Informing the international traveler since 1976.
Dec 2005 issue.
Boarding Pass
Dear Globetrotter: Welcome to the 358th issue of your monthly overseas travel magazine. On Oct. 12, about 1,500 people were evacuated from Machu Picchu, Peru, after a mudslide covered a section of the railway line to the mountaintop Incan ruins. No one was hurt, and buses were employed to take the people down. Snow melting on a nearby [...]Travel Tidbits
The Palámidi fortress in Nafplio, Greece, was the best of all the fortresses we visited in that area on our trip. It was built by the Venetians from 1711 to 1714 but was seized by the Turks the following year. My wife and I must have burned up four rolls of film between us on [...]Catching the Christmas spirit in France’s Alsace region
by Mary Beltran, Associate Editor, ITN Some years, as the Christmas holiday approaches, I get a definite “Bah, humbug” attitude. I feel overwhelmed by the boxes of decorations, the cards to be mailed and the shopping and baking to be done in preparation for family celebrations. During the 2004 season, I was invited to go to [...]CDG Airport auto return
I read about the reader’s frustration in trying to find the rental car return location at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle International (Sept. ’05, pg. 46). I picked up a car and returned it there in late September ’05, and I found that if you watch the signs, it is not at all difficult. I arrived and [...]Car hire snag in Britain & Ireland
In an article about the hiring of vehicles (July ’05, pg. 95), the writer suggests that those who are over the age for hiring a vehicle should “Have a guide or younger person hire and drive the vehicle and reimburse him/her.” He goes on to say, “The person must have a credit card in his/her [...]Cheaper guidebooks
The reader’s letter on travel to Iran in the June ’05 issue (page 40) was most interesting and informative. However, at the end, the references for guidebooks listed their prices if bought at full price. I have had great luck with buying almost all of my travel books and guidebooks from www.amazon.com, utilizing the “Buy new” [...]Dining in Paris
Karlette and her husband, Ward, shared a number of restaurant recommendations last month (page 42), gleaned from more than 20 trips to Paris. Here are a few more. (Reservations are advised.) • Le Bistro des Deux Theatres (18 rue Blanche, 9th Arr.; tel. 01 45 26 41 43. Website for the chain is www.bistro-et-cie.fr) — Metro: [...]Dramatic sunrise in Morocco
The guidebooks say that when visiting Morocco, you should spend a night in Marzouga so as to witness the sunrise the next day. You could do that via camel or Land Rover, and on a trip my daughter Heather and I took one July, we decided to use camels. Before dawn, we were awakened and led [...]Funniest Thing for December
Tell ITN about the funniest thing that ever happened to you while traveling in a foreign country. There are no restrictions on length. (ITN prints no info on destinations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean.) The ITN staff will choose each month’s winner, who will receive a free one-year subscription to ITN. Entries [...]Incredible India — the North
by Ian McGary, Mountain View, CA Travel ads use the words “Incredible India” to entice potential travelers to come to this exciting country. My husband, Chuck, and I made our journey in November ’04, and we indeed found India to be incredible. The old flanks the new, tradition vies with innovation, and palaces stand next to piles [...]Passed between tour groups like a baton
I had a window of opportunity to take off work and go to Turkey, a country in which I had substantial interest. I began looking for companies that provided tours there, being mindful that I did not have much time to plan and would be alone. In part because of the convenient timing, I settled on [...]Hotel’s costly phone, Internet access
Looking for a “reasonably” priced but quality hotel room in London in October ’04, I was offered a “superior double room” at the Thistle Euston (TH) near Euston Station for about $200 per night and it did not sound too bad. The room turned out to be just fine. What ultimately got to me was [...]Friendly haven
