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[ { "content": "Hi guys, I'm about to go on a 5 month trip to south america and I have a super crappy phone that takes terrible pictures. I want to be able to take nice photos, but I'm torn how to achieve this in the best way.\n\nI'm bad with expensive stuff, on my last trip my phone got stolen. On the other hand a phone with a good camera is convenient cause I don't have to lug around a camera. \n\nWhat are your guys' experiences with this, so whats your approach in making sure you have nice photos of special moments? \n\nThanks in advance, I appreciate any tips!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"I'm a photographer and I don't think there's not a cheap phone that actually has a good camera, one of the things that makes a phone cost more money is having a good camera. Even a super small transportable camera will have better quality and more settings you can manually change.\", 'The best camera is the one you have with you. If it’s too big, too expensive, too whatever, you’re not going to use it nearly as much. From there it’s a question about goals and budget?", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi guys, I'm about to go on a 5 month trip to south america and I have a super crappy phone that takes terrible pictures. I want to be able to take nice photos, but I'm torn how to achieve this in the best way.\n\nI'm bad with expensive stuff, on my last trip my phone got stolen. On the other hand a phone with a good camera is convenient cause I don't have to lug around a camera. \n\nWhat are your guys' experiences with this, so whats your approach in making sure you have nice photos of special moments? \n\nThanks in advance, I appreciate any tips!", "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.*', 'Google Pixel 8 has an amazing camera. Flagship camera at the best price among other flagship phones iPhone/Samsung.', 'I have a Google pixel phone and love the pics I get from it.', 'Good to know, thanks for the input!', 'This is good advice - Definitely just want to be able to remember fun moments, so leaning towards the phone then. Thanks a lot!', \"I'm dutch and my budget is as cheap as humanely possible😬\", 'fair, i mostly meant what the most travel-friendly option is. Im curious about how other backpackers tackle taking photos', 'Aside from a free phone/camera, how much are you willing to spend?', 'Most people just use phones that have come out in the last few years, as camera technology has improved a lot lately. I’d buy a used phone that is 1-3 years old. iPhones, google pixel and Samsung galaxies are all great.', \"hmm i think i can afford maybe 300 bucks max? maaaybe 400 if its super super worth it, but I'm a bit scared of bringing valuable things with me on a trip because I'm pretty forgetful\", \"$400 isn't going to get you anything decent.\", \"I'd go with a used phone with a good camera. I don't know what the used phone market is in the Netherlands but in the US, $300-400 will get you a nice Google Pixel 6 or 7 or Samsung S21/S22. Those are good phones with great cameras.\", \"I'd definitely go with a small and/or used camera then. Pick something light that'll fit into your pocket. Ideally with a lot of zoom.\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi, I'll be arriving in Cancun in January. I'd like to visit both Palenque and San Cristobal de las Casas but I'm not sure which order to do them in. I'm debating between two options. The first is flying direct from Cancun to Villahermosa then taking a bus or cab to Palenque. I'd stay 2-3 nights in Palenque and then head to San Cristobal. The second option is to fly direct from Cancun to Tuxtla and then bus or cab to San Cristobal. I'd visit Palenque after. After spending time in Chiapas I'll be taking a bus to the Oaxaca coast. I'm thinking it might be easier to do Palenque-San Cristobal-Oaxaca since San Cristobal will have more bus options. Let me know what you think or if you've done this! Thanks so much.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'I’d take an overnight bus to Palenque. Then onto San Cris and Oaxaca. I don’t like backtracking!', \"Since Palenque is closer i'd personally do Palenque first, then San Cristobal and then Chiapas, I did something like your trip but in reverse. I'd reccomend spending some time in Chiapas if you do have it, it's incredible. You can also go directly to San Cristobal and do like a 3 day tour from there that visits other places including Palenque, I didn't do this myself but my friend who did loved it.\", '**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Mexico?", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi, I'll be arriving in Cancun in January. I'd like to visit both Palenque and San Cristobal de las Casas but I'm not sure which order to do them in. I'm debating between two options. The first is flying direct from Cancun to Villahermosa then taking a bus or cab to Palenque. I'd stay 2-3 nights in Palenque and then head to San Cristobal. The second option is to fly direct from Cancun to Tuxtla and then bus or cab to San Cristobal. I'd visit Palenque after. After spending time in Chiapas I'll be taking a bus to the Oaxaca coast. I'm thinking it might be easier to do Palenque-San Cristobal-Oaxaca since San Cristobal will have more bus options. Let me know what you think or if you've done this! Thanks so much.", "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": "Hello! I am using a personal item and a carry on as luggage. I was planning to bring with me Imodium, a sealed bottle of NAC supplement, eye lubricant and a deodorant + all the standard documents, cable and phone charger. I got some questions:\n\n1. Can i bring the bottle of nac or there is a limit?\n2. Deodorant count as liquid or in the 3 1 1 rule?\n3. Even if its opened should i leave the Imoddium int he original box?\n4. Can i put the deodorant on the carry on and the eye lubricant in my personal item?\n\nIs an international flight my main worry is the NAC and dividing the deodorant and the eye drops in 2 bags.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"TSA cares about weapons. so if it looks like a potential weapon you might get extra screening on it but there is nothing about your stuff that they would care about. they might test it but that's it.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello! I am using a personal item and a carry on as luggage. I was planning to bring with me Imodium, a sealed bottle of NAC supplement, eye lubricant and a deodorant + all the standard documents, cable and phone charger. I got some questions:\n\n1. Can i bring the bottle of nac or there is a limit?\n2. Deodorant count as liquid or in the 3 1 1 rule?\n3. Even if its opened should i leave the Imoddium int he original box?\n4. Can i put the deodorant on the carry on and the eye lubricant in my personal item?\n\nIs an international flight my main worry is the NAC and dividing the deodorant and the eye drops in 2 bags.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Is NAC supplement a pill or a powder? Pill, no issues. Powder they might need to do a chemical test if they choose to do so.\", 'Thanks for answering. NAC is a capsule i guess is powder in the inside.Ohh ok i dont mind if they test it i just dont want to piss them off also i dont want to waste the money and have to throw it in the garbage.', 'They won’t care if it’s in capsule form.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Has anyone ever noticed that people based on nationality tend to vacation in the same destinations? What are some that you have noticed?\n\nMine are:\n\nCuba - Canadians\n\nCancun - American families\n\nOaxaca - Germans and Dutch\n\nMallorca - Germans\n\nSharm El Sheikh - Russians and Ukrainians\n\nEastern Europe - Turkish men", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'Japanese people love to visit Hawaii for sure', 'Bali - bogans', 'Costa del Sol - British people Orlando in August - also British people Arizona in Winter - western Canadians Cancun, and most Mexican areas with all inclusive resorts - Americans Croatia in August - Italians', 'I found out while visiting family in the Philippines this past summer that Koreans view the Philippines similarly to how Americans view Mexico as a travel destination.', 'Thailand and Bali - Australians and Russians Hawaii - Japanese', \"It also depends on closenness. Northern Italy is packed of germans because it's pretty and conveniently close. Edit: cuzco used to be packed with Israeli, they even had a couple of Jewish/Israeli hostels.\", 'Azores - Rhode Islanders lmao', 'Argentinians love:\\n- Punta del Este, Uruguay\\n- Florianopolis, Rio de Janeiro & Buzios, Brazil\\n- Miami and New York, USA\\n- Madrid and Barcelona, Spain\\n- Cancun, Mexico\\n- Punta Cana, DR', 'Anywhere - Dutch', 'Switzerland seemed to be quite popular with people from India.', 'Many hotels cater to KOREANS in Philippines.', 'Ibiza- Brits', 'We get a lot of tourists from Germany and Austria in Croatia purely because of proximity, but I feel like our numbers of Czechs, Slovaks, Poles and to a lesser extent Hungarians are really high relative to the total number of tourists from those countries. It feels like there are entire towns on the coast where Czech or Slovak become the first language by number of speakers during the summer.', 'Canadians do a thing for every 1-2 years, it feels like everyone you know goes to a specific country. Post-COVID lockdowns, all Canadians went to Portugal. This year it has been Colombia', 'British ppl love dubai', 'Da Nang, Vietnam - Koreans Nha Trang, Vietnam - Russians', \"Mykonos - British gay guys Ayia Napa, Magaluf, Ibiza - British teens/early 20s Costa Del Sol, Costa Brava - British families, also people who want the sunshine in a place that caters to those who can eat a Full English in 35 degree heat Thailand, Goa - Brits on a gap year Amsterdam - Brits on a stag do (see also: anywhere Ryanair flies) Barbados, Tuscany, Provence - middle-class+ Brits Dubai, Maldives - people who play football in Britain (especially Muslim players) Edinburgh - Americans London - seeing a lot of Korean tourists here recently, not sure why it's so popular!\", 'Puerta Vallarta in Mexico is FILLED with Canadians', \"I've never associated Cancun with American families. It's often younger people from US/Canada partying.\", 'Niagara Falls - Indians', 'Thailand seems to be popular with Russians and Aussies', 'In Tampa we get a lot of people from the Canada, the Northeast, and the Midwest. In Miami, all over but mostly rich Latin Americans. In San Antonio when I lived there, it was also a lot of wealthy Latin Americans. They liked going to our mall since things were cheaper there. In Western Canada there are loads of Brits and Aussies doing working holidays. Most of your servers tend to be from there.', 'I live in Costa Rica, where most tourists are from the U.S. and Canada.', 'Florida during the winter months - retired French speaking Québécois (we call them Snowbirds) \\nAny popular sun destinations in Mexico, Cuba and/or Dominican Republic - Québécois', \"I feel liike Georgia (the Caucasus Georgia, not the US Georgia) is a more popular travel destination for Poles, than other nations? Maybe a Georgian can confirm, but I've seen whole Polish-oriented businesses there and plenty of Poles are absolutely obsessed with Georgia (NGL, including me).\", 'Death Valley and Desert Southwest - Germans', \"As someone who lives in Quebec I can confirm that it is hugely popular with people who live in this part of Canada. It's a short flight from Montreal and there are tons of package deals where you get flight, hotel and meals included for a reasonable price. I would think that it would be less popular for Western Canadians since there are other sun destinations that are closer (ex. Puerto Vallarta) but can someone confirm that?\", 'Niagara Falls - Indians/Pakistani/Bangladeshi ppl', \"Ummm usually a mix but lot's of British do the Australia and NZ for working holiday, they seem to far outnumber anyone else, coming in second were South Americans. There's a lot of Russians in certain parts of S.E Asia, lot's of Israeli's in India. \\nThere used to be a lot more Chinese everywhere! Not so much anymore. \\nBritish and Irish like the Spanish Islands and Canary Islands. \\nAmericans like to do big bus tours of Ireland, when I was there it seemed like mainly big bus loads of big Americans tipping anyone that was in the way.\", 'Namibia had a lot of German toursits, due to them being a former colony and German being commonly spoken there.', 'Valencia, Spain - British Maui - Americans from the West Coast Cabo San Lucas - Americans Death Valley USA - Germans Prague - Germans', \"I asked someone from Iceland, who worked in the tourism industry, what does she/everyone do in the winter and she said that many Icelandic people go to Mexico or Thailand/Vietnam. She was very specific that it was those two areas, which I found odd. Not sure if it was everyone or just her group of friends but that's what she said. Thailand/Vietnam and Mexico for Icelandic people.\", 'Germans love northern Canada. For decades, the only international flight into Whitehorse airport has been a direct flight from Germany that runs during the peak summer months to handle the influx of tourists.', 'India is very popular with (older) Brits, (younger, post military service) Israelis and Russians. Indians love going to Singapore, Malaysia and Maldives. Australia too I think.', \"It's not really based on nationality, more like convenience, easy access. I'd travel to SEA more often if only a couple of hours from the US.\", 'Hakone - Aussies\\nNew Zealand - Aussies\\nBali - Aussies Cebu, Phillipines - Koreans Japan and Taiwan - Taiwanese and Japanese love visiting each other Vietnam - Chinese tourists I second the Russians for anywhere beach front in Egypt on the Red Sea', \"Bangkok seems to have different groups of tourists for each part, to the extent that some malls and areas have a certain nationality attached to them. From what I've seen myself (am Thai) Siam Square: Malaysians, Indonesians, Arabs, Indians Ratchaprasong/Ratchadamri (Centralworld area): Singaporeans, Chinese, Malaysians, Vietnamese\\n(fun fact, I actually saw a car with a Malaysian license plate in the parking lot of a mall there) Pratunam: Indonesians, Burmese Huai Khwang/Ratchada: Chinese Nana: Westerners, Arabs, South Asians Asok: Arabs, Koreans, Westerners Phrom Phong, Thonglor (Sukhumvit): Japanese, Westerners Silom: Japanese\", \"About every resort town has a imbalance in where people come from. They have all pretty much the same offering and consequently the visitors are to a large extend based on word of mouth, convenient connections and financial interests of large tour operators that offer cheap packaged deals.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Has anyone ever noticed that people based on nationality tend to vacation in the same destinations? What are some that you have noticed?\n\nMine are:\n\nCuba - Canadians\n\nCancun - American families\n\nOaxaca - Germans and Dutch\n\nMallorca - Germans\n\nSharm El Sheikh - Russians and Ukrainians\n\nEastern Europe - Turkish men", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Kauai and Big Island are largely nature focused and Maui is expensive, so prices out all but the richest Japanese (since the Yen is so weak).', 'Chinese love Paris', 'They are partial to Uzbekistan too. There are direct flights from Tokyo to Tashkent the last I heard.', 'it’s because japanese are a large minority group in hawaii', 'I mean, I was in Hawaii in 1987 and a Japanese couple wanted me to take a picture of them in front of Hertz Car Rental shop. Status thing, popularity...at the time.', \"It's only really to Kuta too, as soon as you leave the tourist hubs it drops off dramatically.\", 'Redneck aussies', \"Pretty much. Most other types of tourist trip - sunny beaches, city breaks, hiking, skiing, cruises - can be reached with a 2 hour flight to another bit of Europe. But there's nothing matching Orlando for theme parks. If a Brit (or a lot of Europeans) mention that they've been to the US but only once, it's pretty likely to have been Orlando, then New York City, then Vegas as a distant third.\", 'It’s the sun. I’m a very freckly ginger kid who grew up in Florida. I wore SPF 930000000 anytime I was close to a window. I worked at a pool bar, and I would watch my fellow melanin deficient British brethren get Chernobyl level radiation poisoning and smile while the flesh melted off their bodies. I never understood it, until I moved to New England a few years ago. Seasonal affective disorder is a mother fucker. I now will let myself get lightly toasted when I visit my parents so I can remember what the sun feels like when I have to return to Massachusetts in the winter.', \"It's also why some of worst driving you'll ever see happens around Orlando. You have a lot of foreign tourists in one place who aren't familiar with the area and all driving on the opposite side of the road than they're used to, trying to drive while following Waze at the same time. I live about an hour away in Tampa, but that Disney to SeaWorld to Universal corridor is just a shitshow of bad driving.. I've seen people do U-Turns from the right lane, come to a complete stop on interstate on-ramps while trying to merge, and all kinds of head-scratching nonsense whenever I'm over that way.\", 'Irish visit as well. We came for universal, hhn and added sea world, busch gardens and discovery cove as well. Place seems fairly stocked with British though.', \"Yeah. And it's August as the school holidays here really limit your ability to travel as a family when it's less hot. (A colleague of mine went this summer as her child was about to reach the age when Disney charges adult admission, so it was a now or never thing...)\", 'I have a British friend that does a transatlantic cruise from England to Florida once a year and spends a couple days there before flying home.', 'Maybe I was just there during some Brazilian holiday but it felt like 1/5th the entire population at Disney Orlando were from Brazil.', 'hah I thought Brazilians were the ones who visited Orlando for Disneyland the most', 'Shockingly, that was 2 years ago! (I will try, but will never forget Ian)', 'Guided tours are also really popular with Americans, especially older people. My parents won’t just book tickets to Rome and explore on their own. They need a guide wit them every step of the way.', 'It sucks that Americans don’t venture out. How are you going to explore a new culture from a damn boat?!?', 'The Germans have the Brits beat it Mallorca!', 'Yeah, not even comparable to the Italians.', 'No, Slovenians are right after Germans.', 'Boracay, Cebu, Palawan, etc. in particular. Pretty much anywhere with great beaches and resorts.', \"I recall hearing good things said about Vietnam through Korean sources. They say it's a beautiful nation that's modernizing so quickly. It makes sense that there is a good amount of Koreans in Vietnam given the admiration.\", 'They heard there was a drinking party.', 'Oktoberfest begins then!', 'Encountered a lot of Australians in Japan too. More than any other English speaking tourists', 'Someone told me it was seasonal - in some months, it gets a lot of French visitors.', 'I went to Hawaii in September and encountered a lot of Koreans. There were plenty of Japanese people too, but I always seemed to be followed closely by Korean couples everywhere I went', 'I have been to Martinique and Guadeloupe and it’s honestly far easier for me to get to Paris just because of the limited flight options. There is only one flight from Miami and it only departs a few times a week.', \"You will probably find a Dutch or German person just about anywhere you go too. But that isn't what you asked. Aussies tend to go to Bali as their cliche destination.\", 'I rarely met any Australians in my travels. I traveled very little to Asia and mostly stuck to South America and Europe.\\nAmericans are always the nationality I run into the most. Everywhere I go, i find an American that quit their job to travel.', \"A lot of Israeli take a gap year after finishing the military, and most of them head to South America to travel. I also met loads of Israeli in colombia as I was there last month. Salento also had an Israeli/jewish hostel. Cuzco is super popular because it's a cool city and it also has loads of parties. My peruvian friends told me the Israeli are the tourists that party the hardest.\", 'No it’s not? There aren’t even direct flights from Vancouver to Havana. For western Canadians it’s easier to get to other sun destinations.', 'And they’re allowed to go there unlike Americans. The US government requires us to have special permission to go to cuba.', '>In the late 19th century, many Portuguese, mainly Azoreans and Madeirans, emigrated to the eastern U.S., establishing communities in New England coastal cities, primarily but not limited to Tiverton, East Providence, Valley Falls, and Pawtucket in Rhode Island,\\\\6\\\\ and Taunton, Brockton, Fall River, and New Bedford in Southeastern Massachusetts. From wikipedia', 'Rhode Island has a lot of people of Portuguese or lusophone heritage. I never found out why but someone from there told me that a long time ago. So I guess the Azores are their version of Hawaii.', 'Am Portuguese, born in MA, have been to São Miguel. My grandfather emigrated to the US because there were huge fishing communities with plentiful work along the east coast, and the Azorean economy wasn’t particularly strong (then or now), so many saw it as a chance to start over in a field they know where the chances of having a better life were much higher. Besides all that- the Azores are absolutely beautiful and haven’t lost much of the charm that old school Hawaiian travelers will immediately tell you Hawaii lost 40 years ago. Easier to get to than Hawaii, super affordable, much less disneyfied culture, and has a truly unique and distinct feel to it. I miss it every day.', '>I never quite understood that oddly specific linkage but it is a thing. Huge lusophone population. Really, really good bakeries as a result.', \"Many of my ancestors came from Portugal and specifically the Azores and went through Providence on their way to settling around New England. There is a huge Portuguese (non-Brazilian) population around the south coast of Massachusetts, Providence, and a few pockets scattered through other parts of Massachusetts. Makes sense to me - it's the ancestral homeland for many people in RI and Massachusetts. \\nThere is a huge Luso-American festival/fair on Labor Day weekend in Ludlow, MA. I'm sure there are a few others around New England, too.\", \"no shit it's islands\", 'Miami is the closest city for Argentinians who want to go shopping and/or partying, so it makes sense. New York comes in second place, it’s further away, more expensive but still very popular among Argentinian tourists', \"We're still colonising the world 😂\", 'I quite often encounter Dutch tourists in Tasmania in the middle of the wilderness. Can confirm they travel everywhere!', 'Same when I was in north Wales a few years ago', \"I do not know why haha, I guess because our country is so small and flat we like to travel abroad and then get hooked on traveling? It's the only thing I can think of\", 'They do, as well as so many vacation days. I work for a global company and our Dutch location provides 40 days vacation!', \"I've observed this too and my guess is that it's because it is the largest of the top 10 wealthiest countries in Europe, while also having a high degree of English proficiency (makes global travel much easier IMO) and generous vacation policies.\", \"DDLJ most notable and the single driving factor for Swiss tourism I'm almost certain.\", 'Cebu and the Visayas are *very* popular with Koreans - I swear more than half of my students had been there by age 10', 'Nah, Benidorm', 'Nah, Italians.', 'Istria is really close to Austria and southern Germany, and is generally slightly more expensive in terms of accomodations, so it is absolutely dominated by German, Austrian and Slovenian tourists. Czechs, Slovaks and Poles tend to be an overwhelming majority in some of the budget destinations further south - Vir and Makarska for example.', 'It’s cause the yen is down', 'I knew quite a few people who had plans to Japan that were cancelled due to COVID, probably making a comeback!', 'I think Portugal also introduced a digital nomad passport that led to a whole bunch of Americans going there. Not sure if it was targeted marketing or just anecdotal based on big American cities I’ve lived in but many black Americans I know talk about visiting Portugal.', 'Rip WOW airlines 😞', 'Oh I would put Italy up there too, but I feel like Italy is like a permanent spot haha', 'There is a gay district in PV. I have a gay friend in the US and he goes once a year.', 'My experience has been exactly the opposite. Vacationed with my family in PDC and saw lots of other families and going through Cancun, it seemed like it was mostly younger under 30 crowds.', 'Fiji would be up there I’d say', 'It is, indeed!', \"I find Mexico to be a far better tourist destination than CR because it's cheaper and not as touristy and the food is 20x better. I have been all over Mexico and it's just as diverse as the US in regards to scenery. There are mountains, oceans, deserts, and anything else. Easily one of my favorite countries and it's probably where I will retire to.\", 'No, is not sample bias. Mexico is the third most visited country by Costa Ricans after the US and Panama.', \"I'm from a nearby country (Bahrain) .Georgie is basically an alt to Saudis who can't afford going to Europe but want similar vibes, same with Baku - usually they go to central or western Europe.\", \">the mountain rescue service is apparently run by Polish volunteers because the Georgian government doesn't see the need to handle it. lol, I didn't know. Well, i'm not much of a hiker, but Georgia just has a lot to offer imho. Great food, rich history, diverse landscape. People are super friendly and welcoming (particularly to Poles, due to political reasons and historical similarities, i suppose). The mountain views are to die for, absolutely world class + you pay much less for just about anything than in comparable locations. I would compare the views to Switzerland, Austria, or even (yes!) New Zealand, all of which are waaay more punishing to a Polish wallet.\", 'Last year, I witnessed many people trying to hike the Grand Canyon with polo shirts, birkenstocks, and a single .5 L bottle of water. In July. Luckily most of them turned back before getting too low.', 'ja, ve hike all ze time in the summer; we love sport. This will be no problem. Ist gut.', 'And those in southern Ontario just drive to the nearest US border airport and fly to US destinations for very cheap. My airport parking garage is chock full of Canadian plates.', 'Most educated people here speak both languages. Amongst ourselves, a lot of Quebec francophone and Quebec anglophones will act like they don’t speak the other language for political reasons, but for tourists we’ll miraculously remember how to speak English', 'The more expensive the hotel/resort, the less Canadian staff there is. Tofino staff was basically all Australian/European when we visited', \"They are doing working holiday visa tho. It's very popular for them as they have a chance of saving a lot of money that has a lot of value in their home countries. I know several Argentinian who did a working holiday visa and saved enough money to buy an house once they were back in Argentina.\\nOp post is about tourists so not really relevant.\", 'Not a huge loss imo but doubt that’s true. India has taken an embarrassingly pro Israel stance that deviates from our historical solidarity with Palestine. So it’s not like Israelis will be unwelcome (though they are known to be antisocial and disruptive in places like Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and in certain coastal areas and the locals aren’t overtly fond of them).', \"I live right outside of NYC. I've lived here my whole life and am very used to the fast pace, constantly running around, working, etc. I live for my annual Caribbean vacation, where I can enjoy the relaxing, slower pace and just de-stress. We usually travel to Aruba, it's so welcoming and friendly, but we've enjoyed some of the other islands as well. It's interesting that people from different cultures and daily lifestyles enjoy doing something completely different on vacation! \\nWhere do you live?\", 'I stopped by a random target near Disney and it was I kid you not FILLED with a huge group of Brazilian kids on a tour group, all wearing the same bright yellow t-shirts, every aisle either standing or sitting on the ground, I would estimate at least 300+ Brazili teenagers in that store alone…', 'Idk abt Capodoccia specifically, but Koreans have a fondness for the Turks since the latter punched above their weight during the Korean War', 'We go for the diverse food scene, theater, and surrounding natural features. It’s also very clean and not hella touristy (scammy). Go Leafs', \"Toronto has one of the most diverse food scenes on the planet. And its cultural attractions are among the best on the continent. You can toss in one of the world's greatest waterfalls as an easy day trip as well.\", \"Not even in the top 20? Surely you jest! I'm not the city's greatest fan, and to each his own, etc., but the multicultural scene (including the food), the museums, theatre, the neighbourhoods and the general vibe are hard to beat for a place Toronto's size. I want to hear which 20 North American cities come ahead of it.\", 'Wow really? They were everywhere when I was there.', 'Came here to mention the visible presence in Mui Ne', \"I never said that. I didn't mean this as any major insult, more joking around, knowing I probably pronounce things oddly too! I've noticed this commonly among Brits I've seen in media. I love Britain...please relax and don't take it so personally.\", \"I know many Americans (including myself) who enjoy going to Canada and do so frequently. I know 4 separate couples who have gone to Nova Scotia for leisure in the past year. Banff is getting way more popular as well. Americans generally have positive things to say about Canada and view it highly for nature and sightseeing. On the flip side, I don't know that many people who go to the DR specifically. The Bahamas on a cruise is also popular. If I really wanna be specific, Americans love visiting other parts of America the most because it's just easier and no passport required. I'm not even trying to argue, that is just what I've noticed as an American myself. Not saying that Mexico isn't popular either.\", \"That sounds inviting. Is that true that it is similar to Hawaii - don't care about the culture or vibe - just a tropical haven without people (well all the tourists that are in Hawaii). Those extra hours over the ocean might be worth it!\", 'That’s a very interesting observation. I’d say my personal visits to Hawaii line up with this. Saw a ton of Japanese tourists when I went to Ohau for “siteseeing”, but really never see them on Maui or Kauai when just hanging out at the beach.', 'Chinese love Hallstatt', 'And taking pictures of everything in Paris', 'How did that one come about?', \"I've only been once, and I visited all 3 😆 along with many other places. Flew into JFK, drove down the east coast to florida, kids went to Disney, me and hubby lazed by the pool, then went west, eventually stopping in San Fran and flying to Hawaii.\", \"Omg that's so funny no I wonder I run into so many British men in Vegas.\", 'I mean they can do Disney in Europe too. Disneyland Paris is reachable in 3 hours from London.', 'Honestly as a Florida native it’s the locals that are the real problem, some are transplants that brought their shitty driving from New Jersey and PA and Maryland but also there’s just a toxic culture here that manifests on the road', 'Same with my parents! We all went to Copenhagen together a few weeks ago and it was the first time they’d never had a guide and my dad asked about it every day.', 'I mean plenty of Americans do… The kind of people that go to all inclusive resorts aren’t interested in exploring a new culture tho. They want a resort vacation with good weather and good prices. They don’t really care *which* country it’s in at the end of the day. Same with Brits in the south of Spain and Aussies in Bali.', 'Plenty of Americans don’t do cruses or all-inclusive resorts.', 'Many Americans do like venturing out (I’m one of them) but most people have limited vacation time from work and want a relaxing, do nothing type of trip so that’s why they like cruises and all-inclusives. Also, the US is very culturally diverse so you almost don’t need to visit as many countries to experience other cultures.', 'Cruises are usually for old people or families with younger children (aka mobility limited).', \"I remember I had a connecting flight in Mallorca to Madrid and my friend's ear was in severe pain so we went to the doctor at the airport. The doctor was German lol\", 'The wildest people I ever met in hostels were always Aussies lol.', 'The Shitsenfaced!', \"They're relatively close, makes logistics easier\", 'Japan is \"close\" for us Aussies...aka you only need to take the one flight.', \"Yup. I think that's American Airlines. Otherwise from the U.S. you either have to connect somewhere else in the West Indies, or in Montreal. And the U.S. there are far many more destinations in the Caribbeans that are direct flights and where nearly everyone speaks English.\", 'Bali is Cancun for Aussies', 'I’m Aussie never want to go to Bali yuk. I prefer places I can drink the water 😂', 'That\\'s changed a lot over the years, apparently. I did quite a bit of backpacking in Europe in the 90s. It was relatively uncommon to meet fellow U.S. citizens on the road. Canadians and Australians seemed to make up the bulk of English-speaking backpackers, often doing extended \"gap year\" tours. In fact, it was a running joke that there were more Aussies outside of Australia than inside of Australia. The consensus was that U.S. Americans on the whole (a) didn\\'t have a gap year tradition; (b) had short vacations; and (c) were disinclined to learn about foreign cultures.', 'I almost never run across Americans but maybe it’s the locations where I go. Latin America and Eastern Europe are my preferred places.', \"South America is probably the most ambitious place for Australians to get to, coming from a west coast Aussie. It's far! And it's a lot of flights. Europe tends to be an easy, albeit long, two parter. \\nSEA is easy for us. Lots of flights, and everything is relatively cheap.\", \"Western Canada, for sure. For Easterners, it's absolutely the closest and the cheapest. Havana also isn't as popular of a destination as the rest of Cuba, where people take advantage of all-inclusive packages to resorts.\", 'This isn’t really true anymore. You can’t go there for tourism, but there are a handful of reasons you can go. All you have to do is stay at a casa particular and select “to support the Cuban people” when booking the airline ticket. I went there for tourism, I just didn’t call it that.', 'Seems like there’s a lot of Portuguese-speaking communities in New England. I’ve never been to the Boston area before, but what I’ve heard is that many Brazilians end up moving there for various reasons. The only other places in America with as many Brazilians are South Florida and Orlando.', 'I worked in New Bedford, Fall River area as Nurse. From 2000-10 almost every person was second generation from the Azores. The Ones over 60 rarely spoke English. Very close families that always wanted to feed you, and pretty good food. But the younger ones learned Portuguese an spoke both.', 'Started with Whaling. Ships would leave new bedford/nantucket/etc. without a full crew because it was hard to recruit ppl for such a shitty, dangerous job. Since azoreans were already well versed in day whaling, they made for great crew members for longer term sailings. So the ships then stopped in the azores to staff up and then those crew members would return with them to South coast, MA and RI.', 'Worth travelling to New Bedford and visit the New Bedford Whaling Museum and you will understand why. The second floor has a whole section with Portuguese descriptions about the roles of Portugueses (specifically from Azores) and Cape Verdeans in the whaling industry there.', '>So I guess the Azores are their version of Hawaii. There is actually a distinct Portuguese minority (Portagee/Podagee as opposed to Haole for other Caucasian people) on Hawaii. The Hawaiian Portuguese mainly came from the Azores and Madeira.', 'if you go to the Jersey Gardens outlet mall (which is a 5 minute shuttle available directly from Newark Airport) you will see lots of Argentinians wheeling their suitcases around and filling them with purchases from the mall before heading to their flights.', 'Ended up traveling with Dutch people in Vietnam and Ethiopia', \"And didn't bother to use any of the spices!\", 'Rumour is Dutch avoid Dutch abroad? Any thoughts?', \"That's insane though, 25 days a year is the norm. Although you build up more every month and you can choose to let your overtime hours become PTO\", \"Wow, I'm so jealous.\", 'And because WestJet has started offering direct, non-stop flights from Calgary or Vancouver to Tokyo.', 'That explains why I thought everything was so cheap last year. A bowl of ramen was like $6 and would cost $15 here in Dallas.', 'I’m a Black Canadian and went to Portugal last year. I should have realized this because of colonization, but I was very surprised on how many Blacknpeople there were in Portugal. To the point that I had people coming up to me speaking Portuguese assuming I was a local. I don’t get that experience in Europe so I can see the appeal', \"Guess it all depends on where you hang out. I lived in PDC for a few months during COVID and I got the vibe that it's a serious party town. Tons of drug dealers on 5th ave and lots of night clubs and bars.\", \"I can't wait to get back there someday. It has been 12 ish years now since I was last there\", \"I used to live in Bahrain many years ago! I kinda miss it. Maybe it's the shawarma I miss more than anything. I hope to find an excuse to return and see how things have changed in 25 years. Thanks very much for the explanation, that makes a ton of sense. I couldn't wrap my head around what was so attractive about Georgia specifically to Saudis. Like, entire family units, which I rarely see in my travels elsewhere.\", \"Yup, Georgia is one of my absolute fav countries and I can't wait to visit again. Even their stray dogs are friendly! These two accompanied me the whole way up a mountain: https://imgur.com/a/Rc43Ede\", \"I'm American and visited Quebec for the first time last summer. In Montreal I would ask locals in French if they spoke English (if I knew I wouldn't be able to hold the conversation in French) and nearly everyone spoke English fluently. I would try to speak only in French if I felt confident enough. I felt silly after realizing most people can switch to English and don't need to ask them. I did see some anti-English graffiti in Quebec City but nearly every person I met there was friendly and hope to visit Quebec again.\", 'I absolutely love Quebec. In all my visits most my time has been in Montreal or Quebec City but the people are friendly and always a good time.', '>They are doing working holiday visa tho. It\\'s very popular for them as they have a chance of saving a lot of money that has a lot of value in their home countries. I actually agree with this. For alot of people it\\'s about money. For example I\\'ve never seen Indians on a working holiday visa treat like a holiday. \\n It\\'s literally in the name though. Its a working \"holiday\" visa. You get a holiday and they get some labour out of it. It\\'s very crude concept to some but I\\'ve seen alot of people use it as a travel visa. I feel like there\\'s more backpackers on it than other demographics. Makes no difference to your assessment though as technically they\\'re all wage workers. Let me ask you something though. In all the countries you\\'ve been to, have you never witnessed backpackers working part time jobs and doing chores at the establishment they stay at to make a quick buck ? You must have. They don\\'t call it a working holiday but that\\'s exactly what it is.', 'Lol it’s hilarious and delusional to think that Israelis are more disruptive than the local Rajasthani men. Not sure what it is that you’re trying to do here with your weird comment, but you need to touch grass', \"Don't think I met a single Russian there this year. Did you go pre-war?\", 'I just bristle at the idea of someone thinking we all have Cockernee accents, lol!', 'Yes there are people who love visiting Canada. But on the macro scale, Canada is rarely visited when you consider the size of the US population. In June 2019, Canadians made 3.6 million trips to USA. Meanwhile Americans made 2.1 million trips to Canada. And that was a record high: https://beta.ctvnews.ca/national/canada/2019/8/21/1_4559179.html But that’s an incredibly low number when you consider USA has nearly 9x more people than Canada. And 1/3rd of American visits are daytrips (someone in Detroit or Buffalo going to a concert).', \"From Japan, Guam is closer than Hawaii. We looked into going to Hawaii twice, but yeah, we are poor so we went to Guam and then Saipan. Guam's main beach is really beautiful.\", 'The only people who call Guam \"Poor Man\\'s Hawaii\" are military. They have a completely different experience of Guam than the average tourist. Guam is expensive to get to for CONUS people, time and money. Guam is similar in that it has a resort town but there are fewer tourists than Hawaii. Food is like if the Philippines and Mexico had a baby. Guam particularly caters to Japanese and South Korean tourists. Guam doesn\\'t compete with Hawaii for tourists because Korean and Japanese tourists want to go to Hawaii anyways even if they visit Guam. Hawaii is like a occasional trip for them whereas Guam is seen as a weekend trip for Japanese and Korean tourists.', 'No, Guam is awful and I would recommend it to nobody.', 'Japanese and Koreans also spend way less on beach vacations so there’s that too. There’s both a strong awareness of sun damage and cultural beauty standards that dictate that beautiful women are fair-skinned or very pale. The end result is many women don’t like to be outdoors, or when they are they carry umbrellas/parasols, sunbonnets or long-sleeve shirts even to the beach (with a pound of sunscreen to be safe). Ironically, that used to be the case for Japanese men as well (tanned skin was an indicator of a low-class peasant who worked the fields). Now it’s considered masculine and appealing. But views of pale skinned women as the ideal haven’t budged.', 'I have absolutely no idea. Uzbekistan is a top-tier destination though. Their historical cities are really incredible and richly deserve their UNESCO status.', 'That sounds like the dopest trip, good for you guys 👍 That drive down to Florida isn’t easy but it’s definitely memorable especially if you make it fun which you so easily can. My parents took all 4 kids down to Florida from NY, I was 7 and I have the fondest of memories of that lol', 'What a wild trip, just geographically. It\\'s like saying \"I flew into London, drove down to Italy to check out the Amalfi coast, then went east eventually stopping in Moscow and flying to Dubai.\"', \"Disneyland Paris is very good for a weekend break, but Orlando is the world's only real 'I want to visit a different theme park or water park every day for two weeks' kind of destination. Plus the additional appeal of being a consistently warm English-speaking tourism hub. That's why many Brits and Europeans who would never normally consider a long-haul trip make an exception for Orlando.\", \">Honestly as a Florida native it’s the locals that are the real problem I've lived in 5 states and the locals and day to day driving here in Florida is no worse than anyplace else. EVERY city thinks that the traffic and drivers are the worst in their particular place. But that's just not the case. https://youtu.be/XIe\\\\_yGQ8Gek?si=Kc4lx27xYZf5lf0Q&t=703 Orlando is a special exception because of how many visitors from the UK are there all trying their best at the same time.\", 'People in Alaska say cruises are for the well fed, nearly dead, and newly wed.', 'We have a reputation to uphold.', 'Sydney to Tokyo is 10h, LA to Tokyo is 12h. Its more that Australians don’t have a lot of close travel options.', \"My friend is French and was going to Guadeloupe for vacation from NYC. He ended up missing the American Airlines flight and the next one wasn't for 3 days. The airline rerouted him through Paris as that was quicker than going anywhere else. So he did NYC-Paris-Guadeloupe. And regarding Guadeloupe and Martinique, I think those are my two favorite islands in the Caribbean. They aren't overrun with tourists and the islands feel more authentic. I don't think I saw a single Sandals type of resort on either island. It was also nice having Carrefour and other French stores. One of my big complaints about islands like Barbados is the food availability isn't great.\", 'It’s only a certain type of Aussie who will go Bali, if I’m travelling to Asia I’d prefer Vietnam, Cambodia, Japan or Singapore. But for a country that’s so bloody far from anything we do like to travel!!', 'Around 2000-2010 all I ever met was backpacking aussies in hostels.', \"So many people from Quebec head to Cuba. They get best flights - being closer - odd we don't see more east coasters heading to the islands.\", 'Met so many Dutch people in Vietnam haha, Thailand too. Its insane. Some hostels were like 80% Dutch people', \"Well, we see Dutch people all the time so we're not going to spend our money on meeting other Dutch abroad... \\n \\nSome Dutch do avoid Dutch abroad, others go to Dutch campings, bed and breakfasts etc.\", 'Definitely, I see plenty of Dutch at home, lol', \"There's a lot of black people here in Portugal, I think only France and maybe the UK have more per capita in Europe\", 'That’s because Angola and Mozambique were both Portuguese colonies. Brazil also has a lot of black people.', 'Things have changed a lot just in the six years I’ve lived here. So my advice would be to visit locations you didn’t go to 12 years ago…or you will be mourning what you knew.', 'I’m happy you had a good time. Yes, people need to understand that most quebecois don’t hate English people in general. That graffiti was not aimed at you. Our politics are complicated, but every country’s politics are complicated to outsiders. When I go to the USA and someone talks politics to me and I’m about to start arguing, my wife always tells me “not our circus, not our clowns”', 'I’m happy you enjoyed. Yeah, we’re mostly shitty amongst each other.', 'Not a weird comment, just the truth. Idk why you’re getting so offended, it’s literally what the locals feel. Have road tripped all over Rajasthan myself and never really found any of the locals to be disruptive. It was definitely a different vibe when I travelled there for work, the local men refused to meet my eyes but were happy catcalling me. Came across several Israelis wandering about barefoot and high as kites. Didn’t seem like they were causing a ruckus but the locals just didn’t like them 🤷🏽\\u200d♀️especially around holy places like Pushkar. Similar stories in HP - was even told by locals to stay away from them and there was definitely friction with local law enforcement (they have a reputation of being thieves and drug users).', \"We don't all think that! British media have become more popular in the US, and some of us (nerds) hear many accents nowadays.\", \"I thought there's no way it could be a weekend trip but Tokyo to Guam is a 3h 15min flight. That's about the same distance as me flying to NYC from Dallas and I would definitely do that as a weekend trip.\", 'Serious or joking?', 'And then something happened in the late 90s and the dark gyaru(https://images.app.goo.gl/7nxutgMvJUUoi9F5A) trend became huge', 'Never looked into Uzbekistan travel. Might have to now!', \"I mean, I live in the UK and frequently drive to Italy and Croatia, then over to Spain to visit my mum, across to Portugal, and then back home. I love travelling, granted in Europe we use our camper rather than a SUV. The trip across America was part of a round the world trip. Give or take it's about the same 5k miles.\", 'Sure, but don’t discount the relative time differences - Japan is only two hours off of Sydney, vs 17 hours from LA', \"Our dollar goes much further in Japan than America. And it's not a boganfest like Bali.\", \"There's so much to Bali, the stereotypical Aussie travellers are almost exclusively confined to the far south of the island. Even at ubud it drops off, but go further north and the number of tourists drops dramatically.\", 'We stayed in a resort in the Liberia area and went to Coco Beach twice that week. I would like to see Tamarindo are. Dream would be to move there, but that is probably never gonna happen', 'Your anecdotal (and might I say largely inaccurate views) should not be presented as fact', \"It's primarily a chance to go shopping in American stores.\", 'yes', 'I did not like my visit to that place at all.', 'Uzbek plov was one of my favourite discoveries from touring the former eastern bloc menu staples, so I have them on my list, also.', 'And aussies just take it for granted that an 7 or 8 hour flight is the minimum to really leave the country', 'I always find going to Western Europe worse. I leave Texas at 6pm and arrive in London at 8am jet lagged as hell. With Tokyo I can leave at 10am and arrive there around 4-5pm so I only need to stay awake for a few hours before going to sleep. One time I did fly from LA to Tokyo and the flight left at 11pm and arrived in Tokyo at 5am. That was hell.', 'Saying Japan is 17hours off from LA is disingenuous, it’s 7 hours off. Saying somewhere is more than 12 hours off is just ridiculous.', 'I live in Flamingo, about a half-hour north of Tamarindo. I’d suggest Flamingo over Tamarindo, as it’s quieter but still has plenty to do — and you can drive to Tamarindo to spend the day. I think CR is an excellent choice for vacationing, but not so much for living full time.', 'My anecdotal views are a factual recounting of local feelings towards Israeli tourists who are mostly young people coming after their mandatory military service and looking to let off steam in a country which is highly conservative and doesn’t take kindly to certain behaviours. Your rigid denial of what I’m saying is hilarious and misplaced. Maybe go try talking to locals in these areas, known simultaneously for their spiritual culture as well as their use of narcotics in religion and spirituality - and how they feel about foreigners who come here with limited understanding of the overlap between the two. These locals also do not take too kindly to urban Indians who come to their communities to party, but the difference is the attitude towards money and payments owed. Aranyak is an engrossing crime thriller based in HP that deals with this in part. This is like a well known thing.', 'Not so much. I think South Korea and Japan have more American shopping than Guam. I think Guam is just not a daunting destination to visit. People in Guam are generally native English speakers, so the communication barrier is lessened. Guam caters to tourism so the society is accepting and welcoming of tourists. The tourism infrastructure is there. Some taxis are affiliated with Kakao Taxi. There are a few low cost carriers from South Korea flying to Guam. Tax free luxury shopping is a plus especially for tourists who are a little apprehensive to purchase from a snooty SA in their home city.', 'I will remember this for when the chance to vacation comes around again', 'Feel free to DM when that time comes. I’m always happy to help.', 'Thank you so much.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Looking to plan a long weekend getaway with a bestie some time next year - flying out of ATL so anywhere that's \\~5hrs or less. Thinking maybe (but not necessarily) tropical, possibly with vineyards or other signature drink-related culture. Affordable, but not trying to be cheap. Open to just about anything - but not the Virgin Islands, and not Bahamas. Hit me with your best suggestions!\n\nMain requirements: beautiful scenery, great food, great drink options. Cultural history a plus. Not into large crowds or party scenes (like Ibiza or Rio).\n\n\\*\\*Edit - to be clear, because valid point made in the comments. I'm not specifically looking for tropical AND vineyards - together. Just that these are two types of destinations that would be appealing to us. ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"Tropical and vineyards are typically competing geographies. Wine grapes grow in a Mediterranean-type climate and don't typically fare well in the tropics. Baja California (Mexico) is a desert, but it is hot and coastal, and it has vineyards. That's one potential option.\", 'Beautiful scenery? Great food and drink-culture? Vineyards in 5 hours or less? Consider British Columbia!", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Looking to plan a long weekend getaway with a bestie some time next year - flying out of ATL so anywhere that's \\~5hrs or less. Thinking maybe (but not necessarily) tropical, possibly with vineyards or other signature drink-related culture. Affordable, but not trying to be cheap. Open to just about anything - but not the Virgin Islands, and not Bahamas. Hit me with your best suggestions!\n\nMain requirements: beautiful scenery, great food, great drink options. Cultural history a plus. Not into large crowds or party scenes (like Ibiza or Rio).\n\n\\*\\*Edit - to be clear, because valid point made in the comments. I'm not specifically looking for tropical AND vineyards - together. Just that these are two types of destinations that would be appealing to us. ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "There are a lot of vineyards in NC and VA. We hit a couple in Norva on Saturday after hiking Great Falls on Friday. In Richmond now, we've had some fun here. Got a nice hotel and have been walking around down, hitting the shops and different restaurants.\", \"Right - I guess I wasn't clear. I get that it could be either/or. The main thing is that it's beautiful with great food/drink options and somewhat convenient to fly from ATL for a 4-5 day trip.\", \"I do love BC. Great suggestion - hoping for somewhere new, though! Maybe a back-pocket option, though, as I'm not sure if my friend has been there before. Thanks!\", 'Oh yeah, sweet talk me with food and drink. This is the way. 😆', \"I'm seriously leaning this way. I haven't been yet, and it's accessible... I thought perhaps Aruba or Belize, too. Then I went 180 and started looking at Montreal, which is... none of the things I'm looking for, I think. LOL. I hear there's a lovely wine region in New Mexico that is underrated. Might check that out - if not this trip, then another one. Yep, I'm all over the place. Hence the crowd-sourcing!\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hey guys;\n\nHow safe is República Dominicana for a solo male and his rental car? I will be there in March and my idea is to explore more the nature, wildlife and wild beaches than the resort areas.\n\nHas anyone here had the chance to explore the country with a car? How was it? Are cars parked on the street during the night (like in Costa Rica)?\n\nI speak spanish, communication won't be a problem.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hey guys;\n\nHow safe is República Dominicana for a solo male and his rental car? I will be there in March and my idea is to explore more the nature, wildlife and wild beaches than the resort areas.\n\nHas anyone here had the chance to explore the country with a car? How was it? Are cars parked on the street during the night (like in Costa Rica)?\n\nI speak spanish, communication won't be a problem.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Has anybody been skiing in January in Switzerland (I know many of you have) and which resort you went and what the conditions were like? Thinking about treating me and my fiancé for new years.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Switzerland?", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Has anybody been skiing in January in Switzerland (I know many of you have) and which resort you went and what the conditions were like? Thinking about treating me and my fiancé for new years.", "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.*', 'St Moritz'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Am looking to visit Nepal next month to try the ABC trek. Would like to hear some views from those who have been there and tried the trek during the mid to late December period.\n\nCos it will be the off-peak season so some of the teahouses along the way may not be open from what I understand. \n\nAnything important I should note before heading there? \n\nTIA :)", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'You do know its over 12,000 feet and below zero degrees right? ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Am looking to visit Nepal next month to try the ABC trek. Would like to hear some views from those who have been there and tried the trek during the mid to late December period.\n\nCos it will be the off-peak season so some of the teahouses along the way may not be open from what I understand. \n\nAnything important I should note before heading there? \n\nTIA :)", "role": "user" }, { "content": "My plan is to head to Pokhara, see what its like and hope for the best.', 'Pokhara is honestly beautiful, one of my favourite places. Bloody long arse bus ride from Kathmandu though'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "so i wanna one day visit jamaica and explore more about the country since i have a lowkey interest in seeing jamaica irl but i was wondering if its cheaper to fly round trip or to fly one way from elp to mco on southwest and then one way on spirit from mco to sangster", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "so i wanna one day visit jamaica and explore more about the country since i have a lowkey interest in seeing jamaica irl but i was wondering if its cheaper to fly round trip or to fly one way from elp to mco on southwest and then one way on spirit from mco to sangster", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "We will be in Sintra and Cascais on December 8 and 9, respectively, and wondering if major attractions (Pena Palace, Quinta da Regaleira, etc.) will be closed? Those 2 days are interchangeable so if it makes more sense, we could do Cascais on December 8 as there seems to be more attractions in Sintra. Any advice is appreciated, thank you.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "We will be in Sintra and Cascais on December 8 and 9, respectively, and wondering if major attractions (Pena Palace, Quinta da Regaleira, etc.) will be closed? Those 2 days are interchangeable so if it makes more sense, we could do Cascais on December 8 as there seems to be more attractions in Sintra. Any advice is appreciated, thank you.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Okay, so I’m leaving on an 18-20 month trip around the world and I need to figure out how to approach the whole cell phone fiasco. I’m going to pay my phone off and have it unlocked. I’m thinking that I should then just cancel my cell service and pick up SIM cards along the way. I was told about Numberbarn.com to be able to save my existing phone number which would allow calls and texts to my current number from people that already have my number. \nHas anyone used this service? Can anyone please suggest the best route on how to go about doing this? I’ve never used SIM cards before so I’m just unsure on how to proceed. \nI live in the United States and was hoping to use the services of Numberbarn to avoid having to send a new number to friends and family back home every time I change countries or continents. Thanks in advance for any info!🙏🏻✨", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'eSIM cards are your friend if your phone isn’t super old. Makes things so much easier being able to arrive in a country immediately having internet. And they usually cover regions which is great. WhatsApp for communicating with friends or family.', 'I think it will be way easier to change your number than try to find this. What countries are you going to? Because if they’re all within the same region, you don’t need to switch it. I used Holafly last month to do Spain, France and Italy and highly recommend it. I would suggest going to their website, adding the countries you will be going to and seeing what options they give you.', '**Notice:** Are you asking for tips about using your phone/internet abroad? Read the **Guide to foreign SIM card/data plans(http://prepaid-data-sim-card.wikia.com/wiki/Prepaid_SIM_with_data)** in the sidebar!", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Okay, so I’m leaving on an 18-20 month trip around the world and I need to figure out how to approach the whole cell phone fiasco. I’m going to pay my phone off and have it unlocked. I’m thinking that I should then just cancel my cell service and pick up SIM cards along the way. I was told about Numberbarn.com to be able to save my existing phone number which would allow calls and texts to my current number from people that already have my number. \nHas anyone used this service? Can anyone please suggest the best route on how to go about doing this? I’ve never used SIM cards before so I’m just unsure on how to proceed. \nI live in the United States and was hoping to use the services of Numberbarn to avoid having to send a new number to friends and family back home every time I change countries or continents. Thanks in advance for any info!🙏🏻✨", "role": "user" }, { "content": "A global esim also works, but it’s pretty expensive for the long term so not great if you’re travelling on a budget. The only thing I would say if you take the WhatsApp + local SIM card route is turn off mobile phone two factor authentication on your accounts wherever possible, and coordinate with a close friend or family member at home to use their phone number for accounts that require you to have a mobile phone for 2FA. I was using my local SIM card at first and then kept forgetting to change it before moving countries so got locked out of accounts when I no longer had access to the old number. Was a real pain. Now I just use my mums phone number for 2FA and she forwards me the verification code on WhatsApp.', \"Check out Google Fi - it's $10/GB, e-sim compatible. Generally good coverage and speed (have visited about 30 countries with it, including less touristy places in the Caribbean islands, southern and eastern africa, and eastern Europe).\", 'Not writing an add. I just found out about it today at the AT&T store. \\nSo, don’t be a dick and help out. If that’s too hard, just keep your snarky comments to your self.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Looking to get a rolling carry on since I'm finding that my back is getting sore from carrying 40L of stuff in my Mystery Ranch Rover. I am really contemplating getting a Briggs & Riley Baseline, but I really don't travel that much, maybe 4-5 times a year; however, I really like the CX Compression System, and I am a notorious overpacker. Otherwise I'm contemplating the B&R ZDX and Travelpro Platinum Elite at half the price as well as any of the other rolling duffels from Eagle Creek or TNF. My big trip that is upcoming is Japan for 10 days with 6 days in the mountains and 4 days in Tokyo. I'll also be doing a couple other trips within the US. \n\n\nMy questions:\n\n1. Is the CX compression system really going to be that big of a difference if I am already using packing cubes?\n2. Between the ZDX and Platinum Elite, any recommendation one or the other? The ZDX is at a hefty discount from Costco but still close to $100 more than the Platinum Elite.\n3. Would it be worth considering any of the other rolling duffels if I am considering these two? I don't really care about the appearance.\n\nThanks for the help!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Looking to get a rolling carry on since I'm finding that my back is getting sore from carrying 40L of stuff in my Mystery Ranch Rover. I am really contemplating getting a Briggs & Riley Baseline, but I really don't travel that much, maybe 4-5 times a year; however, I really like the CX Compression System, and I am a notorious overpacker. Otherwise I'm contemplating the B&R ZDX and Travelpro Platinum Elite at half the price as well as any of the other rolling duffels from Eagle Creek or TNF. My big trip that is upcoming is Japan for 10 days with 6 days in the mountains and 4 days in Tokyo. I'll also be doing a couple other trips within the US. \n\n\nMy questions:\n\n1. Is the CX compression system really going to be that big of a difference if I am already using packing cubes?\n2. Between the ZDX and Platinum Elite, any recommendation one or the other? The ZDX is at a hefty discount from Costco but still close to $100 more than the Platinum Elite.\n3. Would it be worth considering any of the other rolling duffels if I am considering these two? I don't really care about the appearance.\n\nThanks for the help!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Have a rough itinerary but I’m wondering if I’m trying to do too much. We will be going for our honeymoon from Dec 31 to Jan 10th in and out of San Francisco. \n\nSo far my itinerary is as follows :\n\nDec 31: arrive at 1130am. Spend day exploring San Francisco, watch fireworks somewhere for New years. \n\nJan 1: San Francisco, maybe alcatraz your then explore the city. \n\nJan 2: either spend another day in San Francisco, OR go ahead and pick up our rental and head to Muir Woods and then point Reyes afterwards. We would probably spend the night. \n\nJan 3: drive to yosemite \nJan 4: Yosemite \nJan 5: yosemite \n\nJan 6: either sequoia nat. Park, or just drive straight to Monterey or another Yosemite day \n\nJan 7 : Monterey/Carmel by the sea \n\nJan 8: drive down highway 1 to Big Sur, drive back to hotel in monterey\n\nJan 9: maybe whale watching? Or just relax in monterey, Then either stay the night or drive up highway 1 and stay the night somewhere closer to San Francisco to hopefully avoid rush hour traffic on the way to the airport. \n\nJan 10- drive to airport, fly out of SFO at 1pm. \n\n\nThoughts? Should I add a day in San Francisco or is 1.5 days enough? Is 3 days too much around Monterey?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'Fireworks in SF are dependent on the fog. Good chance it will be colored fog/clouds. Alcatraz is closed New Years Day since it is part of the National Park Service, therefore closed on Federal holidays. New Years Day tends to be a quiet day in SF as most businesses will be closed. If you want to mingle with the locals and dress up in a costume, I would suggest a popular outdoor block party called Breakfast of Champions, which runs from 4 AM - 9 PM that day.', '**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about the US West Coast? Read what redditors had to say in the **weekly destination thread for the West Coast/Pacific(https://redd.it/4u95mo)** *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 seen postings about a section of Highway 1/Big Sur being closed with no estimated opening time. Keep your eye on that. Do Alcatraz for sure. My son dragged me there but it turned out to be fascinating. Time in SF or Monterey really depends on what you're looking for. Monterey, Muir, Yosemite, etc., are all nicely low-key, so you might want to extend SF by one day for more of that big-city energy.\", 'San Francisco is known for Museums and Restaurants. Be sure to make reservations for some good restaurants while you’re in town. ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Have a rough itinerary but I’m wondering if I’m trying to do too much. We will be going for our honeymoon from Dec 31 to Jan 10th in and out of San Francisco. \n\nSo far my itinerary is as follows :\n\nDec 31: arrive at 1130am. Spend day exploring San Francisco, watch fireworks somewhere for New years. \n\nJan 1: San Francisco, maybe alcatraz your then explore the city. \n\nJan 2: either spend another day in San Francisco, OR go ahead and pick up our rental and head to Muir Woods and then point Reyes afterwards. We would probably spend the night. \n\nJan 3: drive to yosemite \nJan 4: Yosemite \nJan 5: yosemite \n\nJan 6: either sequoia nat. Park, or just drive straight to Monterey or another Yosemite day \n\nJan 7 : Monterey/Carmel by the sea \n\nJan 8: drive down highway 1 to Big Sur, drive back to hotel in monterey\n\nJan 9: maybe whale watching? Or just relax in monterey, Then either stay the night or drive up highway 1 and stay the night somewhere closer to San Francisco to hopefully avoid rush hour traffic on the way to the airport. \n\nJan 10- drive to airport, fly out of SFO at 1pm. \n\n\nThoughts? Should I add a day in San Francisco or is 1.5 days enough? Is 3 days too much around Monterey?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "3rd, get rental and drive to muir woods early, then go to point Reyes for the day and spend the night. 4th, maybe explore point Reyes a little more, at the end of the day drive to Yosemite and stay in Mariposa. 5th and 6th are full Yosemite days. 7th, drive to Monterey and stay until the 10th when we would leave early AM to drive back to SFO. Maybe stop at pinnacles on the way(didn’t even know that national park existed so thank you for that!) So no sequoia as it’s way out of the way. Do you think this is doable now and not as rushed?? We want to see as much as possible but also want some time to relax as it is our honeymoon: I’m hoping the Monterey days will be our winding down time.', \"Wow. The Night Tour must be so cool. I don't think they had then when we went years ago.\", \"This looks good. My only rec on top is no need to do a separate hotel near Point Reyes... it just means you have to pack and unpack for an extra day, better to just do that night in SF as well, whatever hotel you're picking. SF hotels can be really expensive most of the year, but some of the cheapest rates are during your honeymoon time, so splurge a little if you can! For example, the W SF is only \\\\~$200 a night, whereas in normal work weeks, it's $350-$500!\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Unfortunately I didn't know about edreams reputation until after booking, so I am stuck with a little mess as many people on here are. So I booked a roundtrip flight with edreams to and from taipei to hanoi. It is roundtrip but each leg of the flight is on two different airlines. I need to cancel the outbound flight with the airline directly because they changed my flight and will offer a refund. I am concerned though that if I don't take that outbound flight, that edreams will cancel my return leg with EVA airlines. Since it is two different airlines, I'm hopeful the return leg won't be affected. But what do you all think? I of course cannot call edreams and explain as they have no number. ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Unfortunately I didn't know about edreams reputation until after booking, so I am stuck with a little mess as many people on here are. So I booked a roundtrip flight with edreams to and from taipei to hanoi. It is roundtrip but each leg of the flight is on two different airlines. I need to cancel the outbound flight with the airline directly because they changed my flight and will offer a refund. I am concerned though that if I don't take that outbound flight, that edreams will cancel my return leg with EVA airlines. Since it is two different airlines, I'm hopeful the return leg won't be affected. But what do you all think? I of course cannot call edreams and explain as they have no number. ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I’m taking my family in late May 2024 to Europe, to travel to battle sites between France, Belgium, souther parts of Germany and Austria. I would love to do this trip in a circuit where we fly into one of the major airports, and leave from a different country out of one of the major airports. We would love to be able to use Icelandair. I guess my question is, has anybody done this? What is the logical circuit hitting all the major points without backtracking? Has anyone done this particular trip before? We are renting a car and would like to stick to Airbnb.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"It would help if you had an idea of which sites you'd like to visit. I'd start with checking out the itineraries of WW1/WW2 tours and see what makes sense.\", \"> I would love to do this trip in a circuit where we fly into one of the major airports, and leave from a different country out of one of the major airports. ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I’m taking my family in late May 2024 to Europe, to travel to battle sites between France, Belgium, souther parts of Germany and Austria. I would love to do this trip in a circuit where we fly into one of the major airports, and leave from a different country out of one of the major airports. We would love to be able to use Icelandair. I guess my question is, has anybody done this? What is the logical circuit hitting all the major points without backtracking? Has anyone done this particular trip before? We are renting a car and would like to stick to Airbnb.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Generally WW2 sites are not built up like the way US Civil War battlefields\", 'I am happy to do that. Do you have any websites or YouTube influencers that could help in that respect?', 'OK, food for thought. This is why I opened my self up to the Reddit community. We need to rent a vehicle and make sure we drop it off in the same country rented it in. We can use trains when available.', 'Just google \"WW2 tour itinerary\"', 'That is the way. Even dropping off the same country but not exactly where you picked it up will cost a little extra. But it’s not a huge amount like dropping in another country.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Can someone please explain the process of bringing a plant on an international flight? Where do I go to learn more about customs, etc..", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Can someone please explain the process of bringing a plant on an international flight? Where do I go to learn more about customs, etc..", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "So I moved to a new city and the airport only has American and United as their only two airlines. Thing is that when I move back to where I lived Aeromexico is the airline I used the most so I would like to try to get benefits from either American or United if possible.\n\nI noticed all 3 airlines were unfortunately part of different alliances but I found conflicting info about American and United having partnerships with Aeromexico to get matching status or earn miles. So, I'm wondering if anyone in a similar situation knows something about which would be better to fly with.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "So I moved to a new city and the airport only has American and United as their only two airlines. Thing is that when I move back to where I lived Aeromexico is the airline I used the most so I would like to try to get benefits from either American or United if possible.\n\nI noticed all 3 airlines were unfortunately part of different alliances but I found conflicting info about American and United having partnerships with Aeromexico to get matching status or earn miles. So, I'm wondering if anyone in a similar situation knows something about which would be better to fly with.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I'm from the US but travel quite a bit. If for example I buy a plane ticket from Vietnam to Singapore with Malaysian Airlines and the original ticket was in Singaporean dollars, if I get back a refund later, do I get the exact same amount back or will it vary based on the currency conversion rate from when I bought to when the refund is issued?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"You get back the exact amount of the currency in which it was purchased. If you paid 500 SGD, you'll be refunded 500 SGD. Any differences in exchange rate will become your problem. I have both lost and gained from this because of the changes in exchange rates.\", \"You'll get back the original amount in the original currency, which means it'll fluctuate based on the exchange rate. I actually just had this happen to me a few weeks ago.\", \"You get refunded in the currency you bought with...", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I'm from the US but travel quite a bit. If for example I buy a plane ticket from Vietnam to Singapore with Malaysian Airlines and the original ticket was in Singaporean dollars, if I get back a refund later, do I get the exact same amount back or will it vary based on the currency conversion rate from when I bought to when the refund is issued?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Visa and Passport Questions: **State your country of citizenship / country of passport** *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.*', 'American question', \"Usually you'll get in the same currency and the transaction will be reversed in the same card. It won't be the same conversion rate.\", 'It may depend on the website too. Some airlines have websites in different countries or internet domains.', 'If your credit card transactions are in US$ then the amount is unlikely to be the same as the amounts are based on the current exchange rate for that particular day.', \"On top of this, if your credit card charges a foreign transaction fee, you pay the fee at both the time of initial purchase, and at the time of refund. It's a double whammy.\", 'Could be anywhere really, the currency of my country is not EUR, yet I pay for stuff (including flights) in EUR from time to time.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi,\n\nI recently went through Andorra (from Spain to France), and while there got the following message (excerpt) from Vodafone:\n\n​\n\n>First 200KB costs 3,56Eur, 1,78Eur/100KB over 200KB.\n\n​\n\nI bought a Europe roaming eSIM from some 3rd party seller (it worked, btw), that included Andorra for 4.53Eur / GB (and it was the most expensive per GB).\n\nI understand price discrimination et al, but having a company charging over four thousand times the price for the exact same service is borderline... ridiculous? criminal?\n\nI came into contact with this reality over 10 years ago, but, after all this time and massive increases in mobile data consumption, why do we still see this?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi,\n\nI recently went through Andorra (from Spain to France), and while there got the following message (excerpt) from Vodafone:\n\n​\n\n>First 200KB costs 3,56Eur, 1,78Eur/100KB over 200KB.\n\n​\n\nI bought a Europe roaming eSIM from some 3rd party seller (it worked, btw), that included Andorra for 4.53Eur / GB (and it was the most expensive per GB).\n\nI understand price discrimination et al, but having a company charging over four thousand times the price for the exact same service is borderline... ridiculous? criminal?\n\nI came into contact with this reality over 10 years ago, but, after all this time and massive increases in mobile data consumption, why do we still see this?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "We took a short trip down to Mexico for Dia de Muertos, some of my thoughts are below:\n\nThe Good: \n\n-Crossing the border from San Diego via the CBX was very easy to do. We then flew with Volaris from TIJ to BJX. No issued here. \n\n- Guanajuato is a beautiful city and very walkable. The celebrations were lively, beautiful and very moving, especially seeing people celebrate their loved ones in the cemetery. \n\n- The food was great, especially the street food. My favorite meal is a toss up between some Dorilocos I got from a street vendor and tacos from Tacos El Paisa. \n\nThe “Bad” (none of which was a super big deal)\n\n- Our hotel, Balcon del Cielo, was less than great. It’s at the top of the funicular and has great views and a skip the line, unlimited use funicular pass, which was nice. However, the hotel had lost my reservation when we arrived; thankfully they were able to put me in an unoccupied room, so it was just a minor inconvenience at check in. More annoying was the constant issues with the water heater. It constantly went out and forced us to go down to the front desk to have them turn it back on. We also had an issue with housekeeping forgetting to put fresh towels in our room after taking the used ones out. The location wasn’t practical for stating out at night, as the funicular stopped running at 9:45 PM, so we either had to back back before then or hike up the hill (my fault for not thinking about this when planning though.)\n\nVolaris changed our return flights to two days later, several weeks before the trip without notifying us. Thankfully I happened to check the flights and noticed it. They changed it back at no cost after I emailed them about it. We also couldn’t check in for the return flights online the day before or at the airport self-service kisoks, so we had to wait in line to check in at the counter, only to be told that the flight was oversold and we were put on standby. Thankfully, we got on the flight (on the “premium” seats in the very first row too, even though we only had bought basic tickets) so it wasn’t a huge deal. I know you get what you pay for with budget airlines, but this was still pretty annoying. \nTaking an Uber from BJX to the city was a little sketchy. I could request a pickup outside the terminal no problem. Once the driver got there, he asked me to sit in the front and pretend to be a work acquaintance visiting for a business trip if the police stopped us. Apparently Ubers weren’t allowed to do pickups at the airport. We didn’t get stopped (not sure what would have happened if they did and didn’t believe the story) and made it to our destination just fine but fair warning to anyone planning on doing the same thing. \n\nOverall, the trip was great and most of the negative stuff had nothing to do with the city or it’s people. The city was super crowded and we spent most of our time either eating or doing stuff related to the holiday. It was an awesome experience, but I would definitely like to go back outside of a major event/holiday and have a more relaxing time there, in addition to checking out some of the museums and other attractions.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'Guanajuato is incredible, go back for Cervantino!', \"Thanks for the trip report! I've always wanted to go down for Diá de Los Muertos. Your pictures are amazing. I'll get there one day.\", 'Beautiful city and beautiful time of the year, glad you mostly enjoyed but man, volaris absolutely sucks ass. I’ve only had the misfortune of traveling with them 2 times (not really by choice) and both times the attention I received was pretty bad but not just that, the flight itself was soo bad; on one ocation we got into some pretty strong storm (not out the ordinary I guess but more than one person hit their head with the roof) and the pilot had the great idea of saying pretty much “thank god and volaris we lived” I mean I’m grateful to be alive but that sounds rather unprofessional in my opinion but that was okay; on the second ocation we actually almost FUCKING DIED because the guys forgot to ask permission to land! Anyway sorry for the autobiography but for anyone traveling to LATAM don’t go volaris unless it’s free or something.', 'Love the pics! I was close by in San Miguel de Allende for Día de Muertos and had an amazing time. It exceeded my expectations! Also I love Guanajuato, it’s probably my pick for most beautiful Mexican town still. Hope I can go back in the near future. :)', 'I’m going in February, so I appreciate your tips! Great pics, too', 'beautiful', 'Mexico seems very interesting place… perhaps time to visit', ' damn, it’s beautiful and vibrant there (not just visually, but the energies)', 'Viva Mexico!', 'Hermoso!!!!', 'Did you go see the mummies?', 'Great photos. Hope you don’t mind me crossposting them? Thank you.', 'The dude with the white shirt 😂', 'Soon! Thanks for sharing this amazing shots', 'Super underrated place. Just avoid Volaris maybe…', 'Beautiful photos. A friend of mine also went.', 'Awesome photos', 'such an atmosphere', 'One my fave places in Mexico after doing 2 months there. Great hostel scene.', 'I think there will be a lot of people at night, it is a little scary to think about', 'This looks amazing! Now on the bucket list', 'This is so cute!', 'I want to go so bad! Someday…', 'I love all the colors!', \"haha I learned the hard way about the uber rule. We booked an uber at BJX and the driver told us we had to walk out beyond the gate. So first we went to just beyond the gate, where the roundabout is at the end of the parking lot, but he actually meant the highway beyond. Luckily I've spent enough time in Mexico that it didn't worry me too much, so be warned, that you may have to walk a few minutes to get picked up.\", 'How bad were the crowds. I’d really love to go someday for Day of the Dead, but don’t do well in big crowds. Was it manageable or was it a lot?', 'So beautiful - and now maybe on my bucket list! :)", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "We took a short trip down to Mexico for Dia de Muertos, some of my thoughts are below:\n\nThe Good: \n\n-Crossing the border from San Diego via the CBX was very easy to do. We then flew with Volaris from TIJ to BJX. No issued here. \n\n- Guanajuato is a beautiful city and very walkable. The celebrations were lively, beautiful and very moving, especially seeing people celebrate their loved ones in the cemetery. \n\n- The food was great, especially the street food. My favorite meal is a toss up between some Dorilocos I got from a street vendor and tacos from Tacos El Paisa. \n\nThe “Bad” (none of which was a super big deal)\n\n- Our hotel, Balcon del Cielo, was less than great. It’s at the top of the funicular and has great views and a skip the line, unlimited use funicular pass, which was nice. However, the hotel had lost my reservation when we arrived; thankfully they were able to put me in an unoccupied room, so it was just a minor inconvenience at check in. More annoying was the constant issues with the water heater. It constantly went out and forced us to go down to the front desk to have them turn it back on. We also had an issue with housekeeping forgetting to put fresh towels in our room after taking the used ones out. The location wasn’t practical for stating out at night, as the funicular stopped running at 9:45 PM, so we either had to back back before then or hike up the hill (my fault for not thinking about this when planning though.)\n\nVolaris changed our return flights to two days later, several weeks before the trip without notifying us. Thankfully I happened to check the flights and noticed it. They changed it back at no cost after I emailed them about it. We also couldn’t check in for the return flights online the day before or at the airport self-service kisoks, so we had to wait in line to check in at the counter, only to be told that the flight was oversold and we were put on standby. Thankfully, we got on the flight (on the “premium” seats in the very first row too, even though we only had bought basic tickets) so it wasn’t a huge deal. I know you get what you pay for with budget airlines, but this was still pretty annoying. \nTaking an Uber from BJX to the city was a little sketchy. I could request a pickup outside the terminal no problem. Once the driver got there, he asked me to sit in the front and pretend to be a work acquaintance visiting for a business trip if the police stopped us. Apparently Ubers weren’t allowed to do pickups at the airport. We didn’t get stopped (not sure what would have happened if they did and didn’t believe the story) and made it to our destination just fine but fair warning to anyone planning on doing the same thing. \n\nOverall, the trip was great and most of the negative stuff had nothing to do with the city or it’s people. The city was super crowded and we spent most of our time either eating or doing stuff related to the holiday. It was an awesome experience, but I would definitely like to go back outside of a major event/holiday and have a more relaxing time there, in addition to checking out some of the museums and other attractions.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "As far as the crowds, I wasn’t complaining about them, I definitely expected it to be crowded, with lots of people celebrating in the narrow streets. I’m just saying that I would like to return someday and see how the city is during “normal” times. The weather was actually pretty nice most of the time. Never got too warm and was only a little chilly at night due to the breeze.', \"What? The OP is back already, and he/she can't be in more than one place at a time. Why not Guanajuato?\", 'Just my phone and my wife’s phone. I’m not much of a photographer and don’t have a fancy camera, but they look alright to me?', \"There's something weird with the way Reddit is showing them. I'm on desktop, but if I actually open the pics they're fine.\", 'It’s like a big literary/artistic/music festival where the city populations swells by like 100k people. Tons of fun!', 'Oh! Good to know!! Thank you :D', 'Fabulous! Thanks!', 'SMA was lovely and definitely worth visiting. Oh, it’s normal for some Ubers to ask you to sit up front because Taxis hate them! There’s a huge feud between them in some cities. They just want to make it look like they’re just picking up a friend to avoid any trouble.', 'Thank you.', 'Thanks so much for the response! That does sound a little overwhelming for an anxiety prone traveler like myself. Maybe I should visit at a non-festival time of year. I love day of the dead but I’ve also been wanting to see that city regardless.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello, I'm a noob at travelling, \n\nI've basically been in Canada all my life and this is my first time going on a short vacation like this. I booked an all inclusive resort to Varadero and I've been reading online that you need to show things like health insurance. \n\nDo I have to buy that separately from another company? Or do they just mean my health/OHIP card? (I live in Ontario)\n\nAnd are there any other documents I'll need to bring to go? \nAny Cuba enjoyers out there wiling to offer any tips? \n\n\nThanks in advance for the help!!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'I’ve been to Cuba tons of times and aside from my valid passport, I’ve never been asked to show anything. They do require out of country medical, which you can easily and cheaply purchase from any travel agency, insurance company or bank. It’s under 30 dollars, whereas if you don’t purchase it in advance and they request you purchase on arrival they charge more. They’ll ask where you’re staying, and you can just give the name of your hotel. :) Super easy! :)', \"Here you go:", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello, I'm a noob at travelling, \n\nI've basically been in Canada all my life and this is my first time going on a short vacation like this. I booked an all inclusive resort to Varadero and I've been reading online that you need to show things like health insurance. \n\nDo I have to buy that separately from another company? Or do they just mean my health/OHIP card? (I live in Ontario)\n\nAnd are there any other documents I'll need to bring to go? \nAny Cuba enjoyers out there wiling to offer any tips? \n\n\nThanks in advance for the help!!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Where ya stayin’? :)', 'If you go in with just your health card and need medical care you won’t be able to leave the country until you’ve paid your medical bill. Do not recommend :) Provincial health cards only cover like 400 dollars of out of province medical and don’t include air evacuation or payment upfront.', \"Thank you! That would make things easier. I have several insurance policies with my bank so maybe I'll give them a call tomorrow. I booked hotel playa Vista Azul :)\", 'ahh okay thank you :) Rather just spend the extra $30 then. Will look around, but do you have any recommendations?', 'Have a great trip :)'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Budget: 10k-ish. \nStarting flight: Atlanta \nDates including travel: March 21-April 6 \nMusts: Paris, Loire Valley (would like to spend 2-3 nights here). Would prefer Italy, but unsure with trip timing so close to Easter. Would like to do Rome and Florence. \nInterests: culture, food, wine, history. \n\nRome (4 nights, 22-26), Florence (3 nights 26-29), Paris (4 nights, 29-2), Loire Valley (2-4/5), return to Paris 5-6 and return April 6.\n\nThis is just a complete rough draft. I’m only a couple days into serious research. Does anything glaring stick it out as a bad idea, or something we should change/adjust? It feels like a lot of time in/around Paris, but I don’t want to rush travel either. Honestly I could spend entire trip in France, but we both want to do a second country as this is a first in our lifetime trip. I initially had the trip flipped (paris-Rome) until I realized that was Holy Week. Is going around/before Palm Sunday crazy? \n\nIf we did Spain instead of Italy, could we fit in both Madrid and Barcelona? Paris-Loire Valley-Barcelona-Madrid? Which would you recommend?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"I live in Barcelona and travel back to see family in Texas several times a year. Please take into account that if you're anything like me, you'll be completely exhausted for at least the first two days. Plan minimal activities and just enjoy walking around and adjusting to the jetlag.\", \"I don't understand the Easter scare. Frankly Spain is not going to be much different during the period. Both Italy and Spain are catholic countries so it'll be holiday and there'll be some Easter related stuff (Holy Friday procession for instance). Possibly also in France but I'm not so sure. I think your Italian itinerary is good and feasible. Maybe Madrid and Barcelona would be too squeezed, while your days for Rome and Florence are fine.\", 'I would delete Italy from the trip -- not because of Easter. Because that\\'s a lot of travel just to spend a couple days in Florence and a few in Rome. The honeymoon will feel horribly rushed. \\n**Expand your time in Paris:** Half day just at Rue Cler. You say you\\'re a foodie, after all. And then a museum which isn\\'t the Louvre. Half day just at Les Halles. Lunch at Au Pied de Cochon. Leisurely shopping at E. Dehillerin. Again, foodie paradise. And then a different museum which isn\\'t the Louvre. Half day at Marche Monge. And then a different museum which isn\\'t the Louvre. There\\'s three packed days in Paris, and you haven\\'t seen *any* of the \"top 10.\" If you have dinner at Bouillon Chartier every other night -- just to try their entire inexpensive menu -- I wouldn\\'t blame you. \\n**Add Epernay and Reims.** You say you like wine, after all. Two or three days, easily. Castellane is my favorite champagne house. Fine wine at reasonable prices. Epernay is an easy day-trip from Paris. Not to be missed. \\n**Expand Loire Valley.** 2-3 barely scratches the surface.', 'If you enjoy wine I’d think about visiting Burgundy. Tons of beautiful villages all with their own distinct terroir. It’s super charming. It’s also not too far from Paris.', \"Like someone else commenterd. I'd scratch italy strictly geographocally speaking. We recently did spain-italy-france and we wouldn't do it again in that order. May I recommend à visit to the north of France. L'île and Le Quesnoy are very nice. Also being so close I'd highly recommend you jump the border for a day or two in Bruge, shouldn't need more than two days in Bruge. Quite à lovely médiéval town, amazing arcitecture and wholesome. Watch In Bruge if you haven't already. :) \\nFlorence and Rome are great and I think you'd actually get more out of making italy its own holiday, there's so much to see and do in italy. Such a lovely friendly country.\", \"Spain > Italy > France is the order of best to worst IMO. I also wouldn't just do the major cities of each. I found Southern Spain to be ky favorite. Seville and Granada are nice for couples. ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Budget: 10k-ish. \nStarting flight: Atlanta \nDates including travel: March 21-April 6 \nMusts: Paris, Loire Valley (would like to spend 2-3 nights here). Would prefer Italy, but unsure with trip timing so close to Easter. Would like to do Rome and Florence. \nInterests: culture, food, wine, history. \n\nRome (4 nights, 22-26), Florence (3 nights 26-29), Paris (4 nights, 29-2), Loire Valley (2-4/5), return to Paris 5-6 and return April 6.\n\nThis is just a complete rough draft. I’m only a couple days into serious research. Does anything glaring stick it out as a bad idea, or something we should change/adjust? It feels like a lot of time in/around Paris, but I don’t want to rush travel either. Honestly I could spend entire trip in France, but we both want to do a second country as this is a first in our lifetime trip. I initially had the trip flipped (paris-Rome) until I realized that was Holy Week. Is going around/before Palm Sunday crazy? \n\nIf we did Spain instead of Italy, could we fit in both Madrid and Barcelona? Paris-Loire Valley-Barcelona-Madrid? Which would you recommend?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "We would rather maximize the vacation that we didn't a lot of money on at the expense of the week leading up to it.\", 'One thing we did for a recent trip was we arrived at like 6am, obviously very tired off the plane, and just spent the day walking around the city anyway. We were dead tired that night but the next day we were fully adjusted to the time zone.', 'Only around the Vatican. Maybe on Good Friday mobility could be an issue in some areas, but nothing major. You run more the risk that someone is calling for a protest and disrupt traffic in the centre than for Easter celebration creating issues.', '>It would also cut down on expense to just stay in one country, too. More importantly, you would be able to do more. If there\\'s one travel mistake Americans consistently make, it\\'s only caring about seeing things. That\\'s why there are so many checklist travelers. \"We\\'ll take a picture at the Eiffel Tower at 10am, at the Mona Lisa at noon. And then the Arc de Triomphe at 2pm. Then we\\'ll get on the train to Florence.\" It\\'s better to go slow and enjoy. Try the macaroons. Sit at a cafe and have a long coffee break. Visit less-popular museums. Go to a cheese shop, sample a few, and buy 100g of something. \\nThe last thing I\\'d want to do on a honeymoon -- any activity typically experienced on a honeymoon -- is rush, rush, rush. Slow is better.', \"Orvieto, Lucca, or Perugia would be my picks based on where you're going.\", 'Ok, good to know.', 'These look beautiful. Thank you! I’m getting excited about this itinerary.', \"By the way, if you do plan to drive to the Loire valley from the airport, Orly is a more convenient one than CDG. If you're planning on taking the train, instead, there are high-speed train from CDG to St-Pierre-des-Corps/ Tours. Flying from either Florence or Pisa would work well.\", 'I’d also like to chime in and have on your radar Siena especially and San Gimignano as other day trip from Florence options.', 'Great! Thanks for the tip. I’m taking so many notes. Do you have an opinion on needing a car for Loire Valley?', \"I really do think you'll want a car there, since a lot of the charm is outside of the cities. You can rent one at Orly or in Tours depending one what ends up being more convenient.\", 'Ok, that’s what I was anticipating.', 'Also, I am loving Orvieto from a brief perusal - I think that will be a lovely and excellent choice to add!', \"The train stops at some seriously small towns. And there's always the option to rent a bicycle and do the Loire Velo Train. Renting a car is a lot of hassle for not a whole lot of reward. \\nI simply refuse to drive in Europe anymore. Narrow, no parking, no central city access, gasoline costs a fortune.\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I am sick and tired of being tossed around on the phone, and I have the fact that customer service says “check our website” but it ends up being completely useless. \n\nI need to bring my cat with me from Turkey(IST) to the UK(LDN) i always see people at the airport with their pets and I thought how difficult can it be? Until I keep getting told that a cargo company must take my pet? And i need to pay £1000? I’m sorry is this what everyone does? I need help as i am so confused and no one who works at any company knows anything!! They tell me that the UK does not accept pets in cabin from Turkey i said I am ok with sending him under with the luggage and now they tell me I need to send him away with a cargo company. Can I hop on a transit flight from anywhere so I can skip through all that mess?\n\nPlease please help me i need to travel ASAP!!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'Everything you need to know is here. https://www.gov.uk/bring-pet-to-great-britain', 'Animals (other than guide/assistance dogs) can only travel to the UK by air in the hold of an aircraft. So you will have to get an airline to transport your pet as air cargo. Some airlines allow you to book direct with them. IAG Cargo and British Airways, which is probably the best airline for pet travel on this route, does not. You will have to contact one of their appointed agents, and you can get them to tell you those agents here: https://www.iagcargo.com/en/products/pets/(https://www.iagcargo.com/en/products/pets/) You do have the option to bring them by ferry or by car train (Eurotunnel), but then you have to get them to France. I think it will be easier to airfreight them directly from Turkey.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I am sick and tired of being tossed around on the phone, and I have the fact that customer service says “check our website” but it ends up being completely useless. \n\nI need to bring my cat with me from Turkey(IST) to the UK(LDN) i always see people at the airport with their pets and I thought how difficult can it be? Until I keep getting told that a cargo company must take my pet? And i need to pay £1000? I’m sorry is this what everyone does? I need help as i am so confused and no one who works at any company knows anything!! They tell me that the UK does not accept pets in cabin from Turkey i said I am ok with sending him under with the luggage and now they tell me I need to send him away with a cargo company. Can I hop on a transit flight from anywhere so I can skip through all that mess?\n\nPlease please help me i need to travel ASAP!!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Thank you so much!', \"France and Belgium would have the same paperwork because they are both EU countries, but it's worth checking with the Pet arrival people in the link I put in my last comment and email them to check your paperwork is correct bfore you travel. It's not worth it to have the incorrect EU paperwork - when I came to into the UK with my dog, I had to have the specific UK paperwork (not EU - the EU regulation one is outdated for the UK as of October 2021), but I didn't travel through Europe. From what I understand, yes, the customs is near the ferries, but I have not traveled that route so I can't say for sure. You'd need to double-check with the ferry about their process. Here is the info from the UK government about approved routes into the UK: approved routes(https://www.gov.uk/bring-pet-to-great-britain/approved-routes) For more info, I highly recommend asking others who've done this specific route. If you go to this Facebook group(https://www.facebook.com/groups/petschunnel), they'll have the details you need even though it's specific to people traveling from the US, you may be able to get the info you need about traveling from Europe to the UK. edited link\", 'I went on UK gov website and the health certificate on their website had the 576/2013 regulation on it?.. could it be outdated? I can’t find another one', \"I'd go with whatever paperwork you've already had filled out then.\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi everyone,I'm excited to be planning my first trip to Europe! I have an appointment with VFS through Luxembourg consulate for my Schengen visa application. Although Luxembourg will be issuing my visa, my itinerary starts in the Netherlands, followed by Spain.Can anyone advise if it's mandatory for me to enter through Luxembourg, or is it possible to travel directly to the Netherlands as my first point of entry into the Schengen area?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'You must apply for your visa in the country that you intend to spend the most time in. It does *not* have to be your port of entry or the first country you visit.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi everyone,I'm excited to be planning my first trip to Europe! I have an appointment with VFS through Luxembourg consulate for my Schengen visa application. Although Luxembourg will be issuing my visa, my itinerary starts in the Netherlands, followed by Spain.Can anyone advise if it's mandatory for me to enter through Luxembourg, or is it possible to travel directly to the Netherlands as my first point of entry into the Schengen area?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "The Luxembourg consulate will reject your visa application unless you provide proof you are planning to spend the majority of your trip in Luxembourg. If you lie during the application and then get a visa anyway, the Netherlands immigration officers may demand the same proof and refuse entry. In that case, you will get a fine and a possible ban from the Schengen area. And a hefty bill from your airline for the cost of deporting you.\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Day 1. (Traveling in from sleeper train from Edinburgh)\n\n1. Take train out to Windsor Castle. See Eton as well\n2. Take train back. Check into hotel.\n3. Show at Shakespeare Theatre (very close to our hotel)\n\nNote about this day. I am also toying with the idea of doing the Windsor-Stonehenge-Bath bus tour but am concerned about time. A lot of reviews say they felt rushed and weren't able to see a lot and spent most of the day on the bus. As appealing as Bath sounds I am a big British history/castle buff and feel like maybe just doing the trip out to Windsor and being able to go at our own pace may be better. \n\nDay 2.\n\n1. Walk across Westminster bridge, see Big Ben/Palace of Westminster. Tour Westminster Abbey\n2. Buckingham Palace - just see\n3. Afternoon Tea at Harrods\n4. Kensington Palace - probably just see and not do the actual tour\n5. Return to hotel/ dinner in Soho\n\nDay 3.\n\n1. Borough Market (breakfast)\n2. Tower of London - tour\n3. Sky Garden - Leadenhall Market\n4. St Paul's Cathedral (possible tour)\n5. Tube to Trafalgar Square. Walk around this area including Leicester Square, Piccadilly, Covent Garden\n6. Dinner in Covent Garden\n\nPlease send any critiques/suggestions!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"I did a Castle Combe/Bath/Stonehenge tour and I enjoyed it. But the best palace that I went to in the London area was Hampton Court. It allowed you a lot more freedom to explore/photograph than others. We did the Buckingham tour the last time that we went and although it was incredible, it was a very structured tour. If you're going to do the tour of Westminster, make it the earliest possible time option for your party. The security line is crazy long unless you go first thing.\", \"Day 3 could be a little on the packed side, but otherwise looks good", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Day 1. (Traveling in from sleeper train from Edinburgh)\n\n1. Take train out to Windsor Castle. See Eton as well\n2. Take train back. Check into hotel.\n3. Show at Shakespeare Theatre (very close to our hotel)\n\nNote about this day. I am also toying with the idea of doing the Windsor-Stonehenge-Bath bus tour but am concerned about time. A lot of reviews say they felt rushed and weren't able to see a lot and spent most of the day on the bus. As appealing as Bath sounds I am a big British history/castle buff and feel like maybe just doing the trip out to Windsor and being able to go at our own pace may be better. \n\nDay 2.\n\n1. Walk across Westminster bridge, see Big Ben/Palace of Westminster. Tour Westminster Abbey\n2. Buckingham Palace - just see\n3. Afternoon Tea at Harrods\n4. Kensington Palace - probably just see and not do the actual tour\n5. Return to hotel/ dinner in Soho\n\nDay 3.\n\n1. Borough Market (breakfast)\n2. Tower of London - tour\n3. Sky Garden - Leadenhall Market\n4. St Paul's Cathedral (possible tour)\n5. Tube to Trafalgar Square. Walk around this area including Leicester Square, Piccadilly, Covent Garden\n6. Dinner in Covent Garden\n\nPlease send any critiques/suggestions!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Otherwise I think your itinerary looks good.\", 'I was also looking at a tour that does Windsor Castle and Hampton Court. Only 2 things seems manageable', \"Already on the restaurant hunt. I'm vegan when the rest of my group is not so I'm pretty familiar with planning food stuff\", \"Doing both in one day would be pretty rushed. But it's all about your travel style.\", 'Just grab bus outside St Paul’s to Trafalgar square, easier than taking the tube , 15 or 26 , sit upstairs and get a better view of the ride and buildings. There is the Millennium Bridge next to St Paul’s which is a good mid point along the Thames for pics'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hey guys/gals,\n\nI need some advice and hope you can help me. Me and my gf (both german) are traveling through SE Asia for about two months now. We went to Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam already and will end our trip together in Kambodscha next week. She will return early to Germany to see her mother but I'm thinking about continuing my tour for another 1-2 weeks. The thing is; I'm absolutely done with se Asia right now. I miss hiking in real nature, I long for temperatures below 30 degrees celsius and even tough culture differs from country to country, it feels similiar to me. After the 10th temple, the 11th won't be that different, you know? \n\nSo; right now I feel overwhelmed by everything and long for something really new and different but real (!). Many touristy places (sure, that's where you go, cause after all - you are a tourist...) felt meaningless to me. Before I get some kind of \"cabin fever\" I need things to change. I already thought about:\n\n- South Korea (cons: expensive, still Asia, don't have stuff for cold weather on me / pros: easy to reach, 22th century vibes, hiking is a thing (?))\n- Singapore (cons: expensive, basicly \"just\" a giant, very clean city, pros: 22th century, easy to reach)\n- Taiwan (cons: still Asia, pros: cheaper, lots of nature, mixture of many different cultures)\n- Mongolia (cons: temperature-difference is insane, right now airport's closed because of snow, pros: the place i like most, because of the huge cultural and geographisch difference)\n- Australia (most likely Perth) (cons: expensive, still hot temperatures, pros: a real change in everything - culture, language, scenery)\n\nWell: do you have any ideas regarding my feelings and worries? What would you recommend? Do you have countries or pros and cons to add? Am I missing something completly? Should I just return home for a couple of weeks?\n\nAnyway: thanks for all the input you can give :)", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'Go home.', 'Where have you gone in the respective three countries? I would have though you would see some real difference in those three countries. I\\'m born in Vietnam, so I\\'m very used to it, but when I went to Nepal earlier in the year, I saw it was clearly different. Japan and South Korea will have similar \"cons\" to you. But both having hiking from what I know. If you\\'re planning the Australia route, how about New Zealand? Slightly cooler temps, more concentration of \"nature\". Also, why Perth? How about Queensland? More humid, but also more well-known for \"nature\" My other suggestons would be Malaysia, China and Indonesia.', 'I would not recommend Mongolia. It’s bitter cold right now, UB gets extremely polluted in winter, traffic is insane, and even though things in Mongolia are very cheap, it’s impossible to get around the country on your own without paying for an expensive tour because it’s so big, so sparsely populated, and so underdeveloped.', \"You should check the mossy forest of mt. Apo(Philippines), the forest is straight up from fiction. I'll dm you some pics if interested.\", 'What about spending more time in the countryside areas? Just get out of the cities. All of these countries in SEA have stunning natural scenery. In Vietnam we did a few days in Ninh Binh with a local guide I found online who took myself and my husband around on motorbikes in the countryside. We got to see the tourist attractions like Tam Coc but he would also take us to a countryside area and drop off and drive off so we walked to catch up and got to enjoy the scenery peacefully together. We stayed in a homestay b&b which was great. There are also homestay / farmstay in north Vietnam and all over. You can explore yourself or book some day tours. Do the same in Thailand, Malaysia or Phillippines. Malaysia has rainforest accomodation fairly close to KL and also has the Cameron Highlands, Malaysian borneo, etc. You can book accomodation in natural setting (fancy or basic) and then explore yourself or do guided day trips. I’d recommend a mix of self guided and guided adventures. You’re doing SEA wrong if you spend all your time in the big cities.', \"I would recommend Taiwan as your next destination. It offers a wide range of natural beauty, and you should definitely check out Alishan and Taroko. Hiking is indeed a popular activity, and there are numerous hiking trails to explore. Yilan is my favourite city.