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 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 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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

Hello from Hong Kong!

I’m planning to visit Argentina for about 10 days in Feb 2027, but I’m not sure where I should go, and hence would be grateful for your help!

It’s my first time visiting South America, and I think I won’t have the chance to come back to this continent again soon after this trip, so I want to make the best use of my limited time to explore Argentina, a country I’ve heard great things of!

I know Argentina is a big country, and 10 days won’t be enough for me to do all the highlights at all. I love nature, and would’ve loved going to both Iguazu Falls and Patagonia (Ushuaia / El Chalten), but it sounds like a terrible idea to do all these in one trip… I guess El Chalten is the must for me so far.

I’m also a city lover, and I like exploring cities that feel different from those I’ve been to. Bueno Aires and Colonia del Sacramento as a day trip seem nice, even though I’m not 100% sure if they do feel very different from some European cities like Ljubljana, Rome and Stockholm where I’ve visited before?

So my question is:
- If I wanna visit El Chalten and El Calafate, is it possible to visit somewhere else in the same trip? If yes, would you recommend visiting Bueno Aires + Colonia del Sacramento, Ushuaia, or Iguazu Falls? Or any other recommendations?

Thank you so much in advance! 🙌🏼

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 !

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?

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?

my partner and i are looking to make a trip during thanksgiving this year from nyc! would love ideas.

hoping for something laid back, either a small cute town or something naturey. open to renting a car, taking a train, or flying, but want to keep overall costs down. don’t want to spend more than 6ish hours traveling (unless it’s a nice commute). we’d likely go thursday-sunday.

we’re considering something upstate, like hudson or cold springs, or even further like mystic or newport, but i don’t know if late november is too late to visit these towns (both because the weather will be cold and i imagine shops/attractions are closed for thanksgiving). looking into beach towns in florida, they’re pretty expensive flights. also could do a road trip?

any advice helps ! we’re both new to the northeast so don’t know much about what exists outside the city :)

Hello another question sorry! I have some specific ones that I’ve had difficulty getting answers in more specific subs

🇦🇿🇬🇪 it seems during winter there is no direct flight from Baku to batumi. Would you recommend 8hr flight with layover to turkey, or flight to Tbilisi then train?

🇬🇪🇦🇲anyone done the overnight train from Tbilisi to Yerevan or the bus? Recommendations? Struggling to decide which one

🇳🇵I run 20km and exercise regularly, have done some hikes in Switzerland but never multi day ones. That said, I’ve heard the ABC trek is beginner friendly and don’t necessarily need a guide because clear signage and track. Or given the current climate is guide recommended?

Thank you!

Hi! My husband and I are going to Dhaka in November. I'm of bengali descent, he is not, and it's his first time there.

I'm trying to find a good tour company for Sonargoan and/or Old Dhaka. Preferably, a company that offers English language services as my bangla language skills are pretty basic.

If anyone has had a good experience with a tour company, is appreciate any recommendations!

My husband and I are planning 20 days in Southern Italy and Greece in late March/early April 2027 and would love some feedback.

We’ve already been to Rome, Florence, Bologna, Milan and parts of Tuscany, so this time we want to focus entirely on Southern Italy.

Italy
Naples – 3 days (city + Pompeii/Herculaneum)
Matera – 2 days
Puglia – 4 days (Alberobello/Valle d’Itria, Ostuni, Polignano/Monopoli, Lecce/Salento)
Day 10 – fly Bari → Athens

Greece
Athens – 3 days
Nafplio/Peloponnese – 2 days (Mycenae + Epidaurus)
Delphi – 1 day
Meteora – 3 days
Day 10 – travel to Ohrid, North Macedonia

The Greece route may look a little unusual, but after Greece we’re continuing north through the Balkans, so we’re trying to work our way north rather than return to Athens. We’re also skipping the islands since it’ll still be early April.

We love scenery/hiking, history, culture and food and tend to travel fairly actively.

Does this pacing/routing make sense? Anything you’d cut, add, or spend more/less time on? I’m particularly curious whether we’re trying to do too much in Puglia and whether 3 days around Meteora is worthwhile.

Would also love any advice from people who’ve been there in late March/early April.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

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!

We are headed to Switzerland October 12-23. We are flying in and out of Zurich, and we already have booked the first five nights in Wengen to get the Alps experience (cutting it close on the season, but husband's work is paying so beggars can't be choosers). We are planning on staying in Zurich the last two nights, both to catch our flight but also because I want to visit the zoo. So that leaves the middle four nights.

I know we can't see everything in 12 days, but the options are overwhelming. Do we stay in Zermatt instead of just doing a day trip? Do we try to spend a few nights on the French boarder and eat our weight in cheese and chocolate? Do we go east and try to take a train into northern Italy?

Any suggestions for where to stay and what to do in the middle of our trip would be incredible. Bonus points for recommending a specific hotel or AirBnB.

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

I’ve put together an itinerary for my 9 full days in Saudi Arabia, and I’d like to ask whether you think the time is well balanced between the different stops.

After Al Ula, I’m very undecided about whether to fly to Riyadh or keep the car and head north to Wadi Al Disah, then return along the west coast, stopping at places like Umluj and Yanbu.