While awaiting information relative to a traveling companion who had been taken to the Wrexham hospital on May 23, ’05, my wife, Evie, and I spent several hours in the lobby of The Hand Hotel in Chirk (Church St., Chirk, Wrexham, LL14 5EY, Wales, U.K.; phone +44 1691 773472, fax 772479 or visit www.handhotelchirk.com). We received [...]Cottage stays plus cruise
We took a delightful trip to jolly old England, Sept. 9-Oct. 2, ’05. We stayed two weeks in cottages in the Cotswolds and spent one week on the canals. • Our first cottage was George’s Stable at Barn Farm in Tysoe, and what a find! It actually had been a stable, one which was remodeled just [...]London Canal Cruises
We spent a very enjoyable day cruising the canals around London in May ’05 aboard the narrowboat Helix through London Canal Cruises (63 Salisbury Rd., High Barnet, Hertfordshire EN5 4JL, U.K.; tel. +44 [0] 20 8440 8962 or visit www.londoncanal cruises.com). We departed at 10 a.m. after being welcomed aboard by our hosts, Alex and Jenny, [...]To keep valuables
I had the gift of a lifetime in 2002 in that I was able to take a year-long sabbatical and travel around the world. I visited 30 countries in 333 days on the Oneworld airline alliance pass. It was a life-altering journey offering up the best year of my life. I am writing, however, to [...]Ruminating on laminating
While I was spending a month in Paris, May 5-June 4, ’04, my daughter visited me for eight days. Both of us paid attention to visitors of various nationalities and found a couple of things that would have helped them navigate the tortuous streets of this city. My daughter was happy to have a compass to [...]Hear the roses
On our trip to New Zealand in March ’03, we chose to go to spectacular Doubtful Sound instead of Milford Sound. Getting there involved a motorboat across Lake Manapouri, a diesel-powered bus and another boat — hours of diesel motors and human voices. At one point on the boat, the captain cut the motors, announcing, “I [...]Roaming the cities and villages of Romania
by Judith Rosen, Alexandria, VA Before planning our month-long trip to Romania and Bulgaria, Alan and I asked for suggestions in ITN’s “Person to Person” section. Among four gracious replies, both Al Jungers and Carla Menist reported favorable experiences working with Sirma Nedeva of Alexander Tours (Sofia, Bulgaria; phone/fax +359 2 983 33 22 or visit [...]Flying around the world
Nancy Stott of Walnutport, Pennsylvania, wrote, “I would like to see readers write on the topic of ‘around-the-world itineraries’ such as those featured by airline alliances and some consolidators. It would be great to have a few first-person accounts of experiences plus suggestions.” We printed Nancy’s request in our June ’05 issue and received a number [...]Accomodations Worldwide
Great Britain We did a 10-night self-driving tour of SCOTLAND in May ’05 and, without exception, saw great scenery, met wonderful people and dined well. We rented a mid-sized Ford Mondeo automatic in Edinburgh from Arnold Clark Automobiles, Ltd. (call 0141 422 2700 or visit www.arnoldclark rental.co.uk), chosen because full insurance coverage and VAT was included [...]Cruising Scotland’s Caledonian Canal
by Betty and Dick Wood, Seattle, WA A few years ago we took a trip on the Göta Canal, a boat trip on inland lakes and step-locks across southern Sweden. After reading about a similar trip — this one on the Caledonian Canal in Scotland with an extension to the Orkney Islands — we decided to [...]Money Matters Overseas — a follow-up
Having traveled abroad over 33 times in the past 13 years, I heartily concurred and empathized with the preponderance of opinions expressed in the October ’05 issue regarding money. ITN asked readers to share how they deal with money and making purchases overseas (anywhere outside of North America and the Caribbean). Several reponses were printed in [...]Chile in depth with Chilean Special Journeys
