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The Detour

Tokyo is a massive metropolis (in every sense of the word) &ndash; it&rsquo;s the city with the largest population in the world, in parts a concrete and neon jungle, in others you&rsquo;ll find tiny shrines and quiet backstreets flanked by high-rise apartments.
It has 23 wards, each with its distinct culture and atmosphere. You may have heard of names like Chuo, Shinjuku, Shibuya or Taito, each with their own neighborhoods. It&rsquo;s the kind of city where you could spend weeks on end and not see everything on your list.
I scored a return trip from London via Copenhagen to Tokyo for under &pound;450, and I spent 5 full days traversing the city. Read on for my tips on how to make the most of your time (and where to get the best ramen) in town.&nbsp;
A quick note on the links in this guide: we&rsquo;re not affiliated with any of the external sites included in this guide, so we&rsquo;re not getting any kick-backs or commission. We&rsquo;ve only included resources we think will genuinely be useful to help you decide if this destination is for you.

<h2>Getting there</h2>
Tokyo is a major transport hub, so it&rsquo;s usually easy to find flights from around the world.&nbsp;
Japan has 2 major airlines that fly from Europe and North America to Tokyo: Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA). Both offer non-stop flights from large hubs like London, Paris, Frankfurt, Munich, Stockholm, New York, LA, San Francisco, Vancouver, Chicago, Boston and Dallas. ZipAir Tokyo is a budget option for non-stop flights from the West Coast of the US.&nbsp;
Most flagship airlines offer non-stop flights to Tokyo as well, like British Airways, Lufthansa, KLM, SAS, Air Canada, Delta, American Airlines and United Airlines. However, the cheapest way to get there is usually to take connecting flights, especially via China.

Here&rsquo;s a handy JFC guide on what to expect when booking your flight to Tokyo:
From Europe:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Expected average price range: &euro;470s-&euro;670s</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">How many cheap flight alerts we&rsquo;d expect in a year: 15+</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Lowest price we&rsquo;ve ever seen:&nbsp;<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/deals/tokyo-in-330s-390s-rtn-from-across-europe">&euro;300 rtn</a>&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
From the UK:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Expected average price range: &pound;350s-&pound;530s</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">How many cheap flight alerts we&rsquo;d expect in a year: 20+</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Lowest price we&rsquo;ve ever seen: <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/deals/free-bag-japan-south-korea-in-320s-340s-rtn-from-london">&pound;338 rtn</a></li>
</ul>
From the USA:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Expected average price range: $570s-$890s</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">How many cheap flight alerts we&rsquo;d expect in a year: 20+</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Lowest price we&rsquo;ve ever seen: <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/deals/la-to-tokyo-at-$257-rt">$257 rtn</a></li>
</ul>
From Canada:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Expected average price range: $770s-$1200s</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">How many cheap flight alerts we&rsquo;d expect in a year: 15+</li>
<li>Lowest price we&rsquo;ve ever seen: <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/deals/tokyo-at-678-rt">$678 rtn</a></li>
</ul>

<h3 dir="ltr">By train</h3>
If you&rsquo;ve arrived in another city in Japan, you&rsquo;ll likely catch the Shinkansen (bullet train) and/or JR Rail (the national rail service) to Tokyo.&nbsp;
Shinkansen tickets are typically pricey, but they make up for that with exceptional service and speed &ndash; you&rsquo;ll be able to get from Osaka/Kyoto to Tokyo in less than 3 hours. As of 2025, ticket prices are around:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">14,920 JPY from Osaka (approx. $100/&pound;75)</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">18,380 JPY from Hiroshima (approx. $125/&pound;95)</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">11,500 JPY from Nagoya (approx. $80/&pound;60)</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">13,320 JPY from Kyoto (approx. $90/&pound;70)</li>
</ul>
You can buy Shinkansen tickets from major stations in these big cities (via machine or ticket counter), or you can pre-book online <a href="https://smart-ex.jp/en/index.php">via the official website</a>.&nbsp;

You&rsquo;ll likely see third-party websites like Klook also selling Shinkansen tickets &ndash; these tend to be a little more expensive (due to their booking fees), so it&rsquo;s better to buy them on the official website or in person at the station.&nbsp;

Larissa's Pro Tip

<h3 dir="ltr">JR Rail pass</h3>
You may be wondering whether it&rsquo;s worth buying a <a href="https://www.jrpass.com/">JR Rail pass</a> (which would give you unlimited travel for a certain number of days), or buy your tickets as you go. Unless you&rsquo;re planning on travelling constantly on Shinkansen trains throughout your trip, it&rsquo;ll likely be cheaper to skip the pass and just book your tickets individually. You can check your individual itinerary <a href="https://www.jrpass.com/farecalculator">here</a>.

<a href="https://boutiquejapan.com/ekiben/">Ekiben</a> are bento boxes that you can buy in stations to eat on the go. You'll find them both before and after ticket gates, but if you're traveling from Tokyo Station, there's plenty of choice in the food court area of Daimaru, a shopping center attached to the station.&nbsp;

<h2 dir="ltr">Visas</h2>
Depending on which passport you hold, you may need a visa to enter Japan.
At the time of writing (June 2025), travelers from the UK, most of Europe, the USA, and Canada will be granted a 90-day visitor visa on entry, so you don&rsquo;t need to apply before your trip.&nbsp;
All visitors need to fill out a <a href="https://www.customs.go.jp/english/passenger/declaration/declaration_app.html">customs declaration</a> before they arrive &mdash; you can do this on the plane with a paper form, or you can organize it beforehand via <a href="https://www.customs.go.jp/english/passenger/declaration/declaration_app.html">Japan Web</a> and present your QR code on arrival.&nbsp;
The rules for each country are updated regularly, so it&rsquo;s important to check your own government guidelines before traveling.

<h2 dir="ltr">Cash &amp; Currency</h2>
The currency in Japan is the Japanese Yen (JPY), with $1 USD being equivalent to around 145 JPY. This is about the price it&rsquo;ll cost you to buy a bottle of water or a pastry at the convenience store.&nbsp;
Your accommodation costs will depend on where you want to stay. Dormitory/hostel beds start at 2500-6000 JPY/night, while a standard hotel room costs 10,000&ndash;20,000 JPY/night. Ryokans are traditional Japanese rooms, with tatami mats, paper doors and dinner/breakfast included, and you can book these (usually outside big cities) for around 20,000&ndash;30,000 JPY/night.&nbsp;
Japan is very much still a cash-based country, particularly for touristy stuff like souvenirs, street snacks, and temple charms. Some restaurants will also be cash-only, even in big cities like Tokyo or Osaka.&nbsp;

Thankfully, getting cash is very easy, even with foreign cards. Just head to the nearest 7-11 (there are thousands of stores across the country) and use the 7-11 bank ATM in the shop. These won&rsquo;t charge you any fees to withdraw cash from your bank account.&nbsp;

The majority of hotels, restaurants, and shops will accept card payments though, either with your bank or credit cards. In a particular Japanese quirk, the <a href="https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2359_003.html">public transport IC card</a> you&rsquo;ll be buying to travel on the metro, the bus or the train can also be used at convenience stores and some restaurants. The most popular IC cards are Suica and Iwoca.

<h2 dir="ltr">Seasonality</h2>
Japanese culture is in tune with the changing seasons, with thousands of festivals and celebrations that line up with the calendar.&nbsp;
Depending on where you head in Japan, the intensity of the cold/heat will differ &ndash; in Hokkaido you&rsquo;ll get much cooler summers and frozen winters, versus Okinawa, where the opposite is true. But for central cities like Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima, the weather will be similar enough.&nbsp;
<h4 dir="ltr">Spring &mdash; March&ndash;May</h4>
Temperature: 5&ndash;28 C/41&ndash;82 F
The biggest celebration of spring is when the cherry blossoms bloom in March&ndash;April, and it&rsquo;s also a popular time to visit the country. The <a href="https://sakura.weathermap.jp/en.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">maps published each year</a> that predict when the blossoms will peak across the country are a handy tool for planning your cherry blossom tour.&nbsp;
During these times, you should expect crowds of Sakura spotters everywhere, and locals will be out taking part in hanami, or picnics under the cherry blossom trees. There will also be lots of Sakura-flavored snacks and treats on offer.&nbsp;
<h4 dir="ltr">Summer &mdash; June&ndash;August</h4>
Temperature: 18&ndash;35 C/64&ndash;95 F
One word: humid. If you visit during these months, the humidity will be above 70%. That means it&rsquo;s worth packing light layers, as well as sunscreen and a hat.&nbsp;
People often travel for summer festivals in cities like Aomori, Sendai, Kochi and Shiranui. But within Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, you&rsquo;ll hear the sound of taiko drums, and shrines will be decorated with lanterns and finery.&nbsp;

<h4 dir="ltr">Fall &mdash; September&ndash;November</h4>
Temperature: 10&ndash;20 C/50&ndash;68 F
This time of year is becoming almost as popular as cherry blossom season, with autumn foliage painting the country red. It&rsquo;s also cheaper in general to visit Japan post-summer, which makes it a really nice option if you&rsquo;re looking for discounts on accommodation or flights.&nbsp;
Unsurprisingly, you&rsquo;ve also got <a href="https://www.ana.co.jp/en/gb/japan-travel-planner/japanese-festival-omatsuri/0000007.html">plenty of festivals</a> to celebrate the change in season. At&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/mjt5yf/kyoto_autumn_night_illuminations_at_temples_and/">the shrines of Kyoto</a>, there are light shows going into the evening during this time, against a backdrop of autumn leaves.&nbsp;
<h4 dir="ltr">Winter &mdash; December&ndash;February</h4>
Temperature: 4&ndash;15 C/39&ndash;59 F
I visited in February 2025, so I have a particular fondness for this time of year! The majority of my days there were sunny, but I still needed my scarf and a winter coat. We had one day of snow in Kyoto, which was a nice treat, too. It was decent sightseeing weather, but we did have to wrap up at times. 
Our trip also coincided with the&nbsp;<a href="https://hidden-gems-of-kyoto.find-japan.com/plum-blossom-festival-at-kitano-tenmangu/">plum blossom festival</a> in Kyoto &mdash; they&rsquo;re less well-known than cherry blossoms, but equally beautiful. Unfortunately, not many trees had bloomed by the time the festival rolled around on the 25th February, but it was still enjoyable to go to the shrine and have plum tea and dango.

<h2 dir="ltr">Travel Style</h2>
Japan is, on the whole, extremely easy to navigate. You&rsquo;ll find the society there is very orderly (more than back home, at least!), so you can almost guarantee your train will be on time, the streets will be clean, and you&rsquo;ll find signs to get you where you want to go.&nbsp;
Japanese people have, in general, a very welcoming and hospitable approach to foreigners. It&rsquo;s not uncommon for everyone, from the staff in your hotel to a random stranger on the street, to 'go the extra mile' and be willing to help you, even if they&rsquo;re not confident speaking English.&nbsp;
These things combined make it simple to get around big cities like Tokyo and Kyoto without knowing one word of Japanese. Even if you need to order in a restaurant without an English menu, you can point to the pictures of the food you want. Of course, at least a few words of Japanese are appreciated, like:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Konnichiwa &mdash; Hello</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Arigato gozaimasu &mdash; Thank you very much (formal, used for everyone you don&rsquo;t know)</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Ohayō gozaimasu &mdash; Good morning</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Konbanwa &mdash; Good evening</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Itadakimasu &mdash; Thank you for the meal (said before eating)</li>
<li>Sumimasen &mdash; Excuse me (useful to get the attention of waitstaff)</li>
</ul>
Outside of this, Google Translate (or another translation app which has image-to-text translation) will be your best friend. Almost everything is written down in Japan, with plenty of signs, menus, instructions and so on. You just need to know where to look, and when to whip out your phone to find that hidden ramen restaurant.&nbsp;

<h3 dir="ltr">Pickpockets (or, not)</h3>
You may know (or have read stories about) someone who has misplaced their valuables while travelling in Japan, only to be reunited with their phone, passport, or wallet down the line. This may lead you to believe that the country is some sort of anti-pickpocket Utopia, where something lost will always find its way back to its rightful owner, and petty theft is the last thing you need to worry about.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s true that Japan is, in general, an extremely safe country to visit on the whole &mdash; not only is violent crime uncommon, but even muggings and theft are nowhere near as prevalent as in Europe. But, this doesn&rsquo;t mean it can&rsquo;t happen to you during your visit.&nbsp;
There are some areas of large cities, like Kabukicho or Roppongi in Tokyo, or Nishinari in Osaka, where there is a higher risk of pickpocketing and general antisocial behavior. So, keep your wits about you regardless.&nbsp;

LGBTQI+ travelers are unlikely to receive any harassment or discrimination from locals &mdash; you will find a higher proportion of LGBTQI+ friendly bars, clubs, and businesses in places like Shinjuku/Ni-chome and Nakano in Tokyo, but you won&rsquo;t find these types of businesses outside big cities.&nbsp;
Many LGBTQI+ travelers visit Japan without any problem, but activities that are both specifically aimed at LGBTQI+ people and welcoming of foreigners can be limited and hard to find. World Nomads has a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldnomads.com/travel-safety/eastern-asia/japan/queer-travel-in-japan">great guide</a> on visiting as an LGBTQI+ traveler, with specific bar recommendations and sauna etiquette.&nbsp;
Japan is a conservative country and, regardless of your orientation, physical or sexual touch is seen as something to be kept private, so it&rsquo;s worth keeping this in mind.&nbsp;
POC travelers do stand out in Japan, given that it&rsquo;s a largely homogenous society. That being said, foreigners and expats are now extremely common in the big cities, so you&rsquo;re unlikely to experience any discrimination or harassment. <a href="https://www.malikahkelly.com/blog/2024/4/28/is-japan-racist-what-black-travelers-need-to-know-before-booking-their-trip-to-japan">Here&rsquo;s a first-hand account</a> of a Black woman&rsquo;s experience travelling in Japan.&nbsp;
If you&rsquo;re a solo female traveler, Japan is likely going to feel much safer than some Western countries, due to the absence of violent and petty crime in society. City streets are very well lit, and there are always many people around, no matter when you&rsquo;re out and about.&nbsp;
There have been some reports of sexist and misogynistic behavior against women, but these tend to be targeted towards residents rather than foreigners.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.adventurouskate.com/solo-female-travel-japan-safe/">This article</a> talks about what to watch out for if you do decide to travel to Japan alone.

<h2 dir="ltr">Getting around</h2>
Tokyo has one of the most extensive public transport systems you might encounter anywhere in the world &mdash; no surprise when it has to move millions of people a day.&nbsp;
As with all public transport in Japan, there are certain customs which are seen as normal on the metro but may seem strict in comparison to what you experience at home:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">No talking loudly/playing music on the train, and keep your phone on silent</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">There are no rubbish bins in the station (or on the streets), so take your rubbish with you back to the hotel&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">No eating/drinking on the train (unless you&rsquo;re on the Shinkansen)</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation"><a href="https://metropolisjapan.com/women-only-train-cars-tokyo/">Women-only cars</a> are active during peak hours&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Wait in an orderly line on the platform when waiting for the train (you&rsquo;ll likely see arrows on the ground)&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Keep your bag in your lap, and be aware of your surroundings </li>
</ul>

<h3 dir="ltr">Metro and suburban trains</h3>
The crowning feature (and the one you&rsquo;ll likely use most often) is the metro. It&rsquo;s extensive, with 142 stations spread across the metropolitan area. The most popular stations include:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Ginza (Ginza Line, Hibiya Line, Marunouchi Line)</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Asakusa (Asakua Line, Ginza Line)</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Ueno (Ginza Line, Hibiya Line)</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Shibuya (Ginza Line, Fukutoshin Line, Hanzomon Line)</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Shinjuku (Shinjuku Line, Marunouchi Line, Oedo Line)</li>
</ul>
It&rsquo;s quick, clean, efficient (the norm in Japan) and runs throughout the day from 5am until around midnight. It&rsquo;s also fairly cheap, with <a href="https://www.tokyometro.jp/en/ticket/regular/index.html">a ride typically costing between 180 and 324 JPY</a>, depending on the distance. You can buy tickets from ticket machines at each station&nbsp;(in denominations from 180 JPY to 330 JPY), or use your preloaded IC card. You can put money on your IC card directly in your phone&rsquo;s wallet (if you have the e-version of the card, which is exclusive to Apple phones), or via the ticket machine with cash (or debit/credit card).&nbsp;
Using Google Maps is your best bet for navigating the metro, as it has extremely easy-to-understand way finding features. It&rsquo;ll tell you which exit you&rsquo;ll need to take, which carriage you should travel in, and which color line you&rsquo;re transiting on.&nbsp;
To get to places like the Ghibli Museum or Disneyland, you&rsquo;ll need to jump on a suburban train instead. Functionally, there isn&rsquo;t any difference between this and the metro in terms of your tickets (IC card works across both) or the way you navigate it. The only difference is that you&rsquo;ll have to catch these trains from major stations, like Tokyo Station, and the platforms are usually above ground, instead of underground like the metro platforms.

