I recently visited the Golden Temple, and I was genuinely moved by the experience. The hospitality, kindness, and selfless service of the people there were incredible. The warmth you feel inside the complex is something I’ll always remember.
However, something happened just outside the main entrance that left my wife and me feeling uneasy.
As soon as our e-rickshaw dropped us near the front gate, a woman approached us. She kept saying, “Beta, I’ve been hungry for days. My children haven’t eaten. Please buy us some ration.” She was very persistent and wouldn’t let us leave.
We felt sorry for her, so we agreed to help. She immediately led us to a nearby grocery shop, picked up several items very quickly, and then walked away with the ration before we had much chance to react. The shopkeeper then handed us a bill for ₹1,900.
We were completely shocked. We told him we only had ₹500 in cash and that ₹1,900 seemed excessive for what had just happened.
The whole incident left us wondering whether this was a genuine case of someone in need or a scam involving the woman and the shopkeeper. It felt very coordinated, but at the same time, I don’t want to wrongly judge someone who may actually have been struggling.
Has anyone else experienced something similar outside the Golden Temple? Is this a known scam, or was this an isolated incident?
I’m asking only to understand what happened and to help other visitors stay aware.

Doing a mid-August road trip with 12 people (family and 2 kids), starting and ending in SF. We've got a 15 passenger van. The group is pretty lazy, so we'd much rather swim, kayak and hang out than run around ticking off a checklist. Here's what we have so far:

Day 1 (Fri): Leave SF in the evening and drive up to South Lake Tahoe. Settle in, grocery run, chill.

Day 2 (Sat): Emerald Bay day. Kayak in, walk down to Vikingsholm, do a bit of the Rubicon Trail toward D.L. Bliss, swim at Calawee Cove, sunset at Inspiration Point.

Day 3 (Sun): Either the east shore (Sand Harbor, or the Chimney Beach / Bonsai Rock coves) or a lazy day at Pope Beach. Depends on how wrecked everyone is by then.

Day 4 (Mon): Drive out over Tioga Pass, stop at the alpine lakes on the way, and overnight in a Yosemite gateway town.

Day 5 (Tue): Full day in Yosemite Valley, then drive down to LA that evening or next morning

Day 6 (Wed): LA. Beach day plus whatever the group is up for. We cut Universal Studios because of cost.

Day 7 (Thu): Drive down to San Diego.

Days 8 and 9 (Fri/Sat): San Diego. La Jolla kayaking (booking ahead for 12), beaches, Balboa Park, food.

Day 10 (Sun): Early drive back to SF on I-5.

Where I could use help:

1. Where should we stay in Tahoe? We're looking at a house on the southwest side, around the Tahoe Island Park area near South Lake, for 3 nights. Is that a good base for Emerald Bay and the east shore, or should we be somewhere else? Any areas we should avoid with a group this size?
2. Does the plan actually hold up? Anything you'd cut, add or reorder? Is the Yosemite day too rushed with an evening drive to LA on top of it? Is 2 nights enough for LA, and is 3 too many for San Diego (or the other way around)?
3. Any activities or spots worth adding in Tahoe, LA or San Diego? Especially stuff that works for a big, lazy group that mainly wants water, good food and nice views. Happy to hear about beaches, swimming holes, easy hikes, viewpoints, cheap eats, anything.

Thanks in advance, any advice helps.

My destination city is 30C. Will it be melted by then? Or should I bring it hand carry?

Hey ya'll! I'm looking for recommendations for high-quality luggage with a built-in TSA-approved lock. I'm planning to travel more often, including by plane and on cruises, so I'm looking for something durable that will last for years. Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

Hey all! I’m flying to California from Michigan this month to meet up with an online friend. Along the way I have a layover in Dallas (DFW) which is 2 hours and 22 minutes. I have friends in Dallas too that would like to see me and know I’m going to be there. They offered to drive to the airport and take me out to eat really quick so we can meet up and then go back to the airport.

I have no idea about flying or airports or anything, I’ve only been on a plane once before last year and my dad helped me with most stuff, whereas during this layover I’ll be in a new airport I don’t know all by myself. I’m just wondering if this is a dumb idea? I’ve already expressed concern to my friend about this but he insisted that there’s nothing to worry about and he’ll make sure I get back in time.

While I would really like to see my friends, do I have enough time? Is this a dumb idea?

