I actually went to Rovaniemi two years ago, and visited Santa's home there, which sparked this initial question.

After hearing more about it today from a friend, that other places claim he has a different home, I figured I'd ask the question, and start researching too.

It appears there's certainly several: North America - both Canada and the US have traditions stating that Santa lives at the North Pole, and post goes to postal code H0H

(oddly, this is actually Montreal in Quebec).

However there's no possibility of actually visiting a Santa at the North Pole, unless you bring your own. :(

Alaska

- there's a town called "North Pole" there, which has a Santa Claus house, where Santa can be visited.

The Nordic regions - Each Nordic country claims they have Santa there - Norway claims he lives in Drøbak.

In Denmark, they claim he lives in Greenland (near Uummannaq), in Sweden it's Mora, and in Finland

either Korvatunturi or the place I visited - Rovaniemi.

( source: Wikipedia )

North Pole is a town in Alaska whose main business is about Santa Claus .

You can also visit the tomb of his ancestor , Saint Nicholas , at Demre in Turkey.

In Ontario, a little south of what I would consider Northern Ontario, is a Santa's Village that is only open in the summer, though parts of it open briefly just before Christmas for SantaFest.

Their tag line is located half way between the equator and the North Pole, it’s where Santa spends the warm months relaxing and experiencing the joy of Christmas all summer long.

It's reasonably well-reviewed and is the top rated attraction in Bracebridge (a very tiny town in cottage country.)

The Canadian government has recently affirmed that Santa is Canadian and the North Pole is in Canada.

Though the first claim was mostly to make another party look bad and the second was about shipping lanes and territory, but what the heck.

The US got quite bent out of shape about it and the Germans are trying to get UNESCO to declare Santa to be German.

So be aware that your geographical quest could turn political unless you're happy with many simultaneously true answers.

The Basilica of Saint Nicholas in Bari, Italy.

Saint Nicholas Church in Myra, Turkey.

Since Santa is a multi hybrid which all leads back to the Germanic god Odin .

In pre-christian Europe it was the common believe that Odin was traveling with his flying eight-legged horse Sleipnir.

Also in the pre-christian Europe the germanic people celebrated Yule on midwinter day.

It was this celebration that was used to christianize Europe.

A spar with lights so common in current Christmas tradition comes from this Yule festival.

(Source: Wikipedia)

In a christian europe, Saint Nicholas took the role of the roof walking saint throwing gifts through the chimneys.

Saint Nicholas up until today is celibrated in various forms throughout Europe.

In Austria Saint Nicholas is assisted by devil like figures called Krampus and in the Netherlands and Belgium Saint Nicholas is called "Sinterklaas" and has various helpers called "black petes".

It is this figure that become the role model for Santa Claus.

After the exchange of New York for Suriname between the English and the Dutch, Sinterklaas kept being celebrated and finally got transformed into Santa Claus.

Having this brief trip to history, to answer your question you have quite some options to visit Santa's house if you like.

Ofcourse you can visit the ones already being mentioned, but since many of us avid travelers it is always nice to have multiple options.

In the Netherlands the story is that sinterklaas comes from Spain.

Why Sinterklaas comes from Spain remains a mystery.

It might had to do with the spanish rule in the Netherlands.

In their anthem, the Dutch are still loyal to the spanish king .

The most real figure is Saint Nicolas himself.

He was the figure used to terminate the pegan worship of Odin.

Visiting his "house" can be done in Myra, Turkey

Since, Santa is a fictional figure that still has its houses (see earlier houses)

, I would state that houses dedicated to Odin, which in the end is the "real" Santa Clause, I would consider the Rosala Viking Center a Santa Clause house as well.

There's Santa's Village in New Hampshire, USA.

It is a theme park which is mostly open during the summer months (but also on weekends throughout the fall and winter months).

There is a Santa Claus who lives there and greets guests, and the entire park is North Pole/Santa themed.

Very surprised that nobody has mentioned Lapland yet.

Here in the UK, Santa (or Father Christmas) is said to live in both the North Pole and in Lapland.

The Noth Pole has already been covered by another answer though, so I'll give Lapland as my answer.

I don't know of any historical connections that would tie him to Lapland, so my guess is that this legend is probably largely due to the fact of reindeer being native to Lapland.

There's a fairly big tourist industry revolving around this, so

I'm surprised nobody else has mentioned it yet.

Oh, and co-incidentally, Lapland is part of Finland... which brings us neatly back to the original question.

Here in the United Kingdom we look forward to a visit from Father Christmas who has become associated with the American Santa Claus.

We always refer to him living in Lapland.

This question is the first time that I've heard of him living in a very specific part of Lapland - Rovaniemi.

Since Christmas and Santa Claus is today a commercial event, the true contemporary home is where christmas is produced, not where it historically may have originated.

so obviously, Santa has moved to China in the meantime.

Specifically, to Xitan , where annually over 62 Mio USD worth of Christmas decoration are made.

There is a Santa Claus Lane in Carpinteria, CA, a little South of Santa Barbara.

I don't know of a building to visit that is in the theme, however

Another option: Santa Claus, Indiana - they've got Christmas and holiday-themed stuff year round, as well as a theme park called Holiday World.

Question: Obviously around this time of the year, Santa and his minions will be out and about, finding out who is naughty and nice, and delivering presents.  However, the rest of the year he's back at his home.  Where is that generally considered to be visitable?  Yes, in some traditions it's the 'North Pole', but I know at least one other country (Finland) has Rovaniemi as his home.   Image source: Wikipedia

Which locations are traditionally Santa's home - i.e. where can you visit Santa Claus year-round?

The tomb of Saint Nicholas is at Demre in Turkey, and he has a basilica in Bari, Italy and a church in Myra, Turkey. There seems to be no historical connection to Lapland, apart from the association with reindeer. Other homes include North Pole in Alaska, a Santa's village in Northern Ontario that is only open in the summer and briefly just before Christmas for SantaFest. The Canadian government has recently  affirmed  that Santa is Canadian and the North Pole is in Canada. There are also Santa's villages in Indiana and New Hampshire. In the Netherlands, Sinterklass is said to come from Spain, and in the UK he comes from Lapland and the North Pole.

Many places in the world clam to be home to Santa Claus. These range from places near the North Pole like Lapland, Alaska to Bari in Italy and Myra in Turkey. Apparently the Canadian Government has affirmed Santa is Canadian.


Some airlines do seminars for exactly that (for example Lufthansa ).

They explain to you beforehand

what sounds you are going to hear, what motions you feel, where they come from and what they mean.

Then, they take you on a short flight so you can experience it all with someone giving you live commentary on what is happening.

The advantage of those courses is that you feel less like locked into an aluminum can without any idea what is happening but rather experience a flight as an informed person.

There are also many other coaches and courses to combat fear of flying.

However, in the end, fear of flying - depending on the level - is a phobia just like any other.

It is safer to travel by air than by car for example.

The vast majority of spiders are completely harmless, too.

From the subject matter, it does not really matter so much if you have arachno-phobia or fear of flying, the psychological process of getting rid of that fear is just the same, but always depending on what works best for your brain.

There are many different ways to detect and to treat phobias, and once you determine if you just feel uncomfortable in turbulence or if you get a panic attack already when you step into the airplane, you can treat the issue accordingly.

After more than a decade in the cabin crew business, I think it's time now to share a tip or two

I know:

Keep your mind busy.

Read a book, play a game on your smart phone, watch a movie, etc.

Take an aisle seat.

It will help you feel a bit in control when your anxiety peaks.

A little walk around the cabin can relieve it.

This is one of the cases where Xanax usage is legitimate, ask your doctor to prescribe some for you and use it shortly before the flight.

The first hour or so of the flight will be the hardest, fear will be less after that and it might start peaking again before landing.

Get enough sleep before the flight.

Do not force yourself to be awake for long time before the flight planning to sleep the whole flight.

If you have fear you know that you can't sleep, lack of sleep makes fear levels higher.

Sleep well before the flight to have a better mood during the flight.

No harm in telling a cabin crew member that you are worried about flying.

If you ever felt scared during the flight, look at their smiling faces, this will help you realize that things are ok.

Always remind yourself that flying is the safest transportation method.

Visit your local airfield and take a flying lesson or two.

You'll better understand what's going on (Aha!

He's adding flaps

so the plane can fly slower!)

, and from then on the commercial flights might be much less scary by comparison.

And who knows, you might like flying.

Many flight schools offer free or low-cost introductory lessons.

Distraction gives short-term relief while feeling fear during a flight.

I draw and paint flower postcards when we hit turbulence.

Big muscle activity helps to distract, but I must stay seated during turbulence, so at least my arms are in motion as I paint.

Then I give the postcards to friends and others who read my books about Constructive Living as proof that one can be scared to death and produce something constructively.

Have you tried this website?: http://www.wikihow.com/Overcome-a-Fear-of-Flying 1 - Face the facts.

Don't forget that the statistics are on your side.

One study found that it's 261 times safer to take a plane from New York to Los Angeles than to drive the same distance.

However, if this rational approach isn't doing much to address your irrational fear, then...

There are non-drug techniques for overcoming anxiety that a competent psychologist can teach you to do on your own as needed.

There are a range of options that have been shown to be effective.

Two examples are hypnosis and Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), but there are others as well.

A psychologist can help determine if these techniques can help you, and if so, which may be optimal in your case.

I remember reading a great answer by a pilot on a Delta non-rev forum addressing fear of flying.

Can't find the link now, but basically it said that you need to think about the pilots as people, with families, life goals, etc, just like you.

They have had lots of training and experience, and like you, they have places to be back on land, and they will make 110% sure to give their best in order to get home safely back to their families.

