The United States is very large, and every time you go somewhere it's different. This summer, I went to Yellowstone and chose an SUV, but I regretted it because the high center of gravity made it tilt heavily on the mountain roads... and all the roads were paved, so if you don't have a need for a lot of luggage, don't choose an SUV. Last year, I rented a BMW 4 Series to drive around the Grand Canyon area and it felt great. I stayed in Yellowstone for 5 days, 2 days at Old Faithful, 2 days at Canyon, and 1 day at Yellowstone Lake. The itinerary was not tight, so I just played around and drove all the roads in Yellowstone. Accommodation in Yellowstone is expensive, and the itinerary was not optimized, but the gas prices were cheaper than in the Bay Area. As for cash and credit cards, to be honest, I haven't used much cash in recent years. I only keep cash for tips. Throughout the trip, I only used cash once at a strange restaurant in Salt Lake City for one night, and also used cash to send postcards at the Yellowstone post office. Everything else was done with credit cards, including self-service gas and meals. It was surprising to find out at a gas station in Carson City that they explicitly did not accept VISA credit cards and had to use a MasterCard. I remembered trying credit cards at gas stations in Utah and San Diego last year, and this year's experience was really different, as many gas stations have upgraded ?
United States Q&A
41. Do not expect too much comfort in the itinerary above, as the people here are not into that kind of thing. They are all doing business in a practical way. 42. Even for waterproof shoes, if possible, prepare two pairs. 43. The wool sweaters here are said to be extremely warm, but they are made of real materials and can be a bit scratchy to wear. 44. The public security is good, so you can basically rest assured. 45. There are very few people on the road, so don't hesitate to ask for help when needed, and try to lend a hand when someone else needs help. 46. The public restrooms all have toilet paper. Remember to flush it down the toilet after use. For female hygiene products and used tissue, just throw them in the trash can. 47. When taking photos, in addition to a wide-angle lens, remember to bring a telephoto lens and a tripod. You can't predict the scenery around the next corner, or whether you will be able to see the aurora. 48. A selfie stick and a GoPro make a great combination. When climbing a mountain, it's very convenient to have one hand free for taking photos when it's too cold, and the GoPro can also be mounted on the car to shoot video. 49. The sun can be very bright, so remember to wear sunglasses, especially when driving. 50. The weather is changeable, and the weather forecast is constantly changing. Local websites will be more accurate, so wear multiple layers of clothing and be prepared to adjust at any time ?
Iceland Q&A
What are the tickets for the must-visit attractions on the Road trip in the United States that need to be purchased online in advance? My Road trip route in the United States this time is from San Francisco to Yosemite National Park, Stanford, Highway 1, Hearst Castle, Solvang, Los Angeles, Universal Studios, Kodak Theatre (Hollywood Walk of Fame), Grand Canyon South Rim, Upper Antelope Canyon, Hoover Dam, Las Vegas, fly to Washington, Lincoln Memorial, all museums around the White House and Capitol, Times Square, Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Broadway shows, Wall Street, Columbia University, United Nations headquarters. Among these parks and attractions along the way, which ones are free to enter? Which ones are very necessary to buy tickets or make reservations online in advance to save queuing time? Where to buy tickets separately? Please experts and travel enthusiasts give detailed guidance!!! Thank you very much! ?
United States Q&A
I just returned to my country, and overall it was safe and sound. I didn't encounter any thieves, and my car was also in good condition. First of all, the safety education is quite sufficient, and the journey was like fighting monsters, but in reality it wasn't that scary. Italy's famous attractions not only have police, but also armored vehicles and armed soldiers, making it difficult to imagine how thieves and scammers would operate. Secondly, don't be tempted to park on the roadside. I always use paid parking lots, and there are people watching over them in Pisa. In addition, Italy may have an average economic situation, which is reflected not only in prices, but also in the scarcity of black people. Even in the capital Rome, there are slightly more black people, but even they look down on Italy. Finally, let's talk about ztl. Italy's historic districts are relatively small and essentially tourist attractions, so parking outside the ztl will not cause much inconvenience ?
