's lost/it's expired/whatever, HELP WHAT DO I DO?\n\nIn all honesty you are pretty much SOL. [It is almost impossible to get the Urgent/Life or Death/Emergency in-person appointments](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast/emergencies.html). For these urgent appointments you must call them directly via the phone numbers on the above link. If you are trying to go that route you'll need to look at any location you can realistically get to INCLUDING flying to them. \n\nNote that many people have faked life or death/emergency reasons so this is making it nearly impossible to get these appointments.\n\nOtherwise you may be better off calling all your pre-booked vacation expenses and see if you have any options to postpone or refund your now-not-happening-trip. \n\n### Can I switch my application from Regular Processing to Expedited? \n\nYes. Expedited service costs an additional $60. If you applied and have not received your passport, you may call the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778 and receive instructions on how request to expedite your passport. \n\nNOTE: It can take 20 days to fulfill this request.\n\nNOTE: This is just a request, sometimes it cannot be honored. Regular Passports are processed at a different facility than Expedited ones. So they need to FIND your application paperwork in order to be able to switch the processing. \n\n\n### I submitted my passport ages ago but my status hasn't changed/its been WAY past the processing times quoted on the website.\n\nThere may be a problem. Try contacting the State Department/Passport Office, or reach out to your state State Representatives. They actually can often help with speeding along passports and fixing issues when they get stuck in the system.\n\n### My \"Status\" on the website says \"Not Available\"\n\nIt can take up to 2-6 weeks for your status to change to In-Progress.\n\n### How do I find my State Representatives who can assist me?\n\n[This link will help you for your State House Represenative](https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative) or [you can also try your Senator](https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm). Once you are in contact and have asked for help on your passport application you may be asked to fill out a privacy form or other paperwork allowing your representative to work on your behalf. Make sure to follow up quickly to keep the ball rolling.\n\n### Can I buy a flight that shows I'm leaving within 3 business days, get my passport, and then cancel the flight/Can I fake a family emergency? \n\nNo, you'll need to provide proof of your emergency. \n\n### Can I buy a flight that shows I'm leaving in 2 weeks, book the Urgent in-person appointment that would be within 72 hours of that flight, get my passport, and then cancel the flight? \n\nYes, but given that those appointments are still supposed to be for urgent/emergencies and right now those appointments are VERY hard to get even if you have a valid reason.\n\nFor those doing these in-person appointment, you'll get your passport within a few hours or a day or two from the appointment. They'll factor in your urgency, what wiggle room you have, and the other needs to figure out what priority yours will be. But you will get it within 72 hours.\n\n### What about using a 3rd Party Rush/Expediting Service/Courier/Expeditor?\n\nDO NOT USE THESE!!!\n\nThere is no magical service (other than contacting your state's house of representatives) that can get you your passport quicker than official channels. You are instead paying a shit ton of money for someone else to do any of the above steps and faster processing isn't guaranteed or possible. As well as there are many outright scam companies out there. I would not recommend you give them your personal information. [See the official government info here on why you should not use these](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast/courier-and-expeditor-companies.html).\n\n### I'm an American currently abroad and my passport recently expired. I need to quickly return to USA, can I travel on an expired passport?\n\nNot any longer this ended December 31st, 2021.\n\n## Other Questions\n\n### Can I travel internationally by air without a passport book?\n\nFor air travel, the airline won't even let you on your first initial flight if you do not have proper documentation and visas. This is because the airline will be penalized and fined if you are held and deported due to improper documentation/visas. \n\nA passport card cannot be used for air travel.\n\n### Can I travel internationally by land without a passport?\n\nWe frequently get questions on this especially for the USA/Mexico border. Officially no, you actually do need a passport. Unofficially some people have reported getting INTO Mexico without a passport can be easier than coming BACK into the US without a passport.\n\n### Can I travel internationally via a cruise without a passport?\n\nWe'd recommend hitting up /r/cruise as it may depend on your specific cruise. Some may not allow you on at all without a passport, others simply won't let you do shore excursions if you don't have a passport.\n\n### I have dual citizenship, can I travel on my other passport instead?\n\nWhile USA has no exit immigration, so you don't need to show your passport to exit, you are required to enter the USA on your American passport. You cannot use your other citizenship to get a visa to enter America on your other passport. So unless you are going to get your passport abroad at an Embassy/Consulate before you return, get your American passport before you go.\n\n\n### What is the difference between a Passport Book and a Passport Card?\n\nCard is for Land borders and some sea ports of entry. Think Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, Bermuda. You cannot use it for air travel.\n\nIf you plan on doing any air travel within the next 10 years get the passport book.\n\n### Since US Embassies are processing passports faster (less than 6 weeks), how can I send my application there to be processed?\n\nYou can't. Embassies only process passports for people in-person and in-country. \n\nAlso, if your travel is soon and you are headed back to the US, you'll be given a limited-use Emergency Passport that can only be used to travel back to the US.\n\nSo the \"Why don't I just fly to Mexico on my soon to be expiring passport and apply at the embassy there?\" idea only works if you are in Mexico for 6+ weeks and if you have a current valid passport to even enter Mexico (or insert whatever other US Embassy you were asking about.)\n\n### I've heard about \"6 Month Validity Rule\" what is it and what does it mean?\n\nSome countries require the passport to still be valid 6 months after entry (or exit). This is to ensure you have valid documents to be able to exit the country. Some countries do not have this requirement, some require it to be 3 months, etc.\n\nBut the easiest way to think about it is your passport actually expires 6 months early. And so its best to renew it before that time.\n\n\n### I lost my passport, reported it lost, and now just found the original one, can I travel on it?\n\nNo. Once reported lost/stolen its deactivated and cannot be used for travel. You should put a hole through a corner of the passport or otherwise make it clear it cannot be used so you don't accidentally bring it to the airport.\n\n### I lost my passport, but have a photo copy. Am I okay to travel?\n\nNO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!\n\n\n### I got part of my order but didn't get my old passport/new passport/passport card/my ID documents?!?\n\nThey'll come in separate shipments.\n\n\n### I forgot my passport was in my maiden name/former name. Can I still use it for travel?\n\nYour ticket must match your passport name. \n\nNote: There may be issues if your vaccine card/info is in a different name than the passport/ticketed name, but use the COVID Megathread for that question. \n\n\n### How can I get flight confirmation/book a flight if I don't have my passport? \n\nUnless you are booking with a 3rd party agency that charges for every little change, pretty much all airlines allow you to book with nonsense numbers (all 1's) and at a later time update your passport info, or even wait until check in, in-person to do so.\n\nMany people do not have passports when they book flights, or they lose their passport, or their passport expires. They are fully aware that until they check the passport day-of, the information might not be correct or valid.\n\n### Other FAQs from the source:\n\nhttps://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/passport-help/faqs.html \n\n___\n\nOther fun governmental processes that are also heavily delayed are TSA Precheck, Global Entry, SENTRI, NEXUS, see this post from 5/17/23 for more info https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/13k7b2p/global_entry_sentri_and_nexus_wait_times_from/\n___\n\n# ONE KEY RULE:\n\nIf you are answering any question with timing of how long it took you to get your passport you MUST state when this happened.\n\n___\n\n**Lastly, the person who created this post /u/jadeoracle is NOT your personal passport problemsolver.** This post was created simply so we wouldn't have 100 posts a day cluttering the rest of the sub. That's it. So please don't PM or Chat asking for help. Please just post a comment in this thread.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'As expected based on the last few years, the Late Feb through July passport rush has occurred. We are in the period where last minute Spring Break travelers are trying to get a passport or realized theirs is lost/missing/expired. Additionally, people trying to get ahead of summer travel are seeking passports. **The passport agency has increased the processing times yesterday (the second time in 2 months).** https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/23/politics/blinken-state-department-passport-delays/index.html \\n**Since most people don\\'t read the wall of text above (you should) the bottom line is without shipping it\\'ll likely take you between 2-5 months** to get your passport depending on which processing method you chose. Expect those that are in process currently to also have delays, and that the processing times likely will continue to increase. **So the times listed by the agency are NOT TO BE TRUSTED.** **Note that the \"Urgent\" in-person appointments are hard to come by. Yes, you only need proof of travel, usually a flight (a fully refundable one will work) within 14 days for people who\\'ve not applied yet (although some people are saying within 5 days if you had already applied) and that is the only other option available to most people.** However, those appointments are limited, do not allow walk ins, and you may need to fly to another location to get one. Do not assume you\\'ll be able to get an appointment, as this \"hack\" is known and everyone else is doing it, which results in the passport phone number to be a busy signal or dropping calls. **Lastly, most people\\'s Congressperson or Senator will not help until you are within 2 weeks of travel.**', 'SPRING BREAK RUSH HAS STARTED. AS OF TODAY PROCESSING TIMES HAVE INCREADED BY WEEKS!!!!!', 'I am at a passport facility, where they told us that there is an ongoing backlog of 80,000 - 100,000 passport renewals in the online system (only 500,000 people applied total!) and they are taking 50 extra appointments per day to process as many as possible. Definitely get an appointment ASAP if you can. The online renewal system seems like a disaster. edit: Walked out with my passport same day as my appointment', 'Hi guys.Pls post an update when you get your passport. It would motivate us who are waiting and get us a bit out of anxiety. We all need positives.', 'I used to love Mozart. Now he will forever be associated with the online passport renewal system.', 'This thread helped me get my passport on time (traveling **3/2**) so sharing my timeline here: **1/24**: submitted expedited renewal application via mail (travel.state.gov(https://travel.state.gov) at the time showed a 3-5 weeks timeframe for expedited renewals) **1/30**: application status updated to \"In process\" **2/17**: within 2 weeks of travel date. Called passport agency, got no help - was told that expedited renewal processes were now 5-7 weeks long. Contacted (phone+email) both my state senators and a congressman per Reddit\\'s advice. Attached proof of travel and the required release forms in every email. Congressman responded back to me within 8 hours via email telling me that passport was now approved. **2/18**: passport status changed to \"Shipped\" **2/22**: passport received (had paid for the 1-2 day return delivery) end to end: **29 days.**', 'deleted', \"Just want to say, although I've been manning the passport thread here for years, I've not had to actually test out the clusterfuck of the process. Just got called by my parents, both just had their passports expired and need my help renewing them. SO...yep. Expect actual first hand experience/updates from me soon on this whole process.\", '5 days from travel update (applied 1/6 online with expedited processing. added expedited shipping later)... 2/26. At 11:30pm I saw that I could no longer update my contact/shipping information in the online system which was a huge glimmer of hope. 2/27. \\nI call NPIC and get through at 8am PST after busy signals and dropped calls. After a couple of holds and extra checks, the customer service rep offers me an in-person appointment in Honolulu. I waffle for about 15 seconds and then she says, oops – it’s gone now. She is unable to give me any status update on my online application, but agrees that if I can’t update the contact info, it’s likely on its way but that she can’t say when it will arrive. She confirms that if I miss my Saturday flight, I need to have a new flight in order to get an in-person appointment which is highly annoying. I send my congressional reps an update email after the call (I have been corresponding with them since last Tuesday). They respond saying that they will check on my online passport and look for appointments in LA and San Francisco. I call NPIC again and get through at 11am. The lady goes puts me on hold so she check something else and returns with 3-4 appointments on Friday (the day before my flight leaves) in Seattle, the mecca for wayward passport applicants. I choose one (immediately! lol) and she tells me that I can have only one appointment at a time, so I need tell the congressional reps to stand down or I run the risk of losing the Seattle appointment if they get me one locally. I send them an email after the call. \\n My plan is book a refundable ticket to the passport agency and hope that my online passport arrives before I leave so I can cancel my appointment and flight. **Takeaways**: I think that something special does happen when you\\'re 5 days out from travel. During both of my calls, I was put on at least one additional hold and I heard one of the customer service reps reviewing my application submission date and expedited status to herself. I called a couple times when I was 8-12 days out and they would always tell me there was nothing available and to call back when I was five days out. So don\\'t lose hope completely if you can\\'t get an in-person appointment when you\\'re less than 14 days out. When you\\'re 5 days out, keep calling. My plan was to repeatedly call throughout the day - luckily I got mine during my second call with NPIC. My congressional representatives weren\\'t able to get me an in-person appointment, but there\\'s a good chance they moved my online application along. Definitely reach out to them and send them a copy of your flight itinerary with that privacy form. I contacted mine at 12 days from travel and wish that I had started the process at 3 weeks from travel. Also try and be pleasant on the calls. I get how frustrating it is, but ranting and raving won\\'t help you. (I saved that for this thread. haha) Good luck everyone and safe travels. ETA. Wow - so get this. Both congressional offices sent me emails like 8 minutes after I posted this coming through with Friday appointments at my local (Los Angeles) passport agency. I\\'ve officially cancelled my Seattle appointment and heading over there as 5 miles away is much better than 900 miles. The congressional rep was super chill about it too - \"oh we always get appointments. When they couldn\\'t print yours, you were given an automatic in-person appt.\" I still can\\'t believe it. Moral of the story is GET THOSE CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES INVOLVED!', '**ONLINE RENEWAL W/ EXPEDITED PROCESSING** For those of you who have been waiting longer than expected and are traveling within the next two weeks (13 calendar days or less), I strongly recommend you contact your senator and/or representative ASAP as it can definitely get your application moving along quickly if it’s been stuck for whatever reason. Here’s a timeline of how things are going for me. For reference, I live in NYC, applied 1/15/23 and will travel on 3/9/23. 1/15/23 11:35 PM (all times EST) - Applied for online renewal with expedited processing. Processing time when I applied was 3-5 weeks 1/23/23 3:33 AM - Status changed to Received 2/24/23 7:59 AM - Status still says “Received” so I call the NPIC’s 877 number at 7:59 AM to request an in person appointment for urgent travel service as I’m now 13 days away from travel on 3/9/23. Finally able to speak with rep after 15 mins of holding only to be told there are no appts available and they can’t look for appts for me until it is within 5 days before travel. I then reach out to my Senator and Congresswoman/Representative via email, send in itinerary, passport application # and privacy request form and request assistance. Senator and Congresswoman’s offices both confirm receipt and open inquiries with passport agency the same day 2/26/23 2:30 PM - Status changed to “In Process” in online portal. At this point I can no longer update address or shipping speed (this is a very good indicator that your passport is almost ready to be shipped!) 2/27/23 4:17 PM - Senator’s office emails to let me know that passport agency has been alerted to “the urgent need” for my passport and that the agency will do its best to provide an update ASAP 2/27/23 ~6:15 PM - Status is still “In Process” but I see a Priority Mail package and tracking number show up in my Informed Delivery from “PASSPORT SERVICES/DOS TUCSON” in Tucson, AZ. Package is on its way later that evening 2/28/23 5:42 PM - Status changed to “Shipped” 3/2/23 by 9 PM - Scheduled delivery (phew!) UPDATE: 3/1/23 12:15 PM - Passport finally delivered a day ahead of schedule!! TOTAL wait time from applying to passport delivery - 6 weeks 3 days', 'My timeline to date: * 1/9 - I submitted online renewal application with routine services (quoted 6-9 weeks for routine applications). Traveling 3/25.\\n* 1/10 - I received \"Your Passport Application Status – In Process\" email\\n* 1/13 - I received \"Your Passport Application Status – Received\" email (weird - I logged in a few days later and my status was \"in-process\")\\n* 3/8 - We\\'re now in the middle of week 8 and I start to get worried. came across a Reddit thread suggesting to contact both the senate (Diane Feinstein) and congressperson. Found their respective contact info on their websites and emailed my privacy release form at 1:30am PST.\\n* 3/8 - Surprisingly received same-day email reply from Feinstein\\'s office around 10am PST. Their reply included \"We can only submit requests to the US Passport Agency within 14 days of a constituent’s planned travels. Given this, however, we will make sure to submit your request for an expedited passport on 3/10 (this is my 14-day mark) and send you a confirmation once we’ve done so.\"\\n* 3/10 - I never received that aforementioned confirmation email so I followup with Feinstein\\'s office again that evening to check in on my passport status. No response.\\n* 3/13 - Followed up again at 9am PST, letting them know it is now 12 days until I fly out. I receive an email reply at 1pm PST confirming they initiated an inquiry on my behalf on 3/10. Informed me to wait 3-4 days before following up again.\\n* 3/16 - Followed up again after 3 days, letting them know that I am flying out the following weekend. No response.\\n* 3/17 - I called passport online support (855-865-7750) who then transferred me to the regular passport information center (877-487-2778). Wasted 3 hrs of my life for them to basically tell me they can\\'t really do anything until my travel is 5 days out. But they did say they have initiated an inquiry on my behalf to hopefully expedite the process. He also confirmed that if you can no longer change your address/upgrade shipping on the mytravel portal then that means \"you can no longer make further changes to your application since it is in the hands of an agent for processing, which is a good sign indicating your application is moving along\"\\n * If you keep getting a busy tone or can\\'t get through to the passport information center (877-487-2778), **DEFINITELY call passport online support (855-865-7750)** \\\\- it\\'ll add another 1-1.5 hr to your overall wait time but they can directly transfer your call so you\\'re placed in the queue.\\n * Found this Reddit hack(https://www.reddit.com/r/Passports/comments/11nwl89/online_apps_look_at_the_network_traffic_to_get/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) later that evening where I noticed I\\'m in \"Fulfillment\" but not sure how long I\\'ve been in this stage.\\n* 3/20\\n * 6am PST - I called 877-487-2778 (on hold for 1 hr) and the guy who assisted me was able to look at my application number and see that I was in the \"printing\" phase, but he could not give me any information other than \"it will likely ship within the next few days, but with standard shipping that that would mean you may not receive your passport until the day of your flight (or later).\" He recommends I schedule an in-person appointment for same-day pickup. He transfers me to the regular passport services number (on hold for 2 hrs) - the lady I speak with says there\\'s no in-person appointments available across the nation but says not to give up hope since my application is making progress. Both phone agents said they put a note in my application to hopefully expedite the service. My stomach is in knots at this point.\\n * 10:45am PST - I also emailed Feinstein\\'s office again letting them know it is now 5 days before I fly out. I receive an email reply at 12:15pm PST (quickest reply so far) that they received the following response from US Passport services on 3/17: \"The passport was completed and should go out in today’s mail.\"\\n* 3/21 - I reply back to clarify whether my passport was supposed to go out in 3/17 or 3/20\\'s mail since I did not receive a tracking number or official correspondence. No response.\\n* 3/22\\n * 7:23am PST - I get a USPS Informed Delivery email and it shows I am expecting a package from PASSPORT SERVICES/DPO TUCSON with a tracking number stating estimated delivery tomorrow night. I checked mytravel portal and it still showed my status as \"in-process.\"\\n * 1:30PM PST - I received \"Your Passport Application Status – Shipped\" email.\\n * 3:30PM PST - I received a courtesy phone call from the passport agency (likely due to all the inquiries initiated on my behalf from the phone agents/Feinstein\\'s office) who told me my passport has shipped and I should receive it by this weekend. She was reciting the first few digits of the tracking number on my application, which was different than the one I got from USPS Informed Delivery. I started to panic a bit because the last thing I need is to be sent someone else\\'s passport!!\\n * I logged into mytravel -> clicked on my application number -> clicked on hyperlinked tracking number and got an error page. After dissecting the mytravel tracking number, I noticed that mine had a bunch of unnecessary digits before the actual USPS tracking number. For example: My actual USPS tracking number started with 920559XXXXXXXX. On mytravel website, the tracking number they provided was 420(my zip code)0000**920559XXXXXXXX**. If you come across the same issue, your USPS tracking should be the string of digits after the 0000.\\n* 3/23 - Supposed to have passport delivered by the evening. I will update this once I have the physical passport in my hands. Please pray for me. \\n * **UPDATE - tracking says delivered 1:41PM PST, and I got to physically hold it in my hands when I got home from work at 6:30PM PST :\\')** This entire ordeal has honestly got me sick to my stomach and I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy! Best of luck to you all 🙏🏻', 'Just cancelled our whole trip. Total clusterf\\\\*\\\\*\\\\*. Here\\'s my story: Travel to Japan planned for 4/9/23 for my entire family. Visit the passport-office in person on 2/15/23 - this was cutting it a little close, but we paid for expedited service and were told at the time to expect 5-7 week turnaround (7 weeks would still be in time for travel). Didn\\'t really think about it again until late March. Checked status online two weeks ago and realized two things: (1) the turnaround time had changed to 7-9 weeks, and (2) the turnaround time is based on when the passports were \\\\*received\\\\* not the visit to the office. Our passports were received 2/22/23 a week after our visit. Started getting nervous and calling the passport office last week and quickly realized we were in trouble. Didn\\'t get through until 3/29/23 and was able to make a note indicating urgent travel. Called several more times and realized that was the only thing they could do. Contacted my senator\\'s office on Friday (3/31/23) and spoke to a human on Monday and Tuesday but it sounded like their casework group was pretty overwhelmed with passport help requests and I don\\'t think they reached-out to the passport office until Tuesday or Wednesday (4/4-4/5). Starting calling the passport office at 5am PST every day this week to get an emergency appointment but none were available anywhere closer than El Paso (we\\'re in San Diego - that\\'s a 10+ hour drive). On Thursday (4/6) three days before our trip the status on the passport website still said \"in process\" and I hadn\\'t seen any movement at all. Still no appointments available. I started cancelling our flights and hotel reservations. Family is pretty heartbroken - this is going to cost us something like $10K to reschedule. Wait for it... Last night (4/7) I check the passport website and the status has changed to **shipped 😫**! Tracking info is available and expected delivery is Monday 4/10, **one day after our flights**. I suppose there\\'s a chance they\\'ll get delivered today, but now it\\'s too late, everything is cancelled anyway. What a mess.', \"Read below for a detailed saga of my passport application. I submitted my online application for renewal on 1/6 with expedited processing, and submitted my preschooler’s first-time application in-person on 1/13 with expedited processing. Hers came in the mail on 2/9. We have an international flight booked for 3/4. **Mon 1/9** Received notice that my online Passport Application Number XXXXXX is being reviewed by US Dept State employee with an expedited processing time of 3-5 weeks. \\n**Mon 2/20** Federal Holiday. MyTravelGov shows that passport is in “In Process Status” with under 2 weeks until international travel. \\n**Tues 2/21** Attempted to call National Passport Information Center at 5am PST to make an Urgent Travel Service appointment since my flight was less than 14 days, but got a busy signal for 5 hours. Finally spoke to a representative at 10:30am PST after being put in the 45 minute wait queue for online passport applications (the wait queue for in-person applications was 4 minutes). Spoke to 3 different people and was told that in-person Urgent Travel appointments for online applicants could only be scheduled within 5 days of travel. They noted my travel date. I went on the MyTravelGov portal to update my shipping to expedited on the guidance of one of the representatives. 10:00am. First contact with the offices of Senators Feinstein and Padilla, and Representative Ted Lieu for assistance – I emailed them their privacy forms, my flight information, passport application number, and application submission date at. Followed up with phone calls where I left messages for Padilla and Lieu and actually spoke to a person at Feinstein’s office. She told me she had 30 people in the same boat and was going to check on the status of my application. Got an email from Lieu’s office at 2:30pm saying they were going to investigate. (Never heard from Padilla’s office) \\n**Wed 2/22** Received 2 forwarded emails (at 1:18pm and 2:06pm) from the National Passport Information Center, courtesy of Rep. Lieu’s office. Application is being processed at the New Orleans Passport Agency (they took 2/21 off for Mardi Gras) and the Rep’s office has alerted the agency of the urgent need. I thanked the congressional staff member and let them know of the 5-day stipulation for in-person appointments and he said that he will be notified when passport is printed before it is shipped, that he would get me an in-person appointment if needed, and that he is monitoring my file. Tried to check my application to see if I could change my address (on the hunch that if you are unable to do so, your passport is in its final stages and ready to ship), but the site was so buggy and I could never get the One Time Password. Called the passport website tech support (also someone in here said that they think that might have done something to speed the process along haha), and they helped me trouble shoot (use Chrome in an incognito window, use a different browser, delete cookies, etc.). Tech person confirmed that yes, when you are unable to modify your shipping, passport is ready to ship out. \\n**Thurs 2/23** Site is still really buggy. Can’t get on to check my status. Call NPIC – not giving me an appointment. No change in status. Made childcare arrangements with family in case I had to fly across the country the following week for an in-person appointment. \\n**Fri 2/24** At 2pm Senator’s office said they’re trying to get me an appointment in San Francisco and to hold on tight. I take a nap and dream that I have an appointment. Wake up, no update from Senator. No change in online status. \\n**Sat 2/25** No change in online status. \\n**Sun 2/26** Draft emails to send to my congressional representatives while I’m on hold with the NPIC on Monday at 5am PST. Decide to check online status because I’m a masochist. At 11:39pm instead of being able to change my passport address I get the magic “Thank you for your online passport book/card renewal application.” Proceed to freak the fuck out. \\n**Mon 2/27** Officially at the 5 days before travel mark. 6:43am. (slept through my 5am alarm :/) Call NPIC after 2 rounds of busy signals. Get through at 8am. After a couple of holds and extra checks, she offers me an in-person appointment in Honolulu. I waffle a bit and then she says, oops – it’s gone now. She is unable to give me any status update on my online application but agrees that if I can’t update the contact info, it’s likely on its way but that she can’t say when it will arrive. She confirms that if I miss my Saturday flight, I need to have a new flight in order to get an in-person appointment which is highly annoying. But there are no appointments anywhere. 8:37am. I send congressional reps an email begging for help. They both respond with 2 hours saying they will check on online passport and look for appointments in LA and San Francisco. 9:32am. I call NPIC again after 11 rounds of busy signals. Get through at 11am. The lady goes puts me on hold so she can check something else and returns with several appointments on Friday 3/3 (the day before my flight leaves) in Seattle, the mecca for wayward passport applicants. I choose one and she tells me that I can have only one appointment at a time, so to tell the congressional reps to stand down or I run the risk of losing the Seattle appointment if they get me one. 11:30am. I send an update to the congressional reps telling them to focus on pushing the online application through and that I have an in-person appointment. My plan is to book a refundable ticket to Seattle and hope that my passport arrives in time so I can cancel my appointment and flight. 2:14pm. I receive an email from my Rep’s office saying that my passport will not be processed in time at New Orleans, so he’s booked a 7:30am appointment for me the day before my flight at the Los Angeles agency. 6 miles away is much better than 900 miles away so I gratefully cancel the Seattle appointment. \\n \\n2:48pm. My Senator’s office also has an appointment for me at Los Angeles (I cancel that one since I already have one from the Rep.). \\n**Tues 2/28** 8:50am. I get an email from my Senator’s office saying that my online passport has been processed and she sends me a tracking number (?!). \\n**Wed 3/1** 11:15am. Passport arrives via UPS Express mail from the New Orleans Passport Agency. I cancel my in-person appointments at the Los Angeles agency. \\n1:45pm. Online system still reads my passport as In Process (eyeroll). \\n**Sat 3/4** \\n \\nBon voyage! \\n**TAKEAWAYS** \\n* Get in touch with your representatives. I wish that I had done it 3 weeks out from travel, but they were able to help in ways that NPIC was not (local passport agency appointments, for example). \\n* Try and be pleasant with the NPIC people. Rant and rave on here. :) \\n* I really think magic stuff happens when you're 5 days out. Try not to freak out until then. \\n Safe travels everyone and I hope everything works out!\", 'Was informed that as of today 2/24 there are no appointments. I travel next Saturday 3/4 and submitted my application 7 weeks ago (when expedited times were 3-5 weeks). I have my congressional rep and senator working on things but I’m pretty much resigned that I won’t be joining my family on our trip. I’m barely sleeping and this is all that I can think about. I’m so frustrated.', 'Just called this morning at 8AM, got put in a three minute hold, got through to a person who said because I was an online applicant she was going to transfer me to someone who could better assist me Transferred me to a automated line saying they are currently closed and open at 8AM (it was 8:03), and to call back later. Now when I try calling back I get either a busy signal, or to say they are too busy and to try calling again later Absolutely unbelievable how inept this government is', 'Just sharing to add to the \"good passport renewal juju\", since it helped me a lot to see folks with similar timelines to mine receiving their passports in the last few days. \\n3/31: Applied (Expedited) at post office for a child\\'s passport renewal -- had to travel out of state to get an appointment, but was able to combine it with planned travel. \\n5/2: Got an email that said the application was received 4/8 and to expect up to 7-9 weeks for processing. Locator started with 69. \\n5/9: Got an email saying passport was approved and shipped (two separate emails that came in the wrong order, but whatever). \\n5/11: Passport in hand. Travel end of June.', \"I figured I'd share my experience with the online passport renewal process. \\r \\nApplied online non-expedited 12/13 regular shipping etc\\r \\nBecause of travel on 1/22 I ended up upgrading to expedited on 1/3 and then upgraded to expedited shipping on 1/11\\r \\nHowever, it was stuck on receiving til 1/14 to processing \\r \\nThen it switched over to shipped 1/17 and in my mailbox on 1/18 with 4 days to spare on my 1/22 work trip. \\r \\nI highly recommend renewing with a buffer if you don't want to expedite it. If I hadn't upgraded it, I think I wouldn't have gotten it in time.\", 'Sharing my experience in Florida/Miami if it helps anyone. Flying to UK on 3/10. 1/9 - applied online expedited 1/10 - application turned In Process 2/7 - started getting worried, so contacted my rep, Maria Salazar’s office, by email. Signed the release form. 2/14 - rep’s office gives me a call. Says not to worry, there is processing backlog, but they will try to expedite my case. Told me I might need to schedule an appt in-person, and to just wait in the meantime for their call/email. 2/21 - my application status changes to “check status here” link. Link takes me to mailed application check, where my status is In Process, application received on 2/21 and it might take 5-7 weeks to process. I start freaking out about what’s going on, as I applied online in Jan. Call the rep’s office again, got the same answer, there is backlog but don’t panic yet. 2/27 am - call the NCIP hotline, spend an hour on hold to be told they can’t see my status as their system is down, and to call back on 3/3 to try to get an in-person appt. Call the rep’s office again, being forceful to get the status and what’s actually getting done to get my case expedited. 2/27 pm - check my status online and it turned to shipped. 2/28 - passport received. In the process, I also reached out to the state senators, Marco Rubio and Rick Scott. No response at all from Rubio, Scott got back to me the next day with actual status, but by that time my passport already shipped. Moral of the story is, get your representative and senators involved! Keep calling and talking with whoever responds to you! I believe my rep actually made a difference, so I’m sending her flowers as I’m so happy I get to go and don’t have to cancel expensive plans. So there is hope!', 'I will update this as I get info: Mine (online submission): •12/28/23 - hit submit online, no expedited services, (16 weeks to travel; given 6-9 week turn around at that time) 12/29/23 - Moved to In Process 3/3/23 - finished 9 weeks and still in process 3/6/23 - upgraded to expedited shipping online 3/6/23 - emailed Senator asking to check status - they made an inquiry to the National Passport Information Center, the response was that they were \"notifying the Washington Passport Agency\" - whatever that means 3/10/23 - finished 10 weeks and still in process/can still update address info 3/16/23 - today is the end of week 11; tomorrow the start of week 12. Still in process. \"f12\" trick I can see it is still in \"Adjuducated\". Haven\\'t heard any additional info from Senator\\'s office. 3/19/23 - gave in and paid the extortion fee. 3/20/23 - can now see that my status is \"Exception\" with the f12 trick. 3/21/23 - I can no longer change my address info, can see with the f12 that I am \"in fulfillment\"! 3/22/23 - RECEIVED! Got to my house at about noon via USPS Priority (received an email later that day saying it had shipped) &#x200B; My kids\\' (in person submission): 1/9/23 - In Person Appointment at local post office, no expedited services (14 weeks to travel, 6-9 week turn around given) 1/13/23 - Moved to In Process 3/3/23 - finished 7 weeks and still in process 3/10/23 - finished 8 weeks and still in process 3/14/23 - Senator office has response stating this passport is located and that I need to email my cc number and other info to expedite shipping. Not sure who to send it to... waiting for the senate office to respond. 3/15/23 - Still in process. Called the NPIC and was able to reach a human in short order (seriously, hit \"1\" for call back, got a message that they were unable to call back but then clicked over to a human). Chatted with the agent about **expediting services, was told that would add 27 BUSINESS days IF APPROVED**; since our trip is in about a month AND we have already waited almost 9 weeks, not doing it (**THIS IS EXTORTION**). Was told if we do not have it in hand by April 7 (which would be week 12), to call and make an appointment. But would need a copy of the birth certificate (more money) in the event my in person appointment cannot contact the facility that is processing (Charleston, which does not have a customer counter). I did purchase the expedited shipping, just to feel better that it is not delayed because of shipping. 3/16/23 - This is the last day of week 9, tomorrow will be the start of week 10. 3/20/23 - Emailed senator for clarification on expediting, received a reply (this was was the Charleston Passport Agency sent to the senator\\'s caseworker) \"Your inquiry has been received. Please check back two weeks before the travel date for any additional updates\" 3/24/23 - Still in Process (end of ten weeks, tomorrow starts week 11) 3/30/23 - Still in Process, tomorrow starts week 12.', 'Do not trust the online monitoring system. Mine still says \"in process\" and it was finally delivered today!!! 3/6 - Travel date is 3/10 Applied online 12/31. Marked as \"received\" immediately. Stayed that way until 1/26 when I went in and added \\'expedited processing.\" Switched to \"in process.\" Started panicking when u was 2 weeks out. No one at the agency will help you on the phone until you are 5 days out. Reached out to both my senator and congressman on 2/27 - 10 days before travel. They did get me an appointment in Minneapolis for 3/9 - 6 hours away by car, but closest one. Congressman calls me this morning says it was shipped and out for delivery. Ring doorbell goes off 5 minutes later. Had husband run home from work to check. It is here!! Never got a tracking number. Never switched from \"in progress\" state. Now let\\'s see if husband;s ever gets here. Submitted same day 12/31. Still marked \"received.\" Not traveling until June. Not sure it will get here on its own.', 'My story: We needed a passport renewal done same day for a flight tomorrow morning. Wife and I called the 877 number 500+ times. Got a 11:00 appointment at 10:40am for the agency in NYC (where I live). Currently waiting for our ticket to be called at the office. Miracles do happen — keep calling.', 'Sharing my timeline! My Passport Renewal Timeline - Locator 42. \\nI did expedite everything. 3/24 - Sent in my renewal via priority mail 3/27 - Received by location 42 and status changed to \"In Process\" 4/10 - Approved. Expected to receive my passport 4/13. My passport was approved in exactly 2 weeks after it was received by location 42. My travel date is 5/27, but I wrote down my original travel date, which was 5/21. I decided to push back a week just in case I didn\\'t get my passport on time.', '**EXPEDITED PASSPORT FEB-APRIL 2023 WITH SUCCESS:** I read this Reddit passport thread which gave me hope of receiving my passport for an upcoming travel and I\\'m so happy I did! (https://www.reddit.com/r/Passports/comments/11mwt5c/expedited\\\\_timeline\\\\_application\\\\_sent\\\\_out\\\\_262023/(https://www.reddit.com/r/Passports/comments/11mwt5c/expedited_timeline_application_sent_out_262023/)).My passport was not expired but I had to update it due to marriage and change of name. After completing my name change I submitted for a new passport at the end of January 2023. I originally selected routine processing (7-9 weeks) as my husband and I did not have any out-of-country travel plans at the time. Later, however, we booked a trip to Cancun, Mexico (departure: 4/29/23) to celebrate our 1 year anniversary.**My timeline/advice as follows:** 1. **2/2/23** \\\\- Passport received by U.S. Department of State (\\\\~12 weeks prior to travel date); passport check of $130 was also cashed around this time.\\n2. **4/1/23** \\\\- I contacted the passport agency (877#) who recommended and sent me an email to submit my contact and credit card information for \"Expedited Service Upgrade Request\", I submitted my information same day >4/1/23 - I received an automatic reply that stated \"This is a request. The passport agency will do its best to accommodate your request but cannot guarantee it. If the agency accepts your request, your credit card may be charged and the processing time will be **up to 27 business days**, not including federal holidays, from the time you send the request. \\n> \\n>Another part of the automatic reply included \"We have received your request to upgrade your passport application and/or change of mailing address. We are processing requests based on date of receipt on a first-in-first-out basis. It **may take 72 hours or more** for us to process your request. Please do not submit duplicate requests. If we have any questions or concerns regarding your request, we will contact you.\" \\n> \\n>**BOTTOM LINE: I NEVER RECEIVED A RESPONSE OR UPGRADE TO MY PASSPORT** 1. **4/11/23** \\\\- I contacted the passport agency (877#) and spoke to a \"passport specialist\" this time, who stated by phone that HE sent an \"urgent processing email request\". They also attempted to get me set up with a \"passport agency appointment\" in Atalanta, GA that MIGHT be able to print an on-site passport but were unable to tell me the agency\\'s hours and if this could even be guaranteed (I declined considering the uncertainty esp. given this would be a 7 hour round trip for me and time off work due to availability only M-F) >**BOTTOM LINE: the email did nothing, my passport status never changed; still \"in process\". Overall, I found the 877# to be extremely unhelpful, experienced long wait times (45 min - 1 hour) to receive different advice every time I called.** 1. **4/17/23 (\\\\~2 weeks from travel date)** \\\\- after reading the above pasted Reddit post, I contacted my local (TN) state representative office (OR you can contact your state Senator\\'s office) around \\\\~9 AM and spoke with a representative of her office directly. I explained my situation and the state representative\\'s office had me complete an online \"Digital Privacy Release Form\" which included personal information, contact information, passport locator #, explanation of your situation and they had me include an attachment of my travel itinerary (flight info and resort reservation booking)\\n2. **4/17/23** \\\\- My state representative office contacted them **the SAME DAY** via email to request my passport be expedited >The passport agency responded to them **THE SAME DAY** with part of the response stating \"Given your constituent\\'s upcoming travel date, I am notifying the Buffalo Passport Agency. They may reach out to you with further updates\" (I know this because they sent a printed copy of emailed conversation along with my updated passport) 1. **4/19/23** \\\\- I was contacted directly via phone by the U.S. Department of State that my passport was being worked on that day would be mailed on Thursday or Friday (4/20-4/21/23)\\n2. **4/22/23 (1 week from travel date, \\\\~11 weeks total processing time)** \\\\- I received my passport in the mail!! I was never charged for expedited processing - likely because the agency never reviewed my email sent on 4/1/23. Posting this in hopes that it helps someone else! My state representative office was very nice and helpful. I am confident I would not have received my passport in time for our trip if I had not contacted them.Good luck!', 'Update. expedited passport renewal * Locator: 69\\n* Mailed passport: 4/6\\n* Passport received: 4/7\\n* Status showed processing: 4/10 (applied expedited)\\n* Email showed approved: 5/12\\n* Mailed: 5/12\\n* Delivery: 5/15', 'Non-expedited online renewal data point: 12/16 - Application submitted and began processing Early Feb - I signed up for USPS informed delivery because of a poster in r/passports who mentioned seeing the passport move through it without the online portal ever updating. 2/9 - I could no longer expedite or change my address 2/16 - I got an email that a package was on its way from Tucson. I checked the informed delivery website and it’s coming from passport services. Should arrive the 21st. Edit: arrived the 19th! 9 weeks and 1 day from submission.', 'Apology in advance if this info has already been shared/posted; I haven\\'t seen it on this sub, just found out about it so thought I\\'d share: From the State Department site: Excerpt: >On February 7 at 1 p.m. Eastern Time, we temporarily closed our online renewal service to new customers. We plan to periodically reopen the service to new customers in a limited release before a full release later this year.Since last August, over 500,000 customers have successfully submitted an application online. Thank you for volunteering and testing our service during this limited release. We are reviewing survey feedback to continually improve the experience of renewing online.If you created your MyTravelGov account before 1 p.m. on February 7, follow the steps on this page to renew online. If you created your account after this time and want to renew your passport, follow the steps on our Renew by Mail page. I\\'ve been suspecting that there are problems with the Online Renewal setup, the shutdown sort of confirmed it. I also had no idea it was a beta program, had I known I would have gone with mailing it in. At that time the expedited was 3-5 weeks, I also called to confirmed that was the case, not just old data on the website. I submitted my renewal online almost 3 months ago (expedited+express shipping) with a Feb 2 travel date, it sat in \"received\" status for a month before updated to \"processing\" where it still sits. I\\'ve called numerous times starting 2 weeks before my original travel date, never received anything helpful; they can only tell me it was being process, if there was any issues they would have contacted me (I received none), also that online applications are farmed out to various agencies so the processing time aren\\'t the same. On January 31 an agent told me I could go in person the next day but wouldn\\'t say if I\\'d have to pay the fees again (what?), also informed me that the closest agency to me with available appointments was in Chicago (I\\'m in NY). I wasn\\'t about to fly to Chicago the next day, return home than head back to the airport again (my flight was 1;30am so I\\'d have to check-in late evening on Feb 1). I ended up rescheduling the flight for March 15, thinking surly I\\'d have my passport by then, now I\"m not so sure. When I called last night the agent wouldn\\'t even take my application #, asked for my travel date, said they can\\'t do anything until 14 day prior to departure before hanging up on me. Now reading on this sub that there aren\\'t any appointments available anywhere currently, I\\'m thinking I should follow the suggestion on this sub, contact my congressman now instead of waiting another week only to find out they can\\'t even get me an appointment.', 'Success! Wanted to share my timeline via online renewal... my suggestions are (1) contact senator/congress rep, and (2) don\\'t wait until your 2 weeks out, give yourself 3-4 weeks if possible to escalate things \\n**My travel date: 3/23/23** 1/20/23 - Applied for online renewal\\r \\n1/21/23 - Status changed to received\\r \\n1/23/23 - Status changed to in process\\r \\n2/16/23 - Paid for expedited + shipping (freaked out a bit)\\r \\n2/28/23 - emailed congresswoman, they called me in 15 mins and told me they\\'re going to work on it and based on prior experiences it should be fine. Had to submit proof of my flight with my name on it. 3/1/23 - update from the department of state \"I will have this application put into the queue to be processed with other congressional inquiries based on the date of travel. If there is a problem with this application, we will be sure to let you know immediately.\" 3/2/23 - SUCCESS! Status changed to \"shipped\" !! I really started freaking out on 2/28 because I saw articles being posted about the backlog and other reddit posts saying how people never got their passport. I was so fearful of running into a situation where we\\'d have to make an in-person appt right before our flight and somewhere far... I work Mon-Fri 8a-6p so it was stressing me out. I\\'m glad it all worked out in the end!', 'After a very anxiety-ridden past few weeks, I FINALLY GOT MY PASSPORT!! Summarizing my timeline in one comment below (you can see my full comment thread of detailed real-time updates here(https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/100t75r/comment/jbdfp28/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)) Travel date: **03/22/2023** Location: CA 01/22 - Applied w/ online renewal system. Paid for expedited processing form the start. 02/06 - Received an email notification that my passport application was updated to \"In Process.\" Figured things were going according to the specified timeline. 02/28 - Started to get nervous, added on express shipping. 03/06 - Started getting very nervous. Called the passport support number (1-877-487-2778) - had to try a couple of times to get around \"high call volume\" but I actually did get through, \\\\~45 minute wait. The guy I talked to said there wasn\\'t anything he could do except maybe send a reminder to the staff working on my application. He told me if I don\\'t receive my passport by 3/15, I should call again, and they would try to make an appointment for me at a passport agency in SF. (Reading the comments here, I don\\'t know if that would have actually been true -- it seems appointments are very, very booked up) 03/07 - Per recommendations on this thread, started reaching out my state representatives and senator. The office of Senator Dianne Feinstein has a page specifically about passport help here(https://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/submit-casework)! 03/08 - In <24 hours, received a response from office of Senator that they initiated an inquiry with the agency for me! Also got a response from office of my Congressman, sent privacy release forms, and they submitted an urgent request for me as well. No change in my application status online, but felt hopeful. Note I was 2 weeks from travel at this point (I don\\'t think your representative can initiate urgent inquiries like this if you are further out than that) 03/09 - Received a response from both caseworkers from Senator & Congressman. Congressman caseworker had located my application (#95 = Minneapolis) and sent an alert of my urgent travel. Senator caseworker forwarded me a response from the Pasport Center saying they would attempt to pull my case to their \"local physical queue,\" which would take 24-72 hours. Still no change in application process online, but I could no longer change my address, which is a good sign!! 3/10 - Senator caseworker said my passport was shipped and gave me a tracking number!!! 3/11- The passport was delivered and is in my hands!!! RELIEF The office of Senator Dianne Feinstein really knows what they\\'re doing. I basically got my passport within 4 days of reaching out to them. Feeling very grateful for that!!! Now I can go back to being excited for my trip :\\')', 'Sharing my timeline because this thread has been AMAZING in helping me get my passport well before my trip. * 1/17/23 - Submitted online renewal for regular processing.\\n* 1/29/23 - Received email that application was received.\\n* 3/6/23 - Start panicking because my trip is in two weeks. My status on the portal still says “Received”. I call NPIC and the agent says that on their end it is “In Processing.” She says she’ll note my travel date to move my application to the top of the queue, and that changing my processing to expedited won’t do much for me. At least, I pay for upgraded shipping. At this point, I keep calling for the next few days with little success. Discover the network thread and my status on that end is “Adjudication.” The agency opens at 8 am EST and I highly recommend getting to the automated message by 7:59 and working through the steps, so you can enter the queue right at 8 am as it opens. After you get past the first caller, they will redirect you and there is an additional queue to wait in. Every second after 8 am counts against you. * 3/9/23 - Contact my congressman and senator’s offices and fill out privacy forms. Only one office gets back to me within 24 hours saying they sent a notice to NPIC and to keep them updated for any changes.\\n* 3/10 - 3/14 - No major changes except lots of anxiety.\\n* 3/15/23 - I finally just upgrade to expedited processing anyway for the $60. Literally TWO HOURS LATER, my network status is changed to “Exception.”\\n* 3/16/23 - Front end portal changes to “In Processing” at 8 am, and by 1 pm it is “shipped.”\\n* 3/17/23 - Received my passport in the mail!!!!\\n* 3/22/23 - Travel date :)', 'Online renewal 1/22. Normal processing/shipping. If you have not contacted your state reps office, you 100% should. 1/22 - submitted “received” As of 3/12, it was still showing received. My travel is not until early June, but I had been reading way too many horror stories here. I’m traveling for my honeymoon right after my wedding, so the last thing I need is this stress come May. 3/12- email state rep’s office 3/13 - state rep asks for my info 3/15 - state rep calls me saying it’s been issued. The online system did switch to “in process” 3/17- shipping notification and tracking email. Status changed to “shipped” 3/20 -got my passport in the mail! I feel for those people here that are in a crunch. Hope this helps someone.', \"A big thank you to everyone who wrote posts with timelines so here's mine: travel date 3/31 2/10 - applied for a passport online expedited and paid extra for next day shipping 2/11 - tracking number said package was delivered 3/4 - passport marked as received 3/5 - passport in progress. I was apart of the early February black hole so my passport wasn't updated online until now. Locator # 79 (texas) 3/16 - emailed representative (sara jacobs) and senator (Diana Fienstein) knowing that when they would see it, it would be within 2 weeks of my travel on 3/17 3/17 - I receive a response from Feinstein's office saying they sent in an inquiry but due to the high demand I should wait 3-4 business days to follow up with the office. I also called the passport agency 14 times (phone line would beep and then hang up or the automated message would say due to the high volume of calls they couldn't take mine and then the line would hand up) before I finally got through with a wait time of 2 minutes. The worker tells me that they don't count the 14th day as within 2 weeks so I have to wait another 3 days until Monday to call again (not open on the weekends) to schedule an appointment....... 3/20 - I call 29 times before finally getting through. I managed to get an appointment on 3/30, the day before my travel in San Diego where I currently live. 3/30 - passport never came on the mail so I went to my appointment at 10am. Got out by 10:30am and went to pick up my passport on the same day at 3:00pm. I had to pay an extra $35 for my passport getting processed there which bring my total cost to $325 (application fee, expedited fee, expedited shipping, and same day appointment fee). Wishing you all the best of luck! I was definitely doom scrolling on this thread everyday for the past month so I hope everything works out for you all!!\", 'Renewal Success Story (Not without hiccups!) Mail Expedited from the start & Expedited Shipping \\nLocator 69 \\nNo congress folk involved and no travel date included on application \\n2/13 - Mail passport application at local post office. \\n2/16 - Mail renewal submitted. Status \"Received\" \\n2/17 - Status updated to \"In Process\"; check cashed \\n3/18 - Status updated to \"Approved\" \\n3/19 - Status updated to \"Shipped\" but no tracking number or receive by date included \\n3/20 AM - Status \"Shipped.\" Can see tracking in the USPS on portal USPS \\n3/20 PM - Delivery set for 3/21 by 6pm (USPS guaranteed) \\n3/21 - No passport \\n3/22 - Tracking not updating, last status update \"Moving Through Network - Departed USPS Regional Facility\" in Tucson, AZ \\n3/22 - Make claim with USPS; say that I will hear back after three days or that I would need to call back to elevate the issue. \\n3/22 - 3/25 Early AM - No updates \\n3/25 Afternoon - Delivered This thread is beyond helpful and kept me (mostly) sane! Good luck!', '**Online Renewal Timeline** \\\\- Travel date **4/10** Location: California **2/2** Submitted Online U.S. Passport Renewal thinking it would be faster. Nope. Did expedited processing and shipping from the start. At the time expedited processing was 4-6 weeks. **2/9** Online status \"Received\". **3/13** Started wondering why it\\'s taking this long. Begin to panic. Tried calling the 1-877 number but got hung up on numerous times. Then found this Reddit thread and figured out what was going on. Thank God for this Reddit thread! Did the F12 trick and found I was marked \"Exception\" **3/14** Tried the 1-877 but for tech and asked to get transferred to the online applications. Stayed on hold for ... , wait for it .... , 7 HOURS! I never want to hear that Mozart piece again. Finally spoke with someone (actual human being) but since it was getting close to 11:00PM ET (technically they close at 10PM ET but I stayed on) the call automatically ended right at 11:00PM. Only got to talk with someone for a few minutes then click disconnected. **3/15** Reached out online to my Congressional Rep Office. Filled out online form and submitted. As a maritime crew member I need a passport for work. I also had to submit proof of travel and my employment verification. **3/16** Called Congressional Rep Office to follow up. Informed I was at the top of the list of passport inquiries. They had a lot of passport inquiries. **3/17** Got email from Congressional Rep Office with a response from the NPIC that they located my application in Dallas, TX. They marked my application \"Urgent\" **3/18** Online application status finally moved to \"In Progress\" **3/20** Checked F12 online status and it said \"Fulfillment\". Knew from this thread that it was now going to print and then shipping. **3/22** Got email from online website notifying me that passport has been shipped. **3/23** Received passport in the mail. Passport in hand. **Key Takeaways:** ***GET CONGRESSIONAL REPS or SENATORS INVOLVED***. It\\'s been said that some Congressional Reps or Senators Offices will not get involved until the 14 day mark before travel. I reached out at 3.5 weeks figuring it would allow for some wiggle room and I absolutely need it for work. My Congressional Rep Office never said that to me and they definitely moved it along. Without them nothing would have happened. Also I think because I need my passport for work purposes (and not vacation) it was pushed through the process (9 days from contacting Congressional Rep to passport in hand). Good luck Everyone!', \"Sharing my very fast timeline to give people hope. Submitted an expedited renewal by mail that was received on 4/5 and passport delivered back to me today 5/8. 4.5 week total time. Type: Expedited, renewal by mail (paid for expedited processing & fast return mailing) Travel date: Mid-July (listed on passport application) 3/29: Mailed from local post office. Expedited and shipped to Philly expedited PO Box 4/3: Marked as delivered on USPS website 4/5: Marked as Received/In-Process by Passport Agency Locator: 75 (New Hampshire) - Didn't see a lot of comments on 75 on here but the ones I did see noted that this appears to be a fast location 5/3: Status changed to Approved 5/8: Received passport! Overall, very quick process faster than the quoted 7-9 weeks for expedited service. 4.5 weeks from the date received by the US State Dept and 5.5 weeks including shipping.\", 'Passport renewal experience! From submission to delivery, the total turnaround time was 5 weeks and 4 days. Upcoming travel 5/17 Locator 69 3/31: Submitted at local post office for expedited processing with expedited shipping 4/5: Received/“in process”; check cashed 5/5: Approved 5/8: Shipped 5/9: Delivered', '**TL;DR: Shipped expedited passport renewal on 4/3, new passport delivered to me on 5/11.** **I\\'m sharing my timeline to hopefully give others hope like this thread gave me!** **04/03/2023:** EXPEDITED PASSPORT RENEWAL mailed to Philly passport center via 1-day shipping by USPS. Noted on passport an international travel date of 5/24. **04/05/2023:** Checked USPS tracking info, shows that the renewable application was delivered, no info on passport status website **04/08/2023:** Checked passport status online, shows as \"In Process\" at passport processing facility 69 (New Hampshire). Internal transfer from Philly to NH explains time lag between shipment & \"In Process\". **05/09/2023:** Passport status changes from \"In Process\" to \"Approved\" YAY! **05/10/2023:** Passport status changes from \"Approved\" to \"Shipped\" with tracking info. I paid for the 1-day delivery. **05/11/2023:** Passport in mailbox by lunch time. So happy! \\nI was fully prepared to call my representative/Senators & attempt to get an elusive Urgent Travel appointment, but luckily did not have to. Best of luck travelers!', \"Sharing my timeline as my passport arrived today!! I spent the last 10 days stalking this thread and reading every story and benefitting from the experiences and stories shared here. So I'm giving a lot of details because I took so many notes for myself. **TL;DR.** Applied expedited **3/27**, Passport in hand **5/11**, Travel **5/15**. **Advice**: Contact your congressional representative 10-14 days before travel, ask nicely for help, and wait. Know that nothing will likely happen until 3-5 days out from travel. Passport locator: 42 **3/22/23:** Applied in-person for my new passport with expedited processing (at the time, published wait times were 5-7 weeks). Travel was 7.5 weeks out on 5/15. **3/27/23:** Application was received. **5/1/23:** Learned my lesson and called the passport information center right at 5am PST, was told they would flag my application with my travel date (5/15). I also requested 1-2 shipping and provided my credit card information. Was told if I still didn't have passport I could call to try to schedule in-person appointment at agency 5 business days prior to travel. **5/2/23:** Learned my lesson and called passport information center right at 5am PST. Was told they would flag my application with my travel date (5/15). I also requested 1-2 shipping and provided my credit card information. I asked about any other options, and the agent said if I still didn't have passport 5 business days before travel I could call to try to schedule in-person appointment at agency. **5/6/23:** Called immediately at 7am PST to try again for an appointment. Used travel date of 5/12 (would book a refundable ticket if appointment available) No agency appointments anywhere in the country. **5/8/23:** Called immediately at 5am PST to try again for appointment. After 90 minute hold, was told there were not appointments anywhere in the country. **5/8/23:** Contacted my congressional representative via their site and attached my original flight and travel info. Also contacted Senator Alex Padilla via his website. (Both have simple forms for requesting help with federal agencies, and I found them thanks to this thread!) I got canned responses from both that they would investigate further. **5/9/23:** Was up early due to insomnia so called again at 5am. This agent said she has to check each agency location individually. She checked 5 western US offices and there was 1 appointment was in Seattle on my date of travel (I'm in Southern California). I tried to claim it, just in case, but it was gone before she could select it for me. 10am Heard back from my congressman's office staff that they submitted a ticket to the Department of State on my behalf, but that there was nothing else they could do and they would let me know when they had an update 3pm Got an email from congressional office staff that my passport was approved (!!) and would be processed soon. Still concerned about it arriving by 5/12 for my travel. **5/10/23:** Checked Passport status site, passport status showed as shipped! When I clicked on UPS there was a label created but not mailed yet. **5/11/23:** Woke up to find that shipping information was updated overnight. My passport was delivered to my hands before 12pm.\", 'I had to come on here and give my personal experience because I was on here for so much support from you guys. Thank you!!! Renewal application submitted last week of March. Paid for expedited which was now 7-9 weeks. Travel date was 06/06/2023. (Don’t recommend cutting it this close!) In process on website on 03/30/2023. \\nChecked on 05/19/2023 still in process. Came on here and decided to call the National Passport Information Center on 05/23/2023. Waited on the phone 3.5 hours. I was told they could put urgent travel and paid for 1-2 day mailing option via phone. 05/24/2023 decided to email Texas Senator- John Cornyn- he had a form online to sign and fill out and email to his office. I got the information to do this from these beautiful people (Reddit posts). -later that day I received an email stating they would reach out to the passport agency and requested I wait 10 days to hear back. If my travel day was less than 10 days they requested I reach out to the national passport information center. (12 days from departure) -read to contact my Locator directly. Locator 42- (504) 412-2699. I did this several times with no response and not able to leave voice message. 05/30/2023 decided to go ahead an email the Senator for a reply and called the locator number again and was able to leave a message this time. -earlier today I got an email from Senator Cornyn, the passport was approved and would be arriving on 06/02/2023. Four days before departure! Don’t know what it was that got the ball moving but thank you to everyone who posts on what they did… I did everything I could lol', 'This thread gave me SUCH hope, that I had to add our success story - (Tl;dr - door to door in 6 weeks 2 days for new passport for a child) : Date of travel - August 4\\n (I put this in our application, I believe it does help) We decided to move the date of our European family visit trip up from later in the fall due to the ill health of a family member there. But our young son needed a new passport. June 7 - Made an appointment and applied at the post office. Expedited processing and shipping both ways. June 9 - Check cashed, and In Process June 10-July 17 - Always “In Process” July 18 - Randomly for a whole day the status changed to “Not Available”. I have read completely anecdotally (do not rely on this) that this can happen just as your application is changing statuses, so I had hope! July 19 - Status changed to APPROVED!!! July 20 - Status changed to “shipped” with a tracking number, but apparently it actually shipped on the 19th July 21 - PASSPORT IN HAND!! We got the passport exactly two weeks before our travel date, so I had not started the process of contacting the congressman or calling any of the passport numbers yet. Door to door was just over 6 weeks. I also believe that adding the Expediting the shipping as well absolutely speeds things up, because we have a neighbor that applied a the post office a couple of days before we did (expedited processing but NOT shipping) and their passport still hasnt been approved, but obviously that is just a random data point. \\nGood luck to all of you!!!', 'Wanted to give people who read all these panic posts and \"expedited priority mail\" some hope and peace for their own approval. My own trip to Germany is mid September. \\nApplied for passport and card renewal, no expedited or priority shipping. Sent to Location 14 (Connecticut) Mailed 5/25 Accepted 5/31 - Marked in progress. Approved 7/21 - Estimated mail arrival 7/29 Got photo taken at local CVS for peace of mind. 12 bucks for something to last you 10 years? Do it right the first time.', 'Updating passport status & processing time Date of travel: 11/1/2023\\r \\n\\r \\n8/30 - Submitted DS-82 application and paid expedited fees via priority mail, sent to the Philadelphia expedited center\\r \\n\\r \\n9/5 - State received application, Locator 45\\r \\n\\r \\n9/6 - Bank account charged\\r \\n\\r \\n9/11 - Status changed to \"In Progress\"\\r \\n\\r \\n9/28 - Status changed to \"Approved\" (23 days) Now waiting for passport to be mailed out. I legit thought I wouldn\\'t be able to make my trip because processing times stated 7-9 weeks. I was having anxiety attacks because I was worried I would get my passport after the 7th week. I literally leave on the first day of the 8th week. Super glad to see that they\\'re super fast! Also, thank you to everyone who reassured me that I would get my passport on time. I\\'m feeling over the moon right now.', 'My (successful) timeline I wanted to share with others. Tl;dr **contact your Senators** immediately and thank you to this thread for saving my life. 1/2/23 - renewed online, expedited for travel on 2/16/23. 1/2/23 - in process 2/7/23 - called passport office, waiting for hours to be told zero appointments. Keep calling. Called 3 more times, same answer little info. 2/9/23 (evening) - contacted Senator\\'s office by filling out \"help with federal agency\" sheet on their site. 2/10/23 (Fri morning) - received call from Senator\\'s office saying they will track down the app. 2/10/23 (Fri afternoon) - received call from Senator\\'s office saying they got an update saying my application is still in process but they were able to track it down. 2/10/23 (Fri afternoon) - received call from NY passport agency saying because of the congressional inquiry my passport will be approved and next day shipped. 2/13/23 (Mon morning) - Senator\\'s office called saying passport has been shipped overnight. 2/14/23 (Tues morning) - passport in hand!!', 'So frustrated! Why did I think the online renewal was going to be the quickest and easiest option!!!?? I submitted my renewal online on Jan 16th 2023 and it’s been “in process” since Jan 30th. I also paid for expedited (at the time it said 3-5 weeks). We’re now almost at 6 weeks and I’m getting very worried!!!! I emailed our state senator this morning and hoping they can help!! 😫\\nUpdate: spoke to state senator office Monday 2/27\\nTuesday 2/28 passport status showed shipped\\nWednesday 3/1 it’s supposed to arrive! Thank you for all the help on this thread! I’m so happy i found this info… now it looks like I’ll be going on my trip!!', \"My experience online renewal expedited and expedited shipping received 1/7 called three weeks ago concerned they said call back within 14 days of travel (3/1) and they will make an in person appt for me to complete the passport. The appt sounded like a sure thing till it wasn't. called 2/21 and after 2 hour hold they said sorry no appointments available at all and there's nothing we can do for you. freaked out. looked here to see if there were any tips. Best thing you can take from this is call your congressman or senator asap so they can help you. I called and then emailed my congressman and sent them my info that day. Next day 2/22 my passport was moved to processing. 2/24 to printing. Just signed up for usps informed delivery to see if by chance they have it and they do. It says it going to be delivered today 2/25 by 6pm. hopefully that will be the case Also if you haven't submitted a renewal application yet and there is an online renewal option DON'T DO IT. It's the slowest way they haven't figured it out yet.\", 'Anyone 5 days out on Monday 2/27? Let’s be passport buddies. Applied 1/6, expedited. In contact with Senator and Representative’s office. Traveling Saturday 3/4. My plan is to send my congress reps an email Sunday night saying that I will go to any appointment at any time anywhere in the country. On Monday I will call that passport hotline again and again. Will call the congress reps. On Tuesday will drive to my nearest passport agency and try to charm/beg my way inside while also calling passport hotline. I estimate my chances as a 35% chance of being on that plane on 3/4. Has anyone not got their passport in time? If I miss my 3/4 plane trip, do I become “less urgent”? My husband and toddler will be at the destination for 2 weeks and I’m hoping that if I can’t fly with them, I can join them for the second half of the trip.', 'Applied for new passport in person - not expedited\\n1/18 submit 1/23 processing 2/24 approved 3/1 arrived', \"Got my passport today, took just over a month. I think the key is to contact your senator/congressperson if you're worried you won't receive it in time. - Applied online Jan 30th, expedited processing and shipping. - Contacted senator's office on 2/24 - Senator's office received reply, began inquiring on my case 2/27 - Senator's office said State Dept. had completed my passport 3/1 - Passport office sends me email saying my passport is sent 3/2 - Passport received in mail 3/3, a week before my trip\", 'deleted', 'I applied for my passport on 1/3/23. I did **not** expedite shipping, knew I was traveling in mid-April, figured I\\'d be fine. It arrived for processing on 1/6/23. Travel date is 4/7/23. \\nStarted checking religiously about 2 weeks ago (2/27), status always showed \"In Progress.\" Beginning to panic, this isn\\'t even expedited! I contacted my congressperson (3/8) and they said they would not interfere until I was two weeks out of travel time. \\n**JUST TODAY** the status was changed to SHIPPED! YIPPEE! Says it was shipped 3/10 but no tracking available, yet. I feel confident it will be to me by 4/7. \\nWhat a ride, and mine wasn\\'t even that bad. Good luck, y\\'all.', 'will be 5 business days (one week) out from travel tomorrow and just had the update today with the “thank you for your application” and can’t upgrade shipping or anything anymore. hopeful that this means it’s getting shipped out tomorrow or friday in time for my travel next week. does anyone else have times from when they get that message in the portal to when their passport actually arrives!? any insight is greatly appreciated', \"Sharing this here since this thread helped me so much: **1/21** \\\\- I submit an expedited online renewal with express shipping. At the time I get quoted with 3-5 weeks so I think it’s surely enough time before my travel date of 3/19. (Oh, boy) **1/25** \\\\- Status on MyTravelGov says passport is received. **2/1** \\\\- I get the “Received” status email. It still quotes 3-5 weeks for expedited applications.I check MyTravelGov every other week but the website is down most of the time. **3/3** \\\\- It’s now past 5 weeks since my passport was received, so past the quoted estimate. I call the passport help line and after a 6 hour hold (I went to a yoga class in between while listening to Eine Klein Nachtmusik ifykyk) the rep doesn’t give me any helpful information and just tells me to call back when I’m 5 days away from travel. **3/6** \\\\- I try the passport help line again and this time after 5 hours I get someone who’s more helpful. He tells me that the application is in processing (MyTravelGov still says received) in a facility in Minneapolis and since it was past the committed date he would send the agency a message. He also tells me to call back 5 days before travel. **3/10** \\\\- Called the passport help line again and the rep this time was so mean. I tried to ask about the likelihood of getting an in-person appointment and they were very rude to me. Panic starts to seep in. I check the internet for comfort and find this Reddit post. Following the instructions, I reach out to my senator and state rep. I call one more time, this time begging the first rep not to transfer me to the 5 hour hold for online renewals and asking him if he could look at appointment slots for me, even if he couldn’t book it, just to give me a sense of availability. He expresses sympathy about the long wait time but can’t help me. Despair starts to settle. **3/13** \\\\- Finally officially 5 business days before travel date. I wake up and call at 4:59AM and am put on hold until 9AM. The rep tells me there are no appointments available. I’m so upset I forget to ask her to clarify if she meant in California or the entire US. I tell her it’s past the commitment date (they like using that word) and she says she’ll flag it with the agency but that’s all she can do. I pin all my hopes on the senator coming through and send a follow up email. I check Reddit again and find this thread about the network traffic status(https://www.reddit.com/r/Passports/comments/11nwl89/online_apps_look_at_the_network_traffic_to_get/). I try it and it shows “Exception.” **3/13 11:28 AM** \\\\- I get an email saying my passport application status has moved to “In Process”! I try the network traffic trick and it says “Fulfillment.” Starting to feel hopeful for the first time! **3/13 2PM** \\\\- I call the passport line again just to see if I can get an in-person appointment for backup and the rep tells me she doesn’t have any slots in San Francisco, Los Angeles, or San Diego, only a slot in Seattle for 9AM the next day. I decide to bet on the online application pulling through. **3/13 4:21PM** \\\\- A staff member from Dianne Feinstein's office responds confirming they have initiated an inquiry with the agency on my behalf and will notify me as soon as they receive an update. **3/14 9:59AM** \\\\- The senator’s office gets back to me and says the passport is complete! They give me the USPS tracking number. It’s being shipped from Tucson. **3/14 2:53PM** \\\\- I get the “Your Passport Application Status - Shipped” email! **3/16** \\\\- Passport in hand. HOORAY! **3/21** \\\\- Travel date!! **Takeaways**: Don’t bet on getting an in-person appointment if you’re in California. I think someone else previously said this but kudos to Dianne Feinstein and her team! Here’s their page for passport help.(https://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=help-with-passports) AND THANKS EVERYONE ON THIS THREAD FOR SHARING THEIR STORIES AND ENCOURAGEMENT! Now I’m wondering if I can get a refund of the expedited passport fee since it was outside the commitment date…\", 'Hi all! Since this thread helped me so much I wanted to add my nightmare of a passport renewal experience. I went online to renew on 1/30 for a travel plan 3/19 with expedited shipping and processing. At the time it said 3-5 weeks for processing and I knew this was still cutting it close, as I was worried that the passport would be delayed or wouldn\\'t come on time. I called and the passport lady at the time ensured me that I should be good for my trip, as some people were receiving their passports earlier. She said to call 14 days out from my trip if I hadn\\'t received it yet to book an in-person appointment. 1/30 - Received 1/31- In Process (I took at this as a good sign it\\'d be processed soon.) 3/1 - Panic starts to set it. I start checking my online portal every day to see if anything has changed. Still in Progress. 3/5 - I called the passport agency to book an in-person appointment as I was 14 days out. Waiting on 1.5 hour hold for online renewal for the passport assistant to tell me I needed to call 5 days out for an appointment. I thought maybe he was wrong so I called and waited on hold for someone to tell me I couldn\\'t get an appointment until 5 days out. 3/10 - Turned to the internet for help. Found this INCREDIBLE reddit thread and saw that a lot of people contacted their local congressman and woman as well as senators. I was a bit desperate so I contacted both representatives from MA through email and phone. Heard back 2 days later and filled out their privacy form. They let me know they\\'d get back to me. 3/14 - Called early to try and get an in-person appointment. Spent 2 and half hours on the phone to get told no available appointments. The woman told me to call again and see if any spots open up. I repeat this cycle 3 times and no one can give me an appointment. I can\\'t even log into the travel.gov(https://travel.gov) website to get updates. I\\'m breaking down, crying, and trying to be polite to a very rude passport guy. I\\'m thinking of all the money I\\'ll lose from this trip. If I hear that Serenade No. 13/Eine Klein Nachtmusik or whatever ONE MORE TIME I\\'m losing my shit. 3/15- The same cycle of calling, waiting a ridiculous amount of time on hold (3 hours), then no appointments. I\\'m getting very desperate and frustrated. In my time of desperation, I staked this reddit post and found the holy grail of reddit posts. I posted it here. I can help if people are confused because it took me a second. \\nhttps://www.reddit.com/r/Passports/comments/11nwl89/online\\\\_apps\\\\_look\\\\_at\\\\_the\\\\_network\\\\_traffic\\\\_to\\\\_get/(https://www.reddit.com/r/Passports/comments/11nwl89/online_apps_look_at_the_network_traffic_to_get/) I was able to see that my passport was labelled as \"Fulfillment\" which based on the reddit post meant that it was ready to be printed and shipped. A glimmer of hope! I felt so much better. 3/16 - Senator\\'s office gets back to me and sends me a tracking number! Wahoo! Hopefully should get it by tomorrow or the next day. Online through the portal, it still reads a \"In Progress.\" Additionally, no updates directly from travel.gov(https://travel.gov) or the passport agency. EDIT - 3/17 - Travel Number by Senator was sent but no updates to USPS, just that label was printed. Called USPS customer service that said they didn’t have any info but that it should arrive by 3/17 at 6pm. I call passport agency and give them the update but they tell me they had already given USPS the passport. 3/18 - No passport. Called USPS again and opened a case, they said they wouldn’t be able to get back to me until Tuesday, 3/21. My flight is 3/19 at 6am. I drive to the post office with no help. I cancel my flights and move it to Tuesday in the hopes that it arrives on Monday. 3/20 - No passport. Called Passport & USPS again with no answers about the whereabouts of my passport except that it’s lost. On hold with passport customer service for the chance of an in person appointment but looking bleak. Most likely going to cancel the whole trip. :( I am not one of the lucky ones! But hopefully you are. Long story short- \\\\-DO NOT APPLY ONLINE. \\\\-If you did like me, IMMEDIATELY CONTACT SENATORS AND CONGRESSMEN/WOMEN!! They help!! I felt very annoying bothering them, but I really do think it helped pushed my passport along and I actually got some information about the whereabouts of my passport! \\n\\\\- If you feel compelled to call the NPIC, call in the evenings or exactly 7:58 AM!! Keep calling if they say they can\\'t take your call. \\\\- 3/12 -My sister who is also traveling with me, LOST her passport, called the NPIC ONLY ONCE without any application or anything. No queue and got an appointment shortly the same day and received her passport within a few hours. Take this information as you will. Thank you all for reading!', 'Finally received my passport! Want to give my timeline and provide some hope to those anxiously waiting like I was: - January 18th: applied for an expedited renewal online. - January 29th: Email delivered confirming application was \"Received.\" - February 2nd: After seeing no progress, decided to pay for expedited shipping as well to be safe. - March 8th: The date of my trip is less than a month away (April 1st to Tokyo), locate this thread to see about advice. Send a request for passport help to one of my senators based on suggestions. - March 9th: Senator\\'s office responds with a request for additional info (my birthdate), immediately follow up. - March 11th: Find this thread(https://www.reddit.com/r/Passports/comments/11nwl89/online_apps_look_at_the_network_traffic_to_get/) with tips on how to check the network status. Find out my application is in \"Exception\" status. - March 13th: Check status again, see it has been moved to \"Adjudication.\" - March 14th: Receive email that my application has been moved to \"In Process.\" Check network status; that has moved to \"Fulfillment.\" - March 16th: Receive an email from USPS informed delivery stating that I have a package from *PASSPORT SERVICES/DOS TUCSON* arriving today. My passport was delivered a short time later to my mailbox! Just received an email from the state department a few minutes ago ago stating my passport was \"shipped\" (lol). All in all, took **8 weeks** to receive my renewed passport, when the initial promised window was 3-5 weeks. Thankfully it arrived before my travel date, but the constant technical difficulties and uncertainty leading up to today were a headache and a half. \\n4 out of 10 would not recommend renewing online until the system is improved, so glad I won\\'t need to renew for at least another decade.', 'Passport Timeline for online renewal: 12/19/22 - applied online for passport renewal for travel 4/1/23. Did regular processing, which in hindsight was a mistake. 12/20/22 - Application accepted 12/21/22 - Status \"In Process\" 3/17/23 - Status still \"In Process\" but we are traveling in 2 weeks so I call the passport help number. Waited 3 hours and never spoke to anyone. Hung up to try again Monday. 3/18/23 - Get notification from USPS (not Passport services) that there is an envelope being delivered today from Passport Services/ DOS Tucson. Passport delivered 3:00 pm &#x200B; Note: The status never changed from \"In Process\" and I was never notified that the passport shipped. I went to check the status today just to see what it says and all I got was an error message. I waited 13 weeks for this passport. But since it showed 2 weeks before my travel date, I have to believe that they are processing by that date and not order received. Very frustrating experience in all.', 'My current timeline on a regular online renewal application: Submitted: Around 10pm on 12/30/22, received shortly after (deleted email) In process: 1/3/2023 ...That\\'s all. It has officially been 11 weeks, and I\\'m stressed. My travel is scheduled for 4/30, so I technically have time, but this is so frustrating. I don\\'t want to pay the government another $60 to push it through faster when I should have had my passport 2 weeks ago according to their initial timeline when I applied. I know I\\'m preaching to the choir here, lol. Just sharing where I\\'m at in case it helps anyone somehow. Edits: Contacted my congressman\\'s office on 3/21. They got back to me the next day and were told I was in routine processing and that I could upgrade to expedited. My f12 status changed to \"exception\" on 3/23. Followed up with my congressman\\'s office on 3/29. They called to tell me that NPIC told them they couldn\\'t provide my congressman an update because they had already given an update on my application to another congressman in another state. My congressman\\'s office told me that NPIC will only expedite applications that are within 5 days of travel, and then told me they\\'d contact me if they get any updates (in other words, they wanted me to stop emailing lol), but she did seem concerned that I was on week 13 when processing times were estimated to be 5-9 weeks when I submitted. My f12 status changed to \"fulfillment\" on 3/31. Status changed to \"printed\" on 4/3. No f12 status anymore. Got the email saying it was shipped on 4/4. Interestingly, it\\'s being shipped from Arizona, but NPIC told my congressman\\'s office that it was in process in Connecticut. Got my passport on 4/5. They shipped it first class priority and it arrived overnight.', 'Travel Date to Europe & Mexico: April 1st 2023 Went to my local NC USPS Office to renew my passport on Feb. 21st - Expedited Delivered on the Feb. 23rd at locator 34 (Charleston SC) PASSPORT STATUS UPDATED to IN PROCESS on Feb. 24th Called today (March 20th) since it was still IN PROCESS, and within 14 days of travel. The lady who answered said my only available option was to wait since the passport was approved and is currently being printed so to keep an eye out for tracking number and call back if nothing by end of week. Few hours after the call, I noticed the PASSPORT STATUS changed to APPROVED. I should hopefully be receiving my passport by Friday!!! It’s following the same exact timeline of my friends’ and my little brothers. Feel really bad for those who went with the online option. thank god i wasn’t allowed to renew online bc of my old passport when i was 9, otherwise i would’ve been waiting months lol. I’ll update when I receive it in mail!', \"I just want to say I am so grateful for this thread! If I did not find this (and check it religiously every day for a week straight lol) I would not have gotten my passport in time! I applied online and did not have high hopes of going on my trip to Japan but...I have my passport in my hands as of yesterday. I urge you to contact your local congress members... I understand that not every state is as responsive but mine worked a mf miracle and made it happen. If you live in Atlanta, Nikema Williams' office saved me (also Warnock's office was second to respond to me very quickly!) Bless those interns who helped me get an appointment just one day after sending my initial email. I was also within two weeks of my travel date btw. Just wanted to share some positive vibes to some of you in hopes you get yours\\\\~\", 'Contacted my congressman yesterday, and they put in a request to expedite my application (submitted for routine processing 12 weeks ago). The response they received is that I can pay to upgrade my application to expedited processing. I love being extorted by my government!!!! Edit: my f12 status changed to \"exception\" today. Not sure if that\\'s just because my congressman reached out or because it\\'s actually moving.', 'My experience using expedited by mail service for a renewal: Sent overnight mail on 2/20 to Philly Check cashed/status changed to in process 2/23 (application #69) Shipped 3/23 Travel 4/21 For what its worth, Ive seen similar times (\\\\~1 month) for many commenters for expedited service through Philly center', 'Here is my timeline Submission date: 2/10 with standard everything since not traveling until July-ish. \\n2/11 - In Process \\n3/16 - Adjudication \\n3/21 - Paid for expedited everything. \\n3/21 - AvCaseStage changed to Exception (evening time) \\n3/22 - Fulfillment 3/23 - Printed as status Got extorted. But yes, looks like paying the extra fees definitely got things going for me', 'Adding my timeline, hoping that this gives others the hope that’s similar ones gave me 12/30: applied for renewal online (routine) 1/3: status changed to in process (traveling 4/4) figured that should be plenty fine 3/20: status hadn’t changed at all, travel date starting to get dangerously close. Began the saga of calling the passport office more times than I can count for nobody to help. 3/22: after 2 days of calling, I get on after another 2 hour hold with one of the most rude customer service reps I’ve experienced. While I tried asking questions about getting an appointment I was only told “call back when you’re within 5 days and we’ll see if you can get an appointment”. She then hung up on me 3/22 (cont.): now completely freaking out I find this thread, reach out to my house rep and senator and upgrade to expedited. After this I find the inspect tool response check, see my status is in “fulfillment”. Not sure how long it had been (I assume it had changed because of one of the actions I took though, probably the expediting but not sure) 3/23: Email received that my passport is shipped. Scheduled to arrived 3/24 3/24: now just waiting for it in hand, USPS showing that it’s still on schedule for today which is great. My best advice is definitely reach out to your reps/senator and upgrade to expedited. Hoping that everyone who reads this and is in a similar situation that I was in is able to get the help they need and can put this nonsense behind them. Truly one of the most stressful experiences I’ve ever had and wishing everyone else the best of luck', 'This thread helped me so here is my timeline for locator 62: 2/28: renewed by mail, expedited everything. 3/6: “In process” and marked as received on this date 3/29: shipped with tracking info, scheduled to arrive Friday. Can’t believe it came so fast. I really feel for everyone still waiting. Good luck out there!', 'Can someone help me? The Passport agency received my application on 12/13/22 and it’s now 4/9/23. My application is still “In Process” and I’m now 2 months away from my travel date!', 'Hi everyone. Locator 62 here. I expedited passport 3/9/23 at local courthouse \\nbefore processing times increased to 7-9 weeks. Was received, in process, and check cashed by 3/13/23. Weeks go by and it is still showing in process. \\nPanic sets in as I have an upcoming trip. \\nI start calling the 877 number multiple times and am told on different occasions to call back when closer to my trip date and/or that they have no access to my information and they can be of no assistance. I call the Tucson Az phone number but they are not taking calls. I contact my state senator for further assistance and call back every so often after sending them all required documents only to be told the caseworker is on it and will contact them again but no real update. Finally today I contacted the us dept of state office in DC (202-647-4000). I press four to be connected with a person and ask them to transfer me to the passport office in their department. \\nI get connected with that department and press one for English. A passport agent picks up the phone and I am finally able to speak with someone who can access my file. She updates me that she will flag it as urgent as I travel in less than 2 weeks, says she can see I already paid to expedite it but doesn’t see expedited return shipping was paid. I pay that over the phone as she reviews more information and gives us some additional information. I hung up with some relief to finally be able to have someone who can even access the file. Will post an update soon. Hopefully God and sweet Mighty Jesus willing this helps my passport finally get approved and mailed out.', 'deleted', \"Don't be afraid to reach out to your congressmen or congresswoman. I reached out to try to expedite my passport for travel happening this week and they came through. Five days after my initial contact and I have my passport!\", 'My passport was received for renewal on 4/8 - expedited. Just changed to approved this morning (5/10)! Locator number 69 Update! Passport received today in the mail - May 12th! Passport card not received yet but heading to the global entry office this afternoon to update my global entry to my new name.', 'My Routine Passport Renewal Timeline: Travel Date 6/12 March 1: Sent renewal Application (Routine) using USPS Priority express mail. Processing time 8-11 weeks at the time. March 8: Fees Check withdrawn. Application Status: In Process. Locator: 42. May 10: Received an email that says Application Status: In Process May 12: Received an email that says Application Status: Approved May 12: Passport status changed to Approved and said: You should receive your passport book and card on or around 05/21/2023. May 15: Passport book received in the mail. Status on NPIC still shows approved. \\\\- No Passport card, nor old passport received yet, I read on other Reddit posts that it can take up to 2 more weeks to receive. \\\\- No state reps were contacted. I was planning to start contacting them today (4 weeks before travel date) but thankfully did not have to. Update: May 18: Passport card received in the mail, in a plain white envelope. Status on NPIC still shows approved. May 25: Old Passport book and card received in the mail, in a plain envelope. Status on NPIC still shows approved.', 'Called my congressman today to help push my renewal along because it\\'s been stuck \"In Processing\" since 3/16. They requested my CC info to push it into expedited processing and shipping, in hopes I\\'ll receive it by my 6/4 travel. Upon checking the status, what used to say \"routine service\" now says \"expedited\". I\\'m guessing this is a good sign? Even though it\\'s still \"In Processing\", I\\'m crossing my fingers that it\\'ll be approved in the next day or two and hopefully shipped immediately. Locator 62.