<![CDATA[Fodor's Travel Talk Forums]]>

<![CDATA[Fodor's Travel Talk Forums]]> https://www.fodors.com/community/ en Tue, 09 Jun 2026 15:55:44 GMT vBulletin 60 https://www.fodors.com/community/images/misc/rss.jpg <![CDATA[Fodor's Travel Talk Forums]]> https://www.fodors.com/community/ Can you buy multiple Navigo Semaine passes with one local number? https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/can-you-buy-multiple-navigo-semaine-passes-with-one-local-number-1735799/ Tue, 09 Jun 2026 03:46:15 GMT Hello, We are a group traveling together to Paris and are planning to purchase Navigo Semaine (weekly) passes. Each of us intends to load the pass... Hello,

We are a group traveling together to Paris and are planning to purchase Navigo Semaine (weekly) passes. Each of us intends to load the pass onto our own smartphones.

We wanted to check whether it is possible to activate multiple Navigo Semaine passes using a single local phone number/account, or if each pass requires a separate phone number (i.e., a unique number for each phone).

If anyone has recent experience using the Navigo app for a group setup like this, we would really appreciate your guidance.

Thank you in advance. ]]> Europe pagetrip https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/can-you-buy-multiple-navigo-semaine-passes-with-one-local-number-1735799/ Corfu, Ionia, and Ithaca Itinerary and Logistics Advice https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/corfu-ionia-and-ithaca-itinerary-and-logistics-advice-1735798/ Tue, 09 Jun 2026 01:51:25 GMT Hello: I would like some advice on visiting Ionia and how to get around. I have been to Greece twice before. The first time I was in Greece, I... Hello:

I would like some advice on visiting Ionia and how to get around.

I have been to Greece twice before. The first time I was in Greece, I visited the Peloponnese. The second time I worked my way through Crete and the Cyclades.

On this trip, I was thinking of starting out in Corfu after arriving in Athens. I then planned to work my way down towards Lefkada and Argostoli. From there I would head to Patras and back to Athens. I am travelling solo and have about 2-3 weeks to make this trip and thus was looking for some advice on creating an itinerary.

I would prefer not to rent a car. I really do not want the hassle of one; I would prefer to take public transportation. Corfu might be an exception, though, if it were necessary to rent a car.

If I visit Corfu, is there a bus which will take me around the island? I could base myself in Corfu Town, but I would be happy to stay in other towns if it were necessary to see the sights. For example, would I be able to take a bus or find a tour that would take me to places like the castle of Gardiki, or do I need to go to Agios Gordios? As another example, is there a bus that would take me to Proto Timoni and Cape Drastis? So, I suppose I am wondering the logistics of getting around Corfu and seeing the sights. For example, is it as easy to get around Corfu as it is to take the bus to get around Paros or Santorini?

From Corfu, do you recommend staying in Igoumenitsa and/or going to Sivota? If I took a ferry from Corfu to Igoumenitsa, is there public transportation that will take me to Sivota?

If not, is there public transportation that will take me to Parga from Igoumenitsa? Or should I skip Igroumenitsa altogether and take a ferry from Corfu directly to Parga? I hear Parga is nice and worth the visit, so I do not want to miss it. Also, is it possible to get to the castles Margaritiou or Anthousas from Parga using public transport? Or would you recommend a taxi or a tour to see these sights?

From Parga, how does one get to Lefkada? Would I need to pass through Preveza to get there? Should I stay in Preveza to get to Lefkada, or is there a ferry that takes me from Parga to Lefkada?

Once on Lefkada, I assume I should stay in the main town of Lefkada. (I see that there is a ferry at Nydri, so would that be my starting point?) Anyway, once I am on the island, my question is the same as it is on Corfu. How does one get around? Are there day tours to parts of the island? Is it possible to hop on a bus and travel around the island and stay a day or two in a different part of the island?

From Lefkada, I would then go to Argostoli? I assume I can get a ferry from Lefkada to Argostoli? I am not sure where the ferry arrives in Argostoli. Does it go to Kefalonia or Argostoli town? How would I get up to Fiskardo? I have read that it is a nice place too.

Finally, should I try to visit Vathy? Or is it easier for me to then continue on to Patras? Again, I assume there must be a ferry from Argostoli to Patras. I know there is transportation from Patras to Athens. I would like to stay a day in Patras to see the Roman Odeon and the castle. Is there anything else you recommend in Patras?

So I guess the main point of my posting is the logistics of getting around on each island/location I list in order to see the sights. I want to pack in as much as possible and love the culture, food, history, and sea. I'd like to combine all of these things into my trip, but the issue is the logistics of travelling.

Thank you to those who reply! ]]> Europe WLMIV https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/corfu-ionia-and-ithaca-itinerary-and-logistics-advice-1735798/ Trip Report Trip Report: Chiclayo and Vicinity: Another Side of Ancient Peru https://www.fodors.com/community/south-america/trip-report-chiclayo-and-vicinity-another-side-of-ancient-peru-1735796/ Mon, 08 Jun 2026 20:17:13 GMT *Chiclayo and Vicinity: Another Side of Ancient Peru* This trip report covers my visit to Chiclayo and two near-by communities, Lambayeque and... Chiclayo and Vicinity: Another Side of Ancient Peru

This trip report covers my visit to Chiclayo and two near-by communities, Lambayeque and Sip�n, in late May (2026). This was not my first visit � I was first there 19 years earlier, found myself quite fascinated, and eventually felt that a re-visit was in order. Yet though I wouldn�t want to discourage any curious tourist from visiting this area, I should point out that it may not be for everyone. Those most likely to appreciate it will be visitors with an interest in ancient Peru, as well as those who, like me, are actually serious when they talk about �getting off the beaten path.� A third group might be beach people, but I�m not one of them, and so I did not visit the nearby beach towns, and therefore cannot comment on them from experience.

I�ve divided this report into three Parts: [1] Just below, a general description of the Chiclayo area; followed in the first two �responses� by [2] An annotated �photo-essay� illustrating the area; and [3] For those who are still interested at this point, some practical advice on visiting and getting around.

Part 1: General Introduction

Chiclayo

A minor walking issue, though nothing serious, kept me from getting around as much as I would have liked (though I did visit two of the more significant local sites), so I won�t be able to describe all the regional attractions from personal experience; and indeed, had Chiclayo been a major world tourist destination I wouldn�t have bothered adding my commentary. However, the Chiclayo area appears to be little known to world tourism, so I�ll assume that any recent information at all will be better than nothing.

(But Chiclayo hasn�t been ignored completely: if my report interests you, check out the Chiclayo commentary embedded in a more general Peru trip report posted by �kja� in 2018, called �Praise for Peru � A report of my solo month in this amazing country�. [Better yet, read the entire trip report!] kja got around the Chiclayo area better than I did, and she describes some of the places I missed.)

Chiclayo itself is a fairly large city, and for the most part it�s not overly aesthetic. Though Chiclayo was founded in the 16th century little, if anything, seems to survive from the colonial era; even the cathedral, though very attractive, was started in 1869 (but reached its present form in the 1930s!). Gustave Eiffel, famous for the Paris tower, had some involvement in the design, as in a few other structures here and there around Peru and South America.

