I’m absolutely loving reading about your little group’s adventures... it’s such a breath of fresh air and really lifts the spirits.
I couldn’t agree with you more—1,000%! The hypocrisy around medical staff who’ve been sounding the alarm for years, only to be hit by budget cuts and clueless financial analysts who only think in terms of costs, is infuriating.
How many people applauded them when they marched in the streets...
Hundreds of migrants drown every day: no one cares. And when viruses affect non-Western populations? Same indifference.
I avoid the media and their so-called experts as much as possible—they’re unbearable.
Tomorrow... things will likely get pretty grim. Our freedoms are going to be severely restricted, and our social protections will be whittled down to nothing...
The ambient hypocrisy toward medical staff who have been sounding the alarm for years and who have been victims of budget cuts and those idiotic financial analysts who only think in terms of costs.
How many people applauded them when they protested in the streets...
No, that’s it, it’s finally happening—recognition is coming...
200 jours à pied,
seul, sans guide,
aux confins du Laos : CLIC
Hello Pondy,
you're saying out loud what I've been half-thinking to myself. You’ll tell me I could just think out loud since I’m alone...
We’ve had more deaths from Corona than during the heatwave.
You’re right, the rest is far away—it doesn’t concern us. That’s what we told ourselves when Corona first appeared in China.
What *will* concern us is the lifting of lockdown. While confining was quick, our leaders are now in a real bind over how to lift it.
Until better days come, I’ll be eagerly following the tales of your little rascals’ antics.
Goodness, the days have galloped by faster than kids' legs.
Several days without a computer, without radio, and without cheating with phones just to ignore the grim news. And today, before dawn, I read and... life goes on, nothing has changed except for the upcoming deconfinement measures announced today.
We must have missed a ton of stuff.
The kids slept in the tent, and the reluctance from the first night vanished.
The first brood of swallows hatched, and we can’t count the number of chicks.
A dove died in the gutter of the shed.
The little ones let out horrified cries, and I collected some beautiful feathers before putting it in the compost. Those feathers were used for writing. The bottle of Waterman ink from my adolescence—when I had a fountain pen with a pump—still full, was used to create delicate arabesques.
Volcanoes
And the highlight: the eruption of volcanoes. Etna, Vesuvius, Merapi, Fuji, Puy de Dôme—dormant or active volcanoes.
Quick explanation:
Choose a large 2m x 2m board. I found a beat-up sheet of fiberboard in the shed, but it didn’t matter.
Place it on two sawhorses.
Gather old newspapers.
Set up tall glasses, like orangeade glasses.
Build the volcano around each glass with papier-mâché (mix water, flour, and strips of newspaper).
Once each volcano takes on the shape of a mountain, let it dry.
Paint the volcanoes.
Gather armfuls of grass for a lush landscape.
At the bottom of each volcano, pour vinegar.
Give each child a spoon.
Have them pour, all at the same time, a spoonful of baking soda, then a second one.
And... watch!
All five volcanoes erupt, big bubbles appear, and the "lava" flows down the mountainsides.
A geography lesson, a chemistry lesson.
Screams, laughter, magic.
And that’s it.
I lost 4 kg and found my canine tooth again.
I also rediscovered my lost childhood soul somewhere along the way.
The little rascals are in great shape.
Pants and leggings are unusable in the city because holes have sprouted everywhere.
And in a few more days, they’ll be back home with their parents.
Before coming back to spend the summer holidays with them this time!
Ahhh Pondy! What a pleasure to find a breath of fresh air again!
Still so creative at keeping the little ones busy, and turning the discovery of a dead dove into beautiful art...
And the tadpoles?! Were the amphibians set free?!
Have a great day everyone
And here we are... the randomness of my virtual wanderings only brought me to this thread today, which I just finished reading from start to finish. What a joy this breath of fresh air is! Thanks Pondy for sharing your bursts of laughter, your smiles, this daily life full of energy, invention, and creativity with your grandkids, and for also letting us in on your moments of anger—oh so justified!
