r/travel

▲ 28 r/travel+1 crossposts

Leaving China early

Hi, first time really writing a post anywhere but since everyone I know is currently asleep due to the China - UK time difference thought I’d try to get some advice here. So recently me and my friend planned a 3 week trip to China to which he was not able to make due to visa issues. As a result I’ve been solo here in beijing for 6 days now with the plan to go down to other places in China for the rest of the days. My issue is that so far I’ve not enjoyed this trip whatsoever, everything feels like a drag, having to leave my hotel by myself, ordering food where no one understands me etc. Of course I’ve tried to make the most of it seen all the main spots in Beijing took some cool photos but am considering cutting the trip short and going home early. On one hand I don’t want to leave early and regret it on the other I’m kind of tired of being miserable everyday here on my own. Any advice from people that have went through anything similar would be appreciated.

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u/Traditional-Cat6764 — 3 hours ago
▲ 0 r/travel+1 crossposts

Vancouver>Lisbon>Barcelona>Florence>Rome>Vancouver Travel

Hi everyone, me and my husband both 30y old are planning our first ever trip to Europe and would love some insights, experiences and guidance.

We are planning to travel roughly between September 30th- October 15th from Vancouver.

This is what I have narrowed down so far :

LISBON
BARCELONA
FLORENCE
ROME

then fly back home to Vancouver. Does these seem too much or doable?! Would you suggest any other places for us first timers?! Lastly, we love city life, good food and beverage and walking around.

Thank you in advance for you all your help!!

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u/Sure-Cattle-9966 — 5 hours ago
▲ 0 r/travel

Orbitz scam?

Booked an international flight and Orbitz charged the full amount and then cancelled the flight. They said call in to get options and offered another flight. I booked the second flight and was told to wait two days and the older flight would be refunded. That wait time was a sham as Orbitz reinstated the original flight and now I have two seats on the same flight. Orbitz refused to return the money. They blame Alaska and Alaska states they don’t perform partial flight cancellations and reinstatements.

I believe the airline over Orbitz/Expedia. Given that I am only left with the option of fighting the phone agents who stonewall right away. What else have others done in this situation?

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u/Gurucwd — 2 hours ago
▲ 0 r/travel

Taiwan and Hongkong Travel

I usually like to learn some basic phrases in local languages when traveling to make my life a bit easier. I am traveling to Taiwan and Hong Kong soon, and I wonder if I should learn Cantonese or Mandarin. I already learned a bit of Mandarin when I traveled to China recently, but I’m wondering if I should continue practicing it more or switch to Cantonese since I heard it’s more commonly spoken in these destinations.

I would love to hear input from locals who live in these two places. Thanks so much in advance!

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u/Ayasa42 — 1 hour ago
▲ 1 r/travel

Dumb questions

Hi, I dont travel much but am planning on taking a trip on September and I have some stupid (probably common sense) questions!

  1. does a backpack count as a carry on? Whats the difference between a personal and a carry on?

2)can I put a duffle bag inside a suitcase and bring that as a carry on? (Cause im planning on buying a lot so wanna bring the extra suitcase without having to pay for it to get there yn?)

  1. how much time before my flight do I need to be to the airport?

  2. I tend to carry some of my prescription medication in a little capsul in my pocket so i dont gotta carry a whole bottle. Can I take that through tsa or do I suck it up and bring the whole pill bottle?

Thank you in advance! Sorry if these are hella stupid lol.

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u/HoneyAthena — 1 hour ago
▲ 1 r/travel

advice needed for an upcoming trip as a new traveler

i am new to traveling and i preparing to pack for a week long trip to a warm destination and i am just curious... how doable is it to get away with using a carry on suitcase and a personal item backpack (backpack is like a mini suitcase though). i already ordered compression packing cubes but i need to pack makeup, hair products (yes i have travel sized products), dresses, shirts, shorts, and 2-3 pairs of shoes that are not bulky. so i am just curious... how doable is this?

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u/Deep_Recognition7944 — 2 hours ago
▲ 9 r/travel

A lovely trip to Alaska! Saw Juneau, Skagway, Sitka and Victoria!

I do not think we could have gone at a better time!

Juneau unfortunately got cut short for a medical evac on our cruise but I’m glad they were able to get them off safely! It was cool seeing the helicopter land on the Helipad.

Skagway was gorgeous and the train was worth every single penny, if I could work on that train I would!

Sitka was perfect weather wise and saw a Humpback Whale suuuuper early in the season, he/she waved at us!

Victoria was our out of country stop and my first time technically being out of state, the architecture there is absolutely stunning! Didn’t think a government building could look so pretty!

