I went for 20 days last year and did kind of marathon type trip, 3 nights every city. 10 cities total.

This year I plan on staycation 5.5 weeks- 3 locations.

My spanish level is like 100 words. I can navigate life but I can't have major conversations. I understand what people say somehow for like instructions, etc. but not socially. I met good amount that spoke English and it made it easy I guess.

Some background about me:

I went through just about the most hardship a person could go through last few years. My wife had a 2nd affair. We suffered major fire. I lost most of my friends due to them being jerks. Had a bout with anemia.

This trip:

I'm doing Malaga, Valencia, and Barcelona for sonar festival and Girona a few nights. I plan on going to beaches, exploring, going hiking, wining and dining. The problem with Spain is it feels like everyone has friends or family there and I'm just by myself alone and it is awkward for me because I've always been with someone (my future ex) for 17 years. I did meet people at weed clubs, at the festival itself, within valencia, etc. but I was like hardcore stared at by the locals like I'm some marvel and it felt awkward. At the beaches I was stared at a lot and I don't know whether that is a good place to approach women or how to behave in a place like that solo (with naked women on beach). The language barrier makes it such that everyone has no idea what I am saying because my accent is so raw.

Challenges that are hard to overcome:

I faced immense exhaustion last trip with jetlag and pushing myself hard and not eating good enough. I lost weight on the trip. I guess I did 5 days of rave dancing and didn't really relax.

The Spain heat is like naptime type weather...depends which city at which time but 4-6pm seville you want to sleep. It makes it hard to function 100%. If you sweat too much that is another way you could get drained.

My crap Spanish level is good enough for me to tell a story but I just cannot understand a single thing anyone says almost.

Sense of community that brings me back:

Despite feeling completely alone for days, the community in Spain made me feel like I was surrounded by family. I went to church and was very touching for me. I'd walk around at night and everyone is laughing full of life so happy. Everyone I did meet was so very nice.

Hi all - I'm going to do the banana pancake trail this year and have 7 weeks to do it. I'm skipping the Thai islands as I'm already going to Indonesia and Philippines after this loop, and wanting to visit Thai islands by itself at some point in the future.

I wanted to get your thoughts on the itinerary I have - looking to get tips on where to spend more or less time at. Or if you have any tips on substituting any of the stops for something else - I'm open to hear it! I only booked the first week and my itinerary isn't set in stone, I just need to be in Pnohm Penh (really want to see Ankor Wat) by the end of 7 weeks.

3 days - Bangkok

4 days - Chiang Mai

4 days - Pai

2 days - Chiang Rai/Chiang Khong (Really just in transit to get to the slow boat)

2 days - Slow boat

3 4 days - Luang Prabang

4 3 days - Vang Vieng

3 days - Hanoi (flying from Vang Vieng to save time)

4 days - Ha Giang

4 days - Cao Bang

4 days - Cat Ba Island

2/3 days - Ninh Binh

2 days - Phong Nha

3 days - Hoi An (flying to Siem Reap to save time)

4 days - Pnohm Penh Siem Reap (Ankor Wat)

Thank you in advance!

I (26F) am attending a work conference in Lucca this May! I am planning on adding 7-10 days to the end of my work trip (since I’ll already be there and my flights are covered) to see Italy as a tourist. I’ve traveled around Europe a bit but never Italy, so I would love some advice. I’ll be starting in Lucca (which certainly isn't the most convienent place to start the trip) and ending in Florence (where my departure flight is). I was thinking at least 5 days in Rome and 3 days in Florence to end. I’m open to adding another city or two. What shouldn’t I miss?

1. Is Naples worth adding the trip? (I’d love to see Pompeii) Would these days/travel time be better spent elsewhere? 
2. Is Pisa worth adding on? I’ve heard VERY mixed reviews

I’m not going to have a car, so I’ll be relying on public transit and staying in hostels. I would also love recommendations, especially for a girl on a budget (but still being safe for a solo female and clean).

