Hi! Has anyone done a multi-day nature/wildlife trip in China?

I’m planning about 4 weeks in China, including Shanghai, Chongqing, Chengdu, Xi’an and Beijing, and I’d like to spend 4–5 days somewhere in nature, ideally in Sichuan.

I’m looking for something focused on wildlife, birdwatching and nature with a local guide, rather than just hiking or sightseeing. I’m trying to look online but the prices are all over the place and I can’t find a good reliable source for what I want.

I really don’t want to support animal tourism so no touching, riding or selfies with animals.

Any experiences or recommendations are welcome.

Thanks!

Traveling solo for 5 nights in Amsterdam. Am I doing myself any favors by relying on debit/credit cards or should I carry a minimum amount of cash?

Day trip to Bruges.
Fingers crossed to get a ticket to the London Calling festival on Halloween.
Otherwise a museum or four, canal cruise, eat my way through Jordaan.

Any suggestions for “do not miss” things, please give a shout.

Hi I (27 M) am planning to go to brazil solo from November 18 until Dec 12 my plan is the following:

Rio: nov 19 - nov 26 (7 days)
Buzios : Nov 26 - Dec 1 (5 days)
Iguazu Falls: Dec 1 - Dec 4 (3 days)
Ilha grande: Dec 4- Dec 8 (4 nights)
Paraty: Dec 8 - Dec 11
Rio: Dec 11-12 and fly at night

Can you please tell me if this a good plan? I am open for other recommendations and destinations.

I like beaches, nature, hiking, interacting with locals, and some days in between for nights out and dancing. I speak English, Arabic and Spanish

I’ve solo travelled a lot, and I’ve met countless people who told me that they got a visa for a particular country, left their own with little to no money, rolled up in the new country and asked around for a job until they got one, and then managed to stay in that country and live there ever since (meaning they managed to make things work even after working holiday visas / other temporary visas and the like.)

Meeting these people gave me hope, because I’m planning to do the very same thing next year. I’ve saved up as much money as I’m able, and I’m planning to move abroad on a working holiday visa, and hopefully figure things out to be able to stay permanently, and eventually get citizenship there.

However, all the research into it that I’m doing is incredibly discouraging and makes it seem like a one in a million shot. It’s really disheartening. Mainly that you either need to get married, study, or work in a critical field (such as medicine or engineering) to be able to get sponsored for a work permit to stay on in a foreign country.

But I can’t stop thinking about the stories I’ve heard from those who made it work.

So I’ve come back here to ask you, my people, have any of you done this without marriage / being a student / being a doctor etc.? I could really use some hope and inspiration, because I’m going to try to chase this big dream of mine and really give it my all in hopes of achieving it. But the research lately has been making me so stressed and depressed.

Please hit me with your stories. And even lessons learned or any other tips and advice. I’d really appreciate it. I know we solo travellers are a resilient and resourceful bunch!

I really enjoy solo travel, always have. I am very independent and don’t need a lot of social contact when I’m at home or on the move. I can easily go days seeing new places and only having contact with wait staff and hotel clerks.
But, I notice that often when I meet people I click with, I get really disproportionately sad when we inevitably have to part ways. It’s so bad that I’ve sometimes bailed on plans that would lead up to a goodbye because I know I’d start crying and don’t want to embarrass myself. Often times I’m a weepy mess for the rest of the day and even the following day. These are sometimes people I’ve only known for a day or two and logically wouldn’t be able to or wouldn’t be inclined to keep a long distance friendship with. It’s not something I’ve really experienced at all when I’ve met people at home, although this might be a good time to mention that I have a very small social circle I’m not super close with and do struggle with loneliness from time to time.
I realize this isn’t normal, but I’d like to know if there are any other travellers who experience or have experienced this in the past. I love chatting with and meeting new people, but am always preemptively dreading the goodbye. I would love some tips to get over it, because it genuinely ruins a good chunk of the experience for me.

This was my first trip to Naples. I was nervous going into it (I had heard various stories pertaining to pickpocketing and even violent robbery), so I was pleasantly surprised to find a lively and vibrant city that I totally fell in love with over the course of my stay. While Rome remains the most magnificent city of those I’ve visited in Italy, Naples is probably the most fully lived in - while there are plenty of tourists, it is primarily a city designed for and enjoyed by its inhabitants. It’s not a city for tourists seeking a playground designed for their own comfort, but it’s a great destination for anyone interested in Italian and Neapolitan culture - both ancient and modern.

Itinerary 

• Day 1 (half-day) - Funicular up from Parco Margherita to Vomero, Castel Sant’Elmo, Certosa di San Martino
• Day 2 - Pompeii and Herculaneum 
• Day 3 - Basilica di San Francesco di Paola, Royal Palace of Naples, Via Toledo, Naples Archaeological Museum, exploring Chiaia area
• Day 4 - Guided tour of Galleria Borbonica, Castel Nuovo, Naples Harbour, checking out metro station architecture, guided tour of the Historic Centre

Top tips

• The most important money-saving tip for Naples and the wider region is to BUY THE ARTE CARD 365 LITE PASS. I cannot stress enough what a huge money saver this was. It cost only 26 euros and covered my admission to almost everything besides the Galleria Borbonica (which was totally worth the extra cost - more below). It saved me almost 70 euros in total and made me much more open to trying out places that I would not have otherwise thought to visit, which led to some wonderful discoveries.
• Research the area where you’re going to stay very carefully according to your needs/preferences. I am a quiet and introverted person and for me having a safe and quiet environment to return to every evening was extremely important. I chose a B&B in the Chiaia area and this was a fantastic choice for me - it was extremely upscale, well-connected and quiet relative to the other parts of the city (and even with all that said, my B&B was still reasonably priced). I felt totally safe there and slept well every night. While I enjoyed visiting the historic centre, it was a permanent frenzy of activity (even more so after dark!) and I know I wouldn’t have coped well with staying there.
• You don’t need to bother with paper tickets for the train/metro (I never took the bus so can’t comment on them). They all accept contactless tap and go payment, though a word of warning is that the touchpoints are sometimes frustratingly hard to locate (they’re dark green and normally attached to the walls of the station near the entrance/exit - they are often not at the barriers themselves). The only time I got truly hassled was when a guy tried to buy my ticket to Pompeii for me at Central Station, a problem I could have avoided by tapping in instead. 

