Need your advice—this is a bit urgent! 😅

I’m leaving in 1 month for 7 months in South America (mainly Argentina, with a quick stop in Chile and Bolivia). I still haven’t decided on: 👉 Travel insurance. 👉 The best bank card for abroad.

I’m a bit behind schedule and would really love your feedback: 👉 Which insurance do you recommend (reliability in case of trouble)? 👉 Which bank do you use while traveling to avoid fees (mainly in Argentina)? Boursorama? 👉 Any idea about fees with Western Union?

For now, I’m planning to bring as much cash as possible to avoid fees and exchange money locally. My bank (La Poste) gave me a Visa Premier for insurance/repatriation, but after reading the terms, I see it’s limited to 180 consecutive days—so 6 months, not 7.

Thanks in advance for your tips—it’ll help me make a decision quickly! :)

Hello everyone, We’re planning a family trip (my wife and our two kids) for 12–13 months in 2026–2027. The idea is to start our journey by biking across the U.S. from July to December 2026. We’re thinking of leaving our bikes there and then traveling by public transport for 3 months in Central America down to Belize (during the U.S. winter). After that, we’d return to the U.S. and finish our trip by bike for about 4 more months.

We’ll need to apply for a B2 visa, but we’ve heard the conditions are for a 6-month stay. Depending on the border officers’ discretion, we *might* be allowed to re-enter the U.S. if we’ve left for a non-contiguous country for a while (which would be our case since we’d go as far as Belize). Has anyone here confirmed this? Have you been in this situation before, and is there a chance we might not be allowed back into the U.S. after leaving at the end of 2026?

Another question about the B2 visa interview. We’ve read it’s best to be transparent with the officer. Should we mention our full plan (including the trip to Belize and return to the U.S.), or should we only talk about the first part?

Thanks so much for your experiences and advice!

Hey everyone, hope you're doing well! :) I’m planning to go back to Thailand at the start of next year—once just wasn’t enough 😅 I’ve seen that nothing’s official yet, but they’re considering reducing the visa-free stay from 60 to 30 days. If I book for 58 days like last time and they change the rules last minute, what happens? It takes forever to get a visa—I saw you have to prove you have enough funds to cover your stay. How much money do you need in your account? Thanks!

hi, Is it possible to enter Sri Lanka with a continuation ticket to India without having a valid Indian visa for the planned departure date from Sri Lanka? That way, I could get my visa during my stay in Sri Lanka. I have a valid Indian visa that expires mid-stay, and I can only apply for a new one once the current one has expired. Thanks

Hi everyone, is there anyone sure about this topic? I’ve heard two different things. I’m leaving for Thailand on March 2nd and returning to France on March 30th, and my passport expires on September 25th. When I look at the rule that says the passport must be valid for more than 6 months upon entry, I’m good until March 25th, but on the way out, I’ll be 2 days short of the full 6 months (5 days early, to be precise).

Most people tell me it’s okay because it’s the entry date that counts, and even ChatGPT confirmed that for me. But some say no, it’s the return date that matters. So I called Qatar Airways, and even there, I got two different answers—one person said no, it’s the return date, and another said it’s fine for them. I’m not sure they fully understood what I was asking, and since I’m not in Paris, I can’t go in person either...

Just to be safe, I applied for a passport renewal at the town hall. They told me it would take 4 to 6 weeks, and I applied on January 14th, leaving on March 2nd, which is 6 and a half weeks. On the ANTS tracking, it’s been marked as "in production" since January 17th...

So, are there any experts on this topic out there? Either about whether boarding is allowed with the old passport or about the usual timeline for receiving a new passport... Am I wrong to worry in either case?

Thanks to those who reply!

Hi there,

I’m planning to apply for my UK ETA soon and I’d like to know if I need to have a digital ID photo ready already or if the British government’s app takes a photo of us.

I read that the app will ask us to scan our face and take a photo, but on the official site, they just say to have a digital photo available.

So to avoid paying a photographer for nothing, has anyone already applied for their ETA using the app?

Thanks in advance

Starting January 5, you’ll need to arrive at the Mauritanian border with an E.Visa. To get it, you’ll have to go to the Mauritanian website: https://anrpts.gov.mr/fr

Can I enter Thailand with a one-way ticket?

Hi everyone!

Quick message for the visa experts!

I was planning to enter Thailand with an OA visa applied for from France. This one requires mandatory insurance, in short, it’s a bit "restrictive."

I was wondering if you see any issues with this "setup": 1- Enter with a Non-Immigrant O visa (valid for 90 days) applied for from France (relatively easy to obtain) 2- Apply for an extension with multiple entries for one year before the 90 days expire (Extension of Stay Based on Retirement) That way, I don’t have to provide "visa-compliant" health insurance (I’ll get one separately, don’t worry! :)) 3- Renew the extension year after year.

