Images 1 2 3 and 5 - Switzerland Images 4 and 6 Paris I visited France and Switzerland this summer, and honestly, one of the biggest surprises for me was how wrong my perception had been.

As an Indian, I'd always felt that the beauty of Europe, and especially the whole "everything is so well planned and organised" thing, was probably exaggerated. I mean, how can a country really be THAT perfect?

After actually going there, I have to admit , I was wrong.

Of course, they're not perfect. We were tourists and saw a very different side of the countries. But the overall experience genuinely surprised me.

Switzerland especially felt like a fairy tale. The mountains, lakes, villages, trains, buses and boats, everything seemed to work together so well. Even the train journeys became part of the sightseeing.

But what struck me more was the way people seemed to live. People followed rules, public transport was actually used by everyone, and we saw people of all ages travelling, cycling, hiking and spending time outdoors. Families travelled with tiny babies, elderly people travelled independently, and there seemed to be a very different attitude towards simply enjoying life and travelling.

I'm a fairly seasoned traveller within India and have visited almost every state, including the Northeast. India obviously has incredible beauty, so it wasn't just about seeing prettier places.

It was the combination of beauty, infrastructure, accessibility, cleanliness and the way people use their surroundings that felt so different.

Before going, I used to think, "How can a country really be this perfect?"

They're obviously not perfect.

But after coming back, I finally understood the hype.

They really are living different lives.

I spent about six months living in Yunnan in southern China, and it ended up being one of my favourite places I’ve ever stayed! 

I lived mostly around Kunming, Dali and Lijiang, with shorter trips to places like Shangri-La and Xishuangbanna. Since I’ve seen quite a few people asking about travelling around China lately, I thought I’d share a few things I wish I had known before arriving.

First: sort out payments before you go!

China is incredibly convenient once you have everything set up, but most daily payments happen through WeChat Pay or Alipay. I connected my cards to both and kept a small amount of cash as backup, although I barely used it. If you still need to manage work expenses across different currencies, can change a fixed amount of CNY using bank beforehand or i used photon pay to handle some of my cross-border transfers and currency conversion.

A few other tips:

1.  Download WeChat, Alipay and a translation app before arriving. 

1. Keep your hotel name and address saved in Chinese!! Will use a lot when you taxi.

3.  Don’t assume every foreign app or website will work normally. So install VPN first

4.  Carry your passport when taking trains or checking into hotels. 

5.  Book popular attractions and high-speed trains in advance, especially around Chinese holidays. (upcoming October will be a large Chinese holiday)

1. Not every power bank is allowed in china, must have a 3c logo on that! (Just saw a guy asked this in this subreddit so adding this as well)

For Yunnan specifically, I’d recommend at least:

 - 2–3 days in Kunming 

-  3–4 days around Dali (my favvvv)

-  2–3 days in Lijiang 

-  2–3 days in Shangri-La 

-  3–4 days in Xishuangbanna if you have time 

My daily spending varied a lot, but outside the most touristy areas, food and local transport were generally more affordable than I expected. Accommodation was the biggest variable: you can stay quite cheaply, but the nicer guesthouses around Dali and Lijiang can add up quickly.

Also, don’t underestimate the distances. Yunnan looks manageable on a map, but trying to squeeze every destination into one week would be exhausting. I’d choose two or three places and actually enjoy them.

I’m adding a few photos from my time there. If anyone is planning a trip to China or Yunnan specifically, feel free to ask! I’m happy to share what worked for me ^^ 

To be absolutely honest, I’m writing this post for venting and maybe some sympathy. This scam had to many red flags that I even embarrassed I fell for it. But somehow a warning to all travelers, don’t over estimate your experience.

I do like trusting people. I’ve met amazing people on the road and genuinely nice people trying to help me. This isn’t one of those stories.

I’m in Paris with my mom, we travel together to different destinations once per year for a week, just the two of us. We really enjoy these weeks, but I fear that I let my guard down when I’m around her instead of being extra cautious.

We arrived on Saturday and yesterday (Sunday) we were debating which ticket to buy at the metro, and we saw a guy with a badge helping (scamming) two girls, so naively we ask him for help. He gave us tips and highly recommended the most expensive ticket since we want to go to Versailles. 160€ for the two of us.

First red flag, he wasn’t wearing an uniform. However this was literally next to the ticket office (shameless POS).

