What postings on the Travel Forum have you found helpful or most thought provoking?

I cannot point to specific posts that have helped me in planning for a trip. However, I have found that James, a frequent poster, was very helpful to me in planning our British car hire tour for 2017,

He provided specific details for visiting certain places and even assistance on which highways to take.
Thanks, James.

The posts about less well known, at least to Rickniks, villages, activities and sights.

There are thousands to choose from; I particularly like the current-info posts, from people posting while they are in a particular city. Lets me travel vicariously in real time.

I'm planning a trip to Madrid and Barcelona, so I'm always on the lookout for postings by Enric.

I love reading the posts from our foreign posters (natives and expats). You always seem to get a different view of a city/country/famous sight from one who lives there as opposed to someone who has visited. Not saying one is better than the other, except for real-time events from one who is there, just different. It always helps me to get more than one perspective on a particular place when planning my itineraries.

Helpful - transportation or getting around, time saving strategies, restaurant reviews and local SIM cards.

In terms of fun to read, I'm with Zoe, I enjoy reading about trips, i can imagine myself there and enjoy the trip vicariously.

Last winter Janet inquired about medical care in Extremadura (Spain). I was planning a trip to Spain myself but really hadn't given any thought to that area and might well have overlooked it. Thanks to her post, I spent five days in that region and really enjoyed it.

Often someone's question makes me aware of an issue I hadn't even thought about. I hope I'll remember those information bits, and the suggested solutions, when I get around to visiting the areas in question.

I especially appreciate the up-to-date information on sights suffering from long lines so I can take steps to avoid the unnecessary waits, and I've shared that information with friends heading to the busiest cities.

Although I've never used Airbnb myself, I'm keeping apartment-loving friends informed of the legal challenges in places like Paris, based on information shared here. That's the sort of changing situation guide books may not be able to keep up with.

I especially like the more general, open ended things like "what is your best travel experience" or "what draws you to certain places" or anything where people can share their own stories or experiences. Its interesting to get a wide variety of outlooks and see how different people interpret and view a question. Also, there may be a country I am not going to and not interested in, so I don't go to its forum but I like hearing about someone's memorable experience there.

Most helpful: information on transportation and trains in England and Wales.
Thought provoking and just plain enjoyable: 1.Other people's trip reports. 2.The Scrapbooks of people's Rick Steves Tours.

The posts about less well known, at least to Rickniks, villages, activities and sights.

I first learned about Oberstdorf from a member of this forum, and it's a location I've returned to several times.

I knew of Regensburg, but my initial lackluster impression of it was based on seeing it briefly in transit. The many fans of it on this website convinced me to give it a second look, and I was not disappointed.

Thanks to Jo, I now know of Frankfurt as far more than a rail, air travel and finance hub. And I also probably would not have discovered Seligenstadt, Büdingen and Bad Homburg were it not for her recommendations (Jo, sorry we missed each other twice in Seligenstadt!).

Mira hit the nail on the head for me.

I've really enjoyed the ones that asked unusual questions about things you can't get easily from guidebooks. These in turn stimulate unusual responses, and get me thinking in unusual ways. Two I remember were about engineering sights in Europe: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/europe-attractions-for-an-engineer

and free or cheap places to see great views: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/general-europe/free-city-views-in-european-cities-or-anywhere