Also, he mentioned about the extensive rules, maintenance schedules, and protocols that industry follows in order to keep everything running as smoothly as possible.

Not to mention all the amazing new technology that has made commercial flying super-safe.

Safer than driving, in fact.

Question: Are there tips and tricks for people with fear of flying that can makes them have a more pleasant experience when flying? I know drugs can do magic, and  we've previously had debate on pills vs alcohol . I'm ideally after official advice and recommendations, but other tips and tricks would be nice as well.

Are there tips and tricks to overcome a fear of flying?

Some airlines (including Lufthansa) offer seminars for nervous flyers, and there are coaches and courses to combat this. Competent psychologists will be able to help you overcome anxiety associated with flying in similar ways to other phobias, and depending on the severity of the phobia. Ask your doctor whether anxiety  medication is recommended. When preparing to fly, get enough sleep beforehand and keep your mind occupied with a book, game or movie. Remind yourself that flying is the safest method of travel and don't force yourself to stay awake during the flight. You could also tell a cabin crew member that you are worried about flying.

If you are afraid of flying, you can attend a course prior to your flight or practice some non-drug techniques to help you manage your anxiety. During the flight, it is recommended that you try to keep busy and get an aisle seat. It is a good idea to sleep well before the flight so your mood id better. Furthermore, you can tell the cabin crew of your fear, they are there to help. Xanax can be used to help. Finally, a flying lesson or two may help to allay your fears.

There are many courses and seminars to help people who are afraid of flying. There are also mnay ways to overcome phobias and non-drug techniques for overcoming anxiety.

Tips for how to approach the flight include keeping busy, getting enough sleep before the flight, distract yourself and taking an aisle seat.

Xanax may be used to combat fear of flying. The cabin crew can help too if you tell them. Always remember that flying is the safest form of transportation and maybe take a lesson or two to help you overcome the fear.


The earliest would be countries lying in UTC+14 .

In the Southern hemisphere summer, there are two places: Kiribati Samoa

The latest is UTC-12 in which only a couple of uninhabited islands lie.

However in UTC-11 you might have better chances.

One of the territories lying there is American Samoa.

So if you manage to travel from Samoa to American Samoa you can have both the earliest and latest New Year lying merely apart 80 km.

(from Upolu to Tutuila).

I'm not sure how easy this is however.

If you manage to travel there in less than one hour, you could theoretically even leave on January 1st and arrive on December 30th.

Easily .

Since Dec 29, 2011 , Apia, Samoa lies in UTC+14; Pago Pago, Western Samoa is UTC-11, 25 hours -- more than one entire day -- behind.

There are several flights a day between them on Inter Island Airways and Polynesian , taking all of 35 minutes.

So here's a sample schedule.

Party through to the new year in Apia, then take the first flight out at (say) 12 noon on January 1st Samoa time.

You will land in Pago Pago at 11:35 AM Apia time, December 31st , so you can hit the beach, rest and recover, and then do it all over again.

Woot!

Alternatively, if you really want to take it easy island style, you could even grab the 8-hour ferry between the two.

Polynesians are not known for their strict adherence to published schedules though...

I'm not sure if this is quite what you asked for, but this press-release-based news story found its way onto a few news outlets (eg Yahoo News , Private Fly blog ) in December 2013: Party at Sydney Opera House at 8pm local on December 31, till 1am local January 1 Chauffeured to Sydney airport for a 2am local take off.

This is UTC 1500 on 31/12.

13 hour flight to LA, arriving at UTC 0400 on 1/1, which is 8pm local on 31/12 because you crossed the International Date Line Another party at 8pm local on December 31; enjoy NYE again!

Cost per person: £9,157 (based on 15 passengers and a total charter cost of £137,355)

I am not sure this suits your question because you mention you want to be the first celebrating.

Celebrating it twice can actually be easy to achive.

You just need to find two countries (or places), next to each other, in different time zones.

I would probably pick a place with two cities (which usually have more events), in each country, near the border.

You could than quickly travel from one city to the other and still enjoy a bit of the old year (in the street or inside depending on your taste).

A good example for that is Spain and Portugal.

You can first celebrate new year in Spain and than, one hour later, in Portugal.

Here you even get the benefit of being inside schengen area so you don't have to loose time showing identity/passport at the border.

You can arrive more quickly to the next city.

Good examples of city's in such condition are: Badajoz / Elvas (22 Km - Very nice cities with an old city center and old buildings) Berín / Chaves (30 Km - Very nice cities with tradition and very good food)

Tui / Valença (2Km from center to center - smaller cities

but you can even walk if you prefer)

No.

Excluding Antarctica, the two closest points (by a large factor) on land which are on opposite sides of the date line are the Diomede Islands , which are about 4km apart.

The International Date Line falls neatly between the western island (Big Diomede), which is part of Russia and uses UTC+12, and the eastern island (Little Diomede), which is in the US and uses UTC-9.

These islands are sometimes known as “tomorrow island” and “yesterday island”.

Little Diomede has a little over 100 permanent inhabitants and can be reached by helicopter or by airplane in the winter.

There are no formal hospitality structures — this isn't a place where people go to party for the new year or otherwise.

Big Diomede is home to a Russian military base and you cannot visit it under normal circumstances.

In theory, I think you can walk between the two islands (December temperature still rarely go above -25°C =

°F, so the ice shelf should still extend that far); however the Russian authorities are likely to object.

Anywhere else in the world, traveling across the IDL involves flying (or sailing, but it won't be fast enough) between archipelagos.

Likely journeys are Tonga (UTC+13) to Niue (UTC-11) (about 600km), Apia, Samoa (UTC+14) to Niue (UTC-11) (about 600km) or Kirimati, Kiribati (UTC+14) to Tahiti, French Polynesia (UTC-10) (about 2300km).

I don't know if there are any suitable scheduled flights.

Another option would be to sail on January 1 in a ship from a place that's in the western hemisphere but west of the IDL, such as most of Kiribati: when you exit the territorial waters, the time switches from the local time of the adjoining land to the time determined by the longitude rounded to the nearest 15°.

Conversely, you can arrange to be outside of territorial waters on December 1 and reach a place that's in the eastern hemisphere

but east of the IDL; this only includes US islands, none inhabited except for a few in the Aleutians.

travel.stackexchange.com/users/277/Gilles 'SO- stop being evil'

Question: We were brainstorming where to celebrate the next new year. It would be fun if it is possible to be the first in the new year to then with minor traveling enjoy yet a bit of the old year. Is there such a location on the dateline where this is possible?   PS both the north and south pole are off limits.

Is there a tourist destination where the new year starts first and at the same time the old year ends last?

You could visit any place with two close cities on opposite sides of a time zone border, or go somewhere similar near the International Date Line. Two good candidates are Samoa and American Samoa, which lie only 80km apart, but the Diomede Islands are much closer at only 4km apart.

Celebrating New Year twice is possible in two countries with a border that lie in different time zones. However, to celebrate the first and last New Year's Eve, you need to travel to Samoa or the Diomede Islands.

You can have the first New Year in Samoa and then travel to American Samoa to have the last New Year.

You can celebrate twice by choosing two countries in different time zones and crossing the border after midnight.

You can celebrate twice on the Diomede islands as the big island is in UTC+12 and the small island in UTC-9.


Requirements for travel between Mexico and the US are covered by the " Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative ".

That website states in part that : U.S. citizens and citizens of Canada, and Bermuda traveling by air between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda are required to present a valid passport or other WHTI-compliant documentation to enter (or depart) the U.S One of the "other WHTI-compliant documentation" items listed is a US Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551) - or a Green Card - which you have stated you do have.

So as far as leaving and returning to the US by air, you are covered without a passport.

In general Mexico also accept a US Green Card for entry, although I'm not certain that this also applies for Mexico citizens.

However even if it does not, then your Mexican Voter's Card IS acceptable for entry, presuming it has a photo on it.

The only thing I'm not sure about is departing Mexico back to the US.

I believe that your Green Card will also be sufficient there

(it certainly would be if you were not a Mexico citizen),

however I am not 100% sure of that for Mexican Citizens.

The general consensus on several travel sites like Open Travel , Answers.com for people in your situation is that you need a passport to fly.

A Mexican consulate can issue you a new passport or an emergency travel document if you cannot get your passport in time.

There are options other then flying where passport is not required for entry, such as driving or arriving by sea.

CORRECTION

As per Star Alliance guidelines it is possible to travel with Mexican Voter ID card as a passport exemption

You can also use your mexican military ID card (the card when you turn 18 you must get) if it has a photo with it.

I know it can be used for land travel

but I am not sure if they take it for air travel.

When we crossed into Mexico last year at the border they stressed to get a mexican passport soon.

In March 2016, I flew out of Aguascalientes to Houston, TX, and I am both and American and Mexican.

I did not have my Mexican passport, and that presented a problem of "overstaying" my "visa" as an American.

It's impossible; I know; however, that's what happened.

A lawyer had to write a document that stated that I was in violation of Mexican law, and this time I could leave without penalty or fines; however, the next time ... .

You are required to have a Mexican passport to leave Mexico by air toward the United States.

An INE will not suffice.

As stated in Timatic , the database used by airlines, the following Mexican documents are accepted in lieu of passports: national ID card certified copy of birth certificate consular registration certificate of Mexican nationality naturalization letter Matricula Consular Constancia de Identificacion voter's certificate with photo.

And for returning to the US, your green card is enough

So no, you do not need a passport.

