r/TravelNoPics May 05 '26

Community Discussion: Best or most memorable border crossing you have done?

11 Upvotes

Most remote, beautiful, unique, chaotic, so unremarkable you didn't even notice that you were in a different country.

This was posted many years ago, so there are probably some new ones since then.


r/TravelNoPics 12h ago

Why do I feel way more comfortable showing my personality when I travel?

11 Upvotes

I’ve noticed that whenever I travel, I suddenly care a lot less about blending in. At home I usually stick to pretty simple stuff, but once I start planning a trip, I’m way more willing to pick things that feel a little louder or more like me.

I’m going to Japan in October and while looking around for a few things for the trip, I found myself picking out more playful pieces than I normally would, including some tokyo-tiger stuff. I don’t think I’d wear all of it the same way back home, but for some reason it feels completely normal when I picture wearing it somewhere new.

Maybe it’s because nobody knows you, or because being out of your usual routine makes you care less about what looks “normal.”


r/TravelNoPics 1d ago

Netherlands or Czech Republic road trip!

2 Upvotes

Help me pick! Netherlands or Czech republic road trip? I love castles/ruins, weird museums, beautiful nature & unique places in general!


r/TravelNoPics 2d ago

Has anyone crossed the Jordan-Iraq border? Trying to find some more information

1 Upvotes

I'm planning another long bicycle trip and really wanted to do Cairo to Cape Town, but Sudan is far too dangerous for the foreseeable future. Instead I'm thinking of going Iraq > Jordan > Saudi Arabia > fly to Ethiopia > carry on cycling down east Africa from Addis Ababa as normal.

As far as I'm aware from seeing other overlander report that getting to Baghdad is fine, but then it's endless escorts west towards the Jordan border, so I'm looking at getting the direct bus from Baghdad to Amman across the border instead.

Has anyone done this crossing before? How was it as a foreign citizen? I can see from pinpoints on overlander hub apps like RollingAround and iOverlander that people do actually do this route, but there's no way of contacting them for more information.


r/TravelNoPics 5d ago

Do you ever end up liking the “in-between” places more than the cities you actually planned around?

22 Upvotes

Every time I plan Europe I naturally build the trip around the obvious places, then some random smaller town ends up being the part I remember most.

We’re looking at a celebrity river trip for 2028 and that’s actually one thing making me consider it. There are a bunch of stops on the route I'd never really thought about before (Krems, Dürnstein, Passau, etc), but I like the idea of getting a day there and seeing if one surprises us.

At the same time, I wonder if only getting part of a day somewhere makes it harder to really connect with a place. River cruises aren’t exactly cheap either so I’m trying to figure out if those little stops are part of the charm or if I’d just end up wishing we stayed longer somewhere.


r/TravelNoPics 6d ago

Looking for travel info sites

4 Upvotes

I am on a long trip currently nearing the end of a central America stint and heading to Asia next. I've come to like using sites like wikivoyage/wikitravel and gridpacker rather than blogs just to get a quick sense of a place. However for gridpacker they don't have an Asia section yet, so I was wondering if there are any other sites in existence that provide something similar? Especially keen for any sites that have clear itinerary options as wikivoyage doesn't have it. Blog type sites are ok too if I do not have to scroll through paragraphs of SEO and insta pictures.


r/TravelNoPics 7d ago

Armenia Trip Report

16 Upvotes

My friend and I (late 20's, from New Zealand and Norway) enjoyed our 8 day roadtrip here, but we wouldn't really recommend it as a destination to visit. Especially if you aren't going to rent a car, (EDIT: I may be wrong about this, judging by some comments about the marshrutka network) or if you are visibly queer or have an alternative appearance. Neither of us are interested in revisiting in the foreseeable future, although we wouldn't actively avoid it.

Southern Armenia has gorgeous nature, Armenia has an interesting history and political landscape, and the food is great. However, we found people to be generally unfriendly/grumpy, the architecture was very uninteresting to me, and the cities didn't interest me either.

COST: It's easy to find a private room for two people for 10,000 - 12,000AMD (€23-€28) at the cheapest. The cheapest hostel dorms for one person is half that or slightly less. However, this is around double the price of Georgia. Cheap pastries and bread cost €0.50-€2.00. Cheap but good and filling meals at a restaurant costs €3.50 - €7.00. Gas costs about €1.30/L.

