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warpus said:
Is November - early December a good time to visit Rome and some other Italian cities maybe south of there?
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I've looked pretty hard at the Naples areas (Naples, Vesuvius, Pompeii, Amalfi coast) and there is lots to see there. How do you want to spend your time?
 
Birdjaguar said:
I've looked pretty hard at the Naples areas (Naples, Vesuvius, Pompeii, Amalfi coast) and there is lots to see there. How do you want to spend your time?
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Casually strolling through city streets, exploring, checking out the architecture, eating local dishes, taking trains occasionally, perhaps checking out a festival of some sort, maybe a museum or two, a cooking class

I looked at Naples as well, but my "vacation in november" is still cast fairly wide, with Taiwan and South America (Argentina? Rio? Uruguay?) still in the running. Cheap flights to Rome though! And I've always wanted to go there
 
@The_J has been to Rome recently and knows a bit about how to get tickets and get around. Rome has tons of sights and museums. When the Pope is in Rome, he gives public audiences every Wednesday that you can attend. In addition, on Sundays he gives a public address from his balcony. If you want to see the Pope.

Naples has Pompeii museums and others also with many sights worth a visit. There are even hiking trails in the mountains between Naples and Amalfi. Island of Capri?
 
Hey, maybe the pope will want to see me if he hears that I'm in town. But don't tell him

I was mainly wondering about weather and other seasonal implications of travelling to this part of Europe during this time of year I guess. It seems to be off-season which there's usually a good reason for (usually weather), but I don't mind it being a bit chilly, walking through city streets @ 8C or something similar sounds very pleasant to me. It seems there should be no other real implications for me due it being off-season though, other than I suppose shorter hours for some things maybe?

I might be tempted to venture down to Sicily via a ferry. Idea would basically be to spend a couple days in Rome, then head south for slightly warmer weather.. so.. Naples? Then even further south after a couple days, but I'm not sure exactly where. Maybe south down the boot and then cross over to Sicily @ Messina and then a train to Pelermo from there? Or 8 hour ferry to Palermo from Napoli.

These are all very preliminary ideas, but the flight being cheap makes it enticing, and I would really love to try the food all over that peninsula. Then again hotels in Rome don't seem to be cheap, even if it's offseason, but maybe I need to do more research and figure out a better part of town to stay in
 
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warpus said:
I was mainly wondering about weather and other seasonal implications of travelling to this part of Europe during this time of year I guess
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The link I posted above has monthly weather information.
 
I won't be able to afford cruise anytime soon but someday I'd like to go. I hate flying and cruise seems like it'd be fun.

I'd want to to choose a healthy one, not with gross unhealthy buffet and tons of booze.

Where do you buy cruises and any very positive or negative experiences?
 
warpus said:
I was mainly wondering about weather and other seasonal implications of travelling to this part of Europe during this time of year I guess. It seems to be off-season which there's usually a good reason for (usually weather), but I don't mind it being a bit chilly, walking through city streets @ 8C or something similar sounds very pleasant to me. It seems there should be no other real implications for me due it being off-season though, other than I suppose shorter hours for some things maybe?
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Summer-time attractions like beach resorts or public pools will (obviously) be closed. This also means that towns which rely heavily on that type of tourism might seem very sleepy if not outright dead. Restaurants which typically cater to tourists will very likely be closed if they expect no tourists. But if you want to do city sightseeing, this should not matter too much. You will likely encounter a few closed places, but not too many. I have not been to Rome myself, but my friends tell me to never go there in summer and that winter is the best time for it. You should definitely expect shorter hours, though.
 
warpus said:
Casually strolling through city streets, exploring, checking out the architecture, eating local dishes, taking trains occasionally, perhaps checking out a festival of some sort, maybe a museum or two, a cooking class
Click to expand...

warpus said:
I was mainly wondering about weather and other seasonal implications of travelling to this part of Europe during this time of year I guess. It seems to be off-season
Click to expand...

In Rome it is apparently never off-season, there is always a ton of tourists, as far as I've heard.
The major museums in Rome are also always busy. Vatican you need to book 3 months in advance (although very worth it), and tickets for Castle SantAngelo are apparently also always an issue (I did not go).
Tickets for the Colosseum and Palatine hill are less of a problem, you can even get them the same day if you don't mind waiting for ...probably quite a while, although the queues did not look too long. Same for the Pantheon, although the queues there are bad.
There are plenty of online resellers, but then you pay accordingly.
St. Peter's Basilica is free, and I got in with less than 1h waiting, but apparently that can be a lot worse (I was there right before the summer season started)
There is a ton of stuff to see in Rome otherwise. You don't need to reserve much time for the Spanish Steps and the Trevi fountain, but there are plenty of good museums (which I did not have time to check), like the Galleria Borghese and the Capitoline museum, or parks like the Villa Borghese or the vatican gardens.
Definitely one of the cities where there is plenty to do.

