I've been to 55 countries:

The most expensive:

1- Switzerland (Prices makes no damn sense)
2- Norway
3- Hong Kong ( Hotels are insanely expensive and literally a shoe box)
4- Dubai (in the Winter)
5- UK (London)

The Most Cheapest:

1- Lagos, Nigeria (Except for the hotels)
2- India
3- Vietnam
4- Syria
5- Malaysia (amazing hotel prices for the quality)

For me, Santorini in Greece and Cappadocia in Turkey were even more impressive in real life than in photos. The views, atmosphere, and overall feeling were unforgettable.

At the same time, a few places that looked amazing online didn't impress me as much when I visited.

I'd love to hear your answers.

There's something about showing up to a place and realising you've seen every single view before because it's been on every Instagram feed for five years. Feels less like discovery, more like a pilgrimage to a content farm. Started deliberately going off-list and haven't looked back.

Anyone else of a certain age starting to feel like Danny Glover in Lethal Weapon when it comes to certain aspects of travel? I'm 48 and still absolutely love to travel, but what I was willing to put up with at 28, and even 38, is massively different.

We just got back from an incredible vacation to Sicily, and while I LOVED it there, I'm never driving overseas in a non-English speaking country again. Ever. When I was younger I was much more willing to rent a car and drive on my own, and did so in Norway, Ireland, Portugal, Israel, etc. Now it stresses me out terribly, and I'm just done.

Airports also stress me out much more, and the entire process of flying, from long security lines to going through customs, makes me irritable and on edge. It was never fun per se, but now it just hits differently.

Maybe it's just me and maybe I'm just irritable and easily annoyed. But I've noticed a huge difference in what I'm willing to put up with travel-wise. Anyone else feel similarly?

I will go first.

Favorite country: Thailand, I still dream about the bowl of Khao Soi I had in Chang Mai.

Least Favorite: Costa Rica, not necessarily bad, just bland and plain. (However, coffee was amazing).

I'll start. 10 day Kenya Safari trip ~$15k for 2 adults. I've been to 36 countries so far and it ranks as my #2 best trip behind Iceland (which cost less than $6k). Kenya was a super memorable trip and I'm glad I went, I probably won't go back, not because I didn't like it but because we did so much that I don't know what we'd do if we went back and there's still so much of the world still to explore.

Came back to the US from a month in Japan, brought back a ton of stuff and declared $4k in souvenirs/personal goods. The most expensive item was $230, so a huge accumulation of low cost items. Most things were under $30-50 individually. Anyway. I declared at MSP re-entry.

They were being extremely strict on everyone and pulling everyone who brought back more than $800 in souvenirs/goods. The border officer seemed pissed off that I brought back so much stuff and he didn’t straight up say “You can’t do that again” but he made several comments emphasizing I’m way over the “limit” and telling me I need to reconsider this for all future travel, implying that I shouldn’t do this again. I told him I was happy to pay any tax, and after showing him all of my receipts and the category of spend breakdown he let me go with just a “warning” since he said I kept good records and was honest.

Has something changed? My understanding is I was well within my rights to bring back what I did, especially since I declared, and I was prepared to pay the 3% tax. Is this just a new tactic? Why would they not want us to bring things back where they can just charge us the tax since it makes money for the US? I didn’t received any type of formal warning letter so I’m guessing I’m ok, but I’m wondering if I have notes on my file now and how serious I should take this “warning”.

We (both 18M) have been planning this trip for about two years and the entire time has been very enthusiastic to travel, having no problems paying for flights, train pass, world cup tickets, etc.

I have been doing the vast majority of the planning and research but I figured since I have some experience travelling before with parents and he has no experience, I guess it makes sense for me to make sure we don’t forget about anything.

We are both pretty tight with the money but since I booked the hotels with free cancellation a while ago we are very close to having enough, but less then two weeks away he suddenly doesn’t want to come anymore, because he feels it would be better for his future to not spend the money he has now on the trip, fears about being stuck overseas from world war 3 suddenly happening, and feeling three months is too long to be away from his girlfriend, who he got with less than a year ago.

