Things to do before your trip.
5
votes
1answer
104 views
Is there a month when everyone goes on holidays in Balkans?
I'm planning a motorcycle trip around the Balkans/Southeastern Europe (former Yugoslavia/Greece/Albania/Romania/Bulgaria etc.) this year. We're planning on going in June, July, August or September for ...
3
votes
1answer
125 views
Return trip mandatory when leaving Australia? [closed]
Is it mandatory to plan the return trip in advance when leaving Australia (NSW) for 3 months?
I ask because airport staff makes it look like there's a law or something without explaining further ...
5
votes
2answers
112 views
Good (up-to-date and reliable) source of information about travel destinations
For my past trips I was learning about my destination from a book and then was picking up updated tips from the Internet. For my next trip to Thailand I decided to plan it using only online sources.
...
4
votes
2answers
61 views
Should I book in advance cooking course in Thailand?
I'm planning to attend a cooking course while traveling in Thailand.
From checking on Trip Advisor there are plenty of places that offer such a course. They all seem to offer the same experience for ...
16
votes
4answers
3k views
How to prepare for very long train journeys?
A friend of mine is going to take a very long train journey the next week. The journey takes 44 hours according to the train schedule and takes place in Europe. He has to change trains two times. Once ...
8
votes
2answers
113 views
What is the most effective advice to avoid/minimise risk of illness when travelling in Africa?
I'm considering some trips to Africa at some point in the future and a major concern is protecting against illness.
Obviously, as with other places, the continent varies a lot: cities, rural, ...
8
votes
2answers
824 views
How much should I fear golden week in Japan?
I am planning a vacation to Japan, and currently have two possible plans. In plan A I leave well before Golden week (on 4/24). In plan B I leave during the first weekend of golden week (4/28, on ...
5
votes
1answer
56 views
What is the best way to plan bus travel in Costa Rica?
We are planning a trip to Costa Rica and looking at taking the bus to get between places (e.g. San José, La Fortuna, Manuel Antonio, Sámara).
I'm looking for some advice on the best way to plan the ...
4
votes
3answers
153 views
Is researching dating tips for a specific country worthwhile, useless or counterproductive?
I'm planning on visiting Japan for two weeks. While dating isn't the purpose of it, I hope to socialize a bit with people my age, including some apres-ski, and wouldn't mind if it resulted in dating.
...
10
votes
1answer
109 views
Can a tourist take part in the annual carnaval parade in Rio de Janeiro?
Can you take part in the famous Carnaval parade in Rio de Janeiro if you are there only for a limited period, or would that require quite some preparations?
10
votes
5answers
358 views
Avoiding or minimising altitude sickness
From my personal anecdotal experience, I've seen firsthand some horror stories with altitude sickness. I will always tell people now to acclimatise, drink fluids, and follow the local tricks like ...
10
votes
3answers
852 views
Should I book Thailand Rail tickets online (pre-trip) or at the station when I arrive?
I plan on taking the Thailand rail system between Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket (particularly the overnight trains), and Siem Reap.
Is it safe to book these tickets ahead of time through their website ...
10
votes
5answers
294 views
Driving into Germany over Easter weekend
There's a Demoscene party (Revision) that occurs every year on the Easter weekend in Saarbrücken (Germany), and I'm thinking of attending this year. I live in England and am looking into methods of ...
11
votes
4answers
140 views
'One laptop per child'- like organisations?
One laptop per child (OLPC) is an organisation which brings laptops and technology to poor regions of this world and educates the people to use those tools.
As a computer scientist and passionate ...
8
votes
2answers
328 views
Roadtrip in Southeastern Europe: too much for 4 weeks?
I'm planning to do a road trip in next September. I also made a very rough plan. Zurich -> Zagreb and at the end Bucharest -> Zurich we want do drive as fast as possible (1 day).
Do you think 4 weeks ...
7
votes
1answer
359 views
What are the best days to travel around Thanksgiving (US)?
I'm a Canadian currently in Toronto, and I'm considering going to California (either San Fransisco or LA) or perhaps Las Vegas. Is there a particular travel plan which would reduce any travel issues ...
0
votes
1answer
165 views
How to go about backpacking to Europe for the first time [closed]
I'm trying to plan my first backpack trip to Europe but not sure how to go about planning. My goal to backpacking Europe is to experience the culture and go sight seeing.