I had considered to do in the same trip also Naples (which is apparently 2h by train), and then Capri, the Amalfi coast, Pompei, Herkulaneum and the historic site of Paestum, but decided that this is worth its own trip.
Right in the surrounding of Rome there are also historic things like Ostia Antica, the etruscan tombs at Cerveteri and Tarquinia, and Hadrian's villa close by Rome (the Villa Andriana in Tivoli). So... no need to go far away.
Sicily I considered also for a separate trip, but I always want to do a lot :D.

Biggest tip for Rome: Bring a thermos bottle. The whole city has a lot of free water taps everywhere to the city, and the water is extremely good. I don't think I spent any money on drinks while I was there.

(and thanks for @Birdjaguar for pinging)
 
Narz said:
I won't be able to afford cruise anytime soon but someday I'd like to go. I hate flying and cruise seems like it'd be fun.

I'd want to to choose a healthy one, not with gross unhealthy buffet and tons of booze.

Where do you buy cruises and any very positive or negative experiences?
Click to expand...
I have never been on a cruise, but you could start here:



CRUISE DEALS JUST FOR YOU

Explore cruise deals using our deal finder to find the best deal for you!
www.carnival.com www.carnival.com
 
The_J said:
Sicily I considered also for a separate trip, but I always want to do a lot :D.
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Sicily is indeed worth its own trip. The one time I went there, we had 10 days, but while planning quickly discovered this was not enough time. So we had to cut some of the places we wanted to go.
 
uppi said:
Summer-time attractions like beach resorts or public pools will (obviously) be closed. This also means that towns which rely heavily on that type of tourism might seem very sleepy if not outright dead. Restaurants which typically cater to tourists will very likely be closed if they expect no tourists. But if you want to do city sightseeing, this should not matter too much. You will likely encounter a few closed places, but not too many. I have not been to Rome myself, but my friends tell me to never go there in summer and that winter is the best time for it. You should definitely expect shorter hours, though.
Click to expand...

I don't mind eating at restaurants that target locals as opposed to tourists - they tend to be priced better and quite often have better tasting dishes. Mind you I occasionally do eat at touristy restaurants - if the reviews say the food is good and the price isn't a blatant ripoff, I'm willing to give it a try. One of my favourite culinary experiences in Portugal was at a touristy restaurant in Porto, right by the river. Basically as touristy as you can get. I sat down there because the reviews were very solid and the view from the patio was incredible! I got a seat with a beautiful view of the river and the old city and ended up eating a delicious set of dishes.. One had that ball of cheese that oozes out when you poke it.. IIRC it was a salad. Not even super expensive either. Definitely on the pricier side, but not that over the top at all. So it depends. Usually I'll feel better eating at a restaurant where I'm surrounded by 95% locals, but it's not a requirement or anything. If most touristy restaurants are closed, I'll eat elsewhere.

That's a bit of a jumble of a paragraph. To summarize, I generally prefer eating where the locals eat - you get much better value.. but I'm not against eating at touristy restaurants either, and about 20% of the time I'll be too lazy to really care. If the food and cost is within reasonable limits, I'll bite.

The_J said:
In Rome it is apparently never off-season, there is always a ton of tourists, as far as I've heard.
The major museums in Rome are also always busy. Vatican you need to book 3 months in advance (although very worth it), and tickets for Castle SantAngelo are apparently also always an issue (I did not go).
Tickets for the Colosseum and Palatine hill are less of a problem, you can even get them the same day if you don't mind waiting for ...probably quite a while, although the queues did not look too long. Same for the Pantheon, although the queues there are bad.
There are plenty of online resellers, but then you pay accordingly.
St. Peter's Basilica is free, and I got in with less than 1h waiting, but apparently that can be a lot worse (I was there right before the summer season started)
There is a ton of stuff to see in Rome otherwise. You don't need to reserve much time for the Spanish Steps and the Trevi fountain, but there are plenty of good museums (which I did not have time to check), like the Galleria Borghese and the Capitoline museum, or parks like the Villa Borghese or the vatican gardens.
Definitely one of the cities where there is plenty to do.