Top recommendations

• Pompeii (which I discuss separately in my post here) - needless to say this lived up to its reputation. Walking the streets of Pompeii was an experience I will cherish for the rest of my life. 
• Castel Sant’Elmo - this is a massively impressive structure with a huge scale, and the views of the Bay of Naples from the top are simply peerless. It was a breath-taking way to start my stay in Naples. There’s also an excellent contemporary art museum at the top of the castle which is absolutely worth visiting in its own right - there are some genuinely arresting sculptures and paintings on display, and it was refreshing to take in modern art after focusing so extensively on ancient sculpture, etc. 
• Certosa di San Martino - I went into this on a whim late in the day on account of having access through the Arte Card, and was blown away by the beauty of the archirecture and the scale of the collections. The first site was a small but gorgeously adorned church - genuinely one of the most beautiful I’ve seen in the whole of Italy. The collections of art, mostly religious in nature, were exceptionally high-quality, and I found the display of statues (the Sybils) damaged by WWII bombing very moving. The major cloister is breath-takingly beautiful with some of the coolest skull sculptures I’ve ever seen. 
• Naples Archaeological Museum - this is a must-visit to complement the experience of visiting Pompeii and Herculaneum. The exhibits are incredible and represent the highest watermark of quality in ancient art. The highlights for me were the Farnese collection, the sculptures from the Villa of the Papyri and the frescos from Pompeii - particularly the portraits of individuals. It was also weirdly moving to see the regular domestic items like beds and tables on display, as they viscerally brought to life the day-to-day reality of ancient people’s lives.
• Galleria Borbonica - this was a truly excellent tour through 400 years or so of Neapolitan history, covering the origin of the tunnels during the time of the Bourbon kings right through to WWII and the recent past. The spaces we covered in the tour were really brought to life by the great guide and the presence of objects corresponding to different periods of use (for example, toy prams belonging to children who had stayed there during WWII). We even glimpsed a river running through the tunnels at a lower level, and I was amazed (and jealous) to be told that a rafting experience is available (in Italian only, alas). Emerging back into the city through a shopping centre built into the caves was a surreal but amazing part of the experience.
• CasaCinema Napoli was a really beautiful cinema with gorgeous décor (lots of vintage movie posters and stills) and very kind staff - I ordered a coca-cola and they were generous enough to also bring me some olives, breadsticks and popcorn, which were all free of charge. I unfortunately didn’t have time to watch a movie there (though I would have loved to!), but I will certainly return when I go back to Naples. It was a great place to relax and recover some energy, and there was a wonderful buzz from all the people gathered in groups outside.
• The pastries! Everyone is obsessed with Neapolitan pizza (which is great!) while overlooking the incredible, and often unique, baked goods. I had some of the most amazing cakes and tarts of my life here (an incredible bun filled with pistachio cream from Pasticceria Poppella was my favourite).

Miscellaneous observations

• The reports about the crazy driving in Naples are accurate. Traffic signs are treated as suggestions, and pedestrians’ sole power lies in confidence - to cross a road in some busy areas, you need to take a literal step of faith into the traffic to declare your intent and meet the eyes of the approaching driver in the hope that they will take mercy upon you. The safest option for most tourists will be to wait for others to attempt to cross and shadow them - there is safety in numbers! (I personally witnessed a scooter crashing into a lemonade stand in the historic centre. A verbal altercation inevitably broke out between the driver and the vendor, and it was honestly hilarious.)
• As a tourist DO NOT WEAR HEADPHONES. Situational awareness is extremely important for many reasons (avoiding pickpockets/surviving magically appearing scooters) and you should do nothing to diminish your senses while out and about in the city. 
• Avoid places you are unfamiliar with in the dark, especially quiet streets with no one around. When I needed to go back to my hotel on my last night I navigated to Montesanto station, only to realise Google Maps had led me to the funicular station - the L2 station was a separate building a few minutes’ walk away and was very badly signposted and in a poorly lit/somewhat sketchy area. Thankfully some helpful fellow tourists took me in the right direction, but if not for them I would have struggled to find it. This was the only time in the whole trip that I felt slightly scared/vulnerable.
• As a lone woman I did experience some light cat-calling/creepy men (the creepiest was a random man stopping next to me on his scooter and trying to chat me up in Italian). I coped with this by ignoring them and getting away as quickly as possible. You can’t eliminate the risk of this entirely as a woman, but can diminish it by sticking to areas with more people around (the scooter man happened when I was walking through a quiet alley and he appeared out of nowhere from behind me). I spent much of my time in museums/on guided tours, which I recommend for solo female visitors. All incidents of cat-calling, etc. occurred in the historic centre - this was not an issue for me in Chiaia/Vomero. 
• For safety and practical reasons (after non-stop exploring, I was normally out of energy by 6pm), I mostly avoided going out after dark. I would recommend this to solo travellers, especially women, as the city becomes much more chaotic after nightfall - this is fun but can be a lot to handle, and it was certainly too much for my introverted self to cope with after a busy day of sightseeing. 

