While I don't always practice what I preach, in the interest of food safety, I would recommend rinsing any vegetable or fruits before peeling.

The reason for this is that when you cut into an unwashed vegetable or fruit, any contaminants on the outer surface are transferred to the part of the item you are going to eat.

While it doesn't happen often, some foods have been contaminated by E. coli, salmonella, pesticides, fertilizer residue, etc., when not rinsed first.

In the worst cases people have become ill from it.

Garlic may be the exception as the outer peel is usually removed by hand before doing anything to the individual cloves.

(Except when roasting and the top is cut off.)

Onions could also be an exception if you are able to remove all of the outer peeling so that your knife will not go through it when cutting the onion.

It is absolutely important that you rinse fruits and vegetables before consuming them raw , even if you are going to peel them!

I know this seems counter-intuitive to many people, since the "bad stuff" on produce (primarily bacteria—the pesticides and other residues aren't going to make you sick, they just aren't very appetizing)

is on the outside, and you are simply going to peel it away.

The problem is, during the process of peeling and/or cutting the item, it is almost inevitable that you introduce some of the bacteria from the outside into the fleshy interior—the part you are going to eat!

Is it necessary ?

Well, you probably aren't going to die if you don't do it.

Only a tiny amount of bacteria will be introduced into the flesh of the fruit/vegetable by this process, so the chances are relatively low that it will make a healthy person extremely sick.

If anything, you can expect mild food poisoning symptoms—perhaps so minor that you hardly even notice anything awry.

It also isn't particularly necessary to rinse produce that you're about to cook.

Onions and garlic are both sometimes eaten raw, And beyond the vegetables mentioned explicitly in the question, there are cucumbers, carrots, etc., all of which are frequently consumed raw.

As someone with training in food microbiology, my family sometimes thinks I'm over-cautious.

But it never hurts to be safe than sorry, especially when you're buying commercial produce.

You don't have to scrub it if you're going to peel it, but if you have running water available (and most of us do!), it is always a good idea to rinse your fruits and vegetables thoroughly, while rubbing between your fingers.

It is redundant to rinse then peel garlic or onion.

On the other hand, I do rinse carrots, cucumber and potatoes before peeling.

The difference being that you actually remove the outer casing when peeling garlic or onion.

With other vegetables you just shave off the very outer layer, often times not thoroughly.

I have never rinsed garlic or onion that I intend to peel, nor have I ever seen anybody do it.

I will brush off soil stuck on them, but I never see that on onions or garlic from the grocery store.

I suppose in some parts of the world rinsing garlic and onions would not be uncommon.

If I ever saw it, I would wonder if they really have reason to believe their garlic or onion is that dirty, or if it's just a cultural quirk.

I rinse home grown garlic before peeling, but not bought garlic or onions.

This is because my soil is very sticky, and so much clings to the outer skin that it otherwise gets everywhere when preparing it.

If it's very dry, just brushing the dirt off also works.

If you do rinse a garlic bulb and don't use it all, you need to make sure it drys out properly and quickly, otherwise it will spoil.

The obvious is if you don't plan to peel.

I know this is extreme

and I don't rinse garlic but even if you peel by hand you get cross contamination as you have handled the peel and peeled garlic.

If you peel then cut one at a time that is a bit of cross contamination.

A better practice would be to hand peel all then wash your hands before cutting.

You could also then rinse the peeled garlic.

According to this reference , unrefrigerated foods with peels (like onions and potatoes) are excellent bacteria incubators when peeled but not so while in peel.

My take away: you may not need to wash room temperature sold produce with peels before or after peeling, but you must consume them without delay.

Living on an ocean going boat, where water is at a premium, unless your veggies come covered in what cows leave behind, then the answer is probably no.

If you have particularly dirty veg, which is to eaten raw, then yes, but on the whole, boiling/steaming/microwaving will kill virtually everything.

We live in a society that is a bit mamby pamby and a bit of dirt

wont hurt you - most of the time!

Oh, and after over 100,000 ocean miles in a small boat without using refrigeration I do know a thing or two about this - we do not use any tins or packets onboard.

Question: When using garlic or onions - is it redundant to rinse them in water, being that you take off multiple layers before preparation?

Do you need to rinse vegetables that can be peeled?

Unless you are eating them raw or growing them yourself, vegetables like onion and garlic are probably safe to use peeled but not rinsed. On the other hand, carrots, cucumber and potatoes may be better rinsed before peeling. Peeled vegetables should be consumed soon after peeling, but cooking will remove most of the harmful elements.

Although washing vegetables and fruit is considered necessary when eaten raw, it is less important to wash them if they will be cooked. Onions and garlic do not require rinsing before peeling.

It is best to rinse fruit and vegetables before consuming to remove any bacteria, pesticides, etc.

It is not necessary to wash onions or garlic before you peel them.

It may not be necessary to wash vegetables kept at room temperature if they are eaten the same day, or any vegetables you are going to cook.


Treat it like any liquid.

You don't need much.

Just put some in a 100 ml plastic bottle if carrying on.

Alternately, if checking your bags, put your starter in a larger plastic container with a screw cap...like a Nalgene bottle, for example.

You can build it back up once you get to your destination.

If you don't want to transport liquid (= active) sourdough because you don't want to risk it to spill out of your container, note that you can either mix some of it with more flour than usual until you get a dryish crumbly mass that can be stored in a plastic box or bag or spread a thin layer on parchment and dry it.

Break up the "sheet" and store it in a dry place.

Both forms should be safe to be transported in either your checked baggage or in your carry-on luggage.

Be prepared to answer questions from security either way.

But I suppose liquid sourdough might raise the same questions.

At your destination, rehydrate the crumbs, add them to your usual water / flour mix and continue cultivating it as before.

A few feedings should be enough to get the sourdough back into good shape.

Disguise it as cookie - the airport does not generally take your food items unless they are forbidden when entering or leaving the Country.

Mix a small amount (10g) of your starter with about 3-4 times the amount of unbleached or whole grain flour.

Once you can no longer incorporate the flour press it flat to form a cookie - you can even add raisins to the disguise if you want.

Place it in a plastic bag and store it in your travel bag with your other snacks.

If asked just tell them its a macrobiotic cookie, which is pretty close to the truth...

Once you arrive at your destination remove any raisins that you might have added and break the cookie into pieces in a bowl - add water and flour as you would when refreshing your starter.

Let it ferment for 4 - 12 hours depending on how you normally use your starter - use or store as usual.

I usually make a counter starter occasionally from my refrigerated starter.

The recipe was 10g starter, 10g water, 20g of flour usually whole wheat and rye.

The end result will be something like this.

Sorry I don't have a cookie picture.

TSA did NOT allow us to take a partially filled bottle even though it was a 3 ounce bottle.

If you check with TSA, write down who you talk to in addition to the date and time and what they recommend.

Using a wide mouth 1/2 pint jar...feed your starter in starter jar and then fill small 1/2 pint travel jar almost to top.

Leave uncovered for three days before travel.

The top of the 1/2 pint will dry over.

This "skin" will protect the nearly dessicate starter safely hiding under the skin.

In this way you will protect the lacto family of worker yeasts, which thrive in a moist environment, for the travel.

Once you arrive to your sestination, remove the protecting skin and revive your starter.

If you are a sourdough keeper you will recognize when they are ready to go to work on a fresh loaf of loveliness.

Question: We recently got a sourdough starter, and have loved trying out many different recipes with it.  In a few weeks we will by flying home (after spending the summer in Alaska), and we would really like to take the starter home with us.  What's the best way to get it safely through the airport?

Traveling with sourdough starter

You could try treating it as a liquid and putting it in a 100ml plastic bottle, or disguising it as a cookie since food is not normally confiscated. However, TSA may still not allow you to take it with you.

A sourdough starter can be treated as a liquid or disguised as a solid when flying. However, some airlines do not allow it on board.

Treat your sourdough starter like a liquid: put in a suitable size bottle or pack with your cargo luggage.

Disguise your starter as a cookie by adding a lot of flour.

You may have problems when flying, dependingon the airline.


The best way to decide whether to reduce a sauce or to add a thickening agent is to taste it.

If the flavour is as strong as you want it to be, then reduce it no further and add something to thicken it.

If the flavour is too weak, keep reducing it.

Other points to consider/caveats: reducing will increase salt concentration, so even if the flavour is too weak you might make a sauce inedibly salty if you reduce it too far some flavour compounds will get destroyed by too much boiling, so consider how the flavour might change as you reduce it

(e.g. lemon juice will lose some of its fresh, bright flavour, alcohol will lose some of its kick) various thickening agents will thicken the sauce in different ways.

it may be useful to familiarise yourself with them some thickening agents will have an effect on the flavour of the sauce (especially wheat flour, egg yolks, but also to a lesser extent cornflour)

You are on the right track.

Reducing is when you let the cooking liquids gently evaporate until the resulting sauce is concentrated to your desired taste and consistency.

Thickening is when some type of starch such as flour, cornstarch, arrowroot, etc.

is used to actually thicken the cooking liquids.

This is how you would make a traditional gravy or thicken the base for a stew.

Cooking liquids can be more than just water and can include things like meat juices, wine, broths, stocks, etc.

So, in order to thicken you need liquid, just not necessarily water.

Update -

The question was edited after I posted this answer.

There are a few different reasons to choose a reduction sauce or a thickened sauce.

A reduction sauce is typically considered to be more delicate and "cleaner" tasting.

(Not less flavorful.)

I typically drizzle a reduction sauce over meat and lighter vegetables such as asparagus.

A thickened gravy is typically heartier.

Most often you will see a thickened gravy used with heartier vegetables and sides such as potatoes or stuffing.

It is also used when cooking "smothered" dishes and stews.

In the end, just as with other things, it comes down to what you like.

In either case, there can be pitfalls.

With a reduction sauce you want to be sure not to reduce it too far as the flavor can become too strong.

