I have learned quite a bit from this forum and found it has helped me to have several positive experiences while traveling that I might have missed otherwise. I am only going to share one for this thread.
I learned about the school of falconry at Ashford Castle and it was the highlight of the trip for my sister.
Your turn:
I learned about EU261/2004 the Flight Compensation Regulation several years ago on this forum. I didn’t actually get to (help a family member) use it until May of 2018. It worked well for us and was a lesson learned on this forum.
This forum is amazing and there has been so much advice that has helped me over the years. The one that has had the most lasting impact is to pace my travel and slow down and enjoy.
I would have never been able to travel to all the places I have and enjoyed them so much without the help of this forum! The one thing I feel that helped me most is learning how to plan a "realistic" itinerary that allows you to see and experience the most at a pace that doesn't wear you out. The recommendations for Hotels, trains, historical sites, etc gives you a chance to focus on the culture of the area not just the tourist hot spots.
This forum gets you organized and moving the in the right direction!
16C degrees = 61F degrees and 28C degrees = 82F degrees.
I would have never walked to Saint Pau after visiting Sagrada Familia - and I much preferred Saint Pau!
I agree with Donald. I have gained so, so much insight from reading this forum, but the best may have been to learn to be more realistic in my timing. I still tend to travel much faster than many members recommend, but it is much slower than I used to try to move, and I am enjoying that a lot more.
That being said, I am throwing every caution and word of reason into the wind for a whirlwind 3 week trip of the UK and Ireland in July! I may live to regret it, but we will see! 😜
Adjusting schedule due to "engineering works."
Not cramming too much into one day. Agree with Don about a realistic itinerary that's flexible. It's no fun to rush through a place to check it off your must-do list.
Not doing things I had originally planned, like the London Big Bus or Buckingham Palace Changing of the Guard.
There are so many things I have learned but I will try to pick out one thing. That is try not to see too many places in a trip. 3 nights equals essentially 2 days. Every time you move to another destination, you lose approx. half a day or more. So you have to ask yourself do you want to be on the move and see Europe through a window or do you want to actually experience a place? Always assume you will come back. This is probably the biggest lesson I have learned from the forum.
I was just getting in to the concept of "light packing" when I started reading this forum. The best advice I read back then was, I think from one of the Colorado contributors, who encouraged people to "pack on paper first". Wow. That made SO much sense. Yes, I'm a list maker and that appealed to me and as I worked thru the process I could see if you stuck to the list then it cut down on the temptation to throw other stuff in to the bag. Now I have a packing list for every trip and make notes on it afterward to update my Master List. Game changer for me.
The forum also led to me meeting others in this N. Idaho/Eastern WA area who are like-minded travelers. What fun to have people to drink coffee with and chat about travel! I've also met forum members in person in Paris, London and....Yellowstone, hahaha!
So many things I've learned on this forum!.... Perhaps the thing that has helped me the most is the understanding that with careful and realistic planning, I can travel independently, on my own, for several weeks and have a BLAST!
Packing advice is something I've paid particular attention to since joining. While I'd done carry-on only trips before and felt I had a pretty good system put together, I've found others' methods and suggestions on it quite interesting and potentially helpful (I say "potentially" because I'm fairly new to the forum so have yet to go on a trip to employ some of the advice and suggestions I've read). Whenever a new thread about carry-on or packing pops up, I tend to make it a point to regularly check in on and and see what people are sharing.
In a way, though, beyond the specific suggestions and techniques people employ, perhaps the most valuable thing I've learned about it is just how many people on here are committed - and have been committed for years - to the carry-on approach. Which is to say, since so many folks have been doing it for so long and so thoroughly enjoy it, I've increasingly looked at it as something worth committing to and treating as the default way to pack, as opposed to something I'll occasionally force myself to do if an itinerary allows it.
Vignamaggio in Greve in Chianti.
I can't think of any one thing that stands out, but thanks to the forum I have met some of you and made some good friends, some in person and, alas, some still only virtual.
Ditto we have evolved to carry-on only thanks to RS videos and this forum.
Oh, I thought of another thing I forgot: I learned about flying open jaw on here. Before, I thought you had to buy two one-way tickets and it was too expensive, so I never tried. It has completely changed the way we plan our trips!
I learned that you can go to Italy even if you have an intolerance to garlic. Thanks to all the support from the people on this Forum, I had the best vacation of my life. I would not have gone without the encouragement and advice from this Forum.
Mostly finding places with recommendations: The Mije hostel in Paris. Restaurant recommendations. Semur en Axois. Juan les Pins.
Also lessons learned that I could apply before I arrived. When a reservation is needed, days/times to avoid.
I tend to go do Rick's suggested sights, then dig a lot deeper to find other places of interest. Hopefully my opinions and suggestions have helped others find places they might never have visited otherwise.
Agree with Pam about light packing. It's transformative.
Don't travel to too many places on one trip stands out.
