Hey all!

I'm planning a trip to KL on the first week of August with my gfs. Apart from shopping, we would like to try something different, along the lines of being adventurous. It'll be a 3-night affair and so far only Batu Caves got our attention. Anything else?

Also, we're not sure which hotels to stay at. Any recommendations? Something pocket-friendly yet in a strategic location? Any recommendable student hostels?

Oh yea we're students sooooo....we're on a budget!

My (non-driving) friend and I are planning a trip from Vancouver, B.C. to Calgary. Since I'm the only one that will be driving, we'll probably only drive about 5 to 7 hours per day, ie: day 1, Vancouver - Kamloops. Day 2, Kamloops - Banff. Day 3, Banff - Calgary, Day 4/5/6 = Calgary, etc.

My first question is: what is there to do in Calgary (besides the Calgary Fringe Festival) from late July (29th+) until about August 8th? And that includes general year-round Calgary activities, as my friend and I have never been to Calgary before.

My second question is, what's the best way to get BACK from Calgary that is not the same as how we got there (ie. trans canada highway - we want a different route)? Is it took risky to go all the way south from Calgary to Lethbridge, then follow the twisty highways through the Rockies that lead you to Osoyoos?

Does anyone know of any goth clubs/bars in London/Paris? So far Ive found Slimelight (of course) and Devonshire Arms in London and
Paris:
Cantada II (must go places where Anthony Bourdain goes)
Carnage dream
and Bloody Bat at Caves St. Sabin (which I am having a hard time finding info on it so im thinking it might have been shut down.)

Any others, or suggestions to the above?

So my connections in Australia are offering up their hospitality and would like me to come visit them, however, this all depends if I land a job during the fall semester of school. I could go during Spring break in March, but it'll be summer time during our christmas time which I have the most off. I am a college student, and it would be nice to find a cheap way to book a flight to Australia.

Would it be cheaper to book one way, and then before I go book the return flight? Or would that end up dangerous??

So I've decided that after this FINAL (finally) year of College, I'm going to go on a little trip! I either want to go with my mom (and maybe my dad) or with two of my good friends from back home.

I want suggestions of where to go. I realize this is broad though... lol

So here are the qualifiers:
-I want to go in May. About mid-May.
-I want to go for about a week. Give or take. I'm easy.
-I won't have a TON of money... I think most places I could go to, I could figure out how to spend a weak cheaply, but there are some places that are just EXPENSIVE!
-Edit: I'll be leaving from Portland Oregon or Seattle Washington most likely. Or Vancouver, B.C. but that usually is more expensive, so Portland or Seattle is the most likely.
-As for activities, I'm not someone who can spend all day for a week lying on a beach. I would like the place to have either some cultural places that I could go to, I love museums and I love history. Also, if I'm going with my friends, we love nightlife stuff (clubbing).

It's still broad, I know.

I'm thinking Hawaii, or one of the southern states, or Alaska.

Any suggestions???? At all??? Through all my broad-ness???

Thanks you guys!!!

Sorry to post again, but I just wanted to mention I am also into macabre, morbid history.  Im already planning on hitting up the catacombs in paris but does anyone know if there is like a bubonic plague museum or anything in London? Or ghost tours? I usually try to get on a ghost tour on every city I go to.

Thanks again!!

Hey everyone
I am going to London and Paris from July 21-29.  Im only spending around 2 days in London and then the rest in Paris.  I know of a lot of places in Paris to go, but really dont know much about London.  In London I am going to be across from Hyde park and in Paris Im going to be about a 10 minute walk away from the Arc de Triomphe. 

Anyone have any suggestions on where to go, especially in London? (Besides the obvious...Eiffel Tower, Westminster Abbey etc etc).  I am an architecture grad student so anything related to that would be helpful.  Also some local,  cheap places to eat would be excellent.

Also we are making a short trip to Nimes.  I can make day trips as well to other places in France that are worth seeing if anyone has suggestions on that.

Thanks!!

hello!

i am soon embarking on a pretty improvisational trip up the West coast that will begin in San Diego, and ultimately end in Seattle.


i was wondering if anybody could recommend the cheapest way to travel from San Diego to San Francisco, as well as San Francisco to Portland.

i've been looking at airplane and train tickets, and so far haven't found any major difference between the two, but perhaps somebody has more insight into this than i.

thanks in advance :]

Hi guys/gals,

I have a few questions about the lockers in hostels:

1. Are there lockers in the twin bedrooms? If not, would you recommend locking the bags in the locker or in the room?

2. Would the basic high school Dudley lock be secure enough for a locker?

3. Not locker-relate, but what is your opinion about those wire meshes for backpacks? Are they more a hassle than a help?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I'll be leaving for Western Europe in about a 1.5 weeks and as you can probably tell, my security-related anxieties are starting to kick in. It's weird how I'm more worried about losing my stuff than getting lost. ;)

Hi Guys,

I'm thinking of heading down to Chicago at the end of the month for just a few days - I'm looking for somewhere cheapish to stay, preferably close to the Aragon Entertainment Center - somewhere where its not super sketchy to sleep, I have a secure place for my stuff..thats all I really need, transit in the area is nice too - especially if the hotel is far from the center

Thanks!

