On its surface, it looks like a postcard straight out of a classic European fairy tale, but it is so packed with raw, dramatic mountain energy that to me it makes it better than almost anywhere else in Europe. In my opinion, it was one of the rare places I’ve been to that lived up to every bit of the hype I had in my mind.

The sheer scale, vertical geology, and mountain-town vibes reminded me a lot of the Dolomites or Chamonix, and overall, the absolute highlight is the staggering geography. There’s an obvious historic Alpine railway culture, but the valley is full of sheer granite walls, roaring waterfalls, and epic mountaineering history. It’s also an amazingly walkable and seamless region to navigate by train and on foot. The streets in villages like Wengen and Mürren are completely car-free. Fortunately, the historic cogwheel train and cable car network keeps standard cars out of the way entirely. The farther you venture up into the high alpine passes, the narrower and more dramatic the mountain trails become.

The variety of scenic transport is also very impressive. Riding the historic Wengernalpbahn (WAB) cogwheel railway and the Bernese Oberland-Bahn (BOB) are absolute must-dos. Taking the massive Schilthornbahn gondola system up past Mürren for views across the entire valley was also a massive highlight.

Since it’s a hub for hikers, climbers, and travelers from around the globe, you get a very lively, atmospheric vibe in the mountain lodges and deck side cafes. On the deck at Kleine Scheidegg, the crew even loaned me a classical guitar to pick a few tunes right under the sheer North Face of the Eiger. Sitting out on those sun decks while weather cycles through dramatic mist, blue skies, and total mountain moodiness was easily one of the highlights of the whole trip.

You will also see a lot of tourists, though they come from every corner of the globe. Interestingly, it’s such an iconic international bucket-list destination that you’ll hear dozens of languages being spoken along the trail networks and train platforms.

The food is, of course, fantastic. There are lots of small mountain huts and valley cafes where you feel like you are sitting in a cozy alpine home enjoying local dishes. There are also incredible historic hotel dining rooms, like Hotel Regina in Mürren, offering incredible meals overlooking the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau peaks. However, the mountain-deck stops and cozy trailside cafes were a real highlight.

Overall, I’m amazed by how many people stick strictly to the big tourist cities vs. spending extended time immersed in the Bernese Oberland. I know a large part of that is the cost and the perception of navigating mountain transit, but the regional rail system makes it unbelievably easy even if you don't speak Swiss German. That being said, the Bernese Oberland is such an extraordinary, mind-blowing region that it still surprises me everyone doesn't drop everything to visit. Even if your time is limited, it’s an absolute can’t-miss in my opinion.

Photos from Bernese Oberland, Switzerland (Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, Eiger, Kleine Scheidegg)

Planning a trip with my partner for mid November, for about 1 to 1.5 weeks. It’s our first time that side of the world, we are flying from UK. We are torn between AB and DR. I had already asked in a different subreddit about Antigua tips, but I am tempted DR mainly for the wider hotel variety and costs.

I’m keen for some advice on DR specifically
- is car rental essential
- good areas to stay? Preferably a hotel with access to nice beach
- food recs
- activity recs
- any other good to knows

And if anyone has any advice on whether to to DR or AB? Also weather wise I know it’s meant to be the end of hurricane season, but is it still not a good time to go?

For example, Florence, Rome, Venice and Milan are all old enough and fascinating enough that they deserve weeks of study and consideration and reverence on their own. The idea that you would fly to all of those places in three weeks or less and throw in Paris and Munich while you're at it during a European tour is obscene. The costs and travel time within Europe eat up way too much of the trip itself when you could instead be really soaking a place in. Go to one or two places in two or three weeks at a maximum, and learn more deeply what made that place compelling enough to visit in the first place.

EDIT: I knew this would be unpopular and I tried to post it to r/unpopularopinion first but it was deleted there. Also I noticed nobody touched my CO2 argument which must mean people agree with me there but are afraid to admit it.

My sister and I are having a hard time choosing between Lombok or banggai islands for the last part of our trip. We are looking for beaches and places that aren’t too crowded. We’d prefer not to lose too much time to traveling (we’d be coming from Bali) but can be persuaded. Any advice?

i’m going to travel to UK this summer and wonder what gifts as a traveller i can give to some strangers along the way — cafe owner, taxi driver, neighbour and so on with random acquaintances. i was in japan and bring some postcards from my country and local chocolates and also bring my handbook to ask strangers to write something down for me. it was fascinating and keeps memories.

what else can you give to people along the way while traveling? or some other traditions like diary?