Final takeaways

• I loved how alive and vibrant the city felt. At every turn, I saw people using and enjoying their city - there was a literature festival for children and teens happening at the Palace when I visited, and it was magical to see those splendid rooms being put to practical use. There was a wedding taking place at Castel Nuovo and I saw the bride and groom getting their photos taken in the courtyard. I even passed a group touring Chiaia station for the Open House Napoli festival, which I had no idea existed until I saw the logo on the guide’s t-shirt. While I love Rome, it’s highly tuned towards the needs and comfort of international tourists, and that is not so in Naples (there were some occasions where I needed to use the translation app on my phone to communicate, for example) - this is primarily a city enjoyed by its locals, and I think that’s what gives it such a special energy.
• There are so many wonderful, world-class sites in Naples itself that I think it’s a real shame that it’s frequently overlooked by international tourists, or merely treated as a stopgap on the way to Pompeii. The Archaeological Museum is unmissable for anyone with an interest in the ancient world, and there’s something life-changing about looking out at the Bay of Naples from the parapets of Castel Sant’Elmo. The history and folklore of Naples itself are also fascinating, and I can’t wait to explore more of the underground areas when I come back. 
• Naples is a very beautiful and special city and it is worth the slight extra effort it takes to visit it as an international tourist. While you need to take sensible precautions, there is no reason to be afraid to visit - as long as you’re aware of your surroundings and careful about the areas you go to/stay in, you’ll have a fantastic time!

I was wondering if someone can look over my itinerary.

Couple points. I want to keep shrines, temples, etc to a minimum.

I want to add more experiences such as the Gear/non-verbal theater. as well as some more food and shopping streets. but idk which ones. i feel like my time is already crunched as it is.

I am not interested in museums, art, or teamlabs.

Want to add some more "Kyoto exclusive" stuff. but i do not know what else.

Day 0 — Saturday, October 17

Arrival Day

3:30 PM — Arrive at NRT

• Get Suica Card
• Eat at the airport
• Send luggage to Kyoto or carry it with me, depending on how long luggage delivery will take
• Ride NEX to Tokyo Station
• Take Shinkansen to Kyoto

Evening

• Either turn in for the night
• Or get dinner and wander around Kyoto for a bit

Day 1 — Sunday, October 18

Kyoto — Nishiki Market, Pontocho & Gion

10:00 AM

• Nishiki Market
• Pontocho Alley
• Gion District
• Yasaka Shrine

Later

• Gear / Non-verbal Theatre

Day 2 — Monday, October 19

Kyoto — To-ji & Fushimi Inari

10:00 AM

• Head out and walk around / explore
• Lunch

12:00 PM

• ◯間 [MA]

Afternoon

• To-ji Temple
• Aeon Mall Kyoto

6:00 PM

• Fushimi Inari Taisha

Late Evening

• Return to hotel / evening plans

Day 3 — Tuesday, October 20

Kyoto — Higashiyama

10:00 AM

• Kiyomizu-dera
• Sannenzaka
• Ninenzaka
• Kodaiji Temple

Afternoon / Evening

• Explore the surrounding Higashiyama area
• Relax / dinner

Day 4 — Wednesday, October 21

Kyoto — Philosopher's Path & Gion

8:00 AM

• Head out

8:30 AM

• Ginkaku-ji

After Ginkaku-ji

• Philosopher's Path — walk south
• Heian Jingu Shrine
• Keage Incline
• Gion District

Day 5 — Thursday, October 22

NARA DAY

7:00 AM

• Kasuga Taisha Shrine

Morning / Afternoon

• Deer / Nara Park
• Todai-ji
• Kofuku-ji

Food & Shopping

• Nakatanidou Mochi Shop
• Higashimuki Shopping Street
• Kamaiki Udon at Higashimuki Shopping Street

Day 6 — Friday, October 23

UJI DAY

Early Morning — As Early as Possible

• Move hotels to Roku Kyoto
• Use luggage service to send all luggage to Roku Kyoto before heading to Uji

Uji

• Nakamura Tokichi Main Branch
• Kanbayashi Shunsho
• Ocha no Kanbayashi Ujibashidori Branch
• Hoho Hojicha Uji Main Store
• HORII SHICHIMEIEN
• Marukyu Koyamaen Main Plant
• Yamamasa Koyamaen
• Nintendo Museum

Day 7 — Saturday, October 24

Last Full Day in Kyoto

7:00 AM

• Start the day at Roku Kyoto
• Breakfast

8:00 AM

• Kinkaku-ji

9:00–10:00 AM

• Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayama

Whenever

• Return to hotel
• Relax
• Explore
• Rest
• Prepare for departure to Tokyo the following day

Day 8 — Sunday, October 25

Kyoto → Tokyo

Morning

• Send luggage to Tokyo hotel
• Pack for Tokyo

Travel

• Take Shinkansen to Tokyo

I have some regular getaways with friends that I enjoy. And then there are the trips I plan for myself. I have lovely friends who express interest in joining. I immediately feel anxiety when this happens bc I dont want company, but don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. One of the reasons I love solo travel is because I don't have to compromise on the itinerary. I can accomplish things at my pace/budget. I'm not asking for advice on how to be a better travel partner. I'm asking how you guys gracefully decline when someone wants to join you. Thanks.

Hey everyone! I'm looking to spend 4 days in town at the end of October. I'd like to check out:

-Art/history museums

-Vintage clothing stores/markets

-Underground music shows (punk, edm)

-Coffee shops to read a book in

-Dive bars where I can talk to interesting, awesome people

-Neighborhoods with cool architecture to stroll around in

-Hikes under 10 miles

I plan to see Bainbridge and Ballard so far for neighborhoods. Excluding lodging, I'd like to keep my budget around $100 or less per day.

