Discussions started by Patoon

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

Hi VF community,

I’m planning a week in S.F. in April 2026 and I can’t figure out how to tell the cable cars—of which I understand there are three lines—apart from the trams, which I think number seven. I can’t find their individual numbers or routes anywhere.

Could someone shed some light on this for me? Thanks in advance.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2026 full of amazing travels. Cheers, Régine

Hello fellow travelers,

I’m considering a road trip (rental car) to explore the Canadian Rockies in September 2026, starting in Calgary and ending with about 10 days in Vancouver and the surrounding area. (Two weeks in the Rockies and a little under two weeks in Vancouver and nearby.)

I’d like to say that being a woman traveling alone doesn’t really bother me. That’s not the issue. Being a woman is just how it is, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon, but traveling solo is something I could fix by finding travel companions. However, I had a not-so-great experience in India with two girls who were total strangers at first and turned out to be quite annoying, so I’m a bit put off by the idea now.

My question is simple, assuming I do this trip alone: is it worth sticking *only* to driving? I have **zero** sense of direction—with a map, I’m hopeless. So, is it realistic to think, "With my GPS, I’ll just drive from Calgary to Vancouver and see what I see," since I don’t see myself hiking alone? I’m not easily scared, but I wouldn’t feel confident doing that solo. Unless all the sightseeing is done with a guide (but then, hello, the cost—my budget isn’t exactly overflowing).

What do you all think? Thanks for taking the time to read this. Take care and happy travels. Cheers, Régine

Hello my fellow globetrotters, could anyone tell me how to find the French colonial cemetery in Pondicherry? It seems tricky to locate.

Thanks so much for your help! Take care, pace yourselves, and travel far.

Cheers, Régine

Hello all my fellow globetrotters, I’m heading to Kerala this coming January. I was wondering if any of you have ever managed to visit the inside of the famous Padmanabhapuram Temple, which is off-limits to non-Hindus? I know there’s a way to request special permission to enter, but I could really use your insights.

Thanks so much in advance. Take care and enjoy exploring our beautiful planet.

Best regards, Régine

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

Hello everyone, and a big THANK YOU to all the travelers who took the time to reply to my last post and tell me that doing South India in 28 days was a sweet utopia. My dear friends, you were absolutely right. After 4 days in Goa, I settled for exploring all of Karnataka and its beautiful UNESCO-listed temples, and I loved it. Kerala and Tamil Nadu will have to wait until next year when I can take 6 weeks off.

But the purpose of this post is to ask you which guide or website would be best to prepare for the BLUES TRAIL I’d like to do in September or October 2025 over a month: 3 weeks to travel the route, enjoy Nashville a bit too, and the last week to explore Louisiana. I saw that *Le Routard* has a guide on Louisiana. Where else can I find more info?

Thanks so much for your help. Take care of yourselves and happy travels. Régine

Hello, I’m planning a trip to South India for 5 or 6 weeks. If there are three or four of us, we could rent a car, which would make things faster, and the planned route might only take a month instead of a month and a half. Since it’s impossible to do everything, I’m prioritizing ** and *** backpacker spots, as well as UNESCO sites.

I’m not really into beach destinations. I’m thinking of skipping Madras (Chennai) from the itinerary since there isn’t much that’s amazing to see there.

As for GOA, I’m much more interested in Old Goa (monuments and atmosphere) than the beaches of Goa.

The dates aren’t set in stone yet. I don’t have my flight ticket yet either. I’d like to leave around January 15th and return in mid or late February 2025.

Don’t hesitate to reach out if the project appeals to you. We can then chat via personal email and later on WhatsApp video. I’m not looking for people who talk non-stop, are overly sensitive, or high-strung. Might as well be upfront about it to avoid any disappointments. 😉

Best regards, Régine from Lyon. (66 years young but 45 in my head 😏)

bonjour,

Je vais avoir une escale de 13 h entre 7 h et 20 h à Dubai lundi prochain 19 février. J'ai déjà payé mon billet pour la Burj Khalifa, je pense prendre un ticket à la journée pour le métro, quelques taxis, mais je ne ferai pas de shopping, juste me promener, une balade en abra, et le repas de midi, bref j'ai besoin de savoir combien j'emporte comme argent. J'en ai pas la moindre idée.

Merci pour votre aide. Régine

Bonjour à tous,

Je vais faire sourire sûrement, mais bon , un moment de honte est vite passé, c'est pas grave 😉

Je ne pense pas être du style à me noyer dans un verre d'eau....mais voilà j'ai besoin de votre aide tout simplement pour préparer un voyage de 2 ou 3 mois, voire plus. En fait la durée du voyage importe peu, ce qui m'empêche de partir longtemps c'est l'impression de ne pas savoir faire ma check-list de choses à faire en France AVANT de partir pour longtemps. (régler les factures qd on n'est plus là pour ouvrir la BAL, payer les impôts, etc etc)

Bon allez vous avez le droit de vous marrer, mais please aidez-moi, que faites-vous vous avant de partir longtemps ? A quoi ressemble votre chek-list ?

Merci pour votre aide.

Bien à vous. Régine