Travelers' Intercom
Provence dining and more
We had a 2-week stay in Provence, Oct. 5-19, ’05, with Idyll, Ltd. (Box 405, Media, PA 19063; phone 888/868-6871 or visit www.untours.com). We stayed in Velorgues, France, in the Oasis 2 apartment, a luxurious 2-bedroom rental with dishwasher, washing machine, patio and lots of privacy.
Drove in Greece
Renting a car in Greece seems the best way to travel, as public transportation is limited. For our trip, our car rental was from Budget through Auto Europe (888-223-5555 or visit www.autoeurope.com).
Airport-pier options in Japan
In ITN’s October ’05 “Person to Person” section, on page 126 Mr. William Suter asked for information on reasonably priced ways to get to the cruise ship pier near Osaka, Japan, from Kansai International Airport (KIX). I would like to give some suggestions.
Rubbing elbows with the locals
Digital photography beats film in lots of ways. Still, there’s “lag time,” that delay after you press the digital camera’s shutter button but before the picture is recorded.
Florence info
The Florence tourist office (Ufficio Informazioni Turistiche, Borgo Santa Croce 29r, 50122 Firenze, Italy; phone 055 2340444 or visit www.tours-italy.com/florence/tourist_offices.htm) was really helpful when I wrote in March for maps to help me with my trip to Italy in September ’05.
West Africa arrangements
My wife, Charlotte, and I (in our 70s) had a wonderful, unforgettable trip to Mali, Burkina Faso and Benin in January ’05.
Angkor Wat worth the climbing
When we toured Cambodia’s Angkor Wat, we first spent an entire afternoon in the temple complex. Later, we went to see the sunset on a famous hill. You can climb the hill up a very rough, rocky (actually boulders) path or take an elephant ride up.
Paris find
On a trip to Paris in April ’05, we came upon a small restaurant with terrific food and ate dinner there every night. It was the Café des Musées (49 rue de Turenne, 75003 Paris, France; tel. 01-42-72-96-17), open every day.
Tips for East Europe travel
Here are a few tips from our travels in late April-May ’05. We spent seven days in Budapest, three in Kraków, seven in Praha and five in Berlin.
Indian and Greek in London
On our trip to London in May ’05, we enjoyed the following restaurants.
Guide in Romania
My wife and I would like to second Harriet Hughes’ warm endorsement (Nov. ’05, pg. 93) of Cristian Florea of Crif Tours (phone 40 722 606 610, e-mail remtours@digicom.ro or visit www.discoverromania.ro). We traveled through Romania with Cris on a modified “Classic Tour of Romania” in October ’04.
Packing decisions
For a world cruise on Holland America’s Rotterdam, I packed just two suitcases for the 99-day trip.
For your safety or control?
I believe the September ’05 “Boarding Pass” column has inadvertently pointed out the truth of the TSA (Transportation Security Administration): the TSA is not so much about passenger “safety” as it is about control and power over a, now, much less free citizenry.
Osaka shuttle
I’m writing in response to the reader’s letter “Call for Airport-Ship/Hotel Transport,” regarding the exorbitant charges made by cruise lines for transit to and from airports (Nov. ’05, pg. 16).
Know your coverage
Since our retirement, every year we save for an international vacation. We always take out travel insurance. In November ’04 we went to Guatemala, and while at a friend’s country home in a remote area my wife slipped over some rocks. Where we were staying, there was no doctor, not even a telephone nearby.
Ireland driver-guide
My wife and I took an excellent “Splendor of Ireland” tour with Harp & Shamrock Tours, June 7-19, ’05. (We opted for a 4-day extension, and our actual return was on June 23 because Aer Lingus had a mechanical problem that caused us to remain in Ireland a fifth day.)
Cycling in Sweden
The upside of high gasoline prices in Sweden is that it encourages people to bike to school, work or shops. And since southernmost Sweden, the region known as Skane, has so many cyclists, it has developed an extensive system of bike lanes and trails, including converted rail lines, to accommodate them.
Crosswalks for safety
When you are in small towns, remember that you are making it hard on some of the locals by not using crosswalks or following traffic rules. You may have all day to tarry, but locals don’t.
Preparing for Japan trip
In preparation for my trip to Japan, I wrote to the Japan National Tourist Organization offices in Los Angeles, Kumamoto and Kagoshima. Their responses were in the form of pamphlets, maps and a valuable Japan Rail timetable.
Customized NZ tour
I spent two wonderful weeks on the South Island of New Zealand in March ’05.