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 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

How do I insert a link in a message?

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 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.

I can't find the "Add a photo" button anymore. How do I do it?

Hi there, I have a question about the eSIM card: I bought an eSIM from Saily for my trip to Japan in 5 days. What should I do with my Samsung smartphone? What should I do with my current SIM card: deactivate/remove it? It says activation in Japan is automatic—what does that mean exactly?

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 there, I’m struggling to organize this move from my storage unit near Avignon in France to my future address in Essaouira, especially since I’ve already booked my flight with checked baggage. I’d like to ship the rest of my furniture and personal items as soon as I find an unfurnished rental. Thanks for your advice!

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 fellow travelers... I'm going on a bike trip, and I'd like to know if I can exchange euros or Swiss francs in Norway... Can I withdraw cash from ATMs? Can I pay in cash at supermarkets or grocery stores?

Thanks, best regards, safe travels...

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 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 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 there, I use video and photo editing software for my "work".

A conflict has been showing up lately when I open the software. Photo attached.

Is there a specialist around who could help me out?

Thanks in advance.

Hello,

A white rental Toyota Land Cruiser 4x4 carrying foreign tourists was attacked at the entrance of Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park in the village of Bekopaka, western Madagascar, yesterday. So far, there’s been no response from the central government to curb these repeated armed attacks—usually between Malagasy people, but this time targeting foreign tourists.

Hi, After sending this message to the VF team: "I notice that I still have my sent private messages, but no longer the received private messages. When the forum closed, I don’t remember deleting them."

And their response: "You’d have to check with other members to see if this is also the case for them, as we have no way of viewing the private messages you received."

I don’t think it’s possible to recover them—no big deal—but just for info, are there other members who’ve been or are in the same situation as me?

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

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, 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! 😉

It’s happening today 🧐 https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/crash-rio-paris-air-france-et-airbus-juges-en-appel-ce-lundi-16-ans-apres-la-catastrophe-29-09-2025-DREB6EOWRRC6HOIY6DZWRMWWMU.php?at_variant=photo&at_creation=Le%20Parisien%20Faits%20Divers&at_campaign=Partage%20Facebook%20CM&at_medium=Social%20media

Hi VF,

Surprise this morning: all VF pages have a dark background... I'm not a big fan! Did I accidentally do something wrong yesterday while checking my profile? Or is this a decision on your part to change the background color for everyone? I seem to remember François suggested this option (screen background choice) to forum users back in 2020, shortly before the site became inaccessible. I looked in "my options" for a way to switch back to the old light background but didn’t find anything. What should I do? No pun intended, but thanks for shedding some light on this! :-)

Murielle

Hi,

Not sure if this is the right section, but just wanted to warn future travelers...

Where’s Cape Vidal? It’s in iSimangaliso, an independent park in KZN Wildlife, stunning and just a stone’s throw from St Lucia (KwaZulu-Natal, Maputaland). It’s the beach spot at the end of the Eastern Shores road. You can swim, fish... but watch out for waves, currents, and sharks... There’s a really nice game drive where you can get out of your car at certain points, especially at Cape Vidal. That’s where the camp with bungalows and campsites is. The vervets and samango monkeys (endemic to the area, and the males are pretty big) can be a bit of a nuisance if you’re trying to braai... They’re super persistent and not shy at all—don’t let them intimidate you, and stay alert because their speed at snatching food is impressive. Anyway... I’m reporting two recent attacks by these hyenas... who were *not* in a playful mood... The first one happened at night—a hyena tried to bite a camper’s nose off in their tent... and succeeded. The other night, a camper returning to their tent in the early hours was violently attacked by two hyenas... and they had a close call! So, if you’re camping there, be careful... Measures are being taken, but for now, it’s a bit risky.

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, 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

Hi everyone, I’m arriving on a long trip at Charles de Gaulle Terminal 2 and would love to take a shower. I’ve already contacted the airport hotels, but they only offer day rates starting at 10 AM, and I land at 5:30 AM... The Yotel capsules are only accessible if you have a ticket for Terminal 2E. And airline lounges without a loyalty program charge at least **115 €** for access that includes a shower 😩. Is there another option? Thanks for your help!

Hi, I was in Montreal for the Grand Prix today and I’d love to know where to buy this alcoholic iced tea can (Hoop Tea) before I leave—I can’t find it anywhere! Thanks so much for your help

Hi, I’d like to know if anyone has ever tried using coconut oil before applying sunscreen to avoid sand fleas.

Lots of positive comments online about it.

Looking forward to your feedback!

Nathalie 978

Huge disappointment. I’d seen that Friendly Shoe Shop was recommended by a blog. I went there with the intention of buying a small leather backpack. I visited once for a look around, then went online to compare prices with shops in Europe, like Marius, which specializes in leather. I realized that for the same price ($145 US), I could find the same thing in Paris. I went back to Friendly Shoe Shop and tried to see if it was possible to negotiate. The saleswoman immediately reacted. With a smile, she took the bag, put it back on display, and told me: "If you want to negotiate, go to the market!" Basically, she was telling me to get lost. You can easily apologize by saying prices are fixed and non-negotiable, but it’s unacceptable to react that way when the prices are excessive. It’s really taking tourists for a ride.

When you know the cost of living in Vietnam, this price is nothing short of a scam. I’m not questioning the quality of the product. If the workers were paid 3 or 5 times the normal rate, I wouldn’t mind. But there’s no indication that’s the case.

In summary, in Hoi An, you have the choice between: - Quality shops where you’ll pay the same price as in a European capital, which gives the owner a huge margin since they don’t pay import taxes, transportation costs, and manufacture directly, etc. - Counterfeit shops where you won’t pay much for mediocre quality.

Friendly Shoe Shop has nothing friendly or fair about it. It’ll suit people who travel for two or three weeks, have the means, and want to say when they get home that they bought a bag or shoes in Hoi An. For everyone else, there’s nothing fair about it…

We're planning a trip to Vietnam with La Palanche, a travel agency in Hanoi. If anyone here has used them, could you share your experience with this agency, please? Thanks