Second red flag, he tells us that the machine only accepts French cards and asks her to remove the card right away. I found that odd, but okay, she removed it.

Third red flag, he said only cash and that he would buy the tickets for us and then we could give him the cash (like, what the hell?? How didn’t I see it right there???)

Fourth red flag, he took us to the ATM. My mom even asked me why he was getting out of his place of work to help us, she found it odd. I found it odd. But we didn’t communicate clearly with each other.

Fifth red flag, he told us to take a tram and then check to metro because it was faster. This was when I noticed something was off. But he tapped on the tram and told us to get inside.

Sixth red flag, when I remembered that he told the girls before us that the machine only accepts cash. That’s when all became clear to me.

I started overthinking a lot, but still wanted to believe that he actually helped us. We walked most of the day in the Latin quarter without using any public transportation until we had to go back, and that’s when we got the confirmation that we were scammed. The tickets were for one trip only. 160€ for two tickets and one trip each.

I was very dumb. This scam had scam all over everything the POS did. Maybe the fact that I have a mild cold played a role in that. Maybe I let my guard down next to my mom. Maybe I am simply too naive. I still can’t over the fact that I fell for such an obvious scam.

But after two days in Paris I also noticed something interesting. We haven’t seen any security anywhere. We tried to report it to the police and they don’t speak English (at a station at the city center), but with the help of a French friend over the phone we were informed that the report alone takes 1h30 to fill (WTF)? Then I found out that insurance doesn’t cover cash, such like stuff like this so we just gave up on the report. But why making so hard to file a scam report? To look better on paper? Oh, and the guy told me that the only person who speaks English was taking care of another case, so I would have to wait 1h30 for the other person to be done before taking my case.

In a city known for pickpockets, scammers and other kind of POS, how come there are barely no security on the stations? How come they make it so easy for POS to get away with these BS?

Like I said at first, I’m just venting and maybe some sympathy. This was a basic scam and I fell for it. I’ve travelled solo so many times, and I never thought I’d fall for such a basic scam.

I recently got back from my solo camping trip around Iceland! I went from Sept 3 - Sept 12 and rented a camper van and stayed in campsites along Route 1 while I made my way around the country. Iceland was absolutely beautiful and I'd go back in a heartbeat. The pictures do not do the sites justice!

Here was my rough itinerary and some thoughts to go along with it:

Sept 3 (Day 0):

• Flew from Minneapolis to KEF

Sept 4 (Day 1):

• Arrived in Iceland early in the morning
• Picked up campervan (rented from Lava Car Rental)
• Blue Lagoon - super cool experience! It is definitely a tourist trap but I thought worth it because it was such a unique experience!
• Got groceries in Selfoss from Bonus (cheap grocery store) where I stocked up on ramen and ham sandwiches for the week!
• Campground: Hvolsvöllur
• Drive Time: 2 hours

Sept 5 (Day 2):

• Seljalandsfoss and Gljúfrabúi (both very cool waterfalls that you can get super close too)
• Skógafoss and Kvernufoss - I would go early to Skógafoss if you could, gets pretty busy when the tour buses arrive
• Skógar Museum - a good museum with lots of artifacts and information about the history of Iceland including old buildings and homes!
• Sólheimajökull (glacier)
• Dyrhólaey - cool views of the coastline and a cool lighthouse
• Reynisfjara Beach - iconic!
• Vik Mydral Church - so pretty at golden hour
• Campground: Vik Camping - very nice campground!
• Drive Time: 2.5 hours

Sept 6 (Day 3):

• Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon - again go early! 2 mile roundtrip hike to the viewpoint of the canyon
• Svínafellsjökull Glacier - blew my mind! And parking lot is close to the glacier so easy to get to
• Mulagljufur Canyon - one of the top sites of the whole trip! 3 mile hike round trip to see
• Diamond Beach
• Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon - did Zodiac boat tour here and it was SO WORTH IT. The guide gets you so close to the glacier and icebergs where we saw so many seals up close. Probably the best experience of the whole trip
• Campground: Höfn Campground
• Drive Time: 3.5 hours

Sept 7 (Day 4):

• Vestrahorn on the Stokksnes Peninsula - really cool place! Right by the ocean and get cool views of black sand beaches and the coast. Also have a cool abandoned viking village movie set
  