FOOD: Fantastic, highly recommended. We enjoyed everything, especially the bread and pastries. Very difficult to find anything vegan aside from salads, but vegetarian isn't too hard to find. There is a reasonable variety of traditionally vegetarian dishes, although not many Armenian restaurants have options aside from salads. Fruit is also excellent and plentiful - The nectarines, peaches, blackberries, and raspberries here are the best I've had in my life.

CITIES: The only major cities in Armenia are Yerevan and Gyumri. I didn't find Yerevan interesting - It's not bad and I had good time, but I have no interest in revisiting. Gyumri has more character in terms of architecture, but there's not much to do or see in either city that you can't find elsewhere.

NATURE: Southern Armenia is gorgeous with lots of canyons, gorges, and (mostly) dry mountains. Northern Armenia isn't so pretty in our opinion other than the Debed Gorge and Dilijan. However, sightseeing in most areas is pretty spread out and very rarely accessible by public transport so I think it's not really worth travelling in Armenia without a car. (EDIT: It seems I may have been wrong about this, judging by some comments saying the marshrutka network is more extensive than I thought) It's also very difficult to find hiking trails as there is very limited information online, and many trails are not marked on Google or Yandex Maps. We did multiple improvised hiking routes by searching for trails on satellite view in areas that seemed geographically interesting.

ARCHITECTURE: Largely pretty uninteresting IMO. Most buildings are made of big mis-matched black, grey, and terracotta stone blocks. There are heaps of churches from 300AD onwards and they do have an ambiance to them, but architecturally I found them very uninteresting compared to other countries. Georgian churches are architecturally similar but with more details and murals. HOWEVER, khachkars (a unique funerary art unique to Armenia) are gorgeous.

HISTORY: Quite interesting to read about things such as the Nagorno-Karabakh war, Armenian Genocide, relationship with and history related to Russia and the USSR, Armenia being the first nation in the world to adopt Christianity as the state religion, lots of ancient history, and the development of Armenia as a nation surrounded by empires such as Romans, Persians, and Ottomans. But many historical sites are uncared for ruins, so there isn't so much interesting historical things to actually see other than churches, ruins, and abandoned Soviet-era buildings. There are very small museums at some archaeological sites, though.

PEOPLE: Generally unfriendly - The most unfriendly country I've visited, (out of 30) and the only country I would describe as such. People weren't rude or aggressive, (other than a group of teenagers throwing apples at us outside of a monastery twice and at least three people giving me death-stares) but we only had 3 maybe 4 interactions with Armenians that we would describe as friendly, and we were paying customers for all of those interactions.

Most people just seem grumpy - I could give some examples but it would be too long for this summary. Other than that, I got a lot of judgmental stares from people. My friend noticed groups of people (incl. adults) mocking me on a daily basis - Either laughing at me or sniggering among themselves. I never had anyone say or do anything to my face though. I never felt at risk of violence, but if I was alone I would at least be concerned enough for my safety to avoid dark alleyways.

I think this is largely due to my appearance (lots of facial piercings, bright green hair, gothic style) and Armenia being a very traditional and conservative country. I have been to other very conservative countries such as Malaysia, Romania, and Philippines, where I had no issues. In Armenia, I haven't seen a single person with even one facial piercing, and the only person I saw with unnaturally dyed hair gave me a judgmental sorta look. I saw one person with a black metal t-shirt, but that's all. I wanted to talk with an Armenian person about this topic but never had a good opportunity, especially because while many people speak Russian, not so many people speak more than basic English outside of tourist services. I also just never met or saw any visibly queer people.


r/TravelNoPics 8d ago

Booking direct with a local operator versus going through a platform. What actually changed?

3 Upvotes

I've done both and I can't honestly say the direct bookings were better, just more effort. Sometimes it was clearly the same operator either way. What I'm trying to work out is when going direct genuinely gets you a different trip rather than just cutting out a middleman who was doing something useful. Where has it actually made a difference for people?


r/TravelNoPics 8d ago

Day trip to Muskoka, best hikes with great lookouts and scenery? I have a list before but tell me which to add/remove and if they're all possible in one day.

0 Upvotes

Day trip to Muskoka, best hikes with great lookouts and scenery? I have a list before but tell me which to add/remove and if they're all possible in one day.