Gonna add a few photos but I don’t want to spam an absolute shit ton, I took well over a hundred lol.

u/Fun_Blacksmith5000 — 1 hour ago
▲ 687 r/travel

OIA, Santorini - 2026

I traveled to Santorini at the beginning of May to avoid the busiest season, and I took the opportunity to do a few boat tours and swim in the waters around the island. The water was pretty cold, but nothing unbearable. You can still enjoy it and get back on the boat without any problem.

Oía is definitely the busiest place on the island, so I would avoid the center between 9am and sunset because it gets extremely crowded, sometimes even hard to walk around. But if you go a little outside the main areas, especially early in the morning, you can find really nice hiking trails with very few people.

At night, walking through the streets, finding a place to sit, eat, or even a small bar with music is something you probably won’t regret, but it is expensive. I definitely felt the prices there more than in other places I visited in Europe. Santorini really is a pricey destination, but if you move away from the most famous spots, you can already find much better prices.

I stayed in one of those classic houses on the mountain with the ocean view, close to the blue domes. I searched for almost two months and managed to find a really good deal. The place was interesting, but since I’m 1.90m tall, I had a hard time in the room because everything was very low. To take a shower, you actually had to sit on a chair, which was one of the most unusual things I’ve ever seen. But in a positive way, it felt more like one of those travel situations that is not really a problem, just something very different from what you’re used to.

The Greek people, especially on the island, felt very warm and welcoming to visitors. I honestly never went through an airport security area with people as friendly as the ones I met in Santorini on my way back to Athens.

Before traveling there, I used to watch videos and think maybe the beauty of the place was exaggerated, but honestly it matches reality very well. It’s an incredibly beautiful place. Right in front of my accommodation there were lines of people taking photos all day, but nothing that really affected our routine.

I sincerely recommend everyone to visit Santorini at least once in their life. Food was not the highlight for me, but you can still eat very well, either spending a lot in the famous restaurants or paying more reasonable prices if you choose places that are less touristy.

Ahhhh the cats! They are everywhere and they are super cool and sassy.

u/Level-Impact-757 — 10 hours ago
▲ 2.1k r/travel

7 Unforgettable Days in Thailand

Thailand, at this time of the year, is surprising calm and extremely beautiful with lush green patches across Krabi and blue skies in Phuket, and hustling city life in Bangkok.

Yes, I travelled solo across 7 most amazing days of my life, and had so much had that words can’t describe. I was low on budget so I spent wisely on stays and food, but didn’t let any experience go past me. I did scuba diving, paragliding, and what not — with the trip still not exceeding my budget (INR 70,000).

I joined a group there only in Thailand not only explored Old Town in Phuket and local market in Krabi, but also saw and plunged into azure waters of a lot of other beautiful spots during the 7 island tour.

Oh, the fun I had and even Indian food is readily available and there is no language issue.

u/fireball_qween — 13 hours ago
▲ 2 r/travel

Best standalone hotel

I’m normally one of those people who travel somewhere and barely spends anytime at their hotel. I.E. Disney world, Chicago (going to view museums), etc. lately I’ve been craving a getaway where I do not have to leave the hotel. I’m wanting to keep this within the USA because I’m not wanting to fly out of the country and then just stay in the hotel. Bonus point if your rec is in the Midwest but I’m okay with traveling anywhere within the United States. I’m considering all inclusive but am open to all options. Thanks!!

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u/Usual_Extension3585 — 3 hours ago
▲ 32 r/travel

I'm 39 and flying for the first time with fiancee and her family

EDIT-I don't have anxiety about flying or the safety of it. It's more about being embarrassed because my fiancee's family has much more travel experience than me and I don't want to make a fool of myself in front of them or look like a pleb/moron. I already have Real ID and have had it since 2018.

2ND EDIT-My fiancee's family know that I come from a family that had financial struggles and they know certain details such as family being on food stamps at one point, me having thrift store clothes. they know about my mom having struggles trying to get SSDI. But they are certain things they don't know such as me being homeless at one point as an adult after a job loss. I don't want them to know everything about my past struggles and my family's past struggles.

I have never flown before. My fiancee invited me on a trip with her and her family for a family reunion in July.

I'm pretty much a moron when it comes to traveling as I grew up in a family that had money struggles (dad was a police officer in a smaller city that didn't pay well and mom was diagonsed with multiple sclerosis and could only work part time and there were financial issues caused by her MS).

I asked my fiancee not to say anything about my lack of travel experience to her parents and two brothers who are traveling with us.

I want insight/advice from experienced travelers and I don't want to ask my girlfriend because she has already agreed to not say anything to her family about me having zero travel experience.

Please be kind, it's already embarrassing for me to have never traveled via plane.

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u/JOwl20 — 11 hours ago
▲ 327 r/travel

Tourism in Peru is still below pre-pandemic levels. Why?