Ouch, what did we do listening to the radio? All these new words—experts, scholars, scientific committee, advisory committee, masks or no masks, free or not free, high school or no high school, school yes but only if parents want it. No more than 10 people together and no gatherings over 5,000. Second wave, yes but not certain. Colors red or green on the map, 100 km max but until when.
It’s making my head spin.
Héloïse:
« Do you think I’ll get a mask? I asked Papiluc to make me one (he’s the king of the sewing machine), I want one with hearts—I can draw them with markers, right? »
Jules: « We don’t need them anyway, masks are stupid, we’ll look like robots »
Félix: « I don’t want one either, plus when I sneeze, snot’s gonna get all over the mask and that’s gross »
And Gaïané: « No more high school, awesome, but I’m scared because next year in 11th grade we take the bac and we didn’t even have six months of 10th grade—this sucks »
And the little ones next door: « Mom says the school bus is too small to keep distance and if we’re squished, the germ’s gonna get us »
Let’s batten down the hatches, that’s enough.
It’s raining, it’s raining—divine rain, so long-awaited.
Snail hunt later.
Gotta grab the gauge. The gauge is important. Don’t pick up snails that slip through the holes.
The hedges are full, the buckets are ready, and after collecting them, we’ll drop them off at Daniel’s, master of snails, master of snail butter.
« Yuck, we’re not eating any of that! » the little ones chorus.
PS: The frogs, as small as a child’s thumb, were released into the river.
Maybe about twenty—tadpole mortality was pretty low this year.
The fox took out the neighbor’s chickens; we’ve got a good stock of russet and black feathers. Enough to prep a super game.
PS2: Thanks for all your comments, your little smiles of joy when reading them.
Goodbye, little rascals.
Spring is in full bloom, and the kids have already prepared the annual summer Olympics—medals, banners, events for adults, events for kids, team challenges.
“See you soon!”
They’re gone.
Laughing, happy to reunite with their parents, joyful after days of confinement that felt anything but confined. They’ve gathered so many discoveries:
the wild boar’s cauldron, the unmistakable claw marks, stinging-nettle spinach, acacia flower fritters, the first spring honey with its golden ribbon flowing as you turn the extractor’s crank—this smooth stream coating your finger, better than any store-bought lollipop. The pleasure of chewing honeycomb wax and spitting it into the grass, caramel in seashells and the patience it takes to let it cool before licking it while sitting in the sun, tiny frogs, camping under a starry night.
And, and, and...
So much happiness, so many little joys, and then, homeschooling around the table.
I discovered EMI: media and information education. It was really interesting to see what was being asked and to answer the teacher’s questions. There was: distinguishing between a direct and indirect source, understanding the angle of an information piece, verifying the information—is it gossip, a rumor, an anecdote, and what makes something newsworthy.
And the delight of music class.
“No, Mom, it’s not worth singing—it says if you want.”
“I want to, my love.”
And laughing at singing off-key.
And discovering the French gypsy swing guitarist (1910–1953).
And my nemesis: high school math.
“I don’t get it, not at all.”
“Me neither—ask your grandpa.”
And, and, and...
They’re gone.
The house is silent.
The house is empty.
The house will be cleaned… later.
A dirty sock under the armchair, a chewed-up eraser, a Lego brick in the toilet, drawings under the bed, ants devouring a forgotten piece of cake, remnants of a whirlwind life that will stay… until later!
Man snores in peace, nap rediscovered.
The window is open to the sun, a silver spider thread sways gently—I wind up this tangled thread on my spool.
They’re gone.
Tomorrow is tomorrow.
I’ll do nothing, really nothing, and that will be a lot.
You're going to relax in Pondy, thinking about all those little moments of happiness. And then you'll wait for your little ones to arrive for the next vacation or the next lockdown.
Thanks for sharing all these little moments that add the salt and pepper to life.
Hello,
Thank you for sharing all these little moments that make up a family’s life.
I’m sure you’ll enjoy the peace and quiet now, but you’ll see—all those "Mamido" sounds you heard throughout the day will start to miss you...
