Informing the international traveler since 1976.
April 2007 issue.
Articles are displayed in the order they appear in the magazine.
Boarding Pass
by David Tykol, Editor Dear Globetrotter: Welcome to the 374th issue of your monthly overseas travel magazine. If you are reading this magazine for the first time, having received a sample copy, the concept behind it is very simple: ITN is written by travelers for travelers. Readers each send in their candid appraisals of a tour they’ve taken, a [...]Travel Tidbits
When I went to the post office in Tbilisi, Georgia, to mail packages home in April ’05, each of my bags was measured, and then a lady sewed muslin covers for each one. These were then stitched up and sealed with hot wax. It was expensive, but my packages were waiting for me when I [...]Burgundy — oh, so much more than wine
by Paula Prindle, Orient, OH I love wine, and my husband, David, and I really enjoy traveling to France during la vendange, the grape harvest, so far be it from me to denigrate Burgundy’s largest export and claim to fame. But “La Bourgogne” has so much more to offer visitors than just wine. Burgundy’s pace is more [...]Motorhome tour in Europe
We traveled on a 30-day guided motorhome tour from Germany to Switzerland, Austria and Italy, May 1-30, ’06, with European Motorhome Tours, or EMT (PMB C 9813, 3590 Round Bottom Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45244-3026; 520/205-0841, www.rvtoureurope.com). This is a unique and convenient way to see European sights. We had to unpack and pack only once, and [...]Interbus in Costa Rica
Over a year ago my daughter, Lisa, and I planned a 2-week trip to Costa Rica after I read of such an adventure in ITN (Aug. ’05, pg. 80). In the original plan, we were going to do our own driving and thought this would be a fun way to experience the country with its [...]A note on cash advances
I asked my Paris bank about travelers’ checks and they told me that since they are paper and must be shipped while other transactions are carried on electronically, they have to charge more for the travelers’ check transactions. My young lady at the bank said they are just too much trouble in this electronic age. Secondly, [...]ATM card plus cash
Concerning the “ideal travel wallet,” I agree with Jeanine Healey (Jan. ’07, pg. 2). I have heard too many stories about travelers not being able to cash travelers’ checks or receiving a poor rate of exchange when they can cash them. I have always received the best exchange rate by using my ATM card. Ms. Healey [...]100s questioned
I read the reader’s letter “Exchanging Money Abroad” (Jan. ’07, pg. 17) and have an experience to share. I was in Normandy, France, in March ’06 and tried to change a newer (not torn or anything) 100-dollar bill for euros. I went to several places in Caen and nobody would take the bill. Finally, someone who [...]Withdrawals overseas
The letter “Credit Card Surprise” (Oct. ’06, pg. 12) prompts this note I have put off for years. I have two accounts with Washington Mutual bank, one of which taps ATMs for cash. Before an April-May ’06 trip I called their fraud department four times, telling them of my impending travel. Two bank representatives told me [...]Camping in Qatar
For any readers anticipating a stopover in Qatar, here is an interesting alternative to the usual 5-star hotel. How about a night of camping in the desert? I camped in Qatar in early November ’06 with Arabian Adventures (P.O. Box 4476, Doha, Qatar; phone 974 4361461, fax 974 4361471 or visit www.arabian adventureqatar.com), which offers day [...]Myanmar — Experiencing a people and their crafts
by Jane L. Reber, Palo Alto, CA I had such significant doubts that I would ever travel to Myanmar (Burma) because of its repressive government that when I found a group that assured me the moneys paid would go to the people and not the government, I signed on. I booked with Craft World Tours of [...]CDG airport lag
I want to reiterate the warning about changing planes at Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG) in Paris. My wife and I flew from Washington, D.C., to Lisbon, Portugal, via CDG on Oct. 14, 2006, and we foolishly accepted the Air France agent’s assurance that an interval of 45 minutes was sufficient to do the flight [...]Unexpected delay at Heathrow
