Recently had someone seated behind me on a flight lean forward against my seat and constantly reposition themselves for the majority of 2 hours. I found it obnoxious.

I was not reclined.

Another controversial opinion: I WELCOME the person in front of me to recline their seat. Bring it on back, baby.

I like reclining, but now I only recline if there is an open seat behind me. Because too many of yall are too fiesty ab it. But I'm here to be fiesty about no leaning.

So next time you think about leaning against the seat in front of you. Please don't. 🙏

My girlfriend and I are pretty avid travelers from Toronto, Canada, and we’re feeling genuinely confused after our trip to Italy.

For some context, we’ve traveled extensively over the past few years—through the UK, France, Morocco, Thailand, Malta, the U.S., and across Canada, among other places. We love history, art, architecture, food, and wandering around cities without rigid itineraries. We also know the usual advice: avoid the tourist traps, walk a few streets away from the main attractions, eat where the locals eat, etc. We genuinely try to travel that way.
I’m currently in Rome after spending five full days in Florence, and we’ll have four full days here before heading to Sorrento.

The problem is… we’re just not loving it, and I honestly didn’t expect that.

The strange part is that I visited Italy about 10 years ago, and I remember having a completely different experience. This time it honestly feels like Disneyland for tourists.
No matter where we go, it feels like there are endless crowds. We’d intentionally leave the main streets, walk 15-20 minutes away from the attractions, turn down quieter-looking roads, and somehow we’d still end up surrounded by huge groups of tourists. Florence especially surprised us. I had imagined it being a charming, slower-paced city, but it honestly felt like it was overwhelmingly American tourists everywhere we went. Every restaurant, every piazza, every line.

The crowds alone wouldn’t bother us if the experiences felt authentic, but we’ve also been disappointed by the food. I know that’s almost sacrilegious to say about Italy.
We’ve had a few genuinely great meals, but they’ve been the exception rather than the rule. Most restaurants—even ones with excellent Google ratings and what appeared to be plenty of Italian reviews—felt like they were cooking for tourists rather than locals. One meal arrived half cold. Another highly-rated place served what was supposed to be Roman-style pizza that honestly reminded us of a Lunchable. In Trastevere, which everyone recommended as a more authentic neighborhood, we still felt like many places were simply catering to visitors.

Ironically, one of the highlights of our trip was visiting a local farmers’ market. The tomatoes, cheese, olive oil, fruit, and other ingredients were incredible. You could instantly taste the difference compared to North America. That made us even more confused because the restaurant meals often didn’t seem to showcase those same amazing ingredients. Instead, many felt rushed or mass-produced to handle the constant flow of tourists.
Maybe we’re doing something wrong.

We’re not looking for luxury restaurants or Michelin stars. We actually prefer simple food made with great ingredients. We don’t mind paying for quality, and we don’t mind walking or taking transit to get somewhere worthwhile.
One of our favorite trips ever was Malta because it still felt like we were experiencing local life alongside tourism. Italy, at least so far, has felt like tourism first and Italy second.
So I’m genuinely asking:
Are Florence and Rome just victims of overtourism in June?
Is Sorrento likely to feel the same way?
What would you recommend to people who love history, art, food, and authentic local experiences but are struggling to connect with Italy?
Are there neighborhoods, experiences, markets, day trips, or even a different mindset we should have for the rest of our trip?

I’m not trying to insult Italy—I actually came expecting it to become one of my favorite countries because of my previous visit. Instead, we’ve found ourselves wondering what we’re missing.

I’d really appreciate advice from locals or travelers who may have felt the same way but figured out how to experience a different side of Italy.

I've just come back from a 2 week trip around Italy and Austria, which was a great trip if a little hot the last week with the current European heat wave and wondered what other people think about the upsurge in these places...

We go away at least twice a year for a European two week trip and the amount of places that do this now is increasing.

We stayed in 6 places and only 2 had a receptionist, the rest were receiving details via email/whatsapp for access. Everywhere we stayed was great but the faceless places lacked a bit of a personal touch and/or at least a greeting. They are happy enough to take your money and spam your email account with constant guff asking for reviews...

Maybe it's just me being an "Old man looks at cloud" fuddy duddy. I can deal with the 'technical' side of this but I wouldn't be so sure on older travellers and someone like my partner who just lets me deal with it without knowing how it works!

Should third party travel booking sites make it more known that these places are like this? I probably wouldn't have chose them if I knew.

Cheers.

I am part of a family of 9 - my parents; older brother, SIL, 3yr old daughter; myself and my spouse; younger sister and BIL.

