First time traveler
 

Hello there!

I am currently trying to plan a trip for June of this year. I've traveled several places in the U.S. and now I am looking to finally go overseas. I have a top 3 for choices:

1. Amsterdam/Ireland
2. Thailand
3. Greece

I have it planned for the 15th through the 30th as of right now. Would like to know other's thoughts on the destinations, and if they have any tips for someone who is traveling that way for the first time!

Thank you!

Amsterdam and Ireland would be the easiest to plan and pull off of the 3 places you listed.

Nothing wrong with Thailand or Greece but you are going to have more culture shock in those destinations as a first time international traveler. Things will be more "different" there and more to cope with.

Welcome to the forums (I see you are brand new).

You can also go to the Desination branches for each of those places (Europe forum, Asia forum) and read different people's trip report, itinerary, planning, hotel suggestions, etc.

Or re-post your own question to get more replies from a wider audience (not too many people read this Travel Tips branch).

I'd say go Thailand.

The culture shock might be a lot, as mentioned above, but I think that's part of the fun of traveling. Experience something totally different, not just slightly different and with nice views...but of course, enjoying that feel will totally depend on the person.

I'd say pack lightly in terms of clothes and more than you'd think in terms of supplies (chargers, external chargers, spares of things you need if they are small enough). Always have an emergency fund you can access, it's easy to overspend and you don't want to go overbudget and find your last few days you are barely scraping by (yes, that has happened to me).

Best of luck!

It depends on how you are going to rest. If you want to lie on the beach, it's better to go to Thailand or Greece, but if you are ready to walk a lot during excursions go to Amsterdam and Ireland. Have a nice trip!

Those are great choices. It comes down to some matters of preference, habits, and tolerances.

How comfortable are you when things are just totally unfamiliar and different, like superspicy food of a flavor you’ve never tasted before, and seeing people do things you have no clue what it is they’re doing?

Have you been in a situation where everybody around you spoke a language you didn’t understand, and you couldn’t read the writing, either, except for the few signs that were in English and in “our” alphabet?

Some folks relish that uncertainty and lack of familiarity, others need more time.

What do you hope to do when you get there? Summery beach activities, or visiting awesome museums and places of history and culture? Nature hikes and mountain drives?

For the highest comfort and familiarity level, go to Amsterdam (everybody speaks English) and Ireland (well, it will take your ears a bit of time and effort to adjust even though they speak “English”, too).

Great places both, offering just about everything I mentioned in the previous paragraph, and easy to get around.

For doing Greece on your own, and Thailand on your own, you have to be sure you’re self-reliant in unfamiliar circumstances, and you’d have to know in advance just where you’ll go, and how, and what you’ll be doing, whereas in Amsterdam and in Ireland it’s easier to wing it day by day.

So, barring other details that you might share about yourself, I vote for Amsterdam and Ireland.

We spent 3+ weeks in Iceland, so don't think 2 weeks for there AND Amsterdam.

Shanna posted on jam 4 and never came back.