Also, open to general advice or can’t-miss places! I’m in the very early planning stages so any advice is welcome :)

Hi everyone! I will be visiting Madeira Portugal for 8 nights next month, so a full week. I will have a car throughout my entire stay and will be basing at Ribeira Brava.

Please see my itinerary below and let me know if it's good for the goal of my trip, or if there are better spots that will suit my interests.

The goal of this trip for me is to aim for a "wow" factor. I want dramatic hikes and dramatic scenery, amazing landscapes, exploring cute little villages and towns, and being surrounded by nature.

Is this itinerary a good fit for what I want or are there better spots I should divert my attention and time to?

MADEIRA 

DAY 1: ARRIVE, SETTLE IN, EXPLORE NEARBY TOWN IN RIBEIRA BRAVA OR EXPLORE FUNCHAL

DAY 2: FUNCHAL (OLD TOWN, FARMERS MARKET) / MONTE PALACE GARDENS

DAY 3: PR1 VEREDA DO AREERIO - PICO DE ARIEEIRO TO PICO RUIVO HIKE (MOUNTAIN HIKE) (MIGHT SIGN UP FOR A GROUP TOUR ON THIS ONE)

DAY 4 SAO VICENTE , SEXIAL, RIBEIRA DA JANELA, PORTO MONIZ, ACHADAS DA CRUZ CABLE CAR

DAY 5: FANAL FOREST, AND PR11 LEVADA DOS BALCOES OR LEVADA DAS 25 FONTES WALK AND RISCO WATERFALL

DAY 6: PR8 VEREDA DA PONTA DE SAO LOURENCO (COASTAL HIKE), SANTANA, MIRADUORO DO GUINDASTE, RIBEIRO FRIO

DAY 7: CURRAL DAS FREIRAS (VALLEY OF NUNS), PONTA DO SOL AND LEVADA NOVA WITHIN PONTA DO SOL 

DAY 8: REST DAY / DO THINGS I COULDN’T DO / EXPLORE

DAY 9: FLY TO PORTO

Any suggestions are welcome and appreciated. Are there any other stunning hikes to add? Thank you in advance!

I'm a 21M and am considering traveling to Panama City Beach during spring break. However, all my friends are tied down in relationships, and most of them don't share the same adventure when it comes to traveling. I was thinking of going to Panama City Beach as it's super popular in Florida where I live, during Spring Break. I am pretty introverted and even more so around cliquey groups that have no interest in talking/interacting with other people outside their group. Although, when I feel a vibe with someone I become an extrovert. Does anyone have any advice on solo traveling to events like these where you'd usually go with a group? Any advice from someone who's been to Panama City Beach during spring break would be very helpful. As well as any other cities that make sense as good candidates for solo travel.

i'm planning a trip, perhaps Feb/Mar, for a couple weeks in the area.

the official website didn't offer so much information, so i'll assume there's no huts to camp inside the park. i'm more interested in the wetlands and caves, but i can make time for Gunung Kerinci.

1. is there a calendar anywhere to check for Rafflesia blooming?
2. where did you stay?
3. i was hoping to rent a scooter and travel around like that, but not even certain that's possible inside the park... or at least from village to village...

thanks to any advice!

Hi all. I have a long layover in Panama city and am thinking of touring around for the evening. Safe
Are there any areas worth checking out for a casual drink (alcoholic/alcoholic)? Is it worth it traveling out of the airport? I enjoy playing cards, pool, and anything related to live music. As always, meeting new people. TYIA.

Curious if its better to show up with colombian pesos or just use an ATM once im in the country. I usually bring cash when i travel because I've had excperiences where I wasnt able to withdraw cash using my debit card or it seems the fee is higher the more I want to withdraw.

Curious what the smarter idea is.

