Hi everyone!

My partner and I are visiting Sri Lanka the first week of January. We'll be staying in Sigiriya for 1 night, Ella for 2 nights, Galle for 1 night.

Here's our current plan:

Day 1

• 5:30am Land CMB
• Drive to Sigiriya (~4 hrs)
• 11:00am  Check in, lunch, rest
• 2:00pm Safari (still need to decide between Hurulu vs. Kaudulla with driver that morning)
• 7:00pm Dinner, early night

Day 2

• 10:00am Pack, checkout
• Leave for the Sigiriya rock
• 12:30pm Depart Sigiriya
• 2:30-3:15pm Lunch en route 
• 5:00pm Arrive, check in to Ella

Day 3

• 4:00-5:45am Drive to Ohiya-side entrance
• 6:00-9:00am World’s End loop
• 9:00-9:30am Drive down to Ohiya station
• 10:47am Train departs → Ella ~12:21pm
• 12:30-1:15pm Lunch
• 5:00-6:15pm Yoga somewhere in Ella to decompress
• 7:00pm Dinner, early night

Day 4

• 8:45am Checkout
• 9:00-10:30am Little Adam’s Peak
• 10:45-11:15am Ravana Falls
• 11:30am-12:15pm Lunch
• 2:00-3:30pm Tea Garden tour (2pm slot)
• 3:45pm Depart for Galle (~3 hrs)
• ~6:45pm - 7:00pm Arrive Galle, check in, dinner

Day 5

• 10:00-11:00am Habaraduwa hatchery or any recommended turtle hatchery.
• 11:00-12:30pm Galle Fort
• 12:30pm Depart for airport
• ~2:30pm-3:30pm Arrive CMB 
• 7:30pm Flight roughly 4-5 hours of buffer

We will be getting a private driver for the whole trip cause I guess that would make the most sense.

A few questions:

1. Is there anything along this exact route that you think I’m missing that would suit someone who prefers mountains, waterfalls, hiking, scenery and wildlife over temples/cities?
2. I’d especially love recommendations for good Sri Lankan food that fits naturally along our route rather than making huge detours. We don’t really enjoy nightlife or drinking. Local, casual places are completely fine, they don’t need to be fancy or Instagram restaurants.

We’re deliberately skipping Kandy, Dambulla Cave Temple and most Colombo sightseeing because we only have 5 days and would rather prioritize nature.

Thanks! I know five days is short, so I’m especially interested in advice on what is genuinely worth our limited time versus what looks better on paper than it is in reality. 😄 We originally had 4 days only when I posted this a month ago but I've done more research since then and added an extra day!

I was looking at renting a car in Iceland through Airbnb, since they now seem to offer rental cars through CarTrawler (the actual supplier in my case would be Avis or Budget).

The price itself is quite good, but I started reading the fine print and found some pretty wild/confusing things as well as typos.

The rental terms say there will be a 195,000 ISK security deposit held on the credit card. I initially thought that might be a typo, but I just spoke to Airbnb-CarTrawler support and I’ve been told it really is around CAD $2,200…

Then I noticed the cancellation section contradicts itself. One part says cancelling less than 48 hours before pickup means losing CAD $242, while another part says the fee is 3 rental days or CAD $161, whichever is greater, with a maximum administration fee of CAD $482. They have confirmed that the first rule applies on chat.

But the most ridiculous one is the optional WiFi add-on.

Airbnb is literally displaying WiFi Access for CA$11,575.82 !!!!

In the detailed terms, it says WiFi is 1,800 EUR/day, maximum 12,600 EUR, while GPS right below it is 1,800 ISK/day, maximum 12,600 ISK. So it really looks like someone entered EUR instead of ISK and Airbnb/CarTrawler is converting it accordingly.

Has anyone booked an Avis/Budget rental through Airbnb/CarTrawler in Iceland or I guess anywhere in Europe or anywhere that would convert currencies? Did everything go normally at pickup?

Hi everyone! My post was removed but I got some more time to do research so would love a review + recommendations! :)

My partner and I are visiting Iceland the first week of Sept. We'll be staying in Hafnarfjörður for the entire trip and renting a car.

