June 2009

Reims, a large city (188,000 inhabitants) in northeast France, is often described as the heart of the Champagne country.

by Sibyl James, Seattle, WA

Rio de Janeiro is synonymous with Carnaval, tiny thong bathing suits, “The Girl from Ipanema” and “Cristo Redentor,” the giant statue of Christ that overlooks its beaches from a nearby hill. For tourists, Rio’s favelas (slums) are not normally part of the agenda. They were part of mine.

In response to a subscriber’s request, readers who take tours wrote in saying whether they prefer making their own flight arrangements for tours or having the tour company book the flights. We wanted to know, in either case, what the advantages and disadvantages are regarding convenience and cost plus how much trouble it was when something went wrong. We asked that, with any example, the writer name the tour or cruise company involved, the month and year of the trip and from where to where the flights went.

by Jim Sill, Silverado, CA

When my spouse, Isolde, and I visited Spain in May ’08, the AeroCity shuttle (phone +234 91 747 75 70, www.aerocity.com), at €21 (near $28) for two persons, was a convenient way to get from the airport to our accommodations.

I have traveled on my own to Mexico and Central America two to three times a year for 19 years, doing all my own planning, but on a December trip to Guatemala I wanted to take it easy and let someone else worry about the arrangements while I focused on my photography.

I had Zierer Visa Service (multiple offices but based in San Francisco, CA; 866/788-1100, www.zvs.com) get me a visa for Brazil in September ’08, several months ahead of a Princess cruise I was about to take. I received the visa in about three weeks.

At the end of my Venice-Manaus Pacific Princess cruise, Nov. 28-Dec. 19, 2008, the ship’s purser informed me that Princess Cruises had paid a fine of $359 levied by Brazilian Immigration and before getting my passport back I had to reimburse the cruise line.

On a trip to India, July 5-23, 2008, my daughter and I created our own itinerary, choosing not to travel with a group. However, we did use the services of two India-based travel agencies to help with some of our arrangements.

I appreciated Lew Toulmin’s article on the American Canadian Caribbean Line (“The Cruising World,” March ’09). My husband and I took an ACCL cruise in October ’07, and although I had wished to share the merits of ACCL, I did not know how to do it as the cruise we took began in Quebec and ended in Warren, Rhode Island, places ITN does not cover.

We were aboard the Grande Mariner, and although the ship was in need of refurbishing, that did not stop the 86 passengers on board from having a wonderful time and partaking of the personal benefits offered to us.