u/valardohaeris1099

I’m 21 and recently came back from my first ever international solo trip. My parents have never really been into traveling, so if I wanted to see the world, I figured I’d have to start doing it myself.
I spent 9 days across Vienna, Budapest,Bratislava, Prague and Cesky Krumlov. I’ll admit, I was pretty nervous before leaving. It was my first time traveling alone, in a completely different part of the world, and I had no idea how it’d go.
Turns out, it was the best experiences I’ve had. I met some great people, got way more comfortable being on my own, and now I can’t stop thinking about where to go next.
One thing that genuinely impressed me was Vienna’s public transport, especially the trams. Everything was so simple and reliable that after the first day I stopped worrying about getting around. It made solo travel feel incredibly easy.
Now I’m looking at Asia for my next trip. I’ve always been fascinated by both Chinese and Japanese culture/lore, and I’ve wanted to visit both for years.

I’d also love to hear which cities you’d recommend. Right now I’m leaning toward Shanghai + Chongqing for China, or
Tokyo + Kyoto for Japan, but I’m open to changing my mind if there’s a better option.

For those who’ve been to both, which would you choose for a first trip, China or Japan?

Hello everyone,

I have a Qatar Airways flight today from Nagpur to Doha and then onward to Vienna for an Eastern Europe group tour.

With the ceasefire having ended again, I've been feeling quite anxious, especially since Doha hosts a major US airbase. I know Qatar Airways is generally regarded as one of the safest airlines, but I can't help worrying about the current situation.

I know you guys get questions like this a lot, and I'm sorry for adding another one. I'm mainly looking for some reassurance or honest opinions.
If you were in my position, would you still take today's flight?

Thanks in advance. I really appreciate any advice.

Hello everyone,

I have a Qatar Airways flight today from Nagpur to Doha and then onward to Vienna for an Eastern Europe group tour.

With the ceasefire having ended again, I’ve been feeling quite anxious, especially since Doha hosts a major US airbase. I know Qatar Airways is generally regarded as one of the safest airlines, but I can’t help worrying about the current situation.

I know you guys get questions like this a lot, and I’m sorry for adding another one. I’m mainly looking for some reassurance or honest opinions. If you were in my position, would you still take today’s flight?

Thanks in advance. I really appreciate any advice.

Applied for Austrian Schengen, got refused, submitted an appeal, and a few days later got an amendment request asking me to resubmit my passport at VFS. Really wasn’t expecting this at all

My original travel dates were in late June but I’d already cancelled my flights after the refusal since I had almost no expectations. Now those dates just aren’t feasible anymore.

Can I include a note requesting mid to late July dates instead when resubmitting the passport? Has anyone done this? Would like some advice.