Question: I'm Mexican and a US Permanent Resident.  I'm going to fly into Mexico from the United States, and I want to know if I can use my Mexican voter's card to check in at the airport, or will I need my Mexican passport?  I'm asking because I don't have a Mexican passport, and I will need to apply for one, but it would be much easier if I could just use my Mexican voter's card.

Is a Mexican passport needed to fly into Mexico from the United States?

As stated in  Timatic , the database used by airlines, the following Mexican documents are accepted in lieu of passports: national ID card, certified copy of birth certificate, consular registration, certificate of Mexican nationality, naturalization letter, Matricula Consular, Constancia de Identificacion, or voter's certificate with photo. You can also use your mexican military ID card if it has a photo with it. A US Green Card will be sufficient for leaving and returning to the US, and may be acceptable for entering Mexico.

Although there is some debate, it would appear a passport is not required for travelling between the US and Mexico. Other documents, including Green Card, Mexican national ID card, etc. are accepted at immigration.

You need a Mexican passport to leave Mexico for the US and you cannot use your INE.

Both the US and Mexico accept documents other than passports for travelling between the US and Mexico. These documents include Green Card for returning to US and national ID card and certified birth certificate, among others, for Mexico.


Yes, sort of.

I booked a car through Kayak in Vancouver, Canada.

It was as cheap as it said, however there are other costs to remember on the ground.

For us that included: extra driver charges for a second driver insurance for the car (third party or full depending on the country)

some additional taxes might apply credit card charges might apply Kayak can only quote the price provided by the source.

For example their Easyjet and RyanAir and Jetstar flights are always a bit under, as RyanAir especially is infamous for adding lots of extra charges as you purchase your flight.

Are the prices on car rental price comparison sites (eg: Kayak, Expedia, etc) what you will really end up paying?

Or are there a bunch of hidden "extras"?

No, in nearly every case, you will pay more than the Kayak etc sticker price.

But this is not because you have to, but because the price excludes most of the extras that any reasonable person hiring a car is likely to choose - the key one being complete insurance, but as Mark Mayo mentioned there are others.

I'd like to know how to more accurately plan out such expenses when planning future vacations

The surefire approach to this is to check the rental company and attempt to book the same car through them directly.

Make sure you select all the extras you need, and the price before checkout will be an accurate reflection of what you will spend.

Another good thing to do though, is check if any of your credit cards offer eg.

loss damage waiver cover or other extra car rental insurance when paying with that card

(this is a typical feature of platinum cards).

If so, then you just need to cultivate a clear understanding of what insurance is included in the 'no-frills' product offered by Kayak et al, and whether your credit card insurance closes the gap sufficiently for your comfort/risk appetite.

Then you can keep on booking with the convenience of Kayak, but know you have the cover you need.

Just make sure you read the fine-print on the credit card provided insurance, because as this Wiki article details, there are often many exceptions or limitations.

As Mark mentioned, there are extras, and that depends on the country/state you're visiting.

The price quoted, much like airlines up until a few years ago, usually excludes insurance and/or local taxes.

If you get through to the payment page (without actually paying) on one of the popular rental company website you'll have a fully detailed invoice to look at which will include all local additional taxes and any specifically mandatory insurance for the location.

Once you have those percentage/daily fee details you have an idea of any additions any prospective comparison site may be missing.

The best way to guarantee your budget is to prepay by credit card if that is an option.

They'll always try to up-sell when you're getting the keys, and you can happily say no to every option, especially if you work out where the closest petrol station is to where you're renting from and if possible work out the litre/gallon cost there, then you can calculate whether paying for the 'tank of gas' is worth it.

I think sometimes for some rental companies comparison sites are right on the dot.

Other times they estimate the costs without the little (or not so little) "extras" rental agencies add once you get there.

However, I tend to like to do a bit of research first on local car rental companies and try to book thru their sites in the local currency (Google translate helps).

It can often be much cheaper.

Sometimes even 50% cheaper!

After I do that I them try the comparison websites to see IF the local rental car companies even show up, and how they compare.

I do similar things for airline tickets...

when possible.

For example: I recently booked a 3 day rental in Brazil with Movida (a Brazilian company) for about R$210.0 total (all insurance included) which is basically R$70/day or ~UDS$35.

Thru

comparison sites rates with other "international" rental companies were in the USD$50-65 range, if I recall correctly.

I have used holidayautos.com (from the UK) to book cars in a few countries, all in cases full insurance etc was included and there were no hidden charges.

However if you use a USA site to book a car in the USA

it is more complex as a lot of people already have their own insurance that cover hire cars, so prices are often quoted without insurance.

Question: Are the prices on car rental price comparison sites (eg: Kayak, Expedia, etc) what you will really end up paying? Or are there a bunch of hidden "extras" or other additional charges that you will also need to budget for when planning a car rental?   It seems like we ended up spending a lot more than expected the last time we rented a car, and I'd like to know how to more accurately plan out a budget for such expenses when planning future vacations or trips.

Are prices on car rental comparison sites the "real" price?

In most cases, the price excludes most of the extras that any reasonable person hiring a car is likely to choose - the key one being complete insurance. However, this depends on the country/state you are visiting as well as the company: holidayautos.com (from the UK) includes full insurance and has no hidden fees. In any case, the final payment page will give you a detailed invoice including all of the local additional taxes and any specifically mandatory insurance for the location.

Prices for car rental on Kayak are usually not the final price as many extras are excluded. It is recommended to check prices on a car rental website to see the true cost. A UK site, holidayautos.com, quotes full prices with no hidden surprises.

Kayak does not usually display the final price for car rentals as it excludes a lot of extras that you may consider essential.

You can get a better idea of the final price by doing a ghost booking on a car rental sight and see what the total comes to.

holidayautos.com is a UK site that gives the full price with no surprises.


You cannot know for certain which way an aircraft will make its final approach, or which way it will turn prior to it; local weather, especially ground level wind, is the most important factor.

Air traffic control may redirect you based on other traffic, prevailing winds may shift, and so on.

The most famous approach to DCA is the River Visual , following the Potomac River past many Washington landmarks, but depending on the wind, you may come in from the opposite direction entirely on the Mount Vernon Visual .

That said, some airports are more predictable than others.

LAX is situated on the ocean, so almost all landings are to the west into the onshore breeze (whether your flight is directed north of the airport or south to turn is subject to conditions, of course).

Depending on the airport, you may be able to look up historical and realtime flight tracks on a site like FlightAware.com , Planefinder.net , or Radarbox24.com .

From there you can make an educated guess, but there are no guarantees.

Even LAX sees landings to the east when the Santa Ana winds are blowing hard.

Problem is most of the time you can't.

The reason being is that depending on the duration of the flight the weather condition may shift and the landing direction and the runway may shift with it.

As an example Newark Liberty Airport you can land on runways 4R/22L in either direction and sometimes even on Runway 29, the weather conditions and especially wind direction play a role and can shift in the hours that your flight is in air.

As I pass by the airport daily I can watch planes land on runway

22 Left (southerly direction) or 4 Right (northerly direction).

So the only concern is safety of the flight operations on the part of the airport management and Air Traffic Control.

The only time that you will be able to determine landing direction at the airport is when the airport has well defined wind direction during the course of a day.

If you are willing to wait until a few hours before the flight, you often can make a prediction of which side will be the inside of the aircraft on the approach, and for takeoff- if you can predict the runway, you can figure it out by reading the standard instrument departure procedure for the flight plan that was filed (usually on flightaware.com 2-6 hours before US flights).

However, as others said it is very hard to predict which runway, as there are many details that affect it.

Generally if the winds are less than 6-8 knots, the airport will be in a calm winds configuration, which varies by airport.

For example, at Boston Logan, calm winds is depart runway 09, arrive runway 04R, unless the aircraft is a propeller plane, in which case, they depart runway

(Source: http://bostonartcc.net/document_library/sops/kbos.pdf ).

It gets much easier though at airports with one major runway.

So, at Washington National, if the winds are from the south, they will land runway 19, usually on the River Visual, if the winds are from the north, they will land and depart runway 01, which means they will turn left towards Arlington immediately after takeoff.

If you take all of this into account and get the right wind forecast, you can often choose what side to be on for landing, however, it is much harder in my experience for takeoff, because of how many departure options there are for takeoff.

While the other answers are correct regarding needing to predict (approximate) wind direction (in order to determine which direction planes will be traveling down a given runway and which runway(s) are likely to be in use,) another important issue (that can be difficult or impossible to predict) is to determine which runway will be used by your aircraft.

Many, if not most, major commercial airports use multiple parallel runways at the same time.

Aircraft flying into or out of these runways will usually be required to bank in opposite directions in order to keep the patterns away from each other.

For instance, the Nashville Intl airport has 3 parallel runways that are used simultaneously.

Atlanta has 5 of them.

It's mostly just up to ATC to determine which runway a given aircraft will be assigned to depart from or arrive to, though a pilot may request a particular runway.

In some airports, some of the parallel runways are longer than others, so if you're on a long-haul flight, you'll be more likely to be assigned the longer runways (assuming they're in active use.)

Most domestic flights could be assigned any of the runways at most major airports, though.

Another (imperfect) method of predicting which runway you'll be assigned is to determine which way your flight is going.

For instance, if you're in Nashville and heading East, you'll be more likely to take off from 02R/20L, since its departure pattern typically turns towards the East.

On the other hand, if you're going West, you might be more likely to be assigned 02C/20C or 02L/20R. None of these are absolutes, though.

If there's a specific airport you're concerned with, you could probably ask someone who is familiar with flying in and out of that airport what the typical commercial jet traffic pattern(s) are for the runway(s) there.

Some airports are positioned such that they have flightpaths for both left and right banking, like Schiphol Amsterdam.