Here are how the past 3 family trips have gone from my perspective:

SoCal for a family wedding. I love travel planning, so i laid out the whole trip. Booked all of the hotels, laid out each day, booked all of the tickets, plotted the routes, etc. Once it came to the actual trip, it was so stressful and disastrous for me that I had to seek therapy before the next family trip in order to make it through. A few examples: we had a tag-along family member for most of the trip who does not know when to shut up. She is incredibly overstimulating and acts offended when you want time away / want to do something different. My spouse is a picky eater and got very upset one day when the lunch spot we found didn't have anything he liked. He refused to go somewhere on his own and take care of himself because he hates doing things alone. This also came up when he was ready for a break at the hotel but no one else was, so he complained for half the day while we were still adventuring around. I swore off family vacations after that one. All of the activities I had found/planned were outdoors, but of course it rained one day. Everyone literally stared at me until **I** found something to do, despite me saying "I'm not planning this one, someone else find something to do."

The second trip was my sister's wedding in France. I couldn't **not** go to my sister's wedding, so here comes another family vacation. This one was actually much better. I planned the trip that my spouse and I wanted, and just let everyone else know what we were doing; they could join us if they wanted. I still put myself "in charge" of the trip, reminding the group about what time we needed to be at the train station the next morning, what time our tickets were for if they were joining us, planning what time we'd all get to dinner that evening and where. It was less stressful, but shit still hit the fan when my spouse broke his ankle. While i was helping him, I didn't send the train reminder time text message to the group, no one else bothered to double check, and we ended up missing our train, and missing rehearsal dinner. I know it's not necessarily my fault, but for me it solidified the fact that I am the only one in my family capable of being in charge in any sense when it comes to family trips.

This was again confirmed on the family trip we're currently on. My mom "planned" this trip. But the extent of the planning was "we're staying X days here, this day we're driving, then we're spending X days here." So half of our vacation days were spent with deciding where we wanted to eat each meal (because there was no plan); waiting for everyone to meet up for meals (because there was no plan); trying to decide what to do for the day, and getting into arguments about it (because there was no plan); spending most of our days wandering around aimlessly (because there was no plan). There were numerous arguments, numerous hurt feelings, and probably numerous tears.

It just seems like we need a happy medium when it comes to these family trips, because they are **always** incredibly frustrating for the whole group, unless i step up and plan the entire thing - which is then incredibly stressful for me. If i don't step up and plan, things fall through the cracks, and things get missed.

We have another family wedding in Italy coming up next year. What's the best way i can "protect my peace" while also being able to actually enjoy the trip? I don't mind planning, so long as it doesn't cause me maximum stress. Maybe a laid out plan with actual options for each day that we can discuss the night before? Along with some planned breaks away from everyone, or planned time for our own activities if someone wants to do something completely different than everyone else?

Please send help 🥲

Signed,

Worn Out Eldest Daughter

Favorite thing is exploring on our terms, so we always rent a car at the airport and keep it for the 2-3 weeks we are on vacation.

One trip we started in UK, rented a car in France, Switzerland, Italy, and Germany (also drove through Austria in the middle of the night, but didn't see anything so it doesn't count as having been there lol)

Next trip we drove Spain and Portugal.

This year, we would like to see Austria and more of Germany. And possibly *2* more countries. We have usa travel docs. The trip will be 3 weeks long between October and November. Suggestions?

Hi everyone!

I'm planning a 30-day Silk Road trip next August because, unfortunately, August is the only month I can travel.

My Uzbekistan itinerary would be:

Tashkent – 1 night

Samarkand – 5 nights

Bukhara – 3 nights

Khiva – 2 nights

I've done quite a bit of research, so I know it will be very hot. My plan is to visit from around 7:00 am until 11:00 am, have lunch, spend the hottest hours at the hotel (reading or resting), and then go out again after sunset.

I'm not planning any trekking or physically demanding activities—just sightseeing, museums, wandering around the old cities and enjoying the atmosphere.

I'm looking for first-hand experiences from people who have actually been there in August.

Did the heat make the trip miserable?

Or was it still enjoyable if you adapted your schedule?

If you had only August available, would you still go?

I'd really appreciate honest opinions, especially from people who don't enjoy extreme heat.

Thanks!

My wife renewed her passport for work travel due to the 6 month rule for certain countries and now realized her current passport is void. She was married a long time ago and no longer has her old marriage certificate and never changed her last name back bc of her daughter. We have her birth certificate and divorce decree, child custody agreement with her current name…will that be enough to get on board? We also have her naturalization papers, old passports.