But even if Chiclayo isn't exactly Paris, there�s nothing really wrong with the city; and in fact it seemed very safe, and was usually active and busy. Furthermore, Chiclayo calls itself the Capital of Friendship (�Amistad�), and while this is not an easy judgment to evaluate during a short visit, I have no reason to doubt it � I came away thinking it could well be true!

I found that the city center seemed to be at its best in the early evening. I don�t know about other times of the year, but while during my late-May visit it was hot by day (fortunately, a dry heat), it cooled significantly after sundown, actually becoming quite pleasant; and at that time the busy, modern, welll-lit streets around the central plaza actually looked rather inviting � in particular, Jos� Balta Avenue, sort of the city�s �main street� as it runs south of the plaza, where you�ll find several restaurants and cafes. And while I don�t think anybody goes to Peru for hamburgers, those who do should note that I always spotted a long queue at a take-out hamburger wiondow across from the south-west corner of the plaza � whatever they�re serving must be pretty good.

One of my travel goals is to escape mass tourism, and I appear to have succeeded admirably in Chiclayo. I don�t know whether I was there at an unusual time, but not once did I spot an obvious �gringo� tourist (i.e., from Canada, the US, Europe, or Australia-NZ). There may well have been some around, but if so, it was evidently easy to miss them. (By contrast, on my visit to Cusco many years ago I spotted several within minutes of walking into the city.) If there were other tourists around, they were likely from elsewhere in Peru or South America. Anyway, I consistently had that delightful, though I�m sure unrealistic, sense that I was the first foreign tourist to discover the place!

There are two traditional markets in Chiclayo: the Central Market, a short walk north of the central plaza on Balta Avenue; and a few blocks further north, the Modelo Market. If you are unaquainted with real Latin American markets, you may want to start with the easier, tamer Central Market; you will then be ready to take on the more serious, hard-core Modelo. And somewhere in the huge, sprawling Modelo market you may want to seek out the section devoted to traditional curative herbs, and other shamanistic accessories.

As for the main attractions, the near-by historic sites: Note than the famous Incas came in at the tail end of Peru�s 4500-year history of pre-Spanish civilization � though we call it �ancient,� Machu Picchu was finished roughly around the time that Leonardo da Vinci was born. This is not the place for a dissertation, so I�ll briefly point out that the ancient heritage of the Chiclayo region goes back over a thousand years before the emergence of the Incas, and involves mainly two civilizations: the Mochica who, spanning out from the coastal Trujillo area, dominated the north-west coastal region from the first through the seventh centuries AD, at which point they seem to start losing it; and after one or two �lost� centuries, the Sic�n, who show up in the eighth century and go on to the 14th, carrying forward to a great degree the Mochican culture, and possibly the Mochican language. (Mochican appoears to be an �isolate,� unrelated to any known language; and the last native speaker of died in the mid 20th century.)

The civilizations of north-western Peru left no writing (nor did anyone else in ancient Peru), and several of the great archaeological discoveries have been recent (since the 1970s); and so there is still a lot of debate and conjecture over just what was going on around Chiclayo in ancient times. The gist of it all, though, is that there was a long period of sophisticated civilizations along the north-west coast of Peru (and in fact elsewhere in the country) that are still awaiting the attention of the outside world.

Around Chiclayo

The remains of the Mochicans and the Sic�n, which you will see in the Chiclayo-area museums, as well as in several Lima ones, include many impressive artistic objects of gold and gemstones, and innumerable statuette-style ceramics which serve as �picture-books� illustrating their complex society and culture. Those with sufficient interest could probably spend a lot of time just studying these objects in detail and trying to speculate on what their often unusual designs might have meant.

The Chiclayo-area cultures also built huge structures, often of the truncated-pyramid style common in the ancient Americas. However, these were built with dried mud (adobe), which in many cases has eroded over the centuries. And I admit that intriguing as they are to see for those with interest in these things, these giant, eroded structures (known as huacas, or �wakas�) sitting on the arid coast, may not provide quite the visual pazazz offered by the well-preserved stone structures of Machu Picchu resting on their high-mountain eyrie. These huacas do, however, have the advantage of being much older than the Inca remains, by several centuries to a thousand years. After visiting Tucum�, one of the Chiclayo-area sites, the Norwegian explorer and scholar Thor Heyerdahl wrote that �my companions were visibly as dumbfounded and amazed as I. I literally felt like a visitor to another planet � there was nothing like these strange and colossal ruins on our own familiar Earth.� Though I didn�t make it to Tucum� this time, I felt the basically same way on my 2007 visit; and during a glorious 15-minute period when I was the only tourist on-site, I felt the full import of Mr. Heyerdahl�s comment about being on �another planet�!

(Note: �Huaca,� a word from Quechua � which the northwest-coast cultures did not speak � has no equivalent in English, though �sacred place� roughly conveys the idea. These huacas may not have been sacred to their builders, but they evidently were to the Incas, who were astonished by them when they showed up on the scene centuries later.)

Incidentally, I did not need advance-purchase, timed-entry tickets to see the sites I visited on this trip � at the museums in Lambayeque and Sip�n I just traipsed right up to the respective ticket windows and bought them (the Sip�n museum ticket also covered the near-by archaeological site); and I strongly suspect that you will be able to do the same at the other regional sites.

The history of this region is still under investigation by archaeologists and other scholars, yet for me, the very fact that our knowledge of the ancient Peruvian north-coast cultures is still evolving adds to the fascination of this region. Visiting the relevant sites, I felt almost like a participant, albeit a passive one, in a still-emerging field of study. I could never have felt the same way among the tourist crowds at Europe�s ancient Greek and Roman sites, which have been fairly thoroughly figured out, nor even at heavily-touristed Machu Picchu.

The next two parts of this trip report appear in the following �responses�:

Part 2: Photos from Chiclayo and its vicinity

Part 3: Some practicalities on visiting the Chiclayo area.

]]> South America Faedus https://www.fodors.com/community/south-america/trip-report-chiclayo-and-vicinity-another-side-of-ancient-peru-1735796/ Trip Report Crete Short Trip Report https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/crete-short-trip-report-1735793/ Mon, 08 Jun 2026 18:45:13 GMT This is a quick rundown of our Crete trip May 15-23. Left IAD for an over night flight, arriving Chania (layover in Athens) noonish. Picked up rental... This is a quick rundown of our Crete trip May 15-23. Left IAD for an over night flight, arriving Chania (layover in Athens) noonish. Picked up rental vehicle (7 passenger) from discovercars.com at the airport. Headed to our AirBnB in the Kastelli area of Chania. Finding a parking spot was difficult as our location was in old town and no parking at the unit. Went to 7PM evening mass at the Church of the Assumption.

Sunday - Hung out in Chania, Venetian Harbor, shopping, eating, drinking, etc. Ate dinner at the Marina Sailing Club with great view of the sunset.

Monday - Margarites, the pottery village. Rethymno sightseeing. This is as far east that we went in Crete.