Most likely the one runway will to left and the other go right, but if only one of them is active all flights might go the other direction than the usual one for that runway.

So even knowing your runway and wind direction, you can not know which way the plane will go.

Question: How can a layperson airline passenger find out (including in advance from wind forecasts etc) whether an airline will bank left or right, after takeoff and before landing for a given airline, time and airports?   If given a choice, I would like to choose a seat on the inside of a turn so I can have a better view of the ground and nearby towns/cities.

How to find out which way airliners bank on takeoff and landing

Some airports  have flightpaths for both left and right banking, so unless the airport has well-defined wind direction during the course of the day, you cannot know in advance. Traffic control may redirect you based on other traffic, prevailing winds may shift, and so on. If you wait until a few hours before the flight, you often can predict the inside of the aircraft on the approach and landing based on the probable runway and the standard instrument departure procedure for the flight plan that was filed (usually on flightaware.com 2-6 hours before US flights).

it is not easy to guess which side a plane will bank for landing as landing decisions are based on wind conditions. You could have a good idea on a day when wind conditions are stable throughout the day.

It is difficult to know which way a plane will bank on landing because the decision will be made depending on wind conditions, etc. Some airports, like Schiphol Amsterdam, have runways for right and left banking.

You can guess which side the plane will bank if the wind conditions are stable during the day, so obviously this can only happen shortly before the flight.


It's not the length of the layover that matters.

Whether you just change planes in the intermediate city or stick around a while shouldn't make much difference, or possibly it would cost you more to stick around a while.

What you're hoping to find is an unpopular city B (relative to the flight capacity in and out)

so that flights A-B, B-C are cheaper than flights A-C.

This is generally the case when A and C are wildly popular places like London and New York.

It's less likely to be the case when A or C is already kind of a backwater.

Of course, if A and C are TOO popular then everyone has capacity between them and there may be no room to save money.

When I was looking for flights from Toronto to Amsterdam (YYZ-AMS)

I recall it was about a 30% saving to go through Iceland.

In the end I valued my time higher and took a direct flight.

For a recent conference, routing Toronto-Sofia (YYZ-SOF) through Istanbul instead of the usual European hubs (Paris CDG, Frankfurt, etc) cut the price in half.

I think in your case there is no substitute for searching.

Any "find a flight" website will offer you both direct and changing-planes versions of your flights: Expedia, Kayak, whatever the cool kids use these days.

If it starts offering you one-stop flights that are the same price or slightly cheaper than the direct, go to that airline's web site and try pricing a multi-city with a delay in B, or call that airline and ask if that would affect the price.

Generally speaking most international point-to-point flights will not offer any savings when compared to transit flights.

The only possible exception would be to find a cheap flight from a different European city and then using a low-cost airline (such as Ryanair or Easyjet) to get there.

For example, I managed to find a flight from Oslo to Newark for 430 GBP.

You could theoretically buy a ticket from Stansted to Oslo through Ryanair and then take the flight to Newark.

However, you should also note that saving 100 GBP won't always lead to actual savings as accommodation, transportation to/from the city center, food, etc, can often cost a lot more than that.

If you are looking for a long lay-over, you might look at booking two flights, rather than just one.

In some cases, this can save money, if one airline offers the cheapest fare between A and B, and another offers the cheapest fare between B and C.

Be sure to leave a sufficiently long layover each direction so that if your first flight is delayed, you won't be late for your second flight.

This is always a risk when booking two separate flights.

I did something similar a few months ago for a one-way flight from Mexico City to Paris.

By booking two one-way flights--the first from Mexico City to Montreal on AeroMexico, the second from Montreal to Paris on Condor with a 12-hour layover between.

By booking two one-way flights I was able to save about 45% versus a single airline.

Your mileage will vary.

Quite often the cheapest option is an airline that has a hub in a country that is neither the origin nor destination, so you have one flight inbound to their hub and one outbound from it on each way.

As expected, the cheapest flights I can see (using random dates in April) are Aer Lingus via DUB Air France via CDG Air Canada via YYZ I would have expected Iberia (via either MAD or MEX) to be on that list as well.

Air Lingus is a budget airline, so I'd avoid that unless I know that none of their surcharges will stick to me.

The price difference for the first direct flight is not that great though, so I'd weigh against the cost of the layover (either airport food, or a trip to the city) here.

@CSJC

I built a tool to help you find exactly what you're looking for here:

It will search

all A->B + B->C combinations to find a cheaper way to get from A->C. Looking into the data, it is actually quite effective: 33% of searches have some form of savings, and the savings average > $300 when they exist.

Try it out and let me know what you think!

Question: I want to go to NYC in April. The current price is ~£530 return direct.  I was wondering if it is cheaper for a layover in another country, even if this requires me getting 4+ tickets. I have heard of Iceland and Montreal as possible 1-3 day layover spots for LON-NYC but what do you think? Hoping for ~£420 all in.  Is there any website that provides the service i am talking about?

Am I likely to get a cheaper flight with a long layover?

It's not the length of the layover that matters, but you can search for different versions of your flights on Expedia, Kayak and other websites to find the layover time. If you are looking for a longer layover, it may be worth booking separate flights, and the cheapest option might be a carrier based in the layover city.

The length of stopover is not considered important in the ticket pricing. Cheaper tickets are often found on airlines whose hub is neither the origin or the destination, e.g. London-Paris-New York on Air France. Find a flight websites will display direct and indirect flights for you to choose from.

The length of a stopover does not generally affect the price of the ticket.

Many websites will search direct and indirect flight and you can see the cheapest.

When thinking about a long stopover, it may be better to book two separate flights rather than one.

The cheapest tickets are often on airlines that have a hub that is neither the origin or the destination, e.g. Air France London - Paris - New York.


It's common in Europe for many cars to have a Diesel or Gasoline version.

Usually,

but it is not a rule , if the model of the car has a letter D

it's a Diesel car, but this is not a rule.

It's not a rule as well for the car to have a letter on the model name.

Usually in Diesel cars you will find some warnings about it.

The rental car agent will tell you Next to the gas tank a warning about the type of petrol.

The diameter of gasoline hose has a different size of a diesel hose.

It will be hard to put the wrong hose inside the tank.

The label on the key could have DIESEL written on it (HERTZ does that)

In addition to the methods already mentioned: Have a look at the car documents.

When you start your engine, or when you have driven some meters youwill know it.

A diesel sounds and feels differently from a gasolinecar.

A look at the rev meter can be revealing.

The "red area" starts ataround 4500/5000 in diesel cars and at 6000 in gasoline cars.

Open the tank.

Diesel and gasoline have different smells.

Diesel has a typical "oily" smell.

It's often very difficult to put diesel fuel in a regular gasoline car by mistake, the nozzle of the fuel dispenser is typically way too big.

I assume there might be some international standard behind this, at least I noticed it in several countries (but I also came across some exceptions).

Making a mistake the other way around is actually not that difficult, I have seen it happen.

Diesel rental cars therefore usually have prominent signs in several places, including on the little door or cap of the fuel tank itself.

I also noticed this on diesel rentals in several European countries.

Look at the Glowplug Indicator Fuel combustion in Diesel engines is achieved by temperature rise due to fuel compression alone , without the need for spark plugs.

This however means that a cold engine -- i.e. one that has been switched off for a while, or one used in cold weather -- might struggle to ignite at start-up.

This is why diesel engines are often fitted with glowplugs .

These are electronic heating devices used to preheat the engine to facilitate their ignition.

Turns out that diesel cars have a glowplug indicator which lights up when you turn on a cold engine.

As you step in the car, turn the key to the "on" position, without igniting.

Various indicators should light, including the glowplug one, if relevant.

The glowplug indicator can therefore serve as a hint to know if your car runs on diesel , and looks like this ( courtesy of Wikipedia ):

If it's a UK vehicle you can do a DVLA lookup using the car's make and registration.

It will give you a short list of information about the car.

About half way down is the fuel type.

In the United States, unless you're renting a large truck, it'll be a gasoline car.

That said, virtually every vehicle in the US is marked either on the gas cap or on the filler door with the type of fuel needed, e.g. "87 octane unleaded".

Additionally, there may be a note near the fuel gauge saying the same thing.

The neck of the diesel tank is bigger than the gasoline

tank.the diesel tank neck is about 24 cm while gasoline tank neck is about 21 cm.

So the diesel pump nozzle will not fit into the gasoline tank neck easily.

Secondly, it will be displayed on the tank head cap.

Question: Quite unlikely, but what if I rent a car and forget to ask if it takes diesel or gasoline? Is it customary that it's written next to the gas tank inlet (I've only rented a car once, and this was the case).  Or is this something that is easily deduced from the car name? Any other method?

How does one know if a rental car takes diesel or gasoline?

Virtually every vehicle in the US is marked either on the gas cap or on the filler door with the type of fuel needed, e.g. "87 octane unleaded", and diesel cars usually have prominent signs on the key, fuel tank cap etc. Diesel pump nozzles are usually too big for a petrol tank, and will not fit easily. You can also check the car documents or search for it based on the make and registration.

Rental cars usually have notices telling you what fuel to use. In the evnt that they do not, you can check the car documents or check out the DVLA website if you are in the UK. It is actually quite difficult to put diesel into a gasoline car as the diesel pump nozzle is bigger and will not fit in the tank.

There are usually warnings on diesel cars to tell you wha fuel to use. Diesel cars also feel different from gasoline cars. The diesel pump nozzle is bigger so it will not fit into the gasoline tank.

The car documents or DVLA if you are in the UK will tell you what fuel to use.