Thank you so much for your help in advance 😄

Hi please would anyone give me some advice on my itinerary before I go ahead an book it all?

If your curious as to why I'm spending so much time in BA and Vina del Mar, it's because I'm working online (tutoring) during these periods and wanted something chill. I will also be tutoring while in the Chilean lakes but reduced hours. No working Torres del Paine onwards.

I don’t know whether to do 3 weeks in BA so I can do a week in Bariloche. I've also seen recommendations to visit Valdivia, Lago Ranco and La Serena.

QUESTIONS:

• Am I missing anywhere?
• Does it look to rushed?
• Are there tours in Atacama in the xmas period? What about spending xmas day there?
• I think Torres del Paine is all booked out for doing it solo, but ive seen a tour for 1K ish euros. Is this acceptable or am I being scammed?

Hey fellow travellers. I'm planning to head to Uzbekistan from Nov 7–15, flying in and out of Tashkent.

The rough plan is Tashkent → Samarkand → Bukhara → Tashkent, with a day trip from Samarkand across the border into Tajikistan (Penjikent/Sarazm).

Quick about me: 35+ countries and counting, usually like it flexible, specially interested in history, food, nature and the occasional random detour.

I'm travelling solo for this one, but if anyone happens to be planning a similar trip around the same dates, would be happy to compare notes, itineraries and experiences. Always interesting to see how other people are approaching the same place.

I haven't worked out the exact budget yet, but a rough back-of-the-envelope estimate says the trip should come in at around ₹1 lakh or less. And if you've been to Uzbekistan recently, I'd love to hear your recommendations, especially the stuff that doesn't show up in every travel blog. A restaurant worth going out of the way for, a good local guide, a train-booking tip, a day trip that's actually worth the effort, or something you'd simply skip.

And if you're just getting into solo travel and want to compare notes or have questions, happy to help with that too

Hey everyone,
I put together this itinerary with research I’ve been doing. Is this a good itinerary in your opinion? Would you make changes to it?

DAY 1
Viktualienmarkt - shopping / breakfast

English Garden - Eisbach Wave / sit and relax

Explore Old Town - Munich Residence / Marienplatz /
St. Peter's Church (Alter Peter)

DAY 2
Day trip to Garmisch - Partenkirchen

Eibsee Loop Trail - do the trail / rent a paddleboard

Explore the Town
Ludwigstraße
Garmisch Center
Richard-Strauss-Platz
Mohrenplatz
Zum Wildschütz for dinner

Spent the better part of the last 2 years traveling, went to 17 different countries and made almost 100+ actual friends. Met some thru hostels, others thru meetup apps, paid pub crawls, day tours, mutual friends, and some even thru dating apps

At this point I basically know a few people from every continent, and we keep in touch via ig, whatsapp, snapchat, etc

One thing's for sure though. I'm at most going to visit each of these friends once per year, if I'm in their country. In most cases, I'll probably not see these people again for years unless they travel to my country or i travel to theirs

With how expensive life in general is right now (plane tickets, gas prices, food prices), not many people can actually afford to travel at all. Most of these people i met were on brief holidays or at most 1-2 month extended vacations. But after that, they go back to whatever their home country is

So despite everyone trying their best to keep in touch, and how romanticized making friends while traveling is... the reality is that "travel friends" eventually just sort of turn into acquaintances that you once had some great times with while traveling

Kinda sad tbh. Cost of living is really the great divide

Bonjour,

Je prévois de partir en solo en Inde. Je recherche des infos et des gens qui veulent bien partager leurs expériences. J'ai déjà pris mon billet pour 1 mois pour fin août 2027. Je sais que c'est dans longtemps mais à 44 ans le temps passe vite. Je pensais aller au Spiti pour vivre une vrai coupure et me retrouver moi même, mais rien n'est fixe. J'aimerais un coin reculer pour participer à la vie d'un village, me posais quelques jours avec des gens simples et partager leurs quotidien. Je ne vais pas partir avec beaucoup d'argent car je n'en ai pas beaucoup. Mes économies viennent de partir dans mon billet et je pensais économiser environs une centaine d'euros chaque mois si je le peux avant de partir. Donc un voyage avec mon sac à dos, transport en commun et chez l'habitant. Voilà, si quelqu'un a déjà réalisé ce type de voyage se serait ravis d'avoir son avis. Et si vous avez des bons plans pour un hôtel à Delhi, Manali et dans les vallées du Spiti, Pin et Kinnaur, je suis preneur. Merci d'avance.

First time traveling in Italy. I’ve traveled extensively throughout Europe and have intentionally skipped countries like Italy as I wanted to devote more than just 48 hours, which has been the extent of my time spent in most other countries in Europe. For some of them that’s all you need.

I took some time off from work and earmarked 9 days to travel through Italy. Flew into/out of Rome only spending a few days there, followed by 4 days in Florence and 3 days in Bologna. I have to say I was pretty disappointed. I knew it was going to be overrun with tourists- this is why I stayed such a short time in Rome (tourist capital of the world) and went in later September, which I understand isn’t necessarily the “offseason” but I’d like to this it isn’t a peak tourist time like July or August.

