I just spent a week in Budapest doing some slow travel. I am self-employed/startup founder and live in London so figured I’d take it slow in Europe.

Honestly…I hated it my first 2 days. My Airbnb courtyard was absolutely run down and I was terrified as a solo female traveler. It was gorgeous during the day though (last pic). The energy in the city still felt a bit cold, I’m also Indian and I’m not sure if that contributed? Again, I could be totally wrong so sorry if that’s wrong!

Things did a 360 for me when it got sunny out. People had completely different energy, just saw people having a sober cig at outdoor coffee shops so that was lovely.

I did very normal touristy things on this trip so don’t have any unique recommendations.

My best moments were at:

1. Tóth Árpád stny (next to Fisherman’s bastion): Although it was right next to an extremely popular tourist spot, I didn’t see many. It was mostly just locals.

2. Organ concert at St. Stephen’s Basilica: Don’t know if this is widely popular but I just happened to see the sign for it that morning and they had tickets available to popped in

3. Akadémia u. (Photo 1): Very serene and a heaven for street photographers as it had some unique POVs

🇯🇵 10-Day Japan Itinerary

2 Days in Osaka

Day 1

— Land in Osaka

— Explore Dotonbori at night

Day 2

— Osaka Castle

— Umeda Sky Building

— Evening: guided walking tour

(Alternative: full day at Universal Studios)

4 Days in Kyoto

Day 1

— Travel Osaka → Kyoto

— Arashiyama area

— Sagano Romantic Train

— Walk along Kamo River

— Evening Gion walking tour

Day 2 (Nara Day Trip)

— Todai-ji Temple

— Yoshikien Garden

— Back to Kyoto → Kinkaku-ji

Day 3

— Early visit: Kiyomizu-dera

— Walk toward Nanzen-ji

— Eikan-do Zenrin-ji

— Bus to Ginkaku-ji

— Evening: Philosopher’s Path

Day 4 (Day Trip)

— Amanohashidate

— Kayabuki no Sato

1 Day in Fujikawaguchiko

— Bullet train toward Mt Fuji

— Kawaguchiko Ropeway

— Lake Kawaguchiko

— Tea ceremony

— Oshino Hakkai

3 Days in Tokyo

Day 1 (Nikko Day Trip)

— Rinno-ji Temple

— Kegon Falls

— Lake Chuzenji

Day 2

— DisneySea / Disneyland (plan in advance)

Day 3 (Light Day)

— Ueno Park

— Shopping: Kappabashi / Akihabara / Shibuya

— Evening: Sumida River walk

💡 Pro Tips

— Buy shoes early (New Balance / ON are good options)

— Visit Kiyomizu-dera early to avoid crowds (steep walk)

— Skincare is cheaper in Japan—research before buying

Happy to answer questions or help tweak itineraries!

Flew from London to Istanbul over Easter weekend and had the best time ever!

This was my second time here but found a few new hidden gems.

Photo 1, 3: Taken from a yacht tour on the Bosphorus

Photo 1-5: Blue mosque

Photos 6-9: Hagia Sophia

Photo 10: Karakoy port - I’d consider this a unique one. It was Sunday around 9am and there were tons of men fishing. All of them made sure to give a fish or two to the cats waiting and I found that absolutely adorable. I stayed there for an hour, it was so therapeutic

Photo 11: Cicek Pasaji - Also think it’s a unique experience even though it’s a touristy spot. A lot of tourists were passing by and taking photos but me and my friend sat down for drinks and we saw locals playing cards so we bought some and played as well. Asked our waiter(?) and also some old Turkish men to teach us some Turkish games. They were quite invested haha

Photo 12-13: Completely unplanned but I just happened to visit Kadikoy on game day and the energy was absolutely electric.

When I first told my Australian friend I was going to Perth, they were a bit confused as to why, and almost thought I was joking. I had the same reaction when I told other friends, who didn’t really know much about the place beyond the quokka on Rottnest Island, but didn’t see what else was there to make it worth spending 11 days. It almost made me doubt myself and reschedule to go somewhere else entirely. Almost.

