Hi, I’d love to know if there’s a website that gives a rough idea of how much time you should spend visiting a particular city or country. I know my question is super general, but it’d be really great if such a site existed.

Thanks in advance for your help. Take care and happy travels.

Régine

Hello,

After 20 years of operation and a 4-year hiatus, we were happy to rediscover this forum following its acquisition by Myatlas.

At the very beginning of the adventure, there was a section allowing members to share their ideas—good or bad, feasible or not—with the team in charge to help perfect the forum.

So, to help VoyageForum regain its momentum and adapt to new audiences and a new environment, why not put our heads together and suggest some improvement ideas in this thread?

I’ll get the ball rolling!

Travel journals are limited to 300 photos because photo storage is expensive. This limitation is completely understandable, and Myatlas found a solution by offering a paid subscription for those who wanted to exceed the free photo limit. Maybe this approach could be adapted here? Limiting without offering an alternative is a reason members leave.

Hi everyone,

I was in Delhi for work and decided to leave my suitcase there so I could enjoy the rest of my vacation in Southeast Asia. However, my flight from Bangkok to Delhi, scheduled for tomorrow (Sunday, October 5th), was rescheduled, and I’ll miss my connection to Paris. When I looked at flights, I realized that the Bangkok-Paris flight costs half as much as the new Bangkok-Delhi flight (with a different airline).

So here’s my question (a shot in the dark): Is anyone traveling between Delhi and Paris in the next few days? Would it be possible to pick up my suitcase in Delhi’s hold (I’ll pay the extra fee) and bring it to Paris?

I thought about having it shipped, but I need it fairly quickly, and I don’t trust the delivery times. Plus, the costs are outrageous.

Thank you so much in advance!

Have a wonderful day,

Sacha

Hi everyone. We’ve been feeling like there’s a big drop in activity on our forum... Probably due to the current situation... Have any of you canceled or postponed your upcoming trips? The forum is also facing competition from social media like Facebook and others, which play a big role in the political situation but are pretty limited when it comes to planning an individual trip. The mandatory ads for new members on the forum are also a major turn-off that should be removed. As for the current situation, I’m in Nosy Be, and there’s no problem here. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the future. I feel like this crisis is different this time and could lead to real change. Hope I’m not wrong! Thanks for your replies!

Hello everyone.

First and foremost, I hope this topic won’t just focus on my region—the South of France—and that those of you who enjoy exchanging ideas will share what makes your own regions special.

Personally, I’ve often wanted to push back when people call us vulgar (though I’ll admit I sometimes play it up). At heart, we pure-blooded Southerners just have our own way of expressing ourselves, which differs from other regions. We also get heated in conversations pretty easily (some researchers say it’s the influence of the sun and climate in general).

What some perceive as vulgar, we don’t see that way at all.

Do you want a uniform world with no differences? If so, how do you handle traveling to places with cultures completely different from your own?

In the travel community, the word "authenticity" comes up a lot, and it often takes priority in people’s searches.

In my specific case, speaking a purely regional language without having gone to school for it doesn’t help with understanding on this forum. That’s what creates what you call controversies—and what I call passionate exchanges.

I remember a reply from a member in this thread: https://voyageforum.com/forum/ma-vie-en-camargue-pays-origine-en-colombie-pays-c-ur-d10778555/

It left me speechless and ended the conversation because, for him, that’s just how he sees things, and he refuses to debate it, sticking to his position. I’ll quote him, hoping he won’t hold it against me:

"For me, things like bullfighting, boxing, football, and MMA are just tangible proof that human evolution is still at a primitive stage."

For him, our Latin-origin bullfights are barbaric customs. For us *taurins*, we need to see men face wild beasts (bulls and *toros*) at the risk of their lives every day. Does that make us barbarians?

We’ve always had this need to confront death—it’s in our genes.

Take the example he gave about football: fans of the sport would be considered mentally underdeveloped. But what about a kid who’s passionate about the game and has that drive to be a winner, just like a boxer or athletes in other violent sports?

As a traveler myself, passionate about old stones and beautiful historic buildings, I’ve visited Rome but couldn’t fully appreciate it. Religion is everywhere, and I felt like I had a lead weight on my head realizing that millions of people worldwide have believed in a god for millennia.

I’ve also judged believers for basing their faith on archaic texts that don’t prove a god (or gods) ever existed—I still think that, but I’m open to being proven wrong so I can say, "You’ve convinced me I was mistaken."

- If everyone clings to their own ideas and positions, no discussion is possible, and that’s a shame.

I’ll take away two things from my forum interactions: some accuse me of being omnipresent when I just love exchanging ideas. My way of speaking is misunderstood (regional differences), even if I’ll admit I sometimes turn up the heat—or rather, the *aïoli* —which for me is just lively debates 🔥 (a regional specialty).

