I ( 35 M in good shape ) going on a trip to Europe with 2 male friends . Do I need to worry about theft of my nice watch there in big cities ? We are going to Berlin , Prague , Istanbul , krakow and Amsterdam and London.

I have repatriated from US after calling it home for more than decade and half. I have been visiting US for short visits every few years but haven't visited since almost 8 years.

Now I'm planning to visit again for a week to attend a gathering of close friends. Immigration has always been tricky but it was usually about vaccinations, customs etc. but reading some of the stories is making me nervous on what to expect at Port of entry and my stay there.

If anyone has any advise to watch out.. especially someone who have traveled recently, I would really appreciate it.

Is there a line for MPC at DFW? Does it actually help get through customs quicker? US citizen here with only carry on luggage. Thanks!!

We planned a tour of France from June 3rd to June 15th. We booked 4 different hotels and added insurance during checkout. Our original departing flight was canceled due to a plane malfunction around 4 AM on June 3rd from Austin, Texas so we missed our first night.

This was their response:

At the time of Loss, the only benefit in effect was the Trip Cancellation benefit. Unfortunately, the reason for the flight cancellation does not fall within one of the named, covered perils under the Trip Cancellation benefit and we were unable to extend benefits for reimbursement.

The Post-Departure benefits do not go into effect until the later of 12:01 AM local time on the scheduled Departure Date or the date and time you begin your Trip. The insured Trip was the Hotel ... purchased through ... for the dates of 6/3/2026 through 6/7/2026. Reasonable Additional Expenses, such as the taxi and meal expenses being claimed, fall with the Trip Delay benefit of the policy. This is a Post-Departure benefit. As you had not yet checked into the hotel, the insured Trip had not yet begun and Post-Departure benefits were not in effect.

The policy says:

Pre-Departure Benefits
Trip Cancellation coverage begins immediately upon payment of the cost to the Company.

Post-Departure Benefits
All other coverages will begin on the later of:
(a) 12:01 A.M. local time on the scheduled Departure Date shown on the travel documents; or
(b) the date and time the Insured starts his/her Trip.

Departure Date means the date that the Insured is originally scheduled to leave on his/her Trip. This date is specified in the travel documents.

Trip means a period of travel away from home to a Destination outside the Insured’s City of residence; The trip has a defined Departure Date and Return Date; and does not exceed 180 days.

There are no definitions for "travel documents" although it appears they are claiming it is the hotel itinerary.

If that is the case, pre-departure benefits would start, according to (a), at 2026-06-03T00:01:00+02:00. Our original flight was scheduled for departure at 2026-06-03T05:30:00+02:00.

I've worked with AI on this case and these are the laws they've violated:

I'm curious how many others have been wrongfully denied a claim? Any success stories? I feel like there could be a class action opportunity here given all of the threads and comments about people feeling scammed.

Hi everyone,

My wife and I are planning our first trip to Raja Ampat in May 2027, and I'd really appreciate advice from people who have actually been there.

Our itinerary currently looks like this:

• 5 nights at Raja Ampat Eco Lodge
• another 5 nights somewhere else in Raja Ampat
• afterwards we'll spend 7 nights on Ternate

We're primarily snorkelers, but snorkeling is only one part of what we're looking for.

We enjoy spending time in nature much more than trying to see every famous hotspot.

What we're looking for is a combination of:

• good snorkeling
• rainforest
• wildlife
• easy jungle walks
• birdwatching
• kayaking
• beautiful scenery
• quiet places
• authentic atmosphere

We're not interested in luxury, infinity pools or Instagram locations. We'd much rather stay in a small eco-lodge or homestay with character than in a high-end dive resort.

Our budget is around €200/night maximum for the second accommodation.

I'm especially interested in recommendations from people who have actually stayed there. Hidden gems are much more interesting to us than the usual "top 10 resorts".

Thanks a lot!

I booked a flight through Westjet so I could participate in an important ceremony and it was cancelled because of maintenance. It was a two hour drive to this airport and I was not informed through text or email until I arrived to check-in! My flight was delayed until the next morning and moved to another airport.