Tuesday - Akrotiri Peninsula, first stop Moni Agias Triadas Monastery. Seitan Limania, which the younger ones scrambled down. You can see it, if you walk a little ways from the parking lot, but still a scramble! Then headed to the Allied War Cemetery which is meticulous like Normandy and our own National Cemetery in the states. After we headed to Vamos, which we had scheduled a cooking class with the visitor�s center prior. Fun and recommend!

Wednesday - Imbros Gorge Hike, definitely wear sturdy shoes, a lot of rocks. Beautiful hike. Have euros for transportation back. Stopped at Dourakis Winery on return to Chania.

Thursday - Elafonisi Beach, this is a walk from parking lot. A lot of people there, hate to see it in June/July/August. Took a different route back along the coast stopping at Falasarna Beach and then to Vouves to see the Ancient Olive Tree.

Friday - Jeep tour to Balos Beach. Our rental company said �no� to driving there. Great company but a LONG walk down to the beach. You can do the boat transport, which maybe I would recommend if you are not a walker. It definitely is beautiful!

Finished the day back in Chania, eating and drinking like we started!!!

Saturday - 9:30 Flight home.

May not sound like we did a lot but did not want to be rushed. We did not do any ancient sites. Our AirBnB was a short walk down the street hill, made a right and we were in the Venetian Harbor area. Cats are everywhere but they take care of them. We did get the IDP which the car rental looked at and that was it.
]]> Europe hbo6 https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/crete-short-trip-report-1735793/ Trip Report The Majestic Rome, The �Shame� of Italy-Matera, The heel of Italy, and Naples in 2026 https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/the-majestic-rome-the-shame-of-italy-matera-the-heel-of-italy-and-naples-in-2026-a-1735792/ Mon, 08 Jun 2026 16:53:09 GMT After our Greece journey, we moved on to southern Italy. Our 16 nights itinerary was as follows: 4 nights in Rome 2 nights in Matera 2... After our Greece journey, we moved on to southern Italy. Our 16 nights itinerary was as follows:

4 nights in Rome

2 nights in Matera

2 nights in Polignano a mare

4 nights in Lecce- day trips to Apulia, The Heel of Italy

2 nights in Caserta- day trip to Positano

2 nights in Naples- day trip to Procida

The weather in May was perfect in Italy. Rome was not as crowded as we anticipated, only the Sistine Chapel was too crowded to even move through. There were a lot to follow in these 16 day trips.

Day 1

We flew from Chania airport, transit in Athens, flight was delayed for an hour before leaving for Rome. By the time we arrived in Rome was late afternoon. We took the airport train to Rome Termini station, then changed to metro MA to our hotel near Barberini station. After checking in and freshening up, it was already time for our dinner for the day.

We visited Rome 12 years ago, we were a lot younger and much more energetic, we visited a lot of the sites at a very fast pace without really going inside the monuments and museums. We decided to make this trip to Rome to amend what we had left out in our first visit.

]]> Europe Cherthor https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/the-majestic-rome-the-shame-of-italy-matera-the-heel-of-italy-and-naples-in-2026-a-1735792/ Orange Travel eSIM for France � works in other EU countries? Data speed only 4G? https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/orange-travel-esim-for-france-works-in-other-eu-countries-data-speed-only-4g-1735791/ Mon, 08 Jun 2026 05:35:44 GMT Hello everyone, Our group of 9 is planning to buy the Orange Travel eSIM for France so we can each have a local number during our trip. In... Hello everyone,

Our group of 9 is planning to buy the Orange Travel eSIM for France so we can each have a local number during our trip. In addition to France, we are also traveling to Belgium, the Netherlands, and Iceland.

I understand there are plenty of data-only eSIM options available, but we specifically want a plan with a local French number so we can easily call or text each other, as well as contact friends locally in France.

I had a couple of questions and was hoping to hear from anyone who has used the Orange Travel eSIM:

Does the Orange Travel eSIM work outside France?
Orange plans only offer 4G data unless you go for the higher-tier (100GB+) plans. For those who used it:
- Is 4G sufficient for everyday usage (maps, messaging, streaming, etc.)?
- Did you notice any speed or reliability issues due to being 4G only?
How was the connectivity overall, both in France and while roaming?
Are there other eSIM providers that offer local number + 5G data?

Would really appreciate any firsthand experiences or recommendations, especially since we are managing connectivity for a relatively large group.

Thanks in advance. ]]> Europe pagetrip https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/orange-travel-esim-for-france-works-in-other-eu-countries-data-speed-only-4g-1735791/ Seeking Input: pulled the trigger on solo trip in 2027 https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/seeking-input-pulled-the-trigger-on-solo-trip-in-2027-a-1735789/ Mon, 08 Jun 2026 02:11:22 GMT I just booked my Airbnb lodging today. Feeling like I really can do this! Here is my itinerary flying into Shannon from the US and using buses via... I just booked my Airbnb lodging today. Feeling like I really can do this!
Here is my itinerary flying into Shannon from the US and using buses via the TFI app.For me, the idea of a two hour bus ride through the countryside is a perfect alternative to a tour bus. Me, on me lonesome, looking out the window, chatting with the locals. Slow travel and very appealing. I am a female senior citizen so any suggestions on things to include should be tempered by that and my depending mostly on public transportation.
I have some questions as to this being, uh, slower than intended? So here is my plan and questions in red italics:

MAY 2027

ARRIVE Shannon Airport 11:00 AM

Download TFI app - take Direct BUS Eireann to GALWAY - 12:55 or 1:55 p.m. Can you book and choose a window seat?

Booked a room on Prospect Hill with Check in at 2:00 p.m.

1st DAY: rest and walk about Galway. Thinking this may be a Sunday? is much open on Sunday?

2nd DAY: Getyourguide tour Galway to Connemara-Kylemore Abbey & Cong (HUGE fan of The Quiet Man movie) I looked at a bus on my own to Cong and the return was just too late. Plus Kylemore Abbey sounds amazing! Any input on this tour would be appreiciated)

3rd DAY: stay in Galway for: Falconry Experience at Glenlo Abbey , 31 min. bus ride one way; SO excited to experience this!

4th DAY: Bus To Limerick: Citylink Express 8:30 a.m. 1h 30 min arrives 10:00;

Walk 18 min. To King John�s Castle - self tour; from there to Hunt Museum, then to Milk Market. Return by Citylink 4:05 bus Any other must see's in Limerick? Advice?

5th and 6th DAYS Bus to Kilkee, Munster County -

10:05 am 51 Express with 8 stops, change in Ennis (40 min transfer). Ennis to Kilkee, 8 stops and arrives Kilkee 1:05 pm Yes there are a gazillion stops, but I see this as my tour of my -yep you guessed it- ancestral homeland, a chance to chat with locals and all this on the cheap! )

Stay 1 or 2 nights at Bayview Hotel, O�Connell St.

37 Minute walk to Kilkee Cliffs, past Pollack Holes and Diamond Rocks Cafe for a break. Walk farther weather and energy permitting Would a walking stick be a good idea? is the terrain rough? I have a great collapsible one.

