Tips and Pet Peeves for OPs newish to forum

Hi Melissa, you mentioned the price range which is very helpful since what’s expensive for me may be cheap for someone else. The amount you’re thinking, i.e. $125-150/night for 2 people.

Honestly, the ones I pass right over are the very generic questions, such as “We want to go to Italy for two weeks. More or less plan our trip.” I don’t think you have done that, but I’m mentioning that just to say, if it seems that a person posting has put some initial effort into their question before just asking everyone “to work for them”, the answers are much better…and maybe more courteous.

I don’t typically add a thank for each reply unless it was very helpful, but I definitely circle back and give an overall thank you to the people who took the time to reply.

A pet peeve for me is when someone asks for feedback for their itinerary, but what they’re really asking for is confirmation that we agree with their itinerary plans. So, asking for feedback but then complaining when anyone replies with possibly better or at least improved plans. Then why ask! : )

I have received so much valuable advice from our forum for many trips! I try to give enough info upfront, and I will also edit my question if replies show it needs further clarification. And if there’s parameters, I try to be specific, such as I don’t rent a car when traveling solo.

Hope that helps!

Hi Melissa,

The more info. you provide the better relevant information you can get.

• Count how many nights you have in Europe, not days. I learned early on from this website that that's an easier and more accurate way to plan my time.

• What are specific interests that you have - do you like art museums or bored by them? Do you like shopping? Do you like going to bars? Gardens? For example, when I was going to York last year, everyone in the world recommended the railway museum. I honestly can't think of anything I am less interested in than trains besides riding them from point A to B. So although that suggestion is a popular one that many people would appreciate, for me it was like suggesting a watching paint dry museum. But if I don't say anything about my specific interests, how will people know what to suggest? Something that's interesting to them might not be of interest to me.

• Be clear about your budget. Some people say "mid range" or "budget hotel" but what does that mean? It means different things if you're travelling to Norway vs. Bulgaria. I think you get better results with an amount per night or total that you are willing to spend on a hotel (e.g. "I have $1000 USD total to spend on x nights in hotels in x city; Or I can spend up to Є200 per night in x city")

• If someone helps you on a thread you can thank them on the same thread, no need to send a message. Or even a general "thanks all" will work.

Also, some people are just grumps, so don't take it personally if you get curt/rude replies on here. Most of us are nice. 🙂

Hi Melissa,

@Mary has great suggestions. There are a few things that I would add.

• If age and/or mobility is a consideration, then add that information. It is especially helpful to know if you are traveling with children (ages) or people with mobility issues. People of this forum have good experiences to help with recommendations for these demographics.
• Put the topic in the correct forum topic area. It will enable you to get better and more direct answers.

All and all, the people on this forum are helpful and generous with their time. If I get a grumpy comment to one of my posts, I just ignore it.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/my-pet-travel-peeves

The above extended discussion is both entertaining and sometimes helpful.

I agree, overly broad questions are just too frustrating to answer, along with questions that could easily be answered by the OP with a google search. None of these are directed towards you.

Safe travels!

Hi Melissa, I have to be quick as my yoga class will start soon. You have received some great feedback above. I will just add that from my perspective, putting “$$” or “$$$” as your price range is still pretty vague and subjective. I realize those symbols are used and defined in some guidebooks and maybe booking sites, but unless I look those up I do not know what you mean. I would guess that $$ is “low, but not bare-bones”, and $$$ is “moderate”, but those terms are still relative and location dependent. “Moderate” in London, for example, will be different from “moderate” in Ferrara, Italy.

Everyone has given you some good responses. If I would add one more, it would be to write as detailed and accurate a question title as you can.

For example, asking a question that is titled “Paris” but that asks about train routes from Madrid to Paris will not get near the quantity and quality of replies that a post will titled “Need train info heading from Madrid to Paris.”

I would also second what Jean said about acknowledging those who have helped. If someone writes me a detailed response to a question, I will usually thank them personally, but always try to acknowledge all responses generally in some way. We’re all human and feel good about helping someone but when an OP never responds at all, it’s a little disheartening and usually leads to less replies. Plus keep in mind that thanking someone also bumps the post up so that more people see it and potentially answer your question.

Oh oh, I just thought of one you could call a 'pet peeve.' When doing a trip report, post it all under one thread as replies instead of starting a new topic every time you reach the character limit.