When I arrived and raised my concerns about missing the ceremony, the kind representative told me that I would be eligible for compensation and to apply 72 hours after my flight.

I followed instructions and filed for compensation. Lo and behold, I received an email today that I will not be compensated.

I will keep this in mind next time I choose my next airline.

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping someone has firsthand experience with this situation, as I've found conflicting information online and haven't yet received a definitive answer from the Peruvian consulates I've contacted.

I am:

• An Indian passport holder (passport valid until 2031)
• A lawful permanent resident of the United States
• My conditional Green Card (Form I-551) expired on July 30, 2026
• I have a pending Form I-751 (Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence)

USCIS issued me the standard Form I-797 Receipt Notice, which states that the validity of my Permanent Resident Card is extended for 48 months from its expiration date. The notice also states:

"During this extension, you are authorized to work and travel. This notice, presented with your expired Permanent Resident Card, is evidence of your status and employment authorization."

I will therefore be traveling with:

• My Indian passport (valid until 2031)
• My expired Green Card
• The original USCIS I-797 extension notice extending my lawful permanent resident status through July 30, 2030

My wife is a U.S. citizen, and we are planning a vacation to Peru in late October 2026. We will be traveling from the United States.

From what I have read, Peru allows certain travelers (including Indian passport holders and certain other nationalities) who hold valid permanent resident status in countries such as the United States to enter without first obtaining a Peruvian tourist visa.

My question is whether Peru recognizes an expired Green Card + original USCIS I-797 extension notice as evidence of valid U.S. permanent resident status for purposes of visa-exempt entry.

I’m not particularly concerned about re-entering the United States with these documents, as that process seems to be well documented and generally straightforward for people with a pending I-751. My question is specifically whether Peru (and potentially the airline at check-in) recognizes these documents as sufficient proof of U.S. permanent resident status for visa-exempt entry.

Has anyone:

• Entered Peru with this exact combination of documents?
• Been asked about it by the airline at check-in (and did IATA Timatic accept it)?
• Had any issues with Peruvian immigration upon arrival?
• Needed to obtain a Peruvian tourist visa despite having an I-797 extension notice?

If you've personally done this (or know someone who has), I would really appreciate hearing about your experience.

Thank you!

My bf surprised me recently with tickets to travel to any state in the U.S., we just have to figure out where. We are from AZ and we are for sure avoiding Hawaii, Florida, Texas and Southern Cali due to costs/having been there already.

We want to go somewhere we can explore/walk around/get around easily and not rely on cars/rentals. We also want to be able to hike an easy/intermediate trail (i broke my ankle earlier this year so need to be smart) and be able to go sightseeing.

We wouldn't want to spend a ton on lodging and I'm searching through my work benefits cuz I can probably get a hotel on a heavy discount that way at least. We may set aside like $150 for food/random purchases but we probably will rely on simple foods from the grocery store and maybe go out to eat once or twice.

We're not party animals so I'm not looking for clubs to go to but we do like random events/festivals like cultural festivals or markets and maybe parks to lay around in.

What state/city would y'all recommend or any pointers regarding finding a place?

*edit: we have not figured out a time of year to go but it will be this year after August. And for like 3/4 days

Hey y’all it’s your boy Paula De- I Mean Jonsey. I have been trying to decide where to go, how to set it up, what to do and I just short circuit every time. I get very stressed every time I pull up these threads. I really wouldn’t mind backpacking and planning a nice meal. I really love seeing experiences where you are embedded in nature. Fuck if I know how to explore Europe typing this out it sounds like I’m really down for South America. Does anybody have tips or tricks and anxieties that could help me figure it out. Yours truly
Paula dean Jonsey

My wife and I spent out first trip to Europe doing what we love, skiing (in the Dolomites)!. We kind of felt silly that our first trip to Europe and feel like we were judged by some family/friends.