What are some tips/advice I ...
10
votes
5answers
2k views
Is this a realistic backpacking trip in Europe?
I'm trying to plan a backpacking trip in Europe but I'm not really sure where to start. We'll be flying from the US into most likely London. Our budget is about 2,000 USD (per person) not including ...
8
votes
1answer
334 views
Round trip flight for me with wife sharing return flight only
I'm planning to go back to my country next year (probably by Feb) and come back again to the US. I want to bring my wife with me back to the US. So for me it's round trip but for her it's single trip. ...
7
votes
2answers
72 views
How to prepare for a trip to the Half-Dome in Yosemite National Park?
I'm a huge mountain fan and I'd really like to go to the Half-Dome in Yosemite National Park. Since today I only did some hiking tours in the Alps and therefore I don't really know what I should ...
7
votes
2answers
261 views
Please help me understand this Deutsche Bahn schedule from Prague to Vienna
OK, I'm in the "dream" planning stages for my next trip to Europe. Prague and Vienna is a contender.
So I get this Deutsche Bahn (DB) app for my iPhone and type in a hypothetical trip for tomorrow. ...
11
votes
4answers
3k views
How do you prepare for long haul flights?
I'm always feeling a bit unwell during and after long haul flights. I lose my appetite, can't sleep in the plane, food has no taste no matter what. However, I'm pretty sure it's not the flying itself, ...
11
votes
5answers
171 views
How to plan routes that aren't covered by Google Maps?
For the next summer I'm planning to drive to some countries that aren't covered by the route planning tool of Google Maps. What other possibilities do I have to calculate the route approximately in ...
14
votes
10answers
739 views
How to calculate the air-line distance between two places?
A lot of the time, I'm looking for a way to calculate the air-line distance between two places, most often city centers.
For example when I flew from Zurich to Helsinki I wanted to know how far it ...
7
votes
4answers
173 views
What is the best way to fit the sites I want to see in Rome into two days?
Definition of "best": Cheap, time-efficient, in that order.
I'm going to be in Rome for two full days and I want to hit up the following sites:
Day 1:
Colosseum
Pantheon
Spanish Steps
Roman Forum ...
4
votes
1answer
86 views
What should we plan to see on a weekend in Belfast?
I'm planning a weekend in Belfast with 3 friends from october 17 to october 22.
The only things we planned for now are the Crusaders-Ballymena footall game on the saturady afternoon (yeah, we're kinda ...
11
votes
4answers
841 views
What clothes should I bring on a backpacking trip
I am planning a 2 month backpacking trip through China.
I would like to
Bring the LEAST clothing possible
Be comfortable in temperatures ranging from 10 C (50 F) to 30 C (86 F).
Be equipped for ...
8
votes
1answer
103 views
How should I prepare for a visit to the rice terraces?
When we're in Guilin (China) we can take an excursion to the rice terraces
Now I have no idea what its like to visit them. Should I expect to get wet feet or pants and make sure I bring a towel ...
10
votes
5answers
229 views
Good locations in Spain for hiking, nature, architecture, and photo opportunities?
I'm thinking about visiting Spain sometime in September or October.
I'm interested in hiking, nature and historic architecture and am constantly looking for great photo opportunities.
Which parts of ...
11
votes
2answers
195 views
What considerations should I make for traveling in Israel on the Sabbath?
I am planning to travel around Israel (from Oct 19 to Nov 5th), and I am wondering what effect the Sabbath will have on transport, restaurants and the sights. Should I be planning to not do anything ...
8
votes
2answers
488 views
Travelling in Sri Lanka - Advice on taxis and accomodation
My partner and I are going travelling in Sri Lanka in November for two weeks and I'm trying to plan a trip. I have a few specific questions about travel but would appreciate any tips or suggestions or ...
16
votes
2answers
786 views
What is the best time of year to visit Reykjavík?
When I ask for the "best" time of year, I am looking for a reasonable balance of the following criteria, in order of importance:
Mild weather. Ideally, warm enough to have coffee outside in a light ...
12
votes
3answers
197 views
Is there a flight search engine that has an option to show full flights?