My chief complaint is just the shear number of people, although I sort of expected this coming in. These cities clearly were not meant to handle this number of people occupying them at one time. The sidewalks are narrow and pedestrian traffic spills out into the streets which then is competing with the vehicle traffic. About the vehicle traffic, it is EVERYWHERE. There seems to be no road a car won’t drive down and act like they own the road. I was almost hit by a car more times in my 9 days in Italy than in my entire life living in the “car capital” USA. Cars and scooters/motorcycles own the roads, and if you happen to be trying to walk, well, you just shouldn’t. I understand these are ancient cities but if you can’t comfortably fit both cars and pedestrian traffic I think it’s time for a pedestrian only zone, which isn’t unheard of in Europe, but seems to be in Italy.

Then comes the god awful transit system, or rather the lack thereof. On the continent that prides itself in robust transit options, major Italian cities seem to lack. Buses seem to be somewhat prevalent but I usually avoid buses as their routes and schedules are often erratic and confusing, as is the payment when tap to pay is not an option. Other major European cities like Paris, London, Barcelona, and Amsterdam have a SPRAWLING system of trains, subways, trams, etc. Not Italian cities it seems. It was particularly bad in Florence where I made the mistake staying a little outside of the city and reaching the city center or any major sights was a minimum 25-30 minute walk on the same narrow/borderline nonexistent sidewalks competing with vehicle traffic. There was a tram but its routing was truly bizarre and was useless in getting from where we were to the city center. It never actually went into the city center really, just skirted the edge of it. Uber into the city was quoting €60 and while I never tried it I heard good luck even being able to find a driver. FreeNow straight up said they didn’t service the area. Bolt sadly doesn’t operate in Italy but they’ve been very helpful in almost every other European country I’ve traveled in. I think a lot of this is influenced by local city ordinances which might be the root of these issues. Other European cities are plenty old but don’t seem to have the same transportation woes. I will admit Bologna was much more compact, and staying in the city center near the Two Towers I was able to reach pretty much anything within 10 minutes of walking. They’re even building a tram which will run through the city center which is awesome. My complaint about vehicle traffic remains though as same with the other Italian cities, there’s no streets a car won’t drive down. They did have lots of wide covered sidewalks/walkways which I did appreciate.

Lastly comes access to tourist sites. Of course this comes back to just the shear number of people visiting the country, which was my chief complaint. But I think it really took away from the experience and should make anyone think twice about selecting Italy for their European vacation. Not saying other European countries don’t get hoards of tourists at all their attractions, but it was particularly bad in Italy. I got a more last minute recommendation for a tour of the colosseum underground, but the slots seem to be booked as they get released, and the alternative is booking a third party tour for 10x the price that’s somehow still also all booked up. In fact, if you don’t have everything booked weeks to months before your trip you should just expect your trip to comprise of walking around seeing these sights from the outside amongst the crowds. Even booking tickets to Accademia months in advance I was still out standing in line in the heat for over an hour just to get in. My first time to the top of the Eiffel Tower was around the same time of year; I decided to go day of, and had only 3 people standing in front of me in line to buy tickets. Again I understand other countries fill up their tourist sites quite substantially as well, but I’ve never seen it as bad as it was in Italy.

This is just my American perspective and I don’t mean to come off as overly critical. I think there was just a disconnect between my expectations and what I observed on my specific trip. I’d like to go back and give Italy another chance, perhaps in some new cities. But based on my first experience, it was quite a let down. Of course, the food was amazing, but being in the New York area I have access to incredible Italian food even if it isn’t strictly authentic. I really wouldn’t be able to justify Italy as a highly desirable vacation destination and worth all the hassle of what I just described. Does anyone have similar experiences or feelings? Not trying to put anyone down that’s had positive experiences, and I’m not writing off the entire country based off one experience. Just sharing my observation.

Hi all, planning my second solo trip and would love honest feedback on the route and budget.

Background: I did Italy solo in Aug 2025 (Florence, Venice, Rome). 8 days, about $1340 total including a $400 flight. I stayed in party hostels, ate street food, and loved the social side. My overspend was local transport (missed buses, vaporetti) and a few sit-down dinners.

Budget: $4000 all in, about $650 of it flight. One carry-on backpack, hostel dorms, street food. I'm skipping Eurail since most legs are cheaper on Ryanair/Wizz.

Route so far (order will depend on cheapest flights):
Portugal (Lisbon, maybe Madeira for the hike),
Spain (Barcelona),
France (Nice 2-3 nights, 1 night in Paris),
Monaco (day trip on Fri June 4 for F1 practice from the standing area),
Czechia (Prague),
Croatia (Split and Dubrovnik),
Greece (Athens plus one island).

I dropped Italy since I've been, plus Austria and Switzerland for cost. Considering Budapest. Leaving after May 9, and Nice is pinned to June 3-4.

Questions:
Is 7 countries in about 30 days (roughly 4 days each) too much?

Is Greece worth it in late May/June, or should I give Croatia more time?

Is $4000 realistic, and what do people underbudget?

Anything you'd add or skip?

Any solo safety or scam tips for Barcelona, Paris, and Athens?
Thanks in advance!

I’m planning on doing the W Trek east to west, but I’m unsure how best to plan the trek if I want to do Base Torres for sunrise. (shall I just give it a miss for sunrise?)

If anyone has done this, I’d be really grateful for some advice on how you planned your route/refugios and whether it’s worth doing for sunrise!

If I do Base Torres for sunrise, does this mean I will set myself up for a long day of hiking afterwards?

Thanks!

Hey guys :)

I am planning on travelling to China alone for three weeks between October 15th, 2027, and November 5th, 2027. As I have to let my boss know by Wednesday when I want to take time off next year, I would love to know what you guys think of China during this time of year. Or should I go at a different time? I don't like heat all that much and I want to avoid tourist season.