With a thickened sauce, you want to be sure not to add too much starch as it can reduce the base flavor or drastically alter it.

It depends on the sauce.

A gravy you can thicken with flour.

I would never add flour to a tomato sauce.

Simmer also lets the flavors combine.

It is all a matter of what tastes good to you and to those you want to please by feeding them.

There is no universal answer!

Some will taste better if reduced, some if thickened and some with a combination of reduction and thickening.

The only real answer is to experiment!

Try both ways or a combination with different recipes.

What is best for one dish, might not be right for others

A lot of points have already been made, so I won't repeat them, but perhaps one thing is worth a thought.

A lot of Western sauces depend on thickening by creating emulsions of fat in water..

French-tradition reduction sauces are often thickened this way, with butter.

The mouth-feel is very different from thickening with starch - think of the difference in feel between mayonnaise and bechamel.

Also, emulsions can carry and intensify the flavor of fats - an olive oil which is very pleasant to dip bread in might be way too strong in a mayonnaise.

Question: The approach I always adopted to thicken a sauce is to reduce it so the water can evaporate, leaving a sauce that is more concentrated. Earlier, I watched a video where the host was talking about thickening agents such as flour. Looking up on google, It seems that the thickening is a term commonly used when employing other substances to thicken the sauce rather than just letting the water evaporate. I wonder how to decide whether to reduce a sauce versus thickening it (or both)?

How to decide whether to reduce a sauce or thicken it?

A reduced sauce is often more delicate and 'cleaner' in taste, but the flavours and salt will be more concentrated and some flavour compounds can be destroyed by the extended boiling. Thickened sauces are heartier, but the flavours could be weakened or altered by the addition of starch. Some sauces work better with one or the other method, or a combination of the two, but you can taste and judge for yourself.

Thickening and reducing are two ways of making sauce. Taste is the main factor when deciding on a method. In general reduced sauces are more delicate and thickened sauces heartier. In both methods, care needs to be taken to avoid spoiling the taste of the sauce.

Taste is the main factor in deciding whether to reduce or thicken a sauce. Reducing intensifies falvour but may make a sauce salty. Adding too much starch when thickening a sauce will alter the flavour.

Reduced sauces are more delicate, thickened sauces heartier. Some sauces are more suitable to one method than the other, for example, never thicken tomato sauce.


Tilt the lid.

It will stay where you put it… approximately.

See pan top left & pyrex bottom right

; they will stay like that all day if needed If it really refuses to stay, then wedge a spatula [or any other bit of wood or plastic (& of course, not metal if it's going in the microwave) of any appropriate size]* in it, either from the edge, down the handle, as at bottom left, or right the way across then balance the lid on top of that, as at top right.

The latter will also go in a microwave.

This is physics 101 - put something in that

's big enough to hold the lid ajar, yet not big enough to get in the way of anything else & not small enough to fall in & get lost in whatever you're cooking…

Funny enough, I saw a little silicone gadget the other day when I was out shopping - those stick men called Lid

Sid are designed to do exactly what you want.

Granted, they are real unitaskers, but also kind of fun.

Other manufacturers make similar items in other shapes - I have seen sheep, witches and others.

A different option is to use a silicon lid.

You don't have to leave it open, you just cover the pot fully and it bleeds off steam on its own just like a tilted solid lid.

I have a rice cooker where the lid's vent hole is slightly too small, so I've done this by propping the lid open with a chopstick on one end of the lid.

If you want it to be evenly vented, you could put one chopstick on both sides of the lid.

If you were doing this a lot it might be worth making a little thing with an H shaped cross section (like a bit of a girder), one pair of legs straddle the rim of the pan and the lid rests on the others.

You could make it asymmetric to get variable heights.

You'd have to consider the material carefully, i.e. no metal if it's to go in a microwave, some woods & plastics are more heat resistant than others.

cooking.stackexchange.com/users/76953/Bloke Down The Pub

Probably we could use plastic cloth clips clipping them on the walls of a bowl, cover would stay atop of them.

Probably it's ok, though there's metal spring which can cause problems.

Question: If you need to keep cover of pan or bowl slightly opened during cooking, what's the best way to do this. May be there is devices for that, if so preferably non-metal. Specifically glass bowl like Pyrex in a microwave.

What's the best way to keep cover of a pan slightly opened?

You can tilt the lid, use a silicone lid or prop the lid up with a chopstick or another object.

Tilting the pan lid is the easiest way to keep it slightly open However, there are gadgets specifically made for this task. Moreover, many gadgets for this task can be made at home, using easily available household items such as chopsticks and pegs.

Buy a gadget made specifically for holding the pan lid open.

Make your own gadget for holding the pan lid open, using chopsticks or other itams found at home.


Another issue is if your card supports EMV (known in the UK as Chip and Pin), which many US cards (and from some other countries) don't support.

You may have issues, especially in Europe, if your card doesn't support EMV (i.e. doesn't have a suitable smart chip on it).

You're normally OK in hotels and very touristy shops, but outside there you may find your card refused, and not only for high value items, if it lacks a chip.

It's therefore recommended that you get a card with a chip on it (even if it's configured for Chip and Signature).

See the wikipedia foreign cards section for more.

As far as I'm aware

it's just not possible.

Visa and Mastercard seem to always have the most coverage, Visa usually more often.

However, take Uzbekistan for example.

Yesterday morning in Nukus, there were no ATMs.

All banks but one only accepted Visa, and none took Cirrus or Plus cards.

And only one bank took Mastercard.

Today in Khiva, there's only one ATM in town, and it's a Mastercard one!

I now hedge my bets and have more than one, plus some spare cash :)

Generally speaking, from my experience VISA has wider coverage than MasterCard, but neither is 100%.

So to get best coverage, it's recommendable having one of each.

Niche brands like American Express or Diners Club are not commonly accepted, so don't bother with them for international travel.

However, keep in mind, that in many countries, there are places where credit cards are not commonly accepted in shops.

For example in the Netherlands you can pay anywhere with "PIN-card", which basically means only the debit card and only from local bank.

It however seems to be slowly improving with introduction of EMVs (chip cards authorized with PIN).

As for Visa vs. Visa Electron or MasterCard vs. Maestro, I haven't seen any place which would accept the debit, electronic ones, but not credit cards.

On the other hand there are places where only credit cards (not debit cards) are accepted (car rental, hotel reservation, etc).

Both Visa (Plus) and Mastercard (Maestro/Cirrus) have features on their websites where can you search a specific city anywhere in the world to find ATMs that will work with any Visa/Mastercard cards.

Presuming your ATM card is marked with either a Mastercard, Maestro or Cirrus logo then it should work at any of the ATMs listed on the Mastercard locator .

Mastercard also have a Mobile App for iPhone, Android, and Blackberry.

If it's marked with either a Visa, Electron or Plus logos, then it should work at any ATM on the Visa locator , or on the mobile version .

As for Myanmar (aka Burma), they do indeed once again have ATM(s), but they are not part of any of the global networks, so they fit into your category 2.

Given that the global networks are predominantly US based, I can't see this changing until trade restrictions are removed.

The irony is that the US dollar is widely accepted - or at least it was when I was there 4 years ago.

Visa used to have three systems called Visa (for credit cards), Visa Debit (for debit cards), and Visa Electron (also for debit cards but only launched in select countries).

When they launched their marketing campaign 'Go With Visa', they eventually simplified this so that most cards on their network these days - whether they are credit cards or debit cards - carry simply the Visa logo, and pass through the same payment processing network.

Thus, as of now, a Visa card is one of the best bets you have.

Still, there are caveats - a Canadian friend who came to Singapore found that he could only use his 'Visa Debit' logo card on select ATM networks that specifically supported it.

MasterCard has the main brand, and another one used only with debit cards called Maestro (again, only launched in select territories).

Unlike Visa, an establishment or an ATM that can process MasterCard logo cards is not necessarily able to process Maestro (unless it supports Maestro too, of course).

In addition, many countries have their own payment networks that are massive in their own country but accepted nowhere else.

China, for instance, has UnionPay which I think is the only domestic card allowed in China; it's also supported by quite a few Vietnamese, Malaysian, and Singaporean banks.

Singapore too has its own system called NETS which until a few years ago was the only card you can use anywhere in the country, but that has changed now.

Most of Asia has fairly good coverage for Visa and MasterCard now, with the former far more popular.

At many merchant locations in Asia, you can only swipe a Visa card.

Most bank ATM networks do support MasterCard, however.

For US-based travelers, I would highly recommend the Visa Signature .

Most banks offer it with an annual fee, but, Capital One offers a no-fee option.

They do not have any fee for foreign transactions, which otherwise would be 3%.

It surely can add up if you have expensive taste ;)

As far as acceptability is concerned, Visa, in my experience has the most options.

In East Africa (e.g. Kenya, Tanzania), Visa is much more commonly accepted than MasterCard.

I had a Mastercard and only about half the ATMs & banks

I went to accepted it, but just about all of them accepted Visa.

I withdrew cash from the ATM (on my credit card) and used the cash locally, so I don't know how well accepted visa/mastercard are within shops, but I'd imagine cash is always much more often accepted.

Question: While traveling I ran into two situations where my credit card was not accepted. I mainly use MasterCard. In China (although 10 years ago) Visa was accepted in most stores, but MasterCard was not. In the US, my MasterCard was rejected multiple times because it was a non-US CC number. This can be a real annoyance.   So could anyone recommend me a CC company which would give me global coverage? Or is this just not possible?

Which credit cards have global coverage?

VISA generally has more coverage than MasterCard, and US-based travellers may be best using Visa Signature.

From personal experience, VISA has a wider coverage than MasterCard but it is impossibile to find a Credit Card company that has complete global coverage. However, for U.S based travelers, the VISA signature is highly recommended.

To obatain Global coverage a ViSA signature is highly recommended


I've been living in Europe now for about 5 years but still make the bulk of my income from the US (where I'm from).