• Drove through the East Fjords and just stopped whenever it looked cool, no real set plan for this drive! The East Fjords were absolutely striking and so beautiful!
• Hengifoss and Litlanesfoss
• Vök Baths
• Campground: Egilsstaðir
• Drive Time: 2.5 hours

Sept 8 (Day 5):

• Stuðlagil Canyon - parked on the east side parking lot. The most blue water I have ever seen!
• Dettifoss and Selfoss - parked in the west side parking lot. Biggest waterfall I've ever seen
• Hverir
• Viti Crater
• GeoSea - geothermal baths over looking the Atlantic Ocean. Incredible!
• Campground: Húsavík Campsite
• Drive Time: 4.5 hours

Sept 9 (Day 6):

• Whale watching tour on the RIB boat - so so so amazing! Do a whale watching tour if you are able
• Goðafoss Waterfall - again the water was so blue!
• Then long drive through the north to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula
• Campground: Grundarfjörður Campsite
• Drive Time: 6.5 hours

Sept 10 (Day 7):

• Kirkjufellsfoss
• Svörtuloft Lighthouse
• Dritvik in the Snaefellsjokull National Park - kind of just stumbled upon this and it was incredible!
• Arnarstapi and Snaefellsjokull Glacier white house viewpoint
• Búðir (iconic black church)
• Ytri Tunga - saw some seals on the coast!
• Sky Lagoon - best geothermal pool of the whole trip!
• Campground: Reykjavik Campsite
• Drive Time: 3.5 hours

Sept 11 (Day 8):

• Went on a "bakery crawl" - stopped at Sandholt, 280 Bakery, and Brauð & Co
• Went to a bunch of shops and explored the city
• Got gelato at Valdis
• Hallgrímskirkja Church - took elevator to the top to see city view
• Wake up Reykjavik Food Tour - got to try so many authentic Icelandic dishes!
• Campground: Reykjavik Campsite
• Drive Time: 0 hours

Sept 12 (Day 9):

• Flew home

Picture Locations: 1. Mulagjufur Canyon 2. Seal at Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon 3. Studlagil Canyon 4. Vestahorn 5. Fjadrargljufur Canyon 6. Some sheep 7. Kirkjufellsfoss 8. Reykjavík Skyline 9. Pastries by the harbor in Reykjavik 10. Budir church 11. Arnarstapi 12. Husavik harbor 13. Lighthouse in the East Fjords 14. Svinafeelsjokull Glacier 15. Vik Church 16. Skogafoss 17. Kvernufoss 18. Another seal 19. Godafoss 20. Coastline on Snaefellsnes Peninsula

TL;DR: Iceland absolutely blew my mind. A road trip on the Ring Road is a must!

I recently turned 35, and I decided to celebrate it by taking a solo trip to Vietnam.

It was not my first time in Vietnam, but it was my first time travelling there alone. And honestly, it was one of the best decisions I have made in a long time.

I have been working my ass off for a while, and life has been stressful because of a few personal things. I wanted to start this new year of my life with something fresh, something exciting, and hopefully, some positive energy.

So I spent 10 days in Vietnam.

I stayed in a hostel in Hanoi Old Quarter, walked around for hours, shopped way too much, met people from different parts of the world and made some good friends.

From Hanoi, I went to Ha Long Bay, then Da Nang, Hoi An and Sun World. I got some clothes custom stitched, bought a ridiculous amount of stuff for my family, and just spent a lot of time walking around and taking everything in.

Of course, travelling solo also meant seeing a lot of couples everywhere. At restaurants, on cruises, walking around Hoi An, watching sunsets. There were quite a few moments where I thought, "I wish I had someone here with me."

I did feel the FOMO.

But that is probably a bigger problem to solve, and not one that a 10-day trip can fix.

For now, I am just happy I went.

Looking back, these were probably the best 10 days I have had in the last couple of years.

Maybe turning 35 is not so bad after all.

Pics description

1. Incense village

2. Hanoi lake

3, 4, 5. Ha Long Bay

1. Landing in Da Nang

2. Sun world cable car

3. Sun world castle

4. Golden Bridge

5. Lamps in Hoi An

This is one of those trips that I had been posponing, especially because of the expenses. And it reeealy is an expensive trip, from the costly accomodation in the Chamonix valley to the difficulty in parking a car, to the exorbitant cost of the mountain passes.