Constraints: - File a presence declaration every 90 days - Don’t forget to request the "multiple re-entry permit" for 3,800 THB - Open a Thai bank account upon arrival + transfer the 800,000 THB

Side question: Can you open a Thai bank account with an O visa, specifically to make the required funds deposit for the extension?

Thanks in advance for your feedback! Olivier

Hi, I’ve read on several forums and blogs that to enter Senegal by motorcycle, some say you need a CPD, others say an ATA carnet, and others say no carnet at all. What’s the real deal? My bike is over 10 years old. Thanks

Hi, does anyone know the status of the ETA that’s supposed to go into effect in December 2024 (and needs to be requested on the e-visa portal www.thaievisa.go.th)? Is it officially starting on December 1st? I’ve got my flight on the 7th of December and I’m on a Non-O Retirement visa with a re-entry. From what I understand, it’ll only apply to visa-free entries and should allow a 60-day stay in the kingdom with the option to extend for 30 more days. So I’m wondering if I need to apply for this since I already have a valid visa. Thanks in advance for your answers! 😊

Hi,

I’m going on leave to Cape Verde on 12/06/25 and completed the mandatory registration to enter the country. After filling in my identity, passport number, and hotel address, I tried to pay with my debit card. However, I couldn’t validate the payment—an error message appeared, and the same thing happened with two other cards (bug?). If it still doesn’t work by the time I leave, can I pay the fee upon arrival? Is there a way to do it at the Cape Verde Consulate in Paris?

Thanks.

Hi there, has anyone got recent updates on getting the "PAP", the permit to enter Arunachal? The info I’ve gathered from here and there—pretty unreliable!—suggests it’s impossible to get this permit in Assam (Guwahati) and that it takes about 15 days if you go through an agency (but where are these agencies located???). Thanks for your reply (urgent!).

Hi everyone, we’re driving to Austria via Switzerland and we’d love some clarity on the highway stickers and tolls. Do we need one sticker to enter Austria and another for the tolls? I’m a bit lost here. Gigi

Hi everyone, Could you let me know if a mistake on the arrival airport for Vietnam could cause problems regarding your recent trips? I put a different airport than Hanoi, but I need to go to Hanoi. Thanks!

Hi everyone, in a few months I need to bring my Thai partner to France. I’m going to prepare the "attestation d’accueil" for 3 months. On the form, they ask me to act as a financial guarantor for her stay—no problem for me. But on the visa application, France asks her to prove she has sufficient income to get the visa. Is it still necessary for her to prove that, given that I’m acting as her financial guarantor? Thanks

Hi there, I’m filling out my South Africa entry declaration and just found out it costs $53. We’ve traveled to South Africa regularly, the last trip was in 2024, and I’ve never paid anything to enter South African territory before. Is this a new measure, or am I on a dodgy site? Thanks for your replies! Christine

Hey fellow travelers! 🙂 I’m heading to India in January with a tourist multi-entry ETA (is it still called an e-visa?). First things first, if I’ve understood correctly: I can enter and exit India as many times as I want, as long as my total stay doesn’t exceed 180 days in a full year and no single stay goes over 90 days. Okay, that’s the theory. Now, how does it work in practice? I plan to spend 3 months in India (Rajasthan, then the Ganges Valley up to Varanasi, then Sikkim), then head to Nepal for another 3 months (Kathmandu, Pokhara), and return to India for 3 more months before flying back to France. But here’s the thing—I’ve got the impression (maybe I misunderstood) that renewing the Indian visa has to be done in Kathmandu or Pokhara, and only in one of those two Nepali cities. Yet, on *Le Routard*, I thought I read that you just need to "cross the border and come back," meaning you can enter Nepal at any border point, which would be way more practical... Imagine someone who wants to spend 6 months in northern India and starts from Shimla—they’d have to travel all the way to Kathmandu, then back to Shimla, crossing a big chunk of Nepal just to renew their Indian visa. That seems pretty convoluted, especially since the northwest border with India is so far from Kathmandu. I used this example because I originally wanted to spend 6 months only in northern India, and while waiting for clear answers, I’ve planned an alternative route (the one I described at the start of this post).

Could someone explain exactly how this Nepal border crossing thing works for renewing an Indian visa (and getting another 90 days, within the 180-day annual limit, of course)? How long does it take? How much does it cost?

Can’t wait to hear from you, and thanks in advance for your valuable insights! 🙂 !

Hello,

Last year, we stayed for 3 months in Thailand, north of Khao Lak, and were able to benefit from the 2-month visa exemption, renewable for one month by going to Takua Pa to validate a 1-month extension (1,900 baht). This year, it’s a disaster for us—not only were we planning a 4-month stay, adding a visa run in between (which some say is quite risky), but the law is apparently changing in the coming months with the return of the 1-month exemption (plus the usual 1-month option). So, we looked into applying for a 6-month multiple-entry visa, allowing a maximum of 60 consecutive days in Thailand. However, I can’t find anywhere the minimum time required outside Thailand between two stays—do any of you have an idea? Thanks for the info! If you’d like tips on Khao Lak and the surrounding areas, we’ve got some experience, though things change fast! Cheers, Bruno.