Quite often when searching for plane tickets I get only some high priced results, ridiculous schedules, etc. It makes me wonder if these are the only options to get from point A to point B or have I ...
6
votes
2answers
165 views
How should I choose the best option for a London apartment rental?
I am traveling with two coworkers after our London Dev Days event, and we are looking to rent a local apartment. Knowing very little about London and its various neighborhoods, I am wondering which of ...
11
votes
4answers
206 views
What is some useful software for brainstorming/planning long trips?
I'm planning on taking my partner and his family on a trip around the UK next year, and I have a ton of ideas in my head that I want to have written down in some form that makes it easy to edit and ...
8
votes
3answers
325 views
Swiss mountain peaks in February - suitable weather conditions?
A friend of mine based in India is planning a trip to Switzerland in Feb 2012
He's worried about how severe the winter will be - will it cause the peaks like Mt Jungfrau or Titlis to be closed or ...
13
votes
2answers
204 views
Travel planning web sites
I am currently planning a 2 month trip through China, and I wanted to know what are the best online options to plan a trip.
First off : I am really looking for an alternative to a spreadsheet. ...
10
votes
1answer
739 views
Paris on a Tuesday - are the Louvre and the Pompidou Centre the only “big” attractions that are closed?
One that's caught me out before is that the Louvre is closed on Tuesdays. It looks like the Centre Pompidou is also closed Tuesdays (French - Tuesday=Mardi).
However, the Paris Modern Art Museum ...
12
votes
4answers
9k views
What is the best method of purchasing a ticket with an open return date?
I’ve been doing some research on traveling to South America and staying for an extended period of time (working vacation). The usual sources for flight info (Kayak, Expedia, Hipmunk) don’t have any ...
10
votes
5answers
497 views
What are Ireland's top places to visit with a toddler?
I am planning a visit with my daughter (2 years) and wife around Ireland (and Northern Ireland) for ten days. We start from Cork and finish in Dublin. What are the most interesting places to visit? In ...
6
votes
2answers
437 views
Online version of the Louvre museum
I know that some museums offer online tours of their exhibits, and you can easy "navigate" from one place to another and view the exhibitions. Is there any such online tour for the Louvre (museum in ...
16
votes
5answers
5k views
What is the minimum time to consider with a connecting flight in the USA?
Given the extensive time taken for immigration formalities in the US, what is the shortest time to consider between connecting flights in the US, when coming from abroad?
Until now I have always ...
11
votes
1answer
300 views
How to see the Norwegian fjords?
I am currently working in The Hague area of the Netherlands. This summer is too cold to spend weekends on the beach, so I've decided to spend 3-4 days seeing the Norwegian fjords instead.
I ...
7
votes
1answer
185 views
Banff to Vancouver via Kootenay and Okanagan valley in three days: does it make sense?
In July I'll spend some days in Banff, and a few days after that I'll need to catch a flight in Vancouver. I would like to spend as many days as possible in Vancouver, so I'd like to keep the trip ...
11
votes
4answers
252 views
What's the easiest way to find a vacation rental?
I've rented a few vacation homes and really liked it but it always takes hours and hours to find a good one. It seems like there are 100+ different sites that all list different homes (some with a ...
34
votes
9answers
1k views
How can I do a “broad” search for flights?
Several airline and trip planning sites will allow you to check "I am flexible with my dates" or a similar option. Is there any way to also search more broadly for location?
For example, if you ...
7
votes
2answers
403 views
What time do the city buses start running in Istanbul?
I want to get an early start tomorrow morning taking bus 83O from Taksim Square to the Bayrampaşa Otogar bus station to the west.
I can't find by searching in English what time the Istanbul public ...
7
votes
2answers
165 views
Diving safety in Australia
I'm going to Australia next October and I was wondering if it is safe to go diving (near Cairns) even though it will be my first time doing so. Should I take a course locally before the trip?
11
votes
1answer
199 views
In Rome, are some days less busy than others?
I'm spending a couple of weeks in Rome in July, and I'm thinking about how to schedule the things I want to do. I appreciate that this is the high season, and everywhere will be busy, but are weekends ...
10
votes
2answers
364 views
What is the best time of year to go to Disney World to avoid crowds?
When is the least busy time of year for Disney World? When should I go there such that there are the least number of people there?