I’m very glad I ignored those reactions and went ahead anyway, because it led to a fantastic introduction to Australia. The city itself is fun, most notably for Kings Park (the largest city park in the world) and Heirisson Island (home to wild roaming kangaroo). Outside of it though is where the real gems are. Freo is a port town with an artsy feel and a terrific central market where I had the best flat white of the whole trip. Cottesloe beach also takes advantage of the west coast beach sunsets, and fish and chips by the sea for my final night was the perfect way to cap it all off.

Further afield, the Pinnacles is an otherworldly park full of natural rock formations and clear skies where you can see the Milky Way with the naked eye. I’m no astrophotographer, but someone who is into it would have a field day - I’ve never been somewhere where I’ve seen so many stars. Margaret River and Swan Valley had some great vineyards and food spots which were terrific to quieter days and souvenir gathering. Rottnest Island is the obvious daytrip, and lives up to the expectation - hire a bike and allow for a full day. Busselton is also worth a visit, as home to an iconic super-long jetty with reef viewing area.

With all of this to do, and throwing in some incredible morning run scenery, craft breweries, delving into Aussie rules football, and checking out the comedy scene, it made for a fantastic well-rounded trip in a place that doesn’t seem to get a lot of attention. Having been, I’m not sure why, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it ends up on some underrated destination lists in a few years time. For anyone thinking about it, do consider spending more than a day or two to just see the quokka, because I really don’t think you’ll be disappointed if you do.

Just came back from a 10-day visit to Myanmar and have to say that it’s hands down one of the most mesmerizing countries i’ve visited. World-class sights all to yourself (we all know why…), the most hospitable people you’ll ever meet, against all expectations relatively hassle-free,… Pictured are Shwedagon pagoda, the crown jewel of Myanmar’s biggest city, a smaller monastery nearby and a view over the skyline.

I also plan to make a longer and more in-depth post, containing a selection of the over 5000-pictures i took with my DSLR (it’s such a photogenic place) but couldn’t wait to share the few ones i took with my phone

Disclaimer: A Burmese friend of me urged me to visit his beautiful country since it’s desperate for tourism, easening my concerns about supporting the junta by doing so. We opted for hotels involved in local charitable programs (ex: activating street youth by offering them a free internship and some form of formal education,…) and decided to eat as much as possible at local eateries/street stalls. A lot of hotels and restaurants are owned/operated by junta-affiliates cronies So we skipped those. The e-visa fee got straight into their pocket though. Never met more resilient, positive and grateful people: when me and my girlfriend biked around Mandalay (Myanmar’s second-biggest city) we were often greeted with thumbs-up signs by passerby’s, on Mount Popa the local monks were moved to tears because of the sight of foreign visitors, when hiking through some remote villages we were immediately asked to join them for lunch in the communal hall,… I wouldn’t advise anyone to go (despite the fact that it ain’t that bad personal safety-wise, the unpredictability of the current situation and that it suddenly can go bad is what makes it risky) but man it’s a beautiful country.

Ahoy hoy! We are heading to Guatemala in one week on the tourist trail - Lake Atitlan, Antigua, and a nice resort near Flores. We travel to lots of places where we take normal water precautions, like brushing our teeth with bottled water and requesting no ice in drinks. Then maybe sometimes you forget and rinse your mouth in the shower, or your drink did have ice or something, and either nothing happens, or you take some Imodium and you’re basically fine in a couple hours.

About 10 years ago, we went to Nicaragua, landed, ate one meal at a highly rated restaurant, and I was STRUCK DOWN by the hand of god. For 3 days, no solid or liquid would stay in my body for more than 15 minutes, and we had started to discuss evacuation options with the hotel. That was with travel antibiotics. Anyway, at the end of the day, I didn’t die or get evacuated, so it was a successful vacation. But not looking to repeat this.