With two friends, I traveled from New York’s JFK to London Heathrow on British Airways flight No. 112 on Sept. 15, 2006. Three hours after arriving at Heathrow, we were to connect with British Midland (bmi) flight No. 163 to Mallorca, Spain. Due to bad weather in New York, our British Airways flight left 1½ hours [...]Baltic cruise with two boys
My two sons, aged 11 and 15, went with me on a fabulous 10-night sailing around the Baltic on the MS Amsterdam of Holland America Line (Seattle, WA; 800/426-0327, www.hollandamerica.com), June 22-July 1, 2006. Not including airfare, the price was $7,000 for four of us in a family cabin (my husband opted not to go [...]Prebooked St. Petersburg shore tour
My wife, Gloria, and I took Celebrity Cruises’ 12-night Scandinavia and Russia cruise aboard the Century, Aug. 14-26, 2006. The itinerary took us from Amsterdam to Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Copenhagen and back to Amsterdam. In the pre-cruise literature there were draconian and confusing warnings about passengers taking shore tours in St. Petersburg not arranged [...]Solo to accessible Egypt
I took an independent trip to Egypt, Oct. 26-Nov. 3, 2007, especially to see el-Amarna, where Nefertiti and Akhenaten had their City of the Sun. I had searched the Internet and located several possible travel agents in Egypt, sending them all queries. All who replied offered canned group trips, except one. Adam at MyWay Travel, Egypt (14 [...]Useful to travelers
For travel, transport and communication, I’ve found learning the following words to be frequently useful. Surprisingly, these terms are not always listed in phrase books. Aisle (seat) Window Baggage/luggage Porter/Help with baggage Dial/Call Outside (phone) line Phone card DIANE POWELL FERGUSON Scottsdale, AZLanguage semi-immersion
Here’s one way to practice a foreign language. If you live near a large ethnic population, find out where they shop and pay those stores a visit. Check the Yellow Pages under “Super Stores & Supermarkets,” “Gourmet Food Shops and Specialties” and “Mexican & Latin American Food Products.” When I was in Buenos Aires, I practiced my [...]Inspired to learn Italian
I took an “Italian for Travelers” course from our local county adult education department starting in January ’05, then immediately took the same course from the same good instructor again. Simultaneously, I began working on the Pimsleur language program from Audiofy Corporation (3502 Scotts Lane, Building 12, Philadelphia, PA 19129; 866/472-8346, www.pimsleurdirect.com), doing a lesson every [...]Learn language from a native
I travel often to Thailand and have always wanted to be able to speak with Thai people in their own language. I have also wanted to be able to travel to areas of the country where there are few tourists and where there may be few people who speak English. I’ve tried the usual phrase books [...]Pizza in Paris
I ate a lovely pizza and drank some great French rosé at Pizza Florenza (7 rue Tardieu, 75018 Paris; phone/fax 01 42 54 00 49) — in Paris, no less. This Italian restaurant has charming café tables outside and a charming manager named Tony. It’s located off of rue des Martyrs, near the steps up to [...]Tipping on cruise-tours
We went on a 16-day cruise-tour from Beijing to Shanghai, “China’s Cultural Delights,” with Viking River Cruises (Woodland Hills, CA; 877/668-4546, www. vikingrivercruises.com), Aug. 5-21, ’06. Airfare was included, and the price was $5,500. We were very satisfied with the cruise except for the matter of tips, but since it was our first cruise we didn’t [...]A month-long look at Turkey
by Judith Anshin, Contributing Editor Bora Özkök of Cultural Folk Tours has such passion and enthusiasm for the land of his birth, it’s downright contagious. I certainly was infected after spending 29 days traveling 5,500 miles with him from mid-April to mid-May 2006. In the early ’70s I spent time in Istanbul and Ephesus, but this [...]Eye on Travel Insurance » Why are there no travel insurance companies?
by Wayne Wirtanen, Contributing Editor Riddle time! Why are there no travel insurance companies, and when is travel insurance not travel insurance? These seemingly ridiculous questions bubbled to the surface of my research as I was looking into the issues involving a company which claimed they were selling not travel insurance but “travel protection.” In August 2006, the [...]Why don’t we have that here?
