FAQs

8 Tips for New Visitors to the Forums

We asked current Fodor’s members to tell us what suggestions they thought new visitors to Fodor’s and the forums might find helpful. Here are just a few of their tips.

1. A quick search might yield answers

Fodor’s member Anonymous recommends that you use the forums’ search function to find topics relevant to your trip research; you wouldn’t want to miss out on past discussions about the destination that you are interested in.

See our Search FAQ

2. Look to our free online guides

Not sure where you want to go? Or maybe what area of a city you’d like to stay in? While you’re welcome to ask fellow travelers in our forums, Fodor’s member toedtoes points out that you might find it helpful to first get an idea of where you’d like to go or what you’d like to see by browsing our online destination guides. We have guides for hundreds of destinations around the world.

3. View your profile

By joining the site, you’ll have your own member profile. Once you start posting, this will be your “base”—your base to quickly find the topics you’ve started or commented on. To view your profile, click your name (it will appear at the very top of every page of Fodor’s once you are signed in).

Keep in mind that you can also check out the profiles of other members by clicking on their names wherever they appear. So if someone gives you great advice you can click their name to see past questions they may have answered.

See our Profile FAQ

4. Ask a question

Our community of travelers welcomes new visitors; please feel encouraged to post a question in the forums (or even answer someone else’s). Keep in mind that our forums are organized into large geographical sections—ex. Europe, United States, Africa and the Middle East. There are no “sub-boards” within these forums devoted to a particular country or state. To post a question related to travel in France, you would post in our Europe forum and you would tag it “France”. This big bucket approach makes it possible to tag a topic with multiple countries or states; so if your trip has you traipsing through 4 different countries you only need to post once and tag your topic with the appropriate countries.

See our Posting FAQ

5. Be creative

If you do start a new topic, Fodor’s member simpsonc510 suggests that you jazz up your topic title with something specific (other than “Help” for instance): “Giving your topic a good title that includes some basic information that you’re searching for will encourage Fodorites to open your topic and have a look.”

6. Encouraging replies to your question

Most members find that they receive answers shortly after posting; but if you don’t receive replies Fodor’s member Dayenu suggests that you do the following:

“If you don’t see replies to your question, you don’t need to start another topic. Add your comment to your topic, this will bring your question to the top of page one.”

You may want to clarify in that second post anything that you think might give members more information.

7. Be open-minded

Asking for advice from people you don’t know may be intimidating to some; but please feel free to post and talk about your upcoming trip.

Fodor’s member Sunflowerguy03 recommends that you take all advice and suggestions with a grain of salt and an open-mind. He advises:

“I would tell new members that they are going to be getting lots of advice from people that have been where they want to go. As such, they may find that their plans are not realistic. I would encourage them not to get upset, but to try and learn from the experience and wisdom of others.”

Part of what makes our forums so special is the diversity of the travelers that gather here; there’s bound to be some tips that work better for you than others depending on your unique travel style and desires. With this in mind, feel encouraged to answer fellow travelers’ questions; the more points of view the better.

8. Thankyous all around

Fodor’s member thereyet loves it when members think to thank those who have offered up helpful advice. People like being thanked!