Any other americans get annoyed when the Europeans start shitting on you and on America the second you tell them you’re American. Like what did I even do to you. I get it you’re super superior to me in every way but like I don’t care. Like I don’t mind a little jokes and shit talkings all fun, but when this Dutch guy couldn’t shut the fuck up about the metric system for 3 hours on a bar crawl it’s like bruh get offline

This is so shallow but it’s really affecting my self esteem and enjoyment of the trip. I’ve been backpacking Western Europe for the past 5 weeks and packed like three pairs of pants, two sweaters, one nice top and a dress. Every time I go out/see girls at my hostel, they look stunning, polished, well dressed, and make friends fast. Im only 22 and feel like this should be the prime age to make friends at hostels and look attractive on my trip.

Multiple people have insulted my appearance on this trip, including a guy who said “I look like I work on a farm??” At a club some guy literally waved me off and kissed these stunning, heavily made-up women on the cheek. And none of the cool, pretty, fashionable girls wanted to be friends with me. I clicked with the quieter girls who didn’t like clubbing, but I really wanted to make friends with extroverts. I was honestly just a magnet for drunk thirsty guys who wanted hook ups.

My acne got really bad on the trip too, and I think I’ve been gaining weight. I just feel so ridiculously unattractive and out of place surrounded by these girls. I know I had limited space for packing and had to be practical, and that the girls I spoke to were on shorter trips. I’ve really enjoyed the trip but this aspect has been killing me. I genuinely think Im ugly af after this.

How do y’all avoid feeling this way, and is it common?

EDIT: you guys are mean :( I didn’t want to go on dates or hook up with anyone. I have insecurities that came out unexpectedly while solo traveling. Damn I guess I don’t have a community here like I originally thought.

Also I am fairly thin and in shape, almost underweight so the weight I’ve gained has been negligible just feels weird on me rn

i’ll be in korea for 12 hours and would like to go inside while i’m there. i did some research but not much came up, i tried to fill out my k-eta but the list of nationalities that came up didn’t include Cambodia. do i need a visa? this is what came up when i searched:

this website says

Those who are qualified for this program must get an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) before entering to Republic of Korea. o Visit K-ETA website to check if you are qualified for this program.

• Additional information: Temporary exemption of K-ETA (~ December 31, 2024):

[Details] Tourists in Transit (B2 Program) o Tourists with a certain citizenship (e.g. China, Mongolia, Vietnam, Philippines, India, Cambodia, Laos, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Armenia, etc.) in transit to another countries via Korea, can visit Korea without a visa for up to 30 days.

• This rule does not apply to the nationals of 24 countries (e.g. Syria, Sudan, Iran, Cuba, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Ghana, etc.) or those who have violated Korean immigration law.

o Eligible Applicants: Those who hold a visa or Permanent residency of the U.S. and have a flight ticket that is scheduled to depart from Korea within 30 days; Those who go to U.S in transit via Korea; Those who stay in the U.S. and take a flight from the U.S. to Korea to go to a country of nationality or a third country.

And the airport’s website says even if you’re from a visa-free country, if you’re not from a K-eta exempt country, you need to apply. Please help.

Hi all! I’m planning a trip to Turkey and Bulgaria this spring and would love any feedback/recommendations before I start booking.

This is my plan as of now: (edit - fixed the formatting so it's readable, sorry!!)

Day 1 (April 19) - land in Istanbul, flight to Izmir, spend the night there

Day 2 - Izmir Day

3 - Day trip from Izmir to Ephesus

Day 4 - Izmir most of the day, then bus to Çesme to spend the night there

Day 5 - ferry to Chios

Day 6 - Chios

Day 7 - Chios

Day 8 - travel day to Çanakkale (ferry to Çesme, bus to Çanakkale via Izmir)

Day 9 - Troy/Çanakkale

Day 10 - travel day to Istanbul

Day 11 - Istanbul

Day 12 - Istanbul

Day 13 - Istanbul

Day 14 - Istanbul

Day 15 - Istanbul, but at night get on the night train to Sofia

Days 16-22 - Bulgaria (seven full days). I’m still deciding how to split this up between Plovdiv, Sofia, Veliko Tarnovo, and day trips probably Rila)

Day 23 (May 11) - fly home

I have been to Bulgaria before and loved it, (same with Greece), but I haven’t been to Turkey. There’s obviously a lot of Turkey I won’t get to but I’ll hit my must-sees with this itinerary.