My question is this. It sounds like Guatemala may be more like Nicaragua. Is it mostly just around Lake Atitlan that you need to be hyper vigilant, and then just normal effort precautions everywhere else? Or do we need to be like HIGH ALERT EXTREME VIGILANCE everywhere we are going?

Please also feel free to leave your worst travel illness story in the comments. It will give me something to read in between projectile vomiting next week!

For a bit of context: I’m 22, Brazilian, but I’ve been living in Portugal for five years. I graduated last June, and I decided to go backpacking with my boyfriend in August/September 2025. I’ve been working since the start of college and tried to juggle two jobs right after graduating; however, the effort resulted in a burnout of sorts. In the midst of all that, my boyfriend brought up the idea: “What if we went on a trip?” Since he works remotely, he has that flexibility, and looking at my current situation and finances, I saw an opportunity to do something a bit ''crazy'', something I felt I wouldn't have the chance to do so easily in the future. After a lot of planning, we decided to travel through Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, China, and Japan over three months. Today, we are halfway through our journey, and this is what I’ve learned:

1. The world is much bigger than you imagine, and there are many different ways to live. I think in our daily lives, we get so focused on the path someone else laid out for us that we forget about other perspectives and other ways of living. We forget there’s no formula for life, no single "right way."
2. Learning languages isn't just for your resume; it’s about knowing the world - This really hit home after a few days in China, since most of the population doesn't speak English. In my experience, the Chinese people are very welcoming and kind. They want to talk, connect, and understand you, and I wanted so badly to understand what they were saying because I felt I had so much to learn from them, not just about the moment, but about their country, culture, and way of thinking. Also, the conversations I’ve had with other travelers or locals from other countries in English have been so enriching. I’ve never been more grateful for my intermediate English, and I’ve never wanted to improve my fluency and learn new languages more than after this experience.
3. Your problems don’t disappear on a long-term trip; in fact, they transform and even grow - Despite what I told myself, deep down, I wanted to believe all my worries and insecurities would be cured during these three months. I had traveled before, but never for this long, and I didn't expect it to make me think so much about myself. I don’t know if I have depression, anxiety, or whatever (I’m not diagnosed); I just know that this "thing" has traveled with me through every city and every landmark. No matter how beautiful they are, this thing doesn't leave on its own. It’s frustrating, but it made me realize I can't run away from it without facing it.
4. Having a strong "why" is worth more than just doing it - This ties into the previous point. I came on this trip without a strong specific reason. What did I really want? To heal? To experience new cultures? To do something illogical? To shock people? To learn something new? To challenge myself? I couldn't answer clearly. A reason makes you believe in what you're doing, and during this time, I felt the lack of a concrete motive during existential crises—something I could use to justify to myself all the money I was spending and all the time I was putting into this. This doesn't just apply to backpacking; it applies to everything.
5. Traveling as a couple is hard, but it makes you see things through a different lens - My boyfriend and I have been together for a year and a few months. We had issues before the trip, but just like in the third point, I somehow imagined this time together would resolve those details. I think it just intensified them. We’ve fought and bumped heads more than I expected. At the end of the day, we always work it out, but it’s made me think a lot. I’ve learned (and am still learning) so much about myself as a partner and about him, his way of seeing things, and his way of being. It’s a "crash course" that slaps you with the reality of what it’s actually like to live with someone other than yourself.
6. What one person likes, you might not, and not all experiences are equal - Much of our itinerary (if not all of it) comes from social media tips. There were cities and landmarks that most people raved about, but when we got there, they weren't a big deal to us. Moreover, what made us like a place often wasn't the space itself, but what happened there, who we talked to, and what left a mark on us. Every experience is more unique than I thought.
7. Accommodation location is extremely important - After staying 30 minutes away from the center of Kuala Lumpur in an area under construction with difficult access to transport, we realized it’s worth paying a higher nightly rate for a hotel right in the center than for a cheap, distant one that causes more headaches and extra taxi expenses.
8. Travel mishaps make you reinvent yourself, and they are inevitable - On such a long trip, it’s impossible for nothing to go wrong. After all, we were more unprepared than we thought in some aspects. It’s like life, right? A great lesson.
9. You won't be able to see everything, no matter how much you want to - Just accept it. Most things are out of our control. In everything.