\\r \\n\\r \\nTaiwan's street food culture and night markets have a great deal of options. But I would go to South Korea for food. \\r \\n\\r \\nThe public transportation system in Taipei is highly efficient, making it easy to get around the city. For traveling around the island, the bus and train system is also convenient, but in smaller towns, it's often better to rent a motorbike. Taiwanese are horrible drivers so be careful if you visit here.\\r \\n\\r \\nTaiwanese people are known for their friendliness and willingness to help tourists. So communication would not be a problem.\\r \\n\\r \\nSo, if you're looking for a destination that's relatively affordable, rich in natural beauty, culturally diverse, and still in Asia but with a distinctive character, go for Taiwan. The weather is still warm tho.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hey guys/gals,\n\nI need some advice and hope you can help me. Me and my gf (both german) are traveling through SE Asia for about two months now. We went to Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam already and will end our trip together in Kambodscha next week. She will return early to Germany to see her mother but I'm thinking about continuing my tour for another 1-2 weeks. The thing is; I'm absolutely done with se Asia right now. I miss hiking in real nature, I long for temperatures below 30 degrees celsius and even tough culture differs from country to country, it feels similiar to me. After the 10th temple, the 11th won't be that different, you know? \n\nSo; right now I feel overwhelmed by everything and long for something really new and different but real (!). Many touristy places (sure, that's where you go, cause after all - you are a tourist...) felt meaningless to me. Before I get some kind of \"cabin fever\" I need things to change. I already thought about:\n\n- South Korea (cons: expensive, still Asia, don't have stuff for cold weather on me / pros: easy to reach, 22th century vibes, hiking is a thing (?))\n- Singapore (cons: expensive, basicly \"just\" a giant, very clean city, pros: 22th century, easy to reach)\n- Taiwan (cons: still Asia, pros: cheaper, lots of nature, mixture of many different cultures)\n- Mongolia (cons: temperature-difference is insane, right now airport's closed because of snow, pros: the place i like most, because of the huge cultural and geographisch difference)\n- Australia (most likely Perth) (cons: expensive, still hot temperatures, pros: a real change in everything - culture, language, scenery)\n\nWell: do you have any ideas regarding my feelings and worries? What would you recommend? Do you have countries or pros and cons to add? Am I missing something completly? Should I just return home for a couple of weeks?\n\nAnyway: thanks for all the input you can give :)", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Rajasthan too would be good at this time so maybe a 10-14 days road trip for just Rajasthan. Start from Delhi, go to Jaipur, Bundi, Chittorgarh, udaipur, jodhpur, Bikaner, jaisalmer, ajmer and back to Delhi. All these will be totally different experiences, not just from the countries you've been to but also they're extremely different experiences from each other.\", 'Chill in Taiwan a bit imo.', \"Ok but how does none of se Asia have 'real' nature? Tf does that mean? Sounds like you didn't see that much of se Asia then\", \"Besides Taiwan this seems to be your honest advise. Guess I'll have to take it in consideration as well :/\", \"We will return to traveling in January anyway and go to New Zealand. We're doing a sabbatibal. I will do part of the AT from march on in the USA...\", 'It\\'s difficult to understand that point, I get it. I try to elaborate: nature feels \"real\" to me, if you walk through a forest or do hiking anywhere and it\\'s not like you\\'re inside a themepark. For example: next to Chiang Mai we wanted to visit a botanical garden and after arriving we realized, that park is meant to drive-thru. You literally can\\'t walk through it. Here in Da Nang we found a \"hiking trail\" that actually was an asphalt-road occupied by motorbikes that led up a mountain for 20kms. Nothing else. I want to feel immersed into the wild, not into a tourist-attraction...', 'It’s rainy in NZ during springtime so they need to consider the weather. It gets quite hot during summer from Christmas onwards so that won’t meet their desire for somewhere cooler. It does have great hiking and scenery but is expensive, requires car rental, and hiking in bad weather is very dangerous so they may get there and find the weather doesn’t cooperate with their plans.', 'Thanks alot for the offer :) feels like Taiwan seems to be the consensus around here. Japan, I feel, might overwhelm me again. What are your thoughts about that? Japan vs. Taiwan - what would you prefere?', 'I’m gonna go out on a limb and say going to Russia right now as a citizen from a country heavily supporting Ukraine’s war effort probably not the best idea.', 'I wouldn\\'t say \"sick\", but the noise, the traffic, the vastness of the cities - it\\'s all a bit too much. I like it quiet and \"real\" (alot of things/ activities we did felt artificial to me). The best experiences were those that happened by accident. That\\'s for all the travel I ever did (to Syria, to Turkey, to Norway and so on...).', 'If you miss hiking in \"real nature\" having just been in Nepal, it doesn\\'t sound like you did a very good job of travelling in Nepal!', 'SEA has completely different foliage and environment than Germany. I don’t think wandering off on a multi day hike alone is a good idea but I don’t really know. Just do a day hike in one of the many nature reserves like Pu Luong and enjoy it for what it is. If you see other hikers so what? Wave and keep moving. The natural scenery in Vietnam and SEA is stunning, you just need to open your eyes to it and don’t expect a Bavarian woodland forest in SEA.', 'Wow, you need a new approach to traveling because you seem to have missed out on a lot. I did a lot of hiking in SEA not sure how you managed to miss it all.', 'I won\\'t fly to SA for only 1-2 weeks (my initial post) - that\\'s on the other side of the world from where I am now. It needs to be something \"\"\"close\"\"\" (4-5 hours distance at max). EDIT: and I already saw Egypt many years ago. Was an experience, but that\\'s absolutely not what I am looking for right now.', \"Guess that's way too much city for me right now :P\", 'Feels too close to the things I experienced in SEA so far.', \"You're experiencing travel fatigue, go home.\", 'I just would go outside the cities I guess that’s all. Of course the city is going to be very different than hiking in a jungle. I do find mosquitos and wild animals can be a concern depending where but there of course is nature in SE Asia just outside cities. They have forests and jungles too.', \"You just need to actually find the forest and hiking trails. You don't fly into Munich and go to the Englischer Garten and presume that's the best nature that Germany has to offer or take the small tourist hiking path around the Saleve in Geneva and think that's the best 'real' nature that Switzerland has to offer.\", '... In all of SEA, the only \"real nature\" you were able to find find was a paved asphalt hiking trail or a drive-thru botanical garden? ..... lol', 'Da Nang is very developed and touristic. There are many beautiful areas in Vietnam like Ninh Binh, Pu Luong, etc where you can walk on a dirt path.', 'There’s a lot of hiking to before in Borneo. That’s not going to help you with the heat though.', \"Well, I guess I was lucky with the rain when I visited NZ at this time of the year, and I didn't find it hot (a bit chilly on the south island, topping 20c). I certainly was lucky enough to get a fantastic weather on Milford Sound (from what I gathered, not typical).\", 'We hiked for a total of 10 days (in Lang Tang Valley, up to 4.200m). So we sure did some hiking. BUT: we were told that you need a guide and booked an overpriced tour. So what we did during those 10 days; we felt terribly pampered all the time and realized while hiking that alot of people just ignored the \"you need a guide\"-thing. We\\'ve hiked thousands of km in our life - we could have easily walked on our own... That spoiled the whole thing from the beginning...', 'You are really high maintenance huh? And over analytical. Bali has huge mountains and beaches. Maybe try that. LOMBOK is a quieter island with a 11,000 foot volcano you can climb.', 'Try the Cameron Highlands or Malaysian Borneo? Those 2 areas are completely different from each other.', 'You were lucky! I hope you had a great time in NZ. It generally heats up after Christmas and is chilly until then. It’s very changeable in spring and this year has been extremely wet so OP just needs to do some research on weather in the area they want to hike (if they do).', \"Oh I did - it is one of the most beautiful places on earth (if not the most ;)). Maybe I'll return someday, if nothing else to enjoy a bit more of the Sauvignon Blanc (truth be told, I do buy some bottles of NZ SB every year :)). But my liking for NZ goes beyond the majesty of the landscape or the wine.. although it certainly helps :)\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hey, looking to take a trip to Mexico Thanksgiving week. I'd like to see the Monarch butterfly migration at Rosario, but it's about 3 hours from the city and I think they start migrating in November, is it worth it this time of year or is it too early still? Also, my friend wants to spend 8-9 days in Oaxaca rather than doing Oaxaca and CDMX. It seems like too much time in Oaxaca. The beach towns in Oaxaca state seem OK, not sure if they'd be worth visiting that time of year. Between doing the city and Hierve del Agua I think 4-5 days would be enough.\n\nEdit: Looking at other threads, the province the butterfly reserve is in seems questionable to travel through right now. I'll just skip that. So if anyone has recommendations within the Oaxaca province, specifically for end of November, please share.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"Oaxaca is amazing and another world from CDMX, but it's up to you how you want to split your time. You could easily spend 9 days between Oaxaca city, visit some pueblos, and go to the beaches. I haven't been in a decade but I absolutely loved Mazunte.\", '**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Mexico?", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hey, looking to take a trip to Mexico Thanksgiving week. I'd like to see the Monarch butterfly migration at Rosario, but it's about 3 hours from the city and I think they start migrating in November, is it worth it this time of year or is it too early still? Also, my friend wants to spend 8-9 days in Oaxaca rather than doing Oaxaca and CDMX. It seems like too much time in Oaxaca. The beach towns in Oaxaca state seem OK, not sure if they'd be worth visiting that time of year. Between doing the city and Hierve del Agua I think 4-5 days would be enough.\n\nEdit: Looking at other threads, the province the butterfly reserve is in seems questionable to travel through right now. I'll just skip that. So if anyone has recommendations within the Oaxaca province, specifically for end of November, please share.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "For me, splitting the time in Oxaca and CDMX is more ideal. The two places are very different, you'd get best of both world splitting the time. End of Nov is great time to visit both places.\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": " Hi, I'm planning on flying from Budapest to Singapore and I need to change flights in Dammam. Can I change my planes without needing a visa for Saudi Arabia as an european citizen? I will be flying with different airlines and the layover is 3 hours. ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": " Hi, I'm planning on flying from Budapest to Singapore and I need to change flights in Dammam. Can I change my planes without needing a visa for Saudi Arabia as an european citizen? I will be flying with different airlines and the layover is 3 hours. ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": " Hallo alles! I (17F) want to study in Germany next school year. My mom and I are in the process of organizing a trip to Munich to visit campuses early next year. We're aware that obtaining a Schengen tourist visa from the Philippines can be challenging because you must demonstrate that you have strong ties to your home country and intend to return after your visit.\n\nWe're contemplating whether to honestly state the purpose of our visit, which is to view campuses (supported by proof of my enrollment in an A2 German language course), or to claim that our trip is solely for tourism. Our main concern is whether being transparent about our educational goals could affect our chances of visa approval. It's important to note that my mom has a stable, high-paying job in the Philippines, and we plan to stay in Germany for two weeks.\n\nAny advice or insights on how to approach this situation would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": " Hallo alles! I (17F) want to study in Germany next school year. My mom and I are in the process of organizing a trip to Munich to visit campuses early next year. We're aware that obtaining a Schengen tourist visa from the Philippines can be challenging because you must demonstrate that you have strong ties to your home country and intend to return after your visit.\n\nWe're contemplating whether to honestly state the purpose of our visit, which is to view campuses (supported by proof of my enrollment in an A2 German language course), or to claim that our trip is solely for tourism. Our main concern is whether being transparent about our educational goals could affect our chances of visa approval. It's important to note that my mom has a stable, high-paying job in the Philippines, and we plan to stay in Germany for two weeks.\n\nAny advice or insights on how to approach this situation would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi guys, I am going travelling to SEA for 6 months next year and planning on making tiktoks along the way as well as take photos etc.\n\nWhat have you found to be the most budget friendly way to store your phone gallery to the cloud?\n\n\nEdit: Android\n\nPlus i don't want it to be tied to a service where i lose all my content if i dont resubscribe. At least able to transfer it to somewhere else", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'Ios or android?', \"I just upload to Google drive. It's $3 per month for 200GB which is the most I typically need for a several week trip. Or 10 per month for 2TB which usually is enough for several years of photos in RAW format.\", '**Notice:** Are you asking for tips about using your phone/internet abroad?", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi guys, I am going travelling to SEA for 6 months next year and planning on making tiktoks along the way as well as take photos etc.\n\nWhat have you found to be the most budget friendly way to store your phone gallery to the cloud?\n\n\nEdit: Android\n\nPlus i don't want it to be tied to a service where i lose all my content if i dont resubscribe. At least able to transfer it to somewhere else", "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.*', 'Android. Edited the post to reflect that!', 'Also transferring off of Google drive to somewhere else is super easy via the web client or desktop client. Another bonus is if you want other people to upload photos as well it is super easy to set up sharing', \"this sounds good, if you want more, i'm on google one ($9.99/month), 2tb of storage. no issues so far.\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Does anyone know how to get cheap last minute domestic airfare tickets? I have a seriously-ill relative in the hospital who is refusing to see anyone but me, but all the flights out today and tomorrow are really expensive. Is there a way to fly standby or something?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"Have you tried calling an airline directly and explaining to a human being what the issue is?", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Does anyone know how to get cheap last minute domestic airfare tickets? I have a seriously-ill relative in the hospital who is refusing to see anyone but me, but all the flights out today and tomorrow are really expensive. Is there a way to fly standby or something?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Sorry for your situation.', 'Some airlines do offer them. It is a discount from full fare economy so is still never as cheap as a seat sale. Most airlines have rules for who is immediate family and it had to be imminent death or death ( with backup from hospital or death certificate).', \"Prices are what they are, with urgent last minute travel your options are limited. Not knowing the route doesn't help to come up with alternatives.\", 'When I had to travel last minute and the fares were outrageous, I look into alternate airports. Driving a few hours can make a big difference in price.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "EDIT I never want this thread to die! Loving all anwsers, I have pinned several!!\n\nI'm not a traditional sightseer, I wanna see the kooky, weird and offbeat things. I love going through the Atlas of the Obscure whenever I travel to a new destination to find these sights.\n\nIn Vienna I visited the Narrenturm and the Republic of Kugelmugel, we took a detour to Sanluis Obispo just to see Bubblegum alley, and for my birthday a few years ago I insisted on visiting Crazyland in Finland (I live there). Humans are so creative and art can be expressed in many ways! \n\nWhat are your weird sightseeings?\nAnd if you have time, add good ones to Atlas of the Obscure, it is my travel bible! Lonely planet who? Hahaha!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"By far the strangest museum I've ever been to, in Stuttgart: https://www.schweinemuseum.de/museum-en(https://www.schweinemuseum.de/museum-en)\", 'The Madonna Inn(https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/madonna-inn) in San Luis Obispo, CA. We just stopped by briefly while on a road trip to look at the lobby and use the restroom, but I would like to go back and stay a night someday.', 'Sedlec Ossuary in Kutná Hora near Prague. V.cool!', 'Mutter Museum in Philadelphia', 'For me it was definitely the penis museum in Iceland. It is home to a penis specimen from every animal that lives in Iceland (including human), along with a few other non Icelandic animals.', 'Museum of Disgusting Food in Malmo, Sweden', \"The Penis Museum in Iceland and the Dali Museum in Spain where both so amazingly odd. I'm not a museum person but these were great!\", 'Oh!! The Cat Museum in Borneo - they literally had cans of Friskies on display behind glass, along with Grandma/thrift store porcelain cat trinkets 😂', 'The Mansion on O Street in Washington DC is super weird in a good way. Filled with interesting tchotchkes you can buy and adorned with 70 secret doors you can hunt for, it has been a hideout for partying congressmen, protesting hippies, the Beatles and even Rosa Parks. https://www.omuseum.org/visit', 'Bombay Beach and the Salton Sea area. Surreal, funky and all kinds of weird.', \"The Stoogeum outside of Philadelphia. It's a museum dedicated to the Three Stooges.\", 'The bone church in Kutna Hora(https://images.app.goo.gl/3XNRXLfUh7pR4Y2dA) is pretty out there.', \"I'm a fan of the Atlas Obscura. My favorite weird places: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/fast-fiberglass-mold-graveyard(https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/fast-fiberglass-mold-graveyard) This is a graveyard of the molds used to make mascots for various businesses, and fast food joints. I am proud to find the Big Boy statue (I have a long, and very complicate history with Big Boy). https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/randyland(https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/randyland) This is a crazy outsider art house in Pittsburgh. I love this because when we visited Randy showed up in a giant pick up truck He had no shirt on, making it perfect for some reason.\", 'Probably the fact that I visit Rust Belt cities to see the effects of de-industrialization and its subsequent effects on cities. And how some cities are trying to tackle those issues. Not something most people would ever think about doing.', 'Pretty much any time I go to Europe I check to see if there is an ossuary, or bone church: https://www.bootsnall.com/articles/bone-churches-europe.html', 'Get a Turkish bath or hamam, outside of the touristy ones. Where they don’t speak English at all. You’ll feel clean as hell and relax afterwards but it’s weird. Bunch of old men walking around naked.', 'I can\\'t remember exactly where in Taiwan this was, maybe half an hour drive outside Tainan I think, but I went to an \"18 Levels of Hell\" temple (I believe it was Taoist?) There were 18 exhibits showing animatronic figures getting tortured for a variety of sins; at each level those arriving in hell are punished for different sins. It seems like it was intended to be a grim warning, but it\\'s extremely cheesy and I found it impossible not to laugh the whole way through (as did everyone else I was with, a mix of westerners and Taiwanese visitors).', 'Definitely the Miracle of America museum in Polson, Montana.', 'Coral Castle is pretty weird', 'Dali Museum in Figures, Spain', 'Froggyland in Split Croatia. 500 taxidermied frogs in various dioramas. It’s the largest taxidermy frog collection and museum in the world (possibly the only one also lol). My family agrees it is the best museum we have ever visited. I have suggested to my husband we vet any future daughter in laws by taking them to Froggyland. Also the museum of sex in NYC had a breast bounce house and dildo climbing wall as part of an exhibit back in 2015. Obviously did not take the kids to that.', 'Saipan! For starters, they have a couple of old army trucks with fake intercontinental ballistic missiles just chilling behind a chain link fence. The island was rolling in dough until the US buttoned up the loophole that allowed them to put “made in USA” on their items that were made with no employment laws. Now the place is a ghost town. The buildings that look open are often closed and the ones that look blacked out are open. You can do pretty much whatever you want because there’s nobody to tell you otherwise. There’s a whole huge abandoned shopping mall that you can check out. It has a Tony Romas with trees growing through it. Then there’s the unfinished billion-dollar casino. It was started by some rich Koreans, but when they went down for some sort of human rights violations, they sold it to the Chinese, who I believe were also targeted for human rights issues and sold it back to Koreans. In spite of being started in the early 2000’s, it remains 90% finished and all boarded up. There’s a single lady at the entrance, framed by 2 roll’s Royces, whose only job is to keep people out. So we walked up and asked, “can we have a look inside?” She shrugged, “sure.”', 'May I present the Torrington Gopher Hole Museum", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "EDIT I never want this thread to die! Loving all anwsers, I have pinned several!!\n\nI'm not a traditional sightseer, I wanna see the kooky, weird and offbeat things. I love going through the Atlas of the Obscure whenever I travel to a new destination to find these sights.\n\nIn Vienna I visited the Narrenturm and the Republic of Kugelmugel, we took a detour to Sanluis Obispo just to see Bubblegum alley, and for my birthday a few years ago I insisted on visiting Crazyland in Finland (I live there). Humans are so creative and art can be expressed in many ways! \n\nWhat are your weird sightseeings?\nAnd if you have time, add good ones to Atlas of the Obscure, it is my travel bible! Lonely planet who? Hahaha!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\\n-Skunk Ape Research center - between miami and Naples -Cassadaga, as a whole - central FL psychic town/tourist trap -Sponge diving history museum - Tarpon Springs -Carnival museum.. it’s in one of the ex circus worker towns near Sarasota -air conditioning invention museum in Apalachicola -Weeki Wachee Springs - state park created basically to preserve retro underwater mermaid show There is also a roadside museum of drag racing outside of Gainesville that looks promising, but I have not had time to stop yet.', 'Where was this rec a few years ago? My kids would’ve gone nuts!', 'I might have to take a trip to Alberta', 'Australia has a whole heap of random giant things! Giant prawn, giant avocado, giant thumbs up, giant platypus… I’m sure you get it, lol.', 'You can check out worlds biggest buffalo when you pass through Jamestown North Dakota!', 'Is this a franchise of sorts? Google maps showed multiple locations for House on the rock...', 'Sounds wonderful', 'I was not prepared for the entire display of pig figurines in umm . . . compromising positions.', 'I\\'d recommend the HR Giger Museum in Gruyères, Switzerland. Dude was the \"mind\" behind the Xenomorph design for the Alien movies, as well as for the alien design in Species movies. Disclaimer: the exhibits are not appropriate for children.', 'Omg, I didn’t realize you were talking about a nearby place in your post! I totally skimmed over that part of your post, missed your reference to SLO and mistook your reference to BGAlley for the similar thing in Seattle, which is apparently called the Gum Wall. Funny enough, we skipped BGAlley and did the Inn for the same reason!', 'It’s used to refer to Northeast / Midwest American cities that had strong manufacturing infrastructure but are now in decline. Detroit and Pittsburgh come immediately to mind as examples of rust belt cities.', \"It's quite an experience. I can't even explain it... just go.\", 'I remember reading about Cassadaga when planning a trip to Florida. It is exactly the type of shit I love in a kitsch way. Just like the tarot reader places in the Keys. So random, such a vibe.', 'Come for the world class national parks and stay for the gopher hole musuem', \"no, there's only one house on the rock but the owners have expanded and also run a resort and a hotel or something nearby using the same name. here's the one you want: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House\\\\_on\\\\_the\\\\_Rock(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_on_the_Rock) https://www.thehouseontherock.com/(https://www.thehouseontherock.com/) it takes 2.5+ hours to walk through it all, most of it underground. it's impossible to describe, but basically some guy built all these tunnels or caves and filled it with what has to be hundreds of thousands of his creations and collections (doll houses, gun collection, ivory collection, tiffany lamps, faberge eggs, the world's biggest carousel, automated mannequins that play instruments, waterfalls and wishing wells, a gigantic seascape of a whale fighting an octopus, 1 of the world's biggest chandeliers, aviation stuff, circus stuff, nautical stuff, a lifesize old timey western street, a 1950's town, and much MUCH more). it's 99% underground and you follow this maze like path to get through it. every inch is covered in THINGS. super super trippy. the guy was basically a hoarder to the nth degree and also some sort of self taught architect/designer who some how had infinite money and time and help to create house on the rock.\", 'I very much second the House on the Rock!', 'Lol I was thinking cute shades of pink and chubby little piggies', 'Very cool!', \"Wellwellwell if I didn't just pin Gum wall too....\", 'Ok I get the Detroir reference now', 'Lol I’m sold. I have to go now'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I have in the past generated credits from a hotel booking and used them.\n\nNow I've booked a hotel last month and did not get any credits at all.\n\nDo you know when to expect credits or not? [Booking.com](https://Booking.com) Customer Support is inexistent", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I have in the past generated credits from a hotel booking and used them.\n\nNow I've booked a hotel last month and did not get any credits at all.\n\nDo you know when to expect credits or not? [Booking.com](https://Booking.com) Customer Support is inexistent", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello,\n\nI want to preface this by saying that I have been reading blogs, posts, articles, and AT&T’s phone plans, but still have questions and would appreciate any advice. I’m also from the USA.\n\nMy understanding is that the best route would be to have an unlocked phone and purchase an eSIM card through a local company or online (HolaFly, Airalo, Orange, Google Fi, etc.).\n\nHere’s my dilemma: AT&T won’t unlock my iPhone 14 Pro Max until it’s completely paid off ($800). And due to the model it doesn’t have the capability to insert a physical SIM card in it. So, here are my questions:\n\n1.) Do I just buy an older cheap phone in the US then a local SIM card in Europe?\n2.) Do I need an unlocked phone to use an eSIM card?\n3.) Could I make it with turning off my cell service and just using wifi?\n4.) Any other suggestions?\n\nI’ll be traveling to Madrid the week prior to Christmas and then to France the week of Christmas. Due to the flight times of being late at night / early morning, I’m planning on using Ubers and NannyBags, so cell service will be needed. Unless I could just use airport wifi service?\n\nThank you for any advice!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello,\n\nI want to preface this by saying that I have been reading blogs, posts, articles, and AT&T’s phone plans, but still have questions and would appreciate any advice. I’m also from the USA.\n\nMy understanding is that the best route would be to have an unlocked phone and purchase an eSIM card through a local company or online (HolaFly, Airalo, Orange, Google Fi, etc.).\n\nHere’s my dilemma: AT&T won’t unlock my iPhone 14 Pro Max until it’s completely paid off ($800). And due to the model it doesn’t have the capability to insert a physical SIM card in it. So, here are my questions:\n\n1.) Do I just buy an older cheap phone in the US then a local SIM card in Europe?\n2.) Do I need an unlocked phone to use an eSIM card?\n3.) Could I make it with turning off my cell service and just using wifi?\n4.) Any other suggestions?\n\nI’ll be traveling to Madrid the week prior to Christmas and then to France the week of Christmas. Due to the flight times of being late at night / early morning, I’m planning on using Ubers and NannyBags, so cell service will be needed. Unless I could just use airport wifi service?\n\nThank you for any advice!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi all,\n\nJust a bit of background, we've based ourselves in London recently to do a lot of travel and would appreciate some feedback on our upcoming trip. I know a lot of people have suggested at least 3-4 days in each city (i.e., Prague, Vienna and Budapest) but unfortunately, we only have 7 days to travel during the end of December. We're happy to remove Vienna from the itenary but we figured we should stop over there, given it is inbetween Prague and Budapest. \n\nAlso, a couple weeks prior we are doing a 4 day trip to Strasbourg and Colmar. \n\n**7-day itinerary:**\n\n**Day 1:** London to Prague + Prague (3 hour flight - arrive at \\~10AM).\n\n**Day 2:** Prague \n\n**Day 3:** Prague to Vienna (4 hour train ride - arrive late AM/early PM).\n\n**Day 4**: Vienna to Budapest (2 hour train ride - arrive in early/late PM).\n\n**Day 5:** Budapest \n\n**Day 6**: Budapest\n\n**Day 7:** Budapest to London (may be able to do a bit of exploring in the AM)\n\nI know it looks rushed but I'm travelling myself and my wife, we are both young and are intending on packing lightly (potentially only a backpack each). Is it achievable or should we skip Vienna and just fly between Prague and Budapest?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'I’d cut Vienna. There’s so much to do there. You’re hardly going to be able to scratch the surface there in less than a day. If you really want to do another city in part of a day do Bratislava or Brno. Otherwise take the cut time and give it to Prague.', 'I second the idea of cutting out Vienna. Im based in Prague right now and a day and a half isn’t enough, and there are flights from Prague to Budapest that will cut down on travel time so you have more time to enjoy each place', '**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Prague?", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi all,\n\nJust a bit of background, we've based ourselves in London recently to do a lot of travel and would appreciate some feedback on our upcoming trip. I know a lot of people have suggested at least 3-4 days in each city (i.e., Prague, Vienna and Budapest) but unfortunately, we only have 7 days to travel during the end of December. We're happy to remove Vienna from the itenary but we figured we should stop over there, given it is inbetween Prague and Budapest. \n\nAlso, a couple weeks prior we are doing a 4 day trip to Strasbourg and Colmar. \n\n**7-day itinerary:**\n\n**Day 1:** London to Prague + Prague (3 hour flight - arrive at \\~10AM).\n\n**Day 2:** Prague \n\n**Day 3:** Prague to Vienna (4 hour train ride - arrive late AM/early PM).\n\n**Day 4**: Vienna to Budapest (2 hour train ride - arrive in early/late PM).\n\n**Day 5:** Budapest \n\n**Day 6**: Budapest\n\n**Day 7:** Budapest to London (may be able to do a bit of exploring in the AM)\n\nI know it looks rushed but I'm travelling myself and my wife, we are both young and are intending on packing lightly (potentially only a backpack each). Is it achievable or should we skip Vienna and just fly between Prague and Budapest?", "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.*', '100% skip vienna.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello\nI am from india travelling to Vietnam and I have got my visa through Atlys app.\nI have been to Vietnam previously in September and what I find a little bit fishy is the visa that I received this time from Atlys, the order of information is not the same as my previous visa. \nI am worried that they have taken my money and given me some doctored document which will get me stuck in immigrations.\n\nHas anyone ever done visas through Atlys, if yes then how has your experience been?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"Just curious why you would use a 3rd Party Vendor when it's so simple to apply for the E-Visa through the official government website?(https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/trang-chu-ttdt) ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello\nI am from india travelling to Vietnam and I have got my visa through Atlys app.\nI have been to Vietnam previously in September and what I find a little bit fishy is the visa that I received this time from Atlys, the order of information is not the same as my previous visa. \nI am worried that they have taken my money and given me some doctored document which will get me stuck in immigrations.\n\nHas anyone ever done visas through Atlys, if yes then how has your experience been?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Happy travels.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello friends!\r \n\r \nMy apologies if these question(s) have already been posted or if this is in the wrong subreddit!\r \n\r \n1) I'm flying solo using ZIPAIR fro LAX to get to Narita. I've never been on this airline before. Can someone tell me the check in process for this airline? I was told you CAN'T check in online and you have to do it at the counter the day of. Is that true??\r \n\r \n2) My other really stupid question is do I really have to pay for my carry on and carry-on backpack if it exceeds 7kg? I was told by others that they don't weigh your carry-on at LAX when you get your boarding pass at the check in desk and to save my 40-50 bucks but they do check from Narita back to LA. \r \n\r \n3) Also since I don't want to eat their standard meal, will they give me grief for bringing a sandwich on board? I heard zipair won't even give you hot water if you bring ramen (I find that hard to believe but wanted to verify.\r \n\r \nCan someone please clarify? Any insight would be much appreciated. Thank you all!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'Baggage info for ZipAir here(https://www.zipair.net/en/faq/baggage)", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello friends!\r \n\r \nMy apologies if these question(s) have already been posted or if this is in the wrong subreddit!\r \n\r \n1) I'm flying solo using ZIPAIR fro LAX to get to Narita. I've never been on this airline before. Can someone tell me the check in process for this airline? I was told you CAN'T check in online and you have to do it at the counter the day of. Is that true??\r \n\r \n2) My other really stupid question is do I really have to pay for my carry on and carry-on backpack if it exceeds 7kg? I was told by others that they don't weigh your carry-on at LAX when you get your boarding pass at the check in desk and to save my 40-50 bucks but they do check from Narita back to LA. \r \n\r \n3) Also since I don't want to eat their standard meal, will they give me grief for bringing a sandwich on board? I heard zipair won't even give you hot water if you bring ramen (I find that hard to believe but wanted to verify.\r \n\r \nCan someone please clarify? Any insight would be much appreciated. Thank you all!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/TZP24/history\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "My wife and I (will be 42 and 41 at the time) are looking to plan a couples getaway in October, 2024 in the Caribbean. We'll be using points for flights, so that will allow us to \"splurge\" (a little) on the resort. We've traditionally done big all-inclusives, but would like to go somewhere smaller and more intimate this time around (but would enjoy it still being all-inclusive).\n\nI've been going back and forth between a couple of islands, and would love to hear what people think (even if it's an island I haven't considered). The three islands I've been contemplating are Antigua, Dominica, and St. Lucia.\n\nWe're not going to just lay on the beach or around a pool for a week, we'd like to do some exploring. Hiking would be great. We also like to walk around towns and cities (we went to Puerto Vallarta last year and spent most of the week walking around the Zona Romantica).\n\nThanks in advance!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"I really loved Virgin Gorda! There are a couple of hiking trails, you can explore the many beaches they have and lots of delicious food. It's also super remote so you feel like you're in another world. There's not necessarily a city, but I have never had more fun exploring an island.\", 'I’m doing the same calculations now as well. Take a look at Grenada. It has great beaches but also hiking (that Barbados doesn’t have) and is cheaper and less busy than it’s sister island.', 'Aruba.', \"St Lucia!! We've been to all 3, hands down St Lucia for the romantic getaway, especially if you can find resorts around Soufriere / Pitons with ocean / Pitons views. Great hikes (you can hike both Pitons, the bigger one is much more challenging and requires gudie). Sugar Beach Resort is really nice and romantic IMO. ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "My wife and I (will be 42 and 41 at the time) are looking to plan a couples getaway in October, 2024 in the Caribbean. We'll be using points for flights, so that will allow us to \"splurge\" (a little) on the resort. We've traditionally done big all-inclusives, but would like to go somewhere smaller and more intimate this time around (but would enjoy it still being all-inclusive).\n\nI've been going back and forth between a couple of islands, and would love to hear what people think (even if it's an island I haven't considered). The three islands I've been contemplating are Antigua, Dominica, and St. Lucia.\n\nWe're not going to just lay on the beach or around a pool for a week, we'd like to do some exploring. Hiking would be great. We also like to walk around towns and cities (we went to Puerto Vallarta last year and spent most of the week walking around the Zona Romantica).\n\nThanks in advance!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "* Any of the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao) - very dry islands, little storm risk. Aruba is the most touristy, but southern parts are less resorty and very nice, great mix of nature and unique (desert, not forests!). I've not been to Curaco or Bonaire, but hear B is the most nature firendly, and slowest. Curacoa is the largest and the historic town is nice\\n* Grenada - a little more off the beaten track, south of St Lucia. Silversands Grenada is stunning. Some of the best white sand beaches we've been to\", 'Thanks for the reply!', 'Will do, thanks!', \"MIL went there recently and loved it. Just didn't seem as nature-y as the other islands that I was looking at as far as the hiking goes.\", 'Really appreciate the detailed response! Definitely gave me a lot to consider!'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Trying to plan a 10th anniversary trip for my wife and I. We have the money and have always thought Hawaii looked awesome - but I am tallying up the price and seeing that it could easily be 7-10k for a week in Hawaii in early April. I'm not really into spending that much money on a vacation, though I could if that's the best option. Also, we are from Ohio and that's a lot of flying - I kind of hate flying.\n\nWe also have liked the idea of Carribbean, and partly because some of the islands are a much shorter flight. We don't really want to just go to a resort and end up being stuck there.\n\nI'd like somewhere there is room to explore - whether by bike, or car, or hiking. I had this idea of driving the Florida keys, which sounds like a small unique \"adventure\" and while also not having to pay for a flight or car rental. (I could drive from Ohio to the keys and save a lot of transit costs - though that's about 2 full days each way - hardly a good use of time).\n\nAlso, our kids get us sick all the time and we don't have the best health ourselves - so I'd need flexibility to cancel the trip if we get sick and it's important that there is good healthcare available wherever we go, just in case. Trip insurance and travel health insurance are just more expenses.\n\nI'm just not sure how to find a relatively adventurous vacation while also being able to keep the costs down. Any ideas would be great!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'My wife and I went to Puerto Rico this past May, we are also from Ohio and that wasn’t to bad of a flight. The return flight was 4.5 hrs or so from San Juan. We rented a car to get to the resort and go out into neighboring small towns on the east side of the island. It was fun and the food was delicious. You can hike at el Yunque national forest.', \"Guadeloupe has what you are looking for. One half of the island is flat with amazing beaches and calm water, and the other half is mountains/volcano with a tropical rainforest. Also great beaches, but it's facing the Atlantic and more wave action. Great French restaurants throughout and the people are super nice. You'll have to rent a car to get around though.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Trying to plan a 10th anniversary trip for my wife and I. We have the money and have always thought Hawaii looked awesome - but I am tallying up the price and seeing that it could easily be 7-10k for a week in Hawaii in early April. I'm not really into spending that much money on a vacation, though I could if that's the best option. Also, we are from Ohio and that's a lot of flying - I kind of hate flying.\n\nWe also have liked the idea of Carribbean, and partly because some of the islands are a much shorter flight. We don't really want to just go to a resort and end up being stuck there.\n\nI'd like somewhere there is room to explore - whether by bike, or car, or hiking. I had this idea of driving the Florida keys, which sounds like a small unique \"adventure\" and while also not having to pay for a flight or car rental. (I could drive from Ohio to the keys and save a lot of transit costs - though that's about 2 full days each way - hardly a good use of time).\n\nAlso, our kids get us sick all the time and we don't have the best health ourselves - so I'd need flexibility to cancel the trip if we get sick and it's important that there is good healthcare available wherever we go, just in case. Trip insurance and travel health insurance are just more expenses.\n\nI'm just not sure how to find a relatively adventurous vacation while also being able to keep the costs down. Any ideas would be great!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "And to answer your original post, I like Tahiti a lot. You don't have to go to Bora Bora and splurge money. Just hit up Tahiti then take a ferry to Mo'orea for $12 USD. There are lots of Airbnb options in Moorea and lots of tours/decent snorkeling spots to see. Plus their native Queen Tahiti pineapples are my all time favorite variety. They make a local juice out of it with a company called Rotui; their factory is in Mo'orea as well (can take a tour).\", 'CMH-HNL is as cheap as 460 in March RT, but more expensive until then.', 'Thanks! Have you traveled to other carribean islands how would this trip compare?', 'I have not, PR was my first Caribbean island. I would like to go to Jamaica or the DR one day. We liked PR a lot we kinda wanna go back.', 'I think PR is safer and nicer than Jamaica and DR. Lots of other islands though! I’ve been to Aruba and Saint John both awesome.', 'What ever the muppets sing in kokomo that’s where I wanna go. 😂', \"Thanks for the suggestion! I'll be sure to check out the options you have mentioned. I appreciate the detail you went into too - like looking at the geographical distance from a city center, that's a great way to narrow down choices. Fingers crossed I can find the perfect destination for my beach vacation!\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Girlfriend and I are stopping by on our way to Biarritz via Barcelona, but wanna know where we should spend our time in this mountain range. Also, would love to know best way to get there from Barcelona. Thanks so much!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Girlfriend and I are stopping by on our way to Biarritz via Barcelona, but wanna know where we should spend our time in this mountain range. Also, would love to know best way to get there from Barcelona. Thanks so much!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hey guys! 26M Australian first time solo travelling South America next late Jan-Mar\n\nI’m doing Bra, Arg, Bolivia and Ecuador solo but only booked Rio accom so far because of the carnival\n\nWas wondering do people leave their trip open or do you book everything before the trip? Is it risky booking my next place within a few days of arriving? What’s peoples experience been?\n\nI like the idea of being semi flexible but don’t like the pressure to book flights and accom once I’m there as it’s my first time going solo\n\nMoney and time isn’t overly an issue either\n\nThanks so much in advance. Really torn here so any info is a huge help :-)", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"Longer trips with lots of possible stops,I book the minimum in advance. Maybe a couple of nights in the first place I'm flying into, sometimes the same in the place I'm flying out of, and like your Rio example.. anywhere I'm going to a major event where accommodation will sell out quickly. The rest I do as I go.Generally either online or a phonecall the night before arriving, occasionally just wandering around and looking for a place (I do that less than I used to though, combination of older age and more things bookable than when I was younger!).\", \"I've always travelled booking transport and accomodation as I've needed and moved along. I generally use any of the major booking sites and book a place for just 1 or 2 nights a day or two before arrival. If it's really nice I can negotiate a longer stay in person (often with better rates) and if it's not special enough I can look for somewhere else on site. I've never had any problem travelling this way and the flexibility results in a trip that is tailored just for me.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hey guys! 26M Australian first time solo travelling South America next late Jan-Mar\n\nI’m doing Bra, Arg, Bolivia and Ecuador solo but only booked Rio accom so far because of the carnival\n\nWas wondering do people leave their trip open or do you book everything before the trip? Is it risky booking my next place within a few days of arriving? What’s peoples experience been?\n\nI like the idea of being semi flexible but don’t like the pressure to book flights and accom once I’m there as it’s my first time going solo\n\nMoney and time isn’t overly an issue either\n\nThanks so much in advance. Really torn here so any info is a huge help :-)", "role": "user" }, { "content": "you can divide it to cities and add whatever you wanna see or do or eat. you can color the different kinda activities. this way you can figure out which city needs how many days, you can divide your itinerary to 10 days and for every ten days you can add two free days for relaxing or unexpected opportunity. if there are big flight you dont wanna risk you can use them for divide. bus tickets are easier so you can in one or two days. for train tickets you can do 7 days ahead booking. for accomodation you can do a week ahead too. long story short: divide your trip to parts acording to their closeness. and think it like lots of a week trips. for each trip spare an emergency day or two. with start of every trip book your next trip. i would do 2 week ahead probably. cause unreasonable anxiety.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello Hello!\n\nI am flying so far away from home (India to NZ) for the first time and super excited. It's for my honeymoon. We have 2 weeks and here's the tentative schedule. You inputs would be super appreciated!\n\n26th Jan: Auckland arrival\n\n27th Jan-28th Jan: Flight Rotura & Stay\n\n29th Jan: Flight to Christchurch, pick up car and head to Tekapo\n\n29th-30th Feb: Lake Tekapo and nearby\n\n31st-1st Feb: Mt Cook\n\n2nd-3rd Feb: Te Anu/Milford Sound\n\n4th-7th Feb: Queenstown & Wanaka\n\n8th Feb: Flight to Auckland\n\n9th Feb: Home :\")\n\nI am not sure if we should go further south in Queenstown or take a couple of days and go to Kaikoura by taking them away from Queens/Wanaka?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about New Zealand?", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello Hello!\n\nI am flying so far away from home (India to NZ) for the first time and super excited. It's for my honeymoon. We have 2 weeks and here's the tentative schedule. You inputs would be super appreciated!\n\n26th Jan: Auckland arrival\n\n27th Jan-28th Jan: Flight Rotura & Stay\n\n29th Jan: Flight to Christchurch, pick up car and head to Tekapo\n\n29th-30th Feb: Lake Tekapo and nearby\n\n31st-1st Feb: Mt Cook\n\n2nd-3rd Feb: Te Anu/Milford Sound\n\n4th-7th Feb: Queenstown & Wanaka\n\n8th Feb: Flight to Auckland\n\n9th Feb: Home :\")\n\nI am not sure if we should go further south in Queenstown or take a couple of days and go to Kaikoura by taking them away from Queens/Wanaka?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "In Rotura we are staying near Fenton street and planning to do a bus tour only to get over the jet lag and prep for south island driving', 'Do you mean Rotorua?', ':) Yes'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi all, \nI (23M) will be traveling to south Germany for work in the beginning of December, and extended my stay for a few days to stop by Switzerland. \n\nMy initial thought was train down to Interlaken or Lucerne and hostel there for a two night before training back to Germany for flight back. \n\nNot sure how easily accessible trains/trolleys/busses will be since I won’t be renting a car, but I am looking for an itinerary/ideas/suggestions on what to do or see in the short time.\nThanks!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi all, \nI (23M) will be traveling to south Germany for work in the beginning of December, and extended my stay for a few days to stop by Switzerland. \n\nMy initial thought was train down to Interlaken or Lucerne and hostel there for a two night before training back to Germany for flight back. \n\nNot sure how easily accessible trains/trolleys/busses will be since I won’t be renting a car, but I am looking for an itinerary/ideas/suggestions on what to do or see in the short time.\nThanks!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "My backpack was stolen during a flixbus trip in italy.\n\nAnyone here have been through this?\nWhat should I expect?\n\nI contact the Company already", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"Probably best to file a police report and go through travel insurance. It will definitely be quicker. I love Flixbus but it's basically great until it isn't.\", 'This is my biggest fear, not going to lie. Check out other threads – a couple of people have had the same problem and commented on their situation here. When contacting the company support, they’ll probably tell you to make a complaint on their website. Often they offer compensation, but not nearly enough to make up for the lost luggage and only after insisting a lot (publicly).', \"Yes , same. Milan Lampugnano to Venice overnight. Backback of clothes and some souvenirs/ photos stolen from hold. Probably by another passenger at one of the stop-offs. Couldn't really find much in the way of contact details for the company and was leaving the next day. Will mot be letting my property out of my sight again. Fairly common with flixbus apparently.\", 'I had a friend that happened to on a Flix in the US, only it was his full size suitcase. So now when I travel on Flix and have a suitcase in the compartment, I watch it like a hawk when they open the storage compartment at each stop... Carry on size is with me onboard.', \"I already did Any other ways to keep up the fight ?", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "My backpack was stolen during a flixbus trip in italy.\n\nAnyone here have been through this?\nWhat should I expect?\n\nI contact the Company already", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Now I have to wait 14 days for the company to answer me and then I might sue them The things is that most of people are tourist and can't stay in the country to fight for justice. Not my case, I will be here around and will do my best on it\", \"Is it a thing only in brazil? The rest of the world companies can't be sued?\", 'You would be better off claiming on your travel insurance if you have it and have the police reference number. Flixbus are going to be no help at all. Its how they can offer cheap travel, zero customer service.', 'Give them hell!', \"That's why I am aiming for legal procedure Doesn't matter if they wanna help or not\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Abandoned spooky kind of places.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'The catacombs in paris are pretty unsettling if you stop and think about it too long', 'The Killing Fields in Cambodia Edit: also the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (Cambodia) as another commenter mentioned', \"Port Arthur Tasmania. It was a creepy convict settlement at the end of the earth in the 1800s. Freaky enough on its own but it's also the site of a lone gunman massacre in 1996 where 35 people are gunned down and killed. The vibe of the place will creep anyone out.\", 'Saqqara, Egypt. The tomb of a vizier during the Old Kingdom. I got carried away and went all the way to the back while my tour group was taking their time. It hits you when you realize you’re alone staring at the depiction of a door to the afterlife. Gaps in the walls, too dark to see the stonework behind them.', 'Puerto Alvira, Colombia. Empty streets, broken down buildings, dusty old pool halls. Major ghost town vibes. Most of the people we did see were staring aimlessly in to the distance or at the ground. Turns out many of the town’s inhabitants were killed or injured in a chainsaw massacre committed by a paramilitary group during the height of the country’s drug violence.', 'Mine is probably the Ardanaiseig Hotel(https://www.ardanaiseig.com) in Scotland. It’s a nearly 200 year old manor house on a remote 100 acre wooded estate on the shore of Loch Awe. There were about 8 guests total, including me and my wife, staying there during our trip, and the few employees go home between 11 PM and 7 AM. There is an old cemetery on the estate, where several of the family members of past owners were laid to rest over the years. It was actually very nice, peaceful and relaxing during the day, but staying overnight in the old house in isolation, darkness and near-silence was pretty creepy. My answer would probably be the Blair Street Vaults in Edinburgh if I had been in there alone. I visited them with a ghost tour, so the presence of a dozen other people and two guides made it a bit less creepy.', 'Closed down underground Sandinista Prison near Granada, Nicaragua named Forteleza el Coyotepe.