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If you look at the FAQ for Money, Gaming, or English SE, they have a basic (but effective) format for describing the scope of the site. If you want to help define the basic tenets of this site, I'll put together a preliminary FAQ.

The basic format of the FAQ will look like this:

The Travel Stack Exchange is for [description]. If you have a question about …

  • [on topic]
  • [on topic] (These are the topics you feel are ideal for this site)

and its not about …

  • [off topic]
  • [off topic] (These are the topics that will LIKELY be asked, but should be considered off-topic, nonetheless)

… then you’re in the right place to ask your question!

Here's what I need —

Please post *ONE* [on topic] OR [off topic] OR [description] suggestion per post (multiple posts allowed).

Then up-vote the entries you would like to see in the FAQ. Down-vote those you vehemently disagree with. If you don't find an entry useful or interesting, just leave it alone.

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14 Answers 14

Reset to default
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[on topic]

using and coordinating public transport

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  • 1
    Can you elaborate a bit? What about them? Finding? Usage of? Buying one? Learning to drive one? I updated the example FAQ links above to provide better examples of phrasing for typical FAQ entries.
    – Robert Cartaino
    Commented Jun 27, 2011 at 22:56
  • Yeah I agree that it should be worded better, but I'm not sure how.
    – victoriah
    Commented Jun 28, 2011 at 8:32
  • Other folks are encouraged to post alternative wordings for consideration and voting.
    – Robert Cartaino
    Commented Jun 28, 2011 at 14:42
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[on topic]

accommodation: camping, hostels & backpackers, guesthouses, B&B's, hotels, renting a villa on a trip

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[off topic]
Cheapest [things] in [country, town, ...]

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  • 3
    Unless the thing is a travel ticket or maybe town A only has an expensive hotel whereas town B has accommodation in your price range. Or other travel related things...
    – hippietrail
    Commented Jun 28, 2011 at 21:24
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[off topic]

What should I see in [large country]?

(More specific may be ok though!)

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  • is questions like "which city should I visit in [large country]" off topic or on topic?
    – Sufendy
    Commented Jul 15, 2011 at 9:24
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[on topic]

customs & immigration, border crossing, visas and other travel documents such as permits

problems with passports stamps from one territory not being welcome in another territory

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  • Wow somebody things some of these things are off-topic??
    – hippietrail
    Commented Dec 11, 2011 at 11:20
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[on topic]

miles and hotel points

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[on-topic]

Budgets and cost

Is mode of transportation A cheaper than B?

What is the cost of X in Y?

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  • For "What is the cost of X in Y?" keep in mind that "cost and availability of camping equipment in countries along my route" and "cost of postage out of countries along my route" have already proved contentious to varying degrees.
    – hippietrail
    Commented Jun 28, 2011 at 5:48
  • 1
    @hippietrail That is true, But I still think it is on-topic and required.
    – Beaker
    Commented Jun 28, 2011 at 7:26
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[on topic]

I'm visiting [region], and a common recommendation is [see X]. This doesn't seem to fit with [transport], can it be done or should I instead [see Y]?

eg I'm visiting the Loire and I'm hoping to see some Chateaux. Lots of guides recommend Chambord, but it looks hard to reach without a car. Is it possible to get there by public transport, or if not is there an equally impressive on I can do without a car?

(Personal answer - visit Chenonceau instead)

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[on topic]

health and safety as it relates to travel

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  • 1
    I wanted to upvote this, but I think writing "health" at the beginning as a sort of general qualifier is a bit dangerous. 'Health' is not a primary topic for this site, although obviously questions about vaccinations and so on are on topic. I don't know, I think the wording could be better.
    – victoriah
    Commented Jun 27, 2011 at 22:33
  • @victoriah: feel free to edit the text. I chose "health" because it's the tag used already on these types of questions plus the travel guides i'm familiar with generally have a section with a name similar to "health and safety" (but we don't need to combine them)
    – hippietrail
    Commented Jun 27, 2011 at 22:38
  • 2
    You might want to elaborate on what you mean by "health" as it relates to this site. What about heath is on topic for this site. I updated the example FAQ links above to provide better examples of typical FAQ entries.
    – Robert Cartaino
    Commented Jun 27, 2011 at 22:58
  • @Robert: I thought I covered that with the phrase more prevalent at your destination than at home \-: Maybe for the FAQ health and safety should go together even though as tags they might stay separate. I'll reword it that way.
    – hippietrail
    Commented Jun 27, 2011 at 23:01
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[off topic]

Where's the best place in the world to eat [cuisine]?

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  • Off topic or not constructive?
    – Nicole
    Commented Jun 28, 2011 at 1:23
  • Maybe not specific enough though there surely are plenty of cuisines that are best in a specific place. For paella go to Spain. For fugu go to Shimonoseki, Japan.
    – hippietrail
    Commented Jun 28, 2011 at 5:46
  • Fugu question will become local legend, I think
    – VMAtm
    Commented Jun 28, 2011 at 5:57
  • For foods specific to a smallish area the locals will know the even smaller area that is best. ie in Japan everybody knows Shimonoseki is famous for having the best Fugu. Asking for the best steakhouse in Maine is probably off topic though.
    – hippietrail
    Commented Jun 28, 2011 at 21:26
  • 1
    I think the problem with the question, "What is the best place to do x?" is that the word "best" is subjective. If you were to substitute a more objective term such as "cheapest", "most authentic" or "most famous", the question might transcend to on-topic status.
    – user82
    Commented Jun 30, 2011 at 12:15
  • @Phoenix: Sometimes they do ask more objectively in the full question text than in the title text. For the fugu questions they asked about safety. In Japan safety is paramount for fugu chefs and it's an ordeal to become one.
    – hippietrail
    Commented Jul 8, 2011 at 11:59
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and it's not about ...

  • things that are overly broad or related to an overly big geographical region.

example question: https://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/708/what-are-necessary-things-that-one-needs-to-keep-in-mind-while-travelling

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    Hmm. <thinking> I certainly agree with the premise but "overly broad" is covered under the general faq and doesn't really help define the scope of this site. This one might need a bit of refining.
    – Robert Cartaino
    Commented Jun 30, 2011 at 15:02
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[on topic? not sure...]

Where's the best place in [city/small region] to eat [local cuisine]?

eg I'm going to be spending 3 days in Oxford, and I'm keen to try some modern British cuisine. Are there good restaurants for that in Oxford, and if so which?

(Personal answer - Gees, The Old Parsonage, or The Big Bang, though note that The Big Bang is set to close late this summer when the building it's in is knocked down, so this hypothetical answer would soon be out of date...)

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  • Surely recommending down to individual restaurants would be too subjective?
    – hippietrail
    Commented Jun 28, 2011 at 5:49
  • 1
    If you chat with tourists newly arrived in Oxford, it's a common question of theirs (normally after how to find the Turf Tavern!). I suspect therefore it'll be asked here too, not sure if it should be defined as on-topic or closed though
    – Gagravarr
    Commented Jun 28, 2011 at 10:39
  • We will be asked here but as a Q&A site questions that don't get closed must not be subjective, not have open list answers, etc. This isn't specific or long-tail IMHO (but also I don't feel strongly enough to vote down)
    – hippietrail
    Commented Jun 28, 2011 at 21:29
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[off-topic]
Give me some tips for staying in the X

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[off-topic]

What is the best place to stay in X (under budget Y)?

(The answer to such questions is too subjective, probably going to be asked often.)

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    unless you're asking for the best place in the middle east with no budget constraint since there is only one six star hotel (-;
    – hippietrail
    Commented Jun 28, 2011 at 21:30

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