<h3 dir="ltr">Buses</h3>
Similarly to the metro, the Tokyo bus network is extensive. To use the bus, you find the bus stop and stand in an orderly line behind those who arrived before you. In busy areas, there will be lines on the pavement to direct you.
Once the bus arrives, you jump on through the back door. If you&rsquo;re paying with cash, you&rsquo;ll need to take a ticket from the box near the door; otherwise you&rsquo;re fine to just sit down. The normal rules apply here &mdash; if the bus is too busy, offer your seat to those around you who may need it more than you. If you&rsquo;re standing, hold on to the handrail.&nbsp;
When you reach your stop, press the button and get your payment ready &mdash; you&rsquo;ll pay when you leave the bus (via the front door). You can pay with your IC card by tapping it as you leave (via the front door), or with change. Keep in mind, the driver can&rsquo;t break notes over 1000 JPY.&nbsp;

<h2 dir="ltr">Food</h2>
A lot of what we now know as &lsquo;Japanese&rsquo; food originated in Tokyo. That, alongside the fact it&rsquo;s Japan&rsquo;s biggest city, means you&rsquo;ll be absolutely spoiled for choice for every single Japanese dish you want to try.&nbsp;
Here are a few that are known to be particularly good in Tokyo:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Curry: served with rice or udon</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Monjayaki: pan-fried batter topped with cabbage, seafood (similar to okonomiyaki)&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Edomae sushi: the &lsquo;typical&rsquo; sushi you&rsquo;re probably familiar with, with raw seafood on rice</li>
<li>Gyu-katsu: deep-fried beef cutlet (usually wagyu beef)</li>
</ul>

I lined up for about 45 minutes one evening to eat at&nbsp;<a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/mSwjdSTMpNeP4mSz8">Gyukatsu in Asakusa</a>, and it was well worth it &mdash; you can even grill each piece of beef to your taste. They do have 2 locations within a 5-minute walk of each other, so it&rsquo;s worth scoping out both lines to see which is shorter.

Tokyo also has the highest number of Michelin-starred restaurants in the world, covering not just Japanese cuisine, but also French, Chinese, Spanish and Indian. As with everywhere in Japan, Tabelog is where you should go for restaurant reviews and reservations. Any restaurant above a 3.5 rating should guarantee you a really good meal (these ratings are stricter in Japan than in other countries).&nbsp;

<h3 dir="ltr">Street food</h3>
It&rsquo;s worth noting that &lsquo;street food&rsquo; in Japan isn&rsquo;t quite the same as in other countries, as it&rsquo;s considered rude to eat and walk. Because of this, you&rsquo;re more likely to find shopfronts with proper seating, or casual pub-style spots called izakayas. 
Memory Lane in Shinjuku is a place that comes highly recommended by travelers for its atmosphere and&nbsp;yakitori (grilled chicken skewer) shops. Otherwise, Nakamise Street in Asauka, Tsukiji Outer Market and the Takeshita Street in Harajuku have some street food stalls. 
If you're looking for a little more than traditional foods like takoyaki (octopus balls), taiyaki (fish-shaped pancakes filled with red bean), and sweet sticky rice sticks called dango across the board, Harajuku is where you&rsquo;ll find the latest viral food crazes as seen on social media.&nbsp;
If you do buy food from a shop with no seating, it&rsquo;s either expected you&rsquo;ll take it away to eat later, or you&rsquo;ll eat it standing directly in front of the store you bought it from.&nbsp;

<h3>Convenience store food</h3>
There's no shortage of convenience stores in the country (7-11, Lawson, and Family Mart are the big three). You'd struggle to find a single street in a major metropolitan area that doesn't have one of these stores on it. Because of this, the food available here has become ubiquitous with a trip to Japan. It's almost a type of pilgrimage, where visitors scope out their favorite foods.&nbsp;
As well as the sheer number of stores, the quality of the food is impressive. You can find the usual snacks and drinks you'd expect anywhere in the world, alongside a surprising variety of baked pastries, hot food and take away meals. I'd recommend trying onigiri, katsu/egg sandwiches, and the melon pan&nbsp;from any of these stores.&nbsp;

<h2 dir="ltr">Useful links</h2>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation"><a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/google-translate/id414706506">Google Translate App</a>&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation"><a href="https://www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/welcomesuicamobile/">Welcome Suica card</a> (<a href="https://tokyocheapo.com/travel/suica-card-guide/">here&rsquo;s</a> how to get it on your phone)&nbsp;</li>
<li><a href="https://tabelog.com/en/">Tabelog</a> - used for restaurant recommendations and booking</li>
</ul>

JFC's Guide to: Tokyo

Hey there, JFC-ers,
I must admit, my algorithm knows me pretty well by now. I open Instagram; travel posts and reels. I open my email inbox; travel newsletters, travel deals, travel competitions. I open my Google News feed; travel articles. I just can't escape &mdash; not that I'd want to.
One of the most typical topics that comes up in those reels, posts, articles, etc. is travel hacks. I'm talking about the latest hack for avoiding baggage fees, the new solution to snagging the best seat, the fastest way to get through airport security. And honestly, most of them tend to be either utter nonsense or blindingly obvious. Yes, the fastest way to get through airport security probably is by sorting your liquids in advance and buying fast track, how did you know?!

The other day, I got a message from former Head Flight Finder Tristan thanking me for my tip of using a duty free carrier bag to bring overflow hand luggage onboard (note: some airlines may be stricter than others here).
Since then, I've seen an article touting&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/35772679/baby-flight-hack-lettuce-holiday/">lettuce as a magical parenting flight hack</a>, and another claiming that a 'fragile' sticker is almost guaranteed to <a href="https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/travel/easy-travel-hack-can-help-32000241">make sure your checked bag is offloaded first</a>.
So with that, dear readers, I'd like to cut through the noise and compile the ultimate list of JFC-approved travel hacks. What are your go-to tricks for making your trips smoother or cheaper? And what leaves you walking away feeling like you've beat the system?&nbsp;
<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/detour-194-fiji-on-a-budget#comments">Jump into the comments</a> or reply to this email to let us know!
Happy travels and safe landings,

Katy - Editor of The Detour

Walk along Texas streets that inspired rockers and outlaws alike. Adventure, reflection, and the freedom to explore something real&mdash;It&rsquo;s here in Laredo, Texas!

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Fabulous Fiji Off the Honeymoon-Beaten Track

"Question: have you ever put together travel tips to Fiji?&nbsp;
Trying to find info and the thing is, there's just way too much info out there, but it's all messy and mainly targeted to honeymoons, all-inclusive, high-spenders. Looking rather for a more budgetish, non-resort experience." - Salvatore

Detour Editor Katy is a budget travel aficionado who has already travelled to more than 50 countries. Whether she's at home or on a foreign adventure, she has a particular talent for stumbling upon tasty Georgian restaurants.

Answered by Katy

When I read the word &ldquo;Fiji,&rdquo; it immediately conjures up images of the most pristine sandy beaches, the fresh scent of salty seawater, the warmth of the sun on my skin&hellip; and the fear of a terrifying credit card bill.
Even in all our years of flight hacking, we&rsquo;ve never come across a flight to Fiji that I&rsquo;d consider wildly &ldquo;cheap.&rdquo; The lowest we&rsquo;ve ever seen from an airport we cover has to be&nbsp;<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/flights/fiji-new-zealand-in-540s-780s-rt-free">$540 round trip from Los Angeles</a> back in 2023, while Europe&rsquo;s sweetest fare was a Covid-tainted <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/flights/londonmanchester-to-fiji-in-600s700s-rtn">&pound;678 return from Manchester</a>.&nbsp;

Relatively speaking, those are fantastic deals, but from the UK &amp; Europe in particular, it&rsquo;s super rare. Luckily, North America sees decent trips in the $600s fairly regularly, so that would be my top tip for getting to Fiji on a budget &mdash; keep an eye on fares outta LA, San Fran and Vancouver. LA in particular gets lots of low-cost flights from across North America and Europe, so a little DIY multi-city magic can help you work out a cheaper route.
The other (longer, but potentially more exciting) route from Europe would be via China and Australia. We all know by now that Chinese airlines are our cheap tickets to Asia and beyond, so if you manage to snag <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/flights/sydney-melbourne-in-500s-540s-rtn">flights to Sydney for under &pound;600</a>, then grab a <a href="https://www.google.com/travel/flights/search?tfs=CBwQAhomEgoyMDI1LTEwLTI2KABqBwgBEgNTWURyDQgCEgkvbS8wMjJ3cjMaJhIKMjAyNS0xMS0wMigAag0IAhIJL20vMDIyd3IzcgcIARIDU1lEQAFIAXABggELCP___________wGYAQE&amp;tfu=EgIIACIA">JetStar connection for around &pound;250</a>, you&rsquo;re laughing (in comparison to &pound;1100+ as standard from London).
Once you get to Fiji, it really doesn&rsquo;t have to be all flashy resort vibes, although you may be surprised how affordable some beachfront hotels are; for a week in October, there are options costing around half as much as you would expect in any major city in the US, Canada, or Europe.&nbsp;
The catch is that if you find a cheap resort on one of the outer islands, you may still have to pay extra for a boat transfer to get out there. On top of that, a booking often includes a (mandatory) meal plan, which you will have to pay for on top of your room. So, essentially, do read the fine print!

There are a few JFC-ers among us who have been lucky enough to visit those dreamy Melanesian shores and worked out how to dodge those pricey honeymoon premiums. Here are their affordable Fiji tips:

&ldquo;The octopus resort in the Yasawa Islands, fiji had a dorm as well as bungalows etc when I went (a while ago), it was a great place and very well priced. It was recommended to me and it didn&rsquo;t disappoint&rdquo; - FootlooseCitizen62343
<hr>
&ldquo;A recommendation for the Coral coast&rdquo; is the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bedarrafiji.com/">Bedarra Beach Inn</a> which was reasonably priced &amp; had great food, it still gets great reviews on TA. The Fiji TA forum is a great source of info.&rdquo; - Sheena
<hr>
&ldquo;Finally, a topic request I can be useful on! Off the beaten track Fiji. Definitely recommend <a href="https://levukahomestay.com/">Levuka Homestay</a> on the island of Levuka, which you can access by ferry from Suva, the capital, which has a good museum and a few other bits worth visiting. No accommodation recommendation for there as we were lucky enough to get to stay with family. But I can recommend <a href="https://www.facebook.com/share/19DbL4ZYyK/">this great walking tour</a>!&rdquo; - Eilidh

To really focus on saving cash on accommodation while you&rsquo;re out there, Sarah in our Facebook community recommends looking out for the one-coconut accommodation:

&ldquo;I flew out there from NZ about 5 years ago. They grade their accommodation in coconuts from 1 to 3. I did the islands on 1 coconut (most economic &amp; mainly dorms &amp; cold water showers but seriously it&rsquo;s ok) which I did on arrival at airport. 3 coconuts you get your own solar heated hut so hot water! Spent 1st day / night in Nadi then the islands. 
The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fiji-bookings.com/ferry/yasawa-flyer">Yasawa Flyer</a> goes up and down the islands each day. I&rsquo;d recommend packing light for getting on &amp; off the Flyer onto transfer boats. The other thing is if [you want to] swim with manta rays, there are other islands offering this experience, not just the very touristy Mantaray island. I&rsquo;d personally recommend <a href="https://www.instagram.com/korovouecotourresort">Korovou</a> to do this but I prefer more eco islands.&rdquo;

Island hopping is a huge draw, but it can rack up the ticket costs. You&rsquo;re best to price up the journeys you plan to take and see how the total compares to the cost of a <a href="https://www.awesomefiji.com/flexible-passes/bula-pass/">Bula Pass</a>. Or, as Lonely Planet suggests, just <a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/fiji-on-a-budget">avoid island hopping altogether</a>.&nbsp;
When you&rsquo;re planning your trip, you may find that achieving that balance of affordability and authenticity is the tough part. Reaching the <a href="https://fijipocketguide.com/10-less-travelled-islands-of-fiji/">paths less trodden</a> will cost you in transfers, but it can even out with cheaper homestays and fantastic experiences. Just remember that where there are fewer tourists, there are likely to be fewer amenities, so gear up for a truly authentic slice of island life.
Hopefully, we&rsquo;ve managed to give you a few tips that&rsquo;ll help you plan the Fijian adventure you&rsquo;re dreaming of! And when you get back, please let us know how it went &mdash; I can&rsquo;t wait to see some pictures and hear your stories.
 Is there a destination or travel topic you'd like us to write about in The Detour? Just let us know!

Reader's Corner

Explore the shores, waterways and natural wonders of Daytona Beach, and you&rsquo;ll find serenity around every corner. Where the land ends, vacation begins.

In Partnership with Daytona Beach

Spotted: Rare Fares in the Wild

Flight Finder Akasha finds phenomenal flights faster than you can decide where you want to take a trip to next. A pro at finding the best of the best fares, she's also a master at sharing must-visit spots for when you land.

By Akasha

It's usually pretty quiet at Flight Finder HQ during the July holiday period, but this year's been kinda different&hellip;
With only Spirit and Frontier bothering to show up for 4th of July sales (NYC to Miami at $39 RT? Fine, we&rsquo;ll bite),&nbsp;I was gearing up for a dry, scroll-in-peace type of workday while everyone else BBQed their way into the long weekend.
Then, BOOM! Fireworks. Blink and you'd miss them &mdash; but we didn&rsquo;t, so I wanted to fill you in on all the recent goings-on at Flight Finder HQ.

Flights to Sicily &amp; Sardinia from New York. Guess how much?
Actually, let me rephrase that. How much would YOU expect to pay for the privilege of plopping yourself onto the blissful, sun-soaked shores of the Mediterranean?
$600-$700 round trip? Same. That&rsquo;s around what we'd usually consider a good deal.&nbsp;
But <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/flights/sicily-sardinia-in-350s-460s-rt">these flights</a> with British Airways and ITA? Absolute bangers, with Catania and Palermo at $350-$370 round trip, and Olbia in the $470s. Late summer dates included!
Now that&rsquo;s a party I&rsquo;d RSVP to. And one that Danni, our Head of Socials, already had at her very own Sicilian wedding. I think I get why she chose it&hellip; 👇

Despite what I&rsquo;d been expecting from the holiday weekend, NYC just kept proving it never really sleeps. We also <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/flights/shannon-at-272-rt">found flights</a> to Shannon (aka the superior end of Ireland, especially for those postcard views) in the $270s &mdash; the lowest we&rsquo;ve seen, like, ever.&nbsp;
Up North, there was a little more on offer when it came to Canada Day. Between <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/flights/canada-in-90s-170s-rt">domestic sales</a>&nbsp;and explaining why <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/flights/faroe-islands-at-656-rt">a rare Faroe Islands road trip</a> is precisely what you need to get you through the week (especially at that price), our Canadian Flight Finders were also celebrating <a href="https://www.canadiansky.co.uk/alberta-holidays/calgary/experiencing-the-calgary-stampede">Stampede season</a>.
And while the boots and bolo ties did come out in Calgary, our team still made sure that you Canadian members didn&rsquo;t suffer the same fate as Canada Lead Kristi &mdash; missing out on&nbsp;<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/flights/costa-rica-in-360s-490s-rt">trips to Costa Rica</a> in the $360s-$490s:

It wasn't quiet across the other side of the pond, either.
Flight Finder Iris has been taking her role as&nbsp;that friend who can always pull some strings seriously. She found super swanky flights to Bangkok, Hanoi, Phuket and more Asian cities for both our&nbsp;<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/flights/asia-in-470s-590s-rtn">EU (&euro;470s-&euro;590s)</a> and <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/flights/asia-in-500s-590s510s-550s-rtn">UK (&pound;500s-&pound;590s)</a> members with Qatar. You know, the &lsquo;<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2025/06/17/travel/worlds-best-airline-2025-skytrax">World&rsquo;s Best Airline</a>&rsquo;!&nbsp;
And at the same time, Flight Finder Lauren was on her drama llama arc &mdash; preaching the gospel of off-season Peru to lucky JFC-ers in Brussels. The girl has a point, especially since you got rare <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/flights/lima-at-617-rtn-from-brussels">spring trips at &euro;617</a>.&nbsp;
But the fares that had us fully feral? Like, passport in mouth, &ldquo;I could pack in 10-minutes&rdquo; energy?