I have tried many US banks and all the debit cards you can imagine.

Most promises of low transaction fees and hassle-free transactions are lies.

Here's what I've learned.

Bank of America (BofA)

I used BofA for all my ATM transactions for 2 years.

They have an arrangement with the 8 biggest banks in the world ( Global ATM Alliance )

Barclays (UK),

BNP (France), Deutsche Bank (Germany), etc.

If you use any one of their alliance ATMs they will in theory not charge an ATM fee.

However, this is not always true.

Some alliance members have ATMs in external zones, for example Deustche Bank has ATMs outside of Germany in both Poland and Czech Republic, etc.

They will not charge you in Germany

but you may face charges at these external ATMs.

Loopholes not withstanding, finding these specific ATMs can be an adventure, one that more often than not ends in tears.

BofA also charges high exchange rate fees.

Capital One

They used to have free transaction fees for foreign purchases (one of the few) but no longer, they now charge 1% which is still low, I believe the average is 2-3%.

Never assume your card has low transactions or believe a word you read until you try it.

Citibank Looked great on paper, but wasn't.

Do not use Citibank for travel outside the US.

I tried using them thinking that, because Citibank has branches all over europe, it would be a good way to transfer money and use ATMs locally but it was not.

It was worse then BofA, much much worse.

AVOID.

Charles Schwab

This is the card I've been using for the last 3 years and it is awesome.

I've never thought it possible to like a bank, but this one has never misled me, yet .

Other cards may advertise ATM reimbursement, this one actually does it.

The others either have limits, say limit 2 per month, schemes requiring you to pull over a certain amount, have $25,000 at all times, or some other ridiculous crap hidden in fine print that the accountants at Arthur Anderson would have admired.

This card has no weird restrictions, you simply use it.

I didn't believe it when I signed up, but have had a perfect experience for 3 years.

On the off chance they miss an ATM fee

(it happens 1% of the time), you send them an email, they remove it.

Too good to be true?

You would think so.

Too good to last?

Probably.

I currently use the Charles Schwab High Yield Checking card , which reimburses all ATM fees charged by other banks (even internationally).

It's a little bit of a hassle to set up as it requires you to have a linked (but free) brokerage account with them as well.

And it's just ATM fees, foreign transaction or currency conversion fees still apply, as far as I know.

Consider a credit union.

My CU charged no fees and used a favorable exchange rate when I traveled to France last year.

Far better than the two banks my traveling companion wanted to use.

The conditions for the Charles Schwab card remain almost as good as indicated in @holden's answer from 2011.

There are still no fees, and still total reimbursement of ATM fees.

However, the fine print says that the conversion rate will be between 0.10% and 1.0% in their favor relative to some benchmark, depending on amount and currency.

This is my primary go-to card for outside the USA.

Also worth mentioning (and was not so in 2011): the Discover card is now accepted outside the USA anywhere Diner’s Club is.

Their website shows worldwide coverage; still absent in many places.

There is a small DC logo on the back of the card; nevertheless I had it rejected at a restaurant in a hotel that takes DC, while the front desk of the same hotel had no problem.

This card is terrible for ATM use as the withdrawal is treated as a cash advance, but I have had fairly good results with merchants because there is no conversion fee.

And the purchases are eligible for whatever cash-back arrangement your card has generally.

This card has no annual fee.

Diner’s Club does.

Go figure.

Bank of Internet USA (not to be confused with Bank of America) offers a free checking account which comes with an ATM card with no withdrawal fees.

They also refund other bank's fees up to some small amount.

I used their card in several countries in East Asia and Europe with no major problems.

The only downside is that they will start charging a 1% currency exchange fee starting September 2011

(currently this is zero as well).

Typically, major U.S. banks charge huge fees, some hidden (e.g. Chase ATMs charge $5 fixed + 1% fee + 3% hidden exchange fee, in addition to destination bank charges, of course).

Avoiding destination bank ATM fees (overt and hidden) is also significant.

If you have a specific destination in mind, try researching specific ATMs with low or no fees for foreign transactions.

I do know that Capital One does not charge a foreign transaction fee on their credit cards.

I think they are the only major issuer that does not charge a foreign transaction fee.

An Etrade debit card charges 1%.

I have not found a debit card that does not charge a foreign transaction fee.

Minimizing ATM fees means carrying more cash around.

I tend to carry a lot of cash but some people might not feel comfortable doing this.

Question: For a US citizen traveling worldwide, what is the best major debit/ATM card (on the Visa or MasterCard networks) to take in terms of lowest fees for withdrawing international currency from ATMs? Withdrawing from foreign ATMs often results in a series of bank fees, currency conversion fees, and ATM fees, and I'm looking for the card with the best policies on these fees to save money during international travel.

US debit/ATM card with lowest fees for travel

The Charles Schwab High Yield Checking card reimburses all ATM fees charged by other banks, including internationally. Alternatively, you could consider a credit union or Bank of Internet USA, which offers a free checking account which comes with an ATM card with no withdrawal fees.

The Charles Schwabcard reimburses all ATM fees charged by other banks even abroad and Banks like credit union Bank of Internet USA that offer ATM cards with no withdrawal fee.

The Charles Schwabcard reimburses all ATM fees charged by other banks even abroad.

Banks like credit union Bank of Internet USA that offer ATM cards with no withdrawl fee.


The Pilar Festival is held every year around the second week of October in Zaragoza .

The festival features a huge flower offering on October 12 th in which thousands of flowers are piled into a gigantic pyramid in the center square next to a huge basilica.

It's a great photo op.

; here's a (not so good) picture I took of the flower pyramid from last year's festival: The festival is also accompanied by a number of cultural performances, parades, concerts, bull fights, &c. Edit :

In terms of weather, it depends what you're looking for.

I've been all around Spain in different seasons, but when I was there last fall we primarily toured in the North

(Madrid → Zaragoza → Atxondo → San Sebastian/Bilbao → Elciego/Rioja → Segovia → Madrid).

About 10% of the days there was rain, and it would sometimes drop down to the mid-teens (Celsius) at night, but it was generally quite pleasant weather.

I wore a light jacket most of the time.

The South would have been noticeably warmer.

You are looking to walk the Camino de Santiago .

It joins hiking, nature, historic architecture, photo opportunities and is very cheap (eat about 6-8 € per meal and sleep 4-8 €).

Additionally, you'll know the real Spain, meet interesting people (mainly Spanish, but you can find people from around the world and you will complete one of the mythical mid age routes.

Depending on the time you have you can start from one city or other.

For instance if you have 2-3 weeks you can start walking from Leon.

Fall is a great moment to go.

Spring is better, but winter and summer are worst because the extreme temperatures.

One thought if you can do end of August - La Tomatina in Bunol near Valencia is quite the fantastic photo opportunity, as is the wine and water festival in La Requena nearby the night before ;)

Spain has a wealth of hiking areas, Asturias, Cantabria, Galicia and the Basque Country offer amazing landscapes.

Some people call them the Switzerland by the Sea.

Sites worth visiting for hinking, landscaping and taking photographs:-

Cordillera

Lagos de Covadonga (Asturias) Senda del Oso (Asturias) where you will be able to see bears while hiking or biking.

I recommend you to stop in the coastal cities/villages of Gijon, Cudillero and Llanes (really good cuisine plus beautiful sites).

GaliciaI really recommend to visit Islas Cies, this is a set of islands really well preserved where you can enjoy a wonderful landscape and routes for hiking and a cold but a refreshing bath in its clear blue waters.

The Pyrenees and the Ebro region are Spain’s most popular and accessible hiking regions, assisted by the abundance of winter sports resorts and ski-lifts that whisk you to the mountain tops.

Cabo de Gata in Almeria is a good place to get in touch with nature.

You have a lot of natural sights, you can do scuba diving, hiking and so on.

Besides the weather in September and October usually is quite good.

http://g.co/maps/buvn6 http://www.parquenatural.com/galeria

The Pyrenees mountains are a great choice for hiking and nature sightseeing.

In particular, the catalan side north of Barcelona, where the mountain meets the sea is worth a trip and thousands of photos.

Question: I'm thinking about visiting Spain sometime in September or October.  I'm interested in hiking, nature and historic architecture and am constantly looking for great photo opportunities.  Which parts of the country would be most suitable for me in terms of weather and sights?

Good locations in Spain for hiking, nature, architecture, and photo opportunities?

You could walk the Camino de Santiago, get in touch with nature in the Cabo de Gata in Almeria or go hiking and nature sightseeing in the Pyrenees mountains. Asturias, Cantabria, Galicia and the Basque Country offer amazing landscapes for hikers, while the coastal cities/villages of Gijon, Cudillero and Llanes have really good cuisine plus beautiful sites . La Tomatina in Bunol near Valencia is quite the fantastic photo opportunity at the end of August, as is the wine and water festival in La Requena nearby the night before.

Places like The Camin de Santiago, Cabo de Gata and The Pyrenees mountain are great choices to get in touch with nature. Whilst, La Tomatina in Bunol near Valencia  Asturias, Cantabria, Galicia and the Basque Country, coastal cities/villages of Gijon, Cudillero and Llanes all offer amazing landscapes that are great photo opportunities.


Currently the only variant to visit the cosmos is to go to the International Space Station

The only way to visit the ISS is to go there aboard a Russian Soyuz (spacecraft) .

Note: you must go through some training before this.

The price is up to $40 000 000 (and $15 000 000 more to go to open space).

In the near future the Russian company RosCosmos is going to provide tours around the Moon, but it is still a project, not a real tour perspective.

Other tours are all about near-Earth flights.

Update Space Adventures announced the first commercial flight to the Moon in 2017 (50 years from Appolo 1 flight), the price is $300.000.000 for two places.

Flight will be done via russian Soyuz.

Good luck!

Unfortunately since 1972, travel to the moon has been non-existent, tourism or business.

