Hi there! 🙂 I’m trying to get tickets and audio guides in FRENCH that *actually* work for visiting the Acropolis of Lindos in RHODES on September 19, 2025.

The official site isn’t great at all! Senior ticket bookings don’t work, and French audio guides??

They’re not cooperative at all.

Thanks in advance for the help!

Hi there. I hold a 60-day C1 visa obtained online in early April, and I’ve been in Indonesia since April 14th. I’d like to extend my visa, something I thought was possible online under the same conditions as when I got the visa—but oh no! I realize first that I can’t find my visa on the immigration website with the requested details (passport number, date of birth, nationality)... and also that it seems a sponsor is required for the C1 visa, not only for the extension but even for the initial visa application, which wasn’t asked of me before!!!! So, I’m wondering how I should go about getting this extension... Has anyone gone through this experience? What solutions might there be, given I only have two weeks left to sort this out... Thanks for your helpful feedback

Hi there,

Hi, I just bought a flight ticket on eDreams. My account was debited, but I haven’t received the tickets. I checked my spam folder, but no luck. Could you provide me with a contact number or a link to their site so I can file a complaint? Alternatively, if anyone has a solution, I’d be interested in getting a refund. I contacted my bank, but since the amount has already been debited, what can they do? Thanks in advance!

hi, we’re heading to Malaysia in July and I’ve booked the hotel in Langkawi for the five of us. I can’t seem to reserve the ferry from Kuala Perlis to Langkawi? Can I buy the tickets on the spot before boarding the ferry? Thanks for your tips!

Hi everyone, Preparing for a new trip, we're looking for info on transporting our bikes with Kuwait Airways. As usual, the conditions aren't very clear on their website. Has anyone traveled with this airline before and have any tips to share? Have a great day, Nathalie

I’m counting on you to help me update my blog escalescroisiere.fr—check out my post here: https://voyageforum.com/forum/renseignements-escales-croisiere-mettre-jour-blog-d10709629/ For moderation: this is where this post is useful, not in the blogs that no one reads.

Hi, We’re heading to Mexico this summer and thinking of visiting Palenque. How much time should we allocate there? We plan to spend a day exploring the archaeological site. We’d also love to see some waterfalls—like Agua Azul, Misol-Ha, and Roberto Barrios Falls. Are these spots far from Palenque?

In the summer, is it possible to swim? I’ve read that the water can get pretty muddy due to frequent rains this time of year.

Any other excursion or hiking suggestions? Thanks

Hi there, I’m interested in guides and maps for the Vienna/Budapest and Budapest/Belgrade stretches. We’re planning to leave from Passau to Belgrade in early August.

Hi there,

I'm looking for advice on booking a boat from Padang Bai (Bali) to Gili Meno. It's for August.

Which company? Which website to book on? Are there any companies that go straight to Meno (without changing boats at another Gili)? Or is it better to do it in two legs?

Thanks for your helpful tips

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 climb to the top of Vesuvius by taking the bus from Herculaneum. I’ve figured out how to get there, but what I can’t quite work out is whether I *have* to book on their website or if I can just show up without a reservation. Thanks!

Hi everyone! We’ve booked a cruise on the Costa Smeralda for early November 2025 (ports of call: Barcelona, Cagliari, Naples, Civitavecchia-Rome, Genoa). This is our first cruise, so I need your help for some sightseeing tips. I checked Costa’s website for excursions, but the prices are pretty steep! I saw that it’s possible to get a Costa Go Round ticket with multiple stops—this seems really practical for some destinations. Has anyone tried it? How does it work? Is it useful for seeing several sites in the city? If you have any tips for sightseeing without blowing our budget for 3 people, I’d love to hear them. Thanks so much! :)

Hi everyone,

So happy to discover by chance that VoyageForum is back! We’re leaving in a few days for Thailand with our two kids, aged 12 and 15. We’re considering stopping by Khao Sok but don’t want to do a typical 2D/1N or 3D/2N excursion with an overnight stay on the lake—it’s way out of our budget 🤪. Still, the place seems worth the detour. We’ve planned to spend 2 nights there (arriving in the late afternoon on the first day) and I’d love to do a full-day private boat tour on the lake and a hike (half-day or full-day). Do you think it’s doable to book on the spot if we arrive a bit late on the first day? Or is it better to book in advance? None of the websites for booking these services inspire confidence—I get the feeling it’s a real lottery afterward for getting an interesting and friendly guide. But I’m worried it’ll be the same on-site since everything seems so standardized. Do you have any firsthand experience? Maybe even a Facebook contact or something for a guide? Are the prices still really that expensive if we don’t stay overnight on the lake? I’ll admit I’m not sure if we should even stop there anymore...