Italy Q&A
Hello everyone! I just visited Cinque Terre on July 29th. It was very difficult to find a parking space (I don't know if it's because it's the weekend). I suggest it's more convenient to take a train from La Spezia to visit Cinque Terre. Trains from La Spezia to Levanto run every half an hour and stop at all five villages. We drove to Riomaggiore first and bought tickets there for 16 euros per person, which allowed unlimited rides all day, including buses and restroom fees. Among the five villages, Manarola has the best scenery. It is said that the night view is also special, but we didn't plan our time well and left Cinque Terre before it got dark. We arrived around 10 am and left around 8 pm, spending about ten hours. We visited all five villages, and the scenery was quite similar. Monterosso, the northernmost village, is mainly a beach resort. Vernazza, Manarola, and Riomaggiore are similar, while Corniglia, after getting off the train, requires a bus ride to reach the top of the town. After 8 pm, the train back to La Spezia runs every hour. I hope my experience can be helpful to friends who are planning to visit Cinque Terre. ?
Italy Q&A
1. Left-hand driving: You can get used to it quickly, and even if you violate it, because everyone can see each other, it generally does not cause consequences. Of course, affecting others will be despised and scolded. 2. GIVE WAY and STOP: Most important! Must be strictly enforced! At intersections with GIVE WAY and STOP signs, you must stop and look carefully before entering the main road. Vehicles on the main road (including roundabouts) will absolutely not slow down to let vehicles from the side road enter. 3. Speed limit: If you cannot see the speed limit outside the city or when there is no speed limit, follow the maximum of 100, otherwise follow the speed limit. 4. Curves have suggested speeds, as stated in the driving promotional video for newcomers to New Zealand: 'If you feel uneasy when you see the speed limit, you can slow down.' 5. Speeding: In the North Island, you can drive at the speed limit +10 (on holidays +5), and there are few slow vehicles on the road. The maximum speed for vehicles with trailers may be 80, but everyone can silently follow along... 6. Overtaking: Very few people overtake on most ordinary roads. Highways have sections with overtaking lanes, which are uphill, and vehicles with good power will overtake at this time. (The gentle GL made me give up the idea of using the overtaking lane). There will be signs on the highway indicating the distance to the next overtaking lane, so there is no need to rush to overtake. 7. Windshield wipers and turn signals: Opposite to the right-hand driving position, this is what I am least accustomed to. Every time the windshield wipers resolutely swing in front of my eyes when turning, I can feel the concerned and disdainful looks from the surroundings... And, even if you turn on the turn signal, you may not be able to stop the windshield wipers immediately... 8. Crossing lines: From observation, all the lines here can be crossed, but no one drives on the lines for a long time. 9. Parking: Most parking in the North Island is free. I only parked in a paid parking lot twice, and it was quite expensive. 10. Haven't paid any tolls ?
New Zealand Q&A
We arrived in Paris on the 13th and stayed for 6 days, then drove to Fontainebleau, Lyon, Nice, Monaco, Genoa, Florence, and arrived in Rome yesterday. We were on edge the whole way... First of all, the temperature here is not hot. The wind is quite cold. We have to wear down jackets and woolen hats to keep warm. It is not recommended to drive in the city of Paris. It is difficult to find parking spaces on the road surface. The entrances and exits of underground parking lots are too narrow and difficult to find. Navigation mainly relies on the map built into the Apple phone, which is actually a collaboration with Tom Tom and is very accurate. The maps we downloaded at home are not very reliable, including Google Maps. We were misled several times, even guided to a snow-covered mountain road at night. Maybe it's because we didn't enter the address accurately. Remember to enter the postal code of the region. Google Play needs to be installed to have offline maps, so you must have wireless WiFi. The high-speed rail here is very fast. France is 130 and Italy is 110. I think this is the lowest speed. There will always be cars following me to drive. After all, the car company gave me a top-of-the-line Mercedes-Benz E200 station wagon, black German license plate, which is too eye-catching. This caused me to park in the underground garage and dare not park on the road, for fear that my car windows would be broken and my bag would be stolen. All overtaking must be done from the left side, and then the left lane must be given up. It is forbidden to occupy the left lane for a long time. Right-hand overtaking is strictly prohibited, which is very dangerous! Highways need to prepare some 50, 20, 10, 5, 2, 1, and 0.5 euro banknotes and coins in advance. Do not enter the electronic payment channel by mistake. France and Italy have many dark tunnels that are relatively narrow. Overtaking and turning do not slow down. It feels like you're driving a race car, so small cars are popular here. Their control performance is good. Remember not to rent big cars! My Mercedes-Benz is too long, and the city control is really a bit difficult. Those streets, tunnels, and parking lot passages are really narrow! Bring fewer luggage when you go out ?
France Q&A