LAST DAY/NIGHT: Return Bus Kilkee to Shannon - 10:30 bus arrives in Shannon town centre 12:32

Stay in B&B in Shannon; Dinner in town; Taxi to airport 8:00 a.m. for 11:00 am flight

My biggest concern - the trip to Kilkee and the return through Ennis - and the potential of buses just not showing up?
And the weather - is the potential quite high in late May for total sogginess? Thinking about the confluence of these two factors at my age...please tell me I will be so enraptured by the scenery and ambience that I will barely notice any inconveniences!
Many thanks in advance for any hints, help and encouragement!

]]> Europe susanb2885 https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/seeking-input-pulled-the-trigger-on-solo-trip-in-2027-a-1735789/ Long stay in Spain in December https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/long-stay-in-spain-in-december-1735788/ Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:55:25 GMT Hi all,

We are planning Christmas 2026 and will meet our three young adult kids and their spouses for the week of Christmas - New Year's, probably in London. I am just thinking I may add on three weeks prior to London for my husband and I to have a long stay like we did a couple years ago in Sevilla. We loved the charming winding pedestrian streets, outdoor cafes, majestic architecture, restaurants, shops and markets, touring the Seville Museum of Fine Arts, the Palacio de las Duenas,the Cathedral and the Alcazar, , a flamenco show, and just lolly-gagging around town.

I am looking at Valencia, Malaga, Cadiz to do the same this December. There are many beautiful cities and towns that I would like to see but I am going for weather. Hoping to find that 62 degrees and sunny again like we did in Sevilla.

I would love any and all recommendations. Thank you!
]]> Europe lrice https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/long-stay-in-spain-in-december-1735788/ Trip Report Heathrow arrival report https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/heathrow-arrival-report-1735787/ Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:52:32 GMT Walked perhaps three miles and over 15 minutes from gate to immigration. Did the electronic face recognition passport deal in about 30 seconds. My... Walked perhaps three miles and over 15 minutes from gate to immigration. Did the electronic face recognition passport deal in about 30 seconds. My report. Your experiences may vary. ]]> Europe wildiowa https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/heathrow-arrival-report-1735787/ Trip Report Grand Cayman Trip Review - May 2026 https://www.fodors.com/community/caribbean-islands/grand-cayman-trip-review-may-2026-a-1735785/ Sun, 07 Jun 2026 21:46:40 GMT My wife and I just got back from a short stay on Seven Mile Beach and I thought I�d share a review. It�s a little longer than I originally intended,... My wife and I just got back from a short stay on Seven Mile Beach and I thought I�d share a review. It�s a little longer than I originally intended, so for those used to instant information, I�m providing the CliffsNotes version right at the jump. Here goes�

The Locale Hotel�Pretty Good

Pepper�s�Very Good

Tillie�s�Great. Order the cheesecake

Jack�s Beach Bar�Very Good�but not for the beach

The Westin�Great but expensive

Bonny Moon�Fun. Great ceviche

Hotel Indigo�Perfect for a beach day

Seven Mile Beach�Great (no seaweed)

The Sun�Hot

Excessive Drinking�Bad

Tipping�Included

Transportation�Take the bus

That pretty much covers all the key points. In summary, a great time is waiting for you. For those looking for more detail, please read on. Fair warning, it is long. Definitely too long now that I look at it and probably TMI in parts as well. I�ve discovered that writing about your vacations is the next best thing to being on one and well...this happened. I hope it is helpful to someone.

As this was a last minute, impromptu trip to celebrate an unexpected (but welcome) retirement, we wanted to keep this trip as economical as possible, but not so economical we didn't have a great time. We have some bigger trips planned later in the year so the goal was to make it out of this one for around $5K. We also wanted it to be relaxing. We hadn�t had an adults only beach vacation in 10 years so we went into this sans agenda. Wherever the ocean breeze took us�whatever we did or didn�t do�was fine with us. Stress was not invited this time. We were just happy to be there.

First, the boring stuff. The trip down was great. Direct flight on United out of Houston. Our plane was freshly equipped with Starlink wifi which made the short 2+ hour flight seem even shorter. Cruised thru immigration at the airport in about 20 minutes...a line of taxis waiting for us on the other side. The hotels are only about 10-15 minutes from the airport, which is another perk. That taxi ride was $30 US with tip, which you may or may not notice includes an extra 5% vig over the prevailing currency conversion rate. As our Gen Z teenager would say�What evs. It�s worth noting here as well that US dollars are as welcome and convenient as Cayman dollars on the island, extra vig not withstanding.

My wife had booked the Locale Hotel for 4 nights. We hadn't been to Grand Cayman since 2016. On that trip we stayed at the Westin, which at the time had just started to undergo the renovation that made it what it is today. We really liked the place, but it cost more than we wanted to spend this time. Locale Hotel had great reviews and seemed to be close enough to the beach and restaurants. It was about $360 per night, plus a $30 per day resort fee. Calling it a resort fee was a little bit of a stretch, but we got beach towels each day and free breakfast so to us it was a push.

The hotel looks very nice from the front, but to access the rooms, you have to go around back where it gives off much more of a "Motel" vibe. All the rooms have exterior doors that open to the outside and overlook the parking lot. There is no ocean view, but we knew we weren't staying on the beach so no biggie. Our room was actually pretty great. Modern. Huge. Very clean and the AC worked beautifully. We were cool with the place (no pun intended).

The hotel has a small, clean, secluded pool which is pretty much right out on West Bay Road, but hidden and protected by tall, thick hedges making it impossible to see from the street. We saw a couple people out there from time to time but it definitely wasn't something that would tempt you to spend a day there. By the pool there is some outdoor gym equipment so you can give yourself a quick pump before exposing your beer belly to the public.

The hotel serves food. The free breakfast was a good start to each day. Decent diner breakfast quality. Definitely not La Quinta style powdered eggs or dollar store bacon. We ate it every day. The coffee was very good, though the couple times it ran out, the staff refilled it on their time, not yours. There was a morning I really wanted one more cup but we got tired of waiting for it to be refilled and left. This isn't to say the service was bad. It wasn't. Everyone at the hotel was very nice and attentive. We just weren�t fully calibrated to Caribbean time yet. They also do theme dinners. One night was all you can eat BBQ. Another was all you can eat Italian. A nice outdoor presentation. We didn't partake but did see the food and it looked good. Our taxi driver had given us a heads up and recommended it, but we had other places to try.

Upon arrival, we dropped our bags in the room, did a quick freshen up and headed out. It was about 1:30 pm at this point, so we figured we'd use this day as an exploration day. We took a left out of the lobby door and headed down West Bay Road and after a few hundred yards, made our first discovery...a sign for Jack's Beach Bar.