\\nUPDATE: Passport received this morning 6/1!', '**6/7/23:** Travel date \\n***Total time it took from submission of application to receiving passport in hand: \\\\~9 weeks*** \\n**3/27/23:** Application for new passport submitted \\n**3/31/23:** Application Received at Locator 42 and In-Process (Paid for expedited service) \\n**5/15/23:** Contacted Congresswoman, who then contacted Passport agency on my behalf on that day (Received a generic response on 5/25/23 saying the locator got back and basically processes congressional requests by date of travel, whatever that means. The congress office said they would try contacting the passport agency again on 3/31/23 to see if there is any progress.) \\n**5/25/23:** Called NPIC as soon as it opened (5am PST) and stayed on hold for approximately 1h (Paid for 1-2 expedited shipping over the phone with card, but was basically told another generic response) Also called Locator Number directly (Said that they should be sending it later that day or latest by Tuesday, since Monday is Memorial Day) \\n**5/25/23:** Shipped!! Expected delivery date 5/31/23 \\n**5/31/23:** Passport in hand :D &#x200B; Good luck everyone!', \"I've posted on this thread before but my application was received back in late March and I paid for expedited service. Called the passport agency in May and received no help. Called again 2 weeks before I was supposed to leave for Japan on May 28th, still no help. One week before my flight I reached out to my state representative and have been working with a case worker ever since. The agency gave her no updates and she was unable to secure an in-person appointment for me so I missed my travel date. I was supposed to travel to Korea from Japan on June 5th, and thought that maybe I could fly from the US to Korea and salvage that half of my travels. Unfortunately it's June 1st and I've still received no word on where my passport is and there are still no appointments available. Infuriating because this wasn't something I could reschedule as this was a group travel thing. The agency that's supposed to be doing my passport is the New Orleans location, and they've been unresponsive to both me and my caseworker. Pretty upset, I regret not doing this a year in advance. EDIT: thanks for all the sympathy y'all -- I wanted to give others hope by saying that it really just comes down to luck. Ironically my friend's passport came in the mail today (I thought a miracle came when I saw the package RIP) and she applied in late April w/o any plans to travel. lastly, if I could fly down to the New Orleans location and fight them, I would.\", \"If your application went to location 69 and you need an update call 603 427 3100. I called at 7:25am EST and got right through. Was told my application which was accepted on 4/24 just hit somebody's desk and should have update in the next week. It shipped out today.\", 'Locator 19 success story! Routine renewal by mail for September 2023 travel timeline: - 4/18: routine renewal sent priority from central Maryland\\n- 4/19: received at Philadelphia passport agency\\n- 4/24: received and in process at Locator 19\\n- 4/25: check cashed\\n- 6/6: shipped from Hot Springs, expected delivery 6/9 My status was still in process when I last checked the morning of 6/5, but tracking says USPS received my passport the evening of 6/6. I didn’t come across too many routine renewal timelines when I sent mine, so hopefully someone finds this encouraging! I wasn’t very confident mine would arrive in time even 20 weeks out and ended up getting the expedited processing time (7 weeks) without paying extra lmao Edit: 6/8: passport in hand!', 'Sharing my timeline to offer those traveling hope. Reading reddit tips and tricks helped me so I want to pass it on! \\nDOT 7/9 \\nexpeidited shipping , 1-2 day return delivery paid \\nPassport recieved 6/5 \\nChecks cashed 6/6 \\nShippped 7/3 \\nDetails: \\nCalled NIPC at two weeks out told to call back when date of travel was within 5 days \\nBegan calling Friday 6/30 \\nContacted local Congressman\\'s office via email 6/30. They were quick to respond but told me that things are more backed up than they ever have been and that in the past they would have been confident they could help they were not sure that was the case anylonger. \\nCalled ALL DAY Friday, Saturday and Sunday with two phones going. Tried the calling at 8am on the dot and it was often not helpful. The closest I got once was having to wait only 10 mintues to then get a person whose system was down and couldnt even help me. Getting someone whose system was down after waiting on hold was something that happened to me 3-4 times. Other times I would call and wait anywhere between 45 mintues to 2.5 hours. I was offered appointments twice which would have been impossible to catch a flight for or drive to. \\nI found here the phone number to locator 45. \\nCalled 7/3 New Hampshire at about 8a waited on hold for an hour. The woman was not very helpful and kind of shamed me, but did state that she would mark my passport as urgent. I told her that my congressman\\'s office has contacted them. She scoffed and said that they were behind \"on those too\" and that she didnt see it in the notes. \\nTook a break from calling for few hours. \\nCalled NPIC again in the afternoon and was told they couldnt make an appointment for me because my passport was currently being printed. They said if I checked my passport status later I would see it as shipped with a tracking number. I checked directly after hanging up. No change of status.. \\n7/4 This morning I checked my passport status and it says shipped with a tracking number! \\nI am not sure what helped the call to New Hampshire or my congressman\\'s office. I did see here there where people with timelines just days ahead of mine that were getting them so I tried to be hopeful.', 'Heres my experience:\\nExpedited with 7-9 weeks processing time Travel date: \\n07/25/2023 I put in my renewal application through USPS:\\n05/17/2023 Passport agency (locator 77) received my application:\\n05/22/2023 I called the National Passport Agency to put in a urgent request and get overnight shipping:\\n07/12/2023 Called and put in an urgent application to the congressmen and senator:\\n07/17/2023 Passport Approved: \\n07/17/2023 Passport shipped with USPS Express Mail\\n07/17/2023 Passport Received:\\n07/19/2023', 'Posting to give some others who are expediting their applications some peace of mind as well! My girlfriend and I are traveling on September 3rd. 6/21: I sent our renewal applications together via USPS Priority Mail. My check included the fees for the renewals, expedited service, and 1-2 day Delivery for the new passports. \\n6/23: Received in Philly \\n7/22: Received new passports in the mail via 1-2 Day Delivery \\nI signed up for email updates but never received any, but I was pretty surprised at the quick turnaround when I got it in the mail today.', 'I wanted to submit the timeline for my partner’s renewal because reading others was helpful to quell our stress. We printed and mailed everything with a money order on June 20th. We paid to expedite plus paid for the return priority shipping. June 23 we got confirmation it had arrived & was processing. July 20 status changed to approved, received next day via priority mail USPS (July 21). Based on this sub and r/passports I thought her renewal was being processed at the Vermont location (75 locator) but when we checked USPS tracking it was coming from Arkansas. We live in Chicago. We were not in nearly as tight of a turnaround as most folks (not traveling til October) but when we realized her passport would be cutting it close to the 3-month expiry window, we decided to play it safe. Of course by June the State Dept had increased expected wait times, thus our decision to expedite everything from the get-go. Maybe we got extremely lucky or maybe they’re starting to process faster — 31 days from mailing to having it in our hands was unexpected and impressive to us!', 'Passport came damaged in the mail. A piece of the layer of the cover got torn off. The cover is still intact and whole but the second p in Passport basically got ripped off the cover. Is it still usable?', '**DO NOT USE ONLINE RENEWAL** \\\\*\\\\*Edited 3/3/23\\\\*\\\\* 12/13/22- Renewed online expedited service & shipping. I think it changed right away or at least within the week to \"received\". I did not put a trip date because I was relying on the 5 week max estimate and the earliest I would go anywhere was the last weekend in January. 1/17/23- There was no change in status so I called to get an update and make sure there wasn\\'t any issues that would delay. Person only said that my application was \"in process\" but online it still said \"received\" 1/30/23- application changed from \"received\" to \"in process\" 2/9/23- I sent a passport assistance request to my state\\'s congress. Replied back they aren\\'t allowed to submit inquiries for online renewals. They can only try to make an in person appointment if I\\'m within the 14 days of travel. Which is very disappointing but I\\'ve been holding off in booking my trip because I don\\'t trust the passport process at all and don\\'t want to lose money. 2/14/23- Called again. Same answer. It\\'s in process but I can\\'t tell you when it will completed. I told the person that I was traveling 2/24 hoping he would add a note so there would be progress. 2/20/23- Still in \"in process\" status and no notice from USPS from Informed Delivery. 2/22/23- I booked my trip for next Saturday and was able to get an emergency in person appointment the day before my trip (with assistance from my state\\'s congress office). Not ideal but at least it\\'s progress. 3/3/23-I finally got my passport!!! I had to go to the local passport agency. It took about two hours to go through security, get checked in, and have my online application transferred to the local passport agency. I had to go later in the afternoon to pick up passport. That took over an hour. What do you need to take for a renewal? Appointment confirmation number, renewal application, old passport, 2X2 photo, and flight itinerary. I also printed and brought my receipt from the online renewal. They were able to transfer my application and didn\\'t have to pay again. I would also take a valid id. I am grateful for all the workers there!', 'deleted', 'Signed up to Reddit to share my experience because this thread has been really helpful for me. I applied for online renewal on 1/10 with expedited processing for a trip on 3/28. * 1/10: Applied for a passport renewal online with expedited processing, immediately marked as \"received\" on the website and through an email. At this time, expedited processing was stated as 3-5 weeks.\\n* 2/14: Didn\\'t pay much mind to it until this date, but the status on the online tracker up to this point hadn\\'t changed from \"received\" and I was starting to get worried because expedited processing times, in the meantime, had changed to 5-7 weeks.\\n* 2/14: Called the passport agency and claimed I wanted to change to expedited processing during the automated prompts, even though I had already done so online, just so I could talk to a real person. The person transferred me when I said I wanted to check my passport status and I waited on hold for over an hour; she then told me that my application was in fact processing and the online tracker doesn\\'t update properly.\\n* 2/15 2:00 PM: Despite this, I sent a message to Senator Bob Casey and his team explaining my situation. Knowing what I know now, I wouldn\\'t have bothered until later probably, but I was still concerned at this point.\\n* 2/16 3:30 PM: Got a response from Senator Casey\\'s staff who needed me to send proof of travel, proof of payment for expedited processing, passport locator number, and a privacy release form. I sent everything back later in the night.\\n* 2/17 11:00 AM: Senator Casey\\'s staff forwarded my documents to the passport agency.\\n* 2/21 12:30 PM: Passport application finally changed to \"in process\". The donotreply email claimed that they were \"currently processing expedited applications in 5-7 weeks\".\\n* 2/21 2:00 PM: Senator Casey\\'s staff reached out and confirmed that my application was approved and a tracking number would appear in 2-3 days on the OPR portal.', '* January 10: Submitted\\n* January 10: Received\\n* February 23: In Process (3:30AM PST)\\n* February 23: Shipped (11:00PM PST). Online tracker says, \"Pre-Shipment Info Sent to USPS, USPS Awaiting Item.\"\\n* March 12: Day of flight\\n* Expedited processing\\n* Expedited shipping\\n* Renewed online EDIT: Rewrote my comment to be clearer.', 'Online Renewal Is Temporarily Closed(https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/have-passport/renew-online.html)', \"I have a trip March 8... Applied for expedited online passport renewal on January 7 and it has been in 'received' status since then. I called this morning and chatted with perhaps the most pleasant government employee I've ever spoken to but there was little she could do. No in-person appointments are available. I'm hopeful my pleas for help to my Representative and Senators will help move things along. Edit Feb 27 - my senator's office contacted me today. The woman spoke to NPIC and my passport was printed and sent to me express mail today. I feel much better - obviously will feel good to have it in hand but expect it to arrive one day this week. Oh, be nice to the constituent services staff - a lot of them are interns or very early in their careers. I imagine they deal with a lot of cranky people (us) and a kind word goes a long way.\", 'Reading these stories has me stressed. I didn\\'t expedite when I renewed online in late December, as they were quoting a 6-9 week turn around and I had 16 weeks... Did my kid\\'s in person early January, again did not expedite because we had 14 weeks until travel. Both went to \"processing\" very quickly. Fingers crossed for everyone. Hope I am not forced to get my Congress persons involved.', 'My timeline for expedited online Applied: 01/16/23 Processing: 01/17/23 Emailed Senator Wyden of Oregon asking for a congressional inquiry: 02/22/23 Received confirmation inquiry was submitted: 02/23/23 Received shipping confirmation for passport:02/24/23 Passport in hand:02/27/23', 'Here is my timeline, folks. First time passport - Routine Service - Locatior: 74 (Atlanta) Applied on 29-Dec thru County Clerk Office in person Received and In progress on : 01/04 - check cashed next day. Approved: 2/28 -- as per notes, I should get it by 03/07. Glad it worked out since I have a travel late March. From my perspective, I did not panic much since the confident from this forum that we can escalate in last 2 weeks -- worst case i can go in person and get passport - -which I thought it was never an option.', \"Submitted online with expedited 1/1/2023. Partner submitted his same day. Both went to in process status 1/12 I went in and updated for priority shipping 1/20, Partner did not Partner got his 2/19. I'm still waiting for mine 3/2.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "NOTE: October 2023 **If the US Government has a Shutdown Passport Processing will slow down. There will not be a way around this. Do not trust 3rd party services.**\n\n___\n\n\n**For the last few years we've been getting multiple posts a day on American Passport Questions. To help alleviate the amount of posts, and make sure everyone is getting the same information I've created this Megathread.**\n\n___\n\nTHE BEST ADVICE IS: \n\n* APPLY AND RENEW EARLY. \n* ALWAYS CHECK YOUR PASSPORT'S EXPIRATION DATE. \n* PUT YOUR PASSPORT IN A SAFE AND SECURE PLACE WHERE YOU WILL NOT LOSE IT. \n* DO NOT WAIT TO CHECK EXPIRATION OR LOCATION OF PASSPORT THE NIGHT BEFORE. CHECK IT EARLY. \n\n\n___\n\n**[The 2022 Thread Can Be Found Here.](https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/v2m73y/passport_questions_issues_megathread_2022/)**\n\n**[The Winter 2021 / Spring 2022 Passport Megathread can be found here](https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/ps3cvv/us_passport_questions_issues_megathread/).**\n\n**[The Spring/Summer 2021 Passport Megathread can be found here](https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/nhe74a/passport_questions_issues_megathread_summer_2021/).**\n___\n\n#American Passport Information \n\n## How to Apply\n\n[All Information can be found here](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply.html).\n\nThere will be a form to fill out. Information on passport photos. What documents & IDs you'll need, etc.\n\n##Where to Apply\n\n[Then you'll need to see which avenue you'll need to apply at](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/where-to-apply.html). This could be an acceptance facility like a local USPS office, an actual Passport Agency, or via mail (for renewals).\n\n[If you are applying Outside of the US please see this information](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/need-passport/outside-us.html).\n\nNOTE: Many locations still have COVID protocols and do not accept same day or walk ins. \n\n\n##Processing Times Within the US\nAs of October 2023, times have been extended.\n\n[You can find the latest processing times here](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/processing-times.html).\n\nNormal processing is around 8-11 weeks.\n\nExpedited processing is around 5-7 weeks. (You also have the option to expedite shipping from the facility, that is an added cost is an additional add-on to Expedited passports.)\n\nUrgent processing within 3 business days. And you can book these appointments starting 2 weeks from your travel date if you've not applied before. If you have you can only call within 5 business days of your travel date. You can only make an appointment by calling 1-877-487-2778 or TDD/TTY 1-888-874-7793.\n\nLife or Death/ Emergency Service is around 72 hours/3 business days, and you can book these appointments starting 2 weeks from your travel date. You can only make an appointment by calling 1-877-487-2778 or TDD/TTY 1-888-874-7793.\n\nNOTE: This timing may not include shipping time. There have been issues in the past of USPS causing delays to and from the processing facilities and those delays are not accounted for in the official processing times.\n\nNOTE: Some facilities may be quicker, others may take longer, the above time is the average. We have had users saying an additional week or two has sometimes been added onto the above processing times at certain facilities so do not assume the stated processing times are accurate. Do not book travel \"to the day\" of when the processing time says they could be done with processing the passport, because again, it does not include shipping times.\n\nNOTE: It can take up to 2 weeks before your status changes to \"In Process\".\n\n**Some people have gotten their recently submitted expedited passports quicker than stated times BUT NOT ALL. Do not plan on being lucky, get your application in early and expedited as needed.**\n\n**Many people are saying that both Normal and Expedited processing is taking weeks longer than the above-listed processing time.**\n___\n\n#Frequently Asked Questions for Applying Within the US\n\n### What is the status of my application?\n\nCheck here: https://passportstatus.state.gov/\n\n### They cashed my check, does that mean my passport is coming soon?\n\nNo. During covid they have been opening the submitted paperwork and cashing the check first, and then often sitting on the paperwork for up to 2-6 weeks. Them cashing the check doesn't mean they are processing it or that everything is going well. \n\nOnce they start processing it, if they find errors, or your paperwork, IDs, etc aren't in order you may hear from them and be told how to correct the issues.\n\n### Can I get a same day passport.\n\nNot likely during covid since they aren't taking walk in appointments.\n\n### My trip is in a few days and I just realized I don't have my passport/it's lost/it's expired/whatever, HELP WHAT DO I DO?\n\nIn all honesty you are pretty much SOL. [It is almost impossible to get the Urgent/Life or Death/Emergency in-person appointments](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast/emergencies.html). For these urgent appointments you must call them directly via the phone numbers on the above link. If you are trying to go that route you'll need to look at any location you can realistically get to INCLUDING flying to them. \n\nNote that many people have faked life or death/emergency reasons so this is making it nearly impossible to get these appointments.\n\nOtherwise you may be better off calling all your pre-booked vacation expenses and see if you have any options to postpone or refund your now-not-happening-trip. \n\n### Can I switch my application from Regular Processing to Expedited? \n\nYes. Expedited service costs an additional $60. If you applied and have not received your passport, you may call the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778 and receive instructions on how request to expedite your passport. \n\nNOTE: It can take 20 days to fulfill this request.\n\nNOTE: This is just a request, sometimes it cannot be honored. Regular Passports are processed at a different facility than Expedited ones. So they need to FIND your application paperwork in order to be able to switch the processing. \n\n\n### I submitted my passport ages ago but my status hasn't changed/its been WAY past the processing times quoted on the website.\n\nThere may be a problem. Try contacting the State Department/Passport Office, or reach out to your state State Representatives. They actually can often help with speeding along passports and fixing issues when they get stuck in the system.\n\n### My \"Status\" on the website says \"Not Available\"\n\nIt can take up to 2-6 weeks for your status to change to In-Progress.\n\n### How do I find my State Representatives who can assist me?\n\n[This link will help you for your State House Represenative](https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative) or [you can also try your Senator](https://www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm). Once you are in contact and have asked for help on your passport application you may be asked to fill out a privacy form or other paperwork allowing your representative to work on your behalf. Make sure to follow up quickly to keep the ball rolling.\n\n### Can I buy a flight that shows I'm leaving within 3 business days, get my passport, and then cancel the flight/Can I fake a family emergency? \n\nNo, you'll need to provide proof of your emergency. \n\n### Can I buy a flight that shows I'm leaving in 2 weeks, book the Urgent in-person appointment that would be within 72 hours of that flight, get my passport, and then cancel the flight? \n\nYes, but given that those appointments are still supposed to be for urgent/emergencies and right now those appointments are VERY hard to get even if you have a valid reason.\n\nFor those doing these in-person appointment, you'll get your passport within a few hours or a day or two from the appointment. They'll factor in your urgency, what wiggle room you have, and the other needs to figure out what priority yours will be. But you will get it within 72 hours.\n\n### What about using a 3rd Party Rush/Expediting Service/Courier/Expeditor?\n\nDO NOT USE THESE!!!\n\nThere is no magical service (other than contacting your state's house of representatives) that can get you your passport quicker than official channels. You are instead paying a shit ton of money for someone else to do any of the above steps and faster processing isn't guaranteed or possible. As well as there are many outright scam companies out there. I would not recommend you give them your personal information. [See the official government info here on why you should not use these](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast/courier-and-expeditor-companies.html).\n\n### I'm an American currently abroad and my passport recently expired. I need to quickly return to USA, can I travel on an expired passport?\n\nNot any longer this ended December 31st, 2021.\n\n## Other Questions\n\n### Can I travel internationally by air without a passport book?\n\nFor air travel, the airline won't even let you on your first initial flight if you do not have proper documentation and visas. This is because the airline will be penalized and fined if you are held and deported due to improper documentation/visas. \n\nA passport card cannot be used for air travel.\n\n### Can I travel internationally by land without a passport?\n\nWe frequently get questions on this especially for the USA/Mexico border. Officially no, you actually do need a passport. Unofficially some people have reported getting INTO Mexico without a passport can be easier than coming BACK into the US without a passport.\n\n### Can I travel internationally via a cruise without a passport?\n\nWe'd recommend hitting up /r/cruise as it may depend on your specific cruise. Some may not allow you on at all without a passport, others simply won't let you do shore excursions if you don't have a passport.\n\n### I have dual citizenship, can I travel on my other passport instead?\n\nWhile USA has no exit immigration, so you don't need to show your passport to exit, you are required to enter the USA on your American passport. You cannot use your other citizenship to get a visa to enter America on your other passport. So unless you are going to get your passport abroad at an Embassy/Consulate before you return, get your American passport before you go.\n\n\n### What is the difference between a Passport Book and a Passport Card?\n\nCard is for Land borders and some sea ports of entry. Think Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, Bermuda. You cannot use it for air travel.\n\nIf you plan on doing any air travel within the next 10 years get the passport book.\n\n### Since US Embassies are processing passports faster (less than 6 weeks), how can I send my application there to be processed?\n\nYou can't. Embassies only process passports for people in-person and in-country. \n\nAlso, if your travel is soon and you are headed back to the US, you'll be given a limited-use Emergency Passport that can only be used to travel back to the US.\n\nSo the \"Why don't I just fly to Mexico on my soon to be expiring passport and apply at the embassy there?\" idea only works if you are in Mexico for 6+ weeks and if you have a current valid passport to even enter Mexico (or insert whatever other US Embassy you were asking about.)\n\n### I've heard about \"6 Month Validity Rule\" what is it and what does it mean?\n\nSome countries require the passport to still be valid 6 months after entry (or exit). This is to ensure you have valid documents to be able to exit the country. Some countries do not have this requirement, some require it to be 3 months, etc.\n\nBut the easiest way to think about it is your passport actually expires 6 months early. And so its best to renew it before that time.\n\n\n### I lost my passport, reported it lost, and now just found the original one, can I travel on it?\n\nNo. Once reported lost/stolen its deactivated and cannot be used for travel. You should put a hole through a corner of the passport or otherwise make it clear it cannot be used so you don't accidentally bring it to the airport.\n\n### I lost my passport, but have a photo copy. Am I okay to travel?\n\nNO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!\n\n\n### I got part of my order but didn't get my old passport/new passport/passport card/my ID documents?!?\n\nThey'll come in separate shipments.\n\n\n### I forgot my passport was in my maiden name/former name. Can I still use it for travel?\n\nYour ticket must match your passport name. \n\nNote: There may be issues if your vaccine card/info is in a different name than the passport/ticketed name, but use the COVID Megathread for that question. \n\n\n### How can I get flight confirmation/book a flight if I don't have my passport? \n\nUnless you are booking with a 3rd party agency that charges for every little change, pretty much all airlines allow you to book with nonsense numbers (all 1's) and at a later time update your passport info, or even wait until check in, in-person to do so.\n\nMany people do not have passports when they book flights, or they lose their passport, or their passport expires. They are fully aware that until they check the passport day-of, the information might not be correct or valid.\n\n### Other FAQs from the source:\n\nhttps://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/passport-help/faqs.html \n\n___\n\nOther fun governmental processes that are also heavily delayed are TSA Precheck, Global Entry, SENTRI, NEXUS, see this post from 5/17/23 for more info https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/13k7b2p/global_entry_sentri_and_nexus_wait_times_from/\n___\n\n# ONE KEY RULE:\n\nIf you are answering any question with timing of how long it took you to get your passport you MUST state when this happened.\n\n___\n\n**Lastly, the person who created this post /u/jadeoracle is NOT your personal passport problemsolver.** This post was created simply so we wouldn't have 100 posts a day cluttering the rest of the sub. That's it. So please don't PM or Chat asking for help. Please just post a comment in this thread.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "4-13-2023 - passport received So about 4 months', 'Posting my timeline with locator 62. My travel date is 4/24: 2/28 — Submitted my DS-11 application with expedited processing and shipping (applying for my first adult passport) 3/6 — application received by passport agency (at this time, the expected turnaround time is 5-7 weeks for expedited processing) 4/10 — I called the National Passport Information Center since I was traveling within 14 days. Was told that I had to call back tomorrow because my travel date was 15 days away (was kind of confused by this since my travel date is 4/24 which is 14 days away from 4/10 but oh well) 4/12 — I called back and the agent helped me notify the passport agency to flag my application as urgent. I also contacted my state representative and they were able to file an inquiry on my behalf. 4/17 — I just checked my status and it got approved with an estimated arrival day of 4/20! Total time between them receiving my application and me getting the passport will be about 6 and a half weeks!', 'Hello, I applied 2/15 and it was received 02/21 non-expedited. My locator is 51. Has anyone had any luck with locator 51?', 'My passport journey March 2nd: Book trip to London for April 19th because I THOUGHT I had my passport (I was mistaken) March 20th: I go to look for my passport. It’s gone. Lol. After a couple days of searching, I decide I lost it while moving apartments. I start researching options to apply for a new one. March 22nd: Report passport as lost online. I check local post offices for appointments but they are all booked until June. Damn. I start calling the hotline around 6pm and a robot informs me that I have to be 14 days before my travel date. I email both my senators and they promptly responded, but with the same response about being within 14 days. I wait. April 5th: the day arrives, so I thought. I call the hotline at 7:59:55am eastern time. First few calls didn’t reach a human. Fourth try did. Awesome! They proceed to tell me that tomorrow would be within the 14 day window. Not awesome! April 6th: I call again. This time it took 2 calls. I press my 1s and 2s (memorize which ones you need to press in order) and I get connected with a person. I’m shaking. I tell them I need a passport appointment and that I’m in Houston. They gave me a list of appointments for April 13th, 3 time slots. I pick the earliest. The call lasted 6 minutes. My ass is going to London! April 6th, later that day: I get a call from senator’s office understanding I needed help getting my passport. I tell them I already got it, but I appreciate the effort! April 13th: I bring my documents to the passport agency and they get me in and out of there in 45 minutes. Pickup passport scheduled for following Monday. April 17th: return to agency, 45 minutes to wait in line and pick up. Passport in hand! Two days before flight! My tip: you’re gonna go through all stages of grief when you realize you don’t have your passport. I felt so hopeless that first 24 hrs. But after grieving, you’ll be able to compose yourself because as long as it’s 14 days before, you have a great chance. Just call that hotline right at 8am eastern time. I’m not sure if houston is easier to get appointments in, but still just keep trying!', \"Success story for regular, non-expedited renewal! Sent in my renewal application on 3/10 from New York, received and 'in process' on 3/21. I think the location is 69 based on the locator number. I checked a few times in the last few weeks but wasn't expecting it to be fast since I didn't expedite and didn't even put a date for upcoming travel. Much to my surprise, the new one arrived today (4/20) exactly 6 weeks after I mailed it and 4.5 weeks since they received. Not sure why it went so smoothly but thought I would share!\", 'Update from me. I applied expedited (by mail) on March 29th from SoCal for my daughter.. Got assigned to location 35. Just saw approved today (April 21st) on their website..should be receiving passport April 23rd.', 'Applied for Renewal on March 18 expedited with priority mail return Application Status : In Process on March 22 Application Status : Shipped on April 21 Passport Received: April 22 &#x200B; Locator Number 69', 'Anyone have any success with expedited first time passports? Our daughter\\'s was received and updated to In Process on 3/14 but no change since. Locator # 77/Buffalo. Our travel date is 5/1. I called 14 days out only to be told to call again 5 business days before 5/1. I called again Saturday, 4/22. (If it\\'s helpful to anyone, I got through immediately when I called at exactly 10am EST) They told me I called too soon and need to call back Monday (today). I called again this morning and took 2 hours to get through + 1.5 hours on hold. I was told there were 6 appts in all the offices between now and 5/1. While I was on the phone, 2 of those appts disappeared. All that was left were Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Seattle, Buffalo. Our flight is 6:50pm out of Washington, DC on 5/1. I grudgingly took the Buffalo appt at 12:30 on 5/1. I really have no hope at this point though. I guess we can try to move our flight and hotels over by a day? I\\'m not sure how feasible that will be. If anyone has any success stories for changing flights because of passport issues, I\\'d love to hear them. Contacted Senator and State Rep this morning as well. Waiting to hear back. &#x200B; EDIT \\\\~4 hrs later: Heard back from Senator\\'s office. I have to provide proof of travel and fill in the \"Privacy Act Form - Passport\" for my daughter. EDIT \\\\~midnight/6 hours later: Senator\\'s office said they sent an inquiry. EDIT \\\\~1:30pm the next day (4/25): I\\'ve been checking the passport status site religiously and the status has changed to Approved!! It says we should receive the passport by 4/28! I informed the Senator\\'s office that the status has changed. Hopefully this helps someone...I just cancelled my Buffalo appt on 5/1 at 12:30 via email. EDIT 4/25 \\\\~2:40pm: Passport status has changed to Shipped! I have a USPS tracking number but it\\'s not yet on the USPS site. I did pay for expedited shipping so it should arrive overnight or max 2 days. EDIT 4/26: I HAVE THE PASSPORT!!! Moral of this story - Don\\'t give up hope and contact your congress person!!! I wanted to note that even though I provided my email address on the passport status site, I haven\\'t received a single email. I recently renewed my passport as well and didn\\'t receive any emails for that process either.', 'Applied in person 3/13, received and In Process on 3/15, locator 79. Expedited and 2 day shipping paid, just got the shipping notification and tracking number (4/24), due to receive tomorrow, 4/25.', 'My experience: Applying for first time passport book. My trip is not until October so I did routine service with no expedited service, in case anyone is wondering around how long routine service is taking. Had application appointment 2/11. (At the time the site was showing 7-10 weeks to receive passport) Application updated to “Received” on 2/19. Application updated to “In Process” around 2/27. (Around this time site updated to 10-13 weeks to receive passport) Application updated to “Approved” on 4/22. Passport received 4/23. So the process was around 10 weeks for me but it may take longer now as I applied in February. :)', 'After managing this thread for 3 years, I finally will have some firsthand experience. Helping my elderly parents renew their recently expired passports. **Normal Processing Timeline** Trip Date: Early 2024 Submitted Renewal Application by Mail via USPS: 4/10 Application received: 4/18 Approved 1st week of June Record locator 19 Status: Approved', 'I just thought I would update some people on my experience obtaining a passport recently. Might provide some hope. March 24th: I applied in person at the post office. \\nI paid the $60 to expedite processing and the extra $19.53 to have the passport shipped to me with expedited delivery. March 29th: Passport application was received and moved to In Process March 30th: Check cashed April 24th: Approved April 25th: Received passport Locator: 69', 'Okay, I submitted my renewal passport thru usps mail application on 3/30/2023 in Philadelphia expedited service and 2-day shipping returns. On April 1 someone picked up my application and on 4/4/2023 my status was received and In process. The check was cashed on 4/5. On 4/26 status changed to shipped. Today 4/29 received my passport. Locator 75', 'I went to the Minneapolis location and walked out with my passport (everyone there did) after calling a congressman and getting an appointment 6 hours away. It was worth the drive and price of a hotel to have it in hand and prior to my trip! I really thought all hope was lost but someone would reply to my comment saying to keep trying and I finally got it! I’m shocked! On the 28th Locator 62 called to say they had it printed but I needed to add 1-2day shipping to get it in time. I was at the Minneapolis location already so I declined. \\nCALL YOUR SENATOR AND CONGRESSMEN! CALL THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE IN WASHINGTON!!', 'Location #69, expedited renewal. Traveling int\\'l 5/26. Saw news report on 03/24 about 7-9 week passport processing time. Our trip was in exactly 9 weeks. Checked passport and sure enough it was expiring within 3 months after our return date... time to panic! 03/24 - Mailed renewal application USPS priority with expedited processing and return shipping. 03/27 - USPS tracking shows delivered at PO Box (only realized later that I sent it to TX and should have sent it to PA... oops!). 03/31 - Passport status shows “Not Available” with a received date of 03/31 and prefix 69 locator number assigned. 7-9 week clock starts ticking with trip in 8 weeks. 04/03 - Check cashed and passport status shows “In Process” 04/28 - Status changed to “Approved” 04/29 - Status changed to “Shipped” with USPS tracking number provided 05/02 - Passport in hand. Sigh of relief! So \"In Process\" was 4 weeks. Start to finish about 5 1/2 weeks. Seems to be on par for location 69 when comparing to recent comments.', \"Applied for 2 passports (my renewal and my 16yo's first) at the end of March -routine non rushed. Mine was received 3/23 with locator 69 and hers was received 3/22 at locator 35. Travel date 6/4 documented on both. Heard they had pushed avg turn around to 10-13 weeks and freaked out. Called the 877# on March 27th to expedite and rush both. Got the same msg as others: not guaranteed, can take 27 days to get upgrade approved. As of today April 30th, nothing has changed. My card hasn't been charged, status still says In Process. Will update as we move along through the process. Have plans to reach out to our Congressman mid month if still no movement. EDIT: Contacted my Senator yesterday and got a call back today telling us that they can't submit an inquiry until 7 calendar days before your travel date. They also said if your expedited request (made after submitting for standard processing) isn't approved it's because they can process it in time without expedited service. Checked status this evening after my daughter (1st passport) received a status update email. Both passports have been approved. Hers states we requested expedited processing, and mine (renewal) shows standard. Still haven't been charged for the extra fee.\", \"Hi everyone! My timeline is as follows: Applied - 3/24 Application in Process: 3/31 International Travel Date: 5/29 Locator Number: 42 I applied for all options expedited. The day I applied was the day that the expedited timeline increased from 5-7 weeks to 7-9 weeks and I was told to expect it closer to 9 weeks. I reached out to my congressman via email last week (have yet to hear back). We are traveling internationally for a wedding and have all everything booked. Pushing back our travel wouldn't really be an option without losing thousand of $. With 5/29 being a federal holiday, I'm a bit confused on when I should start to reach out for an emergency appointment. Since I've already contacted my congressman, should I also reach out to any other state officials? Or will that complicate things? I'm located in SoCal. Thanks in advance!\", \"I'm working on renewing my passport. It expired ~2 weeks ago. I was originally issued both a book and a card, but I only want to renew the book. I'm not sure where my card is - it's not truly lost, it's just somewhere in my house that I don't want to search through. When using the form filler, it asks me what I've been issued previously. If I say I've had a card, it makes me fill out the details and says I need to send it in with my renewal. Can I say I was only issued a book, ignoring the fact that I really did get a card, or will that cause me issues in the application? I know the other option is to report the card as lost, but I hear that comes with like a police report and that you get stopped way more often? I'd rather avoid that if possible. Or if I'm blowing the consequences for reporting it lost out of proportion, and that's really the easiest solution, please let me know. Sort of related, I have travel in the middle of September. Should I be paying for expedited at this point?\", 'Hello, I called my local senator and they contacted the passport agency. According to the passport agency, they’re getting ready to print my passport. Does anyone know how quickly they ship once it’s printed? I’m locator 51 and I live in central Florida. My flight is 05/12!', 'Locator 62, Expedited Processing Applied at the County office: 3/9 Received by State: 3/13 Approved: Early morning on 5/5 Shipped: 5/6 (around 12 noon); USPS tracking # provided Passport received on 5/9 It took more than seven weeks to approve. Travel date: 5/20 *Edited to add the shipped status update.*', 'Update:\\nExpedited Passport renewal sent 4/3 Received: 4/7 Approved: 5/5 - Passport approved!! We are now printing your passport Shipped: 5/5 \\nExpected delivery by UPS Next Day Air: 5/8 Travel date on application: July Locator: 69 I requested expedited mail. Let’s see how long it’ll take. There’s hope! Good luck! Edited to add shipping update', 'This is more of a rant. I submitted my expedited renewal application at the end of March, not realizing how long the turnaround time would be. It has been \"In Process\" ever since. I am supposed to travel on May 10th to Europe to go see my mother, who is sick. I haven\\'t seen her since before covid, and if I\\'m honest, this may be the last time I see her. Every time I\\'ve called the passport office - several times in the last week - I\\'ve been told there is nothing that can be done and there are no appointments available. One woman even shouted at me over the phone and was incredibly rude when I asked if there was anything I could do to help my situation (i.e. fly to another city for an appointment, or make a note of my family situation). If I am lucky enough to get my passport this week, though I doubt it, it will cost me over $2,000 to change my flight at the last minute. This is making me so upset I could cry. I feel so helpless. Anyway, that is all.', 'My timeline: 4/1- applied in person at post office for first time passport 4/7- passport received at national passport agency in NH (locator 69) 4/23- Processing 5/7- Approved- should be getting my passport book on or around 5/13 6/30 - travel date Payed for Expedited processing only & I had minor errors on my passport that they corrected on their own 5/8- Passport came in the mail !', \"Current Update (Kinda Messy): Locator 62 3/1 - Passport renewal shipped (name change after wedding); expedited service. 3/6 - Passport application received by facility, noted In Process. Expected delivery time 4-6 weeks. 3/7 - Payment for renewal and expedited service confirmed. 4/28 - No change in application status, two weeks before flight. Reach out to passport office and local Congressional reps for help. 5/1 - Contact passport office again, find out that *they* somehow didn't know we requested expedited service despite it appearing on our application status and paying for the service weeks prior. 5/2 - Receive letter from U.S. Passport Agency that there was a paperwork error with the marriage certificate dated from 4/26. Panic mode. Reach out to U.S. Passport Agency and get an in-person appointment in Buffalo, NY the day before our flight. 5/3 - Congressional rep comes to the rescue. We overnight ship all paperwork via his recommendation, who verbally assured that he's helped hundreds of people in this situation and he resolves the problems 95% of the time. 5/5 - Passport Status Update to Approved! Priority mail label created. Still awaiting arrival in mail. 5/12 - Flight day\", \"Update: Expedited Passport renewal sent 4/3 Locator: 69 \\nReceived: 4/7 \\nApproved: 5/5 - Passport approved!! We are now printing your passport message \\nShipped: 5/5 \\nPassport received: 5/8 Delivery method: UPS Next Day Air \\nTravel date on application: July I'm glad I received mine without calling our legislators. Based on people's experiences in this thread, it's insane that we have to involve them in this process to get our passports in time. I will definitely reach out to let my senators and congressperson know that this process is fucked up and something needs to change. I hope you all do too. All the best to you all and thank you for your contribution in this thread!\", \"Here's my timeline for expedited renewal, since it was helpful for me to read about others' experiences. Travel date: 5/11 Mid-March: planned to send in renewal application for my expired passport but got sick and was laid up in bed. Oblivious to the stress I was setting myself up for. Tue 4/4: Sent out application via USPS Next Day/Priority Mail, late in the day so they estimated Thursday delivery. Expedited from the get-go, also included postage for overnight return shipping, cashier's check so no idea when they actually cashed it. Friday 4/7: Application marked as received/In Process Locator Number: 69 (bless them) Monday 5/1: Try to get through to National Passport Office on the phone, won't even put me through on hold as the lines are too busy. I contacted my congressman's office with the privacy release and get an automated email reply. Panicking. Tuesday 5/2: Run into an acquaintance who works at the local office for one of our state senators! Express said panic. Email him a privacy release directly and am reassured that he'll be able to get me an appointment at the passport office in my city if it comes down to that. Saturday 5/6: Phone call to the National Passport Office goes through! (Call on the weekends!) Overnight, my application status had changed from In Process to Approved! The lady tells me to call back on Monday if I don't see another update with a tracking number by then. Monday 5/8: UPS Next Day Air tracking number received! Got an email back from the guy at my senator's office to check on things lest I need an in-person appointment, which thankfully I do not. Also got an email back from an actual person at my congressman's office, who I hadn't heard shit from until now, confirming the shipment. Set to travel on 5/11, barring any freak incidents. Cut it way too close to comfort but immensely relieved that everything worked out. Locator 69 is baller and I think contacting my representatives definitely helped even if I didn't end up needing an in-person appointment. Best of luck, fellow travelers!\", \"Just wanted to update and add my experience so far. 3/20 Applied for 2 passports (my renewal and my 16yo's first) at the end of March - routine non rushed. 3/22 My daughters was received at locator 35 3/23 Mine was received at locator 69. Travel date 6/4 documented on both. 3/27 Called NPIC to expedite and rush both. Got the same msg as others: not guaranteed, can take 27 days to get upgrade approved. 5/8 Contacted my Senator and got a call back 5/9 telling us that they can't submit an inquiry until 7 calendar days before your travel date.\\nThey also said if your expedited request (made after submitting for standard processing) isn't approved it's because they can process it in time without expedited service. 5/9 Checked status after my daughter received a status update email. Both passports have been approved. Hers states we requested expedited processing, and mine shows standard. Still haven't been charged for the extra fee. Awaiting shipment.\", \"Status Update: Passport currently in transit, supposed to arrive **one day before we leave**. Keep in mind I live on the East coast and passport got sent to Arizona. 3/1 - Passport renewal shipped (name change after wedding); expedited service. 3/6 - Passport application received by facility, noted In Process. Expected delivery time 4-6 weeks. 3/7 - Payment for renewal and expedited service confirmed. 4/28 - No change in application status, two weeks before flight. Reach out to passport office and local Congressional reps for help. 5/1 - Contact passport office again, find out that they somehow didn't know we requested expedited service despite it appearing on our application status and paying for the service weeks prior. 5/2 - Receive letter from U.S. Passport Agency that there was a paperwork error with the marriage certificate dated from 4/26. Panic mode. Reach out to U.S. Passport Agency and get an in-person appointment in Buffalo, NY the day before our flight. 5/3 - Congressional rep comes to the rescue. We overnight ship all paperwork via his recommendation, who verbally assured that he's helped hundreds of people in this situation and he resolves the problems 95% of the time. 5/5 - Passport Status Update to Approved! Priority mail label created. Still awaiting arrival in mail. 5/8 - Passport mailed by Arizona facility. 5/10 - Passport in transit, scheduled to arrive tonight by USPS. Which means it likely won't get here until tomorrow. 5/12 - Flight day\", 'Anyone have experience dealing with parent consent forms for passports? My ex signed and had notarized the consent form for our child’s passport but I noticed he put a fake street address on the consent form. It’s literally just a bunch of numbers with no street name. Would this be enough for my son’s application to get denied?', \"I have a trip on 8/4. 5/4 Mailed in renewal\\n5/9 In process Have been hearing about long wait times, but I'm glad I found this thread and it gives me hope!\\nGoing to call the Passport Center tomorrow to expedite it. Locator 42\", 'Currently living in Nova Scotia and sent passport off for renewal on 5/1. I assumed I could overnight it but through Canada Post they don\\'t have that service to the US passport renewal office because it\\'s a PO Box! Worst case scenario we have to use our Nexus cards to drive across the border to Maine and then catch our flight. Hopefully the airline allows us to use our Nexus card, Nova Scotia drivers license and birth certificates to fly to Florida. 5/5 - Renewal package delivered 5/9 - Passport status is \"In Process 6/20 - California Congressman office sent a travel alert 6/22 - I called and waited a few hours to also put a travel alert on our account . MAKE SURE ALL PARTIES ARE AVAILABLE. THEY ONLY DO IT IF EVERYONE CAN BE ON THE PHONE. 7/2 - Travel 7/3 - Passport arrives right after we leave! Luckily we could use our Nexus cards to drive across the US border. Then a neighbor FedEx our passports to us in California. It\\'s worth noting that if you live abroad, the passport office can not expedite shipping and it\\'s sent ground with no tracking!', 'Locator 35 for a renewal 3/14: Application received and in process 5/6: called to expedite and upgrade shipping, travel date is 5/19 5/11: application approved 5/12: passport printed and shipped with next day air. Tracking number indicates it’s coming via ups. Good luck to everyone else, hope this helps someone!', \"UPDATE: I've been posting a bit in this thread since my passport nightmare started, but it finally reached its conclusion; albeit not exactly the one I wanted, but still not the worst scenario. * Sent passport in 3/1, expedited service. Expected timing 4-6 weeks for last name change renewal. Received 3/6 (Arizona facility). * 4/29 - Two weeks before scheduled flight - passport still in process. Contact local congressional rep and passport agency. * 5/2 - Receive letter from US Passport Agency that the marriage certificate form isn't correct (despite it working for the U.S. Social Security Office). Panic-mode. * 5/3 - Congressional rep helps out, we expedite our paperwork on overnight shipping to Arizona facility per his direction. * 5/5 - Passport gets officially approved. * 5/8 - Passport sent out of Arizona on Priority shipping **but not Priority Express** despite requesting it numerous times. * 5/10 - Passport expected delivery date. Arrives in Memphis, TN processing annex on the morning of 5/10 and ... it just stops moving. * 5/11 - Congressional rep and USPS cannot locate passport. Seems as though it has been lost. * 5/12 - Flight Day, USPS still cannot locate it. Congressional rep gets us a last-minute emergency appointment nearby on the morning of 5/15. Wife and I decide to move flight day to Tuesday (5/16), cancelling the first leg of our honeymoon. * Six Hours Later - Passport lands in nearby USPS office, where a manager calls us and we go pick it up. * 5/16 - New Flight Day It turns out the package got delayed because it was damaged. The passport and other docs were all safe but the envelope got fucked up so they likely had to do a damage assessment, causing a delay.\", 'If I have an appointment for passport renewal in an agency that is not currently processing my passport will they be able to get my information from them? Or do I have to bring everything as if I’m applying for my first passport?', \"Just needed to thank everyone who has contributed to this thread! Eight days from international travel I found out my passport photo wasn't printed on glossy enough paper. Five days from travel my Congressional rep's office was able to get me an appointment in Denver two days later. At the passport office, with all correct paperwork (seriously, bring it all. And a new photo regardless!), it was 30 minutes, then had to go back between 2 and 3pm to pick it up. Passport office closes at 3pm. There isn't a cafe or theater or anything nearby, so thank goodness for Ubers!\", '3/15: Trip to the UK scheduled for 5/31 3/22: Noticed my kid\\'s passport was expired & the timeline for processing requests were changing, so we booked an appointment to submit the application for renewal 3/28: Passport appointment, submitted everything and paid for expedited everything 3/31: Passport received by New Orleans office (42) and was showing as In Process 4/3: Check for $209.53 cashed Weeks go by with no change in status. 5/18: Call to check status and see if I could get update. Wait on hold 4 hours, but told to call back tomorrow. 5/19: Call back to request \"Urgent Travel\" notification be sent to the processing center. I am just curious for anyone that has requested the Urgent Travel notification, how long after that did your passport take to arrive? \\\\*\\\\*Update - 5/24/23\\\\*\\\\* After requesting the assistance of my Congressperson on 5/22 and only getting some auto-response emails from them and the Dept of State, I decided to call the New Orleans office yesterday(5/23). I had to call back 3 times, getting the message the first two times, but I ended up speaking to a very nice woman who told me our application was not being worked on. I asked if there was any way to get it assigned to someone as I was traveling on 6/1 and she said, yes, she would send it over to someone and to call back on Thursday if I didn\\'t have a tracking number by then. I just checked it and it\\'s showing Shipped and I have a tracking number! Extremely relieved at the moment and I wish everyone else good luck on getting things sorted.', \"Start to finish timeline for locator 69! This timeline was the same for both mine and my fiancé's passport renewals which were sent at the same time. Travel date: June 11 Locator: 69 April 10th: mailed renewal application via regular mail for \\\\*expedited processing (expedited shipping envelopes were out of stock at our local post office). The timeline for expedited was 7 to 9 weeks so I was already nervous that we were cutting it close. April 18: application received May 18: application status still in process May 23-24: application approved, passports being printed! Expected arrival on May 26th (we paid for expedited shipping) May 25: have my new passport in-hand! &#x200B; All in all just over a 5 week turnaround &#x200B; \\\\*Edited\", \"Wanted to share my story to spread hope to people who are struggling with their passports rn Locater 19 \\nDOT: 5/29 Timeline: -\\t3/11: sent application out\\n-\\t3/16: application received\\n-\\t5/18: started to get nervous cuz passport hasn't arrived yet; called the national line and update the order to be expedited\\n-\\t5/22: officially 5 days until my DOT; still no passport or appts; call my representative for help and sent them the privacy form\\n-\\t5/25: received the email that my passport has been completed\\n-\\t5/26: passport actually ships out from USPS facility\\n-\\t5/27 (today): finally have the passport in my hands Stay hopeful, guys! God is good, and your representative's office is your best friend so get in touch\", \"My passport wasn't going to be received in time, so I scheduled an appointment at an agency through my state senator and got it approved. 4/21/2023 sent application from the post office 4/25/2023 application received at locator 18 5/16/2023 sent email to state senator 5/17/2023 received message from senator's office 5/26/2023 passport appointment at agency. passport completed and received.\", \"Does anyone know if your senator/representative are able to get you in person appointments more than just calling will? I reached out to my senator and they said that they can request an appointment for me at a processing center once we are within two weeks of travel. But I can also call and request an appointment at that point. I'm assuming they have access to more appointments and squeezing you in that I would just calling? Otherwise, I'd assume they'd just tell you to call... Basically trying to figure out if I should plan to call or if I should let my senator's office do it for me...\", 'Passport Renewal Timeline 4/1 - Renewal Application Submitted (Routine Processing) 4/12 - Marked as in process at Locator 19 (Washington D.C.) 5/30 - Application Approved 6/1 - Received new passport in the mail Total Time: 9 weeks - 7 weeks after passport was received My friend who sent out his passport renewal application at the same time (also processed at Locator 19 - routine processing), received his 8 days before me. Not sure if it makes a difference where your passport gets processed, but Locator 19 seems to have it together.', 'Locator 69 success story Travel date-6/12 4/19-Sent application in the mail with expedited shipping there and back. Also, put my travel date on the application. 4/24- Went into processing 5/23-Still in processing, so I contacted my senator\\'s office (Thom Tillis in NC). Sent over the information that the staff assistant asked for. 5/30- Followed up with an email and was told she had sent out the inquiry. Called other representatives as well but they can\\'t send more than one inquiry. 5/31- Called the locator number directly and she put a status on my application indicating my travel date, but said there wasn\\'t anything else she could do. 6/1- Called the passport agency main number (877) at 7:59 and only waited about 15 minutes. Woman on there told me they also couldn\\'t do anything until 5 days out. She also put an urgent notice on my application saying I traveled 6/12. Later that day, checked my status and it had changed to \"Approved\" and then the next day they shipped it out and I received the passport in the mail on 6/3. &#x200B; I was super stressed through all of this, because I was down to the wire from the beginning!...It is nearly impossible to get an appointment so don\\'t bank on that. Follow up, Follow up, Follow up every day or every other day with all the channels you can. I never got an email about the status changing even though I signed up for it. I had called the 877 number a bunch of times before reading on here that you should start the phone call at 7:59. The amazing people on Reddit also helped give me the idea about calling the locator directly (which I feel helped a little) and contacting the senator. Contacting the senator was probably the biggest push because it\\'s one of those \"if you know, you know\" kind of things. Nobody else in the passport agency told me that it was an option. So definitely do it! I don\\'t know what pushed mine through all of a sudden, I like to think it was a mix of all the things I did. So if you\\'re on these forums you are taking the right steps. Try following these steps, I\\'ve laid out and others have, and get as much attention on your application as possible. Good luck and safe travels!', 'Locator 62 success story! Was worried my wife and I would miss out Italy honeymoon in September based on issues people have been having with this locator. Here’s the timeline: 5/7 - expedited passport renewal sent off 5/9 - received and in process, money withdrawn 6/2 - status changed to approved 6/5 - passport in hand Feels like passports are being processed quicker, not sure if it has to do with when it was sent but a month seemed fast.', 'I just received my American passport today and noticed a very small typo in my last name, they printed a V instead of a U. I’ve looked elsewhere online and it seems like minor typos like this should be okay as long as I provide another form ID that has my correctly spelled name on it, which I can. Is this true? Unfortunately I don’t think there would be enough time for me to send it back and have them fix the typo before I need my passport for an upcoming trip, so I hope that this minor typo would not be a huge issue.', 'My timeline for travel 6/9 3/15 Passport renewals for minor son and young adult sent regular processing\\n3/20 showing received\\n6/1 panicking and called to expedite processing plus overnight delivery. Also contacted Sen. Sherrod Brown’s office.\\n6/5 Brown’s office sends us response from Boston processing center: Please be advised these applications are under review. We will provide an update/tracking information as soon as it is available\\n6/6 no update and nothing in mailbox With 72 hours to go, I honestly just want to cancel our trip. I am so stressed about this uncertainty but my family is willing to wait until the time when we would need to go to airport (trip is insured). Uggg.', 'Success story in California 4/17: Passport appointment. For my 15 year old’s second passport. Paid for expedited service and shipping. 4/21: The day my application and stuff made it to the passport office. 6/6: Had been checking periodically and it has beeb “In Process”. I happened to check on this day and see it had been changed to “approved.” 6/7: Passport arrived in mailbox', \"Feel free to use my story as a guide for your own experience! **Travel Date: 6/23** \\n* Sent both mine and my wife's passport to USPS on 3/28. Agency received wife's on 4/7 while mine 4/11. We both sent in as routine checks. * Called 5/23 to change both passports to expedited + 1 day shipping. We both got an email saying the request has been accepted but may take 20+ days to reflect the change on the passport status site. Wife's status got changed after 3 days request, mine took 2 weeks. * Wife's passport got approved a week after the expedited request and received her passport 6/2. My status changed from routine to expedited 2 weeks after the request. Change to approval status on 6/5 * Just received my passport 6/7. We are ready for our trip!\", 'What do I do if someone put my new passport back into the mailbox to be sent back? No one told me it arrived a week ago and someone put it back in the mailbox. It has my birth certificate and everything', 'So I’m from Australia was born here and so we’re my parents.. I’m applying for a passport as my childhood one had expired.. I have completed the application apart from obtaining my parents birth certificate to prove my Australian citizenship which is a requirement. I don’t speak to either of my parents and I’ve tried to reach out but they haven’t responded. is there a way around this ? Do I have to apply for a subpoena for there birth certificate details? I can’t apply for there birth certs without there consent and I also can’t apply for a citizenship certificate without there birth certificates either !! So I’m a bit stumped as to what to do!', \"I am so screwed. Realized my passport expires 3 weeks after I come back from my trip. I set up an appointment for the day of. I tried showing up in person prior to seeing this page. I've called the 877 number at least 30 times (I try to write down people's names). Nothing of luck yet.\", 'I am writing this as a first-time applicant for a new passport. My trip is scheduled for 6/20 and I originally applied for an expedited passport on 4/25 which was after the 7-9 week delivery change. The application was stuck on \"In Process\" all this time which devastated me as it was the last thing I needed. My locator number is Locator 55 which is in Dallas, Texas. I took the chance on the Google review rumors that the Dallas branch allows walk-ins and they did for me. I flew in yesterday morning and was able to get an in-person, same-day delivery passport in my hands from 8am-4pm. It was a long wait but it was worth it. If your locator number is 55 and you still need a passport, I highly recommend flying to Dallas and going to the agency, it might just save your trip.', 'Got my 2 kids passports today!!! I called for an appointment 2 weeks ago and they gave me an appt out of state I contacted the congress the same day and they were able to get me an appointment the following week. I went went Wednesday to la agency and picked up on Friday . The wait time was about 2 hours to pick up but it was successful.', 'Writing to provide another data point since this thread was super useful for me! 1. Mailed old passport using USPS next day expedited shipping on 5/1. \\n2. Passport marked as received at Pennsylvania facility on 5/3. \\n4. Passport marked as approved on 6/15. \\n5. Passport in my hands on 6/17. In total: just shy of 6 weeks I paid for expedited processing and expedited return shipping. Travel date is 7/29. While I did reach out to my senator, they basically said that they won’t be able to do anything until two weeks before so I don’t believe they called. Good luck everyone!', 'I applied for my two kids on 5/6/2023. That is when I found out the processing times were 7 to 9 weeks. My trip was 6/28/2023. Asked for expedited processing. 5/12/2023 it was received at Location 77 and status was in progress. I checked every few days and no change. Then on 6/14/2023 I contacted my senator (NY) and requested his help. I messed up and only sent in one release form should have sent one per child so I had to redo and sent it back on 6/15/2023. Also on 6/15/2023 I called in the morning at 8:00 am eastern to their urgent travel phone line 1-877-487-2778 pressed 1 and then 2. Waited about 30 mins connected to a person who then transferred me to another department had to wait about 1.5 hours. Got another person on the line. He suggested I pay for the 1 day shipping and said he sent in a request to speed up my review. I paid the $20 per application. Then the next day I checked the status and it said that both passports were approved that night the status changed to shipped. The next day 6/16/2023 I got both passports. Then the senator office replied that they sent inquires to the state dept. I told them I already received my passport.', 'Welp, starting to sweat bricks here. Application received 4/28 locator 78 - expedited and express shipping called the 877, kept getting the “due to increased calls not able to take your call message” but I just kept calling from my phone and wife’s phone until I got through. Waited over an hour and spoke to someone who got in the file and flagged it urgent status to the processing center. Hoping for the best, we travel on 4th of July', 'Is it normal for a passport status to change from \"in process\" to \"not available\" and then back to \"in process\"? It happened this morning which is coincidentally the day after we called the passport office and were told that they moved it to urgent. (Location 19) It freaked me out but hopeful it means that the process is moving??', 'It\\'s been 10 weeks since I applied for my passport and online it is still saying \"not available\" for both my husband and me. I\\'ve contacted my senator and they are having me fill out two forms of paperwork so that they can contact the passport agency. I just don\\'t understand!!! I\\'m from Baltimore Maryland, could anyone give me some insight? I don\\'t even have a locator number.', 'Record locator #35. Submitted expedited in early May. Been in process since. Trip is this Thu. Called 800 number early week, 2 he hold, they said they’d put in some extra rush marking. No change throughout the week so called back on Fri to make an in person appointment, 2:30 hour hold, they said *no appts anywhere in the US*. Called Sun, 2 he hold, appt available on the east coast (I’m in west coast. Flying there for 24 hrs, flying back then off internationally. Crazy.', \"Here is our passport situation. We are supposed to leave for Africa on July 4th. I feel we have exhausted our options. We sent in our passport renewal applications 15 weeks ago today and chose expedited processing. I received mine after only a couple weeks, but my husband still hasn't received his. His passport locator number is 53, so his passport is in Seattle. We are in Maryland. \\nSteps we have taken so far: \\n\\\\* 12+ collective hours on hold daily with passport agency and multiple calls to be told each time that there are no appts available anywhere in the US before we leave. He has told them he will go anywhere in the US. \\n\\\\* Multiple emails with our congressman's office since 6/4 \\n\\\\* paid for expedited processing 15 weeks ago \\n\\\\* contacted our senator's office and they said they can't help us since our congressman's office is already on it. \\nIt's feeling hopeless that we will get his passport by next Tuesday, especially with the holiday weekend coming up. \\nAny success stories? Has anyone waited this long (15 weeks!) for an expedited passport? Is his passport ever going to come? I know some people have had luck in the past going to a passport agency early in the morning to wait for an appt, but they no longer accept walk-ins at the passport agencies. \\nAny help or advice on anything we haven't tried yet would be appreciated.\", 'For those approaching crunch time, the advice to contact your state representative (in the US) is massively helpful. We leave in 10 days. I contacted our State rep yesterday afternoon and our passports were in our mailbox today.', 'I’ll continue giving you updates! 05/15/2023: I applied for my passport today at the post office. For me, it was a smooth process. Make sure you fill out form DS-11 on the computer, iPhone, or handwritten ahead of time before your appointment. 1.\\t\\u2060\\u2060\\u2060Bring your ID, 2) a black & white photocopy of your ID (both front and back single sided), 3) bring proof of U.S. Citizenship (I brought my birth certificate), 4) a black & white photocopy of your U.S. Citizenship (both front and back single sided just in case), 5) you need to bring a photo as well. Make sure the photo meets the requirements. You can have your photo be taken at CVS, Walgreens, Meijer, etc. After I presented everything to the clerk, I paid for both adult book & adult card, expedited my passport, passport fee, and also paid for 1-2 day delivery fee for my birth certificate returned to me in the mail sooner. They will hang on to your U.S. citizenship when applying for your passport. Today I paid $276.28. 05/19/2023: In Process 06/29/2023: Approved. Should receive my passport book and card on or around 07/01/2023. 06/29/2023: Got my passport book in the mail today. Just waiting on my passport card. 07/03/2023: Just got my passport card in the mail.', 'Sharing my experience to give others in this thread some hope. TLDR: Expedited passport application + 1-2 day shipping, 34 days from application sent to approved/shipped (37 days total after delivery). DOT 7/11. \\\\~ Submitted expedited application and paid for 1-2 days shipping on 5/27 Application received and \"in processing\" on 5/31 at Locator 45 Contacted Senator and Congressman on 6/23. Congressman submitted inquiry that same day, Senator submitted inquiry on 6/27 (2 weeks out from DOT) Reached out to Congressman and Senator again on 6/27 for follow-up, nothing yet at this point. Called NPIC on 6/28 to mark my application as urgent Was notified by Congressman on 6/30 that my application was approved and passport shipped. Expected delivery on 7/3. All in all, it took 34 days from sending my application to get it approved and will be 37 days total by the time I have my passport in my hands. Advice I have for others in this position: Contact your Senators and Congressmen! I was hesitant about contacting both but it proved critical in my case, as one of them was more willing to send an inquiry about my application earlier than the other. NPIC seemed to pick up my call best when I called exactly at 8AM EST (or 5AM PST for me) or around the afternoon (11:45AM-12PM). I know how stressful this process can be, but I\\'m wishing you all the best. It often works itself out in time. Good luck everyone!', 'Sharing my experience in hopes that it helps someone: if you are a U.S. citizen **driving** into Canada you don’t need a passport/passport card, just your birth certificate and drivers license. Got back from my trip a few days ago, driving into Canada the agent at the border crossing said nothing about my lack of a passport. Coming back into the states the agent asked me if I had a passport (“no”) and if I previously had a passport (“yes it’s in the process of being renewed”). That was it. I called and spoke to someone at the Canadian Border Services Agency(https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/do-rb/offices-bureaux/200-eng.html) to verify this information before my trip. The number of the office I spoke to is 613-392-5423.', 'US Passport has been such an awful experience over the last few days. Submitted expedited passport applications for my kids in mid-April, with processing time listed then as 7-9 weeks, and still 7-9 weeks today. 9 weeks from their date of receipt was June 30th, so I call on July 1st. They won\\'t help me until it\\'s 2 weeks until I leave. They say to call back today, Wednesday the 5th, which is 2 weeks until I leave. I\\'d be on a plane at this very moment exactly 2 weeks from now (assuming we all have passports). I call this morning, and they flag my daughter\\'s for a rush, but they can\\'t do my son\\'s because he\\'s over 18, and has to do it himself. He calls, and they say they can\\'t do it today, and he has to call back tomorrow, because today is 1 day too soon. What the heck??!? They just did my daughter\\'s today!!!!! He spoke to a Supervisor, and still no. And each time, we\\'re on hold for \"more than an hour and a half\", and I haven\\'t even mentioned the one time I was disconnected after more than an hour. This whole thing has so far been almost 3 months of waiting, and ~7 hours on-hold, and we still haven\\'t accomplished what we need. Meanwhile, I\\'m from another country, and sent my passport to my country for renewal on the same date, and got mine back within 2 weeks! I am beyond anxious about not getting them in time. \\n.... time to read this FAQ :) <3', \"Posting this for maybe some hope DOT 7/17 6/12 Processing expedited 7/05 called and contacted the passport agency and locator 45 was told to call back within 5 days of the trip this Monday(today will update further later) 7/05 contacted senators and my congresswomen and filled out the forms. Said they will try there best 7/07 was told by my senator that they changed my passport to urgent. 7/10 today will be paying for overnight shipping and hopefully it gets here in time(will update further) 7/10(update) Payed for Same day overnight they said to keep checking the status to see when it's approved and delivered and said if I don't see anything to call back tomorrow 7/10(night update) still just says processing I'm starting to lose hope. 7/11 Locator 45 says it's above them now with the congressional office and there is nothing further they can do.\\n(Waiting to hear back from my reps office) 7/11 Called my reps office they said they are waiting and will let me know if and when they get a update from them but they said there's a good chance but I'm not hopeful. 7/12 It's been Approved!!! Locator 45\", 'Some context when you are dealing with NPIC what it\\'s like in there. I\\'m writing this just so you know how horrible everything is.. I worked for the government at the USDA doing paperwork related to farmers. It\\'s a clusterfuck but now I feel like we were doing great compared to what must be going on with passport processing. let me tell you when I worked for the USDA it was a shit show all the way from top to bottom. All of the software we had to use was 20 years out of date, think Microsoft silverlight and old internet explorer web tools and multiple isolated databases that had to be accessed in unnatural ways without descriptive UIs. We were also still using paper for many things in 2022 and manually filing things into massive filing cabinets and doing 1980s tasks like alphabetizing paper files by hand and marking them for actions with markers. Sometimes it was technically possible to do things via computer, but it was so convoluted it was actually *less work* to just do it by hand. It\\'s hard to convey to you how bad the systems were, it defies belief. Government software I can only imagine is written by high school students who can\\'t speak to each other as they work, and this is due to the way the government gets it\\'s software contracts to the lowest bidder and the way the spec sheets are written. It\\'s just horrific. The convoluted systems also take months to truly learn, you couldnt put someone new into the hot seat and expect them to be useful for MINIMUM 3 MONTHS. You had a useless employee for 3 months who needs to be helped with every function because there is always an unintuitive \"trick\" not in the official training material. There were databases that only a limited # of employees in the country could access at once at any given time. It was NEVER enough and constantly closed. This was for a specific map database that allowed me to draw in maps for some purposes. So i would come in to work early on the east coast and try to get in before 8 am to beat both the east coast and before other coast wakes up if I needed to use the specific mapping software for an application I\\'m working on. This shit caused endless delays and I\\'m trying to explain to farmers why their application for X isn\\'t ready and sound like a crazy person. We weren\\'t supposed to talk about these internal processes but I frequently did and told them to call congress about it being shit. (This is why I eventually wasn\\'t a phone person anymore lmao) So I have some idea the kind of hell all the people are in at the NPIC offices. Because of the above, most of them likely quit quickly and the people who stick around just don\\'t give a shit (that\\'s what happened where I was) and that\\'s how they stay sane. By not giving a shit about what they are doing and how fast it goes. Our office was also chronically understaffed for the amount of work we received, especially as it had a seasonal flow and we had 10x the work in the summer due to active farming. I of course quit and got a better job outside of the government after a year and a half of making honest effort because I couldn\\'t stay sane there.', 'I applied in January, yet still haven’t received my passport. The passport customer service line is useless and I’ve called multiple times since February yet haven’t been able to talk to a single representative. If anyone could tell me an alternative route to contact them or something that would be great.', 'Hi, I really need advice! Sent my passport in April 2023 and it started processing on 5/1. When I had sent it was around the time the processing times changed but I had already sent and I got expedited shipping but not service. I applied to upgrade but never heard back. My DOT is 7/20 to Iceland but leaving to go to NYC on 7/19. I have reached out to my congressman, I called this morning since I am within 5 days and they say there’s no appointments anywhere. Last week I was told I could get one in Buffalo. What can I do?! Can I show up to the Buffalo agency and beg for a walk in? Should I keep calling back? Something will open up right? I’m desperate!!!!!!!!!', \"My husband applied for his first ever passport, not expedited. -Received and 'In Process' in San Francisco on 4/20 \\n-Status 'Shipped' 7/13 \\n-Status 'Approved' 7/14 \\n-Delivered in mailbox 7/15 12 weeks and 2 days to have his passport in hand.\", 'Finally got my passport this is the time line \\nI had locator 55 Dallas tx \\nExpedient\\nWent to the appointment at a gov office \\n4/28\\nStarted processing \\n5/2\\nSee seen it shipped \\nJuly 19th \\nGot it July 21☺️', 'Renewal and Paid Expedited Processing. Sent application via Priority Mail 6/12 Arrived in Philly. Locator 45 Check cashed 6/15 Status shows in process Approved 7/21 Later in the afternoon tracking info appeared and shipped by USPS priority mail ** Original USPS tracking that I sent my application to shows deliver attempted and was never picked up. Did not use congress person.', 'I send in my request by mail, just regular processing. They received it April 20 2023. I just got the email Jul 24th, today, that it was approved, so it should be arriving soon. I got the 10-13th week time frame, this week is exactly the 13th week. Thursday will be the 14th week and they say it should arrive by the 30th.', 'Update: Timeline for regular/routine processing Sent to Location 11 (New York) \\nAccepted 4/3 - Marked in process \\nApproved 7/25 (Estimated mail arrival 7/30) Applied for a child\\'s passport renewal - appointment via post office, they mailed it in. They asked us at post office if we wanted to expedite and we said no because we thought something like 20 weeks would be ok (REGRET!!! we should have expedited. This was probably right around the time the passport office extended the estimated timeline for processing so we missed that news until after). We leave mid-August for an international trip. I don\\'t recollect exactly when our appointment was but it showed 4/3 accepted in system. So it was 16 weeks from being marked accepted to being approved. We were definitely worried once we were a couple weeks outside the estimated window for regular processing that we would just never get it... I had checked yesterday morning, still in process. Last night I was unable to sleep so around 4am I decided to check again. It had changed to \"approved\" though I haven\\'t received the email yet. Fingers crossed it\\'s for real and the USPS does its job getting the book into our hands. I guess in the end we will be ok but I did not enjoy the stress! I wanted to post because I remember searching this thread and it was hard to find examples of regular vs. expedited processing times, everyone else was smarter than us and expedited :). I also wonder if it varies by location (is anyone tracking that anywhere?). Good luck everyone!!', 'Adding my data point for an expedited passport with expedited delivery. Date of travel is 9/26. Mailed via next day air: 7/13 Received new passport: 7/29', 'LOCATOR 42 HAS LIKELY CLEARED THEIR BACKLOG Routine service, expedited delivery Applied: 7/10 at post office\\nIn process: 7/14\\nApproved and shipped: 8/8\\nDelivery: by 8/11 26 days of processing from in process day, not even 4 weeks!!!', 'I just got mine by the way. Diddnt notice there was a sticky. My passport arrived in less than 30 days. I used the expedited service. Lost/Stolen Passport. Sent from San Diego office at a local University\\nCame back from Tucson, Arizona in two days.', 'Hello! Writing my experience because other peoples info was so helpful to me. Applied and mailed out my passport renewal form on Jul 19th. I paid for expedition. I think it was like $220 total. On July 25th, I saw a charge on my account that the check I mailed was cashed. When I went to look at status, it was \"Processing\". That status remained the same for another week or so. Then one day, in early Aug I checked the status update website and I got a tracking address. When I went to click on the tracking number, it said it hadn\\'t been shipped yet. I then returned a few days later and the status said \"Approved\" but there was no tracking number. It just said \"You should receive your passport book and card on or around 08/20/2023.\" and gave me a application locator number. Lo and behold, I checked my mailbox today, August 22st, and both my Passport card and Passport arrived! With the expedited payment, my passport renewal took one month! Easy Peasy! Now waiting on my supporting documents (my old passport) to be mailed back.', 'Locator 19 success story \\nExpedited Passport Renewal with 1-2 day shipping My travel date was exactly 8 weeks from when my application was received so was very worried as the expedited times said 7-9 weeks. If it arrived in 7 weeks I’d be fine but not if it was approved in 8-9 weeks. Contact your state rep, my application was accepted 1 day after they contacted the passport agency within the 2 week departure date. Travel Date: 8/30 Total Time: Less than 7 weeks 6/30 - mail in passport renewal application with old passport & checks for expedited processing. 2 business day shipping as I am cross country from Philadelphia’s PO Box for applications. 7/3 - application delivered to Philadelphia PO Box location 7/5 - status updated to “In Progress” 7/6 - checks cashed 7/13 - contacted state rep office with privacy release form 7/13-7/31 - periodically checked in with state rep, they relayed that not much can be done until 2 weeks before my departure date 8/17 - received feedback from state rep that they reached out to passport office to push my application along as I was within 2 weeks 8/18 - by the next day my passport was approved & shipped! 8/21 - passport in hand 9 days before my departure date!', 'I guess my passport should start planning its own vacation too with these processing times!', 'Has anyone renewed using standard service recently? Curious about the actual timeframe.', 'Posting my timeline on my renewal in case it helps anyone. Routine service, did not expedite anything. No date of travel listed. I signed up for email alerts but never received any. Locator 79(Houston) 7/11 - Mailed application 7/14 - Application received. Marked In Process 8/29 - Online status checker showed Approved, expect by 9/4 8/31 - Received in mail, earlier than quoted', 'I just received my passport renewal, expedited service. My timeline: Mailed 2day priority on Aug 1. \\nReceived on Aug 3. \\nApproved on Sept 5. \\nReceived on Sept 8.', 'My timeline: 8/23: dropped an expedited renewal in the mail 8/28 or 8/29: renewal app was in process 9/6: renewal was approved 9/7: shipped from Arizona to Dallas 9/8: waiting for me in the mailbox', 'Here goes my success story: \\nWent to my local USPS on 07/17/2023 and applied for my first US passport after becoming a citizen. I requested routine service and routine delivery for passport book and card. No date of travel specified. \\n\\\\- status started with **In Progress** on 07/24/2023 \\n\\\\- status changed to **Shipped** on 09/13/2023 It was processed in locator 45. Will wait for it to be delivered. they provided a tracking number but upon checking it no information about when I will receive it yet. \\nThey mentioned that they will send out my passports first, and the supporting documents that I provided at a later time.', \"Same day passport renewal in NYC (appointment included) \\nTL;DR Got an appointment + passport renewal confirmation in less than 4 hours. Will be picking up my passport in a couple hours, so less than 6 hours total. \\nI didn't know that Schengen requires Americans to have passports with at least 6 months validity from day of intended departure. Tried to check in to my flight to Norway the night before and was barred because my passport is expiring in 3 months. \\nY'all, I was panicking. Stayed up all night researching and lining up the required docs for expedited renewal (printed proof of travel, filled out renewal form, passport photo). I also booked a rental car in case I had to drive to a different city for an appointment. \\nThe next day, I followed the advice of follower Redditors and called the office at 8am sharp. I got through to a human (options 1, 1 and then 2 on the automated system). It was just a few minutes wait but there were no available appointments anywhere within a 4 hour driving radius. \\nI was devastated and started looking at a plan B of buying another ticket leaving from a different city. \\nOn a whim I called again...this time there was an available appointment \\\\~1 hour away in CT. I accepted but by the time the agent had taken my info it was already booked by someone else. \\nThis gave me hope though. I called 12 times in the next hour...Nothing for 10 calls. Finally on the 12th time, there was an opening in NYC for 10am. I got there at 9:45 and by 10:30 had the confirmation slip in hand :) \\nLessons learned: \\n\\\\- Start calling at 8am and KEEP CALLING. \\n\\\\- Know all your info but let the rep speak. Tried to give them all the info up front a couple times and they had to repeat it. Just answer them quickly and clearly. \\n\\\\- Get all your docs in line and be ready to leave ASAP for your appointment. \\nI know I got lucky and not everyone will have this luck, but figured I'd give people some hope if you're in the same situation that I was.\", 'Processing times were updated, effective Oct 2, 2023: Routine Service: 8-11 weeks Expedited Service: 5-7 weeks', 'Sent mine from South Florida by USPS - Sept 11 2023\\r \\n\\r \\nCheck cashed - Sept 19 2023\\r \\n\\r \\nStatus Approved - Oct 7 2023\\r \\n\\r \\nPassport in hand today - Oct 11 2023\\r \\n\\r \\nPaid for expedited service and expedited return shipping $209.53\\r \\n\\r \\nTravelling to Italy before Thanksgiving 30 Days from posting old passport to receiving new passport', 'Locator 62: First time passport (Expedited service + US Express Mail two way) Application submitted : 10/5\\nIn process: 10/10\\nApproved and shipped: 10/20\\nPassport in hand: 10/21 **Total time: 2 weeks and 2 days** I was really surprised how fast I got it. It’s almost like not much people is getting passports in my area. Or they background checked me and saw it was empty.', 'Locator 18\\nMy apartment got water/mildew damage, including my passport, and I have international travel in 13 days for work. Didn’t want to risk it since a few visas look like the ink ran a bit.\\nCalled this morning, got an urgent appointment for next week.', 'I don\\'t have travel set but hope to travel late December/early next year. Need a passport renewal. Mailed renewal in 9/18, routine service. Received 9/25. Currently \"In Process\". Dunno how to find the locator number. EDIT: Locator number is 45, thanks rocketwikkit. UPDATE: Received new passport 11/7/23. This was 50 days after I dropped it in the mailbox the evening of 9/18/23. I never got an email notification even though I signed up for one. Passport status reads Approved and \"You should receive your passport book on or around 11/11/2023.\" so I got it a little earlier than that. Thanks for all the help and info!', \"My girlfriend is experiencing major delays and was supposed to fly out to Japan this Monday, but it doesn't look like it's going to happen. After skimming through everyone's recent posts, it's clear we have a MAJOR problem with the US Passport process. This is insane, and I feel for all of you. How can we improve this system? Ugh.\", 'Expedited Renewal Timeline (by mail)\\nExpected timeline: 7-9 weeks\\nActual timeline: 5 weeks 4/3- Mailed via priority mail express 4/4- 07:40 Arrived at Philadelphia post office 4/4- 11:05 Available for pickup 4/4- 11:36 Picked up 4/5- Status changed to “In Process” 4/6- Check deposited 5/9- Shipped via USPS Express 5/10- Status changed to “Approved” 5/11- Arrived in mailbox!', \"Couldn't find the answer to this and the U.S. Passport hotline (or whatever it's called) gave me a vague answer. **Problem:** Daughter's passport expires at the end of February 2023. Her gender was incorrectly entered as male but we never sent it back for corrections. We want to travel to Jamaica in mid-February 2023 and I filled out what I thought was a passport renewal form, however a DS-5504 Corrections form was generated instead. **Question:** Can I do both a correction and renewal in one step, or am I forced to do this in 2 steps?\", 'I applied for my first passport in July of 2022. My wife an I submitted our apps at the same time at a local acceptance facility. She received her passport around late August. About a week after, I got a letter saying that I was going to need to send in a better/updated copy of my birth certificate (local passport office said all our docs were in order). I had to order a new one and that took a few weeks. I mailed the new birth certificate and all required docs to the processing office in late Sept 2022. The status of my passport has shown as \"In Process\" on tracking website ever since then. I\\'ve called a couple times to see if there\\'s anything else I need to do and was told to keep checking the website. In late December, I got in touch with my Congressman\\'s office to see if they could get check into the status of my passport. They were able to see that the agency did receive my new birth certificate and was still processing my application. I know I chose routine processing (6-9 weeks), but I\\'m going on 15-16 weeks since I sent in a new copy of my birth certificate. Almost 6 months total time waiting for passport and still no updates - is this normal? One other thing to note. I spell my last name like \"Example\", my ID and all other docs spell it that way, including my application. However, the tracking website will only pull up the information I need if it\\'s spelled \"Ex Ample\"... Is that what might be causing delay? ----- **UPDATE!** - my passport finally showed up last week (late January), after 6 months of waiting. Just a bit longer than 8-10 weeks listed for standard processing time.', 'Online renewal application status update (Time Zone PST, CA) / routine service \\n11/1/2022 status Received - Applied online \\n1/7/2023 Contacted the Passport Renewal Team via email asking about the status \\n1/8/2023 Passport Renewal Team replied (processing at the Charleston Passport Center) \\n11/9/2023 status In Process (email notification 2:20AM) \\n11/9/2023 status Shipped (email notification 5:30PM) \\n1/12/2023 delivered via USPS', 'Here is my experience for an expired passport renewal, routine service. - Mailed on 11/7\\n- Picked up from post office on 11/12 (Philadelphia)\\n- Cashed check on 11/16\\n- Website change to Approved on 1/4\\n- Received on 1/6', \"I mailed my passport renewal application today. Would it be risky to plan an international trip in April? 9 weeks from today would be 3/18, so if there's no issue with my application I should be fine. But if they do find an issue and reject it, would I be screwed in that scenario if I have a trip booked for April?\", 'I paid for expedited renewal through the online thing in december and I’m checking the online status daily. I’m still only “received” - is this normal?', \"Hi, \\nI submitted my first passport application at my local USPS yesterday 1/19. The process was smooth as I used the online form filler to fill out DS-11. However, the USPS employee helping me with the process said I missed my parents DOBs and asked me to fill it in by hand on the form. (I'm not a minor and the online filler didn't require me to enter it). I heard that if you use the online filler, you can't make any handwritten changes except your signature. But she said it's okay I can do it before she swears me in and witnesses me signing it. Does anyone know if this will cause a delay or rejection of the application?\", \"I have to get a new passport, but, I'm bald and wear a toupee, is a a \\nperson supposed to wear their toupee in their passport photo?\", 'Additional datapoint for online renewal (standard): Submitted application: 11/28/22 ~8pm Application in progress: 11/29/22 ~1:30pm Passport Shipped: 1/20/24 ~4:30pm Passport arrived: 1/23/23', \"Adding my data for online renewal! 12/05/2022 -- Applied online, standard processing and shipping. 12/06/2022 -- Changed to 'In Process.' 01/25/2023 -- Passport shows up on my informed delivery for today. So about 7 weeks total, which is within the current predicted processing times.\", 'Passport renewal (DS-82) in Korea. Locator code : 47 1/12 - Sent my application package via embassy-contracted courier.\\n1/13 - Received by the US embassy in Seoul\\n1/25 - Application in Process (received by the state dept on 23rd)\\n1/27 - Mailed (Expected arrival time to Embassy is 1/29) Smooth', 'Is transitioning a passport card to a book a renewal or a new application?', 'Is the online link for American Passport renewal working for anyone? It keeps not loading for me?', 'My passport expired 3 years ago, can i travel right after i renew my passport?', 'Adding as a data point. \\\\-11/28 (Mon) Applied routine at post office, was encouraged by the post office employee to apply routine instead of the expedited we planned on purchasing \\\\-12/12 (Mon, 2 weeks later) Application status updated to \"In Process\" \\\\-1/30 (Mon, 7 weeks after marked as \"In Process\") Contacted US Representative \\\\-1/31 (Tues) US Rep\\'s office reached out for us to complete a Privacy Release Form, submitted; US Rep office informed us that they have contacted their liaison and \"will be in touch\" \\\\-2/3 (Sat) No contact as of yet, no update on our status as of now. Our trip is scheduled for 3/1 and we are have been a worried wreck. :(', 'Traveling in 5 days, applied 6 weeks ago (renewal online) expedited everything and was given a 3-5 week timeframe. I\\'ve been calling daily to get an appointment but not a single one is available within 3,000 miles of me. I contacted all of my state reps in Congress who have not responded at all. Called my US House Rep\\'s office this morning and they said \"oh we are still trying to hire staff\" so it seems no one is (a) available to help and (b) knows how to help. Any advice? Am I screwed?', 'Just thought I add my timeline because seeing other people’s helped me :) Applied in person expedited and 1-2 shipping (new passport last one was issued before 16) 1/19 Passport received and moved to in-progress 1/26 Passport approved 2/9 Right now I’m waiting for it to be moved from approved to mailed!', \"My timeline (**Expedited**): Passport mailed to Philadelphia Passport Center from nearby town: **1/26** Received and moved to *in-process:* **1/31** Status changed to *shipped:* **2/9** (They wrote shipped on **2/7** & would arrive around **2/10**) Status changed from *shipped* to *approved* **2/10 🤦** **Passport in hand 2/10!** Total time (11 days from when they received it!) They *did* put me on a little bit of an emotional rollercoaster with the status updates there at the end but...It was so quick. I don't understand how people who sent theirs in weeks/months before me are still waiting. Best of luck guys.\", 'I renewed online expedited with expedited return mailing on January 11 (over $200). I have an international trip on March 2. As of today (31 days later) my status is \"received\". That comes before \"processing\", \"approved\", and \"mailed\". The initial time estimate when I applied was 3-5 weeks. Anyone know how quickly it can conceivably get turned around once it actually says processing some day?', 'Do suicide attempts prevent Canadians from being approved to cross the US border? I saw online a handful of articles of 1 or 2 people running into this issue and were denied entry. I attempted suicide just over a year ago and worried that I will be denied entry. Anyone have knowledge on this matter?', 'New passport timeline! Applied 12/14 Received 12/22 In progress 12/28 Approved! 