Norse Atlantic&rsquo;s new routes from Oslo and Stockholm to Phuket, and Manchester to Bangkok. We even managed to find fares to <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/flights/bangkok-at-256-rtn">Bangkok for &pound;256 return</a>! But just 20 minutes after hitting publish, they were already gone.
So, JFC-ers, we see your clicks, but now we want the tea. Which of these flights had you hovering over the &ldquo;Book Now&rdquo; button? Or is there somewhere else that tickled your fancy?
Let us know&nbsp;<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/detour-194-fiji-on-a-budget#comments">in the comments</a> or by hitting &lsquo;Reply&rsquo; to this email.&nbsp;
Until next time!

Flight Finder's Corner

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across web this week.
<ul>
<li>In major news for any regular visitors to US airports, you'll no longer have to <a href="https://www.afar.com/magazine/tsa-ends-shoe-removal-requirement-during-security-checks">take off your shoes</a> at security! </li>
<li>Turns out it's <a href="https://queenonajourney.com/demographic-of-solo-female-travellers-the-statistics-may-surprise-you/">never too late to dabble in solo travel</a> - the majority of solo female travelers are actually aged 45+. </li>
<li>The <a href="https://www.timeout.com/news/the-italian-island-named-the-worlds-most-colourful-destination-070725">world's most colorful destination</a> has been crowned, and it's caused a&nbsp;lot&nbsp;of controversy at JFC HQ. Where would you choose? </li>
<li>And finally, even the most confident flyers among us have sat on a plane loo and wondered about the alarmingly forceful vacuum mere inches below our nether regions and whether it'll suck us away. So for next time you need a comfort break at 38,000ft,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.popsci.com/science/how-do-airplane-toilets-work/">here's how airplane toilets actually work</a>.</li>
</ul>

Travel News

Fiji on a Budget - Avoiding Resorts and Honeymoon Premiums

Krak&oacute;w is the second-largest city in Poland after the capital, Warsaw. Known for a blend of medieval charm, wartime significance and lively nightlife, it&rsquo;s an especially popular destination for budget and weekend trips.
Here's your quick and easy guide from a writer who's visited countless times over the past 10 years.
A quick note on the links in this guide: we&rsquo;re not affiliated with any external sites we&rsquo;ve chosen to include, so we&rsquo;re not getting any kick-backs or commission. We&rsquo;ve only included resources we think will genuinely be useful to help you make a decision on whether this destination is for you.
<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXeJV4hIATCvtGuPOQMHR1zw7b3hUo-p76gZZNfKCGVb8TMLwvObQ91RZuuT8PR6IQKztKedkzXR7IjzzFUA-CVFU80L4ZM0CnZm5sN_bR63cswTJgrBK5Sp5UyWYfWPETE_wLGM0w?key=HUKcdzL9lfv3pDDgEenUcA" width="354" height="442" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">

<h2 dir="ltr">Visas</h2>
Since Poland is in the Schengen zone, the entry rules are the same as many other countries in Europe. If you're traveling with&hellip;
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">an EU or Swiss passport, you won&rsquo;t need a visa at all.&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">a UK, US or Canadian passport, you can travel visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period at the time of writing (July 2025). E-visas will soon be introduced for travelers from these regions (the planned start date is late 2026). You can find more information on the <a href="https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias_en">ETIAS website here</a>.</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">any other passports, you can read about applying for a&nbsp;<a href="https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/schengen-borders-and-visa/visa-policy/applying-schengen-visa_en#who-needs-to-apply-for-a-schengen-visa">Schengen Visa here</a>.</li>
</ul>

<h2 dir="ltr">Cash &amp; Currency</h2>
The currency in Poland is the złoty (PLN or zł) and at the time of publishing (July 2025), 10 złoty is worth around $2.75/&pound;2. That'll get you a cheap local beer in a bar away from the main square, or a few&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tastingtable.com/990842/obwarzanek-krakowski-the-polish-bread-thats-confused-with-a-bagel/">obwarzanek&nbsp;</a>from a street vendor.
The majority of bars, caf&eacute;s, restaurants, and shops will accept both card and cash payments. However, change may be useful when paying at more rural shops, markets and public toilets.
Polish złoty is not a closed currency, so you can exchange money outside the country before you travel. However, there are plenty of ATMs across Krak&oacute;w, so we&rsquo;d recommend withdrawing what you need once you are there.
<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfizJDiAyMyMjPwfiDaVHbgZl26z81zx8CdZ8A29JlAIkzLUmDtsfalhr0h2CiUu_Vq3y9I7ykg_r0CdQIp02L0XYjudKeNyy83PFt0klxJCpBSkfzcB86OVJpaQjvoy3CWY97o?key=HUKcdzL9lfv3pDDgEenUcA" width="473" height="378" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">

<h2 dir="ltr">Getting There</h2>
Krak&oacute;w is a relatively easy city to reach by air globally. It has one main airport, Krak&oacute;w John Paul II International (KRK), which has non-stop routes from the UK and mainland Europe with Wizz Air, Ryanair, and national carriers, as well as New York and Chicago with LOT Polish Airlines. Otherwise, you&rsquo;ll find plenty of connecting flights from other major US cities, and Canada.
Here&rsquo;s a JFC guide on what to expect when booking your flight to KRK:
From Europe:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">Expected average price range for a non-stop flight: &euro;40&ndash;&euro;60 rtn</li>
<li dir="ltr">How many cheap flight alerts we&rsquo;d expect in a year: 10+</li>
<li dir="ltr">Lowest price we&rsquo;ve ever seen: &euro;22 rtn</li>
</ul>
From the UK:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Expected average price range for a non-stop flight: &pound;40&ndash;&pound;60 rtn</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">How many cheap flight alerts we&rsquo;d expect in a year: 10+</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Lowest price we&rsquo;ve ever seen: &pound;10 rtn</li>
</ul>
From the USA:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Expected average price range for a 1-stop flight: $400&ndash;$550 RT</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">How many cheap flight alerts we&rsquo;d expect in a year: 8+</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Lowest price we&rsquo;ve ever seen: $361 RT</li>
</ul>
From Canada:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Expected average price range for a 1-stop flight: $800&ndash;$1000 RT</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">How many cheap flight alerts we&rsquo;d expect in a year:1-3&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Lowest price we&rsquo;ve ever seen: $800 RT</li>
</ul>

<h2 dir="ltr">Best Time to Visit Krak&oacute;w</h2>
<h3 dir="ltr">December&ndash;February (winter)</h3>
Winter is cold and snowy in Krak&oacute;w, with temperatures often dropping below 0 &deg;C/32 &deg;F, so make sure to pack warm, waterproof clothes. The <a href="https://krakowchristmas.com/">Christmas markets</a> open towards the end of November, but fair warning, they can get quite busy. For a quieter experience, come in January&ndash;February. You'll find fewer crowds and, with any luck, a city still blanketed in a magical dusting of snow.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr"><img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXd7PqJBWiVFQ_1eH22AQXD2G4wEmLaUWsMnscKSOzcYXW7qEZ66jxAnHu7YU-4IUo0ZxsPeTqqpfdsc-R_mZkWbxiPS5H12sB6G4KHkcNsYXBEN5eFIJYQuPsx03RSmzLr8q9mk?key=HUKcdzL9lfv3pDDgEenUcA" width="335" height="447" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"></h3>
<h3 dir="ltr">March&ndash;May (spring)</h3>
March can still feel chilly, but the city quickly warms up to around 20 &deg;C/68 &deg;F by May. As spring arrives, you'll see outdoor caf&eacute;s eagerly setting up their tables, flowers bursting into bloom, and locals flocking to&nbsp;<a href="https://krakowairport.pl/blog/en/parki-w-krakowie-oazy-zieleni-z-historia/">sun-dappled parks</a> to savor the warmth.
Easter is one of the most important events in the Polish calendar, when families carry baskets overflowing with intricately decorated symbolic food to church to be blessed before Easter brunch. But beware &mdash; Easter Monday (Śmigus-Dyngus) is no ordinary day; the streets erupt into laughter and chaos as the traditional <a href="https://culture.pl/en/article/smigus-dyngus-polands-national-water-fight-day">day-long water fight</a> breaks out!

<h3 dir="ltr">June&ndash;August (summer)</h3>
Summer is by far the peak tourist season in Krak&oacute;w, with temperatures averaging between 20 &deg;C-30&deg;C/68 &deg;F-86 &deg;F.
<a href="https://barkaarkadia.pl/en/">Floating bars and caf&eacute;s</a> pop up along the Vistula River, and parks tend to smell more like barbecue than florals.
You'll find the city at its fullest over summer, so nearby lakes and the mountainous Zakopane region are popular spots to head when you need to cool off and catch some fresh air. See the &lsquo;Day Trips&rsquo; section below for ideas of places to visit.
<img src="https://cdn.jacksflightclub.com/id/e504380febf69bfdd9dd90b47450fc518faeb0d5" width="367" height="459" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">

In the heat of the summer, head to the recently regenerated limestone quarry in Zakrzowek, 3 km from Wawel Castle. You&rsquo;ll find <a href="https://edla.co.uk/blog-exploring-zakrzowek-a-unique-blend-of-nature-and-design/">a trio of turquoise man-man pools</a> that are perfectly safe for taking a dip.

Lauren’s pro tip:

<h3 dir="ltr">September&ndash;November (fall)</h3>
Personally, this is my favorite time to visit Krak&oacute;w. The temperatures are pleasant (10 &deg;C-18 &deg;C/50 &deg;F-64 &deg;F), the sun glows golden, and the trees are ablaze with crimson leaves. It&rsquo;s also a quieter window to visit before hordes of tourists flock to see the city&rsquo;s spectacular Christmas markets.
Another important event on the Polish Calendar is All Saints&rsquo; Day, falling on November 1st. Locals across the country head to the cemeteries with flickering candles to pay their respects to lost loved ones. Take a solemn stroll through <a href="https://krakow.travel/en/888-krakow-rakowicki-friedhof">Rakowicki Cemetery</a> after the sun sets on the 1st for a beautifully poignant glimpse into Polish Catholic traditions.

<h2 dir="ltr">Travel Style</h2>
Krak&oacute;w is a compact and affordable city. Its Old Town has the largest medieval market square in Europe, so it's hardly surprising that it was named a&nbsp;UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Despite the historical vibes, the city also gained a reputation as a prime bachelor/bachelorette party destination thanks to its affordable drinks and nightlife. Unsurprisingly, Krak&oacute;w's residents have been keen to cut back on the less wholesome antics, resulting in bar curfews and noise regulations being put in place in recent years.&nbsp;
In general, Krak&oacute;w is relatively safe, and many of the historic attractions are suitable for families. Wawel Castle in particular is a must-visit for all ages, as it sets its self apart from other European castles thanks to its <a href="https://wawel.krakow.pl/en/exhibition-constant/dragon-s-den">real fire-breathing dragon</a>, admired by all ages.
<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfBVdNRiVnkewGAsZcOOndEYUe5uTVj4CBzTSi80mtQB6UjQVaDB3pAWadSAUZt9JY2AhpsfzHzmthtSAvcsXB1T--acVPD3d7rgZqarzT5tXLNREf86h1z1tsEWTwo80ENDAfCEw?key=HUKcdzL9lfv3pDDgEenUcA" width="359" height="447" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
Solo (female) travelers should feel safe by themselves in the city. The streets are usually busy and well-lit, and there is a reliable public transport system.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
LGBTQ+ travelers&nbsp;should be aware that Poland in general is a very conservative country. Public opinions towards same-sex couples are mixed, and many politicians openly advocate against LGBTQ+ rights. It's not unusual for members of the LGBTQ+ community to encounter uncomfortable looks or unwelcoming behavior, especially in more rural areas.
That being said, Krak&oacute;w is one of the more progressive cities. The LGBTQ+ scene is small, but growing, with a handful of inclusive bars and caf&eacute;s, like <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lindokrakow?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&amp;igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==">Lindo</a>. Outside of these safe spaces, however, public displays of affection between same-sex couples may well receive stares or discriminatory comments.
Krak&oacute;w does have a pride event each year, but it often attracts counter-protests from far-right political groups. For more support and advice, you can reach out to&nbsp;<a href="https://znakirownosci.org.pl/signs-of-equality/">Krak&oacute;w&rsquo;s LGBTQ+ community center</a>.

<h2 dir="ltr">How to Get Around Krak&oacute;w</h2>
Getting around Krak&oacute;w is fairly easy. It&rsquo;s mostly flat and very walkable, with the popular tourist sites all pretty close together. It's only a 10-minute walk from the Old Town to Wawel Castle.
<a href="https://goodtimemonty.com/how-to-use-the-krakow-tram/">Trams and buses</a> are a great option if you're less mobile or want to hop across the city quickly. They are clean, reliable, and affordable at 4zł ($1USD) per 20-minute ride. You can purchase a ticket from the machines at each stop, and you&rsquo;ll then need to validate them on board at the start of your journey.&nbsp;
You will also spot taxis dotted across the city, although traffic controls are quite restrictive in busy tourist areas like the main square. Taxi drivers may have to park up and let you out a little further away if your destination is in one of these areas. Otherwise, I&rsquo;ve personally found Uber to be surprisingly affordable, if you do prefer the convenience of a private transfer.
<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfR0alKocGMPnkm5zUlC54BknTz0CEjQ1vdzs7j5be1CSeFgHeaqYSUaAE3qGw6sghi6AYEooEKiW8qFLsX7VWJaesoyGchYKlYq2BCEe5H4_YV6ksZXO51kH1hn5L0KWhLl7Q_yw?key=HUKcdzL9lfv3pDDgEenUcA" width="482" height="385" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">

<h2 dir="ltr">Day Trips</h2>
<h3 dir="ltr">Wieliczka Salt Mine</h3>
Deep beneath the ground, around 40 minutes southeast of Krak&oacute;w, sits one of the <a href="https://www.wieliczka-saltmine.com/">oldest salt mines in the world</a>. Spanning over 300 km, it&rsquo;s a subterranean maze of chambers, tunnels, lakes, and even a cathedral. A standard tour takes around two and a half hours, but you can opt to stay the night if you want the full experience.
<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXfFxuh_4FfBFuiqGLCXNtsZgIOMBfh1IzFRS15UCmtjEnLLbXC1Wyxpt6wnLWBHcivWyZ0g-GzhG5aYxgvg0uXHUgOlOGsOkK3m4MaIgCWsMFWEcRq9ikx21N0yQ1-rURLayNX4lA?key=HUKcdzL9lfv3pDDgEenUcA" width="482" height="362" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">

<h3 dir="ltr">Auschwitz-Birkenau</h3>
The former Nazi concentration camp is around a one-and-a-half-hour drive from Krak&oacute;w and offers a deeply moving look into the past atrocities of WW2. Entry is free without a guide, but you will still need to <a href="https://visit.auschwitz.org/?lang=en">reserve a time slot on their website</a> weeks in advance. To fully comprehend the camp, I would strongly recommend booking a guided tour for zł130 ($35USD) on the website.
<h3 dir="ltr">Zakopane</h3>
When city life gets a bit much, the fresh mountain air of Zakopane is only a two-and-a-half-hour drive away. Be it a <a href="https://www.whereintheworldistosh.com/2021/03/18/the-complete-guide-to-hiking-to-morskie-oko-polands-most-beautiful-lake-in-the-tatra-mountains/">summer hike to Morski Oko</a> or a day spent on the <a href="https://www.skiresort.info/ski-resorts/zakopane/">(budget-friendly) slopes</a>, this region is a must-visit at any time of the year.

Look out for local <a href="https://keytopoland.com/post/oscypek-traditional-polish-highland-cheese">oscypek sellers</a> on the side of the mountain roads. It&rsquo;s a salty, smoked cheese made from sheep&rsquo;s milk, and it&rsquo;s absolutely delicious &mdash; especially when served with a dollop of cranberry jam.