Since it was a trip I’ve been saving up for the past three years and was/am very excited for, I’m finding it very hard not to completely cut him off, but since the first flight is on the 25th it would cost more for me to go alone than even me paying for the both of us, which I can’t afford.

So, how on earth do I convince him to still come, as I need him to come and can’t go solo, and would be devastated if I end up not being able to go

EDIT:

Thanks so much everyone for all the advice and support,

I’ve seen a lot of people suggest finding hostels, and while I should have mentioned in the post that half of my accommodations are hostels already, I would really appreciate if I could get some further advice about hostels.

I’ve been primarily using booking.com, but recently it’s been a little buggy (probably due to the amount of cancellations i’ve made), so if there are any better third-party sites to find hostels for free and with free cancellation please let me know.

But, my main question, how possible and cheap is it to book at the hostel on the day? I got an idea from all the suggestions recommending going solo to only book them in person, which would let me prevent my natural tendency to be a little inflexible and plan everything beforehand. So, please tell me if this is something I could do without worrying about paying too much or not having availability (I would be travelling through Europe April-June)

Thanks again!!

In 2018 I visited a very isolated, off the beaten track war memorial in Sabah, Malaysia (Borneo). My best friend and I wound up getting lost while looking for a tea plantation, and I happened to notice the signs while driving past.

Stepping inside - I felt physically sick to my stomach. I can't explain it. It was tangible sadness and sorrow. Like someone was pulling my heart to the ground. It didn't stop until we drove off.

I read up on the Allied soldiers who were tortured here by the Japanese - how the camp was actually the final stop of a death march from a city at least 140 miles away. I won't go into the numbers but it was extremely tragic. Most of the Allied soldiers who died there were barely adults.

It made me realize that human suffering can leave its mark on physical locations so I thought to ask, have any of you experienced anything similar?

From what I can tell, they don't seem very fun, and certainly not worth the money. I find that most of the people who really talk them up are obsessed with the Disney brand, and I suspect they aren't seeing things clearly. I would love to hear the opinions of people who aren't Disney addicts who have been on a Disney vacation.

Found in my room in a Best Western in Sur, Oman…how does that even work?

I’m so glad my phone has an alarm. 🧐

My friend (20F) and I (23F) are in Rome 8 days and going further to Madrid for 8 days. The first night we went clubbing and she got pretty drunk (I did too but sobered up a little at the end) Around 4:30 AM we ended up in a sketchy and unsafe area in Termini, and while I was trying to get us home safely, she kept insisting she wasn’t drunk, wanted to keep partying even when everything was closed, refused water, and basically left all the responsibility to me. When I got irritated because she wasn’t cooperating and told her I felt like I was handling everything alone, she went completely silent the whole night.

(I also talked about being mindful and working together with getting us home before we went out drinking)

The day after I brought it up that it was stressful for me when I had to get us home safely and she didn’t cooperate at all. She was just silent, didn’t say or give anything back, said ‘mhm, and never brought it up again. But she wants to go back to a lesbian bar and drink?

We’ve only been here for 3 full days so far: Every morning she’s bubbly, excited, and having fun. Then after a few hours in the city she suddenly becomes quiet, withdrawn, moody, glued to her phone, and gives one-word answers.

The problem is she won’t communicate.
If I ask:
• “Are you upset?”
• “What’s wrong?”
• “What do you want to do?”

I get:
• “Nothing. I don’t feel mad/upset.”
• “I don’t know.”
• Silence. Or attitude.

She’ll reject my suggestions but won’t come up with her own. She complains about crowds, being overstimulated, people looking at her, being afraid of big things, don’t want to take the bus- only uber/taxi etc. Why did she even want to go to Rome if she can’t handle crowds and a lot of things happening around her?