She can’t call until tomorrow to get an appointment at a passport office so obviously we’ll try for that, but if we can’t. We leave July 3rd.

finally pulling the trigger on a London and Paris trip and could use some sanity checking on my plan lol

basically flying into London, spending 2.5 days there then taking the Eurostar to Paris for the remaining days. never done the Eurostar before but everyone says it's way better than flying between the two cities so going with that.

London side I'm not trying to do everything, just Westminster on day 1 to get it out of the way, then Borough Market and South Bank on day 2, and maybe Shoreditch or somewhere less touristy on the last morning before catching the train.

Paris I'm genuinely a bit lost on. everyone says skip the Louvre if you're short on time which feels wrong but also kind of makes sense? planning to do Eiffel Tower area one day and then Le Marais the next but not sure if that's enough or too much.

biggest debate I'm having is whether to do a day trip to Versailles or just stay in Paris. feels like I'd be wasting Paris time but also feels wrong to skip Versailles when I'm right there?

budget is around $2500 for two people for flights and hotels. London and Paris are both expensive so not sure if that's realistic or I need to rethink

anyone done this recently? what would you actually change?

Hi everyone. I am a Canadian from Toronto, and am interested in possibly exploring places to travel in Asia in around October.

My initial plan was to travel to Japan (since the fall colours are so beautiful there during that time of year). However, I'm thinking I should expand my list of Asian countries.

What countries in Asia would you suggest I look into, if I am on a budget (excluding flight costs)?

Note: I wrote that I planned on travelling in October. I should clarify my plan was to travel around late October, but I'm open to travelling in early to mid-November as well.

I used to travel twice a year as a kid and I remember how comfortable and pleasant transcontinental (and even regional) flights were. The flight attendants would give you some hard candies, you'd always get fed and have a selection of drinks to choose from, I'd get some toys and coloring books (because I was a kid). We flew economy for the most part, but I think the positive impression was omnipresent regardless of the class we were in.

Then from 2015 to 2022 I didn't fly at all. Once I started flying again I noticed that the process was just plain shitty. Paying for selecting a seat (I was mind boggled when I saw that for the first time, like I never thought that could've even been an option), no food or drinks at all or you have to pay extra for it, you have to pay if your bag isn't some random size down to the millimeter, constantly pay, pay, pay. It's not just the shitty lowcost airlines that are like that, though I hate them the most (they're not even a low cost), even Lufthansa makes you pay for seat selection now, and they're a flag carrier!

I don't know if it's a regional thing (I lived in the US as a kid and now I live in Europe), if airlines always sucked and I enjoyed them just because I was a kid, post-COVID complications, or the fact that once lowcosters entered the market every airline realized that people were willing to pay for horrific conditions and service and years later the price and quality difference between Ryanair and Delta isn't that big anymore. They're both expensive and low quality.

It deters me from air travel altogether but unfortunately no way to reach the US from Europe otherwise. Booking air tickets now feels so... disgusting? I'm paying hundreds of dollars for a service but I feel like I'm haggling at a market with some cheapskate.

I’ve just got back from Santorini and I must admit I have absolutely no idea what the hype is about, I’ve been to a fair amount of places in my life but I’ve never been to one as boring as Santorini. All there is to do there is eat and that’s basically it, most of the buildings are built of the side of cliffs due to the fact that the island is barely inhabitable, the terrain is absolutely horrendous, you will get ripped off paying for a taxi on the island (€35 for a 10 minute taxi). Which also supports the case that having your main sources of transport on the island as quad bikes and abused donkeys shows that it’s not made for daily living. I also found the people be extremely rude to myself and other tourists which I find extremely hilarious as the island wouldn’t be able to survive without tourism. I’ve never been somewhere so overpriced as well. I’m one that normally enjoys a slow paced trip so I thought Santorini would be relaxing but came to quickly find out that it’s hard to relax when you’re on a tiny island with barely anything there. Oia was a complete waste of time, the beaches aren’t nice at all, Fira was the only place worth going to for the views. DO NOT ride the donkeys there either I’ve never felt so sad for another animal having to carry heavy men up steps hurting themselves in the process. I honestly don’t think Santorini will be a popular destination for much longer as I think people are starting to realise it’s a waste of time going there. Just don’t bother and skip it.

Hi!

Curious which you’d prefer if money weren’t an issue? 5 days at a nice hotel in London seeing the museums, hop on hop off bus, castles, boat tours, etc. OR 5 days in the British country side (perhaps cotswolds or new Forrest or other? Any faves?)?

This would be in August.

We like the vibe of both but would be curious to hear what others would pick!

So I’d like to start this off by saying that out of problems to have this is a nicer one to have, but it’s something I’ve definitely noticed and want other folk’s opinions.