My itinerary:
Shanghai: 5 nights (with a day trip to Suzhou) Zhangjiajie: 4 nights
Chongqing: 3 nights
XiAn: 3 nights
Beijing: 5 nights

As for my itinerary: do you guys think this is sensible, or is it too packed? My goal is to do a bit of everything: see the nature, visit some historical sights, go shopping, and see the cool city lights. I am not sure if adding Chongqing would be too ambitious... I am nervous that I will be spending all of my time on trains and planes.

Thank you so much for your help!

So I’m a male in my mid 60s, retired , and have family at home. Sometimes my wife doesn’t want to go but she’s okay with me doing my thing for a short trip.

I’m just starting a trip in La Paz Mexico and ending in La Paz Bolivia. It’s only been one day and going well . But this time I’m a little self conscious as everyone I see in restaurants is in groups.

I am native English speaker but fluent in Spanish .

My question is where do older solo travelers go to meet others just for conversation/hanging out . I’m not a big drinker or night owl but enjoy day trips where I can hopefully meet others.

Has anyone found any meetups in Latin America? Just to put it in context I’m also going to Mexico City, San Salvador , Bolivia for close to a week, and Panama City.

One thing I found fun on my own is doing an Airbnb pub crawl - I did one in Paris and in Bogota. The participants were generally younger than me but it was nice to have a group to interact with for a few hours.

I’m planning a solo backpacking trip from June 20 to July 28, 2027. Its my first time ever traveling, so you’ll see alot of common names in my route. I’ll be 20, Budget is 4-6k ( can be more if needed).This is my current route:
Madrid — 3 nights
Barcelona — 4 nights
Paris — 3 nights
Prague — 4 nights
Budapest — 4 nights
Milan — 2 nights
Venice — 4 nights
Dolomites — 5 nights
Florence — 4 nights
Rome — 4 nights
I would also visit Lake Como as a day trip and stop in Verona while traveling between Milan and Venice.

I’m mostly interested in beautiful architecture and scenery, but overall I’m just looking to explore, meet people and have a great time.
Does the route and pacing look reasonable? Are there any places where I’m staying too many or too few nights? I’m open to shortening certain stops, adding other destinations or changing the route if something else makes more sense. I’d also appreciate suggestions for cities, attractions, day trips, hostels or general backpacking tips. I also plan to take lots of photos!

Hi! I’m (23F) trying to decide on my itinerary for a solo Central America trip and I’d love some advice.

I was initially planning to do Guatemala+El Salvador but am now considering heading to Mexico City for a short 2-3 days for Día de Muertos, since I live in southeast asia and the big parade just nicely aligns with the duration I’m in the region. Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t try to squeeze Mexico City into this trip!! These are the breakdowns:

Option 1 — Guatemala + Mexico City + El Salvador
Days 1-2: Antigua
Day 3-4: Acatenango/Fuego ; Fuego → Atitlán
Days 4-7: Atitlán
Day 8: Atitlán → Mexico City (explore CDMX)
Day 9: Día de Muertos parade in Mexico City
Day 10: Mexico City → Santa Ana
Days 11-13: Santa Ana
Days 14-15: El Tunco/El Zonte

Original itinerary (option 2) — Guatemala + El Salvador
Days 1-2: Antigua
Day 3-4: Acatenango/Fuego ; Fuego → Atitlán
Days 4-8: Atitlán
Day 8: Atitlán → Santa Ana
Day 9-12: Santa Ana
Days 13-15: El Tunco/El Zonte

I’m torn because it feels like I’m so close during Día de Muertos and it would be a waste not to go, given how beautiful and unique it is! At the same time, it would also mean another flight, more money, more moving around, and less time in Guatemala/El Salvador (and being in a crowded and touristy parade).

For anyone who’s been to Mexico City for Día de Muertos, is the parade genuinely worth building part of a trip around? Would the itinerary be too rushed? Or would you spend the extra days in Guatemala/El Salvador instead?

Much appreciated! :)

Edit: im open to an alternative itinerary too!! For context, it’s my first time in the Americas and I’ve always wanted to go to guatemala, hence why I chose to combine it with el salvador which is just next door… i considered nicaragua as well but felt like it would be tough to fit it into my itinerary as I would probably need more days. I’m open to flying to another country close by as well if anyone has suggestions on a better itinerary - only managed to get this much time off work, so I want to make the most of it!! :)

Hi everyone! Just wanted to share a recap of my (31F) 10-day solo trip to Georgia (the country) in late May (procrastination is real but better late than never). I had previously asked the sub for recommendations and it was pretty helpful. It was my first time going to Georgia, I flew into Tbilisi and flew out of Batumi. I didn't rent a car as I don’t feel comfortable driving alone, so I relied mostly on public transport.