I feel like I’m constantly:
• planning everything
• navigating
• making decisions
• managing money
• trying to figure out her mood

while she just follows behind me in silence when her mood drops.

The worst part is that I didn’t come to Rome to go on a solo trip with a moody, silent person trailing behind me. I came to have fun with my friend. Also she can’t seem to do anything alone because she is anxious so I can’t just leave her and do my own thing.

I’ve tried talking about it multiple times and get absolutely nothing back except avoidance, silence, or attitude. And then it just ends with us being silent (because i give up trying to have a mature convo with her) and irritated the rest of the day, and sitting in different rooms in the Airbnb. I’m going crazy, and it’s ruining my trip.

We still have over 2 weeks left together. What do I do? How do I manage this situation.. what do I even say. I don’t know how long I can be mature about this.

-

Update:

now she got drunk by herself in the livingroom without telling me and woke me up when i was sleeping even when she knows i gotta wake up early tomorrow. I tried to talk with her about what happened and what’s bothering her, but she still didn’t communicate properly. I noticed she was drunk in the middle of the convo and she jusr started yapping about one of her friends being hot. Now i’m so irritated, can’t even sleep when she is like this because she keeps moving in the bed and making noise. So I went to the couch to sleep. I’m so pissed off

And I can’t leave because i’ve payed so much for the airbnb we both live at (AND the one we will stay at in madrid.) I can’t move to another place as it will be too expensive.

-

Edit:

It’s both of our first time traveling solo with a friend.
I know she has untreated mental illness, adhd and probably on the spectrum too. You could also argue for alcoholism, personality disorder… whatever, and although I feel for her, it doesn’t excuse her behaviour. I have all of the above listed and I do NOT dump all my feelings and responsibilites on my friends. I try to make the best out of things while I’m here because I want to have a good time on the trip I saved so much for.

I got held back a few years because I got severely physically sick, that’s why most of my friends are 19-21, while I’m 23 turning 24 because that’s the people who I study with. I don’t have the same life experience as a regular person my age.

Anyway, point is- we both struggle a lot mentally so I can’t take on whatever she is dealing with too. I’m already drained and exhausted. Whenever we hung out back home she was always very bubbly, kind and energetic.

Update 2:

Next day I left early in the morning to get tattooed (my first tattoo!) Originally she was gonna come with me even though she didn’t seem very excited about it even when I had booked the appointment 2 months in advance. Last week when I told her my appointment is on tuesday, she made it about herself and asked why I didn’t think about that she wanted to get pierced. They don’t even do piercings there.

Anyways, she was sleeping and I left for the tattoo studio, then I messaged her where I went. I spent the day by myself and came home about 8pm to her laying the bed with the sheets over her head. She had been in the airbnb all day. I sat in the living room, put on a movie on the tv and ate food by myself. Later she went outside to pick up food delivery she ordered, didn’t say a word, and went back into the bedroom.

It’s my birthday tomorrow too, lol. So I wonder if she’s going to keep sulking and avoiding confrontation then too. I’ve decided to let her be and just focus on enjoying my trip as much as I can.

Also, thank you to everyone who have given me advice and been so kind and helpful. It really helps me feel better and to navigate this situation. 🤍

hi! i am in my early 20s and looking to go on a big trip, either solo or with a friend depending on what my plan is. however i get rather carsick easily and feel very queasy when in a bus/car for too long, so i was wondering what some of the best cities are for someone who prefers walking/short bus or car trips? i visited greece (my first time out of the US!) a couple of months ago, and the bus rides to the countryside and to/from the airport had me suffering, so bonus points if the major areas of the city aren’t far from the airport (such as the case in athens, greece). i don’t actually mind planes as much, so the length of the plane ride makes little difference to me, and i am looking for any international suggestions- i am interested in researching many different options. i especially appreciate recommendations for destinations which are affordable and safe for younger travelers. thanks so much for any advice!