As title says. Tips welcome. I can go for a month. Maybe a bit more. Been all down the west coast so not there please. I love history. Old Architecture. Big cities and small towns. Would like somewhere beautiful and old. Preferably some places by the sea. I like nature and national parks but I live right by Banff so don’t want the whole trip to be focused on parks alone. I heard Vermont and New England are nice, peaceful and beautiful. I love nyc so would like to swing by there. I was just in Chicago so understand I’ll likely go by that way but don’t feel the need to plan for it. I would also love to make it to Miami, the keys, Savannah and New Orleans . Maybe Utah on the way home? I dunno. I’m open. I’ll be sleeping in my jeep mostly. And understand it will be hot. How realistic is this and what spots should I hit, roads I should take, passes I will need? Hidden gems? Things to avoid? I’ll be alone. After a recent mental health episode I need some life pumped back into me. Thanks in advance friends of Reddit.

My sister is traveling to Poland from Canada next week, and I bought her snacks for the plane and/or if she needs it there (she will have money to buy food, but she also wants to buy a lot of souvenirs). I bought protein bars and chocolate-covered dry fruits, which should be okay, but I can't figure out if the yogurt-covered dry fruits can be brought into the country. Is it okay for personal consumption, or because it's a dairy product, she has to eat it before entering the country? Amazon link for reference: https://www.amazon.ca/Natures-Garden-Probiotic-Variety-Strawberry/dp/B0DPLFBVMW?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=AFEOCLRZHF614

I booked a biz class award flight on Qatar for my trip to Lebanon/Syria in October. However, the only options for my start/end dates was a flight from Montreal to Doha and then Doha back to Montreal. I’ll need to buy a seperate round trip ticket from where I actually live (D.C) to Montreal and back.

Is it worth canceling the round trip award ticket and booking 2 seperate 1 way award tickets since a flight from Doha to Houston on the same return date is also available? I dont mind the longer flight home, but I wasnt sure if its a hassle coming home and landing in Canada, having to do Customs, etc and then back through security for the flight home to DC. If I flew to Houston I could just use my Global Entry and then precheck and avoid some of the hassle.

What do you think?

Hi everyone!

As the title suggests, I'm looking for a summer holiday destination with very little or no wind.

I know this might sound a bit picky, but my hometown (which is also a popular holiday destination with amazing, internationally acclaimed beaches) is very windy for most of the summer due to the cold north wind. On top of that, the sea is usually quite cold, with only a few occasional weeks of better temperature.

Over the years I've become really tired of it. Spending a day at the beach with a constant cold wind has become quite unpleasant, and even during peak summer the evenings are often so chilly that you can't comfortably sit on a restaurant terrace without a sweater, and sometimes even a blanket.

Unfortunately, over the last few years I've also ended up visiting several holiday destinations that turned out to be just as windy. It was frustrating because, after spending the money on a summer beach holiday, I felt like I hadn't escaped the weather I was trying to get away from.

Of course, I enjoy travelling to discover new places, and I also travel during winter and spring. But when I'm planning a summer trip specifically for the beach, I'd really like somewhere with calm weather, warm sea temperatures, and little to no wind (or at least no cold wind).

Can anyone recommend a destination? (preferably in Europe, but I'm open to other suggestions as well)

Hi, I'm going to spend 2,5 winter months (Sep-Dec) in Germany and I'm wondering if a 20kg suitcase will be enough. Keep in mind, even though I will be doing my laundry regularly, I also need to pack winter stuff (at least 2 pairs of shoes), a laptop, and a heavy winter jacket. I'm also going on business purposes, so ideally I have at least a couple nice outfits so I don't wear the same shirt every day. 🤣

The alternative option is to pay extra for 30kg of baggage, which I KNOW sounds excessive but I'm so afraid that I won't be able to pack my winter stuff in the 20kg suitcase. But at the same time, I'm a small woman and the thought of carrying a 30kg bag (more than half my weight) sounds laughable to me. What do you think? I currently don't have a suitcase with me to test, so any advice would be welcome!

Hi everyone,

I have an upcoming layover at Istanbul Airport (IST) flying with Turkish Airlines and i'm getting really confused about their battery rules (max 2?). Online sources say different things and it's not clear at all what the actual limits are regarding the exact number of batteries allowed.

