Ca faisait un certain temps que je n'etais pas retourne sur le site LP en francais. Autant a l'epoque de son lancement j'avais ete comme beaucoup enthousiaste, autant par la suite j'avais eu l'impression que ce site vivait un peu sur des acquis ou une image et que ca avait du mal a decoller.
Mais maintenant je trouve que c'est devenu n'importe quoi, et que certains sites perso n'ont desormais plus rien a envier sur bien des points au "grand" Lonely ! A l'inverse du Routard, si les guides LP sont excellents le lp.fr est lui.... lamentable !
Quand on va sur un site Lonely on est en principe en droit a s'attendre a un minimum au niveau contenu, a des choses innovantes, fouillees qui sortent un peu de l'ordinaire et des sentiers battus. Bref, a ce que les guides LP nous ont toujours habitues et que le site anglophone essaye encore plus ou moins de faire.
Mais qu'a t-on a la place ?
Une page d'accueil de misere autant "achalandee" qu'un magasin d'etat sovietique du temps de Staline, de l'auto-promotion a la louche, une newsletter episodique faite avec le minimum syndical (et encore je suis gentil), un forum qui aux dires de beaucoup par en couilles. Et des infos... ah y a des infos chez LP ? Quand on s'appelle Lonely on est peut-etre capable de sortir en la matiere autre chose que les conseils du Ministeres des affaires etrangeres...
De plus, ca serait bien qu'ils se tiennent un peu au courant de l'evolution des choses au niveau (pour le moins minimaliste) de leurs fiches pays. Ca fait des lustres que ca n'a pas ete reactualise : faudrait qu'ils sachent notamment que le change obligatoire c'est fini en Birmanie mais par contre qu'ils ne prennent plus ni cartes ni travelers, qu'en Indonesie le visa est maintenant de 30 jours maxi non renouvelables et non de 60, quant aux feuilleton des formalites pour les US j'ai pas l'impression qu'ils aient tout suivi...
Et cerise sur le gateau, Lonely fait actuellement une enquete aupres de ses visiteurs. Chouette on se dit, y a encore de l'espoir...
Mais la encore quel desastre ! C'est quoi ce truc bidon ? C'est fait par une boite qui s'appelle Novatris qui demande l'avis des gens sur le site... lonelyplanet.com qui est le site... anglophone de LP (le francais c'est .fr). Deja ca la fout mal.
Et puis apres 4 ou 5 questions bateau sur Lonely on passe a 10 pages sur votre profil perso, vos revenus, vos equipements et intensions d'achat. Que des questions innocentes et desinteressees comme on dit...
Faut arreter de se foutre de la gueule du monde ! Pour un site/editeur qui se vante de ne pas avoir de pub, bravo !!! Meme le Petit Fute n'aurait pas ose un truc pareil !
Bref, je pense qu'il serait grand temps que Lonely fasse le menage... y compris et surtout chez les gens censes s'occuper du site. Du moins s'il y en a encore...
ça fait un bout de temps que je n'y suis pas allé ... depuis qu'on m'a viré sans explication. Je ne peux plus répondre sous mon pseudo "Beubtrekker", mais je me suis réinscrit sous un autre pseudo pour signifier mon indignation et que je ne donnerais plus aucun renseignement aux backpackers du site !
Tant pis pour eux, ....... et vive voyage forum !!!😏😏😏
Je suis tout a fait d'accord avec toi, les infos sont perimés, le forum est infesté de personnes le fesant partir en couilles, et surtout question pays ils ne proposent pas grand chose, et ils n'en ont pas rajouté depuis le lancement du site, a croire que les 35 heures ont tué le site😉!!!!!
un grand voyage commence toujours par un petit pas.