2/14 Expected delivery 2/19 Actual delivery 2/15', 'Data point for expedited new passport: * Applied at P.O. 1/23/2023\\n* Processing 1/25/2023\\n* Approved 2/13/2023\\n* Received 2/15/2023', 'As someone who just went though a panic and anxiety filled last two weeks to renew my passport, I wanted to share what I learned about the process to help other people hopefully have a smoother time that I did. I applied through the online passport renewal system on 1/4th. My passport was marked as “received” and never changed status. I’m traveling internationally on 2/21. After several calls to the passport status number, they told me my passport was indeed “in processing” on their end but couldn’t give me any more information. I called and called but no one was ever able to tell me the actual status of it. I later learned that the online passport renewal system is a beta program and lots of people are having issues. Today at my in person appointment (out of state) they made an announcement that it wasn’t made clear that the online renewal system was a beta program so lots of people applied and are having problems. Today I got my passport in hand. I’ll let you know what I tried, and what did and didn’t work for me. I tried a lot of tactics. I contacted my representatives, but other than emailing the passport agency for a status check, they didn’t do much, and weren’t that responsive to my emails. Other people had better luck with their reps so you should definitely try if you have travel coming up. When I was more than two weeks out from my trip, they told me I couldn’t make an appointment until it was within two weeks. Then, when I was 13 days away, they flipped again and said I couldn’t make an appointment because my passport was processing. THIS IS NOT TRUE. They kept pushing me days and days later to call again if it still didn’t arrive, eventually I got so frustrated I called multiple times in one day. Randomly, someone on the phone let me make an appointment. The only one available was on the day of my flight and I wouldn’t make it since it was out of state. But I still took it, thinking if I have to change my flight it won’t be great but at least I’ll get to go on the trip. Then I got obsessed with playing the phone game. You can call as many times as you want and keep checking for cancelled appointments. On Monday, I woke up at 8am and kept calling until I was able to get an appointment for one this Wednesday. I would call, wait on hold for an hour and a half, fail, try again. Once I went so far as to almost have one in my state but when the representative hit save someone else got it. I kept calling and repeating all day long until I got it. It was maddening, and the hold music was stuck in my head all night. But it worked. I got an appointment someone had cancelled in DC. I traveled out of state and booked a hotel, then I went to the passport agency this morning in DC. They were really wonderful and kind. The process was: they took my application and info, and then they took a little while to check my online application information (prob 30 mins), then they called me back and told me I could come pick up the new passport at 11:30am. I can’t even describe the relief. They cancelled my online application and just did the renewal there. Here’s what I had to bring: The form DS-82, a physical passport photo (I brought a backup too), proof of travel (I printed a flight confirmation), and my expired passport book. That’s all they needed for my case but make sure to ask what you need specifically as there could be different cases. You might also want to bring a checkbook if you didn’t pay for expedited from the beginning. These Reddit threads helped me a lot so I wanted to help out some other people. If you applied in the online renewal system and have travel within two weeks, don’t wait… it’s better to have an appointment while waiting for it to arrive because you can always release the appointment if it does. When it gets down to the wire it’s really stressful. And they’re having a lot of issues with these online application. Keep believing and working hard at it, you can do it! 💖🎀✨', 'Finally got my passport today, so thought I\\'d share another data point. Based in NYC. 1/4 - submitted for renewal online (expedited + overnight shipping) - confirmed as \"Received\" same night 2/4 - panicking because online status page still stuck at \"Received\" 2/6 - contact my Congresswoman by mail (printed out and signed online form) 2/9 - no response, so follow-up with an email 2/10 - still no response from Congresswoman, so tried reaching out to our Senator - which turned out to be a great choice. Got an immediate response from their staff: \"We have forwarded your inquiry to the passport agency and have requested a response to this matter. We will update you as more information becomes available.\" 2/13 - update from Senator\\'s staff: \"We have received the following response to your casework request. ... \\\\Thank you for contacting the National Passport Information Center. I have located the passport application for your constituent, which shows processing through our Online Passport Renewal system. Given that your constituent applied on 1/04/2023, I am notifying the New York Passport Agency, which is the most relevant one for your constituent.\\\\\" (status at this point is still \"Received\") I then get an email saying my application is \"In Process\" at 6:40pm that same night 2/14 - online status updates to \"Printed\" (no email notification) 2/15 - passport arrives at 11am today! &#x200B; Hard to think it\\'s a coincidence that my status updates just a few hours after I receive the follow-up from the Senator\\'s office + Passport Info Center...so definitely worth a try!', \"Did a renewal at my local USPS on January 24th - they took care of my photo as well. I paid for expedited services. The expected turnaround time frame initially was 3 - 5 weeks for expedited. The time frame moved up to 5 - 7 weeks - I'm guessing this is for new passports arriving as mine was completed within the 3 - 5 week timeframe. Anyway, here's some data points. * My passport was received at center 69 on January 26th with a status 'in process'.\\n* My check was cashed on January 28th.\\n* I received my passport today, February 15th. On the website, it shows my status as 'approved'. I signed up for email alerts, but I didn't receive anything (nothing in spam either). Oh well. most importantly I have my passport in hand for my upcoming trip.\", \"I applied online for a renewal exactly 9 weeks ago today (12/15). Quoted normal processing time when I applied was 6-9 weeks. MyTravelGov still says In Process. My travel is in two weeks so guess I'll have to call for an appointment\", \"Non-expedited online renewal data point: \\n12/16 - Application submitted and Received \\n12/19 - Application status In Process \\n2/15 - Began contacting senators and local representative's office 2/16 - Unable to upgrade to expedited or priority shipping 2/17 - Application status Printed \\nI have upcoming international travel on Mach 2nd and was in the process of making an appointment over the phone this morning when I noticed the update on my passport application. It will travel from San Diego to Atlanta, but I feel confident in the 10 remaining shipping days to receive my passport.\", 'deleted', 'Data point. Renewal with standard processing and shipping there and back. 1/19 - Shipped to facility 1/24 - Application received (USPS tracking never updated to say Delivered though) 1/25 - Check cashed and status set to In Process 2/16 - Approved 2/17 - Passport received Locator 42 Pretty quick turnaround with the routine service.', 'My partner and I just got in contact with our state rep, and he was quick to respond and give us the disclosure stuff . From everyones experience, is this pretty much a guarantee to speed up a passport and get it done processing quickly? Applied: 1/11 Recieved: 1/18 Processing: 1/18 - current Scheduled travel: 3/9', 'Data Point. \\nChild Expedited Passport Timeline with express shipping. \\n1/28 Applied at library \\n1/28 Mailed to Irving, Texas via Express Mail \\n2/3 Delivered to PO Box - Delayed delivery due to snowstorm \\n2/7 Check cashed \\n2/8 at 10PM website updates to show passport application received on 2/6 and currently in progress \\nLocator 57 (San Francisco) \\n2/17 status changed to approved then status changed later in the afternoon to shipped \\n2/18 delivered via USPS Express Mail', \"Sent expedited minors' applications on 1/30 \\nReceived on 2/2 \\nToday 2/21 minors' passports are marked as shipped (center 69) \\nThe tracking number is UPS though - is that typically how passports are sent overnight? I was expecting USPS due to comments regarding Informed Delivery.\", 'Travel date: 4/28 Applications mailed: 2/7 Submitted new in-person passport applications for my wife and son, but it\\'s been 2 weeks and the status is still \"Not Available\". I submitted for routine based on the 8-11 week estimate but didn\\'t take into account the mailing time, and don\\'t know if it has been received yet since USPS didn\\'t give me any tracking number. I\\'m considering calling NPIC in the morning to switch to expedited. Is it worth doing that? Or should I just stick it out and call/email senators if I don\\'t see an update in the next month?', \"Hi all, just looking for some advice. I'm getting naturalized as a US citizen this weekend and since I have to hand in my green card, I won't be able to travel internationally until I get my US passport. I'm planning on going to a wedding outside the country on April 29, but I haven't booked any travel yet. This date is within 11 weeks of when I'll be able to apply, but not within 7 weeks. All my options feel sketchy - should I file the regular expedited application ASAP and hope that it doesn't get delayed, or should I wait to take a chance on an urgent appointment within 14 days of travel? Are there any additional complications for a first-time application?\", \"Need some help with a weird situation. Managed to get an appointment with the passport agency. How rigorous do they check the flight confirmation? Is it just looking at the print out or are they checking to see if you actually booked it? I'm wondering because I booked something in my other passport's name (dual citizenship) and its quite different. Full story is: i booked a flight in my US name, cancelled it (cause in the end decided to travel on the other passport's name), and rebooked the flight. So i kind of have confirmation for both... I also have a visa letter from travel agency that is in my US passport name..? Would love some help\", 'Anyone else applied for expedited online renewal on 2/6 ? my husband did and hoping we get it before our travel on 4/3. Wondering what are our chances. Are appts in Florida easy to get ?', 'I contacted my state rep and was told they passport agency said it was printing. How long can I expect now?', 'I applied for a new passport in person 02/08, but it still says \"Not Available\" when I check the status online. My check was cashed 02/15. I unfortunately did not think to request expedited, so I chose standard processing. I am waiting until my application says \"In Process\" so that I can upgrade to expedited. Starting to get nervous since it has been more than 2 weeks since I submitted my application.', 'Is there significant difference between submitting a passport by mail for renewal or applying in person for a \"new\" passport? Need passport by mid-May.', 'Applied in person in local post office on 1/11/2023 expedited.Tracking said received on 1/19/2023 and in process since then.Its week 6 now.Traveling on 3/18/2023 but have to travel in 7 days for another trip.Was quite sure that I would receive the passport in 3-5 weeks that it said initially but now says 5-7 weeks.What should I do?', 'You would think they could transfer online applications to the normal system. I keep seeing people who applied by the mail and getting their passports in 3 weeks.', 'Thank you so much for sharing your story! I too applied on 1/6 but in person in San Diego for my son\\'s passport. Basically experiencing the same thing on your timeline except we travel on 3/11. I finally got ahold of someone a few hours ago after the many busy tones and drop calls. She couldn\\'t help me at all. I said I wanted to pay for everything expedited but then she wouldn\\'t do that for me because \"she could see the application was in process\". I asked about the in person appointments since I was willing to travel in the US anywhere. She wouldn\\'t offer it to me even though initially she gave me a sign that there were some left. Tried to keep my cool since the general vibe was that she wasn\\'t going to budge for whatever reason. Ended the call feeling pretty hopeless. I\\'ll try back again next Monday. I have all 3 reps involved currently too so hopefully I\\'ll share the same happy story as you! Congrats to you, glad it all worked out!', 'I am supposed to leave 3/8 and I’m freaking out I applied 1/7 — they told me to wait to 3/1 to call and try to get an appt. I’m just really afraid I won’t get one. I gave my local congressman my info as well I’m hoping they can help', 'That is great that you were able to get an in-person appointment. I have been keeping up with your updates. It has been such a roller coaster for us online renewal folks.', 'Also in NYC and applied for an expedited passport one day after you on 1/16/23 - which office did you reach out to?', \"Jesus just reading your timeline is giving me anxiety (also from NYC btw!) This is my process so far for travel date 3/23: \\n1/20/23 - Applied for online renewal \\n1/21/23 - Status changed to received \\n1/23/23 - Status changed to in process \\n2/16/23 - Paid for expedited + shipping (freaked out a bit) \\n2/28/23 - emailed congresswoman, they called me in 15 mins and told me they're going to work on it and based on prior experiences it should be fine \\nCan't log into the travel.gov(https://travel.gov) website for some reason so I can't check my status but fingers crossed!\", 'Same FUCKING SITUATION!!! Me and my bf were also supposed to travel on the 4/9 to Japan too funny enough, our passports still say In Process and we had to cancel our trip. Our tickets are non-refundable so there goes 1,600 down the drain', 'I would contact your Senator(s) and State Representative. Both State Rep and Senator were able to send the Passport agency an \"Urgent\" email letter stating the issue. Not sure how much that helps, but since the calls reps are not helping with putting a \"fire\" under the employees reviewing the passports, your Senator & State Rep maybe that someone that can get a hold of their bosses/managers/supervisors to do it for you.', 'Holy shit guys. I checked at 11:30pm on a Sunday and got the magic \"Thank you for your online passport book/card renewal application.\" I\\'d cry but I\\'m too damn exhausted.', 'Feinstein literally has a “help with passport” button on her website. What does that tell you?! Glad her crew came through! I contacted my congressman Lieu yesterday, and will do Feinstein if I hit my 14 day flight window.', 'I’m in the same boat, almost applied on the same date. Getting the senators office involved next week. Travel date 4/10', \"After 12 weeks, it's absolutely insane of them to request expedited fees. I did see a form to request a refund on expedited, I wonder if that would work?\", 'Mine was received at 69 on 4/10, I am checking every second, hope I’m next!!!!!', 'an update, my passport status now shows \"Shipped\" and has a tracking number for 1-2 day shipping!', \"That is so heartbreaking. I am so sorry to hear this and I'm dreading that I will be in the same situation as you. I cannot believe this is how our systems work (or don't work). It's so maddening.\", 'No', 'It feels like a total scam by the Department of State. Like some bad mafia scheme.', \"One more data point if it helps someone, the application locator for all the 3 applications was 34. I believe it's Charleston, SC. Passport shipped from Tucson, AZ.\", \"Mine was received around the same date as yours and still nothing. I'm waiting on call back from the senators rep who handles passport filings. I have to go see my grandmother next week before they take her to hospice. I had been on hold for 2 segments of over 3 hours and the call just drops. I would never apply online or call the passport offices, its just a waste of time.\", \"That's exactly what they are doing!!!!! I went in person and now my flippin passport is sitting in a office and because my travel time is later in the summer my passport won't be done until them. Now what if I wanted to travel somewhere sooner?????? This is straight BS\", \"5 months should be more than enough time. You didn't do anything wrong. Just saying.\", 'In case anyone was following along at home: They eventually told folks that they would see/process everyone who was in line. I think the line was particularly bad right when I showed up due to lunch, but they line picked up pace and eventually got everyone in after ~2 hours. When I got to the front the helpful person behind the desk said that my passport had been shipped out and to come back if it doesn’t arrive tomorrow. The passport status website hasn’t updated yet, but they were able to give me a UPS tracker number that shows the passport is on its way/picked up by ups. The other interesting data point is I believe my passport only shipped because I had called my senator. Within 5 minutes of the label being printed I got a call for their office saying it was on its way. We fly out this weekend, so the whole thing was cut really close, but I’m glad I had called my senator so they could note when we traveled.', 'Wow, I have the exact same scenario. In process 3/10 flying 4/28 at locator 62. My senator put in a request last week, the agency noted the travel date but I have not seen any movement. My mother applied two weeks earlier and got hers last weekso hoping it gets approved this week. Will keep you posted.', \"Yes! But two things: 1) you can get your senator/congressman involved 14 days prior to travel rather than just a week ahead and 2) when you're under a week out and lose all hope, things will likely magically turn around and your passport will approve/ship out. As long as you're persistent about recruiting help and clear about your travel dates, I haven't seen one story on heard about someone who didn't get their passport on time.\", 'Received my new passport card on 8/21', 'Yo, same situation. Contact your reps or senators. I contacted mine last night, talked to a staff from my senator this morning, this afternoon passport agency called and said the congressional inquiry pushed my application through, should be shipped Monday.', \"I'm in a very similar boat as you are. Submitted 1/13, In process on 2/24. It's been 5 weeks on 2/17. I was able to call today, lady on the phone was mixing up the fulfillment days. She said that they're all estimates. I requested to get a 2 week appointment. My travel is on 3/8 but she said that it doesn't qualify because it has to be within 2 weeks. So I have to try to call on 2/23 because that's within 2 weeks. &#x200B; Kinda messed up how she acknowledge that processing times were missed, but couldn't help me out with setting up an appointment. I'm going to try again tomorrow to call. I was on hold for about 2 hours until I was able to talk to the correct person.\", 'Buy a (more expensive) fully refundable flight to anywhere outside of the US. Those often allow you to make changes for free (so you can push it if the appointments are an issue). Then once you have your passport in hand cancel it for a full refund, then book your real flight.', 'It’s not your fault at all, getting a passport should not be this complicated.', 'You are not alone in freaking out. I actually called a few weeks ago to see what cancellations were like. So I could do a mail in instead of my online. They said you have to send a written letter, no phone or email to cancel. Than they will send you a letter back. After you have the letter you can apply but not a renewal it would be like a brand new one. So I decided that was horrible idea. You still have time do get yours. Go to your senator and representative’s website they will probably have a section for help with this. On mine it was called Help with a Government Agency. If they have a form fill it out and hopefully one of them helps. If you read through these comments or the ones on r/passport some people who applied on 1/10 are getting there’s so you might be almost there but I’d still fill out the forms.', 'I just graduated from passport dilemma yesterday! I would not cancel your application. I would contact your local state and congress office for help. Some of the states have a passport specific form that you fill out and sign then email to state/congress office. They will do what they can to push your application to get processed in time. If not they will help with making an urgent passport appointment when you are closer to travel date. I ended up having to go for in person appointment. You will get your passport the same day if you are traveling the next day. For me they \"transferred\" the online renewal application to the local passport agency so I didn\\'t have to pay again.', 'I don’t think you can cancel your application once submitted….if there’s a way, I doubt anyone you can reach at the help line could do it….they can’t even supply simple, basic answers, especially for those who applied online. As for paying for expedited and express shipping at this point, you can no longer do so from your online account, I’ve read a few posts on here from people who did while their state rep were assisting with their application. As for using your current passport for your upcoming trip, don’t think you can. Do you still have the email you received when they notified you your application was changed to “processing”? If not, at the end of that email it tells you when your application reached the “processing” stage your current passport is immediately invalidated. I’ve been reading this megathread since mid January (applied Online 11/20/22 with expedited and express shipping, original travel date 2/2, status changed to processing 01/14 and remains until this day, missed my travel date, rescheduled for 03/15). Your best bet is to reach out to your senate or congressional rep ASAP, they can get more information on your status and help push the application process or an in-person appointment within 5 days of travel date (appointments are hard to come by though, based on what I’ve read on here). This is where I am currently, 10 days before my rescheduled travel date. Good luck.', 'Reach out to your representative’s office again! Tell them you’ve submitted the privacy from but have not heard back. I too have a 3/15 travel date, submitted online renewal in November, it sat in “received” until 1/14 when it changed to “processing” where it’s still the status, missed my original 2/2 flight, rescheduled for 3/15, reached out to my congressman’s office on 2/25, they responded right away with a link for the privacy release form, I sent it back along with copies of eTicket, screen shots of my online status and receipt, staff called me the next day to ensure me they’re on top of it; they’re not able to get me an appointment until 5 days before travel date but would push to get my passport finishing processing and mailed to me in the meantime. On 3/2 she emailed reply she received from passport agency that my passport was being process at the Honolulu office, this morning she emailed again with another update that my passport is going to print (fingers crossed). Good luck!', 'Several people commenting in a similar boat to this. There was a glitch impacting applications received between 2/6 and 2/13 (I am also in this group). Until this weekend, all people in this group showed as \"Not Available\" when going for an update. Now it seems everyone shows as \"Received 3/4\". The consensus seems to be that this date was manually entered and doesn\\'t reflect the actual date received. The good news is that you should now have data in the system that will allow you to reach out to your local congressional representatives and light a fire to get yours in time. I suspect you\\'ll have it before your trip. Mine is about 3 weeks after yours, so I\\'m cautiously optimistic.', \">I wonder if I can get a refund for the expedited travel fee since they didn't honor the original agreement... I'll wait until I have my passport in hand before I think about pursuing it. This is my plan, AFTER I get my passport so I don't jeopardize my application progress....last thing I need is for some department to pull my application for review or whatever. I believe they should issue me a refund on the expedited fee I paid back in November when I still don't have my passport nearly 4 months later.\", 'Working again now', 'I am happy for you. I hope I get to be this happy too. :)', 'What documents did you need to bring to your in person appointment? I’ve already mailed in my old passport…', 'The online system is a mess. That message means nothing I have been seeing it for 7 weeks. What did help was doing what was suggested in this thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/Passports/comments/11nwl89/online\\\\_apps\\\\_look\\\\_at\\\\_the\\\\_network\\\\_traffic\\\\_to\\\\_get/(https://www.reddit.com/r/Passports/comments/11nwl89/online_apps_look_at_the_network_traffic_to_get/) Using this method I discovered my passport was in \"closeout\" meaning done and shipped. Next, I went to the regular passport tracking site for those who applied by mail. It turns out that many online applications were moved to paper (typically those of us who contacted government reps for help it seems). I entered my info just to see and it came up that my passport has been mailed and there is a tracking number. On the online site, my application status just says \"in process.\" This week, I called multiple times to get an in person appointment, Some days I just got a buys signal. Once, after being on hold for 3 hours, I was told there were no appointments anywhere in the United States. Good luck and hope this info helps you!', 'Reach out to your state rep again and see if they can find out where your passport is being processed. We reached out to ours (in WI) and someone responded very quickly and told us our kids’ passports were being processed in Charleston. Did some digging and found numbers there and just kept trying different lines until I got someone on the phone. Our travel date is also 3/23 and it’s been 10 weeks now (supposed to be 6-9). The woman who helped me got our passports processed the next day and said she’d send them out priority mail. The website finally updated and says we should have them by the 19th, and I believe it will be sooner.', 'Contact your congressperson or state reps when you are 14 days away from your travel date - they can help move it forward.', 'If you google your congress person or your state senator there will be a section of their website that says “help with a federal agency”. You can email them with your appropriate documents usually including a privacy waiver with an original signature. They usually get back to you within 24 hours. I would contact your congress person and both senators to see who can provide the best help. Don’t have more than one gov org put in an inquiry though because that can cause duplicate inquiries at the passport agency. See who provides the best timeline or responds first and go with them.', 'Someone over on r/passport just went to San Juan said they were done talking to someone at 10am and came back at 2pm to pick up the passport.', 'Senator Feinstein’s office has been of no help to me. They started off pretty responsive, but it stops there. They will put in an inquiry for you and that’s it. I’m supposed to leave Friday and she wouldn’t even try to help me get an urgent in person appointment. Basically told me to plan better next time. When I spoke with my Rep’s office, they were much nicer at least.', 'My travel date is a day before yours. I have been told that they wont even start looking at stuff traveling after 3/31 until late day/tomorrow. Contact our rep and have them send an inquiry and help you.', 'removed', 'Oops, might have been my fault.', 'keep us updated! All the best!', 'I paid for expedited shipping and it was approved, printed and shipping label created on a Monday evening, and it was delivered Wednesday morning.', 'Yeah that’s insane. Mine was received the same day as yours and I’m traveling 5/11. Same locator number. Have someone at my senator’s office working on getting me an appointment as there’s a passport office in my city, but I’m still starting to freak out a little.', \"hmm.. here's hoping mine goes through this week then. Sent 4/6, received 4/10. Also locator 69\", 'Update: passports arrived this morning! 2.5 days before flight!', 'Hey Molasses any news back from your status with passport. Mine has been in Process for 4weeks expedited service. And this morning I checked and it changed to Not Available. Thanks hope you got yours already.', 'They typically go \"in process\" within a few days of mailing, so it seems like either you\\'re entering the information in a way that is different than what is in the system, or the mail was lost. I would call them first thing in the morning, and I mean to the second, as described elsewhere in this thread.', 'Mine went \"in process\" on 5/19 as well for expedited. Still says in process today 6/30 and we leave for international travel on 7/8 😅 \\nCurrently on hold to speak to NPIC to see if I can get an appointment somewhere. Best case scenario would be seeing that wonderful \"approved\" online at some point today.', 'The big guns is you contact your representative. They likely have someone on their staff dedicated to this problem. The phone option is to get to the end of the options exactly at 8:00:00 AM Eastern time.', \"So I guess they're just suddenly competent? You're the second data point suggesting that somehow the system has been unjammed. Congrats on that new passport smell.\", 'could you tell us what passport center yours went to? I sent mine in 7/10, still says in process DOT 8/25', 'Yes. Expedite - you might be able to it online.', \"You can contact your local congress or senator office for help. You are lucky you applied over mail (versus online renewal). Over mail applicants seem to get their passports quicker or can get better assistance. Once you are within 14 days of travel and still don't receive your passport, you can try to get an in person emergency appointment at passport agency. Hopefully you live close to a passport agency or doesn't come to that point.\", 'Similar situation. I applied 1/6 and leave 3/10 and i have no fucking idea what to do right now', 'Send your to all three of them (assuming you’re not in DC). My rep’s office actually came through with an in-person appt for me. Things really get serious when you’re 5 days out. I know how stressful it is - I was having dreams about this, couldn’t sleep, was eating all kinds of crap… it was the worst.', 'I reached out to Senator Schumer and Congresswoman Grace Meng. I live in Queens by the way', \"I shouldn't be shocked at how archaic and incompetent our government is, yet here we are.\", \"Do they confirm with you before they actually make an inquiry? Don't want to reach out to multiple people from congress and senators if they'll all submit the inquiry.\", 'Ugh, that\\'s awful!! And \"plan better\"?! So insulting. I\\'m assuming that like most of us, you planned around the processing times that were listed. Not so much an issue of planning better, more an issue of reform and check/balances needed for the state department.', 'From what I’ve seen it depends on the locator. Philly seems to be good and Dallas seems to be awful'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "U.S. Department of State issued a new travel advisory today, saying \"Worldwide Caution\".\n\nhttps://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/worldwide-caution.html\n\n> Due to increased tensions in various locations around the world, the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations or violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests, the Department of State advises U.S. citizens overseas to exercise increased caution.\n\nAre you lending any credence to this and changing plans? Or continuing on business as usual?\n\nAnyone recall the U.S. issuing this kind of warning in the past?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'Yes. They are routinely issued when there is a perceived increase in anti-American sentiment overseas.', '>Anyone recall the U.S. issuing this kind of warning in the past? Multiple times(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeland_Security_Advisory_System) from 2002-2014.', 'Well TSA was a lot more thorough today. Had to screen shoes separately, took out even minor electronics, and had to remove literally everything over my shirt (even thin long sleeves, not just jackets). All the security folks were also jumpy af. In a small midwestern airport that is *very* abnormal. Haven’t seen security like that in a long time.', 'This reminds me of the old terrorist threat levels from DHS. Oh no, we went from yellow to orange! \"Worldwide caution\" is just completely useless information. I wouldn\\'t change a thing based on that.', 'So I shouldn’t drive to Camden, NJ?', \"These are just common sense things. I signed up with the State Department STEP program whre I basically sent them my itinerary. For several of my cities I've gotten similar warnings. It boils down to avoid demonstrations, US government buildings, houses of worship and be aware of your surroundings. Avoid demonstrations and be aware of surroundings should be followed at all times, the others make sense in this current tense environment .\", \"Nothing will change for me. The chances of something happening in my home city verses somewhere else are probably the same. Granted, I'm more likely to be out and about while traveling, but just not gonna let terrorists ruin traveling for me.\", '> Are you lending any credence to this and changing plans? Or continuing on business as usual? Well, what could you possibly do with this information? > Anyone recall the U.S. issuing this kind of warning in the past? The Worldwide Caution page has existed for years with broad, general information about the existence of terrorism. I feel the only time the page was highlighted was when the pandemic kicked off, understandably.', \"> no one hates the Aussies I see you've never been to Bali or Niseko.\", \"I am going to Germany and Poland in 2 weeks and Australia/New Zealand in February. I don't intend on changing plans.\", 'I can’t take it seriously because it says “world wide”. The world is huge and filled with different kinds of dangers everywhere. I can’t imagine having to be concerned about Israel and Palestine while visiting Mexico - but maybe I should keep an eye out for cartels or something idk', 'I’m a Scot and my wife is Spanish but we live in America more than half the year and sometimes we are visually identified as Americans abroad somehow. The clothes, the mannerisms, my giant belly, I don’t know how but it happens. No flags, or tags or anything USA on us. I am cautious in some places but it wouldn’t make me not go somewhere unless there was a specific threat. Will probably still go to Morocco in the spring. May not go to Jerusalem in the near future.', 'What are we supposed to do when they say “practice caution” like okay, i’ll look both ways twice when i cross the street', \"We've got a trip planned for London just before the Thanksgiving holiday. We sure as shit are not canceling this trip unless things go to absolute shit in the UK in the next 3-4 weeks. Seems doubtful.\", \"Yup, all the ruckus and the whole code orange system after 9/11. Unless you're going to the Middle East or flying directly over it, ditto Ukraine/Russia, I'd ignore it. Hell, I figure there's plenty of places I'd be safer from terrorist attacks than I would be in a US city center at present.\", 'I’m an American in S Korea right now. Not worried about anything but getting a cab to my next hotel when I arrive to the next city and over exertion from all the walking. 🤷\\u200d♀️', 'They’ve issued similar things I think. After sept 11 and during the early years of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars these kinds of warnings were pretty regular. I’m not changing any plans. Still heading abroad in December', \"I don't give a flying fuck what the state department says. I'm Iranian-American and according to the state department I should've been kidnapped and held hostage at least 13 times in my life but none of that ever happened.\", \"*tell us you're too young to remember before 9/11.. without telling us you haven't been around that long*\", \"I pay no attention to any of these. Everywhere is potentially dangerous. You're more likely to get hit by a car than anything else, and cars are everywhere; it doesn't stop me from driving.\", \"Leaving for our honeymoon in Namibia and Botswana this weekend, not changing plans (of course) but if someone could convince our families to stop freaking out about our layover in Doha, I'd appreciate it :)\", 'I am Canadian if necessary. Not worried either way', \"Isn't it safer to travel now when everyone is more vigilant than usual?\", 'I’d booked a trip to Turkey since direct round trip flights were under $1000, but I ended up cancelling within the 24 hour window because I am a little worried about going anywhere in the Middle East with an American passport due to anti American sentiment with all the support for Israel. Trip was going to be in April so maybe things will have changed by then, but better safe than sorry. But worldwide caution seems a little extreme. I’d potentially travel somewhere else, just not the Middle East right now', \"Leaving for Austria and Crete in a week, the only way I'm not going is if there's a out right ban. I don't see any issue with Austria. The Med I can see as a little riskier, but I also feel safer cause I'll be by the navy base. To attack a US Navy base in a NATO country would be a catastrophically bad idea. An option, sure, but I'll take my chances and enjoy my trip!\", \"I booked a trip to London for the week of Thanksgiving. I live in NYC, so I figure the danger level is the same difference in either city. I registered for the STEP program too. I did the same when I went to Brussels last year. But I'm not a seasoned traveller, so if anyone thinks travel to London a month from now is a bad idea, please let me know.\", 'They rated Hong Kong as \"do not travel\" during their 2019 democracy protests and we had a great time.', 'I’m a cabin crew member and work for a European airline. I hold dual citizenship and have been in Paris, Rome and Berlin areas in the past 2.5 weeks and have felt comfortable as a US citizen. They are always at an enhanced level of security from the state department for terrorism events. The biggest thing is to try and blend into the local groups. Don’t use printed T Shirts that scream American, cameras, backpacks and such. Also have situational awareness.', 'Going to be honest we have planned to go from Austria to Barcelona next week and the idea of being at airports, in a plane, at crowded places in a big city makes me feel slightly uncomfortable. Rationally thinking I know chances are absolutely minimal but having this thought somewhere in the background of your brain definitely has a negative influence on the journey', \"As an American who lives in the U.S., there's a statistically higher chance I can be a victim of a mass shooting, police brutality, or fatal car accident every waking minute of my regular life compared to many other nations. You think I'm worried about being subject to some random terrorist attack while in a foreign country for a couple days?\", '“Look, we just pissed off 80% of the world and arm multiple conflicts in various regions across the globe. I know what you’re thinking, ‘how could this effect my honeymoon in Amalfi,’ and we’re not saying IT IS we’re just saying don’t be surprised if it does and make sure you blame the other guy.”', 'Nobody listens to these alerts.', \"I feel perfectly safe leaving for London in two weeks. Yes -- the US has issued this type of warning before. I'm pretty sure one was sent after 9/11. I'm going to register with the State Department Smart Traveler program in the next few days. I've been meaning to do so for years.\", 'Leaving for Portugal from the US in 3 weeks. This will be my first time out of the country and only my second time flying. Definitely still going but I already have generalized anxiety and definitely have travel anxiety so this kind of adds. I don’t feel as nervous to be in Portugal but I’m more nervous for the flights and layovers at JFK and Boston. Any experienced words of comfort is welcome. I’m assuming security will be extra, and I’m hoping.', 'I’m planning to keep traveling as usual but would definitely avoid saying I’m American. I speak two other languages and may stick to those in public.', 'I have alot of Military buddies and their wives doing VERY last minute deployments, be cautious.', 'Press the correct button in Nov 2024.', 'It won’t stop me. I live in the US, that’s already dangerous.', 'I have to go to England to see my husband’s sick father in a few weeks. We won’t be doing any day trips to London or other tourist havens. Emotions are high right now.', 'Good job state department, we needed more pointless anxiety in all corners of the globe.', \"I've been planning a trip to OZ for the last 4 years, and was about to leave for it in 2 weeks. Definitely not going, anymore!\", 'deleted', 'Mediterranean cruise coming up - Barcelona, Marseille, Genoa, Rome, Sicily, Malta - should I be worried about those places ?', 'Can someone explain why against Americans though? Is it that a lot of Americans are Jewish or Muslim and as we know, there have been many unfriendly attacks towards those groups in the past two weeks?', 'Ohhh, this makes me a bit nervous. I’m supposed to go to prague, amsterdam, and dresden next month…🙃', 'I have seen it before...its just right now there is a stupid almost global fad is the best I can describe it with people getting behind far right wing ideas that the dangers in a lot of the world have shifted from \"don\\'t talk about politics, respect the culture you\\'ll be fine\" to much more serious concerns . It would not stop me from preparing a trip abroad, but, that warning should not be totally ignored either and for example this may not be the time to plan a middle east trip, at least not one that involves Israel and Palestine and this for sure is not the time to be going anywhere near Russia and Ukraine', 'I’m going to Thailand next month. I’m going regardless', 'Threat Level: MIDNIGHT', 'Personally I wouldn’t worry about it. I’m an American that’s been to nearly 40 countries. I travel understanding that my country has creates enemies and that I my run into people that are hostile due to it. Honestly, I don’t see how it’s any different than living in the US itself. So many people carry guns to be prepared in the event something happens, and those people with that mindset are always alert in the event of something happening.', 'Is it safe to travel to Europe?', 'Silly question but any thoughts on travel to India at the moment, as an American?', \"I'm supposed to go to italy in a few days.. mainly Sicily. Anyone have advice/cautions?\", \"Generally speaking, the State Department errs on the side of abundant caution. As the link in the OG post recommends, people should make use of Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) when traveling overseas - it's no cost\", 'So, what color?', 'They issue these more frequently then you think. I live overseas, in the Middle East, and feel 100% safer here than In America is my two cents.', 'No, not changing any plans. It’s still safer in my future travel destinations (Europe) than most of the US.', 'Prior to this announcement I cancelled a four day weekend in Brussels when the Swedish soccer fans were killed by the IS sympathizer. No where in Europe is \"safe\", but I\\'ve been to Brussels before and if you stand out as American (my wife is so oblivious no matter what I try to do) you will be watched and if someone feels like acting out then I\\'ve always felt it is more likely to happen there than anywhere else. Brussels has multiple terror cells and is where the planning and implementation of the Paris attacks took place a few years ago.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "U.S. Department of State issued a new travel advisory today, saying \"Worldwide Caution\".\n\nhttps://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/worldwide-caution.html\n\n> Due to increased tensions in various locations around the world, the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations or violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests, the Department of State advises U.S. citizens overseas to exercise increased caution.\n\nAre you lending any credence to this and changing plans? Or continuing on business as usual?\n\nAnyone recall the U.S. issuing this kind of warning in the past?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Just today a jewish woman was attacked on a NY subway for being jewish (yes those words were spoken) A synagogue in Morocco was also attacked today', 'You’ll be perfectly fine, Turkey is an incredible country have fun! Follow the same advice you would have before hand - basically just reconsider travel to the far south east border near Syria and disputed Kurdistan regions', 'Dude I know how you feel. I flew into Amman, Jordan last saturday after the attack. That was a hard thing to tell my mom about with a connecting ticket to Tel Aviv. I ended up staying in Jordan the whole time.', 'Hey - Ok if I DM you?', \"I think in foreign policy circles there's a bit of a fear of this spilling over into more areas as certain countries try to take advantage of what they perceive as the US being pulled in multiple different directions now between Ukraine and the Middle East. Particularly if Hezbollah and/or Iran do get involved. The terrorism threat is probably highest in western countries that are, or at least perceived to be, pro-Israel.\", \"I don't think any particular region when it comes to this threat. They are unsure of location specifics, but said there is definitely heightened terroristic threat over the next year. Personally, I always feel like the hot spots are big city centers in Western Europe and maybe places like Turkey. Another family member moved to China a few years ago though, and he basically only ever gets moved somewhere before things really explode. So, I have removed China from my travel list for the time being lol.\", 'Ahhh ok good! Enjoy your trip!', 'Well we flew out from CDG this morning and took a train back from Mont st Michel Wednesday so idk. Security was pretty fast for us which was nice.', 'Not sure if usual, but there was 6 man patrols with assault rifles around Notre Dame and several other 2 man groups.', \"Huh I actually hadn't known about the airport evacuations, that's on me for missing it. That could be a result of the enhanced vigilance, authorities are being extra careful about unattended bags or anything remotely suspicious.\", 'I don’t really get the downvotes. When I was in Iceland a group of drunk men said “fucking Americans. Let’s beat their ass once they leave this bar” in reference to me and my friend. I only knew because I myself befriended some Icelandic folks that called me over for “shots” and translated what the men said. For all intents and purposes, I am polish, with my shiny red passport, whenever I go to Europe. The one time my friend decided to call me out as an American is the only time I almost got my ass beat.', 'Wow, what a dripfeed that was.', 'When you save everyone’s ass it be like that.', 'In this particular case, it’s quite easy to see why Arabs might not be fond of Americans.', 'Yes, and all global issues are frequently reduced to some kind of warped worldview where only America has agency.', 'removed', 'The CIA was given nonspecific warnings throughout the millennium change for any attack of any scale. They were just flooded.', 'I’ve studied and lived abroad between 2007 and 2012 and it was very common to get alert emails from the embassy', 'They warn everything.', 'We saw locals in Romania carrying USA shopping bags with the flag on them. My husband said, \"Look, someone likes us!\"', 'Fair point…', 'Why not in India?', 'Stop disguising yourself as Canadian. Makes us Canadian look bad.', 'deleted', 'Thank you! This is good to hear 🙂', \"I'm planning to go to Paris in December thank you for the info.\", 'I don’t have any control over where I was born or really what have been bipartisan activities in other countries.', 'removed', 'We’re doing the Chelsea vs Tottenham! What about you', 'Yes, I think that was the issue. I did not get a Sim card this time around because last time it didn’t work out great. For some reason my Korean phone number wouldn’t work. \\nWhen I lived here, I didn’t take cabs.', \"Thank you so much, I'm really looking forward to it now! :)\", 'I have a Canadian flag PJ shirt that I only wear in hostels. I needed to represent a little, but not publicly.', 'Well, I Googled it and the traits ranged all over the place. I really think your travel fears are self-imposed.', 'removed', 'No problem', 'Got it. So the concerns of a cascading effect aren’t off base, but it’s pretty far outside of the scope of what’s relevant or likely at the moment.', 'So it’s more of a comment on the terror domino effect? Like, unrest creates more unrest sort of situation? Side note, but in a very detached sort of way, I’m interested to see what China ends up doing over the next several decades. It’s very much so been doing the slow and steady build towards its ambitions, so it’s hard to know when it’ll “pop off.”', 'Loose lips sink ships. Please delete this.', 'Yeah, it sounds like they have increased security around highly visited tourist attractions as well. They contacted their hotel in Paris where they are staying the night before they travel back to the US and they just said to be aware of their surroundings, but it should be safe.', \"I believe you. A similar thing happened to my husband when we were in England. I don't care if I get downvotes. I know I found a suspicious package, I know the bomb squad attended, I know my American neighbors and I were scared. I don't know if it was a bomb, though. My neighbor said it was, but I never heard anything officially, and the neighbor was on old Italian man who was also certain that I would get sick and die from having wet hair outside. During our time in Italy the base went through a huge population explosion due to what was going on in Bosnia and Aviano's proximity. Also, this wasn't just a random village in Italy, this random village had a housing complex that housed 12 American families, and the locals did NOT like that.\", 'Most Arabs aren’t fond of anybody who dares to criticize the Quran. I’m rather in Team USA, Sweden and Denmark than on the side of Syria, Iran and Yemen.', 'removed', 'Exactly', 'removed', 'People would be fools not to act accordingly. The notice clearly means that something may happen to any one at any time in any place without any warning. Personally, I will be preparing to do any thing in any way at any place at any time. Otherwise the terrorists win.', 'Relations are tense at the moment.(https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/why-have-india-canada-tensions-worsened-explained/article67339026.ece/amp/) India isn’t granting visas to Canadians ATM.', 'Been a Canadian for more than 1/2 a century. Might have had a few crazy nights abroad over the years but not enough to make us look bad', 'Always funny when people expose themselves as morons', 'Happy to help! Just always make sure to stay updated on news around the area before/during your trip. I wish you happy and safe travels!', \"Happy to help! I don't live directly in Paris but there's plenty of news coverage and live streams on the actions going around the country that I see. Lyon is another hotspot for manifesting right now as well. Pretty much all the larger cities. Though like I said, the more violent manifs eventually fizzle out every couple of weeks, depending on the situation. You just have to stay out of certain arrondissements and always be on guard and observant. It shouldn't be too hard to find out where not to go in Paris haha. There's also the Paris subreddit if you want to follow and keep updated with the daily happenings!\", 'removed', 'We just did Arsenal v Sheffield today!', 'I get that. I’ve met some Americans with thick accents who have sported the Canadian flag and when asked could barely name a Canadian city. That pisses me off to no end. Like, don’t represent yourself as Canadian if you know nothing about our country but want to pass off as one. Fix your politics before you represent yourselves as one of us.', \"I guess it's a good thing you don't have an image in your head? Or you come from a part of the world with a lower jewish population Also, my last name is also a dead giveaway if I'm traveling in a politically fraught place\", 'Why the whataboutism? Looking Arab also poses issues and I would proceed with caution, just as I currently proceed with caution. The person I responded to thinks that \"acting vigilant\" fixes the problems we face Also that Palestinian boy was stabbed by his landlord/neighbor, not during a riot. It doesn\\'t matter but you don\\'t even have the correct facts', 'Can’t DM you for some reason. Wanted to know what the situation looks like in IST - we had a halt planned on the way back to the US.', \"Yeah, I mean it's all really a guessing game tbh. Experts can make guesses at what is more likely to happen given various developments. But as we've seen even with Hamas attack, things often happen that catch them by surprise but in retrospect seem like they should have been obvious. Hopefully things won't kick off too much, but there are lots of conflicts historically that weren't really predicted and 50 years later academics are able to identify all the signs that should have been clear leading up to it. International politics is certainly volatile.\", \"I think more like they know attacks are planned, but they don't have specifics of places or dates (yet.)\", 'Lol they are not giving me anything that is helpful and/or classified information.', 'Iranians are not Arabs. Also, only earlier this year did Saudi Arabia and Iran re-establish relations, and only in the last year has Assad been slowly integrated back into the regional geopolitical landscape. And, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, and Kuwait have been much better U.S. allies than most of Europe. It’s the petrodollar that gives the U.S. so much influence and its US influence and global hegemony that allows Europe to be as prosperous as it is. This particular issue is separate than any other issue and should be treated as such, it’s not a Western vs Arab issue, it’s the Israeli regime vs Hamas. Hamas does not equal Palestinians, they’re just as much victims in all of this as Israelis are.', 'Yeah these are not nice governments. Whatever the faults of the US i am firmly on their side against the alternatives, which will be much worse', 'removed', 'removed', 'removed', 'removed', 'This is the straightforward sharpshooting quick thinking attitude I like to see', 'Do you have the hot dogs ready?', \"It looks like you shared an AMP link. These should load faster, but AMP is controversial because of concerns over privacy and the Open Web(https://www.reddit.com/r/AmputatorBot/comments/ehrq3z/why_did_i_build_amputatorbot). Maybe check out **the canonical page** instead: **https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/why-have-india-canada-tensions-worsened-explained/article67339026.ece(https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/why-have-india-canada-tensions-worsened-explained/article67339026.ece)** ***** ^(I'm a bot | )^(Why & About)(https://www.reddit.com/r/AmputatorBot/comments/ehrq3z/why_did_i_build_amputatorbot)^( | )^(Summon: u/AmputatorBot)(https://www.reddit.com/r/AmputatorBot/comments/cchly3/you_can_now_summon_amputatorbot/)\", \"when i'm traveling i have fun talking to people with canadian gear and sussing out if they are actually canadian -- oh boy do the americans squirm in their ingnorance of the country they are claiming to be from!\", 'In answer to the first version of this, I also have a big nose, and like half of the world has curly hair, but you do what you need to, man.', 'removed', 'Business as usual. I’ve been in the old city for three days. We took the metro to the uni stop from the airport and walked 30 minutes to our little room near the blue mosque. Our issue has been seeing all the things we wanted to see without standing in long lines. The biggest threat is all the people who don’t know how to cover their mouths when they cough.', 'removed', 'removed', 'Anything, anytime, anyplace. What’s confusing there?!', \"dude if you're adamant that there is zero ethnic marker of this specific ethnicity then I don't know what to tell you\", 'Why are you being so aggressive with me, specifically?', 'Thanks for the reassurance! Glad to know it’s business as usual - our AirBnB hosts mentioned the same but wanted your perspective. Thanks again', 'removed', 'removed', 'removed', 'Enjoy your trip', 'removed', 'Do you not think anti semitism is something to be concerned about ? You make it seem as if I am wrong to be cautious', 'Get help. Seriously. You seem deranged.', 'Thank you !'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "The whole experience at Heathrow made me decide to avoid the airport in future entirely for connecting flights. Compared to other American, Arab and European airport, in Heathrow you have to:\n\n1. Go through the nightmare security theater yet again (T5) even if the flights are on the same booking reference.\n2. Except for not being required to take shoes off, the security theater is the worst here. Not only do they enforce the 100ml liquids like every other airport but this is the first and only time I’ve been asked to throw away sub 100ml liquids because they don’t fit in the ridiculous 20x20cm clear bag, a rule which isn’t even enforced by TSA in the US…\n3. Chaotic lines - I thought the British were known for queuing? There were no security line anywhere but just law of the jungle. People were allowed to barge thru without facing any consequences \n\nMy question is… why isn’t this talked about more? For example, people complain about TSA in the states etc. but this was easily the most horrible experience I’ve been through and made taking the connecting flight a nightmare. When transiting through Munich or DC, you simply don’t need to go through security again if you’ve already been checked through in your Origin airport. \n\nIs there a way to see which airports / terminals / routes need to have you go thru security again for connecting flights?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"It's talked about a fair bit 😅 LHR is the only airport out of 100+ that I almost missed a flight (actually two), and it's exclusively because of the insanely slow and OTT security procedures. The US is bad on this too, but LHR is even worse. Not entirely true you don't have to go through security again in MUC though, depends on where you came from and where you're going.\", 'It’s certainly no secret. Ask people what European hubs they go out of their way to avoid and LHR will pretty routinely be near the top of the list', 'I’m in violent agreement with OP on this. Fucking half mile walk (not an exaggeration) to some bullshit screening station, only to walk all the way back to make my connecting flight AT THE GATE NEXT TO THE ONE I ARRIVED AT! Who came up with this insane process? I will be avoiding LHR at all costs.', \"I live in Atlanta, so I'm used to airport crap, but good god Heathrow is horrible.\", \"I transited once at Heathrow, US to Heathrow then onto Athens. I had a normal experience there. We stayed in the international area the whole time. I don't remember having to go through security again.\", 'Gurl, you can\\'t compare LHR transits to any american airport\\'s transits... Security screening is pretty fast at LHR. But god damn in america we have to go all the way out: immigration, customs, pick up luggage, drop luggage again, TSA again if you\\'re transiting through an american airport and your initial departure is international. Do you know the \"the luggage flies to your destination\"? It doesn\\'t apply in America if you come from Abroad, you have to pick up your luggage at POE.', 'I don’t really get the problem everyone has with Heathrow. I went through earlier today and security was incredibly quick. Noone even looked at my plastic bag of liquids. The only downside is the walk between gates. CDG is 10 times worse', \"> Compared to other American... Compared to American airports? Really? > Go through the nightmare security theater yet again (T5) even if the flights are on the same booking reference. Clearing security when transiting off an international flight is not rare. However, in the US, in addition to security, you *also* have to go through immigration and customs. Now *that* is annoying. > Except for not being required to take shoes off, the security theater is the worst here. The US practically invented security theater. The fact that they have rules that they don't follow consistently is a key part of that theater. > Chaotic lines Again... what??? > When transiting through Munich or DC, you simply don’t need to go through security again if you’ve already been checked through in your Origin airport. Depends where you're coming from.\", 'Yep, post-9/11 TSA security standards have been implemented well across Europe (though, honestly, I think Israel really influenced our security measures immediately post-9/11). I have friends in Paris who work operations at Orly, they’ve mentioned a couple times, harping on how much more stringent their security has to be in order to comply with the US’ standards. For security, if you’re connecting/transiting to say Schengen from the U.S., definitely avoid their airports if you want to avoid the UK’s screening. However, other airports in the EU, like AMS do the exact same thing if you’re connecting from the EU to the U.K. as that is now an international border. Some countries are definitely more lax than others. As for the liquids, this is probably the one thing I hate about going through/out of the U.K. The 100ml bag requirement is entirely archaic. I travel almost exclusively with carry-ons and have to be really careful about what personal care liquids I bring with me if I’m spending any time in the U.K.. I thought they had planned to do away with that requirement a couple months ago, but I guess not. As for Heathrow specifically, T3 operations is probably the smoothest and least stressful I’ve had, so I try to fly from airlines serving that terminal whenever London is on my itinerary.', 'I mean, it is flagged for that. My problem is I have to fly into MAN from MIA somewhat frequently so yeah… after a couple missed flights connecting at LHR… I plan long layovers or get out and take the train. I think you need to budget minimum three hours there if arriving internationally. The clear ziploc bag is a thing throughout the UK. I agree it is very stupid, but so is most security theater.', 'I avoid this airport at all costs when traveling from the US to Europe.', \"Oh, absolutely. I won't fly through Heathrow unless I am actually going to London. I'll change planes pretty much anywhere else. This has the beneficial effect of making sure I don't fly British Airways. Which is good. That airline is just terrible. And in both cases, their staff are 75% of the reason. Unhelpful, bureaucratic, and in many cases downright mean. Both represent the worst that the UK has to offer the world.\", 'I refuse to book any more flights that have a connecting flight there. Worst layover destination', 'The worst is the security where they literally go through everyone’s bag for the slightest reason especially if there’s any amount of liquid. They have to test every liquid in a machine. They don’t even give warning..man it’s so frustrating.', 'Yeah, I hate that the UK actually cares about how many 100ml things I bring, no where else I’ve traveled has enforced this like they do in the UK', \"Agreed, I won't fly through Hesthrow unless the connecting flight is in the same terminal.\", 'As somebody who intends to vacation in the UK next year, with London as a primary destination.. is there any good alternative to Heathrow?', \"Heathrow has always been an organizational clusterfuck that hires extreme jobsworths in every area. It's one of the worst airports in the world on multiple levels, going back to the 70's when it was widely known as Thiefrow due to the high odds of having items stolen from checked luggage.\", 'I totally agree with #2 & #3. After what I experienced the last time, any flight with a connection at Heathrow will be disregarded.', \"It's definitely well-known to be a terrible airport.\", '>I thought the British were known for queuing? I don’t think too many British people transit through Heathrow. >My question is… why isn’t this talked about more?", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "The whole experience at Heathrow made me decide to avoid the airport in future entirely for connecting flights. Compared to other American, Arab and European airport, in Heathrow you have to:\n\n1. Go through the nightmare security theater yet again (T5) even if the flights are on the same booking reference.\n2. Except for not being required to take shoes off, the security theater is the worst here. Not only do they enforce the 100ml liquids like every other airport but this is the first and only time I’ve been asked to throw away sub 100ml liquids because they don’t fit in the ridiculous 20x20cm clear bag, a rule which isn’t even enforced by TSA in the US…\n3. Chaotic lines - I thought the British were known for queuing? There were no security line anywhere but just law of the jungle. People were allowed to barge thru without facing any consequences \n\nMy question is… why isn’t this talked about more? For example, people complain about TSA in the states etc. but this was easily the most horrible experience I’ve been through and made taking the connecting flight a nightmare. When transiting through Munich or DC, you simply don’t need to go through security again if you’ve already been checked through in your Origin airport. \n\nIs there a way to see which airports / terminals / routes need to have you go thru security again for connecting flights?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "If so:\\n* It depends on the airport. Some require another check, some don’t. I can at least confirm Amsterdam and Munich airport do not require a security check for Canadian arrivals/connections (you might need a passport check though depending on your next destination)', 'Probably Dubai->Munich-Zurich?. Munich requires a security check during connections if you arrive from any country that’s not one of the following: EU, Schengen, US, Canada or Singapore. So Dubai arrivals would require one. This is separate from passport control. That’s always required when moving between the Schengen and non-Schengen area of an airport.', 'Are they this bad with the liquids? AFAIK only uk has the 20cm by 20cm liquids bag rule, no?', 'Manchester England was terrible.', 'I got to CDG three hours early last time I was in Paris and almost missed my flight. Security was God awful.', 'Second this. It’s my home airport so I have to suffer through it a lot. They show the bag inspection rate on screens and it’s almost always high. One time it was even at 90%. Like what the actual fuck are they doing? I made a flight by 5 mins despite arriving 3h early.', 'Damn really?', 'Why?', 'Domestic Precheck waits regularly run 20-30 minutes', 'Maybe I’m in the minority, but I think Atlanta is an excellent airport to connect through. Easy to navigate.', 'Sorry but Singapore Changi refuses to engage in this security theater bullshit but their security is by far the most efficient and best… And no, I don’t care about being surveilled', \"I actually have a friend who didn't know/ wasn't noticed about this and they went through immigration and straight to the gate and their luggage remained in Atlanta because they were supposed to re-drop it :))\", 'I think I read a post that India has the same pick up the bags when you get into the country process. As annoying as it is I think that makes the most sense to have all your belongings when you go through a customs process.', 'You do that in Australia. Immigration and customs at airport of entry and then re check in bags for your domestic connection. It’s not really a big hardship.', \"If you're transferring from an international to a domestic flight, it at least makes some sense - you won't go through customs at your final destination, so you have to do it when you enter the country. It's the international to international transfers that are really ridiculous - and someone was saying a while ago that it's mostly because American airports mostly don't have a true international departures zone that you can only leave via immigration or a flight.\", 'Japan and most middle eastern ones ain’t bad either', 'They look scary indeed - but somehow are not. They never ask me anything. I can honestly count on one hand how many have ever asked me more than just \"how long are you here for\" (if that) and I\\'d say on average, I have maybe 12 trips to/via the US a year. Half the time they say not a word, and just wave me through. I\\'m not American, it\\'s just weird.', \"I've started the application pre-Covid, then during Covid things were a breeze and somehow I haven't gotten around to it since. Yet every time I'm there (which is fairly frequently) I think: I should get this damn Global Entry already. Speaking of this: do you happen to know if I can basically just walk up if I transit through anyway? I have a trip coming up in 3 weeks...\", 'Damn haha I never knew that. It the security check thing absolutely isn’t the norm…', 'Yeah it’s completely fucked', 'Hate Americans much? Every country has assholes, including yours. Edit: Wow, you really do hate Americans. Go ahead and lump all 330 million of us into one basket cause that makes a whole lot of sense.', 'deleted', 'If you have a long layover and need to get into town, Heathrow is one of the most convenient in the world. Trains will take you to multiple places in the very centre of the city from any terminal in half an hour without changing.', 'Yes you are correct. I can confirm that DUS, FRA, CDG, LIS, MXP all do not have additional security. As far as I know no other European country requires transit inspections.', \"Yeah I believe you're right, it was likely DXB-MUC-ZRH rather than the other way around and to me, that makes sense.\", \"my experience is that security at CDG isn't the problem, it's the crowds and the fact that it's not designed for the traffic, not to mention the famed French efficiency. Making any kind of connection at CDG often requires walking through mazes for 45+ minutes only to wind up right back where you started.\", \"They're fine with liquids, but worse at everything else. It's a baffling airport. Nothing makes sense. The signage sucks. Like I'm very comfortable navigating airports... But CDG makes me feel like a complete fucking moron who time travelled from the 16th century.\", 'I have some good news for you re LHR: *June 2024 is the new deadline imposed by the UK Government for airports to install new security technology that will mean passengers can travel with larger liquids in their cabin bags and keep them – and their electricals – inside their luggage during the security process.* Source: www.airport-technology.com/features/uk-set-to-ease-airport-security-rules-in-2024/', 'Nothing is worse than LHR, but CDG is absolute garbage. I literally had strip search there once.', 'Try the USA.', 'No Gatwick also Edit: mis-read comment above, enjoy my dumb.', \"That's going away in the UK and is already gone at some Heathrow security lanes. The new scanners are actually really great\", 'Americans struggle to accept this but most of Europe is WAY more brazenly racist than the US. The exceptions being the far west (UK, France, Portugal as examples).', 'I assume this is bc you go thru some extra invasive very German security (Frankfurt has had more terror attacks than most of euro airports, I get it) & are then sequestered in a tiny portion of the terminal with no access to food or fun whatsoever.', 'Yeah Singapore is an amazing airport! One of my favourites in the world!', \"I'm a game developer and once they asked me what game I was making and I told they guy and described the game a bit and he wrote down the name. He was one of the cool ones though. I think he was genuinely interested.\", 'It absolutely is. Unless the flight is inside the schengen area, you have to go through security upon arrival on all international transfers. Thats just the way it works on all airports everywhere. Thats why they pack your duty free liquire bottles in those sealed plastic bags. I did this in Hong Kong yesterday and in Bangkok last month. The only exception (that i know of) is Changi because in Changi everyone goes through security at the gate instead of at the entrance to the airport. So even in Changi you have to go through security while transferring, you just do it at the gate instead.', \"I would say if it keeps Americans away then it's serving a purpose. In the end if you don't like it you don't have to be here. Stay in the land of school shootings and tell everyone how wonderful the land of the free is.\", 'The same Singapore changi where one has to reclear security at the gate, even on connections?', 'There are transit inspections, but only for some arrivals. For example at Amsterdam and Munich there are no inspections for arrivals from: EU, Schengen, USA, Canada and Singapore.\\nBut all other arrivals require a cabin bag security check before they can re-enter the departure area. I assume other European airports maintain similar lists of “approved countries”.', 'For CDG, it varies by airline and origination. Come from a smaller airport on Delta, like RDU, you’re going through security again at CDG. Come from JFK on Air France? You don’t have to do security again. They don’t have enough gates in clean areas for every flight to be there, so some otherwise “clean” flights end up in the dirty areas', 'I asked someone at CDG where to go once, she pointed left. What she really meant was go down the stairs, to the left, outside and up stairs, then back in the building to get to my connecting flight. I barely made my fight, they closed the door behind me.', 'Lol yeah I came across that article when I was googling why the fuck couldn’t i take liquids that didn’t fit a silly litttle bag', 'No the us doesn’t have that rule at all…', 'Well isn’t gatwick in the uk lol?', 'Well they sure as hell didn’t go away in the security scanner from this morning', 'Damn why tf are ppl here saying I’m American?', 'Munich has this too. I connected to the US through there last week, had to wait in a long line for another passport check (separate from the German border police for leaving the EU) to the be sequestered in a small portion of the airport where 4 US bound flights were leaving at the same time. Also, there was one small convince store in that area. The worst part about it was the line’s end was before a people mover everyone was forced onto. So everyone had to go down the people mover and then walk back to the end of the line.', 'Sounds like he was curious indeed. They very very occasionally ask me what I do for a living but never understand the answer anyway so it seems tick the box.', \"French sign language is beautiful, isn't it?\", 'https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/liquids-rule', 'Ahaha I misread your comment as ‘only LHR’ instead of ‘only UK’. I’ll amend.', 'well it ain’t enforced'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello a few hours have passed since I have figured alternate plans so now I have a second I am wondering if what happened by AirAsia was correct?\n\nI am an Australian national in Bangkok and I had planned to make my way to Japan tonight first with a flight from DMK to Hanoi with AirAsia and then 2.5 hours after landing a flight from Hanoi to Nagoya with Vietjet.\n\nWhilst in line to board the AirAsia worker asked to see my Vietnam Visa, I had thoroughly searched online to make sure I didn’t need a transit Visa if I had proof of ongoing travel and could transit through but the lady was adamant that I couldn’t do that with AirAsia. Long story short she was adamant I wasn’t allowed on the plane as I didn’t have a Visa I didn’t think I needed but I ultimately gave up arguing with her and purchased a last minute $450 direct flight to Osaka from BKK so I had to rush to leave the airport and take a Grab half way across the city.\n\nMy question is was she right to deny my entry onto the plane did I really need to purchase a visa to transit through Hanoi airport?\n\nWould appreciate any knowledge anyone has on the rules and what I should do from here, Thankyou.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'Where did you buy these flights? This sounds like separate tickets, and since Air Asia was only flying you to Vietnam, they are allowed to ask that you meet entry requirements for Vietnam.', 'Question answered thank you everyone, next time I’ll book with 1 airline or skip countries I can’t get into visa free, which isn’t many don’t know why I chose Vietnam of all places', \"You were not transiting as it was not a shared itinerary. It's that simple. Agent was correct, you were wrong. You could have re-booked your first leg to get all the way to Japan with a stopover in Vietnam and then no visa required. But you'd have to pay the fare difference and change fees etc.\", 'Air Asia was correct. You needed a visa to enter Vietnam to recheck your bag/check in with VietJet on to Nagoya.', \"If they're separate tickets, you need to meet the conditions individually. AirAsia is responsible for you getting denied entry in Vietnam for whatever reason including missing or cancelling your VietJet flight. So when you checked in, AirAsia sees only Vietnam as destination. They don't (and shouldn't) trust anything more than the service they offer because they're legally and financially responsible...\", \"You weren't on a shared flight. To transit you would have needed to collect your bags, exit the secure side of the airport, then go to departures to check in again. Once you exit the secure side, you'd need a visa to enter the country as there's no way that you can connect from within the terminal if the tickets were purchased separately.\", \"When you are on two different airlines flying on two separate tickets, it isn't considered a transfer. You need to enter the country through immigration, then leave again.\", \"The airline was correct. You weren't transiting. You had booked two different tickets with two different airlines, which means you needed to go through immigration on arrival to Vietnam.\", \"I am a bit late to this but I want everyone to see this. One of the Frequent Flyer blogs described the process: https://liveandletsfly.com/transit-without-visa-vietnam-guide/ There's a 5-point tl;dr near the top. Most posts saying that it's due to separate tickets isn't 100% correct. It's due to OP using ULCCs. Separate tickets on full service airlines seem to be allowed.\", 'when you buy separate tickets to save a buck, you got to make sure you have all your ducks in a row. most times it makes more sense to buy a single ticket to not deal with possible problems', 'Isn’t a e visa only like $25?', \"I flew to Thailand via Taiwan years ago and did not have a visa for Taiwan. Our flight was late and our connection was missed. The airline put us up in an airport hotel and took us to our rooms and back to the gate so we didn't wander off without a visa.\", 'This is very odd, because Vietnam does permit visas on arrival for Australians (though their website discourages this as a first plan) so they should still have been able to fly you to Hanoi?', 'Rule of thumb is if you have to collect bags, you are in the country. So full visa required. Visa requirements are shifting sands so always check like 1 week out', \"Couldn't you have just gotten an e-visa? I'm not Australian, but mine always gets processed basically instantly, depending on the country. (I know you were rushed boarding and trying to find other options, but it might have been cheaper to do that)\", \"you should be able to transit through vietnam without a visa if you didn't check any luggage. the flight can quickly verify your onward ticket even if it is with another airline. your connecting flight must be within 24 hours.\", \"Great idea as well with things like this is just call the airline. Make sure they have a procedure you can follow. Because then you also have recourse in these situations - I contacted AirAsia, this is what they told me to do. Then it's up to them to figure it out.\", 'This happened to my American friend going from Japan to Bangkok via Hanoi on Air Asia. He also thought he didn’t need a visa for transit, was denied boarding, and had to buy a different flight. I guess AirAsia is just different because I flew the same route as an American on a different airline and I didn’t have any trouble. Sorry that happened to you.', 'Yes 2 different airlines and tickets, my connecting flight from Hanoi was supposed to be with Vietjet. I was unaware I needed to meet entry requirements instead of the transitioning requirements', 'A similar question for someone having a layover in Canada and DOES not have a US passport. On the canadian website it says I need a transit visa but sounds weird to me if I’m on a single ticket going usa to Europe via Canada? I’ve done similar layover in Europe when going asia to usa and never needed transit visa', 'Countries requiring these sorts of visas generally cost like 10-50 bucks so its still probably cheaper to commute through them, just always check requirements.', \"I just wanted to say that I deeply respect that you got the information you needed and then owned your mistake and learned from it. Your level of maturity and emotional regulation is rare on so many reddit posts that it's refreshing to witness. Keep up the good work and hopefully your next trip goes without issue.\", 'It’s happened to a few of us, myself included!', \"Painful and expensive lesson, I've gone through the same thing but to make it worst the first airline let me fly to Hungary-- so I was stuck there and they wouldn't let me fly to the next one (UAE) as I didn't have a Transit visa for UAE. Ended up having to pay $600 for another flight just so I wouldn't miss my last flight. \\nDon't be too hard on yourself, it happens\", 'They can be different airlines, but same ticket.', 'Could you provide a source that a transit can only be done if two flights are on the same ticket? Timatic says this for Australians transiting in Vietnam:\\nTWOV (Transit Without Visa) *Passengers transiting through Hanoi (HAN) or Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third country within 24 hours. They must stay in the international transit area of the airport and have documents required for the next destination.*', 'understand it\\'s not a shared itinerary, but even if he has proof that he has another flight?", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello a few hours have passed since I have figured alternate plans so now I have a second I am wondering if what happened by AirAsia was correct?\n\nI am an Australian national in Bangkok and I had planned to make my way to Japan tonight first with a flight from DMK to Hanoi with AirAsia and then 2.5 hours after landing a flight from Hanoi to Nagoya with Vietjet.\n\nWhilst in line to board the AirAsia worker asked to see my Vietnam Visa, I had thoroughly searched online to make sure I didn’t need a transit Visa if I had proof of ongoing travel and could transit through but the lady was adamant that I couldn’t do that with AirAsia. Long story short she was adamant I wasn’t allowed on the plane as I didn’t have a Visa I didn’t think I needed but I ultimately gave up arguing with her and purchased a last minute $450 direct flight to Osaka from BKK so I had to rush to leave the airport and take a Grab half way across the city.\n\nMy question is was she right to deny my entry onto the plane did I really need to purchase a visa to transit through Hanoi airport?\n\nWould appreciate any knowledge anyone has on the rules and what I should do from here, Thankyou.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Perhaps it's just an interpretation of the question, because to me, they were asking about a government rule, not the airline not wanting to take responsibility. Granted, I don't necessarily think /u/goj-145 was suggesting a government rule, but I could see how /u/specialistOR could have made that (mis)interpretation.\", 'I work as the supervisor that the check-in agent might call. At check-in I would investigate it and make the phone calls to check with the airlines immigration department. At the gate, there would not be time.', \"Yeah, if you have checked luggage and it's not checked through, you have to go through immigration to collect it. That's the case anywhere, not just Europe. But I'm still wondering where these places are where you must go through immigration simply because you're on a separate ticket.\", 'With 2 separate tickets it\\'s never checked through to final destination. You MUST claim your luggage and re-check it. That\\'s what \"not having sterile transit\" means Other ways that you can be forced to go through immigration by design in certain airports is terminal layout and flight assignment', '> With 2 separate tickets it\\'s never checked through to final destination. You MUST claim your luggage and re-check it. Some airlines will actually check your bags through to a separate ticket. But that\\'s neither here nor there; that\\'s not the question. > That\\'s what \"not having sterile transit\" means But you\\'ve added conditions here: that you (a) have checked bags and (b) they the airline won\\'t check them through. Yes, as I said, that would require you to clear immigration to collect them, anywhere. And the \\'transit\\' country would have nothing to do that. > Other ways that you can be forced to go through immigration by design in certain airports is terminal layout and flight assignment Sure, but you\\'re still adding extra conditions – that the airport layout has flights in terminals that aren\\'t connected airside. That could theoretically happen on a single ticket too. You said \"two tickets mean no sterile transit in many countries\". So I am curious what are those countries where *two tickets* means no sterile transit. Not where checking bags or different terminals or airport layout or whatever means no sterile transit.', \"> So I am curious what are those countries where two tickets means no sterile transit. I'm just going to go for the low hanging fruit and call USA.\", 'But that happens on one ticket too...'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I'm planning a trip to Copenhagen, but have also been to Montreal and Singapore since they were said to be super safe. Any other places you can suggest?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'Japan is my favorite country for safety. Obviously not 100% safe, but about as good as it gets. I hear S. Korea is also up there. Edit: I should add that I lived in Japan with my wife for 18 months when we were young. She never once felt unsafe.', 'I’m going to Amsterdam next year on my own and I’m 34F! Having also been to Spain, France and Italy this year, I’d say the most safe I felt in out of the 3 was Spain.', 'Prague very safe!! I had zero issues there', 'Basically all of Europe. Southeast Asia is pretty safe, Japan, Korea.', 'Iceland!', 'I just got back from Copenhagen- it was incredibly safe, I would have felt very comfortable traveling there solo. Last year I went to Ireland alone and based myself in Dublin and Galway and felt extremely safe the whole time.', 'I (66, F) just returned from Japan and never felt unsafe alone anywhere.', 'I’ve traveled tons of places as a solo female some of my favorites that I felt completely safe in are the following: Amsterdam, Switzerland, Croatia, Thailand, South Korea, Scotland, and Austria!', \"Iceland is wild safe. Like very very very safe. I've been to several countries in Europe and wouldn't have an issue solo traveling to any of them.\", 'Switzerland for sure.', 'Everywhere in South East Asia.', 'I came from Montreal & have pretty much found just about all EU countries to feel safer. Have lived in London, Athens , currently Monaco all good. Frequently travel to & spend time alone in Paris, Stockholm, Helsinki, Budapest, Vienna, Istanbul, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Berlin, Tallin, Riga, Dublin, Skopje , Yerevan. Currently in Almaty and no issues here either. Tokyo excellent, HK also Forgot to add Amsterdam, Rome, zurich', 'Japan and Iceland!', 'There’s a ton. Most places are friendly as opposed to not. Most European countries. I’ve been to\\nBosnia and Herzegovina (personal fave), Slovenia, Spain, Germany, France, Amsterdam (only the city, didn’t venture out and about in the country), Iceland, Belgium, Italy, Ireland, Greece ect as a solo lady no issues. Middle East:\\nKuwait, \\nUAE (though I’m not a fan) South and Central America:\\nCosta Rica,\\nPanama, \\nColombia (Medellin might be a bit much if you’re nervous)-also not great if you don’t speak Spanish. However, Cartegena would be great .\\nPeru Asia:\\nVietnam The *only* places out of my 37 countries I’ve traveled to that I’d never go as a solo woman would be:\\nEgypt-why? They are relentless as harassing tourists. It’s a lot. I’m glad I traveled with friends. \\nIraq \\nAfghanistan', 'Japan, Iceland, Switzerland, Australia!', 'London, Edinburgh, and anywhere in Ireland or Wales are safe destinations for women, especially if you are English speaking. The social cues are pretty similar and people are generally very polite and friendly.', 'Zurich, Switzerland and Switzerland in general is very safe.', 'I mostly feel really safe everywhere in Europe. I can recommend Croatia and Slovenia though. Recently I saw a poll about it here, and they scored really high.', 'I spent 4 days in Reykjavik by myself and it was truly the most lovely vacation I have ever had. Go in the summer when it’s warm (still cool) and the days last for a long time', 'Slovenia. Ireland. Jersey Island. Netherlands. Turkey. All places I have been as a woman where I felt safer than in the US (and I feel pretty safe in the US). 2019 - Walking thru the streets of Istanbul at 2 am after leaving the club back to my hotel with no cell service, only the beacon of the Galata Tower that my hotel was next to. The streets were so clean and so well lit and the other people on the streets were fellow club goers walking home or shop keepers closing up. No homeless, no junkies, no men loitering in alleys. Was on full alert of course, but I’m still not over how much safer it felt than NYC, DC, Boston, all cities I am very comfortable with.', 'removed', 'A lot depends, I think, on how you view safety. I\\'ve traveled through about 30 countries, mostly on my own. (I did take a tour for Egypt, which I\\'d strongly recommend, although I got around a bit on my own there via Uber and was fine.) No where I\\'ve gone has had zero crime. Petty crime (pick pocketing and the like) and scams are everywhere. So, too, unfortunately are gross guys who\\'ve done everything from cat call, to follow me around, to rub themselves up against me as I screamed at them. (This happened in Japan - ostensibly one of the \"safest\" countries out there - and also one of the few I\\'ve been physically assaulted in. Other than my home country, of course. Go USA?) Some places are definitely worse for some types of crime than others. You can definitely check statistics for a sense as to how bad they are, as well as read state department warnings, etc. (I would not travel anywhere with a warning level of a 3 or 4, for instance.) Beyond that, I think a lot comes down to comfort. Would you be super upset about having to report being the victim of a crime somewhere where you can\\'t speak the native language? If so, that\\'s valuable to know. Do obvious signs of poverty make you unhappy? That\\'s going to rule out some countries, too. If someone cheats you out of $20, is that going to ruin your day? It\\'s fine if it does. It also means you may want to steer clear of some tourist destinations.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I'm planning a trip to Copenhagen, but have also been to Montreal and Singapore since they were said to be super safe. Any other places you can suggest?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "I travel almost weekly and feel much saved in europe than when i go home to mtl. Have you been to a lot of EU?', 'I know !!! Not that I don’t want to, just hasn’t happened yet. Other 2 were ferry rides from Stockholm & Helsinki.', 'Not unsafe but yes overall i think i do feel less safe in North America than EU. My son has lived there for 6 yrs and echos this sentiment. My daughter too. Love Mtl but don’t think i could ever return to live there full time after having lived in EU. Only city i didn’t feel very good in Eu was Naples. Every where else has been good. Overall i have now lived half my life i each continent.', 'I’m not sure why you’re so offended I’m not a fan of the UAE. Just not my jam, never felt unsafe but not a place I enjoy. Mostly due to you know, it was built via slavery. But sure, be offended that’s not a place I particularly enjoyed.', 'My favorite place I’ve ever been. I always waffle between recommending travel there and keeping my mouth shut so it doesn’t get overrun by tourists 🤪', \"Singapore shouldn't count, it's a total anomaly. Montreal is my favorite city in North America and I lived there for 4 years in undergrad, but it can be HELLA sketchy. No matter where you travel, there is an inherent risk.\", 'Belize City is not \"very very unsafe\" except in a few specific south side areas, much like most Americans cities. More importantly Belize City has nothing to do with tourism besides the cruise terminal. There are dozens and dozens of other places besides Caye Caulker that are safe, affordable and an absolute delight to explore. Go visit r/Belize and read the reviews. There\\'s a reason we\\'re a top emerging tourism destination in multiple travel guides! 🌴 Source: I live in Belize', \"Thanks. I mean, it was gross and unpleasant (and gave me a sense as to why women only cars are so popular!) But it was a long time ago and I still had an amazing time. (I'd strongly recommend Japan as a tourist destination. Just there - like everywhere - there are a small number of unsavory people.)\", 'Do you think 63.9% of Japanese women reporting sexual assault is low? >TOKYO -- A survey of sexual abuse victims in Japan released on Nov. 20 has shown that under 30% of victims reported the damage to police or support groups >The most common form of sexual assault, claimed by 63.9% of respondents, was \"being groped over clothing,\" followed by \"being groped beneath clothing\" (34.6%), \"being shown genitals and other parts\" (31.3%), and \"abuse involving insertion into the mouth, anus, or vagina\" (21.5%). Cases including the perpetrator ejaculating on, kissing, or masturbating near the victim were reported under \"other\" and accounted for 14.7% of the total.A total of 34% of all respondents answered that they had been harassed by \"parents, parents\\' partners, relatives, or other acquaintances.\" However, when limited to sexual assault involving insertion, the proportion of cases with the above harassers rose to 59%. Furthermore, over 80% of respondents who claimed they were sexually abused via insertion of bodily organs by parents, parents\\' partners, or relatives, were aged 12 or younger -- highlighting the severity of sexual abuse of children. \\n>The survey, conducted online between August and September by the sexual assault survivors\\' organization Spring, questioned 5,899 victims of sexual abuse. link(https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20201123/p2a/00m/0na/024000c)', 'Almost every European Capital is like that, grew up in Berlin in 90s and 80s, lived in London, Amsterdam and Zürich. They all had there fair share of danger and parts where you absolutely do not want to be at night. Zürich was probably the best such a beautiful but expensive place. Berlin was by far the most intense for myself especially if you live in a bad part of the city, it has changed a lot today. Amsterdam is actually quite small in Population but always as a huge amount of tourist on various kinds of drugs, but still loved living there. Edit: Zürich is obviously not the Capital of Switzerland.', 'removed', 'Slovenia and Ljubljana are a gem. One of my absolute favorite cities in Europe. Is so cute and cozy and people are so nice.', 'Same, I don’t like showing people my pictures because it was too pretty and lovely to be real and I almost don’t want to tell everyone', 'Bovec valley is truly the most beautiful place I’ve been', 'The risk in Montreal is incredibly low compared to Mexico or Columbia though. Like 25x lower, looking at homicide rates (for both countries). There’s always risk with travel but you suggested two of the most risky places to someone looking for a safe spot.', \"Did you read the last paragraph? It's 63.9% of sexual abuse victims, not 63.9% of the population.\", 'It’s a fairy tale'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "A friend and I are travelling around Europe. If we ever need to speak to someone, she immediately starts speaking in English. I've always assumed that was considered rude, and to at least try to ask in their native tongue if they speak english first. \n\nHer point was that \"if they do they do, if not, they'll just say it. People wanna be efficient and not waste time\". I hadn't really considered that, but I wanna hear what other people do. Do you just immediately speak English (or your native language) or do you ask locals if they speak your language first?\n\nEdit: Okay it looks like for Dutch, and Nordics, I'll assume they speak English. For everyone else, I'll ask in their language first. Unless they're the French. In which case I'll ask if they can speak English in the most condescending redneck accent, just to annoy the French. Think I got it figured out. ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'Once when i was in Amsterdam i asked a bartender if he spoke English, and he was genuinely offended at the implied suggestion that he might not.', \"For me, it's VERY country specific. I wouldn't dream of immediately speaking English in Italy or France, for instance (I usually say-- in Italian or French, respectively-- that I don't speak the language well, and ask if they speak English. In Denmark or Iceland it's totally different: from what I understand people in those countries find it rude to assume they don't know English... so I just go for it.\", 'For me it depends on context. Someone working at a tourist focus activity, where signs are also in multiple languages? I might make the assumption but I usually \"waste time\" with the \"I\\'m sorry could I ask you a question\" opener. Resturants, other businesses, etc. Then I\\'ll try to ask if they speak English IN their language if I can, English if I cannot. But I also try to learn a little of the language when I go, so for things like price, ordering I\\'ll do it in very basic local language as a first attempt.', \"In my state in the United States, people approach me speaking Spanish surprisingly often. It didn't occur to me to be offended. I just reply that I don't speak Spanish, and we either try to communicate anyway or the person moves on.\", 'I kind of get where your friend is coming from. Sometimes it feels really condescending to ask someone \"Do you speak English?\". Usually I\\'ll say hello in the local language and then proceed to ask my question in English. It comes across as more of an attempt to communicate than a request that you speak my language. If they understand, great. If they don\\'t, no harm done. I\\'ll emphasise, at least try to break the ice with a \"bonjour! Excuse-moi\" or equivalent in the local language. Going to any country and not bothering to even learn how to say hello, sorry or thankyou and just straight up talking in English is disrespectful in my opinion.', 'I live in a touristy area and I think I can count on one hand the amount of times someone has asked if I can speak English. It’s usually appreciated if you learn “can you speak English?” in the local language.', 'I usually say a greeting bon jour, ni hao etc. before starting in English. Usually I try to muddle through in my terrible language skills', 'So, many many years ago back when Iceland wasn\\'t quite as much on the tourist path, I worked at a post office in the city centre. One day a woman holding a book came walking in and ended up at my station, and she asked \"Talar þú ensku?