Hi, Ray. I know that there are tour companies here who specialize in wheelchair tours. They might be able to give you much more insight, and you can also tell be looking at the areas they tour where the most mobility-friendly areas are in Portugal. Here is a link to one of those tour companies: www.adaptedtoursportugal.com. Glenda

Hi Kurt, I love Ecuador and have lived there off and on for many years over the last two decades. I have lots of friends there, primarily in Cotacachi and Cuenca (in the Sierras, yes) who report they feel very safe. I am looking to get back there perhaps in February and I am not concerned. I think things have settled down a lot since the issues of two years ago. I have friends with young kids who live in Cotacachi who regularly vacation on the coast without concern. I guess it all depends on your personal level of comfort but for me, I would feel safe in most of the country right now.

Hi @MARKASHIRAZI Thanks for getting in touch. My recommendation would be to check out Warren and Julie's YouTube page. They're colleagues of ours and have spoken at our online events. They have expertise in the area and should be able to offer the information you need. Here's a link to their YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsMbJWT2e-3CRhy8LJOa7_g

Julie and Warren Knox have traveled across multiple countries with their pets. You might find their tips helpful too: https://magazine.internationalliving.com/internationalliving/library/item/may_2023/4094026/

I'm not doing any traveling in Costa Rica this time around but but thought I'd chime in just to say that on a previous year I did rent a car and tour on my own after a conference and it was great! I felt perfectly safe (even when I got a flat tire on the highway at dusk) and had a lovely time. I went to Grecia, Atenas, and San Ramon (stopped in Sarchí), there was a ton of info on Facebook expat groups, makes it easy to ask/find out about expat gatherings/hangouts. Prior to that I'd been to and enjoyed beaches around Manuel Antonio and Ojochal. Went to Limon on the Caribbean side many, many years ago as well (there's a nice little expat community there now). No matter what part of the country you choose, it's hard to go wrong. The number one thing I personally do to ensure a good trip is to make some connections via facebook ahead of time and number two book stays at places with great recent reviews. Best, IL Overseas Editor Jess Ramesch

By the way, if you have good reviews on Airbnb, those can help convince a homeowner to give you a shot even if you have no reviews on THS.com. (I am a "host" on THS and have seen some sitters link to their Airbnb profiles.) As a somewhat nervous home and cat owner I never consider applicants unless they have at least three five-star reviews (these generally show that the person is caring with animals and also takes good care of the homes they are entrusted with). That said, there have to be hosts our there who are willing to give new sitters their first break. As a host I have 6 sits under my belt and each has been a five-star experience. Here are some insights: I only consider applicants who 1- send a coherent message with their application, showing that they've read my listing with care (many do not; my listing states that these will be automatically rejected), 2- have a lot of cat-sitting experience as evidenced by their reviews (many sitters have experience with dogs and not cats), and 3- are self-professed cat-lovers (extra points if they say they have/have had their own). Once I've verified that the candidate(s) look good on paper, I always have a zoom call and only then, if my gut feeling is that we are a good match, do I offer them the sit.

Loads more great informaion fond in the Escape to Portugal guidebook.

One thing to add to the previous answer that my wife and I discovered the hard way when we first moved to Ecuador. Plumbed gas lines deliver at a higher pressure in Ecuador than in the US, so if you have a gas appliance made in the US make sure a qualified tech installs it and adds an adaptor to correct the pressure. We allowed one of the guardians in our building to do the installation, and we melted some polyester clothing in the first load!

Hi Aaron, Your existing credit and debit cards will likely work in Thailand, but using them can be costly. When you withdraw cash using a foreign card, you’ll be charged an ATM fee of about 220 THB (around $6.12; it will likely appear as part of the withdrawal amount and not as a separate fee on your statement). Your bank back home may charge its own fees on top of this. Plus, many institutions may give a poor exchange rate and/or charge fees up to as much as 5%. Credit cards can be used at larger businesses, but some add a fee or surcharge of up to 1.5% , and your bank may apply additional fees and charges. Before leaving home, tell your bank representative that you’re planning on spending time in Thailand and discuss these fees. You may find that opening an account in a different bank in the U.S., Canada, or wherever home may be, can save you money when you get to Thailand. Some banks—like Charles Schwab—have special offers for things like foreign ATM fee reimbursement, or better bill paying options, while others (like Capital One) may offer credit cards with no foreign currency fees. You’ll find it well worth your while to research these options exhaustively. Be sure to check out our dedicated Thailand resource page before you visit.