Association NE POUR VIVRE
Pour ma part, j'ai "subit" aussi le "sondage" et je trouve que le procédé est effectivement indigne, pour les infos sur le site, c'est vrai que c'est pas vraiment extraordinnaire, mais c'est fait pour donner envie de vendre leurs guides, quand on voit le site d'abm, c'est vrai qu'il y a de la marge !!!!!!
pour le forum, c'est pas non plus très réactif, rien ne vaut voyageforum (pub gratuite !!! )
Bien que ce ne soit pas tout à fait l'objet de ton message, je me permets d'ajouter un commentaire tout à fait personnel (donc subjectif) sur le contenu lui-même des versions françaises des guides LP, qui à mes yeux fleure bon la vieille Angleterre et mériterait pour le moins une sérieuse adaptation.😉
Il n'est pas rare en effet d'y trouver des commentaires ou évaluations marqués du sceau d'un certain puritanisme "so british" et d'un côté "chic et cosy" synonymes pour nos amis "rosbeefs" de ce qu'est le bon goût, tout un chacun sachant très bien qu'ils sont la référence universelle en la matière ... 🤪
Je parle notamment des critères d'évaluation des hôtels, auberges et autres restaurants ...
Tout à fait d'accord sur lonely.fr, où rien d'intéressant ne se passe plus depuis longtemps ; je ne parviens pas à comprendre ce qui a valu à Beubtrecker de se faire virer... S'ils veulent, qu'ils me virent aussi, de toutes façons je n'y vais plus.
Par contre le lonely.com reste extrèmement utile, et surtout très fréquenté, vivant. Pour moi il reste incontournable.
Pour le côté vieille Angleterre, ce n'est pas faux, maux il faut toujours lire un guide - un livre aussi - en sachant à qui et pour qui il est écrit... Si on lit "activement", on decrypte, et on prend les choses pour ce qu'elles sont. Moi ça ne me gêne pas.
Pourquoi ? parce que bizarrement, je considère que la version française d'un guide anglais ne s'adresse pas à un public anglais, mais à un public francophone, donc potentiellement différent culturellement ...
S'il ne s'agit pour l'éditeur que de faire une traduction de plus, l'intérêt pour le lecteur me paraït moindre ...
Oui et non dans le sens ou ils n'ont pas forcement besoin de ca non plus vu qu'ils sont deja tres largement (re)connus.
De plus, quand on veut promouvoir une certaine forme de voyage (ou "philosophie" pourrait-on meme dire), on peut aussi faire l'effort de voir un peu plus loin, ce que fait d'ailleurs plus ou moins la version anglophone.
Au passage, il faut signaler que pour le Rough Guide (www.roughguides.com) le meilleur moyen d'augmenter ses ventes a ete de mettre le contenu de ses guides en ligne et accessible a tous.
Plutot que de faire de la promo comme d'hab sur de belles phrases ou images sans rien montrer d'autre, ils ont prefere au contraire tout mettre a dispo du public. Les gens decouvrent, generalement trouvent ca bien (et ca l'est !) et comme il y en a peu de motives pour tout imprimer la plupart finissent par acheter les guides.
Non, pour en revenir a LP, le probleme est que meme quand tu t'appelles Lonely si tu mets un fumiste incompetent pour s'occuper de ton site faut pas s'attendre a des miracles...
sans vouloir casser du sucre sur le dos de quelqu'un, je tiens aussi à dire mon mécontentement sur le lonely . J'ai publié quelques messages sur le forum, et pas un seul n'a été épargné par des réponses tenant des propos idiots voire incohérents . Sur certains messages, c'est même de l'acharnement complètement en dehors du sujet . Vraiment navrant . A un tel point que j'en avais même fait la remarque aux différents responsables . Réponse à ma lettre : zéro . Par contre j'ai lu certains propos "grossiers" échangés par le modérateur sur le site avec ses "parasites", démontrant ainsi la limite qui semble règner actuellement là .