We're not trying to see everything cause only one of us drives. We prefer scenic walks, photography, cafés on the way, and nature. We're planning to buy groceries from Krónan/Bónus and pack sandwiches for most lunches to keep costs down.

Here's our current plan:

Friday morning

• Arrive at KEF
• Horse riding
• Gunnuhver
• Valahnúkamöl and maybe Brimketill 
• Grocery shopping at Krónan
• Dinner and back

Saturday 

• Leave by 6:30 AM to catch Highland Bus to Landmannalaugar
• Return to Hella from Landmannalaugar at 6 pm ish
• Drive to Kerið Crater on the way to Airbnb

Sunday (South Coast)

• Leave by 8:30 AM
• Seljalandsfoss
• Gljúfrabúi
• Skógafoss
• Kvernufoss
• Picnic lunch
• Dyrhólaey
• Reynisfjara
• Dinner on the way back

Monday (before flight)

• Leave by 8:30 AM
• Þingvellir
• Brúarfoss
• Gullfoss
• Lunch at airport?
• Fly home (flight is at 5 PM)

Is this an unrealistic plan? If you had to remove one stop, which would it be?

Also any recommendations for budget-friendly cafés, bakeries, sandwich shops, fish & chips, seafood, or casual restaurants along these routes?

Thanks in advance! Looking forward to hearing your suggestions. :)

Hi everyone!

My partner and I are visiting Iceland for the first time in early September so the first week of Sept. We'll be staying in Hafnarfjörður for the entire trip and renting a car.

We're not trying to see everything cause only one of us drives. We prefer scenic walks, photography, cafés, and nature. We don't drink, and we're planning to buy groceries from Krónan/Bónus and pack sandwiches for most lunches to keep costs down.

Here's our current plan:

Friday morning

• Arrive at KEF
• Pick up rental car
• Horse riding
• Grocery shopping at Krónan
• Explore Reykjavík (likely Old Harbour/Grandi area)
• Dinner & café

Saturday (Golden Circle)

• Leave by 8:30 AM
• Þingvellir
• Brúarfoss
• Picnic lunch
• Geysir
• Gullfoss
• Kerið (optional)
• Coffee stop around Selfoss
• Back to Airbnb

Sunday (South Coast)

• Leave by 8:30 AM
• Seljalandsfoss
• Gljúfrabúi
• Skógafoss
• Kvernufoss
• Picnic lunch
• Dyrhólaey
• Reynisfjara
• Dinner on the way back

Monday (before flight)

• Leave by 9:30 AM
• Bridge Between Continents
• Gunnuhver
• Reykjanes Lighthouse
• Valahnúkamöl
• Brimketill (optional)
• Lunch at airport?
• Fly home

A few questions:

1. Does anything in this itinerary seem rushed or unrealistic?
2. If you had to remove one stop, which would it be?
3. Are there any cool spots along these routes that are worth a quick detour (30–45 minutes or less)?
4. Any recommendations for budget-friendly cafés, bakeries, sandwich shops, fish & chips, seafood, or casual restaurants along these routes? We are hoping to keep most meals affordable since we'll already be packing sandwiches for lunches.
5. Are there any must-try Icelandic snacks, pastries, or desserts we should pick up at the grocery stores?

Thanks in advance! Looking forward to hearing your suggestions. :)

Hi everyone!

My partner and I are visiting Iceland for the first time in early September so the first week of Sept. We'll be staying in Hafnarfjörður for the entire trip and renting a car.

We're not trying to see everything cause only one of us drives. We prefer scenic walks, photography, cafés, and nature. We don't drink, and we're planning to buy groceries from Krónan/Bónus and pack sandwiches for most lunches to keep costs down.