<h2 dir="ltr">Food</h2>
Undoubtedly, my favorite part about visiting Poland is the food. It&rsquo;s flavorsome, hearty, and incredibly comforting.
If you're on a budget, look out for&nbsp;<a href="https://palealetravel.beehiiv.com/p/krakus-milk-bar">bar mleczny</a>, otherwise known as milk bars. These canteen-style diners were originally subsidized by the government during communist times to offer affordable, home-style meals to workers. Nowadays, they're still a popular place to stop for a classic, no-frills meal on the cheap &mdash; and I can confirm, they are usually very tasty!
<img src="https://lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXffIUAzVH1L2SpP4fE78TqQVmxdrocD8P4iWTfE__EihKK_ETGzNe9C2f2EFHEqwdefUW4MjbjYkRlYZPtGCBGFNBTutt-UKxEygp1cz0PqwibHfD_4cK7q43f8Jl2JSQx2Sw9J?key=HUKcdzL9lfv3pDDgEenUcA" width="488" height="299" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
Here are my three favorite Polish dishes that you should look out for:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation"><a href="https://www.everyday-delicious.com/zurek-recipe-polish-sour-rye-soup/">Żurek</a>: A salty, sour rye soup served with pork sausage in a bread bowl.</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation"><a href="https://thealmondeater.com/grandmas-polish-pierogi-recipe/">Pierogi</a>: A small dough dumpling filled with various ingredients like potato and cheese. Ask for pierogi ruskie if you want to avoid any surprise meat fillings.<a href="https://www.thespruceeats.com/traditional-polish-cheesecake-sernik-recipe-1136928"></a></li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation"><a href="https://www.thespruceeats.com/traditional-polish-cheesecake-sernik-recipe-1136928">Sernik</a>: A lighter, subtler take on a classic cheesecake.</li>
</ul>

<h2 dir="ltr">Useful Links</h2>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation"><a href="https://apps.apple.com/be/app/jakdojade-timetables/id506795511">Jakdojade app</a>: shows you public transport routes and timetables</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation"><a href="https://discovercracow.com/free-museum-krakow/">A guide to free museum days in Krak&oacute;w</a></li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation"><a href="https://www.inyourpocket.com/krakow/events">Events in Krak&oacute;w</a></li>
</ul>

JFC's Guide To: Kraków

Hey there, JFC-ers,
Let&rsquo;s start off by wishing happy (belated) Canada Day to all you wonderful readers over there in Canada, and likewise, a happy Independence Day to you lovely lot in the USA celebrating this weekend! I hope you&rsquo;re all suitably sick of the sight and smell of barbecue by now.&nbsp;
This week has been pretty exciting at JFC HQ, as we&rsquo;re testing out a new feature &mdash; and you lucky Detour readers get to be the first to give it a whirl. As you know, we love hearing all your travel tips and feedback, so we&rsquo;ve decided to open up The Detour to comments.&nbsp;
To get involved, you just need to open <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/detour-193-alternative-paris-north-macedonia">this edition of The Detour</a> in our Members Lounge and scroll down to the comments section at the bottom. You'll need to be logged into your JFC account to comment, which you can do in the top right.
<img src="https://cdn.jacksflightclub.com/id/123b2d00a382e3809cfd25e0f8a1d0399b3f5ce4" width="403" height="495" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"> We can&rsquo;t wait to hear from you!
Happy travels and safe landings,

11 Delightfully Offbeat Activities Around the French Capital

Flight Finder Kristi is a born and bred Canadian, who has recently returned to her beloved mountains after travelling the world as a digital nomad. When she isn't on the move, she is writing about travelling, or dreaming about travelling, or saving up for&hellip; you get the point :-)

By Kristi

I love Paris, but I don&rsquo;t always love doing Paris. The long lines. The lukewarm caf&eacute; cr&egrave;me. The aggressive selfie sticks outside the Louvre. If you&rsquo;ve seen the Eiffel Tower, survived the Arc de Triomphe roundabout, and forced yourself to walk past another macaron, it might be time to get a little&hellip; unconventional.
<h3 dir="ltr">1. Firstly: Swap macarons for Eug&eacute;nies instead.</h3>
It&rsquo;s time to introduce your taste buds to <a href="https://www.laduree.fr/en/eugenie-our-flavors.html">Eug&eacute;nies</a> &mdash; a delicate treat designed to offer a variety of sensations with each bite, combining the crispness of shortbread biscuit and chocolate shell with the smoothness of a melting heart. I am unable to pass a Ladur&eacute;e shop without sampling one! (Highly recommend passion fruit or blackcurrant violet flavours!)

<h3 dir="ltr">2. Delve down into Paris. Deep down.</h3>
<a href="https://www.catacombes.paris.fr/en/visit/please-read-your-visit">The Catacombs</a> aren't exactly a secret, but they are 5-storeys underground, and decorated with the remains of 6 million Parisians, so I&rsquo;m counting that as niche tourism. If you&rsquo;re tired of pretty pastel everything, descend into this shadowy labyrinth and embrace your inner goth. 
Pro tip: Dress in layers; it&rsquo;s cool down there in every sense.

<h3 dir="ltr">3. Explore the Sewers of Paris.</h3>
Yes, this is a real museum. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@parisblogd/video/7513989125343595794?lang=en&amp;q=paris%20sewer%20museum&amp;t=1751575614787">Mus&eacute;e des &Eacute;gouts</a> takes you beneath the streets into the bowels of the city (literally). It's surprisingly fascinating, bizarrely clean, and offers a unique, slightly steampunk view of Paris&rsquo;s underground world. Who knew waste management could be&hellip; chic? 
<h3 dir="ltr">4. Visit the weirdest French anatomy museum.</h3>
The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tourisme-valdemarne.com/patrimoine-culturel/musee-fragonard-de-lecole-nationale-veterinaire-dalfort/">Mus&eacute;e Fragonard d&rsquo;Alfort</a> is not for the faint of heart &mdash; or stomach. It&rsquo;s filled with anatomical oddities and flayed bodies posed like they&rsquo;re mid-opera. If you&rsquo;ve ever wanted to combine medical school, Halloween, and a pinch of French eccentricity, this is your spot.

<h3 dir="ltr">5. Ditch the stuffy Eiffel Tower dinner.</h3>
You&rsquo;re welcome to spend $600 on a soggy foie gras tasting menu with a partial view of the Eiffel Tower if you crane your neck just right. Or&hellip; you could assemble your own feast: a crusty baguette, gooey cheese, perfectly French salami, fresh strawberries, and a bottle of wine (don&rsquo;t forget the opener!!). Next: head to <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/wbJ4TAh9wmG8LBUp9">my favourite spot</a>, a little walkway along the Seine with front-row Eiffel Tower views. As night falls and the <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cy87_TBNGaj/">Tower begins to sparkle</a>, couples will propose, bottles will pop, and you&rsquo;ll sit there thinking: this beats any rooftop reservation in town.
<h3>6. Live out your own fairytale.</h3>
Instead of a basic chain hotel, why not spend the night in an actual ch&acirc;teau? France is peppered with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.timeout.com/france/travel/best-french-chateaux-rent-airbnb">historic castles you can actually book</a>. Some are luxurious, some are haunted, all are way more fun than your average Airbnb. Bonus points if you bring a flowing robe and whisper &ldquo;ma ch&egrave;re&rdquo; dramatically in the candlelight.

<h3 dir="ltr">7. Swap Disneyland Paris for Ast&eacute;rix and Obelix.</h3>
Skip the overpriced churros and head to&nbsp;Parc Ast&eacute;rix, France&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@kids_friendly_days_out/video/7497635094597881110?lang=en&amp;q=parc%20asterix&amp;t=1751576822341">delightfully oddball theme park</a> inspired by the beloved comic book heroes. Think rollercoasters, Romans, and just the right amount of French absurdity. It&rsquo;s got fewer crowds, more character, and you won&rsquo;t have to pretend to enjoy waiting 90 minutes to ride It&rsquo;s a Small World in French. Bonus: <a href="https://newsroom.parcasterix.fr/le-parc-asterix-collaborare-avec-xavier-thuret-meilleur-ouvrier-de-france-fromager-pour-sa-selection-de-fromages-du-relais-gaulois/">there&rsquo;s actual cheese</a>. 
<h3 dir="ltr">8. Day trip to Mont-Saint-Michel.</h3>
No matter how many photos you&rsquo;ve seen, nothing prepares you for the dreamy view of this&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CaW5UXXIeqw/">abbey-island rising from the tides</a>. It looks like Hogwarts had a baby with a medieval French village. Pro tip: Plan to stay the night in one of the very few inns on the island to get the place allllll to yourself when the daytrippers leave around 6pm. Pro-er tip: <a href="https://www.ot-montsaintmichel.com/en/discover/our-essentials/the-high-tides-and-the-tidal-bore-a-great-spectacle-of-nature/">Coordinate your visit around one of the super tides</a>, when the abbey is completely engulfed by water.

<h3 dir="ltr">9. Go guinguette hopping along the Seine.</h3>
Under the summer sun, Parisians beat the heat by flocking to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@maaaples_/video/7252802052521348378?lang=en&amp;q=guinguettes%20paris&amp;t=1751577184652">guinguettes</a> &mdash; riverside open-air bars with live music, cheap drinks, and a retro French vibe. Head out to <a href="https://www.sortiraparis.com/en/where-to-eat-in-paris/bars-cafes/guides/329014-the-guinguettes-of-summer-2025-for-aperitifs-in-the-sun-in-paris-and-the-ile-de-france-region">Parc des Buttes-Chaumont or Joinville-le-Pont</a> to dance, picnic, or just sip ros&eacute; with your feet in the water. It&rsquo;ll make you feel like a real Parisian, not to mention that it'll give you an excellent excuse to dress up. 
<h3>10. Visit the vineyard hidden in Montmartre.</h3>
Tucked behind Sacr&eacute;-C&oelig;ur is Clos Montmartre, a tiny working vineyard in the heart of Paris &mdash; because&nbsp;<a href="https://www.charlottetoparis.com/blog/paris-travel-guide-visiting-the-vignes-du-clos-montmartre?srsltid=AfmBOorB2sizsQyP4Ihcmd62Wt47s3FJsMIvvTRu34eCLFphVWK9ybYL">of course Paris has a secret vineyard</a>. It&rsquo;s not always open to the public, but you can peek through the gates or time your visit with the annual F&ecirc;te des Vendanges, where the wine flows, the locals get festive, and things get delightfully weird (we&rsquo;re talking about a <a href="https://www.sortiraparis.com/en/what-to-visit-in-paris/walks/articles/54579-fete-des-vendanges-de-montmartre-2024-in-paris-the-program-of-festivities#:~:text=The%20non%2Dproposal%20ceremony">celebration of marriage proposal rejections</a> here, people).

<h3 dir="ltr">11. Take a cheese class in a real fromagerie.</h3>
Sure, you could stare blankly at stinky cheeses at the market &mdash; but why not get a PhD in brie instead? Book a cheese tasting or workshop at places like&nbsp;<a href="https://parolesdefromagers.com/en/">Paroles de Fromagers</a> to learn proper slicing, pairing, and how to casually drop phrases like &ldquo;triple cr&egrave;me&rdquo; and &ldquo;washed rind&rdquo; into conversation. Tr&egrave;s cultured. 
If there's one thing that's clear, it's that Paris is a city that rewards curiosity. Veer left when everyone else turns right. Go underground. Sleep in castles. Sip wine in secret vineyards. Dance beside the river. Nibble your picnic on your own terms.&nbsp;
And always,&nbsp;always pack a bottle opener.

Travel Inspiration

Barmy Yet Beautiful North Macedonia

By Katy

I made a plea for some travel intel a little more off the beaten track in last week&rsquo;s edition. More specifically, I asked for your wisdom on North Macedonia, where I&rsquo;ll be heading for a week this autumn.&nbsp;
You may be wonder why on earth I&rsquo;ve decided to go there, and honestly, it&rsquo;s the curse of a life of flight finding. Back in my early days at JFC, when I got to spend several hours every day digging around the dark corners of Google Flights, intrepid budget airlines started popping out new routes to corners of Eastern Europe I&rsquo;d never heard of. Among those corners was Ohrid.
It didn&rsquo;t take much Googling to know that this was a place we should tell people about, because frankly, one picture was enough

From there, I began reading more about the country. Where Ohrid, on the North Macedonian side of UNESCO listed Lake Ohrid, oozes history, charm, and gorgeous nature, the capital city, Skopje, has a different story to tell. With years of communist rule and a devastating earthquake taking their toll on the city's buildings, it has ended up somewhat&hellip; well&hellip; confused?
Detour reader and fellow Lupine Racer Doug (whom I met last year over a pint in a rather soggy <a href="https://globetrotterkyle.com/the-ultimate-travel-guide-to-rothenburg-ob-der-tauber/">Rothenburg ob der Tauber</a> en route to Tirana) sent in his impressions from a visit last year:&nbsp;

&ldquo;I went there after last year's race. I only visited Skopje and Ohrid, both of which are well worth a visit. I can confirm that the latter is as idyllic as it looks &hellip; The lake is great for swimming and boating and the town itself is full of interesting churches, monasteries and mosques. The restaurants on the edge of the lake are good, though obviously tourist orientated. The more local restaurants are a few streets in, off the Chinar Tree square.&nbsp;The trip down the lake to the&nbsp;<a href="https://sandaltanman.com/the-bay-of-bones/">Bay of Bones</a> and <a href="https://mymacedoniablog.com/sightseeing/ohrid-and-surroundings/ohrid/outside-of-ohrid/">St Naum</a> are worth doing. We just hired a taxi for the afternoon, though I think there are organised excursions available.
Skopje was probably my favourite of the Balkan capitals I visited. It is completely barmy and suffers from an identity crisis. In the heart of the city they think they are Rome or Athens with all sorts of <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/skopje-macedonia-neoclassical-theme-park">grandiose neoclassical buildings</a>, not to mention enormous statues of people like Alexander the Great and his dad Philip. Cross the river and you are in a typical and attractive <a href="https://youtu.be/nMF6EA5QeSA?si=hd3WVxHy_b2t1-7O">Ottoman Market district.</a> Dotted within all this, there are a fair number of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/gallery/2018/sep/06/modernist-architecture-skopje-macedonia-in-pictures">interesting Brutalist buildings</a> (if you haven't had your fill on the Tallinn race). Add to this the red double decker buses and you end up with a pretty unique hotch potch!&rdquo; - Doug

Thanks so much, Doug! This is exactly the vibe I&rsquo;ve been picking up from all my North Macedonia research, so it&rsquo;s great to hear that it lives up to it in real life, too. I&rsquo;m certainly looking forward to warming up my brutalist taste buds en route to Tallinn next month, but there&rsquo;ll be plenty room for more by October.&nbsp;
And now we&rsquo;re throwing it back out to you guys for your thoughts on a different destination &mdash; one that&rsquo;s just a tad more traditionally alluring, yet even more unlikely that the majority of us will ever get there&hellip; Fiji!

&ldquo;Hi Katy,
Question: have you ever put together travel tips to Fiji?&nbsp;
Trying to find info and the thing is, there's just way too much info out there, but it's all messy and mainly targeted to honeymoons, all-inclusive, high-spenders. Looking rather for a more budgetish, non-resort experience.&nbsp;
Thanks in advance!&rdquo; - Salvatore

Excellent question Salvatore &mdash; we see great flights to Fiji now and again, but they&rsquo;re super rare, and usually for the lucky JFC-ers over in North America. Unfortunately, I&rsquo;ve never had the chance to get over there and test it out myself.
That said, our very own Flight Finder Larissa is also planning a trip to Fiji later this year, so we&rsquo;re keeping our eyes peeled more than ever. And when we find those great flights, we&rsquo;re definitely going to need some awesome travel tips to go with them!&nbsp;
So, dear Detour readers, have any of you been fortunate enough to visit Fiji? Did it live up to the island paradise hype? And what are your tips for avoiding the package resorts and saving a few pennies while there?
Help Salvatore and Larissa out in our shiny new comments section by logging into your account on your browser or our app and heading to <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/articles/detour-193-alternative-paris-north-macedonia#comments">the comments in this edition of The Detour</a>. Or, if you&rsquo;d rather stick to the inbox, just reply to this email as usual.