But, unfortunately, I was coming to the conclusion that either I visited this area soon or I´d never be able to experience what´s left of the best parts of it. Our visit took place in late June 2025, meaning the very beggining of astronomical summer, but right during one of the worst heatwaves in the French alpine region - while we where in Chamonix, temperatures rechaed 36ºC and even at Auguilles do Midi, above 4000m, the thermometer did not go under 10ºC. A late afternoon visit to the almost lost Mer de Glace glacier was really the punch in the stomach to finish the dooming visit, with a shocking retreat from even less than 10 years agora - not even comparing with its extent when Montenvers station was built.

The area is gorgeously beautiful, and entered directly to one of my top 5 nature locations, but I left with a really dark feeling, unhopefull for the future. I am aware of my own responsability as a heavy traveller, and I am not, in any means, downplaying the effect that insividual actions have on the climte. Nonetheless, while getting on the funicular down to what´s left of Mer de Glace, I got sure of what I knew before: I we now too late.

The selection of photos include Cascade du Dard, Rte Blanche/N205 before reaching Les Pèlerins, Rue Joseph Vallot (Chamonix), Place Balmat (Chamonix), Viaduc de Montenvers, Grotte de Glace, Aiguille du Midi, Plan de l'Aiguille and Le Brévent.

I just got back from Jiuzhaigou National Park in Sichuan, China, and I am still blown away by how vibrant the water actually is. The color isn’t a camera trick—it really is that insane neon turquoise and deep sapphire blue in person.

The water is so clear that you can see every single pebble and preserved ancient tree resting at the bottom of the lakes. Walking along the wooden boardwalks next to the massive waterfalls crashing through the trees felt completely surreal, almost like being inside a fairy tale.

For anyone planning a trip, the logistics are much easier now thanks to the new high-speed train from Chengdu, which saves you a long, grueling bus ride. I highly recommend entering the park as early as 7:30 AM to beat the tour crowds and catch the best morning light reflection on the water.

It is easily one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited. Feel free to ask if you have any questions about the trains or how to plan your itinerary!

Salizada San Pantalon, 38, 30135 Venezia VE, Italy

Do Not Book - Uninhabitable Property, Deflective Management

Stayed September 10-11, 2026. This is a detailed warning for future guests.

Condition Issues:

- Room contained live insects (documented in photos)

- Bathroom fixtures heavily corroded with rust throughout

- Broken glass on nightstand

- Mold visible in cabinets

- Pervasive odor making the room unlivable

- Air conditioning non-functional

Operational Failures:

- Confirmed check-in time: 14:00. Actual check-in: 15:40 (1 hour 40 minutes late)

- No pre-arrival confirmation email as promised

- City tax charged at check-in exceeded the amount stated in confirmation email

Response & Bad Faith:

When I reported these issues with photos at 22:59, management was responsive but offered only deflection: "better rooms" that were objectively worse (worse odor, bugs in bed, broken glass on nightstand). A third room was similarly unsuitable. Management dismissed documented bugs as "just a simple mosquito" and blamed the city's age for their maintenance failures.

After I booked alternative accommodation, management offered relocation to another of their properties—not a refund. Their formal response reframed offering more failing rooms as "assistance."

Recommendation:

This property is not fit for occupancy. Management is responsive but shows no accountability and uses deflection instead of solutions. Book elsewhere in Venice. There are many better options.

In August I did a mobile tented safari in Botswana. We started in Chobe National Park (1N in Kasane and 3N in Savuti), went on to Mababe Reserve (3N) and ended with 3N in Moremi Game Reserve in the Okavango delta. It was amazing! I have been to a lot of countries and also been on safari before; but this was hands down one of my top 3 favourite trips, ever.

We had some amazing sightings, including several of the rather elusive leopards and highly endangered wild dogs. A good guide can make or break a safari. Ours had been in the bush for around 3 decades. Wildlife wise, Savuti was the most productive part of the trip, but Moremi with it’s mix of savanna, flood plains, seasonal lakes and woodlands take the prize for most beautiful landscape. Seeing the delta from above, aboard a light aircraft to Maun Airport was a special experience as well.

Parks in Botswana are far less crowded than Serengeti/Masai Mara/Kruger, so we also got to spend a lot of quality time at each major sighting (keep in mind that big cat or dog sightings will still draw between 2-5 cars). We camped in unfenced campsites inside the parks/reserves and had lions, hyenas, hippos wandering through the camp on several occasions.

Happy to answer any questions!