Hi Gary, Great choice on visiting Lima. It’s Peru’s business, culinary, and retail hub and is also home to the country’s largest concentration of expats. Using taxis overseas can be daunting. We all heard stories of people getting ripped off because they don’t know how to navigate the system. But you just need to follow a few simple rules. First off, it seems that anybody who is unemployed in Peru attaches a taxi sign to the top of their car and becomes a cab driver. Although most are both safe and fairly priced, you should take precautions, especially late at night. Taxis are not metered so if the price is not already fixed for specific distances, you will need to negotiate. Be sure to agree on a price before you set off in the taxi. Registered taxis can be recognized by the yellow stripe across the top of their license plates. It’s always better to have your hotel summon a taxi for you, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the system. And the taxis available from the airport desks are the best option when you arrive. Unlike other countries, prices are more competitive than the ones you will find outside. Learn more about Peru on the dedicated pages of our website here.

Hi Giles, Congratulations on your upcoming trip! Spain and Portugal are both beautiful European countries, with a lot to offer visitors and expats. There’s a lot to recommend in each country, and no way I can cover it all here (or you can see it all in just one month). But let’s look at some options. We’ll start with Portugal. Obviously, Lisbon, Porto, and the Algarve are the main places that most first-time visitors will want to see. But for something more unusual, you might consider following in the footsteps of IL contributor Terry Coles, and taking a road trip along Portugal’s “Route 66.” She details her eight-day journey exploring off-the-beaten-path Portugal in this article, which could serve as some inspiration for you. Last year, we sent three of our editors to explore Portugal top to bottom. I think you’ll find their discoveries pretty useful too, especially Nazareen Heazle’s “Hidden” Algarve… Away From the Crowds. Read the full feature here. Now, on to Spain. The major places for tourists are, of course, Barcelona, Madrid, and the Costa del Sol. The Costa Blanca, around Alicante, is also popular with European tourists. But for some off-the-beaten-path options, IL contributor Tricia Pimental has suggestions for Three Towns Worth Taking a Detour For in this article. Or if you fancy going a bit farther afield, our Lifestyle Editor Sean Keenan was recently up north in “Green Spain” and loved what he found. Read his full account here. I hope that’s served as some food for thought to help you plan your visit in March. If you’d like some more specifics on traveling Spain and Portugal, we have some pre-planned itineraries for both countries available on our Bookstore. These pre-planned routes are designed to be modular, so if you’re spending one week, two weeks, or four weeks in the country, you’ll find an itinerary to suit. Check out the Portugal itineraries here. And the Spain itineraries here.

Hi Jessica, Thanks for your interest in Portugal and for writing to International Living. Although Portugal is a compact country, it does offer different options for living. From vibrant cities like Lisbon and Porto… to charming coastal towns along the Atlantic Ocean… to rural landscapes where sheep graze amid orange orchards and cork oak forests. Since 10 days is not that much time for a scouting trip, I would suggest that you first think about what type of environment you wish to retire in. If you are a city person, then I think you should concentrate on one of the two cities mentioned above. Do you prefer a climate like Florida, with hot summers and mild winters or are you ok with warm summers and rainy winters? For the best weather in Portugal, and perhaps all of Europe, the Algarve is the place to be. The southernmost part along the coast offers hot, dry summers and less rain in the winters than the rest of Portugal. Here you will find expat havens like Lagos, Tavira and Albufeira, a bit of a larger city where English is widely spoken and there are plenty of expats to hang out with. For more affordable living check out the Silver Coast, one hour north of Lisbon near the mid-sized city of Caldas da Rainha. Here the pace of life moves slowly, there are still expats, but most are from Europe or the UK and there is plenty of history and charming areas to explore. Winters here receive much rain with cooler temperatures and summers are not as hot as they would be in the south. To make the most of your 10 days, I do suggest that you rent a car to make exploring that much easier and quicker. If you’d like a detailed scouting trip itinerary, including links to trusted websites and contact information you’ll find immensely helpful, then you should consider our Portugal Scouting Trip Itineraries and Travel Guide. If you’d like to spend one week, two weeks, or up to four weeks in Portugal, this guide will show you how to have the trip of a lifetime while you’re there. Happy exploring and safe travels to you!