Its probably obvious that I spend an inordinate amount of time dreaming about, and planning, travel. I admit to spending a lot of time browsing around various review sites, including the very popular Trip Advisor (yes, I know that TA is not a dependable site for selecting restaurants, but I do look at it, mostly for the photos, and the comments fr... Read More

As some of you who already helped me know, in less than a month I will be taking a bike/barge tour. Prior to the cycling trip I will be spending three nights in Amsterdam to recover from jet lag and to see some of the sights. This is going to be leisurely, and I don’t intend to run myself ragged trying to sightsee. I like to just wander in scenic a... Read More

I am interested in reading comments by people here who have tried to lean a language from the sites such Babel, Rosetta, and the others. I know zero about any of these. I enjoy leaning new languages but tend to be bored by strict grammar. My goal is to improve my ability to chat, or ask questions, when I travel in Italy. I can get along prett... Read More

Hi, my sister and I (of “varsity” age) are leaving next Monday 4/8 for Lisbon and Porto. We have been monitoring the weather reports and cannot believe our good fortune - it’s been raining for weeks - and this is the forecast for our trip

This may not be helpful to a lot of people, but in case anyone is thinking about doing one of the Camino routes that start in Portugal, I thought I would share it anyway. In April I cycled the Camino Portugues from Porto to Santiago de Compostela with five friends. Some day by day observations and pictures will follow. I'll start with generaliti... Read More

I spent twelve days in Japan (March 28-April 8) after disembarking from a cruise ship in Tokyo. Since Fodorites are always helpful with pre-trip questions, I like to provide a trip report in case it sparks someone else’s interest! I’ll cover logistics first and then summarize what I did and sights I saw.

We booked this trip back in May. We’d been trying to visit the Dolomites since 2020, first planned for October, then moved to December. The trip had been completely booked and cancelled twice. Hopefully, the third time would be the charm. Flights and planning We decided to spring for Business Class, as we’re getting awfully tired of... Read More

Hello my friends - we are planning a two week trip in September for two couples to do level 2 hiking in Switzerland. All of us are in our late 50’s/early 60’s and though my wife and I are physically fit our friends have faced some recent health challenges that will limit them to no more than level 2 yet they are capable of walking for 5-6 hours pe... Read More

Was wondering because I am planning to visit and someone bought this up and figured I'd check. I'm not overly concerned about this but I will be traveling with some electronics (mainly a laptop and a spare camera with a few lenses that I may lave in the room in some cases). Obviously when I leave for the day, I will keep everything zipped up in m... Read More

In early May I will be attending a week-end family event in Tacoma. Many years ago we visited other locales in the area but didn't make it to Seattle or Tacoma, so Seattle is brand new to me. I am contemplating adding a night or two in Seattle either before or after the Tacoma week-end. But, frankly, nothing about Seattle is truly jumping out a... Read More

I'd had my heart set on a few weeks in Dordogne in September or October in a rental house with friends. Looking for a relaxing not super-charged vacation - a bit of hiking, canoeing, walking, and not-too-distance sights to visit. We are planning to go carless, but it seems to be quite difficult just to get to the Dordogne without a car from CDG.... Read More

On April 20, just 4 days ago, I suggested to middle sis that she should apply for Global Entry. I thought the whole process would take months, as she's never had it before. Today, just 4 days after filling out the application, she got the email of her conditional approval. She scheduled an interview at her home airport for May 1, just a week fro... Read More

Hi everyone! My son (age 11) and I visited the Mosel / Rhine region of Germany last week during my son's April vacation break. I have previously visited this area 21 years ago (!) in 2003 with my mom. We had a very hurried itinerary back then (I was young and didn't know better... and my poor mom who had to keep up with me). This time, our itinerar... Read More

Hi All, Have heard the Pyrenees and the villages around them are charming and relaxing. We are planning a trip in September to Madrid/Bilbao,a bit along the coast and want to include a route through (perhaps) both French & Spanish Pyrenees and most importantly a visit through Basque country-not so keen on mountain hiking, but some easy walks with... Read More

We have a booking at 10:30 AM for the Tower, a 2:00 PM booking for Westminster Abbey and then 4:00 PM Thames Cruise from WM Pier to Greenwich. Please give ideas about how we can tour both around 100 min each. Yes, I know it will "not do justice" to the historical places. But I guess that's better than just taking selfies from outside, right?... Read More

I have visited Berlin several times , the last time was a short stay in 2016. I stayed in the east (Melia hotel, I liked), and the western part (Sofitel, didn't like ). I am looking for hotel in an area that is lively in the evening/ at night : a place with restaurants, cafes, movie theatres…etc. , not in bar/night clubs part of town Seven ni... Read More

Hi. I’m looking at booking a suprise trip to Slovenia for my partners 50th birthday. She likes to be quite active on holiday, but we also want to be able to chill for a lot of it. Initial plans are to fly into Ljublana and stay there for 2 or 3 nights. (Her birthday would be the 3rd night so it may be better to be somewhere else?!). Then u... Read More

Hi My husband and I just got back from Thailand yesterday and we travelled 27 hrs in total from Bangkok-Seoul-Toronto. It was way too long for us. My husband cannot sleep on planes . We are in our mid 50's and would love to travel to Vietnam/Cambodia next March but my husband says we need to find another way to do our flights and break up the tr... Read More

We will be making our first international trip with 10YO, 8YO and 7YO boys. I think we will have 8 full days, plus the day we arrive at like 8am and the day we leave at maybe 1-5pm (still working on which flights.) We are coming the last week of June. Finding it very hard to pick what to do. With that amount of time we are thinking two to three... Read More

Hi crew and as always. Thank you in advance for your thoughts and guidance. To make the most our our visit to Spain and her sights I like to when it makes sense hire a guide, or join a small to medium size group .I have learned that wandering aimlessly unless its on casual a stroll is not the best use of our limited time, Here are our dates and ci... Read More

We're flying in and out of Bergen in July and will be in Norway for 9 nights. Torn on whether to stay put in one spot and do day trips out of Bergen or to be more "nomadic" to cover more ground. Would prefer to stay in only 2 or 3 places for overnights, however, not a different place every night. We expect we'll rent a car, so won't be limited to o... Read More

I will be in Brienz area late September. I already have hikes sorted out/thoroughly researched (praying for good weather): ~Maennlichen--> KS ~First--> Bachalpsee ~Iseltwald-->Giessbachfaelle. These are written in stone. I am looking for a 2-3 hour easy hike from Meiringen/Hasliberg/Axalp area ONLY. I have a fear of OPEN heights/ledges, so a... Read More

We will be in Sicily for 8 nights in late May. It will be a fast paced trip, which is generally how we like to travel. We are not renting a car, but have booked a car and driver for transfers between cities and for a full day excursion of the baroque villages like Ragusa, Noto and Scicli. CATANIA, 2 nights Arrive late morning from London. Check... Read More

The three of us —husband, wife and adult child (26) would like to travel soon to London and Paris and need advice. We looked into Tauck but average age is 65 which we’re not keen on. We’re thinking of private tours through Kensington as another option. Are there any other ideas or suggestions for traveling with an adult child? Thanks! Read More

Hello Fodorites! My daughter and I will be leaving Lisbon and flying into Venice in July for 2 nights. Is there a nearby town that is a good point for a day trip into Venice. The lodging there in Venice is so pricey that maybe there is a reasonably close area and take public transportation into Venice? Read More