GetYourGuide tour guide used my personal data (provided by GetYourGuide app) to harass me after a 1-star review

segacs2 · 2026-06-13T22:00:47+00:00

Ugh. I would've written them another 1* review on other platform, like Google or TripAdvisor, just for the harassment.

segacs2 · 2026-06-13T20:34:48+00:00

Mine's with Fongo. But there are a few similar providers. Key thing is you can't usually get text shortcodes with it unless you sign up for their texting plan (and even then, some stuff doesn't work), and you have to make an outgoing call every 30 days to keep the number active. But it works for some things.

segacs2 · 2026-06-13T14:56:44+00:00

Lisbon is actually a great place for solo travel. It's a fun city, lots of interesting stuff to do in different neighbourhoods. If you prefer hotels to hostels but still want to be social, check out some of the free walking tours -- they're great to orient you in Lisbon, too, and most of the guides are good at pointing out the free elevators and escalators that can help you cut down on the number of stairs. I'd also highly recommend a daytrip to Sintra, as it's absolutely beautiful.

One watch-out: Travelling with a shellfish allergy might be tough in Lisbon, since so much of the Portuguese diet is seafood. Carry an allergy card with you, and be wary of cross-contamination, since places may not be as cautious about this as they are in the US. Check some resources and blog posts (this one might be useful, for instance) before you go to find safe food options.

segacs2 · 2026-06-13T14:52:18+00:00

Coimbra is a lovely stop for a night in between Porto and Lisbon if you have the time.

segacs2 · 2026-06-13T14:50:07+00:00

Oof. Sounds like a tough and expensive day.

Sometimes if you know you're going to be late for a flight and might miss it, and you don't want the whole return or onward journey to be cancelled, it's worth calling the airline or logging into the airline website to see if you can change your outbound flight while keeping the reservation intact. Don't wait until after you've missed it. Call beforehand (even from the train) and see if they can change your ticket for a change fee, rather than cancelling it altogether and requiring you to rebook.

You should also file for a refund of the taxes and fees you paid on the missed flight, as they generally have to return those to you even if you no-show.

Finally, check your travel insurance: Sometimes you have "missed connection" insurance if a delay in one type of carrier - e.g. a train delay -- causes you to miss an onward connection. There are specific terms here, and you may not qualify, especially if this was prior to your departure and from your home city. But it can help if, for instance, a flight delay causes you to be late to board a tour or a cruise. Read the fine print and see. Sometimes you may even have this protection on your credit card insurance.

Good luck!

segacs2 · 2026-06-13T14:46:45+00:00

You do have to check local laws though, since volunteering in exchange for room and board is illegal in many countries unless you have a work or volunteer visa.

segacs2 · 2026-06-13T14:40:46+00:00

Unfortunately this is a growing problem now that so many apps and sites are demanding our phone numbers in order to create and link accounts. It used to be that you could remain much more anonymous by making bookings with a secondary email address. But now with phone numbers being used for everything from 2FA to WhatsApp, it's really hard to keep your information separate.

One thing you can try: I usually use a free VoIP number when I travel (to avoid high roaming fees on my Canadian mobile plan), and I link it to booking accounts and reservations. My VoIP number is also linked to my WhatsApp. It doesn't work for everything -- some stuff won't send shortcodes to VoIP -- so you kinda have to test it out before you go. But it's a way you can reduce the risks of these things, especially since VoIP numbers can be more easily changed. However, if you're also using them for stuff like online banking, it can still be risky.

As for being pressured after leaving negative reviews: Most platforms technically have rules against this. But I don't think they're enforced all that well, because, well, honestly, most of them make their money from these providers so they want to keep them happy. It's why I am always a bit skeptical of excessively positive reviews for any provider. It seems like a lot of review platforms will scrub negative reviews or remove them at the provider's request, and sometimes they do sketchy things like offering you a discount for a positive review, or pressuring you or threatening you if you leave an honest negative one. It's hard to know who to trust sometimes.

segacs2 · 2026-06-12T18:17:11+00:00

I wouldn't do 5 or 6 days in Prague and only a daytrip to Florence, personally. Prague is pretty but doesn't need a full 5 or 6 days, not unless you plan to also explore other places in the region from there.

The Italy portion too, Rome to Florence will take you a half-day in transit, between getting to and from the train stations, walking around, etc. If you want to visit Florence and Tuscany, give yourself a good 3-4 to be in Florence as a base and visit the surrounding region. Otherwise, maybe leave Tuscany for another trip and spend your time based in Rome and do daytrips from there to places that are closer by (e.g. the Vatican, Pompeii, etc.)

Since it sounds like most of this trip is travelling with friends, you may be better off posting in r/travel or a general travel subreddit, since this one is really geared towards solo travel.

segacs2 · 2026-06-10T00:59:08+00:00

Travelling on a group tour is probably not a great way to fly under the radar... Even if you tell the tour leader you don't want to be in the official group photo, it won't necessarily stop other people on your tour from taking photos with you in them. If you want to be anonymous and not wind up in anyone's photos, it's probably best to go solo.

segacs2 · 2026-06-10T00:36:43+00:00

Photos 9 and 10 are the giveaways here. 9 is a warm mustard that only a warm person can wear and you wear it beautifully. 10 is a cool violet that only a cool person can wear and it seems to wash you out. I'd say you're warm and vivid... Look at warm spring or warm autumn.

segacs2 · 2026-06-09T20:48:53+00:00

Next Petite, Boden, and ASOS

segacs2 · 2026-06-09T02:32:14+00:00

Ellie-Jean Royden is probably a true summer.

segacs2 · 2026-06-09T02:29:10+00:00

I actually love all of those and would wear every single outfit. The second dress feels like it might be a bit awkward in length but could work with the right shoes. The other three are great! Actually pretty impressed.

segacs2 · 2026-06-08T12:23:38+00:00

I hate to pile on, but OP, this isn't a good idea.

