Hi everyone,

I’m starting a new discussion on this topic since there doesn’t seem to be a recent one.

I have several chronic conditions (including asthma and related ones), and I’m planning to travel for a year across different countries.

Generally, I understand it’s possible to travel with approved medications (which should be my case), but often with a limit of 3 months’ worth of treatment.

Since I’m going for 12 months, that means for three-quarters of my trip, I’d have more than 3 months’ worth of medication.

I plan to bring my prescriptions with the INN (International Nonproprietary Name), as well as the original packaging (even though it’s a nightmare, but from what I understand, it’s necessary). But I’m not sure if that’s enough...

Have any of you been in this situation before? How does it work at customs—do I need to declare everything that exceeds the 3-month limit? Do I need a letter from my doctors?

Thanks in advance for your replies,

See you soon, Bruno

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,

I’ve heard a lot about WISE for low-cost money transfers (booking/paying for safari services). I’m looking for feedback from people who’ve actually used WISE to pay at a restaurant or withdraw local cash from an ATM.

Could you share what you consider the "pros" and "cons" of the WISE debit card compared to a traditional bank card? Also, do you think there are any risks? If so, what are they? Thanks in advance for shedding some light on this—I’m only interested in firsthand experiences.

Thanks!

...

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 there,

I’ve already visited quite a few countries across several continents, but I’m pretty new to Asia.

I’m planning a trip to Thailand in October or November, and I wanted to check about health precautions: malaria treatment, vaccinations (hepatitis A or others...). I’ll mostly be in the northern region, around Chiang Mai, where I’ll spend a lot of time in nature and the mountains. Then I’ll head south to Phuket or Krabi and visit Khao Sok National Park. I’ll finish up in Bangkok, with a likely detour to Kanchanaburi.

From what I understand, for a stay of less than 60 days, I don’t need a visa (I’m a French national)? I just need to fill out the TDAC form 3 to 5 days before arrival?

Thanks for your advice! Fred

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!

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 everyone. I’m leaving for almost 3 months in the Philippines (11 weeks total) starting in early May. I already have my round-trip ticket. The problem is, I don’t have time to get a 2-month visa because the process takes nearly a month. From what I’ve read here and there, I need a return ticket valid for less than a month when I arrive in the Philippines to prove my good faith. After that, I can apply for a 30-day extension at the immigration office. I’m planning to either buy a fully refundable ticket to the nearest country or a fake ticket. For 3 months, I’ll need to extend my visa two more times before my return date to France. My question is this: Will immigration ask me each time I extend my visa by one month to show proof of an exit ticket matching the new visa extension date? Is it possible to extend directly by 2 months before the initial 30 days expire? Thanks in advance for your experiences and tips! 😊

Hi Has anyone been to Rwanda recently and gotten a 3-month visa on arrival easily? Thanks

Hi there, We’re planning our trip and want to spend 3 MONTHS in Madagascar, but we’re getting really conflicting info about visas. Apparently, it’s not possible to get one at the airport. We contacted the consulate in Marseille… and they don’t know either. The phone number for the embassy in Paris is no longer in service… Anyway… help! If anyone’s gotten a 3-month visa, could you shed some light on this for us? Thanks so much.

Help,

We're looking for insurance for our vehicle that we're taking to Southern Africa for our 6-month trip. Thanks for your help.

Hello my fellow travelers,

I’m leaving for 43 days in India from January 19, 2026, to March 1. How do I handle my e-visa if I don’t necessarily want a one-year visa? The one-month one will be too short... darn it!!

I just found out there’s an additional formality for the visa that came into effect on October 1. Could someone explain to me what it involves and exactly what I need to do? I’d really appreciate it—thank you so much in advance!

Wishing you all wonderful end-of-year celebrations, and may 2026 be filled with love and travels for each of you.

Régine

Hello,

We’re French nationals planning a tourist trip to Asia with the following itinerary:

First entry into Thailand from Paris: 3 days in Bangkok (visa exemption).

Departure to Cambodia (we have a Cambodia e-visa) then to Laos (we have a Laos e-visa) for 5 days in each country, totaling 10 days outside Thailand.

Second entry into Thailand from Laos: 8 days in Chiang Mai (visa exemption) before returning to Paris.

This means two entries into Thailand in less than a month, with a total stay of 11 days in the country.

**Can you confirm if we can do this trip under the visa exemption policy, or do we need to apply for a double-entry tourist visa?**

Thanks for your help!

Hi there,

We’re supposed to fly in four days—my partner, our two kids, and me—for a one-month trip to Cambodia. While applying for an e-visa, we just realized that both our passports won’t be valid for 6 months after our stay ends, which is a key requirement for getting a Cambodian visa. I don’t know how, but we totally missed this info!! Our tickets aren’t refundable, and we’ve booked several non-refundable hotels there too...

Has anyone been in this situation or have any ideas or solutions?

Thanks so much in advance!!!!