Currently the best bets to get yourself to the moon are with the USA, the European Space Agency and China - all have serious space programs with intentions to return, but are in no hurry - indeed the European Space Agency prefers robotic missions in general.

NASA was targeting their next trip for 2018, but that now looks to be perhaps a decade later than that.

China is aiming for 2024, and India is perhaps dreaming but claims to want to go in 2020.

Naturally places are limited on these crafts so you'll want to get in early.

Prices are difficult to estimate.

Space tourism to the International Space Station is generally on the Soyuz rockets which can only reach Low Earth Orbit, and trips are generally believed to be around US$20 million per person.

If you're content with just a look at the moon, the private company Space Adventures and the Russian Space Agency have floated the idea of a flight around the moon for around US$100 million.

Getting around is more difficult once there, you can't fly as there's no atmosphere, and unless you bring a rover/vehicle you're stuck walking.

If you can manage to land on Mons Hadley, the Descartes Highland or the Taurus-Littrow valley there are three stranded moon buggies from previous trips that may have some power left in them for your purposes.

There's not much to do once there - but the view of Earth is outstanding.

You can play golf - although there's no official courses, but with the low gravity you'll set a personal best for driving, I promise!

And of course, where better a place to do the moonwalk than on the Sea of Tranquillity, site of the original manned moon landing!

Don't forget to bring food and drink with you, as there are currently no markets or shops on the surfaces, although Dominos is planning on opening a branch of its pizza chain there soon.

Another more graphical answer:

With the privatisation of space travel business, there are some interesting projects in pipeline.

Check the below links:

Virgin Galactic - Richard Branson's Virgin Group Venture Blue Origin - Jeff Bezos' (Amazon CEO) venture Space Elevator List of private spaceflight companies

A company, Golden Spike , offers bookings for lunar tours in the next decade.

According to news articles , the fee is as low as $1.4 billion.

Question: I don't want to really fly there, it would take too long and probably would be prohibitively expensive for me.  But nevertheless I am really wondering if it is already possible, and if so, how expensive it is and which companies might offer such ventures?

Can a person fly to the Moon as a tourist?

Nobody has travelled to the moon since 1972 for any reason, but the private company Space Adventures and the Russian Space Agency have floated the idea of a flight around the moon for around US$100 million. Commercial trips to the International Space Station are possible using the Soyuz rockets, which ar ecapable of reaching low earth orbit, and are generally believed to be around US$20 million per person. Another company,  Golden Spike , offers bookings for lunar tours in the next decade.

Although nobody has travelled to the moon since 1972, some companies are offering trips into space in the future. Prices range from 20 million to 3 billion dollars.

A number of projects appear to be offering trips into space in the near future at prices ranging from 20 million to 3 billion dollars.

Since 1972, travel to the moon has been non-existent.


Several things spring to mind: Paying for excess baggage (if needed) is sometimes cheaper online than in person, with some airlines When you check in online, you can pick your seats, so you can get that sorted before everyone else does theirs at the airport (so you can often get better seats)

You know you have a seat (reduced chance of getting bumped because you'll already have a seat assigned)

Some airlines have a separate line for passengers who check in online.

This "bag drop" line is often shorter than the regular line, and passengers are usually processed faster.

If your airline has a "bag drop" line at your origin airport, you may be able to arrive at the airport slightly later.

Some airports make you check in at a kiosk at the airport anyway, which prints your boarding pass, so you might as well save time and do it at your leisure at home

You can print out a 2nd copy of your boarding pass in case you lose one!

When a plane is overbooked, the airline faces a situation where for example 125 people with economy tickets have shown up for a flight with 124 seats, there are various things they can do:

move one of the economy people up to first or business, which is never oversold (by policy every airline I know does not oversell first or business) and rarely full ask for volunteers to miss this flight and take a later one.

They have to bribe this volunteer deny someone boarding and make them a small compensation (often less than the bribe they would have offered a volunteer.)

When deciding who to upgrade for free, the airlines I'm familiar with consider the fare class you're in and your status (eg Elite, 1K, whatever) with the airline.

There are quite often several people with the same status and fare class.

The tie is then broken by check in time.

When I check in the very instant online checkin opens, I am more likely to get upgraded.

When deciding who to deny boarding to (because of a lack of volunteers etc)

they may similarly choose the passenger who checked in last.

A minor thing, but what the heck - checking in takes so little time that even when I don't have access to a printer I do it.

And yeah, if you have a printer and aren't checking a bag there are more benefits.

But it never drops to no benefit.

Checking in online definitely speeds up the process and you often get to take a look at some upgrade options for a very small fee, much less than the original difference in seating.

You can also register your checked baggage at that time.

Most large airlines have checked bag drop off so you can leave your bag at the kiosk, typically outside, with little or no line.

Then, proceed straight to security.

These days there are several airlines that do charge for checking in at the airport, quite a bit in some cases when compared to the ticket price.

If you want to check in luggage on those, and other, airlines and you have not yet added those to your ticket and check-in, you will have to pay quite a bit more than you would have had if you had added them before.

Now you check in online, walk to the luggage drop off, sometimes automated, othertimes one station for many airlines, hand in your case or bag and walk on to security and/or passport control.

If you are not able to check in online, make sure you enter the airport early and see if you can check in on a console.

This will not work for all airlines, so make sure you know whether there is a surcharge to check in at the airport.

It may come in the future (if not already) that some airlines do not allow airport check-in anymore.

Few points come to mind when online check-in has more advantages:

You are able to select your seats well in advance (quite a big advantage, if you are traveling with family or in a group)

save time airport check-in (sometimes airport check-in queues are longer and may take up 15 minutes - 40 minutes), if baggage drop off is a separate queue in case of over-booking, you are safe to secure your seats (in case same seat is not booked multiple times by the airline software)

Question: What is the benefit of checking in online for a flight when you intend to check bags at the airport? I understand some airports have special lines for people that are already checked in but are checking bags. Are there any advantages for airports that don't have those lines?

Benefits of checking in online when checking bags

Checking in online is often cheaper, more convenient and quicker, and allows you to select your seat and consider cheaper upgrade options or excess baggage allowances. On arriving at the airport, there is usually a shorter or no line and bags are processed faster with a bag drop off. Nowadays some airlines charge a fee for checking in in person, which may be significant.

There are many advantages and non disadvantages to checking in online. When you check in online you can select your seat, arrive at the airport later and simply drop your bag and print a second copy of your boarding pass. Moreover, some airlines now charge for checking in at the airport.

There are a number od benefits for checking in online. These include selecting your seat, less chance of being bumped off, faster process at the airport as you only have to drop your bag and printing a second copy of boarding pass.

Some airlines now charge for checking in at the airport.


Egypt, as like much of North Africa and parts of the Middle East, is volatile.

The State Department of the US has a comprehensive website detailing the latest information on the country.

It points out that while crime is relatively low, there has of course been several incidents of protests, riots and political upheaval over the past year.

In the end, it is always going to be a gut feel thing.

Many tour companies are offering 2 for 1 deals to get people to return to Egypt.

People point out that apart from an unfortunate incident with an American Reporter , the violence has largely not targeted foreigners.

Anecdotal information from friends who have been since the uprising say that they felt entirely safe.

Tour companies are going to have the latest information and will know which areas to avoid.

The election may change things dramatically, but given it looks to be the first 'free' elections in decades, it may be a good thing, with celebrations rather than protests.

If you're not going anyway until 2012, perhaps wait.

I booked a tour over Christmas 4 years ago with 2 weeks notice, and given the situation, you shouldn't have a problem finding a tour or flights around then.

In the end, as the state department website says, "There is nobody better at protecting you than yourself.".

Be careful, keep informed, be safe.

Warning:

Anectodal evidence...

I just heard yesterday that it's an amzing time to visit Egypt right now while all the tourists are away.

A young Australian couple passing through my hostel were there recently and reported only about three other people were at the pyramids while they were visiting!

They felt very safe and highly recommended it.

I was so impressed with their story that I immediately started figuring out what set of borders I would need to cross to get there via an overland route on my current trip.

Elsewhere

I heard for safety to stay away from the main square in Cairo where protests were focussed and stay away from the vicinity of voting stations if you're there while the elections are underway.

If it were up to me and the cost of the transport was not too high

I would take the gamble and book the flight (etc) based on the possibility of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

I wouldn't book anything else in advance since everybody in tourism in Egypt right now has practically no customers and nothing will be booked out.

But when it comes to saftey, you must make your own decision!

I visited Egypt in August of this year, and although I didn't stay in Cairo (I stayed in Sharm El Sheikh), I never once felt threatened.

I partook in many activities whilst there, visiting the Bedouin, travelling to the pyramids, and quad biking in the desert, with 2 children.

While Sharm would tend to cater much more to the tourist, on a professional level I have also visited Cairo a number of times since the trouble last year due to work commitments - and I am still here to write this.

The best tip I can give you, is always keep your wits about you, as in any country.

No, I don't think so.

I was planning a trip to Egypt a year ago

(it was quite a tense period then as well) but decided to go to India this year instead.

It was also suppose to be a backpacking trip and was planning to go solo.

I joined all the travel forums I could think of and members there (both, traveler and residents of Egypt)

told me that I have nothing to worry about.

I'm sure you won't wander off to some obscure places and will mostly be visiting monuments and famous sights.

The only thing that could ruin your trip is that if the government introduces police curfew, you would have to get to your hotel/hostel/hut by then.

It is quite unlikely that the curfew would last more than a week.

Besides, curfews so far were only from 2 to 7 AM and that's usually the time when you would sleep anyway.

UPDATE:

See this question!

I know it's a different period but some of the answers on a similar question are going to be relevant.

I've re-read my answer there and feel it is just as suitable now as it was then.

Therefore I'll quote: Egypt, as like much of North Africa and parts of the Middle East, is volatile.