I had considered to do in the same trip also Naples (which is apparently 2h by train), and then Capri, the Amalfi coast, Pompei, Herkulaneum and the historic site of Paestum, but decided that this is worth its own trip.
Right in the surrounding of Rome there are also historic things like Ostia Antica, the etruscan tombs at Cerveteri and Tarquinia, and Hadrian's villa close by Rome (the Villa Andriana in Tivoli). So... no need to go far away.
Sicily I considered also for a separate trip, but I always want to do a lot :D.
Click to expand...

Honestly, I am not sure if I would really want to visit (m)any of those places you have to wait in line for hours and are then ushered through a packed set of rooms or whatever. I think I would have a much more relaxing time strolling around the city and taking in the architecture, streets, buildings, vibe, etc. from the street. I don't mind visiting the occasional thing you have to pay for, and wait in line for, but a lot of those super popular places like the Vatican I would probably avoid. I assume Rome has plenty of parks, old buildings, interesting parts of town I would have a fun time exploring on foot.

My sister did a cruise around the Mediterranean a while ago and one thing I remember from her stories are all the damn long lines and packed places, if you ever wanted to see anything old & popular. i.e. the super touristy things. I think I would probably avoid most of them if I were to go, and maybe sign up for one of them? Honestly, I would be quite happy to see the city from a slightly different vantage point. There's gotta be enough interesting stuff to see even if you don't want to wait in any lines.
 
Narz said:
I won't be able to afford cruise anytime soon but someday I'd like to go. I hate flying and cruise seems like it'd be fun.

I'd want to to choose a healthy one, not with gross unhealthy buffet and tons of booze.

Where do you buy cruises and any very positive or negative experiences?
Click to expand...

I've spent the last year or so watching some of the cruise channels on YT. I started doing this for research for one of my ongoing stories (think crossover of BBC Merlin and Highlander/Highlander the Raven; there's a lot of shenanigans I can get my characters into).

Then I started enjoying the videos for their own sake, and am starting to learn enough that it's something I'd try if life circumstances ever permitted. One of the video channels (Cruise with Ben and David) make sure to mention if a ship has provisions for mobility-disabled passengers, as they sometimes take their nephews along on the cruise and the kids use wheelchairs.

One thing to keep in mind is that some port cities/towns are becoming a bit less-welcoming toward cruise ships, or at least the larger ones. Today I saw a video on the La Lido Loca channel about the residents of Juneau, Alaska having a vote on whether they want to ban cruise ships on Saturdays (when you have an influx of hundreds or thousands of people in a small area on the same day - the one day/week when the locals would like to do their own non-work stuff like shopping, errands, and relaxing - it can get a bit much).

Another thing to keep in mind is whether kids are allowed. Not all cruise lines allow them, and the ones that do have 'adult-only' areas where kids aren't allowed. So it can make a huge difference if you want it to be just you, you and your SO, or you and your whole family.
 
I'm flying to Taiwan!! Spending most of November there

So far I have figured out that I want to visit Taipei (ofc), Kaohsiung, Tainan, and possibly Lukang.. or should I just go to Changhua City instead (and do a day trip to Lukang from there)? I've also got my sights set on Taoyuan, Taitung, and I want to travel to the southernmost point in the country @ Kenting National Park. Hualien has unfortunately been ruled out as a destination due to the damage caused by the last earthquake. Cycling in Chishang is in the plans too, as well as visits to Jiufen in the north (day trip from Taipei?)

Overall I have a LOT of points of interest markers on a map - I will not visit all of these places, but I am basically adding interesting spots to a map to see which cities and regions will make sense to travel to. If a city or region ends up with a lot of markers, I will probably want to travel there.

Spoiler :
7ZV1Xx6.png
Hualien & nearby attractions are marked on this map, but I will 98% be bypassing that. It seems unlikely the earthquake damage situation will change between now and my flight.

My plan is to book a hotel for a week or a week and a half in Taipei, I'm trying to figure out which part of town to book it in.. Any help with that would be greatly appreciated! I want to be close to a transit station as well as cafes/restaurants/etc. so each day I can step outside my hotel and be right in the middle of a lot of food, snack, and drink options, also a sort of happening part of town with a lot of pedestrians.. But I don't want it to be TOO happening, I want my room to be quiet enough to get some rest and not thumping to the sounds of loud techno or whatever. I also wouldn't mind being close to a park. I realize that this ideal hotel might not exist, but I've been doing research to try to find a good balance. So far it seems my top parts of the city are: 1. Somewhere by the Taipei main station, 2. Somewhere near Daan Park, or 3. Somewhere in Ximen. Clubs and bars in the area will also be welcome, but I do not want to be close to a crazy party street either.