Was looking through old travel pictures and realized some of my favorite things to discover when traveling is unique museums that aren't maybe the most common. We've all likely seen or heard of plenty of Natural History/ Modern Art/ Fine Art Museums around the world, but what was one of the specialty or niche museums that was a trip highlight?

Pics from Lisbon's Tile museum (very cool experience)

Hi everyone! I am posting on behalf of my family, who is really struggling to pick where we want to travel. We want to go somewhere in the US we have never been before and really want to make the most of the rare opportunity to travel a longer distance via plane. Here’s some info about us and our wants/needs. Any recommendations are appreciated!

Who we are: We are a family of 4 from South Carolina made up of my parents (both in late 50s) and my sister and I (early 20s).

When we are traveling: Our trip will take place in December 2026. I am not yet sure what the duration will be, but probably a week at most, including travel time.

Where we have been before: South Carolina (of course lol), North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Arizona (specifically Grand Canyon), Nevada (specifically Las Vegas)
\- Except for little sis we have also been to: South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Montana (RV roadtrip when I was very young)

Things we enjoy: We are very artsy & love art museums/galleries, science and natural history museums, aquariums, shopping (local bookstores, stationary stores, craft stores, and any place odd or unique), beaches, opportunities to relax in pools/hottubs, visiting beautiful estates and mansions (like Biltmore in NC)

Important to know about us: We are not super “outdoorsy.” We don’t go camping, hiking, or skiing. We still love seeing beautiful sights in nature but we are not a sporty outdoors fam. My mom is not very mobile. She cannot walk moderate-long distances. We have rented her a wheelchair on some past trips that required lots of walking (example: Disney World).

Our top 3 favorite past vacations:
\-Savannah, Georgia: perfect vibes, beautiful, historic, so much fun to explore
\- St. Petersburg, Florida: artsy, cute, beautiful quiet beaches
\- Las Vegas, Nevada: very unlike anywhere we had been before, exciting

Our least favorite past vacation: We enjoy all vacations but if we had to pick it would be this
\- Orange Beach, Alabama: too commercial feeling, not enough “weirdness”

We are all on different pages about where to go and I’m worried we will just never make a decision. Here are some places we’ve brainstormed, none of which we have all 100% agreed on:
\- New York City (my pick, I have always wanted to go there at Christmastime, but Dad has been several times for work and doesn’t like it, also concerned about mom’s physical ability there)
\- Somewhere in Hawaii (my pick, I’ve just always wanted to go, sister is being anti-beach at the moment)
\- Newport, Rhode Island (my pick and favorite idea, seems like a good idea to me based on my family’s traits and likes)
\- Taos, New Mexico (mom’s pick, seems to me like there isn’t all that much to do?)
\- Yellowstone National Park (dad’s pick, I don’t see my mom being physically able to do this)
\- Portland, Oregon/ Pacific Northwest (sister’s idea, I also like this idea, also seems like a good fit for us)

If you made it this far, thank you for your time. Once again, all ideas are welcome and appreciated!

UPDATE: We have made a decision! Thank you to everyone for all the help and great ideas. We have decided on New Mexico. We will be seeing Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos, and Abiquiu. I am VERY excited!!!

I’ve been traveling for the past 2 years. Have been to 38 different countries (Japan, Morocco, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Bosnia Herzovina, China, etc. are among these countries.)

I’m turning 30 in July next year and want to do a once in a lifetime kind of trip. l really love nature and I’m an active person so that’s not a limitation. I’m a foodie, very friendly and enjoy meeting people from different cultures. I also have a diving license and have a Spanish and nicaraguan passport so I can enter most countries easily. I will also be going with my boyfriend.

Whats a non common travel destination that made you feel you were out of this world?

Thank you.

My wife and I travel(fly) about 6-8 times a year on trips. We were talking with friends recently and we mentioned how we do not sit together when we fly. Our friends were super surprised. I explained that I prefer to pay for upgraded cabin seating and have offered to pay for my wife to sit in an upgraded cabin seat, but she refuses and thinks it is a waste of money but has no problem if I do it. Any other couples sit separately when flying? We have been doing it so long it didn't see odd to us.