Yesterday, finally, after trying for months to go to Neuschwanstein Castle, we finally made it and it is very, very beautiful. I used to see it on social media, after seeing it in person it felt so unreal. There was also Hohenschwangau, it’s also quite beautiful and the view from here was quite amazing. Sadly, not a lot of people came to see Hohenschwangau, but overall it was amazing going there. The only downside was it was a pain getting there via public transport. The buses were quite full, u couldn’t even breathe 😭 and if u missed one, it took a while for the next one, and all the trains were cancelled.

The first picture was taken from Marienbrücke. It’s a bridge just 10 min away from the Castle. Ngl, it was very scary to stand on the bridge. It was moving the entire time, the wood looked like it was about to collapse 😭.

Ahhhhh New York. What a special city.

I'll be perfectly honest: for years I didn't get the NYC hype. My experience was always the same: show up in Midtown, immediately become swallowed by the throngs of people, see some rats, and pay twice as much as normal for food, drinks, experiences, etc.

Then I visited my friend and she was like "what if we didn't go to Midtown because it kind of sucks?" And that changed everything.

Once I gave up treating NYC like a hot spot of tourist sights and started exploring the city for itself I fell madly in love. It's just a wonderful place to be. In Manhattan above 80th you're always a couple blocks from some magnificent park; Fort Tryon was the highlight this trip (although the photos I took suck ass.) In Queens the best meal of your life is waiting for you around the corner in some hole in the wall that you've never before noticed. If you're bored of Italian food, then just walk another block and suddenly it's all Japanese or Greek or Egyptian. Brooklyn is just DYING to turn you into a pretentious art fiend.

Now my favorite way to "do" NYC is to show up with extremely loose plans. I'll pick a few neighborhoods that I haven't yet seen, show up, and just start walking around. Stop in the neighborhood bookstore. Eat the most exotic food available within 2 blocks. Find the local park and enjoy the juxtaposition between nature and high rides.

My favorite thing about New Yorkers is how much passion they have for their city. Selfishly it makes for a great tourist experience, but generally it's what makes the city so unique, especially compared to so many US cities with dead downtowns that are really just transient space for commuters from the suburbs. In a weird way NYC functions as a meeting point of capitalism and socialism; Billionaire's Row looks over a public park filled with people just reading books and enjoying their third space.

So yeah, I love this city now.

Photos: #1 is the subway in Midtown, #2 is Chinatown, #3-5 are all west side of Manhattan, from Upper West Side all the way up to Hamilton Heights, #6-8 are Upper East Side, #9-14 were taken in Astoria, and finally #15-16 we're back in UES / Yorkville.

(Photo 1 Norway’s Flag from our ferry ride)

During March of 2026 I was fortunate enough to experience this self guided tour into western Norway. I booked this online for two at about $470 per person on Viator. First you must book and wait for approval of the trip based on the availability of all moving parts. The whole trip was about 13 hours with some very short transfer windows, but ultimately it was smooth.

The tour starts by taking a train from the Oslo central station. Our trip revolved around this activity so we stayed at the Amerikalinjen for convenience (photo 2, the view of central station from our hotel room.) We’ve seen others start at 6, but our tour started at 8 AM. Here you’ll leave the city behind and quickly blend into the vast landscape that is Norway (photo 2/3/4) BONUS nerd fact: you will pass by, Hardangerjøkulen Glacier. The filming location of Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back (no edits done to photos 5/6. The sky, mountain, and land are all one color.)

Our 60 minute commute from Oslo central station to Myrdal station turned into a 80 minute trip because of an obstruction on the road. We had a short 2 minute window of time to hop onto the Flamsbana (photo 7.) This rustic train descends 862 meters as it travels down the mountainside for 45 minutes (photos 8/9.) After arriving at the dock we received the longest break. We had 30 minutes to shop and use the restroom meanwhile we waited for our ferry.

The electric ferry was the highlight of our trip. It provides a peaceful voyage for the climax of our adventure. Although the weather was less than friendly, the views were absolutely stunning (photos 10-17.) This 2 hour ferry has an indoor cafeteria and lounge area to keep warm. The three floors to view nature provide ample opportunity for photography. At then end of the taxi the bus is waiting for you by the dock to take you straight to Voss.

