Travelers' Intercom
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.
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
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.
Walking to the North Pole
Above, a cloudless sapphire sky seemed to stretch endlessly over the space at the top of the world.
CDG airport lag
I want to reiterate the warning about changing planes at Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG) in Paris.
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.
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.
Theater + shopping in Osaka
Namba is the heart of the shopping and entertainment area in Osaka, Japan. On a trip in September ’05, my husband, Don, and I took the Chuo Line subway from Osaka to Honmachi, then boarded the train on the Yotubashi line (blue color code).
Bhutan’s fall festivals
Approximately 2,500 visitors visited the kingdom of Bhutan for the late September/early October festivals in 2006 — a record-high attendance. Despite full flights and hotels at capacity, the festival season was one of the most enjoyable I’ve ever experienced.
Dealing with glitches in London
Crowds everywhere. Queues everywhere. And glitches galore. Has London always been like this? Has travel always been like this?
Inconveniences, annoyances on flight
My wife and I in May ’06 flew Virgin Atlantic out of Orlando, Florida, to London (Gatwick) with a connection to Malta.
Penguins in Africa
Why go to Boulders Beach, south of Cape Town, South Africa? To see the African penguins, of course. Formerly called jackass penguins (for their donkey-like braying), they are native to South Africa, and this beach is one of their three breeding grounds.
RMS St. Helena
I have individually thanked the readers who answered my request in the November ’06 ITN for information on the RMS St. Helena, a “mail packet” which sails from London to South Africa via the island of St. Helena, and now for all ITN readers I offer the address of the current booking agent for the ship.
Getting a hotel’s best rate
In the following, I haven’t identified the hotel or hotel chain because it’s not my purpose to single them out for criticism (the hotel staff was very accommodating).
Indonesia & Cambodia with Asia Connect
My wife and I took a 3-week vacation in Indonesia and Cambodia, Jan. 11-Feb. 2, ’06. At a total price of $8,085 out of Birmingham, Alabama, all arrangements were made through Asia Connect Tours (10 Morning Watch Rd., Wayne, NJ 07470; 800/803-3656, www.asiaconnecttours.com).
Australia on a self-drive itinerary
Normally, my wife, Patricia, and I do our own travel planning, relying heavily on the Internet and reading ITN.
Quito snacks
My wife, Barbara, and I visited Quito, Ecuador, in January ’06. The places to eat are endless and we found most quite adequate.
Unspunnen in Switzerland
My wife, Mary Ellen, and I were in Switzerland for 10 days in September ’06. We stayed in Merligen, which is on Lake Thun and near Interlaken. We had been in this area before and basically were interested in hiking in the beautiful mountains of the area, which was marvelous.
Guide for Spain and Brazil
We took a trip to Brazil with Elderhostel (Boston, MA; 877/426-8056, www.elderhostel.org), Sept. 30-Oct. 20, 2006. It was a great trip with fantastic sites, excellent and delicious food, good hotels and terrific local guides.
The ‘real’ Orient Express
The so-called Orient Express leaves Paris every evening at 5:16 p.m. and arrives in Vienna at 8:30 the next morning. We traveled on this train on May 11, 2006, and returned on May 20 (only because we had nonrefundable tickets).