After that week - week and a half in Taipei I am vaguely thinking that I'll take the high speed rail south, along the western coast, and then eventually return via a train along the eastern coast.

My main focus on this trip will be urban exploration and food. I want to walk around, eat good food, see some sights, walk through some city parks, and likely do some sort of hiking here and there (probably just day hikes). I want to eat at some good hole in the wall restaurants as well as dabble in some finer dining establishments. I want to hit up some clubs and check out the nightlife. Next I am making a list of all Taiwanese dishes I should try

Send any tips my way, if you have any!
 
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As I recall, for most of Taiwan's history, the west coast was civilized and the eastern half of the island tribal because of geography. Your trip sounds exciting and wonderful. From Lonely Planet:

1. Book accommodation early​

Taiwan’s sweeping range of lodgings means you can live like a multimillionaire or a monk, although it's at the midrange hostels and B&Bs that you’ll get the best deals.

Rooms sell like hot dumplings during summer, Lunar New Year and national holidays. Book at least two months ahead. In Kenting, Jiufen and Alishan, spots favored by local vacationers and glampers, early reservation is key. Aside from pitching a tent, the cheapest sleeps are at temples with guest rooms.

To hike Taiwan’s highest mountains, you’ll need a permit or two, and the process can take weeks. If you want to stay in the cabins, you’ll need to apply for those as well. The process may not be a walk in the park, but Taiwan’s breathtaking high mountains will reward you generously.
 
Yeah, I have read that things need to be booked early. Japan research lead to similar warnings (back in 2016), although I don't remember that applying to accommodations (and it wasn't a problem). I did book my baseball ticket, sumo ticket, and ghibli museum ticket well ahead of time though, for that reason. I was able to secure last minute tickets for other attractions at a slightly higher rate as well. I wonder how Taiwan compares to that experience.

Aside from booking my accommodations in Taipei for the beginning of my trip though, I won't really be able to do the same for the rest of my trip, I will have to rely on last-minute bookings of accommodations elsewhere. I have looked around hotel availability in Taipei for last minute bookings (for tomorrow and next week) and it seems that there's plenty of rooms available all over the city. So it seems in the larger cities at least I'll be okay. I'm not going during a busy season either it seems, although November is frequently listed as a good time to go.. so I'm not sure how this will influence accommodation availability.

Jiufen I was hoping to do as a day trip from Taipei, so I won't need accommodations there. Alishan I'm not sure, I will have to do more research. Kenting I was also hoping to do as a day trip, but it seems further away from a large city, so that might be an issue.

I don't really want to cast my whole itinerary in stone well ahead of time, so I can't really book everything before I fly. If I end up being forced to stick to the larger cities due to accommodations not being available elsewhere, and seeing smaller locales via day trips only, that would be okay with me.

I won't be climbing any mountains aside from Elephant Mountain, near Taipei, and for that you don't need a permit it seems. I mean, I will be on the lookout for other lookout points like that, accessible via trail, but as of now I don't think I have any others marked on my map. As for mountain huts, I wasn't planning on doing any long distance hikes, so that won't be an issue. Although, I will probably be bringing my hiking boots, just in case I end up hiking somewhere rugged - Taiwan has plenty of mountains and hiking options after all. I was able to score a flight with a free checked-in bag, so that means I can pack a bit more with me, including hiking boots. So that gives me more options.. but.. yeah, I don't want to book any hikes ahead of time. From what I read permits are only required for the popular trails and mountain summits, and not all of them either. So I'll play it by ear, and if I can't do a hike that looks interesting, so be it.
 
I threw together a highlight reel from all the interesting enough video clips I brought back from Taiwan. I was going to put together some sort of a slideshow for work, but ended up having way more fun screwing around with the videos I took on my trip.. The end result is this, which you might as well see too as a sort of trailer for a future Taiwan 2024 thread which will contain a lot more detail.

It has to be said that I took a LOT more pictures than videos and some parts of Taiwan I visited are not represented at all in this "highlight reel".. but I deem it to be a worthy enough highlight reel nevertheless, you get to see some cool parts of what I experienced along the way.

I call it

Sights and Sounds of Taiwan


Make sure to click on the gear, watch at 1080p
 
Great highlights!
 
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