\" (Do you speak English), to which I replied \"Jájájá, ég tala ensku\" (Yeah, yeah, yea, I speak English) It was only when I saw the look of utter confusion on her face that I figured two things out. First , the book she was holding was some sort of tourist guide book that had some basic Icelandic phrases in it and she was using some of that on me. Two, I had answered in very rapid fire Icelandic because I was addressed in Icelandic. Things went smoothly when I engaged my brain and switched languages.', \"It def depends. I'm an American and have traveled a fair amount in Africa and Europe. There are a number of places in Europe where ppl are more offended by the question do you speak English than just speaking English. If I'm in Vienna, I'm just wasting time asking if someone speaks English and potentially being mildly insulting. There seems to be a association of English speaking with educated or something along those lines. But other places where English speaking is far less common or cultural insensitive (France) I would never start speaking in English.\", 'So, I work in a museum in Europe that also caters to tourists, however the signs are only in our language, but we explain and give them instructions in english or if the employee can speak the language and they can read the content of the museum in a couple of different languages on the link on the phone. But still \\n1) I always greet people in my language first, even if they look like turists. Then of course I continue in english after they reply. 2) I only consider English to not be rude to speak right off the bat. The Germans usually just barge in and start talking in German. I go like \"....Sorry?\" In english. If they asked first I would make the effort, but not if they expect me to just speak german. So maybe in countries like Mexico they could feel the same about US americans. 3) I dont mind people just start speaking english, expecially if we are busy. We get asked \\'hello, do you speak english\\' once in a blue moon, but we find it funny because everyone in the country speaks english at least to some level.', 'in touristy areas, i would assume english if im asking basic questions. english is the universal language of travelers.', 'Ask a younger person in the Netherlands if they speak English and they might be offended that you think they are ignorant.', 'I try and learn at least a greeting in there language. Unfortunately, my accent usually gives me away, and then they reply to me in English. Recently I was in Norway, and kept forgetting their “Hello”. I look like an very short Norwegian, and often when buying things they would say how much I owed and some sort of have a nice day as I was leaving (I can read numbers and credit cards don’t require any language..). I’d say Thank You and they would just look confused.', 'Non-English speaker here. I start with the local equivalent of \"hello\" and then speak English (or French in francophone countries). To be honest, I\\'ve never really thought about it much, perhaps because it\\'s not my mother tongue either? So I guess I agree with your friend. But I do appreciate how considerate you are. When someone asks me something in English back at home, I don\\'t mind that either, what I care about is \"excuse me\" and \"thank you\" (in any language). But now I\\'m curious about other redditors. It\\'s an interesting question.', \"Please don't do that. Ask first do they speak english especially in france.\", 'Travelled across Europe, usually try to say the equivalent of hello in the local language and then switch to English. Awkward / helpless smile usually helps smooth things over.', \"It depends exactly where you're travelling - in western Europe I think it's to a degree acceptable but at a minimum I'll still try to say basic greetings and answer questions in their language. If you're going to Asia and you're of Asian ethnicity then sometimes they assume that you'll be able to speak their language , so I'll generally ask if they can speak English using it prior to switching.\", 'idk but i found out that in Italy they like me better if i speak spanish instead of shitty Italian or english', 'I think in countries where everyone learns English in school, asking if someone speaks English almost comes off the same as asking someone if they can do math. Like, yea no shit I can, I went to school. So I can see how it might not go over well.', 'It depends on the situation - Someone on the street:\\n‘Hello (in native language if possible), can you help me? Oh you don’t speak English? No problem, thank you (in native language)’ \\nPerson at ticket counter\\n‘ hello (in native language), do you speak English? Great, I need to bus tickets to xyz city. Thank you (in native language)’ If you know how to say ‘hi, do you speak English?’ In the native language then sure, ask. But otherwise.. does it really matter? Don’t over think it and don’t be weird. Be gracious and warm and most people are lovely and helpful! Think about how you would feel approached at home. Would you care if some one started to speak to you in another language and you had to say sorry, I only speak English. Like really what’s the difference if they had asked you if you spoke Portuguese while still speaking Portuguese? I feel like the more annoying thing would be being stopped when I was clearly busy or in a rush. Don’t do that to people unless you have to. Maybe don’t do this in Pairs where they are supposed to known for being annoyed? But I actually found most people really lovely in Pairs too, sooo je n’sais pas!', 'I thought about it from the opposite perspective. I work very often in a big tourist city in the states. If someone comes up to me and starts speaking in a different language I would never be offended. I’d just say sorry I don’t speak that language.', \"Why would you do that especially with the French, I don't get it ?\", \"I'm Norwegian. I get annoyed (but not visibly) if you ask me if I speak English. It's a waste of time, and even the mentally challenged speak English in Norway. I'd say it depends a lot on which country you're in. Ask in France. Ask older people (60+) in Germany, but assume young people speak English. Assume everyone is fluent in English in Scandinavia and the Netherlands.\", 'I usually just start speaking it. If they don’t speak English they’ll let me know. If I’m interrupting a strangers day I want the process to be as streamlined as possible.', \"Welp I've been to Paris and Italy and just spoke in English to everyone immediately and they all (except one person at a small restaurant in Palermo Italy) all spoke it back. It was quite easy and presumptuous of me but hey.\", 'you have been banned from r/france, and from entering the french territory (thus outside of Paris) \\nAdieu', 'I’m with your friend for the most part. Most of the time I’ve found people peg me for being a tourist pretty quickly. Often just from how I dress. So they’re prepped for it in some way, sometimes they start in English before I do. Even saying hello in whichever language feels like I get picked out pretty quick not having the accent or quite right pronunciation. Almost always if it’s a store/museum/restaurant they speak English to some degree and it’s fine. If they don’t speak it they’ll let you know. English is just the language of tourism at this point. Something people forget too is if you’re traveling with someone and they hear you talking in English or not their language odds are they know what’s coming. The exception being if I’m not in a touristy area, often a very small town, then I’ll ask. Or if I stopped somebody on the street, which is extremely rare.', 'yeah, if you don’t mind acting like an american stereotype- go ahead. if you do: learn basic things like hello/thanks/etc before you start asking in english', 'I don’t know how rude it is, but it’s presumptive at a minimum. If they don’t speak English it’s just now an awkward encounter you have to exit from. You’re not giving the other person a lot of options and if they don’t speak English you just dismiss them or what? It probably works though, a lot of people speak English.', 'So I started speakin....', \"I'm like your friend when I can't speak the native language. Same mindset. They're either going to know it or they won't. And if they don't, they likely won't even understand me asking them if they speak English\", 'When I travel, I usually try to learn how to say \"excuse me do you speak English\" in the local language. As a Canadian, it\\'s ingrained in me to be painfully polite', \"The question is - do you ACTUALLY speak their language? If all you know is 3 words, than you're gonna waste their time switching to English in a second anyway. If you can kinda bumble through their language with basic speech, yeah, go for it. Try to speak their language. If all you speak is English... Just speak English. Saves them time.\", \"I agree with your friend, whenever someone asks me something, I also dislike when they do the whole introduction thingie. Like come straight to the point and I'll happily answer. But maybe we just come from different cultures, yours def seems to be kinder!\", 'I usually start in Urdu. After a few sentences I’ll then say “or we could use English if you prefer.” Never fails.', 'I always ask.', \"Most of the time I say hello in their language after they say hello to me. Based on my accent people generally switch to English or aren't bothered when I predictably continue in English. Sometimes I ask if they speak English if I think there is a good chance they don't (older people generally.) In touristy spots people sometimes just default to English anyway because of the mix of nationalities visiting the place.\", \"I would only ask first if I suspected someone might not know English e.g. an older person in a small village. I wouldn't ask a 25 year old in Oslo or Brussels, for instance. I just briefly pause after saying one sentence so that people can switch into thinking in English in their mind. \\nAlso, even people who don't speak English know what 'do you speak English?' means so no need to learn it in the local language and it's not rude or expected. Everyone knows that English is the universal language people use to communicate if they don't share their native language.\", 'I just say “English ?” In their language with a questioning tone.', 'disclaimer : English is my second language as well Personally, I probably won\\'t ask the question if I\\'m communicating with shopkeeper/waiter. I will just ask my question, then say sorry (with hand gestures) if they don\\'t speak the language. Saves a lot of time and awkwardness especially if you\\'re trying to talk to more than 1 person at once. I might start with \"do you speak English\" if I\\'m against an elderly person. At the end of the day it\\'s a vibe thing with many different factors. I guess in all honesty, you can say that I will be using my \"stereotyping\" to determine whether I should ask first.', 'Tourism is PREVALENT. Tourists usually stay in tourist areas and are surrounded by English speakers or others who are able to understand English and send you to someone who knows it. Most of the time, read the room.', 'I\\'ve only ever been to France once, and that was just a quick trip across the border to Strasbourg. I remember asking a young twenty-something, \"Parles-tu anglais?\", I got a very strong \"No\"! Then I tried \"Sprechen Sie Deutsch?\", the reply, \"Ja, ja and I also speak English\". 🙂', '>Unless they\\'re the French. In which case I\\'ll ask if they can speak English in the most condescending redneck accent Make sure you do that \\\\*in\\\\* French. They hate our accent on their words and will switch to English instantly. I tend to always learn to ask in the native language along with \"excuse me\". One reason I like Pimsleur is \"Excuse me do you speak English\" is the first thing you learn in virtually all their courses.', 'In general, I say hello and ask in the local language.', 'I greet people in their native tongue and then ask if they speak English. I try to ask in their tongue if they speak English if I can. It’s a sign of respect that I am in their country. Overall had much better results than just assuming they speak English. If they don’t they will typically direct me to someone who does.', \"Just speak. People won't care.\", '100% agree with your friend. Most people in Europe speak English. The asking thing is just a waste of time and at times cringe', 'One of the first phrases I learn in any language is “hello, I am sorry I don’t speak _____. do you speak English?” I have yet to meet anyone unfriendly in any of my travels. \\nExcept this one guy, at a gas station in southern Alberta. He was not a pleasant Canadian.', 'As a European, I can confirm that speaking English straight away in a non-English speaking country is rude. When I travel around, I take the time to learn a few basic words in local language, the greeting and thank you is the bare minimum. Even if I am ordering a coffee in a tourist area, I still greet in local language first. If i need to switch to English, I will apologise and ask if they speak English (if I’m fluent enough, I’ll do this in local language, but if I have to use English then I’ll be extra apologetic). Then go from here depending on their response. Isn’t that the bare minimum??', \"I always apologize for my language skills and ask if they speak English. If they do not, but seem friendly, I'll do my best and if I fail pull out the question I have in a list I carry.\", 'I almost always ask if they speak English first.', \"I try my hardest to learn to say *hello* in the country's language. I then follow it up with *I don't speak French/Italian/Greek/Thai* in that countries language. I then say *do you speak English*. It seems the most polite way of doing things.\", 'I’m currently in Portugal. I greet in Portuguese and they immediately know I’m not native and everyone so far has replied with Hi! 👋 and then I ask in English.', 'A greeting in their language starts things off well.', 'I typically ask \"may I speak English?\" I feel less rude asking that question, and it typically has a positive effect. Although I try to say the appropriate greeting in the local language first. *This is mostly for places where English is commonly spoken. For example, when I was stranded at a train station in a random part of Germany, I did ask if the staff member spoke English, in German.', \"I just speak in English. If they don't understand my question, then we've established they don't speak English.\", 'Honestly I say \"hello\" in the local language and then if I don\\'t know anything else I start speaking in English. If they look like they understand, great, if not it\\'s either gestures-and-random-words time or just \"sorry!\" in the local language. I\\'ve never really had a big problem with this, people have not seemed offended either way. We\\'re just trying to communicate. &#x200B; I also don\\'t worry about it because people who don\\'t speak English come up to me in my city and ask for directions as well, and I\\'ve given people multi step train directions with not much English involved. It\\'s not a moral failing to not the language of a random country where you don\\'t live and to be there.', \"I don't speak English natively and my country is very touristy, I'd say in most tourist places people won't mind\", 'I just speak english with my phone in hand with the question and google translate open just in case. If they won\\'t help, i move on. 99% of the time, people have helped me. It depends on the approach and circumstance, like don\\'t approach someone rushing for a train, etc? I had someone come up to me and shout in my face \"DOOO YOUUU SPEAK ENGLISH, DOO YOUU WORKK HERE\" in a restaurant i was eating in, i ordered before her. I snapped and she looked so offended, so maybe don\\'t do that.', 'It depends. A lot of places in Europe have at least an initial politeness. So let’s say in Spain, France, Italy I try to say hello or good evening in the local language, then I ALSO say hello in English. THEN I switch into English. IF in Germany, Hungary, Czech, Belgium, Netherlands I just speak English. Everyone speaks it and as your friend says, no reason to waste everyone’s time.', 'I\\'ll learn how to say \"do you speak english\" in the native language, then use that to ask', 'Always say “Bonjour!” then ask “Parlez vous englais” in France. It will never lose your brownie points and often gain them. People act like the French are stuck up but what would you think of someone just started speaking Spanish or French to you in the US?', 'Depends. In Scandinavia or the Netherlands, people would find it rude that I assumed they don’t speak English. In those countries, I’d just start speaking English. Somewhere like France or Italy, I’d ask first.', 'I google translate what i need to say, watch a quick YouTube video explaining how to pronounce anything I might have issues with and repeat it in my head for 15 min, I then pray I get no follow up questions.', 'Depends on where I am. Britain? I just start talking. South America, I ask first in my very limited Spanish.', 'When you\\'re in a foreign country and need assistance, it\\'s a good practice to start with a polite and universal greeting like \"Hello\" or \"Excuse me.\" This approach is more courteous than assuming everyone speaks English. However, in many tourist destinations, English is commonly understood, so starting with simple English phrases like \"Do you speak English?\" or using basic travel phrases can help establish effective communication with locals or service providers. Being respectful of the local language and customs is an essential part of a positive travel experience.', 'I always learn how to ask in the language of the country I am visiting if they speak English, for me I agree with you op I feel its rude to just start speaking another language at someone. I also try to learn a few other sentences or words i.e. please , thank you, sorry, where are the toilets, I would like, ect', 'I learn language for fun or know survival language. When I travel I do least do some basic greeting and ask in their basic language if they speak English. That is probably the easiest way to get to what you need to know in a nice way. It shows you respect their culture and language if you do it politely', 'In Bologna (and even in my hometown) tourists or foreigners usually approach me in broken Italian and I find it quite endearing. Hearing their native accents overlap with my native language makes it fun to try and guess where they’re from.\\n \\nSome have approached me by speaking English right off the bat, and I didn’t miss a beat, however I was a bit stunned at first. \\n \\nThus, for Italy, my advice would be to ask, formally, “Mi scusi, non parlo bene italiano. Per caso, Lei parla inglese?” or informally, “Scusami, non parlo bene italiano. Per caso, parli inglese?”. So you can give people time to get prepared and switch to English, if they happen to speak it. If not, usually Italians will find a way to help you.\\n \\nAn American guy once complimented me saying “I love your outfit!” (I’m a guy too) and since I was used to being told that only by friends or female strangers, I was a bit taken aback. Even more so because he spoke English right away. This was back in my hometown. Although it felt really nice (and I thanked him for it), I’d have appreciated a second or two to get prepared to switch languages. Or maybe it’s just me.', 'It is extremely polite, and will get you a lot of good will, if you ask in local language if you can speak English. But make it about yourself, not the other person. So, rather that \"Do you speak English?\", ask \"Could I speak English with you\" or \"Would it be ok if we spoke English\"? This might be the only thing you speak in that language, but 100% worth it.', 'I’ve heard in Netherlands that mostly everyone speaks English there', 'Think about if someone walked up to YOU on the street and just started talking to you in Japanese or Swahili or something. Youd be like WTF. Its no different.', 'In countries where English is not commonly spoken, usually I learn how to say “hello! Sorry I don’t speak __(local language)” in the local language, and then proceed to ask/speak in English. This worked every time.', 'I ask in their local language if they speak English', 'Your friend sounds terribly American! be polite, ask first. In most of the northern countries people will speak some - or perfect English. Be polite always.', \"My brain leans towards your wife's logic in many ways, because that's a trait of my autism. Like many things autism has given me, I've learned that this is DEFINITELY socially incorrect. It will tend to come off as presumptive, arrogant, and stupid. 1st, always try to learn some basics of the language when traveling. Most international travel is planned a few months out, use that time in Duolingo or some other method. THAT will be more efficient in your conversations. 2nd, ask them in their own language if they can speak yours, and explain you don't know theirs. 3rd, be well prepared with a translation app on your phone. Make sure it's set up for offline use before you leave your country. 3.a - in rural areas of many countries, you'll find people that don't read well. Practice reading the translations aloud, and ask SIMPLE yes or no, this or that questions that don't require someone to type back to you.\", 'I always start by saying hello and often how are you in the language of the country I am traveling in. My accent gives me away as an English speaker. If they know English they switch. I also learn Please and Thank You in their language, and use both.', \"I usually say 'Hello', and 'English?' In France some shopkeepers are militant about saying a greeting before anything else is said. I heard an English speaker walk up to the counter and ask if they had a certain item and she refused to answer until he replied to her 'Good Morning' with a suitable reply, like she had to teach this American proper manners.\", 'lol the french comment', 'IMO it’s disrespectful. When I travel I always take the mindset that I am a guest in other peoples home. I think one has a duty to respect other people’s culture and home, that definitely 100% includes their language. If you can’t do that I think you shouldn’t travel. Plus people tend to respond well when you respect their culture. So it’s really a win-win. Like, if you’re not going to ask if they speak English at least take the time of day to learn how to say hello in the local language.', \"Learn to ask it in the language of the country. They usually will switch to English. Also learn to say you don't speak the language in case someone rattles something off at you.\", \"I usually say hello in the local language, and the person immediately responds in English because it's clear I don't speak their language.\", 'This is such an interesting question and I’ve loved reading through all of the answers. Thanks for posting!', \"Shouldn't this sub be renamed r/UStravel or something similar. It might not seem quite so patronising then.\", '\"do you speak English\" is like the first phrase I learn whenever I go to any country lol', 'I immediately start speaking...using **their language** the best I can! Even if that means just saying: (\"I\\'m sorry I don\\'t speak \\\\insert language\\\\. Is it okay with you if we try English?\") I carry my own graphic cheat-sheet in my backpack, but here\\'s something I whipped up on ChatGPT in less than a minute which pretty much looks like what I have. &#x200B; 1. French: \"Je suis désolé, je ne parle pas français. Est-ce que ça vous convient si nous essayons en anglais?\"French (Phonetics): \"Jay swee day-zoh-lay, zhuh nuh parl pah frahn-say. Ess-kuh kah sah voo kohn-vee-ehn see noo ess-say ess-koo zee ess-ay?\"\\n2. Spanish: \"Lo siento, no hablo español. ¿Te parece bien si probamos en inglés?\"Spanish (Phonetics): \"Loh see-en-toh, noh ah-bloh eh-spahn-yohl. ¿Tay pah-ray-say byen see proh-bah-mohs en een-glayss?\"\\n3. German: \"Es tut mir leid, ich spreche kein Deutsch. Ist es in Ordnung für Sie, wenn wir es auf Englisch versuchen?\"German (Phonetics): \"Ess toot meer lyt, eesh shpray-khuh kine doy-choysh. Ist ess in ohr-dnung fer zee, venn veer ess owf een-glish proh-beer-en?\"\\n4. Italian: \"Mi dispiace, non parlo italiano. Va bene per te se proviamo in inglese?\"Italian (Phonetics): \"Mee dee-spyah-chay, non pahr-loh ee-tah-lyah-noh. Vah bay-nay per teh see see proh-vah-mohs en een-glayss?\"\\n5. Portuguese: \"Peço desculpa, não falo português. Está tudo bem para você se tentarmos em inglês?\"Portuguese (Phonetics): \"Dehs-kool-pay, now fah-lo por-too-gays. Ess-tah too-doo bayn pah-rah voo se ten-tahr-mohs en een-glayss?\"\\n6. Dutch: \"Het spijt me, ik spreek geen Nederlands. Is het oké voor jou als we het in het Engels proberen?\"Dutch (Phonetics): \"Het spayt may, ik spreek khayn Day-der-lahnts. Iss het oh-kay for yay, iss vay het in het En-glish proh-buh-ruhn?\"\\n7. Swedish: \"Förlåt, jag talar inte svenska. Är det okej om vi försöker på engelska?\"Swedish (Phonetics): \"Fur-lawt, yah tah-lahr een-tah sveys-kah. Err deh oh-kay om vee fur-sayk-ur poh een-glayss?\"\\n8. Russian: \"Извините, я не говорю на русском. Вам подходит, если мы попробуем на английском?\"Russian (Phonetics): \"Proh-shoo proh-sh-cheh-nyah, yah nye goh-voh-ryoo nah roo-skahm. Vam pohd-khee-nyat, ee-lee my poh-pruh-bovat\\' na an-glee-skom?\"\\n9. Greek: \"Λυπάμαι, δεν μιλάω ελληνικά. Είναι εντάξει για σας αν δοκιμάσουμε στα αγγλικά?\"Greek (Phonetics): \"Lah-pah-meh, thhen mih-lah-oh eh-leh-nee-kah. Eh-neh eh-ehn-tahx-ee yahss-oo, ahn thahs-yss oo-see lah-oo nahn glee-kah?\"\\n10. Polish: \"Przepraszam, nie mówię po polsku. Czy można spróbować po angielsku?\"Polish (Phonetics): \"Psheh-prah-shahm, nyeh moo-vee poh pohl-skoo. Tchih moh-zhen spreh-bah-vah, chy oh-dee nah an-glees-koo?\"\\n11. Hungarian: \"Elnézést, nem beszélek magyarul. Rendben van, ha angolul próbáljuk?\"Hungarian (Phonetics): \"Ehl-nayzst, nehm beshay-lik mahr-gah-rool. Rend-ben vahn, hah ahn-goh-lool proh-by-loo-yook?\"\\n12. Romanian: \"Îmi pare rău, nu vorbesc română. Este în regulă pentru tine dacă încercăm în engleză?\"Romanian (Phonetics): \"Uhm pa-ray ra-oo, noo vor-besk ro-mah-na. Es-te een reh-goo-lah pen-troo tyneh dah-kah see in-kay-air-kahm duh-tsa in-glayss?\"\\n13. Finnish: \"Anteeksi, en puhu suomea. Käykösinulle, jos kokeilemme englantia?\"Finnish (Phonetics): \"Ahn-tayk-see, en poo-hoo soo-oh-mea. Ky-koh seen-ool-le, yoss koh-kee-ley, jos koh-kay-laym-may eng-lahnt-yah?\"\\n14. Danish: \"Undskyld, jeg taler ikke dansk. Er det i orden, hvis vi prøver på engelsk?\"Danish (Phonetics): \"Oon-skool, yah tah-ler ee nay dee-spaytsk. Err deh ee oh-den, fehs sohm dey, vee proh-vyer ohn een-glayss?\"\\n15. Norwegian: \"Unnskyld, jeg snakker ikke norsk. Er det greit for deg hvis vi prøver på engelsk?\"Norwegian (Phonetics): \"Oon-skool, yah snoh-kker ee-keh noshsk. Err deh grayt fer day, ee deh voo pruhv-er ohn een-glayss?\"\\n16. Czech: \"Omlouvám se, nemluvím česky. Je pro vás v pořádku, když to zkusíme anglicky?\"Czech (Phonetics): \"Ohm-loo-vahm say, nehm-loo-veem chehs-kee. Yay proh vahss v poh-rah-duh, kayd tohsk-oo-shee-muh ahng-lee-skee?\"\\n17. Bulgarian: \"Съжалагам, не говоря български. Вие ли се съгласявате да опитаме на английски?\"Bulgarian (Phonetics): \"Sah-zhah-lah-gahm, neh goh-voh-ryah bool-gahr-skee. Vee-ee lee seh sah-gla-syah-vah teh oh-pee-tahm na ahng-lee-skee?\"\\n18. Croatian: \"Žao mi je, ne govorim hrvatski. Je li u redu ako pokušamo na engleskom?\"Croatian (Phonetics): \"Zhaoh mee yeh, neh goh-voh-reehm khrah-vah-tskih. Yeh lee ooh reh-dee ah-koh poh-koo-shah-mo na ahng-lee-skom?\"\\n19. Estonian: \"Vabandust, ma ei räägi eesti keelt. Kas teil on midagi selle vastu, kui proovime inglise keeles?\"Estonian (Phonetics): \"Vah-bah-nd-oost, mah aye raah-gee es-tee kehlt. Kahs teh-eel ohn meed-ah-gee sah-leh vastu, koo proh-veem eeng-lees-eh keh-eh-lays?\"\\n20. Slovak: \"Prepáčte, nemám slovenčinu. Je pre vás v poriadku, ak to skúsime po anglicky?\"Slovak (Phonetics): \"Preh-pah-cheh-te, nehm-ahm sloh-vehn-shee-noo. Yeh preh vahs v por-yahd-koo, ahk toh skuhs-eem poh ahng-lee-skee?\"', 'People will be able to speak English to differing levels. Asking in the native language gives them a chance to at least prepare that the next thing you say will be in English.\\nPlus it shows that you are at least making an effort, ask your friend how she would feel if a stranger came up to her whilst she was at home and just started speaking a foreign language.\\nIn general people enjoy practicing or showing off their language skills.', 'I absolutely ask first. I try my best not to be the stereotypical American that is so ethnocentric that they can\\'t pick up a few phrases in the native language, such as \"Hello, do you speak English?\" And if they don\\'t, there\\'s always Google translate. I don\\'t hesitate to try speaking romance languages if Google is telling me what to say. Worst case they just ask to see my phone lol.', 'American in Germany here. Most don’t actually mind either way, but sometimes it’s a lose-lose situation no matter what. I’ll ask people “sprechen sie (or sprist du) English?” And they look at me like “duh, of course i do,” as if I’m implying they are uneducated. But like others have mentioned, if you just speak English right off the bat, you’re the arrogant American who thinks they should speak your language. I’ve learned to just immediately say hello or good afternoon first, so they don’t waste their time speaking German to me, and have to repeat themselves in English.', 'If English is not the local language, you absolutely ask first if they speak it. Anything else is rude and entitled.', 'Travel etiquette #1: learn, at the very least, “do you speak English” in the language of the country you’re visiting . I would never just unload on them in English', \"Here is what I do: I say 'hello' or some greeting in the native language in a very bad American accent. That is usually enough for them to start speaking English to me =)\", 'If English is not the loval language, I try to learn how to ask “Do you speak English” in the local language. For example, “parlez-vous anglais” in Quebec was invariably met with a smile in Quebec last summer. Also, your friend is rude.', \"It's an inefficient waste of time to start a conversation with a random person in a country where English is not official or widely spoken without asking them if they speak it first.\", 'In specific circumstances, I can find it a tiny bit offensive. English is not my native language and I obviously do speak it but in my own country if someone walks up to me and just starts speaking English.. it\\'s not exactly rude but I will definitely think \"Oh this person thinks English is the default language of every country, like we dont have our own language.\" It is also a bit elitist. Where I am from, a lot of people speak English but more people than that do not. So behaving like you assume everyone can speak English is a bit like, assuming everyone in a friend group can afford an activity you want to do. Some people might not and it is just nicer to act like that is the default state to be in. Of course this is excluding certain circumstances, like others also said. If we are all in a tourist group with people from all different countries, or it is somewhere where you can assume people would be able to speak English. ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "A friend and I are travelling around Europe. If we ever need to speak to someone, she immediately starts speaking in English. I've always assumed that was considered rude, and to at least try to ask in their native tongue if they speak english first. \n\nHer point was that \"if they do they do, if not, they'll just say it. People wanna be efficient and not waste time\". I hadn't really considered that, but I wanna hear what other people do. Do you just immediately speak English (or your native language) or do you ask locals if they speak your language first?\n\nEdit: Okay it looks like for Dutch, and Nordics, I'll assume they speak English. For everyone else, I'll ask in their language first. Unless they're the French. In which case I'll ask if they can speak English in the most condescending redneck accent, just to annoy the French. Think I got it figured out. ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Korean, Sri Lankan, and South African tourists are also going to go straight in with English. It\\'s not an American thing.', 'That’s why I qualified my statement with “dependant on location and situation, of course”', \"I used to play a game on an European server and it was a big difference talking to polish guys and swedes and dutchs. Most polish guys have difficulty with English but we could communicate after I tune my ears to the accent and all that. The others could speak very clearly and understood me very well too. I'm Brazilian and I dare to say my English is pretty good, they were usually surprised I could speak and write so well.\", 'Maybe because I\\'m not a native. But the second one still sounds strange to me. Like it sounds way too servant-like imo, \"May I speak English in front of your Majesty?\". Something like \"Do you mind if I speak English?\" could sound better maybe? Idk shits too hard lmao', 'Genuinely a lot of the Nordic people ive met spoke better English than some of the people I come across daily here in the UK.', 'In Nordic countries, especially big cities, most people speak English fluently (often for work, and often better than native speakers). Questioning whether someone speaks English is a bit insulting to their intelligence, as if they are backwards or uncivilized. But this is super different from France, for example, where the prevailing attitude is that you respect the culture by defaulting to French. It would come off as arrogant to come to someone else’s country and not at least try to speak their language. Having experienced both cultures, I think it comes down to the fact that French people are much more proud of their Frenchness are than Scandinavians are proud of their Swedishness etc. Just different cultural mores at the end of the day.', 'Because everyone in Norway speak English, even the people who dropped out of middle school and the mentally handicapped. We\\'re a small country of 5 million people. We\\'re very used to the fact that we need English to communicate with most people in the world. We don\\'t expect or even want you to try speaking Norwegian, it\\'s a waste of time for both of us unless you live here. When you ask us if we speak English, we think to ourselves \"Where do you think you are? Do you think we live under a rock here? What a jerk.\"', \"Yes, but most Swiss people speak English as well as German, French, and Italian. Romansch as well. Or at least 2 of those plus English. Especially in city areas. They have 4 official languages (all those except English). I spent weeks there and never encountered someone who didn't have excellent English. A lot of places have menus in each language as well. You can very safely assume whoever you're speaking to knows English. You can look at what region you're in and know what the dominant language is... if you're in western parts like geneva or montreux, it's obviously French. The bernese alps, bern, zurich... German. Southern - Italian. Eastern - romansch As an American I'm pretty jealous that most Swiss are multi lingual and pretty fluently. The way our schools and culture treat learning a second language is trash. I'm trying to teach myself Spanish as an adult and it's so freaking hard. It's not hard when you're a kid 😒 Why couldn't they just make a legitimate effort to teach us and expect us to be able to proficient in having conversations?! Ugh.\", \"Each place usually has just one main language and you’ll notice quite easily from street signs. There are some exceptions, of course, like Biel. As others have pointed out, English is widely spoken, particularly in cities and tourist areas. In fact, in a very touristy area, I encountered a waiter who didn't speak German, so had to switch to English for him. It is also common for Swiss people to speak English among each other if they don't know the other languages well, e.g. people from the German area visiting the Italian or French regions.\", 'This is why I\\'ve seen Swiss people say specifically not to try to greet them in the local language if you aren\\'t going to converse in it. By starting with \"Hello\" they know you want to speak English and not French/German/Italian/Romansch.', 'If it’s that situation you really should just ask. It’s their job. And it would be really annoying to hear that before questions all day so just be more direct for their sake.', 'Haha, completely different? lol, try visiting Europe. Scammers and panhandlers look like everybody else. They do it professionally.\\nThe US panhandlers are most likely to be real homeless and in need and I have never seen a street scammer in the US but every major city in Europe is crawling with them.', \"> I think the French (or at least Parisians) really take this too far. I speak terrible French, and am somewhat often in Paris, and it's been decades since anyone called me out on it or was rude about it.\", 'It\\'s not too far it’s just basic politness, you don\\'t say \"tu\" to people you don\\'t know. You have 3 words to learn before visiting a country and it\\'s not complicated to learn \"excusez moi\" instead of \"excuse moi\" Each country its own standards and it\\'s quite telling when all politeness standards different from yours are seen as \"too far\" just because you have to learn to say an additional syllab, while expecting the others in front of you to speak fluently your language.', \"Wtf bro I'm French why u talking to me like I don't know my own country and continent. English may be all it wants, I'm not making any effort whatsoever to speak it with someone that just comes to my country like they own the fucking place, expecting people to subsurviently submit to their culture (basically Muricans and Asians.)\", 'Lmao. I traveled with some French Canadians. They were ashamed to speak their French in France. When I asked why they told me they sounded like the worst rednecks in the world.', \"The same thing happened to my former boss and his wife, they were super insulted. He told me clearly their French was totally understandable, but the Parisian did it to be uppity, he talked about it for months. I had never been to France, but I met a Parisian in burningman, somehow we started talking about Quebec, and he was saying Quebec French was like Vulgar french, spoken by low class people unlike his refined Parisian french, and 400 years ago, only the folks who couldn't hack it in France would try their luck in Quebec. The funny thing is the guy can clearly trace his ancestry to North Africa or thereabouts, so I don't know what his folks were doing 400 years ago. Then he tried to hit on my then girlfriend on the bus. That was the only Parisian I met, and it didn't leave a good impression. I am sure most of the Parisians are lovely ppl, it is not like they are from Calgary.\", \"I was an exchange student visiting France with a bunch of other exchange students including a French Canadian guy. I'm pretty sure he got given wrong directions because they realised he was French Canadian on at least one occasion.\", 'I found that if I started in English, they were shits, if I attempted French they were shits, but if I started in Spanish they asked me if I spoke English 😂', 'France is like LA. Full of assholes, exceptions to being assholes, and exceptions to exceptions to being assholes.', \"My mum, stepdad and sister went a couple years back, and my mum and stepdad have been back twice since. They said *sometimes* people would endure their attempts at French (and we're Canadian, so there's some rudimentary knowledge there, despite it not really being used out West). Mostly people immediately switched to English. They had their menus plucked from their hands and swapped for English ones at one restaurant. Unless the person in question did not speak any English, every employee from cafes, to museums, drivers, waiters, everyone just spoke to them in English.\", \"It's not so much as the language as it is that the custom there is to give a greeting before you jump into commerce.\", 'What the hell is going on in France? This is like pathological', 'Dude what is it with the french and their toilets? I had my pants at my ankles one time shitting all over the wall trying to figure out how to close those gd public street bathroom doors and everyone that walked by just laughed at me.', 'removed', 'I’m aware, I’m finnish myself currently living in Sweden. But not every European country is nordic my friend. Funnily enough this one just popped up in my feed https://www.reddit.com/r/europe/s/TNkdvJRscL My point is just that school sets the foundation, but If You’re never exposed to english outside of school, you wont learn', 'I know that’s likely. I just still felt rude blurting it out. I didn’t ask if they spoke English (I figured they did) but asked if I may speak it to still be polite. I did learn a few other words and actually it came in handy in a falafel shop where the guy didn’t speak almost any English. I also tried to get through basic interactions with a “can I have this, yes, thanks” in Swedish/Danish.', 'It’s not just “knowing the language”. I’m fluent enough in French and German (and on a good day in Portuguese) to adequately reply to people asking questions on the street. Yet I would be surprised if they started talking to me in those languages without asking first.', 'My experience in Bavaria, not a lot of English.', \"But then some Germans are genuinely seriously angry even if you ask in German whether they speak English... \\nSometimes they can speak English too, but they don't want to and they don't want to admit that they do. It's ridiculous here.\", \"I speak Spanish at a fairly high level but not everyone has got time to play that game. It's quite frustrating at times, as a language learner with English as your mother tongue. \\nMy french isn't too bad either. So thinking I was being cultured tried asking a barman in Belgium if he spoke french. He was distinctly unimpressed. English it is then bruv!\", '> When I’ve been to Germany people in the service industry seem genuinely annoyed when I try to offer some phrases in German, I was traveling with a British friend last week in Tahiti. He goes up to the counter of a McDonald\\'s . . . inside an international airport mind you . . . and starts trying to order in his 10 words of indecipherable French. I\\'m standing behind him all embarrassed as the line is growing due to delays saying \"Just order in English, man.\" Then we get on the plane and he\\'s trying to order a drink from the flight attendant in French.', 'Yes! I love it (and am so impressed) when I get a fairly complex sentence explaining how \"bad\" their English is!', 'Aka comprehension.', 'Some countries use language as this badge of intelligence and the reality is very mixed.', 'My experience living as a Quebecer is exactly why I am sensibilized to not just start speaking in English when abroad as if everybody spoke the language. I am very proficient in English but even I can get surprised if someone just assumes I can speak English. It is like it doesn\\'t give me any time to tune my ears to the language. There are also way too many Canadians who seem to think everyone is bilingual in Quebec and there are just those who pretend to not speak French. They say shit such as \"Quebec is a special place\". The truth is that a large number of people, especially older generations, only know very basic English. People watch television in French, movies are dubbed, the newspapers are in French etc. There are some historical English-speaking communities in Quebec, but there are many English-speaking Canadians who come live here and could not care less about learning the language spoken by the vast majority. They still manage to live just fine because the vast majority of people will cater to them by giving them service in English.', 'Quebec is a \"special\" place...', 'That\\'s not a language issue, it\\'s a \"not my job\" issue. How was she supposed to know what the check in agents in Tokyo did to your bag?', 'Even among young people, especially ones that did not go to university, a sizable share do not speak English or only have limited ability to do so', \"People don't seem to understand how much time and effort it takes to be comfortable in a foreign language. There is only so much you can learn in school without full immersion. Some people may understand the question, but not know how to answer. Or sometimes it is the opposite, some people don't understand certain accents. I speak and understand English at an advanced level, but I still have a lot of trouble understanding Australian accents. I've never heard it much in my life so my ears aren't attuned to it.\", \"Almost everyone you see in Germany nowadays was required to take English in school, besides older people from the GDR. But people are also required to take maths and physics and still not everyone is good at that either. There are some people whose brains have a harder time learning languages and if it's not absolutely necessary or unavoidable they won't learn it properly. You can watch all movies and shows in a dubbed version in Germany. Scandi and the Netherlands have subtitled movies, so they have much more exposure. And if you go on vacation to Mallorca only you can get by with German there, too. \\nI personally don't understand why someone would not feel the need to learn it anyway, since it opens a whole new world, but well. This being said: I'm surprised you had zero problems in Paris and Rome. France is notorious for not speaking or not wanting to speak anything besides French. Paris is a bit better than the rest of the country, but it was 50/50 for me while, as someone living in Berlin, I hear so much English being spoken, often service staff isn't able to speak German and you have to use English.\", 'Some people don’t, and I don’t think it’s thaat weird when you think about it. A lot of Americans take Spanish in school or something similar, but very rarely speak it. Languages are learnt outside of school environments', 'I don\\'t think it sounds weird, \"May I...\" isn\\'t overly formal but \"can I speak English (to you)\" would work the same way', 'I am in france and have gotten “of course” as an answer when I ask if they speak English, with one kid seeming to be offended I asked. I find it odd, as I thought it was how you described. Maybe it’s generational, I don’t know. I still default to asking and have ofc encountered many non English speakers, especially outside of Paris.', 'Oh that’s pretty interesting, thank you for sharing!', '>Often better than native speakers Nordic people tend to have very, very good English but come on lol', 'Not just in big cities (as if we even have any, haha). Literally everyone younger than 80 speaks English.', \"Switzerland was beautiful! I'm trying to figure out how to go back there already because it was just so awe-inspiring. As for the languages, I am jealous that so many Swiss are multilingual, but some of it is a matter of necessity. If you take a 4 hour train ride from Switzerland, you could be in Italy, Germany, France. Etc. So there are more opportunities to experience and hear other languages. I can drive nearly 5 hours and still be in my same state. And since English is the predominant language of the US, it's hard to get in practice with other languages.\", \"This isn't true. In the French part of Switzerland, most people don't speak German well at all, even though they learn it in school, and as for Italian, very very few people learn any at all. You also have to consider that most people in CH go into trades and don't do more than 9 years of school. They might learn English because they travel, but they're not becoming fluent in all the Swiss languages. The people you speak with as a tourist are not representative of the whole.\", 'It definitely could be an outdated stereotype!', \"I think this is important to note. My experience visiting Paris for the first time in 2002 made me not too interested in going back for some time. I've been back a couple times since 2018 and while I do know more French now, I've found the attitude has evolved considerably. I'll still try to muddle through with basic French but people seem way more OK with speaking English than 20 years ago.\", 'I’ve been in five countries over the last week and a half and yeah I do try to learn all the basics but this morning I said “tack” to someone who gave me coffee in Munich and you know what he did? Just kinda laughed as I apologized feeling embarrassed.', \"You expect people to learn your language just to visit your country? When they instead could learn English and communicate with 99 % of the rest of the world, since the rest of the world has agreed long ago that English should be our common language? Come on. You can't be serious. Lol\", \"Hahaha, yeah, there are definitely accents in the French language. My husband tells me he notices a difference in the accents of African French speakers, too. People from places like cote d'ivoure.\", 'Canadian French is is hilarious, both because of the accent, but they also have a bunch of very old fashioned ways of saying things, and all their swears are AGGRESSIVELY Catholic.', 'I visited a Belgian friend who lives in Montreal and his Canadian friends said that on a trip to France, a local asked them if they were speaking German. They were speaking Quebec French.', 'Ooh this is a fun hack!', 'I started speaking Spanish to a bartender in Saint Jean de Luz, and she told me “we don’t speak Spanish here. You can speak French, or you can speak Basque, or you can speak English. That’s it.” 🤣😂', 'Yes, I do same - start in my crappy garbled French if they speak Spanish whereupon they’re often not so miffed (of the ones who would be like that from the start) and if they’re still snooty whilst obviously being able to speak English then I break out my Japanese and Hindi, before doing my kangaroo dance saying AUSTRALIAN sorry no French! Lmao at least I get laughs and that breaks the snooty-language ice barrier. :)', 'Oh man, I wonder if this works in Quebec...', \"Most Parisians were nice. There was one bar we went to where they didn't even respect me enough to actually hand me my drink and instead set it on the table behind me and walked off without even letting me know Other than that, and the obvious pickpocket distraction attempting folks I had to physically shove away from grabbing my friends, it was alright. They did just lose a world cup game though so maybe that didn't help\", 'Par lay voo ing lay? Most useful 5 syllables there', 'removed', 'removed', \"Danish people hardly understand eachother because their language is just a bunch of weird sounds. I've seen Danish people speak English with eachother because it's easier for them. Danish is dying and I wish I was joking, but it's also sort of funny. I recommend watching this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykj3Kpm3O0g\", 'Lol my wife always struggles with being culturally appropriate in other countries. She worries too much about proper protocol or being a conscientious tourist that sometimes is actually better to just be yourself, gracious, and friendly.', 'It’s interesting the amount of people that didn’t speak English when I was there. I think people assume most people are bilingual as many countries are comfortable like in Nordic countries plus Quebec is located in a mostly English speaking country is the biggest reason. Won’t children grow up feeling like they have less opportunities to leave for jobs in other cities like going to Toronto? I mean Americans moves to places like NY all the time for jobs or a change in life.', \"I totally agree. They're also not going to hire bilingual people for every single position in an international airport. People who are more fluently bilingual tend on average to be more educated and in other roles than that of an agent herding people in an airport. The agent might be able to say simple things without knowing how to say they have no idea what happens to their luggage on such transfers.\", \"That's totally fair! Language is such a use-it-or-lose-it skill too, so it's totally possible someone could learn in school but no longer be able to speak it. (Me with all three languages I was once conversational in.) I was surprised by Paris and Rome too. It might be that I mostly stuck to very touristy areas. I spent most of my time at museums and historical and archeological sites. Granted, I did go to many smaller, hidden-gem places, but even obscure museums in a major city have staff that speak English and English plaques. For whatever reason, I got repeatedly profiled as a Berliner while I was in Berlin. Eg, many times people would ask me for directions, assume I speak German, etc. I could speculate that it's because I'm phenotypically NW European and was wearing all black + Docs most days, but I really have no idea why that kept happening, when people everywhere else seemed to immediately know I was a tourist 😂\", '\"May I\" is a very formal and polite thing to say. It\\'s rarely used in casual conversation unless you\\'re trying to be cute.', \"That was my experience as well, many times I got an of course after asking if they spoke English. One man said, yes and it is better than your French which I had to laugh about. He said to me, I don't know where Americans got this idea that butchering a foreign language is better than just speaking in English and seeing if the other person responds. He said the Brits just speak English and then use French if necessary and he preferred it that way. Maybe that was just one French guy, I don't know.\", 'In Helsinki as I type…can confirm. The Netherlands too, btw.', 'There is a worthwhile distinction to be made here between fluency and correctness.', 'Yeah, wtf is that statement?', 'The audacity to say your people as a whole are better at a second language than native speakers is wild lmfao', \"I've found a lot of nordics who genuinely believe their English is flawless .. but it's like they're tone-deaf to why it isn't. Whether it's the Norwegian sing-song, the Swedish ch/sh thing, the Danish throat infection, the Finnish .. well it's difficult to tell because they prefer to hold the conversation from 10 meters away. Iceland makes every fricative sound like it came out a machine gun. Dutchies are probably closest, but they often have this weird thing where they sound like a posh American. Their English is often very correct, and very intelligible - but very often their delivery isn't what they think it is. (And that's okay! It's not a criticism, it's not like I have a hope in hell of reciprocating. But there's honestly nothing funnier than a Dane telling you they don't have an accent.)\", 'Perhaps as a native speaker you didn\\'t notice the word \"often\" in the sentence you quoted? Anyway, obviously everyone is fluent in whatever variant they grew up speaking and continue speaking daily, but if we establish a benchmark for \"English\" at some standard position, then I think it\\'s true that the average person in Oslo might speak \"better\" English than the average person in an American city, where there are more immigrants and more regional dialects, leading to more variation from that established standard.', \"For sure, but I think it's also a cultural thing. 🤔 we expect Spanish speaking people to learn English but we don't wanna meet in the middle and learn some Spanish. There's soooooo many Spanish-speakers in the US that don't know English and I wish I could communicate with them better, and that's why I'm learning. I'm a nurse and I get Spanish speaking pt all the time. It's such a log jam in my day to deal with, to get a translation service on the phone, or to hunt down a family member that's bilingual. I just want to be able to do it myself. Something that should take 5 minutes now takes an hour sometimes. But I'm always gonna go full ass with it because they deserve to understand what's going on just as well as an English speaking pt would.\", 'It works the other way round, too, it seems. The only person I spoke to in Lucerne spoke no French. It felt weird.', \"And how did this specific experience challenge what i said ? The point is it's not up to you or anyone here to decide what is ridiculous about politness in other countries. I've read anglophones complaining about the politness norms in some countries, like the one where you have to insist 3 times to pay because they keep saying no and accept the 3rd time. For them, it was a loss of time, except it's cultural and comes from a long tradition. It's such an arrogant point of view to judge cultural habits and codes of foreign countries, but i guess it's too complicated to understand for some people here. And we are the rude and arrogant ones lol\", 'I have been told nordic countries are fully americanized by now and i see it\\'s true lol. \"99%\" you didn\\'t travel much i guess because i have traveled in several countries for the past 10 years where people didn\\'t speak a single word of english. But you\\'re right it\\'s more convenient, however not everybody speaks it, far from it, unless you stay only in touristic places of touristic countries', \"I expect people to have the decency to learn a few words and expressions, yes. That's exactly how I travel, I know some Spanish and I fluently speak Italian because I love visiting those countries. Your brain is so globalized and americanised you can't even see how this is a problem anymore lmao. Europeans I know (or ones I care to know anyway) have the same mindset as I do.\", \"I love West African French accents - there's a real rhythm to the way their French is. It also tends to be a bit slower, making it easier for me, a non-native speaker, to understand.\", '*Tabar-NAK!*', \"I'd love to hear if it works for other people.\", 'Nothing works there', \"I'd love to know. Maybe not. Spain is right next door to France, so maybe that's why it worked there?\", 'deleted', \"Montreal is very bilingual, as are Laval which borders Ottawa and the touristy area of Quebec City. Outside that though, the province is really French dominant. Francophone Quebec culture is really a world unto itself separate from English-speaking Canada. They have their own movies, TV shows and celebrities that the rest of us basically know nothing about outside of a few rare exceptions. As long as you don't leave Quebec, it is entirely possible to grow up and live there like this. Students do learn English in school though as a second language, so most younger people are reasonably proficient to fully fluent in that language. Those who desire to leave the province to work are the ones who are fluent in English.\", \"Funny that you mention it, because I work at Oslo Airport. My workplace has no education requirements at all (just an age requirement and no criminal record), but everyone speaks at least 2 languages (Norwegian and English) and the average is far above 3. We have a lot of first and second generation immigrants, and they all speak Norwegian, English and the language of their parents home country (Urdu, Mandarin, Spanish, Polish, Russian, German etc.) and some (especially Eastern Europeans I've noticed) often speak langauges of their neighbouring countries as well. It's freaking impressive. It also comes in handy when a passenger who needs help can't speak English. Chances are very good that we can find someone within minutes who speak their language.\", \"> They're also not going to hire bilingual people for every single position in an international airport. It is normal to do this for all passenger-facing roles, unless it's a job market where you really can't find English speakers (Latin America, some parts of East Asia, etc.), in which case they get to be the check-in and gate agents.\", 'Maybe where you\\'re from, but I use it/hear it being used for polite requests between total strangers all the time. \"May I sit here?\" on the train, \"may I take this chair?\" to take someone\\'s empty chair at a bar. \"May I ask you something?\" to follow up with a random question like where did you get your drink or are you also waiting for the bus 23. It sounds more polite than \"can I\" but not overly so. Doesn\\'t sound like trying to be cute to me', 'It could be because I\\'ve mostly been in touristy areas recently, but I (American) default to English instead of attempting the other language because I don\\'t want to be insulting. I\\'ll try the basics wherever I\\'m going but in the end it\\'s English and saying \"Thank you\" in the local language. &#x200B; I\\'ve also found, especially in Europe, I\\'ve gotten by with recognizing parts of a language that\\'s close to one I know. Like in Berat, Albania I was trying to indicate I wanted to visit a small church but the pastor (?) basically said to come by the next day around noon. I\\'m 99.9% sure he was speaking Albanian but the words he used were close enough to Italian that I roughly understood what he meant because I know Spanish. It\\'s not perfect but it sometimes works', \"Right? I'm sure many native speakers don't speak the most grammatically correct English. That doesn't make a non-native speaker more fluent than them.\", 'Tbh I think that some people can speak a foreign language better than native speakers. English is my SO’s third language and she speaks/writes better English than I do, and English is my first and only language', 'Because the German dude just kinda thought it was funny and it was no big deal. Foreigners are going to come to your country, they will do their best usually but they are not going to learn all your rules and social etiquette so I think it is ridiculous to get your Europanties all twisted in knots over it. You gotta DEAL or you’ll get a reputation, like the French. And who is arrogant here??', \"It's not the tourists speaking English in France who are difficult. It's you who refuse to accept that English is the international language of the world. I've met many people who don't speak English, but English is the language we try to communicate in. I can't expect them to understand Norwegian, but most people can understand at least a few words of English. I've been traveling abroad for 35 years and been to 80+ countries on all seven continents, and I've been to some of the least visited countries in the world, thank you very much.\", 'I am absolutely going to try this. Thanks!', 'Nah, Quebec probably has more of a hard on against English speakers outside of Montreal', \">Because the German dude just kinda thought it was funny and it was no big deal. It was and 99% of people would have reacted the same no matter the country. Except it wasn't what my comment was about >but they are not going to learn all your rules and social etiquette so I think it is ridiculous to get your Europanties all twisted in knots over it. >And who is arrogant here?? Considering your intellectual level with those 2 sentences i don't feel requested to answer haha. Keep going in Disney world buddy, that's more your kind of place. I travel especially to learn about other cultures, even if it's not much, not to be in an attraction park >You gotta DEAL or you’ll get a reputation, like the French I prefer this reputation than the american reputation lmao, whose you're a fair representative.\", \"And yet most people in touristic places in Paris speak to you in english but i guess it's funnier to generalize. And despite traveling so intensively you have noticed than 99% of people try to communicate in english (at the exception of france) ? Funny because even in my most recent travels i don't have at all the same experience in China, rural Iran or in spanish speaking countries. It's certainly not 99% of people who can or wants to communicate in english, but i guess it's funnier to pretend it's only the french lol\", 'Even in Montreal.', 'I’m teasing and mocking you because I think it is hilarious to become so worked up and offended when a foreigner makes a mistake with a simple phrase. I travel for the same reason, to learn and experience other cultures. And when dealing with travelers in my own country, I’m much more welcoming and forgiving and I think that is true of Americans in general. Keep being triggered and offended, I’m sure your life will be very fulfilling this way ✌️', \"We are usually being hated on because we are very vocal about not wanting to generalise English (or globish should I say) as the best way to have a great experience, especially in our country. It's true that the French are not open to English speakers but I think it's one of our coolest tropes.\", 'I had good experiences with folks in Montreal, outside of it, the only English spoken by taxi drivers seemed to be Cash Only. Ok, that is not fair, some of them are nice; but it happens way more often than it should. Hopefully things had changed.', \"Lol sure, keep telling you you're welcoming and forgiving, that's the reputation of americans tourists abroad and not at all the karen's one where you impose your own norms and way of seeing everywhere. Oh wait, that's what you're doing right now. Keep being triggered by cultural differences to the point of making generalisations here, i am sure your life will be very fulfilling this way ;)\", \"I hear speaking english many times around me even in less touristic areas, and i can read many experiences from people who said they didn't have any difficulty in Paris, or even that they tried to speak french and have been answered in english. But for weaker minds, generalizing is easier. \\nThe more i read in english the more i understand that in many country they probably never learnt how to have any critical mind and use nuances, it's quite pathetic. French people can have clear and strong opinions in debates, but there’s less this culture of blind bashing, and thanks god because it would be mortifying.\", \"Outside of Montreal, they actually likely don't speak English. In Montreal they speak English and resent having to do so.\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Currently booking a vacation for May of 2024. I’m torn between Napa Valley, California and Willamette Valley, Oregon. I’ll be flying, and staying ideally 4 nights.! Any pro’s or cons to either one?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'I would recommend Sonoma if you want a more chill, better bang for your buck experience.', 'Willamette valley is a treasure and I highly recommend it. We just finished a week long trip there and had such a wonderful time. Yes, they have a WIDE variety of Pinot Noir but also a lot of other great wines available. And there smaller family owned ones that are just so amazing to visit. But also larger ones with massive tanks and infrastructure. \\nAlso if you fly Alaska airlines you get to bring a case home w you for free!! But that’s also for NorCal; just a fun fact.', \"I enjoy Napa for the scenery, but it's very pricey for what ends up being a bunch of beautifully decorated family run vineyards that don't distribute outside the area mostly because a lot of the wine isn't actually better than the stuff you buy in the local liquor stores, just more expensive.\", \"There are some great suggestions here and I completely agree that Napa is overly touristed and overly expensive. I much prefer Sonoma and love Willamette Valley. One other place to consider might be the Carmel Valley near Monterey, called the Central Coast although it's a bit away from the ocean. Probably fewer vineyards but there are some good tasting rooms for Cabernet Sauvignon and especially Syrah. Plus, you're just a short distance from Monterey which is lovely and has perhaps the best aquarium I've ever seen. Russian River is another area that's maybe a bit less touristed than Napa. It's north of both Napa and Sonoma. Haven't been but hear there are some good wineries up that way.\", 'I personally like the wine country around Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo better.', \"Assuming you're coming from the US, you might want to try Okanagan in BC. Exchange rate is $0.70 so you're effectively getting a 30% discount. Some great options below. * Sparkling Hill(https://www.sparklinghill.com/)\\n* Mission Hill(https://www.missionhillwinery.com/)\\n* Cedar Creek(https://www.cedarcreek.bc.ca/)\\n* Quails Gate(https://www.quailsgate.com/) A full overview of the region(https://www.tastingtable.com/947134/explore-british-columbias-okanagan-valley-with-these-wineries/)\", 'We go to Napa every year. We don\\'t spend much time at Napa wineries -- because we\\'re not gazillionaires. But the town itself is outstanding for visitors. Walkable. Oxbow Market has \"everything you want at relatively reasonable prices.\" And then we drive to Sonoma, Healdsburg, Santa Rosa or Suisun for wine tastings. We only visit three wineries per day, so we make sure we really want to try them (or try them again). Yes, it\\'s become crazy expensive for tastings. But I look at it from the winery owner\\'s perspective -- most of these people are just here to guzzle and get blind drunk on \"the good stuff.\" Seriously, the behavior I see from most other people at the tasting rooms is just appalling. I remember when tastings were free. Just please buy a bottle or two.', 'Oregon 100%', 'Go to Santa Rosa/Sonoma instead of Napa', 'If you want an expensive but high-end trip with tastings of all the heavy hitters choose Napa. As another poster said the grapes in Napa wines are usually not grown in Napa. The surrounding areas of Sonoma, Windsor, Santa Rosa, Healdsburg, Calistoga and Ukiah have a ton of great wineries and are a little cheaper. Livermore and the Lodi Valley are other huge wine producers. it’s not as ‘pretty’ as Sonoma and Napa but there are some great wines and wineries there. We live about 40 minutes from both Sonoma and Napa. We always choose Sonoma if we are going tasting mostly because Napa priced us out years ago For 4 days I’d stick to Sonoma/Napa area and rent a car to drive to the smaller wineries. For a day with 3-4 tastings get a tour so you don’t have to drive', \"Sommelier here that's been to all 3 wine regions you mentioned, including the Okanagan in BC. I've been lucky enough to have visited them multiple times and have still barely scratched the surface. Here's my take and I assume you're not in the industy: Napa. Based on what you're saying that you're a big fan of Cab Sauv, you can't top Napa. Yes, the tastings are $$$ as well as the bottles, but the attention and service you get are top notch. The distances in Napa are pretty large (Carneros and Mt. Veeder AVA's are almost on opposite ends for example) so it depends on the specific wineries you want to check out. While there are a few pockets in Sonoma (area as a whole is much bigger than Napa) that can make a good Cab Sauv, their claim to fame (along with the Willamatte) is really Pinot Noir. What you could do though is visit the town of Sonoma and visit a few tasting rooms there for an afternoon and walk around. At least it would give you an idea of what's out there, while still dedicating your time in Napa. You could still do a day trip to Healdsburg, Geyserville or Santa Rosa (within the Sonoma region as a whole) and so on while still spending most of your time in Napa as well. The Willamette is great (I was there in August), but I'd leave that for another trip, along with the Okanagan. Lastly, Napa's reputation for being stuffy and corporate is understandable, but there are still many people who continue like they did back in the 60's/70's. What other wine regions have you been to though? And is there a specific winery you had in mind to visit?\", 'So, I suppose I am the residential mod/wine expert. I worked as a wine chemist for a few years for Beringer. So Napa is really small, we had a huge sign when you enter the winery that said...", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Currently booking a vacation for May of 2024. I’m torn between Napa Valley, California and Willamette Valley, Oregon. I’ll be flying, and staying ideally 4 nights.! Any pro’s or cons to either one?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "The later you go the better your chances are of sunny weather, but you can only really guarantee sunny days if you wait until the end of June.', \"Here's a link(https://www.wunderground.com/calendar/us/or/salem/KSLE/date/2023-5) to our daily weather last May. Here's the year before(https://www.wunderground.com/calendar/us/or/salem/KSLE/date/2022-5) \\\\- while May can be rainy, that hasn't been the trend the last couple of years. Wineries don't shut down for the rain. Everything will be open as normal.\", 'Okanagan is GORGEOUS. Way cheaper to stay, less touristy.', 'https://www.hellobc.com/places-to-go/okanagan-valley/ \\nhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/okanagan-valley-canada-wine-tasting/2021/11/24/e6de3cf2-2df4-11ec-8ef6-3ca8fe943a92_story.html', 'Paso is like 45 min from Pismo and 30 min from SLO, so those are great places to spend some time. Plenty of tasting rooms in SLO and Pismo too!', 'Paso Robles is firmly in the #3 spot for California wine regions, which is not an insult. They have some very good wines and are becoming more popular. Justin, Austin Hope, and Daou are the most famous ones (for good reason.) Daou is by far the prettiest vineyard, but the tasting is extremely expensive and their cheapest bottle is maybe $50, with their flagship coming in at about $180 or so. I really like Tablas Creek. They do Rhone blends, GSMs and the like, and sell good and affordable wines, with the most expensive bottles coming in at about $60. You can get a good bottle on site in the $20-30 range. Besides wine, Paso Robles has tons of great restaurants around downtown, is pretty close to SLO, which is a great college town, and also close to some nice beaches (Pismo is nice but good luck finding parking.) Solvang is also right around the corner.', 'You can get bottles for less throughout Napa. Not every bottle is $100.', \"Lol at the semantic nitpicking here. I stand by my comment: Skip Napa (the city) and Sonoma (the city), and go to Healdsburg (the city). No point in going to Willamette (the ava) unless you're a huge Pinot fan. I've been to all and Healdsburg (the city) was the best of the bunch as far as wine-country Basecamp goes, IMO.\", 'Just my opinion here... Napa can feel a bit congested. if you\\'re going to be there in the middle of the week, you\\'ll be fine, but weekends can get crowded. Sonoma (county) will have its moments with crowds, but is more laid back and the wineries are spread out, which gives me a more relaxed experience. Wines in both locations are amazing. I don\\'t get the sense you\\'re wine snobs from your response, but the Cabs in Napa will be better. You\\' should find lots of other varietals to enjoy in Sonoma. If you choose Sonoma, Healdsburg is a great location to stay. I would stay away from Oregon. That\\'s a big trip to go to a place where you have to be in love with Pinots to fully enjoy. There are fewer \"high end\" winery options and the weather may be less than ideal. For perspective I was there for a week this past April and it did not stop raining for five consecutive days. Don\\'t mistake that to mean it rained each day. It literally did not stop raining the entire time we were there. We enjoyed our time and love Oregon, but I wouldn\\'t travel across the country in May to visit. That trip is better reserved for Summer. I would also strongly consider Paso Robles. The wines are great (slightly below Napa/Sonoma tier and not known for Cabs, but still wonderful). It\\'s a much more relaxing environment. You\\'ll stumble into a number of wineries where the owner is pouring. The landscape is beautiful. If you don\\'t want to wine taste the entire time you are there, you can spend a day at Hearst Castle, or Pismo Beach. If you Fly into San Jose, you can be in Paso in \\\\~2.5 hours, so it\\'s not much further of a trip away from the Bay Area than Napa/Sonoma. Just something to consider. /r/wine will also have a lot of great recommendations.', 'Napa can actually be better for a slower pace. The great tasting rooms all require an appointment and are either small group, seated tastings or private tastings. Many offer food pairings. One of my favorites, Reverie II, took us in an atv to the top of the Vineyard for our private tasting and then we played bocce ball after. Several wineries have tastings in the vineyards.', \"Sonoma County is loaded with beautiful areas to visit wineries: Healdsburg, Sonoma Valley, Sebastopol, Russian River, Alexander Valley up through Geyserville. It's just got much more variety when it comes to the setting (after all, it has plenty of coastline) and great food. There's simply a lot more of it than there is of Napa, and that benefits visitors greatly.\", 'I love Healdsburg so much! Fort Ross Vineyard is a hidden gem by the coast', \"Mine too. Spectacular wines at a fraction of the cost. I have a few Napa wineries that I live and I'm willing to pay for.\", 'So many to choose from! It’s changed a lot from when I was there pre-covid, but I do definitely recommend the (possibly still free?) tour and tasting at Korbel. Even if you’re not into sparkling wine, it was super informative and I was very surprised at the wide range of different styles they had available.', \"Scenery in the Okanagan is gorgeous. I almost moved there, so not disputing that, but if you get up to the mountains within Napa (Mt. Veeder and Howell Mountain sub-AVA's come to mind, but there's also Atlas Peak), it's amazing.\", \"Certainly is a big difference (north to south) in the Okanagan. You get the bigger reds in the south around Oliver and Osoyoos and the fresher whites in the north around Lake Country/W. Kelowna. The Similkameen is still up and coming though and right next to the south Okanagan, but that's a whole other discussion...\", 'Definitely going to look more into it, thank you.!!', 'At this point, I think based on what everyone said, I’m leaning either towards Sonoma or Okanagan Valley. I’ll do more research but thank you for your advice.!! It looks like an absolutely beautiful city.!!', 'Yeah, I mean they are a corporation at this point and produce waaaay more crappy wine than they do good wine. But at the same time, it does also allow them the resources to make some really special high end stuff.', 'Cool! Didn’t know this!', \"Adding to amazing paso wine list\\nL'Venture ($60+, west of 101). Beautiful winery and several 1point reds. Epoch $60+, west of 101 Assuncian Ridge great value\", \"It's called terroir. It's why Alexander Valley, isn't the same as Carneros, or Sonoma Coast, etc. Or why Burgundy has so many price variations within the sub-appellations nevermind the individual sites. And yes, Healdsburg is a nice place, but if time is limited, walking around the town of Sonoma isn't a bad idea. It's just a suggestion. Walking around the city of Napa is also not a bad where one can visit a ton of tasting rooms. Of course, where the OP is based from makes the biggest difference. There's more to Sonoma than Pinot Noir, it's just what they're mainly known for.\", 'Thank you so much for this advice, this helps', 'I love that! I definitely want a more intimate setting. I love taking the time and meeting the wine makers and touring the vineyards', \"I must have expensive taste, because I haven't witnessed the fraction of the cost part lol but man I love that region.\", \"Yeah, my wife and I love it in the Napa area. We're Canadian though, so our dollar is working against us.\", \"Absolutely! I'm partial to Naramata and Skaha, but things are reasonably close so you can try a bit of each 🙂\", 'Hi OP, I live in Sonoma County and just want to flag that r/sonomacounty has tons of posts on specific wineries to further develop your itinerary if you decide to come here!', 'When you decide where, come back for specific winery recommendations. Lots of wine lovers here!', 'Check out Assuncian Ridge and Penman Springs for some reasonably priced wines.', 'Ouuu!! Thank you!! 🤍', 'I can tell.!! I’ve found my people.!! 🤍'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I’m an American citizen who has to urgently return back to the states. Thing is, my passport expires the same day my flight would land in O’hare. I cannot afford to renew my passport as it would take too long, and I must be home asap. I do have at least two days after my flight before I have to attend my matters. Is there anything I can do or am I screwed?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"You can enter the US naked with no documentation as a citizen. Your passport expiration date means nothing. The problem is getting you to the CBP agent. You said your flight lands in ORD. To be eligible to fly, most airlines require a valid passport. Therefore you must get on that plane before it expires. If you don't, you'll have to renew at an embassy before you go or find a way to show up at a land or sea border crossing.\", 'There are no minimum passport validity requirements to return to your country of nationality. It just needs to be valid when you travel.', 'According to US Consulate, \"**The six-month validity requirement does NOT apply to an American citizen using a U.S. passport to enter the United States or Canada. He/she may do so up until the date of expiration of the passport.**\" Also, you used to be able to return to the US with an expired passport, but I think they changed that last year', \"You can return to the US as a citizen w/o ANY paperwork on hand. It ain't easy, but it can be done.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I’m an American citizen who has to urgently return back to the states. Thing is, my passport expires the same day my flight would land in O’hare. I cannot afford to renew my passport as it would take too long, and I must be home asap. I do have at least two days after my flight before I have to attend my matters. Is there anything I can do or am I screwed?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Now, the airlines don't have to allow you on the plane with an expired passport. That's different thing.\", \"> It’s my ONLY Why don't you have at least a state ID in addition? Or passport ID card (do you have to send that in when renewing it?)\", 'Specifically a special resort in the south of Cuba(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guantanamo_Bay_Naval_Base).', 'removed', 'thats what i am saying', 'Lolita Express?', 'It’s already based on a true story', 'My state ID for my state in the US is worthless outside much of the US / the ONLY ID I have when I am in Thailand is my passport. And it holds my visa, too. And they take it to renew it. It’s absurd that they take it knowing that they are basically leaving me without what is required by law leaves me vulnerable. The US State Dept stinks. (So I should have said the only valid ID, not just only. I have 3-4 IDs that would work if I was in the US but they aren’t helpful outside of it, passport is an absolutely essential thing when outside of your home country - and they shouldn’t ever take it from you while you are on foreign soil. Ever.)', 'I hear the waters there are breathtaking.', 'I had a feeling someone would say this lol', 'Gotcha.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Perhaps my Googling and DuckDuckGo-ing skills suck, but I'm having a hell of a job finding what I'd call \"traditional\", UK-style, Bed and Breakfast stays (in NSW, Australia and in New Zealand (whereas in previous down under visits a decade(s) ago I know they existed)), .... search returns are giving me Booking.com, hotels.com, you now, paid hits. Has Airbnb killed the old school model?\n\n\\[Anyone have a good web resource for New Zealand B&Bs?\\]\n\nThank you,", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"I'm in NSW, stayed in some cute bnbs but all booked through booking.com. Also, all in regional towns. No idea about NZ.\", \"Yeah they're all on Booking.com now because it's easier and more profitable for them than maintaining their own site. Booking.com is better than Airbnb now anyway, especially if you make an account and search for the Genius offers. Airbnb has shit itself and ruined what made it great in the first place.\", 'NZ Bed and Breakfast Accommodation Guide(https://truenz.co.nz/bed-and-breakfast) Pretty sure some of this might be out-of-date but a place to start anyway…', 'Go direct - so they don’t lose % to booking agents.', 'Its absolutely stupid. I used booking.com to book a b&b in italy. Now I travel a lot for work so im used to staying in hotels apartments ect but this was the first time I had stayed in a place without a bed or breakfast.\\nThe bed was a pullout sofà which i always make sure to never book as i dont sleep well on them.\\nThe breakfast was none existant. \\nHow can booking have a place with b&b in its name but provide neither', \"I booked all accommodation in NZ and now Tasmania on Booking.com.au and lastminute.com.au All good. \\nI don't go near AirBnb\", 'A lot of the travel sites such as Booking.com and Expedia have smaller hotels on them.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Perhaps my Googling and DuckDuckGo-ing skills suck, but I'm having a hell of a job finding what I'd call \"traditional\", UK-style, Bed and Breakfast stays (in NSW, Australia and in New Zealand (whereas in previous down under visits a decade(s) ago I know they existed)), .... search returns are giving me Booking.com, hotels.com, you now, paid hits. Has Airbnb killed the old school model?\n\n\\[Anyone have a good web resource for New Zealand B&Bs?\\]\n\nThank you,", "role": "user" }, { "content": "&#x200B; Ha, I still have the treeware version of a B&B guide I used for my last visit 2003! I guess I can even use that as a starting point, often B&B businesses are sold on to the next generation of hosts. Start with the two decade old book, see if they still exist, book direct.', 'Find them through booking.com then look them up and book directly?', 'Find the ones you want from booking.com. find the price. Then.call The venue and ask them if they do it cheaper (no middle man, most places will cut the middle man out of the picture very quickly) especially for a b&b where their own profit margins are quelled by third party booking sights', 'Just jumping in here to say that often in NZ a holiday home is referred to as a ‘bach’, so try that- bookabach.co.nz is a good place to start :)', 'Lol, treeware.', \"Former hotel worker here to confirm this. I've checked people in who went through a third party site like Booking or Expedia to reserve a room at my 90$ hotel (tax included) and were paying over 100$. These were people who qualified for discounts for being Triple A members or being senior citizens that would have taken them to a nightly payment of 85$ (tax included) if they had made the reservation through me. We hate these third party websites and can give you a better deal 90% of the time\", 'I don’t know about Australia and NZ, but in Europe many smaller properties only take bookings on Booking.com. Yeah, they have to pay a cut, but it’s easier if they don’t have to maintain their own booking system, and all guests find them in Booking.com anyway so the vast majority of people would book there anyway. With hotels and holiday villages it’s different; they have their own websites and booking platforms and will often offer cheaper prices than third parties.', 'A B&B isnt a bach though', \"Booking platforms are third parties? Also I'm European and what you said just isn't true? I have never not found a cheap booking, then call to discuss said third party price and negotiate a direct price Its always cheaper, again not too sure of AUS & NZ. But in Europe specifically\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Context: I had a morning flight to SFO from MDW with my wife. We were already seated on a packed flight with iffy weather conditions (slight rain and typical Chicago wind I assume). We got delayed because their engineers said we wouldn’t be able to fly with the headwind, amount of passengers, and cargo (TBC, there were still a few empty seats). So they were looking for volunteers to hop on another flight and they didn’t get enough.\n\nLong story short, we were told (not asked) to deboard the plane. I talked to 2 agents at the gate to settle everything. They got everyone’s info and they said they would email the ~15 passengers that got bumped. I was told compensation would be: next day flight around the same time same airline, 4x the original amount paid, no hotel (not even a refund for hotel in SF), and nothing else. We were reassured this and told we can leave the airport already. Email arrives around 5 hours later and the amount offered was the original payment + $40. Nowhere near the 4x promised which is what made me comfortable leaving the airport/situation. I can ask them again at the gate tomorrow morning but I am afraid they will deny til they die. Do I have any recourse in this case?\n\nEdit: Frontier Airlines #2483 departure: 10:35AM CT\nNew flight: #2483 dep 11:11AM CT\n\nUpdate Nov. 9, 2023: I spoke to the same supervisor and she won’t budge. They weaseled their way saying I’m only owed 4x the one way fare which is what it says on the DoT website. They probably calculated BASE FARE. Though for basic calculations, I paid $280 for my wife and I with 1 checked bag. Divide it up and it’s around $70/one way. I was offered $155.92/person.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'You should always name and shame the airline', 'One trick Frontier and Spirit use is to offer multiples of fare paid. That doesn’t mean 4X of what you paid. They work off very low actual base fare and don’t offer multiples of taxes, fees or any add ons (like seat selection or bag charges). In this case you got back what you paid and likely 4X of a $10 base fee. Also for person that said you are owed a lot more per DOT that likely isn’t correct. This was weather related so they get a pass on denied boarding and their own policy says they don’t pay hotel in these cases. Sorry but you unfortunately are on the airline with the worst published compensation policy.', 'You are owed a hell of a lot more. File a DOT complaint https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/bumping-oversales', 'This all sounds so fucking shady. I avoid frontier like the plague and don’t fly them anymore-\\nAnd you might be SOL: \\n*Bumped passengers are NOT eligible for compensation in the following situations: Aircraft Change - A smaller plane is substituted for the larger one the airline originally planned on using due to operational or safety reasons.\\n \\nWeight and Balance - Weight or balance restrictions that apply to planes with 60 or fewer seats for operational or safety reasons*', 'When you fly Frontier you take a gamble on all aspects of the customer experience...', 'Use the “Contract of Carriage” term, they will know you’re reading what you’re legally entitled to and honor that, even if you don’t read the full CoC. They owe you a lot more!', '**Notice:** Are you asking about compensation, reimbursements, or refunds for delays and cancellations? You **must follow Rule 4** and include the **cities, airports, flight numbers, airlines**, and **dates of travel**.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Context: I had a morning flight to SFO from MDW with my wife. We were already seated on a packed flight with iffy weather conditions (slight rain and typical Chicago wind I assume). We got delayed because their engineers said we wouldn’t be able to fly with the headwind, amount of passengers, and cargo (TBC, there were still a few empty seats). So they were looking for volunteers to hop on another flight and they didn’t get enough.\n\nLong story short, we were told (not asked) to deboard the plane. I talked to 2 agents at the gate to settle everything. They got everyone’s info and they said they would email the ~15 passengers that got bumped. I was told compensation would be: next day flight around the same time same airline, 4x the original amount paid, no hotel (not even a refund for hotel in SF), and nothing else. We were reassured this and told we can leave the airport already. Email arrives around 5 hours later and the amount offered was the original payment + $40. Nowhere near the 4x promised which is what made me comfortable leaving the airport/situation. I can ask them again at the gate tomorrow morning but I am afraid they will deny til they die. Do I have any recourse in this case?\n\nEdit: Frontier Airlines #2483 departure: 10:35AM CT\nNew flight: #2483 dep 11:11AM CT\n\nUpdate Nov. 9, 2023: I spoke to the same supervisor and she won’t budge. They weaseled their way saying I’m only owed 4x the one way fare which is what it says on the DoT website. They probably calculated BASE FARE. Though for basic calculations, I paid $280 for my wife and I with 1 checked bag. Divide it up and it’s around $70/one way. I was offered $155.92/person.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Also ‘engineers’ don’t tell us if we can fly. I bet one of the emergency doors were unserviceable and they had to offload (we lose seating per door due evacuation requirement). Lastly.. an A320 can fly SFO JFK. Chicago is way less than that. You were lied to. File complaint with government', 'This so so so fucked. Is this a frontier/budget airline thing or a standard airline policy? OP if the airline fails you look into the benefits your credit card you booked with gives you. At the very least a hotel should be compensated but you are owed so much more.', 'I really dug into the line item “weight and balance”.. The designated aircraft was by no means a small one. ~32 rows x 6 seats clears the planes with 60 seats or fewer category. For the sake of argument, looks like Frontier’s aircrafts aren’t designed to fly at full capacity and this certainly couldn’t have been overbooking (empty seats available).', \"You can't really know that by looking at the sky though. It may be conditions along the way, disturbances at 30k feet you can't see etc.\", 'And how would that have allowed him to stay on the plane? Stfu', 'Yup, I don\\'t think Frontier or Spirit even have phone numbers you can call anymore. Their official policy is \"too bad, so sad\". The $50 in savings usually aint worth it.', \"It's related to the Jet Stream (which is weather). Flight times going west are taking considerably longer meaning more fuel & less loaded weight. Bumping passengers was probably necessary to make the trip feasible. Recent story about a 7 hour New York to SF flight: https://thepointsguy.com/news/what-is-the-jet-stream/\", 'If it was due to headwinds or other atmospheric issues it was absolutely weather related. Not even any doubt. That is what OP posted', \"Also, don't fly Frontier. It's a shitty airline, and stuff like this is common with them.\", 'it does sound like Frontier is giving them the mandated DOT compensation, 400% of the one way fare. just not 400% of what they actually paid because most of it was taxes and fees. 400% of a small number then still ends up a small number.', 'Additionally MDW has short runways necessitating less weight as well.', 'They were flying east?', 'You might be right!', 'Read again. *to* SFO *from* MDW', '🤦🏻\\u200d♂️ you’re right! \\n(That’s why I always try to remember not to answer or comment on anything before I have had coffee - but without the coffee I can’t remember the rule! 😏)'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello, \n\nI am traveling to Lehore Pakistan for a friend's wedding. I will be entering Pakistan with him and his family and I've already got my visa approved from Pakistan. \n\nI am just scared with everything going on and the fact that I'm Jewish (my name is pretty Jewish Aswell) Was wondering if it's a good idea to travel there and would it be safe for me as a Jewish person. Mostly just worried about going through the airport and what would happen if they found out I was Jewish? \n\nThank you for all your advice :)", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'Most people in Pakistan can’t recognise Jewish names (including the immigration officials). Those who can will not bother you about it. I would just keep religion and politics out of the conversation, which is pretty universal advice. Have fun!', \"I have visited Lahore previously. Ill be honest, the people are absolutely lovely. Your host will definitely look after you and ensure nothing happens. I assume your friend is quite privileged if they are having foreigners come to their wedding. So i would have no concerns :). There was an issue at immigration for me and I had multiple people in the line come up to me and ask if i needed to borrow their phone or if they could help. I tried to pay for dinner with my friends family as a thank you. The waiter quite literally refused my money and said it's for your host to pay.\", 'Pakistani here. I live in Lahore. You’ll be fine. Immigration officials don’t ask visitors’ religions. Even if they do find out you’re Jewish, it won’t be a problem. That said, if they find any evidence of travel to Israel on your passport you might (or might not) be denied entry. EDIT: Another user, in the replies to my comment, has pointed out that you can visit Pakistan even if you’ve been to Israel on a non-Israeli passport. So I guess it’s all good :D Still, if you’ve ever visited Israel, it might be a good idea to ask around and confirm it won’t be a problem before travelling to Pakistan. I hope you enjoy your trip to Lahore. Safe travels!', \"Okay so, people won't know you are Jewish until you tell them you are Jewish. Most people don't know any Jewish names here. Just pretend you are from the West and you will get treated very well. I am guessing you are not traveling on an Israeli passport as it is not allowed in Pakistan. So if not, nobody will know you are Jewish. If you'd like, I am totally up for meeting you as I am in Lahore. Edit: In customs, if you don't have an Israeli passport, nobody will know you are Jewish. Take it easy,\", 'Pakistani here. Mostly nobody has experience interacting with Jewish people. If you gotta the visa, you must be fine. The problem would be if you have visible Israeli symbolism. That’s universally hated here.', 'Unless you plan on draping yourself in an Israel flag or wearing a yarmulke, I’m sure you’ll be fine.', 'I lived in Pakistan for 10+ years with a Jewish name', 'They will not recognize a Jewish name and even if so they will not give you a hard time. I can assure you everyone is going to be super hospitable. I highly doubt you will have any issues.', 'Mate, go have fun. Have lots of food, immerse yourself in the culture and don’t overthink it. As others have said, avoid political or religious discussions. What you really have to worry about is water! Only have bottled water from a good brand. When I was there, I also boiled it to be extra safe 😂', 'As a Pakistani, I can tell you that you will be more than fine. You don’t have to continually advertise that you’re Jewish and you don’t have to hide it either. No one is going to infer it from your name alone. Once you’re there, you’ll realize how much most people just appreciate you as a person and not what your political or religious affiliation might be. Stop worrying and enjoy your trip and, most importantly, enjoy the people. It’ll be an experience beyond what you might be currently capable of understanding about people around the world, I can guarantee you. Happy traveling.', \"Everyone who has commented so far is missing the point that OP is worried about going through customs, not sure much the wedding... >Mostly just worried about going through the airport And with an obviously Jewish name they won't be able to hide that. I dont have any expeience with this kind of thing, but I would think you'll almost certainly be fine. I would just suggest keeping the contact info to your country's embassy on hand, just in case. If immigration gives you any issues they might be able to help.\", 'Contrary to media caricatures they couldn’t care less if you were jewish, Hindu or a Martian. And that includes immigration. The hospitality is out of this world. And there’s no tourism there. They’ll love you.', \"Keep religion and politic out from the conversation and you will be fine. This is the basic rules in visiting most countries in the world. It's common sense. Change the subject to sports which is a universal ice breaker in conversation.