Travel Tips

Is it reasonable to do the Trans-Siberian/Mongolian without pre-booking all the train tickets?

4/30/2014 5:53:07 AM I traveled from Hong Kong via China and Mongolia to Moscow in August 2012 (supposedly peak season) with numerous stops on the way and without pre-booking any ticket more than a few days in advance. You must be prepared to use a few tricks though: Sometimes you won’t get a direct route […]

What medicines are allowed into Hungary from my list below?

8/5/2018 11:20:59 AM With respect to the other author, I’m not so sure this will be trouble-free. We have another question here about taking prescription drugs to Hungary, which quotes an official source as saying Products containing narcotic substances can only enter with the special permission of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. which would […]

Is 55 minutes enough time for a connecting flight at LAX?

8/4/2018 1:56:17 PM If it is on two separate tickets, it is impossible. Your luggage must be checked in with the second airline one hour before the flight (international two hours), and you will be still in the air that time. You need a minimum of three hours to go through immigration and customs, and […]

How can I tell hotels exist that aren't on the booking web sites?

6/6/2014 8:22:40 AM There are certainly properties that are not listed on a GDS and have no webpage either. Try to find a “City-guide” on the web for each location – and look for a phone directory. They will be in the local phone book. Even if they don’t have a website – somebody has […]

Can a mixed-Muslim unmarried couple share hotel rooms in Indonesia?

6/22/2017 12:54:37 PM I’ll share my experience now that I have travelled and came back from Indonesia. Absolutely no problem at all. In most of the hotels, they didn’t even asked about the religion. Some did, but more in a friendly, curious way. We always stated that we are a married couple, just in case. […]

As a US citizen traveling to Canada for two weeks, what can I do about necessary prescription drugs?

8/1/2018 10:09:52 AM I’m not from the US, but Europe, and in a similar situation (several prescription and other meds, including some that may be problematic in some countries). Just get your doctor and/or pharmacy to get you a refill for the duration of your trip, and for the controlled substances a letter stating that […]

Is it possible to obtain Azeri permission to visit Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh)?

7/25/2018 7:55:41 PM On the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan there are number of statements (like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc; You’ll find these statements if you go to the site and type on removal of the name in the search box) reading: On removal of the name of _____, […]

What are the two closest countries that do not share a border?

12/26/2022 6:28:09 AM Sealand to UK: 13 kilometers Spain to Morocco: 14.3 kilometers Saudi Arabia to Bahrain: 27 kilometers Bahrain to Qatar: 101 Kilometers Book connecting flight, but only board at second airport? 6/30/2021 5:55:24 PM How about Laos and Myanmar, which are separated by the Mekong River? Why is sex/gender present in EU-issued passports? […]

Is Emirates' 96-hour visa 4 calendar days or exactly 96 hours from entry to exit?

10/23/2018 11:43:46 AM Having now been through this I can give the following answer to my own question. The visa is to the hour. Having booked through Emirates we used their service to apply for the visa (I think it is actually operated by VFS). They pull in the flight times from your booking so […]

Traveling from the US to the UK without a passport

7/3/2018 6:44:59 PM If you have your ticket already, you may be able to expedite the passport application. This generally involves personally going into one of the passport centers (they are in select major cities). Information on how much you can expedite and under what conditions is available here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/apply-renew-passport/hurry.html Why did a Dublin immigration […]

Rent clothing in Frankfurt / Being warm without cold weather clothing

1/5/2017 2:54:15 PM Make like you are in the army: Pantyhose go under your pants for leg warmth. Cheap, lightweight, small and warm. A long sleeve flannel shirt plus a sweater and an undershirt will keep you pretty warm. Very little space and warm. Have something to cover your head and ears. I tend to […]

Book connecting flight, but only board at second airport?

10/19/2018 12:47:47 PM I don’t think the previous comment made “Sadly, no, if you miss a leg of a flight at any point on a ticket, they’ll cancel ALL other legs of the flight.” is true. I once made it very late to a flight and they rushed me through without even scanning my ticket. […]

Why did a Dublin immigration officer write "IT NI" on my passport stamp?

7/3/2018 10:33:05 AM What does it mean? It probably means “In Transit” to “Northern Ireland” as opposed to visiting the Republic of Ireland. The need for this sort of annotation is partly because of the Common Travel Area (CTA) arrangements between the UK and Republic of Ireland which allow for travel across the international border […]

Is it possible for a non-resident in Italy to acquire the "Abbonamento Musei Torino Piemonte"?

8/16/2018 2:44:51 PM Finally, I have received an answer from Associazione Abbonamento Musei of Turin. As a non-resident, one cannot buy this card online because they cannot send it outside Italy. Nevertheless, it is possible to buy it without any problem at one of the points of sale at Turin, for instance the one which […]

Is free camping permitted in Japan?

Is free camping permitted in Japan?

8/20/2015 3:31:22 AM You expressed your will to camp in Daizetsusan, so my answer will focus on Daizetsusan, see jpatokal’s answer for more general information. I have hiked across Daisetsuzan for several days, and camped various different kinds of places: Spots of ground and poles, nobody except other campers. Just put your tent on a […]

With a two-year visitor visa for the UK, how soon can I re-enter after a visit?

6/22/2018 7:15:04 AM You can re-enter as soon as you like. The only (but extremely important) limiting factor is the fact that you have to convince them that you are not trying to live in the UK for extended periods by exploiting the visa conditions. A standard visitor visa is not there to grant you […]

How much cash can I carry when travelling to the US?

3/11/2014 10:50:08 PM Entering the U.S. with over $10000 in cash (or equivalent in any combination of foreign currency) will require you to fill declare the cash and will raise a few red flags. They may require proof of where you earned the money and ask why you’re choosing to bring it to the U.S. […]

How to reach Out Stack from the island of Unst (Shetland, Scotland)?

6/26/2018 1:36:36 PM In the late 70s or early 80s getting out to Muckle Flugga, Out Stack, Foula, Sule Skerry or any of the bird sanctuaries, there were a number of skippers who would take you if you were part of, or associated with Greenpeace. With the greater focus on protecting these reserves, it has […]

Airbnb: will I be charged extra $1,500 if I check out just one day earlier?

2/5/2014 7:21:30 PM You are required to pay for the nights that you book, not the nights that you sleep at the reservation. Think of the reverse scenario, if you don’t know if you will actually sleep at a hotel, is it fair that you ask them to reserve it for 3 nights, and only […]

Can a foreign eyeglass prescription be used to buy glasses or contacts in the US?

1/23/2019 11:48:54 PM Knowledge from the comments on the question, no personal experience here. You can use a foreign prescription for glasses on several of the online USA glasses sites, but not on all. And some will have restrictions on which prescriptions are acceptable, like an expiry date. But warning, if your glasses or lenses […]

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