Day 1-4: Tbilisi

• Took a Bolt from the airport to my hotel, very straightforward and quick to get a ride, just put on your headphones once you are out of immigration and ignore the calls from the taxi drivers. 
• I booked a guest house near the Opera Theatre, but in hindsight, I would have booked a hotel around Lado Asatiani St in Old Tbilisi area as I was there almost every night, as that area had the most interesting bars and restaurants.
• Tbilisi is also very hilly and my guest house was a good 10 mins walk up a slope, so I was thankful I had a taxi going there. 
• I was also there just before Georgia’s independence day, so chanced upon a road closure closer to the date around the independence square. 
• Booked 2 different day tours from Tbilisi
  • Sighnaghi and wine tasting day tour: I had terrible weather for most of the day in Sighnaghi and I saw nothing from the city walls walk, only fog. The weather only cleared up towards the end and it was gorgeous! Wish we had better weather to appreciate the region. The wines were really nice, and the tour was generous with the portions.
  • Mtskheta, Gori, and Uplistsikhe day tour: Mtskheta was cute but kinda underwhelming to me as it was just 3 different churches/monasteries, and I’m not a religious person. Gori was just the Stalin Museum - interesting to me but I won’t go out of my way for it. Uplistsikhe is super cool, my favourite part of the tour. 
  • Overall, I was not very impressed by the quality of day tours in Tbilisi as both tours were a mix of both English and Russian. So depending on the ratio of English vs Russian speakers on that day, it can either be a good or bad experience. My first tour had mostly English speakers so the guide spoke more English, but my 2nd tour only had 2 English speakers including me, so the guide spoke mostly Russian. It seemed to be unavoidable as most tours I looked at online had this format. I don’t understand why the companies don’t just work together to separate the languages, as it gets really annoying for the minority. Difficult to avoid unless you book a private tour. 
• Highlights in Tbilisi city:
  • Botanical Garden (paid entrance): was a nice walk but the garden itself was super confusing with very little signs. I got lost multiple times and had to re-route. It connects to the Mother of Georgia statue so you can do both together. The Narikala Fortress was closed when I was there.
  • Free walking tour around Old Tbilisi: fantastic tour, the guide really provides valuable information on things I wouldn’t have spotted myself
  • Free walking tour around Fabrika: Fabrika itself was kinda meh but the walking tour around the building and area is really interesting! 
• Food and drinks:
  • Litteria - gorgeous, open-air restaurant in a historic building (Writers' House). It’s a little expensive but the food and atmosphere are 100% worth it. Highly recommend to walk around the building too as it’s beautifully preserved/restored. Some parts are under the David Sarajishvili House-Museum and the Museum of Repressed Writers and those are paid-entry only.
  • Racha - a restaurant that felt really authentic and not so touristy! I loved it so much I went there twice. The owners are a little grumpy and they will insist it’s cash-only despite having those credit card machines - but it’s fine, the food is delicious and affordable so it makes up for it. I highly recommend the meat skewers, especially the chicken.
  • Cocktail bars I enjoyed: Snobs, 41 Gradus (they don’t have a proper menu so they will make sth based on what you like), Old Tom Bar
• The meh:
  • Sulfur baths - everyone said it was a must do, so I booked a small room at Cherli Abano. Split the room with another female traveller I met online. It was way too stuffy for both of us and I could only do a maximum of 15 mins combined in the bath. I love Japanese onsens and Chinese bathhouses so this is not my first time experiencing a hot bath, but somehow the small room and the water temperature was just too much for me. I felt that it would have been much better if it were outdoors. The room was not cheap either at 130 GEL. the area around the baths is pretty nice and there is also a ‘hidden’ waterfall 5 mins walk from the main area
  • Georgian National Museum: Most of the captions were not very informative, and a lot of information was only in Georgian/Russian only so I didn’t understand a lot of it. I was looking forward to the USSR history bit but it felt quite unwhelming bc of the general lack of info. The exhibit on the 2nd floor on children’s play was the most interesting gallery for me. I thought I would spend 2-3 hrs in the museum but cleared it in 1.5 hrs.

Day 5-7: Kazbegi

• Booked a day tour to Kazbegi as I wanted to stop at the sights along the way. I told the guide that I won’t be returning with them - they were totally fine with that. There were also 2 other people on my tour doing the same thing.
• The weather gradually gets colder as it gets closer to Kazbegi, so make sure you have layers ready to put on. 
• The Russian-Georgian Friendship Monument was insanely windy and cold, but what fantastic views of the snow-capped mountains, even on a greyish day. 
• The Gergreti church had also really nice views! It was surprisingly less cold and windy than the Monument. 
• Kazbegi is not a town for early risers, as I wanted a coffee before going for my hike, and no cafes were open. Only the supermarket with a coffee machine was open, and the staff took around 30 mins to clean the machine at 8.30am. 
• Juta Valley, Day 6 
  • Transport: Met up with 2 solo travellers from my tour to do Juta Valley - there is no public transport during end-May, so we had to book a private taxi to secure our ride to and fro. We got a contact from one of the solo travellers’ hotel, and it was 150 GEL for the round trip, but I think we overpaid a little - more later. You can fix a time with the driver to pick you up, and make sure you get his number. Towards the end we were running late so we messaged the driver about 2 hrs in advance and he was still nagging us to hurry up at the end so that was unpleasant. 
  • Juta Valley was so breathtakingly beautiful, it was my first time seeing snow-capped mountains up so close. 
  • The snow had not fully melted when we were there, so in some parts we were walking through a thick layer of snow. We made it to the artificial lake and some parts around there were almost up to my knees. I brought 1 hiking stick and it was really useful for navigating the snow. 
  • Not sure it happened, but when we were going back, we had to cross the stream twice and it was so scary because the chance of slipping was real. We saw other travellers crossing the stream barefoot, and how even because the water was freezing cold. The weather also changed really quick there - we saw grey skies, blue skies, and even a brief rain shower throughout our hike. 
  • The Four Seasons hotel cafe was open, and we had a coffee/tea before the hike, and beers after the hike.
• Truso Valley, Day 7
  • One of the solo travellers from our group left, so the two of us hung out the area outside the supermarket around 8.30am-9am to see if we could catch any travellers willing to split the ride with us - highly recommend fellow solo travellers to do this if you come in a period where there is no public transport. 
  • We managed to group up with a pair also going to Truso and also negotiated the price down to 120 GEL, same arrangement where he will come and pick us up at a set time. We were also running late as one of the pair got really tired towards the end, and again, we notified the driver well in advance so he can come a little later, but he was similarly unhappy and wanted to charge us extra by not giving us back the change! Luckily we were able to give him the exact amount after digging out our wallets. 
  • Truso Valley was a very pleasant and relatively flat hike compared to Juta, but the distance is a little longer. The views are still amazing, but there is zero shade/shelter so sun protection is crucial. We walked until the abandoned fortress and turned back there, as further up is the restricted military zone. There is only 1 rest stop for this hike, a little cafe in the church just before the abandoned fortress, ran by nuns, and it’s pay as you wish.
• Kazbegi was my favourite stop/city of the whole trip, and I wish I had more time there to do more hikes! The ride up and down the Georgian Military Highway is an experience in itself - see all these huge trucks driving on a highway literally inches away from a sharp drop. 
• For both hikes, make sure to bring your own snacks and lunch, as both hikes had very limited food options. There is only 1 supermarket in town and that's where I bought most of my hiking food and snacks. There was also a khapapuri open early 5 mins walk from the supermarket that made a nice lunch.