I’m Peruvian and something I’ve been genuinely curious about is why Peru’s tourism industry still hasn’t fully recovered after the pandemic. I’m Limeña and before 2020 I used to see way more tourists walking around the Historic Center and Miraflores than I do now.

In 2019, Peru received almost 4.4 million international tourists, compared to around 3.8 million in 2025, although the trend has been improving over the last few years. Meanwhile, a lot of other countries in the region seem to have bounced back already, and in some cases have even surpassed their pre-pandemic tourism numbers. Countries like Mexico, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic recovered pretty quickly, while Peru still feels somewhat behind.

I think there are probably several reasons for this, such as political and social instability, insufficient tourist infrastructure, limited flight connectivity, weak international marketing, and a tourism industry that still isn’t very diversified.

It’s honestly frustrating to me because Peru has so much to offer: incredible food, nature, history and some of the most unique cultural experiences in Latin America.

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u/sol-solcito — 13 hours ago
▲ 128 r/travel

Weekend trip to London, England in

London 🇬🇧
Impromptu trip with no agenda.

  1. Stayed at the Londoner hotel, central to major attractions. The hotel was beautiful, it has rooftop restaurant and bar, and the rooms were comfy!
  2. Harrods- iconic department store, and honestly I loved doing the window shopping. I did enjoy different types of food and chocolates.
  3. The picture in front of Buckingham Palace via the cab.
  4. The tower bridge was amazing at night, and loved hanging out near this location. Also noticed there is a Uber Boat.
  5. Chinatown was super close to the Londoner Hotel, walking distance and it was popping.
  6. Trafalgar Square was super busy, but pretty cool.
  7. Backside of Westminster Church, loved the architect and just in awe.
  8. ICONIC Big Ben
  9. Westminster Abbey, and the architect with so much precision.
u/Mental-Success — 7 hours ago
▲ 2 r/travel

Amalfi Coast + Puglia + Rome

Guys, I’m going to Italy next month (June) and since the trip came up last minute, I still have a lot of questions. 😬

The initial itinerary would be:
12th: departure
13th to 16th: Rome (3 nights)
16th to 21st: Amalfi Coast (5 nights)
21st to 23rd: Capri (2 nights)
23rd to 29th: Puglia (6 nights)
29th: return

  1. Do you think this number of days for each place is reasonable? Or should I increase or decrease any of them?

  2. Is it worth including Matera and/or Ischia?
    If so, as a day trip or staying overnight?
    If staying overnight, where could I cut days to fit them in?

  3. On the Amalfi Coast, is it better to stay in Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi, or Praiano? Or should I split the stay between two bases? Which ones?

  4. In Puglia, I’ll most likely split the trip into two bases. Which ones would you recommend?

  5. In your opinion, what’s the best way to get around within each place?

Context:
Couple’s trip.
We like beaches/beach clubs, beautiful scenery, cultural immersion, walking around charming town centers, good restaurants, and some nightlife (bars or even a little clubbing).
We want to avoid stress (if possible lol).

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u/TraditionalStar8718 — 2 hours ago
▲ 3 r/travel

Gift for "new" European traveler

My mother's (age:74) birthday is coming up. She and my dad are frequent travelers in the US, but they have never taken a trip which would require them "flying over the ocean" as my mom has a fear of it.

Anywhere, one of their couple friends convinced my parents to take a Viking River cruise in Europe this coming fall. My mother is mostly terrified of the flight and "something new" and has a fear that everything will go wrong in everyday possible. I mean she is less excited and more terrified. (I keep telling her she's gonna love it & that Viking is a good company.)

What kind of birthday gift could I get her for her Viking cruise/trip? She's a "new European traveler, but not a new traveler.

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u/marie2222083 — 5 hours ago
▲ 2 r/travel

Car travel advice needed!!

Hi so I’m 19 f and I’m going on a ten day car trip with my bf. 18M. We both live in Utah and plan on driving up to Washington through the Idaho route and back… we’re going all the way down to Forks and then to Washington National forest and back home. We each budgeted to have around $1000-$1,200 for gas and food etc. we’re camping out of my car which I just finished building out. I own a car that gets around 16-19 mpg. Will that be enough money?? I’ve never traveled without my family so I’m a bit nervous but I really want to do this trip!

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u/CheesecakeFeisty9666 — 6 hours ago
▲ 2 r/travel+1 crossposts

Condor airlines carry on

I am flying from out of BOS Logan internationally on condor airlines. I have been reading their carry on policy and seems like a carry on must not exceed 8kg which is nearly impossible to do. Has anyone flown out of Logan with condor air? Did they actually weigh your carry on bag?