The State Department of the US has a comprehensive website detailing the latest information on the country.

It points out that while crime is relatively low, there has of course been several incidents of protests, riots and political upheaval over the past year.

In the end, it is always going to be a gut feel thing.

Many tour companies are offering 2 for 1 deals to get people to return to Egypt.

People point out that apart from an unfortunate incident with an American reporter , the violence has largely not targeted foreigners.

Anecdotal information from friends who have been since the uprising say that they felt entirely safe.

Tour companies are going to have the latest information and will know which areas to avoid.

The election may change things dramatically, but given it looks to be the first 'free' elections in decades, it may be a good thing, with celebrations rather than protests.

If you're not going anyway until 2012, perhaps wait.

I booked a tour over Christmas 4 years ago with 2 weeks notice, and given the situation, you shouldn't have a problem finding a tour or flights around then.

In the end, as the state department website says, "There is nobody better at protecting you than yourself.".

Be careful, keep informed, be safe.

Question: Have people been travelling in Egypt after March 2011?  What's the situation like over there?  The election is also happening at the end of November.  Should I wait until after the election to book my tour?  I'm planning to visit early 2012.

Is it safe to travel to Egypt in early 2012?

The situation is volitile in Egypt and much of North Africa, but so far foreigners have largely not been affected. The State Department  of the US has a comprehensive website detailing the latest information on the country and tour companies will have more information on areas to avoid, but many visitors report feeling safe and having good experiences there.

Although Egypt is a volatile country, most people travelling there consider it quite safe. Moreover, information on the latest travel advice and safe/unsafe places to visit can be obtained from the US State Department and travel companies.

Egypt is a volatile country. Some people feel it is not safe. However, the US State Department carries the latest travel advice.

People who have travelled there felt safe. Tour companies should know which areas are safe/unsafe to visit.


St Paul's There are 3 domes and two galleries on the exterior of them which have great views over the Thames, Westminster and city of London.

Stone Gallery (52m from the cathedral floor 367 steps)

Golden Gallery (85m from the cathedral floor 528 steps) Access to the Galleries Access to the Whispering Gallery (257 steps), Stone Gallery (additional 119 steps) and Golden Gallery (additional 152 steps from Stone) is via stair only.

We recommend that those with pre-existing medical conditions, mobility difficulties or concerns with heights and confined spaces do not attempt this climb.

A video fly through of the gallery levels and their views is available on the multimedia guides.

I'd add that at two points I had to crouch / bend to get through narrow low stair cases

(for reference I am 183cm).

Primrose Hill

Whilst not a tall building does offer a free panoramic view of London from the north.

If I recall correctly you can see the Gherkin, London eye and BT tower.

Parliament Hill Located at the south end of Hampstead Heath parliament hill offers a panoramic view of London from the tall buildings in Canary Wharf and the City and the BT Tower.

Fenchurch Street More commonly known as the walkie talkie has a garden on the top floors 34-37th (160M roof hight)

which is free to visit with a booking (you need to book more than a week in advance in summer for weekends)

The Shard

The View on the 68-72nd floors with prices starting at £25.95

Aqua Shard is a bar on the 31st floor

doesn't require a reservation.

They do have dress code which I can attest is strictly enforced and no under 18's after 6pm.

Tower 42 Has a champagne/wine bar on the 42nd floor and a restaurant on the 24th floor .

You usually need to book for the bar, but sometimes they'll let you in without booking if there's space.

New Zealand House

The New Zealand society often hosts events(for a small fee) in the penthouse of New Zealand House near Piccadilly Circus

it is the tallest building in the area and has amazing views of Westminster the London eye, horse guards parade and the backyard of number 10.

London has an open house Once a year (normally in September)

London has an open house where you can get access to many of London's iconic buildings including the Gherkin(at

least in previous years).

Key attractions such as the Gherkin are ticketed (due to demand, all sites are free so if someone is selling the ticket its probably fake.)

so you will need to book in advance.

There are many other awesome places that few people know about also on offer, such as old war offices in underground bunkers and unused tube stops.

The list changes yearly

so this is by no means a sure bet.

Elizabeth tower

If you're resident in the UK you can take a tour up Big Ben by contacting your local MP.

At 1,016ft, The Shard is the tallest building in Western Europe.

If you're planning a trip to London after February 2013, the 360° viewing gallery on the 68th-72nd floors should be open.

This panorama captures the northern half of the view at present, though it will change as some of the half dozen major skyscrapers under construction in the centre of the image will have been completed before it opens.

One option is the Tate Modern .

On the 5th floor is a small coffee shop or cafe, publicly accessible and free to gain access.

It has a great view looking north over the Thames towards St Paul's and Central London.

Another option that costs is the London Eye .

It takes 30 minutes to complete a revolution, and I recommend it both during the day and at night - it's spectacular at any time - although perhaps not when it's raining as the drops form on the glass then.

Prices as of 2011 start from £16.74 for adults .

Alexandra palace has some nice views : Centrepoint tower which has a club/restaraunt at the top

: Views from there:

These are currently negative answers, obvious tall buildings you might expect to be the ones to go for, but which can be ruled out due to lack of known ways for members of the public to access them: 30

St Mary Axe , officially The Swiss Re Building , colloquially The Gherkin .

This building has a restaurant on the 39th floor called "Searcys 40|30 Gherkin" , but that restaurant and bar are private so you can't get in there either unless booked for a private event.

One Canada Square , sometimes incorrectly referred to as Canary Wharf .

This is the tallest building in the city but has no public viewing platform!

(I can't find a photo of the view from One Canada Square on Wikipedia)

The tower of Westminster Cathedral (not to be confused with Westminster Abbey) is not as tall as the more modern buildings but it offers nice views over central and west London.

A free place to visit to get stunning views is the Sky Garden near Fenchurch St!

There are restaurants up there, along with bars, and you can go outside.

The inside itself is also stunning, with a variety of plants and flowers to keep you entertained for just under an hour. http://skygarden.london/

Stave Hill in Russia Dock Woodland provides a 360° view including the Canary Wharf skyscrapers.

Question: I'm looking for publicly accessible tall structures in London from where I can take photos of the city.  The Monument to the Great Fire of London has pretty good views, and I understand you can get good views from the dome in St Paul's Cathedral. Any other locations?

What publicly accessible tall structures to take photos from exist in London?

Good places to try include the three domes and two galleries of St Paul's, Stone Gallery, Golden Gallery, Whispering Gallery, the Gherkin, London Eye and BT tower, The View, Tower 42, New Zealand House, Elizabeth Tower, Alexandra Palace, the Tate Modern, the Sky Garden near Fenchurch Street, Stave Hill  in Russia Dock Woodland, Primrose Hill or Parliament Hill. If you're resident in the UK you can take a tour up  Big Ben  by contacting your local MP.

There are many places in London offering amazing views. Building include St Paul's, The Shard and The View. For outside locations, on the other hand, there are Primrose Hill and Parliament Hill. The London Eye offers an amazing view, as does Big Ben if you are UK resident.

London has a large number of tall buildings, old and new, offering great views over London. They include St Paul's, The Shard and The View.

Outside areas that provide a good view over London include Primrose Hill and Parliament Hill.

UK resident's can see London from a tour up Big Ben.

The London Eye offers a great view over London.


I found tour radar was quite useful for finding different tours from non main stream companies as well as all the regulars.

You can choose tours that go through a specific country or ones based in just the country you select.

There are also plenty of options to weed out those that aren't suitable, such as age, duration, price, trip type, group size, dates and operators.

Any particular region?

Or worldwide?

For example, http://www.comparelondonbustours.com/ compares, funnily enough, London Bus tours, and http://www.great-barrier-reef.au.com/ compares day trip tours to the Great Barrier Reef, in Australia.

Comparison website for tours are hard-to-find because of the unstructured nature of the industry.

Flights, trains et al have fixed schedules which makes it easy for travel comparison websites to easily sort and compare things.

Most online tour booking sites are listing websites as there's no standard way of representing the information, and more importantly the actual tour operators don't often themselves have comupterised management systems (I'm referring specifically about SE Asia).

For SE Asia, two major travel sites that will give you tour comparisons would be Wego and Air Asia Go .

Wego does a somewhat good job of giving a few tools to sort and compare tours - at least what I have seen so far on tour sites; Air Asia Go is a more of static listings offered by Air Asia (you don't have to fly with them to buy tour packages).

If you want to spend on mid to high range budget tours for SE Asia, start with these two places.

You will be better off booking on the ground in each country in SE Asia though.

The prices mentioned on these sites are hugely inflated; basically, an online tour booking agent offering local tour operators a new medium for sales in exchange for a huge markup in prices which the online tour operators keep.

If you book online, you may end up with the same tour operator as one you could book with directly, and yet end up paying up to 3-10x the amount.

I found the Nibduck website , which shows different tours worldwide and lets you contact the tour operator directly.

Also found Tour Radar which is a similar but bigger company.

I've found TourAmigo ( http://www.touramigo.com/ ) to be the best tour comparison site for multi-day tours.

They cover 10 different continents and all the small and major tour operators and allows you to contact the tour companies directly to book which avoids commission fees.

Question: After having good experiences with the various websites for comparing flight prices (Expedia, Orbitz, etc), I was wondering whether there's anything similar for tours that compares times, prices, itineraries, etc?  I have a handful of tour operator websites that I check but I can obviously only check the ones I know about.

Are there any tour group comparison websites?

Comparison websites for tours are hard-to-find because of the unstructured nature of the industry, but TourAmigo is good for comparing multi-day tours, Tour Radar is good for finding tours from different non-mainstream companies as well as the larger ones. Nibduck shows different tours and lets you contact the tour operator directly, and two major travel sites that will give you tour comparisons for SE Asia would be Wego and Air Asia Go .

The tour industry is somewhat unstructured and therefore tour comaprison is difficult. However, some comparison websites exist, some focusing on specific area like SE Asia and some worldwide.