Hi there, I have a valid ESTA for a trip planned on 2/23/2026.

However, I heard on the radio that a new law will be implemented in two months requiring travelers to provide information about their social media activity in addition to the ESTA.

My question is: will my current ESTA no longer allow me to enter the U.S.?

Hi, I’m heading to Seattle next week. We’ve got our ESTAs (we’re French). We’d like to spend a day in Vancouver. Do we need the I-94 form to re-enter the U.S., or are our ESTAs enough? I’ve read conflicting info everywhere... Any recent experiences? We can’t be the only ones... Thanks.

Hello,

I’m a resident of France, and my husband and I have submitted an application for permanent residency in Canada after obtaining our CSQ. Our application is still being processed. My husband is the principal applicant.

I need to travel to Montreal alone for a few days soon for work-related reasons.

If we happen to receive confirmation of permanent residency in the meantime, could there be an issue with me crossing the border? I don’t want to activate the permanent residency—just enter as a tourist and make a quick round trip.

On the IRCC website, it says that dependents cannot arrive in Canada before the principal applicant. I understand this is because only the principal applicant can activate permanent residency by going through immigration.

However, does this also exclude temporary stays for dependents? Since my eTA should still be valid as long as the permanent residency isn’t activated, I should still be able to enter Canada as a tourist, right?

Thanks so much for your feedback!

Best regards,

Hi there. I had a simple question, please? My 10-year-old son’s French passport expired a month ago, and I just realized it. We’re supposed to leave for Morocco by car on June 30th, taking the ferry from Algeciras. I applied for his passport renewal today, but it won’t be ready for at least 2 months.

Can he enter Morocco with his expired passport? For the return trip, I’ll already have his valid passport.

Thanks for your help—I’m really in a bind here.

Hi everyone!

I’m planning to go to Thailand for 90 days (departure on 20/06).

- I thought I’d read that the processing time for the E-Visa had been reduced to just a few days since June 2025 (so very recent). Can you confirm? However, on the embassy’s website and when I try calling them, they’re still quoting 3-4 weeks. Hasn’t this been updated yet? Because I’m starting to sweat here…🤪

- I was a bit hasty in declaring the funds to prove my solvency. Should I wait for their response rather than submitting a second visa application, which might conflict with the first one?

Thanks for your feedback! Have a great day

Hi fellow travelers!

I’m planning a backpacking trip to the USA for autumn 2024.

I’ve already been to New York in February 2024, but my ESTA expires on September 27, 2025. However, I’d like to leave in early September. Is it possible to apply for a new ESTA before my trip so that the new one is valid instead of the old one when I’m there?

Thanks for your help! Antoine

Heads up for anyone planning to cross the Mauritanian border at Guerguerat! From now on, the Mauritanian visa is only available via E-VISA on the internet, and processing times can be long—sometimes very long—and unpredictable. André

Hi there

I’d like to visit Niagara Falls from the Canadian side: is an eTA enough for a French citizen (from Toronto or Ottawa) and then public transport? Which Canadian city is the easiest to get there from? I plan to spend one night in Canada before seeing the falls on the American side. Do I need an ESTA to visit the American side for just a few hours and then return to Canada?

Hi everyone, We’re self-drivers planning a trip through Zimbabwe in 2026—our route is Johannesburg, Zimbabwe, Mozambique. We’ll have a rented 4x4. We’d like to know about any difficulties at the borders between South Africa and Zimbabwe, and between Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Also, which park in Zimbabwe is the best? Thanks in advance for your replies!

JP

Hi there, I’m planning a three-month trip: my itinerary would be a flight from Paris to Hong Kong, then Hong Kong to Ho Chi Minh City, and later leaving from Lao Cai to enter China before flying back from Hong Kong.

If I exit the Hong Kong airport upon arrival to find a hotel (since my flight to Vietnam leaves the next morning), will I lose the benefit of the 90-day visa exemption? Especially since I plan to spend 3 days in Hong Kong before my return flight at the end of the trip?

Also, I’d like to know if the inbound flight to Vietnam will be enough to board and get a visa on arrival, or do I need to prove that I’ll exit the country after 45 days? Since I want to visit Sapa and cross into China by land via Lao Cai, do I also need to prove my departure from China, even though I already have a round-trip ticket from Paris to Hong Kong and back for three months?

It’s currently possible for a French national to enter Belarus through any land or air border point and stay for up to 30 days, for any reason. I did this last November, driving my own car from France, entering at Terespol and Brest-Litovsk (7-hour queue on the Polish side for political reasons and 3 hours of formalities on the Belarusian side), and exiting through Lithuania (1.5 hours on the Belarusian side and 3.5 hours on the Lithuanian side for political reasons). The rest of the trip was a real pleasure...