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across web this week.
<ul>
<li>The European Parliament has <a href="https://www.timeout.com/news/huge-news-airlines-will-no-longer-be-allowed-to-charge-for-hand-luggage-in-europe-062625">officially ruled</a> that airlines must allow passengers to take a 7 kg carry-on bag onboard in addition to their under-seat personal item. Of course, our no-frills favourites strongly disagree with this decision, so watch this space to see how the drama unfolds... </li>
<li>We flight nerds love a fun airport code, but <a href="https://nowiknow.beehiiv.com/p/this-airport-sux-b23644f691fe8e71">this one really SUX</a>! </li>
<li>Unfortunately, it's that time of year again when some of Europe's most popular summer destinations are hit with wildfires. If you're travelling to Greece or Turkey soon, <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/crete-wildfire-mapped-greece-fire-warning-b2781787.html">here's what you need to know</a>. </li>
<li>And finally, if you're still in the market for a summer read to whisk you away to distant lands, let yourself <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/list/tag/travel">fall down a goodreads rabbit hole</a>. It probably won't surprise you that you'll be able to find me heading off&nbsp;<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40122009-around-the-world-in-80-trains">Around the World in 80 Trains</a> 🚂</li>
</ul>

Alternative Paris Tips for Your Second, Third, or Fourth Trip

​​Paris, But Make It Weird: 11 Delightfully Offbeat Activities Around the French Capital

Originally published in The Detour in July 2024
At the beginning of the year, I started bugging the rest of the JFC team to write up all their memorable travel experiences as soon as they get home from an epic trip. We&rsquo;re around halfway through the year now, and I&rsquo;ve already gathered some absolutely phenomenal stories to share with you.
I want to start off with Data Analyst Tara&rsquo;s month-long solo trip to Sri Lanka back in February. Having been to Kerala in South India last year&mdash;and absolutely loving it&mdash;she hoped to capture a similar magic:

&ldquo;Sri Lanka piqued my interest, being geographically close and culturally similar in some respects. Plus there are all those the beautiful beaches, amazing food, the surfing on the coast, the beautiful train journeys&hellip;&rdquo;

And as it turns out, Tara was not disappointed. She had plenty of fond memories to share about the island, so let&rsquo;s break it down:

&ldquo;All the Sri Lankans I met on my trip were extremely open and kind - I found it a really welcoming and safe-feeling place to travel solo.&rdquo;

Not only does Time Out think Sri Lanka is a great place to travel solo, they&rsquo;ve even gone so far as to name it their <a href="https://www.timeout.com/travel/solo-female-travel-best-destinations?lid=8t1t9ktnvbms" style="text-decoration: underline; color: #0ebfff;">no.1 destination for solo female travellers</a> in 2024. You&rsquo;ll likely find it hard not to meet other solo travellers if you head there alone.
Getting around safely is easy enough with public transport, though you&rsquo;ll be reliant on somewhat unpredictable scheduling! As with anywhere, just keep your wits and your belongings about you, and you should have no problems. That said, renting a tuktuk or hiring a driver is also perfectly doable if you&rsquo;d rather move to the beat of your own drum.
In general, Sri Lankans are known for being incredibly friendly and welcoming. Although that only goes so far&mdash;make sure to brush up on your <a href="https://www.nathab.com/know-before-you-go/asia-the-pacific/sri-lanka/cultural-dos-and-donts/?lid=dybm38grgelo" style="text-decoration: underline; color: #0ebfff;">local etiquette</a> to avoid any sticky situations. What you might think of as an innocent selfie with Buddha could <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2014/04/22/305899590/tattoo-of-buddha-gets-british-tourist-thrown-out-of-sri-lanka?lid=igdjmuid2d9i" style="text-decoration: underline; color: #0ebfff;">get you deported</a>!

&ldquo;The nature is amazing, everything is so lush and green with amazing birds and strange wildlife.&rdquo;

The community over on Facebook definitely agrees, with several of the country&rsquo;s national parks getting a shout-out. With the highest density of leopards anywhere in the world, <a href="https://www.mahoora.com/yala-national-park.html?lid=z0mudtwlcskz" style="text-decoration: underline; color: #0ebfff;">Yala National Park</a> is the go-to for leopard spotting (pun intended), while <a href="https://www.ceylonexpeditions.com/bundala-national-park-safari?lid=wl6duucsfyfl" style="text-decoration: underline; color: #0ebfff;">Bundala</a> is especially great for bird watching during the September&ndash;March migration season.
JFC-er Karen recommends visiting the <a href="https://www.kosgodaseaturtle.org/?lid=awjus9fzfygd" style="text-decoration: underline; color: #0ebfff;">Kosgoda Sea Turtle Conservation Project</a>. It&rsquo;s a great opportunity to see and learn about turtles, and support local conservation efforts while you&rsquo;re at it. If you&rsquo;ve got a week or more to spare during your trip, consider volunteering with them!
As for the natural landscapes, there&rsquo;s lush jungle practically everywhere you look, plus unusual rock formations and epic cliffs sprinkled across the island. Adam&rsquo;s Peak is a jaw-dropping mountain in the heart of the Sri Lanka, and high on most visitors&rsquo; list of things to see. It is said that the footprint of Buddha, aka the <a href="https://sripada.org/text-0.htm?lid=c3ckmaattads" style="text-decoration: underline; color: #0ebfff;">Sri Pada</a>, is imprinted upon the rock near the summit.
At over 2,000m high, most of which involves steep stairs, to say it&rsquo;s a <a href="https://weareglobaltravellers.com/2023/08/adams-peak-hiking-guide/?lid=b73gfgn44zyt" style="text-decoration: underline; color: #0ebfff;">strenuous hike</a> would be an understatement.&nbsp; About a four-hour drive to the east, you&rsquo;ll encounter <a href="https://nerdnomads.com/little-adams-peak?lid=c29kt20qje76" style="text-decoration: underline; color: #0ebfff;">Little Adam&rsquo;s Peak</a>, about half the size of its big brother, and an easier climb with some stunning views.
World&rsquo;s End is equally impressive&mdash;<a href="https://youmeunderthepalmtree.com/worlds-end-sri-lanka/?lid=idve5co47cs6" style="text-decoration: underline; color: #0ebfff;">a steep 880-metre cliff</a> with astonishing views across Horton Plains. Although, if you have vertigo, be warned that there&rsquo;s no hand-rail!&nbsp;
That all sound like a walk in the park? Then it&rsquo;s the man-made and truly <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C7l_SegNAse/?hl=en&amp;lid=osthpnje5752" style="text-decoration: underline; color: #0ebfff;">nausea-inducing Ambuluwawa Tower</a> you need.

&ldquo;The surfing spots were very fun, travelling on my own, it was a great way to meet people and get active first thing in the morning. The beaches were beautiful, I loved driving along to find secluded spots (for example <a href="https://traveltriangle.com/blog/silent-beach-tangalle/?lid=lj5ix3zbexzw" style="text-decoration: underline; color: #0ebfff;">Silent Beach</a> on the south coast).&rdquo;

When it comes to catching a wave, you can&rsquo;t go wrong <a href="https://thesurfatlas.com/sri-lanka-surf/?lid=3luz23gw9ow6#surf-spots" style="text-decoration: underline; color: #0ebfff;">anywhere on the south coast</a>, from Colombo in the west, right round to Arugam Bay in the southeast. Beware, though&mdash;not all these beaches are ideal for a gentle swim or paddle, as the waves come thick and fast, especially from May&ndash;October.
The north of the island also has glorious, sandy shores, and they tend to come with the added bonus of fewer tourists. A visit to Trincomalee (aka&nbsp;<a href="https://beyondwildplaces.com/trincomalee-travel-guide-sri-lanka/?lid=rdbritv4pbuy" style="text-decoration: underline; color: #0ebfff;">Trinco</a>) will offer up quiet beaches, great snorkelling, whale watching trips, beautiful Hindu temples, and a whole load of tasty seafood.&nbsp;

&ldquo;The coworking/co-living spots were great - Clics coworking in Hiriketya was my spot - I could have happily stayed there all year! There's a lot of people doing the digital nomad thing, so I was part of a community quickly.&rdquo;

I was as surprised as most of you probably are to learn that Sri Lanka is a big destination for remote working. But why wouldn&rsquo;t you want to have the option of splashing directly into the warm ocean after logging off for the day?&nbsp;
Cool surf towns like Weligama and Ahangama on the south coast have already developed the infrastructure needed to keep you connected. There&rsquo;s no need to rely on dodgy caf&eacute; Wi-Fi, with <a href="https://christinaintheclouds.com/coworking-spaces-in-sri-lanka/?lid=iazz54spqttg" style="text-decoration: underline; color: #0ebfff;">several co-working</a> spaces to choose from, and no shortage of cute brunch spots and bars with live music for some chill time.&nbsp;

&ldquo;The food was fab! I was having dal and egg hoppers for breakfast every day and rice and curry for lunch and dinner. I also did a cooking class when I was in Ella which was phenomenal.&rdquo;

As a fan of the champion of all breakfast foods (egg, obviously), but not a lover of drenching it in hollandaise sauce, elevating a humble egg to the next level often proves complicated for me during brunch. But no more! For crispy, coconutty <a href="https://www.eggs.ca/recipes/bittara-appa-sri-lankan-egg-hoppers?lid=64rrmcungagq" style="text-decoration: underline; color: #0ebfff;">bittara appa</a> are here to save us.&nbsp;
In general, you can expect a lot of fish or meat curries in Sri Lanka, served alongside steamed rice, lentils, popadums, chutneys and pickled veg. And then there are those big, orange <a href="https://www.cocossa.co.uk/post/coconut-vs-king-coconut?lid=0mnyluzge50r" style="text-decoration: underline; color: #0ebfff;">king coconuts</a>, which are just as good for a sweet snack as they are for cooling down a spicy sambal. Just make sure you don&rsquo;t go too fiery before a long day out in the jungle&hellip;
If you like the idea of taking home a few new recipes, arranging a cookery class once you arrive in Sri Lanka will be easy-peasy, or you can book one in advance through Viator. But if you like the idea of food being the main focus of your trip, tour companies such as Intrepid offer <a href="https://www.intrepidtravel.com/uk/sri-lanka/sri-lanka-real-food-adventure-144009?lid=3b776eqdc5pr" style="text-decoration: underline; color: #0ebfff;">fully curated culinary trips</a> around the island. Don&rsquo;t worry, they still make time to see the sights as well!&nbsp;

&ldquo;The train journeys were beautiful, I didn&rsquo;t want to do the long journey from Kandy to Ella, so I got an early morning tuktuk to Demodara and took the train over the Nine Arch Bridge back to Ella - it was amazing!&rdquo;

The <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/jacksflightclub/permalink/829409737414889/?lid=y7yydkrlezhf" style="text-decoration: underline; color: #0ebfff;">consensus among the JFC Facebook community</a> is that the train between Kandy and Ella is not to be missed! Unsurprisingly, most have the same idea and tickets will often sell out in advance. The ever reliable <a href="https://www.seat61.com/SriLanka.htm?lid=lge8ero7r753#how-to-buy-tickets_online" style="text-decoration: underline; color: #0ebfff;">Man in Seat 61</a> has all the info on how you can grab some online before you go.
All is not lost if you don&rsquo;t plan ahead, though. JFC-er Katie managed to book last-minute spots on an early morning freight train, which made for a fantastic experience in its own right.
As beautiful as it may be, like Tara mentions, that trip between Kandy and Ella is pretty long at around 6 hours. Demodara, on the other hand, is only 4 miles/6.5 km away from Ella, along the line crossing the spectacular <a href="https://www.saltinourhair.com/sri-lanka/nine-arch-bridge-ella/?lid=074idcw2oigv" style="text-decoration: underline; color: #0ebfff;">Nine Arch Bridge</a>. Either follow Tara&rsquo;s lead and hop on a train to/from Demodara, or make like the locals and walk the <a href="https://www.adventuresofjellie.com/sri-lanka/the-demodara-railway-loop-a-sri-lankan-railway-marvel-hidden-in-the-mountains?lid=am157ckgvo3r" style="text-decoration: underline; color: #0ebfff;">Demodara Loop</a> to see it on foot.
And now for Tara&rsquo;s final Sri Lanka recommendation: visit Galle to witness <a href="https://www.johansens.com/inspiration/stilt-fishing-on-the-galle-coast-a-sri-lankan-tradition/?lid=4fsx9ls1au69" style="text-decoration: underline; color: #0ebfff;">traditional stilt fishing</a>. There are few things as uniquely Sri Lankan as a group of fishermen on poles hovering a few metres above the water.

Train Trips, Surfing, And Solo Travel In Sri Lanka

&ldquo;Let the alluring aquamarine waters and white sands seduce you. Coral-fringed islands scattered across turquoise seas promise snorkeling among shoals of rainbow-colored fish, fresh conch fritters, and ice-cold rum cocktails under a tropical sun&hellip;&rdquo;&nbsp;
Yep, you&rsquo;ve seen the ads. The sterile, impossibly glossy brochures filled with a daydream of families and couples who probably only met each other that day, all frolicking on a faraway beach somewhere. It&rsquo;s all in the name with Celebrity cruises and Royal Caribbean.
And writer David Foster Wallace couldn&rsquo;t have summed it up better in his hilarious piece <a href="https://harpers.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/HarpersMagazine-1996-01-0007859.pdf">Shipping Out</a>: &ldquo;The promise is not that you can experience great pleasure, but that you will. They&rsquo;ll make certain of it. They&rsquo;ll micromanage every iota of every pleasure-option so that not even the dreadful corrosive action of your adult consciousness and agency and dread can f*ck up your fun&rdquo;
But here&rsquo;s the thing: I would rather not be cajoled into believing I&rsquo;m some kind of &ldquo;celebrity&rdquo; on my trip just because I&rsquo;m within 10 feet of Steve the towel guy at all times, or have unfettered access to the midnight chocolate buffet. I don&rsquo;t want my travel montage to be accompanied by the melody of &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t Stop Believing&rdquo; on the steel drums, and I most definitely, under no circumstances, want to be forced to pose with a parrot or a pirate. 
And if someone tries to rope me into a conga line, I swear I&rsquo;ll hurl myself over the railing with the kind of theatrical finality reserved for a Shakespearean tragedy.&nbsp;

And if that&rsquo;s your version of bliss. No judgment. It&rsquo;s just not mine.&nbsp;
What I want is immersion. I want to sit on a cracked sidewalk in a little hamlet nobody&rsquo;s heard of, surrounded by stray cats, listening to locals argue about where to send me for the best homemade lunch of my entire life. And when I can&rsquo;t speak your language? I want to be the best damn cross-cultural communicator through exaggerated gestures and interpretive dance.&nbsp;
So, this week after reading tabs upon tabs of dead Reddit threads on &ldquo;Bahamas off the beaten path&rdquo; my interest was naturally spiked when I read a throw-away comment about travelling between some of the islands. &ldquo;You could try the mail boat, lol&rdquo;&nbsp;
Enter my latest hyperfixation: sailing the Bahamas by mail boat.

Like the ships that deliver mail? Exactly.&nbsp;
I&rsquo;m talking about those salt-weathered workhorses that stitch islands like the Bahamas together. They&rsquo;re a lifeline, hauling everything from canned corned beef and car parts to love letters and utility bills over to the far-flung cays.&nbsp;
And if you&rsquo;re willing to embrace the chaos, they just might haul you, too, wedged between pallets of ripe bananas and a fisherman&rsquo;s catch of the day. The diesel engine vibrating at your feet.&nbsp;
Wave hello to that passing cruise ship, that could&rsquo;ve been you in another life. But in this life, you get to be a human observer and human cargo, how cool!
It&rsquo;s an itinerary that a cruise can&rsquo;t cultivate. Adventure travel at its most raw. Schedules? Suggestions at best. Your new deck buddy? Probably a goat.
In return, you&rsquo;ll get epic story montages set to the slapping of flip-flops on a wet deck and a radio playing the distant crackle of calypso.&nbsp;

Interested? Here&rsquo;s how:&nbsp;
Since mail boats cater to survival, passengers are an afterthought here. So securing a spot requires equal parts recklessness and persistence. Some boats may sell tickets dockside (cash only, of course) while others operate a word of mouth system. If you're imagining <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/bahamlandsea/posts/2944873842361118/">posting in a local Facebook group &agrave; la Greg</a> you're on the right track.&nbsp;
Study <a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/slow-travel-mail-boat-bahamas">this Lonely Planet guide</a> like your life depends on it. If you're serious about setting sail, it&rsquo;s packed with tips from one man&rsquo;s trip report.&nbsp;
Here&rsquo;s a glimpse of where the mail boats could take you: The kind of Bahamas most travelers never see.&nbsp; 
<a href="https://www.travelingtessie.com/allposts/the-ultimate-guide-to-exuma">Great Exuma</a>
Population: 6,500
Highlights: The busiest and most popular of the islands, home to the famous swimming pigs at Big Major Cay (might want to give this one a skip, past investigations have raised <a href="https://www.worldofvegan.com/swimming-pigs/">concern about their welfare</a>) &mdash; your last stop before paradise, stock up on supplies
Boat: <a href="https://mvcaptainc.com/">MV Captain C</a>

<a href="https://www.myoutislands.com/bahamas-islands/cat-island">Cat Island</a>
Population: 1,500
Highlights: Slightly <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gs10UDKAR1g">pink sandy beaches</a>, and a hilltop hermitage, <a href="https://www.bahamas.com/plan-your-trip/things-to-do/the-hermitage-on-mt-alvernia">Mount Alvernia</a>.&nbsp;
Boat: MV Legacy 
<a href="https://www.cosmosmariners.com/blog/red-bays-andros-island-bahamas">Andros</a>
Population: 7,500 (west side has fewer than 500)
Highlights: The largest of the island, it&rsquo;s famed for its wild blue holes, bone fishing and vast wetlands. Most likely you&rsquo;ll have<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riw3WoFQiIM"> the 3rd-largest barrier reef</a> in the world all to yourself.&nbsp;
Boat: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bahadaybreak">MV Bahamas Daybreak</a> 
<a href="https://thetravelersbuddy.com/acklins-cooked-islands/">Crooked Island &amp; Acklins</a>
Population: 300-500
Highlights: Loyalist ruins, lighthouse and empty beaches. It&rsquo;s a haven for bone fishing, <a href="https://www.bahamas.com/plan-your-trip/things-to-do/caves-of-crooked-island">cliffs and caves</a>.&nbsp; 
Boat:&nbsp;Contact the <a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/slow-travel-mail-boat-bahamas#:~:text=Planning%20an%20adventure%20you%20can%E2%80%99t%20plan">Port Department</a> 
<a href="https://www.tahinaexpedition.com/2015/05/the-ragged-islands-of-the-bahamas.html">Ragged Islands</a>
Population: 44
Highlights: This is the remotest island in the Bahamas. Duncan town, the island&rsquo;s only settlement, is a near deserted outpost with endless solitude. Besides deserted beaches, you&rsquo;ll find <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YADx7FES_DU">remnants of salt ponds</a> and maybe a lighthouse or two.
Boat:&nbsp;Contact the <a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/slow-travel-mail-boat-bahamas#:~:text=Planning%20an%20adventure%20you%20can%E2%80%99t%20plan">Port Department</a>

The Unwritten Rules
Go slow: The mail boat isn&rsquo;t for ticking off destinations. Choose one place and let it sink in. Chat with locals, share a conch salad, and let the journey be part of the story.&nbsp;
Pack light, but as if you&rsquo;re a castaway: Space is tight, and you&rsquo;ll likely be hauling your bag over crates of cargo. A backpack beats a roller suitcase every time. Don&rsquo;t skimp out on snacks and water. And if you must, a powerbank.&nbsp;
Embrace the unknown: Schedules change. Boats break down. You might end up staying longer (or leaving sooner) than planned. Maybe you&rsquo;ll end up taking shelter from a storm on an entirely different island. That&rsquo;s the point. Just keep in mind, some mail boats only sail once per month.&nbsp;
Your reward? Island life that no brochure could capture. Gloriously untethered from the outside world.&nbsp;
Not a conga line in sight.&nbsp;

The Mailboat Chronicles – Sailing the Bahamas Like a Local

This article was originally published in the Detour in February 2022.