Hi everyone, next month my wife, our 6-year-old daughter, and I are flying to Thailand. It’ll be a great chance to soak up some sun—something we’ve been missing lately here in France! But speaking of sun, I burn easily, and our daughter even more so. I was wondering what SPF to get for sunscreen and whether it’s better to buy it there or before we leave? Thanks for your tips!

Hello, We’re planning to spend 3 months in Madagascar starting in mid-February. Areas: Mahajanga, Tulear, Diego Suarez, and Sainte Marie—the order isn’t set yet. We’ll either drive for part of the trip or take flights. We’ve heard all sorts of things about required vaccines and medications (is anti-malarial mandatory?). What’s the exact situation for travelers? I’ll come back to you for other topics (like finding a reliable driver, among others). Thank you. Best wishes to you all, Nicole

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, we’re spending March in Sri Lanka, and on several blogs travelers mention they’ve rented scooters or mopeds. On government info sites, it seems they say you need a Sri Lankan license to rent these vehicles. Have any of you run into this kind of issue? Thanks, Marie

hi there I’m heading to Sri Lanka for a month from January 6th to February 3rd, then I’ve got a flight to the Maldives from February 3rd to 15th, and... I’m coming back to Sri Lanka for one night from the 15th to the 16th to catch my flight back to France. Because my flight ticket is from January 6th to February 16th... I’m wondering about my travel authorization. Will I get a transit authorization for one day to board my flight? Thanks for shedding some light on this!

Hi there, In November, we're heading off on a 4-month trip. We'll be landing in China and plan to leave the country via a land border into Vietnam. I’ve read that China may ask for proof of exit within 30 days (flight ticket or other reservation). Since we’d be leaving by land, I’m wondering how this works in practice. Has anyone here been in this situation recently?

Did the airline ask for an exit ticket before boarding? Did Chinese authorities require proof upon arrival? Is a train/bus ticket to Vietnam sufficient? Is a cancelable or flexible reservation accepted?

Thanks for sharing your experiences! 😊

Hi everyone. I’m currently in Jordan for a month. If you stay more than 14 days, you’re supposed to register at a police station or risk a fine. However, I’ve been to three police stations today, and none of them will process the registration. For those who registered in Amman, which station did you go to, please? Or has anyone *not* registered and left without any issues at the airport? It’s a bit of a hassle. Thanks everyone, and long live Jordan—such an amazing country!

Hi there, I’m heading to Senegal in January for a month and was wondering if I just need my French driver’s license or if I should get an international permit? Thanks! JL

Good evening, I booked a one-month stay in an Airbnb in Thailand. Is the booking confirmation enough for the 3-month single-entry tourist visa?

Hi there... I’m traveling with a friend for a month in November. We booked our round-trip tickets from Paris to Phnom Penh, and yes, I know—it was a mistake. We should’ve flown out of Laos, but here we are. But is it doable to backpack through both countries in a relaxed way? I’ve seen that the transport takes a while... Thanks so much for your replies.

Hi everyone,

I’m finally heading to Mongolia for two months this August and September. Do you know the procedure for applying for a visa, since I’ll be there for more than 30 days? Looking forward to your tips! Thanks! !

hi everyone

We’ll be applying for a retiree OA visa by September. For our part, we’ll head back to France for a bit and return a month BEFORE our current OA visa expires to renew it at immigration. We’ve emailed several immigration offices but haven’t gotten any responses. We’ve searched online for info but haven’t found anything. What we’re really interested in is knowing which documents they’ll ask for at the immigration office in Phang Nga, for example, for our renewal. We’ve seen all the paperwork needed for the initial OA visa on the official online visa application site... but for the renewal, do we need to provide ALL the same documents? Thanks in advance

Hi there,

I’m planning a few-month trip to Asia with my partner and our daughter, who’ll be 5 at the time.

We’d love to visit Bhutan. Do you have any recommendations for getting a low-cost visa? I know we have to go through a local travel agency, but do we always have to stay with the agency while we’re there? We’re not big fans of organized tours, so I’d love to find a way to travel there backpacker-style... Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

Cynthia

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! 🙂 !

Hi there, Just a quick question about filling out the TM6 (TDAC) for Thailand. I'm going for 2 months and 3 weeks (I bought a round-trip ticket) and I'll arrive under the 60-day visa exemption since I didn't get a visa. However, I bought an exit ticket to a neighboring country before the 60 days are up to avoid any hassle at Paris airport. For the TM6, they ask for the return date—what should I put? My actual return date? The website doesn’t give me the option to upload my exit ticket from Thailand. Thanks!

Hello fellow travelers, I’m planning my trip to Madagascar for next March and I’m looking for info on how to get a visa and its cost for 13 days in Mada. I’ve read that you can get the visa directly at Ivato, but what’s the price for the length of my stay? Also, can you pay in euros? Thanks for your tips and advice—they’re always welcome and super helpful.