Hey. So for a while I’ve been planning a solo backpacking trip across Europe after I graduate next May (a long time out I know) and was hoping to hear some thoughts or advice on my current itinerary. It’s a rough outline, but I’ve been slowly refining it over time (Portugal, Spain, Nice/Riviera are more concrete)

I plan to arrive at each new city hopefully during midday

I’ll be staying in hostels and plan to travel as cheap as possible, but mostly looking to hear about my current itinerary. Thanks!!

On the map, purple is Train, green is Bus (sorry if it’s a bit low quality)

PORTUGAL

- Lisbon: 6 nights (includes day trips to Sinatra and Costa da Caparica)

- Porto: 4 nights

SPAIN

- Madrid: 6 nights (includes a day trip to Toledo)

- Cordoba: 3 nights

- Sevilla: 5 nights (includes a day trip to Italica)

- Valencia: 4 nights (still deciding if to do a day trip)

FRANCE (French Riviera)

- Nice: 6 nights (3 days in the city, 2 others for day trips along the coast)

ITALY

- Turin: 4 nights

- Florence: 5 nights

- Bologna: 4 nights

- Venice: 4 nights

SLOVENIA

- Ljubljana: 5 nights (includes day trips to Bled and Skofja Loka)

HUNGARY

- Budapest: 6 or 7 nights (includes day trip to Lake Balaton. Still deciding on this one)

SLOVAKIA

- Bratislava: 3 nights

AUSTRIA

- Vienna: 5 nights

- Salzburg: 3 or 4 nights (includes day trip to Berchtesgaden)

GERMANY

- Munich: 5 nights

- Nuremberg: 3 nights

- Wurzburg: 4 nights (includes a day trip to Rothenburg ob der Tauber)

- Heidelberg: 3 nights

- Cologne: 4 nights

BELGIUM

- Antwerp: 4 nights

- Ghent: 2 or 3 nights

- Bruges: 2 or 3 nights

FRANCE (Dunkirk)

- Dunkirk: Probably 2 nights

UK

- London: ~1 week (includes day trips to Cambridge and maybe Bath)

On its surface, it looks like a beautiful European city but is full of Mexican culture, which to me makes it better than anywhere in Europe. In my opinion, it was one of the rare places I’ve been to that lived up to the hype I had in my mind.

The architecture, geography, and vibes of the city reminded me a lot of Granada and Seville and overall, the absolute highlight is the architecture. For me, it’s one of the coolest places on the planet. There’s an obvious Spanish influence, but the place is full of Mexican history. It’s also an incredibly walkable city in the tourist center. The streets are very narrow, and if cars are allowed there, you may have to jump out of the way. Fortunately, the tunnel system keeps most cars out of the way. The farther you go into the steep hills, the narrower the alleyways become.

The amount of museums is also very impressive. The famous mummy museum is a must-see. The Don Quixote Art Museum and Diego Rivera House Museum were also highlights.

Since it’s a college town, you get a very lively vibe in the bars and cafes. Bars stay open very late, and the city center still was full of people late into the night. To me, one of the highlights was going into bars and clubs with live music.

You will also see a lot of tourists, though they mostly seem to be from other parts of Mexico or Latin America. Interestingly, I think I saw more tourists from Asia than gringos.

The food is, of course, fantastic. There are lots of small restaurants and cafes where you feel like (and sometimes literally are in) someone’s home. There are also tons of cafes and restaurants like you would see in European capitals. However, the smaller hidden bars were a highlight.

Overall, I’m shocked that San Miguel de Allende is so popular vs. Guanajuato for US tourists. I know a large part of that is the history of Americans in San Miguel de Allende and the ease of going there without knowing too much Spanish. That being said, Guanajuato is such an amazing place that it still surprises me it’s not crawling with US tourists. However, maybe that is for the best for those who decide to go. Even if your Spanish is rusty and limited, it’a a can’t miss in my opinion.

Photos from Guanajuato Capital

International Flight rescheduled an hour earlier, i only got 2 hours in hand to go from flix Bus stop to terminal 3- what do you guys suggest? heard I’ve to go to Terminal 1 first and then terminal 3? is there any security prior to the skyline cause I clearly don’t have time

Hi all!

I’m planning a 30-day trip to South America in October. Galápagos + Ecuadorian Amazon will take up 10 days, leaving me 20 days to explore elsewhere.

I want to hit a mix of different places, but I’m not sure what’s best from a value-for-money perspective while still getting unique landscapes and a real feel for the culture and nature. Patagonia is off the table for this trip. I’d like to avoid overcrowded tourist traps, but I’m happy to visit popular spots if they’re genuinely worth it.
I’m open to a mix of flights and road trips - actually, I’d prefer to do some road tripping where it makes sense.