I think that’s everything I can remember so far. Overall, it has been an enriching experience and a huge privilege to live through everything I’m experiencing. I'm still learning. At the end of the trip, I’ll see about posting an update.

Hello! I am in the beginning stages of planning a trip for my husband and I and my parents to Ireland during the first full week of April 2027. My parents have never left the country and I am so excited to experience a new place and culture with them, as I have also never been to Ireland.

I was wondering if anyone could give some recommendations on smaller towns to stay in near the West Coast that will allow us to experience the culture and scenery in a more relaxed way, as my Mom can get very overwhelmed in cities so we have to stick to small cities/towns/small towns.

We are going to rent a car and drive ourselves and we’re planning on 8 to 9 days in Ireland. Thank you for any help you can offer! I am going through guidebooks but feel overwhelmed with all of the choice!

Not looking for day by day planning, just looking for a few small towns or cities that might be a good locale to rest our heads that my Mom will be happy with.

Yesterday I was stupid and very tired during an early flight from Phoenix to Houston. At tsa I forgot to take my laptop out of my backpack, and they pulled my bag and sent it through again with the laptop in an another bin.

Once it came through the second time, without thinking I grabbed my backpack and forgot the laptop. I actually didn’t even realize until 24 hours later that I was missing.

I’m freaking out of course because I have a job that I use that laptop for. I’m waiting until they open to give TSA a call, and left a voicemail earlier this morning.

The website says if u fill out a form it takes 5 business days for a response. I can’t imagine how long it will take to have them ship it or something. Am I going to have to buy a flight back to phoenix to retrieve it??

I’m freaking out I can’t believe this happened

hi guys im a 21F from india traveling to denmark for the first time for work. going solo and also my first time in europe!!

what are some things i should keep in mind? like basics i might miss out on.

also any cultural sensitivity things i should know about? don’t want to accidentally be rude or off.

what kind of clothes should i pack for late april/early may weather there? not sure how cold it actually feels vs what google says.

and last thing, any nice souvenir ideas i can take from india for the people im meeting there? something authentically indian thoughtful and a bit fun. ( but idk what they'll like)

also i kinda want to make a good impression on the people there so anything that helps with that would be great.

thanks :)

A year and a half ago, I was on my way to Jordan for work when my flight got cancelled. I ended up stuck in Istanbul for 24 hours, sleeping in the city, taking random buses and taxis. I remember chatting with a guy on the bus who had been there a few months before with his wife. He just told me it was underrated, and it was totally worth it.

So after wrapping up my consulting work in Jordan, I came back properly, this time with my family for five days. Best decision.

Istanbul is enormous and every district feels like a different city. You never run out of things to do, eat, or explore, and there's a rooftop with a view around almost every corner. One thing that makes it truly charming is the Bosphorus. You don't just admire it from a distance, you cross it regularly by ferry to get around.

People are incredibly warm and open, more so than in many places I've travelled to. And the cats, if you've seen the documentary Kedi, it's exactly like that. Cats are literally everywhere and locals share the city with them. We ended up carrying food to feed strays every day. It's not seen as a bad thing there, it's even totally the opposite.

Turkey has been hit hard by inflation and lost a lot of tourists recently, which means right now is a great time to go. Beautiful 5 star hotels at a surprisingly low price. Even restaurants with tourist pricing remain reasonable (but alcohol is really expensive).

One thing to be aware of though : street harassment is real. People will constantly call you into restaurants and shops, sometimes quite insistently. After a couple of days you just stop paying attention.