More than a few of you wonderful readers have asked us the question - &lsquo;Where can I travel with young kids?&rsquo;
So ask no more, travel-hungry parents. We&rsquo;re rolling up our sleeves and giving you our top tips on where you (and your little ones) can have the most marvellous travels in the whole wide world&hellip;

<h2>#1: Tokyo, Japan</h2>
We know, we know, Japan isn&rsquo;t yet open to foreign nationals, but we might just see travel restrictions <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-maintain-most-border-restrictions-until-end-february-2022-01-11/"> begin to loosen from the end of February</a>, so now is the time to start thinking ahead.
And don&rsquo;t be put off by the thought of Tokyo&rsquo;s hustle and bustle, either - <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/worlds-safest-cities-index-copenhagen-2021-b1933923.html">as one of the world&rsquo;s safest cities</a>, it&rsquo;s the perfect place to take kids for their first real big-city adventure (before setting out into Japan to see the country&rsquo;s stunning sights).

<h3>0&ndash;4 years old</h3>
There are a ton of parent-and-child caf&eacute;s across Tokyo (check out Savvy Tokyo&rsquo;s <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://savvytokyo.com/10-baby-friendly-cafes-in-central-tokyo/">round-up of venues in the city centre</a>), all of them equipped with changing rooms, play-spaces, and areas for strollers or prams.
If your child is entering the terrible twos and you both feel like having a howl, you&rsquo;ll also want to pay a visit to Pasela, <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://bestlivingjapan.com/pasela-resorts-shinjuku-yasukuni-dori/"> the popular Tokyo karaoke chain</a>, which offers kid-friendly karaoke experiences, private rooms for dining, and bouncy castle spaces.
The city also prides itself on its ridiculously creative play-parks. Our personal favourite? <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://www.littledayout.com/shinagawa-kumin-park-tokyo-a-whale-of-a-time/">Shinagawa Kumin Park</a>, which is home to an aquarium and has an epic suite of sea-themed climbing, jumping, and bouncing activities.
And if you want a night off to explore the city for yourselves, you might also be interested to hear that a sizeable number of Japanese hotels offer <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/HotelsList-Japan-Hotels-With-Babysitting-zfp11178776.html"> an in-house babysitting service&hellip;</a>

<h3>5+ years old</h3>
This is where it gets really fun in Tokyo for parents and their little ones.
Your kid&rsquo;s a nature-lover? There&rsquo;s more than just the famous animal caf&eacute;s (Tokyo Cheapo has <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://tokyocheapo.com/entertainment/animal-cafes-in-tokyo-alternatives/"> all the recs for ethically-managed locations</a>, including Neco Republic, which shelters cats in need of a forever home). Several of the city&rsquo;s parks feature petting zoos - <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://bestlivingjapan.com/yoyogi-park-ponies/">like Yoyogi Park and its ponies.</a>
Or perhaps they have a lot of energy to burn off? Take them to one of the <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/things-to-do/best-outdoor-adventure-parks-near-tokyo">massive adventure parks</a> outside the city centre.
Tokyo has a real thing for theme parks dedicated to Scandinavian kid&rsquo;s writers, for some reason (Hans Christian Andersen and <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://metsa-hanno.com/en/"> the Moomins</a> both have their own resorts). But the most impressive is the confusingly-named but thankfully kid-friendly <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://trip.pref.kanagawa.jp/itinerary/sagamiko-resort-pleasure-forest-fun-thrills-and-gorgeous-illuminations/7"> Sagamiko Pleasure Forest</a>, with a colossal obstacle course and a host of amusements for toddlers.
If your child is an anime obsessive, there&rsquo;s plenty to choose from - <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://www.gotokyo.org/en/spot/55/index.html"> the neon lights of Akihabara&rsquo;s electric town</a> would be the obvious choice.
But we&rsquo;d prioritise <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g1060901-d581684-Reviews-Ghibli_Museum_Mitaka-Mitaka_Tokyo_Prefecture_Kanto.html"> the much-praised Studio Ghibli Museum</a> out in the suburbs of Mitaka, which narrowly avoided closure during the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to a crowdfunding campaign from legions of Totoro and Spirited Away fans.
Tickets are released in monthly batches on the museum&rsquo;s website, so make sure you plan well ahead.
<h3>Other useful stuff to know</h3>
<ul>
<li>Handily enough, 0-5 year-olds <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://www.jrpass.com/blog/japan-rail-passes-for-children">travel for free on the Japanese rail system.</a> 6-11 year-olds can buy a rail-pass at half the usual price. (You&rsquo;re sensibly advised to avoid 7-9am on Japanese trains to skip the infamous crush.)</li>
<li>For many of us - and our fellow passengers - the long-haul flight is likely to be the most off-putting factor about a trip to Tokyo with a small child. Thankfully, Our Travel Home has <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://www.ourtravelhome.com/tips-for-flying-long-haul-with-a-baby/">a list of helpful tips</a> for making the experience as stress-free as possible. We&rsquo;d also point you towards <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://www.babycantravel.com/best-toddler-travel-beds-airplanes/"> Baby Can Travel&rsquo;s recommendations</a> for comfy flight-friendly baby beds&hellip;</li>
<li>Carefinder has put together <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://www.carefinder.jp/en/news/japanese-phrases-all-parents-should-know"> a list of Japanese phrases</a> that travelling parents might need to use.</li>
<li>Japan Today has <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://japantoday.com/category/features/lifestyle/what-to-do-if-you-require-medical-assistance-while-visiting-japan"> a great write-up about what to expect</a> if your child needs medical attention (in short: Japanese healthcare is great, but expensive. At all costs, make sure you have travel insurance)</li>
</ul>
<h2> #2: The Canary Islands</h2>

Look, we&rsquo;re all about the undiscovered locations and the little-known treats here at JFC.
But we&rsquo;re going to have to drop our snobbery and just admit it - well-travelled though they are, the Canaries are simply perfect for a sun-kissed stop-over with children.
Part of that comes down to the easy accommodation options: the islands offer <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://www.kiddieholidays.co.uk/50-places-to-stay-with-babies-and-toddlers-in-the-canary-islands/">a frankly ludicrous variety of resort-style hotels</a> with colossal swimming pools and water-parks, but there are plenty of <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://www.canarirural.com/EN/ideas-para-vacaciones/Family-vacation-r1"> rural self-catering apartments and villas</a> away from the crowds, too.
We&rsquo;d personally recommend <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://www.i-escape.com/finca-de-arrieta?kids_mode=enter"> Finca de Arrieta on Lanzarote</a> - it&rsquo;s an awesomely eccentric eco-farm with yurts, cottages, a solar-powered pool, an honesty shop, and chickens on site, all hidden away in a grove of gorgeous mango trees.
You can also hop on a car-ferry from island to island, making it relatively stress-free for you to rent transportation (Autoreisen is active in all the airports on the Canaries <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://autoreisen.com/car-hire/car-hire.php">and offers free car seats for kids</a>) and set out on a family adventure away from the tourist hordes.
<h3>0&ndash;4 years old</h3>
Maybe use your judgement on the cute/creepy factor of this one - but if your kid loves their teddy bears, they might enjoy a trip to Artlandya, <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://www.canaryislandsinfo.co.uk/tenerife/things-to-do/artlandya-doll-museum/"> a rather unique museum on Tenerife</a> that looks into the craft of teddies and dolls.
But let&rsquo;s be honest, if you&rsquo;re heading to the Canaries with a toddler, you&rsquo;re probably going to want to find a safe place to enjoy the sun, the beach and the water, where they can play and you can take a breath.
<a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://theculturetrip.com/europe/spain/articles/the-best-family-friendly-beach-resorts-in-the-canary-islands/">Here are Culture Trip&rsquo;s recommendations</a> on that front, but you should also familiarise yourself with the colour flags that will be visible on every beach. (Red flags indicate strong currents, but <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://www.academyofsurfing.com/news/beach-warning-flags">purple flags mean there could be jellyfish in the water</a>).
And cute though they are, you might want to avoid the colourful mini-trains that run tours through the towns of Tenerife - <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g187479-d6949761-Reviews-or10-Tourist_Train-Tenerife_Canary_Islands.html#REVIEWS">some travellers have complained</a> that they can go as fast as 30 miles an hour through busy roads.
<h3>5+ years old</h3>

The Canaries have their fair share of theme parks - <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://www.siampark.net/index.php/en/"> Siam Park</a> is regularly voted the best water park in the world by TripAdvisor travellers - but there are plenty of less noisy and splashy options, too.
You&rsquo;re definitely going to want to pay a visit to <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://gran-canaria-info.com/en/latest-articles/cocodrilo-park-gran-canaria-s-animal-rescue-centre-and-zoo"> Cocodrilo Park on Gran Canaria</a>. It&rsquo;s the only animal rescue centre on the Canaries, and your ticket price goes towards the care of tigers saved from zoos, chimpanzees rescued from smugglers, and a starring cast of crocodiles. There&rsquo;s even a free shuttle bus to make things easy!
We&rsquo;d also take an expedition into the wooded depths of the <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://www.hellocanaryislands.com/nature-spaces/tenerife/anaga-rural-park/"> stunning 14,500-hectare Anaga Rural Park</a> on Tenerife for a bit of quiet time away from it all.
<h3>Other useful stuff to know</h3>
<ul class="listindent-mobile">
<li style="font-weight: 400; color: #00364a; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; margin-bottom: 16px;">&ldquo;&iquest;Tienen un men&uacute; de ni&ntilde;os?&rdquo; Pura Vida Moms has compiled <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://www.puravidamoms.com/spanish-phrases-for-travel-in-costa-rica-with-young-children/">some handy Spanish phrases for parents</a> (it&rsquo;s technically meant for Costa Rican travel, but we&rsquo;ll take it).</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400; color: #00364a; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; margin-bottom: 16px;">The gov.uk website has <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/healthcare-for-uk-nationals-visiting-spain"> advice about seeking medical attention in Spain</a> - make sure you have a health insurance card to hand.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400; color: #00364a; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25px; margin-bottom: 16px;">Serious crime is a rarity on the Canaries, but petty scams and pickpocketing are still a concern in the touristy areas (and they may be even more of a concern if you&rsquo;re trying to watch a small child and your wallet at the same time). <a style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Work Sans',Helvetica, Arial !important; color: #0ebfff;" href="https://www.guidetocanaryislands.com/tenerife-safety/">Here&rsquo;s some simple safety advice.</a></li>
</ul>

Where in the World Can I Travel with my Kids?

I bought plaid. I saw a bear. I line danced with a cowboy.&nbsp;
After my 10-day road trip in the Rockies, I feel somewhat more deserving of my Canadian passport.
It was touch and go for a second, with an email landing in my inbox at 5am to tell me my direct flight to Calgary later that day had been cancelled.
But there&rsquo;s always a silver lining! WestJet offered to reimburse for an overnight stay in Dublin, plus expenses &mdash; a fancy-pants hotel. And naturally, that calls for one thing: room service steak!
Not only that, but since my flight was cancelled last minute, I was also entitled to compensation under EU law (&euro;600). Not too shabby seeing as I only paid &euro;400 for my ticket! But it came with a sacrifice; my knees. Instead of a breezy 8 hours in the air, my trip doubled in length to 16 hours, including a layover in Toronto.&nbsp;
Before boarding, I was hit with another curveball. Because my Irish passport lists my birthplace as Canada, I&rsquo;m required by law to use my Canadian passport, which, in all honesty, could be hiding anywhere &mdash; most likely buried between old receipts in one of my junk drawers.&nbsp;
&ldquo;You can&rsquo;t travel to Canada on an Irish passport unless you apply for an E-visa&rdquo; they casually informed me. And the process? It would usually take 72 hours. Lovely.&nbsp;
Typing like my life depended on it, I uploaded my docs and made a pact with every god under the sun. 7 minutes it took to process. Was it a glitch? Divine intervention? Or just the universe briefly pitying me? I&rsquo;ll never know &mdash; but I will be citing this next time anyone tells me &lsquo;the system is slow.&rsquo;
The flight itself was long and grueling, but thankfully I had two friendly seatmates to liven my spirits. By the time we touched down in Calgary, we were firm friends and I had even more recommendations of places to visit.&nbsp;&ldquo;You have to go to Grassi, look!&rdquo; My new pal whipped out her phone to show me her screensaver, a shimmering lake that looked like something from a watercolour.
Grassi Lakes seems to be a favourite among locals, tourists, and The Detour readers alike (thanks, Tanis)!&nbsp;
Just an hour and a half from Calgary, this short trail from Canmore (a picturesque alpine town with a reputation for luxury living) is an easy hour-long hike. It leads through forest and waterfalls with the most spectacular views of the Rockies, before opening up into two sparkling emerald lakes.&nbsp;

Haunts & Hotsprings - A Roadtrip Rockies Report

Don&rsquo;t expect to have the views all to yourself, though, it was pretty busy when we went &mdash; and that wasn&rsquo;t even during the peak summer tourist season. Still, strolling around the shores of the small lakes was quite peaceful, with most people soaking in the serenity of the emerald waters and nature&rsquo;s symphony of birds.&nbsp;

Next up on our &ldquo;must-do&rdquo; list was a suggestion from Katelyn, a JFC member from Calgary who spends a lot of her spare time in Golden, B.C.&nbsp;
&ldquo;In Golden, you have to stop at Ethos Caf&eacute;. The sourdough bread, pastries, and coffee is amazing. You can take it to go and stroll down by the river and check out Canada's longest covered timber frame bridge&rdquo;
Bread, coffee? You don&rsquo;t have to tell me twice, Katelyn! We opted to share the Torrija, a Spanish take on French Toast: a slab of sourdough coated in vanilla, cardamom, and zesty orange, and stacked with pecan granola, honey, custard, and fruit!