In the US large trucks are almost always gasoline and vehicles are marked with the kind of fuel to use.


In short the answer is yes you do need a separate visa for Belarus.

Your Russian Student Visa doesn't allow you to enter Belarus.

The reason that it has the names of both countries is because the form they use is exactly the same.

From the US Embassy in Moscow : Although Russia and Belarus use the same migration card, travelers should be aware that each country maintains its own visa regime.

U.S. citizens wishing to travel to both nations must apply for two separate visas.

A traveler entering Russia directly from Belarus is not required to obtain a new migration card, but at his or her option may do so if blank ones are available at the time of entry.

Definitely do need a Belarus visa even if there is no passport control between Russia and Belarus.

Flights between Belarus and Russia are domestic with no passport control.

Random document checks do happen by Belarusian authority on the train and airport as it happened to me once at the airport.

Also, the police can stop you to check your documents.

You don't want to be caught without a visa

and it's not difficult to get a visa, too.

Yes you do need a VISA and for stays over one month you need an invitation from someone.

I think that the frontier between Russia and Belarus is open for Belarusian and Russian citizens, but not for foreigners.

Also, you need to register in Belarus within 5 working days of your arrival.

New Russia-Belarus visa agreement (2020-07-01)

As of 2020-07-01, you no longer need a separate visa , as Russia and Belarus recognise each others visas.

See news articles from Belarus Feed , Belarusian Telegraph Agency , TASS , and intourist .

See also this answer about crossing the Russia-Belarus border .

Warning as of 2020-07-07: another source in Russian, dated 2020-07-01, states it will take several more months until it actually takes force.

These sources contradict each other.

Either it's already in force, or it will be soon (and as of July 2020, the 2019-2021 Coronavirus Pandemic means few travellers should make the overland EU-Belarus-Russia trip anyway).

Similar to the Schengen Zone, Russia and Belarus do not have passport control between the two countries.

With that said, http://mfa.gov.by/en/visa/ doesn't appear to explicitly list any exception for travel from Russia, so, technically, you might still need to have a visa in case you're subject to a random check.

Question: I am a U.S. citizen living in Russia with a multi-entry student visa. I noticed that on my migration card it lists the Russian Federation as well as the Republic of Belarus. Do I need to get another visa if I want to visit Belarus, or is what I already have sufficient?

Do I need a visa to visit Belarus if I have a Russian visa?

Generally  you do need a VISA and for stays over one month you need an invitation from someone. However, as of 2020-07-01  you no longer need a separate visa, as Russia and Belarus recognise each other's visas. With that said,  http://mfa.gov.by/en/visa/  doesn't appear to explicitly list any exception for travel from Russia, so, technically, you might still need to have a visa in case you're subject to a random check.

There is some debate as to whether a separate visa is needed to visit Belarus from Russia. The most up-to-date information suggests a visa is not needed, but the situation has still not been clarified 100%.


Since I asked the embassy and they got back to me, here is what it costs to go directly through the US embassy: From: Vietnam Consular [dcconsular@gmail.com] THE FOLLOWING FEE IS TOTAL FEE, COVERING FOR VISA STAMPING FEE, VISA APPROVAL ARRANGEMENT FEE AND PROCESSING FEE.

A. SINGLE ENTRY, ONE-MONTH: $100.00/

EACH

PERSON

B. SINGLE ENTRY, THREE-MONTH:

EACH PERSON C. MULTIPLE ENTRY ONE-MONTH:

$150.00/ EACH

PERSON D. MULTIPLE ENTRY THREE-MONTH:

$180.00/ EACH

PERSON

(their capitalization, not mine...

eek.)

From 29 August 2016, all visas will be issued in 1-year-visa multiple entry is granted for US citizens with maximum 90 days of stay per one entry to Vietnam.

The stamping fee at Vietnam airport for US citizens will be $135 USD you can read here:

http://tuoitrenews.vn/business/36900/vietnam-tourism-watchdog-decries-new-visa-fee-for-us-visitors tuoitrenews.vn is the reputable newspaper in Vietnam

Looks like a 45.00 USD stamping fee plus additional fees depending on how you process.

Additionally, you will need two passport photos and one blank page for the visa and one page with enough space for the entry and exit stamps.

In the past I have used this .

It may a seem a bit shady from a Western perspective, but it works.

For stamping fee you have to pay at the airports1 or 3 month/single: US$ 45,1 month/multi: US$ 65,3 months/

multi: US$ 95

You need only 1 photo and your passport must been over 6 months valid.

For service fee, you have to pay to travel company to apply approval letter for you from US$ 10 to 20, it is depend on the company.

You have to pay for visa is service fee + stamping fee.

It depends on your nationality (some may not need), visa type,

how long you stay, normal processing or urgent processing...

As I researched, there are two kinds of tourist visa for 1 and 3 months and you can apply also for single entry or multiple entry.

Once arrived in Vietnam, tourists can also apply for Visa Extension of Tourist Visa if they want to spend more time here.

Stamping fee is the fee you pay the Immigration Officers directly and in cash (USD or VND) at your arrival airport in Vietnam (Immigration Desk/Counter) to have Visa stamped onto your passport.

The fee is collected by Immigration Officers and compulsory for all those who use Visa on Arrival method.

For 1 month single entry, stamping fee is $25/person For 1 month multiple entry, stamping fee is $50/person

The rate is displayed here ( Vietnam Visa Fee ).

Nowadays, it's easy to apply a Visa on Arrival online

(You will need to pay extra service fee, for $2 to $7).

Question: The US Vietnamese embassy  website  lists the requirements for the visa application, but does not list the fee for doing so (though it does say  how  to pay it). The only information on the page about the fee is:   Fee for stamping visa can be checked at Consular Fee   What is the current fee for a tourist visa to Vietnam?

How much does a tourist visa for Vietnam cost?

For 1 month single entry, the stamping fee is $25/person. For 1 month multiple entry, stamping fee is $50/person. There may also be additional  fees  depending on how you process it.

For Vietnam, the visa stamping fee is 45.00 USD. 1 month single entry USD 25/person, 1 month multi-entry USD 50/person.


You can do that in Switzerland: Beznau.

This is the oldest still running nuclear reactor in the world.

According to their brochure you can contact the visitor center for guided tours.

Mühleberg.

They have regular guided tours in French or German. Gösgen.

They have daily tours as well as a visitor centre.

Leibstadt.

They also have tours and a visitor centre.

Something else along the same lines is the ZWILAG , the temporary storage for radioactive waste.

I visited that one and it was quite interesting.

In the UK.

EDF Energy is opening new visitor centres at their nuclear power plants across the country, specifically: Hunterston B in West Kilbride and Torness in Dunbar, Scotland, Sizewell B in Suffolk, Hinkley Point B in Bridgwater, Dungeness B in Kent and Heysham in Morecambe.

The visitor centres are where you can find out more about our nuclear power station operations, how we generate electricity and more about EDF Energy.

It also says that pre arranged site tours are available.

The visitor centres are open for you to visit between 09.00 and 16.00 Monday to Friday.

All station tours require advanced booking.

Tours will be available at the weekend, subject to availability and demand.

In addition to commercial nuclear power plants, the world has many small university reactors used for research and education.

For example, in the Los Angeles area a quick google search showed that UC Irvine has a reactor that allows group tours by appointment.

In France, you can visit EDF's energy plants .

You just need a valid ID (passport, ID card, etc.)

The tours are great!

You can talk with technicians, engineers, plays with interactive setups to understand the processes, etc.

You can also visit Kozloduy NPP in Bulgaria.

When Kozloduy NPP can be visited?

The Information Centre is open for visitors every workday from 8 am to 4 pm.

Visits to plant facilities are organised in workdays on a year-round basis with closing time at 3.30 pm.

Visits to the Main Control Rooms and Turbine Halls of Units 5 and 6 are not organised during annual outages (advanced information is available at Tel.:

+359 973 7 21 00 and +359 973 7 27 68).

Open Door Day

Anyone who is interested in visiting Kozloduy NPP may use the opportunity on Open Door Days organised biannually.

The date of the Open Door Day (usually Saturday) is announced in advance in the mass media and on the website of the plant in Section Current Information, News.

In Australia you can tour the Lucas Heights nuclear reactor , the only one in the nation.

Note that while it is indeed a nuclear reactor it is not a nuclear power plant, as it is dedicated to producing radioisotopes as a research facility.

Poland doesn't have any nuclear power plants (yet), but it has a research reactor Maria in Świerk, near Warsaw, which provides tours for organized groups, targeted mostly for students.

Key information from the web site (Polish only): all participants must be over 15 you should announce the group at least 2 weeks in advance foreign citizens need to fill special application forms, which needs to be approved by the Director of the Institute for Atomic Energy POLATOM entry costs 10 PLN for each person (about 3.3$)

Just east of Toronto is the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station .

The operators claim : Located in the Municipality of Clarington in Durham Region, 70 km east of Toronto

, Darlington Nuclear provides about 20 per cent of Ontario's electricity needs, enough to serve a city of two million people.

That site offers a link to a video tour of the site.

Reporters and teachers have clearly been on a physical tour, since pictures and reports of the inside are easy to find, but I can't find a page online with the details.

You could call or email the information centre to ask: Information Centre Darlington Nuclear Ontario Power Generation Box 4000, Bowmanville, Ontario L1C 3Z8Telephone: (905) 623-7122

Toll Free:

(800) 461-0034Email:

DarlingtonNuclear@opg.com Time sensitive update: I just received an email that reads in part: Darlington Refurbishment - Doors

Open

We would like to invite you and your family and friends to learn more about the Darlington Refurbishment Project, take a behind-the-scene tour of the reactor mock-up and check out the new Darlington Public Visitor Centre.