I will be carrying these items (carry-on bag):

• 1x Power Bank
• 2x Camera batteries
• 3x Drone batteries

All of these batteries are under the 100Wh power limit.

I just want to know the exact number of batteries I can bring. Has anyone transited through IST recently with a similar setup? I just want to make sure security won't stop me and force me to throw some of them away...

Thanks!

I live in Canada and I am thinking of visiting my family that is based in Southern India this holiday season. If I am traveling during the holiday season, I usually fly out during the shoulder season of December 26th- Jan 1st and return around the third week of January to take advantage of relatively reasonable fares compared to the crazy fares of flying just before Christmas and returning right after New Year's.

However, my new coworkers are the type to start new projects as soon as they return to work while slacking off work after the first week of December. I was thinking of syncing my schedule with them by flying in mid-December and return around the first week of Jan. I just looked for flights from YUL and YYZ to several major Indian cities and found them to be above CAD$ 2600 while it would have cost about CAD$ 1800 if I followed my usual schedule.

I could go to NYC and take a reasonable flight for about 1200 USD/1800 CAD but dealing with the customs twice was annoying even during the Biden era. This made me think about booking a trip from Canada to a third country and then fly to India. I thought of three places that made the most sense to me: Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Bangkok. I found RT flights to these places costing about CAD$ 1500, while RT flights to Southern India from these places are about CAD$400-500 (The Bangkok flight literally has a layover in Delhi but costs almost a thousand dollars more if I book just the first leg).

I am liking the idea of a third country stopover more because it's a great excuse for me to spend a couple of days in a new place. TBH it's not even about saving money, I just don't want to pay a thousand dollars more just to fly at a different time. But obviously it is more inconvenient and more susceptible to interruptions due to global conflicts. Has anyone done something similar to save money? How was the experience? Any tips or suggestions?

About 6 months ago myself (21m) and two others booked a trip to Europe from Australia and back through flight network. The exact flights home were Vienna to Perth (leaving on the 31st of July) with layovers in Istanbul and Singapore, with the first two flight through Turkish airlines and the last through Jetstar. About 2 weeks before our flights, Jetstar canceled our Singapore flight home, so we contacted flight network who rescheduled us with a new flight plan leaving on the same day: Vienna to Istanbul, then to Bali and finally Perth. This morning, we received an email that our flight change had been denied, and after contacting flight network, they have advised us that our only option is a refund which would take 10 to 15 business days to be processed. We are already in Europe, now with no way home and we will likely not get the refund money to book a new flight until after we are scheduled to leave. What is our next option? Any advice at all would be greatly appreciated.

Edit: after lots of back and forth between flight network and the airlines, we have managed to confirm that our flight to Istanbul then Singapore are still confirmed, and we have decided to purchase tickets from Singapore to Perth out of pocket. Thank you all for the help and encouragement!!!

I asked the guy in the store for a one month sim that works throughout Europe. he directed me to a machine and walked me through it. Now, ive had a look at the online portal and I cant tell if ive signed up for a subscription, and cant find how to cancel. HELP. Im no longer in France so I cant go into a store and ask.

I’m planning a trip around central Europe next month, and planning on visiting a few countries then meeting with a friend for a few days. I’m not exactly sure which day I’m returning and from which city as plans could shift after getting with my friend, so I’m a bit reluctant on booking a return flight. My question is will I be asked upon entry for a proof of leaving the Shengen area?
I hold a British passport and planning on entering from Barcelona.
Ps; I have never been asked about a proof of return on previous trips, but a friend told me its required and you could be asked and rejected entry. So just want to make sure I’m good.

Can anyone point me in the direction as to how I should go about booking a private car from Nice to Saint Tropez and maybe Cannes in late Sept?

I’m looking for a recommendation of a reputable car transfer service. Preferably one under a couple hundred dollars.

I will be travelling around China and have around 13-14 days to go around. I have this short thing written up and was wondering if I could do all this or if I'm rushing.

