Travelers' Intercom
Enjoying Venice
We arrived in Venice, Italy, on April 8, ’04, flying from Chicago via Madrid on Iberia Airlines — excellent service, comfort and food. Luggage was handled promptly and efficiently.
Deck plans in brochures not always reliable
A reader mailed ITN a copy of her letter to Great American Travel, as follows.
Trauma in Guatemala
In the June ’04 issue, on page 34, Barbara Virden described being robbed at gunpoint on a highway in Guatemala on Feb. 21. I was also on that bus.
Inquire about ‘optionals’ in advance
We took Trafalgar’s tour No. 159 to Finland, Russia, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, Sept. 9-24, ’03. The tour cost us $2,560 each, including air from Philadelphia. This was our fourth Trafalgar tour and possibly the last, due mainly to the prices of and number of optional tours this tour had.
A special place in the South Pacific
If you enjoy discovering new places, here is a very special treat.
Provence is ‘compact’
One mistake we made planning our 4-week stay in Provence in 2002 was trying to stay in too many different places. We didn’t realize just how small and compact Provence is. It is enough to stay in two or three places, and all sightseeing attractions can easily be reached on day trips.
Athens auto rental
We don’t usually have favorable comments about car rental agencies, but in October ’03 we received extraordinary service from Dionysos S.A.
Travel insurance inquiry
Because my husband and I travel extensively, we are paying out exorbitant amounts of money on comprehensive travel insurance when we only require to be covered for certain risks.
In and around Quito
When my grandson got married in November ’03, we promised to pay for his honeymoon (within reason, of course). He told me, “Grandpa, if you do that, we insist that you come along.” Somewhat unusual, to say the least, but we were honored. My wife, JoAnn, said she’d go anyplace as long as it was cool and unusual.
Re credit card coverage of CDW
I would be interested in hearing from others concerning their rental car insurance experiences.
Watch for currency ‘inspectors’
At the train station in Bucharest, Romania, in October ’00, my friend George and I were exposed to a scam similar to that in which another ITN reader and his friend lost $100 each at the same station (May ’04, pg. 11).
Zegrahm makes it right
My husband and I took a trip to Mauritius, Madagascar and Seychelles, Feb. 23-March 9, ’04, with Zegrahm Expeditions (192 Nickerson St., Ste. 200, Seattle, WA 98109; phone 800/628-8747). In Madagascar, one of our carry-on bags was stolen.
A week for Prague and Budapest
Four of us, who were spending the week of Thanksgiving 2003 in Budapest and Prague, were annoyed that we couldn’t escape popular American music playing everywhere. Also, while we weren’t surprised to find McDonald’s, Burger King and KFC, in Prague we were caught off guard to see pizzerias on every block.
Online cruise agency recommendation
I would like to recommend an online cruise agency that I use, iCruise.com (127 W. 25th St., 12th Floor, New York, NY 10001; phone 888/909-6242). I have booked three cruises with them and find them very efficient and reliable.
Narrowboat in Wales
Along with another couple, my wife and I “narrowboated” the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal in southeast Wales at the end of July ’03. We hired our narrowboat through Beacon Park Boats and had a wonderful experience.
Hanoi’s transformation
A reader in the March ’04 issue, page 48, correctly places Hanoi on the “Favorite Cities” list, but to state, “Hanoi, on the other hand, has changed very little in the past 30 years,” is inaccurate.
Arrangements needed double-checking
We took a trip to Machu Picchu, Peru, arranged through Analie Tours. The trip was delightful, but we felt Analie Tours was frightful.
Favorite Museum Dept.: Republic of China
On a trip to Taiwan in 2001 I visited the Great National Treasures of China collection in the National Palace Museum in Taipei. It’s a mindblower. My eyes almost dropped out of my head! Here are many treasures of Imperial China that were saved by the KMT in 1949, spirited away from the Communists.
Seville from Lisbon via Beja, Portugal
If you travel directly to Seville from Lisbon via Beja, Portugal, as we did in June 1998, you will take route 433, which winds pleasantly through the hills of the Parque Natural Sierra de Aracena.