Jack�s was a place we had wanted to check out and we were both ready for lunch at this point so in we went. It's a cool place. Open air bar. Pretty view. Appealing menu. But not much in the way of a beach. We sat at one of the picnic tables and were quickly greeted by our Filipina waitress, one of many Filipinos we would meet on the island, which having been to the Philippines a few times for work, I enjoyed. They are probably the friendliest people on the planet. We asked her how she liked living on Grand Cayman compared to the Philippines and she was ambivalent. She said it was beautiful but boring. And expensive, explaining she had ordered a $30 rice cooker on Amazon and with shipping and customs fees it cost her $130. The shopping in the Philippines was much better too. She also complained that every restaurant serves only one kind of fish which I thought had to be hyperbole considering we were surrounded by ocean.

We enjoyed Jack's. Our fish sandwiches were good. The local lager, Cay Brew, was cold and like all Caribbean lagers, the perfect beer for the climate. They go down like water. The view was nice. But it was not a place I would consider a candidate for a beach day. The bar itself is above the beach. You have to descend a few stairs to get to the sand and it's just a small stretch once you get there. There was nobody on it when we checked it out. They do have loungers off to the left of the picnic tables above the beach, but they weren�t seeing much use when we were there. Jack's to me is a lunch stop. Or a post beach day cocktail stop. Not a laying in a lounger all day stop.

Last thing on Jack's...As this was our first food/beverage purchase, I didn�t know, or had forgotten in the 10 years since our last visit, that 18% gratuity is automatically added. When I looked at the check, I did have a moment of "Hmmm...pricey" but with the conversion rate and knowing Cayman has a reputation for being expensive, I didn't study the bill, figuring it is what it is. So I added another 20% and off we went. Later that night, back at the room, I was cleaning out my pockets and found the receipt. Upon closer inspection I discovered my mistake...a healthy 38% tip. Oh well. She was nice. And now we were BFFs.

After Jack's we decided to walk to Bonny Moon, which was about 2 miles down the road. We spend a lot of time in New York City where 20,000+ step days are the norm. Two miles is a leisurely stroll for us...but in Cayman it's not the distance, it's the sun. It's so intense you can feel it sapping the lifeforce out of you as you slowly melt into the sidewalk and with each successive step, the prospect of a nap before dinner seemed more and more appealing. After about a half mile, we turned around and went back to the hotel.

For dinner that night we had grand plans but with the early travel and late lunch and drinks, we were kind of beat. As we exited the hotel, we noticed Pepper's which was practically just across the street. The place was hopping. We'd read good reviews of this place so we decided to keep it low key and eat there. We immediately liked the vibe. It was loud but not so loud you couldn't have a conversation. There was a band playing...which I generally hate when I'm trying to eat a meal...but they weren't blowing out their speakers. It was a reasonable volume. The place was packed and buzzing with conversation and it seemed like everyone was having a good time. After eating clean since the start of the new year, we were excited for our first vacation dinner and wanted everything on the menu. We started with saltfish fritters, which were really good, then continued with jerk chicken, rice and peas, plantains and coleslaw. Everything tasted great. You got a lot of food and it was reasonably priced. Did I mention the vibe? The place had a great vibe, which is big with me. It�s as important as the food. If a restaurant doesn't feel right, has no energy or atmosphere or my biggest pet peeve, bad "last call" lighting, it doesn't matter how good the food is. I won't go back. Pepper's checked all the boxes. I'd be back two more times this trip.

There�s no sleeping in on Grand Cayman as every room on the island comes with organic alarm clocks. I believe the locals call them roosters. They go off every morning around 6:00am and don�t stop until you�re up. This was fine with us as we wanted to make every minute count. At breakfast the next morning, we inquired about the buses we'd heard about. They're really more like vans than buses and they run up and down West Bay Road all day. They'll pick you up no matter where you are on West Bay Road, no need for a bus stop and typically after no more than a five minute wait (except on Sunday when it�s closer to 15). Just raise your hand and the driver will flash his lights to acknowledge you. All of the vans say "Public Bus" on the front so they're easy to identify. Then when you want to get off, just yell "stop" and he'll pull over. The locals yell something that sounded like "One Stop". Could never figure it out for sure and wasn't daring enough to try to imitate their instruction...but "Stop" worked perfectly. Only $2.50 US ($2 KYD) per person. Much cheaper than taxis. Can't beat that.

Our plan for day two was to check out the Westin, so that was our first bus ride. The place looked beautiful�Better than when we stayed there last. We sat at the outdoor bar, which had a panoramic ocean view. My wife ordering a mimosa and I, a Bloody Mary. The bartender, another Filipino, was of course friendly. We asked if non-guests could rent beach chairs and he said we couldn't. There were two conventions going on at the hotel and the loungers were reserved for those guests, but the day beds could be rented. He directed us to the beach concierge who informed us that only second row day beds were available for that day. My wife has a thing about obstructed beach views and asked if there was any front row availability tomorrow and luckily there was, so we booked for the following day. The price seemed lower than I expected. Only 375 dollars, which per my fading memory seemed to be about what we paid ten years ago. For this you get the bed, two loungers and umbrella along with a personal waiter from 10:00am to 6:00pm. Of course, my aging Hippocampus failed to remind me that Cayman currency is also called "dollars" and that's what we were being quoted. To get the U.S. cost, I needed to multiply by 1.25. Oh well...Still worth it. For one day at least. Every trip has a "blow out" day. This would be ours.

Since the Westin wasn't in the cards for today though, we decided again to go check out Bonny Moon. This time we bussed it and it was so much easier to get to, though not being directly on West Bay Road, if you�re not careful you could miss it. You have to get off where West Bay Road curves sharply to the right, inland and away from the water (or towards the water if you�re coming from the opposite direction) and then walk through a public beach/playground area to get to it. Just by looking at it, we knew immediately we�d like it. Like Jack�s, right on the water with a pretty view. But also like Jack�s, more of a lunch or post beach destination. Their beach area was relatively small and largely uninhabited. We grabbed great seats facing the water and ordered a couple more drinks and some Wahoo Ceviche, which was one of our favorite bites of the trip. I could�ve sat there drinking beer, staring at the sea, chatting and feeding periodically all day. It was a perfect vacation vibe. But being properly hydrated and satiated at this point, we noticed a nicer beach right next to Bonny Moon and went to check that out. It was Hotel Indigo and they did rent loungers to non-guests. Only $125 for two loungers and an umbrella. We went for it. Like most days here I imagine, it was a perfect beach day�sun, sand, seaweed-less turquoise water, not too crowded�though we probably should've had just one pitcher of sangria. Fueled by vacation adrenaline, Westin breakfast drinks and two rounds at Bonny Moon...we made the unfortunate decision to try the white sangria too, after our pitcher of red had run out. That was a mistake. Things got a little foggy after that. On the bus ride back to Locale, we both dozed off and ended up at the bus terminal in Georgetown. We were like �WTF happened?� and weren't really sure how to get back to the hotel. We wandered around the public square somewhat aimlessly until one of the bus drivers directed us to a bus that would take us back to the hotel. I don't even remember if we had to pay but we did make it there eventually. Somehow, we had both lost our glasses. Not our sunglasses, luckily those were still on our face�but our eyeglasses. Also, one of the Locale Hotel beach towels and as a final sprinkle of salt in the wound, my Fitbit didn�t work anymore. I guess they aren�t waterproof after all. The oh sh*t moment of the days true cost already calculating in my head and we weren�t even sober yet�$700 for glasses, $50 for the beach towel, $150 for a new Fitbit. It was around 6:00 pm by the time we finally made it back to the hotel. Needless to say it was time for a nap.