Mais cela peut changer, il suffit parfois d'une personne ...😉
Tu as de la chance si j'ose dire que l'on ai daigné te répondre, pour ma part tous mes messages sont restés sans réponses 😕sur lonely planet, alors que sur voyageforum, non seulement j'ai eu des réponses, mais en plus, des personnes super sympas m'ont envoyé des photos de leur voyage avec plein de bons conseils, 😛merci encore à eux et vive voyageforum!😉
Je réside en Chine et il n'est pas facile pour moi de me rendre dans une librairie et d'acheter le guide lonely planet qu'il me faut. La solution e-book me…
Je sais pas si le sujet a deja ete poste mais c est rigolo... Un auteur de la bible des guides touristiques affirme avoir écrit sans quitter son domicile de…
Décolage dans 6 jours pour moi, direction Népal, Inde, Birmanie et Thaïlande durant les 6 prochains mois. Ce voyage, je le prépare depuis un bon moment (les…
Je prépare mon prochain voyage aux Philippines. J’ai acheté le Lonely Planet édition 2024 et quelle déception! Plus aucune info pratique, aucun intérêt! On m’a…
Quelqu'un a-t-il déjà réussit à imprimer le Lonely Planet électronique protégée (acheté sur site de LP) dans un fichier PDF. J'ai testé avec plusieurs…
Regarding the amount of tobacco you can buy during a trip in the European Union and bring back to France, we can't really talk about a "duty-free allowance," because the rules around how much tobacco you can bring back to France aren't straightforward at all under French law.
Hello everyone! 🙂🙂,
A BIG thank you to all the travelers who sent us postcards this year—my students are becoming real geography whizzes!!!!!!!! I’m renewing my call for your kindness this year! We’re also working on food, so if your postcards can make our mouths water with local dishes, traditional meals, or typical recipes, that’d be amazing!!
Here’s a quick recap of the project:
I’m reaching out to all travelers and globetrotters on this forum. I’m a teacher in Creuse, working in a ULIS program (which welcomes children aged 6 to 12 with disabilities into a mainstream school). This year, I’m starting a school journal project that will involve the kids in many different topics. A big part of the journal will focus on opening up to the world, diversity, travel, countries, culture...
I’m launching a call to invite as many of you as possible to send us a little postcard (from France or anywhere in the world!) to take us on a journey and help us discover new places, countries, and horizons—much more fun and exciting than a regular geography textbook! One section of our journal could be called "We received mail from " and would be an opportunity to research that location and share what we learn with our readers (a super enriching activity in class).
The project starts in September 2025 but has no real end date, as this journal and world discovery initiative will span several school years (the kids stay in my ULIS program for multiple years). Postcards can be sent anytime—throughout the year, across seasons, even during holidays! (The kids will find them when they return.)
I hope this idea appeals to as many of you as possible and that you’ll spread the word to your fellow traveler friends. Make us dream, take us on a journey!!!
For those who’d like to write to us in a language other than French, no problem—quite the opposite!!
Thank you in advance for your participation(s)! Below is our address. Feel free to leave your own address on a corner of the postcard if you’d like us to write back! 😊
The ULIS program students
Bonnat Elementary School
12 rue Georges Sand
23220 BONNAT
Thank you, and see you soon, I hope! 😁
Julien
Many of us have noticed that bugs have been making it difficult to navigate the forum lately.
I’ll let Kate and Ticapi explain the issue:
I went to your profile to check out the Thailand travel journal, and when I clicked on it, it brought me back here again. All week, I’ve been dealing with bugs like this—it’s really discouraging from continuing on VF.🙁
I had the same thing happen, and multiple times. For me, it was Montagnard’s latest journal that kept coming up no matter which discussion I clicked on.
BOLIVIA: THE COUNTRY ON THE BRINK (What's Really Happening)
A dramatic saga is unfolding before our eyes in the Andes. Between suffocating blockades, clashes, an international airlift, and historic political decisions, Bolivia has just experienced 48 hours of rare intensity.
Here’s the full breakdown (economic, social, and political) of the last 48 hours:
For travelers and tourists: the article also includes an important note about the upcoming publication (starting tomorrow) of the precise status of roadblocks, route by route.
I’ll post the full update here on Voyage Forum!
Don’t miss this in-depth analysis. History is being written before our eyes! https://www.petitherge.com/bolivie-paralysie-et-ultimatum
I just discovered a great show on Arte.
It's called "7 en route": seven young European journalists travel around Europe in a fully converted bus, making reports on every city they visit. It's amazing! 🙂
Yesterday, for example, they were in Rome, Italy, and the reports included things like the world's smallest restaurant—a super romantic spot for two. There was also a report on the king of paparazzi in Italy.
