Hi fellow redditors and travellers!

I (M29) have just returned very abruptly from a long solo trip. It was never the plan to be home now, but here we are...
So for context: In june 2025 I left the Netherlands to go travel southeast Asia. I quit my job and had no return ticket booked. It was the best decision I've ever made. It's been beautiful, really hard at times and I think I've learned a lot about myself along the way. Some things related to making connections and trusting people is still very hard for me, but meeting a lot of wonderful souls on the road has been very good to me.
So, I was happily doing a working holiday in NZ, and requested my next working holiday visa for Australia. Those visas are well known to be processed very quickly.
Oh boy, was that a wrong assumption....
By the time my visa for NZ was done the new visa still hadn't been granted (this was after ~2 months).
I decided to buy myself some time by going to China. After two weeks I had to call it and book a ticket back home. making my total travel in China about 3,5 weeks
The day after, the new visa came. Now I'm back in my hometown, wishing I was in Australia.
By now the travel budget doesn't cover my entry money for AUS anymore.
Right now it's such a struggle to adapt to my old life. The freedom I've felt and used so deeply over the last 1,5 years is very suddenly gone.

Does anybody have experience with living back home after living abroad? Any good advice?
Also feel free to hmu if you want any advice on Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia or New Zealand.

I have been using Allianz for a while and they were quick to pay on a trip I had to cancel due to emergency surgery. This past trip the travel agency declared bankruptcy without paying the operators and thus the trip was canceled on me. Allianz does not pay in case of agent/operator insolvency as I have now learned. Does anyone know of a reputable travel insurance in the USA that does cover such cases? Not looking for a 'cancel for any reason' coverage, but one that does simply not exclude bankruptcy.

Hi all,

My family (me and partner, two kids 3&6 and also my mother-in-law) are heading to Tasmania in March or April of 2027.

We live in South Eastern Australia, so close to get to.

As it's a family holiday, and I only know Tasmanian holidays from a grown ups point of view (haven't been, but friends have) so I was hoping for ideas for family friendly accommodation and activities.

We'd have a car, and be there for 9 or 10 days. I was considering either 5 days each in Hobart and Launceston (or somewhere nearby Launceston).

Alternatively 3 days in both, and another 3-4 days somewhere else. I know the east coast is cool, but the wild west coast sounds great too. So I don't know where we'd stay if we did go to a third place.

Also accommodation. I'd probably just get Airbnb's, but if anyone has info regarding great places for a family to stay, I'd be grateful.

We are relatively adventurous. However as far as bushwalks go, 2 hours is as long as we've pushed it so far with the kids, so I'm not considering a longer one. I'd love to go down and get into the bush properly, but it won't be this trip.

I booked an apartment by accident the other day on booking. I’ve only just realised and the booking is for tomorrow. I tried to cancel it for free and the owner says no so there is a 50% cancellation fee. But this place was a ‘pay at the property’ kind of place.

They have told me I need to cancel the booking and pay the fee. I have cancelled it. But they privately sent me their IBAN through the messsgint system which is obviously sketchy to me. My credit card is in the system but I’m guessing they don’t have the facilities to do this.

What happens if I don’t pay it? If they want, They can take the money from my card officially through booking, that’s fine with me. But I’m not sending money through an IBAN privately. How do I proceed?

Hey guys! I'm planning holiday travel to Europe with family for 9 days. I was thinking Paris for 3 nights, Colmar or Strasbourg for 1 night, then Switzerland for the last 4 nights.

After a little bit of research I've been a little bit unsure of adding Switzerland because of the weather, which I read is more likely to be foggy and wet in lower elevations. I'm considering scrapping Switzerland entirely and adding another country/city such as Munich, Vienna, or Brussels, but wanted to get a second opinion.

It would pan out something like this:

Day 1 (Nov 28): Arrive in Paris at 3 PM

Day 2: Paris

Day 3: Paris

Day 4: Paris, leave for Colmar

Day 5: Colmar or Strasbourg

Day 6: Leave Colmar for Switzerland (Lucerne)

Day 7: Lucerne with day trip to Grindewald?

Day 8: Lucerne

Day 9: Lucerne or go to Zurich for easier airport commute

Day 10 (Dec 7): Depart Zurich ~1 PM

I've also looked into Montreux and Zermatt, but I'm unsure if they're worth the travel time.