Naps are a dangerous thing for us. Whether it's in Italy, the Caribbean, NYC or anywhere that invites day drinking, our naps have been known to accidently go from the planned one hour duration to all night affairs. More than once we've woken up around midnight, completely refreshed and starving but with nowhere to go. And I knew that was definitely a risk this time. Sure enough, when the security app on my phone chimed to indicate someone was leaving the house back home, waking me up...I grabbed my phone to see what time it was. 7:30 AM! I couldn't believe we had wasted an entire night and most painfully, one of our few Cayman dinners. I laid there hating myself for a few minutes. Then it dawned on me. Who the hell would be leaving our house at 7:30 AM? Our teenager was home from college, but her summer job hadn't started yet, so she never stirs from her room until around 11:00. Then I looked out the window, the blinds drawn shut to block out the street lights. It was still dark out. It wasn't 7:30AM. It was 7:30PM! I had only slept for an hour and a half, but it felt like an eternity. I felt pretty good at this point. Sadly my wife wasn't as lucky. I tried to get her up but she was perfectly content to call it a night and try again tomorrow. I got cleaned up and went back to Pepper�s alone.

Pepper�s was hopping again and I did what I usually did when eating out alone, I grabbed a seat at the bar. After many years of business travel, I�ve come to enjoy eating out alone. Alone in your thoughts, it's the perfect way to decompress at the end of a long day. No pressure to converse or even lend an ear. Just play on your phone, process the day�s events, day dream, watch sports, whatever. Usually that is, but not tonight. This night I unintentionally sat down next to two large, animated, intoxicated, loud, jovial men...a Brit and a Scot and I was immediately sucked into their vortex of shots and insults. Each took turns extolling the virtue of being from their country while denigrating everything that had anything to do with the others. It was like Braveheart Part II, but without the blood. Verbal disemboweling replacing physical. Each round of jabs, though, accompanied by smiles and laughter and ending with slaps on the back and hugs and of course another round of shots for everyone within their orbit, including the bartenders. I'm not a shot guy on a good day and most definitely not this day, but these were two guys who wouldn't take no for an answer and my arm was still rubbery from the day drinking...so I succumbed. They both looked to be about 60, solidly built...thick forearms covered in tattoos. I knew they weren't bankers. They were some kind of contractor as far as I could tell. They had been in the Cayman Islands for a few months and couldn't wait to leave. One mentioned he had come from working in Libya. He was about to head back and looking forward to it. I had ordered a burger and fries (grease helps hangovers), while all they appeared to be eating was alcohol. When my food arrived, they'd go "Eat, eat! Don't let your food get cold" then proceed to ask me a question or worse, present me with another shot, as soon as I took a bite. I eventually got the cadence down and was able to time my chomps well enough but the pace was so slow and drawn out, the food did get cold and I lost interest. What I did eat was good though. And then, in what seemed to be a blink of an eye, they were gone. No good bye. No last very hard slap on the back. Just two empty barstools to my right and me wondering if my legs still worked.

Under normal conditions...ie daylight and sobriety�crossing the street here was like playing Frogger. The simple act of driving on the opposite side of the road threw off my judgement and depth perception completely�but at this hour, thankfully, traffic was light and I was able to cross without getting squashed. I did, however, feel my legs give out more than usual as I stepped from the curb to the road. That feeling of �I�m going down! Oh, wait�all good�. My quads lagging a few seconds too long before fully engaging and stabilizing me right before the point of no return. Luckily being a short walk, I made it unscathed, though probably looking like a cross between Pee Wee Herman doing the Tequila dance and Joe Biden walking on sand. As I approached the door to the hotel lobby, I remember thinking �Ok�There will be people�act sober� and I did my best to transform Evolution of Man style into a fully erect Homo Sapien. Thankfully, the lobby was empty save for the night clerk standing by the desk. I was able to muster the two syllables of �good night� though they probably came out sounding like just one and as I disappeared out of his sight, allowed myself to devolve back to my more primitive state, one eye closed and aiming for the staircase in the middle. As I lay in bed, before passing out�one thought resonated in my head. Tomorrow we are definitely not drinking.

The long nights sleep had worked wonders for my wife and she woke up the next morning feeling, relatively speaking, ok. But she repeated my mantra from the night before��Today we are definitely not drinking�. I woke up feeling a little worse for the wear but figured I could burn the hangover off with a greasy breakfast, a lot of water and about six cups of coffee.

Today was Westin day, the day that was supposed to be our blow out. Poor planning on our part. Spending $553 minimum ($375 x 1.25 x 1.18 gratuity) to pass out on the beach for 8 hours�well we could�ve done that at Jack�s for a hell of a lot less. Luckily once we got out in the sun and saw the water�suddenly we didn�t feel as bad. Turns out our resolution to not drink ended up having the shelf life of fresh guacamole. We were much more restrained today however.

Without much thought that morning, we grabbed fresh, blue Locale Hotel beach towels. Not realizing, of course, if you drop $500 to lay on a hotel beach, they�re probably going to provide you with towels, which the Westin did. White ones. Everyone there had white ones, which we immediately noticed as we were being led to our spot. Our blue towels exposing us as interlopers�branding us with a Scarlet (or in this case Caribbean Blue) letter T for thrifty, C for Cheap, F for Frugal or something worse. I resisted the urge to say �We can afford this place if we wanted to� to whoever we spoke with.

With our blue towels properly hidden from view, we set off on an incredibly relaxing, well behaved, beach day. Our unobstructed view of the Caribbean Sea was worth the price of admission we told ourselves. The water slightly chilly at first and then perfect after that first �just get past the sensitive parts� dunk. No seaweed at all. A lone, tiny stingray circling use curiously, as if it associated human legs with being fed. After a few laps around us, sensing no squid forthcoming, he glided casually over to the next group of legs. As the day went on we asked more than once, �Why didn�t we stay here�? Well�This was a bonus trip we reminded ourselves. An add on outside of our travel budget, so we�re keeping it low key we rationalized. But this hotel had it all. Sophisticated vibe. Nice pool. Beautiful bar. Great beach. Even a handheld buzzer so we could summon our waiter as needed. As we promised ourselves, we took it easy drinking, ordering only a bottle of Prosecco and some orange juice. Aside from that, we had fish sandwiches for lunch which were surprisingly good for being served on a beach and lots of water. It was a great day and the 8 hours flew by. And the best part was, we�d remember all the details of it tomorrow. With one final press of our buzzer, we had our check in hand. The $553 now swollen to over $700. Quite a blow out for us after all. You only live once we said, while tamping down the notion we probably could�ve stayed here with what beach access is costing us.

After relaxing all day and largely giving our livers and stomachs a break from the action, we were ready for a nice meal. We called Tillies just to be sure they could seat us and it was not a problem. It felt good to be showered, smelling nice and well dressed. With the sun down, destinations became more walkable. Tillies, located in the Palm Heights Hotel, was only a half mile away so we decided to walk.