Hi, Melissa,
If I am honest, sometimes it is not about you or how you post. I really respect that you are trying to ask the best questions to get the best answers. However, sometimes those that respond in a surprising manner have either not really read your post accurately, have a strong opinion on a mode of travel that is different, or simply are having a bad day (we all have them). Sometimes you ask a question and your thread takes off with a life of its own in a manner that you did not expect, or even want. It happens to all of us

My very least favorite questions involve the phrase, "Is it worth it to............" Such a subjective question. One person's trip highlight is the disappointment of another. It gets a little better when someone includes information about the types of activities he/she generally values, but it is a difficult question.

These are all so great, thank you for helping and sharing!

I will start using actual USD numbers for my posts instead of the symbols. Many moderate places are WAY too expensive for me! ;)

I will do better! thank you all for your continued patience, wisdom and humanity!

Good responses above. I’ll give you a little pet peeve of mine about OPs. Many times a poster asks a question, gets a lot of advice but never responds back to give forum members any indication if the helpers have been helpful. We need feedback too to improve our responses. So please, if you get advice, pop back to the thread to acknowledge that you’ve read it and are taking it in.

I like your curiosity to improve your chances of getting relevant answers. However there’s not much you can do if your responders don’t read posts carefully or go off on their own tangents.

Since I actually read previous answers before I post (!), I'll agree with Carol that it's not always the fault of the question. People don't always read the question, or understand it.

Trying for a cute title instead of an informative one doesn't help get good answers.

Basically it comes down to balance. Include some basic information, but not too much (No one is going to read 4 paragraphs of background anyway).

Ask specific questions, but not too specific, and about a common area or topic, and under the appropriate subject heading (Though I imagine most long time participants on here look at questions in the "All Topics" mode anyway) It is also OK to ask two or three related questions, but not ten. Start basic, ask for clarification or follow up as needed. If you have a completely different question or thought mid topic, start a new thread.

It is a good idea to do a quick search of the topics before you ask a question, but I get it, your question is unique. However, the search feature on here is not that great, a search on "Where to stay in London" turns up a couple thousand hits, but the two topics started in the last couple days do not show as most recent, puzzling.

If asking about visiting a country, include the time of year you are thinking, maybe the activities planned, and at least the rough amount of time allowed. It might also be good to hint at where you are from, though it is assumed you are from the US.

If asking about hotels or restaurants, I am less concerned about trying to specify a budget, it is OK to collect names, then off to investigate. If someone suggests a $$$$ hotel, and others a $ hotel, it is up to you to decide, even the $$$$ hotel might be had for $$ for your trip. Of course I rarely/almost never give Hotel recommendations, just too many different expectations. A restaurant, maybe.

If you get responses, check back, answer any questions that might have been asked for more info, maybe let people know what your thinking is given the input provided. I do not think there is a need to acknowledge each response, or thank people multiple times, that detracts from the core topic, and makes reading the thread clunky for others looking for similar info. If the responses surpass 15 or 20, indicate that you have the info and consider the thread done. Personally I avoid any thread with 30 or 40 responses, by then there is usually lots of good information, but also plenty of bad, and likely also off topic.

It is also nice to stir things up. Refer to immigration as "customs", everyone knows what you mean, but some rarely contribute except to point out the differences. If you are clever, you can find a number of these triggers (Schengen, EITAS,...) We are here to have fun after all.

melT adding that its always good for people who have gone on their trips to report back here, on their experience. Current information is better than past memories. And answer other newbies with your info. The biggest mistake I see with new OPs is misunderstanding the forum's responding participants by assuming they work for RSE, or that many replies are really just opinions based on limited experiences and not necessarily factual answers.

You are NOT posting too much, lol!

I agree with giving a more specific hotel/apartment amount BUT I'd say give it in local currency so Euro or GBP or whatever it is wherever you are going. Then you don't get caught up in currency exchange fluctuations. Also what might be my "moderate" might be inexpensive or very high priced for someone else.

I'd agree with the others that to me the most exasperating thing is for an OP not to come back and at least indicate they've read the advice given. I never understand that. In my opinion you do not need to thank every person personally on your thread nor do you need to thank with a PM. Just a general "thanks for the replies/information" or follow up questions will work great just to let "us" know you're with us.

As someone mentioned upthread, it's also exasperating for advice to be given and then to realize a poster really had no thought about taking anything new onboard from more experienced travelers, they just wanted to talk about their trip.

Thanks for asking this!