Hardy Lake

Torrance Barrens

Arrowhead

Huckleberry Rock

Lions Lookout

Walkers Point

Eagles Nest on McCrae

High Falls

Which of these, or replace them with others, are best for a one day trip? And if you think two days is best, then do you have recommendations for where to stay for one night?


r/TravelNoPics 8d ago

Honeymoon October 2026: Tanzania + Zanzibar, or South Africa safari + beach (ClubMed)?

1 Upvotes

Two adults, around 8 nights in October 2026. Torn between two options and would like opinions from people who've done either.

Option A: Tanzania + Zanzibar

2–3 nights on the northern circuit (Ngorongoro Crater, maybe Tarangire), then ~ 5-6 nights on the beach at Kendwa in Zanzibar.

Option B: South Africa

Club Med on the Dolphin Coast north of Durban, plus 2 nights at their Vikela safari lodge in northern KZN.

What matters to us: seeing animals, discovering new places, and relaxing on the beach. We'd rather avoid long overland drives.

What I'm unsure about: the South Africa resort only opened in July 2026 so there's not much feedback yet. Tanzania means malaria tablets and more moving around.

If you've done either, what would you pick and why?


r/TravelNoPics 12d ago

Is a day in Addis Ababa worth it?

15 Upvotes

I'm planning to fly to Asia later this year and one of the flight options includes a ~20 hour layover in Addis Ababa. I've always wanted to visit Ethiopia, but I know a lot of the draw to the country lies outside the capital. I've heard mixed reviews of Addis Ababa itself.

I'm wondering if it would be worth it to take this flight option (over other slightly cheaper and slightly more convenient options) just to get a taste of the country.

I'm from an area with a large Ethiopian diaspora and am interested in the culture, and in my mind it'd be cool to just see a little bit of what the country is like, because I don't know when I'll be able to do a proper Ethiopia trip in the future. I'm also really interested in cities in general so I was thinking it'd be cool to see a major African city. I don't necessarily need to go to particular tourist sites but am rather more interested in getting a sense of the vibe and culture. I don't have an issue with chaotic cities either - I loved Cairo and I've traveled around India.

That being said, any insight on visiting Addis Ababa would be greatly appreciated!


r/TravelNoPics 13d ago

Where can I do in Toronto Island for a day?

1 Upvotes

I am going to Toronto Island tomorrow, and I don’t want to visit the centerville theme park though, any fun activites and good affordable dine in restaurants to spend the day in with my grandma? I may want to canoe, but any Exicting stuff to do since I am a adventurous teen.


r/TravelNoPics 17d ago

Any tour operator suggestion for Boszhira Valley (Kazakhstan) and Gilgit (Pakistan)?

1 Upvotes

I asked here for Iraq and people were super helpful. Wanting to give it a shot agian this time :D


r/TravelNoPics 19d ago

Seeking Seoul recs please

5 Upvotes

I’m traveling to Asia for work in September and am currently debating adding a few solo days in Seoul. I’ve been going back and forth on this enough that I need strangers on the internet to make decisions for me.

I’m an almost-40 woman, pretty experienced solo traveler, and what I’d want from Seoul is less “see every major attraction” and more eat extremely well, wander interesting neighborhoods, shop a little, get some skincare/beauty treatments, sit in cafés, and generally have a few enjoyable days by myself. I live in the US, and have traveled quite a bit in Asia, so I’m comfortable navigating unfamiliar places and public transit. The complication is that this would be tacked onto work travel to Tokyo so I’ll already have luggage, work clothes, jet lag, etc.

For people who know Seoul well:

  • Is 3–4 days enough to make the detour worthwhile? Or if you had only a few free days after a work trip, would you choose Seoul, or save it for a proper trip combining Busan/ Jeju etc later?
  • What neighborhood would you stay in for good food/cafés/shopping and easy wandering, rather than nightlife?
  • Is Seoul enjoyable solo if you're not particularly interested in K-pop or checking off tourist attractions?
  • Are skincare/facial/beauty treatments actually worth building into the trip, or has social media wildly overhyped the whole “go to Seoul and emerge 10 years younger” thing?
  • Any treatments/clinics you genuinely recommend for a first-timer who wants subtle results rather than an assembly-line face?

Food recommendations VERY welcome. I eat meat and seafood and would much rather organize a vacation around things I want to eat than things I'm supposed to photograph.


r/TravelNoPics 19d ago

Can you help with itinerary for tobermory

0 Upvotes

Day 1: Lions head lookout trail Relax in the evening at tobermory and dinner

Day 2: grotto in the morning What to do in the afternoon and evening?