(https://maps.app.goo.gl/QF3VocpeXYanLvD37?g_st=ic) Catacombs with zero light, thousands of bats swarming every time you\\'d enter a room. Then there were the horrible things carved into stone walls of windowless cells like \"There is no God here\" and \"Please Jesus let me die\" (in Spanish)... electrified grids placed low overhead so prisoners could never stand upright. Some mass holding areas with holes from above where guards would dump piss and shit down on the overcrowded masses... plus there were obvious torture chambers... etc.', 'When my spouse was still in the military, we were taking a family trip through the southwest. The base in Albuquerque had some very basic, older housing that was furnished and was used as a hotel. We booked. What they didn’t tell us was that, aside from the few buildings set aside as temporary quarters, the rest of that huge section of base housing had been emptied and shut down and on schedule to be razed. We were staying in a ghost town of mid century ranch homes. Dead landscaping. Weeds and debris piled up on porches. We walked after dinner under a full moon. Some front doors were flapping. We walked into a few of the houses, empty and unlit, dark hallways leading to rooms we decided not to explore in the night. Occasionally we could hear something moving about. Mice? A raccoon? It was so disturbing to walk around a place that was once full of life and purpose and families who were once required to take meticulous attention to their landscaping and home upkeep, now with dead trees and bits of trash blowing down the street.', 'A few places - Chernobyl, as you can imagine, was very otherworldly and ethereal; \\n \\nI stayed a night in an astronomical station in the mountains above Almaty, Kazakhstan. I was the only one staying, the chief scientist only spoke Russian, and it was a rabbit warren of halls and rooms. The next day I got threatened at gunpoint by some soldiers for trying to explore Kosmostancia. \\n \\nCamped at a very creepy loch in Scotland, where we found a completely abandoned tent and campsite that had been there for a while - didn’t get any sleep that night. \\n \\nKilling fields and Tuol Sleng in Cambodia. \\n \\nDone a fair bit of urban exploration all over the world which is always a bit unsettling.', 'Gas chamber and incinerators in a nazi death camp', 'Natchez, Mississippi. It used to be one of the wealthiest cities in the country based on slave labor and was the site of one of the busiest slave markets. There was a heaviness in the air that creeped me out and I couldn’t wait to leave.', 'Roslyn, Wa. Was at Suncadia for a wedding. was driving around Cle Elum. there were open forest areas and it was getting dark and i felt like there was screaming and a stampede of sorts. I felt sick to my stomach. I had told my dad about it and he said that he had fought fires in that area and everyone felt uneasy and the same way. definitely creepy', \"I volunteered in the Favelas of Brazil. I wouldn't say most of them were just where poor people live. A few of them did function as like mini little towns and the people were doing pretty well. There was one however that had something off about it. When walking in one day there was a pile of garbage with a dead body sticking out. The was a good sign! This one had a low population, and not really people hanging around. Usually when we would enter the favelas some people would come out to give us a big kiss, maybe have a drink, introduce themselves, and spy on what we were doing. Not in this case. So we are wandering a corner and there is a huge house with barbed wire, and a nice looking range rover. Actually this was a pretty typical Brazilian house, just in a weird location. Someone finally came to greet us, and told us not to take any photos of it :) Now this is where it gets weird. All the families in our volunteer programs had really weird developmental disabilities, and may had what looked like rickets, i.e. they had bowed legs, clearly really bad motion when they walked. IT turns out the favela was built at an old battery factory. Poor kids.\", 'Passed by the Walmart in El Paso less then 24 hours after the mass shooting, I felt cold.', 'Crumlin Road Gaol\\nJail in Belfast, Northern Ireland.\\nTo be standing where people were executed was a very sad moment. When walking the blocks, and being brought to the area where people who were to die the next day, spent their last night (major spoiler) then for them to find out they were sleeping in their execution room. Maaaajor creepy vibes.', 'I got spine chilling creepy vibes in the Capuchin Catacombs in Sicily. A very weird, not fun excursion.', 'The Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, OH. It’s the prison where Shawshank Redemption was filmed. It’s creepy as hell. The gas chambers at Dachau were very unsettling. More somber than creepy.', 'Gettysburg. There was no one near me while I was standing next to the battlefield, but I had a definite sense I was not alone.', 'Neumayer Station II, Antarctica. It was a former German research station that was abandoned in 2009 and replaced by Neumayer Station III. Since being abandoned it has been completely covered in ice, we had to dig a hole about 10 feet through the ice to find a hatch in the roof and then climb down a ladder into the old station. Obviously pitch black down there and the roof was starting to cave in from the weight of the ice above. We explored around and saw all the old equipment and living quarters that were left behind to be slowly engulfed by the ice. Very creepy to see a place that was once a fully functioning station and home to scientists living and working there now abandoned. The station was built on the Ekstrom ice shelf which moves out to sea on average 200m per year. Over the years it slowly will get crushed and get pushed further and further out to sea until it eventually breaks off as part of an iceberg. It will then slowly melt until it breaks free and sinks to the bottom of the ocean. Was a very eerie feeling to think we could be the last people to ever explore the station before it gets engulfed by the ice and eventually forgotten about forever.', 'Some parts of Thailand were pretty creepy with the sex tourism', 'Gary, Indiana', 'Dachau', 'When we wandered away from the crowds down empty streets, Pompeii felt very heavy and sad. The magnitude of what happened there feels fresh when it’s quiet.', 'The mummy museum in Guanajuato, Mexico was quite creepy.', 'A huge bunker complex nestled in the mountains near Vlore, in Albania. There were cramped, pitch-black tunnels that went on endlessly. It was extremely eerie and claustrophobic, and one of the first times I got a panic attack. I turned on my phone camera to take a video and my flashlight went off. I thought my phone had died! The movie *Barbarian* was also still fresh in my mind. Not fun. The Qara Prison in Meknes, Morocco was also quite creepy. And shout out to all the random abandoned hospitals, hotels, and buildings all throughout the Balkans.', 'World of Franz Kafka in Prague was definitely weird with hanging baby dolls and huge tv screens of someone being murdered Inside St Peters basilica was kinda chilling too', 'Mitrovica (Northern side) in Kosovo, was creepy because the town is almost divided in two, one side seemed to be full of people and activity and was like a normal city, then I crossed a bridge into the Serbian side and the whole place was dead quiet, the streets were empty and their was pro Serbian and pro-Russian flags everywhere. It was like stepping into a separate country and the emptiness combined with an uneasy atmosphere made the North of the city kinda scary.', \"Mosel Iraq. They are still clearing rubble, finding live munitions and bodies. Saddam's palace in Babylon was pretty creepy too.\", \"S-21 in Cambodia. Still blood on the floors..... Fuck. I didn't need to remember\", 'An abandoned hospital in Muskogee, OK. I was a kid and all the supplies and gurneys were still in the hallways. In the basement there was a big pentagram where people had been having ceremonies. I was like 8! Circa 1986', 'I went to a cave in Battambang Cambodia where the Khmer Rouge pushed people off the top of the cave roof down a shaft to be killed below. I’ve never felt such a dark, malignant energy from a space before, every hair on my body felt electrified. It took me hours to feel normal after leaving.', \"A small town called Sandakan in Malaysian Borneo. Not very touristy but a place people spend some time in on route to see orangutan or turtle conservation sites. Can't fully explain why, but something felt very off there. We got quite a hostile reception while out and about (also met some lovely people, but there was a general feeling of not being welcome). We went on a wander one evening and ended up in this huge Chinese graveyard that we had no idea existed. We also found a random English tearoom with cocktails, croquet and afternoon tea. It was the most incongruous thing I've ever seen, in the middle of the jungle, in a nearly completely alcohol free town. We did stop for Bloody Marys though. Another shout for Tuol Sleng in Cambodia too.\", 'Dachau. When you see the cruel efficiency of the gas chamber/crematorium layout you realize exactly what it was for…no explaining that away.', 'Like others.....Nazi death / concentration camps. Just was incredibly creepy in an incredibly sad and tragic way. I remember sitting on a concrete bench and looking around and realising that the people who were tortured and gased? Saw the exact walls I was looking at. Putting my hands on where the trains were unloaded and wondering how many people feet had touched that very spot....and they went to their death through the gates I was looking at. Just a very scary, emotional thing to do.', \"DMZ in Korea. The area is very beautiful since it has been left almost untouched since the 1950s. But in an odd way, it is also very creepy with all the famous battle sites you will see with your own eyes, the very tense atmosphere, etc. Especially when you go to the blue houses and are literally standing 10 meters away from North Korea. You can see a North Korean soldier, you know they are looking at you, and you can hear propaganda coming from a loud speaker in North Korea somewhere in the distance. \\nIn front of your eyes, there is a totally different world. So close that you could throw a stone there, but still, it's so far away. The place is so surreal and creepy that I don't know if you can experience anything similar to that anywhere else.\", \"I stayed in this old hotel in Fort William (Scotland) before I set off to climb Ben Nevis. The building was very old and the rooms seemed like they hadn't been updated since the 70s. In my room was one of those old TVs which was small but quite bulky and probably only had basic channels on it. I hadn't touched the TV all night and I believe that it was even switched off on the plug. Anyway, I fell asleep around 11pm. At around 2am the TV suddenly came on at practically full volume and made me jump out of my skin. I was in a daze and trying to find the remote to turn the TV off, eventually found it and switched it off. For the next couple of hours I was laying there wide awake feeling a bit freaked out about how the TV came on like that. I'm a very skeptical person when it comes to stuff like ghosts but I could not think of a valid reason as to how it happened. The room just felt a whole lot creepier after that and I was suddenly aware of every little noise around me (I swear I heard some tapping). The next morning I went to check out of the hotel and spoke to who I believed to be the owner of the hotel. I mentioned to her about what happened with the TV and then she said quite casually about how the place was haunted!! She told me a few stories about other things that had happened there and asked me what room I was in. It's fair to say that I was glad I had only booked the one night but it's an experience I will never forget for sure!\", 'ATM cave in Belize. It’s a hike through the jungle and then like an hour and a half walk into the depth of a cave to get there, and when you do you see skeletons of mainly children that were sacrificed. You can see the skull and teeth modifications and everything. Our tour group was the last to leave and I asked if we could turn off our lanterns for a minute. We did and it was the darkest black I’d ever experienced, literally no light at all. I can’t imagine being murdered there. Or what if your lantern went out somehow? How terrifying.', 'The Edinburgh vaults. So creepy. I don’t even like thinking about being in them lol.', 'Some shady corners of Old Delhi, New Delhi. Ive seen shit there that i cant even describe.', 'Did a nighttime tour of Eastern State Penitentiary in Philly. The negative energy in that place was palatable and unnerving.', 'Alcatraz. I felt physically ill throughout the entire experience and felt stabbing chest pains. I’ll never ever go back.', 'I went to some old Viking forts in Sweden when I was a kid. Creeped me out. Very dark and eerie. I remember the doorways were very small - people were shorter back then.', 'Catacombs in Paris.', 'Winchester Mystery House at night. The widow of the Winchester rifle creator was supposedly haunted by the ghosts of the people killed by Winchester rifles and built her enormous mansion to confuse and distract the spirits that surrounded her. Stairways and windows that lead to nowhere and thirteen of everything throughout the house. It’s mostly just for tourists but getting semi lost in there at night on their Halloween tour was definitely creepy', 'Psych ward area in Alcatraz. Felt some crazy vibes in there.', 'A swingers club in Florida...', 'Maybe not stereotypically creepy, but the streets of Trieste, Italy, at 4 in the morning. I was out walking to a concert on the pier—someone was playing the piano onto the big stone pier and hundreds of people had gathered. I was so nervous the whole way there, fast walking and constantly looking over my shoulder. My friend had recently been robbed in Greece so I was extra nervous and was wondering if I was being stupid, walking there alone in the dark. It ended up being so worth it, it was a beautiful concert.', 'Lots of vague comments here...', 'Savannah, Georgia was pretty ghosty.', 'The Hell Caves (Am Phu) in Vietnam were pretty creepy. There were loads of twisted figures cut out of stone depicting what would happen to you in hell if you committed crime, didn’t practice filial piety etc.', \"An abandoned house near a river. It's full of cluttered things and dusts. It looks like as if someone who used to lived there just left without bringing his belongings. Rumors say that the person who used to live there already died and that non of his children wanted to inherit the house. I wonder if that's true. His house looks creepy especially when you stare at its window too much. 🙃\", 'Happy Camp, Calif. Fucking spooky as hell. I was on a solo Bigfoot themed getaway and I thought I was going to spend the night but it was so creepy I hit the road!', 'Husband and I were in Eureka Springs, Arkansas many years ago with my dad and grandparents and had no idea of the history of the town. We were there in April, so not peak season, and my husband and I were in a bar that had a larger room attached. The room had a bunch of tables with the chairs flipped on top. We’re sitting at the bar chatting with the one bartender, and all the sudden, a LOUD fucking crash from the room next door startles myself and husband. We go look and a chair has been “thrown” like 5 feet away from the table it was on. The bartender then tells us it’s the resident spirit and tells us about how apparently the town has many places that experience these sorts of weird things. He then tells us about the medical facility in town that was a cancer facility that tortured people, and now their souls haunt the town. Needless to say, our hotel had a giant mirror at the end of our bed, and neither of us could sleep and did NOT want to look in that mirror 😂 So now we know about that town’s history, and besides the spooky stuff, it’s actually a really cool town that I highly recommend to anyone! \\nThe other “creepy” place was the Aokigahara Jukai (AKA suicide forest). We didn’t see anything like ribbons or anything, but the forest was just dark and super quiet.', 'South Bend Indiana. All those weird Catholic vibes.', 'deleted', 'Night visit (tour) to mass cemeteries from the 1800s in New Orleans', 'Had a possible supernatural incident in New Orleans.', 'Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Abandoned spooky kind of places.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Also watched at least three women walk into one of the rooms and break down crying just because of the way it felt.\", 'Same here. Just tragic. You can feel the horror in the air. It’s palpable.', 'I had a very similar experience. I had to go outside and sit down on a bench and I just broke down and cried. I had no choice. My mind just couldn’t take any more. I’ve been to Auschwitz, Dachau, Babi Yar, My Lai, Solovki special camp, sites of the Rwandan genocide, and more. Tuol Sleng was the place I completely broke down. All of these sites saw evil. Tuol Sleng just exudes evil.', 'I spontaneously burst into tears.', 'I find parts of Norfolk Island to be the same. Its definitely a sad place. \\nDo a ghost tour of you feel up to it, fascinating and full of extra historical details, the guides are amazing. I had a very creepy tour last time. Keep the more recent memories in your heart with respect, and please don’t discuss it with staff who just may have been there also.', 'When I went on the ghost tour a few years ago I kept joking and jump scaring my partner (not being disruptive to the tour) and when we came to the wardens house (I think) the guide made me go up the garden path and in to the house by myself, and ask if there were any ghosts present. I kept quiet after that', 'Refueling during a 12 hour boat ride down the Guaviare River to a remote fishing camp.', 'It really was! I actually randomly found it on Google Maps while scrolling around looking for things to do along our path while driving through the Highlands. I was so intrigued by it that I made time in our itinerary to spend a night there. I’m super glad that I did because it was an awesome experience. It was very peaceful and relaxing, which was exactly what we needed after a week and a half of a busy schedule with lots of outdoor physical activities. All of the other guests were older Scottish people there on short getaway trips; they were all flabbergasted as to how two 30-ish year old Americans had ended up at that hotel. Really nice and welcoming people, like basically everyone we met in Scotland.', 'That’s the perfect way to describe it! It reminded me a lot of Hill House, specifically as it’s portrayed in the Netflix show. The staff was pretty minimal to begin with and they all went home for the night. We only ever saw two “general” employees (for lack of a better term) - one in the morning and one in the evening - that handled check-in/out, served us afternoon tea, acted as the waiter during meals and tended the bar in the living room at night, plus one groundskeeper. There was presumably at least one chef that made our (quite delicious) food, but we never met them. Maybe a housekeeper too, or perhaps that task was also handled by the general employee. We were provided with a phone number for overnight emergencies and told that most of the employees lived nearby and they rotated being on-call.', 'I work night audit at a different $$$$ hotel. They refuse to hire overnight security guards so we all sit in the offices in the back. Both my coworkers want to quit. Hotel owners care more about money than safety', 'Just needs a power washing, bunch of lazy Scots.', 'I did not. I did mine through Mercat Tours; it was the last one of the day, we spent about half the time in the closes off the Royal Mile and the other half in the vaults. No poltergeist circle… that does sound interesting though! What did it entail?', 'Hmmm...where could you find that in the last month...', '>To make matters worse, I had a moment (like hairs raising on the back of my neck) where if I didn’t listen to my gut instinct I knew I would’ve died on that road too. That was my first and last time to ever go there. What happened?', 'Now I need to see that film!', 'Fav cities in the world are probably Istanbul, Luang Prabang, Utrecht, Isfahan, Edinburgh and London. Have plenty of stories but there’s a time and place! Best people is tough, but probably Iran. \\n \\nOne thing I did conclude on my travels is that despite the odd asshole and dickhead, the vast majority of people are good, and kind. \\n \\nI walked out of a shop in a village near Song Kol lake in Kyrgyzstan and realised I didn’t have my wallet. Had just made a big cash withdrawal and had a few important docs and cards. Panicked, went back in and asked at the counter but obviously no one spoke English and I didn’t speak any Kyrgyz or Russian, so did some rudimentary miming. Shopkeeper grabbed a security guard from next door at the bank to help with his camera system, and we started reviewing the footage, as quite a big crowd gathered. Saw me put my wallet on the counter, go back to get some water, return to the counter and then walk out, leaving my wallet. The next customer put her bag on top, then when she moved it again it was gone. Everyone gasped and it felt like the whole village jumped into action - some dude grabbed me by the arm as we ran to the bus station/taxi rank/car park nearby, and everyone else rushed around hunting this person, until we found her. A lot of angry shouting while I just kinda stood there, slightly bemused. They took her back to the store to show her the footage, and she pulled my wallet out and returned it, everything inside. I was ecstatic, gave everyone that helped me a little cash token of appreciation, and on I went, to the next destination, by the skin of my teeth and on the back of the kindness of strangers.', 'Yea same', 'We reported it to the local Park Office and they seemed to think that it wasn’t uncommon for people to buy stuff super cheap, use it for a while and then leave it instead of packing it up and reusing it (which seems incredibly wasteful and shortsighted to me). But whether that was the truth or a story they told people to placate them instead of telling them it was likely a suicide etc, I’ll never know.', 'You’re probably right, I couldn’t find the right word to describe it. It’s a snapshot of a moment in time, decayed but ultimately being reclaimed by nature.', 'I have a 2 year old and another on the way, so stories have dried up for a wee while! But if other people are interested in travel and seeing the world I absolutely recommend doing it as much as possible while you can. You may end up feeling ‘behind’ peers who are buying homes and see salary as a marker of success - but you will have experiences and moments that transcend money/wealth, and that no one will be able to take away from you. The limit really is your imagination. My really adventurous travels came after I turned 30 and I’m forever blessed to have those experiences.', 'I just negotiated for a taxi to take me up there, and then negotiated (without a common language) with the Russian lady who was running it (she was the only person I could find).', 'I visited Auschwitz when I was 8 years old. It was one of the stops on a tour of Poland and east Germany that I went on with my parents. My dad insisted it was important for me to learn about. Definitely left an impression.', 'That was definitely the creepiest place I’ve ever been to. I couldn’t breathe in there.', \"Didn't they go in thinking they were taking a shower?\", 'Saw an unused strange building in Lagos, Portugal that I immediately felt was odd and stuck out architecturally - saw there was a plaque and upon reading it realized it was a customs house built on the site of the first European slave market. Such a disgusting, creepy gut punch. The other weird feeling I had on that trip was trying to negotiate the place de la Concorde as a pedestrian, wondering why it was so treacherous & nothing was around, then later read that was where the guillotines were. The ground was so soaked with blood afterwards that cattle would get spooked and refuse to cross it. So they just didn’t build anything there (beyond the obelisk) bc the vibe was too fucked.', 'Who were the mummies when they were alive?', 'Standing up?!?! What do you mean standing up?! Ughhh decaying bodies is one of my greatest fears 😖😱 It freaks me out so bad I can’t stand to even be near the casket at a funeral. It’s what I think about for some reason. Not the persons life. I prefer to sit back and think about them alive and mourn in the back. So go read this is horrific to me. That’s so creepy.', 'No freaking way I would have done the overnight. I’ve done the tour a few times in broad daylight (I used to live nearby) and was sufficiently creeped out by that! It’s a really cool place to visit, definitely haunted.', 'Could you describe the sensation? I’m curious as I’ve also heard this about Gettysburg', 'Working in Antarctica as a pilot, I was contracted to fly out of a Russian research station for a few months transporting scientists and equipment around the continent. Neumayer was our last stop on a long journey to the Russian station. When we arrived there we were informed by the Russians the skiway at their station wasn’t ready and we couldn’t fly there until it was ready in about 5 days. So we basically had 5 days to kill at Neumayer. Obviously not much to do at an Antarctic research station so when one of the German scientists told us about the abandoned station under the ice nearby we jump at the chance to go explore.', 'I found out my dad was doing this and that there are entire tour companies set up for it. That catapulted my own house into the creepiest place I have ever been. Yes, I reported etc. etc. I just want to convey that I truly understand exactly how creepy it is.', 'Not OP, but I’ve been to Thailand and watched old men have girls line up and inspect them like meat and then barter for price and it’s pretty gross. I also stayed in a guesthouse that actually ended up being more like a brothel and saw into a room where it was all young and good-looking women crammed into a room with 12 mattresses on the floor.', 'When the steel industry was booming in Gary, the population there was 100k+. The industry began dwindling in the 1960s and Gary started losing a lot of its population because of that — there are now 69k people there, as of the 2020 census, and the city has a poverty rate of 32%. About a third of the houses in Gary are abandoned/unoccupied, which is just one example that shows the extent of the city’s decline and its consequential creepiness.', 'I’m pretty sure in the last like 4-5 years someone got lured to an abandoned school to buy drugs and was murdered there. I think they were shot?', 'Yikes. That’s a horrible thought.', 'The bodies of the popes there, it was built over a grave site, missing 15 year old girl in the Vatican that was never solved. It’s absolutely magnificent but at some points being in there it felt somber and eerie', \"Thank you, I can't believe I never came across this myself! How terrifying\", 'As soon as i arrived in this place, the smell of piss was so strong that i felt it was almost like a burning sensation in my nose. Then 2 minutes later, a beggar comes at me asking for anything, but this guy had an infection on his ankle, ive never seen anything like that, it was clearly an amputation case, i told him to go at the hospital asap, and he told me : no, then he added : karma,karma,karma… meaning he kind of deserved whats going on with his ankle. I was with my girl, and honestly the staring was next level, felt like most dudes never seen a chick before, they didnt care that i was with her, staring rapist style i’d say. Then after 30 minutes walking i arrived at the source where the pissy odors came. Like a public open air urinal spot but with constant line up of people pissing very very close to each other, it didnt drain with water, just a spot where people piss non-stop all day. Add the cows shitting everywhere, and also it is the most chaotic place ive ever seen, cars honking non stop. I also saw people shitting and a guy straight up naked showering himself almost like in the middle of everyone. India is an amazing country, and still i liked my experience in Old Delhi but you gotta be aware of what you can go through in these areas.', 'Hm, I didn’t have that experience', 'It’s been about 15 years since I went and honestly I didn’t really engage with anyone besides my husband. I do remember one woman getting sick on the way back but it may have been motion sickness on the boat. Whenever anyone asks of the worst places I’ve been to, Alcatraz is always the top of the list. It is full of history of course but it was deeply disturbing and I had a very strong physical and emotional reaction that I couldn’t shake for weeks. This very discussion right before bed will without a doubt trigger dreams of that place.', 'I feel like most people get sick because it’s such a steep climb up those hills lol', 'That one is vague, but not wrong', 'I bet those people failed so many exams when they were in school lol', 'I did this solo road trip. Extremely cool and weird. But Happy Camp felt so off. This is illegal cannabis country. Was it a crime vibe? I wasn’t sure but I noped the heck out of there. Willow Creek on the other hand is charming. https://scenicbyways.info/byway/62352.html', 'It’s a really beautiful town! Definitely not what I expected landscape-wise. I’d highly recommend it, and I hope you enjoy it when you go!', 'Eureka Springs is definitely some place the paranormal groups go to!', 'Exactly my thought 😂', 'Mine is also a creepy old hotel in New Orleans. I was traveling solo and put in a secluded room away from the main corridors. Like most if not all hotels in the city, it claimed to have a ghost on-site so of course I slept with the lights and a sleep mask on!', 'To keep a long story short, I’m not a superstitious person, but one time I was going to sleep in a hotel and felt a presence in the room that I’ve never felt before. It was tangible. Later found out that the hotel was considered haunted because a lot of people died tragically on the site of the hotel.', 'It might have just been the area we were walking in, but there were a lot of abandoned buildings, it was weirdly very quiet for being a big city, and I did see some men off to the side just staring at us as we were walking. It’s probably completely fine there, I just remember as a 19 year old feeling very creeped out. I think really it was the quietness that was so unsettling.', 'The genocide was only 20 years in the past and there were basically no men between 30 and 60. The streets were full of old pedi-cab drivers who lived on the streets. It was a really rough place.', 'Because most people don’t believe in ghosts and I was afraid hosts would see the review and not welcome me. I think the host knew. My pan of spaghetti went flying and stained the wall, I told the host and he said “it happens I’ll paint over it, no worry and no charge as I know you will give me a great review”. I was prepared to paid $250 in damages.', 'He actually lived in Mount Rainier, Maryland just outside of DC. He had relatives in St. Louis. The family went there for the actual exorcism, but he didn’t live there. William Peter Blatty was a student at Georgetown U (Jesuit university in DC) when the boy’s incident happened - I believe in 1949. Hearing about it stuck with him and eventually inspired the book, which is set in Georgetown, DC. The stairwell was known to Blatty and is a “character” in the book as well. It has no known spooky history aside from being the setting of two deaths in the book / movie.', 'He originally lived in an town in Maryland close to Georgetown, which is where the movie was filmed.', 'There is a prison on the main drag. I didn’t find anything quaint about the town! I went for a run in the morning and did not feel safe.', 'That kind of reminds me of a Bolinas, CA. It’s a nice seaside town but all the local HATE tourists and will actively try to get you to leave/give you side eye. The townsfolk even would constantly take down the city’s signs so people would get lost trying to find it lol.', 'Lol, i used to live off alderpoint rd. Pretty interesting/ballsy driving that road especially if it was a few years ago. Cops don’t come up that road much, they used to never come. Some people abandon their vehicles there to collect the insurance because any car left on that rd WILL get burned out and destroyed. A lot of people there who will not think twice about shooting you if you go down the wrong road/driveway. A lot of very nice people too! Things have changed a lot in the past 4 years tho. The place is kinda dead after legalization killed it. The town with shops you guys were probably thinking about from the Netflix show is called Garberville. If you would have kept going on alderpoint you’d have come out in Garb. instead you stumbled on the one tiny little store on Alderpoint lol. Probably good thing you turned around, that road is pretty dangerous.', 'Why?', 'Yeah I think you summed it up well. There was a time in my life when I wanted to move out there to work in the music business, but I’m actually really glad I didn’t just blindly move out there like I wanted to. Once I finally made it out there it was so weird, I’ve never been in another big city with vibes so creepy. It was almost triggering my valley of the uncanny instinct. Probably sounds crazy to some but I was so anxious and on edge for most of my time there, and don’t get me wrong there’s some good people and good spots to be found but it’s just a weird place in general.', 'Wow this is such a great perspective thank you for this', 'Really all almost 4 million people that live in Los Angeles look like that?? Give me a break', 'Really? I had no idea I’m a big podcast fan and will listen tonight. \\nI don’t know any of the family history. I was taken there by a local after telling her about my experiences cleaning the hotel at night. Thanks', 'Yeah. I was there last summer. I looked at the skulls and realized we would probably never know who these people were. They were once real people, with families and friends, hopes and dreams, stories to tell. And now their head bones are staring anonymously at tourists as they pass by.', 'I was there in early May of this year and there were several times where it was just my fiancé and I in the section we were in, with no other tourists 🤷🏼\\u200d♀️ I guess it just wasn’t busy', 'Watch it before !!!', 'Before for sure. Was there in April and was glad I had seen it first. Tip: Book with Leo for your tour guide. She is a cataphile, regularly goes in, spends the night, etc.', 'Before, but not *just* before. Watch it a few weeks before your trip. Don’t watch it on the plane or the day before. If it’s still fresh in your mind it can really fuck with your head. Ask me how I know 😂', 'Just remember that there are hundreds of tunnels down there and where they go in the film, is not where you go to see the catacombs. They go to the off limit areas that you probably won’t have a chance to go to.', 'Then the portal to Hell opened up.', 'Jesus… rules 1-5 really don’t prepare you for #6.', 'How that man could go back. He might be the bravest person I will ever encounter.', \"Killing fields were pretty rough too, but yeah I remember s21 hit harder. On my second trip to Cambodia some 15 years later I didn't go to any genocide sites. Once is enough.\", 'Me too, goose bumps and tears all the way through. The trauma hangs in the air.', \"I've discussed it enough with my friend. We won't be there at night time.\", 'How much did you pay to stay there?', 'I saved it to my travel wish list, love old historical buildings. Hopefully one day I will be able to stay!', 'I adore Scotland. I can’t wait to visit again. Next time Orkney Islands, Glasgow, Highland hikes…', '“No one lives any nearer than town. No one will come any nearer than that. In the night. In the dark.” 😄', \"basically someone that stayed the night alone in the vaults felt a poltergeist and managed to trap it into a small area now marked by a circle of rocks.. on the tour you're given the option to enter if you like (i did not).. obviously when you're looking at the circle in the dark and being told the story it was pretty spooky\", 'So while I was driving on that road (and remember no phone signal, in the middle of nowhere, and miles until I reach my destination) I noticed up ahead a car stranded on the side of the road. I was about half a mile away from the car and at the time I was young and naive so I had already decided that I would help them out. As I got closer to the car, I noticed there was a man sitting in the passenger side of the car. It was an older car with a huge trunk by the way. As I slightly pull up next to his car, he ever so slowly turns to look at me and that’s when the hairs on the back of my neck stood up so fast and I immediately had goosebumps all over. My instincts were screaming at me not to stop or get out of my car to help. He was wearing huge sunglasses and his hair, it seemed as if it was a wig. He seriously looked like a sketch of a serial killer. More importantly it was the dark and heavy vibe I felt from him and the way he looked at me. He had a very slight smirk on his face. \\nSo I immediately took off and drove away so fast. I finally made it to my destination and I casually mentioned it to my relative and his wife. He was freaking out. It wasn’t until I saw his reaction that it dawned on me how dangerous the situation was. Before I could even finish describing the incident, he cuts me off and says to never ever stop and help anyone on that road. He goes on to tell me that many people go missing, are robbed, or murdered on that stretch of road. And that just the week before a guy in his unit stopped to help a stranded car and was robbed at gun point, stripped naked and barely made it back to base on foot. He also mentions that many cars are abandoned or set on fire there too. Every time I recalled this experience, I always get shaken up on how close I was to probably being killed.', 'this is one of the best humanity stories i have read!', \"Your statement about people is true. I try to tell everyone about that. 99% of people anywhere in the world are basically the same. There's always that 1% piece of shit though lol.\", 'The magic of the moment. Great story!', 'Wow, what a cool story.', 'Very few individual things have made me cry in my adult life besides general depression: my dog dying, saying bye to all my friends graduation weekend of college, and hugging my parents after my grandparents passed. When I was in the oven room as Dachau I just felt so overwhelmingly like crying, I had to hurry through before I just started sobbing in the middle of it. It was like the most intense rush of emotion I’ve felt that I can recall off the top of my head', 'I think they knew, when you hear about people going to shower and never getting back', \"I went yesterday. Yeah they thought they were having a shower (or at least the first cohort did). It wasn't unusual for prisoners to get naked and shower first before changing into their prison clothes. So tragic.\", 'Not travelling, but my best friend and I were driving on the backroads of rural eastern OK., surrounded by trees on either side. After being completely alone on a dirt road for fifteen minutes, we saw a very small light from the grass. My friend pulled off towards it and it was a small, smoldering fire, like from a cigarette. Two or three inches across. My friend asked if he should get out and extinguish it, and I immediately felt my hair stand up. There was no reason for a small flame to be out there, period. Except to get us out of our car. The road ended in a church. No one should be out there. I convinced him to keep going, but it is still something I think about often.', \"Initially, just the clergy. Later, it became a status symbol and the more affluent would ask to be entombed there in return for a donation. I actually rather enjoyed it, but it's a bit overwhelming and definitely not for the faint of heart.\", \"I'm getting the feeling this would not be the destination for you. How are you with bone churches? No bodies; just tons of skulls and bones.\", 'I’ve done a few daytime tours, and the Halloween events they’ve done there too- I love that place! The overnight was so cool, they fed us pizza and pop and we were able to use ghost hunting equipment too! 10/10 would recommend', 'I wish I could in a way that doesn’t sound as cliched and trite as this explanation probably will! I don’t have a lot of experiences that seem paranormal by any means, but sometimes things just feel… weird. The only thing I can possibly compare it to was a time I was outside my house around dusk and just felt this strange feeling that I was not only not alone but was being observed. I turned my head in the direction I “felt” something from and there was an owl on a nearby tree branch silently watching me. The whole thing ended up just feeling… uncanny, I suppose. It wasn’t exactly the same feeling I had in Gettysburg, but close enough that it had stuck with me ever since. And no owls were about, so it was all the stranger a feeling!', 'removed', 'The stats are even crazier for Detroit (population decline, amount of abandoned buildings/property, crime rates have been all over the place), but luckily things have been getting a lot better in Detroit the last 10-15 years, while there doesn’t seem to be any improvement for Gary.', 'Westminster Abbey had that same kind of eerie feeling. I had no idea so many prominent figures were buried there.', 'It’s one other awful episode to be aware of, and to consider during Remembrance Day in a few days, so many men lost.', 'I just left Varanasi yesterday, and 95% of the time I was the only woman in any given place. I’ve been to like 45 countries and I’m a very confident solo traveler, but waited to come to India until I could travel with a man I could trust, and even knowing what to expect and having a very safe person with me, it’s a little overwhelming having everyone stare at you. Edit:\\nI guess I’ll add to that the cremation grounds in Varanasi are pretty creepy. We stayed a few minutes away, so crossed multiple funeral processions on the way to cremations. All throughout the day and night, you hear the drum beats and the bells from the temples and the processions. There is such a fine line between life and death and whatever else there may be, and you can really feel that in Varanasi. We walked down at night to spread our dogs ashes in the Ganges, and it’s weird to think about everything you’re walking through (the burned bodies, the cow shit, the litter, the mud), plus being the only woman and the only white person. I dressed very conservatively and tried to do whatever I could to keep attention away from myself, but there wasn’t really anything I could do about it.', 'I have several friends who landed in India and left within the first 24 hours. They are among the strongest and most lovely people I know and they noped right out.', 'Hahahahhahah this is giving me so much nostalgia. Loved travelling through there, though!', 'I’ve been to Alcatraz several times (grew up in San Francisco). One of the last times I went, we were allowed access upstairs to the hospital. By far that was the creepiest area. There was also a room where the bird man lived. I always remember also stepping inside the cell and feeling completely isolated and alone.', 'In very fit- we are long distance cyclists and I run. We walked close to 150 miles while we were in Europe last month. It wasn’t the hills. At least for me. I can’t speak for anyone else’s experience.', \"Oh, you didn't feel sick because of the atmosphere at Alcatraz?\", 'Why isn’t it wrong?', 'Lol true', 'Northern Arkansas is beautiful, I agree. I’m from Oregon originally though and NW Arkansas reminds me a lot of where I grew up in Oregon as far as the outdoors and nature go.', 'Jesus. I would’ve demanded a whole refund and then posted a terrible review. Sorry you have to worry about retaliation/judgment.', 'Thank you for correcting me. Isn’t the first time Catholic priests lied to me. 😂', 'Interesting 🤔', 'I spent time out there before gps when the sign was gone. Was working on a house. I thought the locals were fine, but I interacted with them for a while. Went to Smiley’s a lot. Heard there’s loads of money there now and it’s really different. \\nNot-so-fun fact, one of the locals told me the currents carry bodies there, people that jumped off the gg bridge. That was the first time I realized that people jumped a lot, they just never publicize it. Pretty sad.', 'We went up in 2019…My boyfriends family is really into off roading on semi precarious roads so he’s got a decent amount of experience on mountainous dirt roads…it’s his idea of fun (but I think the alderpoint road started to freak him out a little even). But I’m glad we turned back, my bf is pretty into maps so I have a hard time imagining he didn’t know garberville existed, we most likely just thought It’d be like alderpoint. And idk how sturdy our rental car was. Especially when there was a giant chunk of part of the road just missing. Interesting to hear from someone local!', 'For me it was the guys outside my motel door with the trunkful of heavy duty guns. The city already had methy wtf vibes, but that really locked it in.', 'You don’t think your skull is going to get stared at at some point?', 'does Leo have a huge nose ring/ gothic boots? If so, we went about a year ago and she was ours too and was AMAZING. Having a real cataphile makes the tour experience so much better.', \"Yeah they basically just took normal people there and tortured them until they answered whatever they wanted you to answer. Fake allegations, saying you were anti-revolutionary - they wiped out about a quarter of Cambodia's population.\", 'It’s a beautiful site regardless of the sad and tragic histories, I hope it’s lovely weather for you', 'It was £220 for one night in one of the Master Garden View rooms, specifically the Cuaig. I also pre-booked afternoon tea for two (£30) and a three course dinner for two (£90) so the total was £340. A full Scottish breakfast was included in the room rate. This was late April, so somewhat in the off-season, I imagine it would have been more expensive in the summer.', 'Oh interesting. Yeah, I’m not sure if I would have entered the circle either! I was getting pretty creeped out when they were telling us about The Watcher in a big room with a bunch of dark corners that he apparently likes to lurk in.', 'I’ve posted this before but I’ll say it again. Everyone should go once. When you arrive at Auschwitz you’re a bit quiet but that’s all - after all you know what happened. You know the numbers. But when you’re there it’s so much more real. You become overwhelmed and then a bit numb. And then you cry. Maybe only a little bit but there’s always something that will affect you. The kids shoes. The tons of hair. The ruthless efficiency of sorting out the artificial limbs. If you can go you must go. Someone once said you die twice. First when you actually die and secondly the last time someone says your name. Never let these poor people die again.', 'Omg, shivers', 'Natural gas leak?', 'I’ve never been to one but I don’t think I plan on it. Lol. Currently living in Germany too. Just got here. Dying to go to Paris but not the catacombs. My husband would love it. Lol', 'deleted', 'Yeah, I’m originally from Detroit and even I don’t drive through Gary. That’s one creepy-ass town; it’s almost post-apocalyptic.', 'No, I felt ok. It was very interesting either way though!', 'One of the closest real towns coming off murder mountain, behind the Redwood Curtain. It’s a pretty normal town but a lot of strange people come off the mountain to get supplies etc. foggy, rainy, dark vibe. I actually like the place. It’s beautiful in those hills.', \"That's her. She'd literally slept down there the night before our tour in an unmapped place...\", \"Actually, the sign explains that they'd torture you for NOT being a revolutionary. Being accused of being a non revolutionary was grounds for torture or death. Being educated or even wearing glasses made people a perceived threat to the regime. That's because, as in China, Cuba, the Eastern Bloc and the USSR, the Communists who became the government in Cambodia called themselves revolutionaries, while using the power of the state to punish anyone who might disagree with them. This started with Lenin and was carried on by every Communist regime. Standard Communist dictatorship procedure.\", \"That's it??? Wow!!\", 'After being there, it is a miracle anyone got out alive at all. It was hell on earth.', \"I really don't know- it seems unlikely just because of the location, but your guess is as good as mine lol.\\nIt looked like something that would have spread more if it had been there- it looked like someone had *just* started it, since it was in thick grass, it should have been bigger if it was more than a few minutes old. Knowing it was pitch black and out in the boonies, I just couldn't figure out how that could be. No cars passed us going in, and no one was at the church.\", \" I'm just trying to understand what's being said. Whatever.....\", 'Where did you book through?', \"that is fricken awesome haha! I'll have to tell my wife she's still going strong with the tours. She was great and she had good info about As Above So Below. I think she said one of the actors in it was an actual cataphile too\", 'Sorry - should change to being anti-revolutionary/against the Khmer Rouge!', 'Its worth stating the translation of the sign is wrong', 'Fascism is the problem. There was a right wing fascist dictator in Argentina.', 'Get your guide'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Unfortunately I will have to travel to SEA without my wife. She loves Asian snacks, so I want yo bring her some yummy stuff. But I can't just try out everything there is to decide what to bring. So I'm looking for some recommendations.\n\nFor reference, this is what she likes: Durian snacks roasted sunflower seeds, dried octopus, House of Polvoron, tamarind snacks, coconut snacks, sometimes roasted nuts, che.\n\nAny good recommendations?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Unfortunately I will have to travel to SEA without my wife. She loves Asian snacks, so I want yo bring her some yummy stuff. But I can't just try out everything there is to decide what to bring. So I'm looking for some recommendations.\n\nFor reference, this is what she likes: Durian snacks roasted sunflower seeds, dried octopus, House of Polvoron, tamarind snacks, coconut snacks, sometimes roasted nuts, che.\n\nAny good recommendations?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Just spent some time in Blue Ridge, GA and loved it. We were thinking about going back in a month or so, but wanted to see if there are other similar places we might explore.\n\nLooking for a place that’s a bit off the beaten path (no large cities), that is close to a lot of hiking trails, and that has a nice town area with local bars and restaurants. We enjoy breweries, wineries, orchards, farms, etc. Not huge on shopping or museums. \n\nSo far on my list are Asheville, NC and Helen, GA. Suggestions are appreciated!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"As other poster noted, Helen is a tourist town. Think fudge factories and T-shirt shops. Lots to do, but... And I also recommend Dahlonega. It has a pretty town center and the University of North Georgia, so it's got a young vibe. Just saw that Southern Living(https://www.southernliving.com/souths-best/small-towns) ranked it #4 in South's Best Small Towns 2023 (Helen came in at #14). It's close enough to Helen that you can stay in Dahlonega and do a day trip to Helen. Another nearby town is Toccoa, which has a compact downtown, small college, and an impressive waterfall. Again, maybe stay in Dahlonega and day trip to Toccoa, which may not have enough happening for you. Asheville is a big city compared to these places, but the Biltmore Estate is impressive, especially if you will be there around Christmas.\", '**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Georgia? Read what redditors had to say in the **weekly destination thread for Georgia(https://redd.it/4yq4z1)** *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.*', 'Helen is okay but the town can be a bit touristy especially on good weather weekends. Plenty to do but it’s like being dropped into drunken gingerbread town. ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Just spent some time in Blue Ridge, GA and loved it. We were thinking about going back in a month or so, but wanted to see if there are other similar places we might explore.\n\nLooking for a place that’s a bit off the beaten path (no large cities), that is close to a lot of hiking trails, and that has a nice town area with local bars and restaurants. We enjoy breweries, wineries, orchards, farms, etc. Not huge on shopping or museums. \n\nSo far on my list are Asheville, NC and Helen, GA. Suggestions are appreciated!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Also Savannah, Athens (college football, cool vibe for a small college town), and the islands (Tybee, etc). We haven’t been to any of these places as we’re new to Atlanta metro area and have a 15 month old so we’ve barely even explored downtown Alpharetta…but they all look lovely.', 'Asheville, Hendersonville, Saluda, Brevard, Tryon, black mountain, flat Rock. All in the same area and all have hiking breweries restaurants vineyards etc.... Western NC is pretty cool', 'I second Dahlonega. Went to school there. Has a great small town vibe, and has tons of hiking opportunities nearby, as well as some great wineries and breweries. You can pan for gold too if that’s something you’re into!'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I've seen quite a few posts of people in their mid twenties questioning whether or not to stay in hostels over worries they'll be too old to make friends however so far I've found the opposite. \n\nI'm a month into my solo backpacking trip and have found it harder to socialise because I've so far met no one my age (18). Most people are around 23-27 sort of age. I mostly book on hostel world and sometimes check through the profiles of the people in the chats and so far the youngest I found was one 19 year old. I'm not complaining really as I do understand why they (EDIT: would be hesitant) to hang out with someone having just turned 18. \n\nAnyone have any ideas when this shift happened? Covid possibly?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"Hang, are you suggested that 23 year old backpackers dont want to hang out with 18 year old backpackers? That surprises me to be honest. Where exactly are you? Certain parts of South East Asia do tend to attract 21 year olds but other than that, Ive found the demographic splits between 20s right into mid 30's.\", 'I think Covid delayed a lot of people’s travels who would’ve gone when 18/19/20 and they are now obviously older?', 'Boy I feel old. People in their 20’s can’t hang out with 18 year olds? I am much older that that and enjoy time with anyone who has some common interests.', \"I think it depends on the location. For example in Europe a lot of 18-20 years olds are interrailling during the summer, I found that wherever I went it was full of very young people, all interrailling. Now a lot of them is back to university. South East Asia is also a lot of gap year people aged 18-21. So I met tons of 18 years olds, by which I'm also always amazed, at this age travelling to the other end of the world...\", 'Dude I’m 34 and I’ve got no problem hanging out with backpackers whether they’re 18, 25, or 70.', \"I did my first backpacking Europe trip when I was 20. Everywhere I went I was the youngest person in the hostel. I'm currently 32 and traveling through South East Asia. Everywhere I go I'm usually the oldest person in the hostel. That being said, I still occasionally see people as young as 18 and as old as 50. But I think the average age for all my years of traveling has been consistently mid 20s\", \"Please don't take this as criticism in any way but how the hell do you afford to travel at 18? \\nAs an american it's hard to imagine. I couldn't afford to travel overseas til I was nearly 30 ad it was a week at best. Now I'm nearly 40 and this is the first time I could afford to travel for weeks on end. \\nI hear a lot of Europeans have a gap year and travel before college. As an American I don't know anyone who does that. Mostly I don't know people who can afford to do that but even among my wealthier friends at that age their parents made them go straight to college.\", 'I was 18 on my first solo trip. This was 2011. The CouchSurfing community was still good at the time. But i also stayed in a hostels over my 2.5m trip. Im still in touch today with a few of people I met. ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I've seen quite a few posts of people in their mid twenties questioning whether or not to stay in hostels over worries they'll be too old to make friends however so far I've found the opposite. \n\nI'm a month into my solo backpacking trip and have found it harder to socialise because I've so far met no one my age (18). Most people are around 23-27 sort of age. I mostly book on hostel world and sometimes check through the profiles of the people in the chats and so far the youngest I found was one 19 year old. I'm not complaining really as I do understand why they (EDIT: would be hesitant) to hang out with someone having just turned 18. \n\nAnyone have any ideas when this shift happened? Covid possibly?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "I found hostels at smaller towns or activitiy driven places (esp diving) to be great in closing the age gap and people's willigness to connect. Spent some quality time in places like Palau and Galapagos soloing, but diving focused. I also enjoyed the smaller towns of Turkey and greece and met some good / compatible people, or people with really interesting stories (one guy was motorbiking across Europe, Middle East, and Asia), vs. Athens and Istanbul.\", \"Idk I just feel like when people ask my age their reaction seems sort of cautious. I mean obviously not everyone. I have gone out with people in their twenties. I'm in Thailand.\", 'Yeah my best friends are within about +-15 years my age...', \"Yeah I actually noticed a similar thing. I did a bit of Europe nearing the end of the summer and most people there were uni age travelling over the summer before term started again. Here in Thailand though I was just surprised I haven't met more people on gap years. It's mostly been people who finished uni, saved up and quit their jobs or even some working remotely.\", 'Yeah the last few times I’ve stayed in hostels I was on the older end, but there have been times where I’ve seen guys in their 50s or older making the most of a cheap bed.', \"No no it's ok. I've had a part time job pretty much consistently for years now and saved almost every penny - my trip is completely self financed. As for the university part I think the main difference between the USA and Europe is that over here it's largely unheard of for parents to finance uni whereas in the US from what I hear it's common for parents to contribute pretty heavily? Because of that my parents don't hold as much sway over what I do now bc I'd be paying for my next move either way. I also keep to a pretty limited budget now that I'm out here.\", 'Most countries except the USA have free to subsidized University options as well as universal health care. So the job deal is not so important. The US has a v bad quality of life for a high GDP nation. I got out years ago, so did my bro.', \"Yes sorry I wrote it in a rush it was quite poorly phrased. People aren't avoiding me/ditching me bc I'm younger they are mostly just surprised. My main point was mostly that I was surprised by the amount of 25 year olds on here worrying they'd be too old when they seem to be largely the main demographic here.\", \"For me that was actually a push factor haha. I'm spending less in a day (on food + accomodation etc.) than I would have been on rent alone at uni!\", \"Yeah ik that's why I'm not in Europe haha. I'm in SE Asia because well... as you pointed out cost. Although I'm not mad about this because I live in Western Europe so this is a nice change - very interesting to see the different cultures and just overall atmosphere.\", 'Run an experiment, next time somebody asks, say you are 23 and see where it goes.', 'How many 18/19 year olds have money to travel for extended time? I would have assumed most of the youngest are on summer break in college or just after college. \\nThailand is a big party spot so the cautiousness might be thinking if you might get too drunk too easy.', \"I'm 29 and my best friend is 22. Sometimes I do feel our age difference. I feel like an absolute boomer when she talks about some *current things,* but otherwise we are the best of friends lol. The guy I'm semi-dating is 36, and I definitely feel that age difference sometimes as well. But we all get along so perfectly that most of the time, there are never any issues\", 'I guess how many 18 year olds who just finished high school have enough money to travel for a gap year?', \"I do have some idea of that but somehow didn't consider that when I asked this question. \\nFunny thing if you try to explain this to most older generation Americans they won't believe you and they think we have the best everything in the world. Most have not traveled.\", 'Ah, I see. Idk, reddit seems to hate hostels anyway. So many weird threads about it. Im 29 now and I dont feel too old yet.', \"That doesn't surprise me, tbh! Though even years ago I knew people from less well-off backgrounds who saw it as a way to get some money saved and travel could wait until the end of their degree, I assumed that that was more the case now that everything is so expensive. (I still feel annoyed that I couldn't afford to take advantage of the cheap student travel deals that were around when I was there and skint...)\", 'Then I can point to the drop of people going backpacking right after high school as they have barely even grown as a person. They’re navigating their own life back in their home country. So covid delayed everything I guess.', 'Also early 20s people do have a distaste towards 18yo, as we think you’re still too “young”. Which in many ways you are just a baby adult. We’ve all been there. As we have very low expectations to have a fun time with you as you’re still learning. But you can prove them wrong, maybe you’re super mature for your age and know a lot of shit. If you want maybe even just not give away your age, say you’re 20. You won’t see them ever again so like it doesn’t really matter.', 'I met TONS of 18 year olds on a gap year. From countries like the Netherlands, where the minimum wage is 13 euros per hour, they are working for 3 months in the summer in mcdonalds, that gives you enough to travel for 6 months in Asia. Also from Canada, Australia, UK, Scandinavian countries...', \"You can start working on a Saturday at 15/16 in the UK, many do that or have parents that give them pretty big 'well done in your exams' presents to fund it.\", \"I mean where I grew up it's normal for people to get their first part time job at around 13/14 but you're right that certainly isn't the norm everywhere nor is saving it all up.\", \"Oh really? I assumed I'd be in less of a position to travel after my degree than before.\", \"Yeah I completely get that I'm sure in a few years I'll look at ppl my age now as just children. I also don't want start claiming I'm so mature and know shit because I'm sure almost every 18 yo would say that! Regardless it doesn't really matter as it's not gotten in the way of my having fun so far.\", \"You mean the privilege to actually save. It's not uncommon in Asia to work young, although we're talking child labor mostly and they use their money to actually live. People your age, even Europeans, would need quite a bit of money to travel to Asia as the longest leg of travel takes more money than an interrail pass for a month.\", \"Without knowing you, based purely on what you've written, you sound pretty mature for an 18 year old to me. Folks in their 20s can be immature in their own right anyway. Someone with more life experience wouldn't really care about your age as long as you vibe with them. Have you tried moving countries or maybe finding ways to meet more locals instead of backpackers? Of course it depends on what your plan is and if you think you have to constantly be on the move. Sometimes it can be easier connecting with people when you don't move from hostel to hostel though. Maybe find a place where you can volunteer or work for a bit?\", \"Yes I do mean privilege actually. I do appreciate and will always be grateful for the fact I did not have to help support my family and grew up where I did. I have friends who unfortunately do not have this privilege and stories from my father (who emigrated for work) and his family to constantly remind me of this. I apologise I meant where I'm from in the UK (as opposed to globally - of course I am aware of child labour) as in other areas of the country it is apparently less common. I also understand the cost because I did research and budget my trip before I went and for me found Asia to be far cheaper hence why I am currently backpacking Asia.\", \"Not really. I just found return flights to Bangkok for €280 next year - that's cheaper than most rail passes. Not to mention the cost of living in Thailand is significantly lower than in Europe.\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello everyone,\n\nThis is my first time post on reddit so please forgive me if this thread is not appropriate. My gf and I are from LA and will visit Lake Tahoe for the first time from Nov 23 to 25. We will stay at Station House Inn. I have some questions:\n\nWould you have any suggestion on places and activities to explore at Lake Tahoe? I plan to go both north and south Lake Tahoe. We also plan to go hiking at Eagle trail, Rubicon trail, but also looking for more recommendation. We like snow but my gf is not a fan of skiing so we will looking for place to go sledding.\n\nWhere do you recommend to eat? What places/restaurants are must try at north and south Lake Tahoe? I'm struggling because there are many different restaurants when I look on yelp. We are open to most price range, but not something crazy expensive.\n\nSince I will drive from LA so I will have options to drive I-5 north to Sacramento then go east to Lake Tahoe or I can take US-395N through Mammoth Lake to Lake Tahoe. I know I-5 will be more safe and less mountain drive but less scenic view and I hear that the way from Sacramento to Lake Tahoe is terrible on Thanksgiving day. US-395 will have more scenic view but also smaller road and may require chain on wheel because of snow. Both way will take about 8 hours to drive but I arm for 10 hours with traffic. Which option will you recommend to drive from LA?\n\nThank you so much for reading my long post. Any recommendation and suggestion would be much appreciate!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello everyone,\n\nThis is my first time post on reddit so please forgive me if this thread is not appropriate. My gf and I are from LA and will visit Lake Tahoe for the first time from Nov 23 to 25. We will stay at Station House Inn. I have some questions:\n\nWould you have any suggestion on places and activities to explore at Lake Tahoe? I plan to go both north and south Lake Tahoe. We also plan to go hiking at Eagle trail, Rubicon trail, but also looking for more recommendation. We like snow but my gf is not a fan of skiing so we will looking for place to go sledding.\n\nWhere do you recommend to eat? What places/restaurants are must try at north and south Lake Tahoe? I'm struggling because there are many different restaurants when I look on yelp. We are open to most price range, but not something crazy expensive.\n\nSince I will drive from LA so I will have options to drive I-5 north to Sacramento then go east to Lake Tahoe or I can take US-395N through Mammoth Lake to Lake Tahoe. I know I-5 will be more safe and less mountain drive but less scenic view and I hear that the way from Sacramento to Lake Tahoe is terrible on Thanksgiving day. US-395 will have more scenic view but also smaller road and may require chain on wheel because of snow. Both way will take about 8 hours to drive but I arm for 10 hours with traffic. Which option will you recommend to drive from LA?\n\nThank you so much for reading my long post. Any recommendation and suggestion would be much appreciate!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "So I booked a flight recently to travel abroad but I failed to realize that my layover is only an hour and 45 minutes. I am traveling through Hawaiian and I am quite nervous as it’s going to be a domestic flight and then I am hopping on an international flight. Would that be enough time for me to board?\n\n\nUpdate on Travel whereabouts: I am flying into Honolulu and going to South Korea. \n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"Rule 4 - more info, like which airport Otherwise, it'll be fine. More than enough time to walk from one gate to the next\", 'My general rule of thumb is 1.5 hours minimum. It can occasionally be tight, and flight delays are inevitably unpredictable, but it’s worked out for me so far. If both flights are booked with the same airline, they’ll be on the hook if you don’t make the layover', '**Notice:** Are you asking about a layover or connection?", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "So I booked a flight recently to travel abroad but I failed to realize that my layover is only an hour and 45 minutes. I am traveling through Hawaiian and I am quite nervous as it’s going to be a domestic flight and then I am hopping on an international flight. Would that be enough time for me to board?\n\n\nUpdate on Travel whereabouts: I am flying into Honolulu and going to South Korea. \n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "The actual time to transfer was only 25 minutes due to the first flight departing late. Despite this, after a little running between gates we made the connecting flight and importantly so did our luggage.', 'Just updated where I’m going! I know the airport is quite small but I know it’s different traveling when it comes to international! Usually I just do a straight through flight but the prices was too good to pass up!', 'Thanks for the info! I have saw a lot of people online claiming 1.5 hours minimum is pushing it so I got a bit scared. But hopefully once I get the gates when the time comes I will be in the clear.', 'Yes I booked on Hawaiian airlines and that’s route it gave me which is to Honolulu and then going to Incheon', 'I was just curious cause I remember using the same airline to go back home and it was an international flight to a domestic flight with about an hour and a half to get from one flight to another. I was so stressed I thought I was going to miss my flight but luckily I got on. I had to go through customs, grab my bags, check them back in, and go through TSA again. So hopefully it’s not the same situation', '> I know it’s different traveling when it comes to international! Not in this case. In the US, connecting to an international flight is no different than connecting to a domestic flight. You’ll simply walk from one gate to the next.', \"If it's on the same booking then you should be fine. If there are any issues or delays they should be figuring out alternatives for you\", '45 min will definitely be stressy. I hate stress at the airport, specially with kids', '1 hour 45 minutes 😉', 'My bad. Tight but managable'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Me and my friend are travelling to Cancun, Mexico inDecember this year for 3 nights and 4 days and staying in an all inclusive hotel. Now, I know this is a small trip and staying in all inclusive , it is not recommended.. but we want to explore places nearby (would love it someone would suggest places to visit :) )\nAny help and recommendations would be greatly appreciated", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'I think it would be more straightforward for you to take a tour from your resort to explore outside of it with your short amount of time there. A car wouldn’t be worth it for your short trip imo.', 'Yes. Drove to Tulum and Chichen Itza. Was worth it. And fairly cheap for a car there.', 'any taxi or uber will be slightly more expensive than renting, but no headaches. If you’re traveling only once or twice, uber. if you’re taking all day trips, rent a car. I would personally still uber everywhere, but that’s in my budget… lol', 'If you do: for the love of God refill the tank before you return it. Cancun has the most insane rates on that I have ever seen', \"I booked directly with one of the big companies (forget which one, might have been Enterprise) a few years ago without insurance as it would be covered on my Visa Signature card - they wouldn't accept it, even after they spoke to a Visa rep in the US who told them insurance is covered and included. They told be that Visa card insurance is illegal and not underwritten in Mexico, which is a lie as I've done that many times in Mexico City.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Me and my friend are travelling to Cancun, Mexico inDecember this year for 3 nights and 4 days and staying in an all inclusive hotel. Now, I know this is a small trip and staying in all inclusive , it is not recommended.. but we want to explore places nearby (would love it someone would suggest places to visit :) )\nAny help and recommendations would be greatly appreciated", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Campeche state Yucatan state\"', 'Another common report in QR/Cancun that’s often associated with tourists in rental cars is extortion by police, or criminals posing as police. Officers have reportedly stopped drivers under the pretext of a speeding violation and subsequently demanded payment to avoid further penalties, including confiscation of the vehicle. Carry cash and be ready to pay up. I actually had a cab driver get pulled over in the Hotel Zone in 2000 or 2001 and he had to pay the “toll” on the spot.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi! I will have my incoming trip to Domodossola from Milan on the I scheduled my flight for the 14th of November through trip.com. Can someone assist me with the process of checking in my ticket? It's unusual for me because this is the only trip where I have to manually check in online, but I'm unable to do so.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi! I will have my incoming trip to Domodossola from Milan on the I scheduled my flight for the 14th of November through trip.com. Can someone assist me with the process of checking in my ticket? It's unusual for me because this is the only trip where I have to manually check in online, but I'm unable to do so.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello folks, Me and my husband are planning to visit Georgia next week 14th november. We will take a flight to Kutaisi and stay there a day. Next day we plan on visiting Mestia but I was wondering is it still accessible? How can we get information about weather conditions and if it is safe to travel. \n\nAlso, is it worth it to visit mestia as well as Kazbegi in this time of the year? I prefer lush greenery but I guess autumn colors would be charming too. \n\nIf we can’t manage both in an 8 days window which one should we pick? Also is it unrealistic to fit Kutaisi (canyons), mestia, kazbegi, sighnagi, lopota lake, and tblisi into an 8 days itinerary? \n\nI would really appreciate some advice that could help us finalize our plan.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Georgia?", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello folks, Me and my husband are planning to visit Georgia next week 14th november. We will take a flight to Kutaisi and stay there a day. Next day we plan on visiting Mestia but I was wondering is it still accessible? How can we get information about weather conditions and if it is safe to travel. \n\nAlso, is it worth it to visit mestia as well as Kazbegi in this time of the year? I prefer lush greenery but I guess autumn colors would be charming too. \n\nIf we can’t manage both in an 8 days window which one should we pick? Also is it unrealistic to fit Kutaisi (canyons), mestia, kazbegi, sighnagi, lopota lake, and tblisi into an 8 days itinerary? \n\nI would really appreciate some advice that could help us finalize our plan.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "You could probably fit all those destinations into an eight day trip, but… why? You will spend most of the time sitting in cars/vans.', 'Hi. Thanks you for the info! I guess this isn’t the ideal time for visiting the mountain areas then.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "https://philippines-e-visa.com \n\nIs this legit website for e-Visa?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "https://philippines-e-visa.com \n\nIs this legit website for e-Visa?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I’m going to a certain country overseas for the first time, and plan to buy an engagement ring. My girlfriend will meet me for the last half of my trip.\nThe ring that is perfect for her is about €1,500… I’ve never brought anything back from overseas before and am incredibly unfamiliar with declaring at customs. \nVagueness is so that I minimize the risk of it getting back to her. \n\nDo I have to worry about CBP spoiling the surprise, do I declare it, and how does that work?\n\nTL;DR… buying a ring as a surprise, unsure how customs declarations work", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'Just keep it in your pocket mate, you’ll be fine', 'Technically yes but no they also don’t care and almost no one declares little purchases like souvenirs, books, small amounts of clothing, or personal jewelry. At a point it can become smuggling and they very much care but they’re primarily focused on organics and chemicals. Food and drugs are the big things they’re watching out for and abnormalities. Like if I showed up with 5 designer hand bags, I’d declare them because they’d be very curious but for all they know I have 5 sisters I bought them for. But if I showed up with 10. I’m most likely smuggling and that is not okay. You’re not don’t doing that so just don’t worry about it.', 'When my husband brought a ring he bought with us overseas to propose he wrote a note in the language of the foreign country. The note was explaining he had a ring and planned to propose so please don’t spoil the surprise. He gave them the note and they left him alone.', \"Are you planning on proposing to her there? You do not typically declare used items, so if it's on her finger nobody will question it.\", 'Keep it in your carryon, but not in your pocket in case you have to empty them to go through a metal detector. Do not put it in checked baggage, too much risk of theft.', 'I’d just stick it in your hand luggage and keep it close, in its box. Wrap the box in a note saying something like “surprise engagement ring inside, please be discreet”. I flew overseas to propose and this is what I did, the guy was looking through my bag and swabbing it, kept the box inside the whole time and gave me the nod when he handed it back. I guess you could get a dickhead security guy, but it worked for me', \"No need to overthink this. You're bringing back a present, you're not making money off it. CBP mainly looks out for people smuggling in large amounts of import goods for commercial sale to escape paying duties. Stick it in your carry on and nobody will even question you. If it comes with paperwork, stick it into a different compartment or separate piece of luggage. They don't have time to rifle thru papers. I bring jewelry with me when I travel in their respective boxes so they don't get damaged and nobody ever blinks an eye.\", 'Just propose there and then you don’t have to worry about it.', \"Frodo, declare the ring. I know it's very tempting.\", 'If she’s wearing it, you’re fine.', 'I just returned to the US from a couple of weeks of traveling in Eastern Europe. I have global entry. I went to a GE Kiosk. No questions. It just did face recognition. It no longer even spit out a piece of paper any more. Then you had to pass by an agent who looked at the information on their screen about you and just said OK, Go to everyone individually. When I exited the agent in that area after baggage claim just asked if I had carry on only (which I did) and I never even broke stride. Honestly, there was never an opportunity to declare something even if I wanted to. If you are from US, have Global Entry, and travel lightly with carry on only, you will be more than fine.', 'This is going to vary by country. For every country they set a dollar amount and if you exceed that amount, you have to declare the item(s). Look at the regulations of the country you’d be getting the ring in as well as the country you would be returning home to with the ring.', 'You’re going to need to put it up your anus to get through customs. Make sure you wash it before the proposal though. Go get her, tiger!', \"I've crossed borders at least 50-60 times. Never declared anything. Never will.\", \"The personal exemption is typically $800 (with different limits for a few countries). The risk, that they catch you, if you don't declare, is small. But if they do, it's not going to be fun. Your decision.\", \"fortunately, the US reporting requirement is $2500 so you are under the limit.- https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-344?language=en\\\\_US#:\\\\~:text=Formal%20entry%20is%20necessary%20for,necessary%20for%20all%20formal%20entries(https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-344?language=en_US#:~:text=Formal%20entry%20is%20necessary%20for,necessary%20for%20all%20formal%20entries). As for those saying not to declare, don't listen to them. Always declare when in doubt. Customs doesn't always stop you when you declare, and often waive you through. Failure to declare could get you fined, loss of items, and flagged passport for future trips. It might also make you ineligible for PreCheck or Global Entry / Nexus / Sentri in the future\", 'I bought my wife’s engagement ring in Thailand, didn’t declare it. We were even telling customs on the way back about it and just had a big smile on our faces, they never asked about declaring jewellery. This was coming back into Australia, they don’t care unless its drugs, organics or fauna.', 'I would declare it if the customs form for your country would require it.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I’m going to a certain country overseas for the first time, and plan to buy an engagement ring. My girlfriend will meet me for the last half of my trip.\nThe ring that is perfect for her is about €1,500… I’ve never brought anything back from overseas before and am incredibly unfamiliar with declaring at customs. \nVagueness is so that I minimize the risk of it getting back to her. \n\nDo I have to worry about CBP spoiling the surprise, do I declare it, and how does that work?\n\nTL;DR… buying a ring as a surprise, unsure how customs declarations work", "role": "user" }, { "content": "How are you gonna buy it without her knowing?', 'I would propose to her on the trip or buy a ring when you get back if you want to wait to include the whole family. You will be a nervous wreck carrying this ring around before you propose.', 'CBP has many spies.', 'I think there is likely more to the story that your colleague didn’t share with you.', \"You might be stupid enough to carry the original box, or the receipt (eg. for insurance purposes). 😀 And it's not for them to prove, it's your duty to prove that you didn't buy it there. \\nI experienced myself, that upon return from Japan customs checked my camera equipment for signs of use. Usually it's recommended to take a copy of a proof of purchase with you, when you travel with expensive electronic or photo equipment, luxury watches, etc.\", 'Ah my bad.', 'Is OP from US?', 'Typically for me border control will ask at the airport, and I’ll say “nothing” or “some small souvenirs that cost about $80” or whatever. I’m not big on bringing anything back. Technically, you have an $800 personal exemption entering the US (I’m assuming US, because the OP said CBP), and you do have to pay import taxes/duties on value above $800. Can you get away with stuff? I mean. You buy a $4000 laptop abroad and throw away the box and put it in the laptop sleeve of your bag, and how will anyone know? I think similarly a ring worn on your finger? Who is going to know. If you bring it back in the box with the certificate, it’s going to be obvious if your bag is inspected. Not sure you’re exactly going to prison in that case, but there will be a fine. How likely that is for a ring box in your carry on … IDK not terribly likely maybe?', 'Regardless of value you should always declare food items. The problem with bringing in plants/veggies/fruits is some insects and diseases. With meats it mostly just diseases and how (if) it was cooked. A general rule, hard cheeses are always allowed and dried/cured meat will need a USDA Veterinary services (VS) letter from the vendor.', 'Whether or not that\\'s what I, or anyone for that matter, actually does isn\\'t the point. You are technically are supposed to declare it all and keep the receipt for everything to prove what it costs. If it\\'s over the duty free allowance then you\\'re supposed to pay a tax on it. I don\\'t know anyone that does that, but the CBP website is pretty clear. \\n\"Also, anything you bring back that you did not have when you left the United States must be \"declared.\" For example, you would declare alterations made in a foreign country to a suit you already owned, and any gifts you acquired outside the United States. American Goods Returned (AGR) do not have to be declared, but you must be prepared to prove to U.S. Customs and Border Protection the articles are AGR or pay Customs duty.\" https://www.cbp.gov/travel/international-visitors/kbyg/customs-duty-info', \"In Canada you're allowed up to $800 CAD worth of goods.. this one ring nearly triples the value. 10,000 is a rule for cash.\", 'I’ll be there for a week before she comes up and meets me for the last week!', 'I am!'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi\n\nI am a Canadian, never been to UK and have layover at LHR from 8.30 until 19:00, everything booked directly with BA under 1 PNR. I was wondering if I can see something beautiful nearby , I know that not everything is possible but I think something worth seeing which takes like 4 hours\\~\n\nThe only one thing I know is this Heathrow express to paddinton which I can take from T3 I guess after clearing immigration? I see round trip( for 35 pounds)\n\n**My interests would be to see things like London Eye, beautiful/historical buildings from outside, Stonehenge(not possible I think haha)** *not into parks or checking out museums from inside. If anything famous cuisine to try then yeah that too.*\n\nI will definitely plan UK in future with proper stay but for now just a quick trip.\n\n​\n\nPlease suggest if I should venture out f the airport , if yes then what do you suggest to see in such a short span of time?\n\n​\n\nThanks in advance\n\n​", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"You might as well tbh. The main sights of London are pretty close together and it's easy to get to and from Heathrow.\", 'With that many hours yes, go see some sites Wouldn’t take Heathrow ex as expensive and not really near anything .", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi\n\nI am a Canadian, never been to UK and have layover at LHR from 8.30 until 19:00, everything booked directly with BA under 1 PNR. I was wondering if I can see something beautiful nearby , I know that not everything is possible but I think something worth seeing which takes like 4 hours\\~\n\nThe only one thing I know is this Heathrow express to paddinton which I can take from T3 I guess after clearing immigration? I see round trip( for 35 pounds)\n\n**My interests would be to see things like London Eye, beautiful/historical buildings from outside, Stonehenge(not possible I think haha)** *not into parks or checking out museums from inside. If anything famous cuisine to try then yeah that too.*\n\nI will definitely plan UK in future with proper stay but for now just a quick trip.\n\n​\n\nPlease suggest if I should venture out f the airport , if yes then what do you suggest to see in such a short span of time?\n\n​\n\nThanks in advance\n\n​", "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.*', 'deleted', 'In order to go Westminster, I see Piccadilly->District line looks good. What do you think of day card covering all zones? https://visitorshop.tfl.gov.uk/en/london-day-travelcard(https://visitorshop.tfl.gov.uk/en/london-day-travelcard)', 'You can just use a credit card to tap in, no need to buy a card. And there is a cheap hack if you are interested in not paying peak prices It requires a few more minutes but saves about 1/2 the fare. Tap in at LHR, travel to Hatton Cross ( it’s free with it this zone ). Exit train, go upstairs , tap out . There is zero charge . Right away tap back in and go back down and reboard train towards hammersmith. Change across platform to district line heading east to Westminster. TFL has made the complete journey to LHR peak only price, but Hatton cross is off peak so it’s only £3.80 ( i think)'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I am a quadriplegic and flying has never been easy for me. If I wanted to travel to Ireland and then stay a week there before traveling back home, how would I make that happen? Thanks in advance.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'Could look at the Queen Mary 2. It’s the world’s only ocean liner and does a number of sailings between New York and Southampton every year. You’d still have to work out how to get from Southampton to Ireland but that should be noticeably easier as there are regular ferries between UK and Ireland.', \"Something else to note, Ireland is great in many ways but a lot of historical or outdoor activities are not wheelchair accessible. I didn't go to Dublin though, so I can't speak to that. I think you should absolutely go if you want to, but you'll definitely need to do a great deal of research ahead of going places.\", 'Ireland is not the most wheelchair friendly place. What if they met you in Southampton and you hung out there or took the train to London or another UK city.', \"It's possible to travel across the Atlantic by boat. Some cargo ships will take paying passengers.A lot more expensive than flying, but possible! I am not sure if those cabins are suitable for quadriplegic people though.. I think it's improbable to be honest, but I have never done it.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I am a quadriplegic and flying has never been easy for me. If I wanted to travel to Ireland and then stay a week there before traveling back home, how would I make that happen? Thanks in advance.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Major cruise lines do repositioning cruises every spring and fall like clockwork, and the QE2 does transatlantic crossings every couple of weeks year-round. Stop talking out your ass.\", 'Just ignore those idiots please. I can imagine flying is hell because there’s no way you can get a wheelchair in one of those tiny bathrooms', 'Seriously, definitely ignore these idiots. It sounds like half of them have never heard of a transatlantic cruise.', \"To be fair, you didn't mention any of this in your original post... Include more information next time if you're asking for help\", \"Seen where? It's 4-5 days.\", 'deleted', 'Thank you <3', 'Cruise lines. Where do you see one for 4-5 days?', 'Wow! This is news to me!', 'Queen Mary does 5 days several times a year. Other times 7 days. But not two weeks boomer.', 'deleted', \"I'm 30. I'm not a boomer.\", 'I do have an open-mind. This is just not something I knew existed. Thank you for sharing.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Going to Japan from March 7 - March 18th. Should I spend more days in Kyoto or will I cover it enough with the days I have? Any suggestions on certain places to eat for lunch and dinner? Any overall feedback on this itinerary would be appreciated. It's my first time traveling alone at all internationally, so very nervous, but excited!\n\n \n**March 7 - Day 0** \nTravel \n**March 8 - Day 1 (Tokyo - Arrival)** \nArrival to Tokyo \nGet IC Card and Check-In \nRest \nDinner at TBD / Walking Around Shinjuku / Shopping \n**March 9 - Day 2 (Tokyo - Shinjuku)** \nMore walking around Shinjuku / Shopping / Lunch \nPicnic at Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden \nDinner at TBD \nBar Hopping / Nightlife / Goldengai? \n**March 10 - Day 3 (Tokyo - Shibuya)** \nNezu Museum \nLunch at TBD \nYoyogi Park \nMeiji Jingu Shrine \nWalk around Harajuku \nNight View from Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building \nDinner at TBD \n**March 11 - Day 4 (Tokyo - Akayasa)** \nSensoji Temple / Walk Around \nLunch at TBD \nWalk around Akihabara \nRest \nDinner at TBD \n**March 12 - Day 5 (Kyoto - Guion District)** \nTake bullet train to Kyoto \nLunch at Guion District \nRest \nWalk around Guion District at night \n**March 13 - Day 6 (Kyoto)** \nFushimi Inari Taisha (early morning) \nMore Shrines - Kiyomizu Dera, Nijo Castle, Heian jingu shrine, \nLunch at TBD / Nishiki Market? \nRest \nKyoto Imperial Palace Park / Biking in evening \nDinner TBD \n**March 14 - Day 7 (Kyoto - Arashiyama)** \nHozugawa River Boat Ride to Arashiyama \nBamboo Forest \nMonkey Park \nTogetsukyo Bridge \nTemples \nLunch TBD \nKinkakuji Temple and Ryoan Ji and other temples nearby \nTravel back to Kyoto (Sagano Romantic Train?) \nRest \nDinner at TBD \n**March 15 - Day 7 (Day Trip - Nara)** \nTake train to Nara \nTodai-ji Temple, Nara Park, and Kasuga Taisha Shrine \nTravel back to Kyoto \nOnsen? \n**March 16 - Day 8 (Day Trip - Uji)** \nBike along Uji River \nBydoin Temple \nWalk around tea houses and try tea \nTravel back to Kyoto \nKamo River at Night \n**March 17 - Day 9 (Tokyo)** \nTravel back to Tokyo \nRest and last day shopping / sight seeing \n**March 18 - Day 10 (Travel)**", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"Highly recommend you getting to Fushimi Inari by 7AM as the hike up will be about an hour-two. by the time you get down, the tour buses will have arrived. ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Going to Japan from March 7 - March 18th. Should I spend more days in Kyoto or will I cover it enough with the days I have? Any suggestions on certain places to eat for lunch and dinner? Any overall feedback on this itinerary would be appreciated. It's my first time traveling alone at all internationally, so very nervous, but excited!\n\n \n**March 7 - Day 0** \nTravel \n**March 8 - Day 1 (Tokyo - Arrival)** \nArrival to Tokyo \nGet IC Card and Check-In \nRest \nDinner at TBD / Walking Around Shinjuku / Shopping \n**March 9 - Day 2 (Tokyo - Shinjuku)** \nMore walking around Shinjuku / Shopping / Lunch \nPicnic at Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden \nDinner at TBD \nBar Hopping / Nightlife / Goldengai? \n**March 10 - Day 3 (Tokyo - Shibuya)** \nNezu Museum \nLunch at TBD \nYoyogi Park \nMeiji Jingu Shrine \nWalk around Harajuku \nNight View from Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building \nDinner at TBD \n**March 11 - Day 4 (Tokyo - Akayasa)** \nSensoji Temple / Walk Around \nLunch at TBD \nWalk around Akihabara \nRest \nDinner at TBD \n**March 12 - Day 5 (Kyoto - Guion District)** \nTake bullet train to Kyoto \nLunch at Guion District \nRest \nWalk around Guion District at night \n**March 13 - Day 6 (Kyoto)** \nFushimi Inari Taisha (early morning) \nMore Shrines - Kiyomizu Dera, Nijo Castle, Heian jingu shrine, \nLunch at TBD / Nishiki Market? \nRest \nKyoto Imperial Palace Park / Biking in evening \nDinner TBD \n**March 14 - Day 7 (Kyoto - Arashiyama)** \nHozugawa River Boat Ride to Arashiyama \nBamboo Forest \nMonkey Park \nTogetsukyo Bridge \nTemples \nLunch TBD \nKinkakuji Temple and Ryoan Ji and other temples nearby \nTravel back to Kyoto (Sagano Romantic Train?) \nRest \nDinner at TBD \n**March 15 - Day 7 (Day Trip - Nara)** \nTake train to Nara \nTodai-ji Temple, Nara Park, and Kasuga Taisha Shrine \nTravel back to Kyoto \nOnsen? \n**March 16 - Day 8 (Day Trip - Uji)** \nBike along Uji River \nBydoin Temple \nWalk around tea houses and try tea \nTravel back to Kyoto \nKamo River at Night \n**March 17 - Day 9 (Tokyo)** \nTravel back to Tokyo \nRest and last day shopping / sight seeing \n**March 18 - Day 10 (Travel)**", "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": "We’re going to a wedding in Long Island the first weekend in March. (From Texas) \nI lived in New York for a few years so I don’t have much interest in the city/island. \nWas thinking of where else to see - I love cape cod, places like that but it will be chilly so I’m not sure which places (drivable or short flights) make the most sense. Will have a car but also open to flights. \nTY", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "We’re going to a wedding in Long Island the first weekend in March. (From Texas) \nI lived in New York for a few years so I don’t have much interest in the city/island. \nWas thinking of where else to see - I love cape cod, places like that but it will be chilly so I’m not sure which places (drivable or short flights) make the most sense. Will have a car but also open to flights. \nTY", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi. I used to fly with a huge duffel and never had an issue, as long as I watched the weight limit of 50 lbs. That old bag is gone.\n\nI want to buy a new 32 inch wheeled duffel that has specifications totaling 67 linear inches.\n\nThe airline limit is 62 inches.\n\nFYI I'm flying premium economy so my limit is two checked bags.\n\nAt the risk of being abused here, can I not fly with my enormous duffel if it's not overstuffed? I'm sure my old one was 30 or 32\" size..\n\nAlternatively, is wrangling two roller bags plus a carry-on horrible getting to Customs and out to the curb for a taxi?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'there are 32 inch wheeled duffel bags that are within 62 inch of total dimensions(https://shop.samsonite.com/luggage/wheeled-duffels/andante-2-32%22-wheeled-duffel/1172265455.html?productid=117226-5455&country=US&currency=USD)', 'It needs to adhere to the dimensions/limits of your airline. This should be in your ticket. Otherwise you may have to check it in as oversized luggage', 'I’ve been looking at the Samsonite Andante 2 32”, but it is 67” linear inches. I travel infrequently so don’t need to “invest” in fancier luggage. I will shop further, thanks!', 'Yeah I get it. I think there may have been one time where I sort of had to push down on the top of it in a sort of slapstick fashion to please a check-in agent, but better safe than sorry.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi. I used to fly with a huge duffel and never had an issue, as long as I watched the weight limit of 50 lbs. That old bag is gone.\n\nI want to buy a new 32 inch wheeled duffel that has specifications totaling 67 linear inches.\n\nThe airline limit is 62 inches.\n\nFYI I'm flying premium economy so my limit is two checked bags.\n\nAt the risk of being abused here, can I not fly with my enormous duffel if it's not overstuffed? I'm sure my old one was 30 or 32\" size..\n\nAlternatively, is wrangling two roller bags plus a carry-on horrible getting to Customs and out to the curb for a taxi?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Maybe 67\" is for the bag in a shipping box while it gets delivered to you?', \"Oh in my past experience you do your usual check in and then there's a separate counter to drop off your oversized bags.\", 'I dunno. The manufacturer presumably knows how to measure, so I’ll rely on that. I really like one big bag and a carry-on - easy to wrangle on my own through airport, Customs, even public transit. Thx!', \"Yes but I don't want to pay a penalty/surcharge. That makes any savings from public transit go out the window. Oversize penalties are quoted as $100-$400.\", \"Yeah if you have to pay for it then you might want to repack. It's not really a penalty like over luggage, it's actually more of a service. Like if you need to check in surfboards or guitars or paintings\", 'Have you ever managed two roller bags plus a carry-on?', \"I actually have last year, but I was picked up and dropped off from airports so it wasn't too bad.\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Is it safe to travel to Guatemala in a few days for a week or so? \nI was planning on crossing the border from San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico (where I am atm) to Lake Atitlán with an arranged transport (minivan). After that I would go to Antigua, a volcano hike and Guatemala City for 1 day, where I’d be flying out.\nI’ve heard about the roadblocks and political conflicts happening lately, as well as more aggressive criminality, even towards tourists, and I have to say I’m a bit concerned.\nDoes anyone have any information about this that could maybe help?\n\nEdit: typo", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Is it safe to travel to Guatemala in a few days for a week or so? \nI was planning on crossing the border from San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico (where I am atm) to Lake Atitlán with an arranged transport (minivan). After that I would go to Antigua, a volcano hike and Guatemala City for 1 day, where I’d be flying out.\nI’ve heard about the roadblocks and political conflicts happening lately, as well as more aggressive criminality, even towards tourists, and I have to say I’m a bit concerned.\nDoes anyone have any information about this that could maybe help?\n\nEdit: typo", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Does anyone know the risks associated with using services like \n\n* [https://onewayfly.com/](https://onewayfly.com/)\n* [https://bookonwardticket.com/](https://bookonwardticket.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAuqKqBhDxARIsAFZELmKxDyoSuFIzr6dmvITT5hvMth3a5MjmIgnVDQlrUxkICj6x7lTI4WsaAuwmEALw_wcB)\n* [https://getonwardticket.com/](https://getonwardticket.com/)\n\nAnd so on? \n\nWhat I am confused about is - \n\n* Are these legal? \n* Even if they are legal, if the embassy catches you using one of them, will you be blacklisted or something like that? \n* Some of these services say that the tickets are valid for 2 weeks. But after you submit the documents with the flight booking, they might not get to your application in 2 weeks. If that happens, does that mean that your booking is essentially invalid?\n\n ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'US Visa applications do NOT need confirmed tickets/accommodation.', 'You don’t need to have a ticket booked', 'How can a dummy ticket be legal? ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Does anyone know the risks associated with using services like \n\n* [https://onewayfly.com/](https://onewayfly.com/)\n* [https://bookonwardticket.com/](https://bookonwardticket.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAuqKqBhDxARIsAFZELmKxDyoSuFIzr6dmvITT5hvMth3a5MjmIgnVDQlrUxkICj6x7lTI4WsaAuwmEALw_wcB)\n* [https://getonwardticket.com/](https://getonwardticket.com/)\n\nAnd so on? \n\nWhat I am confused about is - \n\n* Are these legal? \n* Even if they are legal, if the embassy catches you using one of them, will you be blacklisted or something like that? \n* Some of these services say that the tickets are valid for 2 weeks. But after you submit the documents with the flight booking, they might not get to your application in 2 weeks. If that happens, does that mean that your booking is essentially invalid?\n\n ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\\nAnd refundable tickets are so much more expensive (more than double in most cases) than the normal ones, which I cannot afford. If these are a legit alternative way of doing this, that would be so much better.\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I (21F) will be traveling to the UK from the US with a friend (similar in age) the first week of December for 8 full days. It will be my first time in the UK, but my friend has been there many times. Please help me decide which itinerary to select!\n\n**Option 1:**\n\nDay 1: land in London (Heathrow) and bus to Oxford\n\nDays 1-4: Oxford (staying with friend's family - free accommodation) Day trip to Woodstock/Bristol/Cambridge/Stratford upon Avon/Coventry (any suggestions here as well?)\n\nDays 5-8: bus to London, stay in London\n\nDay 9: Heathrow, fly home\n\n&#x200B;\n\n**Option 2:**\n\nDay 1: land in London (Heathrow) and bus to Oxford\n\nDays 1-2: Oxford (staying with friend's family - free accommodation)\n\nDay 3: train to York, day trip in York, stay the night in York\n\nDays 4-5: train to Edinburgh, 2 nights in Edinburgh\n\nDays 6-8: fly down to London, weekend in London\n\nDay 9: Heathrow, fly home\n\nOption 2 is obviously more rushed and will be more expensive, but my grandmother is from Scotland and I would love to see Edinburgh at Christmas time. I plan on eventually doing a longer trip to Scotland at some point but likely not during the winter.\n\nThanks for the help!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'Option 1. Don’t try to do too much. Enjoy London. Also do go to Woodstock.', 'I’d say Bristol & Coventry are nice enough but aren’t stand out examples of places I’d travel from the USA to see. Cambridge is worth a look, but in all honesty the wow factor of York+Edinburgh is worth it even if a bit rushed', 'If you are unlikely to come back any time soon, option 2. Hit the highlights, you can see a lot with a day in most places. ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I (21F) will be traveling to the UK from the US with a friend (similar in age) the first week of December for 8 full days. It will be my first time in the UK, but my friend has been there many times. Please help me decide which itinerary to select!\n\n**Option 1:**\n\nDay 1: land in London (Heathrow) and bus to Oxford\n\nDays 1-4: Oxford (staying with friend's family - free accommodation) Day trip to Woodstock/Bristol/Cambridge/Stratford upon Avon/Coventry (any suggestions here as well?)\n\nDays 5-8: bus to London, stay in London\n\nDay 9: Heathrow, fly home\n\n&#x200B;\n\n**Option 2:**\n\nDay 1: land in London (Heathrow) and bus to Oxford\n\nDays 1-2: Oxford (staying with friend's family - free accommodation)\n\nDay 3: train to York, day trip in York, stay the night in York\n\nDays 4-5: train to Edinburgh, 2 nights in Edinburgh\n\nDays 6-8: fly down to London, weekend in London\n\nDay 9: Heathrow, fly home\n\nOption 2 is obviously more rushed and will be more expensive, but my grandmother is from Scotland and I would love to see Edinburgh at Christmas time. I plan on eventually doing a longer trip to Scotland at some point but likely not during the winter.\n\nThanks for the help!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "You will have a chance to do Scotland it’s not the end of the world', \"Coventry isn't somewhere anyone would travel from elsewhere within England to see, nevermind from further away.\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "My family plans to travel overseas from New Zealand to Europe for the first time in April 2024 (at least 26 days, 25 nights) and would really appreciate any recommendations! The youngest is 15 years old and so pretty much 4x adults.\n\nI realise it looks like a lot as this was drawn from inspiration from a Trafalgar tour recommended by our travel agent. \n\nI have listed as many attractions in each city but would appreciate any recommendation on which one could be left out as we definitely would be short of time.\n\nBelow is a rough draft:\n\n**UAE: Dubai (2 nights) - stopover** \n\n* Visiting family friends\n* hoping to do desert tour riding camels etc\n\n**England: London (4 nights)**\n\n* visiting family and friends\n* is stonehenge worth the visit?\n* Big Ben\n* Buckingham Palace\n* Palace of Westminster\n* Westminster Abbey\n* Tower of London\n* London Eye\n\n**Belgium: Bruges (1 night) - Should we go directly from London to Amsterdam in stead?**\n\n* Market Square\n* Belfry of Bruges\n* Basilica of the the Holy Blood\n\n**Netherlands: Amsterdam (1 night)**\n\n* Canal Cruise\n* Jordaan\n* Maybe Anne Frank House and Van Gogh museum\n\n**Germany (1 night) - not sure whether to check out Berlin or Rhine Valley?**\n\nGermany: Berlin \n\n* Berlin wall\n* Brandenburg Gate\n* Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe \n\nGermany: Rhine Valley\n\n* Rhine river for cruise\n\n**Swizterland: Geneva (4 nights)**\n\n* Visiting family\n* Lake Geneva\n* Swiss Alps\n\n**Austria (2 nights) - any other recommendations?**\n\nAustria: Vienna \n\n* Stephansplatz and Graben squares\n\nAustralia: Salzburg\n\n* Pegasus Fountain\n* Mirabell Garden\n* Altstadt (old town)\n\n**Italy (7 nights bc Venice, Sorrento - for Pompeii, Rome, Florence and French Rivera)** \n\nItaly: Venice (2 nights)\n\n* Grand Canal cruise via classic gondola\n* Rialto Bridge\n* St Marks Square\n* Doge’s Palace\n* Bridge of Sighs\n* Day trip to Burano, Murano or Lido\n\nItaly: Rome (2/3 nights)\n\n* Trevi Fountain\n* Spanish Steps\n* Pantheon\n* Piazza Navona\n* Roman Forum\n* Colosseum\n* Vatican City\n* Sistine Chapel\n\nItaly: Sorrento\n\n* Day trip to Pompeii ?\n\nItaly: Florence (1 night)\n\n* Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore\n* Ponte Vecchio\n* Piazza della Signoria \n* The replica of the statue of David\n* Nice\n\nItaly: French Riviera (1 night)\n\n* Leaning Tower of Pisa\n* Casino de Monte-Carlo\n* Check out the coastline\n\n**France (2 nights)**\n\n* Arc du Triomphe\n* Eiffel Tower\n* Notre Dame\n* Louvre\n* Day trip out to: Palace of Versailles\n\nFly back to NZ\n\nThanks!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"This looks really rough... Like 1 day in a single country, and zig-zagging your way through Europe? This would be exhausting for 10 days, it will be brutal over three weeks. In your effort to see Europe you are avoiding its key advantages like quick train travel, and forcing yourself to fly around losing half of your days in transit. I would trim down your destination list and give yourself more time in each city, because you aren't going to see much on this list without any real full days\", 'I don’t think that one-night-stops make sense. That would leave you with like three to four hours to explore, no real time to rest and possibly the urge and stress of „having to see it all“. \\nI would focus on the places where you have friends and family plus Italy. April is a great time to be there.', 'Wow, that’s a lot. We did 2 adults and 2 kids pre-covid for 24 days and only did England and Paris - and that felt busy. How are you going to be travelling from place to place? We did trains and even though it might only be a couple of hours in the actual train, by the time you checked out of hotel, got to train station, checked in, went through immigration, and then all the opposite in reverse, it pretty much takes up an entire day.', \"You mention that this is based on a tour company's itinerary. Tours handle all of the logistics, so your part of the transit is getting from your hotel room to the bus to your new hotel room. Your luggage is even loaded and offloaded from the bus for you. Going on your own will have additional time that you are responsible for. Whenever you move locations you need to factor in the door to door transit: checking out, getting to the train station, going through security, finding your platform, and boarding. Then once you arrive: getting off the train and out of the station, getting your bearings, finding your lodgings, purchasing metro cards if necessary, checking in, and dropping off your stuff. Add in customs when you go from the UK to a Schengen area. I usually add at least two hours to the length of the train ride for that. Since there will be four of you, additional time may be needed to get everyone together, allow for the one who needs a toilet, etc. Looking up schedules from London to Bruges. If you were to be in the 8:15 am train, you'd probably need to leave your rooms around 7:00, which would mean getting up in time to be able to leave then.. The train arrives around 12:30, so you're looking at being able to start exploring around 1:30/2:00 (depending on how far you are from the train station).\", 'The one and two night stops are ridiculous.', \"Basing the itinerary on a tour is generally not such a good idea. The tours are usually geared towards luring people with sham. Usually Europe tours are famous for taking you to visit 8 countries in 10 days, 10 countries in 15 days, 21 countries in 30 days, you get the idea. ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "My family plans to travel overseas from New Zealand to Europe for the first time in April 2024 (at least 26 days, 25 nights) and would really appreciate any recommendations! The youngest is 15 years old and so pretty much 4x adults.\n\nI realise it looks like a lot as this was drawn from inspiration from a Trafalgar tour recommended by our travel agent. \n\nI have listed as many attractions in each city but would appreciate any recommendation on which one could be left out as we definitely would be short of time.\n\nBelow is a rough draft:\n\n**UAE: Dubai (2 nights) - stopover** \n\n* Visiting family friends\n* hoping to do desert tour riding camels etc\n\n**England: London (4 nights)**\n\n* visiting family and friends\n* is stonehenge worth the visit?\n* Big Ben\n* Buckingham Palace\n* Palace of Westminster\n* Westminster Abbey\n* Tower of London\n* London Eye\n\n**Belgium: Bruges (1 night) - Should we go directly from London to Amsterdam in stead?