• Print the name of the city you are flying into and out of, not the airport abbreviations. Not everyone knows those
• Feel free to leave off the "clean and safe" for a hotel description. As though anyone would want to stay in a dirty and unsafe hotel or recommend that kind of place. ( I don't know why this bugs me, but it does)
• State your interests or non-interests
• Taking kids, state their ages
• Mobility issues, let us know
• Food allergies, etc. let us know.

Basically, the more info you tell us the better of an answer you will get.

There is also the problem with popular posts. There are those rare souls on the forum, who only pop in here once a week or once a month, and they won't read all 150 posts, so they post something that may have already been posted.

A good topic is one that makes folks think a bit, or compete a bit. Look at the popular posts and what got asked.

Some very good points from everyone.

I also get a bit peeved when I give a little advice that a person has asked for and get no response.
I was brought up to say please and thank you……who are these people who don’t know these words!
A general thank you to the whole thread and all its responders is just fine.
At least people know then that the OP came back to see the answers.

One thing I would like to see more of are the correct spellings of places being asked about….though some of the mistakes are quite amusing.
It’s easy to look up the correct ones.

Don't ask the same question over and over and expect different responses……please……

Also, a little research needs to be done before asking general questions such as “Where should I go in summer?”

All good responses so far. It is sometimes hard to strike just the right balance of TMI and not-enough-TMI. Honestly you just have to do your best. I think many people do genuinely want to help and I assume good intentions even if their responses are not worded in the most polite way. A couple of things I can think of that haven't been mentioned:

• Replying to a question with a slightly different or pretty unique question on the same topic. It is better to start your own thread as most people don't read all responses to see that there is a new question. Include the link to the thread that inspired you to ask the new question so people know you've seen those answers (some may bristle thinking you're asking the same thing again) and explain why your question is different.
• When a question is about a proposed itinerary, and then the OP adjusts it based on feedback it's helpful to update the original question with a bolded note that says "updated itinerary listed in responses." Then reply to your own question showing the proposed new itinerary. That keeps all your questions and answers in one spot and lets folks see the evolution of the itinerary.
• Asking questions like "is it safe to travel to xyz?" Travel is inherently risky, but only you know what is too risky for you. If you want to know something specific like what neighborhoods in Barcelona might be sketchier than others, that is at least something people can opine on. Same for questions like "is this trip going to be too physically hard for me?"
  
• The forum is not set up like a social media platform like Facebook or Reddit where a lot of chit chat or side comments are expected/tolerated. The clunky nature of this forum just doesn't work for that and the OP gets notified about many responses that aren't on point. If you need to have a side conversation, the DM feature works great.

I also try to thank people via DM if they have provided very detailed responses. A general thank you to a thread is a nice way to close it out - even if you don't agree with answers, people know you've moved on. Doing a trip report or posting an update after you travel is also a great way to compliment and thank those that took time to help you.

Ms. Jo mentioned something that I will underscore and that is to let us know who many are in your travel group especially if there are kiddos. It's usually hard to keep track of who is traveling with who and it can impact answers, so even if it feels repetitive start out with that information.

OK, I am back from yoga. I was addressing the “$$” price designation you have used on occasion, wondering why that did not draw many responses. `

While some people will ask that you state an actual price range in the local currency, like “€200” or “ £200”,
I think that is more common on the Tripadvisor and Fodors forums than here. However, whether you say “$$” or “€180”, I personally will usually not spend time looking up prices of various hotels to fit the request. Instead, I usually suggest that the OP use booking.com to search for hotels in their price range that are available on their date, pick a few, and come back for advice or opinions on those. That any, even people who have not stayed at a particular property can at least advise on the location, or possibly other aspects.

On the other hand, I am happy to suggest hotels that I especially like to someone who has not set a firm budget but has expressed an interest in particular amenities such as views, a balcony, pool, good food, etc., or factors such as architecture, charm, friendly owners, or interesting history—-IF my favorite hotel happens to match the request.

Good thread Melissa. People are posting helpful ideas. I hope this will help too.
Not a pet peeve but reminder for posters:
→Proof read your post to been sure it says what you intended.
→Try to use the cumbersome website "search" feature.
→Scroll through recent All Topics to see if your question has been recently asked. Too often the same information/question is asked multiple times during the week, e.g. ETIAS visa.

Some pet peeves are really a learning curve for new posters.
→Nights instead of days: we think in days, nights are for sleeping.
→Euros, pounds, local currency instead of dollars: we think in terms of our at home currency.
→Pricing is subjective: give your price range, my expensive may be your budget.