Anyway, so many memories built on both sides!
Thanks again for these beautifully told pages of life.
" Nous ne saurons jamais tout le bien qu'un simple sourire peut être capable de faire."
Mère Teresa
Something imperceptible is there.
The air, yes, the air smells of rain. I learned that this particular scent is called petrichor. The word is ugly.
It smells of humus, mushrooms, the scent of damp moss that reminds me of the biscuit-like smell of a newborn, I don’t know why. And when we make moss helmets and Merlin the Enchanter’s beards in three weeks, I’ll dive, as always, into the memory of my children’s births. Intoxicating.
Yes, autumn is intoxicating.
Tanya sent photos of the harvest from her dacha’s little vegetable garden.
Pumpkins, potatoes, apples, small dark red plums, jars of tomatoes neatly lined up on shelves next to jars of malossol pickles flavored with dill.
On the floor, buckets of lingonberry and blueberry kompot, and then, large burlap sacks filled with pinecones. During the long winter ahead, during the evening gatherings, family and friends will open each scale of the pinecone to collect the pine nuts.
In one last photo, large flat wicker baskets overflow with what Tanya calls "little nails." Delicious little black mushrooms we feasted on.
Today, it’s 2°C in the morning in their village and nearly 10°C during the day. Autumn arrives quickly, and the silver birches are already ablaze.
We won’t be spending the white winter there.
It’s crazy how in Siberia, nature sleeps for an infinite time, then shakes itself awake—everything grows at lightning speed as if pushed by the harsh climate, as if it were saying: "Quick, quick, I must sprout, ripen, to feed beasts and men."
Here, at home, a bit of red, a pinch of gold, a little low sky, the nourishing rain, and autumn settles in quietly.
I took out the cast-iron pan, well-seasoned from many fires. I scrubbed it with coarse salt, and it regained its shine, waiting for the kids’ arrival to roast our future chestnut harvest in the fireplace.
It’ll soon be time to gather hazelnuts—here, we call them *neuzettes*. The involucre is still too tight and green, but they’ll be ready for the holidays.
There’ll also be the acorn harvest, the big project for Little Jules, who hates school and will be a "glandouilleur" and miller. He really wants to because school "is for those who have nothing to do, and me, I’m always, really always very busy!"
I’ll tell you about the Morvan autumn if you’d like...
🙂
Wow!
In the previous pages of this section that I loved contributing to so much, I promised to talk about autumn in the Morvan. That was back in 2020, and since then, four autumns have painted the countryside in color.
I’m *so* happy Voyage Forum is back!
As a coffee lover, I just couldn’t get used to Ricoré.
A lot of water has flowed under the bridge—we’ve seen droughts and floods—and I hope Sir Hervé de My Atlas, in his great nobility, will steer his ship without capsizing.
And maybe, after all, I’ll finally tell you about autumn in the Morvan. I’m old-school, and a promise is a promise.
As a coffee lover, I really couldn’t get used to Ricoré.
I share your tastes and I’ll add that here, you can chicory your nights away in peace. 😉
Oh, someone’s whispering in my ear:
@Pondy, this is a super-active forum but it’s only for travel lovers around the world, so… the Morvan, really…
And also, don’t mix it up with mamanpourlavie.com 😛
Hey Pondy,
So glad to see you again!
I had no idea VF was active again.
The Morvan is a travel destination for those who don’t know about it yet.
You don’t need to go to the ends of the Earth to discover new places.
Ah, what a little pleasure to reunite with a lover of sour candies!
The Morvan doesn’t seem to be your cup of tea.
Don’t you like the meadows where the placid white cows with muddy behinds graze?
Have you seen the colorful beehives at the edge of the oaks, well protected from hive thieves by the bull wading in the mud by the pond?
Don’t you like all those little gray houses whose north-facing facades are covered in dark, shiny tiles lashed by the rain?
Do you know the history of these nurse’s houses?