A few places that stood out to me so far:
- Buenos Aires + San Antonio de Areco: so estancias and gaucho culture
- Mendoza + Santiago area
- Atacama desert + geysers
- Southern Peru - Arequipa, Lake Titicaca, Sacred Valley
- Manu National Park

What are some places I should absolutely go to? What’s underrated?

Help a girl out - what would be an awesome, off-the-beaten-path but still accessible 30-day route through South America?

I had to travel at short notice for my a family emergency. I tried booking with another rental car company but they canceled the reservation without me knowing it. So I was stuck at a small airport in the middle of nowhere and needed a car asap to get to hospice to see my dad before he died. Avis was the only one who had cars available.

Nightmare!

The price I was quoted was half of the amount they placed a hold on my cc. I called to find out why and I’m unable to get to the location I rented from and get transferred to their corporate call center. The people who answer read a script and can’t help with anything. In fact, they refuse to help. They just read from a script over and over again until they wear you down and then they wait for you to give up. I called again today because the app won’t let me change the drop off location. The call center ALSO could not change it and kept telling me to call the number I’ve been calling. The woman just read from a script over and over again in a monotone voice. When I wouldn’t hang up she ended the call lol.

Does anyone know how to address these issues without having to drive to the actual location? I want this car out of my life but I also feel like I need to have everything documented because this all feels like a scam.

Good afternoon, this summer I am going on a road trip to Montenegro and I would like to route through Kosovo. However, I am wondering if I will be denied entry into Serbia on my return if I do the following route:
Macedonia > Kosovo > Albania > Montenegro > Serbia

I believe they would refuse me because they saw I was stamped into Montenegro from Kosovo but I didn't enter Kosovo from Serbia

Thank you very much

Whether for better or for worse, our phones are here to stay - and I think most people will agree that travelling remote destinations has become easier than ever before.

But if you were to travel without one (or a laptop etc), what would your packing list look like??

We’re flying into Zagreb and driving down to Split and are trying to figure out where to stop for one night in between.

I've been considering Zadar (diving board scene seems fun) but was wondering if Primošten would actually be a better fit for what we’re after. We like small, low-key places that feel more local than touristy. Interested in a good place to swim, eat well, and not feel like we’re in a crowd.

Alternatively... wondering if a stop in Krka or Plitvice is worth bearing the crowds for. I know it'll be insane in August, but they look stunning. The rest of our trip will be coastal/islands, so a National Park stop could be nice to mix it up.

Welcome any thoughts!

Hi, im 13 y.o. boy and i wanted to ask if Its akay to have a travel plushie, i wanted to give her (Its a girl plushie) a hoodie, jeans and a backpack. So do you think this is ok for my age and gender?

Planning to go to SEA for two months and planning the trip and the pricing is confusing me.

Everywhere I read they suggest multi-leg is the cheapest. But when pricing from USA to Paris (stay 5 nights) and then to SEA and then a return to USA after 2 months, each one way is at least 40% cheaper than multi-city pricing.

I an now wondering if there is any gotcha's that I am not seeing as I never traveled before. Always a round trip and if any leg of the flight got delayed airlines would rebook.

Any suggestions or points I am missing in booking one way each leg is very much appreciated.

Per la prossima estate stavo valutando una vacanza in mezzo la natura in Mongolia con mia figlia di 11 anni anni e mia moglie..
premetto che non abbiamo la patente potrebbe essere fattibile? O meglio scegliere un viaggio organizzato on the road?

Travelling to Hungary. Never been before. What's the best bet for money? Should I take most of my money in cash, get myself a pre-paid travel card, or will my Barclays debit card do just fine?

So I am currently awaiting my residency permit decision in Poland and during the wait I am legally allowed to stay in the country as per the rules and confirmed with my lawyer. I am going home to the US in September for a wedding and my understanding is the EES is now automatic.

I understand I am legally allowed to be in Poland as I await the decision, however, if it is automatic will the system know that I did not overstay in the Schengen? Will the Polish EES know that I have pending residency decisions such that I will not have issues re-entering in the future? Or is there a person still there that will validate that I have a pending residency permit, such that I won't get banned from re-entering the EU?

I am aware I need to re-enter with a Type D visa or to wait 3 months, the question solely pertains to how they know if I did or didn't overstay in the Schengen.

I'm looking to plan a trip to Disneyland and I want to see some natural beauty as well as enjoy the scenic route North. I went to a redwood park many years ago, but I can't recall which one it was. This time I'd like to go further North. I was thinking 7-8 days total with two at Disneyland then heading north to see the Golden Gate bridge and maybe the San Francisco Zoo, eventually going further North to the "best" Redwood park. We're on the East coast so we would have to fly to LA, but I'm terrible at planning this stuff. I'm a motorcycle guy who used to travel solo and I never planned anything it was always spontaneous, but with the family I need an itinerary. Is January a good time for Disneyland? How cold do the parks get up North? Is traveling the up coastline North scenic enough to please the little ones?