They have to pick topics that let us discover the little quirks of each country. And at the end of each episode, we get to see the finished report.
It's such a great show, mixing journalism, travel, and discovery—basically, a must-watch!
It airs in the evening starting at 6:50 PM (I think), and it started this past Monday, July 14th.
If you watch it, let me know—we can chat about it!
I left my heart’s country eight days ago and returned to my adopted one—or was it the other way around? Scotland-Morvan, Morvan-Scotland, I’m not quite sure anymore.
After a quarter without dragging my slippers around here, even though I’d loudly declared I had no interest left in this site, here I am again!
My imagination never stays fallow for long. Just enough time for my inner land to rest. It gets overgrown with fresh nettles, the kind you can pick without getting stung. Then, it’s time to till the fragrant earth and let the story grow.
I hesitated over where to set this story.
Maybe the Highlands, maybe the Hebrides, maybe the Orkney Islands, maybe the Shetland Islands. All of Scotland is myth—easy to embroider.
But in the end, no. I’d almost be too afraid to bare my soul.
The story will take place at home. Simple, practical.
1)
This morning, I was up well before dawn, feeling a bit grumpy, but nothing a bowl of coffee won’t fix. I love my bowl, and no one dares take it. It’s porcelain, edged with intertwined blue flowers. On the bottom, it says "Revol." The factory has existed long before the Revolution. It was my great-grandmother’s bowl. She drank roasted barley from it during the war, then her Leroux chicory.
Last year, a little guy dropped it. My bowl broke into three pieces. A black anger vibrated deep inside me. The little boy was so upset, on the verge of tears. How could I scold him!
I picked up the three pieces and took Little Boy in my arms. His hair smelled of the light, sweet sweat of toddlers. A gentle hug that healed—his budding sorrow and my anger—everything vanished, and time carried on.
Today, my bowl is even prettier. Man fixed it using the traditional kintsugi technique, except he didn’t use gold powder or lacquer but superglue, and he delicately painted the cracks with woad blue. And my bowl is even more beautiful now.
I’m lingering, I can tell—it’s just that a story wraps itself in life, and life can’t be told in the snap of a finger. Life is long. Like in architecture, you start with a rough sketch, called a "sous-cul" (the initial pencil drawing), then you make a tracing, which is the work itself, the one you later carefully roll up in a wooden tube.
Life is like that: you erase, you start over, you use the nub of the pencil until it’s tiny, but you keep going—dreaming, loving.
"Living is a full-time occupation, a unique adventure. Always a surprise and a wonder, which sometimes turns into astonishment. And, from time to time, happiness."*
Alright, enough digressing—this introduction is definitely too long.
Tomorrow, I’ll get to the heart of the matter.
(I hate that expression; it feels like I’m cutting into someone’s skin.)
I’m Yann, a 28-year-old TikToker who loves traveling!
Since I’ve been to several destinations, I’d love to get a flag from each one as a sort of trophy. But from what I’ve seen online, a lot of sites sell them with what looks like really poor quality...
So I’m reaching out to you all to share a site you usually use—help me start my collection! :)
hi there
I’d love to get some opinions—I’ve never used Airbnb before.
They’re offering a key handover via lockbox.
Any tips or advice?
Is it reliable?
Best,
Hi there, I’m Laura, and I’m looking for a few people to answer some questions so I can understand your travel wishes and challenges. It won’t take long—I can chat here, by email, or by phone. Don’t worry, I’m not selling anything! 😊
On this forum, we talk a lot about trekking in the Himalayas, but I’d love to share another side of Nepal: its spiritual, cultural, and religious atmosphere, especially in Kathmandu.
Nepal, much like Tibet and Bhutan, is deeply connected to the Himalayas—the ultimate sacred mountain range. This small country exudes a calming vibe, shaped by a strong spiritual dimension. What I loved most was the unique sensory experience you get there. Walking around temples and tantric monasteries, a distinct scent fills the air—aromatic plants used for ritual fumigation. Locals mainly burn Himalayan juniper, cedar, sandalwood, and other local essences. This fragrant smoke is a way to purify the space and reach the deities, and you’re constantly enveloped in these aromas.