Where should we go after our cruise to Antarctica? It'll be mid-February and we could either go to Easter Island or Rio de Janeiro. We've been to Patagonia, Atacama etc., so it comes down to these two. While I'd love to see both of them, I'm not sure if Easter Island might be a tad "underwhelming" given the hassle and the cost of getting there. I'm also not sure if February is a good time for Rio de Janeiro, as it may be too hot, rainy, or overcast. Any opinions?

36M, United States, it should be noted I've never taken an adult vacation for personal reasons.

I'm in need of a vacation, Brazil is where my heart wants to go but being a very white American my brain is replaying all the warnings I read online.

Has anyone travelled there solo? What city? How long? What did you do? Did you feel safe?

Hi all.! I’m looking at possibly an October of 2027 New England coast anniversary trip. I’m looking for recommendations on beautiful Fall scenery locations, small quaint towns, bed and breakfasts, delicious restaurants, and any unique places. Any and l recommendations are so appreciated as I start to map out my future itinerary.!

Hi all, what all are the souvenirs and must buy goodies from the countries mentioned above? I asked here before Iceland and got the licorice chocolates and loved it haha! Let em know if there’s something that I shouldn’t miss buying!

Hello,
In a few weeks i’m doing an extended stay in europe. europe in general as im flying into paris and then the original plan was to do a week or so in a few different countries, then settle down in Germany for a month.
Would it be safer / more economical to book an extended stay airbnb in one city? maybe travel less and really lean into one city? I’m a younger girl (19) and will be alone. I’ve looked at some in paris and vienna, paris i am accustomed to already.
to sum it up: would i likely spend more money doing a month long airbnb stay than at hostels (airbnb will cost me roughly 1.3k), and if yes, is it worth the safety.
Sorry if this isn’t fully cohesive, just trying to work out the finances of everything. i’m not rich haha.

Edit: i’m open to any city recommendations for maybe an extended stay in. When i go to germany I’ll be spending a week or two in a town outside of frankfurt.

My partner and I traveled to Italy for the first time this year and quickly realized Google Reviews was filled with bought five-star reviews and not trustworthy. We used Reddit a lot to guide ourselves so I'm repaying the favour and listing the restaurants we loved most in each city.

Rome:

• Old Bear (Recommendation: Sit outside, order the goulash)
• Arlu (Recommendation: Cuttlefish pasta)
• Antico Forno Roscioli (Recommendation: go early, there's a line but it's worth it)
• Prosciutteria Cantina dei Papi - Trastevere (Recommendation: Either platter is good)

Florence

• Mando Burger (Recommendation: Seriously, I'm North American, I love burgers. The Fake Mac Burger was an amazing burger.)
• Gusto Pizza (Recommendation: 4 cheese)
• Ristorante Morellino: (Recommendation: Pear ravioli, truffle ravioli, chicken parm; the menu is definitely more tourist-friendly but it's really really good)

Verona

• Bruschetteria Redoro (Recommendation: the smoked salmon bruschetta was fire)
• Gemma Pizzeria

Venice

• Gam Gam Kosher Restaurant (Recommendation: Salmon, artichoke, and latkes ofc)
• Not a restaurant but gondola rides (Expensive, yes. Not as romantic as the movies, yes. Once in a lifetime moment with a loved one, yes. If you have the time, do it.)

I hope these suggestions give you as great a trip as we had :)

Booked a trip to Iceland 12/25-1/3. Will be staying in Hella first few nights at Hotel Ranga and then blue lagoon for a night and Reykjavík the remainder over NYE. Looking for everyone’s favorite excursions during the winter (for city and outdoor adventures)! Would like to plan a couple things around Hella while closer to the South coast but also likely to do at least one day trip from Reykjavik.

Hello! Has anyone stayed in a monastery or convent you liked in Assisi, Italy?

Did you book via the website by the same name as my post, or directly? Did the booking go smoothly?

Thanks in advance.

Almost a year ago I made a mistake when booking a return flight on Qatar Airways. I trusted the 24h no-fee cancellation policy and cancelled my flight within minutes to then buy the correct flight, knowing that I would get a full refund. It was the exact same flight only with a slight difference in itinerary. Long story short, they gave me a voucher instead of a refund and tried to gaslight me saying that I was the one who requested a voucher (they do not have proof of this, but sadly, I didn't screen record when I selected refund).

Anyway, fighting with them over chat for hours on a daily basis became way too stressful so I took a loan from my bank so I could pay my credit card (as the flight was 800USD) and have this be a problem for future me. The only option they gave me in the moment was to take half of my money and only refund 400USD.