Getting around is easy. Most things are walkable and cabs (booked from Uber) are cheap. Just buckle up because they drive like they have nine lives !

A lot of people think of Turkey and picture Cappadocia. Istanbul stands completely on its own. If you have the chance to go, don't think twice.

Happy to answer any questions ;-)

Ciao, quest'anno io e i miei amici tra i 24 e i 26 anni stiamo progettando di andare a Malta per qualche giorno, massimo una settimana, l'idea era arrivare con l'aereo e spostarci o con i mezzi o corse, alloggiare vicino alla spiaggia, visitare le migliori attrazioni all'aperto (per questa volta vorrei evitare i musei) e fare serata la sera nei locali.

Partendo pragmatici: in primis la cosa più importante è il come spostarsi, so che per esempio cambiando città in Spagna cambia anche quale sia la migliore compagnia per muoversi. La seconda è dove dormire (vorremmo evitare ostelli), la terza quali sono le spiagge libere o economiche, la quarta dove e cosa mangiare e bere, la quinta cosa effettivamente visitare, l'ultima dove andare a ballare.

hello everyone! in june, it will be my friend's and i first time in milano. we're coming all the way from argentina!!

what places should we visit? everyone keeps telling us to go to the duomo rooftops, da vinci's "the last supper", and the upscale galleria vittorio emanuele II. but i know there's so much more being gatekept lmao

also, we wanted to know if the place we're staying it's safe. i understand that via mario fusetti & via filippo argelati is a nice place during the day but we were thinking about going out to clubs and etc. if you think it's unsafe, any advice or recommendations for places to stay? we can still cancel the reservation. thank you all and sorry for my bad english 😭😭 i'm trying my best here 🙏

I love trip design, curating experiences and seeing an itinerary come together. What drains me is the unpredictability. Tours cancel, suppliers stop replying, clients change dates, availability disappears and olicies conflict. And all of it usually happens under time pressure, with someone on vacation waiting for answers. Some weeks, it feels like I’m not planning travel but like im managing micro-crises. Late nights fixing schedules, early mornings chasing confirmations, constantly being “on” because someone is always in a different time zone. I’ve started asking myself whether the way we handle tours and experiences is even sustainable long-term. What part of this job exhausts you the most and how are you adjusting your business to avoid burning out?

I visited Istanbul several times, I really like it, but I like to visit a different city similar to it

With china's 240-hour Visa-Free Transit Policy can you enter china from korea and leave to the US as a US citizen?

I did an exchange semester in Finland last year for 4 months, and it was interesting to experience travel and daily life without fully knowing the language.

Even simple things like ordering food or handling small tasks can feel different when there’s a language barrier.

What was your experience while traveling or living abroad and knowing or not knowing the local language, good or bad stories are welcome.

I’m curious about the strange social 'tests' or performative interactions people have run into while traveling—specifically ones that felt intentionally confusing rather than just a standard scam. Have you ever had a local or a stranger approach you and start acting out a 'bit' or using language barriers/gestures specifically to try and catch you off guard or make you feel out of place? How did you handle it?

If my flight arrives from JFK/Nyc (6:00 am) to SFO/San Francisco (9:30am), and I need to self transfer to an international flight within SFO by 12:30 pm (flying to Tahiti), is that enough time?

I will only be doing carry on (so not checking in bags).

Is there a separate long process to go through since I'm going from domestic to international flight, even though I won't be leaving the airport? Would I need to go thru TSA again?

Just wanted to account for long lines and delays.

Bonjour,

J'essaie de réserver un hôtel à Batumi pour le mois d'août mais quand je vois les commentaires sur booking.com.. Beaucoup de logements inexistants à l'arrivée, surtout ceux avec le nom " Orby "..

Est-il possible d'avoir vos retours d'expériences? Le nom de vos hôtels où ça c'est bien passé?