Interests - archaeology, history, walking around/exploring cities. I don’t care much about nightlife. I like beaches, but that’s pretty low priority for this trip, and anyway I don’t know if the weather would be good for that in April/May.

My budget is fairly flexible - I’m planning to stay in hostels but might get private rooms.

Thanks in advance for any advice/feedback/recs!!

Headed to Singapore in about six weeks. Always been curious about it, but other Southeast Asian destinations have always won out and have never visited.

I scored a round-trip Singapore Airlines business class seat using credit card points (humble brag), and after that, I’ll be heading to Thailand and Vietnam. But first, I need to decide: 2 nights or 3 in Singapore?

I’ve done my research (a.k.a. watched too many YouTube videos) and it seems the main attractions are:

• Shopping – Hard pass.
• Historic sites – Cool in moderation, but I tap out after too many plaques.
• Marina Bay Sands – Looks wild, so I’ll check it out.
• Eating – Love it, but food alone won’t keep me entertained.

Other things I might enjoy:

• Gardens – Could be cool for a couple of hours, but will I find them too artificial? Manmade rain? Really?
• People watching & chaos watching
• Meeting interesting people.

I land at 6 AM, so I’ll have a full first day (possibly jetlagged). Should I stay 2 nights (one full day to explore) or 3 nights (two full days)? I’ll be staying at the Andaz, if that factors in.

So, what do you recommend? Will 3 nights be too much for someone who hates shopping and has a short attention span for historical stuff? Appreciate any insights!

Hey :)

I am thinking about visiting Riga in the end of may (i dont like it, when its to hot) for about 6-7 days, and have been scouting for things to see. So far this is the list i have come up with:

KGB Museum

Museum of the Occupation of Latvia

Latvian War Museum

Riga Motormuseum

Riga Radio and TV Tower

Soviet Bunker in Līgatne (possible to visit)?

I generally like to explore the more "nerded stuff" - so things like cold war exhibits, car museums, nuclear reactors, etc.

Does anyone have some experience from visiting Riga, and what can you recommend seeing? Should i stay at the old town, or is this a tourist scam?

I have also looked at Vilnius, but i feel that Riga is a better choice - correct me if i am wrong :)

Hey everyone :)

I decided I wanted to solo trip for the very first time, and I'll start with a small trip in Mexico. I'll stay 4 full days in Mexico City, and then I have 8 full days starting in Cancún, where I was planning to rent a car and travel around. But I'm having a bit of trouble of planning the route with the car: I wanted clearly to do too many things, such as: Holbox, Isla mujeres, visiting Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Mahahual and Bacalar, Merida, Progreso, Izamal, Homun, Tulum, Chichén Itzá (kinda feel I really need to pass by even though I've read there are some great equally impressive alternatives?), and Celestún. So clearly... too much.. What would you recommend? I do have a place where I can sleep in Cancún (friend of a friend of a friend), and I'd like mostly to explore beaches, swim, read during the day, maybe having a drink or two at night. I'm fluent with Spanish.

Any saviour that would provide me some suggestions to my existencial dilema?

Thanks a lot in advance!!

Hello, I am planing on doing the Everest base camp trek and I have a few questions about it.

