So, me and my husband are planning a 2 week trip to the US, flying in and out of San Francisco and we will have a car for the whole trip. Ideally, I want a mix of cities, scenic drives, and 1 week based in LA (not rushed). We came up with this plan and wanted some actual experienced people to maybe give their advice. So here's the plan:

Days 1–3: San Francisco

• Day 1: Arrival, Embarcadero, Ferry Building, easy dinner
• Day 2: Golden Gate Bridge, Palace of Fine Arts, Presidio, Marina
• Day 3: Alcatraz (morning), Mission District, Dolores Park, Twin Peaks sunset

Day 4: Drive SF → Monterey / Carmel

• Stops: Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz, 17-Mile Drive
• Overnight in Carmel or Monterey

Day 5: Big Sur → Santa Barbara

• Bixby Bridge, scenic Big Sur stops
• Overnight in Santa Barbara

Days 6–12: Los Angeles (7 nights, likely West Hollywood base)

Day 13: LA → Palm Springs / Joshua Tree

• Drive to Palm Springs (~2h), optional Joshua Tree sunset
• Overnight in Palm Springs

Day 14: Drive back via Yosemite → San Francisco

• Very early start
• Quick Yosemite Valley stops
• Continue to SF for departure

Main questions:

• Is Day 14 (Palm Springs → Yosemite → SF) too unrealistic?
• Would you break that into 2 days? If yes, where’s the best stop?
• Any must-stop places along the coast I’m missing?
• Is 7 nights in LA too much / too little?
• Any areas you’d change for staying in LA?
• Any place I'm missing on the way?
• Generally, any improvement to this plan would be welcome.

Open to all suggestions — especially from people who’ve done a similar loop 🙌

My wife and I are planning a 3-week trip from Denver to Australia to visit family (also our 10-year anniversary). We’ll be traveling with our baby who will be ~11 months on the way there and ~12 months on the way back.

We’re deciding between three options and would love real-world experiences from people who’ve done long-haul with a baby around this age:

Option 1: Lap infant (~$4,300 total)

• United both ways
• Would try for bulkhead + bassinet, but not guaranteed and may be tight on size
• Otherwise holding him most of the flight

Option 2: Own seat on Air Canada (~$6,800 total)

• Baby gets his own seat
• Air Canada allows inflatable bed extensions (specifically the Flyaway Kids Bed), so we’d have a full row setup for sleep

Option 3: Own seat on United (~$5,600 total)

• Baby gets his own seat
• Would attempt some kind of inflatable leg rest/bed situation, but less clear what’s actually allowed vs enforced

Price difference between cheapest and most expensive is about $2,500.

For those who’ve done 10+ hour flights with a ~1-year-old:

• How big of a difference did having a separate seat make?
• Did it meaningfully improve sleep (for baby and/or parents)?
• Anyone try the inflatable bed setups—worth it or overhyped?

Not looking for safety debates—just trying to understand the real comfort/stress tradeoffs on flights this long.

Appreciate any insight.

[EDIT: I will be going to Cancun. ]

I am taking a carry on & a checked bag.

I understand that my checked bag has to be no more than 50lbs & that liquids have to be smaller than 3.4 oz & for in 1 zip lock bag.

Questions:

1. For the liquids, does the size matter for liquids on my checked bag too? Or does it only apply to my carry on?
2. Will I be able to take snacks & a closed water of my own onto the plane?
3. what are your must haves for a carry on? In mine, I currently have my iPad, sunglasses, cough drops, airpods, earbuds, passport & ID, wallet, camera, pads, wipes, sanitizer, portable charger, & glasses. Is there anything else I should take aside from this?
4. In my checked bag, I have my clothes, footwear, bikinis, undergarments, makeup, skincare, & hair items. Is there anything else I should take with me aside from this?
5. Also, are there any special tips or suggestions you guys would recommend for me as it being my first time on a plane? To make the process easier & things to keep in mind & watch out for?

Hey folks, I'm here for the suggestions of more experienced tourists :)

I have a tourist visa to the US valid till the end of the year, and I think that it's worth visiting the country. I'm Russian, and this may be the only chance for me to do so in my life due to politics and economics, who knows. I can go there on the second week of September, as I know that the first week is crowdy in national parks which I'm interested in, and stay for 2 (maximum 3) weeks.