Project staff will be on hand to answer any questions you may have.

Pre-registration is not required.

The key to project success in Refurbishment is the front-end planning.

Replacing the core reactor components inside each Darlington reactor is a critical part of the refurbishment exercise.

High-quality training, with the right tools, in the right environment, will help maximize efficiency and minimize costs.

This is your chance to get a first-hand look at this upfront work.

Please join us at the Darlington Energy Complex: 1855 Energy Drive, Courtice, ON Dates: Tuesday Nov. 4, between 5:30 - 8 p.m. or Wednesday, Nov. 5, between 5:30 - 8 p.m. or Saturday, Nov. 8, between 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Refurbishment is a significant investment and a major construction project for our company one which involves a great deal of, planning, hard work and dedication.

It is a tremendous opportunity for us all to be a part of this vitally important project.

A refurbished Darlington Nuclear Station will provide 30 more years of safe, clean, reliable electricity.

There are two in Texas that I know of.

Quoting http://www.texasoutside.com/glenrose/sites.htm , " About a mile inside the front gate of the Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant is the Visitors Center, open from 9 am to 4 pm Monday through Saturday.

Group tours can be arranged by reservation only.

The Visitors Center offers several interactive displays and a 10-minute video explaining how nuclear power is made.

The tour includes a view of a control room simulator in which reactor operators are trained, as well as a driving tour for an up-close view of Comanche Peak Power Plant.

Travel north on FM 56, to the Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant — (254) 897-5554. "

There's also one at the University of Texas at Austin / Pickle Research Campus : https://nuclear.engr.utexas.edu/netl/netl-access-a-procedures

Question: Are there nuclear plants that allow you to tour the facility and learn more about nuclear power while the plant is running?

Where in the world can you tour a live nuclear reactor?

You can do this in Beznau in Switzerland, or go to one of the visitor centres opened by EDF Energy at their nuclear power plants  across the UK and France. You can also visit  Kozloduy NPP  in Bulgaria, Australia's only nuclear reactor at Lucas Heights, Poland's research reactor Maria in Świerk, near Warsaw, or the reactor at the University of Texas at Austin/ Pickle Research Campus

Many countries have nuclear power plants that you can visit. Some examples are EDF in France, Kozloduy NPP in Bulgaria, Beznau in Switzerland and Lucas Heights in Australia.


Tajikistan and Pakistan are 16 km from each other, separated by the Wakhan Corridor which belongs to Afghanistan.

I'm trying to find countries with a tight corridor to sea, so that the countries on both sides are close to each other.

Bosnia's corridor is only a few km, but both sides of it are Croatia, so that doesn't count.

Israel's Red Sea corridor is about 10km wide I think, with neighbouring Egypt and Jordan being that close to each other.

This is probably the closest of the ones I've looked at.

I think Iraq's connection to the Gulf (bringing Iran and Kuwait close to each other) is slightly larger, but all these "measurements" were made by on zooming on Google Maps and squinting.

Slovenia's corridor between Italy and Croatia is similar.

Armenia and Iran get within a few km of each other, with Turkey in between, here .

But that is spoiled by the fact that they share an actual border on the other side of Azerbaijan's exclave to the right.

I want to finish this by mentioning Baarle-Nassau-Hertog , which doesn't qualify (it's all either Netherlands or Belgium)

but it's fun.

There are also six Dutch exclaves located within the largest Belgian exclave, one within the second-largest, and an eighth within Zondereigen.

Bangladesh and Nepal come within about 25 km of each other, with India in between.

Egypt and Saudi Arabia come within about 30 km overland through Israel and Jordan (closer straight-line distance over water).

Mongolia and Kazakhstan are separated by about 35 km of rather mountainous terrain.

Germany and Italy are separated by about 45 km through Austria.

The easternmost tip of Sughd Province , Tajikistan, east of the town of Isfara , has a panhandle squeezed between Uzbekistan to the north and Kyrgyzstan to the south.

Using the Maps Labs Distance Measurement Tool on Google Maps , its skinniest part is only around 2.2 km wide.

The national borders in the whole Fergana Valley region are generally just ridiculous thanks to Stalin , but this was the thinnest three-country sandwich I could find. ...

and I just realized I missed the qualification "that do not share a border", since Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan do.

Oh

well, it's still an interesting oddity of geography.

Since nobody has found a shorter distance, it seems that Namibia and Zimbabwe are the closest pair.

Question: Are there any closer than Namibia/Zimbabwe (which are separated by "less than 200 metres of riverbed", belonging to Botswana,  according to Wikipedia )?  I'm interested specifically in the case where the countries don't share a  land border , but are separated by a short  overland  distance.

What are the two closest countries that do not share a border?

It seems that Namibia and Zimbabwe are the closest pair, but other near neighbours include Tajikistan and Pakistan, which are 16 km from each other and separated by the Wakhan Corridor belonging to Afghanistan; Egypt and Jordan, separated by Israel's approximately 10km wide Red Sea corridor; Bangladesh and India, which are 25km apart and separated by India, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, which come within about 30 km overland through Israel and Jordan and less by water; Germany and Italy, which are separated by about 45 km through Austria; and the easternmost tip of  Sughd Province, Tajikistan, which has a panhandle squeezed between Uzbekistan to the north and Kyrgyzstan to the south.

There are a number of examples of countries that do not share a bordering coming very close to each other but separated by a third country. Examples are Iraq between Iran and Kuwait, Tajikistan and Pakistan separated by Afghanistan, Germany and Italy separated by Austria. The narrowest gap seems to be where Botswana separates Namibia and Zimbabwe.


It entirely depends on the purpose and the country.

For example, in the Netherlands, a European driver's license is a completely valid ID and can be used, e.g., to vote.

In France, there is no exhaustive list of what counts as ID

so there is no reason a driver's license shouldn't be accepted by the police (see this question on expatriates.

SE for a long-winded discussion of this specific case).

Elsewhere, it might not be considered a valid ID and private organizations everywhere (e.g. banks) might also have other requirements.

The problem is that to travel internationally, you need more than ID, you need something to establish your citizenship and prove your right to enter the destination country.

A driver's license is not enough for that.

Similarly, if you want to make use of your right to free movement as an EU citizen, you need something that establishes that you are indeed an EU citizen and that something is typically a passport or national ID card.

If you travel by land, you might get away with not having one on you but boarding a plane is often more difficult.

I was once allowed to take an internal Schengen flight with only a driver's license and a few other documents like a health insurance card from my country of destination (after losing my ID)

but I think it was just the person at the desk bending the rules and counting on the fact that there would be no check at the other end

(we went to the desk as soon as we noticed the ID was missing, we did not intend to just show a driver's license when boarding).

Finally, EU countries recognize each other's national ID cards so unless you are a citizen from one of the countries that do not issue those at all (Denmark, the UK), you don't need anything else and that's true

EU-wide (not only in the Schengen area, also in the UK, Ireland, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Cyprus, the EEA or Switzerland but not necessarily elsewhere in Europe).

According to the Dutch (link in Dutch) authorities it is has some value as a form of identification.

However since a drivers license does not contain information about your citizenship nor you visa/resident permit status, it is in general not accepted as an official form of documentation.

Having said that I have crossed borders with a license only (e.g. UK-France),

but I always had other forms of identification with me.

I would not risk traveling with a license only.

Freedom of movement is guaranteed; while longer stays explicitly mentions a valid ID card or passport,

shorter stays which are less than three months

only require: For stays of less than three months, the only requirement on Union citizens is that they possess a valid identity document or passport EDIT:

As other pointed out, an EU license, is not usable because it does not mention your country of origin, contrary to my former opinion presented here.

I simply screwed up on this one.

Even in Italy they are "tolerated" as identification document.

The fact is that it's just a driving license, demonstrating that you are entitled to drive a car or a truck.

They are not accepted abroad as id document.

But there could be exceptions.

As italian I always have with me my ID card when I travel in Europe.

It is sometimes "tolerated" but in general, no, it is not a replacement for an ID card or a passport which are considered "equal in strength" as identification documents.

In Croatia, no. Carry your ID or passport.

Question: I'm an Italian citizen, and I possess a driving license in the standard European format:   Can I use it for identification purposes, i.e. boarding a plane, when in Europe?  I understand from Wikipedia that there are exceptions, but what is the general rule? Am I safe if I carry it instead of my ID card?

Is the European driving license valid as ID in Europe?

It depends on the purpose and the country. Since a drivers license does not contain information about your citizenship nor you visa/resident permit status, it is in general not accepted as an official form of documentation.'However, it is sometimes tolerated without being considered equal in strengh to identification documents. This is not the case in Croatia though, so you should carry your ID or passport.

It may be possible to travel to some countries in Europe with an EU driving licence but not all. For example, in the Netherlands it is accepted as official ID, in Italy it is tolerated but in Croatia it is not acceptable. This is because a driving licence does not give an indication of the owner's citizenship and hence their right to be in the country.

EU driving licences are accepted as ID in some European countries, the Netherlands, for example.

Driving licences are tolerated in some EU countries as ID, for example Italy. But in Croatia you need an official ID card or passport.

The driving licence contains no information about your citizenship, hence it is not considered an official form of ID.


While you've already received some nice suggestions I'm quite surprised no one mentioned Jerusalem .

Jerusalem is considered holy to the three major Abrahamic religions—Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

The old city is divided into four quarters—known since the early 19th century as the Armenian, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim Quarters and religion is a very big deal there and one of the most impressive city I've ever visited.

The old city being smaller than the cities mentioned by others and packed with so many different religion

I feel it's a better candidate than most of those cosmopolitan cities.