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u/Crazyplantlady0825 — 9 hours ago
🔥 Hot ▲ 7.3k r/travel+1 crossposts

Warning: Booking.com sent my family to a bankrupt, fenced-off resort in Belgium and is refusing to pay travel damages.

Hi everyone, I wanted to share a massive cautionary tale about Booking.com and how they completely abandoned my family after sending us across three countries to a resort that has been shut down since October 2025.

If you think your holiday is secure because you have a confirmed booking voucher, think again.

On 10th October 2025, I booked a stay at the ‘Waterside Elegance Sky Pad’ in the ‘Your Nature’ resort in Belgium. We planned our entire holiday around this specific trip to accommodate our two young sons - including our eldest who is non-verbal and autistic.

In the months leading up to the trip, Booking.com sent us multiple written assurances that the booking was "all in order," took our tourism tax payment, and even sent us a check-in voucher on 4th March 2026.

We drove a total of 9 hours across three countries (UK, France, Belgium), paying for Le Shuttle crossings, fuel, and an overnight stay in France to make the drive easier on our kids.

We pulled up to the resort on 3rd April 2026 at 3:20 PM only to find:

The main entrance blocked off by metal construction fences.

An empty car park and a "CLOSED" sign on the main door.

By sheer luck, we ran into an onsite property owner who introduced us to the caretaker. The caretaker explicitly told us that the resort went into administration in October 2025. He also stated he had told Booking.com’s partners numerous times that the resort was completely closed, but they "kept sending people."

We were left stranded in a foreign country with two crying, exhausted children. We had no choice but to immediately pay a fee to scramble onto a return Le Shuttle train back to the UK that same evening.

While we were driving back, completely stressed out, we received an automated message from them saying: "We hope you were able to check in quickly... We wish you a vacation with the warm feeling of a home away from home." Absolutely insulting.

Once we finally got back to the UK, Booking.com eventually sent an update admitting the property was unavailable. Their brilliant solution over an Easter Bank Holiday weekend? A link to rebook alternative accommodation for the same price or up to €60 more - offering us high-rise apartments.

While they eventually refunded the bare accommodation cost after intense pressure, they are completely dodging our claims for the £449.94 in wasted out-of-pocket travel expenses (trains, fuel, food, and Airbnb).

Our insurance company has confirmed this is an error entirely on Booking.com's part, and we have cited multiple UK law breaches to Booking.com:

  1. Section 50, Consumer Rights Act 2015: They gave explicit written assurances that the booking was secure, which we relied upon to book non-refundable travel.
  2. Section 49, Consumer Rights Act 2015: Total failure to perform services with "reasonable care and skill" by taking money and advertising a defunct resort for 6 months.
  3. Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008: Misleading omission by completely failing to identify that the resort was unavailable.

We've sent numerous emails with zero meaningful progression and have had to involve my local Member of Parliament to escalate this matter. He got a swift response to say they're dealing with it but since then, replies have been slow and it's clear they're playing delay tactics.

They even waited 3 weeks from one email before replying to ask for something we'd already sent them the same day they asked for it.

Booking.com does not verify their listings, ignores onsite caretakers telling them a resort is closed, takes your money anyway, and leaves you stranded hundreds of miles from home without paying a penny for the wasted travel expenses they caused. Avoid them.

UPDATE: Wow, I wasn't expecting this level of response when I posted. I genuinely appreciate all the comments, advice, and messages.

We’ve been given some brilliant new angles on how to approach this, including formal legal routes, financial options, and even national newspapers (some of whom we've reached out to, and others who have actually reached out to us!).

To address a few comments asking why we turned right back around: as mentioned, our eldest son is autistic and non-verbal. It takes an immense amount of time, routine, and care to prepare him for a trip or a new environment. When everything collapsed at the gates, the safest and best option for our family’s well-being was to simply return home to the UK. While other travelers might have scrambled for a backup hotel, weighing up our specific situation meant this was the only right choice. It also legally mitigated our losses and stopped us from risking even more money on an emergency booking we didn’t want.

Just to add too, when we booked and even after we returned, the Google listing was still live and accepting reviews (which I left to warn others). Their website was and still is up and running. Google has since been updated and reviews turned off. I would also add that we had visited the location before so knew it existed.

We’ve learned a costly lesson, and Booking.com will never see a single penny from our family again. I'll keep you all updated as the legal/media side progresses!

u/Lord--Gravy — 22 hours ago
▲ 71 r/travel

How come Lithuania isn't as popular to travel to as Estonia and Latvia?

At least here in Sweden, when everybody goes to the Baltics, they visit either Estonia or Latvia. Lithuania is often forgotten.

It's difficult to find exact numbers online, but looking overall it does seem like Lithuania is the least popular of the tree.

How come Lithuania hasn't made its mark like their two Baltic brothers?

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u/WhoAmIEven2 — 14 hours ago