My biggest pet peeves:
→People who do no research before asking questions, "where should I go? What should I see". Do your research, plan a rough itinerary, then ask for workability and clarification. I will help you if I can. Just remember we are not travel agents and all of our experiences are different.
→People who can't/won't read a map to understand distance and the time involved to travel between destinations, e.g. "I want to see (fill in 8 non-related towns) during my two week trip to Europe." Understand that you can't see it all, so plan your destinations in a logical sequence.
→"the best..." What is "the best" for one person isn't "the best" for another. It's only an opinion.

Pet peeve for responders (I'm guilty of this too):
→Not reading the original post and subsequent posts to understand and clarify the OP's questions, information and goals. We all have our own opinions but try to stay on topic.
→If you have no constructive answer, it's OK not to post.

Define who is going on the trip. So many posts say “We are going to ….” Who are “we”? A couple in their 20’s on their first trip to Europe? A family of 4 with two kids under 10? Teens? Older travelers with mobility issues? A group of 8 including several generations. Each of these groups may warrant different recommendations.

Include how you plan to travel, and whether you have traveled that way in Europe before. Renting a car for the first time in Europe is different than renting in the US. You may not be aware of ZTL zones, environmental restrictions, vignettes, etc. Taking the train is something many Americans have never done before and there are lots of things people don’t think about.

If I'm reading correctly, even here we have differing opinions about describing your trip in days vs. nights. I noticed this on a couple of other threads this month.

If I'm reading correctly, even here we have differing opinions about describing your trip in days vs. nights.

CamAmCherie, I read Mary and Paul's posts talking about using nights to calculate time at a destination, rather than days (which I agree with) but did not see anyone dispute that (or did I miss something?)

Pet peeve for responders (I'm guilty of this too):
→Not reading the original post and subsequent posts to understand and clarify the OP's questions, information and goals. We all have our own opinions but try to stay on topic.
→If you have no constructive answer, it's OK not to post.

I would also tack one more onto Horsewoofie's response, and that is for responders to actually answer the OP's question, instead of pointing out why the OP should do something entirely different. This seems to happens quite frequently. I have no problem with replies that point out a different avenue that the OP might take, but I do think members should at least try to answer the question before they show the alternative ideas. I have also been guilty of this so it's a reminder to myself as well.

This is meant not for new posters. Two of my pet peeves are: posters who don't read a post such "I have never driven so will use public transit" and someone responds with where to rent a car and return it and you really can't enjoy yourself without car. Number two: several people post a correct answer such as "yes you go thru us immigration in Dublin on way to NYC" and two or more people state the same exact information because they did not take the time to read responses.

What a nice thread you have launched with your thoughtful question, Melissa ! Lots of great responses.

A very interesting thread, and a good question! There are some great replies in this thread so I don't have a lot to add. But a few comments:

• Check the spelling of places. Noone will blame you if you can't spell Neuschwanstein correctly, but sometimes a small error can make it hard to understand what you mean.
• Do not abbreviate names.
• Worth repeating: Do not use airport codes!
• Look at a map of the area you plan to visit, that can answer a lot of questions.

And a few comments for the people replying:

• Trust the locals.
• Remember that Europe is not static.

And a few comments for the people replying:
Trust the locals.
Remember that Europe is not static.

Badger, we would be lost without help from all the locals sharing their countries and cities with us. We own you all a huge Thank You!

I am ecstatic! I found several ways to improve, thank you all!

Not a peeve, and usually good for a laugh: Describing traveling with elderly parents only for us to find out later we are talking about people in their 60's:) Being as specific as possible helps.

One more mention for those writing trip reports. Do not make 2, 3, or 4 posts! Write them as replies so that it all stays together. Due to the size limit on this forum, it is a bit clunky, but your report will get lost doing it in separate posts.

Webmaster, can we increase the size limit on posts? Is there a good reason to have it be so small?

I don't think you would ever do this, Melissa, but I'm adding this for posterity, that some other new members may read this some other day:

Please don't start a post. Let good answers accumulate. And then come back and delete the whole thing!! Frustrating to have everyone's hard work dissappear

What a great question. Although I know you wrote this to learn from it, it has provided a space for other newcomers to maybe learn what will help them receive answers.

Just for you: I took a look at your most recent questions. It seems you have had some responses to some, but the ones for Spain have maybe not provided much help. For example, the very specific and appropriate question for opinions on potential lodging in Valencia. Nothing wrong with your post - but I suspect there just may not be anyone (or anyone reading right now) who can actually answer. While we see MANY questions that are the same, sometimes there are questions like this that you may not be able to get an answer for here. And sometimes it is just timing of when you and everyone else posts.