These nurses with generous milk who breastfed the babies of Parisian bourgeois women, and later, when the first baby bottles came into fashion, welcomed under their modest roofs—in their small farms—the children from Paris’s public assistance.
Did you know that even today, 30% of Morvan locals don’t know their ancestors from just a generation or two ago?
Don’t you love those majestic forests where oaks and hornbeams change their attire for the festival of colors in a few weeks?
Have you taken a walk on the grassy esplanade of the Eduens’ forest, where the view stretches all the way to Mont Blanc?
Have you chatted with a true Morvan local, whose words roll like stones, and laughed, a little embarrassed not to understand a thing?
Have you heard, at dusk, the stag’s belling—hoarse and heart-wrenching? Your skin then prickles with shivers from the nape of your neck to the small of your back.
Have you strolled along the shimmering lakes under the sun, or did you prefer the fog wrapped like a damp scarf around your neck?
There you go, now you’re all wide-eyed at so many wonders!
I’ve still got plenty more up my sleeve, but I wouldn’t want to overwhelm you—I can already see you batting your eyelashes.
PS: I went to check if *mamanpourlavie* exists—well, yes! Maybe you’ve hung out there to find out. 😛
Comme il n'y a jamais rien de vraiment gratuit dans la vie, voici une info qui peut intéresser les détenteurs d'une carte Revolut. Pour l'instant cela…
Je pense que ça serait un plus pour voyage forum d'avoir une apps, et surtout pratique pour les membres en voyage ou qui se sert que de portable ou tablette,…
Mon amie habite près d'Elgin en Ecosse. Elle recherche une femme (avec 1 enfant possible) pour l'aider à s'occuper de ses 4 enfants. (7/10/12/14ans) et du…
Je me présente je suis Cyrielle une jeune femme de 21 ans. Avec mon copain nous voulons commencer à voyager un peu partout dans le monde pour nos vacances…
Etant donné que les très petit paquets se 'perdent' souvent à Cebu.. Je recherche une personne en France pour remettre un petit cadeau à une dame à Cebu pour…
Traveling by plane between Southern Corsica and Paris? Whether it's a one-time trip or regularly, accompany one of our kittens during the journey to their forever home. The repatriation of our rescued street kittens is made possible thanks to travelers like you. No worries: you'll be guided every step of the way to complete this mission.
The in-cabin pet ticket is covered by our association, and reimbursement for expenses is possible (depending on the kitten's drop-off location, so let's discuss this beforehand).
Available and motivated to make this one-way trip with a cat and change their life?
Contact us before your next trip: https://assopacci.com/contact/
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.
Hi everyone, fellow travelers!
I’m looking for anyone who’s in Kyoto or planning to visit Nishiki Market! Here’s the thing: during our trip there in April, we discovered a jewelry artisan (highly recommended!) on the left when exiting through the west exit of Nishiki Market (which is a long covered east-west street). I bought a piece of jewelry for my daughter there, but she lost it. I’d love to buy her another one! In the photo, it’s the shop with the yellow awning to the right of the restaurant with the blue awning, "Sushi Sakai." Would any kind soul be willing to get the shop’s name, email, or phone number for me? Despite my Google/AI searches, it’s nowhere to be found. A thousand thanks to whoever can help me out! Wishing you all great vacations!
Sabrina
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
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.
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.
Hi everyone, fellow travelers!
I’m looking for anyone who’s in Kyoto or planning to visit Nishiki Market! Here’s the thing: during our trip there in April, we discovered a jewelry artisan (highly recommended!) on the left when exiting through the west exit of Nishiki Market (which is a long covered east-west street). I bought a piece of jewelry for my daughter there, but she lost it. I’d love to buy her another one! In the photo, it’s the shop with the yellow awning to the right of the restaurant with the blue awning, "Sushi Sakai." Would any kind soul be willing to get the shop’s name, email, or phone number for me? Despite my Google/AI searches, it’s nowhere to be found. A thousand thanks to whoever can help me out! Wishing you all great vacations!
Sabrina