Packing cubes,
Logistics- getting from place to place,
Hotels,
Restaurants,
and so much more!! 😄
I have learned to read what is posted here with a grain of salt. Much of what is posted here is information that can be located with a bit of reading/research. If you've done that then what this site can offer is confirmation of your homework and and experienced opinion to confirm or clarify. But you need to be so careful... if you listened to the peanut gallery you would never rent and drive a car in Italy, you would never go to Venice etc. etc....
Having said that, there are some very seasoned travelers who post here that offer very helpful information/feedback/advice....that is what makes this a very helpful forum.
The thing I’ve learned is always say yes. Travel isn’t a military drill. You don’t have to do anything besides be on any expensive fights or trains. It’s ok to change plans, it’s ok to have a coffee, tea, glass of wine or beer rather then another museum or cathedral.
Portable clothes lines, inflatable hangers, and always carry a multi-use nailbrush.
As a long time poster and reader of this forum I’ve learned more than one thing.
1) flexibility is key to throughly enjoying a journey
2) how to read a train ticket
3) about practical travel apps (TripIt and CityMapper)
4) take your own wash cloth
5) that far too many posters can’t drive a stick shift.
How to plan my daytrip to Cardiff.
Many things:
1) Do not use Rail Europe (did it once -- now either SNCF/ OEBB or Trainline)
2) Ex officio underpants
3) Recommended brands like JJill, Royal Robbins, Baggalini, Travelon -- when I see them at the thrift store I seriously consider adding to my travel closet.
4) I am not the only overpacker. (Getting better, though.)
I’ve learned so much here from other posters, but the highlights
Packing light
Packing cubes - which I have shared with about a dozen fellow travelers
So slow down and enjoy, it’s not about ticking off a box
Visit the smaller cities in countries
When to travel and what times to avoid
What needs reservations before you leave
Rick’s tours are worth the time and money - hopefully we will find out in 2020
I’m sure there are more, but I appreciate every piece of advice. I now have cousins, friends, and in-laws who want to travel with us because of “reviews” from those who did go with us. Thank you all.
In addition to learning a lot of things mentioned above, 4 years ago I learned about the Travel Group Meetings on the Forum. Since then I have regularly attended meetings of the San Francisco and Sacramento groups, which are very enjoyable --made up of fun, knowledgeable people -- some of whom have become new travel buddies.
Pam from Troy - dealing with PF. She recommended a brand of shoes . Got altra zero drop shoes from Zappos and have worn them every trip from 2016 . No issues walking around Europe and her info on Paris sites. And Kim from Paris with info on Paris, too
I leave tomorrow on my two RS tours London and Paris HOF. Yippee!
Kim
You ask for one thing... Like others have replied, I am having a difficult time choosing just one. So here are several I have found most valuable: 1. packing light lessons-not packing as lightly as I think I could be but a work in progress. 2. Open jaw booking and help planning a tighter, more functional itinerary. 3. a two night stay equals only one entire day 4. Always leave something to come back for 5. Specific recommendations for restaurants and hotels in various places; also fun and unique activities 5) Intros to my local travel group 6) Syncwire-the name of my favorite multi plug iThings charger. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to my own personal "learning list". I've even gotten some new ideas from this post, so thanks Carol!
Several of the things listed we learned during the RS Tours: flying open jaw, packing light (limit was one carry-on), washing clothes in a sink, wearing a money belt.
Also from the RS tours we learned the huge benefit of staying in hotels in the center of the historical area of towns and the fun of staying in the smaller hotels. At that time, the picnic lunches were a popular standard to try local foods and keep the group to a faster schedule on travel days. Now that we travel on our own, we still like to stop into local grocery stores or markets for lunch items or food for a quick bite on the train.
What comes to mind specifically from our forum postings are: recommended towns, i.e. Mittenwald, Germany, etc. purchasing train tickets early to save money, how to reduce the items/maximize space for the 3-1-1 bag. And my favorite - inspiration to travel solo last year. Wow, what a wonderful trip that was to kick-off my retirement!
Count the nights, not the days – 2 nights is really 1 full day.
I've learned so much that it's hard to pinpoint the very best advice. Directions are the best help, though. Logistics, such as "the train platform is downstairs from the blank, and then look for the blank counter with the blue sign." Buy your ticket from a travel agent in town, not from the ticket booth at the ferry. Or, the water ferry only takes cash. Always, always, always, get tickets for museums in advance. Always.
Lately from this Travel Forum I have learned how superior and self-righteous some people can be when told that their behavior has a negative impact on others. I did not know of this human tendency before.
And it's interesting to see how different people's ideas can be of what's convenient or cost-effective. This too broadens my knowledge of human nature.
When I travel I like to take note of cultural and social differences. When I'm not traveling, I can observe the same on this message board!
This group is great to get a sense for prioritizing. When you ask a question and get a resounding majority, that helps. Responses are based on personal experiences, and face it, many of us travel similarily, thanks to RS.