**\n\n* Market Square\n* Belfry of Bruges\n* Basilica of the the Holy Blood\n\n**Netherlands: Amsterdam (1 night)**\n\n* Canal Cruise\n* Jordaan\n* Maybe Anne Frank House and Van Gogh museum\n\n**Germany (1 night) - not sure whether to check out Berlin or Rhine Valley?**\n\nGermany: Berlin \n\n* Berlin wall\n* Brandenburg Gate\n* Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe \n\nGermany: Rhine Valley\n\n* Rhine river for cruise\n\n**Swizterland: Geneva (4 nights)**\n\n* Visiting family\n* Lake Geneva\n* Swiss Alps\n\n**Austria (2 nights) - any other recommendations?**\n\nAustria: Vienna \n\n* Stephansplatz and Graben squares\n\nAustralia: Salzburg\n\n* Pegasus Fountain\n* Mirabell Garden\n* Altstadt (old town)\n\n**Italy (7 nights bc Venice, Sorrento - for Pompeii, Rome, Florence and French Rivera)** \n\nItaly: Venice (2 nights)\n\n* Grand Canal cruise via classic gondola\n* Rialto Bridge\n* St Marks Square\n* Doge’s Palace\n* Bridge of Sighs\n* Day trip to Burano, Murano or Lido\n\nItaly: Rome (2/3 nights)\n\n* Trevi Fountain\n* Spanish Steps\n* Pantheon\n* Piazza Navona\n* Roman Forum\n* Colosseum\n* Vatican City\n* Sistine Chapel\n\nItaly: Sorrento\n\n* Day trip to Pompeii ?\n\nItaly: Florence (1 night)\n\n* Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore\n* Ponte Vecchio\n* Piazza della Signoria \n* The replica of the statue of David\n* Nice\n\nItaly: French Riviera (1 night)\n\n* Leaning Tower of Pisa\n* Casino de Monte-Carlo\n* Check out the coastline\n\n**France (2 nights)**\n\n* Arc du Triomphe\n* Eiffel Tower\n* Notre Dame\n* Louvre\n* Day trip out to: Palace of Versailles\n\nFly back to NZ\n\nThanks!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Train travel is pretty easy. I typically stay downtown, so closer to main train station. An hour before departure time is plenty of time if you get an Uber/Bolt to get to train station and are traveling within Schengen.', 'Absolutely too many places in too little time. Take some time and identify priorities and CUT. Personally, as much as it pains me to say, I would cut Bruges, Germany, Austria and probably the south of France from this itinerary. Go from London to Amsterdam (2 nights min), then Paris, Geneva, then Italy and fly out from there. Do it all by train.', 'That is wild and would not recommend in a million years. I just came back from a 3 week eurotrip and hit 4 cities (3 countries) and felt like it was a good amount. Would not do more than 4-5 cities if you want to actually enjoy your time there and not be constantly running.', \"First-camels are (literally) a pain in the ass. Do a 20 minute ride to say you've done it but no more. Second-this sounds like the old song 'If it's Tuesday it must be Belgium'. As others have said, this is way too ambitious for one trip. You're not allowing yourself enough time in any one location and you're wasting half of the time you have in transit. Pick an area-Scandanavia, Germany/Austria/Switzerland, or, since you were planning to spend the most time in Italy (4 days isn't enough) do Italy and France-and do it right, You won't enjoy racing from sight to sight, in a different hotel every night.\", 'Quite rough considering this is based off the Grand European tour from the Trafalgar tour company, right? To be fair, that tour was planned mostly travelling via coach. Whereas, I haven’t really looked into our transport details as yet but definitely using the key advantages of Europe such as the train like you mentioned is preferred. Thanks for the heads up', 'Yeah the different countries and amount of nights are similar to the Trafalgar tour I’m basing this off so I’m relieved to hear that other travellers like yourself agree that 1 night wouldn’t be enough time. Thanks for your advice!', 'Hopefully we can just travel via trains, those are good points about the duration of travelling so we will definitely take into consideration. Thank you!', 'Travelling between countries by train you still have to go through customs in and out of each country and arrive an hour or 2 before departure, so it’s not just the hours of the train journey itself you need to consider. If I’m correct, a Trafalgar tour is by bus where they pick you up at your hotel, sight see along the way and get left at the next hotel, so it’s far quicker than getting transport yourself. I’d either do the actual Trafalgar tour or halve your itinerary. What you have planned just isn’t doable with independent travel.', 'True. You make really good points here. Yes Trafalgar is by coach. Looks like I’ll need to do more research into transport… how long did it take you to go through customs?', 'We only caught one train between countries (Eurostar) and I think we checked in about 2 hours before departure and maybe half an hour was spent getting through customs at either end. I think they recommend getting there 1.5 hours before departure from memory.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Canadian citizen here. Back in 2016, My now ex and I had a heated fight and she ended up calling the cops on me citing that I \"abused\" her. The cops handcuffed me and took me to a holding cell. I was not fingerprinted. I was interviewed by a cop a few hours later and told me that I wasn't being charged and what not and I was released the same day, just about a few hours after my \"arrest\". No summons, court date, nothing.\n\nThis has been my only interaction with law enforcement ever and I'm worried this will show up on the background check they do for NEXUS. Will they have any record of it if I wasn't fingerprinted?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Canadian citizen here. Back in 2016, My now ex and I had a heated fight and she ended up calling the cops on me citing that I \"abused\" her. The cops handcuffed me and took me to a holding cell. I was not fingerprinted. I was interviewed by a cop a few hours later and told me that I wasn't being charged and what not and I was released the same day, just about a few hours after my \"arrest\". No summons, court date, nothing.\n\nThis has been my only interaction with law enforcement ever and I'm worried this will show up on the background check they do for NEXUS. Will they have any record of it if I wasn't fingerprinted?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi! I am about to embark on my solo adventure :)\n\nI am flying one way to Europe from Australia starting in Istanbul, then to Greece & Albania (this is the first ~ 3 months, I plan to be gone for around a year). I am just about worried about the onward/return ticket situation for visas. Obviously I don’t want to buy an actual return ticket back to Australia yet as I haven’t decided when I’ll be returning. Has anyone used ‘dummy’ tickets to satisfy this visa requirement? Would appreciate any clarity at this point!\n\nP.S. I also have a British passport if that helps at all. \n\nTIA", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'**Notice:** Are you asking for flight or airfare help? Read the **Guide to airfare search engines(http://www.reddit.com/r/travel/wiki/airfare)** in the wiki", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi! I am about to embark on my solo adventure :)\n\nI am flying one way to Europe from Australia starting in Istanbul, then to Greece & Albania (this is the first ~ 3 months, I plan to be gone for around a year). I am just about worried about the onward/return ticket situation for visas. Obviously I don’t want to buy an actual return ticket back to Australia yet as I haven’t decided when I’ll be returning. Has anyone used ‘dummy’ tickets to satisfy this visa requirement? Would appreciate any clarity at this point!\n\nP.S. I also have a British passport if that helps at all. \n\nTIA", "role": "user" }, { "content": "And finally, what countries do you need visas for? With a UK passport it seems unlikely to be many.\", \"Not all countries require proof of onward travel. However, for those I've encountered that do, I've used onwardticket.com(http://onwardticket.com) with success several times. To be clear, I've only used them in Asian countries. But I see no reason to results would be different elsewhere.\", 'Awesome information, thank you! Yes I need to do more research into what my British passport can do for me - I just assumed after Brexit that it worked just as well as my Australian one haha', 'Good to know, thank you for sharing :)'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I'm going to be in Indonesia for 2 weeks in late Nov-early Dec, in and out of Jarkata. Right now I'm torn between flying directly from Jakarta to Lombok to climb Mt. Rinjani (3D2N), or fly directly to Labuan Bajo to do a boat tour of the Komodo Island (2N or 3N). With the limited time and lack of direct flights between Lombok and Komodo, I realize I cannot fit both in. I'd like to end my trip in Bali (4-5 days) \n\nOne thing that has me a bit nervous is the fact that this period is already rainy season, although all operators for Rinjani have told me they still do the trek and it's not likely to be heavy rain, I'd love to hear feedback from people who perhaps have done it in less-than-ideal weather. If I do get there and Rinjani doesn't seem feasible, would Kuta or Senggigi/Mataram be a better choice to base myself to see other things on Lombok, e.g. villages, snorkeling tours, etc?\n\nFor Komodo, I saw that it's quite easy to book a boat tour once I arrive in Labuan Bajo, right? Any recommendations for specific operators?\n\nI'm meeting a friend in Bali, planning for 2-3N in Ubud, and perhaps move to another neighborhood for 1-2N just to get a different feel also to minimize travel time. I was thinking Uluwatu or Nusa Dua given their relative proximity to the airport on the map (maybe 30-40min drive)? We are mostly looking to chill, not surfers or party goers but it'd be nice to have a good ocean view close-by. \n\np.s. this itinerary might seem a bit aggressive but I generally enjoy having pre-planned activities, plus I'm not dead set on seeing *all* the famous spots in Bali. Also, in case this matters, I would rely on Grab/Gojek/private drivers for transportation, cannot ride motorbike by myself. ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'deleted', '**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Indonesia?", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I'm going to be in Indonesia for 2 weeks in late Nov-early Dec, in and out of Jarkata. Right now I'm torn between flying directly from Jakarta to Lombok to climb Mt. Rinjani (3D2N), or fly directly to Labuan Bajo to do a boat tour of the Komodo Island (2N or 3N). With the limited time and lack of direct flights between Lombok and Komodo, I realize I cannot fit both in. I'd like to end my trip in Bali (4-5 days) \n\nOne thing that has me a bit nervous is the fact that this period is already rainy season, although all operators for Rinjani have told me they still do the trek and it's not likely to be heavy rain, I'd love to hear feedback from people who perhaps have done it in less-than-ideal weather. If I do get there and Rinjani doesn't seem feasible, would Kuta or Senggigi/Mataram be a better choice to base myself to see other things on Lombok, e.g. villages, snorkeling tours, etc?\n\nFor Komodo, I saw that it's quite easy to book a boat tour once I arrive in Labuan Bajo, right? Any recommendations for specific operators?\n\nI'm meeting a friend in Bali, planning for 2-3N in Ubud, and perhaps move to another neighborhood for 1-2N just to get a different feel also to minimize travel time. I was thinking Uluwatu or Nusa Dua given their relative proximity to the airport on the map (maybe 30-40min drive)? We are mostly looking to chill, not surfers or party goers but it'd be nice to have a good ocean view close-by. \n\np.s. this itinerary might seem a bit aggressive but I generally enjoy having pre-planned activities, plus I'm not dead set on seeing *all* the famous spots in Bali. Also, in case this matters, I would rely on Grab/Gojek/private drivers for transportation, cannot ride motorbike by myself. ", "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.*', 'Very insightful, thank you. I found a couple of tour operators that do interesting day tours on lombok, so that is an option for the mainland. So in the case that we cannot get Grab, would bluebird taxis be the best choice to get around bali then? Also i was thinking uluwatu mainly for accessing uluwatu temple and be relatively close to the airport for when we fly out, so maybe just one night stay.', 'deleted', 'I had no idea that grab/taxis were banned in Ubud...so if we stay in a place beyond walking distance to the center how would we get around?', 'deleted', 'I see i see that makes sense, thanks for explaining!'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I have a week off in March and have contemplated going to Seoul. Do you think it’s worth traveling from New York all the way to Seoul for a week? It’s about a 20 hour flight… my friend doesn’t think it’s worth it.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'I once went from Europe to Sydney for 9 days. To me travel is always worth it.', \"Of course it's worth it! Have you been before? I live in China and try to get there like once every 6 to 8 weeks at least. It's an incredible city! Very easy to get around with no Korean language skills, the food is absolutely incredible, the people-watching is great. I'd recommend to do a bit of planning though - like a week isn't that long to see most of Seoul, but you could see some of the top places to visit, and then still have some down time/relaxing time as well so that you're not too exhausted when you go back!\", 'I did both Busan and Seoul in about a week. I thought it was a good amount of time to get a good flavor for Korea, but there’s definitely a lot to do in Seoul. You could spend the entire week there, and I think it would be worth it.', 'Yes it’s worth it! Especially if the alternative is not going. I have done far-away locations in much less time than they deserve (4 days NY, 2 weeks New Zealand) and while it left me itching for more, I was so glad to have gone out and experience it. Better than nothing!", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I have a week off in March and have contemplated going to Seoul. Do you think it’s worth traveling from New York all the way to Seoul for a week? It’s about a 20 hour flight… my friend doesn’t think it’s worth it.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Make the most of your week off and go! Seoul has incredible food, nightlife, and culture so you'll have an unforgettable trip.\", 'Yeah just be prepared not to sleep for a week while you party with Koreans', 'I do it all the time with my 2 kids every year. Its the mother land.', '1 week in Seoul and the worlds your oyster the bars are temples but the pearls ain’t free', \"I found about two days in Seoul to be plenty. A one week international trip is fine, but I'd probably pick a different city, or combine Seoul with something else.\", 'Also from NYC, and I just flew to and from Seoul last month. Stayed for 8 days. Completely worth it!', \"For me? No way. That is way too long a flight for a week. I mean, you'll spend two full days in the air. I would spend a day on either end wrecked from the travel/jet lag.\", 'Absolutely, Our daughter lived there for over 5 years. We flew from Chicago to see her a number of times. Yes, 1 week is quick, and you will have jet lag when you return, but it is a beautiful city, with wonderful friendly people, and amazing food.', 'Never! I lived in China and I was planning a trip to Korea but ultimately cancelled it because of Covid :(', 'that hotel is very convenient and nice! the hotel food was disappointing, but there is lots of amazing korean food nearby.', 'Great! Where did you fly from?', 'would you mind sharing your itinerary?', 'The jet lag was a worry too! When I came back from China my sleep was insane 😂', 'Boston direct. So 14 hours flight timeish. Any longer than a week and I think adding Busan or Jeju would be good.', 'Oh crap. That’s a great flight you had there.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I read about 24-hour bakeries but can’t find much information besides the typical fast food chains and convenience stores.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I read about 24-hour bakeries but can’t find much information besides the typical fast food chains and convenience stores.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I only have 5 days and would fly to Santa Barbara or Ojai and drive up. Thinking of staying at Treebones Resort. Ultimately I’m looking for nature, photography opportunities and good food.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"I think so. There's a lot to see and do on both sides of the closure. I recently saw some sea lions at San Simeon, just chilling on the beach. Big Sur is a bit different from the rest of the 1, being up in the mountains. So it won't be quite the same. But it's still a good trip. I'd stop in Solvang for crepes.\", \"Yes, but you'll have to turn around by Lucia. Still very scenic, though; the drive from Carmel through Big Sur and down to Limekiln is the most scenic part (although the part south of Lucia is still pretty nice). ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I only have 5 days and would fly to Santa Barbara or Ojai and drive up. Thinking of staying at Treebones Resort. Ultimately I’m looking for nature, photography opportunities and good food.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Will be for some time.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Our family plans on Christmas Eve were cancelled this year, and I’m looking to do something special and festive with my teenage daughter that day. We’re a train ride away from NYC, would it be crazy to go on Christmas Eve? I know it’s a madhouse through the holiday season (we saw the Rockettes in NYC a few years ago and it was chaos), I’m wondering if it’s just as chaotic on Christmas Eve? Or will the inverse happen and everything will be closing for the holiday? Anyone been? Any suggestions?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'How was NYC \"chaos\" the last time you went? Depending on your personal preferences and experiences, some people might say that NYC is always chaos. What are you going to be looking to do? Christmas Eve will be like any other town with stores and restaurants: some closed, some closing early, sad employees working, and everything winding down.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Our family plans on Christmas Eve were cancelled this year, and I’m looking to do something special and festive with my teenage daughter that day. We’re a train ride away from NYC, would it be crazy to go on Christmas Eve? I know it’s a madhouse through the holiday season (we saw the Rockettes in NYC a few years ago and it was chaos), I’m wondering if it’s just as chaotic on Christmas Eve? Or will the inverse happen and everything will be closing for the holiday? Anyone been? Any suggestions?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Christmas Eve won't be as busy, but I wouldn't be trying to go shopping or to restaurants then. Things will be closed/closing, stock will be low or empty, restaurants will be serving leftovers.\", 'Well, what do you want to see? If Xmas decoration/activities you got it covered', 'On Christmas Eve for like an hour or two Gramercy Park is traditionally opened to the public. I’ve not done it yet but maybe next year (we live on the UWS but are usually out of town for Xmas). A few years ago my parents came and we did a candlelight church service them ate ate at Katz’s the went to the tree at Rockefeller (which was mobbed but fun) and then headed back to our apartment. It was a good time :)', 'Restaurants will not be \"serving leftovers.\" That\\'s a ridiculous statement. Just be sure to make reservations. The food will be just a fresh on the 24th for as it is any other day of the month for the establishment. Enjoy your trip.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I’m driving from San Fran to San Diego end of December , as far as i know a section of road is closed . \nMy question is , in your opinion is it too much to leave Carmel in the morning , drive the big sur and then loop back to the main highway inland to get to Santa Barbara in the same day or is it too rushed? \nSpend a night somewhere in between? \nIt will be cold and winter so we’re not really into hiking or anything just driving and stop for lunch etc \nAny advice welcome 🙏🏽", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'You mean this? Google says 5-6 hours. Okay, can’t paste a photo 😱 But it’s CA1 from Carmel to Big Sur, then CA1 back up to Carmel, then 101 to SBA.', 'I think you would have to go back to Carmel and then take Carmel Valley Road out to 101 at Greenfield. That is a very pretty drive.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I’m driving from San Fran to San Diego end of December , as far as i know a section of road is closed . \nMy question is , in your opinion is it too much to leave Carmel in the morning , drive the big sur and then loop back to the main highway inland to get to Santa Barbara in the same day or is it too rushed? \nSpend a night somewhere in between? \nIt will be cold and winter so we’re not really into hiking or anything just driving and stop for lunch etc \nAny advice welcome 🙏🏽", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Going from Carmel to McWay Falls and then back up adds about 2 hours of drive time. But it is still easy to do; total drive time is still under 5 hours. So plenty of time to have a leisurely drive and stop for pictures at lots of spots on the way, and still make it to Santa Barbara for sunset.', 'Great , thanks for reply , I’m now thinking of stopping in Pismo beach that night and going to SB for the next night ( New Year’s Eve ) \\nThis will make the big sur day a bit shorter and give us a bit of time the next day as well to look around and maybe hire ATV vehicles if weather ok ?? \\nHappy to hear your thoughts', 'This sounds good!'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello! I am planning a trip for me, my husband and another couple. One of the individuals from the couple has been to Thailand before & stated that they personally could skip Bangkok & Phuket since it's their 2nd time visiting but believes 1st time visitors should see them so I tried to take that into consideration. I have 2 itineraries that I’m considering but wanted advice before presenting to the group. Any thoughts or advice is greatly appreciated.\n\nItinerary #1 - 18 days:\n\n* Hanoi - 3 nights\n* Ninh Binh - 1 night or day trip from Hanoi\n* Ha Long Bay - 1 night or day trip from Hanoi\n* Ho Chi Minh City - 2 nights\n* Chiang Mai - 3 nights\n* Bangkok - 2 nights\n* Khao Sok National Park - 2 nights\n* Railay - 3 nights\n\nItinerary #2 - 16 days:\n\n* Hanoi - 3 night\n* Ninh Binh - 1 night or day trip from Hanoi\n* Ha Long Bay - 1 night or day trip from Hanoi\n* Ho Chi Minh City - 2 nights\n* Phuket - 3 nights\n* Railay - 3 nights\n* Krabi - 2 nights ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Thailand? Read what redditors had to say in the **weekly destination thread for Thailand(http://redd.it/2fwu9q)** ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello! I am planning a trip for me, my husband and another couple. One of the individuals from the couple has been to Thailand before & stated that they personally could skip Bangkok & Phuket since it's their 2nd time visiting but believes 1st time visitors should see them so I tried to take that into consideration. I have 2 itineraries that I’m considering but wanted advice before presenting to the group. Any thoughts or advice is greatly appreciated.\n\nItinerary #1 - 18 days:\n\n* Hanoi - 3 nights\n* Ninh Binh - 1 night or day trip from Hanoi\n* Ha Long Bay - 1 night or day trip from Hanoi\n* Ho Chi Minh City - 2 nights\n* Chiang Mai - 3 nights\n* Bangkok - 2 nights\n* Khao Sok National Park - 2 nights\n* Railay - 3 nights\n\nItinerary #2 - 16 days:\n\n* Hanoi - 3 night\n* Ninh Binh - 1 night or day trip from Hanoi\n* Ha Long Bay - 1 night or day trip from Hanoi\n* Ho Chi Minh City - 2 nights\n* Phuket - 3 nights\n* Railay - 3 nights\n* Krabi - 2 nights ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "&#x200B; With your question about Thailand, it's kind of either more city-related trip or a beach trip. So it really depends on what you prefer. :)\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "My wife and I are planning a honeymoon in Vietnam, and we leave in 3 weeks. One problem- I have developed a limp in my left leg. It doesn’t give me pain but it does mean that walking is slow, tiring and uncomfortable. \n\nHow much of a problem will that be? I am not much of an active holidaymaker in terms of extreme sports but I do like to get to know a place, which usually involves walking around a city and taking in the atmosphere. Would it be possible to experience Hanoi and HCMC without irritating my leg too much?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'Absolutely doable. Although each city has a lot to see when walking, both also have affordable transportation options to take you from place to place. \\nJust be sure to negotiate a price BEFORE you get in the vehicle, or you WILL be paying whatever price the driver wants you to pay upon arrival; and drivers can make a killing off of tourists who forget to negotiate prior. ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "My wife and I are planning a honeymoon in Vietnam, and we leave in 3 weeks. One problem- I have developed a limp in my left leg. It doesn’t give me pain but it does mean that walking is slow, tiring and uncomfortable. \n\nHow much of a problem will that be? I am not much of an active holidaymaker in terms of extreme sports but I do like to get to know a place, which usually involves walking around a city and taking in the atmosphere. Would it be possible to experience Hanoi and HCMC without irritating my leg too much?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "As someone else mentioned, you should settle prices before taking any rides. Though in my experience, Vietnam isn’t often “scammer” rides as much as it is just you may get a higher rate than you expected paying foreigner prices in high tourist areas. You can also download Grab (the Uber equivalent) which will be more expensive than the bicycle taxi for example but still pretty affordable overall and with pre1agreed prices', 'You will have no problems in the cities. It might be a bit trickier if you get out into the countryside, but Hanoi and HCMC will be fine. Enjoy Vietnam!', 'You should be ok to get around. But have you seen a doctor yet? Please do that if not.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Kind of a repost from another sub but anyway\n\nI am actively working my way to be getting onto a cruise ship to be a guest entertainer where I will put on my own opera based show/s; possibly a bit drag based too. I really wouldn't mind doing 6 months singing for a couple hours a day(it's debateable whether it's more or less than 2 hrs a day) and travelling the world and getting paid, free accom too, and not dealing with the shit on land. Fuck, at this point I wouldn't mind getting paid to sing for 6 months in general.\n\nThen I was gonna take the money saved up from not really spending anything(food is free on cruise ships too and I don't drink) and travel travel travel. And then try and get another 6 months on a cruise ship after a good while of travel and repeat till I am a senile old cunt.\n\nI have looked at so many videos with negatives and positives and 90% of the negatives are my top positives. Don't worry I've looked into it all. Unless I have to share a cabin and from what I gather, most guest performers don't have to share a cabin.\n\nI really have nothing keeping me where I am right now or on land in general. Family are a bit close but they know I wanna fuck right off. In fact they encourage it. Traveling runs in my family. Even my brother traveled when he was alive and he had the worst schizophrenia you can imagine. I also Haven't dated in years and I dunno if that's gonna happen. The only thing I really gave a fuck about was the cat and I have his ashes.\n\nI seriously just love traveling and I don't think I can stay in one job in an office or retail or whatever.\n\nI'm watching the videos I took of my last holiday, which I came back from in March, and I'm ready to travel again. Fuck doing a normal job forg a year and saving up money to just do a 3 week holiday.\n\nAnd I mean even with doing operas on land in one place. I'd rather have my own show doing solo stuff, the hits and also underrated pieces I love.\n\nThe weirdest thing is I'm a massive introvert... when home. When I'm traveling I'm like a different person; out and about and even chatting with complete randoms(something I never do at home).\n\nHow nuts am I exactly?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"You're not nuts! Go for it!\", \"Most regret doesn't come from where we've failed, but where we didn't even try.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Kind of a repost from another sub but anyway\n\nI am actively working my way to be getting onto a cruise ship to be a guest entertainer where I will put on my own opera based show/s; possibly a bit drag based too. I really wouldn't mind doing 6 months singing for a couple hours a day(it's debateable whether it's more or less than 2 hrs a day) and travelling the world and getting paid, free accom too, and not dealing with the shit on land. Fuck, at this point I wouldn't mind getting paid to sing for 6 months in general.\n\nThen I was gonna take the money saved up from not really spending anything(food is free on cruise ships too and I don't drink) and travel travel travel. And then try and get another 6 months on a cruise ship after a good while of travel and repeat till I am a senile old cunt.\n\nI have looked at so many videos with negatives and positives and 90% of the negatives are my top positives. Don't worry I've looked into it all. Unless I have to share a cabin and from what I gather, most guest performers don't have to share a cabin.\n\nI really have nothing keeping me where I am right now or on land in general. Family are a bit close but they know I wanna fuck right off. In fact they encourage it. Traveling runs in my family. Even my brother traveled when he was alive and he had the worst schizophrenia you can imagine. I also Haven't dated in years and I dunno if that's gonna happen. The only thing I really gave a fuck about was the cat and I have his ashes.\n\nI seriously just love traveling and I don't think I can stay in one job in an office or retail or whatever.\n\nI'm watching the videos I took of my last holiday, which I came back from in March, and I'm ready to travel again. Fuck doing a normal job forg a year and saving up money to just do a 3 week holiday.\n\nAnd I mean even with doing operas on land in one place. I'd rather have my own show doing solo stuff, the hits and also underrated pieces I love.\n\nThe weirdest thing is I'm a massive introvert... when home. When I'm traveling I'm like a different person; out and about and even chatting with complete randoms(something I never do at home).\n\nHow nuts am I exactly?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "The OPer gives no clue of nationality but this is absolutely not true for many people like Americans, Australians, etc.', 'Please elaborate on this?', \"I've never heard of Thatch. Cheers I'll look into it.\", '*Insert Shia LaBeouf meme*', 'I am tempted to pick up something like that during the off hours on the ship. Double the income.', 'Very likely not true. Research this for your specific nationality.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi\nI have been in the US for almost 6 months now. My visa expires in two weeks and I'm going to leave 5 days before the date to go to Mexico for two weeks. \nI will be heading back to Australia after but can only find flights with layovers in either San Francisco or Los Angeles. \nI am wondering now if I will be able to do so. Technically I have a B2 tourist visa that's valid until 2033 but with a maximum stay of 6 months at a time. I got questioned by homeland security last time I entered and am worried now they'll do that again for my layover. Does anyone know if that's the case? It shouldn't be right, since I wouldn't try to enter the country? \nI'm also thinking of booking two separate flights. One Mexico to California and then straight after a connecting one to Australia instead of going through one booking. Would that be an issue? \n\nSorry if it's all a bit confusing.\nIf anyone has any knowledge or advice on this, it'd be very much appreciated. Thank you :)", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\">I'm going to leave 5 days before the date to go to Mexico for two weeks. The time in Mexico counts. So you don't bank those 5 extra days, it'll look like 9 days of overstaying, THEN you are trying to enter the US without a valid visa, you won't be allowed on the flight from Mexico to the US.\", 'You need either a C1 VISA for layovers or extend your B1. You can fuck up your future visits to USA if you layover without a valid not expires visa', \"Sounds like *someone* isn't going to Mexico or isn't going to get to fly home from California.\", 'See if you can fly directly to Vancouver BC then home to Oz from there.', '**Notice:** Are you asking about a layover or connection? Read the **Flying FAQ(https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/wiki/mfaq-flying/)** in the wiki.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi\nI have been in the US for almost 6 months now. My visa expires in two weeks and I'm going to leave 5 days before the date to go to Mexico for two weeks. \nI will be heading back to Australia after but can only find flights with layovers in either San Francisco or Los Angeles. \nI am wondering now if I will be able to do so. Technically I have a B2 tourist visa that's valid until 2033 but with a maximum stay of 6 months at a time. I got questioned by homeland security last time I entered and am worried now they'll do that again for my layover. Does anyone know if that's the case? It shouldn't be right, since I wouldn't try to enter the country? \nI'm also thinking of booking two separate flights. One Mexico to California and then straight after a connecting one to Australia instead of going through one booking. Would that be an issue? \n\nSorry if it's all a bit confusing.\nIf anyone has any knowledge or advice on this, it'd be very much appreciated. Thank you :)", "role": "user" }, { "content": "It doesn't matter if you are on one ticket or separate tickets. The minute you deplane in the US from any international flight\\\\*, you will be funneled straight to passport control. \\\\*Unless you depart from certain Canadian/Caribbean/Irish airports or Abu Dhabi, but that's just because you do US passport control at the departure airport.\", 'Hi thanks for your reply! Is that the case even if I get a tourist card for Mexico?', \"To make it simple, if your visa expires, you can't be or land (even layovers) on the US\", \"Hi thanks for the answer! I hope it's okay if I have another question. I have the 10 year visa, so shouldn't it reactivate the 6 month when I leave to Mexico before the expiry date and then come back?\", 'Its an issue with your US Visa. Mexico will obviously let you in if you qualify, its the US who counts time in Canada/Mexico towards your US Visa time. So you can do your plan only if you will not return or fly back through US.', 'Not anymore, at least not while driving, I have travel by plane also and the usually just stamp your passport, but since you where questioned last time its better that you have it done it advance and state that you are just passing through. It will show that you are following their laws and will look better for you.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I have just booked a room in Detroit for an upcoming concert. After booking my room I am being asked to complete an online check-in and it wants me to scan my passport. Booked through Expedia and Duve is the 3rd party asking for the scan. Is this something any of you have had to do? Thanks in advance", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I have just booked a room in Detroit for an upcoming concert. After booking my room I am being asked to complete an online check-in and it wants me to scan my passport. Booked through Expedia and Duve is the 3rd party asking for the scan. Is this something any of you have had to do? Thanks in advance", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi everybody!\nI’m currently unsure about my travel plans. They’re as follows:\n\n\n\n24.11 - 27.11: Ho Chi Minh - exploring the city\n\n28.11: Singapore as I have a Meeting on that day\n\n28.11 - 02.12: Kota Kinabalu - Climbing Mount Kinabalu the first 2 days then spending the rest in Kota, possibly going on a dive with some travel buddies\n\n03.12 - 05.12: Taipei - exploring the City again (no real plans)\n\n06.12 - 09.12: Seoul - Looking at SK and meeting a friend.\n\n10.12: Return to Singapore\n\n\n\nDo you think I should change part of my Schedule? Is there anything else worth exploring instead of the cities i mentioned? Maybe put more time towards a certain thing? Also is Mount Kinabalu worth it?\n\nI’ll be traveling to Vietnam and Kota with some friends - after that I’ll mainly continue alone.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi everybody!\nI’m currently unsure about my travel plans. They’re as follows:\n\n\n\n24.11 - 27.11: Ho Chi Minh - exploring the city\n\n28.11: Singapore as I have a Meeting on that day\n\n28.11 - 02.12: Kota Kinabalu - Climbing Mount Kinabalu the first 2 days then spending the rest in Kota, possibly going on a dive with some travel buddies\n\n03.12 - 05.12: Taipei - exploring the City again (no real plans)\n\n06.12 - 09.12: Seoul - Looking at SK and meeting a friend.\n\n10.12: Return to Singapore\n\n\n\nDo you think I should change part of my Schedule? Is there anything else worth exploring instead of the cities i mentioned? Maybe put more time towards a certain thing? Also is Mount Kinabalu worth it?\n\nI’ll be traveling to Vietnam and Kota with some friends - after that I’ll mainly continue alone.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I just booked a flight where I have a little over a 5 hour layover in Detroit. Thinking of finding the best Detroit style pizza joint I can, and taking a cab to eat and drink a couple beers before hopping back on my flight. \n\nI've never done this before. How much \"city time\" is worth it to you? Obviously taxi commute time is a factor. I'm thinking that if I can spend at least two hours in a new (to me) city, and still be back in the airport with over an hour before my flight, it's worth the exploration.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"DTW is in the middle of nowhere. Like 30 minutes from downtown if there's no traffic on i94. It's technically in a town called Romulus. 275 is under construction and is a giant mess. I would not leave the airport and try to get downtown in that time. You could get to like Taylor and get pizza there. Once you're in the terminal DTW is easy peasy to get around.\", 'Depends on the day of travel and timing of the flights. Rush hour traffic is no joke, and the airport isn’t exactly “downtown” so the commute could take up a lot of time. My recommendations may be controversial, but I love Buddy’s pizza, their antipasto salad is incredible, or Niki’s downtown', \"For me, that magic number is 8 hours, but I'm pretty conservative and have never even come close to missing a flight. The best Detroit pizza is, unquestionably, Buddy's. The original location's on 6 Mile in Detroit. The airport is very, very far from the city, but I think they've opened a lot of locations since I left the area a decade or so ago, so maybe there's one that's closer.\", 'I’ve gone into Central London on a 5.5 hr layover In Heathrow before. Was meeting a friend for lunch. :)', \"5 hour layover in Detroit? Hmm, that's a risky move. But hey, if you're feeling adventurous and want to try some pizza while you're at it, I say go for it. Two hours should be enough time to stuff your face and make it back to the airport with a beer buzz.\", 'Depends on domestic vs. international, and how far from the city it is. It’s probably an hour+ from landing to a “close” destination. Probably 1.5-2 hours for return, security, etc. It’s always a question of if it’s worth the hassle of getting out and back, even with a cab or Uber (and if it’s a tripping, you gotta align to that schedule) for just an hour or two outside. I’ve done it, but only with 6+ hours available to me, and a place I was familiar with. The extra stress of “is traffic building up?” Or “what if it takes me too long to get a cab back?” Or many other things can cause more stress than relaxation.', 'When exactly are you doing this? If it snows, all bets are off.', 'The way my ADHD is set up, I don’t trust myself to be back in time with layovers like that.', 'Minimum 7 hour layover to leave the airport for me. Not worth the risk of missing my flight.', \"DTW is actually closer to Ann Arbor than Detroit. Detroit is a great city, but traffic isn't great. I would suggest staying at the airport and making a purposeful trip to Detroit another time. And don't go to Buddy's...go to Grandma Bobs for pizza!\", 'You’re playing with fire. You could end up in some fluke situation: traffic jam, mugging, car accident or other disruption and not make it back in time. Five hours is too close. Just buy a lounge pass and spend your time at the airport. Next time book a 24 hour layover.', 'The 5 o’clock traffic in Detroit is absolutely awful and the construction in the area makes it even worse right now. You might be able to do dinner or something but I would be worried about cutting it too close. ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I just booked a flight where I have a little over a 5 hour layover in Detroit. Thinking of finding the best Detroit style pizza joint I can, and taking a cab to eat and drink a couple beers before hopping back on my flight. \n\nI've never done this before. How much \"city time\" is worth it to you? Obviously taxi commute time is a factor. I'm thinking that if I can spend at least two hours in a new (to me) city, and still be back in the airport with over an hour before my flight, it's worth the exploration.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "*Minimum 90 minutes at location *Drive back doubled in case of traffic *2 hrs at airport to go back through security.', \"All depends on transit and distance from the city, and if having to clear customs, etc. I would say atleast 6 hours, but some places I wouldn't venture out unless it was minimum 8\", 'I would never do this. You have to go back through security and if you only have carry-on, and you have to carry it around', 'You could probably do The Henry Ford for a couple hours. I wouldn’t try anything else, DTW is quite a drive from Detroit and is in a very bland area.', '6 to 7 hours for me, depending on time of day/distance from airport to city and mode pf transportation to get there and back. I just had a look on the map and the airport is so freakin far from the Detroit, there is absolutely no way I would be leaving that airport.', 'Yeah, location of the airport is basically what makes or breaks this.', 'I second this. It can take like 45 minutes depending on traffic to get to Detroit from Romulus, construction is awful like you said. And it can be 20 minutes at best to get out of the terminal alone, depending which one you’re at/if you have to take the train. OP, there’s a Leo’s at McNamara terminal if you’d like to try a coney island! Not pizza, but it’s a Detroit staple. Definitely recommend taking at least a long weekend to explore the city the next time you have a chance.', 'Detroiter here, and I agree with this. DTW isn’t close to downtown and traffic can be variable. Personally I would do what another commenter said and visit Leo’s Coney Island in the airport. Get lemon rice soup and a coney dog if you want a Detroit staple! Also, Detroit is definitely worth visiting when you have more time :)', 'Please don’t go to Taylor for pizza. 🤣 At least go to Dearborn.', 'THIS. This is the correct answer in this situation.', 'Who the hell, especially from Detroit, is going to say Buddy’s pizza is controversial? Buddy’s is literally where Detroit style pizza was invented.', 'Landing on a Wed at 4:30, departing at 10pm.', \"You could go to the Dearborn buddy's which is only 15-20 min from the airport.\", 'Agree w/ Buddy’s. For sure. Easy to get to somewhere more interesting and return. OP you’ll be fine. Coney dog also, btw. \\nEnjoy your time. Take some risks. \\nReport back.', 'Difference: London has public transit, which (generally) has reliable schedules. Detroit traffic is less predictable.', 'I went to a soccer game on a 13 hour layover in Heathrow in 2017. Was amazing.', 'How long before the next flight did you arrive back at the airport?', \"That's about my minimum time too. Too easy for things to go wrong.\", 'Best deep dish you have ever had, my friend. Imagine a focaccia thrown in a square pan coated with olive oil and butter, loaded down with cheese and sauce, and baked until the edges are totally crispy. Hearty as all get-out and absolutely delicious. Jet’s Pizza(https://www.jetspizza.com) is the easy-to-find chain restaurant version of it.', 'Yeah. There are so many other cities where you can get good pizza.', 'Late to the party, but I was thinking of Buddy’s in Dearborn.', \"I think it's more that people argue Buddy's has gone downhill since being purchased(?) - I forget the exact details. Have noticed what felt like a drop in quality.\", 'Get an Uber to Buddy’s Pizza. It’s where Detroit style pizza was invented and I think has the best. The Dearborn location is probably the closest. If you have TSA pre check, then you should be fine. You could try the downtown location, but that will take some time to get to it.', 'Depart the plane, grab an Uber, be at Buddy’s Pizza by 530. Leave at 7:30. You will have plenty of time even if there’s traffic.', 'Can’t be more than hour to get to Detroit center from DTW can it? It takes me 65-70 minutes to go from T5 to Soho riding the Piccadilly line plus I have to go through the UK border. Granted now that’s fast using the e-gates.', 'Who knew? I’ve heard of Chicago and New York but not Detroit.', 'Heathrow Express will get you there in 20 min', 'A half hour driving from the airport to the city center. Add an extra fifteen minutes during rush hour. Keep in mind there’s no good public transport between the airport and the city center, so you are entirely reliant on cabs / Uber.', 'Heathrow Express will get you to Paddington, not to Central London.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello! American here. I went to Newcastle and Edinburgh years ago. Now, I want to explore more around these beautiful places. So, about mid-March I plan on spending a month or so in Newcastle, Carlisle, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Inverness. I will work remotely for a few weeks and take a few weeks vacation. Any advice for this? All I know if that I have to revisit various Hadrian's Wall spots, as it is some of the most beautiful country side I have ever seen.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'We were in Scotland in July 10 days. Loved the quiet town of Oban. We took a trip to Mull which was amazing bc of the landscape. Then we spent 2 nights in Isle of Skye. The place to stay is Portree. Both these places have distilleries. But for Oban you have to plan in advance', 'Definitely seconding the recommendation for Oban. How much we enjoyed that town was one of the big surprises of our trip; it’s a smaller town with a big city feel in the harborfront/city center area. ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello! American here. I went to Newcastle and Edinburgh years ago. Now, I want to explore more around these beautiful places. So, about mid-March I plan on spending a month or so in Newcastle, Carlisle, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Inverness. I will work remotely for a few weeks and take a few weeks vacation. Any advice for this? All I know if that I have to revisit various Hadrian's Wall spots, as it is some of the most beautiful country side I have ever seen.", "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.*', '**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about England? Read what redditors had to say in the **weekly destination thread for England(https://redd.it/4f1qlb)** 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.*', 'Skye!', 'I second Oban and a tour of the Hebrides. Iona, Mull and Staffa were amazing!', 'Thanks. I will investigate the remote work thing.', 'Dopeness. Thank you.', \"For Newcastle itself you don't need a car. Traffic is bad and the city centre is compact enough to get everywhere on foot, and for short distance trips out of the centre there's the metro. But if you were going to use it as a base for exploring Northumberland, then you'd probably want one.\", \"There's an incredible boat trip from the isle of mull that takes in fingals cave, a huge natural whirlpool and white tailed sea eagles.\", 'And puffins nesting in the summer on Staffa.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "International singers never come to South Asia. They barely come to Asia even. I would have to go to Europe or Australia or the Americas. \n\nWould it be worth it to travel that far to go to a concert? I saw the Eras Tour film recently and it was the best experience of my life. I wonder if real concerts are even better. Are they?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"I've traveled multiple times for concerts for artists who don't usually come locally, and it's usually well worth it providing you enjoy your time in the city while you're there. Adds to the specialness of the occasion even if the show ends up being not that good.\", 'Yes, I have done this many times. Obviously make it part of a larger trip. > I wonder if real concerts are even better. Its a different experience but live music is awesome. That being said, I dislike stadium shows because it costs a fortune to be near the stage.', 'I have traveled from the US to Europe for several concerts. Think of it like planning a vacation to a city with a lot to do. And one night you just happen to go to a concert. Build the trip around that night and it can absolutely be worthwhile.', 'If the Eras tour film was the best experience of your life, then yes, I 100% think you should travel to see her live.', 'I am literally going to Amsterdam next year from the US for Eras. Of course I picked Amsterdam because it was on my bucket list of cities, so the concert is an excuse to visit the city, but it’s not weird. My friend is going to Paris to do the same thing since she has a friend living there.', \"I'm in South East Asia and international artists do come to our country for concerts. Just recently, Bruno Mars stopped by for a 2 day concert and we're seeing Fall Out Boys this December. Taylor Swift didn't have us in her list this time around but she did have Singapore which was a 2-3hr flight. It was worth the travel, I mean you get to visit another country plus see a concert. Win-win.\", 'I did a 2100 mile road trip when it was all done to go to a music festival in the desert. Totally worth it. Life altering experience. I actually did it 3 different times.', 'Yes this is definitely a thing. Here in LA people come from all over Asia for concerts, I remember a group being interviewed on the news who had come from a China to see Taylor Swift.', 'Sometimes you can see a concert for so much less overseas that the price difference pays for the trip.Beyonce (https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/paigeskinner/you-can-get-cheap-beyonce-tickets-in-sweden)', 'You’ll be guaranteed to be around people with similar interests, even if just for the night', 'Ive traveled to five countries to see concerts. Do it.', 'HELL YES. I saw Taylor in the states, but if I had not gotten to or if she was not coming here I would 100% travel elsewhere to see her.', 'Absolutely. Seeing an artist you love perform live is great no mater where you go to see them, and it’s even better if it’s in a place that’s new and interesting for you.', 'Why won’t they go to Asia?', 'We do this constantly. Either specific shows we travel to see. Or shows we see because we learned about it while there. \\nHere\\'s an example of both. Roger Hodgson played the Albert Hall in 2019. We wanted to see that. Neither of us has seen a show at the Albert Hall. So we booked tickets and built a UK trip around this show. We arrived the day prior to the show. Walked by the Albert Hall. There was a sign up, \"Tonight only, Mark Knopfler.\" My wife insisted we see the show. There were precisely two tickets -- opposite sides of the hall. One really good seat. One meh.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "International singers never come to South Asia. They barely come to Asia even. I would have to go to Europe or Australia or the Americas. \n\nWould it be worth it to travel that far to go to a concert? I saw the Eras Tour film recently and it was the best experience of my life. I wonder if real concerts are even better. Are they?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "I prefer concerts because I like getting out ...lol. That's the only reason. Otherwise I'd watch from home.\", 'Two years ago I travelled to London to see… a movie. It was Spider-Man: No Way Home premiere and I wanted to see it at the cinema full of huge fans. The experience was fantastic. Going abroad to see a concert? For sure! Did it once and going to do it next year.', 'Yes. Went from Canada to Germany last summer and this summer to go to the Wacken festival and they were two of the best weeks of my life. Took my wife to see Ray LaMontaigne in Pittsburgh last month (4 hour drive) and we made a fun weekend of it. Bought a ticket to see Rammstein play in San Sebastian (one of my favourite cities in the world) and gonna stay there for a week around it. Live shows at least for me are always great experiences, and the added layer of traveling to attend one adds a whole other layer to it.', 'I use concerts as a centerpiece to a bigger trip.', \"I've traveled several times for concerts, including for the Eras Tour. It was amazing to feel the energy of the crowd, the artist and the stage production. The sheer scale of the stadium is impressive too. With that being said, the quality of your view will depend on how much you're willing to spend, depending on the size of the venue. I was in the lower bowl and missed a lot of the finer detail, which I was able to see during the concert film.\", 'I’d say it’s a worthwhile experience. I saw Taylor Swift this summer in LA myself, and it was one for the books. The National weren’t my reason to go to Dublin this past September but seeing their concert in Dublin was one of the highlights of my trip. So yeah, travelling for a concert will make your trip memorable, IMO.', 'Yes. You’re in a more relaxed frame of mind when you travel, and that makes the concert even more fun. Being somewhere new makes the event more memorable too. I love it when I get a chance to do it. 100% would recommend.', \"Agreed, if the tour has a mixture of arenas and stadiums and one of the destinations of the arenas is somewhere I'm interested in, that's where I'd go. The sound in a stadium isn't usually as good.\", 'Production costs for big concerts are extremely high. The price they\\'d have to charge for tickets to simply break even isn\\'t realistic for enough people to fill appropriate-sized venues. \"World tours\" may hit Singapore around stops in Japan or Australia. But big shows in, say, Jakarta or Phnom Penh are very rare.', 'No idea. I have wondered a lot about this.', 'Tho I wouldn’t make it the *only* reason to go somewhere. I booked a trip to Las Vegas last September for a concert which ended up getting canceled. Maybe it goes without being said but should be in a city you want to go to anyway :)', \"> The sound in a stadium isn't usually as good. The sound is an issue. The seating can be wonky for a concert depending on what the stadium was designed for. The sheer number of people can make it uncomfortable. Plus chances are that you are at the stadium and staring at the screens instead of the stage. I used to go to a lot of stadium concerts and it wasn't until I got older I began to hate it.\", \"especially concerts like Taylor Swifts. It isn't just singing, its so many backup dancers, stage crew, backstage people, outfit changes, choreo, etc.\", 'Cost vs payoff. Costs of travel, work visas/permits for everyone involved, costs of shipping all their gear. It is also more complicated in Asia as every country has its own regulations regarding bringing equipment. Using Taylor Swift as an example, in the multiple US cities where she has done shows, her tickets have sold for hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, and every show was sold out. Could she do the same in multiple cities in one country in Asia? Thailand? Japan? India? China? Indonesia?'