And my "mocking" side, which I really need to work on.

This topic isn’t just about me—I hope other forum members will share their own regional "specialties" . For example, in Alsace, some older folks switch to their local language when they don’t want outsiders to understand, and I still don’t know if it’s German or something else.

https://www.marseille-tourisme.com/decouvrez-marseille/traditions/le-parler-marseillais/

https://www.lexpress.fr/informations/accent-du-midi-ave-ou-sans_642635.html

Hi, I’m heading to Thailand for three weeks and I’ll need to call someone in France every day who doesn’t have internet access, so I can’t use WhatsApp. I have an unlocked iPhone 12. What do you recommend for making calls without internet? Thanks

Hi everyone,

I just got back from a little cruise that took me to Oslo, among other places. Pure coincidence had it that on April 6th, the City Hall was open for visits, and I found myself surrounded by Norwegians—men, women, and even very young children—all dressed in traditional outfits. Clearly, there was some kind of special ceremony going on, because they all went upstairs for... something? A woman told me it wasn’t religious (which I suspected), but then what was that moment all about? Thanks—I don’t like being left in the dark! Have a great day, everyone!

Hi there,

Thanks for letting me know about the launch of the new VoyageForum.

I just want to say that I hope this fresh start has helped get rid of those rude people who thought they knew everything about every topic and would attack (and sometimes insult) participants who didn’t agree with them.

It was starting to feel like social media, where everyone thinks their own posts are the most accurate and truthful, and it was getting really tiresome—especially when all we really want to do is talk about travel.

So, my hope is that there’ll now be stricter moderation of exchanges between travelers.

Good luck with this new beginning!

Hi, I started a thread about Afghanistan.

Out of 4 pages, more than half had nothing to do with the country/topic. The mods closed the thread—why not ban off-topic members and clean it up instead? Instead of closing a thread that had 2 REALLY interesting videos! Because in my thread, there will be more videos to come...

If you close it as soon as a few members go off-topic, letting some former prostitute who’s never set foot in the country tell a guy who spent 10 days there what’s true or not about Afghanistan...

If all the anti-Taliban folks tell you *Le Figaro* or others do a better job than this YouTuber... LOL Journalists often haven’t even been there—they just copy each other or write articles via ChatGPT... *Le Figaro*, for example, gets millions in subsidies to churn out garbage... And now this young guy deserves to be silenced?

Reopen the thread and clean it up! Thanks

Hi I’d like to know if anyone has used a Revolut Visa debit card to pay in Wyoming and Utah and whether it’s widely accepted. Thanks

Hi, Is it easy to get by in South Africa if you don’t speak English very well? What’s the best translator to use, please? Thanks and have a great day

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! 😊

Hi, We’re leaving for South Africa soon (on 10/9) and I was wondering if there’s a need for things like paracetamol, since we can bring some! And if so, how should we go about it—can we drop them off at a private lodge, in Kruger, in Cape Town...? Thanks for any tips or experiences you can share—quickly, since we’re leaving soon! 😉

Hi, I’m not sure if this belongs here. The videos aren’t mine—they’re from a YouTuber.

I find his trip mind-blowing and totally different from what we see on TV!

So far, two 1-hour-12-minute videos have been released, but there’ll be at least one more!

Some French journalists and politicians have been tearing him apart lately. At the same time, the guy put in insane work without any funding...

Personally, I’m really impressed by what he’s done...

Here are the links. Sorry if this feels like an ad, but I genuinely think his trip is great—and most importantly, judgment-free. The only other thing I’d seen from him was his trip to Transnistria.

I Lived 10 Days with the Taliban 🇦🇫

Under Taliban Sharia in Afghanistan 🇦🇫

Hey everyone, I’m prepping for a long trip (3 months between Asia and Eastern Europe), and I’m looking for a backpack that can go everywhere with me while properly protecting my laptop (15 inches).

The goal isn’t a big 70L backpack, but rather a secondary bag I can keep with me in the cabin, to carry my laptop, documents, a change of clothes or two, chargers, etc. I work remotely as a freelancer, so I’ll be opening it often in cafés, co-working spaces, and airports.

Any recommendations? What do you take with you when you need to work while traveling? Any reliable brands or models to suggest?

Thanks in advance for your tips—it’ll help me avoid a bad purchase right before my departure!

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

Hello! I’m a former VF lover (and, incidentally, an explorer of my Atlas 😊) and I’m genuinely thrilled the forum is reopening, but I have two little questions.

Over the past four years, I’ve put together a few travel journals that I’d love to share, but there are two things that bother me: - How can I edit my post after a few hours? (Because sometimes I need to correct mistakes even two days later.)