\", 'As an Israeli Jew who has previously traveled to Lahore, I felt safer there than in the USA. Surprisingly, I was never questioned about my religion in Lahore, and the hospitality was truly exceptional.', 'My white husband is travelling with me to Lahore in December. No one is going to ask if he’s Jewish and your friend won’t be setting you up for failure. If your visa was approved, you won’t have problems. Anyways, some real ignorant comments here. Lol', 'Lahore is a wonderful place and lovely people. They are so hospitable that, that would take precedence. You are a guest and they will treat you as such. I doubt they would recognize any “jewish” name etc… I’m an American woman, I traveled to Lahore with no issues. ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello, \n\nI am traveling to Lehore Pakistan for a friend's wedding. I will be entering Pakistan with him and his family and I've already got my visa approved from Pakistan. \n\nI am just scared with everything going on and the fact that I'm Jewish (my name is pretty Jewish Aswell) Was wondering if it's a good idea to travel there and would it be safe for me as a Jewish person. Mostly just worried about going through the airport and what would happen if they found out I was Jewish? \n\nThank you for all your advice :)", "role": "user" }, { "content": "So if you hear of a Jacob Goldberg or a Deborah Silberstein, there's a 99% chance they'll be Jewish.\", 'I think that was an autocorrect issue “as well”.', 'I’m Pakistani and have had Jewish friends visit me in Lahore (the city OP is asking about), but I guess you know better?', 'Yes, true.', 'Came here to say this☝️. Kinda sad if you think about it :/', 'Oh wow. Thank you for correcting me; I’ve edited my comment.', \"How would you have Israel on you passport? Israel doesn't stamp and hasn't for at least a decade (source, I live there). Unless you were referencing an Israeli passport, which isn't the case here.\", \"Yeah but what can we do about it. It's the sad reality bit it's a reality in Pakistan.\", 'Maybe Israeli flag. Jewish star symbolizes a religion', 'Yeah, i double this. The friends and family will have them totally sorted.', 'Also you can just say \"I\\'m not Jewish\"', 'Because at the time I posted literally every other comment was \"just don\\'t tell anyone.\" I mostly wanted to point out what OPs actual question was and offer at least something. I do know that you can contact your embassy in case of an emergency or issues with immigration, so it\\'s not useless advice. But maybe someone can offer more if they actually read the question.', 'For a time it seemed like an easier boarder crossing was going to be normalized. It’s a shame we’re back to this situation.', 'You can walk through the border at lahor if you get your visas in advance', 'Is this a recent restriction? Every link on a google search tells me this can be done. The only caveat seems to be an e-visa will not work but a \"paper\" visa in your passport will work.', 'removed', \"Indeed. My experience of Pakistanid is that they believe their stereotypes about Jews and wouldn't recognise the reality if it stood in front of them.\", 'Not in Pakistan they won’t.', 'Rabbi hymen mcjewburg?', 'Daniel Pearl.', \"See that's the thing. Many people here saying don't go are people who already wouldn't go, regardless of religion. But that's not what OP is asking.\", \"It's fine. My aunt is from a smaller town near Lahore, and my uncle and cousin have traveled there with her multiple times and had 0 issues.\", 'Stop fear mongering Yank. Pakistan is fine, especially if you don’t have an American accent lol', 'Let’s not pretend most Muslims don’t lie about their religion traveling through Europe/ North America cause Islamophobia \\U0001fae0\\U0001fae0\\U0001fae0', 'Honestly, it’s not that there would be a problem. But due to the current situation and all, it would just be really awkward for him i guess. But that’s probably it. Pakistanis are really really hospitable people and they’ll probably treat him like a king. I’d love to hear about his experience when he’s back :) And yes, to the guy who mentioned spending money in Pakistan. He’ll probably be staying and living at his friend’s place. As a foreigner, he probably won’t spend a penny in Pakistan. Nobody will let him pay, even if it’s something really small. Shopkeepers, restaurants will refuse his money', '> I wouldn’t want to travel to a place where you get targeted for your ethnicity or religion why are you getting downvoted for speaking obvious fax?', 'removed', 'I’m quite sure all halal food is kosher!', 'UK and Canada didn’t stamp ours this year. I think this is just what everyone’s moving towards', 'I meant if you have an Israeli stamp on your passport. Interesting they don’t stamp- I guess that’s why ppl I know who have been to Israel and also came to PK havnt had an issue. But yes confirming that it’s not an issue', 'Non-tourist travel sometimes results in stamps and some countries (not Pakistan afaik, but Lebanon for example) will look to see if there are stamps from Jordanian or Egyptian crossings with Israel.', '>Israel doesn\\'t stamp and hasn\\'t for at least a decade (source, I live there). I believe for a few years, Israel was stamping certain tourists passports. I believe at the time it were visiting the West Bank / Ramallah? I believe at the time it was sort of an \"F U\" so you would have to get a new passport. But maybe that was exaggerated', 'It is really too bad. Maybe we will see a change in government in a few months that will help the situation, but I am not holding my breath..', 'That is true in one direction but not the other… Foreign tourists can go from India to Pakistan — but not Pakistan to India.', 'Yes, and to be fair, my info could be out of date by the time the OP travels with how rapidly / suddenly India is changing visa / border restrictions. And I do see what you are saying about paper v evisa. Just trying to emphasize for ppl that do not know that this is not comparable, to say, taking the Chunnel from the UK to France and would require forethought and planning.', 'removed', 'removed', 'Obligatory not Muslim or Jewish, but from my understanding, shellfish is halal but not kosher.', 'No, if you mean strictly kosher Safely pork free if that’s all that matters to you.', \"Technically no, because different prayers are said and kosher is also about not mixing certain types of food. (A jewish person who is keeping strict kosher can't have cheesy lasagna with beef, while a muslim person could make it with halal ground beef to give a very layman's example). There is an understanding that most muslim folks will be OK ordering a kosher meal in a pinch (like for airplane meals) because it will be free of most of the things that would make it haram (like pork), and there is a similar method of preparing the meat (invoking of god and a jugular slice).\", \"No, it's not.\", 'Wrong. Kosher food is Halal but Halal food isn’t Kosher.', 'When you come into israel via Ben gurion you don’t get stamped you get a slip of paper. When you leave israel via taba border you get a slip of paper. I have no idea how it would be entering Gaza as I am Jewish and not allowed (nor would I want to). \\nThere are no exceptions to the above rules as far as I know.', 'Literally a thousand YouTube videos going both ways.', \"So India won't let a foreign tourist that went into Pakistan come back?\", 'removed', \"> shellfish is halal but not kosher. One school of thought (Hanafi) doesn't deem shellfish to be halal as opposed to other schools of thought like Shafa'i, Maliki and Hanbali. Although most of the country follows Hanafi, a large number of people eat shellfish anyway. Having said that, shellfish isn't as common in Pakistani food as in Chinese, Japanese, and Far East Asian cuisines unless OP decides to eat at a chinese restaurant or order something with prawns in it's name.\", \"This would not be for entering Gaza but entering the West Bank..Did a quick Google and it seems you can request them to stamp a piece of paper vs your passport Here's a border stamp for tourists entering via Jordan https://i.redd.it/1efsu6d4bklb1.jpeg\", 'Im sure there are… the fact remains that you are currently not allowed to enter India from Pakistan at the land border as a foreigner on a tourist visa.', 'Possibly under some circumstances and at some times — but my overall point is that it is highly contingent and I wouldn’t plan a trip around it.', 'removed', 'I guess you can request. Idk why anyone would choose if they plan to fly to other countries that could be problematic.', 'removed', 'removed', 'removed', 'removed'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi everyone, I'm trying to plan a 2-week trip to either of these places over the Christmas break and struggling to decide which one to go to. My favourite part about travelling is experiencing local cuisines, though I have a slight preference for Chinese cuisine over Thailand and Vietnam.\n\nI would love to see the Zhangjiajie National Park in China but have heard it's difficult to get around in China for foreigners without a car/who don't speak Mandarin. Pros for Vietnam and Thailand are the food is still great and they have beautiful landscapes too.\n\nMy ultimate preference is China, but I'm very worried about safety issues as a Canadian traveller, especially given the current political landscape between the countries. Vietnam and Thailand seem to be friendlier towards Canadians.\n\nI'm also travelling with my partner (we're both white early 20s gays). We're discreet but I hear Vietnam and Thailand are a bit more friendly.\n\nWould appreciate any insights from people who have been to any of these places in the past few months or can confidently speak to my concerns or any of the above. TIA", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\">I'm also travelling with my partner (we're both white early 20s gays). We're discreet but I hear Vietnam and Thailand are a bit more friendly. If you're gay and in your 20s, Thailand is the place to go. You won't have any trouble whatsoever, and won't really need to be discreet. You'll have the time of your lives. *However* —\\xa0and if the party scene is your thing — you might want to consider Songkran as the best time to visit Thailand. (If all you're after is food and culture, then don't worry about Songkran.) No one will bother you in Vietnam at all, but you'll definitely have to be a bit more discreet in China. For food, it's a tough call —\\xa0Thailand, Vietnam, and China are all incredible options, I'd really have a terrible time picking one as a stand-out. I've had some of the best food of my life in these places. However, and I'm going to throw a wrench into your thread here — have you considered Taiwan? One of the best food scenes in the world, very friendly to Canadians, quite a bit more progressive than China, and *extremely doable* over a two-week trip with time to spare. A bit warmer than most of China, to boot. China and Thailand are both very large countries, and tough to do properly in the span of two weeks. Vietnam is more doable (but still quite expansive) and the one I'd recommend for that reason. I'd sketch out what you're expecting those two weeks might look like first city-by-city — that might make your decision for you.\", \"I would opt for both Thailand and Vietnam, although a week in each isn't what I'd consider super ideal and will mean you'll have to really pick and choose where you go in-country and for how long. Having been to China a few times, I enjoy it, but agree that it can be tougher to get around if you don't speak any of the language. Unless you're acting sketchy or poking your nose into the wrong things, I don't believe safety will be much of an issue in China. That said, both Thailand and Vietnam are very safe for tourists who exercise common sense and don't start trouble.\", 'Vietnam', 'Thailand. China will be cold in december (i tried Shanghai and had to escape to HKG) and Vietnam is less gay friendly', '**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Thailand?", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi everyone, I'm trying to plan a 2-week trip to either of these places over the Christmas break and struggling to decide which one to go to. My favourite part about travelling is experiencing local cuisines, though I have a slight preference for Chinese cuisine over Thailand and Vietnam.\n\nI would love to see the Zhangjiajie National Park in China but have heard it's difficult to get around in China for foreigners without a car/who don't speak Mandarin. Pros for Vietnam and Thailand are the food is still great and they have beautiful landscapes too.\n\nMy ultimate preference is China, but I'm very worried about safety issues as a Canadian traveller, especially given the current political landscape between the countries. Vietnam and Thailand seem to be friendlier towards Canadians.\n\nI'm also travelling with my partner (we're both white early 20s gays). We're discreet but I hear Vietnam and Thailand are a bit more friendly.\n\nWould appreciate any insights from people who have been to any of these places in the past few months or can confidently speak to my concerns or any of the above. TIA", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Of course, this is pure conjecture and I don't know how much of it is true. Thoughts?\", 'What do you particularly like about Hong Kong? I just went to Macau and Hong Kong in Sept and think I never want to go back there again. The country is so small, and buses are always crowded. Many people there were pretty rude and seemed unfriendly. I don’t feel like I was welcomed there. Macau people seem more friendly though. The only thing that I might consider going back there for is Portuguese Egg tarts. My brother was thrown changes at 7-11 in Hong Kong. Tried to see if I could get some cash back for Octopus card at the airport and was yelled at that there was no money in there. On the other Thai people are super friendly. It could be hard to communicate sometimes but there is always someone there that would offer to help you. The country is beautiful. Beaches there don’t only offer beautiful views but alsowonderful under ocean experience. I’m not sure about Vietnam. I have never been there. Japan is another country that is really great. People are nice and provide good service.', \"Thanks for the suggestion, that's a great idea. It's just that I promised my best friend I would go with her to HK, Korea, and Japan over the next couple of years, so the 3 in my post the only options I'm considering for right now 😆\", 'Just a side note, I’ve traveled extensively in all 3 countries. Actually lived in Vietnam for a small stretch, so absolutely love Vietnam. Personally, China would be my pick any day of the week, it’s not even close.', 'You’re right in that you don’t want to be detained in China but there’s almost no risk of that if you’re not an idiot. I wouldn’t worry about it at all. You can easily get a vpn to bypass the great firewall, all foreigners and plenty of locals use one, it’s not unusual so I don’t imagine you’ll be monitored. I’d simply be smart, ie not discuss Tiananmen, Tibet, politics etc with the locals, maybe save any unflattering social media posts you may have for after you’ve left. I understand an outsiders perception from the media coverage but China is in no way a police state nor are you constantly having the state intrude on your day to day. If you woke up there with amnesia you’d have no idea you were somewhere with a different political system. The only interaction I had with the police was entering Xinjiang province, security is much tighter there. I had a small pocket knife in my bag I’d use for fruit and they confiscated it from me as it was forbidden to carry into xinjiang and had me sign a piece of paper to that effect. Took a couple of minutes, I wasn’t interrogated and had no more dramas afterwards. Was essentially like being found with a large bottle of shampoo at airport screening. I did plenty of things there that could have got me in trouble, partying with additives, smoking thjngs that shouldn’t be smoked, etc. No dramas at all, same as if I were at home. There’s even a small town known as a weed destination there where it grows wild and peeps go just to get some and continue on their travels. Government didn’t seem to care in the slightest. I don’t recommend doing any of that cause you will be fucked if caught but there’s a sizeable expat University student community there that pretty much do nothing but the above and none had any horror stories to report.', 'My friend participated in the HK protests and then went to China for work/holiday multiple times now and has no issues. No phones checked, no stopping by the police etc. Make of that what you will. To put it bluntly, you’re really not important enough for the Chinese government to care about unless you’re trying to start a revolution there. I will say that there are a lot of CCTV cameras, security checks at train stations etc that might be unsettling for tourists though (I got unsettled).', \"For me I lived there and visited from 06-15. I mostly stayed in the NortherTerritories. for me the behavior wasn't a terrible experience, I knew my way around so even the charging the octopus card was simple. However I do know that there have been a LOT of changes there over the past 8yrs. so if you've been there in that time I can't speak to that experience.\", \"Hong Kong isn't a country. It's not that they're rude but they are fast and efficient. You don't get the pleasantries you may be used to in the West unless you're patronizing a high-end place.\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "My partner and I are considering between Belize or Panama for a quick, last-minute trip over Christmas since he got a surprise 7 days PTO that week from his job, just found out yesterday. He is one of 2 people at his physical job so he can't take time off otherwise for traveling. They basically stop work when he's gone, so trying to make the most of this. \n\nWe have about $1800 in flight credit that needs to be used by May 2024 for United since we had to cancel our trip to Taiwan due to his job.\n\nUpon looking at different places we can fly to that isn't 8+ hours for a flight, we've settled on Belize or Panama (Cuba is doable but the economic situation there is concerning).\n\nBelize - 2.5 hour flight\nPanama - 6 hour flight\n\nCost-wise, we tend to be more budget independent travelers. I'm down to spend ~$1.5-2k for the week for lodging, food, excursions, rental cars, etc. \n\nWhat we like to do on vacations: explore, live like a local, when it's a destination with ocean life we love snorkeling and do have open water dive certs\n\nFood-wise we eat everything, especially seafood if we're near the ocean. Cheap food is best for us. \n\nMy research has shown Belize is GREAT for ocean stuff, but it seems like the cost of excursions is crazy expensive, and will prob be wildly packed and expensive during Christmas. \n\nBonus would be getting to visit rum distilleries/good tiki bars since I operate a mobile tiki bar business and my partner makes booze for a living.\n\nWhat is going to give us our best bang for our buck with excursions and food?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'I’ve been to both Belize and Panama. I suggest Belize but with the caveat that you are going to spend your time in either island -Caye Caulker or Ambergris Caye. It is a chill vibe. Excursions you can walk up to a boat owner and ask him to take you snorkeling. The only excursion I did in Belize were the ruins. I did not spend a lot of time in Belize City. Look at YouTube videos. Have fun. Just go….', \"I haven't been to Panama, so I can only speak to Belize. Belize is very easy to navigate independently, so if you are on the mainland you can just go do a lot of things without hiring a guide (the exception being the ATM cave which is absolutely worth the $$). Places like Altun Ha and Xunantunich you can just drive to, pay the admission and walk around. I also recommend St Herman's Blue Hole (swimming hole on the mainland) and Cockscomb Basin if you like hiking. For the ocean part, stay on Caye Caulker, which is the more laid back, budget friendly island. I recommend Captain Amado for the reef tours- he's a very knowledgeable person and has a clear passion for the reef. https://cayecaulkerreeffriendlytours.com/(https://cayecaulkerreeffriendlytours.com/) If you like to eat cheaply and like a local, you will quickly come to love beans and rice with stew chicken and some Marie Sharp's hot sauce. It's become a staple in our cooking routine when we just need some filling homey food.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "My partner and I are considering between Belize or Panama for a quick, last-minute trip over Christmas since he got a surprise 7 days PTO that week from his job, just found out yesterday. He is one of 2 people at his physical job so he can't take time off otherwise for traveling. They basically stop work when he's gone, so trying to make the most of this. \n\nWe have about $1800 in flight credit that needs to be used by May 2024 for United since we had to cancel our trip to Taiwan due to his job.\n\nUpon looking at different places we can fly to that isn't 8+ hours for a flight, we've settled on Belize or Panama (Cuba is doable but the economic situation there is concerning).\n\nBelize - 2.5 hour flight\nPanama - 6 hour flight\n\nCost-wise, we tend to be more budget independent travelers. I'm down to spend ~$1.5-2k for the week for lodging, food, excursions, rental cars, etc. \n\nWhat we like to do on vacations: explore, live like a local, when it's a destination with ocean life we love snorkeling and do have open water dive certs\n\nFood-wise we eat everything, especially seafood if we're near the ocean. Cheap food is best for us. \n\nMy research has shown Belize is GREAT for ocean stuff, but it seems like the cost of excursions is crazy expensive, and will prob be wildly packed and expensive during Christmas. \n\nBonus would be getting to visit rum distilleries/good tiki bars since I operate a mobile tiki bar business and my partner makes booze for a living.\n\nWhat is going to give us our best bang for our buck with excursions and food?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit(/message/compose/?to=/r/travel) if you have any questions or concerns.*', \"I loved Belize around xmas and new year but it were a couple of EXTREMELY lazy days. Spent most of our time on Caye Caulker, lounging around, eating BBQ and drinking. Did some canoeing and could've done some excursions but didn't because was on a backpackers budget. Thoroughly enjoyer our time though. \\nI haven't seen as much from Panama but I enjoyed myself @ Bocas del Toro\", \"Having been to both, I'd return to Belize before Panama.\", \" As someone who spent a few months in Belize, I'd recommend going there over Panama for a quick 7 day Christmas trip. Sure, it'll be more crowded and expensive than usual, but Belize has so much natural beauty to offer. With your dive certs, you could have world-class snorkeling and diving straight off the islands or reef. The jungle river tubing and Mayan ruins are also easy day trips from the islands or mainland. Just be flexible, chat with the locals, and you'll find good deals on excursions and cheap eats. Get away from the resorts, live humbly like a local, and you'll have an unforgettable adventure!\", \"I've been to Belize and I'm a legal resident with cedula in Panama, but not currently there. \\nPanama is a mess at the moment, completely shut down with protests. The government signed a 20 year contract with a Canadian company for a copper mine. Indigenous are protesting as are Panamanians. Might cool down by Christmas but I wouldn't risk it.\", 'Thank you! Cuba is on the list, but my partner needs a slightly less chaotic place for a vacation since he works long and physically demanding days at his job. We need a more relaxing place, and I want to spend more than 7 days there too, if we do go. Sand flies are horrible, but nothing is perfect in life (even paradise)!', 'How much were excursions, if you remember?', \"I feel ya - It's definitely not the place to relax and take a break! Caye Caulker would be perfect for that! Also if you do end up in Belize/Caye Caulker - You can get there by ferry or a plane. The flight is more expensive (maybe like 150/160 roundtrip), but I think it's totally worth it! It's like an 8 (10?) seater plane and the views are UNREAL. So so so beautiful. We justified it by considering it transportation and an activity all in one hahaha\", 'Anywhere between 50 and 150 bucks, honestly it wasn’t that obscene, we were just overspending already. In hindsight we should’ve taken an excursion to the great blue hole and perhaps snorkel with nurse sharks'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I'm trying to decide if I should go to the Netherlands this December. What activities/events/etc will I miss out on by going in the winter than summer?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about the Netherlands?", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I'm trying to decide if I should go to the Netherlands this December. What activities/events/etc will I miss out on by going in the winter than summer?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit(/message/compose/?to=/r/travel) if you have any questions or concerns.*'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "If you go to Global Blue Tax Refund in Malaga, do be prepared to be scammed. During my trip, I had about 84 Euros to be refunded by Global Blue. However, the counter within the transit area outright refused to give Euros. They said something about policy and that because we were foreigners we were not to be given Euros. They would only give me in my home currency SGD, USD or some other obscure currency in their own horrible exchange rate. Other people who were from Singapore as well tried to do a refund, but they were asked for more Euros, around 20-50 and was to be exchanged by GB in their own exchange rate to \"top up\" to meet their cash on hand available, despite clearly having adequate change in their drawer. However, they gave them an even worse exchange rate than previously quoted tacked on to their transaction fee. Another traveller who was not American got USD in refund. \n\nIn this case, remember to voice record your entire conversation to report to the authorities(seen on tripadvisor). Always request Euros to be refunded to you no matter what, and within your recording, ask outright if they can give you Euros or not. Make them give out a No and do report this to the higher powers. In my case, my card was unable to be refunded in Euros. They asked for a few more Euros to add to my refund which I outright refused and they ended up giving me an exchange rate more aligned to the market in defeat, about 10SGD more than their previous offer. Please do not let yourself get scammed by the GB tax refund. I am unsure if other GB in Spain does the same. \n\nFrom the Espana Tourism Site:\n\n\nThere are two ways to reclaim VAT after getting the form validated at Customs:\n\n- Through the Tax Free management body located where you are departing (a fee will be charged). The refund will be in EUROS, in cash, to your credit card, by cheque, or by bank transfer.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "If you go to Global Blue Tax Refund in Malaga, do be prepared to be scammed. During my trip, I had about 84 Euros to be refunded by Global Blue. However, the counter within the transit area outright refused to give Euros. They said something about policy and that because we were foreigners we were not to be given Euros. They would only give me in my home currency SGD, USD or some other obscure currency in their own horrible exchange rate. Other people who were from Singapore as well tried to do a refund, but they were asked for more Euros, around 20-50 and was to be exchanged by GB in their own exchange rate to \"top up\" to meet their cash on hand available, despite clearly having adequate change in their drawer. However, they gave them an even worse exchange rate than previously quoted tacked on to their transaction fee. Another traveller who was not American got USD in refund. \n\nIn this case, remember to voice record your entire conversation to report to the authorities(seen on tripadvisor). Always request Euros to be refunded to you no matter what, and within your recording, ask outright if they can give you Euros or not. Make them give out a No and do report this to the higher powers. In my case, my card was unable to be refunded in Euros. They asked for a few more Euros to add to my refund which I outright refused and they ended up giving me an exchange rate more aligned to the market in defeat, about 10SGD more than their previous offer. Please do not let yourself get scammed by the GB tax refund. I am unsure if other GB in Spain does the same. \n\nFrom the Espana Tourism Site:\n\n\nThere are two ways to reclaim VAT after getting the form validated at Customs:\n\n- Through the Tax Free management body located where you are departing (a fee will be charged). The refund will be in EUROS, in cash, to your credit card, by cheque, or by bank transfer.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "My flight from the US lands in Paris at 11 am on Sunday. I need to get through baggage claim and immigration in 40 minutes. Is that feasible? Should I go carry-on instead?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "My flight from the US lands in Paris at 11 am on Sunday. I need to get through baggage claim and immigration in 40 minutes. Is that feasible? Should I go carry-on instead?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Good London hotel for family of 4\n\nLooking for a hotel where the 2 kids each get their own beds (not sofa beds) that's reasonably nice as well as in a good location for sights/transport to the sights (specifically Tower of London, Natural History Museum, Science Museum, the Zoo, and we want to go to Hampton Court too but that's a whole day trip regardless of where we stay). \n\nDoesn't necessarily need to be seperate sleeping areas for us/the kids but also it would be nice to be able to stretch out a wee bit (ideally would have a lounge/tv area seperate from the sleeping area..)\n\nReally like the look of the Docklands Doubletree but I think the location probably isn't ideal. Don't really need a kitchen etc and would prefer somewhere with reception staff etc so apartment rentals are less appealing. Love the look of the Cheval Aparthotels but they are abit over our budget.\n\nLooking to spend about 500GBP per night. \n\nThanks so much for any advice :)", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Good London hotel for family of 4\n\nLooking for a hotel where the 2 kids each get their own beds (not sofa beds) that's reasonably nice as well as in a good location for sights/transport to the sights (specifically Tower of London, Natural History Museum, Science Museum, the Zoo, and we want to go to Hampton Court too but that's a whole day trip regardless of where we stay). \n\nDoesn't necessarily need to be seperate sleeping areas for us/the kids but also it would be nice to be able to stretch out a wee bit (ideally would have a lounge/tv area seperate from the sleeping area..)\n\nReally like the look of the Docklands Doubletree but I think the location probably isn't ideal. Don't really need a kitchen etc and would prefer somewhere with reception staff etc so apartment rentals are less appealing. Love the look of the Cheval Aparthotels but they are abit over our budget.\n\nLooking to spend about 500GBP per night. \n\nThanks so much for any advice :)", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Looking for suggestions on where to travel next March - May for milestone birthday. \nHave previously gone to Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, and most recently Puerto Rico. I speak conversational Spanish and would prefer a locale that is Spanish or English speaking. \n\nWe like “off the beaten path” vacations and usually do small boutique hotels or AirBNB. Exploring little towns and eating at roadside/local small restaurants is what makes a vacation most memorable, so not interested in all inclusive or places that lack culture. \n\nThanks!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Looking for suggestions on where to travel next March - May for milestone birthday. \nHave previously gone to Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, and most recently Puerto Rico. I speak conversational Spanish and would prefer a locale that is Spanish or English speaking. \n\nWe like “off the beaten path” vacations and usually do small boutique hotels or AirBNB. Exploring little towns and eating at roadside/local small restaurants is what makes a vacation most memorable, so not interested in all inclusive or places that lack culture. \n\nThanks!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "just as the title says. I've done some preliminary search; there's no direct flight and most of them are self transfer (which i don't mind but it's annoying). I've figured maybe going from Hanoi to Mumbai but then I'd have to get a visa, for essentially just to enter and exit so i can self transfer. I don't know. I'm just confused and overwhelmed. If anyone has done a similar trip, kindly give me some sound advice!!\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThank you in advance.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"Google Flight shows a one-stopper through Dubai via Emirates then onto Kenyan Airways. However it's not sold directly by Emirates.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "just as the title says. I've done some preliminary search; there's no direct flight and most of them are self transfer (which i don't mind but it's annoying). I've figured maybe going from Hanoi to Mumbai but then I'd have to get a visa, for essentially just to enter and exit so i can self transfer. I don't know. I'm just confused and overwhelmed. If anyone has done a similar trip, kindly give me some sound advice!!\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThank you in advance.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"Any flight itinerary that long will be expensive, but check Skyscanner - they often have great deals on multi-city tickets.\"', 'A boat?', 'Hanoi to BKK, then BKK to Dubai, then Dubai to Kenya. I doubt you can avoid the self transfer, but a tip might be to just reduce your luggage (if possible obviously) to just a small suitcase that will be accepted on carry on, which will make the process smoother. Also that way you don’t have to clear immigration and get your bags then come in again.', \"I am not 100% sure about this being the cheapest (you can check Google flights). But I suspect you will have an easier time finding budget flights to Nairobi. There's a train called the madaraka Express (also called SGR) that can take you from Nairobi to Mombasa for 1000Ksh (~$10USD) in 5.5 hours. I haven't used the train myself, but I've heard good things.\", 'The Mumbai connection you mentioned could be done with an Indian eVisa which is usually issued in a couple of days at most', 'Fly Hanoi to Nairobi should give you more options. Then grab a train from Nairobi to Mombasa (it’s a modern and fast one, I think seat61 has a write up)', 'Yeah the cheapest is always walk and the fastest is always helicopter/private jet. But usually people fail to sufficiently bound the scope of their search.', \"Every time I do this, the route that makes the most sense isn't flying anymore.\", 'For a self transfer, a transit visa would be needed. Transit without visa is only possible if you stay airside.', 'Looking at Google flights, I actually see less options going from Hanoi to Nairobi as Hanoi to Mombasa. The best option I see is purchasing a ticket with Thai Air for Hanoi to Bangkok, then purchasing a ticket from Kenya Airways for Bangkok to Mombasa (stopover in nairobi). Price was $1500USD round-trip in January. I think you would get the best rate booking a return trip for Hanoi<->Bangkok directly with Thai Air and a return trip for Bangkok<->Mombasa through Kenya airways. Just make sure to give yourself plenty of time to transfer terminals or recheck your bag and go through security if you need to.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "My partner and I are looking at taking a helicopter over the tulip fields in the Netherlands in April next year.\n\nHas anyone done one? If so, what company did you use? Good/bad experience?\n\nThanks in advance", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about the Netherlands?", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "My partner and I are looking at taking a helicopter over the tulip fields in the Netherlands in April next year.\n\nHas anyone done one? If so, what company did you use? Good/bad experience?\n\nThanks in advance", "role": "user" }, { "content": "*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit(/message/compose/?to=/r/travel) if you have any questions or concerns.*'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Need advice please…\n\nI’m traveling at the end of January to the Philippines for 2 weeks… I will be meeting my girlfriend in Manila for a 1 or 2 night stay, then we are traveling to Cagayan to stay for 3 to 5 days, maybe more..?! Then we’re off to her parents home for the remainder of the trip…What are some good hotels to stay at in each location?? I’m a first time international traveler so I’m totally new to all of this and trying to book online with no help is turning into a nightmare, I just want to make this the best experience for both of us… She wants to stay in more modest inexpensive places, but I want us to be both safe and comfortable.. I’m just looking for recommendations for either place… Thank you for any help in advance..!!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Need advice please…\n\nI’m traveling at the end of January to the Philippines for 2 weeks… I will be meeting my girlfriend in Manila for a 1 or 2 night stay, then we are traveling to Cagayan to stay for 3 to 5 days, maybe more..?! Then we’re off to her parents home for the remainder of the trip…What are some good hotels to stay at in each location?? I’m a first time international traveler so I’m totally new to all of this and trying to book online with no help is turning into a nightmare, I just want to make this the best experience for both of us… She wants to stay in more modest inexpensive places, but I want us to be both safe and comfortable.. I’m just looking for recommendations for either place… Thank you for any help in advance..!!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I'm planning a backpack-based long distance-push/downhill longboarding trip through the Cordillera Blanca/Cordillera Negra region of Peru. We will be skating some of the highest passes in the area and camping the whole way until we reach the coast.\n\nMy research about the wet vs dry season is a bit confusing. My understanding is that the wet season is warmer but most articles say the best time to visit is the winter/dry season. It's unclear to me when I can expect the roads to be skateable. \n\nObviously rain is not ideal, but the trip is not possible at all if the higher elevation passes are snowed out or even prepped for snow if they sand/salt things there.\n\nThoughts? Thank you.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I'm planning a backpack-based long distance-push/downhill longboarding trip through the Cordillera Blanca/Cordillera Negra region of Peru. We will be skating some of the highest passes in the area and camping the whole way until we reach the coast.\n\nMy research about the wet vs dry season is a bit confusing. My understanding is that the wet season is warmer but most articles say the best time to visit is the winter/dry season. It's unclear to me when I can expect the roads to be skateable. \n\nObviously rain is not ideal, but the trip is not possible at all if the higher elevation passes are snowed out or even prepped for snow if they sand/salt things there.\n\nThoughts? Thank you.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hey, I've been looking everywhere online with no luck finding a solution.\n\nI'm a US citizen. I have a transit flight through Thailand in a couple weeks. I'm basically landing there, and then the next day flying out. I don't even need to leave the airport. \n\nThis wouldn't be an issue because there's a 30 day visa exemption for US citizens, BUT the the thing I'm not sure of is that after a week of traveling in the other country, I'd like to fly back to Thailand and have my actual Thai trip. \n\nI don't want to get declined or rejected at the border for this \"second entry,\" so I'm really hoping someone here has done something similar and can tell me what happened for them. \n\nA million thanks yous, and blessings upon your descendants 🙏", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Thailand?", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hey, I've been looking everywhere online with no luck finding a solution.\n\nI'm a US citizen. I have a transit flight through Thailand in a couple weeks. I'm basically landing there, and then the next day flying out. I don't even need to leave the airport. \n\nThis wouldn't be an issue because there's a 30 day visa exemption for US citizens, BUT the the thing I'm not sure of is that after a week of traveling in the other country, I'd like to fly back to Thailand and have my actual Thai trip. \n\nI don't want to get declined or rejected at the border for this \"second entry,\" so I'm really hoping someone here has done something similar and can tell me what happened for them. \n\nA million thanks yous, and blessings upon your descendants 🙏", "role": "user" }, { "content": "*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit(/message/compose/?to=/r/travel) if you have any questions or concerns.*'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "My Dad who's native language isn't English booked a guided tour of Pearl Harbor on Viator for our Family for - $69 per person x 3 = $207.\n\nToday, I looked at some of the reviews of the same tour on Viator and found out the paid \"tour\"in question was actually just shuttle ride to Pearl Harbor offloaded to a third-party tour operated by the National Park Service for free. The tour in question was a \"tour of the visitor center\" which really is a convenient way of saying walking you to the actual US Gov tour which is FREE TO THE PUBLIC.\n\nBuyer beware, always to a quick search about touristy location/tours on Reddit to get the inside scoop first for things you or your significant other/parents book. Can't cancel since I found out a few hours after the 24 hour cancellation window, still spent hours with Viator Support/Tour operator with no avail.\n\nUber round trip would have been $50 and reservation are still available on US Gov for $1.\n\nLesson learned.\n\n**---———-Update ————-------**\n\nI emailed a Viator executive who was very attentive and professional in handling this issue. She actually mentioned, \"\\[they\\] are actually in the process of ‘cleaning up’ the Pearl Harbor page precisely to avoid this kind of situation.\"\n\nShe asked if I would accept a $200 credit as the correspondence was the day of the tour Pearl Harbor does not sell reservations the day so we didn't want to risk canceling/not being able to see it.\n\nAlso for all you mentioning, Viator is a third-party platform, I know that. However, having worked in two-sided marketplace technology companies, the platform's job should be to quality control and make it clear what the customer is getting if they want to build trust with/get repeat customers.\n\n&#x200B;", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"From memory Viator don't do any tours themselves. They just resell other providers tours through a single website. I've had several great tours and one not at much (for what they are - mass-produced but did what I wanted to see) through them but I agree, you do have to carefully read what you're signing up for.\", \"Viator is not a tour company. It is TripAdvisor's booking platform which allows vendors listed on TA to sell their tours. I always recommend looking at the TA ratings of the tour in question when you're weighing choices of what to book on Viator.\", 'Viator is a platform that sells tours and activities- not the company that’s runs this tour. If they misled you on on admission or tour inclusions, complain to them.', \"It is possible that he booked a private person to guide you inside of the National Park property in a non-English language. It might be $1 to enter, but you are paying for the time of that tour guide throughout. If this is true, then it is not a scam price at all, it could be useful to someone who can't read the English signs. However, obviously if they just drop you off then it's not good.\", 'I actually use Viator a lot in my trip planning, but I never book through them. Viator gives me an idea of what tours/trips are easily available and when I find something interesting, I scroll to the bottom of the description where it offers more info. The tour operator is usually listed and I search for the operator’s website/reviews and book with them directly.', 'Your dad fucked up by not reading the reviews before booking. No warning needed. Always read reviews before booking. And see if there is a free tour anyway etc...', 'Ummmm Viator is a consolidator, my dude.', 'Viator isn’t a tour operator. It sounds like the Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree lol', 'I work in a very large visitor attraction in Ireland. We always have people coming in with third party tickets (Viatour, Get Your Guide, Tiqets, etc). From my standpoint as a staff member, I would always encourage people to book tickets directly from the operator or attraction. It typically gives us no issues, except for on the super super busy days. We need to go to timed entries. The amount of people who rock up with third party tickets are usually not happy that their time slot won’t be honoured, cause well, it’s not really a ticket. They end up getting a proper ticket through our ticketing office, for a much later time slot, then shout and curse at us. I ended up drinking a fair amount of wine after too many days of that over this high season.', 'As a tour operator let me tell you viator takes between 23-35% of what you paid the operator. Find what you want on viator if thats your thing, but pay the company directly.', 'You have to be really careful with them and read the reviews. I usually start with the negative ones and see if the people are being realistic with their expectations, the frequency of negative reviews, when was the last one, and if the tour operator cared enough to respond. Also, Viator purchased Trip Advisor years ago and they changed the ranking system when they did that. They no longer just take user reviews. They use a combination of user reviews and consider if you paying them a commission. Tour companies who do not pay the commission are no longer ranked near the top. It\\'s a basic pay-to-play scheme, and it sucks. I know the tour operator I used in Munich (he was fantastic BTW, DM me if you want the name) was suggesting that it would take 30% of his revenue and he was currently rated #1 in Munich. If he didn\\'t take the \"deal\" he would drop down to 200 or something close to it. Moral of the story, you have to do a lot of research to figure out if the tour company is worth it.', 'Blaming Viator is lol. This is a failure to do proper DD, possibly due to a language barrier issue. Console and teach your Dad, but don’t blame someone else for the lack of understanding. I’ve used Viator literally over a hundred times and every single experience was exactly what I was expecting.', \"Warning to avoid the supermarket because you didn't research what you bought!\", 'Viator take up to 40% commission from local businesses and are just an aggregator. Please try and go direct to the tour company and support small local businesses.', 'My issue with viator is that they are stealing normal tickets and overcharging for them. If you don’t book for something ahead of time, you are forced to buy the same ticket you’d normally get at the window for 3 times the price. The ticket is no different other than cost, it’s a total scam & it’s sad that the museums etc. allow this.', \"I planned my a trip to UAE by myself for the first time last year for me and my family to UAE. I wanted to check out everything that's there and almost every web search would take me to Viator. I had no idea about its reliability so I decided to only browse it for tourist stuff in Dubai and then went and booked the tickets from the actual official websites.\", 'I booked a Jack the Ripper tour for Halloween night in London on Viator and it was great. This isn’t on Viator, it’s in your dad for not researching despite a language barrier.', 'I’m from Oahu if you need any suggestions before you guys over spend again, glad to help.', 'Viator has been good for me, even after booking the wrong thing which cost 10x what I thought, they refunded the whole thing straight away. Another time got scammed by the tour operator and viator refunded for the tour even though the operator refused to give the money back to viator. Any problems just ring them and they will sort it out for you', 'You really have to check reviews. What I do is get the name of the tour and the. Google it. If you can find the person or small business, book direct. I do the same with vacation rentals. That way more of the money goes to the person and not the reseller. I also avoid some fees this way. Last year I booked a vintage shopping tour in New York, for example.', 'We just used Viator throughout Italy about a month ago. For the most part if you pay attention to the descriptions you can get what you want, as little or as much in terms of tour operators. The skip the line feature was invaluable. We had one bad experience where the operator failed to show and Viator refunded our money in 24 hours.', 'In my experience, Viator is one of the best agencies out there. You can cancel upto 24 hour notice and most tours are properly described', 'I always read the reviews before I book. And often, Viator tours are usually another company that you can cross reference on Trip Advisor or Google.', 'Yes, you have to do your homework. In this case, you sort of overpaid about $16 each -- a cheap lesson. We found some WWII veteran who was there and he gave an absolutely great tour giving the feel for what it was to be there before, during and the rest of the war.', 'I’ve used Viator in multiple countries (UK, Vietnam, Mexico and Turkey) never had any issues. They’re a platform through which local tour operators advertise and sell. \\nThe devil is in the detail - read the description of what you’re signing up to and paying for.', \"Did your dad not read the reviews stating the tour part was free and essentially the cost was for the shuttle? That's kinda on him.\", 'The same is with Getyourguide as well. 3 to 4X expensive than booking from actual websites', 'Definitely report them to Viator directly. Enough complaints and they will likely get removed from the platform. They can only screen vendors so much for quality, but it’s in their best interest to remove any bad actors from their platform. Definitely read the reviews and do a little extra research before booking.', 'Are you sure about the Uber price?', 'All the Pearl Harbor tours are like this.', \"Just seen viator offering entry to a museum at 28 usd when the museum entry on the door is 3.5 euros. (can't remember what in zloty) ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "My Dad who's native language isn't English booked a guided tour of Pearl Harbor on Viator for our Family for - $69 per person x 3 = $207.\n\nToday, I looked at some of the reviews of the same tour on Viator and found out the paid \"tour\"in question was actually just shuttle ride to Pearl Harbor offloaded to a third-party tour operated by the National Park Service for free. The tour in question was a \"tour of the visitor center\" which really is a convenient way of saying walking you to the actual US Gov tour which is FREE TO THE PUBLIC.\n\nBuyer beware, always to a quick search about touristy location/tours on Reddit to get the inside scoop first for things you or your significant other/parents book. Can't cancel since I found out a few hours after the 24 hour cancellation window, still spent hours with Viator Support/Tour operator with no avail.\n\nUber round trip would have been $50 and reservation are still available on US Gov for $1.\n\nLesson learned.\n\n**---———-Update ————-------**\n\nI emailed a Viator executive who was very attentive and professional in handling this issue. She actually mentioned, \"\\[they\\] are actually in the process of ‘cleaning up’ the Pearl Harbor page precisely to avoid this kind of situation.\"\n\nShe asked if I would accept a $200 credit as the correspondence was the day of the tour Pearl Harbor does not sell reservations the day so we didn't want to risk canceling/not being able to see it.\n\nAlso for all you mentioning, Viator is a third-party platform, I know that. However, having worked in two-sided marketplace technology companies, the platform's job should be to quality control and make it clear what the customer is getting if they want to build trust with/get repeat customers.\n\n&#x200B;", "role": "user" }, { "content": "However, having worked in two-sided marketplace technology companies, the platform\\'s job should be to quality control and make it clear what the customer is getting if they want to build trust with/get repeat customers.', 'Agree with this. I did a guided tour through Bertschesagen and the Eagles nest a couple months back from Viator. It was good. I think Viator is more of an aggregate than a tour site, but could be wrong.', 'Can confirm. The company I work for sells day trip safaris on Viator.', 'It’s been a year, but when we were doing a day trip from Maui last year to Pearl, all the guides made it clear they could not operate once you entered PH. They could take you there, escort you to the checkin, then wait for you to finish and take you elsewhere on Oahu and resume being a guide. Pearl Harbor is still an active base. My guess is it is a security issue.', 'This is my exact strategy too! Booking directly through the tour operator is often cheaper (I’m guessing it saves the operator money from Viator fees as well). Also, while Viator makes it easy enough to cancel tours altogether, it’s not great for communicating with the operator especially if things come up last minute.', 'Also Viator takes a large commission from small tour companies. Which means the tour company often has to book more bodies in order to be able to afford to do their tour, so you end up with a larger group than if you were to book directly. Support small businesses and don’t use Viator.', \"I do this as well! I also use it as a metric for what's doable in a day/what the big popular attractions are.\", \">And see if there is a free tour anyway etc... And always check the official website for tickets to attractions. In Athens it's 30 euro for the Acropolis combo ticket from the Greek government. GetYourGuide charges over $50 for the same one. You do get some cancellation flexibility from them and some audio guides (but those are available free online too) but you're paying almost twice the price.\", '😱this is good know! Will be booking directly hereon.', \"Im a Viator's supplier. \\nThey are taking from 20 to 30% and it's well worth it. I don't need a website, contracts, advertisment and all boring stuff. \\nI can just make tours.\", \"Not knowing the name doesn't make it fishy, they're a very legitimate website\", \"Then your mom shouldn't go around booking tours.\", 'Sorry for your loss of $$ but your description is hilarious!', \"I completely agree & Ebay is the perfect analogy. I just used Viator for the first time recently. It might be a little more expensive, but I was able to book the exact tour I wanted (I already knew which company to go with), deal with an English website and pay in my own currency. Overall I thought it was a great booking experience. Hopefully the tour is as good as it looks on YouTube. I'm looking at other tours and they can be annoying because it looks like $100 for a day tour, but then you need to add entry fees and food and the price becomes $250. But, in the search results sorted by price, it comes up as $100, so it's hard to compare. I can definitely see why someone could quickly book a dodgy/expensive tour if they don't take the time to review all the options. My dirty secret - I use booking.com. The reviews actually look honest and I always know the full cost, breakfast cost, if I'm getting a hair-dryer, etc. I can filter out airbnb type rentals, and see an exact map location. It's just too easy.\", 'I can understand the dad not going through the description, but I am paranoid about these bookings. I will compare multiple tours, cost, reviews, and then look at pictures from other people not the organizer. Only then I feel confident enough to book. It’s hard to explain to my wife why it takes so long, but everything is perfect when we travel', 'I agree. I have used Viator for many, many tours overseas, and you just have to read every detail to make sure the tour fits your needs. It is the tour operator, not Viator, who determines the actual details of the tour. Viator is just the middle person.', 'Lol why in the world did you throw in the second analogy. It was so out of left field and unnecessary I did a double-take reading your comment.', 'I’ve used it before. You have to do your research for sure, but it’s useful when you’re visiting someplace where they don’t speak your language to have an aggregator. Searching foreign language internet is hard. I’ve found some great things there, that I would not have otherwise.', \"I've learned to find the actual vendors from Get Your Guide and book directly. Keep the middle man out of it and it's less expensive most of the time.\", 'Trip Advisor and Expedia are two different companies.', 'Good info. I know this is common at other park-like tourist things, but I did not know about National Parks specifically.', 'Good luck finding that small business without an aggregator like Viator. Viator does provide an actual service including having reliable reviews of the tour providers, which OP’s dad should have checked. Should all the HR, developers, etc. at Viator be willing to work for free?', \"These small tour operators use companies like Viator to outsource their marketing, SEO/SEM, affiliate partnerships, optimisation, translation, merchant processing, visitor research, and a bunch of other services that a large company can offer which Dave's Walking Tour could never dream of doing themselves and even if they could, they couldn't do it as well. The idea that Dave could find out a guest in Paris was coming to his city, get a booking directly through Air France, in French, process a French debit card, answer customer questions, and deal with a charge back if the customer was unhappy is not realistic. It's good to support Dave directly, but aggregators and redistributors aren't always bad for small businesses.\", 'On the other hand, for some attractions you can find Viator tours that include admission and are much cheaper than buying a ticket direct and a tour separately, or using the \"official\" tour offering - So it cuts both ways, just check both places and make sure to read the details closely on Viator.', 'All the OTAs are likr that. Its brutal. Get yoir guide is 25%', 'Few years later I can finally laugh about it lol', '>My dirty secret - I use booking.com Find out if you are getting a hair dryer AND get to enjoy dodging 75 phishing email attempts https://www.theguardian.com/money/2023/oct/23/bookingcom-customers-targeted-by-scam-confirmation-emails', 'In the last two months I have booked from 40 tours through GetYourGuide, TripAdvisor, Viator, etc., and besides some tours just sucking (because they suck, not because of a scam), I’ve had literally zero issues. Literally just read the description lmaoo', 'I miss Backpage. Good times', 'I wrote it for literally no reason. Just for fun, really. Maybe not even that.', \"There's an asterisk to this. I've used Viator a ton of times, usually to good effect. The couple times I had fuckery with the local provider (for example, they went to the wrong pick-up point), I've gotten my money back from Viator when the local provider *didn't* want to refund. So I've found there's situations where having a middle man that can adjudicate disputes and give you your money back even when the local provider doesn't want to can be helpful (in fairness, you could probably also do this with a credit card chargeback, but that's a whole extra hassle).\", '\"The original Tripadvisor business was founded in February 2000 and was acquired by IAC/InterActiveCorp in April 2004. In August 2005, IAC/InterActiveCorp spun out its portfolio of travel brands, including Tripadvisor, into a separate company under the newly formed Delaware corporation, Expedia, Inc.\"\\n https://ir.tripadvisor.com/investor-faqs#:~:text=The%20original%20Tripadvisor%20business%20was%20founded%20in%20February%202000%20and%20was%20acquired%20by%20IAC/InterActiveCorp%20in%20April%202004.%20In%20August%202005%2C%20IAC/InterActiveCorp%20spun%20out%20its%20portfolio%20of%20travel%20brands%2C%20including%20Tripadvisor%2C%20into%20a%20separate%20company%20under%20the%20newly%20formed%20Delaware%20corporation%2C%20Expedia%2C%20Inc.', \"I've been planning my own island hopping itinerary in the Galapagos and I've found the pricing on Viator to be absurdly inflated when compared with what's offered through local groups' own websites, so they're clearly marking up by a ton - I'm talking $600 for a tour sold for $250 on the operator's site and broadly by every other website, $95 for a walking tour sold for $55-60 everywhere else. It's my first time ever checking them out, and likely my last.\", \"Oh wow, I get SO MANY of these and just ignore them - I didn't realize it was a thing!\", 'Old source. Expedia spun off Trip Advisor in 2011 (link to press release(https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/expedia-inc-completes-spin-off-of-tripadvisor-inc-135968313.html)). TripAdvisor is currently owned by Liberty Media, who also have ownership in SiriusXM, Formula One, and the Atlanta Braves.', 'Yeah, that ended over ten years ago. Both are publicly traded companies now.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "So I need to get a one-way flight to the US from Sweden as I am moving there, but all the one-way flights are a $1050+ usd while round trips from the same flight are only 550. \n\nI was wondering if I book a round trip but am not physically on the plane from JFK to ARN but am on the plane from ARN to JFK, will that be an issue? I plan on flying by Lufthansa as their fares seem very competitive. \n\nThanks ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'You will have your second leg canceled if you fail to show up', 'Or book the trip back to Sweden for a year later for a visit.', \"For some reason a one way ticket between the US and Europe is more expensive than an economy round trip ticket. I've had this issue too and just thrown away the return half of the ticket. As someone else said, book it ARN to JFK, then make JFK to ARN the return flight and just don't show. Or, if you feel generous, call the airline and cancel. It's not likely that you'll get any kind of credit from the airline but you never know.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "So I need to get a one-way flight to the US from Sweden as I am moving there, but all the one-way flights are a $1050+ usd while round trips from the same flight are only 550. \n\nI was wondering if I book a round trip but am not physically on the plane from JFK to ARN but am on the plane from ARN to JFK, will that be an issue? I plan on flying by Lufthansa as their fares seem very competitive. \n\nThanks ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "If you do this too often, you’ll get flagged by the airlines and possibly banned, but one single time should be OK.', \"Yeah. That's what I was thinking too. I'll do it just once because its an exceptional situation. Thanks!\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi fellow redditors,\nIm going tanzania for 10 days with the family in may 2024 (zanzibar specifically) its meant to be a relaxation trip for everyone. Except I like to be active ect.\n\nId called myself an active and expert traveller, 25 M been to 40+ countries ect. So I like to travel and explore alot whenever im in a new region ableit that being new locations or countries. However, trying to find flights for any of the surrounding countries either from zanzibar airport or Dar es salaam airport has been difficult my usual go to for flights ie google flights, kayak skyscanner, Expedia are saying none are available (which wouldn't make sense).\n\nIs there any flight websites that yoi could recommend that focus specifically on flights within the African continent \n\nAny help is greatly appreciated", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'A few airlines to look at for you: Rwanda Air", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi fellow redditors,\nIm going tanzania for 10 days with the family in may 2024 (zanzibar specifically) its meant to be a relaxation trip for everyone. Except I like to be active ect.\n\nId called myself an active and expert traveller, 25 M been to 40+ countries ect. So I like to travel and explore alot whenever im in a new region ableit that being new locations or countries. However, trying to find flights for any of the surrounding countries either from zanzibar airport or Dar es salaam airport has been difficult my usual go to for flights ie google flights, kayak skyscanner, Expedia are saying none are available (which wouldn't make sense).\n\nIs there any flight websites that yoi could recommend that focus specifically on flights within the African continent \n\nAny help is greatly appreciated", "role": "user" }, { "content": "I do not know if this is true in this case, but it may be too early to book some flights -- depends on the airline but some may not have their flights schedules down yet so not open flights yet before 6 months in advance, so if your trip is May 2024 you may have to wait a month till Dec.', \"I'd just go to the Wikipedia entry for each airport in question and see which airlines fly there.\", 'Google flights is always my go to because I always book direct', \"I'll often use the wikipedia page for a given airport to determine what airlines operate from it and where they fly to. From there, you can go to that carrier's website and book.\", 'What do you mean by any of the surrounding countries? Where specifically are you trying to go? A lot of flights into and out of Dar do not operate daily so if you are using specific dates and the flight does not happen on that day of the week it’s going to show as no flight available.', \"I don't think that safety is an issue. In Africa you are far more likely to die in a vehicle accident or from malaria than you are in a plane crash, even on airlines that have relatively poor safety records. If you're talking about small charters that's a different story though. \\n \\nFor national airlines just look for the one that works for your itinerary and go for it.\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I am currently trying to use my points for Qatar airways to book an award flight, but after I looked at the date, the space is seen to be occupied from now on. Can someone help me overcome this dummy booking please?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I am currently trying to use my points for Qatar airways to book an award flight, but after I looked at the date, the space is seen to be occupied from now on. Can someone help me overcome this dummy booking please?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Planning a potential trip to another continent for the first time, and going on my own flying for the first time by myself early next year, and had a couple questions about travel agents. The idea of getting everything in order including insurance and different visas is a little overwhelming, so I'm pondering just going to a travel agency to get some help. \n\nWhat all do they do for you? How much roughly do they charge extra for their services? And is it worth the extra money for a first time overseas traveller to go through one and get their help in the whole process? ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'eveything can be done online by you, which is easier than finding a trustworthy travel agent to do all that for you for a fat fee.', 'Part of the solo travel experience is doing the planning yourself. That way you have more ownership over your experience (good or bad), and it helps you become a better, more resourceful traveler.', \"Where are you headed to? I know some people prefer using travel agents, but I usually recommend planning yourself if it's not too overwhelming.\", 'I’d never been on a big vacation and planned a 9 day trip to Spain back in April. With the resources you can find on the internet these days, it’s hard to justify a travel agent. Attractions and lodging recommendations, deals, tips, etc. are all over the internet and easily accessible. That’s how I planned my trip', \"Nope. A huge part of the fun is the planning. Just don't get drawn in to BDUF - Big Design Up Front. Gantt charts are a big no.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Planning a potential trip to another continent for the first time, and going on my own flying for the first time by myself early next year, and had a couple questions about travel agents. The idea of getting everything in order including insurance and different visas is a little overwhelming, so I'm pondering just going to a travel agency to get some help. \n\nWhat all do they do for you? How much roughly do they charge extra for their services? And is it worth the extra money for a first time overseas traveller to go through one and get their help in the whole process? ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "If you find one specializing in solo travel definitely go for it, but I don’t think that will be easy to find.', \"They aren't worth it now. They weren't worth it back when they were the only option. It is no mistake that the first thing the internet wrecked was the strip mall travel agency.\", 'My past two solo trips I’ve used an agency. They were able to find better timed connecting flights than I was able to online, got discounted tour rates and arranged airport transfers and appropriate insurance for the activities I was keen to do. If you have the time and patience to do it yourself, go ahead but I personally like the convenience of having a professional give advice and arrange in one hit for me.', 'Travel Agents are great if you’re spending $25K+ on a trip and don’t want to deal with it.', 'What parts do you need help with?', 'Actually I’m working as a guide , I wouldn’t prefer to hang out with a group if i were a tourist because i think tourists must explore something with themselves. If you learn that how can hang out with myself, it can be more exciting than hanging out with a group. Be brave and explore the world', 'Cool, thanks! I guess I just get a little overwhelmed but I can make a list of things I need and slowly go sort them out one at a time on my own and save some cash', 'Travel agents generally don’t charge a fee though.', \"Yeah from what everyone else on here has said, it's not too overwhelming once you get planning and sort it out with a list, which is great to hear and I don't feel so overwhelmed by it now. And I'm thinking I'm heading to Australia for a month :)\", \"Hey good to know, thanks! From what I've heard from others here so far, most people agree with you on that. Everything should be fairly straight forward to find. Glad to hear some great stories from people like you about planning first time trips so thank you!\", 'Sweet, thanks! I do think I will enjoy the planning process, and am staying with a friend, so they will be showing me all the cool places and things to do :)', \"For me, a huge part of the fun is NOT planning. I'll suddenly throw my passport and a bag of clothes in the car, drive to the airport and book a trip from the airport on my phone when I get there, wake up in a random country. A couple of my favourites were waking up in Istanbul with no plans and ending the day on a Bulgarian backcountry road trip, and walking up in Montreal one day with no plans and spending the afternoon racing across Panama to see if I could dip my feet in the Atlantic and the Pacific in a single hour.\", \"That's a good idea, thanks! I mean I've always liked doing my own thing and planning my own activities, and will be staying with someone who has lots planned for us together, so it was more the getting there and getting things lined up to simply be there that was overwhelming a little since it's my first shot at it.\", \"Hey thanks so much for the great response! You answered my questions about the visas and helped put my mind at ease and look forward to the planning process! 🙂 I have also heard about the app that converts currency quickly which is great! I'm also going to be staying with a friend, so I really don't have to worry about accomodations or plans on what to do haha so it's really fairly basic to sort it all out.\", \"Thanks for the info! I mean I would be staying with a friend, and having them show me around, so it's really just the flights and insurance and different visas I need, so it really isn't a lot to plan for, just my first time doing this on my own and first time overseas, so it was a bit overwhelmingn of a thought for me lol.\", \"Hey that's a fair point! I personally kind of like the planning phase myself, but was just feeling overwhelmed cause it would be my first trip solo! But people have assured me it's really not that bad to plan, plus I have someone to stay with who will show me around and take me to all the cool things to see, so there really isn't a whole lot of planning besides the insurance, visas, flights, and what swim trunks to bring lol\", \"It was mostly lining up the best option for insurance and which visas I need, although the person I will stay with knows about the visa process, so I should be good there. I started looking at flights on a couple sites like expedia and it looks like I should be able to put together a really good fit for flights plans. Honestly I've read a lot of comments here and sort of managed to calm my mind down and look forward to the planning process now :)\", \"yeah, don't overthink it. and not everything needs to be done at once. and, you may come to enjoy the process of planning and booking, looking at pictures and reading reviews. for most travellers it's more than half the fun.\", \"I find that people often overthink travel. It's not that complicated, especially if you sit down and list it out, like you say. There's really not hidden pieces that you need to find. You need flights, a way to get around at your destination (rental car, Uber, Subway, etc) and hotel. You also need a way to pay at you destination, whether it's cash or cards. Everything else is to your preference. make reservations for touring, if it's your preference. Scout good restaurants, if that's what you enjoy, etc. But the basics are already covered by this point, you can enjoy yourself if you only book flights, hotels, and a way to pay and get around. That's all you need.\", \"Glad it's starting to feel less overwhelming! The initial planning can be the hardest part! Australia will be awesome! I haven't been there, but it's high on the bucket list! I'd recommend using Google Flights to find a good flight over there. You can play around with the airports and dates to see the best prices. You can book directly with the airline, but it's a good tool to find the best flight!\", 'Enjoy your vacation, and don’t be afraid to mention to your friend (local) that you might need a day to yourself. It’s easy to fill every minute of every day with something to do, but you need moments of “nothing” as well (as well as sleep, obviously 🤪)', 'Oh yeah! Feel free to message me and we can chat. I don’t mind talking you through this stuff - I’ve done it many times for myself and clients', 'Yeah you definitely have got this i can already tell :) bon voyage buen suerte', \"Thanks for the reassurance! I would be going there to see someone, so I would already have my own personal tour guide haha just more the pre planning and getting there portion that I have to think about and prepare, but I definitely see where you're coming from and do usually enjoy planning little trips and stuff for myself :)\", \"Yeah from what everyone else has mentioned on here, it really isn't that complicated! My brain always just assumed it was complicated and there were those hidden pieces that you mentioned, but I'm very relieved to know that isn't the case, thank you!\", \"Oh awesome! I'll definitely check that out and play around with it for sure! I probably wouldn't be booking for another month or so but I'm already looking into flights to watch prices and see what is available\", 'Haha yeah I fully plan on taking some days to just do nothing and lounge around and enjoy the nothing day 😅 This particular friend is well aware of this already as well :)', \"Thanks! I'll keep that in mind if I get hung up on something, but by the sounds of it, it shouldn't be too bad\", 'Thanks so much! :)', \"In that case, you *really* don't need an agent. Just book a flight and book a hotel or an Airbnb.\", 'No it really isn’t but I understand the feeling of being overwhelmed. I have some travel insurance partners I can get you in contact with. Visas are typically pretty simple!', 'Hahaha and I would also be staying with said friend as well... so even one less thing to plan for lol'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "In April, I’m heading to Florence but I would like to know which would be more beneficial meaning save me some money. I live in the US & if I fly to Florence, I will need to make a connection flight in Paris or Amsterdam. If I want to take the train, I would fly directly to Rome. Which is the better option?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'Trains are super easy for getting around Italy. I took the train from Rome to Florence and it was great. I would say it depends on price differences and whether you plan to see/do anything in those other cities or if Florence is your only destination?', 'Are you price sensitive to ticket prices or are you wanting to get there the quickest? Check to see which is faster if that’s something that’s important to you. Layovers at CDG or AMS aren’t bad. Personally I prefer AMS. Especially if you have a layover longer than 8 hours, you can actually spend some time in Amsterdam for a bit. And if you’re price sensitive for travel costs, find which way is cheapest.', 'Are you sure your flights are actually going to Florence and not to Pisa, the larger airport in the region ? If it lands in Pisa, you will need a 1.5 hour bus or 1 hour car ride to Florence, which would cancel almost any advantage of flying to Rome and taking the train.', 'Direct flights to Rome or Milan are usually cheaper and then you take high speed train to Florence. If the flights are cheap enough, that offsets the cost of the highspeed train ticket (about $60 each way). Someone mentioned Pisa as an alternative to Florence. Totally doable, and you can take a direct train from Pisa to Florence for about $20. Nut for flights from the US, especially in summer, the cost can be higher than any of the other options. And I mean like 3 to 4 times higher.', \"Can't you put in the dates of your travel into google flights and trenitalia and see how much the difference in cost is?\", \"You said you want to save money, but you didn't say which one was actually cheaper? ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "In April, I’m heading to Florence but I would like to know which would be more beneficial meaning save me some money. I live in the US & if I fly to Florence, I will need to make a connection flight in Paris or Amsterdam. If I want to take the train, I would fly directly to Rome. Which is the better option?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Make certain to kerchunk your ticket in the machine by the tracks to validate it or you will get a hefty fine from the rail police when they check your ticket on the train to Rome. And yes, they absolutely will check your ticket on that train. That's the only train where they checked mine in a month of travel around Italy on trains. They have a rail officer on the Leonardo Express full time. I'd recommend you plan to have lunch in Rome. That way you could easily book a late afternoon train from Roma Termini to Florence and still have time to check in before heading out to dinner. If your flight should arrive late you'd have a cushion of time. If your plane is on time you should have time to at least see something of Rome before your train to Florence if you like. Especially if you book one of the fast, direct trains that only takes an hour and a half to whisk you to Florence.\", 'I would recommend flying and make a connection in Amsterdam with around 6-7 hours transfer time.\\nIf you arrive in the Netherlands, you go through customs etc. You can then take the train to Amsterdam Central Station which departs directly from the airport. Bags you can leave in the lockers at the airport. You are in the city center within 30 minutes. Go on a touristy hop-on hop-off bus or a canal cruise, both depart directly from the Central Station. Make sure to go back 3 hours prior to your flight. As you are now flying within Europe you don’t need to go through customs again and the check in starts 2 hours before instead of 3. This way you can see 2 cities in one trip!', 'Florence is my only destination! I’m going as a school trip and we all have to arrive on our own. Thank you btw!', \"It's a 5 min monorail to Pisa train station and about a 45 min train ride from there to Florence. Couldn't be easier\", 'There is a bus from the Pisa airport to Florence.', \"Fly direct.. Flights back to the US pretty much all leave in the morning, meaning you'll have to travel to the other city the night before and get a hotel or sleep in the airport. I've been flying to Florence regularly my entire life. If that's your destination, go directly there.\", 'Yeah I’d just check prices and see if there’s a major price difference. I will add that I found Paris CDG to be the worst airport I’ve been to so I would avoid a layover there if possible. It’s a shame Florence is your only destination. Nothing against florence but if you’re flying all the way from the US it would be great if you could see other places', 'Oh yeah I forgot that thing existed now after being under construction forever'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hey there!\n\nMy family (5 people total), are planning a trip to use our interval timeshare for 2025 as we can exchange the time share every odd year. We are struggling to decide on a location with ideas such as Peru, Greece, Japan, Iceland, Spain, and Italy being thrown out but no one can agree or stick to one option. The plan is for this to be a 3 week vacation at some point in 2025, ideally the cheapest month for air fare whenever that may be. \n\nFor context on what we are looking for, my parents both prioritize the historical aspects of destinations such as ruins, archeological sites, and historical monuments, while me and my siblings more prioritize the more adventurous activities like caves, snorkeling in reefs, things that are more then just guided tours. Its not that we don't also like those things, just different top priorities. In the past we have managed to balance these things pretty well like in Mexico we had a tour where we went to old Mayan ruins followed up by a swim through a river into an underground pool. \n\nThis year we are struggling to find a location that we all want to go to that will hit all of our priorities, so I figured I'd ask the hive mind that is reddit on suggestions on places we could go outside of the US that both satisfy a historical side as well as an adventurous side with unique excursions. Any and all suggestions are appreciated and will hopefully stave off the bloodbath of an argument in my living room. Thanks!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'I feel like Italy might be the best compromise. A LOT of ruins but if you go further south you have a ton of hiking available as well. ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hey there!\n\nMy family (5 people total), are planning a trip to use our interval timeshare for 2025 as we can exchange the time share every odd year. We are struggling to decide on a location with ideas such as Peru, Greece, Japan, Iceland, Spain, and Italy being thrown out but no one can agree or stick to one option. The plan is for this to be a 3 week vacation at some point in 2025, ideally the cheapest month for air fare whenever that may be. \n\nFor context on what we are looking for, my parents both prioritize the historical aspects of destinations such as ruins, archeological sites, and historical monuments, while me and my siblings more prioritize the more adventurous activities like caves, snorkeling in reefs, things that are more then just guided tours. Its not that we don't also like those things, just different top priorities. In the past we have managed to balance these things pretty well like in Mexico we had a tour where we went to old Mayan ruins followed up by a swim through a river into an underground pool. \n\nThis year we are struggling to find a location that we all want to go to that will hit all of our priorities, so I figured I'd ask the hive mind that is reddit on suggestions on places we could go outside of the US that both satisfy a historical side as well as an adventurous side with unique excursions. Any and all suggestions are appreciated and will hopefully stave off the bloodbath of an argument in my living room. Thanks!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "I would say Peru probably has a higher likelihood of “exciting” activities like zip lining and stuff, but they’re each huge countries so will vary a lot', 'With three weeks, you have ample time to explore activities on both sides. For instance, in Japan, you could visit Kyoto and then take a budget flight to Okinawa for some beach time. This same concept applies to Spain (Barcelona + Mallorca), Greece (Athens + Mykonos), Italy (Rome/Venice + Sardinia)...\\r \\n\\r \\nOne strategy I use to overcome destination paralysis is to look into flight deals. Given that you’re traveling with five people, saving on airfare is important. Using a free website like Secret Flying can help you narrow down your destinations or consider options you hadn’t previously thought of. For example, for my upcoming trip in December, instead of choosing from a dozen of Caribbean countries, I decided to go with Aruba because it was heavily discounted.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "i am heading to istanbul for the first time and might stay a while. from what i have read, cihangir on the european side and kadikoy on the asian side are my best options (vegan friendly, cool, laid back). but having never been, i can't tell if kadikoy is far from the heart of the city. or if it's easy to get back and forth (via ferries?). i don't party. and i don't need to be near historical or religious sites. i mostly walk around cities with a camera visiting museums and shooting 'street' life. is one side better than the other? or should i split the difference and stay in both? i appreciate any insight. thank you!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"I'd stay in Kadiköy. The ferry ride isn't bad (like 20 min). I usually stay in Besiktas or Kadikoy. Kadikoy is a cooler area. Get a kaburga sandwich at Rita's Deli. Drink some Churchills for me. And do one nice sit-down meal where you order a bunch of meze, raki and salgam and sit at a street-side table and watch the world go by. &#x200B; If you need any suggestions let me know. I travel there for work frequently and love the city. ALSO!!! Get a cocktail at Fahri Konsolos - the menu is all cocktails inspired by in-season spices, herbs, etc from local spice shops. Kickass good drinks, awesome vibe. Gets crowded at night though.\", \"I love the Cihangir area on the European side! But Kadikoy is also interesting and it's super easy to get back and forth on the ferry or the Marmaray line! I think you could stay on either side, but still easily visit both areas to walk around and photograph. Kadikoy is actually probably better for shooting street life in a lesser touristy area.\", 'Both are great options. Kadikoy would mean taking a ferry ride every day and a short walk from the ferry station. Cihangir means a tram ride and a short climb uphill or downhill from taksim square. ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "i am heading to istanbul for the first time and might stay a while. from what i have read, cihangir on the european side and kadikoy on the asian side are my best options (vegan friendly, cool, laid back). but having never been, i can't tell if kadikoy is far from the heart of the city. or if it's easy to get back and forth (via ferries?). i don't party. and i don't need to be near historical or religious sites. i mostly walk around cities with a camera visiting museums and shooting 'street' life. is one side better than the other? or should i split the difference and stay in both? i appreciate any insight. thank you!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Are you going to stay in Istanbul or hit any other cities? &#x200B; Taco Place is called Los Altos.\", 'Hen you get off the ferry in Kadiköy that Main Street has a bunch of meyhanas if you walk up a block or two. I’d pick a spot that makes for good people watching and looks like it has decent food.', \"Its easy to visit the other side. You just pop over in the morning on a ferry. It is really easy to get around. I walk and ferry everywhere. You can easily spend a whole day wandering around the various neighborhoods. You won't miss out on much other than more expensive hotels.\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello,\n\nI am planning to drive through Switzerland with my dog. My final destination is Italy. I will enter through France on a UK car. \n\nThe dog will travel with an EU passport. I dont plan to stay or stop.\n\nI cannot find online if there are any entry requirements. I want to avoid being stopped by police and be told some paper is missing.\n\nCan you help?\nThanks!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Switzerland?", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello,\n\nI am planning to drive through Switzerland with my dog. My final destination is Italy. I will enter through France on a UK car. \n\nThe dog will travel with an EU passport. I dont plan to stay or stop.\n\nI cannot find online if there are any entry requirements. I want to avoid being stopped by police and be told some paper is missing.\n\nCan you help?\nThanks!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit(/message/compose/?to=/r/travel) if you have any questions or concerns.*'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Has anyone here who is typically seasick prone done a small ship cruise around Croatia and the Adriatic sea? I've heard it's smoother along there, but sleeping on the boat has me nervous. Looking for anyone's actual experience!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Has anyone here who is typically seasick prone done a small ship cruise around Croatia and the Adriatic sea? I've heard it's smoother along there, but sleeping on the boat has me nervous. Looking for anyone's actual experience!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Does anyone know if the Stream Pass on AirFrance is any good? Is the wifi speed good and can you use social media and everything? \n\nI’m heading on a pretty long flight and I saw that my plane can actually sell me WiFi bundles.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Does anyone know if the Stream Pass on AirFrance is any good? Is the wifi speed good and can you use social media and everything? \n\nI’m heading on a pretty long flight and I saw that my plane can actually sell me WiFi bundles.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Does anyone work for an airline or have any insight on how seriously that take customer feedback? \n\nI’ve been finding lately that flight attendants are either incredibly rude or incredibly kind. I recently saw one attendant snap at a very elderly man to get out of the way as he struggled to get up to go to the bathroom. I could not believe that anyone would talk to an elderly person like that. I wrote in to the airline to inform them but just got a generic response back. \n\nBut then yesterday I had a flight where all 4 attendants were so pleasant and really just going above and beyond for all. \n\nI used to work as a customer service manager and customer feedback was always taken seriously to help the business grow. I really wanted to start writing in for both good and bad experiences with airlines. But kind of wondering if this is just a waste of time… I have a feeling that these emails just don’t go anywhere.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"I worked for United Airlines for 12 years. Feedback was taken seriously depending on the passenger's status. A first-class or Business-class passenger complaining.?There was someone especially appointed to answer back immediately with an apology, and action was taken with employees. A passenger that flew economy but had a lot of miles? Got their attention. A new route that was being launched? got their attention. Routes that were very popular and always booked? We received so many complaints, but people kept flying, and little attention was given to this.\", 'I had an interesting experience with Delta Airlines customer service. About 2016 my wife had flown to Europe to visit her mom, who was quite elderly. 90 day entry permission, round trip ticket, Mom failing and needing help for five months -- all equals a screwed up return ticket. However, the ticket agent at departure in the US had said that my wife would be able to change the ticket as necessary when the time came, plus maybe a fare difference and small change fee. But when the time actually came Delta wanted her to buy a whole new ticket. Said her fare class was strictly for a 90 day round trip. I was on the phone to them, up at least one level and still getting refused. So I said \"I guess all this talk from the agents is just lip service\" and politely ended the call. Well, Delta called me back! And apologized for the misunderstanding! And gave me full credit toward for my wife\\'s unused leg toward a new return flight. Wonderful.', 'Social media, insta or twitter.', 'I got some very prompt service after I tweeted!! This was about a problem with an Emirates issue. They ignored me until I tweeted about it.', 'No clue, but they can make you feel better to write. Both for positive and negative experiences. I gave Lufthansa an earful after they mistreated a passenger with disabilities, never heard back, but I felt a little better.', 'I once wrote a very detailed explanation to Alaska Airlines on their “Alaska Listens” page about how they no longer sent email notifications for flight schedule changes and that it was something all other airlines do and why it hurts their business, etc. It had also been posted numerous times in the AS sub and I even called to ask why it wasn’t notifying me, especially given the changes were 4+ hours. They followed up a few weeks later with $100 discount code and thanking me, and it’s been fine ever since.', \"Depends how valuable you are. For example I rarely make a complaint. Like maybe 3 times ever and I fly 200k to 300k miles a year in a slow year. I did make a complaint about a real angry and terrible gate agent who continuously screwed with me and others. I made one complaint to the super shiny status line with the back story. A week later I had an apology I specifically said I didn't want, and I never saw them again. I'm assuming they had multiple complaints but either way, the status allowed me to easily complain and get resolution.\", 'I can’t speak for other airlines, but I know mine has a hospitality score for each station (airport) we operate from. Our score was lowering during the summer, so we had to work on our customer service/hospitality and managed to bring it back up. I don’t know if this is the only factor, but I know they rely on feedback from the surveys they send out to passengers via email.', \"They don't care. A bill to force airlines to change their policies and stop taking advantage of their customers just passed the US House of Representatives last summer. It's a start, but it's nowhere near enough change.\", 'Complaints are useful for identifying trends. For example if a particular employee receives negative feedback regularly, the airline can hone in on who it is and what the usual complaints are about them.', 'I’ve worked in aviation for over 20 years, in several different positions, at several different carriers. Honestly, the airlines do not give af. Not once have I ever been praised or reprimanded based on a passengers experience. They might act like they care, to appease their high rollers, but they don’t care.', 'It really depends on the airline, and your status with said airline.', 'Gone are the days when they hand over a sheet of paper addressed to their CEO asking for your opinions which of course needed flight & seat number which itself is invasion of your privacy, and I imagine those few who actually takes the trouble of filling in these and sealing them to hand over to the stewardess expect the CEO to read! I feel sure all these are dumped somewhere, with perhaps a random selection is read by someone in customer service Bow the best way is to tweet their CEO or whoever pretends to be in the higher up branch of the tree of your actual experience, and they will resond through someone only because it is all public and they need to appear to care for you.', 'Doubtful. If they did then they would treat their customers better, and not just blame the “weather” so they don’t have to pay out.', 'I have been invited to BA’s HQ to discuss my feedback on their new business class seat when I wrote one of the very first online reviews, just after it was brought out in the one aircraft.', \"My family had a bad travel experience pre-COVID, where my 11 year old daughter started feeling incredibly sick to her stomach on an overnight, trans-Atlantic flight. This occurred about an hour prior to landing. We were sitting in the front bulkhead row of economy class, and the nearest bathroom in our section was at the back of the plane. As my daughter was getting more and more nauseous, we asked the attendant if she could use the nearest bathroom, which was just past the curtain in business class, about 8 feet from where we were seated. They were very dismissive and said we absolutely could not use the nearest bathroom. By the time we got up to go to the rear of the plane, my daughter had vomited all over the aisle near our seats. We did our best to clean up our daughter, but we had no towels or napkins or anything else we could use to deal with the vomit on the floor. The attendant continued to be dismissive of us and only after several more minutes did they bring us some water and a cloth to help us clean up our daughter. All they did with the vomit was put a thin towel down on the floor to cover it. It smelled awful and everyone nearby had to deal with that for the remainder of the flight. It was the worst customer service experience we ever had on any flight before or since. ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Does anyone work for an airline or have any insight on how seriously that take customer feedback? \n\nI’ve been finding lately that flight attendants are either incredibly rude or incredibly kind. I recently saw one attendant snap at a very elderly man to get out of the way as he struggled to get up to go to the bathroom. I could not believe that anyone would talk to an elderly person like that. I wrote in to the airline to inform them but just got a generic response back. \n\nBut then yesterday I had a flight where all 4 attendants were so pleasant and really just going above and beyond for all. \n\nI used to work as a customer service manager and customer feedback was always taken seriously to help the business grow. I really wanted to start writing in for both good and bad experiences with airlines. But kind of wondering if this is just a waste of time… I have a feeling that these emails just don’t go anywhere.