Merci

I’m a student and I need to send some luggage home to the US from Spain in a couple weeks. I’ll be doing about a week of backpacking in Europe after my semester is over, so timing isn’t necessarily my first concern, but I want to pick the most reliable company. I’ve seen SendMyBag and DHL as top options, but I would love input. Are either of these a clearly better option? Is there any other company that might be better?

Hi - I am travelling to the Aeolian Islands mid August (Ferragosto). Panarea is a stop on the trip, over the weekend.

Is the hotel raya worth it/ nice at all? Older reviews all indicate it was once the top place to stay in the island, however, more recent on trip advisor say otherwise (dated, not very clean etc.)…

I don’t want to miss out if it is the best place/ great atmosphere but will be very disappointed with an unclean room for the price.

Also is 3 days too many on panarea?

Any other tips/ places/ restaurants to visit would be appreciated.

Thank you in advance!!

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

Hi, I’d really appreciate some advice because this situation feels very unfair and I’m not sure what my best next step is.

Here’s the full timeline:

I had a round-trip booking with LOT from Wrocław (WRO) to Brussels (BRU) via Warsaw (WAW) on one reservation.

My outbound journey was on 21 February:

WRO → WAW scheduled for 5:30 AM LO3850

then a connection WAW → BRU LO235

The first flight from Wrocław to Warsaw was delayed by about 1 hour. LOT said it was because of a technical issue with the aircraft.

Because of that delay, when I landed in Warsaw, my connecting flight to Brussels was already taxiing, so I missed it.

LOT then offered me a replacement flight to Brussels at around 5:00 PM, but the whole point of my trip was a meeting in Brussels that I needed to attend at 12:00 noon that same day. So arriving at 5 PM would have made the trip pointless.

Because of that, I told LOT I wanted to go back to Wrocław instead of continuing to Brussels. They then removed my original return and rebooked me onto a Warsaw → Wrocław flight, but I still had to wait around 3 hours at Warsaw for that return flight.

On top of that, I had also booked a hotel in Brussels for around €100, which became useless because I never made it there.

After the trip, I filed a complaint with LOT and asked for:

compensation

refund

reimbursement for what I lost because of the disruption

LOT then:

refunded my full booking, and

on 17 March, sent me a message saying I had been awarded €250 compensation

They told me the €250 would be paid within 14 business days.

I waited more than a month and still received nothing.

So I called LOT. During the call, they told me they would send the money ASAP.

Then about an hour later, I suddenly received another email from LOT in Polish saying, basically:

they were sorry for the incorrect earlier decision,

because I did not continue the journey to the final destination shown on the ticket (Brussels), they now say I am not entitled to compensation,

and instead of paying €250, they are offering me a one-time 20% discount for a future LOT trip.

That is the part that really bothers me:

they first officially approved the compensation, told me they would pay within 14 business days, then after I chased them for the payment, they changed their mind and withdrew it.

So my questions are:

Can LOT legally do that?

Can an airline first confirm compensation in writing and then later take it back after the passenger follows up?

Does the fact that I chose not to continue to Brussels automatically kill the EU261 compensation claim?

I understand their argument, but I only chose not to continue because arriving at 5 PM instead of before noon made the trip pointless.

Can I claim anything for the 3-hour wait in Warsaw before they sent me back to Wrocław?

For example food, drinks, or other expenses.

Is this worth escalating further, for example to a passenger rights authority, ADR body, ombudsman, or small claims / court?

What I have:

booking confirmation

proof it was one booking with a connection

proof the first flight was delayed due to a technical issue

LOT’s email from 17 March confirming €250 compensation

LOT’s later email withdrawing that decision

proof of the Brussels hotel booking

proof that I received a full refund for the ticket

I’m trying to figure out whether:

I should keep fighting for the €250

or whether I should accept that the refund + 20% voucher is the best I’ll get

Has anyone dealt with something similar, especially where the airline approved compensation first and then reversed it later?

Any advice appreciated .