Afterward, with full bellies, we strolled around Golden&rsquo;s small downtown, eventually leading us towards the <a href="https://www.tourismgolden.com/places/kicking-horse-pedestrian-bridge">Kicking Horse pedestrian bridge</a>. The snow-capped peaks of the Rockies mirrored in the river was a postcard that no camera could ever truly capture.&nbsp;

Before saying goodbye to Golden, we figured it&rsquo;d be downright criminal not to check out the <a href="https://www.banffjaspercollection.com/attractions/golden-skybridge/experience/">Golden Skybridge</a>, one of Canada&rsquo;s highest suspension bridges. 
Let&rsquo;s just say, if your idea of a good time doesn&rsquo;t include swaying 426 feet above a canyon, you might wanna give this one a miss. For the rest of us, the vertigo was worth it for these views. 
And if you&rsquo;re wondering whether we took the <a href="https://skybridgegolden.com/Railrider-Mountain-Coaster.html">Railrider mountain roller coaster down</a>&hellip; You betcha!&nbsp;

Katelyn also suggested we check out some hidden hot springs that just so happened to be high on Flight Finder Kristi&rsquo;s list of &ldquo;must-dos&rdquo;.&nbsp;
&ldquo;South of Invermere, there are some natural hot springs that are a lot more authentic than going to the glorified hot tub pools of Banff and Radium - Lussier Creek! This has gained popularity in the last decade, so it might actually be heaving with people&rdquo;&nbsp;
To our surprise, there were only a handful of people when we arrived, and by the time we dipped our toes in the bubbly sulfur pools, it was just us, the river, and the boundless evergreens.
It was probably something to do with the twisty, gravel road that led there. In some parts, the road clung to the mountainside like an afterthought. Leaning out the window, heart in my throat, I glanced down at the valley below, a dizzying drop where the earth just&hellip; fell away. I won&rsquo;t lie, I wondered if it was worth it.&nbsp;
It was.&nbsp;

JFC member Loralee wrote in and told us we had to check out the hot springs at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hotspringsofbc.ca/st-leon-hot-springs/">St. Leon</a> too:&nbsp;
&ldquo;I highly recommend going to St. Leon. It's south of Revelstoke and requires a ferry ride (free). Then, about 10 minutes on the highway, 10 minutes driving very slow up a logging road &amp; another 10 minutes hike up to the spring. Pack lots of water &amp; food because you'll probably want to stay all day. My hubby and I would set up camp in the forest &amp; stay for a week a few times.
I haven't been there in the past several years, so you may want to verify with locals that it's still accessible. This beautiful spot is maintained by the local community, and usually kept secret. It's the only remaining part of an old mining hotel that burned down a hundred years ago&rdquo;&nbsp;
Sadly, we weren&rsquo;t able to squeeze this one in, but I know I&rsquo;ll be back for Loralee's rec.&nbsp;
The road to Revelstoke was simply breathtaking, even on a cold, rainy day. The valley, swallowed by a low-hanging mist, looked like something out of Twilight.&nbsp;
Carving through the Selkirks, the highway twisted alongside cliffs that dropped off into absolutely nothing. Every so often a truck would barrel past blasting enough spray to make me in the passenger seat wince, muttering a silent prayer that Kristi had the wheel.

But then &mdash; magic. A break in the clouds, a glimpse of emerald forest clinging to the slopes, Kicking Horse River raged below and the mountains looming in the distance.&nbsp;

&ldquo;I could totally live here,&rdquo; I must&rsquo;ve muttered more times than I could count.&nbsp;
But when your travel budget is held together with duct-tape and last month&rsquo;s poor decisions, you don&rsquo;t get boujee mountain lodges to rest your heads in. You get questionable roadside motels. So naturally, we leaned in.&nbsp;
If life was going to stick us in a room that smelled like cigarettes and cat pee, we&rsquo;d turn it into our own murder mystery weekend.&nbsp;

By the time we hit Revelstoke, we had convinced ourselves we were the stars of our own low-budget thriller. Think roadside pit stops where the lobby isn&rsquo;t even a lobby and a partial demolition site.&nbsp;
Ironically, I probably had the best sleep of my life here &mdash; let&rsquo;s not analyze that one.&nbsp;

That night in Revy, we experienced the most spectacular vistas along the Columbia River. Stretched out before us, a shifting mirror of liquidity, broken by the occasional sigh of a breeze.&nbsp;
The mist came in slow, eerie tendrils, slinking between the pines. We didn&rsquo;t speak. There was no need. For a little while, we were just witnesses to somewhere beyond the veil.

And as the fog lifted from the river &mdash; ethereal, translucent, then gone &mdash; I felt the same slow clarity rise in my chest: Though Ireland had raised me, Canada had always been there, waiting in my bones.

Haunts & Hot Springs - a Rockies road trip report

Simon scales fences, evades police and crawls through asbestos. I followed him into the dark to understand what dead places do to the living.&nbsp;
<hr>

A burly man, cloaked in black, waits for me in the deadzone of security cameras. I&rsquo;ve known him for all of half an hour, and now here I sit, teetering atop a 10ft fence, trusting that he&rsquo;ll catch me if I fall. My cotton gloves are useless, offering no protection as the chain links dig into my skin. One foot scrambles for a hold, dangling for a second too long; far below, the ground is a m&eacute;lange of brambles and broken concrete.&nbsp;
Expertly reeling, my mind fires off a million worst-case scenarios: a broken ankle, a dog chase, disappearing off the face of the earth. My phone buzzed in my pocket &mdash; a friend&rsquo;s text from Canada, &ldquo;You alive?&rdquo; as if her panic could bridge an ocean.
I&rsquo;d sent her his Instagram profile earlier: no last name, no identifiable locations, zero posts of sunlight. Just a feed of abandoned nuclear sites. I prayed she&rsquo;d at least pick a flattering thumbnail for the inevitable true-crime podcast.&nbsp;
And yet, there&rsquo;s something entirely too intoxicating about this moment. A forbidden dare, a promise of secret worlds hidden in plain sight. The rush comes before I even hit the ground.&nbsp;

Simon in the ruins of St. Elizabeth&rsquo;s&mdash;once a site of Walter Freeman&rsquo;s experimental lobotomies, now only ghosts and dust remain.
<hr>

This is Urbex &mdash; urban exploration &mdash; the exploration of manmade structures usually off-limits or abandoned; a regular Thursday for my new friend Simon, the man in black.
We connected weeks earlier through a dead Reddit thread, his username half-buried between broken links and breadcrumb co-ordinates. No small talk, no promises &mdash; this wasn&rsquo;t a tour. Just a time he&rsquo;d pick me up and the unspoken rule: &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t slow me down.&rdquo;
Later, I&rsquo;d ask him about the moment he fell in love with Urbex. He thinks for a moment before answering with certainty.&nbsp;
"The atmosphere&hellip; It&rsquo;s like seeing the earth without humans. It&rsquo;s ephemeral, temporary, history and adrenaline all wrapped in one. And photography, of course."
He pauses, a glint of passion in his eyes. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s about capturing something that&rsquo;s fading, something that won&rsquo;t be there forever.&rdquo;

Chernobyl&rsquo;s exclusion zone, nuclear bunkers and NYC&rsquo;s legendary TB sanatorium are some of the hundreds of sites featured on Simon&rsquo;s Instagram &mdash; an apocalyptic obsession fuelled by more than a decade of exploration.&nbsp;

Just as hackers, lurking in the shadows of society, bypassing firewalls and cracking code, urbexers chase the thrill of uncovering a backdoor into the supposedly inaccessible.
The son of a photographer, documenting his adventures is essential to him, as is the web of intricate tattoos sprawled across his skin; both ink and images are a blueprint of a life lived on the edge. He&rsquo;s mastered the classic &ldquo;hero shot:&rdquo; a solitary figure, often snapped from behind, half swallowed by shadow and dwarfed by the grandeur of decay.&nbsp;
And yet when he&rsquo;s not scaling walls or sneaking past security, he&rsquo;s behind a screen, crafting code, a master of both domains.&nbsp;

Back in Hungary, en route to the first of two sites Simon has agreed to show me, I launch into question mode. Naturally, I want to know if he&rsquo;s ever been busted, and the probability of being caught today. With his eyes focused on the road, I&rsquo;m speaking mostly to his face tattoo, a leviathan cross on the side of his cheek. Its meaning I can only guess.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Yeah, I got caught sleeping in my hammock at Baikonur.&rdquo; 
Baikonur, I am to learn, is an abandoned military base in the desert of Kazakhstan, a cathedral to the USSR&rsquo;s failed Buran space program, housing two enormous, decrepit Soviet space shuttles.
Simon tells me of his masochistic journey there: A three day, forty kilometer night hike through the desert and a subsequent four days inside a Soviet military prison &mdash; a small price to pay for his SD card.&nbsp;

The ultimate endgame for Urbex explorers. Baikonur is sealed off, locked down, and just waiting for someone to bypass its firewall.
<hr>

Thankfully, battling sandstorms isn&rsquo;t on our agenda today. But we are going to visit another legendary spot in the Urbex community: Kelenfold Power Station.
Following the fence jump, Simon lays his backpack over the twisted snarls of a barbed wire hole I am to climb through. He emphasizes the importance of taking quiet, calculated movements,&nbsp;&ldquo;I once fell through the roof of an abandoned morgue, got stuck between the roof and the glass and cut my arm up real bad.&rdquo;
Despite his broad frame, he slips through with expert ease, a feat that seems almost cruel as I attempt to follow. His boots looked like they&rsquo;d kicked in every door between here and Chernobyl.&nbsp;
Mine? Soft-toed Sketchers with arch support, the kind reviewed by moms visiting Disneyland. Half his size, yet twice as clumsy, I muddle through, my down jacket a caught bird against the steel. The Urbex hierarchy was clear.

Curious about the practical side of his explorations, I ask for tips for anyone looking to dive into Urbex. 
He laughs softly and begins listing off essentials, as if reciting a well-practiced guide:&nbsp;&ldquo;Start in your own area first, get to know the terrain. Always take gloves, good shoes with steel boots, and a hazmat mask, especially for industrial places&mdash;if it&rsquo;s been reconstructed in the 20th century, there&rsquo;s likely asbestos. Dark clothing or green for forests, cream for deserts. And don&rsquo;t forget a good torch. Lighting is key.&rdquo;
As we climb the staircase to the control room, it&rsquo;s clear he&rsquo;s been here many times before. His head darting left and right, he checks for signs of security, averting invisible broken glass and warning me which areas of the floor might fold under my weight. It&rsquo;s the kind of movement that comes from knowing this crumbling world.

You wouldn&rsquo;t think it, but this decaying plant was a Hungarian national treasure and, at the turn of the nineteenth century, one of the most advanced power centers on the continent &mdash; the lungs of the city. Nowadays, there&rsquo;s no air left. Just the faint taste of something metallic and dust.&nbsp;
Here, beneath the roar of wartime fighter jets, engineers orchestrated Hungary&rsquo;s surge into the future. Fine-tuning the flow of electricity to more than 800,000 citizens, feeding the beast required 1,000 tons of coal and 500,000 cubic meters of water per day. Amidst clouds of steam and machinery, dozens of above-ground bomb shelters stand guard, with room for no more than 2 in each space.&nbsp;
The main attraction of the factory is undoubtedly its Art Deco control room, which miraculously remained unscathed during the war. Once a grandiose temple to electricity, it has served as a backdrop to several dystopian films such as Chernobyl Diaries, Spy and Dracula.&nbsp;

Bakelite buttons and iron-clad gauges&mdash;this is how Cold War Budapest kept the lights on.
<hr>

Under the honeyed glow of its stained glass skylight, it&rsquo;s clear that, for architects K&aacute;lm&aacute;n Reichl and Virgil Borb&iacute;r&oacute;, the fusion of technology and design was a love affair.&nbsp;
Now its moss-hued control panels stand frozen in time, their purpose slowly fading into obscurity. A mere shadow of itself, it&rsquo;s mostly a backdrop for selfies now and sees only the occasional visit from a lone fox, which Simon tells me he&rsquo;s spotted several times.&nbsp;
As my eyes trail over the system of brass dials and switches I can&rsquo;t begin to fathom, they settle on a structure looming oppressively under the skylight in the center of the room. Another bomb shelter, a strange feature for such a crucial and exposed space.

Beneath Budapest&rsquo;s Kelenf&ouml;ld Power Plant, a hidden maze of nuclear-proof tunnels winds through the darkness&mdash;some leading to command bunkers, others to mysterious collapsed passages. Did they connect to the city&rsquo;s underground bunker network?
<hr>

The ghostly traces of factory workers linger in the air. How many unsettling glances were cast towards the shelter during their shift? What must it feel like to power a city, not knowing if you&rsquo;d ever see its light tomorrow?
I venture through a crumbling doorway behind the control room, my shoes crunching on broken glass, beer cans and garbage.
Wading my way through the debris, the contrast between urban exploration and homelessness weighs heavily on me. Does it really matter why we&rsquo;re here, or is it just the privilege of being able to leave when we&rsquo;re done?
As quietly as we came, we leave Kelenfold&rsquo;s empty halls, adjusting to the cacophony of the city life once more. In the car, Simon schools me on the true motto of an Urbexer: Take only photographs, leave only footprints.
I nod sheepishly, a wave of regret washing over me as I shove the tiny memento I pocketed deeper, realizing just how much I still have to learn.&nbsp;

Whipping past fields of February&rsquo;s frozen wheat and maize, we&rsquo;re on the road once more toward an undisclosed location. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s important to make sure to tell at least one person where you&rsquo;re going,&rdquo; Simon advises me. But even with these co-ordinates&mdash;shared only with the utmost discretion in the Urbex world &mdash;my friend wouldn&rsquo;t stand a chance of finding me in this next place, a military bunker in the mountains.&nbsp;
Bunkers like this are kept under wraps for good reason. It&rsquo;s rare to uncover one so well-preserved. No vandalism, no pipes stripped of copper, you wouldn&rsquo;t even find it on the handful of websites listing Urbex co-ordinates for a price. Simon tells me these sites are a threat to the Urbex community, simply because arsonists, vandals, thieves, and anyone else with ill intentions could have access to them.
This specific place served as a communications bunker for the Hungarian military during the Cold War, intended to keep lines clear in the event of a nuclear attack.&nbsp;
Arriving at the edge of a forest, I&rsquo;m up for the scramble this time. The excitement of discovery quells any remaining unease and, without hesitation, I leave my rookie gloves in the car.
Beneath the crunch of leaves, the undergrowth is thick. We wander aimlessly, kicking our feet, looking for something, anything, out of place. Finally, an uneven patch of earth draws our attention. A rusted, half-buried entrance pulls us closer. The forest and I hold our breath.&nbsp;

&ldquo;There it is!&rdquo; For a moment we just stare, peering into the abyss, consumed by the thrill of what lies beyond. &ldquo;You good?&rdquo; asks Simon.&nbsp;
I&rsquo;m good.
Climbing deeper, I watch as he slides the bunker door open, the rusted hinges protesting with a sharp screech. Cold, stale air rushes out, thick with the scent of decay. The smell drags me back to the corridors of my old primary school in Ireland. With a shared look, a silent agreement, we climb down into the void.&nbsp;

For a moment, the blackness engulfs me. The silence presses in, and I can&rsquo;t shake a thought: If a nuke ever did hit, wouldn&rsquo;t the real nightmare be to survive it?&nbsp;
How long would it take for time to become irrelevant in a place like this? When there&rsquo;s no sun, no sky, just recycled air and the hum of the generator ticking louder than any clock.&nbsp;
And what gnaws worse at the mind: Watching rations dwindle by the day? Or not knowing which is more hellish, the world above or the one unravelling inside your head?
Shuddering, I hurry along the corridor, closing the distance to my comrade&rsquo;s footsteps, recalling his mention of a torch.&nbsp;

Even in the pitch black, Simon&rsquo;s excitement is electric &mdash; bouncing into every shadowed corner, something that almost feels too alive for this place. With a sharp click, the torch beam flares to life, but it struggles to keep up with his energy. Like thunder following a flash.&nbsp;
And at that moment, I got it. We&rsquo;re alike in more ways than I thought. I feel the same thrill he gets from exploring new corners of the world&mdash;he&rsquo;s just doing it underground. While others stick to the familiar, we seek the unknown, drawn to places that pulse with history; the harder to reach, the better. They remind us that we are part of something larger, a thread in the long tapestry of human existence, whose stories continue to shape the world we inhabit.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s modern-day archeology.&nbsp;
The thought brings a question to my mind, &ldquo;Has any place ever completely changed your perspective?&rdquo; I ask. Simon&rsquo;s expression shifts as he recalls a particular location, the weight of the memory clearly heavy. &ldquo;I went to an abandoned asylum east of Belgium,&rdquo; he begins. &ldquo;It was different &mdash; a lot of disarray, but there was something about it. Taking something beautiful out of something awful. It felt like a moment of reconciliation.&rdquo;
But then his eyes darken a little, as if remembering something even more powerful. "I also visited a psychiatric hospital in Washington, DC," he says, his voice dropping slightly.&nbsp;
"I stood in the exact spot where Walter Freeman performed thousands of lobotomies [including Rosemary Kennedy]. It's surreal, standing there, knowing the history of that place &mdash; the lives it altered forever."

Simon's torch slices through the blackness. Light fills my eyes, and the space sharpens into focus. Rusted pipes trace a path across the ceiling, beckoning us further. It&rsquo;s less claustrophobic than I originally thought, with chambers jutting off in a dizzying number of directions.&nbsp;
Bunks stacked three high in rooms barely wide enough for two people side by side, a generator that looks as if it&rsquo;s been abandoned only yesterday, doors marked with weathered paper signs indicating their purpose in Hungarian.

I round the corner and step into a room thick with dust, the kind that threatens to steal any remaining air. All around me, old switchboards line the walls.&nbsp;
Rows of knobs, dials and tangled cords were once the only lifeline to the outside world.&nbsp;
Suddenly, the darkness engulfs me once more, as my only source of light jumps to the next room, leaving me both figuratively and literally in the dust.

