Trip planning

The destination is chosen, and the questions have only multiplied. How many days to allow for a city, which transport to take from the airport, what to buy in advance, and what rights a passenger has when a flight is delayed. The "Trip planning" section brings together pieces that help you settle these questions before you leave. It has no articles of its own: all the content sits in five subsections.

The largest share of the material is about itineraries. These are plans for one, two or three days in specific cities: Barcelona, Prague, New York. There are day trips: Hakone from Tokyo, Petra from Amman, Garni Temple and Geghard from Yerevan, trips out of Rome. There are longer scenarios too: Israel by car, stops in Kenya, Interrail across Europe. Each plan states the order to walk it in and which tickets you need to buy ahead of time.

A separate block deals with getting around. We compare ways of traveling from city to city: the train from Rome to Naples, the route from Amsterdam to Brussels, the journey from Berlin to Munich, from Naples to the Amalfi Coast. We look at airports and the transfer to the center, in Nice and Colombo for example. We write about air travel in practical terms: choosing a seat on the plane, ticket refunds, compensation for delays, connections on a single booking.

The third group answers the questions that come up before you pack. These are the rules for a first trip to Bali, Phuket or Paris, car rental in Madeira, typhoon season in Japan, watching the northern lights. There are pieces on events where tickets are bought in advance: Hogmanay, Wacken Open Air. There are texts on cruises, bus tours, safaris with children, solo trips and ecotourism. We write about documents with care: what to do if you lose your passport and where to check requirements with official sources.

Every piece opens with a short answer to the main question. Practical blocks follow: tickets, transport, travel time, what to book ahead. We check prices and opening hours against official websites and name the source. Each piece carries the date it was checked. We are direct about the downsides: if one day is not enough to see everything, we say so. If exact figures are not available, we do not fill in approximate ones.

The section is meant for people who travel independently and put a trip together piece by piece. It works both for a first visit to a country and for an experienced traveler who needs one specific fact. If you are still choosing a destination and looking for inspiration, it will be less useful. We do not pick a trip for you: the texts help you make the decision yourself.

It is easiest to start with the journey. First look at the pieces on the flight and on the way from the airport, then at those on travel from city to city. After that, move on to the day-by-day itineraries: they show how much time a place really needs. Finish with the tips on season, documents and packing. This order helps you avoid buying tickets before the plan has taken shape. For a short trip, one itinerary and one piece on getting there are enough.

The subsections sort the material by task. The "Traveling" subsection gathers itineraries and trip scenarios. "Flights" covers air travel, airports and passenger rights. "Travel tips" brings together the practical side: packing, car rental, safety, seasonal risks. "Tourism news" takes in the changes that affect plans. "Visas and passports" is devoted to documents and to where official information can be found.

We update the material: timetables, fares and entry rules change often. With each update we check the details against the official websites of carriers, museums and government services. Always verify entry rules, insurance and medical requirements with the official sources of your own country and the destination country. Before buying tickets, open the relevant piece again and look at the date it was checked. That way your plan rests on current information.