For examples of what I either ignore or dislike answering: (this is repetition)
“I want to go to Paris. What should I do?”
“Here’s my itinerary. What do you think?” And flights are bought and reservations are already made….. - so, why ask.
“Here’s my itinerary - what do you think?” and the first response to an opinion is argumentative.
“Is (fill in the blank) worth it?” Completely unanswerable.
and many things others have said.

However! I see many responses where we responders go down a rabbit hole. Haven’t read carefully. Or one small point headed our brains in a specific direction that doesn’t apply to the question. Or we just start to fondly remember our own trip and want to talk more about it than answer the question at hand. And then there is the all-to-human thing of thinking our way (the way we thought about and decided on for ourselves) is the best and right way. And then there is the all-too-fun conversations that happen, but that truly aren’t helpful to the OP (I am really bad about this).

So….welcome to the family of travelers and come back to report on the successes and failures of your trip - and what made it special for YOU.

Thanks, Melissa - this thread has given me lots to think about, and helped me think about answers to questions...

I think the above answers really went to your question. Thanks for using actual amounts rather than $$$. My books are old and well thumbed, I don't often buy new ones so don't know the current translation of $$$.

Melissa, I do not think you are posting too much. From the posts that I have read/answered, you are doing a good job:) Just the fact that you are aware enough to even think about how you can improve says so much. There are so many great comments on here already, but the one that really stuck out to me was to come back and let us know how things went. It doesn't have to be blow by blow, but when people help it is nice to hear more than a "we had a good time" and then leave. If you come back and say what things you really enjoyed and why, etc that will be very helpful to others. There are many personalities on here, and some are gentle and others are not, and sometimes that makes it harder to want to ask questions, I know.

If you are asking for opinions/feedback on a hotel (or hotels) you are considering, please include a link to the hotel's website. Often, many hotels have very similar names and you may get "wrong" answers. Give full name (and city) plus the website URL.

Badger, we would be lost without help from all the locals sharing
their countries and cities with us. We own you all a huge Thank You!

Thank you for your kind words! Happy to hear that my contributions are appreciated.

Just to add, if people get snarky it’s most probably because it’s something that has already been answered numerous times, it could easily be googled or it’s just common sense related. And as for “is it worth it?” I still remember the post from the woman (actually not that long ago) who gave a raving review about some hotel only to get a horrid pm that put the poor woman in tears because the person hadn’t had the experience they expected after reading the review. “In my opinion” means just that…

I get really annoyed when regular posters put down experiences that people have had while telling them they wasted their money or time. Why would anyone want to make someone feel bad about their experience?

Also, the "I am going to XYZ, do you have any recommendations for dining, museums, hotels?" and invariably someone will tell them not to go to XYZ, either because they themselves did not enjoy it, or they heard from a friend that it wasn't worth their time. If you cannot share a tip, scroll on by. Please!

Ms. Jo, the same drives me crazy too, but just realized it's off topic.

I think I fit the category that the OP was looking for responses from.

I am more interested in travel dates and budget. Then I throw up all the options I am aware of and let the OP pick or ask more questions.

I try not to push back on travel styles I don't understand. If you want to run through the experience, happy to help. You want a laid back week, happy to help.

Vague questions have never bothered me, I usually try to make suggestions based on my experiences and then let the OP make choices. When someone asks a question such as what are the best experiences in (fill in the blank) I don't bother with asking clarification questions, I'll say what I like and expect them to tackle the research.

I've never expected a thank you from anyone for my suggestions. Aside from the entertainment value of responding and reading other responses, I treat the Forum like a production line; I give my answer and move on to the next.

Take a moment to re-read what you posted to see if there are any errors. While you won't catch every mistake, it may help with confusion.

As an example, lately I've seen a few postings where the poster wanted to say "Do not go to....." but instead wrote "Do go to....." Big difference.

I also think we shouldn't do all the work for a new poster. If they ask how do I get from A to B, we can give them basic information and then show them how to get more detailed information themselves. If we do all the work for them, how will they learn? Isn't the key to independent travel learning how to plan your own trips? If they don't want to do this, I would suggest a tour or hiring a travel agent. (Nothing wrong with either.)

A few more with some already posted.

OP's..... Tell us what "best" means to you. We get asked "What is the best" all the time. But we're rarely told what "best" means to them. On a few transportion ones I've wanted to answer "private jet" or "helicopter."

Respect other people's decisions regarding their travel even if it is different than yours. There is no one right way to travel. The only right way is what is right for you.