Another striking aspect is the sound. As soon as you step outside, you hear bells ringing in front of temples. People ring them three times before praying to announce their presence to the deities. Nepal is also the birthplace of singing bowls and sound meditation practices. In Kathmandu, you can easily find meditation sessions or "sound baths."
The spiritual dimension is everywhere: a Hindu sadhu practicing asceticism, a lama in deep red robes with his mala, turning a prayer wheel while murmuring "Om mani padme hum." Newar Buddhism, Tantrism, and Hinduism coexist harmoniously in daily life.
For those who love exploring a destination through its culture and spirituality, Nepal is an unforgettable place. What was your spiritual experience in Nepal like?
Hi,
I’m landing in Quebec and then heading to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. I’d like to rent a pick-up. My question is: does this vehicle come with a cover and is it secure enough to store luggage in? I’ve heard two conflicting opinions. Thanks
I just installed the Maps.Me app on my phone. I only recently found out about this app. I’m traveling in 2 weeks and a few days, and I’m a bit stuck on how to use it.
I’m from the Montreal (Quebec) area, and I’d love to know if there’s a kind soul out there who could help me get started and use the app at least minimally.
If there are private lessons available, I’d be interested in those too.
Like many others, I’m overjoyed to hear that VoyageForum is reopening! I’ve been waiting hopefully for this, and it’s wonderful that it’s finally happening!
I just couldn’t bring myself to actively participate in other French-language travel forums—their format and way of doing things never appealed to me as much. I really hope that VF’s structure, categories, and interface won’t change too much despite the handover, because I’m very attached to them. Through thick and thin, the site has held strong—it’s amazing!
In a previous message, François mentioned that there were positions to fill ahead of the reopening, including moderators...
I’ve been eagerly waiting for this and hoping to send in my CV.
Now, after reading the latest message, it seems like the team is already fully formed. But are there still a few spots left to fill?
I’ve been a VF member for 20 years (since 2004). I’d love to contribute to this wonderful adventure as a moderator if VF would trust me with the role. If the team is open to reviewing it, I’m ready to send my CV. Could you let me know the next steps?
I’m planning a 3-week trip to Japan in May with Voyage Privé. The package includes a 5 GB eSIM, but my phone isn’t new enough to support it. VP told me I could buy a SIM card when I arrive at the airport.
Sure enough, I’ve seen online that this is possible with different providers.
I only need it for checking routes, looking up addresses, train schedules, etc.—basically using Google Maps, TripAdvisor, and similar apps. No heavy downloads or major internet use. All hotels should provide free Wi-Fi for that, right?
Has anyone got any tips for me on this? What have you tried, and how much did it cost?
Thanks for your help!
I’d like to know if you can buy reef-safe sunscreen sprays at 7-Eleven. If so, how much do they cost? We’re traveling with backpacks, so we’ll either buy 100ml here or in Thailand.
I wanted to share a really unpleasant experience from our last trip booked with Promoséjours and organized by FTI.
We booked an 8-day/7-night stay in Egypt, from June 8 to 15.
The flight initially scheduled was changed a week before departure to take off at 10 PM from Paris CDG.
In the end, it took off with a 1-hour delay and included an unmentioned stopover in Marsa Alam.
We landed in Hurghada at 4 AM and arrived at the hotel at 6 AM.
So, we spent our first night on the plane.
For the return trip, surprise—the flight was moved up. We left the hotel at 10:30 PM on Friday the 14th to take off at 2 AM and land at 7 AM at Paris CDG.
So, we spent our last night on the plane too.
After sending a complaint letter to Promoséjours / FTI, they replied that the first and last days can be dedicated to transport (which I already knew) and that no matter how many nights you book, you’re not guaranteed to spend them in the hotel—it could just as well be on the plane.
I’m really questioning this.
Isn’t there a law that protects customers in cases like this?