We just returned from South Africa and 4 days in Cape Town, the guide book I used did not give a good sense of priorities for sights and things to do. We stayed in the city Centre (RS philosophy), but after dark it’s unsafe to walk around in that area (confirmed by travel agent I met on plane, owner of apartment, and TI). The guide book recommended the city centre. So we Ubered every evening to another vibrant area where we could eat great food and wander. Wished I had RS forum....
The travel agent I met on plane suggested the hop-on-hop-off bus, and it was a great way to get to Table mountain, had lunch on the beach, and heard a lot of great info. The guidebook mentioned, but with no strong opinion. I’m sure RS forum would have recommended same.....
We happenstanced upon a free walking tour and decided on the Apartheid tour, a fascinating and informative 90 minutes. Not mentioned in the guide. Once again, missed the collective knowledge of thus group....
This group has helped in so many ways, not possible to pick one. Keep up the great advice.
Trips with 3 or more nights in a place are better than switching every night.
Schwab checking account for no foreign transaction fee and ATM fees rebated. Before that, I would try to avoid fees by looking into if our banks had partnerships with other banks in the places we were going. Now I never have to worry about it!
Use a car service from airport to first hotel and stay at an airport hotel on the last night of travel.
So hard to pick just one thing. I think for me, learning the time/money continuum when it comes to transportation. I am a big public transportation aficionado but now that I often travel with a family of four, I've been more open to things like taxis thanks to advice on this forum. Time is money, and when I was younger, I had more time, and now that I'm older, I still don't have overwhelmingly more money, but it is more substantial than my free time; hence, this forum has helped me to see the value of paying for the things that have a great ROI.
I have appreciated all the forum support for my solo trips as a 70+ year old senior...I followed advice from many (JANET K. for GREEK island hopping for example) In 8 weeks I learned to trust myself. I learned to alter plans since I was there in Spring~~MY MOTTO: if not now...then when!
At this Travel Forum (the former name of it was "Traveler's Helpline"), I started reading many questions and replies, in the year 2007. That was the year this part of this website was divided into countries and other categories. I appreciate
* Information of Europe travel discussion groups at various cities in the U.S.A. I think the first group was at the Denver area in Colorado. The persons attending those discussion groups had been reading discussion threads here at Travel Forum. I hope to visit the discussion group located at St. Louis in Missouri.
* Information of , and recommendation of hotels at various locations in Europe.
* And one thing I learned, when I posted replies to requests for advice, was for me to ask a question to the original poster, for me to know what the person wished to do in Europe (his personal interests, his preferred travel style, his energy level, types of environments that the person wished to be in, ...).
The format of this Travel Forum was changed, in about the year 2011 (or 2012 ?). The General Europe section was eliminated. In that section, people could "talk" about anything that was related to travel in Europe or Britain. In the years 2007 and 2008 some of the replies there were clever and humorous. Some of the discussion threads were for fun. I greatly enjoyed reading some of that. But some persons complained, saying some of those discussion threads were not requests for help in planning a trip to Europe. The name or title of this part of this website was "Traveler's Helpline". And, I observed that when the General Europe section existed, obnoxious and rude and disrespectful replies occurred more frequently. And some days, a person posting a reply said a hateful comment to an other person saying a reply. I do not remember seeing any of that after the format in Travel Forum was changed (in the year 2011 or 2012). And in the new format we do have sections for asking a question about transportation, and a section for travel bags, etc. That is good.
And, over the years, I asked for information, a few times. I really appreciated the replies to my requests for information. When I started a discussion thread by saying the prices for flights to England (from Tampa in Florida) were very high, some persons replied to that, they tried to be helpful to me. I appreciate those people.
Packing light using a single carryon was the best advice I've taken away from this forum - it's completely changed the way I travel. I think there are also a lot of great technology tips on this forum that are quite useful.
Schwab checking account for no foreign transaction fee and ATM fees rebated.
I second this. Great tip.
There are many styles of travel. Many on this forum will insist that you must spend 1 week, 10 days, 2 weeks, a month in a place to see it. Others like me, get bored with a place after about 2 nights and enjoy moving on to see more and different locations. I don't really enjoy museums that much and can make a quick visit to a church or cathedral here and there. I enjoy the local culture, nature, walking, hiking, bicycling. So don't let people tell you have to stay a certain length of time in their favorite cities.
Thoughtful thread! I have discovered over the past few years that the Forum is one tool that I use for our travel planning. I recognized early on who my "go to" people are. Since then the list has grown. So grateful for all the ideas I have gathered. Thank you all!
Beyond the information in the RS guides, I appreciate the detailed information about specific sites when I post questions--what people liked, how long they recommend to see a site, what they see as the priorities in a city or region.
How the ferries work in various parts of Norway.
Suggestions for when I had two days off between work commitments in various European cities.
Tips for what my college-age son should pack for his six-month study abroad in Stockholm so he wouldn't freeze in Stockholm in January. LOL.
Advice on the mobile wifi to get since I work online and need ongoing, quality internet access.
...and much more!
Let's just say, when my husband and I traveled to Canada's Maritime Provinces one summer instead of Europe, I was really missing the RS Travel Forum!