- At the end of VF’s previous run, there were a few members who were really unpleasant and enjoyed derailing certain discussions. As a result, I know several people who stopped coming to VF because of that. So, for MY travel journals, I’d really like to keep the vibe positive and kind. Is there any way to set something up so the person who starts a discussion can block them?

Thanks, and long live VF!

Hi,

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.

Hopefully, a solution will be found soon.🙂

Hello,

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.

https://www.parismatch.com/actu/faits-divers/un-couple-de-navigateurs-franco-australien-retrouve-mort-au-large-de-madagascar-victimes-de-pirates-260904?fbclid=IwY2xjawOaqqdleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBLVkRPSGpTVzBUSW9wYUtyc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHqinPb_OCfcRQQY-Q_fkyDinuvXgm7JwywSMTxJ-TQw84joH-i3uJ08W7frW_aem_ql7JQ5yOLn3XWyrhSIe7kQ&utm_campaign=mrf-facebook-parismatchmag&mrfcid=20251130692956807717c72c586c0c48

Hi everyone.

My family and I have decided to do a little 10-day road trip through Germany, Austria, Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia. Practically all European countries require a vignette to drive on highways or in certain zones. For Germany, an Eco vignette is required to drive in certain areas, like downtown Munich. Would anyone know if this site: https://vignette-allemagne.fr/ is legit? It seems easy to use and quick, but it’s not referenced or mentioned anywhere.

Genuine site or scam? Thanks for your feedback. Best regards,

Stéphane.

Hi there! Every year, I go on vacation with my family (there are a lot of us), and we used to use Splitwise. With their recent updates, we’re a bit frustrated because we’re limited in adding our expenses. Do you have any other alternatives (preferably free ones)? My son suggested Tricount, but I’ve never heard of it before! PS: If you have any tips for Mexico City this year, we’d love to hear them! Thanks!

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! 😊

hi there same old question when you arrive in MOROCCO where’s the best place to exchange euros for Moroccan dirhams at the best rate? thanks.

Hi there, This might seem a bit out of the blue, but I really need some info, insights, and advice—especially tips! I’d love to go volunteer in countries that need help. Thanks, and please keep any negative comments to yourself

4 years without you all was really tough. Well done to the admins for their hard work. 👏 Long live this Forum! 😄

Hello everyone,

Some of you may have noticed this morning that when you’re not logged in, advertising banners appear. We’re currently running tests, which is why they may show up in different formats.

A quick clarification: these ads will only be visible to users who aren’t logged in.

They’re necessary for the site’s survival. A website like VF incurs significant costs, whether for hosting or for the team working behind the scenes—we can’t keep it running on love and fresh air alone.

A member generously offered to help out after François’s departure, but we still need a new developer, and all work deserves fair compensation.

Hervé, from myAtlas, who took over VF, has no choice but to monetize the site to ensure it can continue to exist.

We sincerely thank you for your understanding and loyalty. Your support is essential to ensuring VF’s future.

Thanks to you, we can keep this site alive and continue sharing our shared passion.

Hi,

I’m trying my best to promote Voyage Forum to Quebecers, but some people seem to be having trouble connecting, and I’m not sure what to tell them.

Here’s the message one of them received. If you can help me respond, that would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Hi,

Is VF aware that it’s often blocked from abroad, even when roaming on a French carrier? Either with a "Cloudflare" block or a red message—the same one you get when using a VPN, except there isn’t one here.

Michel

Hi everyone, I’m not sure if you can help us out. We’ll be in Venice from June 8th to 17th. We arrive at the airport on the 8th and planned to take the Alilaguna waterbus to St. Mark’s Square to get to our Airbnb. We’ve estimated arriving at St. Mark’s Square between 11 AM and 12 PM. We didn’t realize we’d be arriving on the day of the race.

Because of the Vogalonga race taking place on June 8th, is the Grand Canal still navigable? If not, from what time will it be accessible again?

Thanks, Jacques

Hi there, Back from Sri Lanka, we have some local currency left. This could be useful for you. Here’s what I’m offering: 1 x 5000-rupee note 3 x 1000-rupee notes 2 x 500-rupee notes 3 x 100-rupee notes 2 x 50-rupee notes 6 x 20-rupee notes That’s a total of 9520 Sri Lankan rupees, or 31 €. This way, you can start your trip without having to withdraw money right away at the airport and without paying any fees. For reference, here are some typical costs: Bottle of water: 130–160 Rs, tuk-tuk ride: 100–500 Rs, bus trip: 50–200 Rs, meal with a drink: 1500–2500 Rs. Possible to send in an envelope.