Thanks in advance!

Marmite

Hi, after a flight delayed by more than 24 hours, can I file a compensation claim with the airline (where they told me they’re in financial trouble!) and at the same time with a specialized compensation claim website?

Thanks for the replies. I'm looking for a bus that takes me from Colca Canyon to Arequipa—I can’t find anything online (I only see Chivay to Puno, but I’m doing it the other way around).

Hello,

We’re heading to Thailand this summer with our kids and would love to visit Kui Buri National Park. However, after checking the park’s website, it looks like there are no available slots for the days we’ll be there (July 22–24): https://www.thainationalparks.com/kui-buri-national-park/guided-tours/kui-buri-wildlife-safari So, I’m wondering if we *have* to book through them to access the park? (I had the same question for Kaeng Krachan.)

Thanks in advance, and have a great day! Bruno

Hi there, we're planning to spend a few days in Corfu and then a week in the surrounding area, and we were wondering if southern Albania is worth visiting. Could we explore it in a week from Corfu? Thanks

Hello everyone! This trip dates back to late 2021, but since Voyage Forum reopened for writing, I haven’t seen many travel journals about Tanzania, so I decided to repost this one, which I originally shared on another well-known travelers’ site—even though I prefer Voyage Forum’s user experience. It’s also a chance for me to relive this exhilarating trip... So, if you’re up for it, let me take you on a classic adventure: Tarangire - Ngorongoro - Serengeti, plus a little bonus—the small Arusha Park. First off, yes, as the title of this journal suggests, we were lucky enough to spot *tons* of lions. The power they exude is incredible, even if most of the time they just look like big cats napping or strolling around. But lock eyes with one, and you’ll be glad you’re in the jeep.

But let’s not forget the rest of the wildlife—and the landscapes, which are absolutely stunning, with those iconic tree silhouettes.







I remember before leaving, I was a little worried I wouldn’t feel that same sense of wonder I’d experienced two years earlier in Botswana (see my travel journal). That fear was unfounded—the magic worked its charm once again! Note: Since we had limited time, we focused our trip entirely on safari, so this journal is 100% animals and landscapes—and 0% Maasai. Next post: TARANGIRE

Hi there, we’ve planned our itinerary, but how does it work on the ground for getting a taxi? For example, we want to go to Borobudur Temple for sunrise—how do we get a taxi that early? Same question for other cities—is there a website to contact a taxi? We don’t want organized tours. We’re used to renting a car, but we’re a bit lost here... Thanks so much for your help!

Hi there, I’m facing a rather unusual issue with SAUDI AIRLINES. I booked a flight to Jakarta with a layover in Jeddah for July directly on their website on February 25th, paying for our three tickets via PAYPAL. I quickly received confirmation that my flight was booked and our e-tickets were issued. However, after several days, I noticed we were never charged for the tickets, and I saw on our PayPal account that the payment authorization was still pending.

At first, I chalked it up to cross-border or banking delays… but since I use PayPal often and the debit from my bank account is usually almost immediate, I called PayPal. They told me that neither they nor I had anything more to do: when a transaction is paid using their solution, the payment is systematically validated by the seller before the transaction (an automated process, I imagine). However, PayPal confirmed that SAUDI hadn’t done this and that they had a month to do so, otherwise the transaction would be canceled by PAYPAL and SAUDI wouldn’t receive the funds. There must have been a technical glitch because normally, I shouldn’t have received the tickets until they had received the payment.

Given the reviews I’ve read about their customer service, I’m worried they might cancel our tickets without notice once they realize their mistake—or that they’ll ask us to pay the amount at that point (since the closer we get to the date, the higher the price goes).

So, I’ve been trying to contact them nonstop via their app (I’ve submitted about 10 tickets), I’ve called them, messaged them on Messenger and Instagram, and so far, I haven’t gotten any response. Either they don’t read my message to the end and just reply that the flight is confirmed + resend the tickets, or more recently, they tell me the issue is being handled by another department. We tried calling them again on Saturday, but no luck—the French-speaking agents were always busy. On Messenger, they keep asking for the secret code sent by SMS at the start of the conversation, but of course, I never receive anything even though my number is correctly registered in my SAUDI account.

I don’t know what else to do, and I’m not sure if I’m right to worry they might cancel our tickets.