Bill Altaffer of Mammoth Lakes, California, said he once saw a paramedic ambulance motorcycle in London. The medic could arrive at the scene of an emergency quickly even in heavy traffic. He then suggested that ITN readers write in about great ideas that they’ve seen overseas. Responses are shown below. If you have something to add, [...]Bike tour of Spain with BikeToursDirect
Some friends suggested the Spanish Balearic island of Mallorca (Majorca) for a bicycle tour, and in a Web search BikeToursDirect (1638 Berkley Circle, Chattanooga, TN 37405; 877/462-2423, www.biketoursdirect.com) had what looked like the perfect option: a 7-night, self-guided tour, about 30 miles per day on a bicycle, for $718 per person (land only). We booked the [...]Grand Circle’s 16-day “Russian Waterways” tour
Usually, the ships that cruise in Russia are rather sparse in amenities, unless you upgrade to a suite, but our cabin aboard the M/S Tikhi Don, with Grand Circle Travel (347 Congress Ave., Boston, MA 02210; 800/959-0405, www.gct.com), had regular beds, a TV, a Western-style bath, a phone, an in-room safe, a fridge, two chairs [...]“Essential Iran” tour with Mir Corp.
My husband, Dick, and I took the “Essential Iran” tour with MIR Corp. (85 South Washington St., Ste. 210, Seattle, WA 98104; 800/424-7289, www.mircorp.com), Sept. 8-17, 2006, and thought ITN readers might be interested in the observations of two ordinary American tourists, a rarity there. We paid about $2,400-$2,500 each, including flights Tehran-Shiraz-Isfahan-Tehran. In 2007, the [...]South England — Exploring the National Trust properties of Lewes
by Rita Berman, Chapel Hill, NC In April ’06 I visited Lewes, an attractive historic town on the banks of the River Ouse in the south of England. Only 30 minutes by train from Gatwick airport or an hour’s train journey from London, the town is home to numerous antique shops and bookstores and many historical [...]An altercation escalated
The following letter from an ITN subscriber describes her altercation with an employee at Schiphol Airport and the subsequent occurrences which prompted her to file complaints. ITN is presenting it and the resulting official findings to show the professional manner in which a “he said, she said” situation such as this was dealt with and [...]Complaining brought police
In an exception to ITN’s policy of not covering travel in North America (or the Caribbean), we are printing the following letter from an ITN subscriber as a complement to the previous letter from Ruth Weiss. For eight months my husband, Martin, and I had looked forward to sharing a Christmas with family members in Ixtapa, [...]Where do Germans go on vacation in Germany? Regensburg!