1. Should you book a flight to lukla before or when you are in Kathmandu. How expensive is the roundtrip?

2. Should you get a sherpa/porter/guide before or in Kathmandu/Lukla. Do you have any recommendations for a argency?

3. I think I will need 14-16 days for the trek. Is this realistic or you get some spare days in Kathmandu?

4. What equipment do you need and how big should your bag be?

I will fly from Germany and my budget is about 2.500 - 3.500 €, but I could pay more if necessary. If you have any more tips or things to consider, please let us know

Thanks In advance :)

Hi there - trying to submit this post again with the suggested information by the mods.

Looking for some route advice for the following countries I'd like to visit later this year, my itinerary is as follows :

UK -> Thailand -> Cambodia -> Vietnam -> Malaysia -> Indonesia/Bali -> Singapore -> Australia -> New Zealand -> Aus -> Japan

- Does this make sense from a flight perspective (I have researched that there are flights in between these countries), but are there some obvious boat opportunities?

- I'd also like to visit the Phillipines, is there a recommendation for travel to/from there?

My interests are general tourism/sight-seeing/points of interest, 'light' hiking and food.

I do not plan to work in any of these countries.

Thank you in advance for guidance/advice/criticism :)

Hey everyone, I’m planning a solo trip to Bali and Gili T from Feb 22 - Feb 28, staying in hostels to meet people and have a mix of adventure, partying, and relaxation. I’d love some advice on whether this rough itinerary makes sense or if I should tweak anything.

Rough Itinerary:

• Feb 22 (Sat) - Arrive in Bali at night (Ubud)
• Feb 23 (Sun) - Ubud
• Feb 24 (Mon) - Travel to Gili T & Chill
• Feb 25 (Tue) - Snorkeling/Scuba & Foam Party
• Feb 26 (Wed) - Gili T Boat Party & Chill
• Feb 27 (Thu) - Back to Bali & Waterbom
• Feb 28 (Fri) - Uluwatu
• Mar 1 (Sat) - Fly out in the morning

I would love to hear from anyone who's been to Bali recently. Any tips, tweaks, or must-dos? Should I replace any Ubud/Uluwatu/Waterboom with Canggu to explore more beach clubs & nightlife? Thanks in advance! 🙌

Seems like an enviable thing to do, traveling and making money on video at the same time, and having money for the next trip

What do you think of these people? Why don't you do it?

[Turkey/Greece Travel Itinerary Feedback Needed] May Trip 🇹🇷🇬🇷

Hey everyone! I’d love to get your thoughts on this itinerary. I know it’s a lot in a short period, but I want to make the most of our trip. Open to tweaks and suggestions!

Here’s the rough plan:

📍 Istanbul – 3 nights (fly to...)
📍 Cappadocia – 2 nights (fly to Antalya?)
📍 Kas – 2 nights (possibly a day trip to Kastellorizo 🇬🇷)
📍 Fethiye – 2 nights
📍 Bodrum or Marmaris – 1 night
📍 Ephesus (Selçuk) – 1 night
📍 Greek Island Hopping (1-2 Islands) – 7 days (flexible to reduce and add more time elsewhere)
📍 Back to Istanbul – 1 night (if needed)

Some things I'd love input on:

🚗 Best way to start the Turkey road trip?
I’d prefer to avoid flying into Antalya since I’d have to drive 4+ hours to Kas. But if I fly to another airport, I’d kind of have to drive back? Would it be easier to start with a Greek island, fly there first, and then pick up a car for the road trip? Any better options?

🚙 Car Rental Logistics in Turkey
I’m struggling to figure out the best place to pick up and drop off the car to avoid unnecessary long drives or backtracking. If I start in Kas, where should I rent the car? Would it be best to drop it off in Bodrum before heading to the Greek islands? Open to better ideas!

🏝 Best Turkish or Greek islands for beaches & natural beauty?
I am considering Symi but trying to figure out the best way to get there without too many flights. Any other islands worth adding?

⛴ Best way to connect Greece & Turkey?
Looking for the smoothest way to move between islands and back to Turkey. I thought about doing a 5-day Gulet cruise, but not sure if it would be too expensive. Any alternative ways to explore multiple islands easily?