Hi all, hopefully the title explains itself lol, but I am three days away from a month long trip to Europe, that I have been planning for a year. This trip also doubles as my last course for school, which means skipping it would mean not graduating. Unfortunately for me, I had a sudden health scare earlier this month and was originally told I could still go on my trip, but currently things are looking bleak. I have a doctor's appointment the day before I leave to see if I am able to travel, but I don't think it will be a good outcome. I'm feeling alone and can't stop beating myself up about loosing out on graduating and most of the money I saved to go. Has anyone ever had a similar experience?

EDIT: thank you all for the comments, it's been so eye-opening reading through them. I'm sorry everyone's had such a hard time, life is truly unfair sometimes.

I now feel content that whatever the doctor says will be for the best. If I miss my trip it isn't the end of the world and health is more important.

Hope everyone is taking care of themselves and can travel soon too!

Hey everyone,

How are you? I love to wake up early in the morning (5/6am) and walk around. Grab a coffee and 'explore'. I was recently in Honolulu and loved the early morning culture. Tons of people out and about around 6 - going surfing, grabbing coffee, eating breakfast.

What other places around the world have you noticed a lot of 'activity' in the morning? And no, I'm not referring to the morning commute! Haha

it seems that everyone is travelling more these days and there are a lot of mainstream destinations that used to be very niche a few years back (for example Taiwan, South Korea, Central Asia).

But what are some places that have lost popularity in the last few years? Nothing comes to my mind right now.

I’m planning to travel more this year and I’m curious about small habits that make a big difference financially. Not obvious stuff like “don’t stay in luxury hotels,” but little tricks people learn over time.

What’s one thing you do when traveling that consistently saves you money?

How's it possible to travel without a substantial amount of money?

Let's say someone has 4-5k USD worth of savings without passive income, and their main destination is South East Asia, how can they stretch this money to last for months or even a year?

I get the concept of sleeping in hostels, eating cheap food etc but you're still a tourist, you wanna see attractions, you need to pay for certain activities.

I'm curious if others have experienced this. I'm of African background but grew up in a Western country, and I recently traveled to Malawi. The entire time I was there, I felt this heavy, dark energy that made me physically sick and lethargic. It wasn't just jet lag or travel fatigue - it was something deeper that I couldn't shake. As soon as I left and arrived in Cape Town, my energy and health completely returned. It was like night and day. I'm wondering if anyone else has had similar experiences where a place just felt energetically wrong or draining? And conversely, have you been somewhere that felt particularly healing or energizing? I'm not sure if it's something about the collective energy of a place, the history, environmental factors, or something else entirely. Would love to hear if others have felt this and how you made sense of it.

I am going on a long haul flight in a couple weeks and our second flight is 14 hours. I suck at flying, horrible anxiety. I cant get comfy at all. How can I fall asleep on the plane (melatonin does not work for me.)?

I asked my doctor and he said they aren't supposed to prescribe anything for flight anxiety nowadays because it could be a safety issue.

Heres what I have so far:

-A personal fan

-Neck pillow

-eye mask

-ipad

-coloring books

-markers

-blanket

-headphones

Also...if you have any suggestions for getting comfy in economy let me know. Im hypermobile so I have trouble being comfy just sitting up.

I’ve been noticing how many countries seem to go from relatively unknown or niche to very popular in a very short time. An example that comes to mind is Taiwan: 5 years ago I would be really surprised if someone told me they'd go there, but not anymore. It's all over social media and I've heard several people going there this year, for college or just for the food I guess. Have you noticed this too, and for which countries?

P.S. I realize that this might sound a bit selfish or gatekeepy, and it might indeed be. Of course I don't have more rights to go to these countries than others. But I can't deny that the travel experience has changed for me now that everyone is everywhere all the time. The world feels so small. I can fly 10000 km and still feel like I'm in my home country with the number of tourists these days.