If I show you a neighborhood in Paris, can you tell me how safe it is for a family with kids?
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posted by crapples
on Jul 22, 2012 -
12 answers
I'm a travel novice about to embark on a world tour with a deliberately fuzzy itinerary. Help me navigate the mysterious badlands of interacting with immigration & customs officials, rogue cops, and hostel mates. Time-saving travel "hacks" for quickening the visa approval process are also greatly appreciated.
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posted by identitymap
on Mar 28, 2012 -
22 answers
I need to travel from Boston, MA to Detroit, MI to visit my family this Christmas break. I'm faced with three options - fly, bus, or drive. I have a severe peanut allergy, so I'm trying to choose the safest option for me (with a preference for shorter travel times). In particular, how safe might Greyhound bus and United Airlines be for the peanut-allergic? Fellow allergics, would wearing a surgical mask help? Personal stories welcome.
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posted by Earl the Polliwog
on Dec 4, 2011 -
29 answers
A follow-up to
this question. Protecting a car full of my belongings while driving cross country for several days: complications: musical instruments, computer gear and cat. How?
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posted by Lutoslawski
on Sep 20, 2011 -
27 answers
Describe your experience traveling semi-adventurously (developing country, language barriers, etc) with a very small infant, like a few weeks old small. Specifically concerned with health and safety issues but also comfort and parental sanity.
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posted by Slarty Bartfast
on Sep 19, 2011 -
29 answers
Travelers of Latin America! Help me understand the current general safety/travel risk in Mexico City relative to other places I know well (Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo Lima, and Tacna/Arica). There's a lot of news about what's going on in the north but I know less about the DF and how it measures up - in statistics or "feeling" - against other areas. Do you know the DF and one of the other areas? What should I know?
Mostly, this is to help my mom feel better about the idea of my visiting for 7-10 days. [more inside]
posted by n y my
on Aug 24, 2011 -
5 answers
Mom is in Istanbul now, flying to Athens on Saturday for 5 days. She's heard about civil unrest/protests in Athens recently. The news reports I've found (which aren't many) describe a 24-hour general strike yesterday, with shutdown of public transportation, flights, and other services. She knows to steer clear of any protests, don't talk politics, etc, but what else should she know?
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posted by jshort
on May 12, 2011 -
18 answers
Childproofing hacks for traveling? I'll be traveling in Mexico with my 2yo and 5.5yo, staying in a variety of places (rental houses, condos, B&Bs, and hotels). Given my experience with hotels in general, I think I'll need to childproof on the spot without knowing in advance what the trouble spots are and without having access to lots of supplies. Will the traveling parents of MeFi lend me their hacks?
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posted by Yoshimi Battles
on Feb 17, 2011 -
6 answers
My girlfriend and I are considering a trip to Egypt this November. The conventional wisdom seems to be that a visitor to Egypt is more likely to be bitten by a camel than be the victim of any violence. Is there any reason for special concern in light of the threatened boycotts of an election for Mubarak's successor or the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq, etc.? We're a white unmarried couple traveling on U.S. passports.
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posted by dam1975
on Sep 10, 2010 -
6 answers
I'm leaving for Bulgaria tomorrow with a bunch of professional radio/recording gear. Kindly lavish me with advice on getting there and back with all my equipment intact.
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posted by mykescipark
on Jul 29, 2010 -
5 answers
What's the best way to get from New York to Seattle without losing too much money (or my life) and possibly getting a great experience too?
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posted by divabat
on Jul 29, 2010 -
15 answers
Haven't been in NYC for a bunch of years...two female friends (mid 20s) on an overseas trip to the City are wondering if W 139th Street is an alright hood to stay in? I know Manhattan is more or less safe...but is there anything you could say that wouldn't recommend that they stay there?
posted by talljamal
on Jul 25, 2010 -
38 answers
What should I know before backpacking across South America? Experienced travelers' advice needed!
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posted by barbudo
on Apr 13, 2010 -
11 answers
Hot air balloon ride: I'm wondering if anyone has a good link to a comparison of accident or fatality statistics for hot air balloon travel compared with other modes of transportation. . . . something reassuring? Going with: http://balloonrides.com in Napa valley on Sunday. Girlfriend is tough, but somewhat afraid of heights!
posted by prettyboyfloyd
on Mar 11, 2010 -
7 answers
I'm heading off to Paris for four days, and I'm starting to get a bit nervous that I'll forget something important. I've never been to Paris, and I haven't been to Europe for fifteen years. I'll be staying by myself in a hotel in Arondissement 7.
I'm wondering if you can help me out with any last-minute tips or things I'm likely to have forgotten.
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posted by cider
on Oct 9, 2009 -
25 answers
I'm a Canadian (Ontario) citizen, currently living in Eastern Europe. I usually "register" with the Canadian govt. each time I live abroad, just because, well, you never know what might happen. But this time, I have a couple questions:
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posted by anonymous
on Mar 12, 2009 -
3 answers
South Africa filter: Any advice and recommendations for Cape Town and the garden route would be much appreciated.
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posted by latentflip
on Mar 12, 2009 -
11 answers
Is it safe to bring my Nikon SLR to Cuba? The depressed economy, and presence of hucksters makes me think not...