💡 Any red flags or better ways to structure this?
I’m happy to do the Greek Islands first if that makes logistics easier, especially since I need to fly back to Istanbul at the end.

Hey! I’m heading from Satun, Thailand across the border into Georgetown. Got a few questions & open to loads of tips. BTW if anyone knows, is there cross border buses from Thailand to Malaysia or would I have to hail to Perlis after border crossing

ROUTE SO FAR :

Penang (3-4 nights in Georgetown - (maybe Cameron Highland) - Taman Negara - Kuala Lumpur - Kota Kinabalu then onwards to Vietnam ..

Feel free to recommend some additions or shaves

How budget friendly would a trip to Cameron Highlands/Taman Negara be? Solo backpacker who loves nature def want to visit if it’s not crazy pricey for the 2/3 day tours in Taman especially

Thank you

I’ve been solo travelling Asia since september and in december I came to do a working holiday in Australia. I’m now in Melbourne and have (JUST) signed onto a flat with lovely people but im really thinking I made the wrong decision. I’m running low on money and I cannot get a job (been trying for a month). I really want to travel aus and I think my money will be much better off in doing that rather than just wasting my days doing nothing here. I have pretty bad anxiety and i feel like a depression is coming on because everything is so up in the air. Im extremely homesick sick and just really dont feel like im in the right place. I just feel so bad for letting my flatmates down (although in this market they will easily find a replacement!). I want to travel for a month on the east coast and then go home. but Am i being too hasty? Ive been in Australia nearly 2 months and Melbourne a month and i think ive given it a fair shot. Its mainly the lack of money and wasting what i have just living is what is throwing me off. I think travelling around for a few weeks will give me all i need. But i dont want to be making big decisions and regretting them. I have spoken with my friends and family back home and they seem to all agree with me but are they just being ‘yes’ people…?! any advice would be appreciated <3

I am a solo travel in my mid-30s (m) and I don’t know how to pace things out. I go hardcore and just keep going. I am active and can’t sit still.

I had two hours in a little quaint village. There were parks, pubs, flower markets, coffee shops, etc but after 40 minutes I was ready to move on. I was making circles around that village anxious to get back on the road again. I tried to sit in the park, drink my coffee, and watch the birds. But I couldn’t sit still.

Same with a large city. I don’t know how people can spend more than 4 days in a place without get antsy and ready to move on to another place.

I have tried to find a place and just sit but my mind doesn’t like that. What are some techniques to just slow down?

I (25M, USA) am going to Buenos Aires by myself the last two weeks of February, and have 2 questions:

1. I would like to see a soccer game - specifically Boca Juniors vs. CA Aldosivi @ Alberto J. Armando stadium 2/23/25 - what advice do you have regarding purchasing tickets? Is StubHub reliable or not at all? If not where should I buy tickets? Is ~$90 a ticket reasonable? Does buying in advance make sense or should I wait?

2. I am taking a day to see Iguazu Falls. As of now I am planning to fly there in the morning, tour it all day and fly back in the evening. However this means I do not get to see the Brazilian side; to see Brazil I need to stay overnight, see it in the morning and fly home then. I'm doing this both to save money and because it doesn't seem necessary. Should I book a hotel 1 night in Iguazu and see the Brazilian side of Iguazu Falls in the morning? Or am I right in deciding to do it all in one day and only the Argentine side?

Thanks for any input and feel free to recommend anything else completely unrelated to these two questions.

As I've gotten older, I've realized that seeing things while traveling is much less important to me than general human/social experiences.

With that being said, something that I've started to really enjoy while solo traveling is taking cooking classes on my trips.

What are some other "social" things to do while in random cities where you might spend 2-3 hours getting to know random strangers and chatting etc.

Thanks for any insights.

I’m going to be in Europe for 53 days this summer, with all the time in the world, and I need some advice on how much should I book in advance while leaving room to be whimsical and go on random adventures.