Chile Scott Jones of Chilean Special Journeys (28 Morrill Rd., Montville, ME 04941; phone 888/345-6077 or visit www.chileanspecialjourneys.com) outdid himself in making our 21-day, April ’05 “Chile in Depth” trip memorable. Scott, originally from Maine, has lived in Chile for several years. He accompanied our group as tour guide, and local guides were used also. Chile [...]Owner-led Chilean Special Journeys tour
Chile I joined the 21-day “Chile in Depth” tour from Chilean Special Journeys (Montville, ME), April 7-27, ’05. This tour was led by CSJ’s owner, Scott Jones. It was a new tour, but my instincts (which on previous trips have provided me with some great adventures) told me it was going to be a very special [...]China and the Yangtze with Grand Circle Travel
The tour called “China and the Yangtze,” organized by Grand Circle Travel (347 Congress St., Boston, MA, 02210; phone 800/321-2835 or visit www.gct.com), might be subtitled “The Best of China.” This wonderful 21-day tour, April 9-29, ’05, cost $3,005 per person, including airfare from San Francisco, five internal flights and a 5-day cruise on the [...]France, Italy and Monaco with Olde Ipswich Tours
I have traveled many times to Europe, and “A Gourmet European Wine, Cuisine & Travel Experience” from Olde Ipswich Tours (8 Herrick Dr., Ipswich, MA 01938; phone 877/356-5163 or visit www.ipswichtours.com), April 14-27, ’04, was the best tour, without exception, that I have ever taken. (2006 tour, May 1-15, is priced at $4,999 land.) Olde Ipswich [...]Romania and Bulgaria with Tradesco Tours
The 2-week trip that my wife and I took with Tradesco Tours (3372 Woods Edge Circle, Ste. 104, Bonita Springs, FL 34134; phone 239/495-5076 or visit www.tradescotours.com), July 8-23, ’05, was not set up to be a private tour, but in fact we were the only group members. The land cost was $1,199 per person [...]Croatia and Slovenia with Vantage Deluxe World Travel
We highly recommend “Croatia and Other Hidden Treasures of the Adriatic” with Vantage Deluxe World Travel (90 Canal St., Boston, MA 02114-2031; phone 800/322-6677 or visit www.vantagetravel.com). Our 15-day tour, April 20-May 4, ’05, cost $6,470 for the two of us, including air from Boston and optional travel insurance. Breakfast was included daily along with several [...]Sunny Ecuador — a wonderful winter getaway
by Florence Drake, Readfield, ME I wanted to do something special for my 60th birthday. So was born the idea of a birthday trip. This wasn’t to be merely a trip to celebrate my birthday, taken when it was most convenient. This trip had to have me someplace wonderful on my birthday. I researched our many travel [...]Walks in Valparaiso
To sailors in the 18th and 19th centuries, Valparaiso, Chile, shone as one of South America’s beacons of light. The central city, embraced by steep hills and a beautiful bay, bustled with prosperity. Above, elegant wooded neighborhoods housed the merchants and bankers and fleet owners. Sailors’ sea chanteys celebrate this port’s magnificence, remember its sexy [...]Give Bhutan a break
I have been trying to get a reader’s letter, titled “Bhutan Arrangements ‘Challenging’” (Oct. ’05, pg. 31), out of my mind, but I can’t. Bhutan, the country complained about, is my favorite place in the world, and I feel it was unfairly maligned by the traveler. First of all, to allow only four days to see [...]Beijing to Kiev by rail
A friend and I took a wonderful 24-day train trip, July 3-26, ’05, out of Beijing, China, to Ulan Bator, Mongolia; Irkutsk and Moscow, Russia, and finally (overnight) to Kiev, Ukraine. This was a real experience, without one glitch, and it was all arranged by Tim at T.E.I. Tours & Travel (Box 23784, Pleasant Hills, CA [...]St. Petersburg guide
Prior to our trip to Russia in August ’05, we read about a guide in St. Petersburg named Sveta Motovilovets (phone [812] 275 34 77 or e-mail svetasad@hotmail.com) in ITN (Nov. ’04, pg. 82). We spent a delightful day with Sveta and her driver. An attractive lady, she speaks excellent English, has a great sense of [...]Recommended Seville tours
My family and I had a wonderful 10-day trip through Spain in June ’05. We fell in love with Seville, where we had a fabulous local guide. Concepcion Delgado (phone 902-158-226 or mobile 616-501-100 or visit www.sevillawalkingtours.com) speaks excellent English and loves sharing her city with others. Anyone with only one day in Seville ought [...]Chiran Peace Museum