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "1. With a passport, can I leave the USA, stay in a passport accepted country, and from that point, schedule another flight to another country, and so on without ever returning to the USA so long as my passport is valid? Or is there a period of time when I am expected/required to return to the USA?\n2. Are most countries airports english friendly?\n3. I am extremely particular about what water I drink. I don't drink from plastic bottles (don't judge me). Am I often able to find filtered water where I can fill my own container, perhaps in most European countries or, say, India?\n4. Do passport accepted countries expect you to have a scheduled return flight?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'Let me be clear. Your should ONLY drink bottled water in India. You are not going to find filtered water to fill your own bottle. In fact this rings true for most of the world. Potable tap water is not as common as you may think, its actually in the minority. There are even countries in Europe where you can’t drink tap water.', \"1. As long as you have a visa or visa exempted in the foreign country yes, you can get a new passport outside of the States as well.\\n2. Yes, at least there are signs and few that can speak English\\n3. You might want to be prepared for some bad diarrhea and some headaches for a while since the new type of water will cause some issues and there are not many places to fine water fountains like in the States. \\n4. They will ask for a ticket(flight, bus, boat, etc) that shows you'll be leaving their country.\", 'Biggest thing is visas. Even if your passport is accepted, you’d have to have a visa for many countries, so I’d check on that first. This leads to the next thing about when you can leave, since a visa or even “visa exempt” places will typically have a time limit on it. For example I was able to come to South Africa this week, with no visa, but I only have 90 days to stay legally. I was supposed to show them a return flight, but the immigration officer didn’t ask. (but I’ve had other countries that will demand you show a return flight in order to get in and/or get your visa) Alternatively, when I visit Vietnam even though US passport is accepted, I am required to get a tourist visa in order to be allowed in the country, and it’s also 90 days I believe, but you can get extensions. If you overstay, you typically will have to pay a fine. You can stay out of the US as long as you want, I lived abroad for years and would only visit periodically. Also most airports and tourist towns are English friendly', \"1 yes", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "1. With a passport, can I leave the USA, stay in a passport accepted country, and from that point, schedule another flight to another country, and so on without ever returning to the USA so long as my passport is valid? Or is there a period of time when I am expected/required to return to the USA?\n2. Are most countries airports english friendly?\n3. I am extremely particular about what water I drink. I don't drink from plastic bottles (don't judge me). Am I often able to find filtered water where I can fill my own container, perhaps in most European countries or, say, India?\n4. Do passport accepted countries expect you to have a scheduled return flight?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "It\\'s a good idea to check these between visits for updates, as they can change.', 'I suggest a small camping type good water filter. Even hotels in countries like India will cause you problems unless they filter all their water and the filter is working. Worth 50 to keep one handy.', '1 yes\\n2 yes\\n3 in Europe only in some countries. The rest of the world, no. \\n4 proof of either return or onwards travel is usually required.', 'If you don’t come back to the US after a year immigration will ask you “Why do you hate America?” and if you ever imply that any of the countries you visited are better than America then you get permanently kicked out and they tell you to go live in some commie country.', '1. You can stay out f the US as long as you want. Most countries have a limit to hopw long you can stay, and before that you have to leave. Every country is different. European \"Schengen\" countries count time in other Schengen countries together, so you must leave ALL schengen countries before that time is up. This is very different by country, so you need to research. But no, you don\\'t have to go back to states, you could happily go from one country to another forever as long as you leave those countries before your visa is up. \\n2. Yes, to varying levels of success. Immigration/customs pretty much always has an English speaker available. Most signage will be in English. If in doubt about where to go or what to do, ask at the counter of the airline you flew, or one of the airline staff standing outside your gate.\\n3. I don\\'t judge, but honestly... You should get used to bottled water in some situations. I also suggest getting a steripen - uses UV light to clean living stuff out of water. Most tap water in the world can be drunk after steripening. It\\'s what I use in Nepal for river and spring water, and it\\'s not let me down. \\n4. You must have a flight OUT of the country. Does not need to be back to USA. Most airlines will check this when you check in as well - they want to know that you have an onward flight (or residency) where you are going.', 'Im visiting about 30 countries on my trip rn. I have a US Passport. Ive only needed a visa for Turkey, India, Vietnam. 2024 we will need to apply for a Visa for EU, which is good for 90 days. Turkey was only a visa as front to collect money from tourism. They never even looked at mine. Most info is available on US govt travel website. They also have an app called Smart Traveler. Modt visas are 30-90 days. Any country that has a visa usually expects to see information or proof of a booked exit flight within that period. Most if not all airports that I have been to speak english, as it is the universal language. Most signs are written in the homeland language and english. Most airlines will speak in the language of destination and english. Etc etc etc. You will only have issues in more poorer areas that have limited education, but even that is becoming less and less, due to the access to social media, and internet. Even poor ppl will still have a phone and access to english speaking content. NUMBER 3 wtf that is insanely picky. that is an impossible task. You will not see that anywhere. Its either drink the tap ot bottled water. And I don’t recommend drinking the tap from any country, expect switzerland.', \"I mean, I've been in the US (Texas specifically) and the quality of the tap water there is awful. They might be used to it, but the taste, man.... 😵 In Italy in general is pretty good, and you can find public fountains where you can drink it from. Latin America as a whole? Never trusted tap water unless I had no choice (bottled water can be expensive)\", 'Second this. Definitely drink bottled water in India, and use bottled water to brush your teeth.', 'This is true it happened to my brother. Haven’t seen him in years', 'Euro visa is 2025 now. Yay for bureaucracy'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "If I'm not mistaken we can't check in online (USA) and we can't select our seat online either a day before because of this? We have to wait until we're there physically at the airport to get seats unless you pay in advance? ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "If I'm not mistaken we can't check in online (USA) and we can't select our seat online either a day before because of this? We have to wait until we're there physically at the airport to get seats unless you pay in advance? ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": " My GF(36) and I(40) are visiting SEA in Dec-Jan for about a month as we are taking advantage of the holidays with time off etc. We have the majority of the trip planned out (Vietnam, Siem Reap, Northern Thailand) however we still have \\~ 1 week in southern Thailand to relax on the beach from Dec 29-Jan 6 that we are trying to plan. \n\nWe are thinking of splitting that time between 2 different areas but not settled on exactly where. Some ideas that were provided to us were Phuket (not Patong), Koh Lanta, Railay, Ao Nang Beach area, Koh Yao Noi… we are open to other suggestions as well\n\nWe have read that the Gulf of Thailand area will still be in monsoon season during that time so that is not a feasible option. \n\nA little about us: \n\n* We have a very flexible budget and wouldn’t mind spending on amazing experiences. \n* GF would LOVE to stay in a place that walks out onto the beach. \n* We really enjoy traveling extensively and seeing many places rather than staying put in 1 place which is why we are trying to squeeze in as much as possible during this trip. I know this is constantly frowned upon in these boards but it is what we like and in future trips we plan to spend much more time in those places we loved for longer periods of time.\n* We prefer having access to amazing food whenever possible. We would prioritize an amazing meal over a big party 100% of the time. We both used to party hard (still do sometimes) and we still definitely love our drinks but being belly up to a bar in a packed sweaty room is not our idea of a great time anymore. \n* As this is the tail end of the vacation after quite a bit of travel seeing sites we want to be able to relax on gorgeous beaches without having to deal with too many drunk/trashy loudmouths\n* Renting a motor bike to get around probably won’t work as my GF does not feel safe on the back of one (or riding one on her own). So if we can be close to beach/restaurants/nightlife or easy access to taxi services it would be ideal. \n* While at the beach we would probably also go for some excursions etc. not just sitting on one beach all day each day \n\nIf you have suggestions on islands/beaches/places to stay it would be wonderful! \n\nTLDR: young(ish) couple looking for best beach areas to stay in southern Thailand from Dec 29-Jan 6", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Thailand?", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": " My GF(36) and I(40) are visiting SEA in Dec-Jan for about a month as we are taking advantage of the holidays with time off etc. We have the majority of the trip planned out (Vietnam, Siem Reap, Northern Thailand) however we still have \\~ 1 week in southern Thailand to relax on the beach from Dec 29-Jan 6 that we are trying to plan. \n\nWe are thinking of splitting that time between 2 different areas but not settled on exactly where. Some ideas that were provided to us were Phuket (not Patong), Koh Lanta, Railay, Ao Nang Beach area, Koh Yao Noi… we are open to other suggestions as well\n\nWe have read that the Gulf of Thailand area will still be in monsoon season during that time so that is not a feasible option. \n\nA little about us: \n\n* We have a very flexible budget and wouldn’t mind spending on amazing experiences. \n* GF would LOVE to stay in a place that walks out onto the beach. \n* We really enjoy traveling extensively and seeing many places rather than staying put in 1 place which is why we are trying to squeeze in as much as possible during this trip. I know this is constantly frowned upon in these boards but it is what we like and in future trips we plan to spend much more time in those places we loved for longer periods of time.\n* We prefer having access to amazing food whenever possible. We would prioritize an amazing meal over a big party 100% of the time. We both used to party hard (still do sometimes) and we still definitely love our drinks but being belly up to a bar in a packed sweaty room is not our idea of a great time anymore. \n* As this is the tail end of the vacation after quite a bit of travel seeing sites we want to be able to relax on gorgeous beaches without having to deal with too many drunk/trashy loudmouths\n* Renting a motor bike to get around probably won’t work as my GF does not feel safe on the back of one (or riding one on her own). So if we can be close to beach/restaurants/nightlife or easy access to taxi services it would be ideal. \n* While at the beach we would probably also go for some excursions etc. not just sitting on one beach all day each day \n\nIf you have suggestions on islands/beaches/places to stay it would be wonderful! \n\nTLDR: young(ish) couple looking for best beach areas to stay in southern Thailand from Dec 29-Jan 6", "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": "Im an American who has lived in Poland legally since April, and I've travelled a lot since then but never out of the Schegden zone. \n\nI went through border control today to leave the Schegden zone, and they asked me if I've visited other countries within the EU. I said yes. They asked for photos of the trip with me in it. \n\nWhy would they need to view pictures? The visa I'm currently here on doesn't require me to leave Poland after a certain time.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'Proof your story lines up I guess. Never had that happen to me, seems a bit odd.', 'There are all sorts of speculative, possible answers. Three I can see: 1. They want to check you\\'re not lying. Perhaps something was \"off\", and this is an easy way to test if you\\'re telling them the truth.\\n2. They are trying to ascertain how long you spent in those other Schengen countries. I (a non-EU citizen) have a Greek residents permit, I can spend all the time I like in Greece, but I\\'m still limited to the 90/180 rule in other Schengen countries.\\n3. It\\'s a backward way of trying to work out how long you\\'ve been out of Poland. My permit lapses if I spend MORE than six months in a year outside of Greece. Maybe they are concerned you\\'ve not spent enough time IN Poland.\\n4. They were bored :D', 'Bored agent wanted a story?', 'Stepdad worked in border control. Apparently they’re taught to ask random seeming questions like that because an honest person usually is just confused but has the evidence or a reasonable explanation, but a criminal is often caught off guard and starts stumbling to create a story on the spot. It’s also why in a good spy story, you see them with detailed back stories and explanations for a lot of stuff, because it’s easier to “remember” even if it’s fake, than it is to make up stories on the fly.', 'I work at a small port-of-entry airport in Canada. I speak to the Customs and Border agents frequently. A lot of the time the agents just want to get conversation going. Don\\'t be fooled that they are just chatting with you because they are in a good mood. They are trained and are watching pretty closely to your answers. They can tell if you are hiding something. I have seen them toss a large private jet because of the way the passenger answered. Often it\\'s totally innocent and the person didn\\'t know the law. You can\\'t bring in firearms but you would if you were going fishing in Alaska. Bad luck you stopped in Canada. Or \"these are electricians coming to do work on my summer home\". Nope, they are not.', 'Yes. I\\'ve been stopped and questioned. I took a land border crossing from Egypt to Israel, and Israeli security questioned me for quite some time. I hold a US passport, which generally doesn\\'t raise suspicions with Israelis. Since I had travelled through sections of the Arab world for five months, however, the Israeli security wanted to see proof that I had actually travelled to the places I had told them. I pulled out my phone and showed them. Simple as that. (Definitely intimidating. One IDF, holding an assault rifle, stood behind the immigration officer who asked questions. Another heavily armed soldier would pass by to make sure all was \"ok\"). \\nA similar thing happened in Indonesia a few months back. The immigration officers pulled me into a room for additional questioning. He asked about my travels in Indonesia and abroad. They didn\\'t ask for any photos, but he was probing me with questions to see if I had holes in my story. I imagine that if I had reacted nervously or my story sounded inconsistent, he may have asked for photos. My passport is nearly entirely full with stamps, so many of the immigration officials have some suspicions as they look through. For me, this has triggered \"additional questioning\" or \"more careful passport examination\" a few times. ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Im an American who has lived in Poland legally since April, and I've travelled a lot since then but never out of the Schegden zone. \n\nI went through border control today to leave the Schegden zone, and they asked me if I've visited other countries within the EU. I said yes. They asked for photos of the trip with me in it. \n\nWhy would they need to view pictures? The visa I'm currently here on doesn't require me to leave Poland after a certain time.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Many years ago I worked for a US company from home in Canada and one time when I tried to go down for a meeting they turned me back and said I needed a work visa (TN). Took a about six months to finally get the visa.', 'The good old days when you only needed a DL to get back and forth. \\nIf you are flying yourself or a charter company is, they have this program now that all you have to do is call in to Customs and Border Services if a Guard doesn\\'t meet you.\\n\"Hello, we\\'re here. Yes, thanks, it was a great flight. Of course we\\'ll stay out of trouble. Bye.\" \\nBut do something wrong just once they will meet you every time.', 'The other exception to that I found is when you\\'re crossing by land between the US and Canada, especially in a remote location. I crossed into the US in northern Minnesota once and the officer flipped through my very full passport page by page with an eyebrow raised. I\\'m sure the vast majority of people going back and forth there have next to no stamps (since the US and Canada don\\'t stamp at land borders). He set it down and said \"so... what do you do that has you all over the world?\" Thankfully when I explained my occupation he said \"oh ok, well that explains this then\" and let me go.', 'They are going to ask \"why are you doing that\" sure you could be just visiting all those places or you\\'re getting paid to mule drugs around to different countries.', 'Tell me about it I did it one time and the group I was with kept fucking around and it took us 40 years 🙄', 'Because being “funny” and cheeky with law enforcement always ends well 🤷\\u200d♂️', \"Eh, so can a selfie of you standing in front of the Eiffel Tower or whatever, and the latter doesn't even provide the relevant information about the duration of your time outside your country of residence in the first place.\", 'It\\'s a typical question for non-citizens, yes. Using a US passport I was expecting \"welcome home\" not \"why are you here?\"', 'Did you show this visa to the border guard? It seems odd that they would ask you for photos of you in different countries if they were aware that you possess a valid Polish visa.', 'Also, Google Map Timeline if you are on Android phone, if you got it enabled. Shows where your phone has been, what routes you have taken at about when.', 'I just got back from a month in Nepal last night. There is not a single photo of me out of thousands of photos of my trekking and at least a hundred short videos. Only photos of me are on other peoples phones, and even then they’re rare.', 'I feel like my wife and I have to set aside specific outings on our vacations to take some pictures with either or both of us in them. Like, “oh I need a new profile pic” mindset.', \"Well likewise on Android, I'd just pull up the heat map of my photos taken and open some from the map.\", \"That's really cool. Germany should adopt that. They could just read it off during the safety check of the car ever two years\", 'I was tempted to be like, \"I dunno, I found some spare change.\"', 'Not a criminal but it is absurd, it’s like how do they assume it’s even paid for in full?', 'I was crossing the border into Canada to pick up a friend at the airport (I\\'m Canadian so they can\\'t deny me entry in the first place) and I already knew things were getting squirrely when he was asking me all these details about who I was picking up, why I was coming up from the states, etc etc. in my younger days I would have said \"I\\'m not answering any questions, let me through or detain me and let me through later because you can\\'t deny me entry\" but I wanted to just get across the border without hassle but then he asked \"Are you going to be having sex with her?\" and I said \"Look man, I\\'ve been answering all your questions that I didn\\'t have to answer because I\\'m legally allowed to enter Canada as a citizen. You\\'ve crossed the line though, I\\'m not answering any more questions\" and was ready to get detained... but I\\'m guessing he didn\\'t want me to explain to the guy inside why I decided to stop answering questions and he said \"okay you\\'re good to go\" and waved me through.', '\"Thanks to your mom\"', 'Hole', 'One of the ways they tell if you are lying is to get you talking.', 'That’s surprising. I thought that having a meeting within your own company was generally ok under visitor rules.', 'Isn’t the TN visa issued at the port of entry?', \"I've been to over fifty countries with a crazy number of stamps in my passport, never been questioned why I travel so much.\", 'Bruuh', \"Who knows?...I'm not in a demographic that gets much extra screening.\", 'Depends on what they suspect.', 'right?? im a us citizen and still get asked questions like that lol. but maybe it has to do with the fact im abroad more than half the time', \"not OP :) but I have a residence permit with a baltic country and had a visa while waiting for the permit (had to do the visa separately because it took me too long to apply within the 90 days). More often than not I enter schengen in Poland and they definitely had info on my permit before I even had it in my hand. At other times travelling through europe was asked to specify points of entry/exit when they are different and are confusing for the customs. it's very understandable to me that they want a soft check of OP's travel history to confirm he's not violating terms of his visa/permit before they actually suspect anything. While there're no hard borders within EU, rules of residence and immigration still apply and are often abused\", 'the problem was that people were changing the mileage on the meters before annual checks - so it was not enough', 'They do that in Lithuania for a long time', 'You are correct I am the boarder guard and my mom told me to inform you of the mom joke.', \"Not exactly an easy question to tell if you're lying though - I find that about as many people will answer no as will answer yes... And sometimes either can be true, sometimes both can be true, depending on the day.\", 'Yes, I was turned back at the airport in Vancouver and that was where I had to present the TN application about 6 months later.', \"Ha you reminded me of the additional questions the time I arrived in the US with a brand-new passport that didn't have any stamps because I had just got it new from the embassy.\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello! Traveling to Cabo and wondering if Uber is safe there. I saw a dated post here where it seemed safe and okay but wanted to ask ahead of the trip in case anything has changed. Thank you", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hello! Traveling to Cabo and wondering if Uber is safe there. I saw a dated post here where it seemed safe and okay but wanted to ask ahead of the trip in case anything has changed. Thank you", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I forgot to add Nepal to my list of countries that I have visited in the last ten years. I haven’t been to Nepal yet, but will be arriving to India on a flight from Kathmandu. Because I haven’t actually been there yet, it slipped my mind on the visa application. Is there any way I can cancel this (already submitted) visa application and fix this issue? I also answered “no” to having visited any SAARC countries, but this will be inaccurate as well once I arrive in Nepal.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'No one is checking. It is fine', \"I think you answered correctly. It's supposed to be at the point of visa application, isn't it? You will get your visa within a few days. I got mine in less than 24 hours even though I applied on Sunday.\", '**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about India?", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I forgot to add Nepal to my list of countries that I have visited in the last ten years. I haven’t been to Nepal yet, but will be arriving to India on a flight from Kathmandu. Because I haven’t actually been there yet, it slipped my mind on the visa application. Is there any way I can cancel this (already submitted) visa application and fix this issue? I also answered “no” to having visited any SAARC countries, but this will be inaccurate as well once I arrive in Nepal.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Out of curiosity, how much did your e-visa cost and what nationality are you? I’m seeing conflicting prices from $27-$99', 'I’m American and mine was $29.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Id love to visit subsarian Africa either this winter or in the spring. I'd like to know which would be the best places to visit which would be safe, interesting and fun (nature, food, people and culture-wise), and not extraordinarily expensive for someone who wants to have a comfortable hotel and doesn't mind spending money for unique experiences but not something which is only dorm rooms or 5 star resorts.\n\nI also wanna do a nice safari!!\n\nI've heard the best are Tanzania, Kenya and namibia. However, I'm afraid they might be too touristic or exaggeratedly expensive.\n\nThank you for your help!!!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'As someone who frequently travels to east Africa for photography work, what you really want is Kenya. Unless you specifically want to do gorillas and chimps, but that I would dedicate an entire trip to itself for just because of travel time between parks. Kenya has so much tourist infrastructure because it’s been the safari destination for over a century. Airports with affordable flights from around the world, new roads, and the best of all is a mix of luxury as well as mid range accommodations. But best of all, the wildlife viewing is second to none. All major species of animal are found in abundance, and going to the Maasai Mara is like stepping into every nature documentary that you’ve ever watched. My advice would be to look at the safaribookings website and specify your length of stay and budget and you can find lots of example itineraries. Hope that helps and feel free to ask anymore questions!', \"I'm Tanzanian so obviously i'll recommend Tanzania but I just wanted to add that it's not exactly overrun by tourism like other big destinations around the world. We're known for safaris, zanzibar & mt. kilimanjaro among other things and you can definitely get all types of accommodation that falls between dorm room and 5 star resorts. \\nI don't know where you're coming from/your budget but obviously some of this stuff costs money since it could be multi day expeditions (except Zanzibar) but it is worth it, you just have to shop around for different tour packages etc\", 'Highly recommend uganda. Check out bwindi and kibale to track gorillas and chimps, and queen elizabeth, murchison, and lake mburo for jeep safaris. There are affordable lodges close to all the parks. Gorilla tracking permits are expensive, but worth it for your one splurge while in the country.', 'I love Zimbabwe. \\nThe big thing that will affect where you go is weather . Winter ( in the northern hemisphere) is rainy season / summer in many places. I’ve heard April / May is good time for many places- end of rain but before the cold.', 'I can recommend Ghana, cheap af and you can do an elephant safari in Mole NP. Amazing food and friendly people as well.', \"Uganda may be for you. There are various options for safari (Queen Elizabeth NP, Murchison NP), fun outdoor activities in Jinja, hiking in the Rwenzori Mountains, relaxing at Lake Bunyonyi, visiting chimpanzees or gorillas in their natural habitats. There are guest houses and lodges that are nice and yet far more affordable than what you'll find in Namibia or Kenya (presumably, haven't visited the latter). As for food, the local stuff is nothing to write home about basically anywhere in sub-sahara Africa. The pricier safari lodges often have great food (fresh game etc.), but that's not really affordable.\", 'What do you want from your safari? Do you want to see the Big 5? Are you ok missing one or two of them to go somewhere there are not a lot of tourists? Do you want to stay in actual hotels? Or are tented campsites ok? There are loads of places to go but the infrastructure and set up varies drastically from country to country. Knowing exactly what you want to do would help immensely.', \"From your safari perspective, it really depends on what you want to see. Gorillas and chimps are a whole different trip. I had a good time in Chobe in Botswana. They've got the Big 5 but some are easier to see than others. It was pretty cost effective as well. Etosha is supposed to be amazing and more remote/less crowded. I've not been there myself.\", \"Ghana is cheap and very friendly. Extremely safe. Can go to Mole National Park and do safaris for like £30. There's Cape Coast and Elmina Castles in Cape Coast with very good history surrounding the Atlantic Slave Trade. There's beautiful waterfalls and hikes in the Eastern Region around the Volta River. There's the Weichiau Hippo Sanctuary near the border with Burkina Faso, boat rides in one of the last refuges for Hippos in Ghana. There's Africa's oldest canopy walk in Kakum National Park (also fiarly near Cape Coast). There's Botanical gardens around Accra for birdwatching (Legon and Aburi), there's Manhyia Palace in Kumasi, the largest market in West Africa (Kejetia), a few museums (Armed Forces in Kumasi, Science and Technology and National museums in Accra), there's a large memorial park and mausoleum for Kwame Nkrumah in Accra too.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Id love to visit subsarian Africa either this winter or in the spring. I'd like to know which would be the best places to visit which would be safe, interesting and fun (nature, food, people and culture-wise), and not extraordinarily expensive for someone who wants to have a comfortable hotel and doesn't mind spending money for unique experiences but not something which is only dorm rooms or 5 star resorts.\n\nI also wanna do a nice safari!!\n\nI've heard the best are Tanzania, Kenya and namibia. However, I'm afraid they might be too touristic or exaggeratedly expensive.\n\nThank you for your help!!!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "I'm currently doing an elective in Southern Malawi though and may spend a weekend in Majete, so let's see what that is like. People that have been say gorillas are a once in a lifetime thing, but I didn't go due to price. It's cheap in the DRC ($200 - 400 depending on the season), pricy in Uganda ($700), and really expensive in Rwanda ($1,500). That's per person, mind you, for an hour of time spent with the animals. So I did the chimps in Kibale instead ($150) and really liked it. I got there early, got my own private ranger, and we walked the forest for an hour, seeing chimps about 80% of the time, standing as close as 4 m and seeing babies play, swing around on branches etc. I cannot imagine seeing gorillas being worth five to ten times as much, but in the end it's personal preference.\", \"You're welcome. I'd say central -- Do Masaai Mara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater (a week for those three). If you have time go to Angel Falls and do a walking tour for rhinos in Zambia. More time? -- pop into Botswana for Chobe NP. I'm still blown away by the Serengeti.\", \"There you go! Sounds like a plan and there will definitely not be any tourist crowds. You're welcome.\", 'Awesome!', \"That's awesome :) Uganda might be out of our budget for 2024 since the Kenya trip is looking pretty expensive. But we're definitely interested in travelling there in the near future, especially based on your response! Question: What would you say is the top highlight of Uganda? Gorillas, Chimpanzees, the Safari, or maybe all of the above? Is it worth doing all of them in a big trip if we love wildlife? Thank you! 🙏\", \"Cool! Have you done the Orangutan, Chimpanzee, or Gorilla Trek? Do you have a favourite? I'm looking to compare which one would be the best fit in terms of both experience and price.\", \"That's interesting, thanks for sharing. I didn't know that seeibg the Chimpanzees is that much cheaper than seeing the Gorillas! I'll take that into account when deciding. At the end of the day we're targeting the experience of seeing primates very up close, so maybe the Chimpanzee Trekking fits that well enough at a more reasonable price than the Gorilla Trekking\", 'You can definitely work all three into an 8-10 day trip. Entebbe>Mburo>Bwindi>Queen Elizabeth>Kibale>Entebbe The experience of spending an hour with the gorillas was worth the price of the entire trip. The highlight for me!', 'I haven’t yet, doing gorillas and chimps next August. Gorillas are significantly more expensive than chimps but they’re gorillas. Nice thing is you’re guaranteed to see them since they’re under guard so your guides know exactly where to go. But it can be a tough multi hour hike for gorillas. Conversely, it’s through beautiful terrain.', 'Amazing! I appreciate you sharing all of that. Sounds like a really great experience to go for', \"Nice! Yeah, I've heard it's expensive but worth it 100%. And also heard about it being a near-gauruntee that you'll see them. I'm sure you'll have a great time!\", 'No problem. Enjoy your trip. My biggest piece of advice is no matter where you end up, put the camera down every so often and just take it all in. Its an incredible experience to be in africa, the cradle of humanity, and be surrounded by such natural beauty.', 'This is the way 🙏'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Planning to go with a couple of friends in February. Tentative itinerary so far is focusing on the North, but wanted to ask if it’s worth it to fly to Da Nang and Hoi An.\n\nHanoi — 2 days\n\nHa Giang Loop — 3/4 days\n\nHa Long Bay — 2 days\n\n2/3 days left — fly to Da Nang and see the lantern festivals in Hoi An?\n\nOr better to stay up north and find something else to do?\n\nEdit: and is Ha Long Bay still disappointing/polluted as I read on the Vietnam thread? Is there a better alternative?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'Hoi An yes! Magical', 'Hoi An is definitely worthwhile.', \"Personally, I feel Hoi An is one of my favourite parts of Vietnam. Relaxing, beautiful, very nice at night. However... if you ONLY have two days, I'm not sure it's the right pick. You could instead, for instance, add Ninh Binh to your Hanoi experience instead.\", \"Hi OP! \\nMaybe a bit rushed, but it is possible. Hoi An is something you don't really want to miss. I'll try to make your trip a bit more clear, time-wise. \\nDay 1: Arrival in Hanoi. \\nDay 2: Hanoi city tour, then take a night bus to Ha Giang. \\nDay 3/4/5: On the 5th, take a night bus to Ha Long Bay (keep in mind that in Ha Giang, you need an international driver's license; if you don't have it, use an easy rider). \\nDay 6: Start your overnight Ha Long Bay tour. Unfortunately, sometimes the bay can be very dirty. This depends on what kind of weather it has been in the days before your cruise. If it has been raining a lot, it means that trash washes from the mainland into the ocean. But I've lived there for many years, and the bay is truly breathtaking! \\nDay 7: Return to Hanoi and fly out to Danang, then spend your remaining days in Hoi An. Alternatively, on day 7, go to Ninh Binh/Tam Coc. \\nBe sure to bring warm clothes as the north is going to be cold, especially in the mountains and near the ocean. If you need a full itinerary with prices without any obligation, don't hesitate to get in touch. Cheers, ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Planning to go with a couple of friends in February. Tentative itinerary so far is focusing on the North, but wanted to ask if it’s worth it to fly to Da Nang and Hoi An.\n\nHanoi — 2 days\n\nHa Giang Loop — 3/4 days\n\nHa Long Bay — 2 days\n\n2/3 days left — fly to Da Nang and see the lantern festivals in Hoi An?\n\nOr better to stay up north and find something else to do?\n\nEdit: and is Ha Long Bay still disappointing/polluted as I read on the Vietnam thread? Is there a better alternative?", "role": "user" }, { "content": "But you need ten more days Hue, da nang, da lat, moi me, Saigon, Mekong', 'There was some visible trash, but less the farther you got from the harbor.', 'Absolutely! I’ll definitely be back hehe'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Has anyone ever gotten food poisoning there? I managed to get by in Nicaragua but got wrecked by E coli in Belize. Hoping to eat lots of street food and Pupusas while I'm there but I'm a little concerned", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Has anyone ever gotten food poisoning there? I managed to get by in Nicaragua but got wrecked by E coli in Belize. Hoping to eat lots of street food and Pupusas while I'm there but I'm a little concerned", "role": "user" }, { "content": "", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi all, I’m planning on visiting my friend in LA next year, I’ll be flying from london Heathrow to Ontario international (LA). All the flights currently have a layover of 1-2hrs? this long enough? How do my checked bags get across, do I have to pick them up and then check back in? Is I’ve never had a long haul flight nor had a layover with checked luggage before. \n\nThanks", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'>All the flights currently have a layover of 1-2hrs? If the connecting airport is in the US or Canada with pre-clearance, 1-hr is not enough and 2-hrs would be my minimum. Elsewhere, 1-2 hrs might be ok depending on the airport.', '**Notice:** Are you asking about a layover or connection? Read the **Flying FAQ(https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/wiki/mfaq-flying/)** in the wiki.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi all, I’m planning on visiting my friend in LA next year, I’ll be flying from london Heathrow to Ontario international (LA). All the flights currently have a layover of 1-2hrs? this long enough? How do my checked bags get across, do I have to pick them up and then check back in? Is I’ve never had a long haul flight nor had a layover with checked luggage before. \n\nThanks", "role": "user" }, { "content": "I assume your friend lives closer to Ontario, but personally I’d rather fly direct and then deal with a slightly longer drive when I get there instead of having to deal with a connection after a long international flight', 'The majority of the layovers are in Dallas, Phoenix, or Tacoma', 'It would be the same booking, but different airlines for the transatlantic and within the US flights Currently I’ve found:\\nLHR-ARIZONA: 1hr 15m layover: ARZ-ONT\\nLHR - Tacoma: 1hr layover: Tacoma -ONT\\nLHR - DALLAS: 2hr layover: Dallas - ONT', 'That is definitely an option I’m looking at, I’ve never taken a long haul flight before so I’m kinda nervous with how I’d be on the drive from LAX home as I do usually get travel sick. The flights to Ontario are only around £20 more expensive and my friend lives 20th a away.', \"I'd do something like the AA flight through Phoenix or United through SFO with a 2:55 connection time.\", 'One possibility would be to fly into LAX, then take the FlyAway bus to LA Union Station, and from there a Metrolink train to whichever stop is most convenient for your friend to meet you. Both the Riverside and San Bernardino Lines will get you close to the Ontario airport.', '> The flights to Ontario are only around £20 more expensive and my friend lives 20th away. It makes sense to just fly to ONT then.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "It happened to me twice, and once was last night. This time it was to Tunisia, arriving in the port of Tunis. It was supposed to be a simple visa free entry. I came to immigration, they asked a few basic questions about what I would visit visit, hotel reservations (I had them) etc cetera. Then I was taken to another little office, they asked the same questions and a few more, like about available money (no problem) and while everything is total chaos the tone was quite reassuring. I wait an hour or two, together with 6 other visitors, then they tell us to follow them to another location. We are expecting a baggage check or something. On the way again they calmly ask a few questions again, the same ones.\n\nWe then arrive to where they were taking us: the same boat we arrived on. They tell us to get on and here I am on the way back..", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"You needed proof that you were going to leave. When I went to Austria I had a plane ticket there and a train ticket back and I nearly got rejected on entry because there was no return plane ticket in the system. Couple that with my German not being great and the guard's English not being great, it took me until the second round of questioning to realise that I just had to show them my train ticket(s) home to resolve the whole issue.\", 'Did you have a flight out? I had a similar thing happen to me at Tunis airport, but I have a very weak passport so I always make sure I have an outbound ticket. They checked the ticket and let me in.', 'Almost happened to me once. This was back when I would let a travel agent book everything for me instead of doing it myself online. Anywho, when she did my electronic visa for Australia, I didn’t notice that she transposed 2 digits of my passport number. So technically I arrived in Australia without a visa. They put me in a little room and told me to wait there. It was hours before they told me anything. Apparently they wanted to verify with the travel agent that she did this, and my home country has a very large time zone difference with Sydney, so they couldn’t reach her until business hours started in my hometown. Then they finally let me in.', 'One time I had a long layover in Dubai, and the woman almost wouldn’t let me through because my picture looked “too young”. I had to show her a few other pieces of identification to get through. Fair enough, my passport was 9 years old (American passports are good for 10 years), but as I was a month away from turning 30 at the time, it was just another HEY YOU’RE OLD NOW reminder haha.', 'Yes, Kenya. They almost made us miss our flight until they finally told us what they really wanted: Cash. Had to give them all the cash we had in our wallets. Not sure if I ever wanna go back to Kenya. Disgusting corruption.', 'Yes! In 2012 i applied for a visa to Iran, was rejected, but the embassy official told me to go anyway and I could get a visa on arrival. He was wrong. I landed in Iran, chatted with customs, and was promptly escorted to airport jail to await deportation on the next available flight.', \"2009. Serbian border police collected the passports of everyone on the bus. We were coming from Pristina, Kosovo. It was late, around midnight. After a few minutes, a policeman came back holding the only American passport. He loudly called out a phonetic pronunciation of my name. He took me off the bus. We were in a dark forest, and he walked me to a small guard house. Other officers were laughing and smoking cigarettes next to a fire outside. He asked me where my Serbian entrance stamp was. This was an unwinnable (for me) game he was playing- implicitly saying that by being in Kosovo l was already in Serbia, so I should have a Serbian entry stamp from the Pristina airport. While knowing, of course, that that would be impossible. I either had to say that I accidentally didn't get a Serbian stamp, or that Kosovo was an independent country and point to my Kosovar stamp. I opted for the former, because I didn't feel like having a geopolitical argument with pissed off people who have skin in the game. He waved the bus through the gate and it disappeared into the forest. Pointing to the firelight outside the Kosovar guard house about 50 meters the other way, he told me to go back to Pristina and get my documents in order. I walked there and the laughter grew conspicuously louder and more derisive. I told the Kosovar officers what happened. They called their counterparts cocksuckers and said another bus would be along in a couple hours to take me back to Pristina. They poured me tea. I spiked it with plum brandy I had in my jacket and offered it around. We smoked cigarettes and laughed around the fire. The next day I left Kosovo through Montenegro.\", 'Years ago I had a US passport. I was US Army and travelling in civilian clothes from Costa Rica to Miami. At Miami customs the inspector began leafing through my passport and said. \"I see an exit stamp from Costa Rica but no entry stamp. How did you enter Costa Rica?\" I handed him my military ID card and said \"Parachute\"... He nodded and smiled and waved me through.', 'I had the opposite. I thought I would be rejected but was allowed entry. I am a non US citizen and I was flying from the US to Dublin via London. I had an Irish tourist visa but I learnt last minute that I also needed a British transit visa to transit through London. I had a British tourist visa but for a separate trip that was going to happen a month later and the validity of that had not started yet. I called up British immigration support helpline a few hours before my flight and they said “you might as well try it”. Got to London and was allowed to transit for 24 hours (My layover was 3/4 hours)', 'yes my sister got deported when we went to vietnam in may lmfao', 'Philippine Airlines had a rule last year that unless it was a layover was stated on your ticket, transiting passengers couldn’t leave the airport. Nobody really understood what that meant and immigration applied it at whim. I spent 22 hours at Manila airport. I met a guy in Oman who was from Saudi Arabia. His paperwork was supposedly all fine but then Georgia made him take the next flight back, an hour after arriving.', 'I should have been rejected, but a very kind immigration officer gave me a break. In my early thirties, I managed to leave the US via Miami airport and enter Bonaire, NA with an expired, hole-punched US passport containing my school photo from the third grade. I had grabbed the wrong passport! The immigration officer listened to my story and stamped a small piece of looseleaf paper and stuck it inside my passport. Needless to say, the first call I made from the hotel was to my cat-sitter, who express shipped my correct passport to me for my return journey. And as soon as I got home, I moved my expired passports to a different location than my current one.', 'I was denied entry into London with a USA passport and a return flight booked. They thought I was going to over stay and try to work illegally. I still get asked about it when I travel to countries that care about those things.', 'Almost denied once when entering Bali. My passport was damaged and they said they wouldn’t let me into Indonesia. I asked the immigration officer if I could give him a “tip” but I didn’t have cash on me so I bought him a bottle of wine at the duty free instead and I was free to enter the country lmao', 'Never actually denied, but came close twice. The first time, I was traveling with my family from New York, where my parents and brother live, back to Hong Kong, where we lived. We connected through Beijing. The incoming flight was very late (there had been a blizzard in New York), so we missed our ongoing flight. In order for them to put us up, we needed to go through immigration. I have a ten year China visa, but my wife and kids didn’t/don’t. So we had to wait there at the immigration desks for like two hours while we all discussed and figured out what to do. My wife and kids were able to eventually get in through some sort of visa on arrival scheme that is not commonly used that they found, but which passed. Otherwise, I guess we would have had to stay in the terminal. The second time was in June 2021, on our way moving from Hong Kong to Norway. We flew to Finland first, because my former employer was there, and I needed to do exit interviews and a final health check. According to the way the border patrol interpreted the COVID rules, I was allowed in, but my wife and kids had no specific reason for being there. So, they brought us to the little jail beside security. We waited there for several hours while they conferred, and I got in contact with my employer and whoever else I could to get through. Eventually after some help from my former employer, they said yes we were allowed in, but that we had to leave the next day. That was our plan anyway, because we were visiting my in-laws in Estonia before moving. We got everything that we needed accomplished by the next afternoon and hopped a boat to Tallinn.', 'Yes. When I went to Cancun like 15 years ago, we had to fill out paper forms on the plane. That’d be fine & in line with the times, except I was like 6 tequilas deep & drunk AF. I filled out the form so poorly & checked ‘yes’ to all the wrong questions (Have you been convicted of a felony? Are you transporting dangerous goods? Do you have more than 10k cash on your person?) I got shoved in a holding cell overnight & had to get a translator the next morning to confirm I was just a drunk tourist.', \"I was almost denied entry to Jordan once. I tried to enter that country from Israel via the Allenby Bridge crossing. The Jordanian guards told me that this was the 'Palestinian' crossing and that I should head back, travel all the way south to Eilat/Akkaba and try it again there. Since I had booked a hotel in Amman that night and already had a Jordanian visum, I protested. That resulted in an audience with the Jordanian colonel that commanded the border post. This man had a uniform with lots of gold and medals, and his subordinates seemed to revere him like a demi-god. I decided to play along and that was a good idea: after a couple of phone calls with the interior ministry I was allowed entrance.\", \"I got denied entry in the USA once. This was at the time when a passport wasn't required when entering the USA from Canada via land, birth certificate was good. I get there on a one way bus ticket cause I was planning to get a train ticket back once I got there. So yeah the one way ticket + no passport didn't play well in my favor. Got put back on the next bus back into Canada. They had me wait in a tiny room in front of a picture of Dick Cheney.\", 'What country are you from?', 'Never got denied but came close a few times. Most recently was when I had a layover in Urumqi for 11 hours while I was on my way to the World Cup in Russia. I had intended on staying in the international terminal for the entire time, but unbeknownst to me, they had a rule for that airport that you could only stay in the airport for at most 2.5 hours. Had never heard of this as it\\'s not the case in Shanghai or Beijing (two airports I\\'ve stayed at for multiple hours). So now I have a passport control agent grilling me about my \"true nature\" for being in China and that I would be forced to depart the airport and how he doesn\\'t want me in his country. There was a back and forth, me telling him that I don\\'t want to be in his country, him telling me that I must leave the airport or face arrest, but he still doesn\\'t trust that I\\'m not going to overstay. I end the conversation with saying \"I don\\'t want to be in your country any longer than I absolutely must.\" The fucked up part? They then confiscated my passport, put me on a bus with 20 other people, shipped me into Urumqi to stay in a hotel for the next 8 hours and later bussed me back to the airport where they gave me my passport back. To say I was scared was an understatement. China can suck my balls.', \"My niece, who has dual UK and US nationality, was in the UK on holiday with her grandparents and had invited a friend from Va to come to stay on holiday for a couple of months. All went well at Immigration in London till the loaded question came 'Do you intend to work?' She said, 'Well I guess I might if that chance came up.' Four hours later she was on a flight home.\", 'Maybe your passport is weak? Never happened to me', \"My partner did when she was younger. She tried to visit the US and customs were being rude to her (if you've ever been to the US you know what they're like), so she was rude back, and then the customs officer told her she wasn't welcome in the US, and she had to fly back home. Ruined her vacation. It's pretty funny looking back.\", 'I’m going to assume you are just naive.\\nReturn ticket and the amount of money you bring is what usually gives away if you are planning to stay longer than you said, as ilegal immigrant. Just the thought of bribe tells me you had enough reasons to be denied.', 'Not rejected but in Thailand I was a bit ignorant thinking I could skate through without an onward ticket but they made me buy one before I was granted entry.', \"Was turned back by US border guards at a land crossing in Maine in the 90s. Nothing I did (initially), my buddy traveling with me had a fairly serious criminal charge that had been dropped but still popped up in the computer for some reason. We got pulled into separate interview rooms, the guy grilling me was a dick and I was hot-blooded young guy at the time (and also kind of a dick, haha) so things got testy and I ended up getting told off and handed a bunch of paperwork. I moved to the US for work in in the mid-00s and it was kind of a pain in the ass, they gave me the business most times I was re-entering. I haven't had any issues entering the US since 2014 when I was questioned for a few hours, but I've only been to the US twice since then, so it's hard to say whether it'll come back to bite me in the ass again.\", \"Wife did, although very different situation. At the time she was a dual US/South Korea citizen. She flew to Korea, intended to use her Korean passport. But at the airport, the customs line for Korean citizens was really long, but the line for foreigners was short. So she used her US passport to get through the foreign line. Then when she was leaving Korea, she showed her Korean passport at the ticket counter. A red flag went up in the system, because in their system, she was leaving the country again, after having left the country years before, but no record of entry in-between. A couple immigration agents came out to talk to her and took her aside. She explained what happened, she just used two different passports. They told her that Korea doesn't recognize dual citizenship, and took her Korean passport. They said they were letting her off with a warning, she could have been levied a hefty fine. Lesson learned - if you have more than one passport, don't swap them around while traveling! Use only one.\", 'Yes from Turks y Caicos. In their web said that my country was admitted without visa but was wrong.', 'Almost and it made no sense. US customs just suck. We took the train from Seattle to Vancouver. We were only staying for one night. We went through customs in Canada - no problem. On the way back there was a landslide covering the tracks so we were put on a bus. At the US broader the customs agent asked so many questions, was angry with us. He called other agents over and they kept shouting questions at us. It held the bus for a long time. We had the visa, we had money, we had addresses where we were staying, we had a flight out of the US a few weeks later (well within the allotted period). It was only the return ticket that gave us entry in the end.', 'The other time was when I crossed into Bosnia in the winter of 2020. I had a valid negative covid test taken the day before. The form said \"Stamped copy not required\" as it had a QR-code. They sent me back for a stamped copy nevertheless, told me that scanning QR codes isn\\'t their job. The testing lab didn\\'t have a stamp of any kind, so I went back to the border the next day and they let me in.', 'Got held up for health screening in Jamaica for visiting Thailand. “Sir it says i went to Taiwan”. “Yeah, Thailand has malaria, go over there.”', \"Had to bribe our way in to Malawi, as one of the friends we were travelling with only had a 1/2 dose of yellow fever vaccination in their yellow book. I think there was an international shortage of the vaccine around the time, and it was all they'd been able to lay their hands on. Still not sure if they were holding out for a bribe, or if we bribed our way in without proper papers... Still, they were genuinely lovely about it and no regrets - the country was amazing.