by Carol H. Probst, Bethel Park, PA “Und ver did you hear about Regensburg? Ve vish to keep that city to ourselves!” This comment, from a German woman in Heidelberg after she learned we had visited Regensburg, was cause for reflection. In June ’06 my husband and I, as part of our 3-country European trip, spent [...]A visit to Mont-St-Michel
On my trip to Paris in October ’06, I didn’t decide which day to go to Mont-Saint-Michel until I got to France. I decided to book my visit at the office of Paris Vision (214 rue de Rivoli; phone +33 1 42 60 30 01, fax +33 1 42 86 95 36 or visit www.parisvision.com). The [...]Kraków
Kraków, Poland, is a small city. The Old Town — encompassing the town square, the old city walls, the opera house, museums and churches — is less than a square kilometer. The castle, called the Wawel, is a kilometer from the town square. Kazimierz, the old Jewish quarter, is a 15-minute walk beyond the castle. Old [...]Driving in Slovenia
Although my wife, Paula, and I have traveled extensively, we prefer using public transit during our trips, allowing us to avoid the stress of driving in strange locales and the hassle of parking in cities. Slovenia, however, is best toured by car, since most of its attractions are not easy to get to by rail [...]Cairo arrangements
After reading in ITN (March ’04, pg. 17) only praises about Samir Fayek (cell phone 011 20 12 399 5147 or e-mail samirfayek@hotmail.com), I decided to contact him for my Egypt trip in January-February ’06. I would have some free time in Cairo on two occasions and needed suggestions on where to stay and what [...]EgyptAir, Cruise West, Lindblad
I feel I have to respond to two letters, one dissing an airline (Oct. ’06, pg. 31) and one a cruise line (Dec. ’06, pg. 29). • Although EgyptAir’s (800/334-6787, www.egyptair.com) business class isn’t exactly state of the art, it’s very cheap. We flew it in November ’06, and we were preboarded and given preference through both [...]St. Petersburg sight
CORRECTION — In the February ’07 “The Cruising World” column is a photo captioned “The famous armored cruiser Potemkin, moored at St. Petersburg.” I’ve visited St. Petersburg twice and have seen the venerable warship moored on the Nevka, near the Peter and Paul Fortress, but the ship’s name is Aurora. I checked the Lonely Planet City [...]Walking to the North Pole
Above, a cloudless sapphire sky seemed to stretch endlessly over the space at the top of the world. April is the time to travel to the North Pole. In April, there’s no sunrise or sunset and the ice is thick enough for a Twin Otter plane (equipped with skis) to land. Many have flown over the North [...]All Aboard! » Railpass roundup 2007
They buried the Eurailpass this year. Without so much as a memorial service, their marketing team renamed their flagship pass, the mother of all railpasses and far and away the best-known brand in European train travel, the “Eurail Global Pass.” It costs 5.3% more but doesn’t provide any more free travel than the 2006 Eurailpass [...]The Cruising World » Sailing through paradise with Zegrahm
Have you “been there, done that” with big-ship cruises in the Caribbean, Alaska and the Mediterranean? Maybe it’s time to try one of the most exotic cruises on Earth, with Zegrahm Expeditions aboard the intimate Clipper Odyssey, from New Guinea to Vanuatu across the southwest Pacific Ocean. This is the South Pacific at its finest, with [...]Ask Steve » Princess, frequent cruisers, driving on the left
Dear Reader, in my August ’06 column I replied to Daniel Crough, who had shared a letter he wrote to Princess Cruises suggesting that they change their frequent-cruiser program to recognize not only the number of cruises a person takes but each cruise’s length as well. For example, he felt that two 14-day cruises ought [...]Travel & Health » Traveler’s diarrhea: Coping with the runs on the run
by Alan M. Spira, M.D. (Second of two parts) In the last issue I discussed the dreaded runs and how to decrease your chances of catching traveler’s diarrhea. There is a fairly good chance your digestive system will act up when you travel. Most cases of traveler’s diarrhea are benign; that is, while distressing, they are not [...]Latin America » Dateline: Brazil
Troubled Varig booted from Star Alliance As of the end of January, longtime member Varig is no longer part of United Airlines’ Star Alliance. The restructured, greatly scaled-down Brazilian carrier no longer has the schedule required to operate as part of the Star Alliance network. The alliance is exploring its options to fill the gap. There is still [...]Far Horizons » Tour director training and employment
Nearly nine years ago, in the May 1998 issue, I wrote an article entitled “So You Think You Want to Be a Tour Director.” It is time for an update on the opportunities for employment as a tour director, which include working as a local or regional guide. ITMI 2007 Symposium In January 2007 I had the [...]Report Cards
From Paris, FRANCE, Jan. 29, ’07. . . • Côté Cour (Impasse de la Gaité, Paris 75014; phone 01 43 27 23 34), located off rue de la Gaité. A favorite restaurant just off the “street of theatres,” it offers traditional French cooking with 2-course meals (entrée and dessert or appetizer) or all three courses. Drinks [...]
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