The place that most interested me during our Japan trip was Chiran. Chiran was the site where young men flew on kamikaze flights, and today it is the site of the Chiran Peace Museum. It was April, and the road in from the entrance of the site was impressively beautiful with azaleas and numerous stone lanterns. [...]The King and I
After traveling in Laos and southern Thailand on a trip in 2001, I found myself in Bangkok on the first of December awaiting my flight home in a week. The city was decorated with yellow banners and pictures of the King for his birthday on Dec. 5th. Thinking that there might be some special celebration, that [...]Kudos for TACA
I would like for people to know how nice the airline Grupo TACA is. I was scheduled to go to San José, Costa Rica, on Sept. 4, ’05, for a couple weeks. I live in Slidell, Louisiana, which was very hard hit by Hurricane Katrina. TACA readily agreed to refund the full amount of my ticket. LAUREL [...]All Aboard » Railpass question
by Jay Brunhouse Q: “Hello, Jay. Sure appreciate your making your e-mail address available to your readers. I’d like to get your thoughts on something. . . “For years, I, like most other Europe rail enthusiasts, considered that the Eurailpass (in whatever particular ‘flavor’ best suited for the journey) was a no-brainer for Europe itineraries covering a lot [...]Travel & Health » Meningitis
Meningitis is a dreadful word and an even more dreadful condition. The central nervous system of your body, that is, your brain and spinal cord, has a special lining, call the meninges. When these meninges become inflamed or infected, you develop meningitis. This condition can cause a wide range of signs and symptoms, from a headache, [...]Ask Steve
Hello! My name is Steven Venables. When I started in the travel industry 40 years ago, everything was a little more formal. In fact, the airline I first worked for, United, required us to wear military-like uniforms and use only our last names when introducing ourselves to passengers or answering the telephone. I was “Mr. Venables.” But [...]The Discerning Traveler » The vanished reservation
“You can leave earlier if you travel standby on Delta,” the reservation agent told my cousin, Marcus, when he called Northwest Airlines about his JFK-to-Seattle flight. “Fantastic! What a terrific service,” he commented. He wasn’t quite so happy a few days later when he checked his seat assignment for the return trip to JFK online and found [...]Mideast and Mediterranean » Queen Zenobia & Palmyra, Syria
Most know that Hollywood made Cleopatra famous with movies of her romantic trysts with Julius Caesar and Marc Anthony, but historians generally view Arab Queen Zenobia as having greater beauty, chastity and valor than her Egyptian ancestor. But who was Zenobia? During the third century A.D., Rome was challenged by Persia (Iran). As Roman Palmyra, in [...]Latin America » Destination: Peru
Recently, I was a delegate to the 2005 TravelMart Latin America. It is one of the most important business events for the tourism sector in Latin America. This year, Peru was the host country. Close to one thousand representatives of tourism organizations around the world gathered in Lima, Sept. 14-16. TravelMart brings together sellers (airlines, cruise [...]Far Horizons » Changing hotel rooms at and after check-in
by Randy Keck There are times when travelers arrive at a hotel or other accommodation to find that they wish to change from the room they have been assigned, even though it is of the room type and category they requested and reserved. In this edition of “Under the Microscope,” I will examine some typical situations [...]Report Cards
From Seoul, SOUTH KOREA, Sept. 12, ’05. . . • Hotel Incheon Airport. I made my reservation on the Internet after reading reviews of hotels close to the airport. I had a one-night layover. The cost of the room, $89, included airport pickup and dropoff. The room was clean, comfortable, quiet and large, with a nice bathroom. [...]
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