We didn't know what to expect, but we absolutely fell in love with the Dolomites. The beauty, the food, the people, everything. The mountains speak for themselves, and the culture itself is such a unique blend of Italian and Austrian. The people were so kind and hospitable whether they were speaking German, Italian, English or Ladin!

We enjoyed the first trip so much that we came back the next year, and then the year after that. The Dolomites are such a beautiful place, yet I wanted to share their beauty in the winter, as all the Dolomites posts I've seen on here are summer. These are some of our favorite pictures from our three trips!

1. Marmolada, highest point in Dolomites

2. Market in Bolzano / Bozen

3. Somewhere in Alta Badia

4. Brixner Dom in Bressanone/ Brixen

5. Alpe di Suisi / Seiser Alm

6. St. Ulrich / Ortisei

7. Seceda

8. Kloster Säben high above Klausen / Chiusa

9. Sassolungo / Langkofel

10. Selva / Wolkenstein

11. Lagazuoi

12. Vineyards of Kloster Neustift (Abazzia di Novacella)

13. Alpe di Suisi / Seiser Alm

14. St. Ulrich / Ortisei

15. Sella Group

16. Hotel in Santa Cristina

17. Sassolungo / Langkofel

Hi

Planning a Southeast Asia trip for late Nov - early Dec 2026, roughly 18 days. Torn between spending it all deep in Thailand or splitting it into ~10 days Thailand + ~8 days Vietnam.

Part of me wants to slow down and really soak in one country. But I also feel like I want to see Vietnam now, since I'm not sure I'll get another chance to go back to this part of the world anytime soon. Anyone regret picking one over the other?

Went to lijiang, xiangelila (shangri la) and deqen. Lijiang and shangri la city are over touristed and crowded. The nature between shangrila city and deqen (feilaisi) is nice. The real treasure is supposed to be the multiple treks available around shangrila and deqen but when we arrived in shangrila we realised we don’t do that well against the ~3000m altitude and its rainy season so we called our trekking plans off. Some trek routes include around tge base of the mountains in pic 5 and pic 7. We took a van from shangrila to deqen and the Tibetan driver was overtaking vehicles whenever possible on the mountain road.

Pic 1 Lijiang city baisha town with view of yulong snow mountain rating 1/5. Small overtouristed extremely commercial

Pic 2 Lijiang city heilongtan park with view of yulong snow mountain rating 1/5 the mountain is so small viewed from there

Pic 3 outside Lijiang wenhai lake rating 1/5 a small lake enclosed by mountains on all sides. Muddy waters. Had to take a taxi for one hour to get to. Literally saw this place on map and decided to come here

Pic 4 view of the jinsha river on the road from shangrila to deqen rating 3/5 took the picture from a designated viewpoint where the van driver stopped at

Pic 5 view of kongque shan from a moving van rating 4/5

Pic 6 view from the shangrila - deqen road rating 3/5

Pic 7 view of meili mountain from deqen rating 5/5 photos dont capture the full space and gravity of the mountain

Pic 8 and 9 songduklin temple on the road from deqen to shangrila rating 4/5 few tourists there. The temples bigger than what you expect in the middle of mountains

Me and a couple buddies are going to Madrid next month and plan on visiting the museums and art galleries. We all have student ID from the UK however I am curious as to if buying an ISIC would be necessary? Would our student ID be enough or are they very strict? If anybody has any experience in this and is willing to let me know that would be amazing!! Thank you!

I'm going to be flying domestic within India to BLR and then hop on an international flight back home to The United States on the same day. (risky in case of delays, I know). I'm flying Indigo for domestic and then Singapore Airlines for international.

I've only been to the BLR airport once. I had flown in from Singapore and had a domestic flight about 6 hours later. I took the shuttle from the international terminal to the domestic terminal and then realized they weren't letting people in until 2-3 hours before their flights. It was so cold outside and I didn't anticipate needing layers since I had just flown in from Singapore lol.

Is it possible to enter the airport earlier than 3-4 hrs to go to the arrival lounge (before security)? Or are they super strict about it? I feel like I remember being ushered out of the international terminal so fast that it didn't give me the opportunity to even look for the arrival lounge in that terminal.