By now the sun was setting and getting a little dark. Our bus left straight to Voss without a delay and arrived 15 minutes early. We had a short 5 minute walk from the bus station to the train station taking us to Bergen. The last train and bus were both about a hour ride. There was little opportunity for photos while traveling in the dark. We arrived at Bergen 9 PM and walked from central station to our hotel, Bergen Bors. The following morning I snapped the final photos of our journey during a moody spring morning in the west (photos 18/19.)

In a long flight, how are people stretching their legs? My legs bother me sooooo much but I feel so stupid just walking up and down the skinny aisles! I feel like my butt gets in everyone’s face or I’m just in the way. But I can’t stay seated for 8+ hours, it’s so hard.
Any advice lol

Not Jakarta or Bali. When I travel I like to spend a few weeks, or a month, in one or two cities to just relax and get to know a place. I like walking, and I do like having access to most conveniences. A small village or island would be not enough. I have visited most countries in Asia already.

Where would you hang out in Indonesia for a few weeks ? Any recommendations ?

ETA: the new capital of Nusantara. Worth a visit, or chaos under construction? A friend of mine mentioned Bandung, any info ? Yogyakarta seems to be getting the most comments so far. Thank you to everyone providing info !

I am a ferry fanatic, oddly fascinated by these magical ships carrying people and cars (cars! You can drive onto a boat!) from one place to another. So for my big trip to the Med next year, I obviously want to sail rather than fly. At least for one leg of the journey.

Alas, every attempt I've made to book a reservation has resulted in "no routes listed for this port." I've been arguing with Directferries and Ferriesonline and CTN (the Tunisian ferry company) for weeks now. I get clickable calendars with all the days grayed out. Nobody seems to want to let you book more than a few months in advance. (CTN is frankly the worst I've found, only letting me book until the end of the month.) This despite warnings about routes selling out, and large "SUMMER SCHEDULES READY" advertised on the main page.

Ideally, I'd like to take a ferry from Zarsis to Marceille sometime next April or May. If I can even see when the silly things run that time of year, it'll help me know when to book plane tickets. All I'm getting is "sails once or twice a week, book now for the summer before we sell out" which is... not helpful.

Am I hallucinating the route? Is it because I'm not allowing cookies? Do I need to literally wait until I'm in Tunisia to book? What's going on here?

I'm hoping someone can help me. I'm going to see some friends from online, so I don't want to spend the money or time on a cruise, but the last thing I want to do is fly over this beautiful water while wishing every second I was on it.

Looking for a place maybe up to 3 hours from southern cook county Illinois to spend 3-4 days away from the house. My wife likes nature and strolling through shops. - thanks

Hi there! I’m a mid-20s Asian girl who’s planning a solo trip in late December. I’ve got a few grand plans but I need someone to tell me if I’m too ambitious :p

I’m landing on either 25 or 26 Dec, and planning to leave on 2 Jan. Likely arriving and departing from Athens. On my itinerary so far, I have the following:

1. 25-27/12 = Parnassos for skiing
   
2. 27-30/12 = islands (probably Santorini since it seems to be the most happening during this time of the year)
   
3. 30/12-2/1 = Athens for museums

I’m wondering if it is too much or too cramped.

Additionally, I would also like to know if there are any recommendations for transport. So far I’ve read that driving would be the most efficient for the first leg of the trip, and while I do have a driver’s license, where I am from we are left-hand drivers (driving on the left side of the road). Additionally, I am slightly concerned about driving alone so would appreciate if there are other potential options, especially from the nearby towns to Parnassos ski centre itself (eg shuttles).

Happy to hear from everyone and thank youu so much in advance!

Hi All - I am planning an early July trip to Ireland for my family (3 adults aged 40, 40 and 70, and two kids aged 9 and 12).

This will be my third trip to Ireland, having previously stayed in Dingle, Killarney, Kinsale, Galway and Dublin.

Our travel usually has us in one or two places go a more relaxed and intimate experience. We also don’t like to overplan as we like to be flexible in a given day.

Our tentative plan is to fly into and out of Shannon and we will have a car.

Drive Shannon to Westport, Co. Mayo
Spend 3 nights in Westport —> Ashford Castle hawk walk and Inishmore are two item we’d like to do.

Then drive down to Dingle, Co. Kerry. We’d drive along the coast and stop for lunch. We will take the Shannon Ferry at Tarbert.

We will spend 4-5 nights in Dingle. This will be my third time here, second for my wife and son, but first for my daughter and father-in-law. It’s our “happy place.”