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posted by SNACKeR
on Feb 23, 2009 -
16 answers
Has anyone visited this Cartagena, Columbia, and can you offer any up-to-date advice regarding safety and the best places to visit on a one day cruise stop?
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posted by pianoboy
on Jan 1, 2009 -
8 answers
I'm going to be studying in Jerusalem next year, and I'd really like it if one of my friends could come and visit me. The only problem is her father - he is very resistant to the idea, and undoubtedly gets his concerns from the news - which we know has an awful tendency of sensationalizing things beyond recognition.
I was hoping you guys could help me put something together that she could show her father, to hopefully help assuage some of his fears. I mean, we're not planning on road-tripping down to Gaza or anything!
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posted by howgenerica
on May 24, 2008 -
10 answers
How to handle an international refundable payment so that all parties are satisfied?
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posted by Julnyes
on Apr 9, 2008 -
3 answers
Help me prove to my paranoid father that Morocco is a tolerably safe family vacation destination.
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posted by slowcat
on Apr 4, 2008 -
15 answers
How concerned do I need to be about my own safety when I visit New Orleans in early November? I'm a young woman, mostly touring the city alone.
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posted by sarahnade
on Oct 10, 2007 -
18 answers
Avoiding ruin at the ruins: tips for backpacking in the tropical rainforest of Chiapas, near Palenque? Am I gonna be kidnapped or eated?
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posted by Ambrosia Voyeur
on Aug 11, 2007 -
6 answers
I am about to go to Mexico City for 3 days. I am a white American 19-year-old and will be staying at
Hostel Catedral. I haven't taken Spanish since 6th grade, so my language skills are at phrasebook level. What should I do? And how worried should I be about safety?
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posted by jbb7
on Jun 6, 2007 -
20 answers
I'm considering a stop in Beirut for a few days in late April on my way back from Syria to the US. Any recommendations on things to see or places not to miss? On that note, things to be particularly careful about right now? Unfortunately my stay is limited to about 3 days.
posted by pranalaxmi
on Mar 22, 2007 -
2 answers
Is it safe to for a college student, who has never been to a "developing" country before to travel to Tibet to do an independent research project there?
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posted by matkline
on Feb 26, 2007 -
13 answers
Will I get attacked if I stay alone in a hostel? And other fun questions a very small woman has about solo travel in Europe.
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posted by crinklebat
on Feb 8, 2007 -
39 answers
I am taking a surf trip to costa rica. Because of the nature of the trip, I will not be able to keep important documents on my person for large chunks of time. Where can I put them so that they are secure?
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posted by |n$eCur3
on Dec 10, 2006 -
9 answers
My wife and I are taking our first vacation in years, but we have a 1.5 year old now. We're headed to Hawaii next month and I'm wondering what travel in cabs and buses is like with a baby. Are there small carseats we could travel with or should we suck it up and get a rental car ourselves (and risk the rampant break-ins I constantly hear about)?
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posted by mathowie
on Nov 24, 2006 -
12 answers
At the end of the month, I'll be heading to a certain country with, uh, a high level of military activity/insurgent activity to do humanitarian aid. I'm looking for protection.
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posted by quadrinary
on Jul 6, 2006 -
15 answers
Say you wanted to travel up into southern Sudan from northern Uganda - neither place very happy at the moment - sometime in the next year for a journalistic research project. Say you might even want to try going all the way down the Nile to Cairo. How might you go about this? Finding out specific safety issues, red tape/paperwork, etc.
posted by gottabefunky
on Jun 14, 2006 -
7 answers
Going to Bogota, Columbia for six weeks. What's the safety / internet situation like there? Got any tips for a newbie?
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posted by theNonsuch
on Mar 29, 2006 -
15 answers
I'm going to be travelling/out in public with my notebook computer a lot in the next month. Any tips? [more inside]
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posted by wackybrit
on Sep 27, 2004 -
12 answers
I want to drive solo from New York City to Seattle, taking a northern route. I am female, 35 years old. My family thinks I am absolutely insane to do this alone. The thought of having to make small talk for 2800 miles makes me want to weep. Is this trip really that dangerous? I have driven to Florida solo many times, and I have made a cross country trip (LA-NYC in 1991) before, so I have some idea what I am in for. I will have AAA, a cel phone, and probably a CB radio to stay in touch. Also, anyone offering any advice, tips, routes-- it would all be appreciated. Thank you!
posted by astruc
on Aug 4, 2004 -
43 answers
Okay, I'm leaving for Boise, Idaho (driving) tomorrow and I'd really like to know from people who live there or have been there if it really is as hazardous to black men who travel there as the stories all seem to go. Should I be scared? I'm already planning not to go anywhere without an escort.
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posted by Slimemonster
on Feb 18, 2004 -
10 answers
South Africa: Company wants us to move there. The question is, do we want to live there? The city is East London. We're a white gay couple (American and Belgian). How safe is it? How much an issue that we're gay and/or foreign? I've searched and asked around, too many conflicting reports.
posted by Goofyy
on Feb 7, 2004 -
8 answers