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Southwest on the other hand had a mini show for safety briefing, were friendly serving cocktails and staff were upbeat. Only flew 1 flight on each domestically so whether that matches their usual standards I don’t know, anecdotal.', 'Yeah, I interpreted your comment to mean that the airlines don\\'t care and won\\'t resolve individual complaints because some other passenger will just take our place. I apologize if my response gave another impression. I\\'m so mad at the airlines I get steamed just thinking about it! The bill includes a \"Passenger Bill of Rights\" with provisions for better treatment of passengers whose flights have been cancelled or delayed due to airline policy. It\\'s not enough change, but it\\'s a start. Link to archived article from NY Times (https://archive.is/8xK3q) Link to the Bill(https://www.congress.gov/118/bills/hr3935/BILLS-118hr3935ih.pdf)', 'Definitely been a long time coming for something like that. Hopefully they start tackling these fees as well and the ever shrinking space inbetween seats/rows. Thanks for the links!'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hey guys, I am transiting via DOHA / Hamad Airport via Qatar Airways. My stopover is about 2.5 hours.\n\nI was planning to buy alcohol from my initial airport in London as I don’t think I will get time to shop in DOH. \n\nCan I transit with 2 bottles (2 litres in total) via Doha?\n\nThe guidelines on the airports website is a bit vague. Thanks for your help in advance.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hey guys, I am transiting via DOHA / Hamad Airport via Qatar Airways. My stopover is about 2.5 hours.\n\nI was planning to buy alcohol from my initial airport in London as I don’t think I will get time to shop in DOH. \n\nCan I transit with 2 bottles (2 litres in total) via Doha?\n\nThe guidelines on the airports website is a bit vague. Thanks for your help in advance.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I'm thinking of travelling from Chicago to SE Asia in Jan-Feb next year. I've been doing a lot of research on airfares and without exception Turkish is the cheapest option, often by more than half. This applies to all the major destinations in the region. Now I've flown Turkish before and I wasn't impressed but not turned off enough to never fly them again. I'm just looking for an alternative on a better airline that won't force me to go the long way around. \n\nMy question is why is Turkish the cheapest option by a significant amount across the board and why aren't other airlines trying to match them? ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"Turkish Airlines offers very basic fares that don't include baggage or seat selection, and their single hub model is pretty much the most efficient way to run a long haul airline.\", \">My question is why is Turkish the cheapest option by a significant amount across the board and why aren't other airlines trying to match them? Most of their operations are focused on one massive hub that is very well located to serve a huge portion of the world. EU labor rules don't apply and more importantly, salaries are much lower than in the US or most of Europe. I'm also sure that Turkish Airlines has a seat at the table when the government sets fuel and airport taxes.\", \">I've been doing a lot of research on airfares and without exception Turkish is the cheapest option, often by more than half. This applies to all the major destinations in the region.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I'm thinking of travelling from Chicago to SE Asia in Jan-Feb next year. I've been doing a lot of research on airfares and without exception Turkish is the cheapest option, often by more than half. This applies to all the major destinations in the region. Now I've flown Turkish before and I wasn't impressed but not turned off enough to never fly them again. I'm just looking for an alternative on a better airline that won't force me to go the long way around. \n\nMy question is why is Turkish the cheapest option by a significant amount across the board and why aren't other airlines trying to match them? ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Mostly because their Istanbul hub is very efficient from a financial point of view (and as a national flag carrier, they probably got a lot of financial advantages from the gov), and workforce there (especially the immigrants from other middle-east countries) is pretty cheap.', \"In addition to what others have said, Turkish is also trying to aggressively build its name as a global transit airline and Istannbul as a global connection city, and they're probably incentivized right now to get more people thinking about them that way.\", \"Also their base hub's currency has been inflated quite a bit so it's cheaper for foreign currencies.\", \"In that first example, ORD-IST-SIN and ORD-DOH-SIN are essentially the same miles flown and time in the air. One ticket is $300 cheaper. That's a lot for an international long-haul economy ticket. \\nI've noticed this too for some west coast to Europe winter fares while I was planning a US-Milan trip. Turkish is out there actively selling cheaper tickets from a lot of US gateways right now.\", \"I never said it wasn't significant. The point being is that sometimes it's cheaper on Turkish and sometimes it's not, just like any other airline. Qatar is also a better airline in terms of passenger comfort/experience, now whether that's worth $300 more is another matter.\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi all,\n\nMy fiancee and I are going to Japan for our honeymoon next month. I know many people recommend trains in Japan but we'd rather drive. We've got our international drivers permits and we're seasoned travelers with plenty of experience driving on that side of the road. We prefer the opportunity to stop at our discretion and check out off the beaten trail stuff.\n\nI reserved a car with Toyota rental company but it's offsite from the airport with confusing directions on how to reach their shuttle counter and the reviews I found on google, while limited, are really disappointing. I assumed since it was Toyota it would be a reputable car rental company.\n\nDoes anyone have rental car experience in Japan that could recommend a good company, preferably one either located in the airport or nearby?\n\nThank you so much for your help!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi all,\n\nMy fiancee and I are going to Japan for our honeymoon next month. I know many people recommend trains in Japan but we'd rather drive. We've got our international drivers permits and we're seasoned travelers with plenty of experience driving on that side of the road. We prefer the opportunity to stop at our discretion and check out off the beaten trail stuff.\n\nI reserved a car with Toyota rental company but it's offsite from the airport with confusing directions on how to reach their shuttle counter and the reviews I found on google, while limited, are really disappointing. I assumed since it was Toyota it would be a reputable car rental company.\n\nDoes anyone have rental car experience in Japan that could recommend a good company, preferably one either located in the airport or nearby?\n\nThank you so much for your help!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Like outside of/separate from having that included on a credit card or other perk. Just curious, as I don’t see the point to pay for it when you could effectively get it for free or much lower cost/greater value through a credit card or something.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'I do. Tends to be around $60, and that $60 gets me booze, food, and better seating. I\\'ve 💯 spent >$60 on food and wine in the \"gen pop\" area of the airport, so I\\'m basically saving money. Airport math!', \"My wife does when it's cheap. Going to the lounge can be cheaper than eating at a restaurant.\", 'I paid for lounge access once with a deal from Groupon and it was totally worth it \\nMy domestic flight was delayed by a few hours. I was able to shower at the lounge, eat a good meal and coffee That was included in the lounge price, use faster wifi in a nicer setting.', \"When lounges were new in the 70s, United (and I'm sure others) sold lifetime lounge passes for $250. I think those at some point increased to $1,000 before the offer was pulled. There are still plenty of people who bought in then that travel regularly and use the hell out of those passes. I've only paid for lounge access once and it was absolutely not worthwhile.\", 'I have all the lounges... But I still pay. Because sometimes when I\\'m traveling with family they don\\'t have anything. No status, no lounges, nothing. I can bring in 1 or 2 or 3 depending on country and lounge. But often it\\'s always the wrong number. Went to a lounge in Mexico, could bring in me plus 2. Had party of 4 so had to pay for 1. Sometimes when a family member flies, I book their ticket and add on lounge access for them. They have no idea it isn\\'t included in domestic travel, they just know to go. So yes it comes in handy. The lounges are really just a step up from waiting at the gate. And the added \"security\" is worth it. I know it\\'s not secure, but theft in lounges is pretty unheard of and it\\'s common to leave your crap and wander. I like knowing my elderly family can go to the lounge, get some hot drinks, take a nap, and leave without feeling like their in a steerage class steam ship.', 'I’ve been to a handful of domestic priority pass lounges and I’m not sure I’d pay for entry to any of them, but I’m sure there are lounges out there that have food and drink actually worth the money, especially with a long layover', ' Dude, with how much I travel for work, paying for lounge access is 100% worth it to maximize my sanity and enjoy free food/drinks before flights.', 'I travel around 70-90 flights per year so I can easily justify the annual fee on my Amex platinum (750$ I think with an authorized user?), since I will visit lounges 50+ times, so it comes down to 15$ per visit if I exclusively used it for the lounges. That said, for a lot of people that’s a steep annual fee if you’re only going to visit a couple times. If you fly 5-10x per year, it’s cheaper to just pay per visit than it is to get a credit card that includes priority pass.', 'I paid for lounge access once in Madrid for €30 (~$34) I was able to shower, eat, drink and chill in peace for ~5 hours until my flight out. Definitely worth it considering I had a full days worth of work, gone straight to the airport, traveled for approx 12 hours with one layover and had 4 hours to kill until my next flight (which got delayed) to where I’d be going straight for dinner/clubbing for my cousins ‘pre wedding party’', \"Here's a use case: It can be an easy way to add a tiny luxury to a vacation. Travelling with a partner, have a long layover, and can't fly business? Don't have a Capital One card? Spend $130 and twirl around the CapOne lounge for a while. Have a couple fun drinks, some good food, a hot shower, and start your vacation while you're waiting to board. Why not, you deserve it. (However, the lounges I would pay to enter in the US are very few and far between. Luckily I have access other ways)\", 'There are cards that will give you access 4-6 times as part of the annual fee of the credit card. I’m in Canada and that’s usually 120. To me that’s a better option than paying per visit. I have seen people pay, and for most part there is better food in other areas of the airport. So not sure why people pay.', 'I did once when I’d be working during a 9 hour layover in Rome. Was worth the $35', 'Yes I travel multiple times a month so the yearly fee is less than I would spend on food and drink at the airport in the same time period. Plus it’s much more relaxing than sitting anywhere else in an airport.', \"I've only ever used it once when my flight was delayed and my travel insurance would send me a code to get in. I never thought it was worth it but it was nice to be in there and chill. Not have to sit outside with the rabble and screaming kids.\", 'I’ve seen people pay. Was at the Turkish lounge in Miami and a family of 5 paid like $200 to enter which is crazy given the quality.', 'I wouldn\\'t. So far I\\'ve tried to use priority pass for lounge access 7 times and every single time I was told \"unfortunately we\\'re not accepting priority pass customers at this time\" (even when the time was 6am on a Tuesday and the lounge was visibly empty).', 'I did once because I didn’t know what else to do in the city I was visiting and had a lot of downtime.', 'My VISA was giving me a free pass every year but only one, so when my wife is with me we have to pay extra. Not much extra, and sometimes they just let her in for free.', 'I’ve paid for lounges where I had a long layover and there were either no Priority Pass/credit card access lounges available to me in that airport or they were full. Most tend to be around 30-40 bucks in my experience. Some are more. The way I see it is that if I’m especially staying for a long layover for a meal period or want to get a drink or two, it becomes pretty marginal. Two drinks or a drink and a shitty meal will cost me about 30 bucks in an airport anyway. I might as well use it getting an open bar, food, and more comfortable seating/fewer crowds. The more expensive lounges I usually can’t justify but someone in a different financial position probably can quite easily.', 'We get the Delta Reserve which comes with lounge access. This all comes from a visit to a Buffalo Wings at JFK where my wife and I managed to rack up well over $100 for 4 beers and 2 meals. We fly domestically several times a year to visit family and overseas a couple of times too. At that point it made way more sense to use the lounge for unlimited food and drinks. We even grab a sandwich or snacks to go since the planes got stingier with food.', 'Credit cards that include lounge access have an annual fee, so not exactly “free”.', 'When Priority Pass lost access to Plaza Premium a few years ago, this U.S.-based frequent international traveler DID pony up the bucks for competitor Dragon Pass.\\nPriority Pass is now allowed in Plaza Premium lounges again, so won\\'t be renewing DP. However, may just forget PP (and DP!) Lounges altogether. Overcrowded, and it appears from two recent experiences with unsupervised children running amuck, the \"sanctuary\" aspect is no longer valued. Hello, Centurion, Admiral\\'s Club, etc!', 'I get access to the \"Priority Pass\" lounges through my credit card, and they are pretty hit or miss, depending on the airport. If we\\'re able to, we\\'ll usually pay to get into one of the nicer lounges (American Airlines\\' Admirals Club, Delta\\'s Sky Club, etc.). Those tend to have better food, are less crowded, are cleaner, etc. As others have said, if you don\\'t pay the $60ish to get into a lounge, you\\'ll probably end up spending more than that anyways on food / drinks somewhere else in the airport.', 'My ex and I just walked in to the Emirates Lounge in Dubai. No one challenged us (I guess the guy at the desk was having a cigarette break?), so we just strolled right in. To be honest, we were already kind of drunk from the flight, and we thought we were allowed access to the lounge because we were Emirates passengers. We even tried to pay for all the food and booze we had. This was like 20 years ago, and I gather security is tighter these days.', \"yes I do, my card doesn't have this perk.\", \"Yeah. Sometimes Ryanair priority is how you can bring two big bags with you on the plane (overhead). Also you get to board first and get window seats. It's not that much more expensive.\", 'People still use priority pass? That\\'s so 2018. As for airport lounge access, yes, I have a lot of United and AA passes from my airline status and I put them on FB marketplace/eBay and they pretty much get sold within 5 minutes. > effectively get it for free or much lower cost/greater value through a credit card or something. lol, which cards? ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Like outside of/separate from having that included on a credit card or other perk. Just curious, as I don’t see the point to pay for it when you could effectively get it for free or much lower cost/greater value through a credit card or something.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "In addition, there are also airport restaurants where you can get a $28/person credit. In SFO, my wife and I stopped off an early morning plane from JFK and had a nice lunch of chicken cobb salad, salmon sandwich, and a piece of chocolate cake which came out to $17 with the $56 credit. About $15 of that was the tip for the server. We've after 2 months gotten $300 of value already. We're going to Asia soon so should be getting a lot more lounge access.\", 'That centurion lounge is amazing', 'Which card are you using for this? Also in Canada. The lowest card I see is the CIBC Aventura Infinite for $140.', 'Did you find it worthwhile,', 'Yes, although it depends. If you take advantage of the credits they offer and you were going to use that money anyways, then is comes out even', 'these used to be so easy to get on my credit card you only had to spend 10k a year, they were basically getting so crowded the press got involved, they upped it to 30k minimized it a bit, some airport wont let you in with the complimentary passes you have to be a member, guess it stops some foot traffic', 'Is Plaza just a little more upscale?', 'Do you mainly travel in the states or internationally?', 'Sounds like a lot of people (at least here in the comments) still think lounges are better than waiting by the gate for a couple hours. In regards to which card, Venture cards will give you varying levels of access to the lounge network. They can’t be all as bad as you say lol', 'I mean, you aren’t exactly wrong in your description, but shitty lounges are still quite a bit better then the broader airport situation.', '> I have a lot of United and AA passes from my airline status and I put them on FB marketplace/eBay and they pretty much get sold within 5 minutes How? United doesn\\'t give out \"lounge passes\" for status, at least anything that is remotely transferrable.', 'That\\'s when you shrug, say \"sorry honey\" and walk into the lounge without looking back.', 'Which card could I ask?', 'Lol, cleanest dirty shirt? Haha', 'Are priority pass lounges just not as good? Or is the membership not good', 'Do you travel mainly in the states or elsewhere?', 'Is the capital one lounge at DFW part of PP?', 'Domestic first?', 'What card do you use and what lounge group?', \"Don't sweat it. The one here in London is crap.\", \"Don't forget those sweet, sweet private restrooms. Very important on those longer journeys.\", 'no, Arizona (sky harbor)', \"I should've clarified that the one time I paid for lounge access was before I had status for lounge entry. There are a lot of great lounges out there (Private Room at SIN!), but I would be more discerning about paying for a lounge in the future if I didn't have status.\", \"I travel frequently and with many various people. Also I use all sorts of lounges, it's just not feasible. Much easier to just pay the $30 or $60 and be done with it. I've luckily never been denied a guest pass with a working pass. Even when the lounges aren't accepting pay-passes, they seem to accept paid guests of members. And that's good enough for me.\", 'Alas no, I’ve been in some “the club” lounges that say they have food but it’s really just bits and nibbles like pretzels and peanuts to go with your drinks. Some are slightly better and offer a hot soup or maybe a brownie that gets delivered to your seat but it’s “light fare” at best. If I paid $50 for entry to one of those expecting to be able to eat a meal I would be very disappointed with the value.', 'Not necessarily. Priority pass in many airports isn’t a lounge, but rather a meal at a restaurant. I want more than that. I want a relaxing environment, fast WiFi, a desk with plugs so I can work. All in a convenient place relative to my gate. I travel frequently for work. On those work days, I will often get to the lounge 3 hours ahead of my flight and take a meeting or two from the airport. I purchase a lounge membership with the airline I am loyal to and never have to travel far between the lounge and one of several lounges they have in the airlines main hub. I can also count on their lounge being nearby in most of the cities I fly to. I know I will never be stuck doing work in a busy restaurant. Amex centurion is getting better about having lounges in many locations, but they still don’t cover many of the airports I fly to. And they charge $50 per guest, which I get for free with my airline membership. If I am flying with coworkers, I bring them in with me as a nice perk. I bought a day pass once to lounge at Heathrow because I didn’t otherwise qualify. Big mistake. Because anyone could but a day pass, the quality of the facility and food and atmosphere was crap. And they have no reason to treat me well, vs an airline that knows I am a frequent traveler with them.', 'If you travel enough lounge access comes as a status benefit. Delta diamond and I have executive lounge pass.', 'Agreed. My point was I can justify the annual fee purely for lounge access, everything else is just icing.', 'I find centurion lounges are usually too busy for my taste, but they are definitely better in terms of drinks and food than the airline clubs.', 'It is if you can get a seat!', 'WestJet World Elite can get you there if you qualify up to Silver status. \\nAvion Infinite I believe also give you some access, might be the Avion Infinite Privilege though.', 'Yes! Unlimited food and the showers were really nice', 'In my opinion, they\\'re more \"upscale,\" but their significant overseas presence made them a \"must\" for me. I spend very little time in domestic airports. Plaza Premium is just starting to enter the U.S. market with lounges at DFW and Orlando currently. They also manage five Virgin Atlantic lounges in the U.S. More PP-branded U.S. lounges are in the works.', 'Usually just in the states, but occasionally international. Our local airport is small, so most flights have connections through a handful of hubs.', 'That commenter is a super elitist. I have priority pass through CSR and every lounge is a massive upgrade over sitting at the gate or the usual restaurant bars and restaurants. Last week I visited the CSR lounge in Boston (which is supposedly the nicest priority pass lounge there is) and it was like being at a 4-star all-inclusive resort.', 'American Express. The Canadian version if that makes a difference.', \"They tend to be pretty bare bones lounges and in some places are super crowded. Plus sometimes lounges treat PP members like shit and don't honor their published rules with PP, looking at you, Air France. But in other places it's no problem. I've certainly used a ton of PP lounges over the years.\", 'North America, Europe, and Asia', 'Domestic first class. Used to be domestic first class tickets received free lounge access. Now only business and first *international* get free lounge access.', \"Amex Platinum, which includes the Priority Pass. There are some Amex-branded lounges at big airports like LAX and LHR of course but most of the lounges I use are simply via the Priority Pass which can be purchased a la carte without the associated credit card technically. It's not all access but at most airports I have somewhere to go. There's an app called lounge buddy that tells you what lounges you have access to based on what card you have, if you download it and plug in a few popular options like the chase card and amex you can see what lounges you'd have access to at your home airports with each card.\", 'Really? From the outside they seem like a utopia', 'Boom! This is the true answer. (And nothing like a shower and shave after a trans-Pac).', 'Yep, its the bathrooms. Often they even have showers, which is great for long layovers.', \"And shower. It's so nice if you're taking an evening flight after a long day outside.\", 'Yeah, the one at DFW def not worth it. I think they had some cookies and some soft drinks and some very substandard rice dish.', \"I realize that, the question was does anyone pay for priority pass or lounge access in general. I'm not sure why you would actually pay for it rather than getting it through a credit card. Especially if you travel a lot. With a card like Venture X priority pass is basically free. I mean, I have Delta gold medallion status so I could buy sky club pass but why would I when I can get in with Amex platinum?\", \"I looked up the WestJet WE card for lounge passes, and I think the reason I didn't go for it was because the lounge passes could only be used if you were taking a WestJet flight (at least that's what it says on the policy, I'm not sure how heavily that's enforced). I'll check out the Avion card, thanks.\", \"Unfortunately in my experience many lounges are now canceling their agreement with Priority Pass. It's not nearly as useful now as it was 4 or 5 years ago.\", 'It used to be you could bring in a guest on the Amex Platinum to the lounges for free. Now its $50 unless you pay the extra money for them to have a joint Platinum card', 'Would you say it’s hit or miss all over or more so in one region vs another', 'Oh I see…that sucks', \"Yeah it's not good. Neither is the Plaza Premium one in Edinburgh. I've yet to find any outside of the US and Asia which have been any good, that I can get into with my Amex.\", 'Showers but also napping rooms or pods. That’s my favourite thing about the lounges.', 'showers before the flight as well when flying out of hot and humid areas. not feeling sweaty and sticky makes that already uncomfortable long haul a bit better.', 'Yes the vouchers are only applicable with an accompanying WestJet boarding pass unfortunately, part of why we’re switching to the Avion infinite privilege.', \"I know Newark no longer has any but haven't run into that issue personally. Chase is expanded their Sapphire Lounges all over the place to help combat that but as of right now you only get unlimited visits to them plus free guests if you have a CSR. Priority pass alone is only one free visit annually.\", 'The Canadian platinum card still grants 1 guest access at many lounges', \"Personally, I would say North American and Europe. Lounges in Asia are generally higher quality. If you already have Priority Pass as part of credit card benefit, and you've had good experience (not too crowded or turned away from capacity, decent food and amenities), then great. Keep using it and you already have it. If one day you start traveling more, and you starting thinking to yourself that the experience has been meh or you can take it or leave it, then maybe looking into other options.\", 'It pisses me off more than it should.', 'I noticed that is also does in Australia. It looks like the no free guest primarily affects US lounges'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Booked a flight for Christmas eve weekend to Aspen. Wanted to know from folks with first hand experience about the chances of the airport shutting down due to the weather around late December. I basically wanna know the risk of flying to a Colorado mountain town during highs of 26 F and lows of 1 F. Any insight is appreciated.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'Lived in the Aspen area my entire life. There’s really no way to know. I’ve never been re-routed or cancelled due to weather, but my twin sister has about 10 different times lmao. ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Booked a flight for Christmas eve weekend to Aspen. Wanted to know from folks with first hand experience about the chances of the airport shutting down due to the weather around late December. I basically wanna know the risk of flying to a Colorado mountain town during highs of 26 F and lows of 1 F. Any insight is appreciated.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "I wouldn't sweat it. Just pay attention a week out for storms.\", 'Nobody has a magic 8 ball. I’ve been delayed to aspen from Denver, we’ve turned mid flight due to storms and had many on time flights. If there’s a storm, this flight will be affected.', 'If you’re skiing, the weather you want is what’s going to shut down the airport. The approach into there is wild, dropping into a narrow valley over high mountains. It’s a commonly cancelled flight. But, depending on the road conditions over Vail Pass and the Eisenhower Tunnel, you might not have much more luck driving.', 'I’ve flown from Denver over the Rockies to Alamosa quite a bit on a tiny plane. It usually goes smoothly. Way more delays with Denver related weather rather than anything over the mountains. Denver has a lot of thunderstorms so it feels like every other time I’m there they ground the planes for a few hours', 'Due to weather I have spent about 25 unplanned days in Aspen during trips over the last 20 years. No way to tell. Have a backup plan and/or extra funds to accommodate this. Enjoy your extra days if you are stuck there.', 'It’s a tiny, old fashioned airport.', \"If you don't mind my asking, what months did you get stuck there?\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Good morning fellow travelers! My husband and I are thinking of traveling to Peru in the beginning of May 2024 and I'm asking for tips on the best neighborhood for us to stay in. Miraflores or Barranco? We are interested in great food/dining experiences, museums, people watching, beaches, and cultural activities. We are in our late 40's. \n\nMay I have some input regarding Lima, not those two neighborhoods exclusively, but anywhere you think our criteria might be met. TIA!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Good morning fellow travelers! My husband and I are thinking of traveling to Peru in the beginning of May 2024 and I'm asking for tips on the best neighborhood for us to stay in. Miraflores or Barranco? We are interested in great food/dining experiences, museums, people watching, beaches, and cultural activities. We are in our late 40's. \n\nMay I have some input regarding Lima, not those two neighborhoods exclusively, but anywhere you think our criteria might be met. TIA!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi Reddit\n\nMy fiance and I are fortunate to be able to take PTO from work for one month and decided to travel to Southeast Asia! More specifically, Vietnam and Thailand with a quick pit stop in Cambodia to see the Angkor Wat.\n\nFrankly, reading all the reddit posts and google searches on how to best spend this time has been overwhelming. So much is left to anecdotes and personal preferences that it feels like I’m trying to find the perfect snowflake in a blizzard. I've narrowed down our options a bit and would really appreciate some feedback and suggestions from all of you!\n\nA little about us:\n\nMy fiancé and I are in our early 30s and are looking for a good blend of adventure and relaxation on this trip. Having surrendered our souls to corporate America and enduring demanding jobs (hello, 12-hour workdays), we're using this opportunity to disconnect and recharge. However, we're not looking to laze around on a beach the entire time—we'd drive ourselves crazy. Nor are we aiming for a non-stop party. We're experienced travelers, usually venturing on 2-3 international trips annually, though our travels have mainly been in Western Europe, but this will be our first time in Southeast Asia. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!. \n\nSo without further ado, these are the cities we plan on visiting:\n\nTotal Days 32 Days starting Nov 26th:\n\nDay 1-2: Land in Ho Chi Minh\n\nDay 3-6: Siem Reap\n\nDay 7-9: Bangkok\n\nDay 10-12: Krabi\n\nDay 13-15: Koh Lanta\n\nDay 16-19: Chang Mai\n\nDay 19-20: Hanoi\n\nDay 21-23: Ha Long Bay\n\nDay 24-28: Some combo of Da Nang, Hoi An, Hue\n\nDay 29-30: Dalat\n\nDay 31: Ho Chi Minh\n\nDay 32: Fly out of Ho Chi Minh\n\nThank you all!!!\n\n\\- Poptarts", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'Just for clarification, you are going to fly into Ho Chi Mi and then to Siem Reap two days later? ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi Reddit\n\nMy fiance and I are fortunate to be able to take PTO from work for one month and decided to travel to Southeast Asia! More specifically, Vietnam and Thailand with a quick pit stop in Cambodia to see the Angkor Wat.\n\nFrankly, reading all the reddit posts and google searches on how to best spend this time has been overwhelming. So much is left to anecdotes and personal preferences that it feels like I’m trying to find the perfect snowflake in a blizzard. I've narrowed down our options a bit and would really appreciate some feedback and suggestions from all of you!\n\nA little about us:\n\nMy fiancé and I are in our early 30s and are looking for a good blend of adventure and relaxation on this trip. Having surrendered our souls to corporate America and enduring demanding jobs (hello, 12-hour workdays), we're using this opportunity to disconnect and recharge. However, we're not looking to laze around on a beach the entire time—we'd drive ourselves crazy. Nor are we aiming for a non-stop party. We're experienced travelers, usually venturing on 2-3 international trips annually, though our travels have mainly been in Western Europe, but this will be our first time in Southeast Asia. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!. \n\nSo without further ado, these are the cities we plan on visiting:\n\nTotal Days 32 Days starting Nov 26th:\n\nDay 1-2: Land in Ho Chi Minh\n\nDay 3-6: Siem Reap\n\nDay 7-9: Bangkok\n\nDay 10-12: Krabi\n\nDay 13-15: Koh Lanta\n\nDay 16-19: Chang Mai\n\nDay 19-20: Hanoi\n\nDay 21-23: Ha Long Bay\n\nDay 24-28: Some combo of Da Nang, Hoi An, Hue\n\nDay 29-30: Dalat\n\nDay 31: Ho Chi Minh\n\nDay 32: Fly out of Ho Chi Minh\n\nThank you all!!!\n\n\\- Poptarts", "role": "user" }, { "content": "I honestly have no idea what the deal is currently because I feel like it changed yet again.\", 'I was able to get a multi entry visa into Vietnam. We were booking using Delta points and there were very limited options from JFK so we made best of what was avaliable', 'Thank you!! I’ll take any other recommendations you have.', 'Yea, I mean your itinerary is packed enough as it is, I just don’t think it’s worth another two flights (or flight and long bus ride) to see it for 2 days. I wasn’t that impressed with Dalat personally, but opinions differ.', 'Is it because 2 days in Dakar is not enough or did not think Dalat is worth it?', 'Thank you! Luckily was able to get a multi entry visa albeit more expensive. With our flight chose, it was the best option.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi,\n\nI'm looking at potential flights for a future trip (from Canada to Australia and back). This is a ways out yet; not booking anything, just looking at time frames and routes to plan around.\n\nMost of the flights I'm seeing have a stopover in either Auckland (AKL) or Nadi (NAN). I've never been to either. Is one airport easier to navigate/make connections at, or are they comparable? What length of layover would you consider ideal at either place? \n\nAppreciate any insights, thanks!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'Ok so I haven\\'t actually been to either, but I can give general tips from a lot of travel experience. Both airports look pretty nice inside, but Nadi is pretty small, they only really have 4 gates in a small area that load up big planes. A long layover here would probably get boring fast. On the other hand, Fiji is in a slightly better spot for flight times, Auckland is a bit more of a detour south. Auckland\\'s international terminal isn\\'t huge but it\\'s still around 10 times the size of Nadi with a lot more options for food and shopping, and you\\'ll get way better plane and people watching there.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi,\n\nI'm looking at potential flights for a future trip (from Canada to Australia and back). This is a ways out yet; not booking anything, just looking at time frames and routes to plan around.\n\nMost of the flights I'm seeing have a stopover in either Auckland (AKL) or Nadi (NAN). I've never been to either. Is one airport easier to navigate/make connections at, or are they comparable? What length of layover would you consider ideal at either place? \n\nAppreciate any insights, thanks!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Visit our Megathread(https://www.reddit.com/r/Flights/comments/150h3vf/megathread_will_i_make_my_layover_do_i_need_a/) over at /r/flights *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit(/message/compose/?to=/r/travel) if you have any questions or concerns.*', 'oh fiji? 3mo layover pls', \"Thanks for the tips, I'll keep this in mind!\", \"Thanks for the feedback! I don't have lounge access (I travel once per year so don't pay for any travel cards or priority stuff; def would if I was flying more often). But good to know the transit was simple there for you :)\", \"More flights from Auckland is definitely something to consider, thank you. Most of the direct flights between Vancouver and Australia didn't line up with the dates/times I was looking at, but that could change as I'm not tied to dates yet. I'm also hesitant to do that as I don't handle long flights well - even Vancouver to Auckland is going to be rough for me, glad it's overnight so I can sleep but would definitely appreciate a layover I can walk around during.\", 'Lol, I wish. Unfortunately my boss may have some issue with that'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello, I am currently in India visiting from the USA. \n\nLong story short, my dad grew up in Mumbai but left for college, met my mom and ended up staying in the USA. He never went back once my sister and I were born until I was 14 (just the 2 of us went on that trip) and I remember being SO homesick and overwhelmed. I never wanted to go back again and was so happy to leave. I think being so young and it was my first overseas trip, it was a lot for me to process.\n\nTwo years after that trip my dad passed and although I kept in contact with my family I didn’t keep the greatest contact with them. I finally decided once covid was over that it was time for a trip back and to reconnect with them. So earlier this year I booked a trip in July for November, almost 23 years after my first trip, and I’m here now…once again feeling overwhelmed and homesick.\n\nThankfully it is not as bad as last time. I am trying to embrace the culture more and have been staying busy, but it’s still been difficult. I visited northern India with my cousin (Jaipur and Agra) and I was getting people staring at me, begging for money, wanting selfies, I can’t go into a store without having to haggle or have a family member do it for me (I never haggle for anything back home except a car lol), and it was just so crowded and exhausting. Just FYI, I am half Indian but very much look white so you would never guess I’m Indian lol. \n\nMy family is in Mumbai and I am back here now and I’m not getting stared at or bothered now, but still feel overwhelmed and exhausted. Diwali is this weekend so I am looking forward to experiencing that and then I only have one more week…but then I head to Egypt (Giza and Cairo) and I’m worried I will feel the same way. Egypt is just a few days, then I go home, and although I’ll be alone I already know to be careful with all the scammers. I also arranged all my tours and airport pick up and drop off through my hotel so hopefully things will be easy.\n\nAnyway I guess my reason for this post was to ask if any other Americans or anyone from the west felt the same way? Thought it’d be a little easier after many years away. If anyone has any tips to help me out I’d appreciate it, tips for Egypt are welcome too!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello, I am currently in India visiting from the USA. \n\nLong story short, my dad grew up in Mumbai but left for college, met my mom and ended up staying in the USA. He never went back once my sister and I were born until I was 14 (just the 2 of us went on that trip) and I remember being SO homesick and overwhelmed. I never wanted to go back again and was so happy to leave. I think being so young and it was my first overseas trip, it was a lot for me to process.\n\nTwo years after that trip my dad passed and although I kept in contact with my family I didn’t keep the greatest contact with them. I finally decided once covid was over that it was time for a trip back and to reconnect with them. So earlier this year I booked a trip in July for November, almost 23 years after my first trip, and I’m here now…once again feeling overwhelmed and homesick.\n\nThankfully it is not as bad as last time. I am trying to embrace the culture more and have been staying busy, but it’s still been difficult. I visited northern India with my cousin (Jaipur and Agra) and I was getting people staring at me, begging for money, wanting selfies, I can’t go into a store without having to haggle or have a family member do it for me (I never haggle for anything back home except a car lol), and it was just so crowded and exhausting. Just FYI, I am half Indian but very much look white so you would never guess I’m Indian lol. \n\nMy family is in Mumbai and I am back here now and I’m not getting stared at or bothered now, but still feel overwhelmed and exhausted. Diwali is this weekend so I am looking forward to experiencing that and then I only have one more week…but then I head to Egypt (Giza and Cairo) and I’m worried I will feel the same way. Egypt is just a few days, then I go home, and although I’ll be alone I already know to be careful with all the scammers. I also arranged all my tours and airport pick up and drop off through my hotel so hopefully things will be easy.\n\nAnyway I guess my reason for this post was to ask if any other Americans or anyone from the west felt the same way? Thought it’d be a little easier after many years away. If anyone has any tips to help me out I’d appreciate it, tips for Egypt are welcome too!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I am planning a trip where I fly into Vegas and see the Grand Canyon and then drive up to spend a couple days in Yellow Stone before flying out of Bozeman. The Drive is about 15 hours from the Grand Canyon to Yellow Stone. I was hoping to find 1 or 2 places along the way that are worth a seeing and stopping at on the way.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I am planning a trip where I fly into Vegas and see the Grand Canyon and then drive up to spend a couple days in Yellow Stone before flying out of Bozeman. The Drive is about 15 hours from the Grand Canyon to Yellow Stone. I was hoping to find 1 or 2 places along the way that are worth a seeing and stopping at on the way.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello,\n\nI'm planning my first trip to the UK and Copenhagen with my mom, who is elderly, and I'm quite excited about it. Traveling with an elderly person can be a bit challenging, and I want to ensure her safety and make the trip as smooth as possible. I would greatly appreciate any advice or tips you can share with me.\n\nTraveling from London to the countryside: How do you typically handle luggage? Do you bring your luggage with you to the countryside, or is there a more convenient way to store it?\nI'd like to explore the countryside near London for a few days, perhaps 3 days and 2 nights. Is this duration appropriate, or should I plan for a longer or shorter stay?\nI'm also planning to visit Copenhagen during the winter. Can you tell me about your experiences there during the winter season? Is it a pleasant time to visit, and how many days do you recommend spending in Copenhagen? Are there options for finding halal food?\nMy return flight is from the UK. Is it common for people to store their luggage before flying with budget airlines?\nThank you so much for your help and advice. Your insights will be incredibly valuable in ensuring a safe and enjoyable trip for both my mom and me. Your assistance is greatly appreciated.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about England?", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello,\n\nI'm planning my first trip to the UK and Copenhagen with my mom, who is elderly, and I'm quite excited about it. Traveling with an elderly person can be a bit challenging, and I want to ensure her safety and make the trip as smooth as possible. I would greatly appreciate any advice or tips you can share with me.\n\nTraveling from London to the countryside: How do you typically handle luggage? Do you bring your luggage with you to the countryside, or is there a more convenient way to store it?\nI'd like to explore the countryside near London for a few days, perhaps 3 days and 2 nights. Is this duration appropriate, or should I plan for a longer or shorter stay?\nI'm also planning to visit Copenhagen during the winter. Can you tell me about your experiences there during the winter season? Is it a pleasant time to visit, and how many days do you recommend spending in Copenhagen? Are there options for finding halal food?\nMy return flight is from the UK. Is it common for people to store their luggage before flying with budget airlines?\nThank you so much for your help and advice. Your insights will be incredibly valuable in ensuring a safe and enjoyable trip for both my mom and me. Your assistance is greatly appreciated.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit(/message/compose/?to=/r/travel) if you have any questions or concerns.*'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi there,\n\nSo I originally had a flight booked through jetlines and red tag but something came up and I’m not able to make the original flight time. redtag could not change any details as it was less than 21 days from departure and unfortunately I did not have insurance. \n\nI booked a flight yesterday last minute to fly on the 11th to Cancun with eco budget and paid for one checked bag each way.\n\nI was printing my paperwork and it states from Canada to Mexico and vice versa- they cannot guarantee they will be able to check my bag even if I prepaid.\n\nHas anyone run into this issue? I’m travelling alone and it would be a nightmare if they didn’t accept my checked bag. It mentioned it wouldn’t if the flight was extremely full.\n\nDoes anyone know the chances of this? Also what would happen with my luggage..? Would I have to re book a different flight? \n\nThank you", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi there,\n\nSo I originally had a flight booked through jetlines and red tag but something came up and I’m not able to make the original flight time. redtag could not change any details as it was less than 21 days from departure and unfortunately I did not have insurance. \n\nI booked a flight yesterday last minute to fly on the 11th to Cancun with eco budget and paid for one checked bag each way.\n\nI was printing my paperwork and it states from Canada to Mexico and vice versa- they cannot guarantee they will be able to check my bag even if I prepaid.\n\nHas anyone run into this issue? I’m travelling alone and it would be a nightmare if they didn’t accept my checked bag. It mentioned it wouldn’t if the flight was extremely full.\n\nDoes anyone know the chances of this? Also what would happen with my luggage..? Would I have to re book a different flight? \n\nThank you", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi all\n\nIt'll be my first time travelling someplace in Asia. I will be in Cambodia for a week then Indonesia for 2 weeks (13 nights) \n\nMy plan so far is; \n\n- Fly to Lombok - get to Gili Islands, Gili air to begin with (day 1) \n- Spend 5-6 days in Gili Air learning to snorkel and also diving (open water course) \n- Spend 1-2 nights in Gili T for the night life (could skip this - just not sure what's best for solo travel between Gili T and A)\n- ferry + fly to Labuan bajo stay a night there (hopefully meet other people or find a tour for below that will take me as I'm a solo traveller) \n- 2/3 days komodo island snorkeling + hiking + pink beach and maybe dive? \n- fly from Labuan bajo to Bali and get the flight back to the UK (same day) \n\nI am not sure if I should book much in advance (flights within Indonesia + hostels or tours) - I'm fairly used to booking when I get to places in South America & Africa. I'll be in Indonesia first week of December - not sure if it'll be tooo packed. Any suggestions on if I should book everything and stick to the plan or not book and be flexible in case plans change? \n\nIf you think the itinerary is not the best above/I could change something given I've just got two weeks please let me know! Much appreciated", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"I wouldn't recommend diving in Komodo if you don't even yet know how to snorkel, and you're doing your open water immediately before. The currents there are no joke.\", '**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Indonesia?", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi all\n\nIt'll be my first time travelling someplace in Asia. I will be in Cambodia for a week then Indonesia for 2 weeks (13 nights) \n\nMy plan so far is; \n\n- Fly to Lombok - get to Gili Islands, Gili air to begin with (day 1) \n- Spend 5-6 days in Gili Air learning to snorkel and also diving (open water course) \n- Spend 1-2 nights in Gili T for the night life (could skip this - just not sure what's best for solo travel between Gili T and A)\n- ferry + fly to Labuan bajo stay a night there (hopefully meet other people or find a tour for below that will take me as I'm a solo traveller) \n- 2/3 days komodo island snorkeling + hiking + pink beach and maybe dive? \n- fly from Labuan bajo to Bali and get the flight back to the UK (same day) \n\nI am not sure if I should book much in advance (flights within Indonesia + hostels or tours) - I'm fairly used to booking when I get to places in South America & Africa. I'll be in Indonesia first week of December - not sure if it'll be tooo packed. Any suggestions on if I should book everything and stick to the plan or not book and be flexible in case plans change? \n\nIf you think the itinerary is not the best above/I could change something given I've just got two weeks please let me know! Much appreciated", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit(/message/compose/?to=/r/travel) if you have any questions or concerns.*', 'Looks pretty good to me, but yea for Komodo it’s much easier to book an island hopping trip that just does snorkeling, as the logistics of diving in Komodo are kind of tricky. And you should be a pro snorkeler by then! Although if you have an extra day in Labuan Bajo definitely see if dive boats are going out to Manta Point, fantastic dive site to see all the mantas.', 'Ok will skip that there then'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "My wife and I are attending a wedding in Brisbane this December and hoping to make a trip to NZ. Ideally we’d have more time to spend there, but we’re limited to 5-6 days.\n\nI was hoping to get some opinions on where to spend our time. I’d love to see South Island as well as the glowworm caves/hobbiton. \n\nWe were looking into flying into Christchurch or Queenstown, spending a few days on the South Island and then heading to Auckland for a day or two before heading back to the US.\n\nMy concern is spreading our time too thin and travel logistics. Any suggestions on destinations/activities and general opinions would be appreciated!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"If you keep it to just that it's just fine. Fly into Queenstown. Plenty to do there for 3-4 days and then fly to Auckland. Hit Hobbiton on the way to Rotorua and Waitomo for a night or two and then back to Auckland. Dont stay around Waitomo. There isnt much there.\", '**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about New Zealand? Read what redditors had to say in the **weekly destination thread for New Zealand(http://redd.it/2rotdp)** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit(/message/compose/?to=/r/travel) if you have any questions or concerns.*', 'Just did this! I’d do it at the end as you’d already be near that time zone/won’t need as much recovery time. That said. I love to hike and be outdoors. This itinerary may not be what you enjoy most. ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "My wife and I are attending a wedding in Brisbane this December and hoping to make a trip to NZ. Ideally we’d have more time to spend there, but we’re limited to 5-6 days.\n\nI was hoping to get some opinions on where to spend our time. I’d love to see South Island as well as the glowworm caves/hobbiton. \n\nWe were looking into flying into Christchurch or Queenstown, spending a few days on the South Island and then heading to Auckland for a day or two before heading back to the US.\n\nMy concern is spreading our time too thin and travel logistics. Any suggestions on destinations/activities and general opinions would be appreciated!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Day 4: Hiking paths near Mt. Cook. Hooker Lake is a fantastic option. Rest of my friends did a helicopter tour of a glacier, that’s not my scene so my buddy and I hiked. Night 4: Wherever you spent night 3 Day 5: Drive to airport. BNE flights leave the latest compared to the rest of the flights to Australia out of ZQN, so you’re in luck.', \"Wouldn't bother with Auckland when you only have that short time. Fly into ZQN, work your way up the middle and fly out from CHC (or vice versa) - you'll most likely have to fly back to the US from AKL anyway and both airports have direct flights to AKL\", \"Haven't heard much about High Country Salmon. Can you tell me how your experience was?\", 'Haha sure we just stopped for a few mins. It’s a fresh water salmon farm. The salmon is cheap (by my american standards at least). My buddies and I bought a kilo of shashimi for like US$50. You can feed the salmon and catch them I think if you go before 4. I wouldn’t make a plan around visiting there, but it’s a fun stop if you’re spending the night in Twizel or driving up that way.', \"Awesome. We're staying the night at Mt. Cook so it seems like the perfect place to stop for lunch. Did you guys catch the salmon that you bought or did you just buy it from the shop?\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi everyone,\nI'm from USA and I'm a long time travel and somewhat of a digital nomad. After traveling through Europe for the past 6 months, I want to move somewhere warmer for the winter months. I am looking at the Philippines and was hoping for some guidance on a good city to stay for at least one month. I know the recommendation is to visit multiple places but I'm looking for somewhere I can stay for a full month so I can focus on my studies and work while also enjoying a new city. I'm open to any places in the region that you might recommend even if it's out of the Philippines I would just like to hear the pros and cons. I'm an African American if that matters and I'm 30 years old. While in the city, I plan to find a local gym, enjoy good food and nightlife and meet friendly people. Hope to hear from you all soon !", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"The problem you're going to have in the Philippines is, the internet is shit. My wife is from Batangas... Between the garbage internet and the fact that they lose power every damn day, it would be rough for a DN. Manila is probably better, but I wouldn't want to spend a month in manila.\", 'maybe indonesia?', '**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about the Philippines? Read what redditors had to say in the **weekly destination thread for the Philippines(http://redd.it/34y49d)** ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi everyone,\nI'm from USA and I'm a long time travel and somewhat of a digital nomad. After traveling through Europe for the past 6 months, I want to move somewhere warmer for the winter months. I am looking at the Philippines and was hoping for some guidance on a good city to stay for at least one month. I know the recommendation is to visit multiple places but I'm looking for somewhere I can stay for a full month so I can focus on my studies and work while also enjoying a new city. I'm open to any places in the region that you might recommend even if it's out of the Philippines I would just like to hear the pros and cons. I'm an African American if that matters and I'm 30 years old. While in the city, I plan to find a local gym, enjoy good food and nightlife and meet friendly people. Hope to hear from you all soon !", "role": "user" }, { "content": "What? https://nomadsembassy.com/digital-nomad-visas-europe/ I count 12 options', 'Nice. Ive only been to Mexico for partying many years ago. I am seriously considering going somewhere in the Caribbean but wanted to see southeast Asia. How do you like Mexico though?', 'Thanks for the link!', \"If you're looking for good weather I highly recommend Merida in the Yucatan State. Or Progresso which is only 30 mins away. Way more chill and safer than Quintana Roo. I would recommend CDMX also but it gets a little cold winter nights and is more expensive\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "ETIAS has been postponed to 2025 but this is my first time hearing about it. Does it means that to travel to the affected country, no matter the duration, I'll need to apply for ETIAS beforehand? Even for a short 5 days vacation?\n\nCan someone give me a tldr because this is all new to me. \n\nBackground information: I'm (19M) currently studying in France with a student visa and this \"new\" system is making me worried whether returning from my home country after school break will be an issue in the future.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'There is no need to about the ETIAS until it\\'s actually implemented. And there is probably no reason to \"worry\" about it at all since: 1. It probably wouldn\\'t apply to you at all since you have a visa.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "ETIAS has been postponed to 2025 but this is my first time hearing about it. Does it means that to travel to the affected country, no matter the duration, I'll need to apply for ETIAS beforehand? Even for a short 5 days vacation?\n\nCan someone give me a tldr because this is all new to me. \n\nBackground information: I'm (19M) currently studying in France with a student visa and this \"new\" system is making me worried whether returning from my home country after school break will be an issue in the future.", "role": "user" }, { "content": ">I\\'m (19M) currently studying in France with a student visa and this \"new\" system is making me worried If you already have a visa, you won\\'t need an ETIAS travel authorisation.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello everyone,I'm very new to traveling and i am struggling with what size of suitcase to buy (\"Medium\" vs \"Large\").\n\nI have asked a few people but everyone makes good points for either case.\n\nThe primary suitcase im looking to purchase is the American Tourister Curio 2 based on its positive reviews; however, this topic could apply to any case.\n\nI will be traveling for about two weeks in SEA. The hotel about 7 days in (i.e. half way through the trip) does have a laundry, rest may not. So, i may only need about 7ish days worth of things. I am capped at 23kg (this is the lowest allowance of the airlines in the mix).\n\nI have looked in person but the medium feels a little too small and the large a little too large. I am unsure which way to swing. I plan on keeping it for awhile so it will need to be appropriate for other trips of varying sizes and destinations.\n\nMy partner will have a \"medium\", i will be bringing some of the heavier stuff like powerboards but can redistribute if necessary.\n\nI would love to hear peoples personal experiences and thoughts on this. Thanks in advance. Specs below.\n\n* \"Medium\" – 69cm/79-88L (with expander). Empty weight 3.7kg. : 69.0 x 49.0 x 29.0 cm (H/W/D)\n* \"Large\" – 80cm/122-137L (with expander). Empty weight 4.6kg. 80.0 x 56.0 x 33.0 cm (H/W/D)\n* For my imperial system friends: Checked luggage limit - 50 pounds.\n* Imperial: Medium case - 27\"/21 gal (empty 8 pounds); Large Case - 31.5\"/32 Gal (empty 10 pounds)", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"In my opinion, if it can't fit in the overhead, it is too big. That said, I've been in Costa Rica for nearly a month and brought only a backpack that fits under the seat\", 'SE Asia can *easily* be done with carry-on sized luggage and laundry services are absolutely everywhere. Zero need to drag along some heavy/big boat anchor for luggage.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello everyone,I'm very new to traveling and i am struggling with what size of suitcase to buy (\"Medium\" vs \"Large\").\n\nI have asked a few people but everyone makes good points for either case.\n\nThe primary suitcase im looking to purchase is the American Tourister Curio 2 based on its positive reviews; however, this topic could apply to any case.\n\nI will be traveling for about two weeks in SEA. The hotel about 7 days in (i.e. half way through the trip) does have a laundry, rest may not. So, i may only need about 7ish days worth of things. I am capped at 23kg (this is the lowest allowance of the airlines in the mix).\n\nI have looked in person but the medium feels a little too small and the large a little too large. I am unsure which way to swing. I plan on keeping it for awhile so it will need to be appropriate for other trips of varying sizes and destinations.\n\nMy partner will have a \"medium\", i will be bringing some of the heavier stuff like powerboards but can redistribute if necessary.\n\nI would love to hear peoples personal experiences and thoughts on this. Thanks in advance. Specs below.\n\n* \"Medium\" – 69cm/79-88L (with expander). Empty weight 3.7kg. : 69.0 x 49.0 x 29.0 cm (H/W/D)\n* \"Large\" – 80cm/122-137L (with expander). Empty weight 4.6kg. 80.0 x 56.0 x 33.0 cm (H/W/D)\n* For my imperial system friends: Checked luggage limit - 50 pounds.\n* Imperial: Medium case - 27\"/21 gal (empty 8 pounds); Large Case - 31.5\"/32 Gal (empty 10 pounds)", "role": "user" }, { "content": "With a medium, which for sure is nice, you’re near full and you have day pack and a bag of stuff you’ve just purchased. \\nWith a large, you run half+ full and you have room to shove your daypack and some snacks, groceries, etc. \\nIt’s that extra room so at times you can consolidate to one item. \\nAnd for winter usage when you’re packing bulky items.', \"I do laundry, but I don't like being constrained on purchases! My souvenirs are things I'll use like clothes, shoes, a tablecloth, tea towels, just whatever I want to spend my modest budget on. Our next trip involves taxi transfers to/from most airports, so the size/weight isn't an issue, not that we have trouble hauling around 20kg and a carry-on backpack. I'm more of an accidental overpacker, but I've learned to pack enough socks/underwear and then buy more clothes along the way. My case is stuffed full by the end. Agree on not wanting to wear the same shirt in half my photos!\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Has anyone had experience with this? I understand that there is no longer any VAT relief for the UK except for Northern Ireland. So I will be flying to Dublin and then to Edinburgh and London, then back to my home country. \nWill I be able to get the tax refund when I exit Dublin to Edinburgh? \nThere’s some information on the website stating that you’ll be charged the VAT when you enter UK anyway, but I don’t know if that applies for tourists or if we even need to declare it if I’ll just be using the item straightaway? \n\nLooking for anyone who’s had experience doing this!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'Haven’t done that route to claim tx back but i’ve also never entered the UK and paid Vat from anywhere.', '**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about England?", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Has anyone had experience with this? I understand that there is no longer any VAT relief for the UK except for Northern Ireland. So I will be flying to Dublin and then to Edinburgh and London, then back to my home country. \nWill I be able to get the tax refund when I exit Dublin to Edinburgh? \nThere’s some information on the website stating that you’ll be charged the VAT when you enter UK anyway, but I don’t know if that applies for tourists or if we even need to declare it if I’ll just be using the item straightaway? \n\nLooking for anyone who’s had experience doing this!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit(/message/compose/?to=/r/travel) if you have any questions or concerns.*'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello!\nI am halfway thru a month long trip around Cambodia. So far Kratie, Mondulkiri, Siem Reap, and am now in Battambang which I love. After this we’re traveling down to Sihanoukville just to catch a boat to Koh Ta Tiev island for a few nights. On the way we have the chance to stop in Pursat for a couple hours and see the Tonle Sap floating villages Chong Kos and Phoum Kandal. I’m hearing mixed things about this place. Any thoughts?\n\nThanks!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello!\nI am halfway thru a month long trip around Cambodia. So far Kratie, Mondulkiri, Siem Reap, and am now in Battambang which I love. After this we’re traveling down to Sihanoukville just to catch a boat to Koh Ta Tiev island for a few nights. On the way we have the chance to stop in Pursat for a couple hours and see the Tonle Sap floating villages Chong Kos and Phoum Kandal. I’m hearing mixed things about this place. Any thoughts?\n\nThanks!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I was in Spain in May and rented a car. I received a notice from the car rental agency about a month after arriving home that I received a traffic violation while there. I have never received anything in the mail from Spain about the ticket. Is there a statute of limitations for these? Should I still be on the lookout for it?\n\nEdit: rental agency never charged me for the ticket, only a convenience fee. I have every intention of paying the ticket just wondering if it’s normal for it to take this long to receive. ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'In Europe there’s cameras everywhere so getting these tix is rather typical. Guessing it’s something like 20-40 euro. For rentals, they are mailed to the owner which of course is the rental agency, so that’s what you’re seeing here.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I was in Spain in May and rented a car. I received a notice from the car rental agency about a month after arriving home that I received a traffic violation while there. I have never received anything in the mail from Spain about the ticket. Is there a statute of limitations for these? Should I still be on the lookout for it?\n\nEdit: rental agency never charged me for the ticket, only a convenience fee. I have every intention of paying the ticket just wondering if it’s normal for it to take this long to receive. ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit(/message/compose/?to=/r/travel) if you have any questions or concerns.*', 'I\\'ve had one a year after the \"offence\"', 'The rental agency charged me a convenience fee but said I should expect the ticket in the mail', 'Lol', 'They charged me a convenience fee of having to pass along my info to the ticket giver and said I should expect it in the mail. I’ve just been curious since it’s been almost exactly 6 months.', 'I had this happen to me when I went to Spain last summer and ticket showed up in the mail like a month or so after the rental agency notified me. It was all legit. If you pay it within 30 days of receiving it, they give you a 50% discount on the fine. For me it ended up costing like $40. I paid it because (1) it wasn’t that much money; (2) I did speed; and (3) I didn’t want it to potentially impact me renting internationally or in Spain in the future.', 'It happened to us outside of switzerland but we were charged the ticket & the service fee by hertz'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Not sure if anyone will be able to help but, I’m a Canadian planning about a 3 week trip to visit my girlfriend!! I just had a few questions about costs to anyone who’s maybe made a similar trip before. \n\nI have $2000 CAD saved for a round trip plane ticket. I’ve been watching prices and that seems like it would cover it! Which is great!! I plan on going in August of 2024. But now I’m getting a little anxious. Is $2000 going to be enough for a round trip flight to London? \n\nAnd now I’m also wondering about money to have while I’m there! The exchange rate from CAD to British pounds is god awful so I don’t want to break the bank but still want to be prepared. The only things I’d be spending money on is food and souvenirs! But I have no clue what to budget for spending money. \n\nLast question! Do any Canadians, specifically Ontario peeps, have any clue if there’s a way to get a card and load that card with British pounds? When my girlfriend visited here she had a card she could load and transfer money onto and it would converse to CAD! I’m wondering if there’s anything here like that that’s easy to get!\n\nAny ideas or words of advice would be very helpful!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'My brother flew in May this past yr on AC and it was about 900$ rt. Ideally you want to pay less than $1K. Prices can go up fast, don’t wait too long as august is a busy time Food costs can vary from grocery store meal deal of under 7£ under $ 15 CAD to what what ever you want to pay. Nobu for daughters 21st was $800 for 3 of us. Generally when I go out with her to an average restaurant ( nothing fancy / no alcohol) it will be $85 - 160 for the 2 of us ( a restaurant similar to St Hubert bBQ or Nando’s) We haven’t used cash in London in years and just use a credit card. Get one with no foreign transaction fee', \"$2000 is more than enough for a round-trip flight. There's nothing stopping you from booking flights now; the booking horizon is a little under a year. Just look on the Air Canada or British Airways websites for direct flights in your chosen range. KLM is also a good choice for the UK if you don't mind flying via Amsterdam, and it might be a little cheaper. You can always book a flexible ticket for a bit more money if you're not 100% on dates yet. Are you planning to eat out everywhere? Or just cook at home with your gf? I'd say maybe generously budget £10 a day towards contributions to the food shop if you're eating at home, which will be more than enough. A typical meal out could be anything from a Gregg's sausage roll for £1.20 to £30 for a nice meal and drinks at a decent pub or restaurant.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Not sure if anyone will be able to help but, I’m a Canadian planning about a 3 week trip to visit my girlfriend!! I just had a few questions about costs to anyone who’s maybe made a similar trip before. \n\nI have $2000 CAD saved for a round trip plane ticket. I’ve been watching prices and that seems like it would cover it! Which is great!! I plan on going in August of 2024. But now I’m getting a little anxious. Is $2000 going to be enough for a round trip flight to London? \n\nAnd now I’m also wondering about money to have while I’m there! The exchange rate from CAD to British pounds is god awful so I don’t want to break the bank but still want to be prepared. The only things I’d be spending money on is food and souvenirs! But I have no clue what to budget for spending money. \n\nLast question! Do any Canadians, specifically Ontario peeps, have any clue if there’s a way to get a card and load that card with British pounds? When my girlfriend visited here she had a card she could load and transfer money onto and it would converse to CAD! I’m wondering if there’s anything here like that that’s easy to get!\n\nAny ideas or words of advice would be very helpful!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "3)Revolut card. Get it', 'This is extremely helpful thank you so so much!', 'This is all extremely helpful and I really really appreciate it! Definitely helps with the nerves! It’s my first trip alone so it’s a big one and there’s lot to learn!! Thank you for taking the time to comment and answer my questions!!', 'Thanks friend!! This is so so helpful!! Was getting very in my head about things last night so I appreciate the help and the time you took to reply to my questions!!', 'Haha no not from the past! Just never traveled before alone is all!! Very new to this stuff!! Thanks friend!!!', 'Ooh okay! Thank you so so much! I appreciate the help', 'We moved to london from montreal about 26 yrs ago and the currency exchange was i think at its worst, every £ was 2.5 cad All the brits i made friends with at the time called it the peso as it was so abysmal. After a while you just have to stop converting for your own sanity', 'No problem mate. Enjoy your trip. 🙂', \"Haha no worries! You should be able to get a credit card. I am not canadian so I can't tell you which ones but google no foreign transaction fee credit cards. You should be able to use that all over london!\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi all,\n\nWe are looking to book a trip to SEA next year.\nWe would like to book a group tour for the ease of traveling around.\nI liked the look of the above tour from Intrepid which starts in Bangkok, travels through Thailand, Malaysia and finishes in Singapore. \nBut now I'm giving myself doubts and not sure if it's the right one for me. Looking at previous reviews of the trip online, a lot of the food seems to be a seafood, fish, and street food. I can't eat any of the above due to a medical condition and have to be very cautious of what I do eat. So now I'm questioning myself. \nHas anyone done this trip before and have any feedback or experiences to share? \nThe other trip I was looking at was The Best of Vietnam and Cambodia 18 days which starts in Hanoi and finishes in Bangkok, but I had opted for the other one in the end due to some of the really long travel days. \nI also tend to prefer outdoor, national park, nature and wildlife trips more so than city based ones.\nDoes anyone have any feedback on either of these or maybe even some suggestions of other similar trips in the same region which they have done?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi all,\n\nWe are looking to book a trip to SEA next year.\nWe would like to book a group tour for the ease of traveling around.\nI liked the look of the above tour from Intrepid which starts in Bangkok, travels through Thailand, Malaysia and finishes in Singapore. \nBut now I'm giving myself doubts and not sure if it's the right one for me. Looking at previous reviews of the trip online, a lot of the food seems to be a seafood, fish, and street food. I can't eat any of the above due to a medical condition and have to be very cautious of what I do eat. So now I'm questioning myself. \nHas anyone done this trip before and have any feedback or experiences to share? \nThe other trip I was looking at was The Best of Vietnam and Cambodia 18 days which starts in Hanoi and finishes in Bangkok, but I had opted for the other one in the end due to some of the really long travel days. \nI also tend to prefer outdoor, national park, nature and wildlife trips more so than city based ones.\nDoes anyone have any feedback on either of these or maybe even some suggestions of other similar trips in the same region which they have done?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "My boyfriend and I decided to take an Uber to the airport. Driver arrives, asks for pin and proceeds to take out a 2nd phone. I didn’t find this alarming because I’ve seen other drivers have 2 phones. What I found weird was the screenshot thing. I couldn’t tell if he sent the screenshot to himself or someone else. I did notice that he had a bunch of chats open. I texted my BF and told him I was going to make up some lie, and ask to be driven back to the hotel. Driver said OK and we paid half the price cash. He kind of wanted to wait (I said I forgot something in my hotel room and needed to retrieve it) I said things got kind of complicated and it was going to take a while. My BF is visibly upset and thinks I exaggerated. I say, better safe than sorry. \nBut at the same time, part of me can’t help but think he’s right. \n\nThis happened in the Dominican Republic (We’re both Dominican) I love my people but I am often wary. \n\nHas anyone here experienced something similar?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'Happen to us in Peru. Driver took a screenshot of the route and texted it to someone. Wife was able to read his messages and he was telling the other person about a car he saw that can be stolen/stole from along the route.', 'Great move on your part. Rule #1 - if there is any doubt about your driver or situation, there is no doubt. Get out as quickly as you can.', 'I don’t think you were wrong. One time I was traveling abroad and was alone in a taxi. I spoke enough of the language to kind of understand the frequent and rushed phone calls he was taking and making. He kept giving descriptions of where we were and saying to hurry. I saw a guy point at us from the side walk and start weaving through cars while we were at a stop light. I was convinced I was getting kidnapped or robbed. The driver had his buddy bring him lunch.', 'I Have some cousins doing Uber in South America, they do it for 3 different reasons. Those with controlling partners send it to their wife as a proof that they took a ride even if it’s normally time to go home. Second, they send a screenshot to a close person when the person they’re driving looks sketchy or they get a bad feeling. Third is to joke or brag about something inhabitual with the ride. Ex. This gringo going there is going to get robbed. Look at that ride revenue (multiplier on low drivers presence can earn them what they make in the whole day). Just be sure that the plates number and the driver is the same as the profile on Uber. They would not risk losing the only way to earn something by being incorrect.', 'trust your gut, always', 'I’m 99% sure this happened to me in Vietnam a few weeks ago, the thing is that the text in the screenshot was in Vietnamese but I could clearly see my first name and he sent it in some messaging app I didn’t recognize. \\nI got a bit worried at first , but tried to talk myself into believing nothing was wrong and then I must’ve gotten distracted because I forgot about it until now. \\nMaybe I was just being paranoid, maybe the driver was worried about me or maybe I somehow dodged a dangerous situation', \"I'm a dude and I'd still dip out like you did. I grew up in a rough neighborhood, so I *never* sit and wait when someone acts shady. The people that let weird behavior slide are usually the ones who make themselves a target.\", 'I had a driver get off the highway. Park in a random neighborhood that just sat there. Likely Virginia has easy gun laws so I asked if we are leaving or am I calling another Uber? The guy continued driving and nothing happened. Still the weirdest Uber experience I’ve ever had. Not sure if he was tired , had a medical condition or about to do something illegal. I was pretty much ready for any of it.', 'Whenever I fly and get picked up at my house I always say that I was staying with friends and am now returning home. I want to be trusting but…', 'Never have, but that sounds very sketchy to me', 'Trust your gut, it\\'s totally OK and your bf should be OK with it to. As a guy, our radar for safety is much lower because we are targetted less. Many guys don\\'t even lock their front door but most women would find that horrifying to even think about. That being said, the driver probably got fucked by uber for taking a \"wrong\" route. So he prob takes a screenshot so he can prove he did what gmaps told him to do. I still think your reaction is totally fine, btw.', 'Extremely sketchy, I would’ve done the exact same', 'Intuition kept us alive when we still roamed the grasslands on foot and were hunted by apex predators. As we rose to the top of the food chain we stopped using this sixth sense. But it is still there. It will keep you alive and you won’t even know it.', 'Always trust your gut. Especially when traveling.', 'In countries were Uber is still illegal, or partially illegal like it is in Dominican Republic, it\\'s common for drivers to join WhatsApp or Telegram groups were they exchange road/traffic information with other drivers. Usually just with their closest colleagues. This is mainly done to avoid police patrols or any possible group of crazy outrageous taxi drivers that literally could threaten you with a weapon just to make you get out of that \"illegal\" Uber you\\'re in. It\\'s pretty common for taxi drivers to gang up together and block/cage an Uber and call the police, getting both you and the Uber driver in trouble. This is the case in many countries in Latin America. I\\'m not saying this is what happened to you, we will never now, I\\'m just saying it\\'s extremely common. Having a second phone to me just means they can navigate with one phone and chat with the other, as they are constantly using one as a radio (sending multiple voice notes between each other, while driving).', 'always go with your gut. I was in a taxi in colombia once and the driver called a friend to tell him our location so his friend could come rob me. he assumed i spoke no spanish and apologized when i demanded he stop and let me out. in your situation i would assume he was alerting someone to intercept and rob us. you did the right thing. please make sure to report this to uber.', 'I think you should always trust your gut when you feel like you need to get out of a situation. I do wonder if he was maybe doing it for his safety? Letting another person know where he will be if something goes wrong?', 'You did the right thing. The situation felt unsafe and you should not feel ashamed for doing what felt right for you. That said there could be lots of more or less legit reasons to do that. An alternative solution would be to ask why he does that - if you are comfortable doing that. And not to scare you but if this was a scheme to rob people he could easily communicate the route in other ways i guess.', 'My first thought was \"here is our route, make sure you act like you don\\'t know me when you rob us.\"', 'Bravo for listening to your intuition!!', \"Always trust your gut. My Dad was a homicide detective. I have a healthy distrust of strangers! I am glad you're safe.\", 'No one ever died from being too paranoid.', 'Never experienced it, but my mama always says trust you instinct more than your Uber driver!', \"I'm Venezuelan but I've been in the US specifically Miami for 10+ years and I've been to a couple caribbean and South American countries like DR, PR, Col etc... You reacted perfectly. Unfortunately we come from 3rd world countries were theft, kidnapping, and robberies are pretty common. The guy might've been trying to set you guys up for maybe a robbery, kidnapping seems far fetched but certainly possible. I know it is common in Vnzla and Col to an extent. DR I've heard from friends can be pretty dangerous too depending on where you find yourself. I certainty would've done the same as you so well done. Better safe than sorry.\", 'As women, we tend to understand this sort of thing more than men as we, even subconsciously, always need to be “on guard”. You did good!', 'This EXACT thing happened to me when I was visiting my family in Brasil. A group of my family split up in two separate Ubers, and the dude pulled out a second phone and took a picture of our route and sent it to someone on WhatsApp. I immediately felt uncomfortable, but then I considered that it could be routine to send to his wife or someone for HIS own safety. Still irked me, so I wrote my cousin in the other Uber and told him about it, and discreetly told my family that was in the car with me what happened. The part that worried me more during the ride was all these personal questions he kept asking us, so we made it like we weren’t sure of the actual address we were being dropped off at and that it was the convenience store around the corner, this way he didn’t drop us off at the house and wouldn’t know where we were going. Thankfully my husband hadn’t put the exact address anyway, just a pin right next to our actual destination. Unfortunately, you just never know and there’s a reason Uber doesn’t save addresses for drivers after the drive. We probably should report these instances because drivers should not be doing this.', 'Go with your gut. I took a car across Mombassa and it “broke down” in a really bad area. I’m 75% sure it was staged, but I’m not a good victim and got out. A photo of the route could be used for that, then a robbery.', 'I’m in India. Today I had a private taxi hired for six hours to take my (male half Indian) friend and I (white female) around. At one point we told the driver to take us back to the hotel, but stop at an atm on the way. A minute later, he’s on a video call, and I can see him angling the camera back at me. People have been staring at me non-stop since I got to India, and I’ve had a bunch of people ‘casually’ take my photo without asking, but this was different because the driver knew where we were staying, and I got some bad vibes. Luckily we checked out of the hotel a couple hours later, and I was probably overreacting, but it’s not a good feeling.', \"It is better safe than sorry! Five years ago my husband and I took a day trip from Belize to Guatemala to hike Tikal and at the border our driver disappeared and we were approached by someone else who told us we were going to be transferred to another vehicle for the remainder of the trip. I said, why? They could not answer this question very well, even though they spoke English. I said, absolutely not. It got a bit heated. I called the travel company and it turns out while it's common practice to switch vehicles at the border, so a Guatemalan driver can finish the trip, the guy who approached us wasn't part of their company. The driver who picked us up just started with the company, so we will never know what truly happened. It was terrifying, but I am so glad I trusted my gut.\", 'Better safe than sorry is a saying for a reason!', 'Scary stuff! Are you a woman ? \\nIn my experience women are more cautious because we have to be. Your boyfriend probably thinks you overreacted because he’s a man they they have the luxury of not having to constantly worry about their safety. You did the right thing.', 'Some share it to show the kind of route they got. But always better safe than sorry', 'always listen to your spidey senses. good job.', \"You did the right thing imho, better safe than sorry, especially if you're in a sketchy location\", 'I’m latino as well and I wouldn’t trust that driver either. Our people are picaros. Sadly.', 'You have great street smarts. Good job! Your bf does not have good street smarts lol', \"I don't think you were exagerating\", 'My first thought was controlling/jealous spouse... Second is \"hey this is where I\\'m going, these people I\\'m giving a ride to look sketchy, call the police if you dont hear from me in an hour...\"', 'What nefarious purpose does sending a screenshot of the route enable that can’t be communicated in some other manner? Like the driver could have texted the dude on the other end with the address and he would be there waiting. Or he could have just called the guy or something. A map of the route doesn’t seem to open the rider up to any shenanigans that didn’t already exist.', 'I\\'d be more worried about a guy picking me up at home, like \"These people are on vacation and we can rob their house\". Otherwise, it could be perfectly honest criminal activity directed at someone or something else as stated below.', 'Always go by what your gut is telling you!!', 'Always trust your gut. Your bf thinks you exaggerated because he hasn’t lived his entire life as a female, no concept of fear or needing to be vigilant. You should def have a conversation about how it’s harmful to gaslight you about ‘exaggerating’ imagine if the outcome was different you’ll never know because you chose not to risk it.', 'I’d absolutely suggest dipping but here’s what came to mind first: - Screenshot and send is like 2-3 buttons vs typing out when you’ll be finished or can call. - Controlling partner. - really good rate / surcharge. ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "My boyfriend and I decided to take an Uber to the airport. Driver arrives, asks for pin and proceeds to take out a 2nd phone. I didn’t find this alarming because I’ve seen other drivers have 2 phones. What I found weird was the screenshot thing. I couldn’t tell if he sent the screenshot to himself or someone else. I did notice that he had a bunch of chats open. I texted my BF and told him I was going to make up some lie, and ask to be driven back to the hotel. Driver said OK and we paid half the price cash. He kind of wanted to wait (I said I forgot something in my hotel room and needed to retrieve it) I said things got kind of complicated and it was going to take a while. My BF is visibly upset and thinks I exaggerated. I say, better safe than sorry. \nBut at the same time, part of me can’t help but think he’s right. \n\nThis happened in the Dominican Republic (We’re both Dominican) I love my people but I am often wary. \n\nHas anyone here experienced something similar?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "That’s like saying that I’m willing to rob people because I frequently J-walk. But if I’m willing to rob people, then I’m willing to murder. So anyone that J-walks is a potential murderer, makes sense.', \"Lol! That's adorable.\", 'removed', 'What crime? He spotted a stolen car.', 'I got an Uber home from a bar after drinking with some coworkers after work once and asked the guy if we could stop by the gas station around the corner from my house for Gatorade, sure no problem. Shortly afterwards the dude got an email from an address along the lines of “PatriotDefenseLeague@Stormfront.co.ukkk” on his nav system for the entire ride and didn’t feel the need to hit ignore, definitely felt like he was inviting a “oh you get their emails too? We must be like minded ;)” conversation. When we got to the gas station I brought my work backpack in with me and he was like “oh so you don’t trust me?” I was thinking “no dude, you broadcasted you’re a racist conspiracy theorist, and even if you hadn’t I’m not fucking leaving a backpack with a company computer in an Uber while I run into a gas station.” The short rest of the ride went on without incident but I’m a decently fit guy with a huge beard, it squicks me out thinking of what he would do with a passenger he perceived as weaker.', 'Worth recommend ‘the gift of fear’ here. Great book.', 'I went to Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal. I actually had a lot of fun. There was a private hot spring at the hotel I was at. And a larger one down the road. The larger one had a waterfall but access to the waterfall was closed. But was close enough for pics.', \"No, Uber doesn't provide the phone. But they want to keep their work and personal phones separate, for the same reason some white collar workers do. Phone plans with data in Latin America can be $15-20/mo USD, so it's not a huge expense to manage.\", 'You don’t need a phone plan. You just pay $10 a month for pay as you go credit. Also, EXTREMELY common for Uber people to have multiple phones so they can operate on multiple taxi platforms at the same time.', 'Just say that. Don’t risk the passenger’s trust just for an ETA to a friend.', 'Its from the movie 6th sense. Just watched it a few days ago so this comment really got me too.', 'This book slaps', \"He's not a billionaire. He works for millionaires and billionaires.\", 'One of the things that was taught to me in EMT training was that if our gut or intuition was telling us something bad was about to happen, that’s because our senses were seeing more than we were consciously recognizing and we should heed the warning', 'oh absolutely', 'Yeah, seriously undervaluing the Sharty Sense', '☺️ just sayin', \"If they're not engaging you that's the best option, otherwise you might make things worse.\", 'I mean, I understand . Just let the passenger know rather than stopping randomly. I would have drove him to the hospital if that’s what was needed.', \"If they find out, or anytime falsely accuses you they'll expel you. Pretty much no recourse.\", 'At the same time. Getting in a car with a loaded gun is sketchy.', '“Lou” like in “loud”, “don” like “done”. Emphasis on the first syllable', 'LAO-dun // loud-un', 'We pronounce it like: Laow-don or Laow-den', 'It’s one of the reachest counties in US. Lou-don? I’m sure someone will correct me', 'deleted', 'Como se nota lo ignorante e idiota que eres. Feliz vida, basurita.', 'I think when you have to google “places safe for men to travel” or have to go to the toilet in pairs at clubs or bars, or would never even think of going jogging after dark, or hiking/ walking alone, or when you go to meet a date from the internet you have to share your location and make sure you get up halfway through the date to call a family or friend to check in, the list goes on and on and on and on, then you’ll understand what I mean. I’m not denying that men also have to be careful. I never denied that. However it’s just utterly dishonest to say we’re living the same way in this particular section of life.', \"Sorry but I've experienced for more aggression from women than men. Men are more direct when conveying how they feel but women will step over the line every time because they know they can cry wolf. I've politely disagreed with plenty of woman who say I have a 'temper', simply for disagreeing.\", \"> about a car he saw that can be stolen/stole from There's a slash there. It's stolen OR stole from.\", '> he was telling the other person about a car he saw that can be stolen/stole from along the route.', \"i agree with this sentiment and am just putting this out there, \\nthese are humans who have learned a bad way to make a living but as thieves violence will only land them in jail faster and unlawful violence is looked down on all over the world \\nif anything the uber app almost guarantees safety for the ride, you have to have a verified ID to drive and it's a digital record should ANYTHING happen and the drivers know this, them being drivers is just another way for them to make a livelihood and if they get banned from driving because they were doing something shady they are worse off from losing a stream of money and then have to find another job or commit more to stealing\", \"they're the type of people to cross the road because theres a black person coming from the opposite direction on the same side\", 'It’s hard not to think about criminality and law as anything but simple right versus wrong when you grow up in a society with a well-funded criminal Justice system that keeps “bad people” away from you. The ethical complexities and gray areas that exist in places where you have to tip the police are incomprehensible to many people in wealthy countries who have grown up in a place where the Justice system was initially designed to protect their wealth from being taken by the poor.', 'removed', 'He spotted a car that COULD BE stolen, as In they could steal it.', 'Read the original comment again.', \">Phone plans with data in Latin America can be $15-20/mo USD, so it's not a huge expense to manage. Nowhere near that expensive lol And with incomes like $300-400 a month, that would be 10% which would be a boatload actually just for phone service :))\", \"I don't think people understand the app doesn't show where you're going\", '> He works for millionaires and billionaires. Dont we all?', 'If we get to the point where they find out, being able to use the platform is probably the least of my worries.', 'Licensed ccw are typically a super law abiding crowd. Police are 3x more likely to commit murder than a ccw holder. Beside you’ll never know it is there and already are putting your life in their hands by getting in the car.', 'I think that changes a lot depending on where in the UK and where in the US…', 'Not much a lock will do if someone has the ability to just smash in a window tbh.', 'Fuckin puerco hablando mierda de nuestro país para quedar bien con unos gringos en Reddit...', \"We have similar fears bit react very differently to them. The statistics don't lie when it comes to violent crimes. Obviously SA statistics are skewed to one side due to under reporting and just a general lack of known SA from one gender. Basically, one gender is more likely to avoid known dangers and do their best to know about those dangers. The other tends to arm themselves against said dangers. But if you think I have any less fear walking through a bad neighborhood in Sacramento at night, then you are out of your damn mind.\", 'Plenty of women have been raped by uber drivers', 'I honestly can’t believe the downvotes. People watch way too much tv in their ivory towers. It’s a wonder they should travel at all. How blessed to misunderstand the way much of the world works when corruption has left so many in the places without the legitimate channels to make an actual living. I suppose these are the same people who want a wall put up to keep some of these “criminals” from entering a place where they would have access to legalized work.', \"I guess my point of reference is primarily Mexico, where typical incomes are maybe $600-$1300/mo. All the ads for phone plans I see in MX are in the $15-20/mo range. A quick internet search (looking at Spanish language provider sites) for Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, etc. looks like typical plans are $15/mo in those countries. One medium plan in DR(https://www.claro.com.do/personas/servicios/servicios-moviles/prepago/) is $17/mo. (OP's experience happened in DR). Looks like DR incomes for individuals are indeed around $400/mo. $17 is 4.25% of $400.\", 'Everyone who drives Uber might understand that, but people who aren’t familiar with it will not. Once someone gets anxious about your actions, it’ll take a lot to convince them what you’re doing is not sketchy, so not doing it would be a safer option.', 'More indirectly, I guess.', 'Depending on the place it might not illegal.', 'Yeah, if you’re in London is different from being in the Cotswolds….', 'Entre Maduro, Chavez y la revolución te volvieron mierda la cabeza viejito. Pasa por un doctor, desadaptado.', \"look man, this is the logic you are using right here: \\nplenty of women have been raped by going outside Plenty of women have been raped by ***x*** it's an unfortunate fact are you making a point? I said that it almost guarantees safety, but if someone so crazy enough as be an uber driver serial killer decides to kill, there's no reasoning with that, but they will get caught. you can't isolate yourself from society due to that harm others MAY cause you, that's just harming yourself more\", 'my interpretation of it is that some phrasing is unsympathetic to the passenger \"how is this scary? \" \\\\-298 and while we\\'re removed from that and are trying to explain the person using a slippery slope logical fallacy, in context it looks like we don\\'t have sympathy for the passenger and only have sympathy for the criminals? but yeah people get convinced by slippery slopes real easily', \"Ahh Mexico My plan in Colombia with a top carrier is about $10 with 24GB, and my experience with locals who are below upper-middle class is that they wouldn't usually get an exorbitant luxury plan like this. They'd rather pay a few days at a time maximum, more hand-to-mouth living than paying a whole 30 days Best rates I ever paid however were Cambodia :)) plan was under $5.\", 'My Spanish is trash, but if I\\'m reading correctly, he\\'s mad because you\\'re going against other Latinos in favor of \"gringos\"?!', 'I guess you’re right. I’m not one of those to get up in arms over a potential situation in describing a completely separate concept. Fearful folks who are addicted to victimhood have trouble seeing the forest for the trees. My comment, which you understood was simply to caution against labeling an economic criminal as a violent one within a poorer region where economic crime is inherent.