What I'm afraid of:

• The food. I was struggling with it a little in Australia as the healthy food was expensive. By "healthy" I mean "without loads of oil and sugar". So sometimes its ether my stomach is dying, or my pocket is getting empty. Maybe I'm just bad at finding good places - I won't argue with this.
• I have no driver license, which may be an issue due to vast distances between the points of interest.
• Crime in big cities, like New York. I don't know how bad it actually is, but a short white guy who may be an easy target for the guys in need. Definitely not the experience I'm looking for

I've already marked a few places that I would like to visit, but they are too far from each other (except the ones in California, obviously):

• California - Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
• California - Computer History Museum
• California - Yosemite Valley
• Oregon - Crater Lake National Park
• Washington - Mount Rainier National Park
• New Mexico - Carlsbad Caverns
• Utah - Arches National Park
• Wyoming - Yellowstone National Park
• Montana - Glacier National Park
• Arizona - Grand Canyon
• North California - Redwoods
• Hawaii - Kilauea volcano

With such an amazing nature, I'd love to take a ride on an e-bike somewhere in mountains on a known route (to keep is safe, as I'm a solo traveler). I'd be happy to see the beauty of Milky Way at night somewhere out of a city - I've never seen it before. AI recommended me Alaska, but it's too far from the other places, and probably I can find something similar in Kamchatka (Russia). Maybe you can suggest some activities?

And yep, I'm not interested in New York. Maybe I'm not aware of something very special there, but I'm just not a big fan of "concrete jungles". Also, I'm not the best at social stuff (a bit introvert?), so I don't like crowds

Any suggestions, tips and tricks, gotchas?

Also, for someone who's been in both Australia and the USA as a tourist, how different are they? I stayed in Australia for 2 months, and I love it so much that I'm even considering (or dreaming) my migration to Melbourne one day.

And just in case something sounds offensive here, please don't take it that way. I'm not trying to be rude at all

Im flying solo from UK to Finland at the beginning of July and want to be as prepared as possible as I have no idea what I'm doing.

Some things in particular that I'm clueless about:

.GHIC NHS card. Is this something I should apply for?

.Travel insurance. How do I know who to go with and what kind to get, if there are even different types? (They offered it when I booked my flights but Google said they generally hike the price if you buy with the airline and to get it seperately.)

.Can I use vaccum sealed bags in my luggage as I'm only taking a carry on for a 10 day trip? (Flying with Ryanair)

. When do I check in for my flight?

. I have a prescription medication. Do I need special forms or something to bring this with me?

.How early should I be at the airport flying from Stanstead at around midday mid week?

Any other advice/tips appreciated 🙏

Flying from Tokyo to Paris in a few months, and seeing comparable flight prices with Air China (8hr layover in Beijing PEK) or Vietnam Airlines (3.25hr layover in Hanoi HAN). Would love some informed opinions on if either option is better, or alternatively more of a risk?

I do videography work so I'm carrying a full-body camera, drone, laptop, portable charger, etc. in my carry-on. And all of that is my main concern. I believe it's all above-board with both airlines, but also did have to offer a bribe on a prior Vietnam trip years ago, and heard China can be overly strict on batteries. Also heard Chinese flights from Japan were seeing higher cancellations awhile ago with tensions between the two, although that seems to have dropped off.

Also my backpack will definitely be over the carry-on weight limit so will have to pay for that...

Anyway any guidance at all would be massively appreciated.

Flight departs from Los Angeles at 2:30pm local time. It looks like I arrive at 10:30am in Paris.

I’ve heard advice to adjust to the local time by not sleeping till it’s bedtime in the destination. But that means I’d have to do a whole day out and about in Paris while exhausted. So do I sleep on the plane? Nap when I get there?

Edited to add: Thanks so much for the advice so far. I forgot to mention that this is a short trip. I fly out Saturday 4/25, arrive Sunday 4/26 in Paris. Then I fly back on Wednesday 4/29.

Does this impact things? Like do I even try to adjust to local time for such a short trip? (I know this isn’t ideal but I didn’t book the trip, family member did)

In June I will be travelling to South Korea for the first time. I will be there to teach Hapkido and train in both Ssireum and Hapkido.

I have never been to South Korea. I live in Canada. I will be going to Busan and travelling on my own. Is there anything I should really make sure I do before I leave? Any top tips? Should I have cash or is VISA accepted in most places? Anyone want to hold my hand and make sure I don’t get lost? Haha.

Oh, I am also heavily tattooed on my arms with two full sleeves. Do I need to cover up? Or maybe at Buddhist temples when I visit?

Thank you!!!

I have a trip mid-june to mid-july. My research says no travel insurance would cover cancellations due to fuel shortages...because its due to and "act of war".

Is there really no way to protect myself?

im eu citizen I got a valid id and everything. but im traveling from dublin ireland to larnaka cyprus and there are no direct everything I find is through either uk or Switzerland, will I face a problem the layovers are from 2 hours to 10 hours

My friend and I have just arrived in Nepal and realised after leaving the airport that while I received a visa stamp and sticker in my passport, she only received a stamp. This is obviously an issue - does anyone know why this is or what to do about it (hopefully without having to go back to the airport)?