Who sat here last. What was the final call they took, and who answered on the other side?&nbsp;
<hr>

I flick on my phone&rsquo;s torch, the last of my battery bleeding out into a dim cone of light. The hall stretches so far that the beam can&rsquo;t even touch the end. Following the faint echo of Simon&rsquo;s slow and deliberate footsteps, I go deeper, heart pounding louder than my soles, praying my light doesn&rsquo;t fall on something I can&rsquo;t unsee. 
The beam drags itself over the concrete, eventually probing the shape of a door. And to my surprise, I&rsquo;m reaching for the handle &mdash; Simon&rsquo;s gutsy antics have carved their mark deep. Its weight feels unnatural, taking all my strength to open, gradually revealing the bones of a radiation shower. It&rsquo;s probably the most pristine thing in here, gleaming coldly &mdash; just a forgotten relic now.&nbsp;

Tearing my gaze away, I turn to move deeper into the bunker, and a hint of light catches my eye ahead. It&rsquo;s not much, but it stands out against the suffocating darkness. I near the entrance and spot Simon&rsquo;s silhouette, crouched down, setting up his camera equipment in the middle of a large room. A faint scent of rot threatens my nostrils.&nbsp;
Inside, desks are arranged in orderly lines, their edges decaying, a thin layer of white mold creeps across their surface. The chairs are anchored curiously to the ground, likely to withstand tremors or a blast, or perhaps a fundamental reminder of the bunker&rsquo;s intent: maintaining rigidity and regime.&nbsp;

Stacks of paper are haphazardly scattered across the desks, revealing faded documents that tell us of a time when the bunker was still operational. It was abandoned in 1997, eight years after the fall of Hungary&rsquo;s communist dictatorship.&nbsp;
My eyes fix on a pair of green rubber boots, neatly lined up as if someone just stepped out of them.
&ldquo;What&rsquo;s the strangest stuff you&rsquo;ve seen while exploring?&rdquo; I ask Simon, my voice cutting through the silence. He doesn&rsquo;t seem to notice I&rsquo;ve been in the room the whole time, too absorbed in his task of setting up his tripod.&nbsp;
He glances up briefly. &ldquo;Oh, probably a toss-up between a human skeleton in a mortuary cabinet or a floating hand in formaldehyde. I also visited a French castle that was filled wall-to-wall with taxidermy. That definitely had a sinister energy.&rdquo;
Hmm. I nudge the boots over with my foot &mdash; suddenly they don&rsquo;t seem all that interesting.&nbsp;
I stare at him for a moment. It&rsquo;s strange how he seems so unaffected by the things he&rsquo;s seen, and I can&rsquo;t decide whether I admire his detachment or if it unsettles me.&nbsp;&nbsp;
How many places would I have to creep through before I stopped bracing for a jump scare?&nbsp;
&ldquo;You&rsquo;ve been doing this for a long time, huh?&rdquo; I ask, hoping to get a glimpse of what makes him tick. &ldquo;Long enough, since I was a teenager.&rdquo; His tone is flat, and I take the hint, leaving him to fine-tune his hero shot.&nbsp;
I drag my shoes across the floor, aiming for the entrance, eager to cut myself loose from this sterile place. I&rsquo;ve been in here too long and the coldness is starting to warp my perspective, seeping into my bones, feeding nihilistic thoughts I&rsquo;d rather not face.&nbsp;
I&rsquo;m still not convinced that this is the better of two endings. Ultimately, it&rsquo;s a hole in the ground where, rather than succumbing to radioactive fallout, those deemed worthy of its stale air choose the false comfort of starving to death.

Stepping into the daylight brings a rush of relief. February&rsquo;s frigid air feels welcome on my face, sharp and cleansing, shaking off any lingering dust from my lungs.
The next few hours back to Budapest are mostly quiet. Simon asks if I&rsquo;m cool with music. I nod, psyching myself up for a wall of thrash or metal to shred my senses, something to match his imposing frame and unreadable expression.&nbsp;
But what comes is barely music at all &mdash; a soft ambient lilt drifts through the car like mist, a gentle counterpoint to the questions I let hang in the air. With each quiet pause, the man whose formidable presence had once felt intimidating becomes someone who knows the value of softness and when to speak.&nbsp;
I ask him where he draws the line between trespassing and urban exploring, and he tells me, without hesitation, that for him the boundary is clear: &ldquo;Personally, I draw the line at exploring private residences. Taking photos of people&rsquo;s belongings and property feels like crossing a boundary, and if gaining access requires breaking something, that&rsquo;s a step too far.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Simon documents the haunting Chavalon Power Plant, where Switzerland's last oil-fired turbines fell silent in the turn of the millennium. This concrete beast now offers Urbexers a maze of derelict control rooms and oil-stained floors.&nbsp;
<hr>

I ask if there&rsquo;s any place he regrets not being able to explore, and his answer comes with a hint of nostalgia.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It would be the old Gentbrugge power station in Belgium. Now it&rsquo;s completely scrapped, but when I first started, it was an untouched industrial gem &mdash; two massive rusty turbines, great decay, plants growing everywhere. It was one of the first places I looked for, and I never got to see it in its prime."

This once-grand Italian mental asylum still holds its darkest secrets, including preserved electroshock equipment that whispers of medicine's dark past.&nbsp;
<hr>

Back on the whirring streets of Budapest, we climb out of the car to bid our final farewell. Looking around me, something feels different now. I&rsquo;m noticing the small, subtle details of weathered buildings I would&rsquo;ve otherwise overlooked. I wonder how many house treasures for those fearless enough to investigate.&nbsp;
I hesitate before saying goodbye. The day&rsquo;s adrenaline still hums in my heart, and for a moment, I don&rsquo;t want to let go &mdash; don&rsquo;t want to surrender the version of myself that climbed fences and confidently clutched barbed wire. &ldquo;Where to next?&rdquo; I ask bitter-sweetly.&nbsp;&ldquo;A few more bunkers here and then on to Romania.&rdquo;
Then, with a spark in my eye, I wondered out loud about his dream destination. Without hesitation, he answers: &ldquo;Abandoned submarines. It&rsquo;s the ultimate quest. I tried in Portugal, but I couldn&rsquo;t get inside. It&rsquo;s like chasing a ghost, you know?&rdquo;
He saunters off, walking away without a backward glance. I raise my hands &mdash; cotton gloves more hole than fabric now &mdash; and frame him between my thumbs in the shape of a viewfinder. A lone shadow dissolving into the sepia smear of Budapest's 8th district.&nbsp;
The true hero shot.

Where No Man Roams  —  Lessons From a Professional Trespasser

How to find cheap flights using Google Flights 

As you might have noticed, many of the lowest fares we find are offered through an Online Travel Agency (OTA) aggregator such as Momondo or Skyscanner. 
If you've previously booked all of your flights directly with the airline, you might be wondering if it's both advisable and reliable to book your flight with smaller, lesser-known OTAs found on Skyscanner and Momondo. 
To address this, we've put together this set of FAQs to give you our take.
<h2>1. What are flight fare aggregators, and how do they work?</h2>
Momondo, Kayak and better-known websites like Skyscanner all function as flight fare aggregator engines. 
These tools collect and display the best fares for any particular flight route by comparing prices offered both by the airline and by the various Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) selling tickets for the same flight.
This is not dissimilar to what Google Flights does. The difference is that while Google Flights compares only fares offered directly from the airlines and other major booking sites (such as Expedia and eDreams), these aggregators compare fares from smaller booking sites as well.
These smaller sites are the ones that are more likely to sell flights at a discount to the price offered by the airline itself. They also sometimes include routes that Google Flights doesn't.
<img src="https://cdn.jacksflightclub.com/id/ce08872475107063e61d69c2daa88994b9092537" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
<h2>2. Is it safe to book with these smaller Online Travel Agencies?</h2>
This question comes up a lot, and we remember how confused we were when these websites first began to pop up. Here's how we see it:
The biggest fear for some travelers is that an Online Travel Agency will take your payment and keep it, without ever issuing a ticket for your purchased flight. Based on our experience, this is an incredibly rare occurrence that only occurs as the result of an error. 
The OTAs listed on Skyscanner or Momondo are vetted for legitimacy to some degree before being listed on these aggregators, and do not do this on purpose. That's not to say that they are all ethical, pro-consumer companies, but they do not try to scam people in this way.
Online Travel Agencies are lawfully required to issue a ticket for the price at which you made the purchase in order to process your payment. Many OTAs in the United Kingdom are also<a href="https://www.caa.co.uk/atol-protection/"> ATOL protected</a>, which means you have an extra layer of consumer protection against any wrongdoing. EU countries have similar protection schemes.
If you want to be extra certain, simply google: "Booking site name + ATOL" to make sure they are ATOL Protected. You should see a verification similar to this:
<img src="https://cdn.jacksflightclub.com/id/b8b77033f2f4d52ee8c92be6689b7bfc67670c36">
Or you'll be able to find this in the company's Ts &amp; Cs:
<img src="https://cdn.jacksflightclub.com/id/1d881fd56d6cea92d65aa5fc9b3840f5001feaea">
In the US, though, there is no agency that booking agencies can register under like the ABTA (for rail, cruise and coach holidays) or ATOL to protect consumers in case a company goes insolvent. But check out our guide on what happens<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/travel-hub/what-happens-when-flights-from-the-united-states-are-canceled"> when flights to or from the United States are cancelled</a> if you are in search of some guidance on what else you can do to protect your booking.
<img src="https://cdn.jacksflightclub.com/id/3e95fc6bb418eac711142fec72c534da3aa27a77" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
<h2>3. Are there other OTA tricks I should be looking out for?</h2>
Indeed, some of these sites are known to try and squeeze a few extra fees out of you in other ways. Here are the most common tricks to look out for:
<h4>Avoid booking over the phone </h4>
Most of these booking sites offer a phone number if you'd like to avoid booking online. When possible, I advise using the online portal instead. Phone agents, who often earn a commission, will sometimes see that you're trying to book a cheap fare and will try to find another way to increase the price you pay. Calling over the phone also opens you up to the next two items as well.
<h4>&lsquo;Fare no longer available&rsquo; trick </h4>
Every now and then, an Online Travel Agency will call you within a few minutes of your booking to tell you that the price you booked at is &ldquo;no longer available&rdquo; and you must accept a refund or agree to pay a higher fare. If that does occur, don't panic! Simply decline their new fare, accept the refund, and go on to book with another agency offering the next best fare.
<h4>&lsquo;Extra bag fees&rsquo; trick </h4>
Keep an eye on the bag rules throughout the booking process. While rare, we have heard of agencies claiming that you have to pay extra to add a checked bag, even on routes where bags were definitely included in the fare. Again, this generally only happens over the phone.
<h4>Extra service fees </h4>
Make sure you double-check all the passenger details you enter when booking tickets via an Online Travel Agency. Many of them will find ways to charge extra, often high, service fees for tiny changes.
<h2>4. Are there ways to save on airline baggage fees when booking with an Online Travel Agency?</h2>
<img src="https://cdn.jacksflightclub.com/id/4c176c96077bfeb5fc5b2f2e40416251bf4f88d7" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
In 2022, airlines will now charge you anywhere between 0 and 140 pounds or euros return, or as much as $180 RT from the US, to add a checked bag to your itinerary. The actual amount varies wildly by route &amp; airline.
Online Travel Agencies will often get incentives to sell bag-inclusive tickets and are able to sell you a checked bag at a cheaper fare than the airline. Some OTAs choose to do this, while others choose to keep the price the same or even mark it up in order to earn a higher margin on your ticket.
For this reason, it's important that you always compare the bag fee charged by the OTA you are booking with against the fee charged by the airline itself (or even other OTAs).
If an Online Travel Agency is offering the cheapest fare but is pricing up checked bags, you can always just buy the ticket from the OTA and add a checked bag directly with the airline after the ticket has been issued.
Note: It's also not uncommon for some OTAs to sell economy-standard ticket class fares, which include early seat selection, meals, checked bags, and other perks, for only slightly more than the airline itself sells economy-basic tickets, and the savings can be quite significant. We often see this with Virgin Atlantic, for example.
<h2>5. How are smaller Online Travel Agencies able to offer cheaper fares than the airlines themselves?</h2>
Firstly, many airlines - primarily major international carriers - offer incentives and discounts to third-party agencies to market their tickets. This allows OTAs to pass some of those savings on to you in order to secure your business.
That said, not all airlines will do this, and there are other ways Online Travel Agencies can generate revenue, some of which are less consumer-friendly:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Fees - Expect hefty service fees for making any future changes to your booking. That includes name changes, date changes, cancellations, etc.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Reselling reserved tickets - OTAs are able to reserve a number of seats months in advance. Many will often hold a certain number of seats on popular routes at a low price, knowing that they'll be able to sell them at a higher rate later in the year.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Poor customer support - They tend to outsource customer support to third party companies in order to save on costs.</li>
</ul>
<img src="https://cdn.jacksflightclub.com/id/4268bb876f66e76a4f0ab97669ad7346adb91e97" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
<h2>6. What about all the bad reviews Online Travel Agencies have?</h2>
It's true that most OTAs, even well-known ones like Expedia, have plenty of negative reviews online. As a rule, customers will generally go further out of the way to report a negative experience than leave a positive review when everything goes as expected, resulting in a high rate of negative reviews.
While it can be a sign of poor customer service, it doesn't mean you won't get the ticket you purchased. As you've read above, some OTAs can be clever about trying to make as much as possible from each customer, but they won't (usually) take your money and run. You can find our reviews of the most popular OTAs <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/travel-hub/reviewing-the-most-popular-online-travel-agencies">here</a>.
<h2>7. When should I book directly with the airline vs. booking with an agency on Momondo?</h2>
This just depends on your situation. We reckon it&rsquo;s worth booking with an agency and saving the extra cash if your travel dates are set in stone, but here are some general guidelines for like-minded travelers:
<h3>Book with an Online Travel Agency if:</h3>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Savings exceed at least &pound;/&euro;20-&pound;/&euro;30 or $50-$60 for a long-haul fare.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You are 100% certain you will be taking the trip on these dates.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Book directly with airline if:</h3>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You're the type of traveler who is more likely to extend your trip later on or change travel dates.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The flight is with a budget or charter airline, such as Spirit, easyJet, Wizzair or TUI, none of which offer discounted fares to OTAs.</li>
</ul>
For more information on Momondo, Skyscanner and Online Travel Agencies, take a look at our <a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/travel-hub/reviewing-the-most-popular-online-travel-agencies">reviews of the most popular OTAs</a>, or visit our<a href="https://members.jacksflightclub.com/travel-hub/find-cheap-flights-to-anywhere/"> ultimate guide</a> to finding cheap flights to anywhere.
. . .
Still have questions? Feel free to drop us a message on
support@jacksflightclub.com and we'll be happy to help.
Please note, while we do have links to other websites in our articles, none are affiliate links and we do not benefit from you clicking on them, we just think they are a good resource :-)

Welcome to your travel library!

Flight Hacking

Travel Guides

Adventurous Escapades

Airline Reviews

The Detour

JFC's Guide to: Tokyo

Read these first...

How to find cheap flights using Google Flights

Is it safe to book with online travel agencies (OTAs) on Momondo & Skyscanner?

Fiji on a Budget - Avoiding Resorts and Honeymoon Premiums

JFC's Guide To: Kraków

Alternative Paris Tips for Your Second, Third, or Fourth Trip

Paris, But Make It Weird: 11 Delightfully Offbeat Activities Around the French Capital

Train Trips, Surfing, And Solo Travel In Sri Lanka

The Mailboat Chronicles – Sailing the Bahamas Like a Local

Where in the World Can I Travel with my Kids?

Haunts & Hot Springs - a Rockies road trip report

Where No Man Roams — Lessons From a Professional Trespasser

Welcome to your travel library!

Flight Hacking

Travel Guides

Adventurous Escapades

Airline Reviews

The Detour

JFC's Guide to: Tokyo

Read these first...

How to find cheap flights using Google Flights

Is it safe to book with online travel agencies (OTAs) on Momondo & Skyscanner?

Fiji on a Budget - Avoiding Resorts and Honeymoon Premiums

JFC's Guide To: Kraków

Alternative Paris Tips for Your Second, Third, or Fourth Trip

​​Paris, But Make It Weird: 11 Delightfully Offbeat Activities Around the French Capital

Train Trips, Surfing, And Solo Travel In Sri Lanka

The Mailboat Chronicles – Sailing the Bahamas Like a Local

Where in the World Can I Travel with my Kids?

Haunts & Hot Springs - a Rockies road trip report

Where No Man Roams — Lessons From a Professional Trespasser

Paris, But Make It Weird: 11 Delightfully Offbeat Activities Around the French Capital