Hey all! We're heading to the Pacific Northwest in a month and we're finally starting to tie down our itinerary. I wanted to post our drafted plan and hope for input. We know there are lots of things to see (almost too many it seems!) and a lot of it we have cut out already... but given what I list, maybe you guys can give us advice related to timing/driving/see-this-instead/see-this-while-you're-there. We are 23 and 25, from Florida and South Carolina. We have a few friends that we will be staying with so lodging isn't much of an issue, and we'll be renting a car.

- Friday (8/7): Arrive in Seattle @ 11:55p
- Saturday (8/8): White Salmon River Rafting, Columbia River Gorge, Multnomah Falls, Stay in Portland
- Sunday (8/9): Hang around Portland (Portland Classical Chinese Garden, Japanese Garden, Pittock Mansion, Central Library, Pioneer Courthouse Square, International Rose Test Garden, Washington Park), back to Seattle
- Monday (8/10): Hang around Seattle, touristy stuff (Pike's, Brewery Tour, Underground Tour, Public Library, Museum of Flight)
- Tuesday (8/11): San Juan Islands (from Anacortes) all day, back to Seattle
- Wednesday (8/12): Easton, Washington (we have family in a cabin out there), back to Seattle
- Thursday (8/13): Olympic National Park, stay overnight @ Kalaloch Campgrounds
- Friday (8/14): Hang around Olympic National Park, come back to Seattle, Mariners vs Yankees @ night
- Saturday (8/15): Drive through North Cascades (Hwy 20), back to Seattle
- Sunday (8/16): Mt Rainier, back to Seattle
- Monday (8/17): Leave @ 6:40am

Okay, with drafted itinerary above, are there (1) any major changes you suggest we make? (2) Are there problems with our timing? We cannot change the rafting or Easton, WA so I think F/S/U/W are kind of set in stone. (3) Do you think the one day we have planned for strictly Seattle is enough? and are the activities we roughly have planned doable in a day? (4) Has anyone stayed @ Kalaloch before? The photos look beautiful and there is a site near the beach (on the loop) so I'm thinking it's a good plan. (5) Has anyone rented tents from REI? Do you know the price range (I've looked online and can't find much rental info, though of course I know they do rent)? (6) Which venues should we specifically search through for show dates of indie artists (or do you know of anyone coming to town Aug 7-16)?

Any help/suggestions/info is very much appreciated! I know this post is really comprehensive, but I love to hear what you guys have to say.

(x-posted)

Unexpectedly, I'm coming to Paris the day after tomorrow! So, what's going on in the city at the moment? I've visited Paris before, but never without les parents!

I love art, bookshops, cinema, writing letters in café's & dancing the night away. I'm young and don't have tons of money. I speak French...un petit peu!

Also, I'd like to visit a neighborhood that's a bit more modern than the old city center - a bit shabby perhaps, less glamorous, more mixed-cultures etcetera? I'd love to see a different side of town as well this time.

I hope someone can give me a few nice tips! Normally I'd figure it all out myself, but there's suddenly so much I have to organise!

New discount promotional codes for US Airways

aa2d3f55 - Get 5.5% off on your order.

1212121USDVVIPALL - Get 50% off on your order.

I am planning to backpack Italy and France with a friend next June/July, and am weighing up a few options. There are a few tours we have looked at that suit our price range and the areas we want to go- in particular one by a company called Cosmos.

I've heard a few bad things about Contiki, and some good things about Topdeck, but nothing about Cosmos. The tours are for ~50 people, which is a big downer, but I was curious- has anyone had any experience with them? From their website, I gathered that they were for any age group, including kids, but they are also advertised through the YHA, so I was wondering what kiind of age-groups mainly frequented the tours.

The other option that we are considering is just buying a regional Eurorail pass and backpacking. Can anyone recommend decent, cheap hostels (or somewhere to steer clear of!) in any of the following areas?
France- Paris, Avignon, Nice
Italy- Rome, Venice, Florence, Naples, Milan
In general, how safe are hostels? Any tips, other than bring a padlock?
Both myself and the girl I am travelling with have a decent amount of travelling experience but haven't backpacked/stayed in hostels before.

Thanks in advance for your help =]

Hello!

I am planning to travel to Africa in about a year to study (from the east coast USA). However, I am having trouble narrowing down my options. Has anyone travelled to Africa before (preferably French-speaking areas) that might have some suggestions?

I am looking for a city or university that is relatively safe where I can do environmental/science studies and also do volunteer work, e.g. work with children, teach English, do construction work, or anything else. I am very flexible at this point and don't neessarily mind if it's urban or rural, and I don't particularly need a program or itenerary-type trip.

Thanks for any help or info!

Four of my friends, and myself are heading to New York next month. I was wondering if anyone could recommend some hostels for us, preferably something around Central Park? I was looking into this http://ymcanyc.org/index.php?id=1134 But my friends seem kind of iffy about it.

Also, we've got two Vegetarians, and a Vegan in our group, could anyone recommend some decent places to eat in that area?

Thank you~