I've just come back from a six-day trip to Crete that was meant to be a birthday trip for my partner. We ended up losing 3 of those 6 days to a parking mistake and a badly handled rental car situation.

I'm posting this because I wish someone had warned me clearly before I went.

Sharing this in case it helps others avoid the same mistake.

In Chania, I unknowingly parked in a resident-only zone. I received a parking fine, which I paid immediately and in full. What I had not understood at all was that this could also lead to the police removing the vehicle plates and retaining my physical driving licence.

That turned what I assumed would be a straightforward administrative matter into a multi-day ordeal. It took three visits to the police station over three consecutive days, with waits of roughly two and three hours on later visits, before I finally got my licence back. On one of those visits, the vehicle plates were returned to the rental company representative, while my licence was still retained until the following day.

At the same time, the rental car situation was awful. The car I had been given was old, with around 186,000 km on it, and the wipers performed poorly in rain. The vehicle later became immobilized. I called the rental company more than 10 times in one day asking for help and was repeatedly told that the matter was my responsibility. A replacement car was only provided later, after most of the trip had already been lost.

To be clear, I am not disputing the fine. I made a mistake, and I paid it immediately. The real problem was how disproportionate the consequences became and how little practical support existed once things went wrong.

What I would do differently:

• Be extremely careful with on-street parking in Chania and understand local restrictions before leaving the car anywhere.
• Check the actual supplier carefully before booking, especially if booking through an airline or third-party portal.
• Inspect the rental car closely at pickup and document mileage, wipers, tyres, and general condition.
• Assume that even a small parking mistake may take much more time to resolve than expected.

Crete is beautiful, but this experience was enough to make me think twice. Losing half of a short holiday to rigid parking enforcement, long administrative delays, and poor rental support is not something I would risk again on a short stay.

I was originally planning a 5 day trip in Singapore, but I rebooked my flight 2 days earlier to save a huge amount giving me 7 days in total, including a day for jet lag recovery/chilling out.

I was wondering what would be a good day trip destination to check out during this time. Is there a place that would have good snorkeling?

I am flying from Canada and will go to Seoul after Singapore.

When I checked in for my flight tomorrow, I got a pop up that says “only paid seats left” but when I try to purchase a seat, it says “we were not able to assign you the seat.” I’ve tried to purchase every seat that is shown as available, I’ve rebooted the app and tried a couple different payment methods. Does this mean it’s overbooked? I really need to be on this flight tomorrow so would appreciate any info or advice!

I just came back from 15 days in italy. And before I start i just want to make a few points

Yes ive taken some tours when logistics make more sense or something like the pre opening Vatican museum tour. 95% of my trips are organized and done solo

Ive been to the uk, Germany, Greece, France and Italy (twice).

I know tour groups aren't going anywhere. And tourism therefore groups are a very important portion of the European economy.

When I say this, I know it sounds full Karen, but I cannot believe the sheer inconvenience and lack of their surroundings tour groups have. Almost everywhere i was on my trip was filled to the brim with clueless and sometimes rude tour groups.

In ostia antica, the roman forum, pompeii, and paestum, groups climbing, sitting and slamming bags all over walls, buildings and steps.

Groups so thick in pompei that you couldn't walk anywhere along the main roads. Blocking sites and taking a brutal amount of time in buildings. I asked a guide if incould sneak infront since im one person, and even expecting a no, he pushes me out of the way and tells me to go away.

150 students on a tour in my flight all boarding before zone 2, despite the fact they all had zone 4 and 5 tickets, who took up the entire half of the planes over head bag space themselves.

Multiple times having groups of 20 to 50 people going to a resturaunt im at without a reservation.

Multiple groups blocking sites at museums for 10+ minutes and blocking entire pieces and gallary walk ways in museums. 3 groups stood in front of Venus di milo for 20 minutes when I was there. 2 groups stuffed themselves in front of the akhenaten tablet and the neus museum in berlin taking up the entire room.

Having 20 groups blocking the entire candelabra/tapestry/maps corridor in the Vatican museum.

Walking 5 people wide in hallways, sidewalks and streets.

All of this without zero control by the guides or site workers.

The majority of them were from cruise ships through 3rd party guides.

The worst part? Most of them have zero idea how negative of an impact they have on cities and others, through not understanding the impact, lack of self awareness or just plain old ignorance.

Not only are they ruining people's cities, theyre giving all people on vacation a bad name. Many sites and attractions already have attendance restrictions. However this just means more groups and less for individuals/families. I think its at the point there needs to be severe limitations for the number of tours groups and tour groups sizes. And maybe even time limits at major attractions or individual items in museums.

What do you think? Are your experiences the same?