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi guys, \nFrom the UK here and i bought something in spain, i got prepaid the cash tax refund already here but they said to get a stamp at the airport. I was in line for but my gosh even after an hour I no where near the front so I couldnt get it my form stamped. I'm still within europe in vienna currently for a few days before I head back. Can I get my form stamped here or does it have to be in spainw where i bought the items? \n\n\nI've got within 3 months to get this stamped before they take the money from my account so If needs be i'll return to spain cause its quite worth it to get the tax refund. but can i get stamped here in vienna? \ntrying to look online theres no clear answer and the airport is a bit of a trek away to find out right at this moment. lesson learned to get to the airport ahead ahead of time", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'Answer is no, you need to get it stamped in Spain.', 'You need to get it stamped and sent in or given in on the day you are leaving the Eu , from what ever airport you are leaving from. Good are supposed to be unused', 'I see. And does the item have to be packaged like straight from the store?', 'okay so i can get it stamped in vienna because this the last point i am in the in EU during my europe trip even though i bought the items in spain?', 'Just have to show the items, if they ask.', 'You can only go to customs on the day your are leaving the EU, in which ever country you are leaving from Is it austria or will you go back to spain before going home to where ever you reside ?", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi guys, \nFrom the UK here and i bought something in spain, i got prepaid the cash tax refund already here but they said to get a stamp at the airport. I was in line for but my gosh even after an hour I no where near the front so I couldnt get it my form stamped. I'm still within europe in vienna currently for a few days before I head back. Can I get my form stamped here or does it have to be in spainw where i bought the items? \n\n\nI've got within 3 months to get this stamped before they take the money from my account so If needs be i'll return to spain cause its quite worth it to get the tax refund. but can i get stamped here in vienna? \ntrying to look online theres no clear answer and the airport is a bit of a trek away to find out right at this moment. lesson learned to get to the airport ahead ahead of time", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Thanks for letting me know :) It's a bit difficult to open the boxes because of how bulky everything is !\", 'Get the stamp from the last city of you leaving Spain.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi! I’m taking my first ever trip to Asia in late March/early April and would love some advice. \n\nI’ll be traveling as a solo female, and mostly will be traveling around Japan. With that being said, I was thinking it would be really cool to add on 3-4 nights in Taipei to the itinerary, but it looks like the days I’d be looking at coincide with Tomb Sweeping Day and Children’s day in Taiwan. I want to be 90% in Taipei bc of the limited time/ so much to see, but I’d love to get in a day trip if possible to somewhere cool (volcanos, waterfall, lake, not sure yet but open to recs!). \n\nWould you recommend against going to Taipei during these holidays? Will everything be insanely busy? Everything online says mixed things, so I’d love to get a real grasp on how it will affect being in Taipei. Also how is Taipei for a solo female?\n\n\nAlso any must sees/food/spa/nightlife recs welcome! ☺️☺️☺️", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"I was there last year - honestly, in Taipei, I felt it was a bit hard to know that the holidays were happening - I didn't perceive it really to be all that much busier ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi! I’m taking my first ever trip to Asia in late March/early April and would love some advice. \n\nI’ll be traveling as a solo female, and mostly will be traveling around Japan. With that being said, I was thinking it would be really cool to add on 3-4 nights in Taipei to the itinerary, but it looks like the days I’d be looking at coincide with Tomb Sweeping Day and Children’s day in Taiwan. I want to be 90% in Taipei bc of the limited time/ so much to see, but I’d love to get in a day trip if possible to somewhere cool (volcanos, waterfall, lake, not sure yet but open to recs!). \n\nWould you recommend against going to Taipei during these holidays? Will everything be insanely busy? Everything online says mixed things, so I’d love to get a real grasp on how it will affect being in Taipei. Also how is Taipei for a solo female?\n\n\nAlso any must sees/food/spa/nightlife recs welcome! ☺️☺️☺️", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Is a good idea for a day tour if you want to see a mix of stuff in one day that might be hard to pull off freelancing on your own.\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Going back to Japan. Anyone who has ever visited know that you walk and stand a lot there. What is the most comfortable shoes you take on your travels. Fyi, the best shoes I had was a cheap pair of $10 shoes from a public market in Seoul.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'Hokas or any running or trail running shoe that fits your foot and has good cushioning. A lot of New Balances are good for all day comfort. Bonus points for some Superfeet insoles.', 'Whatever advice you take from random strangers, don’t buy them right before the trip and break them in while traveling.', 'I tend to bring the shoes I wear regularly-whatever is seasonally appropriate obviously. I don’t think it’s time to wear new shoes and discover issues with them!', 'Another +1 for Allbirds Tree Runners. Super lightweight which I love. Walking around in medium to heavy shoes makes you more tired than you think', 'Brooks runners. Fuck style, embrace comfort.', '>Fyi, the best shoes I had was a cheap pair of $10 shoes from a public market in Seoul. I find it hard to believe. The usual suspects: Hoka Bondi or Clifton, New Balance 1080 or More, Nike Invincible, Adidas Ultraboost, Brooks Ghost or Glycerin, Saucony Triumph, Allbirds Vista Racer or Tree Dasher, etc etc', 'Skechers. I’ve walked throughout Japan, Central Europe, Paris—my feet never hurt at the end of each day.', 'Adidas Ultraboosts saved my life in Portugal. Lots of weird roads and uphills but the padding on those is amazing.', 'On’s are amazing and super light weight. Every employee at a hospital or Drs office wears them and they are on their feet long hours and on hard floors. I have several pair. Ecco’s are really good too. Hoka’s alway make me feel like I’m walking funny and they end up hurting my bad knee. But honestly, everyone’s feet are different so one might be great for me and painful for another.', 'ECCO brand shoes', 'Hoka Clifton are my favorites. Comfortable, just the right amount of cushioning without being squishy or too high, and they have wide widths. Black if the occasion is semi-dressy, a more colorful color otherwise.', 'Sketchers. Regularly over 20,000 steps daily in Tokyo for a week', 'Brooks ghost', 'Merrell. So comfortable.', 'HOKA!!! Life changing!', 'I have wide feet and altra has been my go to for walking shoes and hiking boots. They’re lightweight and have also held up incredibly well, especially my hiking boots from them.', 'Had a pair of brooks glycerin, it was really useful', 'Hoka Nike Air Pegasus', 'Made the mistake to take Vessi waterproof shoes. It did not rain a single day I was there and my feet were very uncomfortable. Luckily I packed a pair of chacos and that was good for 21k walks', 'Skechers. Over 20k steps', 'I bought ON (brand from Switzerland) a year ago before a big trip. Had never heard of them but the Nordstrom salesperson noted that all salespeople on the floor were wearing them for their comfort. Now I see nurses wearing them as well. Never looked back! Customer for life.', 'Allbirds. It’s like walking on clouds.', 'New Balance are great for walking/standing. My 554s were perfect in Japan', 'I love my blundstone chelsea boots for travel. I have some custom inserts for them and I can walk for weeks on end.', 'On Clouds are made for walking/urban exploration (latest ones are Cloud5), with a great lacing system to slip in and off quickly. Have spent hours walking in them in many cities.', 'ON’s are super nice', \"Allbirds. Like walking on clouds, and they never give me blisters. Plus, they don't need to be broken-in like most shoes. \\nI just got back from 3 weeks in Europe where I averaged ~25,000 steps a day in a pair of Allbird tree flyers and my feet felt great the entire time.\", 'Dansko Paisley. They go with everything, and you won’t look like a tourist or an athlete.', 'Saucony! Like walking on clouds.', 'Hoka Bondi', 'Brooks running shoes. I like the ghost ones.', 'Nurse here - Hoka’s are the best! I’m on pair….. 10? Something like that. I love them so much,', 'I like a Nike fly knit.', 'Nike pegasus, my running shoes becom walking shoes.', 'Teva sandals 💕', 'Birkenstock sandals, they been with me from Iceland to Jordan 😀', \"I'm pretty surprised that nobody is proposing just wear the shoes you like and put in high quality insoles (like Aetrex). That's what I do. Yeah, it might not be quite as good as Hokas or Boosts, but personally I like wearing my Vans or my regular old Nikes from a fashion perspective and throw in an expensive insole from Aetrex. It has always worked great for me. No shade if Hokas are your look, but they aren't mine and I tend to want to dress like normal when I'm traveling rather than in a bunch of travel gear.\", 'Took my On Clouds to Europe. Walked over 100 miles in two weeks without so much of a blister or any pain at all in my calves or hammies. Highly recommend.', 'Love my onitsuka tigers and very fashionable streetwear in Japan ;)', 'Used to use Merrell’s Jungle Mocs. But just bought some Hey Dude seems like they have great cushion and are light.', 'Allbirds', 'On Cloud shoes!', \"Cole Haan ZerøGrand Oxford tip are so comfortable and light. I've taken the same pair to several different countries all over the world.\", 'Since others have already recommended sneaker brands, Cole Haan for cute shoes/heels that are still comfortable. They’re good if you have a couple nights with a dressier dinner or for a show. Doc Martens for winter boots. Only thing about Doc Martens are they’re kind of annoying to take on and off, and you’re going to need to do a lot of that in Japan', 'Oboz Sawtooth', 'Dr. Scholls Time off Sneaker is a good cross between stylish chunky white sneaker and comfortable. I’ve worn them traveling for a month, conventions, and concerts, and am happy I have them. I heard they don’t hold up well long term but I will still be taking them with me on my next trips.', \"My pair of Nike Epic React Flyknit 2 are the most comfortable pair of sneakers I've ever owned, and they're super packable because of the flyknit uppers. I've had this pair(https://www.goat.com/sneakers/epic-react-flyknit-2-pixel-erfk-2-pix?utm_source=google_ads&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=16777478842&utm_content=&gclid=CjwKCAiA3aeqBhBzEiwAxFiOBv_9zLT14RJkx_UVH0I05d3-rLLo3txogybtdE4kl5eLkEwTwGydyBoC98IQAvD_BwE) for almost 3 years and they've held up amazingly.\", 'My favourites are a pair of brooks sneakers. Only brand of sneakers that I have found comfortable in years.', 'Nike pegasus 40 do the job for me', 'Honestly the Onitsuka Tiger slip ons I bought while in Japan are probably the most comfortable shoe I’ve ever worn, and they came with a pair of sole inserts too', \"$6 knockoffs I got from Temu Currebtly on my thirs international trip with them in just over a year. Had to reglue a bit of the left shoe but some contact cemebt snd it's *chef's kiss*\", 'Hoka, ON and I recently picked up a pair of Salomon XT series which are nice in rainy weather for grip + support whilst still being crazy comfortable.', \"Hoka actually hurt my feet when I wore them. I think my feet don't fit well with them. I love my Asics shoes. Bought a new pair and walked 20-30+k steps a day around Europe and was super comfy. Didn't even feel like I needed to break them in. I also got water resistant pair and my feet stayed dried during my hike and raining days\", 'Ecco - superb quality and comfort.', 'You were young at the time. Any shoes, - just get a $40 insert to keep you arches up.', \"My hi-top Converse platforms are really great for me. I have terrible feet and ankles (so a little ankle support is good, and since I'm old, a very squishy sole is necessary). Hiking boots also work for me, but the Converse ones look a little less granola.\", 'Hokas - but also I just got into OnClouds, and the cloud runner are almost more comfortable', 'I love everything by olukai. I have even hiked from CB to aspen in my flip flops, and while I got looks, was perfectly comfortable. I also wear these flip flops to every amusement park I have ever been to and just sit on them when I’m on roller coasters… I might be the only person.', 'If you don’t exercise regularly, get long walks in before your trip.', \"For fellow wide feet folks, Kiziks. I wore two pairs all over Europe, from walking the trail to the Giant's Causeway over the hills of Rome and then in the streets of Barcelona. Two week trip, no blisters, a first for me.\", 'Cole haan zero grand', 'Camper most any model. Barefoot models are also breeze to pack and carry around.', \"Is everyone from r/runningshoegeeks? Joke aside, New Balance 99X series is great (normcore vibes) I also find Nike Cortezs surprisingly comfy given their lack of current padding technology. They're timeless sneakers though\", 'I walked roughly 50 miles in Spain in my Nike SBs', 'yeezy 350s.', 'The ON running “slip ons” (laces are always in). Have taken them on three trips, hiked 10+ miles many times, walked the cities, etc. Easy to take on, off. Comfy for walking all day, light and look good. High recommendation.', 'Chaco sandals', 'Crocs are so comfortable. My feet never get tired. They absorb shock and I don’t know what I do without them.', 'I always stick with my Nike Pegasus React Trail. So comfy in all situations.', 'Vans', 'Boost is life.', 'allbirds', 'Birdies road runner and cardinal sneakers- fun, edgy and fashion forward, and great arch support. Wore them on a 3 week visit to europe where i averaged 20k steps daily', \"Ziera shoes are the shoes for me. In them I don't get museum feet. I do wish they had better treads though.\", 'These Merrell clogs.(https://www.nordstrom.com/s/merrell-encore-breeze-4-clog-women/5556981?color=BLACK+FABRIC&size=5.5&country=US&currency=USD&utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=seo_shopping&utm_channel=low_nd_seo_shopping&srsltid=AfmBOorjFVuPqV03CLxCAhCN_mpgZ1dY-uDj0rzdMSTrJ4ddPfLJpgxISvk) They’re comfortable, don’t create blisters, are easy to take off at airports but stay on my feet, and dry quickly.', \"Cole Haan Grandpro. Waterproof and lightweight because it's golf shoes that doesn't look like golf shoes.\", 'My absolute favorite are the Patti(https://dansko.com/products/patti-black-milled-nubuck?variant=40366113718314) style from Dansko. But if you are going to Japan in the summer, these might be too warm. They are waterproof, which is great for cold and rain but not in heat and humidity. These are the slip on style which looks more versatile than the lace up version. I used to wear Doc Martens when traveling until I had an injury. But I found the Mary Janes very versatile.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Going back to Japan. Anyone who has ever visited know that you walk and stand a lot there. What is the most comfortable shoes you take on your travels. Fyi, the best shoes I had was a cheap pair of $10 shoes from a public market in Seoul.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "If youre a woman, highly reccomend the Hoka speedgoats.', 'What does breaking them in even mean?', 'I broke mine in while traveling, no problem', 'Random stranger warns Op of random strangers. Shocking since reddit is so full of people with main character syndrome.', 'I wore a new pair of sneakers to the airport once figuring I’d start to break them in walking slowly in the airport. Then my flight got delayed and I had to run to meet my connection. Bloody heels. Lesson learned.', 'Same. Do people wear crappy shoes at home and just buy decent shoes for travel? I’m honestly confused by that. Also, everyone’s feet are shaped differently. There’s a ton of great shoe brands out there but what works for me may not work for the next person. I’ve almost exclusively worn Birkenstocks for the last 30 years, sandals, clogs, boots, because that’s what works for my feet. If I wear anything else, by the end of the day I have foot, knee, and back pain.', 'Main reason I had to stop wearing Docs.', 'Also easy to care for. Love my Tree Runners.', \"These are my current go-to shoe for walking around town. Super comfy, light and easy to pack. If it's a hiking trip, I'll also bring my Salomon hikers.\", 'Mine had a hole in the toe area after like 20 uses. If you look into this more, durability is a common issue with tree runners.', '+1 for Allbirds, Tree Flyers. Hoka also good.', 'The black ones aren’t even ugly', 'I wear Brooks.', \"I wear Brooks Beast every day and they're great for travel\", \"I second to that. Had some feet related problems post surgery, went to see an orthopedist and he suggested trying out an extra wide Brooks model. They are very comfy, I'm on my second pair. Sure, they are a bit bulky and maybe not the most elegant looking :)) but thankfully I'm already at the point in my life where comfort is more important than looking stylish : >\", 'This man runs', 'Ultra boost ftw. Only shows I wear for everything. Traveling, work, everyday wear etc.', 'I second Sketchers. Plus they come in a wide variety of styles- not just tennis shoes.', \"Yes! But I would advise to get the go walk or shoes with a goga mat insole vs memory foam. I find that the goga mat lasts longer and springs back up. Alternatively, FitFlops and Geox are also very good, especially with cobblestone roads. It's just a bit more pricey.\", 'they didn’t work for me. nearly slipped while wearing them in rainy weather.', 'Totally agree. I have walked all over Europe. When I go to Vegas they are a must. Easily I do 25-30k steps a day there. Never a blister, or a rub. Put them on and go every day.', 'Thirding Skechers! I walk on my treadmill at home in them and bought an outside pair for travel. Max 11 hours a day, Skechers kept my feet comfy. I have the wide slip ins :)', 'Only shoes I wear. Nothing more comfortable and they’re super light too', 'I was surprised how far down I had to scroll to see Ons. Absolutely love mine.', 'Came to say On running too. Wore mine on a month long trip to Europe in September first stop was Lisbon and its dreaded hills and cobblestone streets. I’m 45 with diabetes so my feet are not happy campers but On’s allowed me to do 20k steps daily with ease such amazing shoes.', 'I have flat feet and love mine. I can easily walk 10+ miles a day in them without any pain. They also require zero break-in time.', 'Just replied the same about On Cloud before I found your comment', 'This should be the answer and the top comment. Ons are unparalleled in comfort. I have practically walked across two continents on my ons. It’s been 3 years and they are still good as new. Incredible shoes.', 'There are ECCO shoes and there are ECCO Outlet shoes. These are completely different shoes. Not as good and don’t last as long. You think you are getting a great deal but you’re not.', 'I walked all over europe for 3 weeks in ECCOs this summer- never had an issue! 100% recommend!', 'I second ECCO!', \"I want to go to the store to try them and maybe buy, but they're really pricey. But like a lot of people are recommending them, don't know what should I do.\", 'I bought the slip in ones just before I went to Japan in September, very convenient especially in a country that values taking your shoes off in certain indoor establishments.', 'I vouch for these! They are amazing and machine washable too!! Your feet will love them. Feels like walking on a cloud! https://www.skechers.com/skechers-go-walk-arch-fit---motion-breeze/124404_WSL.html?campaigntype=shopping&src=paidmedia&gclid=CjwKCAiA3aeqBhBzEiwAxFiOBuPdO1IJFDbbXT3wy1MEKjb_1GqOoG73l-cO2NWP4YIA2lc2rxguHxoCOY8QAvD_BwE', 'Another one for the Sketchers gang here! Incredibly comfortable and machine washable 10/10 recommend', 'My dad is finally giving up on Skechers. He rotates two pairs for walking 5-10 miles a day. The uppers wear out before the treads. I put him in a pair of Merrel trail runners with Vibram soles. Waiting for long term data. I have several pairs of Merrel trail runners and they are awesome on all surfaces. Bonus-they have waterproof models.', 'Yesssss. I just bought two pairs of Sketchers for a 2 wk Portugal trip and walked miles without any of my usual foot and hip pain. (I only had the calf muscle pain from all the hills which no shoe could’ve saved me from. Lol.)', 'Also recommend Skechers! Picked up a pair in Lisbon when the boots I was wearing were complete garbage and miserable for all the walking we were doing across Europe. The Skechers were amazing the rest of the trip. They happened to be on clearance during a holiday sale so I feel like I scored when I was in need.', 'These are what I wore for our Japan trip! Feet never felt tired. Also brought a pair of Allbirds and ended up with blisters from them. Went right back to the Ghost', 'This is my vote also! They are also water resistant (or water proof even?). 3 weeks in Scotland with them and yet to have wet socks, plus super comfy and they look relatively nice as well.', 'Yeah, my Merrells are my go-to for walking, whether city walking or basic trail walking.', 'I list got Melles and I LOVE them. The trail walkers are wonderful. So comfy and supportive', 'They’re good — love the Lone Peak and Olympus - but not everyone can stand zero drop shoes.', 'I’ve been using Altra Torins here in Mexico for the past couple weeks. They’re very comfortable but they’re already falling apart with less than 100 miles on them. They’re going back to REI unfortunately.', 'Yes! I have wide feet with high arches and a high instep. Altras are the best if I can’t wear Birks.', \"They also have a Pegasus Shield variant that's waterproof. I have both and love them.\", 'Interesting, I have had the exact opposite experience! I wore my Vessis on a 5 month trip around Europe, regularly doing 15-20k steps per day, and I found them to be super comfy. They held up great too, still going strong a year later.', 'I don’t know why but I had a terrible time with my Allbirds. Not enough support for my high arches I suspect', 'I drill a hole through the toe area from walking. 🤦', 'Same', 'are they water repellant? my mum works in hospital and is looking for comfy shoes', 'This is the way!! Just buy a pair of tigers from Japan.', 'I got some Hey Dudes (skater style) and they were a dream in Greece and Italy - instantly comfortable.', 'Came here to say these are super padded and comfortable.', '+1! Walked over 20 k steps per day for three days in Edinburgh and no blisters or pains whatsoever. Best shoes I’ve ever bought. I have the cloudrunners.', 'Unfortunately the new design isn’t as comfy. \\nBut the OG design is still sold.', \"Get a cobbler to put zippers down the sides! I wear my docs a lot more now that I don't have to lace up all the time.\", 'Do this in your new shoes before leaving. They need to break in and form to your foot. New shoes can fatigue you if you jump right into full action mode', 'Camper shoes are miraculously good', 'Every trip I bring either 350’s or Hu NMD by Pharrell, I’ve got a couple pairs of each, so depends on the city/vibe which color way I go with. They are incredibly comfortable and hold up very well.', \"Or Tevas, they eliminate/decrease the need for socks and I've never gotten a blister while wearing them.\", 'Not exactly waterproof, but functional in water, I would recommend checking out Vibram. I think they’re Dutch, but they have their own website they ships internationally or you can get them on Amazon. They’re five-finger-toe shoes, so kind of a funky look, but extremely comfortable. They have different designs for different purposes, but I’ve had a few pairs, and they’re all super comfy, break in easily, multi functional, breathable, stretchy, hold up surprisingly well outdoors, are super light and easy to pack, plus most of them double as water shoes. So they’re not gonna protect you from the water, but they are extremely well irrigated and breathable, so they work in super wet weather or can be worn on wet hikes or at the beach.', 'Are you wanting to run? Go hiking? Or just for walking around town?', 'Maybe they are comfortable for you, but not for most people. The flat sole makes them much more difficult to walk in places that are not completely flat. Trust me, you will never want to wear Converse in Europe.', 'Weren’t the tims heavy to carry around once you took them off?', 'My favorite shoes! I’m on my fourth pair and on the lookout for a fifth. Amazon has them for $90 occasionally.', 'Been wearing Hokas for travel and now in my at home life. Best $ ever spent on shoes!', 'I’ve only heard of Hoka brand online but never knew anyone who actually owns a pair of them. I have plenty of shoes already, but will look into buying Hoka when I need a new pair in the future!', 'except hokas are not really an \"outfit\" shoe.', 'You should probably listen to her. Koio makes an affordable trainer show in leather and suede that’s amazing. Worn my 2 pair’s to europe several times. Stylish and comfortable while being all leather so they can survive a puddle.', 'I have my old running ones now as my walking shoe and they’re black. Every 6-months or so, I pick whatever Hoka’s for distance running are on sale and buy them, as I don’t care what they look like when I’m just pounding the pavements. Got lucky time before last that black were the cheapest and they work fine with lots of outfits.', \">This is very important. Until recently I found 'rocker bottom' soles quite comfortable but some physical changes make me 'unsurefooted' in them so I am having to find alternatives. \\n> \\n>While the padding feels nice, falling doesn't...\", 'Even with super soft running shoes I still get a blister the first time I do a decent walk in them, so even though they don’t need the breaking in process of a heavy leather shoe, it’s still a good idea to put a few miles on them before travelling.', 'Lmao reddit is so sour man. It is entirely possible to buy a quality pair of new shoes/boots that are a dream to wear right off the rack. I’ve had also had several pairs that I bought right before travelling and had zero issues', 'My city is very walkable so I walk everywhere. It’s not unusual for me to hit 20,000 steps in a day. The last city I lived in was super car-centric. I was lucky to hit 5,000 steps in a day just because it was impractical for walking to be your primary mode of transport. I don’t remember caring too much about how comfortable my shoes were (aside from my actual running shoes) because I was never walking in them for more than an hr. When I see questions like the OP’s I just assume that the person plans to be walking far more on vacation than they do in their daily life and they want to make sure their footwear doesn’t hold them back.', 'At least in the US everyone drives everywhere so a lot of people have no idea how it actually feels to walk 12 miles in a day.', 'I was waiting for this comment. What’s comfortable at home works any other place you’ll be. What works best for someone else very possibly isn’t best for you. I was a Birkenstock fan for ages but now I need more support and heel cushioning and Hoka Bondi 8 are my go to now for on my feet all day comfort.', 'Maybe you got some pointy toes. I’ve had mine for 3 years. Replaced the sole once for $15 and that’s it. Held up great with probably close to 200-300 miles in them', \"Their tech is good but not the best anymore, even Skechers is creeping up on UB. You should try some of their competitor's shoes and see.\", 'Came here to suggest sketchers go walk. I have them in black and tan and take them with me every trip. So comfortable and I can walk for miles. The mesh outer covering is non restrictive on your feet. And I can come home and throw them in the wash after vacation.', 'I got a pair of skechers memory foam when memory foam was a relatively new addition to the brand and those specific Skechers were super popular. Unfortunately,I still remember the knee ache my first night after a shift at an IHOP in a college sports town on a super busy game day.it was like a giant ,like a straight.up fi-fo-fom dude, was jamming a sharpened walking stick on the outside of my knees. Never happened before skekchers and it lasted months in not a full year at least after wards of sudden random onset knee pain like lightening knives were in my \"collateral ligament\" is where it hurt according to Wikipedia', 'Yeah, I was shocked no one had mentioned them before now. I’m', 'Which model do you suggest for flat feet?', 'Try them on in store, keep an eye out for sales that are kicking in this season both in stores and online. Honestly investing in good quality and supportive shoes is so worth it for your physical comfort and health.', 'Unfortunately I’ve been reading many stories like this, sounds like Altra got bought out and the quality has decreased sharply recently. I do like my Lone Peaks for traveling.', 'There are lots of different Allbirds models, so it heavily depends on which one you buy.', 'I’ve had 2 allbirds and both sucked for me. Hoka’s were the first shoe I didn’t have any calf or leg pain after a work day once broken in', 'I have high arches and arthritis in my toes and yeah, Allbirds are not my friend. I can wear them with orthotics in them but they still aren’t great for my feet. I can see though why people who don’t have problem feet like mine would like them!', \"They're way too cushioned for me. Like my ankles had a hard time staying stable because the sole was so squishy.\", 'This is why I avoid the Tree Runners, the lining is too thin for me and easily can make a hole. I use the Wool Runners and they’ve been good.', 'Cut your toenails or you might need to size up a little', 'The Bondi SR was designed for restaurant and health care workers. They are water resistant and well-padded all the way around. The footbed and rocker are also designed for standing and walking, unlike the regular Bondis, which are running shoes. Nevertheless, I see a plethora of regular Bondis when I walk down the hospital hallway.', 'Since they are wool they never get too hot and they are washable', 'Oh shit why didn’t I think of that? Thanks for the tip', 'Yes, I am 140kg and walk in Camper 25km no problems. Air filled sole and that soft leather plus fuglish shape deliver some form of walking magic.', 'Or Crocs. My travel partner had to scrub down her woven strap sandals so many times during our 3 weeks in Thailand but I match her step for step in Crocs Tulum strappy sandles. For me, the softer foot bed helps a lot too.', \"What are irrigated shoes? I've been curious about Vibram but afraid I'll take too long to separate my toes it would drive me bonkers lol.\", 'Yeah I’m not planning on having to walk through water mostly looking for something that will hold up and not get my socks wet in heavy UK rain. Thank you', 'Mostly walking through cities with minimal hiking.', 'No, backpack was fairly empty. The only essentials I would carry were a rain shell, garbage bag and portable charger. Convenience stores are everywhere so I would just buy food and drinks when needed', 'I’ll keep an eye out. But I live in S Florida- pretty rare to need hiking shoes :-)', 'I bought my first hokas a couple months ago and they’re the most comfortable sneakers I’ve ever had - for long walks, traveling, anything', 'At a certain point in life, style is far less important than comfort. If I can’t wear a shoe longer than 5 minutes without pain, then it doesn’t really matter how cute it looks with my outfit.', 'My husband did this. He didn’t buy proper shoes for our trip. Guess what? He messed up his legs and is now spending 100’s on osteopath and massage. An outfit is less important than your health.', \"When I'm walking 20k+ steps a day for days or weeks, fashion can fuck off. I'll look cute head to ankle but uncomfortable shoes for the sake of fashion is not gonna happen, I enjoy not crying at the end of every travel day because my feet hurt so bad 😂😂\", 'On Running is a great alternative. Style and Substance.', 'Not with that attitude.', 'On Running is a great alternative. Style and Substance.', \"Damn I've never heard of this. But ig I've been using my same pair of walking and running shoes forever so I never encountered this problem. Does this also apply to the soles. I replace those semi regularly.\", 'The Cloud X 3.', 'Same; tried two different types and got rid of both. I can see why some love them, but they aren’t for me.', 'Ditto. Got two pairs of allbirds. Width was good but zero support for my arches. Felt like I was slapping the ground. Then hokas were a game changer.', 'Yes! I was disappointed. They’re pretty sharp looking too so I was extra disappointed that they didn’t work. It’s hard to look stylish (not like an American tourist) and be comfortable while traveling. I still haven’t found my optimal travel shoe. It’s been years of traveling and I’m\\nStill searching.', 'Ah yes. I had the tree runners in Lisbon and I think all that down hill jamming of the toe to the front of the foot did them in. I haven’t worn my wool ones on vacation.', 'They’re nicely pedicured but thanks.', 'They are very breathable, most of the shoes have a lot of little holes, and they are made of material that’s like very sturdy water shoe material. Instead of keeping water out, it lets the water pass through, and then they dry pretty quickly. The toe separation part does take a few tries to get used to, but after a handful of wears, your toes adjust pretty normally. But the first couple times your definitely have to guide the right toe to the right spot.', 'I was actually introduced to them by friends from the UK, they wanted unique athletic shoes that would dry quickly and work in the rain. You wear them without socks, so it won’t work for all of the British winter warmth wise outdoors, but they could be an option if you’re open to going sock free for the summer (or traveling anywhere with a slightly warmer climate).', 'I was doing the hike up to Neuschwanstein and I saw this woman who looked amazing… her outfit was fire. Unfortunately, I think her feet probably felt like they were on fire because she wore these fashionable heeled shoes and she was riding the proverbial struggle bus hard', 'that should be every point in life. i dont understand how people have the courage to even try to walk all over the place in heels. even as a teen my feet could never (im in my early 20s and comfort >>>>>>>>>>>> fashion)', 'Osteopath should really help. I mean the amount of peer reviewed studies that have shown its efficacy is just overwhelming. Something like zero.', 'If the American 90s/00s fashion trends have taught us anything, it’s that anything can be trendy if worn with enough confidence.', \"I don't really wear the kind of shoes that get re-soled. 90% of the time I'm in a pair of New Balance runners and when they get worn out I just relegate them to occasional use and get a new pair. I've just looked it up and apparently places do put a new sole on running shoes but prices near me are about £40-60 per pair, and I only get shoes that are £60-100 so it probably makes more sense for me to just get a new pair when a sale is on. \\nIf you don't get blisters or discomfort in new shoes, you're lucky, but it might not be the case for every pair of shoes, so it makes sense to wear them for a decent distance in one go before going traveling with them. Sometimes it can be as simple as finding out what is the right socks go with those shoes. I had a new-ish pair I took with my on vacation last month and it was really hot so I just wore ankle socks and got a bad rub on the achilles, which wouldn't have happened in longer socks.\", 'I’d try a half size bigger then on any shoes with soft toe boxes like allbirds and vans. My friend gave me this tip years ago and my shoes last way longer now', 'appreciate the info, thanks!', 'Thank you!', 'Amazing comment 😂 You just made my day.', 'Thank you for your insight that I didn’t ask for. It’s quite helpful 🙄', 'Yes. I have to say it was Lisbon and walking downhill lots did a number on the toe box. But ya perhaps a size up. They are comfy.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi all! Just have a question about this article:\n\nhttps://montenegro.org/where-can-i-travel-with-my-uk-brp/\n\nFor context, I'm Indonesian currently studying in the UK and I was curious about where can I travel to when I came across that page.\n\nI find it especially odd about Ireland and Switzerland due to the CTA and Schengen area if this article is accurate. \n\nI could only find info about CTA for UK/Irish citizen and not for residents, and what prevents anyone from getting out of Switzerland to the rest of Schengen since most time you're not getting checked at the border?\n\nAnyone can help confirm/debunk this article? Thanks.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'I did not manage to find any such provision for Switzerland(https://www.sem.admin.ch/dam/sem/en/data/rechtsgrundlagen/weisungen/visa/bfm/bfm-anh01-liste2-e.pdf.download.pdf/bfm-anh01-liste2-e.pdf). According to this document, a UK residence permit does not even exempt from airport transit visa, when required. Does anybody have a better source?', 'The UK BRP does not grant entry to Switzerland. You need to apply for a Schengen visa.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi all! Just have a question about this article:\n\nhttps://montenegro.org/where-can-i-travel-with-my-uk-brp/\n\nFor context, I'm Indonesian currently studying in the UK and I was curious about where can I travel to when I came across that page.\n\nI find it especially odd about Ireland and Switzerland due to the CTA and Schengen area if this article is accurate. \n\nI could only find info about CTA for UK/Irish citizen and not for residents, and what prevents anyone from getting out of Switzerland to the rest of Schengen since most time you're not getting checked at the border?\n\nAnyone can help confirm/debunk this article? Thanks.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "You may also enjoy our topic: **England off the tourist trail(https://redd.it/8ya2wx)** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit(/message/compose/?to=/r/travel) if you have any questions or concerns.*', 'Biometric Residence Permit and Common Travel Area'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Confused about Greyhounds luggage policy and having to check in.\n\nI’m taking the indianapolis greyhound bus to chicago soon. I want to bring a standard travel size suitcase bag with me. On the website it says I’m allowed one free carry on and one free stored bag. \n\nI’m assuming this suitcase needs to be stored under the bus. Do I have to check this bag in with the front desk and get a tag for it? What if I already have a tag on it that just has my name and address and number? Is that acceptable or do I still have to check it in?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Confused about Greyhounds luggage policy and having to check in.\n\nI’m taking the indianapolis greyhound bus to chicago soon. I want to bring a standard travel size suitcase bag with me. On the website it says I’m allowed one free carry on and one free stored bag. \n\nI’m assuming this suitcase needs to be stored under the bus. Do I have to check this bag in with the front desk and get a tag for it? What if I already have a tag on it that just has my name and address and number? Is that acceptable or do I still have to check it in?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "This is such a nice perk. Has anyone ever had to use it? We always get the CDW through the rental company (hubs has had to use it three times!), so doing it with Chase, it will save us almost $200. I downloaded the T&C and will thoroughly read them, and it looks like any claims will go through eClaimsonline, and I'm reading as much as I can about that also, so I can be prepared to request whatever documentation is needed. Chase just says \"Initiate and pay for the entire rental transaction using the covered Chase card and decline the rental company’s collision damage waiver or loss damage waiver.\" Easy enough, and just to triple check, this does NOT mean I have to book through Chase Travel correct? Thanks for any tips!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"I've used it twice.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "This is such a nice perk. Has anyone ever had to use it? We always get the CDW through the rental company (hubs has had to use it three times!), so doing it with Chase, it will save us almost $200. I downloaded the T&C and will thoroughly read them, and it looks like any claims will go through eClaimsonline, and I'm reading as much as I can about that also, so I can be prepared to request whatever documentation is needed. Chase just says \"Initiate and pay for the entire rental transaction using the covered Chase card and decline the rental company’s collision damage waiver or loss damage waiver.\" Easy enough, and just to triple check, this does NOT mean I have to book through Chase Travel correct? Thanks for any tips!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Chase covered it without any issues.', 'Should be noted that it does not cover Turo. But yeah, I’ve heard of no issues otherwise. Huge benefit and piece of mind.', 'I used it once for an accident that was totally my fault in Greece. They covered everything. All it took was a letter from the company that did the work itemizing the work that the rental company provided and they gave me a full credit for $1600', \"Rented a car in Ireland once and they didn't want to let me decline the insurance.... had to call Chase customer support and send an email from them.\", 'Last year I rented a car in Italy using a Chase Sapphire card. During the return they found a really small scratch on the rear bumper. Added $400 to the price. A few days later, these $400 were silently reimbursed by Chase.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": " So, I am traveling alone with two bags and a car seat (child is at destination already). Will airlines allow me to check-in (gate check) car seat for free or will they ask for a fee? It's Qatar Airways if that helps. Thanks in advance.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": " So, I am traveling alone with two bags and a car seat (child is at destination already). Will airlines allow me to check-in (gate check) car seat for free or will they ask for a fee? It's Qatar Airways if that helps. Thanks in advance.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "So let me begin by saying i have all the visas ready and on hand in my passport. I have everything required of me in terms of paperwork ..... I am just scared and terrified of US immigration. I heard they can be brutal. This is my first time also travelling to the US in a few days. I have all the paperwork and visas stamped in my passport ....what do i have to do when i get to US customs and immigration? i have never been on a plane and this is my first time flying long distance 15 hours + connecting flights. What do i do with my suitcase? will i lose my luggabe when connecting flights? i am not carrying anything dangerous or not allowed. Just clothes and lotion and perfume and my laptop. WIll my laptop be confiscated? i am not worried about giving customs access to my phone and laptop. I have nothing shady going on in there. I am jus worried about airport procedure and customs and being grilled at the airport and stuff. I do have all the paperwork for my job and contact details in case they need to contact my employer. I am freaking out. I heard sometimes people puke when the plane is taking off and landing lol..... I might end up puking as well. Help guys. ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"First, take a breath. It's good to have an overview of what the process looks like. When you arrive at your departure airport, you'll hand your suitcase off at the check in desk. There they'll attach a tag to it and they'll give you a little sticker with some identifiers. It's there for when there are issues, but normally you won't need it. The person handling your luggage will be able to tell you where you should pick it up again. Often they'll tell you without having to ask, but if not, just ask. In general, your luggage will travel to your first airport in the US. If that's also your final destination, then great. If you have a connection within the US, you'll have to pick it up and hand it in at the check in desks again. On any connections outside the US, your suitcase will be automatically transferred to the next plane. But again, the agent at the desk will be able to confirm this for you. Remember that you still need to breathe. Make sure to have your laptop in your carry-on luggage, but things like lotion and perfume are better in your checked luggage. when you land in the US (the first airport, in case of connections), you'll have to go through immigration. The process is clearly indicated in English and it's simple to follow the steps. Expect a long queue. Depending on the airport and time of day, waiting for over an hour is not weird. Breathing going OK? Once you've reached the immigration agent, just hand over your passport, follow their instructions and answer any questions they might have. Be truthful (obviously) and concise. There's no need to break into story time, just stick to short and to-the-point answers. Keep the additional paperwork in your bag unless it's asked for. Between your passport, visa and the answers you give, the officer will likely have enough information. For the overwhelming majority of people their immigration experience ends here. In the rare event that you're sent to secondary questioning, they may want to look at your electronic devices and supporting paperwork. The same applies here, answer truthfully and to-the-point. And breathe. Once you're through, you'll pick up your luggage from the belt and head to customs. Here they'll determine if your suitcase is worthy of being allowed into the country. Most likely you're let through almost immediately. Otherwise, they may want to scan or open your suitcase to search for potential offending items. This takes a bit of time, but if you didn't pack anything illegal, there's no problem. If this was your final destination in the US, then you're done. If you're connecting to a domestic US flight, take your suitcase to the check in desks and continue your journey. And still breathe.\", 'US immigration is more strict that many other countries but I don’t think they’re scary. As long as you answer their questions honestly, you will be fine. Just treat it like it’s small talk with a stranger.', \"You have a visa, they've already accepted your reason for entry. But calm and polite to the agent. You won't be the first visa traveller the agent has spoken to that day. ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "So let me begin by saying i have all the visas ready and on hand in my passport. I have everything required of me in terms of paperwork ..... I am just scared and terrified of US immigration. I heard they can be brutal. This is my first time also travelling to the US in a few days. I have all the paperwork and visas stamped in my passport ....what do i have to do when i get to US customs and immigration? i have never been on a plane and this is my first time flying long distance 15 hours + connecting flights. What do i do with my suitcase? will i lose my luggabe when connecting flights? i am not carrying anything dangerous or not allowed. Just clothes and lotion and perfume and my laptop. WIll my laptop be confiscated? i am not worried about giving customs access to my phone and laptop. I have nothing shady going on in there. I am jus worried about airport procedure and customs and being grilled at the airport and stuff. I do have all the paperwork for my job and contact details in case they need to contact my employer. I am freaking out. I heard sometimes people puke when the plane is taking off and landing lol..... I might end up puking as well. Help guys. ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "I flew Europe to US on my own as a 15 y/o who barely spoke English and everything was fine. You will be fine.', 'I have no good advice for this. I hate planes, being cramped in a seat, it’s usually freezing cold or hot as hell (no in between). Ears popping, nausea, babies crying. Rude people. It’s awful. Cancel if you can.', 'Remember to bring something to occupy you with during your flight. A book or whatever you prefer. Fifteen hours is a long time to be bored or nervous.', 'You will be ok', 'You need to seriously chill. Millions of people travel every year without issue. My 3 year old is more relaxed than you about international travel. US immigration isn’t brutal. They just ask a couple questions and send you on your way unless you start acting like a weirdo. Download some movies, lean your seat back, enjoy the free snacks, and have a drink on them as you unwind. The only thing you should do additionally, is put an AirTag in your luggage.', 'What country is your passport? That will have bearing on your reception from immigration. Sad, but true.', 'I wa very nervous but you did made me laugh lol.... thank you so much for the valuable information and the \"breathe\" in between\" the responces lol.', 'I was thinking of having my documents and laptop in my laptop bag and nothing else. My passport and obviously visas will be with me at all times. do i need to pack a change of clothes in my secondary (laptop) bag?', 'wow makes me feel so much better. Thank you hey. ...I hope the people will be kind enough to give responces instead of yelling at me', 'I am arriving at New York airport and the connecting airflight has already been sorted. I am just nervous ... All the paper work is in order and ido spea fluent english but just nervous', 'Thank you do much kind sir', 'I have been told tat US customs need to check laptops andphones for anything against visa requirements. I am okay with any checks. no worries. I am just worried about the process and what i have to do.', 'This! And prepare to stay in line up to 2h on busy days.', 'Thank you so much .Muy contry does not use any zip code under any circumtances. so i should be ok but i will wite down everything you said', 'More and more airports have modern machines which allow the staff to pan around the luggage in 3D, making taking out liquids and electronics superfluous. Just letting OP know so they aren’t confused if they aren’t required to take out their liquids and electronics.', 'hahahah i wih i had an iPhone to use with an airtag', 'OP is worried about CBP, not TSA … ? Whilst CBP has its fair share of intellectually challenged employees, their ability to make ones life challenging is well known. No harm in being prepared.', 'And this is why people laugh at Americans.', 'Air travel is mostly very boring. I find if you embrace the boringness, it’s less stressful.', 'The person above has some great advice. I‘ll also add - smile and be friendly to the agent. Even if the flight was horrible and there was a screaming infant kicking your seat all flight, and you’ve been waiting in line for an hour and the agent is being a jerk - smile and be friendly. If you wear a hat, remove it when you step up to the agent. Same for sunglasses. Under absolutely no circumstances should you remove any fruit or vegetables served to you on the plane to snack on later. Doing so is illegal, Customs is looking for this in ways you don’t realize and they’re extremely good at spotting it. Other than that, be honest, answer the questions asked and ONLY the questions asked and you’ll likely be fine. You’ll probably find the experience to be pretty painless too', 'Make sure to secure your lotions and perfumes tightly bc they can leak sometimes', 'I always pack enough in my carry on bag for 1 day just in case my luggage gets lost. I have traveled at least once per month for many, many years, and only had lost bags twice (and they were shipped to me next day). But just in case, I keep a change of clothes and my necessary hygiene products like a toothbrush, deodorant, etc, so that at least I’m fresh after the long flight. You will do great and I hope you enjoy the US!', 'Don’t keep your passport and docs on you at all times. Once you show them to the required people, put them in your carryon until it’s time to present them again at the airport.', 'I always have 2 days of clothes and a set of pjs with me. That gives time for a bag to be shipped or to go shopping. Plus a toothbrush and hairbrush.', 'Most Americans are friendly and willing to help. You will be fine. If someone does yell at you, don’t take it personally. They are just having a bad day or a miserable person and it does not affect you. Treat the long flight like a movie marathon. Binge a whole series. Have a couple glasses of wine. This can be a fun experience if you make it one!', \"You will be fine. Don't carry more than 10k in cash, stock or checks.\", \"You don't need to worry about the process as it is something the authorities at the airport will tell you. When you exit the plane the airport hallways will take you to immigration (you can also follow the stream of people exiting your plane). Just have all the paperwork with you.\", \"They mean make sure you have the full address and name of where you are staying. Make sure to breath and stay calm. Stay hydrated and make sure you're eating every 4 or 5 hours as well. It will help with energy levels.\", 'Have a look for Android alternatives, for example: Eufy SmartTrack, Chipolo One, etc...😉', \"Oh I missed that part. I've always had super pleasant interactions with CBP\", 'Are you white and blonde?'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi all,\n\nVery simple request of any companies that do good hiking tours in Nepal. I'm erring towards Annapurna region. GAdventures is very good price wise but it doesn't include meals, but I've also come across Nepal Eco Adventures which does and is still well priced.\n\nAnything that occurs to you is good to hear. I have looked on the sub but can't find anything specific on this.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'We did the Annapurna 12 day trek with Alpine Ramble around this time last year. Would recommend. We were a large group and had 3 guides for 7 of us. They were so helpful and patient with us. Feel free to dm if you have any questions.', 'If I can piggyback on this post - does anyone know how much the annapurna circuit costs to do independently. I believe a guide is needed now? If you are a solo traveler is it more cost effective joining a tour like G Adventures or is it better to hire a guide on arrival and pay for accommodation by the night?', '**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Nepal?", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi all,\n\nVery simple request of any companies that do good hiking tours in Nepal. I'm erring towards Annapurna region. GAdventures is very good price wise but it doesn't include meals, but I've also come across Nepal Eco Adventures which does and is still well priced.\n\nAnything that occurs to you is good to hear. I have looked on the sub but can't find anything specific on this.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "To answer your last question, book it in advance. Some tour companies have good deals where they pick you up and take you to your hotel and everything! So, you dont have to worry about the little headaches.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I am visiting Copenhagen from 23-25 December with my friend. Other than the touristy things, we wanted to know if locals in Copenhagen have some particular recommendations for things to do or visit. Since it is Christmas, may be there are some special things?\n\nWe would love to experience the local cuisine, the essence of the city and meet the local people.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I am visiting Copenhagen from 23-25 December with my friend. Other than the touristy things, we wanted to know if locals in Copenhagen have some particular recommendations for things to do or visit. Since it is Christmas, may be there are some special things?\n\nWe would love to experience the local cuisine, the essence of the city and meet the local people.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello! I am planning a multi-city trip from Sydney to Milan, Madrid, New York, San Francisco, Boston and Houston in September/October next year.\n\nHaven’t done a multi continent big trip like this before and having trouble working out what would be the most efficient route in terms of cost and travel time (least “stopovers”). Preference to travel to the US first. \n\nThere is also a possibility to stopover for a day or two Singapore on the way back or return from London if the return flights work out cheaper.\n\nOption 01: Syd - San Fran - Houston - New York - Boston - Madrid - Milan - - Sydney.\n\nOption 02: Syd - Boston - New York - Houston - San Francisco - Madrid - Milan\n\nIf there are even better options / flight hacks I am all ears!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello! I am planning a multi-city trip from Sydney to Milan, Madrid, New York, San Francisco, Boston and Houston in September/October next year.\n\nHaven’t done a multi continent big trip like this before and having trouble working out what would be the most efficient route in terms of cost and travel time (least “stopovers”). Preference to travel to the US first. \n\nThere is also a possibility to stopover for a day or two Singapore on the way back or return from London if the return flights work out cheaper.\n\nOption 01: Syd - San Fran - Houston - New York - Boston - Madrid - Milan - - Sydney.\n\nOption 02: Syd - Boston - New York - Houston - San Francisco - Madrid - Milan\n\nIf there are even better options / flight hacks I am all ears!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "If I need to put my large suitcase in the luggage rack area near the train car entrance, would you say the highest risk is while the train is stopped at a station? I assume that’s the best time for someone to get on, grab a bag, get off and go just before the train departs. \n\nBetween stations, while in motion, presumably it’s lower risk since a thief has nowhere to go? Can I relax a bit ?\n\nAlso, considering my suitcase is about 20kg, I hope it’s less of a target of theft. Much harder to grab and go!\n\nIf I stand by the doorway near my suitcase in the luggage rack until the train doors close and we begin moving, would that be acceptable? Or would I simply be in the way of everyone. My seat is nowhere near the rack to watch it.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"easier to just bring a small bicycle lock to attach your suitcase to the rack and forget about it for the rest of the journey. in my experience there's enough empty seats during the day to have your suitcase just next to you between seats and not in the racks.\", \"Large bags / suitcases are typically not targets of theft, since most people who do this get in the train while it's stopped, get out and take another train from the same station and that's difficult to do with a large and / or heavy piece What has been happening more frequently in the past couple of months is theft of small-ish valuables like backpacks, purses, laptops, phones, wallets - I've been personally involved in 2 incidents I mentioned in another comment recently and saw a couple more in the news While your luggage is generally safe and you can consider putting a chain lock on it, you definitely need to keep your backpack / purse in front of you (NOT overhead) and stay in your seat during stops\", \"Very unlikely that would get stolen from there. I sometimes use a small combination chain lock.. like a bike one....to attach my backpack to something solid!", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "If I need to put my large suitcase in the luggage rack area near the train car entrance, would you say the highest risk is while the train is stopped at a station? I assume that’s the best time for someone to get on, grab a bag, get off and go just before the train departs. \n\nBetween stations, while in motion, presumably it’s lower risk since a thief has nowhere to go? Can I relax a bit ?\n\nAlso, considering my suitcase is about 20kg, I hope it’s less of a target of theft. Much harder to grab and go!\n\nIf I stand by the doorway near my suitcase in the luggage rack until the train doors close and we begin moving, would that be acceptable? Or would I simply be in the way of everyone. My seat is nowhere near the rack to watch it.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "I forget exactly how it works, but IIRC, you put a coin into a slot (like on a shopping cart) and then you can pull out a cable lock that's hidden away in the rack, run it through your luggage handle, and set a combination. To lock it, I think you just pop the end of the cable lock into a designated slot. I've never used them but it seems like a neat idea. Fwiw, I've had my luggage out of sight on German trains for hours at a time and have never had an issue, though I would periodically check just to make sure lol\", 'Sure,it happens from time to time. You have to be very unlucky for it to happen though! Especially with a 20kg suitcase.', 'In most French major stations nobody can access the platform without a valid ticket fyi.', \"Someone got their backpack stolen somewhere between Schiphol and Delft and I watched them have a complete meltdown when they realized it. It had their wallet and laptop in it. Do not put anything of value above your head. I would say it's not super common but theft does happen. A giant bag is much harder to steal and less likely to have valuables than a purse or backpack.\", 'Oh wow I’m shocked to hear this! Maybe I’ve been living in a bubble of a false sense of security :’)', 'The ICE route from Cologne to Amsterdam is somewhat infamous for thieves but compared to other countries they’re still mostly fine.', 'I live next to Nice and yes if coming from outside of that station you can’t, but a cheap ticket isn’t hard to buy and then you do have access. And if you have arrived from some other station then also have access. *fyi'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi all,\n\nIn 2 weeks I will be in Europe traveling through a few countries. One of the countries I will be in is France. From Bordeaux, I will be taking the train to Carcassonne in the morning. I will spend the day here and be in an AirBNB for the night. I will make sure I call it an early night and get some rest in the BNB. I've heard that getting around in Carcassonne can sometimes be a pain, so I'd like to have a rental car. Though, I think I'd prefer a rental car for the next day as well. I plan to wake up early (6-6:30am) and make my way to Villefranche sur Mer and spend half the day there and the second half of my day in Eze. I'd like to be able to end my day in Nice, where I would like to be able to drop my car off because I will grab a FlixBus at the Aeroport Nice Cote d'Azur and grab a night bus right to Bolzano, Italy. I know this sounds hectic, but Bolzano will be the last place I am for my trip besides Milan on my last full day so I'm in the city for my plane ride home to Florida.\n\nDoes this seem like a feasible option, and what car rental company would be best for this? I'd appreciate all input. I like to drive and I like to end my days fairly early, so I should be rested most of the time.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi all,\n\nIn 2 weeks I will be in Europe traveling through a few countries. One of the countries I will be in is France. From Bordeaux, I will be taking the train to Carcassonne in the morning. I will spend the day here and be in an AirBNB for the night. I will make sure I call it an early night and get some rest in the BNB. I've heard that getting around in Carcassonne can sometimes be a pain, so I'd like to have a rental car. Though, I think I'd prefer a rental car for the next day as well. I plan to wake up early (6-6:30am) and make my way to Villefranche sur Mer and spend half the day there and the second half of my day in Eze. I'd like to be able to end my day in Nice, where I would like to be able to drop my car off because I will grab a FlixBus at the Aeroport Nice Cote d'Azur and grab a night bus right to Bolzano, Italy. I know this sounds hectic, but Bolzano will be the last place I am for my trip besides Milan on my last full day so I'm in the city for my plane ride home to Florida.\n\nDoes this seem like a feasible option, and what car rental company would be best for this? I'd appreciate all input. I like to drive and I like to end my days fairly early, so I should be rested most of the time.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi folks, looking for advice and shared experience. I’m recently returned from a yearlong sabbatical in which I rode my bicycle across South America.\n\nI love my life, family and career back home and am pretty good about finding the joy in daily life (trying new things, passionate about hobbies, habits, exercise, meditation, etc). Still, the transition to regular life (bills, drama, consumerism, etc) is a bit tough. \n\nWhile I am grateful and satisfied by the huge adventure I’ve just had, I’m already dreaming about the next one. I find myself brainstorming ways to take next summer off. Which would be a problem for work and my partner, who doesn’t have the same thirst for adventure that I have.\n\nAnd I feel like, even if I did takeoff next summer and went on another adventure, I would come back and want to do it again. And again. And again.\n\nAt some point, I feel like this becomes unsustainable. How do you get to a point where enough is enough?\n\nIve been wondering if it’s similar to somebody who is obsessed with material possessions. Who gets a house, and then wants a bigger house. Or who gets a new car, and then starts dreaming about the next bigger, better, newer car. Pedal across South America? Now let’s pedal across Africa. Let’s paddle across a continent. Let’s row across an ocean. I’m starting to think there is no end.\n\nTLDR: do you think the desire for “more,” whether experiential or materialistic, ultimately are the same affliction? How do you manage your desire for more travel/adventure when it conflicts with other aspects of your life? Where do you draw the “enough” line? Thanks.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'Travel is not different to anything else tangible in life. The reality is, it\\'s about priorities and compromise and not anything more compicated than that. You make your bed and you lie in it. Shorter but more frequent trips will likely give you the opportunity to assess what you really want in life without the need for going \"cold turkey\".', \"It's a tough one. I generally hold these types of decisions to my regrets test. I ask myself if I would regret not doing something. If I feel strongly I would, then I do it. I traveled nomadically for about 6 yrs with my child when she was younger and loved it. We had to stop when she was a teen as she had some needs that just couldn't be met living on the road. We have been back for 7 yrs, and I still have not fully adjusted. I do enjoy not living out of a suitcase all the time and having a home to come back to, but I'm not able to travel as much as would help me be happier. That sucks. So I just do as much as I can and am always planning the next couple of trips to keep my sanity.\", 'It never stops. Once you have been on that \"big\" trip, you will NEVER stop wanting to go again. It\\'s very hard for others who have NOT been on that kind of trip / adventure to understand. In fact most people who have ever ben on the typical 2 eek or less vacation will wondr why you can\\'t stop dreaming about the next trip or talking about your past ones. It never stops. 25 years on and the best I can do is dream baout the next trip, interview others who\\'ve been on similar trips to live vicariously through them, make videos and websites to help others plan their own trips and travel with confidence.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi folks, looking for advice and shared experience. I’m recently returned from a yearlong sabbatical in which I rode my bicycle across South America.\n\nI love my life, family and career back home and am pretty good about finding the joy in daily life (trying new things, passionate about hobbies, habits, exercise, meditation, etc). Still, the transition to regular life (bills, drama, consumerism, etc) is a bit tough. \n\nWhile I am grateful and satisfied by the huge adventure I’ve just had, I’m already dreaming about the next one. I find myself brainstorming ways to take next summer off. Which would be a problem for work and my partner, who doesn’t have the same thirst for adventure that I have.\n\nAnd I feel like, even if I did takeoff next summer and went on another adventure, I would come back and want to do it again. And again. And again.\n\nAt some point, I feel like this becomes unsustainable. How do you get to a point where enough is enough?\n\nIve been wondering if it’s similar to somebody who is obsessed with material possessions. Who gets a house, and then wants a bigger house. Or who gets a new car, and then starts dreaming about the next bigger, better, newer car. Pedal across South America? Now let’s pedal across Africa. Let’s paddle across a continent. Let’s row across an ocean. I’m starting to think there is no end.\n\nTLDR: do you think the desire for “more,” whether experiential or materialistic, ultimately are the same affliction? How do you manage your desire for more travel/adventure when it conflicts with other aspects of your life? Where do you draw the “enough” line? Thanks.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "I was surprised with how fast I adjusted and got back in my routine, but this non materialistic mindset sticked with me for a long time, which is nice. This super strong urge to travel 'neutralized' when I was able to focus on other interests and opportunities like my career. I still have a huge desire to travel and discover the world and try to take every opportunity to make another trip. I made a careerswitch to be able to work remotely in the future, so it'll be easier to plan new trips. For now, that's not possible yet, but I make sure Im able to travel to a far away destination for 1 month once a year + one short one if possible. I excepted that it won't be realistic to travel most of the time. In terms of: financially, living situation in my home country, family-wise etc. But that's okay for me. As long as I'm able to make a big trip every once in a while.\", 'Its your life. You only get one shot. Make it your best life. No one on their death bed said i wished i worked more.', \"I completely relate to this. I'm wrapping up a year long sabbatical myself, and already dreaming about the next one. But, like you, in have a partner at home that just isn't in to travel, and then I have to worry about money. Finding a job that will give me multiple months off, or finding something that will allow me to work remotely is going to be a challenge. I don't think it will ever be enough for me. As much as I saw over the last year, it has only made me realize how much more there is to see and experience. I didn't make it to half of the places I wanted to see or do a lot of what I wanted. I feel like I've only scratched the surface of what's out there, and somehow I have to do more of this. How can I do this? It's an eternal thirst, my friend.\", \"Don't you think it matters the kind of traveling and the duration? For example, spending 7-10 days exploring and eating through one of the world's great cities, seeing sights and visiting museums. That's an excellent amount of travel. Or spending 5-7 days in a tropical location, relaxing, drinking, snorkeling, reading, and enjoying local cuisine is a perfect amount of travel. \\n \\nFor me, the longest time spent traveling was 15 days exploring Vietnam from bottom to top. It was a tour, so it's not like I was riding a bicycle around the whole time. But it definitely felt like a long time away from home and work. We saw a whole lot, walked a whole lot, ate a whole lot of good, local food, and had a great time. To travel that far away from the U.S. it didn't really make sense to go away for much less time, especially since it's unlikely we will go back.\", \"This is the life we've chosen, friend. For better or for worse. Too much is never enough.\", 'There is no right way to do anything, you can literally do anything you want, any way you want lol 😂', 'Curious your age, if you’re willing to say? I felt a lot like this in my 20s, and now I’m 39 and my wanderlust has calmed down. Now I look forward to more domestic trips and trips of convenience and not “roughing it.” I feel like sometimes I got more of a high from planning the trip and telling everyone about it than actually enjoying myself, so I knew it was time for me to rethink things.', 'Age and 3 children slowed it down for me. My kids have been around the world though, and seen a lot! But the older they all got, including myself, and COVID, really put a damper on things. Who am I kidding, I’m going to spend time in Istanbul and Slovenia the next couple weeks! With all three “kids”! (16, 17, 18)', \"I totally relate. We've only been gone two months now, and I miss our cat every day lol\", 'Agree 100%! More adventure in daily life.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I (22M) am traveling with my sister through Europe at the moment. So far we have only done Rome and Florence, and soon we will be going to Austria. I like history and nature, so figured traveling through some historically important cities like Rome and Vienna, and seeing the Alps from Salzburg (I am Australian so cannot wait to see proper mountains) would be extremely interesting.\n\nHowever, after both Rome and Florence I am now concerned that there is not much connection between the history of Europe and the \"history of Europe\" that people talk about when they say you must visit Europe. It is just statues, art and architecture. It just does not seem worth walking 20 km a day to read a couple of plaques that vaguely refer to some history - and I say this as someone who enjoys walking.\n\nThe only appeal of visiting Europe for me was the history. I am doing Venice, Vienna, Salzburg and then Prague over the next two weeks. I was planning an additional third week to somewhere else but now am considering to cut my trip short.\n\nI feel like that guy from In Bruges, and that all this \"beautiful fucking fairy tale stuff\" is in fact not my thing. ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'Were you expecting someone to teach you European history on your trip?', 'What does \"history\" mean for you? For my dad, it is military history. Plop him in a battlefield and he can visualize the troop movements. Where critical things happened etc. He loves being there. I love ancient history. I don\\'t mind if its just statues in a museum or ruins. I just like looking at old stuff. My mom likes fancy old houses, palaces, etc. Even better if there is fancy china/glass/etc to see. So what more specific timeperiod do you enjoy. What would you enjoy better than museums? Are you researching the history ahead of time or just whatever small tidbits you glean while there?', 'This guy', '> It is just statues, art and architecture. It just does not seem worth walking 20 km a day to read a couple of plaques that vaguely refer to some history - and I say this as someone who enjoys walking. Join a tour. Free (tip-based) walking tours cover some history and will give you a better understanding of the significance of monuments than reading plaques ever will. Many sites (Colosseum, Vatican Museums, etc.) offer paid organized tours. Check Airbnb experiences, Viator, and Get Your Guide for other tours that appeal to your interests - hiking trips, winery tours, boat tours, cooking classes, etc. \\n \\n> I feel like that guy from In Bruges, and that all this \"beautiful fucking fairy tale stuff\" is in fact not my thing. Maybe it’s just not your thing. And that’s okay.', 'You don’t have to go for history. Find stuff that relates to your hobbies at home. For example, you might fish a lot and end up going for something you can’t catch back in your home country.', 'Sit down on a bench with old people and get them talking. That’s profound and living history right there.', \"This is an odd post. First off Europe isn't just a history museum. People actually live there.\", \"Travel is what you want it to be. If you want history, go find it. Sign up for tours - many are free - or even get a self-guided audio tour online. These will teach you the history of the places you're visiting. Or, go to museums. There are plenty of great ones in Vienna.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I (22M) am traveling with my sister through Europe at the moment. So far we have only done Rome and Florence, and soon we will be going to Austria. I like history and nature, so figured traveling through some historically important cities like Rome and Vienna, and seeing the Alps from Salzburg (I am Australian so cannot wait to see proper mountains) would be extremely interesting.\n\nHowever, after both Rome and Florence I am now concerned that there is not much connection between the history of Europe and the \"history of Europe\" that people talk about when they say you must visit Europe. It is just statues, art and architecture. It just does not seem worth walking 20 km a day to read a couple of plaques that vaguely refer to some history - and I say this as someone who enjoys walking.\n\nThe only appeal of visiting Europe for me was the history. I am doing Venice, Vienna, Salzburg and then Prague over the next two weeks. I was planning an additional third week to somewhere else but now am considering to cut my trip short.\n\nI feel like that guy from In Bruges, and that all this \"beautiful fucking fairy tale stuff\" is in fact not my thing. ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "I hope the rest of your trip gets better.\", 'Use your phone to download some podcasts about the history of the people where you are…or Rick steves. Or an audio book on the particu centuries you find most fascinating - but about the country you are in at the time. yes, walking nd standing all day looking at big buildings, ruins, paintings, or statues can be exh and get a bit ‘numbing.’ But we have amazing technology to SEE these things and simultaneously hear/read about the people and loves and political intrigues and inventions and world changing events at the same time.', 'Please can you clarify what you were expecting from \"the history of Europe\" as I don\\'t really understand? Is it that you\\'re not interested in the kind of history exemplified by Rome and Florence or what? It\\'s a bit hard to understand what you were actually expecting!', 'Stay at home then?', \"The Colosseum ... there's just no HISTORY there, just rocks.\", 'Australia suffers even more than the US/Canada from the \"we don\\'t have any old buildings or castles in our country\" syndrome. \\nThere were great civilizations here prior to European contact. But precious little of that survives. Mounds and glyphs mostly. The oldest structure I can easily get to is less than 500 years old. And it\\'s more like 200 in Australia. \\nCompare that to visiting Rome. Or Egypt. I love this stuff. Totally different than OP. One of my favorite places I\\'ve ever been is the ancient city of Timgad. Google it. That place checks off every single one of my boxes.', 'Did you not even manage the first paragraph? They are Australian.', 'I\\'ve upvoted you closer to zero, at least. \\nWhen I see Americans traveling in Europe, most of them aren\\'t having any fun. I disagree with the way the big Asian tour groups travel -- but at least they seem to be enjoying themselves. \\nAmericans are usually rushed, stressed, stymied by the language barrier, and have a general \"why isn\\'t this more like home\" malaise. Not all of them of course. But most of them.', \"We found the slow travel snob who didn't even read the post! Going to Venice, Vienna, Salzburg, and Prague in 2 weeks is completely reasonable.\", 'The crypt is fascinating, especially if you get in on one of the tours. I was there a couple of weeks ago and the last resident is now Archduchess Yolande of Austria(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archduchess_Yolande_of_Austria) who died this September, aged 100.', \"Nothing important about this place. I'm gonna carve my initials on the stones here.\", 'Yeah, I booked a tour to the Colosseum and I feel like I learned a lot. You won’t get much by just walking by it, but if you grab a tour it’s quite interesting!', 'They are still doing exactly what I’ve said, not spending enough time in one place!', 'It’s definitely not most of them, they are just most noticeable. As an American I keep a low profile, don’t speak loudly, try to learn phrases in the local language. I think there are a lot of Americans like me but we go unnoticed', 'Thank you. It’s late here in Edinburgh, so hopefully excused for the sleepy reply to the thread. Living here in a very popular tourist destination, I see lots of tourists going round the sights they feel they need to see when they are here for a short time, the castle, the Royal Mile etc, and it’s always nice to see tourists in non-touristy areas of Edinburgh so they can experience our city more genuinely and away from the tartan-tat shops in the Old Town.', 'American here. Who loves where I live. But everytime I see Americans oversees, its almost always cringy. Few months ago ran into a middle aged American woman in Germany who was irate that none of the signs at the castle we were at were in English. Like red hot cursing mad. My wife and I got a very good laugh out of the whole situation though, so i guess i cant complain', \"When I notice people yelling at each other, or running through a train station (and totally overburdened) like their hair is on fire, it's almost certain I can tell you their nationality. \\nI can only imagine how much road rage happens thanks to US drivers because I won't drive there.\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi everyone, I booked my flight leaving on Dec 2, 2023 to Egypt and had just found out Canadians could no longer apply for e-visa nor could they get a visa on arrival. So I sent my application and passport via UPS overnight delivery today (Nov 8, 2023) and hopefully I can get the visa sent to me before my flight! \n\nAnyone with similar situation? Would you mind sharing timeline on this? While I'm anxiously waiting I figure others' stories may calm me a bit lol.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"Your post has been held for moderation. If you are asking about whether it is safe/wise to travel through Egypt please search the subreddit as it has already been covered extensively. If not your post should be approved shortly.\\n---", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi everyone, I booked my flight leaving on Dec 2, 2023 to Egypt and had just found out Canadians could no longer apply for e-visa nor could they get a visa on arrival. So I sent my application and passport via UPS overnight delivery today (Nov 8, 2023) and hopefully I can get the visa sent to me before my flight! \n\nAnyone with similar situation? Would you mind sharing timeline on this? While I'm anxiously waiting I figure others' stories may calm me a bit lol.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit(/message/compose/?to=/r/travel) if you have any questions or concerns.*\", 'You might need to adjust your travel plans. Seems tight timeline to get a Egyptian visa.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I'm going on a trip to Amsterdam, Madrid and Berlin in the not so distant future and I was wondering if I can take my 22' penny board on the plane as a carry-on. \nI would love to alternate between public transportation and my board to get around these cities.\nIs it possible?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"A 22' carryon is probably a bit unwieldy\", 'Are you strapping it to your backpack? Not an issue. Put it in overhead bin.', 'Amsterdam sucks for skating as most streets are brick', 'you should be fine. ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I'm going on a trip to Amsterdam, Madrid and Berlin in the not so distant future and I was wondering if I can take my 22' penny board on the plane as a carry-on. \nI would love to alternate between public transportation and my board to get around these cities.\nIs it possible?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "As long as your bag+board fit the airline requirements for a carryon (or you just check your bag) it should usually be fine. Some European airlines may have smaller limits though. 22\" is around 56cm for reference', 'Madrid’s sidewalks are concrete pavers, they’re like 4” square. Berlin is a mix.', 'My son and his partner took their boards with them, and had no issues. Amsterdam, Barcelona, Paris.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello I’m from the UK I’m planning on going to South Africa possibly around march to April time I was wondering if Kensington is a safe place to be I will be with someone at all times who knows the areas he doesn’t even go into the CBD at all so I don’t think we will be going there what’s so ever. \n\nI’m just wondering what I should be doing just so I can keep my head and have a good time", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'It’s not terribly safe but if you’re hanging with a local you’ll be fine. You need to keep your wits about you in SA, opportunistic robberies are out of control. That said Kensington is a nice area (assuming you’re talking about Joburg). The weather is beautiful and the locals are nice.', \"You mentioned it's Kensington in Joburg, the only time I have ever been there was when we played Jeppe, it seems nice enough. Basically South Africa is two countries rammed into one. There is a very first world country and a very third world country. If your friend is even vaguely middle class they'll be living in the first world part of South Africa. Joburg CBD is not as bad as people make it out to be. I would never live there but during the day it's perfectly fine to head downtown. Personally I would say going to Maboneng, seeing Constitutional Hill, etc. is worth it.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello I’m from the UK I’m planning on going to South Africa possibly around march to April time I was wondering if Kensington is a safe place to be I will be with someone at all times who knows the areas he doesn’t even go into the CBD at all so I don’t think we will be going there what’s so ever. \n\nI’m just wondering what I should be doing just so I can keep my head and have a good time", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Please don't spend all your time in Joburg inside a mall.\", 'deleted', 'Down town is kinda meh nowadays, everything has moved north. Where would you be staying?', 'deleted', 'Yes he has a decent house that they use for airBNB there it has a gate the lot so I should be fine. The person I’m going with use to have a buisness down there that was the one supplying the herbal drinks to pharmacy’s around South Africa and estawani he said it was very famous there and did really well I’ve forgotten the name though, he knows the embassador of SA to the UK and knows a couple of people in the ANC I think too he even knew Mandela very well surprisingly', 'I’ve just returned from a three week trip to South Africa in which we’ve done everything with a rental car. Been in richer parts and very poor parts. Everything was fine by using a lot of common sense. Very friendly people everywhere. On our way home we heard other tourists talk about how they did the red hop on hop off bus, and the entire bus was robbed at gunpoint. My advice would be. Try not be a typical tourist. Don’t wave a big camera around. Don’t walk around or drive around after dark. Minimize the chance to be a target for robbery.', 'Not sure we haven’t got to that point yet of discussing that part', 'Hahaha sounds very true about the weather it’s cold as here right now'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Looking for recommendations for an adults only all inclusive resort over the holidays in December. \n\n- Location: South/Carribean/beach vacation (not Mexico or Cuba however).\n- Budget: Under $10k/2 people (CAD)\n- Must be located on the beach (not interior) and ideally a newer resort or newly renovated. \n- Must have options for restricted diet - i.e. gluten free/vegetarian/etc options. \n- Avoiding Sunwing at all costs because they’re terrible. \n\n*Edit - ideal length of stay would be 7-9 days\n\nThanks", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Looking for recommendations for an adults only all inclusive resort over the holidays in December. \n\n- Location: South/Carribean/beach vacation (not Mexico or Cuba however).\n- Budget: Under $10k/2 people (CAD)\n- Must be located on the beach (not interior) and ideally a newer resort or newly renovated. \n- Must have options for restricted diet - i.e. gluten free/vegetarian/etc options. \n- Avoiding Sunwing at all costs because they’re terrible. \n\n*Edit - ideal length of stay would be 7-9 days\n\nThanks", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello all,\n\nA while ago, I posted here that I was planning a trip with my older brother to London, thank you all for all your advice and stuff btw, it helped me plan this trip a lot easier.\n\nSo now I'm looking at my options, and I'm looking at the return flights.\n\nI've been looking at both United and Delta, and I saw that the flight home on Delta I was looking at from London to Cleveland goes via Detroit. The layover would be an hour and 40 minutes, would it be enough time for me to clear customs and make my connection home to Cleveland? I am in the NEXUS program, which does include Global Entry, so I would have Global Entry. Even with that, would I still have enough time to make my connection in Detroit should I go with the Delta flight I'm looking at?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello all,\n\nA while ago, I posted here that I was planning a trip with my older brother to London, thank you all for all your advice and stuff btw, it helped me plan this trip a lot easier.\n\nSo now I'm looking at my options, and I'm looking at the return flights.\n\nI've been looking at both United and Delta, and I saw that the flight home on Delta I was looking at from London to Cleveland goes via Detroit. The layover would be an hour and 40 minutes, would it be enough time for me to clear customs and make my connection home to Cleveland? I am in the NEXUS program, which does include Global Entry, so I would have Global Entry. Even with that, would I still have enough time to make my connection in Detroit should I go with the Delta flight I'm looking at?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello, I have received my Wise physical Visa card and have loaded up with Australian dollars\n\nI will be travelling to Japan and Hong Kong and I will be mainly using the card to withdraw money from ATM.\n\nIs there any other settings that I need to do? Do I need to convert my AUD to Japanese Yen or Hong Kong dollars before using the ATM?\n\nThanks!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Japan?", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello, I have received my Wise physical Visa card and have loaded up with Australian dollars\n\nI will be travelling to Japan and Hong Kong and I will be mainly using the card to withdraw money from ATM.\n\nIs there any other settings that I need to do? Do I need to convert my AUD to Japanese Yen or Hong Kong dollars before using the ATM?\n\nThanks!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit(/message/compose/?to=/r/travel) if you have any questions or concerns.*', 'No need to convert, Wise will do the conversion for you. If any ATM offers a conversion then make sure you deny it.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Just got an email from American Express saying my American Airlines flight departing Chicago to California has been cancelled and that they gave me credit to book a new flight. The amount of credit I got is the same as how much I bought my original ticket for.\n\nWhen I went to their website to rebook with my credits, I found the exact same flight being sold for the exact same price I bought it for. So I can literally just buy the ticket again at no charge for me. That weirds me out because why did they cancel my original ticket in the first place? I checked the weather for my destination that day and doesn’t seem to be anything bad. The flight is still up and you can still book it normally. \n\nShould I book the flight or wait and contact them and see? There would be no extra charge for me because I’m essentially just re-buying the same ticket again with the credits they gave me. Why did my ticket even get cancelled in the first place???", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"That's so odd! Personally, I wouldn't wait. I'd just rebook the same flight, since it won't cost you any extra. But for peace of mind, maybe reach out to customer service to get an explanation.\", 'When is the flight?", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Just got an email from American Express saying my American Airlines flight departing Chicago to California has been cancelled and that they gave me credit to book a new flight. The amount of credit I got is the same as how much I bought my original ticket for.\n\nWhen I went to their website to rebook with my credits, I found the exact same flight being sold for the exact same price I bought it for. So I can literally just buy the ticket again at no charge for me. That weirds me out because why did they cancel my original ticket in the first place? I checked the weather for my destination that day and doesn’t seem to be anything bad. The flight is still up and you can still book it normally. \n\nShould I book the flight or wait and contact them and see? There would be no extra charge for me because I’m essentially just re-buying the same ticket again with the credits they gave me. Why did my ticket even get cancelled in the first place???", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Airlines overbook then bump people last minute, yet won't admit their mistake. Just rebook the flight before seats are gone and enjoy your free vacation courtesy of corporate greed.\", 'Sketchy airlines smdh. Never had a problem with Delta. Only United, American, Jetblue, Frontier and Spirit', 'LOL people are so fucking strange. Like logically the first thing I’d do is call the airline and even Amex to ask what happened but OP decided to ask a bunch of strangers for insight into something that would just be a guess at best.', 'I think OP is saying that AA cancelled their ticket, not that the flight is cancelled.', 'How would it be feee?'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello I’m 23 years old and only just starting my travel journey. To those that travel frequently, how often do you travel per year? What do you do for work/how do you afford travel? \n\nI see so many ppl traveling and having the time of their lives and I want to do that too. I just graduated from college and want to possibly move forward with a career that would allow me to travel plenty during the year.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'No kids, stable jobs with good pay and lots of annual leave. Theoretically, we could travel heaps… but we wound up with three attached cats.', \"First order of business is finding a job that pays well enough that you can afford to travel AND is flexible enough that you can take significant time off, or is fully remote. I personally work in airline pricing analytics. Probably horribly boring to most people, but I'm good at it and enjoy it, and working in this industry has allowed me to travel often on discounted rates.\", 'First of all, don’t fall into the trap of thinking what people post on SM is a reflection of their real lives. Second of all, never EVER go into debt to travel or to keep up with the social media joneses. Third of all, what I did was change jobs until I landed in one that makes travelling affordable and that gives me 4 weeks of PTO (US), which allows me to travel 2-4 times a year. I am a spanish translator for a government contractor and I am pretty conservative with my daily spending so I can travel somewhat easy.', 'Honestly amount of money or job has never affected how much I travel until recently. I always used to travel 3 months per year up until COVID. * When I was 18 and a student it was save up, quit job, go.\\n* When I was 22 and working it was save up, take a mix of paid and unpaid leave, go.\\n* When I was 25 and owned my own business, it was wait for the quiet time of year and then go. Currently I’m in IT and fully remote with a work-from-anywhere clause and very few hours per week and lots of leave, so I’m making the most of that and have spent over 6 months this year and about 5 months last year overseas.', 'I prioritize travel. Even when I made hardly any money, I spent little on my day to day life and took off few days for other reasons. I put everything to traveling, maybe 1-2 trips a year. When I traveled, I went as cheaply as possible. I stayed in hostels, ate primarily from grocery stores, and splurged only on attractions/activities that I thought were worth it. I now make far more money and have 5 weeks (26 days) of PTO. I just left a nice job that only gave me 3 weeks (15 days) of PTO because it wasn’t enough to travel (while also fulfilling life responsibilities). If it’s important to you, you can make it happen. Maybe at the start your expectations are different - smaller, shorter, cheaper, or more seldom - but over time it can change. And I’ll say now that I am 15+ years into my travel journey, I can earnestly say those first few small, cheap trips are still my favorites.', 'A typical non-covid year: 2-3 international trips for my job 3 one or two week vacations with my partner and kid, usually one international, one to a beach in Hawaii or Mexico, one local (Pacific Northwest) 1 week alone and working remotely (this year it was Martha’s Vineyard) 2-3 shorter trips to LA, NYC, DC, and/or Chicago to visit friends and family, maybe work remotely a bit I get unlimited vacation plus our organization closes for two weeks over Christmas. I have an exhausting job (would rather not say what because it’s unusual) and I prioritize travel in my budget because it brings me a lot of joy and I hate cold weather so I chase the sun. I also benefit from lots of frequent flyer miles (mostly from credit cards and work travel) and hotel points. So for example an upcoming trip to a nice resort in Mexico is fully on points and miles. My partner is a software engineer at a big company and I work for a well-paying nonprofit. I am extremely grateful that I can do all this. Also if anyone worries they won’t travel as a parent, I am happy to share why and how we make it work.', \"I do seasonal work. In between my jobs I travel. I usually get about 2-3 months a year. I don't drink, drive or smoke so my expenses are quite low which allows me to save a good amount despite not being rich lol.\", 'DINK couple in our late 30’s with PTO banked. No one expects you to be able to travel without debt in your early 20’s fresh out of college lol. Don’t compare yourself. Your time will come. And when it does, find places to travel in their “off-seasons” and least popular times of year for better deals.', \"Choose a job that gives plenty of free time to travel. Then prioritise spending your money on travel rather than spending it on other things. That's all, it's not complicated,if that is what you want to do.\", \"I'm single with no kids and teach at an international school, which covers my rent and bills. So I get away every holiday and every chance I get.