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

We arrived in Paris at 6AM on Friday, zipped through passport control and were able to check into our apartment at 8AM instead of 4PM, a huge bonus. We had a nice note from the owner and two small boxes of Alain Ducasse chocolates to welcome us which was a nice surprise. We purchased our usual essentials and took a nap. We can't power through, espe... Read More

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

I'm new to the Fodor's forums and I have found some great info on both Turkey and Greece. We are seasoned travelers in our 60s who are planning to visit Turkey & Greece in Sept/Oct 2024 for about a month. We have never been to either country, and I find I'm struggling with this trip's planning more than any other place we've been. (Even more than P... Read More

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

Central Asia. Where exactly is it? How is it defined? Well, it depends... The most widely accepted definition of the region incorporates the five former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan. More expansive definitions incorporate some or all of Afghanistan, East Turkestan,... Read More

Hi there. I've been reading through some posts and not finding exactly what I'm looking for, so hopefully some of you who travel to France frequently can offer some recommendations for us. We will be in France for 2 weeks in early June: ~3/4 days each in Normandy (Bayeux, Honfleur); Loire (Amboise); Dordogne (Sarlat au Canada); and Provence (Avi... Read More

We had a delightful trip to Italy in October 2023 and am finally writing this report! After a wonderful trip to Ireland in 2022, we were eager to plan our next adventure. However, our son was about to propose to his girlfriend and we had to wait on their date selection to move forward with our plans. Our ideal time would have been the last 2 wee... Read More

DH and I have been to Paris six times -- we start there for 4-7 days, then explore another area of France. However, we have never been there in winter, or more specifically at Christmas. Find myself pining over those windows! So, looking for some tips from those of you who live there (Kerouac, et al) or who've travelled then. We may be accompanied... Read More

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

Hi Everyone - I've spent a lot of time on the forums reading everyone's helpful content, and have put together a rough honeymoon plan: 1. Paris - Arrive and Stay for 2 nights 2. Saint-Remy (via TGV Paris>Avignon + pick-up rental car) - 3 nights to explore Saint-Remy, Les Beaux, Alpilles 3. Gordes (self-drive) - 3 nights to explore Gordes, Rous... Read More

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

Visiting Scotland for the first time mid July next year. Interested in a few hikes, a few castles, pretty towns, live music, and just seeing the outdoor scenery. Husband is interested in visiting the Oban distillery. Please critique my itinerary. Should I go to Mull instead of Skye because of the time of year I'm com... Read More

We're headed in the UK in mid-September (my husband, active 67 yo and me, mobility-challenged 59 yo). I use a mobility scooter for longer distances but can do shorter distances, stairs, etc. depending on the day - but no countryside ambles. I had rough plans for other destinations for this trip, but we went with LHR due to a much lower airfare, so... Read More

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

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

We are flying into Milan mid October 2024 on our way to Trieste to join a cruise. Our current plan is to head straight from the Milan airport to Lake Como for 2 nights, then to Cinque Terre for 3 nights, Florence for 4 nights and Venice for 3 nights (then one night in Trieste). My questions are as follows: [list=1] [*]Does it make sense to go t... Read More

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

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

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

A thank you to all the Fodorites who helped us plan this trip!! Day 1: arrived in Naples, viewing Vesuvius, we had a challenge with our car rental through Surprice via Discovercars, recommended by Rick Steves. Discovercars helped correct it, but we needed to go to another rental agency, BeRent. Leaving from there to our stay for the night was easy... Read More

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

I'm new to Fodor's. I have a severe allergy to fur and feathers. My husband and I are traveling to the San Antonio, TX area the end of May 2024. I'm having a hard time finding hotels that do not allow pets. Does anyone know of a hotel website that prohibits animals? When we travel, I have to contact every hotel in the area to determine if they h... Read More

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

Hello all, Excited to have the opportunity of a last minute work trip that will have me staying in Reims and Paris for a few nights (Paris longer than Reims—lodging all set with these two bases). I’ve just tagged a 4 night leisure get away onto the end of this trip so I can visit Aix en Provence. Have long wanted to v... Read More