\", 'One time in Iran because I rocked up without a visa but the man eventually let me in after waiting a couple hours', 'Ex girlfriend got rejected flying through China because she wasn’t leaving through the same airport. Got turned right back around and sent home on the next flight at her expense.', 'Had a job where we had to purchase one way tickets from country to country for a group of people that changed countries every month. It became general practice to purchase the flights outbound before arriving on the inbound flight to avoid this problem. They’re particularly strict about it in countries that get a lot of westerners living on the cheap like Thailand and Vietnam.', 'I go in and out of Japan, Caribbean, with hardly a second glance. They damn near strip searched me in China. Cancun searched me 3 times from checking bags to entering airplane (incleading 2x after security). Canada, however, absolutely grilled me. I now have global entry. Hopefully, it will reduce the issues. All that said, I have never been denied entry.', 'No but my buddy was driving us into Canada and when they asked “what is your business in Canada?” He’s said, in a creepy voice “leisure” they said “just pull your car around here sir.” And searched the SHIT out of our car. Took everything out, including the seats, it took hours. They found a roll of hemp rope and were super concerned that “we liked hemp” and would not take “I’m a camp counselor and we make hemp bracelets” as an answer', \"When I was flying home after study abroad I stayed like 5 days past my visa (iirc you can stay 90 days past). The German immigration spotted it and asked the lady next to him, she said he's American, let him go. But like, what are you gonna do? Deport me? I'm trying to do that myself!\", 'Nope never', 'No but nearly once entering into Lithuania. The immigration officials were incorrect for their reason and some 30 min of arguing later they let me enter.', \"I'm from Tunisia and i am shocked by what you just said.. any other details 🤔\", \"Came pretty close when entering El Salvador in Feb 2020 right when COVID was ramping up. They were looking through my passport and saw an entry that I had from Tokyo that they thought was from a week or two before, but was actually from a few years plus a week or two before. I'm not sure if they were going to deny me entry (until they figured it out) but I think that they had just put in a policy within that day or just before that might have.\", 'removed', 'Wow that is a nightmare, arriving at the airport for your holiday and sent back, just a question did you have a return or onwards flight for the other time you were rejected? Your name could possibly be on a sanction/ofac list but surely after a few questions they would let you continue your travel.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "It happened to me twice, and once was last night. This time it was to Tunisia, arriving in the port of Tunis. It was supposed to be a simple visa free entry. I came to immigration, they asked a few basic questions about what I would visit visit, hotel reservations (I had them) etc cetera. Then I was taken to another little office, they asked the same questions and a few more, like about available money (no problem) and while everything is total chaos the tone was quite reassuring. I wait an hour or two, together with 6 other visitors, then they tell us to follow them to another location. We are expecting a baggage check or something. On the way again they calmly ask a few questions again, the same ones.\n\nWe then arrive to where they were taking us: the same boat we arrived on. They tell us to get on and here I am on the way back..", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Then I panicked and thankfully saw my English teacher and yelled, he came over and explained I\\'m a dumbass 18 year old who\\'s never left his country before. I got through, learned my lesson.', \"Canada seems to have loosened up alot, I remember when they grilled people 10 years ago. When I came back this year they've replaced most of the border control staff who ask you questions with 20 self checkout type passport machines and ***just 1 person*** who then checks the results.\", \"My Canadian wife gets hassled by US immigration when arriving with our US citizen children to visit my parents. We've gone through visa processes in 3 countries in the 17 years we've been married, but they really think this is our plan to get her to the US.\", 'I’ve flown one way to Canada a few times and never had an issue. I do live about 2 hours from the Canadian border so maybe that helps.', \"I have dual citizenship with Ireland, and was travelling with the Irish passport, but the English accent likely confused it. Interesting that you've not had any issue. Maybe I just looked a bit shifty lmao\", 'April this year, but I was travelling on my Irish passport.', 'There are a few requirements for me to travel there (from Canada) but one was proof of onward travel. A quick google shows the same thing.. so I’m not sure where you’re getting your information from, but would happily delete my comment if you have a source that says you don’t require it. Many countries, like Thailand (where I currently reside) are visa exempt, but part of the visa exempt process is proof of onward travel. This was the same for other visa exempt countries I’ve visited in the past year such as Japan or the USA for instance.', \"> went and checked and don't actually see it listed among the criteria for a tourist visa Because if they told you it was a criteria for denying entry, then you could just buy the expensive tickets that allow for cancellation with a full refund and then cancel. They assume people who plan to return would have bought their return tickets anyway. It's one of the many criteria that they use for screening tourists but don't tell you about, but this one is quite obvious so people in the age of the internet are aware of it.\", 'The airline itself has to pay for your flight back *and* they get fined. Which is why for international flights they’ll ask to see your return ticket depending on where you’re going.', \"I want to believe that as it would make sense, but in my travels the airlines have always been the ones to vehemently require an onward flight before I boarded the plane, even when the immigration officer when I arrived said nothing about needing an onward ticket. I have a feeling they wouldn't be so serious about it without a reason.\", 'Incorrect, airlines are responsible for this and are supposed to check for this. If people turn up at the border without the right requirements, the airlines gets fined, and has to foot the bill for their flights and hotels for departure.', \"This isn't the whole story. In the US, UK and in several other countries the airlines are financially responsible for returning the passenger home if they are refused entry. They may be able to recover this money from the passenger later. They also get fined in addition to the flight cost\", 'You’re gonna get a lot of these “bribe” comments on this subreddit and also when you tell the story amongst your friends. In reality I feel a lot of people just say it because stereotypically they will just assume everyone accepts bribes on non-western countries. Even me being Portuguese I read stuff like that on expat subreddits about Portugal on senseless stories where someone fucked up and just assume they got into trouble because they didn’t bribe someone. I’ve never heard of anyone actually bribing a cop there, and sometimes I see people telling stories where they say they paid a bribe but it’s actually a real fee/fine and they somehow just assume that they bribed someone because they don’t understand the process. lol Not to say there aren’t countries and people where that happens but I feel 90% of the time that’s just in people’s mind. Bottom line is you failed to comply with the immigration laws and were deported for that. The cash question came after you failed to prove the return ticket most likely because the return ticket is supposed to be the proof that you are going to leave the country and not stay indefinitely while illegally working there. They constantly get people flying there with no savings and a single one way flight, if you say you have no savings either then you won’t have the money to buy a onward flight and/or will have to work there soon in order to sustain ourself which would immediately let them know not to accept you. It’s unlikely that question was leading to a bribe.', 'You never offer a bribe. Trust me I am from and lived in third world countries people who take bribes will straight up tell you what they want, there is no guess work involved.', 'What? you tried to bribe them?', \"When they asked you all to walk with them and continued asking questions, did they walk you past an ATM? It's possible they were trying to encourage you all to offer them a bribe. Could be they wanted the other travelers to see at least one of you offer a bribe, in order to encourage the same behavior from each of you.\", 'The man made a mistake, it happens. The grand wizards of reddit however downvote the poor guy into oblivion lol. Show some compassion instead of being judgemental', \"The man made a mistake, got into a bit of trouble, that's it. I don't see why this situations warrants any social commentary. We all been ignorant at times, haven't we?\", 'That is the plan for when I get mine renewed in a couple years, come in looking like how I normally do when I travel- tired and probably a bit hungover.', 'i would also like to note that she was 15 at the time. she got deported to singapore and my dad went with her lol.', 'im pretty sure! not entirely certain, thatd probably be a google question.. the issue was there was a (clear) typo and her exit date had already passed… even though her entry date was correct? like it was CLEARLY a typo (bc the rest of my family’s was correct) but they didn’t care. make sure to go to ha long bay while you’re there! best part of the whole trip imo!', 'why did you find KTM so bad?', 'We went to three different lounges at NAIA Terminal 1. All were full and on waitlist. 😒', 'You can understand why they’d be concerned. If you show up dressed like shit with a lot of personal stuff, very little money, and no job, they’re gonna think you’re trying to immigrate without permission. Yeah, having a bank statement with balance printed and account numbers truncated wouldn’t hurt. I’d never hand an immigration officer my phone though, that’s a big no no.', \"Many countries do have these requirements (200 Euro/day or something similar), but they are only enforced at the discretion of the customs officers. Still, it's important to read the customs requirements beforehand and have the documents handy (like a credit card statement showing at least the applicable credit available and your return/exit ticket). Also, don't dress like a slob and you'll be much less likely to be stopped.\", 'Did you arrive on a private boat/yacht or a public transport ferry?', \"Yeah that's why I hate traveling on a new passport (even a strong one). You get treated like a suspicious rookie when you have a fresh book, but the one full of stamps, visas, etc you tend to get waived through.\", 'Yup some countries even require people with weak passports to have a US or EU visa in order to get a tourist visa, they’re basically offloading the vetting process to the five eyes and it makes sense', 'that is called making your passport strong. the higher your travel record the stronger your passport becomes, for example, just by having US visa, even if we dont travel, the passport becomes stronger, because lots of countries uses US visa as benchmark and if you have that, you can probably enter their country too. same with schengen visa, if you have that a bunch of other countires gives e visa easily. making that one passport strong.', 'That’s what I think whenever developing countries are strict on western tourists entering. It’s like why would someone from the EU (or US, UK, etc) want to illegally immigrate to your developing country? In this scenario, it makes zero sense for a person from the Netherlands to try to illegally immigrate to Tunisia just because they don’t have an onward ticket. Like for what? Why would they want to be in a place with living standards way below any EU country?', 'A lot people that can work remotely are moving to developing countries illegally to live cheaply. Portugal is struggling with this with rent going beyond what the locals can afford. Digital nomads moving in to enjoy low cost of living and pricing out locals', 'Thats a bit strange Im surprised they didnt give the 7 of you a chance to rectify the situation. Like if the return ticket was the only barrier to entry youd think theyd give everyone a chance to buy one and then their requirement would be satisfied. Seems over zealous to me but who knows what is behind it in Tunisia. Could have been just the immigration officers on duty or else they now have a zero tolerance approach to those arriving without a return ticket.', 'i Hope so. maybe i will be waiting for you', \"> No direct trains from Austria to the UK irrelevant. > and your documents would be checked on leaving France. yes, exactly the point. because you're taking a train that leaves schengen\", \"Who said it needed to be direct? It's still proof of leaving the Schengen zone\", 'I went to England from US and there was literally no one at immigration. Scanned my passport and walked through. (Unlike when i was traveling on to India and stood in line for hours). I seriously felt like i was doing something wrong. But when i tried to go home, the airline in the UK had plenty of questions before they’d let me board. All the usual why were you here, where did you stay, what did you do. And i was like, i just want to go home. Isn’t it a little late to be asking these questions?', 'That’s how it was when I landed in Montreal about 6 months ago. Quickly did the self checkout machines, then chatted with one person who asked me why I’m there, if I know anyone, and how I know the person I mentioned.', 'Probably depends on how and where you are arriving into Schengen. Normally the only time I enter Schengen is when travelling from the UK, either flying directly to Germany, or in my German car, via a ferry to France. In either case it\\'s quite obvious that I\\'m \"German\" , either because I speak German to the German passport control guy, or French immigration sees a German car and is presented with 5 German ID/passports The only other time recently I entered Schengen was similar - crossing from Croatia into Slovenia in August 2022 (Croatia became part of Schengen on 01.01.2023). Again, German car, German ID, no issues.', \"Funny; my quick Google says the OP is correct that EU citizens don't need visas at all. Here is one of the Tunisian government's pages about visa requirements for those who *do* need them, and if you click on the link there you get to the application. It confirms that EU citizens don't need a visa and doesn't ask that the people who *do* need to apply demonstrate proof of onward travel. Https://www.tunisianembassy.org/visa-services\", \"They just get fined by airport authorities for every person that arrives on their flight without sufficient documentation. So yes, they have the responsibility and their money in the game and it's more expensive than flying the passenger back home (source: I work at an airport)\", \"I've never been asked by an airline, and I am a frequent uk based traveller. I've just been to Greece, UAE, Maldives, and back via Qatar and Greece. All separate airlines, with a few days in each place, there and back. The only time I was asked about my onward journey was at immigration. It was all booked independently. Same when I did a round the world trip a few years back.\", 'People don\\'t understand just how strict anti-corruption laws are *de jure* for most of these countries. I visited countries supposed to be one of the world\\'s most bribe-heavy this summer and was only asked for a bribe once in two months. De facto, if a bribe happens, it won\\'t be a border guard making some sort of vague implication to a tourist. It will be a police officer stopping your car and asking for a \"gift\" to make some nonsense traffic ticket disappear, or an office telling you that if you pay extra they\\'ll process your documents now instead of in a week.', 'No, I did not.', 'That’s travel 101. His entitled ass made an assumption and got sent back and made post about “idk why I got kicked out”', \"It's not the first thread I've seen like this on /r/travel. If you make a mistake regarding visas, don't post here, you'll get completely obliterated.\", 'Thank you, ha long is first on our list!', 'It’s one big room with only chairs and a water cooler.', 'I recently had 90 minutes to kill at Busuanga Airport in Coron and it blew my mind how much of an opportunity they are missing. Zero beer (which they could make a very handsome profit on) and next to no fresh food. Just such a waste for the local economy and tourist experience.', \"How would they know you don't have a job? I've never been asked that, ever.\", \"I've definitely arrived at immigration looking pretty crap and like any traveler carrying personal items like clothing. I've also traveled when I didn't have a job. I actually wasn't aware that's something they'd know at immigration into another country, though it makes sense now that you mention it. Still never asked any finance questions. I've entered 47 different countries to date. Would my being older make some difference? I was in my thirties the first time I went to Europe. I've actually only ever been asked questions at immigration once. I flew to Paris, then took the Eurostar to London before taking a cruise ship back to Newark. The UK had an arrangement where they had immigration in the train station before you board. The woman there asked me what date I arrived in France, where had I visited, where was I going in England, and when and how I intended to leave. Other than that one time I have never had them even speak to me at all. They've always just stamped my passport and handed it back.\", \"Thank you. I had seen a requirement something like that way back when I took my very first trip overseas which was to France. Back then credit cards were nowhere near as ubiquitous and I actually had francs I'd gotten from my bank at home on me. If I recall correctly I had about 100 francs more than it said in the requirement just in case I was asked anything, but it didn't happen. I'd never carry anywhere near that much cash now as I always have my credit cards to pay for major stuff. As I said in another comment I wonder if my being older is why I never got questions? I've been to 47 different countries from the US and several more than once. I've only ever been spoken to by the agent at all one time. I was taking the Eurostar from Paris to London and you pass through immigration in Paris. She asked me what date I arrived in France, what cities had I visited in France, where I was going to be in England, and how and when was I leaving. I always assumed I was asked so many questions because she didn't see a flight out of the UK or a return Eurostar ticket. I was actually taking a cruise from Southampton to Newark.\", 'A public ferry.', \"Bring the expired one with you and hand it to them with the new. That's probably not as necessary these days with most countries doing electronic tracking, so they know where you've been, especially if you've been to that country before.\", \"My passport is completely blank despite having entered the US like 4 times this year because everything's electronic now lol.\", 'I get what you are saying but there are no five eyes members in the EU', 'You would be surprised. Isn’t this the premise of a lot of “digital nomads”? Earn using their home countries’ powerful currencies and live in cheaper underdeveloped nations where their money mileage goes farther. It is a real problem in some SEA countries and South American countries.', \"You seem hostile and we're sort of agreeing. It's not the train from Austria that you would be checked on, but the train to the UK.\", \"I've had this happen every time I fly back to the US from Europe even as a permanent resident. Since 2017(https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/25/airlines-get-ready-for-new-us-security-rules-that-take-effect-tomorrow.html) airlines have been required to do a secondary screen of everyone before they are allowed onboard a flight to the US - including a brief interview with security staff. One guy queue jumped and skipped it on a Reykjavik to Boston flight during the last day of departures before the pandemic lockdown. Everyone called him out, he did not board the flight.\", \"That's actually a US rule - they have to ask a few questions like that before you're allowed to board a flight into the US (or at least they used to, don't remember having those questions on my last few trips back).\", \"Lol, I visited a college bf there when I was 19 flying from the US and they gave me the 3rd degree. I finally got really huffy and asked if they'd gotten notes from my parents and promised them I was planning on returning to the US on my return flight to finish my degree and had no plans to get knocked up and become an illegal immigrant in the UK. THANK GOD they saw the humor in my outburst and didn't get angry instead.\", 'Mine was March 2002, so maybe customs in a lot of places were still a little more strict', 'Funny enough I’ve never had that happen, but I know flights to the U.S. get extra security theater. I’ve only flown to other areas in Europe or outside Europe from the UK. Going in, I just scanned my passport at the e-gates and that was it. On the way out, I simply checked in and went out.', 'Haha yep. Scanned my Australian passport in Heathrow and walked in. But boarding return flight, almost not let on flight because of mild damage. Luckily was let after signing waiver because I was going home. But yikes. Had no idea how close I was to missing my whole UK holiday', 'Blame Trump for the experience on your return visit!', 'Not needing a visa is not the same as not needing proof of onward travel.', 'I was asked about it when going to Colombia, Peru and Mexico, so on three seperate occasions in the same trip. I had to sit in the airport and book outbound tickets in order to get on the plane. Weirdly I was asked for it when flying from Peru to Mexico, but not from Canada to Mexico.', 'Can confirm had to \"treat\" a bosnian policeman 10 euros', 'Hmm, I was there in May and they had stores and some food', 'for EU it is schengen, lots of countries will give visa easily if one has a valid schengen visa, like turkiye for ex.', 'That’s true, I didn’t think about that. Speaking of digital nomads, funny enough there’s a number of developed countries that Americans and others can move to for that purpose and still make their money go very far. Countries like Portugal are cheap af.', \"Right. Because you're leaving the Schegen zone when taking the train from France (in Schengen) to UK (not in Schengen). Austrian authorities want to see proof of leaving Schengen zone. Train ticket from France to UK counts as such.\", 'Funnily enough I’ve had the opposite experience when flying to the US from Europe in the last few years with a GC. After being pulled into secondary a few times in the past, all I do now is look at the camera, wave my passport a bit and get a “welcome home”. It’s much better!', 'Thanks for the link. Yeah, this was end of 2019 so that makes sense. It just seemed so bizarre, especially in Heathrow after going through their security, to (_finally_) get to the gate and get questioned like that. But hey, rules are rules. I’m sure the attendants were less thrilled than us', 'Oh, they still do. I’ve traveled back from Europe as recently as June.. and they ask questions before you can access the gate that’s cordoned off. Last year they stamped my boarding pass in Madrid.', 'Agree. Delta took care of it at Heathrow and added a sticker to the back of my passport.', 'Yeah I didn’t have those questions returning to Australia from Heathrow', 'the UK specifically switched to allow citizens of the US and other countries to use the e-gates since then.', \"Agreed, of course. The comment I was referring to said it was a requirement for a visa. My point was that it's not, and that the visa requirements are irrelevant anyway because OP doesn't need one. As I mentioned, lacking proof of onward travel is a risk anywhere. It makes it look like you might be planning to stay, and therefore makes border agents less inclined to let you in. It's not a Tunisia-specific thing, as far as I know, and Tunisia doesn't even explicitly require it (though perhaps it does in practice).\", 'Maybe it was the hours I’ve been there. For a capital city airport, it’s defo lacking', \"Maybe it's country specific? I don't remember them coming back from Australia in 2019. Or maybe I'm so used to them that I just forgot.\", 'My tried and true method for getting around this is to purchase a last minute return ticket from a U.S. based airline or vendor. There is a U.S. consumer protection law that allows you to cancel a ticket within 24 hours of purchase without penalty. I buy a ticket the day of my flight, use it to get past the gatekeepers at the airline and if needed past immigration upon arrival, then I cancel the ticket. The key being to use a US airline and/or vendor such as Expedia.com but not Expedia.com/Uk. There are also cancelable ticket services, but then you need to pay a small fee.', \"I realized that the waiting area is cut off from those amenities. once you go past security, yeah, it's just chairs and water cooler\", 'Maybe. They sometimes do it coming back from Mexico too.. I once got selected for secondary inspection at the gate in Mexico City. Usually it’s just a document check though.', 'It depends on the country I think. Like in the Netherlands, I surprisingly didn’t get any extra questions. In Iceland, they check everybody’s documents at the gate and stamp your boarding pass, which really threw them for a loop when I showed them my digital boarding pass because I was allowed to check in online and I didn’t have a checked bag. In Turkey they make a whole spectacle of it, being questioned before you even get to the gate and then having like 5 different checkpoints within the gate before they run the metal detector and rifle through your stuff and make you take off your shoes. In Belgium they made everyone check in at the desk and we had to get some special security sticker, and a lot of people had SSSS on their boarding passes. Recently in Japan we didn’t have any additional questions.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Dear Community,\n\nI wanted to bring an issue to your attention about the Compensation Claim with Wizz Air. I flew from Vienna to Jeddah and the flight was delayed 6 hours. [EC261 Air Passenger Rights](https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/passenger-rights/air/index_en.htm). After filing a complaint about a compensation matter, I received a response confirming my eligibility for the compensation. I replied to the email, providing the necessary bank details. However, despite this exchange, my claim remains in the \"Work in Progress\" status as of the 11th of August, 2023. As of today, the 6th of November, 2023, my claim still shows no progress, and I'm feeling quite helpless with no visible means of obtaining any assistance.\n\nI have made several follow-up attempts by sending additional emails, engaging with live agents, and even escalating the issue through call centers, going as far as filing another claim under the service complaints category as there appeared to be no other option. Unfortunately, this claim was merged with the original one, leaving me back at square one with no sign of resolution.\n\nThis situation has left me feeling confused and uncertain about what to do. Has anyone else encountered similar issues and found a successful way to navigate this process? I would greatly appreciate any guidance or advice that could be shared. I'm starting to feel a little anxious about the situation and would welcome any insights you might have.\n\nThank you!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'**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": "Dear Community,\n\nI wanted to bring an issue to your attention about the Compensation Claim with Wizz Air. I flew from Vienna to Jeddah and the flight was delayed 6 hours. [EC261 Air Passenger Rights](https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/passenger-rights/air/index_en.htm). After filing a complaint about a compensation matter, I received a response confirming my eligibility for the compensation. I replied to the email, providing the necessary bank details. However, despite this exchange, my claim remains in the \"Work in Progress\" status as of the 11th of August, 2023. As of today, the 6th of November, 2023, my claim still shows no progress, and I'm feeling quite helpless with no visible means of obtaining any assistance.\n\nI have made several follow-up attempts by sending additional emails, engaging with live agents, and even escalating the issue through call centers, going as far as filing another claim under the service complaints category as there appeared to be no other option. Unfortunately, this claim was merged with the original one, leaving me back at square one with no sign of resolution.\n\nThis situation has left me feeling confused and uncertain about what to do. Has anyone else encountered similar issues and found a successful way to navigate this process? I would greatly appreciate any guidance or advice that could be shared. I'm starting to feel a little anxious about the situation and would welcome any insights you might have.\n\nThank you!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "If you were flying within the US or on a US carrier - you are not entitled to any compensation except under the above schemes or if you were involuntarily denied boarding (IDB). Any questions about compensation within the US or on a US carrier will be removed unless it qualifies for EC261, UK261, or APPR. *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 GF is a US citizen and thinking of booking a flight from BOS TO LAX to BKK.\n\nThe flight has an 8 hour layover in LAX. Even though it is an international flight out of the US, are they allowed to leave the airport for their LAX layover? I assume they would still need to go through security again with their carry ons.\n\nAny advice is greatly appreciated.\n\n&#x200B;", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"Yes. That's no issue. Just bank on plenty of time to get back to LAX and get through security.\", 'It’s possible but LA is very spread out if she wants to sight see depending on when her next flight leaves … would be best to pick out nearby ish areas to hang out in because it would be a pain to drive to LAX in traffic if her flight leaves around rush hour', 'Just FYI LAX is the absolute worst it’s ever been. I picked up my wife a couple months ago on a Wednesday at 10pm. No traffic so it took 45 minutes to get there, then it took AN HOUR AND 15 MINUTES TO DO THE LAX LOOP! As in enter, pick up wife, and exit. So make sure she plans for what could be an insane amount of time to get back to the terminal.', 'Yes. In fact anyone is allowed to, since in the Us there is no special transit area and anyone has to go through immigration anyway.', 'Anyone can leave a US airport during a layover.', \"Since the first flight is domestic, she likely wouldn't have to go through security again at LAX if she stays at the airport (although I'm not sure if all of the terminals at LAX are connected behind security). But if she leaves the airport, she would have to go back through security again when she returns to LAX.\", \"Yeah, you can leave the airport during a layover but it's probably not worth it for only 8 hours. Plus, going through security again is like trying to navigate a maze blindfolded with one hand tied behind your back. Trust me, been there done that. Stick to the airport and save yourself some hassle. Just my two cents though.\", 'Yes, this is allowed. Even if you’re not a US citizen you will be allowed to do this. I had some non-American-citizen relatives (and one American one) hang out with me for a couple of hours around LA during a 10-ish hour layover at LAX. We spent a little time in Beverly Hills, Hollywood, and Venice.', 'Yes, they can leave the airport. They will have to go through security again, but otherwise nobody cares \\\\*at all\\\\*.', 'Yes. Give yourself enough time to get back and through security. 8 hours isn’t a ton of time given la’s horrific traffic.', \"First of all, your GF's citizenship status has no bearing at all whether she can leave the airside. Anyone could leave the airside anytime if they want or in the case of international flights coming into the USA.. you have to leave the airside by going through the border control, collect your bags, and then re-enter security for any further connections domestic or international! Our airports don't have international areas for transfers or so on. There is no physical exit passport control.\", 'Yes. US does not have an immigration exit check; thus you can treat LAX layover just like any other domestic. She just has to go through security again when she gets back to the airport.', 'yup, i have relatives in la so i get picked up to have a meal & hang out. make sure she gets back to lax in time to get thru security & her flight. la traffic is terrible & esp to lax so keep that in mind', '8h is not a lot of time in lax. Especially to get back in. Keep that in mind', \"You are allowed but la is a shitshow and I wouldn't advise this, purely for logistical reasons. In LA you can commonly find yourself in situations where a 15 minute trip will take 2 hours to return from, also a 2-3 hour line at lax is relatively common.\", \"Yes you can. Just create an extra buffer for traffic and construction. LAX is under construction and so be aware that the Uber/Lyft location is a 10 minute walk from the terminal. I would maybe find a beach like the Playa Del Rey area to explore. It's pretty easy access from LAX and will reduce the amount of time you're in traffic. I would avoid getting on any of the major highways if possible.\", 'AFAIK no US airport has an international zone, so everybody will have to pass the security.\\nSo the answer to your question is \"yes\".', 'Yep! No problem there. Leaving LAX is a great ideas since it’s a shit airport. Just make sure to have plenty of time to clear security.', 'Did this at Newark recently. It’s hard to go out and get into anything since you need to get back to the airport, check bags and go through security. We got massages and lunch nearby. Worked out great and felt relaxed for the long leg of our trip. Edit: sorry for the missing detail. I had to self transfer as there were no connecting flights for my trip.', \"she'll have plenty of time to get to Tito's Tacos and back 😉\", \"Absolutely. People do that all the time at MSP to go to the Mall of America. Citizenship doesn't matter since the US does not have exit passport control.\", '**Notice:** Are you asking about a layover or connection? Read the **Flying FAQ(https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/wiki/mfaq-flying/)** in the wiki. Are you doing a self-transfer? Read this excellent guide(https://www.reddit.com/r/Flights/comments/16ym47p/comment/k39c52x/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3).", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "My GF is a US citizen and thinking of booking a flight from BOS TO LAX to BKK.\n\nThe flight has an 8 hour layover in LAX. Even though it is an international flight out of the US, are they allowed to leave the airport for their LAX layover? I assume they would still need to go through security again with their carry ons.\n\nAny advice is greatly appreciated.\n\n&#x200B;", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Fuck LAX\", 'There is no \\'international\\' terminal at LAX as such. Well, there\\'s a terminal with \"International\" in the name, but that more refers to the fact that most International (non-US) airlines depart from that terminal. International flights can leave from any terminal and arrive into several of them. eg, if you\\'re flying United Airlines international, it\\'ll depart from T7. AA international will go from T4/5. But Lufthansa and Qantas will depart from the \"Tom Bradley International Terminal\". Plus almost all of the terminals are now connected airside (including to the \"International\" terminal) either via walkway or by airside bus.', 'We just spent our vacation in amsterdam a week ago, going through custom and immigration after landing was a 4 hours ordeal… it soured so much of our trip that we collectively decided to never go back lol, and we haven’t even exited the airport. There were 2 guys working and stamping passports away but there were millions of people trying to get in.', \"Yeah but once your in, you've gone through immigration, no exceptions (not applicable to this post bc they are flying OUT of the US from LAX but if they landed in lax and had a layover before an onward flight they can leave)\", 'Apologies for a missing detail, we had to self transfer as there were no connecting flights on the same day.', 'https://la.urbanize.city/post/glimpse-inside-new-laxmetro-transit-center-station', 'Did this, got stuck in traffic for 2 hrs (major accident), missed my flight.', \"Disagree. I mean, LAX traffic can be quite bad, but this is an 8 hour layover - that's more than enough time to do *some* things outside of the airport. Yeah, she shouldn't try to go play a round of golf in Palm Springs. But, say, a meal at Manhattan Beach Post and a walk along the beach? Absolutely no problem. *Edit:* I will grant that LAX traffic lately has been really bad, so one should definitely buffer in a lot of extra time for the LAX loop\", 'Precisely! My first stop every time I leave LAX.', 'Lollllll my sister (had never been to LA) wanted to see me during a 4 hour layover. My answer was “our only option is the Sepulveda In N Out.”', 'Just such a hassle to get there on foot', \"That location is probably the worst that I've been to\", 'Overrated in general. Lines are super-long. May not make it back in time.', 'It probably won’t work due to timing, but there is the LAX Fly Away bus from union station. And the Metrolink train will take you to Union Station from East Ontario.', \"True, some do connect, about the same amount don't. It's kinda...a mess.\", \"Sorry I don't understand what you're saying. LAX you used to have to go out of security on landing internationally and re-enter through security to get to you domestic flight. You no longer have to do that. You can stay airside. I was just responding to deshi\\\\_mi so they would know what the situation is at LAX now as it's new.\", 'Ouch.', 'I’ve flown there and back on mileage runs and did manhattan beach with a 6hr gap between landing and departing. It was easy on weekends.', 'Exactly. You could even walk the distance back and forth to Venice beach with some food in 8 hours.', 'There was a time when traffic was halted for several hours due to a crash this year. So many people missed flights. For international I’m always there three hours ahead and I live 2 1/2 hrs away. Before during lockdown and during the Great Recession when traffic wasn’t bad sure. Now, with everything that could go wrong I’m a little skittish. I had an 8 hr layover in Singapore. That was cool because I could go through passport control and security in less than an hour. Actually I take it back. As long as she doesn’t have a lot of luggage with her. She can Uber to a place within 20 minutes. Walk around and then try to come back three hrs before her flight. I realize I only go to lax during peak travel periods. Summer thanksgiving spring break and Christmas new years so I get a stressed out feeling from them.', 'Those are good burgers Walter!', 'Could do Uber/Lyft, or bribe a hotel shuttle driver', 'They’re all connected now.(https://onemileatatime.com/news/lax-terminals-connected-airside/).'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I’m planning a visit to the battlefield of Waterloo and I was hoping I could hire an official guide to show me and my father around. \nI have done this at Gettysburg in America and was wondering if they provided this service at Waterloo.\nThanks for any help.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'A quick google search turns up this:", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I’m planning a visit to the battlefield of Waterloo and I was hoping I could hire an official guide to show me and my father around. \nI have done this at Gettysburg in America and was wondering if they provided this service at Waterloo.\nThanks for any help.", "role": "user" }, { "content": "https://www.guides1815-waterloo.com/index.php/en/', 'Thank you! This is just what I need!'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I'm taking a family vacation departing from the US to Cancun, MEX. My parents won't be flying with us and I wanted to know if a simple notarized letter work for flying from USA to Mexico and the same for the return. Any advice is appreciated.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThanks", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Mexico?", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "I'm taking a family vacation departing from the US to Cancun, MEX. My parents won't be flying with us and I wanted to know if a simple notarized letter work for flying from USA to Mexico and the same for the return. Any advice is appreciated.\n\n&#x200B;\n\nThanks", "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.*', 'Check with the airline that you\\'re flying on. They typically list out their rules but since you are an adult and the child is not travelling \"unaccompanied\" then it shouldn\\'t be too complicated.', 'I was more concerned about getting through customs since he’s my brother not my kid, it’s gonna be his first time on an international trip so i don’t have any prior experience.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Like the titles implied, i was born in country with access to bidet since young. I wanted to travel to other countries but always annoyed the lack of bidet makes the trip slightly unpleasant. The last trip to Switzerland and Chamonix was slightly \"unpleasant\" because no bidet in the hotel. (But very beautiful scenery tho). \n\n&#x200B;\n\nStill, i feeling adventurous and planning for another trip. Any other countries with access to bidet ? \nI already been to Thailand, Japan and Qatar. \n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "\"You're serious? This is your main travel criteria? Good luck.\", '😂what a shitty reason not to travel to places', 'Buy wipes. And don’t flush them. \\nThere’s so much to experience in the world. And you are on the toilet very few minutes of each day. I’m in a country where bidets are not popular and I think it’s a shame because they’re great and so much more hygienic. But I’ve managed to live and keep clean. Just use wipes. And travel where you want. Or don’t and just live on your bidet at home.', 'Italy', 'India and Nepal woo sometimes have “old school” bidets. Aka: a hose and spray nosel', 'Google portable bidet. Have fun.', 'Just use Google. What a ridiculous travel requirement.', 'Albania & Italy', 'Lol this is the most ridiculous standard for travel destinations. You’re gonna run out of places to visit very quickly. Taiwan is full of bidets. It’s the only country I’ve seen where they’re common in public settings.', 'Why not just take a shower if you are in the hotel?', '… just buy wet wipes (don’t flush them tho). This is the most ridiculous post I’ve seen on here and that’s saying something', 'Turkey', 'Get a travel bidet, no brainer', 'We bought a portable bidet. It’s small and effective. We are Americans and have a bidet at home and once you go bidet you can’t not have a bidet. So we bought a travel one. Problem solved.', 'Finland and Italy', \"Hello, an empathizing Asian here! When I had to stay in the US for 6 weeks, what made my toilet situation better was bringing a plastic portable bidet. If you have space in your luggage for it, you should get one since it's very light. \\nMy husband (who lives in the US) had also installed a bidet in his apartment so that I didn't complain when I stayed with him. But now he loves it too. In this household, we have clean butts.\", 'Singapore and UAE.', 'I have had access to bidet in Italy, also in thailand, but I see you already went there.', 'Lol, I live in South America where bidet are rarely seen things and went to Italy last month and I even wasn’t sure how to use those things. I even struggle with towel warmers or whatever they are called', 'This post is absolutely stupid. Just stay home.', \"Are you sure you feel like travelling? Sounds like a pretty lame excuse to avoid a country when there're so many alternatives\", 'Most of SEA and East Asian countries have bidets. I believe most Middle Eastern countries would have them too. Or you can bring a portable one when you travel. I agree that once you get used to a bidet, not having access to one always makes me feel unclean.', 'You only want to travel to places where you can hose down your bum hole? Lol! Note that they make wet wipes you can easily carry with you or buy a water bottle or spray bottle…', 'Please tell me this is a joke lmao', 'Most Asian countries have bum guns. Standard in Finland as well. Common in France but likely not in budget accommodations.', 'What a dumb fucking criteria', \"Grand Hyatt in Bangkok. \\nI looked up their model and installed it in my home and my son's\", 'Learn how to use a dipper (Filipino: tabo) and bring one wherever you go. Or use alternatives like refilling a used plastic water bottle solely for the purpose of washing your butt. Or poop and shower right after.', \"What's wrong with good old TP?\", \"It's not a thing in Europe. You will find that Asia has the 'bum gun' your Royal Highness.\", \"I guess my family isn't standard. From their homes in Helsinki to summer homes...not a single bidet\", 'United States because Americans like to make everything about themselves.", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Like the titles implied, i was born in country with access to bidet since young. I wanted to travel to other countries but always annoyed the lack of bidet makes the trip slightly unpleasant. The last trip to Switzerland and Chamonix was slightly \"unpleasant\" because no bidet in the hotel. (But very beautiful scenery tho). \n\n&#x200B;\n\nStill, i feeling adventurous and planning for another trip. Any other countries with access to bidet ? \nI already been to Thailand, Japan and Qatar. \n", "role": "user" }, { "content": "TOTO Travel Handy Washlet YEW350-WH', 'Every single toilet in Finland has the small shower bidet next to the toilet.', 'Just don’t ruin the plumbing with them', 'Not all countries have good plumbing for wipes, but yes that is also an option.', 'I spent about 2 years in Finland, there has been a bum gun is probably 95% of the toilets I visited in that time. Standard in any hotel or residence, but will only see them in nicer public bathrooms.', \"FFS. Allow me to correct myself then. Generally speaking it's not much of a thing in Europe. But let's not let being pedantic get in the way of a very subtle attempt at humour eh?\", 'Nah, he’s just nasty lol.', 'Go put some Nutella on your hands then clean yourself with toilet paper. Then tell me about how perfectly clean your hands are', '>TOTO Travel Handy Washlet YEW350-WH That looks like a water flosser?', \"Most of them straight up say do not flush. But I agree, I wouldn't recommend flushing those labeled flushable either.\", 'For the love of god do not flush them, just throw them into the trash.', 'I grew up with TP and, again, that’s never happened lol. I’m questioning your entire bathroom regimen. Gross. You might as well say “*Imagine slipping and licking fresh bidet porcelain and then tell me….*” lol. Extreme hypotheticals are fun, aren’t they? Also, Your downvote didn’t hurt as much as you imagined :)', \"In Western Europe it's normal to flush the wipes 🤷🏽\\u200d♀️\", \"We have flushable wipes too in the US. That said every single plumber I've seen comment on the matter said it's absolutely best not to.\", 'No it’s not. You’re not meant to flush them anywhere'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "ok bare with me, I'm from canada living in Berlin but since I just moved here I still have my Canadian phone/sim card (I'm with rogers). I only use apps for communication but I need to call a Canadian number (my doctor in Toronto) and also receive a call from her. so what are my options to make this happen?\n\nyes, I realize this is probably a stupid question so lets not be mean people!\n\n&#x200B;\n\nEDIT: sorry maybe I wasn't clear. I know the code and I know how to dial. its just going to be really expensive since I'm in Germany. what i meant was, what are some companies or pay as you go option that I can purchase so I can make a call that wont end up costing a fortune. \n\nthanks for the skype suggestions! thats a good option ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'You can add money in Skype to make international calls. Other option would be: activate roaming and just call the Canadian number. Don’t forget the area code at the beginning of the Canadian number. In my opinion an E-Mail would be better anyway.', 'Receiving a call is easy, nothing you have to do for that. For dialing someone, you need to add the country code to the number. Country codes either start with \"00\" or with \"+\" followed by the number specific for that country. Canada (actually all of North America) uses \"1\". So you add \"001\" or \"+1\" to the front of the phone number. Make sure to include the area code. Keep in mind that both calling from abroad and being called while abroad can be expensive, depending on the details of your phone plan. Some simply have international calls included, so it may not even cost you anything. But it\\'s worth checking to see if you need to keep the call short or not.', 'also, if a different sub is better suited for this question, please let me know! thanks everyone', 'Ha, I have struggled with this too. ", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "ok bare with me, I'm from canada living in Berlin but since I just moved here I still have my Canadian phone/sim card (I'm with rogers). I only use apps for communication but I need to call a Canadian number (my doctor in Toronto) and also receive a call from her. so what are my options to make this happen?\n\nyes, I realize this is probably a stupid question so lets not be mean people!\n\n&#x200B;\n\nEDIT: sorry maybe I wasn't clear. I know the code and I know how to dial. its just going to be really expensive since I'm in Germany. what i meant was, what are some companies or pay as you go option that I can purchase so I can make a call that wont end up costing a fortune. \n\nthanks for the skype suggestions! thats a good option ", "role": "user" }, { "content": "For the caller, it's like calling a normal local number, and for you it will call via Skype. Unfortunately the Skype Number isn't available for Canadian numbers.\", '+1 at start of number for North America.', 'Skype', 'O11 is for Europe 1 + the area code is for the US', 'For the U.S. and Canada it’s 001 or +1. The +1 is easy enough on smartphones but for traditional phones, 001 and then the phone number works (well 0 on traditional phones is also the + key)', \"as I said, I'm already using apps for communication with family and friends. I'm trying to call my doctor...\", 'thank you! thats a great option', 'thank you so much for your helpful reply 😊', 'Thanks. I will try to remember. I usually get frustrated and google it. Sometimes my phone just does it automatically if I am returning a call.', 'It happens.'", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi!\n\nI am currently travelling in SEA, and have travelled to Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand already. I am planning to travel from Laos to Vietnam/Cambodia. The plan is to travel from Laos to Hanoi and travel from Northern to South Vietnam and then travel to Cambodia.\n\nWhat is the best way to travel between those countries?\n\nI have booked accommodation in Vientiane and planned to travel to Hanoi, but the planes are way to expensive at the moment. The other option is the bus which takes 20-25 hours. Is there a better alternative? Is there a good city to stop by for 1 night in between those city?\n\nAdditionally, did anyone travel on the sleeper bus Vientiane - Hanoi and have any insight?\n\nThanks for all the tips :))", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'If you are traveling from Hanoi to Cambodia, your best option is to get a cheap flight into Phnom Penh or Siem Reap.', 'Have you done anything in Laos yet? With time, I’d be doing Vang Vieng, Luang Prabang, Nong Khiaw, Muang Khua and then a bus to Sapa in Vietnam. Also flights from Luang Prabang to Hanoi are usually a bit cheaper.', '**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Laos?", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": "Hi!\n\nI am currently travelling in SEA, and have travelled to Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand already. I am planning to travel from Laos to Vietnam/Cambodia. The plan is to travel from Laos to Hanoi and travel from Northern to South Vietnam and then travel to Cambodia.\n\nWhat is the best way to travel between those countries?\n\nI have booked accommodation in Vientiane and planned to travel to Hanoi, but the planes are way to expensive at the moment. The other option is the bus which takes 20-25 hours. Is there a better alternative? Is there a good city to stop by for 1 night in between those city?\n\nAdditionally, did anyone travel on the sleeper bus Vientiane - Hanoi and have any insight?\n\nThanks for all the tips :))", "role": "user" }, { "content": "Read what redditors had to say in the **weekly destination thread for Cambodia(http://redd.it/30xk4n)** *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.*', 'look up the web site crazy guy on a bike. you can bicycle from Laos to Hanoi in about 8 days... slow travel.', \"Hi! \\nA few months ago, I went from Luang Prabang back home to Hanoi. We took the flight option because 20-25 hours on a bus is something that will drive you crazy! Unfortunately, there is no other way. Have a look at Kayak.com. This website offers all airlines. It's definitely the best option, but not the cheapest. \\nIf you need any help for your travels in Vietnam, check out my website on my page. Safe travels! \\nCheers, Jerry.\"", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": " \n\nHi! I am trying to understand as quickly as possible, how to fly with my puppy to Mexico from London and back. We will be in Mexico for 3 months (Mexico city) so really if we can't take the puppy , we won't go. I was going to cancel my flights and buy some tickets in Aeromexico as it seems like I can flight direct (no connects) and I can fly back with the same pet friendly policy (it says is some sites that UK is not allowing pets to fly in the cabin at all) . So, could you help me understand that:\n\n1. Can I fly to and from Mexico with Aeromexico with my puppy in the cabin with me?\n2. If coming back he is bigger would they automatically send him under the plane as cargo ? or would they reject him completely ? do they do it automatically or do I have to register somewhere? it is not evident when you buy the tickets\n3. Is Aeromexico the best way (for my pet ) to get to Mexico and back to the UK with me ? or do you recommend another airline?\n\nAny help would be much appreciated! Thanks!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "'Everything you need to know about importing a dog into the UK is here.(https://www.gov.uk/bring-pet-to-great-britain) Spoiler alert: The pooch must travel as cargo.', \"Have you looked into quarantine requirements? It's usually not simple to just bring an animal to a foreign country.\", 'UK does not allow importing pets in cabin, regardless of the airline.', '**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about Mexico?", "role": "assistant" } ]

[ { "content": " \n\nHi! I am trying to understand as quickly as possible, how to fly with my puppy to Mexico from London and back. We will be in Mexico for 3 months (Mexico city) so really if we can't take the puppy , we won't go. I was going to cancel my flights and buy some tickets in Aeromexico as it seems like I can flight direct (no connects) and I can fly back with the same pet friendly policy (it says is some sites that UK is not allowing pets to fly in the cabin at all) . So, could you help me understand that:\n\n1. Can I fly to and from Mexico with Aeromexico with my puppy in the cabin with me?\n2. If coming back he is bigger would they automatically send him under the plane as cargo ? or would they reject him completely ? do they do it automatically or do I have to register somewhere? it is not evident when you buy the tickets\n3. Is Aeromexico the best way (for my pet ) to get to Mexico and back to the UK with me ? or do you recommend another airline?\n\nAny help would be much appreciated! Thanks!", "role": "user" }, { "content": "And Aeromexico is in the list of approved airlines to travel with pets. Thanks so much!', 'Yes thank you ! The same airline does the cargo back to the UK.'", "role": "assistant" } ]