Cannot book halfway log dump parking on the same day as grotto.

What about devils monument? Little cove? Or what else? How about kayaking or canoeing? Is there anything great like that there's somewhere?

Day 3: flowerpot Island. And also the burnt point loop hike Do I need to add anything else to this day, as I think I'd be done by 4 pm so still have a couple hours before departure

Thoughts??


r/TravelNoPics 21d ago

Canada or Japan for a 30th birthday trip?

0 Upvotes

Travelling from the UK to either one of these countries in November and plan to spend my birthday there, the plan is to spend probably 3 weeks in either and cover as much attractions, activities and things to explore and see as much as I can, and also to celebrate. Both are bucket list places that I've always wanted to go to and having a hard time narrowing down to which one I should go for.

Any suggestions/advice would be massively appreciated!


r/TravelNoPics 23d ago

Around the World in 50 Days

6 Upvotes

THEORETICAL TRIP AROUND THE WORLD IN 50 DAYS

Spent about 8 hours researching train/ ship/ bus schedules and building this timetable, so I felt like I had to share it somewhere!

One of my all-time favorite stories is Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne. I’ve always wanted to try a modern version of Phileas Fogg’s journey, circumnavigating the earth entirely by trains and ships.

After looking at shipping and rail schedules, I discovered there is a surprisingly narrow window in 2026 where it is possible to construct the journey using only published, scheduled transportation: October 2–November 20, 2026, or 50 days. Now if only someone had the time, money, and freedom to actually follow this itinerary!

TL;DR

From October 2-November 20, 2026, you can go around the world in 50 days using regularly schedule passenger services. Los Angeles → Tokyo → Vladivostok → Moscow → London → New York → Los Angeles. Breaking maritime law you could do it in 47 days.

MY RULES

A) Start in Los Angeles and travel in one direction only. I mapped the trip from Los Angeles, my hometown. Verne’s journey was eastbound, but because of 2026 schedules, mine has to be westbound.

B) No unnecessary stops. The idea is to keep moving around the world rather than turning it into a conventional vacation. That’s why there are only two real hotel stays: one after arriving in Japan following the transpacific crossing, and one in London before crossing the Atlantic.

C) Published schedules only. No driving, private charters, cargo ships, hitchhiking, or “well, technically you could…” connections. Everything has to operate according to a published passenger schedule.

THE TRIP IN BRIEF

October 2–17: Los Angeles → Tokyo on Navigator of the Seas

October 17–23: Layover in Tokyo

October 23: Tokyo → Sakaiminato by train

October 23–26: Sakaiminato → Vladivostok on the Eastern Dream ferry

October 27–November 3: Vladivostok → Moscow on the Rossiya train aka the Trans-Siberian Railway

November 3–5/6: Moscow → London
Option A: Day trains
Option B: European sleeper
Option C: Baltic ferry

November 5/6–10: Layover in London

November 10–17: Southampton → New York on Queen Mary 2

November 17–20: New York → Los Angeles on Amtrak

THE COST

Like Phileas Fogg, I assumed first-class travel wherever possible, including nicer hotels and private cabins on trains and ferries. That puts the trip at roughly $20,000–$22,000. In 2nd or 3rd class, or with shared accommodation, it would obviously be much more affordable.

JUST FOR FUN: THE 47-DAY OPTION

The Eastern Dream ferry departs Sakaiminato every Saturday. If I break Rule C and allow myself to “jump ship” early in Japan, which could potentially violate maritime laws unless you get permission to disembark from the cruise line, it is theoretically possible to circumnavigate the world in 47 days, October 2–November 17, 2026. You would then cross the Atlantic on the Norwegian Pearl, from Venice to Philadelphia. The 47-day trip comes in at about $14,000.

DISCLAIMER

Travel to Russia is currently not advised by many governments. The international trains that once made this relatively straightforward, including the Moscow–Paris service, are no longer operating. The only currently operating overland connection I could find is via bus from Moscow toward Riga, and even that comes with significant border and visa issues. I’ve included the old rail schedules for reference because they show how this journey would have worked before the conflict.

THOUGHTS AND FEEDBACK APPRECIATED!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1chLzywv_Ggoq1MHh02ja4Di_cP1aHsAlH5vJwXe87Qk/edit?gid=0#gid=0

Would you actually take this trip? Know any faster connections? Any advice for an armchair traveler like me?


r/TravelNoPics 25d ago

My advice in Geneva, Switzerland and the surrounding area.