There are a few websites that allow you to compare tours, some are location oriented others are worldwide.

The unstructured nature of the industry makes tour comparison a little difficult.


I haven't tried this method , but it's what immediately came to my mind when I saw this question:

I have been known to use a neck pillow backwards - with the gap behind my head - or sideways, to prevent just this problem.

But the best prevention is not to be entirely on your back.

Turn a little in your seat so that your ear (or better still your cheekbone) is on the seatback, and your chin will not head towards your chest.

I'm a little surprised that no one has already mentioned this, but getting a window seat and leaning against the side of the cabin is helpful for overcoming this situation, since it allows you to have a more reclined angle for sleeping.

Of course, this will depend on the aircraft.

It works much better in a big, wide-body jet where the walls are a reasonable approximation of vertical than it does on tiny regional jets where the curvature of the cabin causes it to protrude inward at head level.

I've done this many times on 737-size and up aircraft, though.

It works reasonably well.

An added bonus is that you don't have to lean your seat back much (or at all,) which will be appreciated by the person behind you on densely-packed domestic or regional configuration cabins that don't have much seat pitch.

That part doesn't matter as much on long flights where everyone is expected to lean back (and which usually have accordingly-larger seat pitch,) though.

The biggest downside to this is probably turbulence.

The side of the cabin doesn't have as much isolation to dampen turbulence as your seat has, so you'll definitely feel that more.

I usually try to use a pillow or folded up blanket between my head and the side of the cabin to help dampen the turbulence (and to keep from hitting my head on the side of the cabin in the event of more severe turbulence.)

Barring that possibility, in aircraft that have adjustable headrests that fold out on either side (or which have permanent protrusions on either side,) I've found it helpful to sit somewhat diagonally in the chair with my head turned to the side, so that the side of my face is laying on the back of the headrest and my forehead is held from falling forwards by the side protrusion of the headrest.

Of course, make sure that you don't turn your body so far to the side that your legs are encroaching on someone else's space, though (this limitation prevents me from turning very much, since my legs are relatively long.)

Of course, the best solution is to get a seat that lies completely flat in business or first class, but I'm guessing that's not an option for most people looking up answers to this question (and usually isn't an option for me, either.)

I have no personal experience, but the first thing that came to my mind when reading this question was this: You may buy it from here .

It is called Ostrichpillow by studiobananathings.

On short haul flights I put the tray table down lean over and rest my arms on it to use it as a pillow not overly comfortable

but I usually manage an hour or so of sleep.

You may wish to consider a pillow that is designed to let you lean forward into the tray table area while you sleep rather than reclining backward.

One popular such option would be the Skyrest Travel Pillow from the SkyMall catalog.

If you are short-torsoed, you might even be able to simulate such by simply rolling a jacket up into a ball on the tray table.

There's also something called the Embrace Sleep Collar that gives some support under the chin, butit still doesn't keep your whole head-shoulders area from slumping forward.

When I travel I usually use it in conjunction with a strap around my forehead wrapped around the back of the head rest (just like Ilmari's idea).

I know I look ridiculous, but sleep is sleep!

It's especially hard for short people to sleep on buses and planes because most seats are contoured for taller people, so our backs are forced into a hunched position and our heads and chins fall downwards no matter what!

Btw I tried the Sky Rest Pillow also, and it was very good.

The only criticism I have is that it didn't breathe (because it's made of soft textured vinyl) and it smelled plastic-y.

But it is nice because it is deflatable.

My next project is to buy a Travel Halo and attach velcro to the back pillows, while also having a velcro strap around the seat.

Lean back so my head is basically velcroed to the seat, and voila...?

Anything to keep the head back!

You might try this too.

Good luck!!

Some kinds of neck pillows include a fastening mechanism, so part of the pillow prevents your head from drooping.

A flight blanket worn as a scarf (folded in half and tucked through the loop) with the loop in front can often help.

It will also keep your neck warm.

You might have Dropped Head Syndrome (also called Floppy Head Syndrome and Head Ptosis).

It's a condition that involves weakness of the back-neck muscles.

You might want to talk to your doctor about it.

One of the best non-invasive ways to prevent your head from dropping forward due to this syndrome is by wearing a plain old neck rest whenever there's a risk/chance of sleeping in a seating position.

I hope this helps, good luck.

Note:

Please beware of improvised wrappings and anything that could suffocate you while sleeping.

Question: Even with the seat back lowered as far as it will go, my head droops forward when I try to sleep. This causes me to soon wake up with either a stiff neck or because of "the head jolt".  The neck cushions do not work. Putting one behind my neck is pointless because that does not prevent my head from drooping forward. And they are too small to be of much use in the front of my neck.

How do I prevent my head from drooping while trying to sleep on a plane?

The best option would be to get a seat in business class that reclines fully horizontally, but other options include wearing a neck pillow backwards, a flight blanket worn as a scarf or a neck pillow with a fastening mechanism to stop your head from drooping. You could also rest your head on the tray in front, and use a rolled-up jacket, a Sky Rest Pillow or another pillow designed to let you lean forward. If you have a window seat you can lean against the side of the cabin, or just turn your head to the side.

The problem of head drooping when sleeping on a plane is common. Moreover, there are numerous devices which can be used to try to solve the problem. Homemade devices are also commonly used. However, the only real solution is buying a ticket that includes a bed.

Thre are many more or less successfulsolutions to stop your head from drooping when you sleep on planes. They range from various pillow devices to homemade contraptions using your jacket or a blanket.

The only real solution is to get a business class or first class ticket and a seat that converts into a bed


元 , traditional Chinese 圓 , is the generic Chinese character for "unit of currency" and is used to refer to the local currency: RMB in China, HKD in Hong Kong, SGD in Singapore, etc.

So odds are pretty high

the signs you saw were actually for prices in HKD.

While many Hong Kong shops do accept RMB, it's just a service for Chinese travelers and the exchange rate will not be in the buyer's favor.

You will not have much luck using RMB for buying a bowl of noodles.

However, there's an easy solution:

visit any of the foreign exchange shops found on every corner, many of which offer excellent rates for RMB to HKD.

Irrelevant but fun fact:

the Japanese yen and the Korean won are also cognates of the character "yuan", although the Japanese simplified their character differently into 円.

Most retailers in Hong Kong do not accept RMB.

The 7-11 stores* have an enlightend policy where they will accept RMB at HKD face value and give you any change in HKD.

As HKD are worth less than RMB they make a profit of the exchange rate on the transaction.

The current exchange rate is 1 RMB = 1.25114 HKD (April 2013), so the 7-11 stores are making an additional 25% profit for their kindness.

Some other sellers MAY accept them but my recollection is that most will not.

Trying to use HKD in China is about impossible.

Note that in most of Asia NO commission or flat fee is payable.

The rate offered applies $ for $ or whatever.

In eg Australia they charge an iniquitous up front fee and changing enough to get eg $20 for a cofee may give you only $A5 or less.

Utter thievery.

While, as uncovery says, there are a very large number of money changers in HK, I have found that banks and specialist big-business money changers offer poor rates and that the best rates of all are offered by a small number of small businesses if you know where to look.

I stay in Mong Kok when I am in HK (noisy, busy, cheap accommodation, more "authentic" than many areas, fun) and have found a money changer who invariably offers superb rates - about 0.5% off the actual exchange rate either way.

Stunning.

Location below.

As I wander the city I note the various rate offered and in quite a few visits no other money changer has bested these ones.

Taking subway to Yau Ma Tei (quick cheap ride from city centre) and exit at A1 and walk West along Pitt Street and you may be at their door - or, see below.

Rate assessment:

You can instantly determine how good a rate a money changer is offering by asking their cash buy and sell rates between two currencies ( or buy rate each way or sell rate each way, which gives the same result.)

The mean "markup is ~=

($buy-$sell) / ($buy + $sell)

Close enough

you can use buy-sell difference / $buy/2 ( = same as buy-sell difference / (2 x $buy))

eg if some one is trading HKD-RMB, if they offer 1.2 HKD per RMB if buying RMB (or selling HKD) and 1.3 HKD/RMB if selling RMB (or buying HKD)

Then markup = (1.3-1.2) /

(1.3+1.2) = 0.1/2.5 = 4% The simpler method gives (1.3-1.2)/1.2 / 2

0.1/2.4 ~=

4% close enough.

Purists will argue that the true rate is square_root($buy x $sell) but, again, the result is not much different.

For any given currency pair just look at the buy-sell difference.

The smaller the better.

ForEx who seem to have booths in all airports and elsewhere offer consistently very terrible rates in my experience.

Western Union are not usually very marvellous.

Hong Kong's cheapest rates: Location:

Please excuse degree of uncertainty.

I will have photos but probably not findable in your time frame.

Location is "probably" where two red lines are.

I start from Mong Kok proper near subway just above top of picture.

Walk down Nathan road and after a few blocks drill in sideways.

You can spot them by the queue !!! :-).

Two cashiers AFAIR opening onto street.

Two small fast moving queues of happy customers changing all sorts.

About 2 or 3 doors along further off Nathan Road on the same side is a Western Union office with 3 cashiers and NO customers !!!!!! :-).

Fast, polite, professional / business like.

No Chinese language needed.

"7-11" stores are unknown in my country (NZ) but are much the same as 7-11 stores in the US - corner stores selling food, groceries, drinks etc. ).

Looking around online ( ask.com , Yahoo Answers ), the conclusion seems to be that you can spend RMB only in certain bigger shops that advertise this with the Yuán sticker on their window or the cash register.

For other smaller shops, street vendors or taxis

you can not use RMB.

As usual the exchange rate you get is not as good as through a bank, currency exchange or ATM.

My advice would be to always use the local currency.

No you cannot reliably use Renminbi/Yuan in Hong Kong, you will have to exchange it.

Taxis generally do not accept them.