The loose structure of the trip is to hit the major cities in East Germany as well as smaller ones related to authors I really like, but I also want to do at least a week in Prague and Poland.

My traveler friends have suggested to leave some stuff unbooked so that I can pivot at a moments notice if an unexpected opportunity arises.

That said, I’m a little worried about showing up in a city and having no where to stay if I need a place last minute.

Any advice or recommendations would be appreciated!

GUATEMALA I plan to exit Guatemala in a few days and can't find information on the current exit fees. BELIZE has an exit fee at land borders of $20US ($40BZ). The airport fee is higher, but usually built into your ticket price. The water exit fee is lower. Please add to or edit this post to help keep info current

So yeah, in 4 weeks I plan to be in Mexico. I don't really like the planning phase but need to book some flights pretty soon from Germany. It's my (23M) second time being outside of Europe, the first time being Morocco for 2 days. I have a friend I want to meet up with who's going to be around Cancun in the 3rd week of my vacation.

So my basic plan was to fly to Mexico City, and then travel slowly through the country (visiting Puebla, Oaxaca, Chiapas,...) with bus. (Basically 3 weeks until I want to be in Cancun) And finally fly back probably from Cancun/Tulum. I'm just not sure if I'm missing something before booking flights. Am I underestimating the size of this country? Should I focus more on a few cities and do a flight in-between? Are the buses safe?

I just need some safety so I can just book some flights and then do the further planning.

Also, regarding SIM cards, just get one there? I heard you can get ones from Telcel/AT&T for 20$/month

Also open for place recommendations. I like to hike, I want to see some cenotes, some jungle and nature in general, maybe go to the shore somewhere other than Cancun? I fear a bit that it's too touristy for my liking...

I thought I'd be traveling with my partner for my 30th birthday trip, but he broke up with me unexpectedly. Amongst the things I'm grieving is the fact that we were going to do this trip together. I've solo traveled in the past, and while I had fun, I also got incredibly lonely. I'm planning to go to Thailand.

To those of you who want to travel but are bummed that you're doing it alone, how do you make it more enjoyable and stave off loneliness?

Hello, I hope everyone is well! I am (hopefully) looking toward a trip to Kyrgyzstan later this year, and wanted to ask a few logistical questions to those in-the-know. (Cross-posting from r/Kyrgyzstan, since my post hasn't gotten mod-cleared yet.)

This trip is projected to begin and end in Osh. Direct flights from where I live seem virtually nonexistent, but finding flights to Bishkek is no problem. It seems the most popular/most widely recommended option from Bishkek to Osh is to grab a shared taxi - with that in mind:

1. How are the taxis comfort-wise? I'm a tall lad (6'2ish) so at ~13hrs travel time, my legs are already cringing. Should I just to try and get first dibs on the front seat? Are there stop-offs for food, or best to bring snacks? Bathroom breaks, etc.? Any other insight or advice would be appreciated.

2. How close does the taxi route get to the Tajik border? Please don't get me wrong, I'm truly not worried/paranoid/etc. and I imagine it's plenty safe, I just caught the State Dept. caution to "reconsider travel" within 30km of the border, and I have a few people in my life who are prone to worry about me (which I appreciate). So if I can tell those folks, "Look, it's not within 30km," I'm sure it would assuage their concerns.

3. Am I right to forego a direct flight between Bishkek and Osh? I'd opted out because of safety concerns, but now I read about some airlines maybe getting taken off the EU's safety blacklist?

Honest to goodness I'm relaxed about visiting lol, just the logistics are a little more particular than I'm used to, so trying to weigh my transport options. Maybe I just book a separate flight to Istanbul/Dubai and fly direct to Osh from there, but also I'm curious to see Bishkek, sooo...decisions, hah. I'm dying to visit, so any wisdom folks can share would be most helpful and most appreciated! Thanks much in advance.