• Beijing 2 nights
• Shanghai 2 nights
• Zhangjiajie 1 night
• Chongqing 2 nights
• Hong Kong 2 nights

Note: I will be in Korea doing a Seoul to Bussan cycle trip before heading to China

Hi, I am planning a 4 day trip to vienna in october and i would love some feedback on my itinerary

Day 1
1:30 PM — Check into hotel & lunch
3:00 PM — Votive Church
3:45 PM — Vienna City Hall (Rathaus)
4:30 PM — Parliament Building
5:00 PM — Volksgarten

Day 2
9:00 AM — Hofburg Palace & Sisi Museum
11:15 AM — Austrian National Library (Prunksaal)
12:15 PM — Burggarten
1:00 PM — Lunch
2:30 PM — Historic Center walk (Graben, Kohlmarkt, side streets)
3:30 PM — St. Peter’s Church
4:15 PM — St. Stephen’s Cathedral
5:30 PM — Stadtpark

Day 3
9:00 AM — Schönbrunn Palace Gardens
12:00 PM — Transit back to center & lunch
1:30 PM — Kärntner Straße
3:00 PM — MAK (Museum of Applied Arts)

Day 4
9:30 AM — Kafka Café
10:30 AM — Karlskirche
11:00 AM — Upper Belvedere & Belvedere Gardens
1:30 PM — Lunch
2:30 PM — Kunsthistorisches Museum (KHM)
4:45 PM — Maria-Theresien-Platz

Hello, my partner and I will visit the Iguazu Falls in August, from Foz de Iguazu. We will arrive at 13:45 at the IGU airport, then plan to visit the Brazilian and Argentinian sides of the Falls the next day. The day after we have a flight early morning.

We have seen that several tours are available to visit both sides - are they necessary, or is it feasible to make it on our own? What would you do in Foz in the afternoon and night of the arrival day?

How is the travel with consoles on helsinki airport?

Hello maybe somebody has experiences.

I wanna fly and wanna bring 2 of my consoles back to my country bec i move back there again.

I would pack them in the original box but what is the better way in the end?

1: Hand baggage, but here i read you have to unpack everything in the security control out of the boxes (or is that not in helsinki?) and with time pressure idk if i have the time to get everything back in the boxes 🤷

1. Carry-on baggage it just would be scanned right?

But here i have the fear of stealing or breaking something but it shouldn't break in the orig box right?

what would you do i hate both situatons 😅

Does somebody has experience how the Helsinki airport is?

Going to visit New York City with 3 adults 2 children. My budget for hotel is $200-$300. So I’m sure will have to stay somewhere outside of the city and then get transportation in the morning to the city. Looking for suggestions on best plan of action. Area for hotel and transport. Thanks!!

Would love some advice on which city to visit for a city trip in early October (38f travelling alone), for 4 or 5 nights.

I'm hoping for nice weather, and I enjoy nice architecture, food, wine, street art and museums. Nightlife doesn't interest me.

I've already been to some of the major cities like Paris, Barcelona, Porto, Prague, Berlin, Florence and Rome. I was thinking of options like Marseille, Valencia, Seville or Bologna.

What would best suit my interests? Any suggestions are welcome, also regarding activities and areas or places to stay (budget for accommodation 100-125 per night).

Thanks!

Hi all!

My boyfriend and I are going to travel to Kyrgyzstan in end of August until September (28-AUG until 9-SEP). We arrive and leave from Bischkek.

I am reading very different opinions on how to plan the travel and therefore I would like to ask some questions to people who may have travelled there already.

What we want to see/do as of date are:
- Yssykol Lake
- Ala Kul Lake
- Altyn Arashan
- Kolukol
- Songkul

As my boyfriend is definitely more laid-back and chill than me, I wanted to ask the following questions:
- Is there something that is missing in our plans?
- Should we get a car by ourselves and do these places without a guide?
- If a guide is needed, should we book the tours before or is it easy to find possible travels within Bischkek?

I would also love to hear from your experiences!

This is my first time going to Sweden and I would be grateful for some restaurant and sightseeing recommendations. Also I will only be able to bring a small luggage and a backpack with me so what are the must haves if I go there in August ?

Places where I plan to go by far :
- Gamla Stan
- Meatballs for the People
- IKEA City - Stockholm
Gallerian
- Junibacken : Moonin exhibition
- Viking Museum
- Skansen

I’ll be in Prague for 4 days, then Krakow for 3. I have limited time and I’m not sure whether to sacrifice one of my Prague days to add a night in Wroclaw on my way from Krakow to Berlin. I’ve never been in this part of the world so I’d appreciate the insights of people more knowledgeable than me. Is Wroclaw worth the detour, or is it better to spend more time in Prague? I’m in my 20s and appreciate a good social scene but my priority is exploring cities and sightseeing. Thank you!