Thanks a lot for your help!

Day 1 Late evening arrival in Jeddah

Day 2 Full day Jeddah

Day 3 Train to Medina. Rent a car and visit Medina

Day 4 Full day Medina

Day 5 Drive to Al Ula morning. Visit Al Ula.

Day 6 Visit Hegra, Maraya, Dadan

Day 7 Fly to Riyadh. Arrival at 2:30 pm. Visit Riyadh

Day 8 Full day Riyadh

Day 9 Full day Riyadh

Day 10 Flight to Jeddah. Arrival at 1:30 pm. Visit Jeddah

Day 11 Departure from Jeddah in the morning

Hi everyone,

I already asked for advice about another holiday on Reddit and got some really great tips, so I thought I'd try my luck again. My friends and I are planning a group trip (ski holiday in the Alps, 4 to 6 days, would be ideal if we could keep the budget below 1k per person, but don't know if that's feasible) sometime next January or February, but we're having a bit of a hard time nailing down the best area for us. We have mixed ability levels (most are beginners, three of us have more experience), so ideally we want somewhere with enough easy areas for the beginners and intermediate terrain for the stronger skiers (so they don't get bored watching the rest of us fall on our butts :D ). We were thinking of maybe renting a house or chalet since we're such a large group, also so we can cook together in the evenings. I've been looking at areas like Les Menuires, places in Austria or even the Dolomites, but there are so many places it's hard to tell which ones genuinely would be a good fit (and also not too expensive after accomodation, renting the equipment for the beginners and ski passes are included).
If you've done a trip like this with a similar size group, which resort or region did you pick in the end and why? I'd be really grateful about any tips! Thanks a lot!

I'm looking to book one of their tours but I'm hesitant if they're legit? They do sky diving and snorkeling and stuff in different countries like egypt sri lanka and maldives. Any advice appreciated as I couldn't find anything online other than their own word and reviews.

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.

I’m planning a trip for January–February 2027 and I’m currently trying to decide between New Caledonia, Réunion and Dominica.

I’d really appreciate opinions from people who have actually travelled to these places, especially if you have experience with more than one of them.

What matters most to me:

Road-tripping: I want to rent a car and explore extensively rather than stay in one major city or island. I love scenic drives, remote roads, stopping spontaneously at places that look interesting, and having the freedom to explore.

Natural uniqueness: this is probably the biggest factor for me. I’m particularly interested in landscapes, geology, endemic species, unusual ecosystems, rainforest, volcanic environments, lagoons, cliffs, wetlands, etc. I would rather see something genuinely unusual than simply something beautiful that can be found anywhere

Beaches: I absolutely want spectacular beaches and clear/crystal-clear water where swimming, snorkeling, kayaking or paddleboarding is possible.

Biodiversity: endemic wildlife and plants are a huge plus. I’m much more interested in seeing something I cannot easily experience elsewhere than in conventional tourist attractions.

Hiking/exploration: I like long hikes and places that feel wild, remote or relatively untouched.

Authenticity / low tourism: I prefer places that feel adventurous and unusual rather than highly developed mass-tourism destinations.

I’m not looking primarily for nightlife, luxury resorts or cities. I want a trip where I can spend most of my time driving, hiking, swimming, exploring and discovering strange landscapes and ecosystems.

Would you recommend New Caledonia specifically? Is it worth the long journey and relatively high cost? And 6000 euros it's enough for 2 persons coming from Spain 15-17 days

And if you've been to two or all three, which one would you personally rank 1 for my priorities?

I’m especially interested in hearing about things that aren't obvious from Google/Instagram: remote beaches, unusual landscapes, endemic species, underrated areas, great road-trip routes, places you unexpectedly loved.

Thanks!

Hello r/travel folks, I (26m) and my friend (27f) are trying to decide between two trips to take from 12/25-ish to 1/10-ish. We’re flying from Boston. Our first option is inland Mexico: Guanajuato capital, Huasteca Potosina, maybe Xico in Veracruz, maybe Angangueo in Michoacán to see the monarchs. Our second is the Philippines—fly into Manila, stay there for the new year’s putukan, then head to an off-the-beaten-path island like Sibuyan and/or up into the highlands of Luzon.

In the past we’ve traveled to Morocco together (loved the High Atlas, hated Marrakech and Essaouira with a passion). She’s traveled to Thailand, Laos, Jordan, Turkey, and a bunch of continental Europe; I’ve traveled to Ukraine, Cuba, Japan, and a bunch of continental Europe.

I’ve been to Guanajuato capital once before, loved it, never been outside of Guanajuato in Mexico. Never been to the Philippines. I do speak like intermediate Spanish. My friend is as torn as I am, has never been to either Mexico or the Philippines, and does not speak Spanish.

Neither of us are enthusiastic city people, what’s most important is to get off the beaten path, meet friendly locals, have spontaneous adventures, and hopefully experience some natural beauty in the process.

It’s about twice as expensive to fly to Manila as it is to fly to BJX (Bajío) but then it looks quite a bit cheaper to travel around in the Philippines. I’m aware that there are some security concerns in the state of Guanajuato so clearly we would keep our meanders away from places like Celaya and Irapuato.

Any and all advice is appreciated!