u/Exciting_Bid9133

After my earlier experience of waiting for 6 months and getting a 6 month single entry tourist visa (back in April 2025), I decided to apply again as I could not make a trip on that earlier visa (here’s the link to that ordeal). This time, thankfully, I received a visa that's valid till my passport expires.

29th March  - Application submitted online on IRCC website. I used the old portal (the earlier application was on the new portal)

6th April - Biometrics submitted at VFS, Mumbai (I didn't need to coz I had already submitted them for the earlier visa - but made a mistake and wasted some money here)

15th April - Passport Requested

17th April - Passport picked up by courier

21st April - Passport received at VFS, Mumbai & dispatched to Delhi

22nd April - Passport received at VFS, Delhi

23rd April - Passport received at IRCC office, Delhi

12th May - Passport sent back to VFS, Delhi and couriered to Mumbai

13th May - Passport delivered by courier to me.

Once the decision has been made, you can check the status of your visa on the status tracker website (even though you haven’t received the physical sticker on your passport) - https://ircc-tracker-suivi.apps.cic.gc.ca/en 

If you log on to the HDFC forex card website and put your mobile number in, before it asks for the OTP, it asks you to choose which forex card account you want to log in to - it then gives you the list of cards linked to your mobile number - revealing the last 4 digits AND ALSO THE USERID associated with that card!!! Why is everyone's user ids so easily available? Isn't that information supposed to be confidential? You can try it with any mobile number and if they have a HDFC forex card, you'll get their userid. Screenshot attached. #ridiculous

https://preview.redd.it/uvgucvi1to0h1.png?width=2812&format=png&auto=webp&s=bd59b7573802ba0ae95111ac3fe90e92b3945a57

Transferred 1,25,000 Infinia points to Kris Flyer.

Booked flight No.1 from Mumbai to Frankfurt in business class on Air India for 68,000 KF miles + ₹2317/- (Excited to try the new 787-9 - hope it doesn't get swapped out by July)

Booked flight No.2 from Frankfurt to New York premium economy on Singapore Airlines (Fifth Freedom Flight) for 57,000 KF miles + ₹15,300/-

Mumbai to New York - Business & Premium Economy - 1,25,000 Infinia points + ₹17,617/-

Could I have done this better? My dates were fairly fixed - I had to be in New York that particular week. I have a Schengen visa so stopping over in Frankfurt is not a problem.

Mumbai to Frankfurt revenue fare was 2,72,000/-

Frankfurt to New York revenue fare was 1,83,000/-

https://preview.redd.it/dwcszycalryg1.png?width=2252&format=png&auto=webp&s=9819a3e3e6ca8fa92390a1f38825c6f7904db906

Hello, I will be visiting Rome in June and plan to travel to Assisi for a few days (5th to the 8th). In the past I've usually taken a direct Trenitalia Regional train from Rome Termini to Assisi - however, when trying to search for trains on the trenitalia website, I'm seeing that from the 18th of May to the 13th of June, there's only a single Intercity train that departs at 19:55 and arrives at 22:00. Same for the return.

The other alternative train journeys are 4 to 5 hours long. Anyone know what's happening? Any alternate ways to get to Assisi?