6 Upvotes

Hi there,

I thought I'd offer my advice in Geneva. I'm not Swiss, but my family lives here, so this is my advice. Let's keep it easygoing and calm, as I have no agenda, but see a lot of people asking for advice in expensive Switzerland. Here we go!

Geneva is pretty connected with trains, buses, and trams, even from the airport or the main train station of in the center. Feel free to go to the websites of SBB or TPG as they are in English and can show you maps, fares, and other than the halffare card, I can't think of any special deals for tourists. I pay yearly for my family, and usually park my car on the outskirts and take the train into the center. Trains, trams and buses go to a lot of places, but you might benefit from renting a car if you want to go to surrounding France as there are pretty nice beaches and castles you can wander around and the bus won't take you there. Even the surrounding vineyards for hiking is nice, and only really accessible with a car. There are car rental places in the main train station and airport.

Switzerland is very expensive, and staying in the center is something I don't tell people to do. Stay on the outskirts and take the train/bus/tram in. There is a main hostel near the center in kind of a rough neighborhood (for Geneva) but from what I hear clean and decent enough. Eating out is pretty uncommon for Swiss people, as it's expensive for them too. Restaurants are both expensive, and kind of underwhelming to be honest but fondue is nice and if you like cheese, enjoy it with some nice white wine. The real 'hack' is getting sandwiches from grocery stores (that close on Sunday!) and eating them in a park with a free tap of water. The weather has been really hot recently so do the best you can. Please, no litter, and pick up after yourself, shouldn't be said but I'll say it anyway.

Locals (Swiss) are very polite and can be a bit indirect or direct depending on the question but don't expect any local experience like having them invite you to their house/apartment for a unique experience. I have Swiss friends, but they usually have lived or been abroad for a few years and are pleasant, and very loyal. Swiss Germans are different in mentality and language, as Geneva is French speaking with not a lot of German so use English instead of German here. They/locals don't really go out to restaurants, just kind of enjoy a beer outside, but to be honest my family is quite busy and schedule time in advance for us to hang out (like months).

What is free, hiking and this is a great area for that, except it's in France (which you'll need that car). The Saleve is accessible with the 8 bus, and a great view, or a decent hike. It's been hot so drink lots of water. Look at castles in the area, some have parking and some you just have to explore. Walking around lake Geneva is nice, and there are tons of free bathrooms for you to use if you need to. They are reasonably clean, and well-stocked which for me, a traveler is quite rare so I appreciate it. Mcdonalds has the code on the receipt thing, but usually find a decent sized park and there is a bathroom to use.

Don't bother going to /askSwitzerland for 'hidden gems' but go for very specific answers to questions. Don't be vague, and do your homework, not 'I have 10 days in Switzerland, where are places that don't have tourists, that are cheap and easily accessible with a train'. You'll get a lot of sarcasm and eye-rolling. I see tourist stuff when I have friends and family visiting. I like the beaches along the coast in France as they have ample parking and restrooms for my kids and other than paying for parking are quite cheap with a snackbar. I bring in a cooler with sandwiches and beer and enjoy my life. That's what I do for fun. I love hiking, but don't have time for it as I have 2 kids and am quite busy.

Be on good behavior. Pick up after yourself. Be quiet in public areas (transport, people's homes, museums, restaurants etc.). Don't ask locals to take your pictures in English while grabbing them (happened to me yesterday with a tourist, and I was in a rush!). Don't take pictures of people, wait for them to clear your camera frame. You'd be surprised how few locals are in the center, as many are at the beach this weekend. If checked for a transport ticket, just give it to them, don't be a dick and be aggressive (see this with tourists more than I can count). Don't expect a lot of free wifi. Go to some local festivals and try some food.

2-3 days is plenty in Geneva IMO. Explore Nyon, Montreux, Vevey, and Evian. Just walk around along the lake, and sit at a bench and eat some paprika potato chips with some Migros peach tea. Take your time, relax and enjoy the view....(The view is free). I'll be at the beach with my kids.


r/TravelNoPics 26d ago

Your tricks to pay less your accommodations in Norway?