Because when I do the math, the first and part of the second day were spent on transport, same for the second-to-last and last day. And I paid for 7 nights for a stay that only lasted 5.
Anyway, I just want to say thanks to them—thanks to their two sleepless nights in transit, I’m coming back even more exhausted from a trip that was supposed to be restful!
I also want to warn anyone booking through this agency about visas for Egypt.
At booking, they told me the visa was included in the price, then they sent me an email saying I’d have to pay for it on-site at 25 €.
Once there, we were directed to a special line for FTI customers, and guess what? They charged us 30 €!
Basically, they’re great at making sure you *enjoy* your vacation—mostly by enjoying your wallet!
If anyone has dealt with this kind of situation and won their case, I’m all ears.
Hi there!
I’m heading to Thailand for two months.
So I thought I’d get a Thai SIM card to use Google Maps for getting around cities, mostly.
Here’s my question: will this SIM affect my apps? Or will they work the same as with my Orange SIM?
Is there any setup I need to do, or can I just pop in the Thai SIM?
I’d also like to switch back to my Orange SIM now and then while I’m in Thailand—on the same phone. Will I need to reset the phone, or will it reconnect without any issues?
Thanks in advance for your tips!
Best,
Huiclos
Hi, I’d like to know where we can buy beer or wine in Chefchaouen and around Merzouga. We’ll be doing a circuit and staying at the Parador Hotel in Chefchaouen and in a bivouac in Merzouga.
Thanks for any info you can share!
Hello everyone,
I’m reaching out to all travelers and globe-trotters on this forum. I’m a teacher in Creuse working in a ULIS program (which welcomes children aged 6 to 12 with disabilities into a mainstream school). This year, I’m launching a school journal project that will involve the kids in many different topics. A big part of this journal will focus on opening up to the world, embracing differences, travel, global cultures, and more.
I’m putting out a call to invite as many of you as possible to send us a postcard (from France or anywhere in the world)! The goal is to help us "travel" and discover new places, countries, and horizons in a way that’s much more fun and exciting than a geography textbook. One section of our journal could be called "We received a letter from ," where we’d research the location and share what we learn with our readers—a really enriching activity for the classroom.
The project starts in September 2025 but doesn’t have a strict end date, since this journal and world-discovery initiative will span several school years (the kids stay in the ULIS program for multiple years). Postcards can be sent anytime—throughout the year, across seasons, even during holidays! The kids will find them when they return.
I hope this idea appeals to as many of you as possible, and that you’ll spread the word to your fellow travelers. Help us dream and explore!
For those who’d like to write to us in a language other than French, no problem—quite the opposite!
Thank you in advance for your participation! Below is our address. If you’d like us to write back, feel free to leave your address on a corner of the postcard! 😊
ULIS program students
Bonnat Elementary School
12 rue Georges Sand
23220 BONNAT
Thank you, and I hope to hear from you soon! 😊
Julien
🙂
Hi there! I have to leave Ivato/Antananarivo on December 16th. I have a lot of ariary that I’d like to exchange for euros since I might not be coming back to Madagascar (after this 21st trip). I think the exchange office at Ivato also buys ariary back. If any of you have seen the rate for this buyback in advance, thanks a million!
Hi everyone,
I’m looking for a website that would let me plot my travel route in advance so I can print it out. The idea is to create a map with a little “me” on a bike that my parents can move along as I progress, since I’m planning to cycle all the way to Nepal.
If any of you have done something similar or know of a good tool, I’d love to hear your tips!
Thanks in advance! 😊
I'm looking to buy an ultra-lightweight 50/55L travel backpack with a suitcase or front opening.
Does anyone have any brand and/or model recommendations?
Thanks,
Emma
Hello. We’re a retired couple heading to Sri Lanka from January to March. After the November floods, I’d like to know if we can offer hands-on help to the locals, maybe pack some clothes or other items people might need in our luggage, and who we could give them to. Thanks for any info from those on the ground.
Be careful when sailing between Somalia and northern Madagascar.
It appears to be Somali pirates who have widened their search in the Mozambique Channel, far from their usual attack zone, since, to my knowledge, there are no Malagasy pirates.