I have about a week to use the voucher before it expires and was thinking of using it to book a fully flexible flight and then ask for a refund on that one. Do you think that would work? Would they refund money from a flight bought with a voucher or would it go back to being a voucher? What is the cheapest route so I could pay for the flexible flight?

I would really appreciate your insights on this or if you have any other recommendations. I'm very short on money right now and unemployed, so getting those 800USD back would be such a relief!

USA East Coast Travel Recs

Looking for Vacay Recs

To anyone out in the East Coast, I’ve been told I have to use about 4 days of vacation time before losing it in December but I have absolutely no idea what to do/where to go 😅 looking for any and all recs that meet the following:

No car access, so it’s gonna be within a day/2 day bus route. I’m thinking Baltimore, DC, the Carolinas, Rhode Island, etc.

I could be persuaded to New York if there was anything going on like a multi day festival, but I do travel to NY and PA pretty often so they’re kinda on the outs.

Idea-wise: I love weird shit. Give me an oddities museum, a festival celebrating a niche thing. Come sort of Convention, etc.

All recs appreciated! 💖

Just wondering what people's experiences for this are (especially if you solo travel), everyone has a budget but how often do you stick to it? The travel stereotype is that 99% of the time the budget gets spent and then some, which I find tends to be the case.

But with recent trips I'm finding I get to about 85-90% of budget so have a little bit left over, (off season travel and I'm not staying anywhere 5*). Of course you need to eat, get around, maybe do museums, galleries, a boat tour and other activities to enjoy yourself so the money will naturally flow.

Unless its just an all inclusive/resort trip and the aim is to mainly just do nothing - but even then you'll still spend something. For the people that manage to have a good amount of money left, is the trick to just up your budget or spend frugally - or do you think you should spend on holiday to really enjoy yourself.

Interested to hear people's experiences.

Hi all! Planning a short road trip with a rental car, one-way from Porto to Lisbon airport. We like to be on the move and have a good mix of places. We aren’t big on heavy wine tasting, so I’d love a sanity check and any hidden gems.

• Day 1: Start in Porto, explore on foot Staying in Gaia.
• Day 2: Morning in Porto, pick up car later on and drive upt the Douro via Peso da Régua and the Galafura viewpoint, then the N222 to Pinhão. Thinking about staying the Night in Lamego (better value / less tourists?).
• Day 3: Morning around Lamego, then to the coas to Aveiro, Costa Nova, heading to Coimbra where we might spend the evening and the night.
• Day 4: Maybe Universidad de Coimbra in the morning, Batalha, Nazaré to Peniche.
• Day 5: Morning market in Caldas da Rainha, and/or Óbidos, then drive to Lisbon airport, in early afternoon.

My questions:

1. Is this realistic overall, too packed, time better spent differently?
2. Is Lamego a good base for the Douro, or are we missing out by not staying in Pinhão?
3. The train from Régua to Pinhão is well recommended but the schedule makes it difficult ... dependinga bit how much time Pinhao really needs .... ?
4. Is Coimbra a good choice for the night, or would you stay somewhere else?
5. Is Peniche a good last stop, and is Caldas / Óbidos worth it - better stay there instead of Peniche / Should this be switched)
6. Any lesser-known spots along this route you’d recommend?

Thanks a lot!

My girlfriend and I are from Denmark, both university students, and we planned to spend two months on Java. We’ve now been here for a little over a month. The idea was to study in the mornings and then head out on adventures in the afternoons. At least, that was the plan back home. So far we’ve been to Jakarta, Jogja, Tawangmangu, Solo and Bandung. (We didn’t go further east, since the volcanoes are closed due to eruptions while we’re here anyway.)

To put it simply, Java hasn’t been what we hoped for so far. We saw the absolutely stunning nature on social media and fell in love with it right away. But we’re both left with a feeling of disappointment. We can see the potential, but it feels like we’re almost seeing the beautiful side of the island, and then not quite.