A close proxy for "most religions" that is much more easily measured will be what is called a "Global City," and Wikipedia happens to have exactly such a list .

The criteria used in determining their ranking are: A variety of international financial services, notably in finance, insurance, real estate, banking, accountancy, and marketing Headquarters of several multinational corporations

The existence of financial headquarters, a stock exchange and major financial institutions Domination of the trade and economy of a large surrounding area Major manufacturing centres with port and container facilities Considerable decision-making power on a daily basis and at a global level Centres of new ideas and innovation in business, economics, culture and politics Centres of media and communications for global networks Dominance of the national region with great international significance

High percentage of residents employed in the services sector and information sector High-quality educational institutions, including renowned universities, international student

attendance[8] and research facilities Multi-functional infrastructure offering some of the best legal, medical and entertainment facilities in the country Now clearly not all of these criteria will directly correlate to cultural (and therefore religious) diversity, but it's a close proxy.

And rounding out the top of their list, with Alpha++ rating are: London, UK New York City, USA

The cities with Alpha+ rating are: Hong Kong Paris, France Singapore Shanghai, China Tokyo, Japan Beijing, China Sydney, Australia Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Now, you'll want to apply your own filter to this list, as various religions have different legal statuses in some of these places.

But this list should be a good place to start looking for culturally-diverse cities you might want to visit.

Go to London.

In the metropolitan area (covered well by cheap public transport) you can find many, many different religions.

Christianity (many different branches of), Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism, Hidus, etc, etc, etc.

Also, any big metropolis will be the same.

With regard to the most religiously diverse country and your goal of seeing the most religions in a short time, probably Singapore is your best bet.

It likely has the most distinct and heavily-practiced religions per km², amongst all the countries of the world (though probably not amongst all the cities of the world).

No India on the list.

That's bull.

I live in New Delhi , the capital of India and believe you me every part of it is diverse.

India as a country is diverse.

You will find Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Jews, Christians, Buddhists, Jains.

Tibet's government in exile, the administrative operations are from India.

The dalai lama temple is in India.

There are loads of other examples I can give.

In short, the most religiously diverse country in the world is INDIA.

You will find A Church, A Temple , A Mosque, A Gurdwara in every city of the country.

Not to forget, INDIA is the birthplace of 4 major religions : Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.

Apart from this, we have roughly 20% of population to be Muslims.

Also, roughly 5% of total population are Christians and let me stress that the North Eastern States of India namely Mizoram and Manipur have more than 90% of population to be christians.

Question: I really like to learn more about religions, and even though I'm learning some information from the internet, I would like to learn from real experience.  So basically I'm searching for a country that is composed of people of different religions; the more religions, the better.With different sects of each religion.Also, the country should have a small area (i.e I can go to several groups/sects in little time.)  Is there any way to determine the most religiously diverse city or country?

Which city has the greatest religious diversity?

India is the most religiously diverse country in the world and the birthplace of 4 major religions, while Jerusalem is considered holy to the three major Abrahamic religions—Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Another option is a cosmopolitan city like London.

A number of countries and cities vie for the position of most religiously diverse, including London, Singapore, Jerusalem and India.

India has a great many religions and is the birthplace of 4 major religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.

Jerusalem is considered holy to the three Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

London has many diverse cultures and religions

Singapore is the most religiously diverse country.


Here's an excerpt from Wikitravel :

Although many visitors, especially Americans, may feel apprehensive about visiting Hiroshima, it is a friendly, welcoming city, with as much interest in Western culture as anywhere else in Japan.

Tourists are welcomed, and exhibits related to the atomic bomb are not concerned with blame or accusations.

Bear in mind, though, that many hibakusha [the survivors] still live in the city, and even most of the young people in Hiroshima have family members who lived through the blast.

As such, the average Hiroshima resident isn't likely to relish talking about it, although you needn't shy away from the topic if one of the chatty fellows around the Peace Park brings it up.

Despite this and @MeNoTalk's comment, another interesting story by Kate Berardo on Culturosity.com demonstrates that you can't be certain that no one will care or direct resentment toward you, but the circumstances of the story suggest it may have been a little bit of bad timing and luck on the author's part.

Besides, it was really just a few angry words with a sidelong glance; nothing an American traveling abroad shouldn't be prepared for almost regardless of where one chooses to go.

Regardless of what some others might think, my opinion as an American FWIW: if you want to go to learn about the consequences of the bombings, go with an open mind and sympathetic attitude – I will if I'm ever lucky enough to get the chance.

There is a museum in Hiroshima dedicated to memorializing the victims and promoting peace .

One of their English newsletters describes a visit from American students positively, demonstrating a welcoming reception by the museum staff and local students.

If you want to visit Hiroshima to appreciate the rest of the city as well, more power to you.

It certainly has much more to offer than war history.

I'm sure the same is true of Nagasaki.

I would only advise against going with an attitude like

this guy's

; I suspect few will be particularly eager to hear contentious opinions about the bombings from an American perspective (especially not an ignorant one).

Make your mission one of learning and receptivity to the local culture and perspectives, not one of " truthiness " or " keeping it real ", and you should be fine.

You've already got the right kind of attitude in asking open-mindedly and cautiously about how your presence might impact others; keep it up, and go in peace kimosabe .

[BTW, I would welcome any general counterarguments from the community.

I'm not sure I'm the right guy to answer, having never gone.]

A quick scan of Wikivoyage's guide to Hiroshima sights indicate that memorials and museums to the attack have English-language information.

If they didn't intend non-Japanese to visit the place, they wouldn't have such information.

I seriously doubt that they'd regard the USA differently from other non-Japanese countries in this context, even though the USA was the country that dropped the bombs, or even be able to tell whether you're an American versus a Canadian or an Australian.

I remember reading once about an atomic bombing victim who is a volunteer at some museum or memorial wanting to learn English so that he could relay his experiences to English-speaking visitors.

Likewise, displays at the House of Sharing, which is dedicated to comfort women, are in English, Korean and Japanese, and Japanese people make up 40% of the visitors.

What may surprise you is that even museums at the other end of the "International Peace and Tolerance" spectrum have some support for English, and therefore expect foreigners to visit.

The Yasukuni Shrine , which hosts the spirits of those who died for the Emperor in war, is criticised for including the spirits of Class A war criminals, and for its nationalist take on history.

And yet, there are limited English-language explanations within the museum, and also has an English-language pamphlet.

And this far-right blogger mentions foreigners visiting the shrine, including those involved in war.

Update 2016 : Is it ok for Americans to visit the memorials?

YES

Photo:

Shuji Kajiyama, AP

It's perfectly fine.

I've been to both Hiroshima and Nagasaki in my (Japanese) high school trip including multiple sessions with hibakushas.

There is really no animosity in general.

The emphasis of these museums and parks are solely on how horrible nuclear attacks and war is, and how we need to achieve world peace and eliminate all wars.

I think most Japanese would find it a good thing.

Of course, you'll always be able to find people who disagree, but such views are rare IMO.

Absolutely not an issue.

Just to give a first-hand perspective (though the other 2 answers both excellently cover the 'why not'), I visited the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum and the Peace Park a few years back, and at no point did I feel any ill-will or awkwardness.

As with any similar place as long as you are respectful you are welcome - the staff were as polite and welcoming as one would expect of a Japanese visitor centre or attraction.

It's a sobering experience, but one well worth doing regardless of nationality.

As far as I see it, it won't hurt any Japanese citizen's feelings if you visit the Hiroshima & Nagasaki memorials.

It rather depicts some sign of empathy towards the victims (unless you end up doing some random foolish act at a place of such deep meaning for the natives).

First off, you as an individual, are not accountable for a decision made by your country's then president some 70 years ago.

Of course, it was a bitter experience for the natives

but I don't suppose they would feel culturally hurt for it.

For an analogy, as an Indian, I don't hold every tourist from the UK accountable for say, the Jallianwala bagh massacre.

Or rather, would you feel culturally hurt, if some Japanese visits the Pearl Harbour memorial, or for that matter, a middle-eastern the WTC memorial?

Hopefully not.

Question: The title says it all.  Is it culturally acceptable (to the Japanese) for an American to visit the memorials to the victims of the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki?  I realize that a Japanese person probably wouldn't tell me to leave, but would they think I was being rude or uncouth?

Is it culturally acceptable for an American to visit the memorials in Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

It is considered perfectly fine and you probably won't hurt any Japanese citizen's feelings or feel any ill will or awkwardness if you visit the Hiroshima & Nagasaki memorials. You as an individual are not accountable for a decision made by your country's then president some 70 years ago.

It is not considered a problem for Americans to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Many have been there and not felt unwelcome. Moreover, such visits do not hurt the feelings of Japanese citizens who probably do not hold Americans today reponsible for things that happened so long ago.

It is fine for Americans to visit the war memorials in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Americans have vsisted and have not felt uncomfortable or unwelcome.

Japanese citizens will not feel hurt by such a visit and Americans today are not held responsible for decisions taken many years ago.


This generally varies by locality.

Most places, to my knowledge, simply have laws limiting the age of persons wishing to drink.

How that age is determined may be left wildly open to interpretation in some places, while other jurisdictions may require specific forms of identification.

In most places, any government issued ID will suffice from a legal standpoint, although it's often up to the particular security guard/bouncer whether he wishes to accept your ID.

I was with a Mexican friend once in the US, who was denied entry into a bar because the bouncer could not read the birthday on her Mexican-issued ID.

If she had been carrying her passport, I expect she would have been allowed in.