Skim through the previous responses. You may be answering a question that has already been answered numerous times or the OP may have come back with new information that changes the original question.

Look at dates. Quite often, a months old question has been answered by a new poster and then they start getting a slew of the same answers as before. In fact, some responders answer the question twice.

FrankII, I think you make a very good point regarding teaching new posters how to become independent travelers. Well said!

Frank, yes! If someone else provides all the answers, how do you learn to do the research yourself? It always amazes me when someone asks something that can be easily googled. And what happens if you’re in Europe, there’s a glitch of some kind (something that has become more and more common) and you don’t have the ability to do whatever? I know we all want to help and provide information from our experiences but sometimes it’s better to help provide them the tools not do it all for them.

The new people have not by any stretch read this thread because even since there are posts that show people have done no research at all. Quite frequently I have simply googled the question and arrived at an answer.

Mardee, maybe I am misunderstanding---although I thought I’d also seen another thread, or two, in which use of days instead of nights was also requested. (e.g., maybe 1 night, but you have 2 days in the place or 2 nights but only 1 day?) I’m not spotting a reference to days in Paul’s post here. Maybe I’m just extra dense in this thread!

Is the peeve that people are using days instead of nights, or using days?

Horsewoofie:

Some pet peeves are really a learning curve for new posters.
→Nights instead of days: we think in days, nights are for sleeping.
→Euros, pounds, local currency instead of dollars: we think in terms of our at home currency.
→Pricing is subjective: give your price range, my expensive may be your budget.

I will say that I was really embarrassed when I hadn't scolled enough pages to find Mardee's post on Kew Gardens before I started my thread. (I recognized it when she replied with a link.) Even now, I had to click through a couple of pages to find my thread from only 8 days ago. I wish the threads would post by date.

Thanks CanAmCherie for pointing out my “ proof read your post so it says what you intended” I failed badly. I meant to say “ count your trip by nights.”

Example: I arrive in Venice at 5pm. I don’t have a day to sightsee but will have a night to eat dinner and stay in a hotel. Would you count it as a day or a night in Venice? I’ve learned my lessons well; count nights.

Melissa, I just browsed through some of your posts and, m'gosh, you already do so much better than many do at providing information, engaging in conversations you've started and thanking responders for their help! Well done!

You've also initiated a great conversation here; thank you! There are some good "notes to self" here even for those of us who've been active in online travel communities for many years.

Sometimes I do think there's the appropriate opportunity to either advise against a plan that simply is not going to work - or not particularly well, anyway - as presented, or to suggest a different destination if one in the plan is very heavy on stuff a traveler is not interested in and little of what they are? I guess I'd want to know if something we were planning on doing was just daft. And it's OK sometimes if multiple people essentially offer up the same advice 'cause that can make it more credible?

Yes to helping people learn to travel independently (!) but providing links as tools for doing that isn't doing all the footwork for them, IMHO. There's a lot of inaccurate/outdated info out there so guiding them to best resources for the most current is OK.

Kathy - good point about communicating what is flexible and what is not. I feel like another thread is needed for how folks approach their planning, since I personally feel I've maybe gone about it incorrectly, so when I post my itinerary which is based on airfare already purchased, I'm stuck and frustrated when people suggest more time or a different approach would would have been great if I wasn't already cornered in by some reservation. But if I don't make a reservation, then I'm never really starting the limits process (minnowing down!)

But then I do want a sense of what's realistic FOR the time period I have. And then there's the more granular of WHICH items in the time you have. If there's 12 fabulous things to do in Lisbon, but 9 of them are not of interest to me, then I really don't need that much time.

Am I going nuts or are there more and more people posting first time on here giving their destinations and travel dates and asking that an itinerary be created for them including hotels, must see sights, restaurants, etc. It’s really hard not to tell them to hire a travel agent if they don’t want to do at least some of the research. Yes, it’s a lot of work but it’s part of independent travel.

Asking questions in a manner that even a psychic would have trouble answering, e.g.:

We get off a cruise and have transfers to the Venice airport. 2 hr trip. Would we have time to go into Venice on day of travel or are we pushing it ? What do you do with luggage?

Mel t in your last post you made what I'm reading as an adorable typo when you talk about the planning process, I think you meant winnowing
Down but spell check gave you minnowing down, which could be the process of spiraling out on minutia..... please leave it, it's adorable and speaks to another part of the planning process

Where’s the laughing so hard I’m crying emoji when you need it!?!

@Margie, I completely agree!