Here's our current plan:

Friday morning

• Arrive at KEF
• Pick up rental car
• Horse riding
• Grocery shopping at Krónan
• Explore Reykjavík (likely Old Harbour/Grandi area)
• Dinner & café

Saturday (Golden Circle)

• Leave by 8:30 AM
• Þingvellir
• Brúarfoss
• Picnic lunch
• Geysir
• Gullfoss
• Kerið (optional)
• Coffee stop around Selfoss
• Back to Airbnb

Sunday (South Coast)

• Leave by 8:30 AM
• Seljalandsfoss
• Gljúfrabúi
• Skógafoss
• Kvernufoss
• Picnic lunch
• Dyrhólaey
• Reynisfjara
• Dinner on the way back

Monday (before flight)

• Leave by 9:30 AM
• Bridge Between Continents
• Gunnuhver
• Reykjanes Lighthouse
• Valahnúkamöl
• Brimketill (optional)
• Lunch at airport?
• Fly home

A few questions:

1. Does anything in this itinerary seem rushed or unrealistic?
2. If you had to remove one stop, which would it be?
3. Are there any cool spots along these routes that are worth a quick detour (30–45 minutes or less)?
4. Any recommendations for budget-friendly cafés, bakeries, sandwich shops, fish & chips, seafood, or casual restaurants along these routes? We are hoping to keep most meals affordable since we'll already be packing sandwiches for lunches.
5. Are there any must-try Icelandic snacks, pastries, or desserts we should pick up at the grocery stores?

Thanks in advance! Looking forward to hearing your suggestions. :)

Hi everyone!

We will be visiting Switzerland for 4 days and staying in Brienz for the entire trip.

I've been researching and have put together a rough itinerary, but I'd love feedback from locals and people who know the area well! :)

Day 1

- Train from Zurich Airport to Brienz

- Lake Brienz boat cruise (3 PM ish)

- Stop at Giessbach Falls

- Possibly visit Iseltwald (depends on the boat cruise timings but unlikely)

- Back at Brienz for dinner

Day 2

- Lauterbrunnen

- Mürren

- Hike from Mürren to Gimmelwald

- Trümmelbach Falls

- Lauterbrunnen Valley walk toward Stechelberg

Day 3

- Grindelwald First

- Hike to Bachalpsee

- First Cliff Walk (maybe?)

- Interlaken shopping and cafe stop

- Possibly Harder Kulm for sunset (is it worth it if we're already doing First, Bachalpsee, Mürren, and possibly Männlichen?)

Day 4

Considering one of but can't decide :(

- Männlichen + Wengen

- Schynige Platte

Does this itinerary seem realistic, or am I trying to fit too much into each day?
Also what are your favourite budget-friendly cafes, bakeries, lunch spots, or casual restaurants, we're trying to keep food costs reasonable.
Any recs for the whole travel pass situation is also appreciated!!
Open to any suggestions, modifications, food recommendations, or "don't miss this" spots!

Thanks in advance! :)

Hi everyone!

We will be visiting Switzerland for 4 days and staying in Brienz for the entire trip.

I've been researching and have put together a rough itinerary, but I'd love feedback from locals and people who know the area well! :)

Day 1

- Train from Zurich Airport to Brienz

- Lake Brienz boat cruise (3 PM ish)

- Stop at Giessbach Falls

- Possibly visit Iseltwald (depends on the boat cruise timings but unlikely)

- Back at Brienz for dinner

Day 2

- Lauterbrunnen

- Mürren

- Hike from Mürren to Gimmelwald

- Trümmelbach Falls

- Lauterbrunnen Valley walk toward Stechelberg

Day 3

- Grindelwald First

- Hike to Bachalpsee

- First Cliff Walk (maybe?)

- Interlaken shopping and cafe stop

- Possibly Harder Kulm for sunset (is it worth it if we're already doing First, Bachalpsee, Mürren, and possibly Männlichen?)

Day 4

Considering one of but can't decide :(

- Männlichen + Wengen

- Schynige Platte

Does this itinerary seem realistic, or am I trying to fit too much into each day?
Also what are your favourite budget-friendly cafes, bakeries, lunch spots, or casual restaurants, we're trying to keep food costs reasonable.
Any recs for the whole travel pass situation is also appreciated!!
Open to any suggestions, modifications, food recommendations, or "don't miss this" spots!

Thanks in advance! :)