December 2009

by Jean Nethery, Blairsville, GA

My wife, Kathy-Lee, and I enjoyed the Costa Rica story by Jeanette Dewey (Sept. ’09, pg. 20), as it brought back memories of our 10-day trip with Caravan Tours in April ’08.

I read the subscriber’s letter “Venice to Munich by Train” (Aug. ’09, pg. 40) lamenting the fact that, for a first-class DB Bahn rail ticket from Bolzano to Munich, she paid €93 by ordering it while in the US instead of getting it in Italy for €75.

My husband, Ed, and I always have an ID on our suitcase carrying handle plus another luggage tag taped onto either the bag or on the pull-behind handle. Why two luggage tags? In case our luggage is lost and one tag has been pulled off, there is still another one to be read.

As we are leaving home, on each ID we put our name and the name and address of our first location abroad. We do not want our luggage going back to our house when we are in, say, Russia.

The June ’09 “Departure Lounge” mentioned Magellan’s Retriever Tags. My husband and I have used them on our luggage for years. Fortunately, we have never had to put them to the test. On the other hand, we have taken advantage of the excellent service of Magellan’s (800/962-4943, www.magellans.com).

My wife, Joan, and I travel all the time, and on some of those trips we use tour companies, but we also fly independently and book tours once we arrive at our destination. We find either option acceptable, although I suppose it does depend on one’s comfort zone.

Adding to readers’ comments about making flight arrangements for tours (Dec. ’08, pg. 41 & June ’09, pg. 41), my wife and I usually make our flight arrangements independently from the cruise or tour company we are traveling with. We do this because of the following:

I traveled to Israel/Palestine under the auspices of the United Methodist Church, so I am writing not to recommend a tour company but to urge travelers to see all of this beautiful and historical area — not just what the Israel Government Tourist Office wants you to see.