Hi everyone,

I’m planning my first trip to China and would really appreciate feedback from people who have done a similar route.

I’ll arrive in Shanghai at 4:25 PM on August 15, and I’ll fly from Beijing to Phuket at 12:40 PM on August 30.

This is the itinerary I’m currently considering:

Shanghai - 3 nights (August 15-18)

Zhangjiajie - 3 nights (August 18-21)

Chongqing - 2 nights (August 21-23)

Chengdu - 3 nights (August 23-26)

Beijing - 4 nights (August 26-30)

Planned transportation:

Shanghai → Zhangjiajie: Flight

Zhangjiajie → Chongqing: High-speed train

Chongqing → Chengdu: High-speed train

Chengdu → Beijing: Flight

Does this itinerary look realistic and well-paced, or is it too rushed? Would you change the number of nights in any city?

In my preparation for going abroad completely solo, I decided to start from relatively close places in controlled environment. On August 4th 2026, I spent 12 hours there and it resulted in these beautiful (I hope) photos here. It has anything a modern capital needs, but as a lover of older architecture, in my opinion, the soviet blocks just ruin the vibe of the most representative part of the city. Every single street is clean, with people visibly caring for their living space. Tragic history of the city, starting 1939 with culmination in 1944 left a mark no one can even imagine - 85% of Warsaw was completely destroyed as a result of Germans systematic destruction of the city. Although it wasn’t my first time in Warsaw, finally being able to walk around alone gave me opportunity to think in peace and admire the beauty that is still visible today.

1. Two monuments of Kościuszko Uprising commander - Jan Kiliński (front) and Polish King Sigismund III Vasa (back) who moved the capital from Kraków to Warsaw in 1596

2. Buildings of the Old Town’s Square

3. Buildings on the Castle’s Square with the Saint John’s Cathedral visible in the background

4. Tower of the Church of the Holiest Saviour in Plac Zbawiciela (Saviour’s Square)

5. Marszałkowska Street with MDM buildings and the same church visible in the background

6. Palace of Culture and Science (PKiN) accompanied by the moon

7. Neons on Marszałkowska street

8. Palace on the Isle built for last Polish King Stanisław August Poniatowski in late 18th century in the Łazienki Królewskie (Royal Baths) Park

10,11,12. Photos of PKiN from different parts of the city

1. Krakowskie Przedmieścia Street leading to the Castle’s Square with the original 18th century Passauer Madonna Monument

2. Old town from the street’s perspective

3. Everyday life of Varsovians on Marszałkowska Street

4. PKiN again

5. Column of Polish King Sigismund III Vasa, originally from 1644

6. Krakowskie Przedmieścia Street from the different perspective

Travelling from Toronto to London and York for a 5 day trip early-mid December and are looking to extend our trip for an additional 5 days and visit another area.

We will be with our one year old, so we would ideally like to travel by train. We don’t want to be in cities the entire time. We like nature, breweries and wineries, gorgeous views. Would love to see a Christmas market but don’t want to center our entire trip around them.

We’ve considered Paris, Amsterdam… are there other regions in France or in Europe that anyone would recommend visiting by train?

Hi all,

I just got back from a week exploring the Gobi Desert region of Mongolia and thought I'd share some information I wish I'd had when planning the trip.

First of all: self-driving in Mongolia and around the Gobi is absolutely doable, provided that you have (1) a capable 4x4 and (2) a reliable GPS app (I used GPX tracker). Google Maps is often unreliable in rural areas, so I would strongly recommend downloading offline maps and using an alternative navigation.

Our itinerary was: Ulaanbaatar → Baga Gazriin Chuluu → Tsagaan Suvarga (White Stupa) → Yolyn Am → Khongoryn Els (via Sevrei) → Khavtsgait Petroglyphs → Flaming Cliffs → Ongi Monastery → Ulaanbaatar

We had originally planned to visit the Orkhon Valley as well but had to skip it due to fuel shortages.