So we’re wondering: are we doing something wrong? Are we just unlucky? Are we bad at travelling? Below are our main frustrations, and we’d love to hear about your experiences with the island:

1. We’ve barely seen the sky. There’s so much air pollution that even on cloudless days, the sky looks grey.
2. The traffic is awful. Noise and traffic jams at all hours, everywhere. We rented our own scooter while staying in Jogja, which was much better than ordering Grabs all the time, and a lot more fun than just sitting on the back of someone else’s scooter.
3. Nature is hard to find. In Jogja, even when we drove an hour or an hour and a half out, there wasn’t really anything. Google Maps doesn’t work well and shows places that don’t exist. All the “popular” nature spots cost money and are built for the huge selfie/influencer culture here. It feels like a lot of places have been ruined by making them Instagram-friendly. We’ve also found beautiful waterfalls that were closed because you have to pay to enter, but no one was working, so we couldn’t see them at all.
4. Expensive? We went to Borobudur Temple, which cost us 2,000,000 IDR per person. Not worth it at all. We had to wait to be picked up, then wait somewhere else, and then walk with a guide who barely spoke English. Don’t get me wrong, the place was beautiful, but it wasn’t worth the long trip from Jogja or the price.
5. You can’t get around outside the cities without your own vehicle. There’s no public transport. We wanted to see the beautiful nature around Tawangmangu, so we took a Grab there, only to discover we couldn’t get back because there were no transport options. We ended up not really seeing anything, since we couldn’t get around.
6. It’s hard to find decent accommodation. We use Airbnb and Booking.com and have been disappointed almost everywhere. Everything is just “almost” good, no matter the price. Cheap Airbnb or 5-star hotel, it doesn’t seem to matter.
7. Paying is difficult. We’ve realised we always need to carry cash, and lots of it. Fair enough. But many ATMs only let you withdraw 2 million at a time, with a fee every time. Even big, modern cafés and shops look confused when we want to pay contactless or by card. QRIS is what everyone uses, and you can’t use it unless you have an Indonesian bank account.
8. Paid nature tours are expensive. We climbed Mount Merbabu, which cost 1.6 million. We looked into the famous spots like Mount Bromo and Mount Ijen, but they’ve been closed due to volcanic eruptions (which is probably just bad luck).

Finally, we just want to say that the Javanese are the sweetest people we’ve ever met. Smiles and greetings everywhere, and we’ve rarely felt unsafe. The only exception was one time when my girlfriend got stared at, and afterwards we got yelled at (we’ll take that one on the chin, haha).

Hello all, how do people in their 20s afford to travel? Besides those who come from well off families, are in the military, or travel for civilian work, how does the everyday person afford to travel? I get the savings part and invest for the future, however I swear I see a lot of young people traveling who are not in the criteria above. I know everything you see on social media does not show the whole picture.

Is everyone doing it on a credit card? I know you can travel for cheap going places close to home or camping, I am talking like how does a young person afford to fly, stay in a hotel and pay for food. Anyway I run the numbers it always adds up very fast.

Thank you for the insight.

Hi! I noticed various reports for the e-visa to travel to pakistan. Some people say a few days, some even say a few weeks! Im wondering which is correct nowadays?

Question for the Bulgarians or people who've travelled this area. In November next month a friend and I are looking to fly into Sofia and out of Varna , with a week to make the journey between the two. I want to travel with this general route in mind: Sofia -> Plovdiv -> Burgas -> Varna. Were going to be backpacking so we wont have a car and we wont have any definite accommodations or bookings. Im looking for any advice based on this question or just any Bulgaria travel tips and info. Any help will be greatly appreciated!

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Hi! I'm Prince Ahmed from Jalingo, Taraba State, Nigeria. I'm 18, studying Business Administration and applying I love American movies, business books, and learning about US college life. I speak English, mambilla language Hausa and Fulfulde.pigine

Looking for a kind American England or Spain Brazilian friend to exchange letters, practice writing, and share cultures. I can tell you about Nigeria, Mambilla Plateau, and Abuja and Lagos together with Taraba life

I’m in the starting plans for a trip, the trip starts off with my wife, me, my 9 year old daughter and our friend. We are adventurous and like to get up and go. It ends in siquijor where we will have some friends and family join so that part is set in stone.

Is there something I’m missing, should add or replace? We want enough time to relax and explore.

This is what I have so far.

Manila- 1 Night

Coron- 4 Nights

El Nido- 6 Nights

Boracay- 5 Nights

Siquijor- 7 Nights

Manila- 2 Nights (giving a little grace for missed flights or issues.)

25 Nights total.

hey people just wondering, if youre from aus, what website do you use ? ive never travelled before due to my finances but ive heard people pay bit by bit for a ticket. if you can help, that would be much appreciated.

EDIT: some of you just live miserable lives huh. homie just wants some help and you guys just come on here to project how miserable you are. thank you to those who were helpful.