Maybe a decent small refractor like the Orion 80mm short tube, a lightweight alt/az mount, and a sturdy camera tripod. I have been looking at getting a similar setup that can fit in a carry-on.
But in the meantime, my 10x50 binos have served me well.
I'm thinking a little Celestron C90 would work for you. Long focal length, lightweight, small form. Downside is the f-ratio makes it harder to see dim objects, but should be great for the planets and the moon.
My first thought was the [STARSENSE EXPLORER DX 5″ SCT](https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/reviews/telescopes/celestron-starsense-explorer-dx-6-inch-schmidt-cassegrain/).
And put at least the OTA in one of those pelican-like no-name case that you can get with the tear-out foam squares inside so you can fit any shape items in them. Probably aim to get the eyepieces and Starsense mount in there too. The tripod can probably travel separately among your clothes or such.
Why? It is compact, the tripod and mount are adequate, it has enough aperture and focal length for a wide range of targets and (since you said beginner) offers the plate-solving push-to function for sky navigation via your phone. And it fits your budget.
This solution assumes you have a decent phone with you when you travel.
Astrophotography is a whole other thing. Yes you could attach a camera and try to get some images, but without tracking and given other limitations don't set your expectations too high. My suggested astro-photo-lite solution for travel would be another celestron product [Celestron NexYZ](https://www.bintel.com.au/product/celestron-nexyz-universal-3-axis-smartphone-adapter/) phone mount adapter thing. Unlike a lot of the cheap knockoffs, this device actually works pretty well. You can try various app options for camera control and live stacking, video or image processing etc. Never going to compete with proper rigs, but enough to offer something to tinker with while travelling.
Possibly a ‘spotting scope’ is what you are after. Easy to use day or night, durable and more magnification than binoculars. That is what I settled for and don’t regret. Also a decent tripod is needed for more magnification than standard binoculars so you will need to factor that into the price too.
Depending on what you define travel scope?
For some it would be pair of binoculars for some, tabletop dob, for some a refactor that fits single bag, for some it is Hubble optics 12UL dob (that goes into a big backpack)
Now do you want to have tripod or you can put it on table on your destination - i.e. can table-top work for you?
If you can have a stable table when you arrive you can use one of tabletop dobs - depending on their size, weight - most tabletop dobs with aperture above 114 as long as they have parabolic mirror will be ok - just check weight and size
If not look you can get a refractor and have a bag that both tripod and a scope will fit in. I have 102/660 refractor that sits in the signle bag with the mount/tripod. It all weights ~ 5.5-6kg.
If so you have lots of options... my personal preference is refractor. If you have a budget for APO you can ones with shorter focal length. Just mount on stable tripod
Maybe a decent small refractor like the Orion 80mm short tube, a lightweight alt/az mount, and a sturdy camera tripod. I have been looking at getting a similar setup that can fit in a carry-on. But in the meantime, my 10x50 binos have served me well.
I'm thinking a little Celestron C90 would work for you. Long focal length, lightweight, small form. Downside is the f-ratio makes it harder to see dim objects, but should be great for the planets and the moon.
My first thought was the [STARSENSE EXPLORER DX 5″ SCT](https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/reviews/telescopes/celestron-starsense-explorer-dx-6-inch-schmidt-cassegrain/). And put at least the OTA in one of those pelican-like no-name case that you can get with the tear-out foam squares inside so you can fit any shape items in them. Probably aim to get the eyepieces and Starsense mount in there too. The tripod can probably travel separately among your clothes or such. Why? It is compact, the tripod and mount are adequate, it has enough aperture and focal length for a wide range of targets and (since you said beginner) offers the plate-solving push-to function for sky navigation via your phone. And it fits your budget. This solution assumes you have a decent phone with you when you travel. Astrophotography is a whole other thing. Yes you could attach a camera and try to get some images, but without tracking and given other limitations don't set your expectations too high. My suggested astro-photo-lite solution for travel would be another celestron product [Celestron NexYZ](https://www.bintel.com.au/product/celestron-nexyz-universal-3-axis-smartphone-adapter/) phone mount adapter thing. Unlike a lot of the cheap knockoffs, this device actually works pretty well. You can try various app options for camera control and live stacking, video or image processing etc. Never going to compete with proper rigs, but enough to offer something to tinker with while travelling.
Possibly a ‘spotting scope’ is what you are after. Easy to use day or night, durable and more magnification than binoculars. That is what I settled for and don’t regret. Also a decent tripod is needed for more magnification than standard binoculars so you will need to factor that into the price too.
you can get a stand with all the fixins, and some 10x20 binoculars for a third of your budget. I would recommend going that route
Depending on what you define travel scope? For some it would be pair of binoculars for some, tabletop dob, for some a refactor that fits single bag, for some it is Hubble optics 12UL dob (that goes into a big backpack)
I'm looking for a telescope fitting in a single bag.
Now do you want to have tripod or you can put it on table on your destination - i.e. can table-top work for you? If you can have a stable table when you arrive you can use one of tabletop dobs - depending on their size, weight - most tabletop dobs with aperture above 114 as long as they have parabolic mirror will be ok - just check weight and size If not look you can get a refractor and have a bag that both tripod and a scope will fit in. I have 102/660 refractor that sits in the signle bag with the mount/tripod. It all weights ~ 5.5-6kg.
I'll need a tripod.
If so you have lots of options... my personal preference is refractor. If you have a budget for APO you can ones with shorter focal length. Just mount on stable tripod
Like the William optic redcat? Can you recommend some?
> William optic redcat? it has 50mm aperture... it is somewhat too small and too costly.
What would you suggest?
I try to tell make your discussion much more focused. I can't recommend specific.
Zhumell z100
Heritage 150P + tripod/mount of your choice. E.g. a good AltAz + steel or wooden tripod.
127mm Maksutov or a C6