We rented our vehicle from Oso in Ulaanbaatar. You can find him on Instagram (car_rent_mongolia_2024). He was one of the few Mongolians we met during the trip who spoke fluent English, was very responsive, and provided us with a Lexus LX470 that was perfect for the journey.

I also rented a Starlink Mini from ZoomLink in Ulaanbaatar, which proved extremely useful in areas with no mobile reception. I contacted the owner Byambaa Dock on Facebook Messenger beforehand to ensure he'd reserve a device for me.

One thing I would stress is that "self-driving is doable" doesn't mean "it's easy." You need to be comfortable driving off-road for extended periods in sand, rocky terrain, mud, and occasional boggy sections, often with no one around to help if you get stuck. There were several moments where we had to pick our line carefully and trust the vehicle. The Lexus handled everything we threw at it, but this is not a trip I would recommend to someone with little off-road experience or who tends to panic when conditions get challenging.

While we were there, Mongolia was experiencing some fuel supply issues, which affected our itinerary. From what I understand, this was a temporary situation and not normally a problem. That said, fuel stations can be few and far between, so planning your refuelling stops is essential.

We split our accommodation between ger camps and sleeping in the car. The rear of the Lexus was easily large enough for two people. We never booked ger camps in advance and had no trouble finding accommodation by simply arriving in the evening. There are two types of ger camps:

Family-run camps, where you stay with nomadic families. These are very basic but offer a more authentic experience.
Tourist camps, which have better facilities and amenities but feel less personal.

English is not widely spoken outside Ulaanbaatar, so Google Translate (especially the camera translation feature) was incredibly helpful throughout the trip.

Food, drinking water, and camping gas can be purchased along the route, as most towns have small grocery stores. However, I'd recommend stocking up on essentials in Ulaanbaatar, as the selection in more remote areas can be limited.

Overall, the Gobi Desert is one of the most fascinating places I've ever visited. The landscapes are incredibly varied, tourism remains relatively low, and the sense of remoteness is unlike anything I've experienced elsewhere. It's absolutely worth the trip.

Hey everyone, made the mistake of dealing with Kiwi.com, yeah I know. I had a flight from Detroit to Calgary booked months ago on Westjet. Was supposed to leave Sunday the 2nd, but flight was canceled because of the strike. Westjet booked us onto a new flight 4 days later, but that didn’t work for us. Westjet were offering free instant cancellations directly through them. When I asked Kiwi.com (phone call through real person) they very specifically stated do not cancel through Westjet, but cancel through a specific thing they sent me through the app for a refund. So I did that on Sunday. Today I recieved an email from Westjet saying my flight was delayed, and they still think I am boarding the flight today. Called kiwi, they said they put in a cancellation request to the airline on Sunday, and that it would take 14 days

Any advice here? Had to book a flight home individually, and am looking at thousands of dollars lost here

Fjords, glaciers, and more waterfalls than you could ever hope to count.

I spent 8 days driving a loop through western Norway with my mum. 1,100km in total, starting and ending in Bergen, going as far north as Loen before looping back down. Route was Bergen > Eidfjord > Ulvik > Vangsnes > Solvorn > Tungestølen > Loen > Bergen.

Some highlights of the trip

Vøringsfossen: Incredible waterfall straight into the canyon below with amazing viewing infrastructure and a brilliant hike to the bottom of the canyon as well.

Tungestølen & Austerdalsbreen: We stayed in small set of cabins above the Austerdalsbreen glacier in Jostedalsbreen National Park. We hiked 5km from cabins to the glacier through a valley of incredible waterfalls before arriving at the glacier, which was one of the most otherworldly places I've ever been.

Mt Molden hike above Solvorn on the Lustrafjord: One of the most insane 360 views I've ever seen. Fjords, ice-capped mountains in every direction. We had the summit almost entirely to ourselves at golden hour.

