The choice of this route was made under many premises. First, we took into account the weekends before and after, and on Saturday there was only a direct flight from Shanghai to Barcelona. We considered going from Macau to Barcelona, but the cost was much higher than going in and out at the same time, and we were a group of six people, which was a significant expense. Second, due to the large number of people, we were concerned about the uncertainty of the transfer, so we naturally chose a direct flight. Third, there were many places to play, and choosing to commute by train and plane would result in more time spent at the station and airport, while the cost of renting a car and returning it at a different location was higher than returning it at the same location, so in the end we chose the big closed loop route. Another key issue is that no matter where you enter or exit, the last place to leave is Barcelona. One reason is to put shopping in Barcelona, and the other is to put the most stunning Sagrada Familia as the last viewing point. Before determining the plan, we also thought about it, but 600 kilometers is not too far. Our flight arrives in Barcelona at 8 am on the sixth day, so it won't take us too long to get to Madrid. Two people drive, it's not too tired ?
Spain Q&A
Our family's visa application was submitted on September 23rd, and we still haven't received any results. I used an agent to handle the application. Before the National Day holiday, I asked the customer service, and they said the embassy doesn't take a holiday during the National Day, but they do, so the results may come out on the 8th. However, there are still no results today. Just now, she said she will help me urge the visa process. What's going on? Our family has a very good travel record, and all aspects of our qualifications are excellent. We never thought we would be rejected. We provided very complete materials, including flight tickets, hotel reservations for each night, itinerary, tour project orders, information of accompanying persons, and multiple years of visas for multiple countries ?
New Zealand Q&A
Not tailgating, don't speed, speeding fines are heavy, I saw the police officer's calculation basis for issuing tickets (unfortunately got caught), the starting price is $50, plus an additional $20 for every mile over the speed limit, simply put, if you speed by 10 miles, the fine is $250, this is the calculation basis for speeding by 16 miles or less, I don't know about 16 miles or more. However, American police are still very good, I was speeding by 9 miles, being polite, flattering, and only got fined $60. You can only pay the fine online after returning to China (three weeks after the ticket was issued), the ticket needs to be recognized by the court before the government can collect the fine, my friend said that on the day of the court hearing, if the police officer who issued the ticket does not show up (probability of 90%), the ticket will be invalid, there is a big gap in my feeling. A special reminder, American police are like ghosts, you never know when they will appear behind your car ?
United States Q&A
Chinese people, listen to me, don't go to the Fantasia Park. It has nothing to do with children, your kids won't like it. Strange performances combining gymnastics, magic, jumping, lowb's pastoral scenery, chaotic wars to grab women, and chickens, sheep, cows, and elephants. I think they are thinking too much, they actually don't allow phones to be brought into the theater, and we can't even get any shots worth taking. Overall, Fantasia is a misunderstanding. You thought it was a children's paradise, but it turned out to be a stall outside your neighborhood park where you can make balloons. You thought there was a large-scale performance that would shock you, but it turned out to be a pot of mixed-up mess that hurts your eyes, ears, and nose. After 10 minutes, you will understand why the park requires you to stay until the end for the complete experience. Listen to me, don't go. If you can get a refund for the tickets, do it ?
Thailand Q&A
I originally drove on the highway in southern France. Each section had a different toll. Some had toll booths where you had to take a card, while others required you to pay first without a card. Look at the signs above the toll booths to see if you need to take the ETC lane or the regular lane with the toll sign. There was a toll to get to Paris, and there was a toll on one section of the highway to Monaco. There were no tolls on the highways in southern France, but I remember there was an automatic machine at Nice airport that could exchange paper money for coins. I think the toll machines automatically counted the coins you put in, so you didn't have to count them yourself. There were a lot of one-way streets in France, especially in small towns, and the roads were very narrow. Also, always lock your car doors when you leave it, because we were waiting at a red light on a road in Gannat and someone opened our trunk. Fortunately, we had read in the guidebook to lock the car doors before getting out, so we didn't get stolen. This time, we picked up the car in Paris and drove to the Loire Valley ?