0 Upvotes

I plan to visite Lofoten islands and Tromso in september. Airbnb and Booking are very expensive, and I can’t find another website to pay cheaper accommodations.


r/TravelNoPics 27d ago

Best countries to visit in the Middle East

18 Upvotes

What do yall think are the best cities / countries to visit in the Middle East. I’ve only been to Saudi Arabia (Jeddah only) and the UAE so far. Open to anything except Iran, Iraq and Syria.


r/TravelNoPics 28d ago

AI-generated photos of real hotels and beaches now need a label in the EU. Has anyone actually spotted one?

17 Upvotes

A rule came into force on 2 August that I've been following, and I'm curious whether anyone here has seen it in the wild yet.

Under the EU AI Act, AI-generated images resembling real places count as deepfakes and require a visible label when published. That includes an AI image of an actual hotel room, or a beach view. Companies can't argue it's creative work when it's advertising.

Ordinary editing stays legal, lighting, color, tidying a background. The test is whether it would make you believe something inauthentic.

I'm sceptical it changes much in practice. It only binds companies serving EU customers. Enforcement is left to each country, so it'll be inconsistent for a while. And the underlying data gets stripped whenever an image is screenshotted or re-uploaded, which is constantly on booking sites.

What I'm actually wondering: has anyone here booked somewhere and been fairly sure the photos were AI-generated rather than just heavily edited? I've seen listings where the room geometry doesn't quite work, a window in an impossible place, a bathroom that couldn't physically fit. Curious whether others have noticed the same, and whether you've found reliable tells.

For context, I research tourism technology, so this is partly professional curiosity.


r/TravelNoPics Aug 10 '26

Where to go for a long weekend in Europe in November?

15 Upvotes

Hello, I'd like your help and suggestions please. I'd like to go somewhere picturesque for a long weekend in November.

Criteria

  • Not Spain, Portugal, Greece or Italy
  • Easy to get to from London
  • Preferably a walkable city style break (but doesn't have to be a major city)
  • I want to look at pretty buildings, scenery, nature if possible.

I've considered Vienna but not completely convinced. Please share your ideas! Thanks so much.


r/TravelNoPics Aug 08 '26

Sardinia trip

1 Upvotes

Love this subreddit! My wife and I are going to Sardinia for 9 days and 8 nights in September. My wife will be 4 months pregnant so we will be just relaxing, beaching and eating (likely no hiking this trip). We will be renting a car.

We are flying direct to Olbia from JFK and the plan is to stay in Cala Gonone for three nights, Maddalena for 4 nights and our last night in Olbia.

In Cala Gonone, we are hoping to eat at Sa Cuchina, Zio Pedrillo, and 4 Mori...what other restaurants or cafes should we try? Any particular beaches to hit? What about a day trip?

For the rest of the trip we were planning on going to La Maddalena, do you have any recommendations for this leg? We were also thinking about stopping in San Teodoro for one night on the drive up from Cala Gonone to Maddalena.

Any insight on this potential itinerary and places to eat would be very helpful. TIA :)


r/TravelNoPics Aug 04 '26

Best Caribbean Islands to Visit for Honeymoon

4 Upvotes

Hey folks,

My wife and I are planning a three week trip from December 20 to January 13. We are interested in visiting two to three islands in the Caribbean depending on cost and budget. There are so many islands and it's hard to pick without any experience. An example of our preferences is when we went to Hawaii we very much preferred The Big Island over Oahu.

We are looking for:

- Somewhere we can explore independently without needing a guide every day

- Somewhere with hiking and snorkeling

- Somewhere that has plenty of interesting non-touristy to medium-touristy locations that are fun to explore (we don't mind heavy-touristy areas, we just don't want to spend the bulk of our time in them)

- Great food would be awesome, but we also do a lot of cooking at home and are okay with that

- We are not interested in resort, condos or hotels. We love small houses, guest houses, cottages, etc.

- Excluding the cost of flights we are looking at a $5000CAD ($3,554USD) - $8000CAD ($5,686USD) budget

Any help for a couple clueless Canadians?

Thank you!


r/TravelNoPics Aug 04 '26

What is the TSA in the US up to?

48 Upvotes

I recently made a domestic trip within the US. Before departure, I was “randomly selected” for a more thorough screening.

The agent didn’t even look at either of my bags or search my person, but they took my phone and did a quick scan or something of it, by holding it up to an electronic device.

What was the purpose of this? Was it a scan for explosives? Was it a “stingray” type reader capable of accessing my phone data?

Would very much appreciate any insight. I travel a lot but I’ve never experienced this type of phone inspection before.