Upon arrival, we were a little surprised that most of the seating was outside. There was no singeing sun to contend with, but it was still pretty hot and humid. Their fans helped to keep the air circulating, but it was still a common site to see the waitstaff fanning themselves with the menus.

Our waiter was an Italian man named Giuseppe. He spoke with a fresh off the boat accent which made him hard to understand at times but he knew what he was doing. He placed a tray of house special coco bread rolls in the middle of the table and warned us that they were very good. I looked around at the clientele and everyone was dressed very nicely and seemed to be emitting this �too cool for bread� vibe, especially the couple sitting next to us who kept regaling Giuseppe with their stories of trips to France and elsewhere, loud enough for all seated around them to hear and much to the chagrin of my empty beer glass. It was intended to be a wine night, but the absence of air conditioning killed that plan, for me anyway. We tried to be cool about the bread. But inside we were telepathically high fiving each other and silent screaming �Hell yeah�bread!�. We each casually grabbed one of the airy, ball shaped rolls. Ignoring for a moment the accompanying coconut butter, we ate the rolls dry. They were light and sweet and seemed to melt in your mouth like cotton candy. Trying the butter made them even better. As I contemplated the appropriate pause before grabbing another, the image of a frog snagging a fly with only his tongue flashed in my mind. The heck with it, I wanted another one. No words were spoken until the tray was empty. They were too good. I vaguely remember Giuseppe introducing them to us. He either said they were the house special or the night�s special. For those who plan on eating here but haven�t yet, I hope it�s the former. They are not to be missed.

For the main course, having eaten our share of fish and feeling a bit carnivorous, we had the ribeye for two accompanied by mashed potatoes and green papaya salad. It was a very good meal, but the real star of the evening came last. When it comes to dessert, my wife, the human sweet tooth, always makes the final call. I go with the flow and typically get a spoon just so she isn�t racked with 100% of the guilt. Unless it�s something I really love, I�ll take a couple bites and let her go to town. She�s conditioned for an 80/20 split at worst and this she can live with. Tonight, however was different. We both recognized that the Basque Cheesecake was the most interesting thing on the dessert menu and with no debate, made the easy choice. Gooier and fluffier than any cheesecake I�d had before. Perfectly carmelized to give it just the right amount of sweetness. Being from Connecticut originally, and spending a lot of time in NYC, there are some foods I�m snobbish about�Pizza, Hot Dogs, Bagels�and Cheesecake. I�m not kidding when I say this may have been the best cheesecake I�ve ever had. Not only that, it was my favorite eat of the entire trip. The rolls were a not too distant second. And I�m a savory over sweet guy. But these things were special. Tillies was a very good place. A little pretentious. A little too hot. But a great meal.

For our last full day on the island, we decided to go back to the Hotel Indigo and redeem ourselves. On the bus ride over we wondered what kind of reception we�d receive. Will they remember us? Did we embarrass ourselves? Had we paid our bill? Surprisingly, they seemed happy to see us, which shifted my wonder to what kind of tip I left. While checking in at the beach hut, we inquired about a lost and found. They had a large, plastic bin up on a shelf, filled with found beachy stuff. As the attendant rifled through the bin I quickly identified our lost beach towel. It was the only blue towel in the bin and shortly after, he found my wife�s glasses. Mine weren�t in there which was disappointing but at least we had avoided some of the preliminary damage. We also accidently claimed someone else�s face cream that my wife thought she had lost. Oops�Sorry.

This was Sunday and easily the most crowded day of our trip. Definitely more crowded than our first trip here, what we remember of it anyway. It wasn�t bad by any means, but loungers were definitely in short supply. No front row for us this time, but the two we did receive were pretty convenient�close enough to the waiters hut that we never had to raise the service flag on our umbrella or wait for service at all for that matter. They checked in often. That could�ve been dangerous, but we behaved ourselves ordering only a single pitcher of red sangria and a lot of ice water the entire day. Another perfect beach day. The �last day of vacation� blues never even crossing our mind. Just relaxation and a cooling off dunk about every 45 minutes.

Having not eaten since breakfast, by around 4:30 we were pretty hungry. We had talked about how good the Bonny Moon ceviche was all week and were heart set on having it again today. During the day, beach attire is fine at Bonny Moon, so we packed our beach bag up, brushed ourselves off and headed over. We scored the same two seats we had the first time, perfect beach view and all. As the waiter handed us our menus, I ordered a Cay Brew. My wife stuck with water and the waiter said he�d be right back to take our order. We already knew what we wanted. Well, it was getting pretty busy at this point and he didn�t make it back to us for about 10 minutes. Long enough for the clock to move from 4:55pm to 5:05pm. When he came back, he informed us that he gave us the wrong menus and we�d have to choose from a reduced menu as the 5:00pm � 6:00pm hour is their transition from lunch shift to dinner shift and food options are limited. Of course, the Wahoo ceviche wasn�t on the limited menu. It was a gut punch. We were hungry and not overly thrilled with any of the limited options available, finally settling for the callaloo and spinach fritters, which were decent, but not what we were really in the mood for. Note on the Bonny Moon�It is the quintessential beach bar during the day. Flip flops and board shorts are fine. But after 5:00pm the place starts to class up. The outfits become more stylish and the people become more beautiful as the Bonny Moon transitions from beach bar to club. Meanwhile we, still in our bathing suits, looked like we had been washed hard and put away wet. After finishing our snack, we decided to head back to the hotel.

Later that night, feeling relaxed from our day in the sun, we couldn�t resist the convenient call of Pepper�s. My wife ordered the fire roasted whole snapper and me the foil roasted Mahi Mahi. We enjoyed our final meal on the island, though if I�m being honest, I wish I had gotten the jerk chicken. It was a subdued night, the thought of heading back to the real world now creeping in, softened somewhat by our final vacation cocktails. We were content. The trip was exactly what we wanted it to be. Our goals of escaping, relaxing, recharging and hopefully staying within budget seemingly achieved. We were actually looking forward to getting back on the working out/eating clean train for a while we said, though we were also already talking about coming back sooner rather than later.

Thankfully, we had a morning flight home. In our opinion, there�s nothing worse than a late flight on the last day of vacation�sitting around clock watching while dreading the inevitable return to the real world. How great would it be if there was a travel �Easy Button�? Instead of 10 hours of taxis, airports, planes, trains and automobiles, one press instantly teleports you back to your couch? Sign me up. A guy can dream I thought as we headed to the airport with plenty of time to spare. The Locale Hotel was nice and we would stay there again in a pinch but on vacation�s final day, we just want to rip the band aid off and be home. Early arrival turned out to be a somewhat regrettable decision once reminded of the limited food and drink options at the tiny airport where the haute cuisine of the island gives way to convenience store chic snacks�chips, candy, rum cakes or fast food. Take your pick. We shared a Wendy�s cheeseburger. Be sure to eat before you go.