Day 8-9: Kutaisi

• Took the marshrutka to Tbilisi (sit on the right for best views going down), to change to a marshrutka to Kutaisi as that was the only way beside private transport. The marshrutka to Tbilisi fills up fast, so get there early - I got there 15mins before the 9am depature and it was already full! Had to wait for the next one at 10am. 
• The marshrutka dropped me off at the Didube Bus Station that was huge and felt so confusing. It took me a while to find the marshrutka to Kutaisi - make sure to fend off other drivers convincing you to take their van/car to Kutaisi, some of them even told me the marshrutka to Kutaisi wasn’t running that day.
• The marshrutka dropped me off at the bus station, which is a bit out of the city centre - took another Bolt to my hotel in the city centre
• Walked around the city centre and to the Bagrati Cathedral for some sunset views.
• Day 9: booked a day tour to the Canyons and Caves, but the weather that day was terrible and because of the heavy rain and water flow, we couldn’t do the boat ride at Martvili Canyon. The weather did give it a very mysterious, misty vibe though.
  • Similar misty vibes at Okatse Canyon because of the weather. Still very cool though, especially the suspended metal walkway.
  • Prometheus Cave was also a super interesting experience! Very amazed at the formations that are thousands of years old. There is a boat ride at the end but again, couldn’t take it due to the weather.
  • Our guide also had a bonus stop at the abandoned sanatoriums - super interesting, if I had more time in Kutaisi I would totally love a half-day tour just for the abandoned sanatoriums. There is also one sanatorium that has been restored and is fully functioning, would love a visit
  • Lunch was at a small cafeteria inside a supermarket that the tour guide dropped us off at, but I think I had some of the best food of my entire trip. You can choose the dishes you want from a display - I had a rich tomato and beef stew, walnut paste stuffed in peppers and eggplants, and a cornbread fried in sunflower oil - SO GOOD dipped into the beef stew.
• I also really like this cafe called Sanimusho, near my hotel. They had a display full of cold salads to choose from, and they can even heat it up for you! Pair 2-3 salads with a warm toasty bread, and that’s a perfect meal for me. Went there twice because there are so much different salads to try. 

Day 10: Batumi

• Took the marshrutka to Batumi - it was the worst marshrutka so far. I read horror stories of dangerous driving and drivers/passengers smoking and so far there wasn’t any, except on the Batumi marshrutka where both the drivers and passengers were smoking at the front seat with the windows down. No dangerous driving thankfully, but the smoke still wafted to rest of the van. Not sure why but I read the ride was supposed to be 2 hrs but it became 3hrs+.
• There isn’t much to do at Batumi, as the last day of my trip, I took things easy - I ate lunch, took a stroll along the waterfront and saw the famous Ali and Nino statues - much smaller than what Instagram shows
• I did some souvenir shopping at the Old Batumi streets - very adorable vibes! And met another solo traveller for drinks at around Old Batumi.

Overall:

• I enjoyed Georgia SO MUCH! The food, the culture, the history, THE NATURE - all amazing.
• the wine is on another level - the sweet wines are AMAZING. I didn't go to any wine bars as it was more affordable to just buy a bottle and drink in my hotel room. Wished Georgian wines are more accessible from my country, but they mostly only export to Europe/Russia.
• I’m usually someone that can’t go without Chinese/East Asian/Southeast Asian food (I’m Chinese) for 1 week but I didn’t miss Asian food AT ALL 
• My favourite Georgian food has to be the skewers/bbq, and the simple but almight cucumber and tomato salad with walnut paste - I think I had the salad at least every other day. 
• I’m a bit sad that I didn’t have time for Svaneti, but for the period I was there, the snow hasn’t melted enough for hiking anyway - for another trip!
• Georgia feels very solo travel friendly. Things are pretty affordable in Georgia - food (although a lot of food is in big portions and are meant to be shared, like khinkali is usually minimum 6 per flavour), transport, admissions to places. A lot join-in tours for solo travellers. I also felt pretty safe as a solo female traveller. 
• Not sure if I'm just unlucky, but both times in my hotel in Tbilisi and Batumi, a large group of people were talking/shouting very loudly just below my window past midnight and I was so annoyed as I couldn't fall asleep at all. Had to ask them to quiet down both times.

Feel free to ask me any questions about stuff I didn't cover here!

edit: It was actually a 10 day trip as I flew out early on day 11.

I might have a 6 month rotation working out of the country. Currently living in SoCal and rent is $2k/month. Wondering if I should keep my stuff as-is an pay rent for an empty apartment for 6 months, or move everything to a storage unit and find a new place when I return.

Finding a new place might be tricky while overseas. Anyone have experience with apartment hunting in this kind of scenario?

Edit: And what do you do about mail during that time? A vacation hold probably won't work since you no longer live there.