Travel Tips

Can I get in trouble if, at customs, the police finds media files that I can't prove are mine?

1/30/2013 3:31:23 AM I would not worry about this. I have never seen any officer opening a laptop and looking at the contents. What they did at one point some years ago was asking people to switch them on to make sure it’s not a disguised bomb but actually a working laptop. Custom officers are […]

Why is the train between Barcelona and Madrid so expensive?

1/29/2013 9:47:40 AM I’ve travelled by train in many countries in Europe, and I can say that the Spanish AVE is the most luxurious train I’ve ever been on. It’s very fast, the railway and the trains are very new, and travelling conditions are good. For example, at the AVE, you get a 100% refund […]

Is a picnic at the Chateau de Versailles possible?

Is a picnic at the Chateau de Versailles possible?

4/10/2015 11:13:18 AM Just to complete the answers: Can I exit the palace and then re-enter after purchasing my food? No, at least it was not possible when I last went there (September 2014). The reason is most likely because it is not possible to verify that the same person who is leaving is the […]

United Airlines does not comply with baggage policy from IATA Resolution 302?

3/13/2015 2:24:36 AM UA Baggage Rules do apply but the reasons offered by the “accepted” answer are incorrect. Res302 doesn’t apply to your journey. For journeys beginning or ending in the USA, the USDoT regulations take precedence over IATA Res302. USDoT requires that the first marketing carrier’s baggage policy is applied. In this case, that’s […]

Mobile providers and mobile internet in Thailand?

1/12/2016 12:09:35 PM Let me post my notes. Buying a DTAC SIM at the airport seemed to be the consensus of the information I googled. I wanted to post all my notes as I learned some things doing the top up: I bought 4.5 gigs for 1 month for 549 (or 649?) baht at the […]

Is it rude to refuse to eat from the same plate in parts of the Middle East?

12/22/2015 9:51:17 PM Refusing to eat totally is indeed very rude. In fact, it might be taken as an insult if you were the main guest. However, you can always ask for a plate and a spoon, fill the plate and eat the way you are used to. This will totally save the situation and […]

Can you register a same-sex marriage while a tourist rather than a resident?

5/21/2015 5:13:24 PM It’s quite easy for two non-residents of the same sex to marry in Canada or the U.S. The specific details of how to obtain a marriage license and how to have a marriage ceremony performed will differ in each Canadian province/territory and each U.S. state (and often county). In general, two non-residents […]

What should I do after buying an airline ticket?

What should I do after buying an airline ticket?

10/11/2017 6:55:50 AM The process in summary: Buy the ticket online or from a travel agent. You will get a proof of purchase (either as paper receipt or an attachment to your email). You need to bring this with you to the airport. Once you arrive at the airport, you need to obtain a boarding […]

Transfer from Paris CDG to ORY

5/17/2013 11:43:05 PM TL,DR: take RER B to Denfert-Rochereau. Buy an Orlybus ticket. Take the bus when it’s time to leave for Orly (allow 30min travel time + ~20min interval between buses + risk of delay). The Paris airport authority website has all the travel information. Refer to it for stop information. Table of Contents […]

Half day in Berlin – after non-classical tourist spots

2/5/2013 10:35:33 PM For shopping I’d suggest the area around Kurfürstendamm (not far from Tiergarten). KaDeWe has a large toy section, there’s also a Lego store nearby. Actually, you find pretty much everything at KaDeWe (at relatively high prices, of course). There’s a whole floor for food which has a designated “sausage stand”. Berlin’s full […]

As a married couple with different citizenships, should we pass through US immigration together or separately?

9/1/2022 9:45:00 PM You can use either line. I’ve been repeatedly told to use the US citizens’ line with my wife, who is not a US citizen. In the past, I was told to use the US citizens’ line with my then girlfriend, who was not a US citizen and with whom I did not […]

Can you still buy used panties in vending machines as a souvenir from Japan?

5/16/2013 11:26:38 AM I am not sure if the machines still exist. But I have seen those being offered in Japanese Sex shops, for example in the Akihabara District in Tokyo. However, there is of course no telling if they are real. I can very well imagine that these are just normal panties, claimed to […]

What's the cheapest way to travel from Paris to Madrid by train?

2/11/2019 3:05:39 PM The cheapest way is to buy two domestic tickets: either Paris–Hendaye and Irun–Madrid, or Paris–Cerbère and Portbou–Madrid. See below for details. For this kind of questions, in general, Raildude is a useful resource. It is most useful in connection to Interrail, but also useful in general to get an overview of connections. […]

Can I use the OV-chipkaart to get from Schiphol to the center by train?

7/13/2017 9:51:33 AM You can use a pay-as-you-go OV-chipkaart to travel by train in the Netherlands (including between Schiphol and Amsterdam CS) but you will need to activate it at a NS vending machine and to have at least €20 credit (boarding fee) when “checking in”. Anonymous pay-as-you-go cards are also available from NS vending […]

Does a US immigration officer really have the power to deny entry to the country at personal will?

12/25/2015 3:53:09 AM As has been mentioned, for better or worse this is completely normal; that is to say, every country operates in this way at the border. (Indeed an interesting question is … is there any country which is an exception to this? i.e., is there a country you are “absolutely” allowed to enter, […]

Do I need a Japanese transit visa when arriving at Narita and departing from Haneda?

2/19/2017 7:32:34 AM Old post, but for posterity: You do not need a transit visa if there aren’t any possible connections for your itinerary on the same day and you arrive and depart from an airport within the same region. In this case, by presenting your passport and connecting boarding pass or e-ticket, you get […]

Do any States in the US give traffic tickets for 5 mph above the speed limit?

Do any States in the US give traffic tickets for 5 mph above the speed limit?

12/26/2014 10:22:31 AM Since there have been no actual citations about towns setting up speed traps to scam motorists using speeding tickets, I will provide some examples: Hampton, Florida: They are especially ridiculous at their job, since they specifically extended the limits of the town to encompass a small section of the highway specifically to […]

Is there a site that gives travelling opportunities in Europe if you don't care about the destination or the date?

1/9/2013 7:27:36 PM Travelling around Europe from Austria is as flexible and cheap as an Interrail or Eurolines pass. You can go cheaper by hitchhiking. Some related questions: Interrail Eurolines Hitchhiking No site will give you aggregated travelling opportunities competing with these. Can I connect through the USA with liquid duty-free purchases? 1/14/2013 9:09:57 AM […]

UK Visa Refusal: Provenance of funds/parking

3/3/2017 7:13:00 AM Applicants who fear that their bank statements may betray a weak financial position will sometimes resort to a ‘parking’ strategy. This strategy involves having a relative or other trusted party placing a large sum of money in the applicant’s account temporarily so that the applicant’s bank statements look better. It’s a popular […]

Are there hostels in Guernsey?

4/24/2013 12:44:14 PM There is a fairly comprehensive listing of Guernsey accommodation on Visit Guernsey Unfortunately there are indeed no hostels listed. There are a variety of guesthouses, inns and self-catering options. Or another option might be Couchsurfing, since there are a few hosts there. How to book entire compartments on French night trains? 4/24/2013 […]

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