I would be somewhat surprised if there are any laws that require that a passport (card) be considered a valid proof of age, but I would be even more surprised if there are any places that prohibit it.

This means it's mostly going to be left up to the local security guards to make a judgment call.

In most places, I imagine it would be accepted.

Minnesota only accepts driver's licenses, instructional permits, or ID cards issued by a United State or Canadian Province; a US-issued military ID; or a passport book.

See

Subd6: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=340a.503

We can't take a Puerto Rican ID of any kind (despite their territory status), a Resident Alien card (green card), an Employment Authorization Card (EAC), a Global Entry card, or a passport card.

I would wager a bet that the vast majority of bartenders/servers here don't know they can't technically take those, since I've turned people down who subsequently shouted at me that "everyone else takes this

, I've been served here before on this ID".

It's a bit stupid that a state can decline to accept a US-government-issued ID that includes the individual's photo, birthdate, and an expiration date, but such is the law.

TL; DR: have your state-issued license or ID with you, or your full passport book, when you go to a bar or restaurant.

Actually, in California (as well as some other places) the passport ID CARD is NOT accepted as a valid form of id to purchase alcohol.

This is because it lacks some of the information required, mainly " a physical description" of that person (

height, weight, eye/hair color etc.).

I know this may seem crazy, being that it is perfectly valid for other things, but this is the case legally.

You may get away with it though if the person checking your id is careless or uninformed.

Best bet is to make sure to bring another acceptable form of id.

It depends.

In Massachusetts, where I live, for example, passport cards are accepted, but licenses/IDs from other states are not, which is absurd (not that many people carry passports when travelling domestically after all).

However, this is often not enforced, and any reasonable ID (e.g. US state/Canadian provincial license) in practice are usually accepted.

So, the answer is: it depends on which state you are in, and which bar you are going to.

I can't imagine a bar which would not accept a license or ID from the state which it's in, and it's rare to see a bar which would not accept a passport.

However, in practice, most places do accept reasonable governmental photo IDs with DOB readably printed in English, so you will likely run into minimal trouble.

Dunno about the US passport card, but I've entered bars in New York and Los Angeles on a Swedish identity card (essentially a passport card) and never had a second look.

Thus, it would surprise me tremendously if they were to reject the US equivalent.

But of course, it's bound to vary from establishment to establishment

It really does depend.

I've used an Irish Passport Card as ID for bars and for buying alcohol in stores in cities big and small with no issue in NY, PA, IN, IL, CA, MI, RI, MA and CT however, while in Philly last summer it was confiscated by a thick headed bouncer who clearly couldn't read the word "passport" printed in bold across the top!

I ended up getting it back 2 days later when a police officer had to arrest him for possessing a false identification card.

Was literally the only way to get it back when the bar wouldn't even consider checking my passport book against the passport card let alone having a reasonable conversation with me!

Just be careful.

Question: Can I use my US passport card to get served in a drinking establishment?  I do not have a driver's license and don't like carrying my passport around with me.

Can I use a passport card as ID in a bar?

Actually, in California (as well as some other places) the passport ID CARD is NOT accepted as a valid form of id to purchase alcohol. However, most states and most bars will accept any government issued ID showing your age in English.

There seem to be diverse rules regarding what documents are acceptable ad ID to enter bars or buy alcohol in the US. Some places accept passport cards as ID while others do not. Swedish and Irish passport cards appear to be accepted without an issue.

Generally places serving alcohol just want to know the person is old enough to drink, so government ID should suffice. However, it depends on the state and the bar.

Minnesota and California, however, do not accept the passport card.

The Swedish passport card has been accepted in bars in New York and Los Angeles and the Irish passport card has been used in a large number of states for buying alcohol.


There seems to be no limit as such.

However if you carry more than 10'000 €, you might have to declare it depending on the country.

For example in Germany , you are to declare it when orally asked to do so.

For the UK on the other hand, there seems to be no need to do so.

So if you consider taking more than 10'000 €, you should check the rules for the specific country you are flying to.

Assuming a maximum luggage allowance of 20kg, and that the weight of 1m EUR is about 2kg .

Then we are talking about 10 million Euros.

:D

Of course that is assuming that you are too poor to pay for extra allowance.

Apart of regulations mentioned by drat , EU also has anti-money laundering laws.

They apply regardless if you travel internationally or not.

The EU directive 2005/60/EC "on the prevention of the use of the financial system for the purpose of money laundering and terrorist financing" tries to prevent such crime by requiring banks, real estate agents and many more companies to investigate and report usage of cash in excess of €15,000

How this directive is implemented in practice depends on each member state.

On a recent trip to Greece (3rd August 2015)

I was stopped at Gatwick airport South for the random bag search and was asked about the cash I had in my wallet.

It was 1500 euros plus £300 UK.

I was told that part of the Euros could be confiscated as it was 'over limit'.

after a behind the scenes discussion between customs officials I was allowed to 'keep it'.

That was purely personal experience

and I don't know where this approach came from.

I too thought there was no limit in the EU.

What nonsense.

In the UK there is no limit to amount of cash you can take out to another European state.

The treasury department currently have abandoned restrictions although this can be changed at any time.

However beware POCA (proceeds of crime act) and money laundering act.

This means that any large amount can be seized by police, customs or UK border.

They have a time limit to put you in front of a magistrate who will decide if you can keep it or not.

My advice be respectful and honest.

Prove where money came from (eg bank receipt, statement), prove what money is for (eg expensive hotel car, holiday home charges etc) with paperwork and they should let you go.

More than say 10 or 12 grand may be a problem but no one will state how much.

The officer can decide.

Good luck!

With in the EU there is a freedom of capital moment.

However, having said the above you need to know that up to €10.000 cash no questions are asked.

For larger amounts like €50.000 or €100.000+ you would be asked to prove the source of that cash.

(money laundering regulations).

Also you would be asked the reason for moving this kind of money in cash.

As long as you have a legitimate source for that money and a legitimate reason to take that money in another country, I don't see a problem.

Kindly note that for Tax purposes you will have to declare the movement of cash to the customs if you don't declare the cash at the customs and you get caught (most probably you will), you will be in serious troubles.

You might even spend a night or two in jail.

Better safe than sorry.

There is only a reporting limit of 10.000 EUR when entering from outside.

The rules which are actually often misquoted, does not require you to report any cash travelling within the EU

Question: Is there any specific limit of money you can carry on cash while flying from one European Union country to another?

How much cash can you carry on a flight within the European Union?

There is no limit to the amount of cash you can take within the EU, and you are not required to report it. However, there is a reporting limit of 10,000 EUR when entering from outside, and you may be asked to prove the source of larger sums of cash.

There are no limits to moving cash within the EU although there is some missunderstanding about the 10000 EUR reporting rule. This rule in fact only applies to travellers from outside the EU. Travellers within the EU may, however, be asked to prove the source of very large amounts of cash.

There are no limits for transporting cash within the EU.

There is some misunderstanding about the 10000 EUR reporting limit. It does not apply inside the EU, only to people entering from outside

Passengers may be asked to prove the source of larger sums.


No, you can't.

I know a lot about planes and their systems

and I can tell you for sure, some tissues can block the toilet.

I am sure your butt is a bit heavier and bigger than some tissues.

Also, some planes have a manual handle to control the flush in case it is stuck open.

It happens sometime and the only bad side is not sucking people's butts, but the very loud sound.

So do not worry, flying is safe for people, that includes their precious butts :)

For more details about butts being stuck in planes toilets, please DO NOT watch the Soul Plane movie ;)

As the Mythbusters tried it , there are several reasons why this will not happen:

You are not sitting (hopefully) on the bowl itself but on the ring above it.

There is a space in between that lets air through and prevents you from being stuck in any sense

It's a real challenge to create a perfect seal between your buttocks and your knees.

You have to be quite obese to even cover the bowl properly on all sides.

closing the gaps created by your buttocks and your knees is even harder.

Even if you sit on the bowl directly, and be obese enough to cover the whole bowl AND manage to get a perfect seal, the suction is not strong enough to prevent you from getting up again.

So, as others said, it won't happen.

If you're worried about the difference between cabin air pressure and the lower air pressure outside, don't.

Airplane toilets go into a holding tank, which is not at outside pressure.

I'd be more worried about some joker coating the seat with superglue...

Even if you assumed that the suction of the toilet continued indefinitely, you could only get stuck if your body formed a perfect seal against the toilet rim.

The three-dimensional profile of a person's backside and thighs has enough indentations to prevent the body of a person of normal proportions from forming such a seal.

Someone would have to be significantly overweight to possess sufficient loose flesh to seal all the gaps.

According to mythbusters, season one: episode 2 the results were, busted.

To give a straightforward answer, is it possible to get sucked tight on a plane's toilet?

Yes, under the right conditions but considering "if they can even fit in the plane toilet at that size" ~jamie.

As others have stated, you would have to cover the whole thing and allow no air to get in or out .

Don't worry about it! "

Even a hand doesn't get damaged by the pressure.

Just gets wet" and "The pressure is for only 2 seconds... because it goes into a reservoir within the plane " according to the expert on the show.

Don't even get me started on "

can you get sucked out of the plane if a window breaks".

note: this is in season 3 episode 2 on netflix if you have it ;)

Question: The sounds of flushing an airplane's toilet can be quite intimidating. When going to the toilet on a plane, I am always a bit cautious of accidental flushing. If so, do you risk being sucked stuck to the toilet due to the suction?

Can you get sucked tight on a plane's toilet?

Even if the suction of the toilet continued indefinitely, you could only get stuck if your body formed a perfect seal around the rim.

You cannot get sucked into a plane's toilet because your body will not form a perfect seal with the rim.