Other shops generally do not display if they accept RMB or not, and if they accept it, you will most likely get change back in HKD.

You can either exchange at a bank or at one of the hundreds of money changers in Hong Kong.

To my knowledge, HSBC is giving the best rates.

The supermarket chains in Hong Kong (such as Welcome) do accept RMB at a (not great) fixed rate.

There are otherwise no fixed rules about which businesses accept RMB, however it is better to assume that most businesses do not.

That said, Hong Kong is changing fast with the increasing amount of mainland tourists.

RMB usage is definitely rising throughout the city.

Question: While travelling in Hong Kong, I noticed signs at several vendors advertising prices with the 元 character, which from my visit to Shanghai I recognized as the symbol for Yuán.  Since Hong Kong has its own currency, this confused me.  Do vendors accept Renminbi in Hong Kong?  Does it vary depending on where you go, or is acceptance (or non-acceptance) universal?  Does an exchange rate apply, or are HKD and RMB considered interchangeable in Hong Kong?

Can I spend Renminbi in Hong Kong?

Larger shops are increasingly likely to accept RMB, but probably at a disadvantageous exchange rate and with change in HKD. Most retailers, especially smaller shops and restaurants, will only accept HKD.

It is considered possible to use RMB in bigger shops and supermarket chains in Hong Kong. However, for smaller purchases, it is necessary to echange them for local currency.

RMB are accepted at some shops in Hong Kong, mainly bigger supermarkets chains, 7-11 stores. However, RMB use seems to be increasing.

Small purchases cannot generally be made using RMB. It is better to exchange them for local currency. Shops may accept them but give change in local currency.


Obviously, the best book for you depends a lot on what you are looking for.

Many criteria are to be taken into account : the place(s) you'll go to : some books will cover only the capital, other will cover the main cities and other will cover the countryside as well.

the duration of your trip (many books are explicitely for trips of a couple of days)

the kind of tourist you are : what are you really looking for (cultural visits, natural landscapes, relaxation) how much are you willing to spend on your trip (many books are for backbackers and might be irrelevant for a family trip) : the transportation, the places to sleep/drink/eat/visit and the can be really different

how much cultural background you want to know : a few small sentences in the foreign language ; the whole history of the country ; a description of the culture you'll be living in.

All those things can make a difference and might or might not be relevant to you how you want to use your guide : read the whole thing before the trip, open it at random once you are there, etc how you want to find the information in your guide : sorted by city/price/type of activity many other things In any case, if you are in the shop, it's worth opening the different books to see if they really talk about what you are looking for and

if it seems good to you (which is mostly of matter of personal preferences).

If you are front of your computer, you can still have a look at the readers reviews (on Amazon for instance) even if it might not be really accurate as one usually tries only one guide per trip/destination.

Finally, after a while, you might get used to a specific type of guide and feel more comfortable with it.

As for me, I'm really used to the "Guides du Routard" (French collection)

and I'm not really fond of the "Lonely Planet".

I usually buy more than one guide book per trip.

Where one is weak another will be stronger.

I look up things I am likely to want to know.

For example will you rely on your guidebook for opening hours?

Then look up and see if they are there.

If you're going to use the internet for opening hours, then you don't care about details like that.

Do you want ideas and inspiration?

Are the maps readable?

If you want a little history, is there history or just a list of attractions?

Does flipping through the book make you want to go right now?

That's a good sign.

If it's a series, you're in a bookstore with a number of books to flip through, and there's a place you know quite well that is covered in the same series, look up things you know and see if the description matches your knowledge.

That will give you an idea of the quality of the series.

It might not carry over to other books in the series, but there's a good chance it will.

In my opinion the best way is to search for online reviews.

Personally I like Amazon.

First there are the readers reviews, secondly Amazon has this section called "What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?".

You can get some decent impressions with these to features of amazon.

Another possibility is to go to the local Library.

Here in Belgium, the library has a decent selection of travel guides.

Based on how frequently the book is borrowed, you can get an indication of its quality.

The first thing I check when comparing travel guides is when an edition was last updated.

I skim read the contents of cities/towns I'm visiting to see if I can catch anything particularly important that only a newer book will have.

I'm mainly bothered with transportation information as far as updated information is considered: the worst thing you want is to make your itinerary based on old data and then find it's impossible now.

Somewhat counterintuitively to the above point, if I don't find anything particular different in the transportation section I buy older editions of guides.

You can get these much cheaper on Amazon or second-hand bookstores and more often than note - apart from possibly changed phone numbers and price listings - most of the information is valid anyway

and I save a bundle on buying the guidebooks.

What I usually need is good background information about sights to see (always remains the same), locality maps (mostly remains the same, unless roads get renamed - which in some countries like India is a major pain in the butt), and even the best cafes / restaurants / hostels are typically ones that have been around for years.

Don't preclude that old editions of guidebooks are useless.

More often than not, I don't buy guidebooks.

I rely on Wikitravel.

What I do instead is buy proper maps in cities / towns I visit.

These give me much greater detail than guidebook maps and

since I like exploring a place mostly on foot, this greater map resolution helps me pinpoint places of interest better and plan my day.

Maps cost a fraction of the price of guidebooks, and in smaller towns you probably don't even need to pay for one - free maps handed out by the local tourism office should suffice.

If interested in food it is essential to pick as fresh a book as possible since popular restaurants often tend to get worse over time (and the guide book reference may indeed add to such a trend).

I also want a thick one with lots of facts - not a story.

If I am interested in a place I can always delve deeper on the net or buy specific books about it.

Based on these criteria I found myself with the Rough Guides most of the time with the occasional Lonely Planet or Cadogan (after a quick check of my bookshelf.

If possible it is good to stick to the same publisher because they format all their books in the same way.

It makes it easier to start reading the new one.

Question: So I have decided which country I want to visit next and go down to the local travel book store. On the shelves they have over ten different travel guide books about the country.  How do I choose among them? Are there any tricks to find out how good they are?

How to choose a guide book for your next trip?

Make sure the edition is quite recent, especially with food as the quality of popular restaurants can deteriorate over time. If the book is part of a series, look up things you know and see if the description matches your knowledge. Check a bookstore or library to compare several books. Obviously, the best book for you depends a lot on what you are looking for.

Researching a travel book before buying is considered important. This can be done online, in the bookshop or at the library. If you have a special interest in food, a recent edition is a must as popular restaurant tend to go downhill over time.

A suitable travel guide depends what you are looking for. Some criteria include how well it covers a place you know, what its online reviews are like.

Check out books in a library before buying.

Check when the last update was. This is especially important if you are interested in food as popular restaurants tend to go down hill over time.


The cabin pressure is not constant - it's allowed to drop as the plane ascends, within safe levels (typically down to the pressure one would find at between 1500 and 2000 meters of altitude).

The reason for this is that a pressure difference between inside and outside puts stress on the fuselage.

Reducing the maximum difference allows the fuselage to be lighter, which makes the plane consume less fuel.

The pressure is not constant in an airplane.

For minimizing delta between inside and outside, air pressure in an airplane is set to the one found at an altitude of about 3000m or 10000ft.

Therefore, if your airport is at sea level, like New York for instance, a take off is equivalent to climbing mountains in Montana or in Pyrénées.

Well, for starters, the pressure DOES actually change in the cabin as you climb / descend.

The discomfort some people experience during this - when your ears can actually be in some pain - is known as Barotrauma - and as the name suggests, is trauma from barometric pressure.

It comes when the gases trapped in your body expand or contract as the pressure ratio changes.

The most common problems occur with air trapped in the middle ear or sinuses by a blocked Eustachian tube or sinuses.

It can also cause pain in the stomach or even the teeth!

If you're trying to relieve the pain, we have some tips on this very site!

There are so many variables to take into account: Ambient Temperature of the airplane (lower temp = lower pressure) Type of airplane and its volume capacity (large boeing 747 = lower cabin pressure)

Humidity of air ( higher humidity = higher pressure)

Flight path (over sea lower altitude compared to flying over land at higher altitude with higher pressure)

Your acclimitized altitude ( if you live at sea level you will notice a greater difference in pressure than if you live 500metres above sea level) Other smaller things; time of day, meteorological weather , passenger count, latitude .......

Firstly if the plane is pressurised then you are right, the pressure in your ears should be constant.

However the pilot is able to adjust the cabin pressure, it is this that that is causing the barotrauma.

Pilots do this to cause people to feel sleepy (by lowering the cabin pressure).

If a pressurised plane leaks or gains pressure then it also leaks air, this is a very dangerous situation.

Secondly if your plane is not pressurised then the comments about altitude do apply, but your plane will not fly at altitudes that make it hazardous.

Question: Normally you feel pressure in your ear, if the air pressure changes, e.g. if you're ascending or descending very fast. But why do I feel this pressure also in airplanes where the pressure in the passenger room should be constant?

Why do I feel pressure in the ears in a plane?

The discomfort some people experience is known as Barotrauma - and as the name suggests, is trauma from barometric pressure. The cabin pressure is not constant, but is rather adjusted by the pilot and allowed to drop within safe levels. If the pressure were constant, you would not experience this discomfort in your ears.

Barotrauma is the ear pain felt during flying. It is caused by changes in the cabin pressure which is not constant during the flight. In fact, the pilot may adjust the cabin pressure.

If the plane pressure was constant, era pain would not be felt but the pressure in the plane is not constant. In fact the pilot can adjust the pressure. The change is pressure causes barotrauma.

Barotrauma causes the pain in your ears.


Any of the major car rental companies will allow a "One-way" rentals.

Occasionally there are restrictions around specific locations, but in general if you're planning to go from a major airport to another major airport you'll have no problems at all.

The issue is the price, which can vary dramatically depending on a number of factors.

Some rental companies will charge a "drop fee" which will be a fixed amount, sometimes based on the distance between the two locations.

Others will charge a higher per-day rate for one-way rentals.