I’m afraid this could jeopardize our dream trip, for which I’ve already booked hotels and activities… and we were really looking forward to it.

I hope you can shed some light on this?

Thanks for taking the time to read this

Hi there, I made my bungalow reservations in Kruger Park through Sanparks. I’ve sent several emails but never gotten a response from them. It’s not possible to reach them via WhatsApp, and calling them costs an arm and a leg 😱. Have you had the same experience with Sanparks? Their website is pretty well done—they boast about giving the best care to questions people ask them, but when it comes to email responses... it’s a ghost town 😕

Hi there, For our upcoming trip to China, we're planning to get around by bus and train. For trains, we found a few sites, including: https://www.travelchinaguide.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoqfiOqfmBSYlDwjPCXo4nkF7uF3ILYs_o3wlLu9uBy7gC7iN-2C, and for buses: https://www.chinabusguide.com/ but the latter site isn’t very complete. Have any of you tried other sites? Thanks for your help! Alod

Hello, I’m flying with a 1-year-old baby.

Hi there, and thanks for accepting my post. Can I check a lightweight stroller and a hiking baby carrier for free with Ryanair?

Best regards, Franck

Hi! I’d like to cycle from Basel to Budapest in August and then take the train back to Besançon. Which website should I use to book, and how far in advance do I need to reserve my tickets?

Thanks for your help!

Hi there,

I’m looking into renting a 4x4 for Costa Rica, and like many, I’m a bit lost... I know there can be differences between what’s booked and the sales pressure at the airport to sell you mandatory insurance.

On the Booking site, I found an option for a vehicle at 642 € (with a Genius discount—I’ve attached the rate details, it’s unbeatable) for 16 days, plus a 126 € option that claims to cover everything. Total: 756 €. But how can I be sure it *really* covers everything? I can’t find any info, and there are no other insurance options at checkout. And what amount should I expect if they try to add some random insurance on the spot?

When you're trying to travel with your bike, SNCF sometimes tells you there's no solution, even though you could combine TGVs, TETs, and TERs.

- We used to check the Swiss CFF website https://www.sbb.ch/fr,

but it’s become useless since the "bike" option for France was removed.

- Next, we go to the Deutsche Bahn website https://www.bahn.com/fr, which has a "bike" option that combines TGVs, TETs (IC), and TERs. Then, you can either: - Buy the ticket directly on the Deutsche Bahn site, or - Note all the trains in the itinerary and, to use your discount cards, go to the SNCF website to purchase all the necessary tickets. The Deutsche Bahn site lets you adjust connection times in the "details" of an itinerary if the suggested one seems too short. I’ve found that 10 minutes is really risky—delays, crowds on the platform making it hard to move quickly, not to mention the line for the elevator and navigating an unfamiliar station. Still, it’s best to double-check that each train allows bikes.

- Now, thanks to the site "Biclous et bidouilles," check it out here:

https://biclousetbidouilles.com/un-site-en-or-pour-voyager-en-ter/

I discovered this site, which helps calculate bike-friendly routes in France:

https://www.horaires-de-trains.fr/horaires-ter.html

I gave it a quick test, but it seems limited to TERs—too bad, since the ideal is to combine all available train options.

One pitfall to avoid: always make sure you’re still on https://www.horaires-de-trains.fr/horaires-ter.html and haven’t accidentally switched to https://www.horaires-de-trains.fr/.

These days, SNCF is gradually converting all its TGVs to INOUI. Normally, they all have bike spaces, so these workarounds might not be needed much longer.

Hi everyone, has anyone been to Shingwezi Camp in the northern part of Kruger Park? I read on the SanParks website that the drive from Phalaborwa Gate to Shingwezi Camp takes 12 hours🤯. Can anyone confirm this? When I check Google Maps, it shows a 5-hour trip?? Thanks for your replies 😅

Hi there, We’re planning to visit the Forbidden City during our trip in early May 2025 (after the May 1st holidays). We tried booking tickets through this site: https://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/beijing/forbidden.htm But we’re having issues with our credit card payment, even though we didn’t have any problems booking train tickets during our last trip to China in October and November 2024. Has anyone else run into this kind of issue? Which booking site would you recommend? Thanks for your tips! Alod

Hi, Disconnected from all browsers, on all devices (but of course logged back in to post this message), I still appear online and active.

What I mean is, when I refresh (while logged out) the "who's online" page, my profile doesn’t move down the list... it even regularly jumps back to the top as if I were active on the site.

I’ve checked several times...

Any explanation?

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