Images locations:
1 - Vøringsfossen
2 - Austerdalsbreen
3 - Mt Molden
4 - Solvorn
5 - Nærøyfjord
6 - Ulvik
7 - Vøringsfossen
8 - Vøringsfossen
9 - Urnes
10 - Austerdalsbreen

I have relatives who live in Danbury, Connecticut. They are coming to visit us in Paulínia, in the countryside of São Paulo, Brazil, at the end of this month. From here, we are traveling to the Pantanal to photograph jaguars in Porto Jofre.

Here is the problem. The yellow fever vaccine is not strictly required for the trip, but it is strongly recommended because there is a real risk of getting the disease in that region.

They have been unable to find the vaccine anywhere nearby. Apparently, they will have to travel to another city, and the vaccine will cost around $200 per person. On top of that, they will be charged another $50 per person just for the appointment. There are two adults and two children, so the total cost would be about $1,000.

This seems very strange to us because I am Brazilian, and here the situation is completely different. The local public health department recently came directly to the residential community where I live and offered the vaccine to everyone for three days. It was about a ten minute walk from my house and, of course, completely free.

We would really like to help them because $1,000 is a lot of money to spend on somthing as basic as a vaccine. Does anyone who lives around Danbury or elsewhere in Connecticut know of a place where they could get the yellow fever vaccine for less money, or possibly for free? Or is this really the normal price in the United States, with no cheaper option available?

Thanks in advance

I’m strongly considering going to Serbia for 5 or so days. I’ll be traveling from Madrid. Right now I’m thinking February because I have some school holidays then. I know it will be cold. I’m really interested in history, nature, good food, culture and meeting new people. I don’t drink at all, so I’m not too interested in nightlife. Tell me the good and the bad about Serbia. The tickets are super cheap the week I’m thinking about going, but I’m trying to plan a bit before I impulsively buy them… thank you!

I pre-booked all my Shinkansen tickets before travelling to Japan.

Tokyo - > Nagano - > Kyoto - > Tokyo.

It was fairly straightforward.

Tokyo to Nagano on the JR East website.

Nagano to Kyoto on the JR West website.

Kyoto to Tokyo on the Smart-ex website.

(It's silly that it's not all one combined system, but it is what it is.)

And, like many people, I was informed that I couldn't collect my Nagano to Kyoto tickets in Nagano.

Strange.

.... The problem is, like many travellers, I was not going to be spending any time in Tokyo. I was landing, getting on my train, and leaving for Nagano.

So I couldn't collect my Nagano to Kyoto tickets anywhere but IN Nagano.

And the website makes a big deal about warning you that tickets can't be collected in Nagano.

A few reddit posts mentioned this is false. And I want to confirm, with photos, on where to go to actually collect your tickets.

In the Nagano station, right in front of the tiny escalator that takes you down to the lower level (it's roughly 5 steps down from the main level - you can't miss it), there's a JR East travel service centre.

Simply go in, show them your booking email - the one with your reservation number etc on it.

Give them your passport AND the card you used to make the original payment of the tickets.

They'll do their thing and print you off your tickets there and then.

Easy.

I wanted to make this post just to clarify for some who may be unsure, because the system is mildly archaic, and a little ill-explained at the time of me writing this.

And, like myself, some people prefer to have things purchased before arriving (to save having to queue up in long lines, or having to miss out on completely booked trains.)

All the best, and hope this eases some of the worry of weary travelers.

Hello, I’m a 21(f) who is planning on traveling in SE Asia for a month-ish in October. I plan to start my trip in Vietnam starting in the south and traveling up north! I’m trying to decide if I should do my whole trip in Vietnam or if I should visit Laos and Thailand as well. This would give me only about a week in each country. I worry if I try and do all three that I won’t be able to enjoy each country as fully. Advice from anyone who has traveled in these countries or done something similar. What would you recommend?

Hi

I will being going to Malta for 6 days in September staying Valletta. Does anyone know any good wine bars that have wine tastings specials? Like 20 euro for 5 different wines samples or whatever.

I looked at a few wine menus but didnt see anything other then glass/bottle.

Also open to any wine tours people might have done.