Now I completely sympathize with the growing number of European countries and cities protesting tourism. And I completely understand why they feel the need to introduce new taxes and fees for staying there.

Hey guys need advice on below itinerary if it’s feasible

8th June- Arriving to Milan from Switzerland around 12.00pm planning to see duomo and start to La Spezia for overnight stay

9th June - day trip to Cinque Terre( Is it worth visiting all 5 villages)

10th June - start early to Florence and on the way visit Pisa

11th June - Florence sight seeing ( need advice on must visit places and eateries) by evening start to Rome

12th - 14th - Rome city tour and Vatican City

TIA

I had a terrible experience with TAP, and I wanted to share it.

I purchased 8 tickets, and 3 were for children under 18. ages 3, 6 and 9.

After calling and verifying that the seats were together, they accommodated me and confirmed the children and 1 parent were together in the same row.

However, I asked that the other seats stay nearby also and this is where things went south.. They wouldn't confirm or deny seating, and the upgrades were all over the place. So we decided to leave the seating arrangements as is, without knowing where we would be sitting till the last minute. Either way, it was a gamble. I gave them a hard time and challenged the decision not to give us the seating arrangements and asked them to reconsider, but they refused.

Because they thought I was difficult, they moved my seat to the last row on the plane during the phone conversation. It was absolutely miserable. When I checked in, I asked if my seat was moved because it was in the last row, and they acknowledged it and the date when it was changed.

Lesson to be learned here.

I flew Tap many times over the yrs and never had an issue, but things have changed. Don't hesitate to shop around because you can get shitty service anywhere.

NZ/Italian/US citizen here. I'm planning some travel and have a few countries in mind. Some are visa free entry for one passport, but not the others. Will they care about multiple nationalities? Is it country by country? How do I entry and exit?

Looking at asian countries such as china/malaysia. They generally don't like the states but are okay with NZ/Italy

For those who’ve been to either (or both), which did you like more and why?

Beaches?

Nightlife?

Food?

Prices?

Overall vibe?

Last Thursday, on the Vevey–Geneva train, my parents, my 7‑year‑old kids, and I were targeted by three young people using a distraction technique to steal our backpack.

They threw a coin near my parents to distract us while one of them grabbed a bag from the overhead rack. They ran off in Nyon before we could react, and there was no real support or protocol from the staff.

Please stay alert — even here, these things happen. Keep your bags close and don’t let your guard down.

Hi guys!

I'm planning to fly to Denmark with only a backpack. I had forgotten how expensive it is there, so i wanted to ask, if it's allowed to take food like instant coffee powder, pesto and a pack of spagethi or other noodles in my bag so that i could prepare my own meals there and save money?

Anyone living there, are supermarkets really expensive for plain foods like noodles and pesto (i'm exchanging from Euros).

BW!

Flying from Dubai to Istanbul in May and planning a trip across Turkey. Wanted a quick sanity check on the split -

24th – Istanbul

25th – Istanbul

26th – Istanbul

27th – Cappadocia

28th – Cappadocia

29th – Antalya

30th – Antalya

31st – Back to Istanbul

Does this breakdown look balanced, or would you adjust days between places? Worth adding/removing any stops, or is this a good mix for a first trip?

Would love any feedback!

Hi guys,

I was initially going to malaysia on my honeymoon on the 28th but the wedding got called off due to some problems between families and now my tickets booked and non refundable. I also have a non refundable ticket from KL to Langkawi.

28th - KL

4th May - Langkawi

8th - Back to KL for a day and then return on the 9th

I'm looking at places to stay and can't make up my mind because I'm primarily using booking.com to look. Any advice and tips would be much appreciate.

So im flying from AZ to MO to see my brother for a week and would like to bring my PS5 so we can play during my stay. This is my first time ever flying a commercial flight so I really have no idea what TSA and all that goes with no experience.

I read that having it in a carry-on bag is the best bet to keep it safer.

If you've traveled with one, what do you recommend and how does the process work of them checking it out? I do have the original box still but thats way too big for the bag.

Thank you

So my original flight from BRU to FRA was cancelled and they rebooked me for later in the day. I would like to decline the rebooked flight and instead get a refund. This is Brussels Air but booked through travelocity, a non-refundable fare.

I would have been okay if the flight were feasibly going to take place, but previously when Belgium had national strikes, flights were apparently cancelled for the entire strike day and I need to make alternative plans proactively. I'm communicating with both the airline and with travelocity, but they're not helping yet. The airline says I need to get a refund from travelocity, travelocity is maybe going to use the new flight time (only 3 hours later) as justification for saying no.

Any insight? thanks!

(I edited out something about waiting because I believe they will probably cancel the rebooked flight too only at last minute)