\", 'I only started travelling international at 25 and even then it was once a year until turned 30. Now I travel for work and extend those trips and take one or two international holidays. Being dual income with no kids helps too.', 'Quit my job as a nurse due to burnout and underperforming (yeah, well, I’m burnt out, right?) I put my apartment up for lease. I’ll be back in my hometown early December to tie up loose ends & move out, then I’ll be off for about 11 months, which I’ll fund by savings and dividends. Reporting live from Seoul, South Korea. *Edit. I’m 41 btw. When I originally posted about long term travel I received unwavering support. Do I wish I did it at your age? You betcha! Go…', 'At that age I went away maybe once every two years, stayed in budget accommodation, and went to places close enough that I could justify going for just three or four nights. It wasn\\'t until my late 20s that I was really in a position to go further afield, or on longer or more frequent trips. I now do roughly one \"big trip\" (a couple of weeks on a different continent) every couple of years, plus normally two short trips (3-5 nights, no more than a four-hour flight away) each year. I\\'m now in my mid-30s and have visited 23 different countries, but the longest I have ever been away on my own budget in one go is 14 nights. As others have said - decent-ish salary with good annual leave and no dependents, and the willingness to make financial sacrifices elsewhere in life.', 'I wouldn\\'t consider posts on social media as being representative of someone\\'s life - you\\'re only seeing the parts they want you to see But in my specific case: I travel A LOT for work, about 40 weeks per year or so. My work also pays well and I get very good holidays (38 days, I don\\'t live in the US), plus travelling for work means I\\'m on expenses so I save a decent amount of money on food haha The downside of that: 1) I often go to non-touristic, not attractive, and difficult to reach locations because wind farms and solar parks are typically in the middle of nowhere - it even raised a couple of eyebrows with UK Border Force when I declared my final destination to be Goole LOL. One guy never heard of it and the other guy was \"Why? Nobody goes to Goole!\". Oh well, the company says I go to Goole ¯\\u2060\\\\\\u2060_\\u2060(\\u2060ツ\\u2060)\\u2060_\\u2060/\\u2060¯ 2) Even when going to nicer places, you don\\'t really get the chance to see stuff because agendas are packed. It\\'s usually from the airport / train station to work, work to hotel, hotel to work and work back to airport / train station. Sometimes I manage to squeeze a bit of sightseeing in it but not granted. For example, I was in Warsaw for a week but it was a work event entirely contained in a hotel with a convention center, so I didn\\'t really see the city 3) Being constantly on the go can burn you out for travelling a bit. You have to make small decisions constantly - not only while you\\'re making your travel plans but once you\\'re there, e.g. figuring out where to eat, needing something and finding out there is nothing open :\\'(, etc. and in many cases I have no inclination to do that on my days off. So even though I am objectively the better travel organizer between me and my partner, I often leave the planning up to him', 'I do two big trips each year (at the moment I’m focusing on ticking off Asia). One in the spring and one in the autumn, they’re 3 weeks each. I then take off a couple days to a week every couple weeks to travel within Europe. I have a base of 35 PTO and usually can get up to 45 with over time. I also travel for work and have the option to extend my trip to private time after the official business trip is over - which is great because my company still pays for the flights and accommodation. As far as how I afford it… well, I work full time in a pretty good paid position and put away some money exclusively into a travel savings account each month. I was also lucky that my parents love traveling, so by the time I was 18, I already had about 20-25 countries ticked off my list.', \"i'm 35 years old, 2 times every year, 1\\\\~2 months every time.\", 'At 20 living in Canada I used to take one big trip every 2 yrs to EU for 3 weeks and once a month or so we used to drive to USA ( we were not far from NY / Vermont border ) Now 30 yrs later i travel almost weekly, my husband worked as a consultant for a global consulting company and our family would follow him around when we could. His travel was paid for and we used to use the frequent flier points / hotel points to book flights for me & kids & the extra room. Now empty nester and husband still doing the same so I accompany him on a lot of trips, using the points We moved to EU in late 20’s so travel within EU easy. Have also managed USA, some Middle East , some SEA, Central Asia and most of EU', 'I didn’t travel by myself outside the US until i was 28 but then i got into it big time… but i didn’t have much time to travel until i was working for a foreign company in which my job responsibilities required a bunch of travel. Each time I’d go on a business trip I’d always extend by a weekend either side to explore the varied places. As far as my non business travel went, maybe one trip a year. These days I’m traveling for about two weeks every two months - gives me nice time back home as well as a good stretch to explore each destination. It’s easier when you’re not working, surprise surprise! The key to doing lots of travel is to do it cheaply - take subways instead of taxis, look for the cheapest flights (Google flights is good for this along with checking out Kayak, Expedia, etc.), stay at hostels or budget hotels instead of the Four Seasons, … you get the idea. I’m now staying at a nice place here in Daegu, South Korea, for example, for $58 a night (and that’s somewhat of a splurge for me - in contrast my airbnb in Seoul was $38/night. My hostel dorm days are mostly behind me but that can be even cheaper! Traveling to places like Southeast Asia is very cheap, provided that you get a cheap air fare. Even Europe can be done cheaply especially if you focus on Eastern Europe, Portugal, Albania, etc. If you take longer trips you get to amortize the cost of the flight over more days, i.e. it’s better to visit three places for four weeks each than four places for three weeks. Avoid buying lots of silly souvenirs - i limit myself to one refrigerator magnet per trip.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello I’m 23 years old and only just starting my travel journey. To those that travel frequently, how often do you travel per year? What do you do for work/how do you afford travel? \n\nI see so many ppl traveling and having the time of their lives and I want to do that too. I just graduated from college and want to possibly move forward with a career that would allow me to travel plenty during the year.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "I run a cheap car and generally live frugally. We don't live like paupers but in order to prioritise travel, these things needed to be done. I don't regret any of it. The experiences I have had travelling are by far the most meaningful of my life.\", 'I travel maybe no less than 5x a year since 2020. I got a wfh job that lets me work anywhere and I know some people in some cities so I stay with them which makes the trip a bit cheaper than if I had to pay for lodging. I’m not rich at all!', 'You have weekends. For about a decade I traveled almost every weekend Friday after work to Sunday late night (Monday am). Great way to see lots of things a few hours flight away', 'I always aim to travel somewhere new once a year', \"I went on 4 trips this year. Travel is my biggest hobby, the only other thing I'll sometimes spend a lot of money on is clothes. I'm a student so I have free time, I don't pay rent, no kids, no commitments except a part-time job. It also helps to live in Europe, where you can get cheap flights to many different countries.\", \"I usually go on 2 big trips per year. I work as a tradesman in the oil sands (a specific canadian industry). It provides me with a very high income and a good amount of time off. A high income and time to travel were always most important to me in my career choice. In exchange for these benefits, I work out of town in the middle of nowhere. Other than that, I really like my job, so that's a big bonus. Another commenter mentioned that you should never go in to debt to travel, I couldn't agree more.\", 'How I do it now is a lot different than how I used to but anymore now a days I take full advantage of any prospective time off. If I know I’m gonna have a long weekend in a few months I just buy a plane ticket for that weekend for some random place I think would be interesting. Hell, I will buy the cheapest ticket I can find that doesn’t have horrible layovers. You can practically get some free plane rides with enough notice and not really worrying about where or when you go. But I used to travel for work and it wasn’t always fun. I would volunteer for some of the lamer trips just to get out of town. I had fun exploring wherever I was though. Eventually I would get the nice trips and really enjoy myself. It’s really just about taking full advantage of any and every opportunity to travel. Eventually it just feels like normal and opportunities start to surface that most wouldn’t even think of. But you gotta take advantage of all of the opportunities. Also, while I’m not traveling I live relatively more frugal. While I’m traveling when I was younger comfort was never a priority. Cost and experience was. Comfort is playing more of a priority now, I’m not old old but I’m not 23 either. I also have a few more bucks to throw around for a lounge in an airport or a higher end hotel or a nice meal when I want it.', 'Not sure if I count as a \"frequent\" traveller, but I visited 8 countries this year on 5 separate trips (and plan 2 more trips to 2 more countries this year), so I guess so. I\\'m lucky in this regard as I\\'m European, so I can literally visit several countries in a day, I can get on a train and be in like 10 different countries in just a few hours. It also means I have a lot of vacation days - my country grants 4 weeks to everyone (your employer cannot give you less and you have to take them in that year), and my company actually gives 6 weeks. That\\'s 30 days per year that I can use to travel. Combine it with a weekend here and bank holidays there, and poof, loads of time. As for money, I have a stable job (nothing special, administrative worker in an office, but the company is nice), no children and live with my mom, which all means I can basically use 2/3 of my income for travel.', \"in my early 20s, i didn't have a stable job and i backpacked, hitchhiked, couch-surfed, slept in hostels in 16 bed mixed dormitories, ate poorly - it didn't really require that much money. \\nflights tickets were also dirty cheap, Ryanair would have flights for 10-20EUR one way to other European cities (i'm based in Central Europe). i traveled often. i'd select destinations based on flight prices, not based on where i wanted to go \\nnow that i'm 30, i have a stable job (in tech) and quite a lot of vacation, but i've become more conscious about the carbon footprint. i'll fly once a year if at all. rather than going on exotic vacations, i try to explore the country i live in and the surrounding countries in depth; hiking/the mountains have become my things, the aesthetic of forgotten cities in the middle of nowhere, documenting the experience. it's really just as rewarding - if not more so - than spending a ton of money on an exciting vacation far away\", 'Traveling is fun. But keep in mind you’re 23. If you ever want to own a house and don’t have a lot of help from your parents. Don’t waste all you money on traveling. I was lucky to get a 100% mortgage, I told my parents they should not pay me 1 EUR for my house. First year I bought my house I couldn’t travel and then I could go 3-4 times a year tenting in Europe. I saw a lot of classmates graduate and made the cliche world trip with all the money they had. But in the end they regret their decision.', 'I did most of my best travels while renting a single small room and working 4 very-long days a week in the service industry. I had almost no financial liability and gas was cheap. I could take one day off and go anywhere in the west for a 4-day weekend. Now is mor challenging. Fuel is my single biggest cost in traveling but I’ve gotten a motorcycle that gets 70mpg so I am trying to make that work for long trips.', \"This is more of a financial question. I'm in my 30s. I own my home. I rent out the 2 spare rooms. My job has a busy season and a quiet season. The last few years I took unpaid leave during the quiet season. I had 12 weeks off. I traveled for 10 of those weeks. Repeat the next year. Although, I'm not sure I will do it again next year.\", \"I travel maybe 3ish times a year for 1 to 2 weeks each, a couple of smaller trips sprinkled in. I'm 33 and dink. I do have a v anxious cat who is 12 tho, so idk if I could leave for longer than 2 weeks and have her survive and she hates other animals/people lol. \\nI am a floor RN so I work 3 12s and can make my schedule w up to 8 days off.\", 'Two international trips a year, about 2 weeks(ish) each time. Plus two or so smaller 1 week domestic trips, usually for work or family. Self employed, Canada.', 'Twice a year. A week long or so trip and another shorter trip. Work full time and it depends on my partners schedule as well so trying to be coordinate is tough', 'We are a Dink couple, and we make traveling a priority for us. We are savers with low expenses. Work wise, we are able to ask off whenever we want. We just have to give them a month in advance notice.', \"I travel on a budget, but I make it happen. I use an app called wonolo for work. I've worked rallys, I've worked summer before and headed south for winter. I've even walked into places and asked if there was anything I could to make a few dollars for the day. If you want something bad enough, you'll find a way to make it happen.\", \"I'm able to travel a lot because I'm from and live in Atlanta and have the ability to easily get to anywhere in the world on one flight. It's the greatest asset to our city. Work and play.\", \"it's just myself and my dog and my parents live 20 min away from me, so they puppysit whenever I bounce. They're obsessed with my pup, so they don't mind. I'm also obsessed with her so I'm never gone for too long. Stable job, racking up free hotel stays with rewards accounts and credit card points, traveling during low season, crashing with friends/fam if they're where ever I'm going (don't forget to bring gifts to say thank you!). Basically, all of those things haha Oh and picking up side hustles to help afford airfare, etc.\", '3 international trips and a bunch of trips within the states. Helps to have unlimited pto and remote work.', 'Get a six-figure job in tech with unlimited PTO.', \"I'm in my late 20s with no kids, and have parents and friends nearby to help take care of my cat. I work as a scientist in an international company that will send me to conferences at least once a year (both international and domestic). I just tack on PTO hours after my conference. My company pays for to and from flights and food/hotel during working days. I do have to pay for my own hotel and food on the days I take PTO and this is where research and planning come in handy. I plan out each day where I will spend most of my time and stay there to limit my public transportation spending (it can add up and helps save time). Finding free activities like hiking or site seeing can save money. In some countries, especially Europe, museums are free on certain days and times, so I plan around that. Food is usually where I splurge, but it's usually the cheapest thing if you are ok eating street food or a hole in the wall. I will eat at nicer restaurants once or twice. Hotels can be tricky but I have a travel card that can give lower rates. I don't stay in resorts or extravagant hotels since I'm out and about for most of the day. It'll be expensive no matter what but I think a lot of research and planning will take save some money here and there. If you're planning on traveling a lot, I would get a travel card (some free and some have yearly fees) to earn points and also waive the global entry or TSA pre check fees to save some time.\", 'Child free, good dual income. Usually go abroad around 7 times per year, a mix of Europe and long haul. I also adore scouring Skyscanner and deal websites and am very proactive for searching. So many places to go that we are often open about which destinations to explore.', 'Im not much older than you. I still live with my parents, and they charge me a low rent which helps. I forgo on trivial things like doing my nails because the way I look at it $40 every 2 weeks, is $80 a month, and $960 a year. That’s a whole flight! I don’t buy lunch everyday. I save, save, save. I work a full time job. I don’t but expensive clothes, etc. I blow through my savings traveling and then repeat', 'Teacher. I get holiday breaks which allows time to travel. I save solely to travel. I limit how much I spend on other things like fashion, dining out, etc. Not having kids also helps lol', \"I work for an airline and used to work for a hotel, both in corporate roles so I don't have to deal with the public. When I worked for the hotel company, the rates were very cheap, and I used airline credit cards for the bonus points. For example, use an American Airlines credit card, get the bonus points, use them to fly domestically a few times. The reverse is true and more cost effective: work for an airline, fly for free and get used to business class so flying in economy will never be the same again.\", 'An airline rewards credit card is helpful. I use mine like a debit card and PIF on every bill. It’s added up and I usually get a couple of flights on points. When I was working I’d forgo eating out too much and spending a lot on clothes and decor. It adds up after awhile.', 'I just signed up for WorkAway to travel more', \"I travel for work and I take advantage of weekends in between work weeks by not going home. I use points for hotels. When I'm working I take customers to interesting restaurants and it keeps people happy and engaged. A job with travel really helps. I haven't paid for a hotel or a flight in years.\", 'I live and work on ships that go all around the world. On top of visiting ports, when I go on leave I can vacation somewhere close to where I get off the ship before going to the States to visit friends and family. No kids, no wife, no house, no bills.', 'Me and the wife teach in Thailand. Easy to travel all over asia, lots of school holidays and personal leave. Checkout some of our travel vids😃 https://youtube.com/@K8andGustav?si=Z1lCOaby69Z8l9jd', 'Live below my means. Getting promotions/raise/new job doesn’t mean I need to change my lifestyle. Been lucky enough to be living in the same apartment for 5 years so rent is cheap. I could probably upgrade but I’d rather upgrade my travel. Drive the same car. Buy used clothes.', \"I'm 27, Canadian, and started travelling on my own when I was 19. I live on my own, and only moved in with my partner a couple years ago. I don't travel luxuriously, but I do budget travel and have a great time nevertheless. I rotate year by year. 1 year domestic, and the next year internationally. Trips varying between 3-5 weeks each time. I have a stable job (2 actually). Can't say that they pay *well* but they pay the bills, and I essentially work the second job exclusively for spending money. I'm a remote graphic designer - I go in office once a week, but if I want to go away for some extended period of time, they would allow it. My second job is a restaurant server. I've been there for almost 8 years, and they've always given me great flexibility for my big trips. In all fairness, aside from these trips I RARELY take time off. I started by working 70h/week, and have finally reduced it to 55h/week (woohoo, one day off!) Baby steps! Aside from traveling around Canada, I've been to New York City, Tokyo, Seoul, Taiwan, and about to head to Indonesia next week. Considering lockdown, my mediocre pay, and how (relatively) young I am, I feel pretty successful with where I've gone so far!\", 'Haha, I feel you! I’m a single middle-aged woman with a good-paying job, decent amount of annual leave, and plenty of cash + mileage/points to travel. It’s just my darned pets (3 cats + 2 dogs) that keep me from going away as often and long as I’d like… I love them, but sometimes envy people without any pets to worry about leaving.', 'Same here with me and my bf. We live abroad and have no relatives here to leave our dog. But we have a dogsitter, a very lovely woman, who stays with him while we are travelling.', 'Our dog is reactive so we can only leave her with one person. Otherwise we would probably travel several times a year. Alas we only go on one 2-3 week trip every couple years these days', 'Hello, stranger on my same path!', 'Can you talk a bit more about what you do/how you got into it? Sounds very interesting imo', 'Hiring analysts? I work as a DA/BIA for a large company and would love to travel more with that kind of flexibility', 'Can you tell me why its so damn expensive to fly to asia this December from LA, its like insane haha', 'Are they hiring?! Great gig.', \"4 weeks PTO?!? Amazing. Most jobs in US only give 2 weeks vacation (like mine, I'm in retail atm unfortunately but itching to get out - but not too soon) and I'd love 2 more weeks. I typically like traveling 3-4 times a year myself but I can only afford going twice and domestically. Would love more international trips though.\", \"Great comment. Strategy and way of traveling changes based on a few variables, age, time, money, interests. \\nYounger it's easier to find a job, make experience, travel, come back and find a new job. Later in time, this gets more difficult, so you might want to focus on a career that allows you to travel and pays decent money. \\nI'd not make long term plans, but mainly keep in mind what you need at the moment, money, experience...\\nLater you might want to look for an industry or company that does international business, so more opportunity to travel. There are plenty of roles such as tech, ops, commercial that allow you to travel, you just need to be sharp and find the right role/team. Personally, in the past few years I'm doing many more short trips, on a plane 2 or 3 times a month often with a child. Before it was less but longer... Commercial role in a global tech company. Good luck and enjoy many adventures!\", \"I traveled a lot when I was in the university. I live in Europe so flying to other country is (was) quite cheap. 500-700€ would be enough for 4-5 days including flights and hostel. Quite often it was three trips a year. After graduating I had more money but less time and now after four years I have even more money and even less time, and also children. So yeah, one trip per year if I'm lucky. 7 weeks of paid vacation per year but... yeah.\", 'Do you still need to let your employer know if you’ll be working overseas? Or does it not matter since you are full remote anyways', 'This comment. Things are so much more special when they are achieved through difficulty. I still remember my first trip to Asia and my first to Europe. Both memorable trips of a different time. I mean I’m not that old. It’s only been 4 years since then.. still my finances stabilized and travel is more regular now. Still super special to me, but there is something special about your first self funded trips.', 'This guy is responsible for 10% of Belgian CO2 emissions', \"Fellow seasonnaire here! Love the lifestyle, only 3 years into it. I'll stop when it gets old. Currently offered a job at a resort in the South Pacific.\", 'What seasonal work?', 'I also travel a lot for work. My company is good with me changing the date of my flight to squeeze day off if the flight of the price is similar.', 'What do you do for a living? I’ve been sort of wanting to shift towards some sort of remote contract work and really don’t know where to start. I know there’s plenty of entry level customer service/data entry stuff, but that always seems to be the same 9-5, $15/hr, 50 weeks a year stuff…', 'Sure!', 'Can you tell me a little more about this career path? Why would it involve so much traveling?', 'Also no pets and I try to tack trips onto work flights. Some people think it’s lavish to travel a lot, but without kids, a pet, a house or whatever it’s just different allocation. Life’s about choices and values :)', 'Those little bastards bring us so much joy though.', 'I feel you too! I have a pup and she is the reason why we mix domestic with international trips. If it wasn’t for her, we would travel international exclusively. She is totally worth it though and when we do leave she stays at home with a friend so, zero stress.', 'Yeah, I only have cats and it makes travel easier. I feel less bad about leaving them alone for a couple weeks. They have each other, and a pet sitter comes in every other day. Dogs would make it much, much trickier.', \"Cats can be handled by pet sitters and friends. Dogs can be boarded. It's expensive, but you can offset those costs by finding cheap flights and not going overboard with fancy meals, souvenirs, and planning your own excursions. Source: have four cats.\", 'They’re easy to Board I guess it depends where you live. They’re animal connection though not human connections.', 'Degree in economics. Got a job as a corporate travel consultant (basically a travel agent) for a large company. Excelled at putting together complex airfares, and moved to the head office as an analyst. I now mostly make decisions on where to negotiate airline deals, and help save $ for our high-value customers.', \"It is EVERY December. Can you go in January or February instead? If so, you can get a great deal. Oh, you have to go in December because that's when you have time off? Yeah, you and everyone else. And THAT is why it's so damn expensive.\", 'The company always is! It’s pretty big (Peraton)', 'Also full WFH! Before that I had a hybrid job with 2 weeks PTO, never stop looking :) and apply even when you think you don’t qualify. Also depending on where you go, a lot of overseas vacations are cheaper than vacationing in the US, even with the flight tickets, so don’t think overseas equals more expensive!', 'I mention it sometimes and out of courtesy I will generally try to work the same hours as everyone in my home country, even though I am not required to.', 'Fair enough! Not a guy though.', 'Ski resorts, National Park resorts, Trail work, etc. Serving / bussing / bartending. Anything lol.', 'Lots of tourism related stuff like bartending, restaurants, hospitality, tour guiding, boat captains, and management in those jobs. I’ve been doing this sort of thing for about ten years myself. It has allowed me to do so much traveling all over the world and be totally free for half the year. After some years I worked my way to finding more and more lucrative better paid work. That’s what’s cool about seasonal work, if you’re smart/lucky you can upgrade your job each season or eventually run your own seasonal business. It’s definitely not for everyone though and there’s plenty of bad exploitive jobs out there. I started as a ski resort ticket agent, worked many guide jobs in Alaska, and eventually got a captain’s license to run fishing charters up there. There’s lot of non fishing captain jobs that pay great too. Once you get a captain’s license you really cross over into a new tier of higher paid seasonal jobs- like double what you make doing other guiding. Now I just work four months, save like hell, and travel the remainder of the year. Part of me wishes I worked on getting into a tech field where I could work contracts for a limited time, totally remote. I always meet people who make absolutely insane money doing some kind of specialized tech stuff and can move around with maybe some more stability. Perhaps a later chapter for me… for now I’m quite happy I got to spend my youth skiing, paddling kayaks, watching whales, and driving boats on the ocean instead of sitting at a screen.', \"I'm a web/app developer.\", 'well then the answer is that we just use almost whole free time to travelling.', \"Consultants are expected to work from the client location during the course of a project and return home on weekends.These projects can vary in duration, from a couple of weeks to several months. Since this can be quite strenuous, consultants can take PTO between projects. In terms of the career path, you can get several informative resources online since it's too long to describe here.\", 'I didn’t say I *never* travel… lol. I go away every few months, and my friend usually stays at the house with my pets (I also have a great local sitter who can take them). Not an issue for me financially, either way. They just lessen the amount of time I’m willing to stay away, since I miss them and vice versa.', 'I’ve never boarded my pets, and I do travel with some frequency… I’m lucky to have friends (one in particular now) who can usually stay at my home with them, and in a pinch, I do have a local sitter who can drop in and/or take the dogs to her house. I’m just saying that I’d travel MORE often and for longer periods of time if I didn’t have them. Partly just because I miss them (and they miss me) if I’m gone more than a week.', 'Lucky! I do freelance translations Swedish to Spanish mostly. It’s not my actual degree, I am in law school. But it’s some nice extra money when I have spare time. I would love a gig like yours eventually. Specially with juridical translations 😭', 'Wow we work at the same place lol!', 'My daughter takes her dog with her on vacation. She found nice places that accept pets when I vacationed Montreal and Europe with her this summer. She finds ways to use her points and rewards from purchases to pay for some.', 'That’s hilarious! Hope you like it too!', 'My old dog was a great traveling companion, so I’d usually take him along on road trips… never flew with him, though! But my current dogs (two huskies) aren’t quite as travel-ready lol. They’re both rescues with iffy recall, and also used to having a yard to run around in. Maybe on a long trip, I could get an AirBNB with them. I did take the first husky to Vegas in January, before I got the other one, and he was fine in our AirBNB with a small yard. I’ve also thought about buying an RV, but they’d have to deal with being stuck inside.', 'Yes, it was through AirBNB. Lots of room for pets, had no problem taking them to outdoor restaurants, waiters brought out dog bowl with water like it was common. Took some good an funny pics of them both an she felt better having her “family” with her.', 'That’s so sweet. \\U0001fa77 I miss traveling with Rudy (my old dog). He was so easy, mellow, and perfectly medium-sized; I loved taking him on trips! But while I love my new dogs, the idea of traveling with two 80lb huskies seems stressful. lol'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I am planning my first international trip and have decided to visit the Netherlands. I plan on visiting for two weeks in early April and plan to fly in and out of Amsterdam. I have an idea of what I would like to see and do in Amsterdam but am hoping to see other cities but don't know which ones I should visit. I'm looking for some recommendations that fit the following criteria:\n\n* Safe for a female traveling solo (this is my biggest priority)\n* Id like to stay in a maximum of 3 cities because I don't want to change hotels everyday/ every other day, but would be interested in taking day trips from one city to another if they are in close proximity\n* Easily accessible by public transit, I do not want to rent a car\n* My budget is about 4k not including airfare \n\nSome things that I am interested in:\n\n* museums and art\n* hiking or spending time outdoors in parks/nature\n* visiting historical sites and architecture \n* trying local food\n* visiting markets that sell locals goods/crafts\n\nWhat I plan to see in Amsterdam (the typical tourist attractions mostly, but would like more recommendations if anyone has them)\n\n* Van Gogh museum, rijksmuseum \n* Anne Frank house\n* Canal cruise\n* Keukenhof tulip garden\n\nI have thought about visiting Rotterdam and/or The Hague, but don't know if I should day trip from Amsterdam to visit them, or stay in a hotel in or near one of them. \n\nThings I am not interested in:\n\n* drinking, partying, clubbing \n\nI would really appreciate any advice or recommendations anyone can give to help me plan this trip so thank you to anyone who reads this!\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n# ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'Everywhere in the Netherlands is safe so you shouldn’t worry about that and it’s a very small country with great transport. Personally I really liked Maastricht in the south. Very beautiful small town and Rotterdam. People tend to thumb their noses at Rotterdam but I love it. Due to being bombed into oblivion during ww2 its new and has some very interesting architecture, I also loved the Surinamese food there. Very easy place to get around, especially if you cycle. On the whole I don’t think you can go wrong in the Netherlands the people are incredibly nice and are travel obsessed themselves so treat foreigners very well, the speak English better than a lot of natives and it’s just a great spot to visit. Enjoy your trip!', 'I would recommend including Brussels (with a day trip to Ghent or Bruges) and Paris in your itinerary. Instead of returning home from Amsterdam, you could book a return flight home from Paris to save some time.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I am planning my first international trip and have decided to visit the Netherlands. I plan on visiting for two weeks in early April and plan to fly in and out of Amsterdam. I have an idea of what I would like to see and do in Amsterdam but am hoping to see other cities but don't know which ones I should visit. I'm looking for some recommendations that fit the following criteria:\n\n* Safe for a female traveling solo (this is my biggest priority)\n* Id like to stay in a maximum of 3 cities because I don't want to change hotels everyday/ every other day, but would be interested in taking day trips from one city to another if they are in close proximity\n* Easily accessible by public transit, I do not want to rent a car\n* My budget is about 4k not including airfare \n\nSome things that I am interested in:\n\n* museums and art\n* hiking or spending time outdoors in parks/nature\n* visiting historical sites and architecture \n* trying local food\n* visiting markets that sell locals goods/crafts\n\nWhat I plan to see in Amsterdam (the typical tourist attractions mostly, but would like more recommendations if anyone has them)\n\n* Van Gogh museum, rijksmuseum \n* Anne Frank house\n* Canal cruise\n* Keukenhof tulip garden\n\nI have thought about visiting Rotterdam and/or The Hague, but don't know if I should day trip from Amsterdam to visit them, or stay in a hotel in or near one of them. \n\nThings I am not interested in:\n\n* drinking, partying, clubbing \n\nI would really appreciate any advice or recommendations anyone can give to help me plan this trip so thank you to anyone who reads this!\n\n&#x200B;\n\n&#x200B;\n\n# ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "You could always just rent a bicycle and go in any direction. You will find interesting things to see and do,.\", 'I just looked up Maastricht and it looks lovely! I’ll look into adding it to my itinerary. Thanks for you advice!', 'I will be sure to check out the Modern Art Museum, and look into the city pass. Although I would like to visit Brussels and Paris, for this trip I think I want to just see what one country has to offer by visiting different or smaller cities within Netherlands. Thank you for your suggestions!'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello\nMy cousin is getting married in Varna, Bulgaria next September.\nMy husband and I will have around 2 weeks to 20 days to travel around.\nIdeally, I would like to see Greece, Crete, Turkey, Romania, and end in Varna for the last 3-4 days flying out from there to Seattle where we live. \nWe usually stick to two countries in order to fully absorb anything, but I’m fascinated with the ancient world and I want to see as much of it as possible.\nIs there a good itinerary some one has used before in this region? Or are there any good sites to use?\nThank you!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello\nMy cousin is getting married in Varna, Bulgaria next September.\nMy husband and I will have around 2 weeks to 20 days to travel around.\nIdeally, I would like to see Greece, Crete, Turkey, Romania, and end in Varna for the last 3-4 days flying out from there to Seattle where we live. \nWe usually stick to two countries in order to fully absorb anything, but I’m fascinated with the ancient world and I want to see as much of it as possible.\nIs there a good itinerary some one has used before in this region? Or are there any good sites to use?\nThank you!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "So, my SO and I were taking a flight from New York to Seville, with a 3-hour layover in Barcelona. We had boarded the plane in New York and we had a few minutes before takeoff. I received a message from American Airlines telling me that due to a delay, we would not be able to make our connection in Barcelona to Seville and that, sorry, there were no other flights to rebook us on and we should seek alternative transport when we arrived in Barcelona. It was especially odd because our flight from NY was leaving on time, and with a 3-hour layover there shouldn't be any issues with making our connection.\n\nObviously I was alarmed, and called the AA customer service number thinking there was no way I'd get through before we took off, but miraculously someone answered. She said she had no idea why I would get this email, since everything looked fine on her end and she asked her supervisor who said the same thing. But of course I was a nervous wreck for the entire transatlantic flight because we really had to make it to Seville that day. Once we got to Barcelona, the flight to Seville was actually delayed, we were still ticketed, and we got there fine.\n\nI'm totally perplexed as to how this happened. This was definitely a legitimate communication from AA and not a scam. Has this happened to anyone?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"It's possible that for a brief window the delayed Seville flight was coded as cancelled and the system auto-checked that against remaining flights for the day (which there probably weren't any) and sent that email out.\", \"You've already spent way too much time worrying about this. Sounds like a message was just sent out in error.\", \"Did you transfer to an Iberia coded Vueling flight? There's lots of weirdness in Iberia's reservation system. Like a lot a lot. So interacting with two other airlines just means it was doing Iberia IT things\", \"I had something similar happen last week, flying out of SE Asia. AA shows that my 3rd leg of the trip is cancelled. The partner airline that's flying us the 1st and 2 legs has no clue, why. Was on the phone with the other airline and was on hold with AA for 45 minutes, who never answered. \\nTurns out it was a glitch, and wasn't really cancelled. Partner airline finds it internally. Had us anxious and annoyed for a couple hours. Not to mention the international phone bill to be paid.\", 'American Airlines is screwed up. We recently went to the UK and they put both my wife and my luggage on different flights than the one we were taking. Her luggage was delayed for two days and mine came on a later flight. On the way back they couldn’t check me in to my connecting flight because somehow while on my first flight they canceled my booking and had to rebook me to get me back on my flight. Needless to say, they’ve got problems.', \"I had something similar kind of happen to me once with AA as well! Literally a few hours before my flight I got a message it had been canceled. I called them and asked hey what's up essentially and they told me *I* had canceled it?? Like, no, I did not. The person argued with me, but eventually reinstated my flight. So so strange.\", \"I'm sure it was an error. Next time, please just talk to a flight attendant instead of worrying for hours. They are able to look up the flight status of connecting flights too.\", 'This is weird. I received a message about a flight issue a few weeks ago. I was on my couch working, with no plans to fly.', 'very weird... does sounds like a scam email but you already ruled that out, so... maybe they were trying to convey that the BCN flight was delayed and it was just confusingly written?', 'I had this happen to me at one point, not while I was at the airport but well before my flights. They had all of my information concerning confirmation numbers and flight numbers. I think it was through chase travel. I reported it to Chase and never heard back. All of my flights were as originally scheduled and never had any issues.', 'Man, i was hoping this was interesting....', \"I've had it where they texted that my connecting flight was at the incorrect gate. I always check the boards when I land. It's the most up to date info. ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "So, my SO and I were taking a flight from New York to Seville, with a 3-hour layover in Barcelona. We had boarded the plane in New York and we had a few minutes before takeoff. I received a message from American Airlines telling me that due to a delay, we would not be able to make our connection in Barcelona to Seville and that, sorry, there were no other flights to rebook us on and we should seek alternative transport when we arrived in Barcelona. It was especially odd because our flight from NY was leaving on time, and with a 3-hour layover there shouldn't be any issues with making our connection.\n\nObviously I was alarmed, and called the AA customer service number thinking there was no way I'd get through before we took off, but miraculously someone answered. She said she had no idea why I would get this email, since everything looked fine on her end and she asked her supervisor who said the same thing. But of course I was a nervous wreck for the entire transatlantic flight because we really had to make it to Seville that day. Once we got to Barcelona, the flight to Seville was actually delayed, we were still ticketed, and we got there fine.\n\nI'm totally perplexed as to how this happened. This was definitely a legitimate communication from AA and not a scam. Has this happened to anyone?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "The Department contacts had no idea why I got that letter and said it was probably just a mistake with an automated letter. And yet, despite already having had a passport, being born a citizen to two citizen parents - I spent the whole day questioning whether maybe somehow I wasn’t.', 'You and the OP are both very nice people, and always reflect yourselves first when any mistakes happen.', 'I do stuff like this too and end up gaslighting myself... Or am I... LOL But for real, I totally understand where you and OP are coming from.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "My fiance and I are planning at 2 week trip to Spain for our honeymoon July 2024. We definitely want to spend 4 nights on Ibiza because we both love electronic music & the beaches look amazing. But prior to that portion of the trip, we're trying to figure out which cities to visit. We're considering: Barcelona, Seville and Granada. Will we have enough time to visit those cities + go to Ibiza for beach time afterwards? Is there anywhere we MUST go that isn't one of those 4 places? It's so hard to pick because everything looks fascinating and gorgeous. ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'We loved Seville but if your up towards Madrid and Barcelona look at spending a night or two in Toledo. One of my most favorite spots. Toledo is a lot slower than Ibiza but it’s a really cool place to spend walking around at night.', \"It's gonna be miserable in Ibiza that month. Crowded and a disgusting mix of hot and humid weather. Same with Barcelona, Valencia and Malaga. Madrid, Sevilla, Granada and Cordoba will be unbareable due to the extremely hot weather, these cities don't even cool off during the night. Head north and don't look back. San Sebastian, Bilbao, Santander, Oviedo, Santiago, etc. Cadiz is an option in the south, since it's basically the only bareable city in the south worth a visit in july, but don't go inland or you'll regret it.\", 'Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Granada, and Valencia would have everything you desire. For something a little different, try Ronda or Baeza/Ubeda.', 'In July Granada and Sevilla will be super hot. I would consider northern Spain, like Bibao, San Sebastián, Santander area.', 'Mallorca!!', \"Go to northern Spain! San Sebastian for the food. Anywhere in the north coast you'll have amazing food and a different beach experience than Ibiza. (downside is you need a car to get around. For some reason, there are no trains in the north). Baqueira in the summer is great for outdoors activities too. ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "My fiance and I are planning at 2 week trip to Spain for our honeymoon July 2024. We definitely want to spend 4 nights on Ibiza because we both love electronic music & the beaches look amazing. But prior to that portion of the trip, we're trying to figure out which cities to visit. We're considering: Barcelona, Seville and Granada. Will we have enough time to visit those cities + go to Ibiza for beach time afterwards? Is there anywhere we MUST go that isn't one of those 4 places? It's so hard to pick because everything looks fascinating and gorgeous. ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "You may also enjoy our topic: **Spain off the tourist trail(https://redd.it/8ujqud)**. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit(/message/compose/?to=/r/travel) if you have any questions or concerns.*', 'San Sebastián is the best foodie city I’ve been to!!', 'You literally cannot go wrong with Spain, it’s amazing. Just go back again later in life and hit the places you don’t hit this time.', 'For two weeks in Spain, I’d fly into Barcelona for 4 days, fly to Granada for 3 days, train to Seville 3 days, and train to Madrid 4 days with a day trip to Toledo.', 'We don’t mind heat & humidity. :)', 'Stay in both Deia and Palma if you can', 'I am talking about 28-38 ºC temperature range in coastal cities for a few weeks for the last two summers.', 'i’m the same way, when everyone was steering me away from Seville or to only go as a short trip, i spent about a week there in july and loved it (it was 100-105 f every day). i just drank so much water and moved slower. and when i got to barcelona i thought it was so cool there, it is definitely way more breezy by the coast.', 'Not in Arenal, unless your German is really good.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi, anyone who's familiar with central / southern Chile, I'm after some feedback on my plans.\n\nI fly into Santiago from New Zealand on 24/11, and have a flight from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales on 13/12 to do the O Trek.\n\nI will stay a few days in Santiago then head south over the next two weeks. I plan to travel mostly by bus, but I might take the train from Santiago to Chillan. I can also hire a car to explore a region if necessary (eg Pucón).\n\nMy current plan looks like this. '?' is a spare day or slack in the schedule:\n\n24 - Santiago\n\n25 - Santiago\n\n26 - Santiago\n\n27 - Santiago\n\n28 - Valparaiso / Viña del Mar\n\n29 - Valparaiso / Viña del Mar\n\n30 - Chillan\n\n01 - Chillan\n\n02 - Concepción\n\n03 - Concepción\n\n04 - Concepción\n\n05 - ?\n\n06 - Pucón\n\n07 - Pucón\n\n08 - Pucón\n\n09 - ?\n\n10 - Valdivia \n\n11 - Valdivia \n\n12 - Puerto Montt \n\n13 - Flight to Natales\n\nHow does this look? (Sorry, single line breaks don't seem to work on mobile...)\n\nI've booked 4 days in Santiago but I can move on sooner if that's too long. Anywhere else I should add? Anywhere you'd skip?\n\nMuchas gracias", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi, anyone who's familiar with central / southern Chile, I'm after some feedback on my plans.\n\nI fly into Santiago from New Zealand on 24/11, and have a flight from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales on 13/12 to do the O Trek.\n\nI will stay a few days in Santiago then head south over the next two weeks. I plan to travel mostly by bus, but I might take the train from Santiago to Chillan. I can also hire a car to explore a region if necessary (eg Pucón).\n\nMy current plan looks like this. '?' is a spare day or slack in the schedule:\n\n24 - Santiago\n\n25 - Santiago\n\n26 - Santiago\n\n27 - Santiago\n\n28 - Valparaiso / Viña del Mar\n\n29 - Valparaiso / Viña del Mar\n\n30 - Chillan\n\n01 - Chillan\n\n02 - Concepción\n\n03 - Concepción\n\n04 - Concepción\n\n05 - ?\n\n06 - Pucón\n\n07 - Pucón\n\n08 - Pucón\n\n09 - ?\n\n10 - Valdivia \n\n11 - Valdivia \n\n12 - Puerto Montt \n\n13 - Flight to Natales\n\nHow does this look? (Sorry, single line breaks don't seem to work on mobile...)\n\nI've booked 4 days in Santiago but I can move on sooner if that's too long. Anywhere else I should add? Anywhere you'd skip?\n\nMuchas gracias", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hey everyone,\n\nI’ll be in Colombia next year. We’re doing 3 nights Medellin, 1 night Santa Marta, 4 nights on the lost city trek, and then a night in Bogota before we fly home. \n\nJust wondering where I should stay in Medellin. I’m trying to learn Spanish, but that’s going nowhere, so I guess take into account that my language learning skills are poor and I won’t be able to communicate too well in Spanish. \nMy two neighbourhoods to choose from are Laureles and El Poblado. I’m leaning more towards Laureles, but was worried my lack of Spanish could make it harder in Laureles. Other than that concern it seems to be the way more appealing option because I don’t plan on partying. What would you recommend for a tourist staying only for 3 nights?\n\nEdited because I carnt spel. ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hey everyone,\n\nI’ll be in Colombia next year. We’re doing 3 nights Medellin, 1 night Santa Marta, 4 nights on the lost city trek, and then a night in Bogota before we fly home. \n\nJust wondering where I should stay in Medellin. I’m trying to learn Spanish, but that’s going nowhere, so I guess take into account that my language learning skills are poor and I won’t be able to communicate too well in Spanish. \nMy two neighbourhoods to choose from are Laureles and El Poblado. I’m leaning more towards Laureles, but was worried my lack of Spanish could make it harder in Laureles. Other than that concern it seems to be the way more appealing option because I don’t plan on partying. What would you recommend for a tourist staying only for 3 nights?\n\nEdited because I carnt spel. ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hey everyone! \n\nI’m planning a trip to europe with my partner in summer 2024 and I’ll mainly be going to beaches and island places etc however later into the trip I’ll be attending a Jazz workshop and doing some playing in some cities (I’m a jazz guitarist). \n\nI don’t want to carry my guitar with me for those months I won’t be using it, so I’d like to send it somewhere to be safely stored until I can pick it up, such as a post office in Amsterdam or Sienna (where I’ll play). \n\nI have a couple close-ish aquaintances over there I could maybe ship it to, but I’d rather not bother them. Are there any more commercial options available to me? Anyone got a helpful idea for me? \n\nHope you’re all doing well and thanks for your help :)", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hey everyone! \n\nI’m planning a trip to europe with my partner in summer 2024 and I’ll mainly be going to beaches and island places etc however later into the trip I’ll be attending a Jazz workshop and doing some playing in some cities (I’m a jazz guitarist). \n\nI don’t want to carry my guitar with me for those months I won’t be using it, so I’d like to send it somewhere to be safely stored until I can pick it up, such as a post office in Amsterdam or Sienna (where I’ll play). \n\nI have a couple close-ish aquaintances over there I could maybe ship it to, but I’d rather not bother them. Are there any more commercial options available to me? Anyone got a helpful idea for me? \n\nHope you’re all doing well and thanks for your help :)", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I want to plan a trip to Colorado this March or April. I have done Denver, Colorado Springs, Boulder many times, so looking to fly into Denver and rent a car and drive to a new spot. I want to try and keep the drive 2.5 hour max from Denver if possible. \n\nWe’re not really a skiing/snowboarding group, so something other than that but looking for a perfect mixture of adventure during the day and chill at night.\n\nHere is what we are interested in doing.\n\n- snow activities (no skiing or snowboarding) it could be snow tubing, snow mobiles, etc.\n- hot springs or similar\n- lakes/kayaking/water rafting/water related excursions\n- not really looking to do any crazy hikes, as it is a pretty big group\n- drinking wine/vineyards/or similar\n- apres ski looks cool\n\nAny ideas? I was interested in Vail or Breckenridge or Aspen but open to any other spots. Please share any itineraries if you have any!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'You want to kayak. In March. In Colorado. And you want to visit vineyards. Those aren’t really winter activities. Fly into Denver. Make reservations at Meow Wolf Convergence Station. ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I want to plan a trip to Colorado this March or April. I have done Denver, Colorado Springs, Boulder many times, so looking to fly into Denver and rent a car and drive to a new spot. I want to try and keep the drive 2.5 hour max from Denver if possible. \n\nWe’re not really a skiing/snowboarding group, so something other than that but looking for a perfect mixture of adventure during the day and chill at night.\n\nHere is what we are interested in doing.\n\n- snow activities (no skiing or snowboarding) it could be snow tubing, snow mobiles, etc.\n- hot springs or similar\n- lakes/kayaking/water rafting/water related excursions\n- not really looking to do any crazy hikes, as it is a pretty big group\n- drinking wine/vineyards/or similar\n- apres ski looks cool\n\nAny ideas? I was interested in Vail or Breckenridge or Aspen but open to any other spots. Please share any itineraries if you have any!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Breckenridge is a great choice IMO if you want ski town vibes without actually skiing: the main street is neat, there are lots of nearby snow activities like tubing, snowmobiling and dog sledding, and there are other cute towns and other ski resorts with activities very nearby for variety. Aspen is straight up annoying if you're not wealthy (too far anyway), and I'd definitely give Vail a miss if you're not skiing. Be advised that those non-skiing snow activities could be over by April though. Maybe Steamboat and Strawberry Hot Springs but that's pushing your radius a bit and I think Breck is prettier anyway.\", 'If you end up around Colorado Springs, head west and check out 11 Mile Canyon. It’s a really cool drive along the Platte River, takes you inside the mountains with great camping and fishing.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hey Fellow traveler’s, \n\nWe 3 boys are travelling to Kazakhstan and landing there by 1:35am, so i need help regarding how should I proceed from airport to a place to crash out. How safe is to travel from airport to any place to stay also ? \n\nWe have booked a train to Uzbekistan on same day evening. \nPlease guide.\n\nWe are from India, \nWe speak English only, we have downloaded russian offline language and maps also.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hey Fellow traveler’s, \n\nWe 3 boys are travelling to Kazakhstan and landing there by 1:35am, so i need help regarding how should I proceed from airport to a place to crash out. How safe is to travel from airport to any place to stay also ? \n\nWe have booked a train to Uzbekistan on same day evening. \nPlease guide.\n\nWe are from India, \nWe speak English only, we have downloaded russian offline language and maps also.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Interested in booking a Scoot Airlines ticket, ScootPlus to be precise, for next September (have a sabbatical from work coming up) as it’s one of the only ways I can get direct from Singapore to Athens in something other than Economy for relatively cheap.\n\nHowever, even the ScootPlus fare isn’t refundable if cancelled. In the event my sabbatical plans change I’d like to get refunded, so thinking of trip insurance. What would be the best provider for a US-based person buying a ticket on Scoot for Singapore to Athens Greece?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'You mean you\\'re looking for refundable fare, which is \"full price\" with most airlines", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Interested in booking a Scoot Airlines ticket, ScootPlus to be precise, for next September (have a sabbatical from work coming up) as it’s one of the only ways I can get direct from Singapore to Athens in something other than Economy for relatively cheap.\n\nHowever, even the ScootPlus fare isn’t refundable if cancelled. In the event my sabbatical plans change I’d like to get refunded, so thinking of trip insurance. What would be the best provider for a US-based person buying a ticket on Scoot for Singapore to Athens Greece?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "But, with ScootPlus not being a reward booking, I can definitely wait. If something impacts my sabbatical, the whole thing is going to tank, not just one part of the trip. So, for once, I’m doing all I can to ensure all these tickets/hotels/etc are refundable.', 'Yeah, I mean I don’t necessarily view it as a rip-off but it definitely isn’t ideal. I’ll check out Travelsafe, thanks!', 'Thanks, I’ll check them out! Yeah not planning on anything changing but we have an elderly dog so that’s the biggest possible issue, if he goes downhill between now and then…', \"If there were, and it's cheaper when added with a discount fare, who in the right mind would buy full fare ?\", 'That’s not insurance. An event you can control is not an insurable risk.', 'Fair point - I’ve never had a situation come up where I’ve really needed the flexibility, would be willing to pay for full fare refundability, and it’s not available.', 'I actually went down a rabbit hole last night concerning “Change For Any Reason” (CFAR) insurance. Need to put in place w/in a certain number of days post initial trip payment, covers 60-80% of cost (depending on carrier) if you have to cancel for a multitude of reasons that other policies don’t cover - pet gets sick, work takes over, etc. Admittedly I only know enough to be dangerous, but seems like it might be a good route. Need to do more research though, and it’s usually an add-on to an existing travel insurance policy. Know anything about it?'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi guys. I was planning to get a bag I've been eyeing for some time in Berlin, Germany. I wanted to find out what to do about VAT return bc my return flight back to the US is from Berlin, then Munich (1hr, 40 minutes layover) then to NYC. \n\nWhat do I do about VAT return in this circumstance? Is there sufficient time to go to global blue?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'Go do VAT return before you go thru security at Berlin. Make sure to arrive early, you never know how the line will be.', 'Haven’t had to do it but I think with such a short layover it is done in Berlin .', '**Notice:** Are you asking about a layover or connection?", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi guys. I was planning to get a bag I've been eyeing for some time in Berlin, Germany. I wanted to find out what to do about VAT return bc my return flight back to the US is from Berlin, then Munich (1hr, 40 minutes layover) then to NYC. \n\nWhat do I do about VAT return in this circumstance? Is there sufficient time to go to global blue?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit(/message/compose/?to=/r/travel) if you have any questions or concerns.*'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I know it can drop below freezing overnight. I tend to run on the cold in the first place. Has anyone done the hike during this time of year?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I know it can drop below freezing overnight. I tend to run on the cold in the first place. Has anyone done the hike during this time of year?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "\n\nSo I made other posts about our trip this upcoming March. We will have an extra day towards the end of our trip, and are curious if we had enough time to do a day trip to Osaka.\n\nWe are spending a bulk of our time in Tokyo, but the last 3 days we are planning on being in Kyoto and noticed Osaka isn’t too far by train. Would it at all be possible to spend a day in Osaka and see what it has to offer?\n\nAlso, if we go to Universal Studios. It would be primarily for Mario World and Harry Potter. So I guess another question, is Universal Japan worth it? And if we don’t do the whole park could we jump into Osaka proper and still have time for things?\n\nTon of questions I know. But any feedback is appreciated since it’s our first time to Japan.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'USJ is the 3rd most popular park in the world, behind disney CA and FL I think. Whether it is worth it is subjective. dont try to go on a weekend at least.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "\n\nSo I made other posts about our trip this upcoming March. We will have an extra day towards the end of our trip, and are curious if we had enough time to do a day trip to Osaka.\n\nWe are spending a bulk of our time in Tokyo, but the last 3 days we are planning on being in Kyoto and noticed Osaka isn’t too far by train. Would it at all be possible to spend a day in Osaka and see what it has to offer?\n\nAlso, if we go to Universal Studios. It would be primarily for Mario World and Harry Potter. So I guess another question, is Universal Japan worth it? And if we don’t do the whole park could we jump into Osaka proper and still have time for things?\n\nTon of questions I know. But any feedback is appreciated since it’s our first time to Japan.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "It's boring... Don't say the deer.\", 'The shinkansen is an option, but there are tons of local trains. Osaka <--> Kyoto is essentially the Japanese equivalent of commuting from New Jersey to Manhattan for work and back.', \"Osaka is a suitable substitute for Tokyo for people who are more interested in things like food than in Tokyo-specific attractions, but it's just not an optimal add-on to an already Tokyo-heavy trip like OP's.\", 'Thanks! Last question. Would you recommend the Suica card for that, or something like the JR Rail pass/individual tickets', \"Yeah just use the SUICA for the local trains, but I typically just show up to the station and buy a single shinkansen ticket. I can't get enough of the dragon trains...\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi there,\n\nAs I've been waiting 12+ hours for ESTA approval, I noticed that the dumbass me made a mistake on the ESTA application - in my contact information - address line 1 - street name - I missed an \"H\" in the name. \n\nDo you think it could be denied because of that? What to do? \n\nThank you so much :(", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi there,\n\nAs I've been waiting 12+ hours for ESTA approval, I noticed that the dumbass me made a mistake on the ESTA application - in my contact information - address line 1 - street name - I missed an \"H\" in the name. \n\nDo you think it could be denied because of that? What to do? \n\nThank you so much :(", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hey! So my mates are doing a destination wedding in Mexico and there are probably about 15 or 20 of our friend group going. Of that number, about 5-10 of us are hoping to travel around together around Mexico and I was wondering if anyone here had any experience with tour companies inside Mexico? \n\n\nI've looked into the usual suspects like Intrepid, G Adventures, etc, but they seem to prefer smaller groups of travellers and/or the timing doesn't work out. I wondered if anyone had any recommendations or had done anything like this in a group? \n\n\nWe are all in our 30s and keen to see quite a bit of Mexico, ideally doing 8-10 days after or before the wedding. Any recommendations you have would be very appreciated!\n\nThank you :)", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Mexico?", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hey! So my mates are doing a destination wedding in Mexico and there are probably about 15 or 20 of our friend group going. Of that number, about 5-10 of us are hoping to travel around together around Mexico and I was wondering if anyone here had any experience with tour companies inside Mexico? \n\n\nI've looked into the usual suspects like Intrepid, G Adventures, etc, but they seem to prefer smaller groups of travellers and/or the timing doesn't work out. I wondered if anyone had any recommendations or had done anything like this in a group? \n\n\nWe are all in our 30s and keen to see quite a bit of Mexico, ideally doing 8-10 days after or before the wedding. Any recommendations you have would be very appreciated!\n\nThank you :)", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\\n*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit(/message/compose/?to=/r/travel) if you have any questions or concerns.*', 'Will the tren Maya be operating when you are there?'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I booked a flight with kiwi from Belfast to London and I have no idea what airport to go to and I can’t for the life of me find it on the website please help 🥺", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I booked a flight with kiwi from Belfast to London and I have no idea what airport to go to and I can’t for the life of me find it on the website please help 🥺", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Looking for anything manmade that you have personally seen that you think most of the world is unaware of, that's cool enough to share with others. Museums, monuments, dams, bridges, whatever - but it must be MAN MADE.\n\nLinks to more info about it highly appreciated, so people can go find out more.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'Villa Borghese in Rome You need a reservation, you can only stay for two hours, and no photography… but it’s worth the hassle. It’s one of the most astounding sculpture collections in all of Europe.', 'The Vasa Museum in Stockholm. One of the coolest man made things I’ve seen.', 'The Bayeux tapestry in Normandy, France. It’s much longer (70 meters) and more detailed than I expected. Rent a car in Paris and you can hit up Rouen, Mont St Michel, and the D-Day beaches as well.', \"Prohibido Centro Cultural in Cuenca, Ecuador(https://www.google.com/maps/place/Prohibido+Centro+Cultural/@-2.8989769,-79.0115552,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x91cd180de5c9127f:0xe5f42a36961215d4!8m2!3d-2.8989823!4d-79.0089803!16s%2Fg%2F11hy_5fzwm?entry=ttu) &#x200B; Cool little occult/gothic museum. Some badass artwork, there's a tattoo shop upstairs, small booze offerings, and other neat props and features (the cage built into the floor is fun). $3 entry and you could spend probably a little over an hour seeing everything\", 'For a completely overwhelming roadside attraction, Wisconsin’s House on the Rock. Set aside at least 3 hours + your sanity.', 'The Air Force Museum in Dayton, OH. Absolutely massive and admission is free, everything from Wright Flyers to experimental Area 51 stuff. For all the fuss about the Smithsonian this museum is nearly its equal albeit with a narrower focus.', 'The Ishtar gate at the pergamonmuseum in Berlin was astounding. Museums are amazing but sometimes you see stuff and think... Does this really belong here? I felt that way about the Ishtar gate. Also in Berlin, I think the Topography of Terror is an important view into how the events of WWII unfolded.', 'An unconventional suggestion: Anyone visiting Madrid who has at least intermediate-level Spanish listening comprehension and a good sense of humor should attend Sunday mass at Iglesia Patóloca(http://www.lavapiesbarriodeteatros.es/location/iglesia-patolica/). It’s a parody “church” centered around worshipping rubber ducks. The “pastor” is a performance artist, and his “masses” are surprisingly profound- and he’s not a nutjob or anything. A very silly, feel-good experience, 10/10', 'The Icelandic Phallological Museum', 'The WW1 museum in Kansas City!', 'The Corning Museum of Glass in NY is really cool', \"I love spending time in Postman's Park in London. The monument wall to heroes is both inspiring and humbling. The park itself is very small but stunningly peaceful and beautiful in the middle of London craziness.\", 'Derinkuyu counts, I suppose. It was a blast to explore, mainly because it was right after travel restrictions loosened up post-Covid and we had zero supervision in tunnels. We went wherever we wanted. Went to a lot of places we may not have been supposed to go. On a similar note: just go hike all around Göreme. There are a ton of small cave homes that are unattended and you can crawl through them at your own risk. Some were too unstable to risk entry. Others were awesome and provided great experiences. With all of this - be conservative. The cave dwellings are historical so treat them as such. Don’t damage anything.', 'The Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix. Also, the Dream Garden at the Curtis Center in Philadelphia. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tiffany-glass-mural-the-dream-garden(https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/tiffany-glass-mural-the-dream-garden)', 'I just left Mexico City and yesterday I visited the Mercado Presidente Abelardo L. Rodriguez. It has dozens of murals by Diego Rivera and his school, but totally outside the touristic sights of CDMX (on TripAdvisor it is the 177/690 sight to visit). It was supposed to be the model for all other food markets, but then the project was abandoned, so it is now the only one with murals. Other sights that are relatively lesser known: The Stasi Museum in Berlin, it is hosted in the former Stasi HQ and maintains all the furniture of that time. The Mercedes Museum in Stuttgart. Pretty much the entire history of the car, and the visit follows a time spiral as you progress in the museum. Centrale Montemartini in Rome. It has a unique set up, a collection of ancient statues in a former power station, putting together Roman archeology and industrial archeology.', 'The salt mines in Krakow. Due to Kraków’s beauty and it’s proximity to Auschwitz it’s heavily overlooked but absolutely spectacular both in appearance and workmanship.', 'The City Museum in St. Louis, Missouri, USA', 'Long ago we stumbled on The Christian C. Sanderson Museum on Chadds Ford, PA and were charmed. A little house filled with the amazing collections of a man’s life. It’s still there. Also, I’ve never been sorry after taking the Hoover Dam tour in NV.', 'I usually make an effort to visit at least one fashion-related attraction during my trips. Below are some of my favorite experiences at little-known places: * Amsterdam: Tassenmuseum Hendrikje (link(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museum_of_Bags_and_Purses)) - permanently closed\\n* Bath: Fashion Museum Bath (link(https://www.fashionmuseum.co.uk/))\\n* Florence: Ferragamo Museo (link(https://museo.ferragamo.com/en))\\n* NYC: The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (link(https://www.fitnyc.edu/museum/index.php))\\n* Seoul: Simone Handbag Museum (link(http://simonehandbagmuseum.co.kr/)) - sadly, I think this may have closed I also enjoy visiting museums with niche themes, such as the Kimchi Field Museum(https://www.kimchikan.com/en/) in Seoul, the Ghibli Museum(https://www.ghibli-museum.jp/en/) in Mitaka, the Jorvik Viking Centre(https://www.jorvikvikingcentre.co.uk/) in York, and the American Visionary Art Museum(https://www.avam.org/) in Baltimore.', 'Ford museum', 'On a darker note, Valle de Los Callidos in Spain, Dachau/Auschwitz, and the Vietnam war museum in Ho Chi Minh City. I’m sure there are more, but man, humans are the worst sometimes.', 'The Basilica of San Clemente(https://romevacationtips.com/whats-interesting-site-rome/) in Rome. It\\'s right by the Colosseum but mostly overlooked by tourists. It\\'s a 12th century church on top of a 4th century church, on top of a 1st century Roman street that has a gladiator barracks, a Christian temple, a Mithraeum, and the corner of someone\\'s back yard. Absolutely incredible to be able to wander an original Roman alleyway, deep in the ground. Fat more intimate than most of the other sites in the city. But most people just check off the box labeled \"Colosseum\" and move on.', 'The Ringling Museum in Sarasota FL is crazy neato', 'Scara Brae in Scotland, the best preserved stone age village in Europe', \"The outside of Tribune Tower in Chicago includes stone artifacts from historic buildings from around the world. It's pretty cool to walk around the building and see and touch bricks from the Great Wall, Hagia Sophia, Independence Hall, Pompeii, Great Pyramids, etc.\", \"Buddha Sculpture Park near Vientiane in Laos. The variety, size and quality of the sculptures are crazy and amazing. There's even one you can climb inside! I feel like it should be on everyone's SE asia itinerary except I know Vientiane is not exactly destination number one for most people.\", 'Luray caverns (I know, not man-made) has the largest musical instrument in the world(https://www.npr.org/2023/11/07/1211027608/the-largest-musical-instrument-in-the-world-is-underground-in-a-virginia-cave) built inside of it. It\\'s a giant pipe organ that uses the cave reverberation for part of the sound. The caverns are wonderful, and Luray is a beautiful part of the Blue Ridge mountains... But the organ is a great piece of Americana from \"back when we still built weird stuff in living caves because nobody thought about preserving things\" Very worth seeing.', \"I truly love the Hoover Dam. Pictures really don't do it justice. The amount of energy surrounding the place is insane. I go every time I can. I also love that they try to dress it up a bit but there's not much more to it than a GIANT ASS DAM carved out of a mountain. And some ice cream.\", 'The Vrolik museum of deformities in Amsterdam. https://cvltnation.com/museum-vlosik/', 'deleted', 'Pont du Gard, France', 'Oil Museum in Stavanger, Norway Hoover Dam, Nevada, USA', 'Church of La Compania in Quito Ecuador. This building took 165 years to build. At least a million tradesmen worked on it. The altar took 40 years to craft. You have to see it to believe it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_La_Compa%C3%B1%C3%ADa,_Quito', \"Mercedes Benz Museum, Stuttgart Germany(https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/art-and-culture/museum/visitor-information/) Although I'm personally no longer a fan of their cars, the MB museum is quite a marvel.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Looking for anything manmade that you have personally seen that you think most of the world is unaware of, that's cool enough to share with others. Museums, monuments, dams, bridges, whatever - but it must be MAN MADE.\n\nLinks to more info about it highly appreciated, so people can go find out more.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "- Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, GA (USA) - Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC (USA) - Vizcaya in Miami, FL, USA - The Met Cloisters in NYC, USA - Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, NY, USA (watch the demonstrations!) - Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, NV, USA - Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, NE, USA - Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park, CO, USA - The Frick Collection NYC, USA - Byodo-In Temple in Kaneohe, HI, USA', 'In Chiang Rai, Thailand. The White Museum and the Black Museum - both terrific', 'The rules must have changed recently because we were allowed photos when we visited the Villa Borghese earlier this year.', 'I opened this thread to comment the exact same! It’s such a stunning museum. One of my favourites I have ever visited. Some might argue the limited number of mandatory reservations per day sucks, but being able to enjoy all the art in such a quiet, peaceful environment was part of the magic for me.', \"The first time I went there while studying abroad in college I somehow didn't realize how many Bernini sculptures they had (and which ones), and I'm a big fan of Bernini. Absolutely blew me away. I've since gone back with my husband, and it hit me just as hard as the first time I went.\", 'My father sent me a picture of the Vasa during one of his trips to Stockholm. I was so fascinated by it that he promised me he would take me there one day. He very much did 20 years later. Thanks dad, because it was really awesome!', 'Was just there last month. Everyone I spoke to prior to going said the Vasa museum is a must do and amazing. Somehow they all undersold how awesome it is. By far the coolest museum I’ve visited.', 'I was to high to remember the name! Yes! This one. It was fascinating', 'We went to the ABBA museum instead bc my father is a huge fan. It was amazing though and had a lot of stuff there. We ran out of time to go there.', 'That is the best museum I’ve ever been to by far', 'It is well worth the trip.', 'Spent a week in Cuenca and did not hear about this.', 'We passed by it almost every day, it was never open though.', 'Isn’t this in American Gods?', 'deleted', 'My parents took us here. They were unprepared and decided to do the whole thing with three kids ages 10, 9, and 5. We get to the carousel and they realize that there still like 1/3 of the tour left to go. They wound up buying us whatever we wanted at the end to placate us.', 'I love House on the Rock!', 'Love that place! Went there last year and was surprised at how big the place was and how much there was to see. The Kraken room was insane!', \"Stay overnight at the Don Q Inn while you're at it. We have made this insane trip many times\", 'Okay I get that the house on the rock is cool but how the fuck did this get more upvotes than the Alhambra or Auschwitz', 'I’ve been a few times. It’s so weird', \"Across the pond, the RAF Museum in London is a good visit too. Many models and parts of decommissioned aircrafts. When I was there they also had a flight *controlling* simulator, hopefully it's still there\", \"I went to the Air Force museum a bunch of years ago and it was amazing. So many hangers full of so many different aircraft. I also like the Udvar-Hazy center. It's basically the Smithsonian Air and Space overflow museum. In addition to the Space Shuttle Discovery they have so many other cool aircraft. What I especially like is that they give the story of not just this type of aircraft (set whatever world record, was used to shoot down so many enemy aircraft, etc) but they have the actual aircraft that did the thing. Also, they have the X-35B, one of the first aircraft I worked on.\", 'If you enjoy aircraft, of any kind, this is A MUST SEE', 'The Topography of Terror was one of the most moving things I have ever seen in my life. Absolutely educational, but NGL, it pretty much ruined me for the rest of the day. I just kind of moped around Berlin feeling pretty grim about things for a while after.', 'The North wing of the pergamonmuseum is currently closed until 2027 but the Ishtar gate is in the South wing, which will go under renovation soon as well.', \"Also in Berlin, the Spionage museum is a great place to visit and not well-known. It's pretty interactive and the stories of multiple spies from both sides of the Cold War are fascinating\", 'Also the Museum of Witchcraft and Sorcery. Can see some pants made of human skin if you’re into that kind of thing.', \"I had such a childish good time looking through the guest book and adding my own ridiculous penis drawings to it. It's hilarious coming upon a page where a skilled artist has drawn a brilliantly detailed and shaded army of cocks going to war.\", 'That’s funny I actually came here to say this and I only lived there four years! Very neat and sobering place.', 'And Nelson-Atkins and BBQ. KC was so much fun!', \"Didn't even have to scroll far! World class for sure.\", 'How does it compare to the world war II museum in New Orleans?', 'Yes, this and the WWII museum in New Orleans. Both are fantastic museums.', 'Ha! Super interesting to see this. I live in bath🤣🤣😏', \"Did you go to Kaymakli as well? They aren't far from each other. Went there in 1992 and it was pretty casual then, we were left to explore on our own. Fantastic place.\", 'Thank you for this!', 'In the same category I’d add the BMW Welt in Munich.', 'The Tiffany stained glass curtain in the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City is one of the most beautiful man-made things I have ever seen', \"I agree that it's beautiful but overlooked? The place is packed\", 'Coolest thing I saw in St. Louis and that includes the Gateway Arch.', 'Agree with City Museum but also do not miss the “mounds” just across the river it is the largest archaeological site north of Mexico and a UNESCO World Heritage site it’s honestly pretty depressing how poorly it is cared for by the state of Illinois (and not at all by the Feds) but understanding that human beings did that with baskets not backhoes is bananagrams.', \"What?! I grew up in Chadds ford and haven't heard of this! Edit: omg I've driven by this a million times and had no idea it was a museum 😆 thanks for the recommendation!\", 'And Detroit Institute of Arts also blew me away. Incredible collections at both.', 'I’m sorry, Henry Ford museum? I’m from Dearborn and I’m always surprised when someone mentions this.', 'Extremely underrated. I spent a whole day there a few years back, and still felt there was more to see.', 'Along those lines I\\'d include the \"Museum of Memory and Human Rights\" in Santiago, and (for a different reason) Yushukan in Tokyo. Yushukan is a war museum attached to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, what makes it unique for me is it portrays historical Japanese actions in a way that non-Japanese may disagree with. For example, the Rape of Nanking is called \"The Nanking Incident\" and is described as a small number of soldiers getting out of hand. (I should mention I was there several years ago, it could be different now ... but I don\\'t expect it will be.)', 'Oof, I’ve been to Dachau and the Vietnam War Museum…my goodness…it’s haunting just standing there and learning about the horrific events. Both not to be missed.', 'I’ve been to the genocide museum in Kigali, Rwanda and to Auschwitz. For some reason the little genocide museum in Mostar, Bosnia and Hercegovina messed me up more than the other two.', \"I've been to all these. I'll add that the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is equally harrowing.\", 'I took the full tour, and did not regret it. Was pretty cool to see everything inside. It\\'s an amazing piece of architecture, and the whole thing has a 1950\\'s sort of \"science and industry will pave the way to a greater future\" americana kind of feel to it... And it\\'s a pretty easy drive from Vegas.', 'My dad took me when I was in my early teens, I remember being a typical teenager and thinking whatevs, a dam, boring. In reality blew me away, I still think about it 30 years later. I’m a huge fan of giant structures and it was breathtaking!', 'Came here to say Borobudur. Also, Prambanan outside of Yogyakarta.', 'Was in Borobodur years ago and it was stunning. I had no idea how immense it was going to be until I was there.', 'I feel like there’s no way the ATM cave is open to the public in another 20 years', \"It's very well-known in France at least!\", 'Yes! I forgot about that one!', \"I absolutely agree. I'm not interested in cars at all, and I enjoyed it immensely. The audio tour about the connection between culture and their cars was really good.\", \"Ohh yes that's a good one\", \"It is, but isn't it one of the most famous buildings in the world?\", \"Plaza de España in Sevilla was used as filming location for Star Wars 2. If anyone miss it, I assume that it's because it's slightly out of the centre?\", \"And also the filming site of Game of Thrones's Dragonstone!\", 'Been to Cody many times, never heard of it. Thanks.', 'Definitely want to see this next as I got to see Petra in person this year. Such amazing work by the Nabataeans!', 'Yes, I second this! It also holds \"Impression, Sunrise\" by Monet which is THE painting that gave rise to the very name \"Impressionism\" 😎 To add, Musée de la Poste is also a neat little museum if you have any interest in the history of the postal system or stamps in general!', 'I fully agree with all of this. It is the largest sitting Buddha in the world, and the surrounding area is absolutely incredible too!', 'Loved it!', 'A \"must-see\" museum.', 'There is also a great Dali museum in Tampa, FL. I have been to both and might prefer the Florida one', 'The house itself is fascinating.', 'The giant goose in Wawa Ontario is a close second.', 'Everyone loves Mack the Moose', \"If people 'always say' it's the best one, how is it underrated? It's still one of the more famous museums in the world.\", 'Maybe I’m biased, because I had a full blown panic attack in the D’Orsay when I went because I got separated from my boyfriend and because the crowds were so intense and it was very hot in there on a 65°F Paris day, but I much prefer the Louvre', \"This is definitely a cool place but it's certainly not man-made.\", 'What time of year is best? I’m hoping to go to this very soon', 'Ah, my mistake. I was there a decade ago.', 'It’s definitely changed, I was there last week and we were allowed to take photos so I can confirm', 'Allowed pics in 2018 too', 'Surprised that no one mentioned the neoclassical palazzo, built during the renaissance, the grounds including multiple architectural monuments, an urban hunting theatre and the larger park - artistry in every medium. \\nAnd The commitment of curators to contemporary art is as well an important feature of this monumental gallery. Last time I went I was greeted by an oversized Keith Haring. \\nBut it is the ability to literally stand inches next to the Rape of Proserpina, the sleeping Hermaphroditus etc that is unmatched in the art world.', 'Have an expat friend who has lived there for a while, pretty sure she recommended it', 'I saw it in the finale of the first season, but never watched again. So …yes?', 'I wanted to see the Lumberjack World Championships, so did that plus a tour of Wisconsin attractions. There are tons of bizarre and really fun things to see. If you’re interested in the trip, get a copy of the Weird Wisconsin book.', 'Me too! Just … it’s a LOT.', 'Ooooh.... well that\\'s going in my \"Next Trip to London\" bookmark list! Thanks!', \">Udvar-Hazy Between that and downtown it's the world's greatest aerospace museum. Full stop. Haven't been downtown since the renovation, but I'm definitely excited to see it again. I've been to a few other good ones (Technik Museum Speyer has a Buran) but the Smithsonian is absolutely next level. We're very lucky.\", 'On yes absolutely. We spent a month in Berlin and while we were there we visited sachsenhausen, the Topography of Terror, the exhibition at the memorial to the murdered jews of Europe...plus seeing the stumble stones everywhere, visiting the wall section near mauer park, the ddr museum, the many memorials through the city (the empty bookshelves in the Humboldt Forum with the prescient warning \"where they burn books they will burn people\") and all of that weight of sadness and just absolute horror against what is today a beautiful, progressive (in many ways), integrated city. Really made an impression on me... Not the least of which is that here in the US we absolutely suck at acknowledging our own ugly history. (we aren\\'t the only ones... The monument to the explorers in Lisbon feels very tone deaf to me too).', 'I am in Berlin today and was planning to go see it. Now I am reconsidering it.', \"It's completely closed now https://www.smb.museum/en/whats-new/detail/pergamonmuseum-closed-for-major-refurbishment-starting-23-october-2023\", 'New Orleans museum is a tribute to guts and glory. Kansas City is a warning of the horror!', 'I thought both were of equal quality.', 'I haven’t made it to the WW2 yet unfortunately!', 'I need to go there!!!', 'My husbands family is from the area which is why I’ve been. I still have the glass pumpkins “we blew” as souvenirs', 'I only checked out Derinkuyu. I’ll have to visit Kaymaklı next time.', 'Really? Been about 6 years since I was there. Wasn’t packed at all. I guess words got out, or maybe it was quieter cause I was there in winter.', 'Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis is also great (largest mosaic basilica in the world).', 'Saw the signs but didn’t stop. Will next time.', 'Every 4 years he took the kindergarten class to see the Presidential Inauguration in Washington.', \"You shouldn't be. It's a fantastic representation of the USA and how innovation transfixed our way of life. The Nelson Mandela exhibit going on right now was very interesting\", \"I'm also from Dearborn and grew up going to the Henry Ford Museum regularly. I always thought it was a really cool place (although as a young kid the old car festival did get boring after a few hours. But then we'd get ice cream or get to ride the carousel and that would placate my sister and me for a bit longer). In some ways it's a history of American innovation. In other ways it's random cool stuff that Henry Ford collected. But however you see it, it's definitely an awesome museum complex.\", 'deleted', 'I used to work a mile away from The Henry Ford Museum and would get an annual pass every year just to go and walk around on my lunch break.', \"One of my friends worked there for years. It's really quite a great museum.\", 'That museum is... deeply troubling. If you speak Japanese (and I do) the Japanese and English do not completely match up on the exhibits. And the video they had on loop in the theater was... historically very, very wrong. Wrong enough that they pointedly don\\'t subtitle it in English, because what\\'s happening in Japanese is so revisionist and wrong that it would raise some serious hackles. It is worth seeing as a slice of \"what right wing Japanese current thought is\" and also some of the exhibits are grimly interesting - like the kamikaze torpedo - but I worry at supporting it with my money.', \"Totally agree with Santiago. One of the most powerful museums of it's kind to me. I think it was partially because seeing the student ID'S of young people who were tortured or killed and many were within 5 years of my own age, I related more to their suffering. In Tokyo I didn't visit Yushukan, but did see the National Showa Memorial Museum. It focuses on the suffering of ordinary Japanese both during and immediately after the war. It does not at all mention the atrocities that got them into suffering in the first place. Exhibits are only in Japanese, it's not meant for foreigners. I'll also mention the Dokumentation Center in Nuremberg. It is built in what was supposed to be the Nazi party headquarters. The focus is on how the Nazi party came to power and why many people went along with it. If you read a lot, plan on a good 3 hours inside.\", 'Also the killing fields and the prison in Cambodia', 'Yes. Bosnia/Hercegovina is troubling. There’s an aura that pervades the entire country. A deep feeling of sadness thinly covered by day to day life. Maybe just that so much of its recent past is still very much in evidence. Especially in the cemeteries.', \"Truly a must-do from Vegas!! And while I'm out here recommending weird stuff, check out the Clark county museum also drivable from Vegas. It's ... interesting\", 'The original goose is at the General Store. Another goose is on a hotel.', \"I've been to Wawa, but I've never seen the goose. Now I'm sad. Not sad enough to go to Wawa though.\", 'Oh yeah I mean the book. Which I read a lifetime ago. I never watched the show. But yeah I guess that’s it', 'There are a bunch of other really good aerospace museums out there. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL is one of the best space specific museums.', 'Curious how they differed', 'Might be it. Wiki says 1.2 million people visit it annually', \"Yes. It's one of the highlights of Krakow. UNESCO site, so not exactly a hidden gem lol. That said, it doesn't really matter as many other places mentioned in this thread (Vasa museum, HCMC war museum etc.) are well-known as well.\", 'It was quiet when we were there in 1998.', 'Rosa Parks 😉', 'Evergreen Air Museum in McMinnville, OR is also a really interesting one. The Spruce Goose lives there.', 'Funny slip up. Thank you for fixing'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello,\n\nI'm a Belgian and I'm planning a trip to Singapore and Malaysia in May with my girlfriend.\n\nOur plan is to travel to and from Singapore as that's where our flight tickets are the cheapest.\n\nThe initial idea was to spend 4 days each in in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Langkawi and to always travel by plane.\n\nNow I've learned however that the weather in Penang and Langkawi (west Malaysia) will be pretty miserable in May so I'm wondering if I should just remove Penang and Langkawi and replace it with a week in Bali or Lombok.\n\nWe really enjoy nature and good food so I feel like the Malaysia itinerary is too \"city-heavy\". I'm aware we could go to the Cameron Highlands or go for a hike in the jungle but I've read it's not all that interesting and it's not really worth the many hours you'll spend in a bus or boat.\n\nDoes anyone have any thoughts on a Singapore + Kuala Lumpur + Indonesian Island in about 14-15 days? Or any other recommendations?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'When you say miserable, do you mean hot and humid or rainy? If hot and humid, it will be hot and humid in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. If you mean rain, April-July is mid-season; wet season starts in August.', \"It's ok everywhere in may, no monsoon yet, but quite hot. Another island? Tioman, but no plane ah ah\", \" With only 2 weeks, I'd stick to Singapore and KL - Bali needs its own trip to really explore the temples, rice paddies and beaches. Enjoy the food!\", 'We did kl, Taman Nagara National Forest, one of the islands (not my favorite), Penang, Singapore. Taman Nagara was amazing. Def recommend.', '**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Singapore?", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello,\n\nI'm a Belgian and I'm planning a trip to Singapore and Malaysia in May with my girlfriend.\n\nOur plan is to travel to and from Singapore as that's where our flight tickets are the cheapest.\n\nThe initial idea was to spend 4 days each in in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Langkawi and to always travel by plane.\n\nNow I've learned however that the weather in Penang and Langkawi (west Malaysia) will be pretty miserable in May so I'm wondering if I should just remove Penang and Langkawi and replace it with a week in Bali or Lombok.\n\nWe really enjoy nature and good food so I feel like the Malaysia itinerary is too \"city-heavy\". I'm aware we could go to the Cameron Highlands or go for a hike in the jungle but I've read it's not all that interesting and it's not really worth the many hours you'll spend in a bus or boat.\n\nDoes anyone have any thoughts on a Singapore + Kuala Lumpur + Indonesian Island in about 14-15 days? Or any other recommendations?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "The temperature is pretty consistent year round, the daily mean difference across any two months is 1-2 degrees C. A few months a year it rains more than others, but in reality the monsoon season effectively rains as much as the other months. You really won't notice much more rain in May versus November..\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "My last step in booking my trip to Portugal is buying my flights. I booked the trip assuming I would take TAP without knowing their reputation. The more I see horror story videos and reviews online, the more worried I am about the trip. A coworker said he would never fly TAP and he is a more seasoned traveler as he has family in Europe. He recommended flying Azores/SATA. However, I also see horrible reviews about Azores online and many say it's the same level of reliability as TAP.\n\nShould I book with Azores, TAP, or just cancel my trip? I still have 24 hours to cancel on the accommodation without incurring a cancellation fee. I am not sure if it is relevant but I will also be traveling during the busy season (July).\n\nEdit: I should note I could fly Iberia/American for about $300 more than the Azores/SATA or TAP flights. Is it worth the extra $300?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'No, it is not worth the extra $300 in my opinion. You are exceedingly likely to have no issues whatsoever. Rather than spend the money here, buy good travel insurance (as you should anyways) and if you can, use credit cards that cover you for the unexpected.', 'TAP is by no means a great airline, but not do they need to be avoided at all costs. I certainly would not take SATA over them. I personally would also not pay more for a presumably less direct routing on Iberia', \">coworker said he would never fly TAP and he is a more seasoned traveler as he has family in Europe.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "My last step in booking my trip to Portugal is buying my flights. I booked the trip assuming I would take TAP without knowing their reputation. The more I see horror story videos and reviews online, the more worried I am about the trip. A coworker said he would never fly TAP and he is a more seasoned traveler as he has family in Europe. He recommended flying Azores/SATA. However, I also see horrible reviews about Azores online and many say it's the same level of reliability as TAP.\n\nShould I book with Azores, TAP, or just cancel my trip? I still have 24 hours to cancel on the accommodation without incurring a cancellation fee. I am not sure if it is relevant but I will also be traveling during the busy season (July).\n\nEdit: I should note I could fly Iberia/American for about $300 more than the Azores/SATA or TAP flights. Is it worth the extra $300?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "I could also build in some buffer with an overnight stop in the Azores (I’d actually save money booking the longer stop flight and a hotel than the one with a shorter layover).', 'Yes, the flight with TAP would just be a couple hour stop in Lisbon on the way to Porto and then a direct flight on my way back. I am considering going a day earlier than my group tour in case things get cancelled or delayed. I’m set to fly out of Boston (recently moved from the NYC area) and I have had horrible luck with flights out of Boston.', \"hint... their customer support wasn't the best pre-Covid either....\", 'Flying out of Boston', 'The hardest thing about a reliable layover in the Azores is that every once in a while the wind can absolutely stop that airport in its tracks for very extended periods of time. But, July is not the windy season.', 'I really think you’re overthinking this. TAP has a pretty big operation out of BOS. You seem to think it’s some rinky dink mom and pop operation that only flies when the mood strikes them. You’ll be fine.', 'A quick search shows that Air France, Lufthansa, Jet Blue and others fly direct from Boston to Lisbon. There would also be flights from places in Europe such as Spain to Lisbon or maybe even other airports on smaller airlines like Ryanair, EasyJet. I think there are a lot of options if you don’t want to travel TAP, however, I know people that fly from Toronto to Lisbon regularly on TAP and they have no problems with that airline.', 'Ooo this is good to know!', 'Sorry if it’s coming off that way, I’m just seeing a lot of horrible reviews and people who swear to not fly TAP. I’ve also been screwed over by many other airlines out of Boston (notably Delta) so I’m just used to flying in or out of Boston being a nightmare.', 'Flew to Azores via SATA a couple years back, no issues. I can imagine their biggest issue is weather.'", "role": "assistant" } ]