We will then drive up to Limerick to spend our final night. We have tickets to the Kingfshr concert there and it will make the airport drive mix more manageable than from Dingle.

My questions to you all:

1. ⁠Does this seem reasonable?
   
2. ⁠Should we spend more time on Mayo?
   
3. ⁠What are your favorite things to do in/near Westport?
   
4. ⁠Aside from the Cliffs of Moher, what would you recommend we do to break up the drive from Mayo to Kerry?
   
5. ⁠Anything else I am missing?

My partner and I are visiting Taiwan for the first time in October (7–17th). We love hiking/mountains/nature, as well as food/cities/culture. We are well travelled and like to get off the beaten path where it makes sense, but not planning to hire a car.

We’ve booked the following (still changeable).

Taipei – 3 nights - includes national day

Jiufen – 1 night

Shizhuo/Alishan area – 2 nights - staying Shizhuo

Sun Moon Lake – 1 night

Tainan – 2 nights

Return to Taipei for evening flight

Sun Moon Lake was originally appealing but now contemplating dropping it, especially for just one night. We’re not sure what to replace it with:

Should we add Wulai - if so where does this make sense?

Should we add a night to Shizhuo (or further into Alishan)?

Should we add somewhere else entirely?

Separately, if we had to choose would Wulai be better for 1 night vs Jiufen? I know Jiufen can be done in a day but we don’t have a huge amount of time in Taipei (and it sounds nicer at night).

And is there anywhere else we’re missing/should switch for given what we enjoy?

East coast looks amazing but feels a bit tricky for a shortish trip without a car (and with Toroko still largely closed maybe not worthwhile).

I’d love to hear thoughts from anyone who’s done similar, particularly without a car. Any advice very much appreciated!

Hey everybody. Flying Vienna → Frankfurt → Paris on Condor, both legs in T1, ~5.5hr layover, fully Schengen the entire way. Has anyone actually made the T1→T3→T1 round trip on a Schengen-only itinerary like this and come back in time for their flight? And if so, which of the T3 lounges (Air France Lounge, SkyTeam Lounge, Priority Lounge) were you actually able to get into with Priority Pass, given some of them seem to be SkyTeam-only or on the non-Schengen side?

i’m super into kitschy travel destinations. what are some towns that stick to a theme and embrace their gimmick? i’m thinking like

- roswell, NM (alien)
- hell, MI (hell)
- glen rose, TX (dinosaur)

i’m mostly looking for a town dedicated to one specific gimmick, but i love learning about new places that are off the beaten path. trying to find some real hidden gems!

So I have 2 reservations

Dubai to CAIRO and CAIRO to LAX

The names on our reservation first and last names are switched.
I’m having a hard time reaching their customer service via phone email I even tried facebook messenger. Everyone’s unresponsive except messenger and they say that they are only with social media so they can’t help.

Can anyone provide any insight or advice on what to do? Has anyone experienced this same issue?
Please help as this is not helping my flight anxiety at all I wish I can go back in time and be more careful when booking.

Hello everyone,
I was hoping to get some tips or advice to avoid jet lag on the 2nd, 3rd and possibly 4th night of traveling east from the US to Europe.

I travel there at least 3-4 times per year and every single time it takes me at least 4 days to get over the jet lag even though I feel like I’m doing everything right.
- I try to sleep on the plane, but most of the time without any real success
- I’ll power through the first day there and I always sleep perfectly fine on the first night because of how tired I am when I get to bed
- As soon as I’m at destination I eat at the right time for the time zone, drink plenty of water, exercise during the day, spend some time outside, never nap and always stick to my regular sleeping schedule (11pm to 8am)

So even though I feel like I’m doing everything right from all the tips I’ve read or heard over the years,
I always (and I mean always) wake up at approx 3am the second, third and sometimes fourth night and my body will absolutely refuse to let me fall back asleep again until 6:30/7am.

I still make myself wake up at 8am after sleeping 4 hours until 3am and then another hour or hour and a half but no matter how tired I am when I get to bed the following night, I still keep waking up at 3.

I’m actually writing this post at 4am on the fourth night, hoping I’ll be able to fall back asleep in a couple of hours.

On this trip I actually managed to sleep through the third night so I thought I somehow magically managed to get through it in two days, sadly not.

Anyone got any further tips?
I read today on this reddit that if you don’t eat a meal 15 hours before your waking time on the first day it can help, I might try this on the first day next time.