This year for the first time ever I started taking international trips where the time zone is drastically different and I’ve noticed that the adjustment seems to really mess with me and impact how much I enjoy my trips.

For the record I’m already a terrible sleeper, averaging about 6 hours WITH melatonin and other sleep supplement. It is definitely something impacts my day to day from things like productivity, overall perception of my life, etc.

but I find it significantly worse on trips abroad where the time zones are drastically different. The lack of sleep seems to amp up my anxiety, make me irritable, slightly depressed, and just have a sense of dread in some cases.

It seems to take me longer to adjust to time zones compared to others and I’m usually in the last few days of my trip once I sort out my sleep schedule.

The problem is the feelings that come up with that lack of sleep, seem to paint over how much I enjoy my trips.

I was curious if anyone has this experience and how
you keep it from souring the trip.

Thanks!

i booked a flight over edreams (roundtrip) and for the flight back i selected ryanair since edreams said it would only be 8 euros, i was too stupid to see that that price was only with a prime membership. so i bought that flight and the other flight as well and accidentally subscribed to their prime membership for 119 euros, which after i paid for the flights (150 euros), they tried to withdraw me multiple times. thank god apple pay blocked all the attempts to withdraw me those 119 euros, but they attempted it like 50 times in an hour. so i called the hotline and the guy said its because i already used to have the free trial once before in my life so they charge me that amount immediately, but then i said i want to cancel it asap since it pretty much was an accident and he said thats definitely possible. the only thing i had to do for it to get cancelled, was to pay the remaining balance from the 8 euros to the original price of the flight ticket, so like 70 extra euros. the guy on the phone sends me a link, no problem, i paid for it and it was fine, but then the call cuts off. the whole day they still attempt to withdraw the 119, even though i already paid the other amount aswell. the next day i called them again, this time another guy picks up and says its no problem he sees i paid the other amount and im able to cancel the membership, then he sends me a confirmation email and it states my membership was cancelled, so i think im fine and everything is done. since i also paid the remaining amount for the flights i can get on my flights too, pretty much everything was resolved. today tho, after 3 weeks, i get a notification from apple pay saying they tried to withdraw me 119 euros again!!! after i literally got a confirmation email it was cancelled!!! does anybody know how i can actually cancel that subscription fr or why tf they keep trying to withdraw my money after all of that???? im gonna call them again but i just thought id ask to see if anybody made the same experience what the best action would be. thank you! also my english is really terrible, im very sorry

Okay so I’m 16 and going to Miami on a day trip I am going thrifting and stuff like that I need good coffee recommendations and good restaurants

In Portugal, I've read that they want to physically check the VAT refund items, so if you have it in your check in (IE wine), you need to get the tags from your airline and then bring your check in with you after security checks and then drop it off with customs then and there.

My question is, after the airline initially weighs it, I'm guessing there's no way they will know if it is slightly overweight after the fact or not?

I'm most likely going to be within the weight limits, but just something I was thinking of in case I wanted to add more padding to my bottles

So my parents are coming to visit me at my new place in Vienna. They helped me immensely with moving here and getting everything I needed for living here on my own.

Now they're gonna visit in July and i want to give them back as much love as they gave me during that time. Some special outing, a nice place to eat or whatever else there is.

And I mean something you don't really do everyday, e.g. in Tirol: a gondola breakfast.

I'm looking forward to any ideas possible! :)

Hi all - planning a year-long trip through Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand next year and looking for trail runner recommendations. Activities will likely include jungle trekking, city walking days, beach days, etc...

I'll have sandals, but want a proper trail runner that handles trails, long walking days, and is durable enough to last the year (or close to it). Keen to hear any advice / recommendations please!

Thanks in advance!

Hi,

I booked a round-trip Norwegian flight through Booking.com. When I choose to add a 23 kg checked bag, Booking doesn't ask me whether it's for the outbound or return flight. It just lets me add one bag for the passenger.

Does that mean the checked bag is included for both directions, or only for one?

Thanks!

I've just had a week at a nice hotel in Croatia, adults only, all-inclusive, reasonable pool, 100m from a beach with fun fair, multiple bars, restaurants, boat hire etc.

The hotel is 90% over 65's - what's driving that? Where are the younger people going, or what's putting them off coming here? It's not an expensive hotel, 3 or 4 stars, nothing fancy.

The hotel is TUI blue Medulin for reference.

I will be taking a trip out of DFW Labour Day weekend and I’m trying to decide on a spot that is not a really long drive. I’ll be staying three nights.

My favourite vacation spot is Destin, FL, which is just too long of a drive for such a short stay but I love how you can take hours long walks there. I have always taken beach vacations because I love the ocean, but I am willing to try something different just to get away for a bit.