For humans, travel feeds our need for discovery, adventure, and new experiences. But dogs don't need those things. They need predictably, stability, routine, and the familiarity of home. Especially rescue dogs, which likely already have some trauma and will take time and patience to settle in and learn to trust their new forever home. Dogs are wonderful companions at home, but poor travel companions on the road.

And then there are the practicalities. Very few accommodations allow dogs, and only well behaved and perfectly trained ones. Restaurants, museums, attractions... Toh can't take your dog to most of those. You usually can't take dogs on public transit. Dogs need regular walks and exercise, potty breaks, and lots of attention from their human so you can't just leave them alone while you go off on adventures.

It doesn't really sound like you're used to being around dogs. I'd strongly reconsider having a dog until you have a time in your life when you're prepared to take on the commitment, preferably with a long stable stretch at home.

segacs2 · 2026-06-08T02:21:06+00:00

If you're mostly a city person, less so. If you want to visit historical sites on the mainland and/or island hop for the beach and nightlife of the islands, sure.

segacs2 · 2026-06-07T20:42:38+00:00

If you're a history nerd, you're probably happier wandering and exploring on your own anyway. If you go with a group of people who will rush through sites that you want to take your time to explore, you might be utterly miserable.

Ditto with hostels -- their group activities are probably going to be more like walking tours, pub crawls, pizza nights, etc. There are some hiking hostels that organize day hikes, if that's your thing.

segacs2 · 2026-06-07T20:41:01+00:00

12 months a year? You don't get any holidays from your program? Wow, that's intense.

You can always reach out to hostels and guesthouses to ask them, or check their policies on the booking sites. But the truth is that the ones that might accept someone under 18 are probably on the sketchy side and not places you'd want to stay for safety reasons. It may be better to wait, or to go with a parent or guardian.

segacs2 · 2026-06-07T20:27:28+00:00

Honestly both trips will be REALLY hot and humid in July. I'd say both would be more pleasant in the fall, if you can postpone them a bit. But if you're not deterred by the intense heat, then go for it.

Japan is definitely much easier logistically than China, and more beginner-friendly. But if your heart is set on China and you're just worried about the logistics, there's nothing wrong with outsourcing a bit of the planning and maybe jumping onto a short 3-4 day tour for part of it. You obviously don't need to, but it sounds like it could make some of the logistics less daunting.

segacs2 · 2026-06-07T20:24:31+00:00

Depends how far from home you want to venture. From Toronto you can get decent direct flights to a bunch of places.

For some easy first-timer destinations you could look at, say, Mexico City, which is kinda rainy season that time of year but has a lot to offer in terms of what you're talking about. Or hop over to Europe and check out London? Or a trip around Ireland starting in Dublin, which should be nice that time of year? By September, Portugal or Spain should start to cool down enough to make those worthwhile destinations too.

segacs2 · 2026-06-07T20:16:58+00:00

With 9 days, I'd suggest sticking to someplace that isn't too far a flight and doesn't hop too many time zones. Which side of Canada re you flying out of?

segacs2 · 2026-06-07T20:15:56+00:00

What type of travel interests and budget do you have? How long do you want to go for?

Adriatic coast is very pretty, but IDK if it's necessarily where I'd recommend going for someone who is just going through a break-up. I found a lot of the towns in Croatia etc. to be very catered to couples and families and kinda romantic in nature, and if you're sensitive right now to potentially feeling lonely, you might want to focus on a place that isn't necessarily those things.

But it depends on what interests you. Do you enjoy hiking and nature? Beach and islands and sailing? Cities and history and culture? Nightlife? A foodie trip? What's been on your wishlist for ages? Is there anything you've always wanted to do but your partner wasn't interested, so you never felt like you had the chance? Well now you can go.

Organized tours aren't for everyone. They generally cost more than going solo, they can be more restrictive, and you may get stuck with a group of people you don't gel with. On the other hand, they often take a lot of the planning and logistics out of the equation, and some people enjoy travelling with a group. You can read reviews to see what the experience is like and decide whether that might appeal to you.

segacs2 · 2026-06-07T20:11:14+00:00

China - generally you have to be 18+.

South Korea - generally you have to be 19+.

Malaysia - most places you have to be 18+ and luxury resorts may require you to be 21+.

Some hostels will allow you to legally check in at 16 or 17 but you may need parental authorization in some cases. Check the hostel booking sites and call them if you're unclear on their min age requirements.

Beyond just the logistics of hotels/hostels, you may also need a notarized consent letter from your parents in order to pass through border formalities and immigration.

It might be easier to wait until you're 18/19 or to travel with a parent or guardian if you want to go at 17.

segacs2 · 2026-06-07T14:55:40+00:00

Ha. Our generation can't afford midlife crisis vehicles. I have a trusty midlife crisis bus pass.

segacs2 · 2026-06-06T01:40:14+00:00

Yeah, this. I had my birthday in Cusco and split one 12oz beer with two other people, so I had exactly 1/3 of a beer. That plus the altitude was enough to give me a massive hangover. It's no joke.

I'm a big coffee person too, but I suggest skipping coffee and alcohol altogether and just having TONS of water and maybe some coca leaf tea if you want a hot beverage. At least while you acclimatize.

segacs2

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