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Eye on travel insurance »Long-term travel insurance coverage
A letter from Grace Slavsky of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, asked, “Is it possible to buy travel insurance covering trip cancellation/medical evacuation, etc., on an ANNUAL basis for us travelers who take several trips throughout the year? It would save us frequent travelers a lot of hassle.
Would have appreciated a ‘ranked waiting list’
ITN was mailed a copy of the following letter, sent by a reader to Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT), a subsidiary of Grand Circle Travel (GCT).
Thoughtful gift
In the late ’90s, my wife and I took a Bolivia and Peru tour with Overseas Adventure Travel (Cambridge, MA), as I had always wanted to visit Machu Picchu. The group size was limited to just 16 people plus the tour guide.
About roundabouts
I have to quibble with the advice on roundabouts in the letter “Tips for Driving in Britain” (Aug. ’05, pg. 74).
Malta festival a highlight
We took a 2-week trip to Malta plus an add-on week in Sicily, April 16-May 6, ’05, with Grand Circle Travel (Boston, MA; 800/221-2610 or www.gct.com). For my wife and me, the cost was approximately $6,254 from Los Angeles. The experience became a once-in-a-lifetime highlight.
Biking, boating the Loire
My wife, Nel, and I took a bike and boat trip in the Loire Valley in May ’05.
El Salvador in depth
El Salvador is the smallest, most densely populated country in Central America, but it is bypassed by most group tour companies. In April ’05, I was lucky enough to find the “golden ticket” that got me not just into the country but entry into homes, social programs and even the American Embassy.
‘Fabulous’ guide in Turkey
Five of us took a personal tour of western Turkey with Mehmet Ozbalci in March ’04. A reader had recommended him in a short letter (May ’99, pg. 117). He truly is a guide “extraordinaire.”
Spectacular in Suriname
The Central Suriname Nature Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is about an hour’s flight south of the capital, Paramaribo.
Fine eating in Paris
My husband, Ward Hoffman, and I have been to Paris more than 20 times and, we confess, we go there these days primarily to eat and take walks, often covering eight or nine miles a day. Before we leave, we do a lot of research on where we want to eat.
Acropolis in the a.m.
On our trip to Athens, Greece, we could see the Acropolis from the street in front of where we stayed, Hotel Attalos (29 Athinas St.; phone +30 210 3212 801 — 2005 price, from €62 [$75]), in the Monastiraki area.
Rental car CDW waivers
In his August ’05 “Discerning Traveler” column, Dr. Philip Wagenaar offered some tips for handling collision damage waivers (CDWs) when renting a car, to which I would like to add some notes. The CDW is a good way to save money, but it has to be watched.
Displeased with aspects of ACCL cruise
We took the 11-night “Belize/Barrier Reef/Guatemala” cruise on American Canadian Caribbean Line’s Grande Caribe, Jan. 24-Feb. 4, ’05. We had cabin 44A, and the cost for the two of us was $5,151.
Health news
The leg exercises recommended for frequent flyers help prevent deep vein thrombosis, a blood clot in the calf of the leg that can break loose and lodge in the lungs as a pulmonary embolus. Frequent flyers Richard Nixon and Dan Quayle had this condition.
Virgin Air’s ‘suites’
On a flight from Newark, New Jersey, to England on Virgin Airlines in late April ’05, we had an opportunity to try out the new upper-class suites.
‘Kudos’ to Horses North
I was scheduled to depart June 30, ’05, for a “Thorsmork Riding Tour,” which was to be five days of riding with a herd of Icelandic horses. I had made my flight and trip plans through Holly Nelson and Brad Vogel, owners of Horses North, LLC, aka Iceland Adventure, LLC (P.O.
Easter Island guide
We cruised to Easter Island on Discovery World Cruises’ Discovery in February ’05. Dissatisfied with the excursions being offered by the ship, I arranged in advance for two half-day tours of Easter Island for our party of six.
Right-side driving
In the letter “Tips for Driving in Britain” (Aug. ’05, pg. 73), the comment that more people drive on the left side of the road than on the right is incorrect. The latest figures I have seen (from 1996) estimate that about four billion people drive on the right versus two billion on the left.
Tips for rail travel in Germany
The German railway system offers a great way for travelers to get around while visiting that country. Many guidebooks and websites describe how to use the rail service but often omit facts that would be very useful to novice travelers.