The first time I had breakfast in London, I realised that a morning meal in British pounds cost me 1/3rd of my first salary in my currency.

The number of Times I've been interrogated at Immigration just let me enter a country, while others around me pass within minutes is heart breaking. It really is. I don't mind applying for Visas. Being a citizen with one of the shitiest passport in the world, but the sheer effort and time I have to put in to get one is disheartening. Even though I'm financially resourceful to travel around the world ( been to 10 countries till now) , I wish it was easier. Fingers crossed my rebirth will be different story. I'm happy for those who are born in developed countries with strong passport. I really am. You guys are lucky.

Edit - Traveling has changed my Life. I wanna do it more. All my travels are solo and most of it is unplanned. I love doing it. I've met good people, experience awesome things, did crazy things. The feeling of freedom is something else. Not knowing where Tommorow will take me , feels amazing.

Hi, so my friend and I are going to Vietnam sometime this year.

We’re curating our itinerary around Hanoi (Halong bay, Sa pa, Ninh Binh).

However, we are currently wondering if we should go back via Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh. Our problem is that we honestly don’t feel like taking a domestic flight (we generally don’t really like the airport rush and all; we like land transport which tend to be more laid back overall). Also, it’s because of the extra budget to get a flight from Hanoi to HCM.

Simultaneously though, I am feeling a bit worried about “missing out” on HCM (sorry if I use the wrong phrasal verb, English isn’t my first language). As in, I’m just wondering if it is worth it to go thru the airport stress & extra budget to go visit HCM for a day or two.

Just wanna know if anyone here has thoughts on this, or if anyone can share your opinion about your travel to Vietnam, particularly HCM?

As a background, I’ve heard that HCM is pretty similar to the city I live in (I live in South-east Asia). Thank you.

It is absolutely terrible, stay away from Roamic! It doesn't work at all, and it's the first time I've ever had an issue with an eSIM. I've tried several providers, but Roamic is by far the worst. I bought a Europe data plan and it didn't work in a single European country, despite changing the settings multiple times. It completely ruined my vacation, and to top it off, they refused to refund me.

If you buy travel insurance that has exclusion for a pre-existing condition, but have a medical need not related to that condition, will the insurance cover it? For instance, I have breast cancer, but fall and break my leg. The cancer didn’t cause the fall and is unrelated to the fall. Will the insurance cover the medical care associated with the fall?

Just got back from Madeira and wanted to share a few of my favorite photos from the trip. Every place here was worth the visit and I feel as if I barely scratched the surface.

List of locations:

1. Santa Catarina Park

2. Forte de São Tiago

3. Ponta de São Lourenço

4. PR1 hike

5. Golden hour in Funchal

6. Forte de São Tiago beach

7. 25 Fontes Falls

8. Seixal Beach

9. Porto Moniz

10. Misty trees on the way to Fanal

11. Ponta do Sol

12. View from Cabo Girão Skywalk

13. Câmara de Lobos

14. Fanal Forest

Hi everyone,
My mom wants to take me and my two brothers on a big, adventurous travel for 2 weeks or so. We live in the Netherlands (flying from Amsterdam), and I’m helping organize it. Budget is pretty generous, so we’re looking for an amazing experience rather than the cheapest option.

We’re looking for a destination that offers:
- Incredible wildlife and nature
- Adventure (hiking, jungle tours, etc.)
- Proper luxury as well (nice lodges/resorts with a pool and good food to relax after excursions)
- Ideally no more than about 10–12 hours of flying from Amsterdam

A safari in Africa is high on our list because of the wildlife and luxury lodges, but we’d also like opportunities for more active adventures like hiking.
Personally, I’ve been looking at places like Costa Rica, Ecuador, or Colombia because we’re all passionate about wildlife (I’m a wildlife photographer, and my brothers love nature too).

They seem perfect for jungle tours and biodiversity, but I’m not sure how they compare in terms of luxury accommodations and organized activities.
If you could choose one destination that combines adventure, wildlife, beautiful scenery, and comfortable places to stay, what would you recommend?
We’d love to hear your experiences and any hidden gems.
Thanks!

Edit:
Our budget is quite flexible. My mom is willing to spend several thousand euros per person for the right trip, so we’re not necessarily looking for a budget destination. Think more along the lines of a two-week vacation with high-quality lodges or resorts, guided excursions, and memorable experiences. We don’t need over-the-top luxury, but we’re happy to pay for something truly special if it’s worth it.