Some others will not charge extra for the rental, but will charge you an additional fee based on the number of miles you travel on the trip (ie, the actual miles you drive, not the straight-line distance between the two locations).

The best option is to look around at all of the various rental companies for the specific city pair and dates

you're after - if possible in both directions as sometimes it's cheaper in one direction than the other.

Travel websites like Orbitz.com can be good as they will show you multiple companies in one search, but sometimes for one-way you'll get better rates when searching directly on the rental car companies site.

Occasionally the rental companies will run "deals" for one-way rentals when they have a need to get cars out of a location - a few years ago I did a 3-day rental from Portland, OR to San Francisco, CA for a total cost of less than $20!

These details are often listed on the rental car websites, but be careful as they do often have some strict restrictions such as no more than 7 days total rental.

eg, Hertz currently has a deal for pickup in Arizona and drop-off in California, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah or Texas for $5/day !

One-way hires are usually more expensive, not just in the US.

However, you can take advantage of that fact and look for " Relocation offers ".

This means you take a car form a popular tourist destination back to a city where a lot of tourists first arrive - usually the car rental stations at international airports.

This is way cheaper for you, and if you're lucky you only have to pay for insurance and gas, since the rental company otherwise would have to get it towed back and pay money for it, but the downside is that you might have a tight schedule and not much time for sightseeing.

Its possible, depending on the rental company.

Not all the rental companies have locations in all the states (or all the cities you might want to drop the car off).

Also, rental companies usually have an additional charge if the drop-off location differs from the pick-up location, especially the smaller companies (I had it waived with National, but that's one of the biggest in the US).

Sometimes people and companies actually need their cars moved across the country, so look for messages like this one .

It is definitely possible.

And yes they do charge more for these types of rentals.

On Hertz website when you put in your pick up location you have to check the box that you will be returning it to a different location.

On Avis

it's exactly the opposite to uncheck that you are returning to the same location.

As far as state regulations are concerned there is no restriction on where you can take the car and where you can return it only whether or not the car meets the requirements to be registered in that state.

So if the rental company allows you to do it have at it.

It depends on the states.

Many of the UK based agents such as www.netflights.co.ukwww.carhire3000.co.ukwww.auto-europe.co.uk offer fee free one-way drop offs between Arizona, California and Nevada.

Using one of these agencies will also give you price that includes full insurance - much cheaper than you'll get booking through a US company.

It is possible to do one-way drop offs between other states, but there is usually a fee (often much higher than the actual rental cost).

A better suggestion might be to divide your trip into segments - hire a car for each segment and return to the same state, and take a cheap flight to the next location.

Question: I'm from the UK and I'm looking at planning a road trip around the US with some friends. I wondered if it was possible to rent a car in one state but drop it off in another.  If it's possible do they charge more for hiring this way? Are there some states that don't allow this to happen?

Is it possible to rent a car in one US state and drop it off in another?

Any of the major car rental companies will allow a "One-way" rentals, although this will usually be more expensive, especially with smaller companies. Some larger companies and UK-based agents may offer fee-free one-way rentals, or you could rent a different car in each state you pass through.

One way rentals are an option offered by major car rental companies but there is usually an extra charge involved. Some UK based agents, on the other hand, offer this service fee free. An alternative option is to fly between destinations rather than drive.

Major car rental companies allow one way rentals.

Returning your rental car to a different location is usually more expensive.

Some UK based agents offer fee free one way rentals. Alternatively, fly between destination points.


My preferred method, because it requires no special equipment: Wrap the bottom of the bottle in a towel, or place a phone book against a wall or tree.

Hit the bottom of the bottle firmly and evenly against a reasonably flat, vertical surface (such as the wall, or a tree).

The pressure of the wine against the cork will gradually nudge the cork out.

As an alternative, you can hold the bottle upside-down between your knees and strike the bottom of the bottle with a shoe.

Once the cork is partially out, remove it with your hands or pliers.

Alternatively, you can continue hitting the bottle rhythmically until the entire cork comes out.

If you are trying to open a carbonated beverage (e.g., champagne or lambic), let the bottle sit for 10-15 minutes before removing the cork.

Found the steps on WikiHow , complete with video, and several alternate methods.

Simply push the cork down into the bottle and pour.

A small, but incredibly useful device is the CO2 cork remover.

Basically it has a needle you stab through the cork, and then you press the trigger to pump CO2 into the bottle, forcing the cork out.

It weighs about the same as a corkscrew though, so your better bet may be:

Buy wine bottles with screw tops!

It depends on how, um, elegant you want to be about opening the bottle.

When I was living in India, I took a trip to Paris, and I brought a couple bottles of wine back with me.

I totally forgot that I didn't have a corkscrew with me, and I had no idea where I could go to find one.

What did I use?

A regular table knife.

I chipped away at the cork until I'd scraped out about half of it, then used the blunt end of the knife to push the rest of the cork into the bottle.

It's not classy, and you might get some cork crumbs in your wine, but it works.

(Note: this method probably doesn't work on plastic corks - they need to be actual cork so you can break off chunks.)

Have you considered bringing a swiss army knife that has a corkscrew.

I would highly recommend tossing one in your checked bags.

If you don't check bags, then buy a cheap corkscrew in your destination.

I have successfully used a paperclip, but it took forever.

I drilled it into the sides of the cork to loosen it

and then I pushed it all the way through the center, wiggling it to make the whole wider than the paperclip.

Once that was done, I pulled it out, cut off half an inch of the paperclip and tied this to a piece of string.

I pushed the small piece of paperclip with the string through the hole in the cork and pulled up on that hard.

The cork came out, but it was a project.

Corkscrew is easier.

If you are in a big city, walk into a hotel that has a hotel bar (even better if it is your own hotel).

Act like you are a guest at the hotel and kindly ask the bartender to open the bottle for you.

It's nice to give them a tip, but that would likely be the price of a cheap corkscrew anyway.

Question: When travelling, we may want to obtain some wine, but I don't want to have to bring a corkscrew with me. What can I use instead?

What can I use instead of a corkscrew?

Buy a Swiss Army knife or cheap corkscrew, or use a CO2 cork remover. A paperclip can work, but will take forever, and one method is to push the cork into the bottle. Finally, you could just buy wine bottles with screw tops!

There are any number of ways of opening a bottle of wine without a traditional corkscrew. These include pushing the cork into the bottle, using a paper clip and buy a CO2 cork removing device. Another recommedation is to buy a Swiss army knife as it contains a corkscrew. However, corkscrews may be cheap and easy to find at your destination. Finally, it may be best just to buy bottles with screw caps.

Ther are a number of ways for opening a bottle of wine without a corkscrew, such as using a paper clip or pushing the cork into the bottle

A Swiss army knife has a corkscrew. CO2 devices to remove corks exist. Yo can buy a cheap corkscrew at you destination. The easiest solution is to buy bottles with screw tops.


Yes, I have successfully withdrawn USD from KCB in Nairobi a couple of times.

Here is the location I have done this: http://goo.gl/maps/fvojb

There is rumor that there is at least one ATM with an USD cash option: I found one KCB ATM (

across from main post office in Nairobi) which gives you the choice to withdraw in KSH or US dollars.

Source: Lonely Planet Drop a line here if you could confirm it!

So this has been an issue for quite a while.

Fortunately here is a local who withdraws USDs from local ATM every week.

FYI

I use a Bank of America ATM KCB University way ATM @

Anniversary towers (1 machine)KCB Kipande House ATM (1 machine)KCB Kencom ATM (2 machines) Bienividos Kenya!

There is a USD atm at the KCB Kipandi House (across the road from the post office) but when I went there on 2/8/15

it was out of order.

It is the one on a the far right as you enter (ones with USD are not labelled).

I cannot confirm the one at Anniversary towers as I went there on a Sunday and could not get access to the ATMS.

I was told by locals there we one at kencom.

I could not see one providing USD when I went there.

I only checked the atms on the northern side though.

There may still be something there as it is the main office for KCB.

I ended up being able to get 1000 USD from the KCB atm at Karen Shopping centre.

It is the one on the right.

This is the closes atm for all those starting overland tours from Karen Camp.

I heard that other people could only get 300 USD from this one

so it may depend on your own bank.

Also the KCB at Moyale does not give USD

Yeah!

Nowadays it is possible to withdrawal dollars in Kenya ATMs, You can get these services from I&M bank at Gigiri near WarWick building, several KCB ATMS such as two in Kencom

but you need to ask the soldier there to show you, 1 in Kipande house, 1 in Sarit Centre, 3 ATMS in the JKIA and 1 in TRM.

Though it seems every answer is equally valid they might benefit from some organisation: Date

User

Where Notes 20121019 Dan KCB across from main post office 20121115 shnozolla KCB US local bank

card20130416 user6326 KCB Village Market near UN Headquarters

up to 300 USD20141128 mark the mall withdrawn US $100020150603 Danny KCB Univerity way Anniversary towers 1 machine KCB Kipande House 1 machine KCB Kencom

2 machines20150808 Bradley KCB Karen Shopping centre

Gibbs 20160302

Mark TRM 2nd

flour 20160901

Lawrence I&M bank Gigiri near WarWick building Kimani KCB Sarit Centre JKIA

3 ATMS TRM 120170209 Kelvin KCB and Banklays Bank also UERO Jackson

I have successful withdrawn US $1000 from KCB ATM at the mall in Nairobi, Kenya.

There is a KCB ATM at TRM 2nd flour adjacent to KCB Bank in the mall where you can withdraw USD

Question: While in Nairobi I might need to top up my supply of USD. Is it possible to get it directly from an ATM or will I need to go to a currency exchange?

Is it possible to withdraw USD from an ATM in Nairobi, Kenya?

This is possible at I&M bank at Gigiri near WarWick building, as well as several KCB ATMS at shopping malls and elsewhere.

Yes, it is possible to withdraw US dolars from some ATMs in Nairobi, Kenya.