Travelers' Intercom
Transit visa needed on Warsaw-Moscow train
As part of a journey through east Central Europe in July ’03, a friend and I boarded a train in Warsaw headed for Moscow, about a 25-hour rail trip. Part of the route entailed traveling through the country of Belarus, thus a stop was made at Terespol, the border town between Belarus and Poland.
Re tips arbitrarily included
Regarding tips being placed on passengers’ credit card bills on cruises, we have encountered this twice recently.
Favorite Cities Overseas II
ITN asked readers to name the three cities they most enjoyed visiting outside of North America. Responses were printed in the July ’ 03 issue, inspiring more letters, which are presented below.
Macau restaurant
We were in Hong Kong in November ’03 and took a day trip on the ferry to the former Portuguese colony of Macau. The ferry ride took just under an hour. After several hours of sightseeing in this unusual area, we got hungry and our guide dropped us off at Henri’s Galley (4 Av.
Guide in Egypt
My wife and I took an extended business trip to Cairo in October ’03.
Re mandatory tipping
I definitely object to cruise lines automatically adding $10 per person per day (or any other amount) for collective tips for the staff.
Following Pannir
It was through an ad in ITN years ago that we first found the greatest travel agent ever, Pannir Murugesu.
Respect due
We spent a month in Thailand, November-December ’03, traveling with a Thai woman who was very offended when, at the temples, monuments and ruins, tourists would jump up and stand behind statues of Buddha that were missing the heads in order to have comical pictures taken.
Tipping on cruises
In the January ’04 “Boarding Pass,” the editor asked readers to comment on the trend among cruise lines to automatically add $10 per day for tips to shipboard staff.
Pickpocket ploy
As an avid traveler and ITN reader, I thought I was familiar with most of the means by which people were separated from their money, but the following was a new one to me.
New bills for travel
Thought I would add a postscript to the letter “Money Laundering 101.”
For travelers to northeast India
In fall 2003 I led a group through the Himalayas on our “Jewels of the Himalayas” program, Sept. 23-Oct. 17. Among places we visited in India were Darjeeling, west and east Sikkim and Kalimpong, then we entered Bhutan at the southern border town of Phuntsholing.
Shipboard tipping
A tip is not a tip if it is mandatory or coerced. In that case it is a passenger service fee and should be listed along with port charges, transfer fees and whatever as part of the total cost of the trip.
Doing the Baltic cruise ports on your own
We enjoyed a wonderful 10-day cruise aboard the Regal Princess in May ’02, traveling round trip from Copenhagen. In addition to Denmark, we visited Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Poland and Norway. I would like to give some tips on doing the shore excursions on your own as we did.
Promoted offer for singles not available
In the past few days I have received so much mail from Grand Circle Travel that I wondered how they could offer a decent trip paying so much for mail. I get mailings from them at least twice every week.
<em>Novikov Priboy</em> in Russia
My wife, Esta Lee, and I took a Russian river cruise between St. Petersburg and Moscow, June 4-18, ’03. We used Vantage Deluxe World Travel (90 Canal St., Boston, MA 02114; phone 888/734-0188), which had chartered the Novikov Priboy for several trips.
Surprise third party
ITN performed an invaluable service for travelers in publishing the reader’s letter entitled “Mystery Charge on Credit Card” regarding Internet hotel reservations (Dec. ’03, pg. 30).
Trip enhanced with InfoRoma
In ITN’s book on Italy I came across InfoRoma, experts on Rome. It was such a wonderful find that I’m writing to recommend this resource to readers, myself.
Re automatic charge for gratuities
With reference to the growing trend of cruise lines to charge each passenger $10 per day for gratuities to shipboard staff, we booked for September ’03 an 18-day Mediterranean cruise on Cunard’s Caronia and noticed in their brochure that they would charge that much per day per passenger as a gratuity for shipb
Favorite hotel in Baden-Baden
My favorite hotel would be the Hotel Colmar Garni (Lange Strasse 34, Baden-Baden, GERMANY; visit www.hotelsingermany.com) because it has it all.