France Q&A
Regarding the recent flooding in the South Island, tourists with travel plans in the near future do not need to panic. The latest information we have is as follows: 1. The water levels in the high-water areas of Lake Wakatipu and Lake Wanaka in Queenstown have reached their peak, and the weather has cleared up. This week is expected to be mostly sunny, with no more rain predicted, so the flood risk has been alleviated. Businesses along the shores of Lake Wanaka have resumed operations. The famous Wanaka Tree will remain partially submerged for a while longer due to the still-high water levels. Queenstown is experiencing clear weather, and recent photos show that while the water levels are high, the risk of flooding has diminished. 2. The South Island highways, which were previously closed, have started to reopen. State Highway 72 has resumed traffic, although there is heavy congestion, so travelers should allow extra time if using this route. 3. There is still flooding at the Rangitata Bridge section of State Highway 1, but once the water recedes, traffic will be able to resume. There is also flooding at the intersection of State Highway 1 and State Highway 79. The Timaru District Council has stated on social media that there is no risk of the recently reopened bridges on State Highway 72 being closed again. 4. The goal is to reopen State Highway 6 on the West Coast before Christmas, but this is entirely dependent on the weather conditions. If the weather remains favorable, the road repair progress will be normal, but if there is another heavy rain, it will affect the repair schedule. Therefore, travelers planning to visit the West Coast of the South Island around Christmas and New Year's need to closely monitor the road repair progress. The New Zealand Transport Agency's update on December 10th at 4pm: SH6 - The past two days have been sunny, and road repair progress has been smooth. The agency has been working to clear the landslide section between Fox and Franz Josef towns, aiming to reopen the Hokitika - Makarora section before Christmas. The Whataroa - Harihari section, which has suffered the most damage, is still closed due to multiple landslides, and the agency is striving to reopen it before Christmas ?
New Zealand Q&A
I just got home today. Let me share my experience of renting a car in Italy for your reference. I picked up the car on October 6th and returned it on the 28th, a total of 22 days. I rented from AVIS for a total of 374.6 euros. They tried to sell me insurance, but I refused and said I would take responsibility for any issues. They didn't force me to buy the insurance in the end. They pre-authorized 94.86 euros on my card as a deposit. I booked a BMW 3 series, but they gave me a BMW X1 with navigation. I had heard about people getting downgraded cars before, so I didn't expect much and didn't argue about getting the X1. When I picked up the car, there were noticeable scratches on the front and back. I asked the AVIS staff to record them before I drove off, and they used a yellow marker to mark them on the contract, then circled and signed them with a black pen. The gas tank was not full, and they marked it with a stamp. The car wasn't very clean when I picked it up. When I returned the car, I made sure it was relatively clean. I told the person who received the car that all the scratches were old and showed him the previous markings. I also said that I take good care of the car, and he said I was a good renter . He told me there were no issues and I could leave. I was still worried about any potential problems, so I took new photos of the car from all angles with the date displayed. It's only been a few days since I returned the car, so I don't know if there will be any issues ?
Italy Q&A
The enthusiasm of the people of Sicily, Italy, is a passionate and unrestrained one. In Rome, the enthusiasm you see is a refined routine. For example, when you go to a restaurant, the waiter will recommend two special dishes for the day. When you ask what they are, he will tell you about the volcano beef and swan roasted fish... The prices are all on the menu. Each dish is about 25 euros, not bad, right? When you're halfway through the meal, they will bring you a glass of ice wine, telling you it's complimentary, and shake hands with you... As for the swan roasted fish, they will enthusiastically ask if you need help opening it. I firmly say no, but they will still help you open it as if they didn't hear me... Let's talk about the bill. When you pay, they will tell you it's 293 euros, plus a 10% service charge, and fish is charged by weight (the fish is at most 1.5 pounds, and the beef is only the size of a fist, definitely not 2 pounds), and the water before the meal is 10 euros. Also, when taking a taxi, make sure to use the meter... And there are a lot of pickpockets there, so be careful of women wearing scarves. Even if you put your bag in front of you, it won't help. They will use the scarf to block your line of sight... They usually work in groups... Even so, Italy is still very, very beautiful. It feels like walking in a historical museum, and shopping is also very enjoyable... Wishing friends a pleasant journey ?
Italy 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