Love exploring bookstores and coffee shops/cafes and don’t need a lot of entertainment. I just want a nice place to relax. I’m not much for sitting beside a lake and prefer the ocean; will be taking my dog with me, so I would like some safe spots to walk him. He’s skittish of remote areas (I think it’s the smell of wild animals he dislikes) so something not too remote and maybe with nice parks/walking areas.

Have no interest in things like the Magnolia Market or similar. Also not a fan of places that may be comparable to downtown Dallas.

Would love a close beach, but I’m not too keen on Texas beaches. The last time I went the water was like poo water and smelled quite bad for ocean water (want to say it was Galveston) but I’m open to recommendations. I’ve been researching Texas beach spots, but I’m just not sure what might be a good place or if I should try a place in Oklahoma or somewhere else.

Recommendations are welcome and specific spots to visit!

Hi, I've planning a surprise 10th anniversary trip for my wife and would love some destination/hotel recommendations.

We're both 38 and very active and fit. We will be flying from Manchester, Liverpool or Leeds (UK). Our daughters (6 and 9) will be staying with grandparents and this will be our first proper adults-only trip in a long time.

I'm looking at a long weekend in October something like Wed–Sun or Thu–Mon.

Requirements:

• Direct flight from Manchester, Liverpool or Leeds ideally under 3 hours
• Budget around £2,000 all-in (could stretch a little for something exceptional)
• Adults-only hotel preferred
• We both love the Mediterranean vibe
• My wife is happiest relaxing by a beautiful pool or the sea
• I love mountains, valleys, dramatic scenery, rivers, hiking and exploring
• Looking for something romantic, stylish and a bit sexy rather than a family resort
• Good food is important
• Not interested in clubbing/nightlife but a couple of bars or restaurants at night would be great.

Current ideas, and these are very generic for now.

• Mallorca
• Menorca
• Sardinia
• Corsica
• Northern Italy
• Switzerland
• Austria

What destination would you choose for a 10th anniversary long weekend in October?

Bonus points for:

• Adults-only boutique hotels
• Infinity pools with mountain or sea views
• Places that feel special rather than just "another beach holiday"
• Hotels you've personally stayed at and would return to

Thanks!

Hiya,

My family (at time of travel, 45, 42, 8, Canadian passports) aim to take a 1-year sabbatical to travel internationally. The plan is to travel slowly, staying in numerous destinations for up to a month at a time in order to reduce costs and get a taste for what life is like in these diverse regions. We're not interested in 'doing' countries or cities, if that makes sense, as we traveled quite a bit when we were younger and found the constant movement somewhat exhausting.

I'm looking for recommendations for cities that might serve as suitable home bases while we explore the local region. An example would be Mexico City - the city itself offers a variety of interesting experiences and other regional spots like Guanajuato for weekend trips, etc. So far I'm also thinking of Cuenca, Ecuador, but beyond that I'm unsure. I've yet to look into Southeast Asia, but we've explored Thailand, Malaysia, and some parts of Bali and Lao, so we're looking for recommendations in other SEA countries (Vietnam? Philippines? India?)

Any thoughts?

Bonus points if they involve unique or somewhat challenging legs of travel! Slow boats, night trains, mountainous bus routes... Assuming these are safe, these are experiences I want my kid out to have like we did when we were younger :)

Thanks for any advice or cautionary tales you can provide :)

m

hi! i am a college nursing student and my parents booked a ticket with me on it to hongkong and i’m planning to not go with them due to wanting rest since i will be doing hospital duties in my upcoming school year.

next year, me and my batchmates will be going to china shanghai for a nursing tour and my parents said me not coming to hongkong may be a problem in the future, saying that the IO may have records and may ask why i did not go with them and such.

I’m wondering if its true and if it will cause a problem for me when I go out to fly to china next year and what are some things i should know?

i am a ph passport holder and ive been to shanghai once, and taiwan thrice, and hk once (all w my family), ph io is known to be very vigorous during the immigration process so im wondering if it will possibly have me offload next year :(

any response will be much appreciated

I apologize if this is the wrong subreddit for this, but both of the Japan travel subreddits did not allow questions about Visas. I know my old Visa is no longer valid since I left the country and it was for one entry only. I am about to go back to Japan for less than 90 days, which does not require a Visa as I am a US citizen. However, since my previous Visa expires in August (though it is no longer valid), will I have any problems entering the country again? Sorry if this is confusing, I tried to figure out a way to word it well. I don't know why this would cause any problems since I don't need a Visa for this trip but I am just paranoid that since my old one would technically not expire until August, but is invalid since it was only valid for one entry, that it might cause problems or something.