Four nights is a tease. Not long enough to really feel like a vacation, essentially just a long weekend. Too short to reach the point of actually �being ready to go home�, instead leaving you still wanting more. To soothe my spirits, I took solace in the anticipation of our upcoming travel plans�plans that will undoubtedly include Grand Cayman again before too long.

Our first Saturday home over morning coffee, as is our custom, we proceeded with the exercise of reconciling the financial aftermath of the trip. We did very well landing at $5,005 all in (not including my glasses and fitbit) and our thoughts quickly turned to New York City in June.

Enjoy the journey
Jacks Beach Bar View

Jack's Beach Bar View ]]> Caribbean Islands rob1508 https://www.fodors.com/community/caribbean-islands/grand-cayman-trip-review-may-2026-a-1735785/ Venice - Where to Wander https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/venice-where-to-wander-1735784/ Sun, 07 Jun 2026 20:55:46 GMT We are flying into Venice later in September for a trip that will focus on the Lake Garda and Verona area. We plan to spend our first 3 days in... We are flying into Venice later in September for a trip that will focus on the Lake Garda and Verona area. We plan to spend our first 3 days in Venice, giving us 2 full days to explore. We are in our early 60�s and prefer a slower, relaxed pace of travel. We aren�t attempting to see as much as we can in Venice, instead, we�d like to truly enjoy a few places in Venice during our 2 days. We will visit 2 or 3 �tourist� spots and then wander around, although wandering totally aimlessly isn�t my thing � I like to have one or two destinations in mind. We enjoy visiting a church or two and a museum or two, but not more than that. I�ve read trip reports, watched videos, looked at guide books, and even consulted AI � although I think real people give much better advice, and that�s why I�m here. So far, this is the plan:

Arrival Day - our flight from Canada arrives around 10:00 AM. We'll take the Alilaguna orange line to get to our hotel near the San Stae stop. We'll settle in at the hotel, go for a nice lunch or dinner, depending on the time, wander the area a bit and head to bed early. If we�re up to it, we�ll take an evening vaporetto ride on line 1, up the Grand Canal, when a lot of the day-trippers have left.

Day 1 � the plan is for this to be the �wander day�, but not in St. Mark�s Square, as we�ll do that on day 2. I�m not sure where to wander though � we're looking for somewhere with charming streets/canals, maybe 1 - 3 smaller sights to visit, somewhere to have lunch and maybe browse some shops. We may go to Cannaregio later in the afternoon and either go for a nice dinner or do a self-guided cichetti tour around Fondamenta dei Ormesini area.

Day 2 � go St. Mark�s Square early and visit the Basilica and Doge�s Palace and wander in the area until we find we�ve had enough of the crowds. I�ve also considered visiting Correr Museum in place of the Doge�s Palace � would that be a mistake? There is a chance we could do both but I think it might be too much with a visit to the Basilica. We�ll probably hop a vaparetto either to another area we haven�t explored or somewhere near our hotel. We'll go for a nice dinner before departing for Lake Garda the next morning.

I would really appreciate any recommendations of where to wander for a day. We�ll have a vaporetto pass, so we could explore more than one area on day 1.
]]> Europe debinthepeg https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/venice-where-to-wander-1735784/ Venice - Where to Just Wander? https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/venice-where-to-just-wander-1735783/ Sun, 07 Jun 2026 20:12:51 GMT Deleted and moved to Italy forum Deleted and moved to Italy forum ]]> Europe debinthepeg https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/venice-where-to-just-wander-1735783/ One day in Anchorage https://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/one-day-in-anchorage-1735782/ Sun, 07 Jun 2026 18:36:16 GMT My spouse and I (in our mid-60s and 70s) are taking our first Alaska cruise this July. After the cruise, we'll spend a couple of days in Denali and then have one full day in Anchorage before our flight home.I'm having a hard time deciding how to spend that last day. By then, we'll have already seen glaciers, wildlife, and many of the highlights that come with an Alaska cruise and a visit to Denali.

We're looking for suggestions on what to see or do in Anchorage itself. We enjoy scenic sights, local culture, good food, and easy walks, but we're not looking for anything too strenuous. What would you recommend for first-time visitors with just one day in Anchorage? ]]> United States kiramoli https://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/one-day-in-anchorage-1735782/ Hotels in Puglia Region of Italy https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/hotels-in-puglia-region-of-italy-1735781/ Sun, 07 Jun 2026 18:29:17 GMT Hello, I've put together a list of the hotels we have booked for a visit in October. If any fellow travelers have experience with these hotels and would share their opinions good or bad for some or all, we would greatly appreciate your thoughts. Just looking for thoughts on cleanliness, quiet location or party central, helpfullness of staff? We're not expecting perfection but would like to avoid the big headaches. Thank you.

Bari: Al Pescatore.
Monopoli: Sorelle Barnaba
Alberobello: Masseria Rosa Trulli Relais
Lecce: Casa Dei Mercanti
Bari: Parco dei Principi

]]> Europe Glastonbury_Abby https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/hotels-in-puglia-region-of-italy-1735781/ Trip Report In search of the best bites and sights: Rome, Puglia, Matera, and the Cilento Coast https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/in-search-of-the-best-bites-and-sights-rome-puglia-matera-and-the-cilento-coast-1735778/ Sun, 07 Jun 2026 09:00:48 GMT We started our 17 day trip to Italy in Rome. This was my fifth trip, my husband�s fourth, and our daughters� second. The original plan was to spend... We started our 17 day trip to Italy in Rome. This was my fifth trip, my husband�s fourth, and our daughters� second. The original
plan was to spend three nights and nearly three full days in Rome but a nail in the tire of our first plane (and subsequent four hour delay) caused us to miss our direct connecting flight to FCO. As a result we had to fly through Heathrow. Bad weather in Heathrow delayed us further and we arrived nearly 7 hours later. I was nervous and unsure about the EES process for us and what it would mean because both girls are under 14. However from the time we touched down until we were in a taxi was 38 minutes- a great stroke of luck after a bad day of travel.

After almost thirty hours of travel we arrived at our BnB near Campo Fiore, more importantly only a few doors down from one of our favorite spots- Al Forno Roscioli. We grabbed a bite while we waited for our Air BnB host.

Potato pizza stuffed with Porchetta and Margherita.

The location gets a 12/10 but I�ll definitely find a new place to stay next time. I knew it was on the third floor but didn�t realize it would be 71 steep stairs up. There were also a lot of unnecessary steps within the apartment and places with a very low ceiling. We lucked out with beautiful weather- not warmer than 28 Celsius but it was still warm in the bedroom with only one AC unit in living room. I think it would be quite hot when it was any warmer. The apartment faced an interior courtyard so was quite quiet despite the area.

it was nearly 7 and were exhausted and hungry so we went to MACCARONE Il Pastificio [Pellegrino]. It was ok. Price was decent for the area, portions good and quality decent. I would not seek this out but for a quick meal after travel it fit the bill. The Amatriciana was the best.

Amatriciana- 7/10

Cacio Pepe- 6/10

No room for desert- time for bed! ]]> Europe Amb8q https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/in-search-of-the-best-bites-and-sights-rome-puglia-matera-and-the-cilento-coast-1735778/