Travelers' Intercom
London transport options + UK tours
There are great bargains on transportation in London, as I learned in July 2015.
Thalys from Paris to Amsterdam
The Gare du Nord in Paris is a beautiful rail station. Having arrived there early by taxi from our hotel on May 8, 2015, my daughter Linda and I enjoyed watching the proceedings from the long balcony on the second floor, including the departure of the Eurostar.
Injury from seat belt
Heading to Dubrovnik, Croatia, on May 30, 2015, I was sitting in Premium Economy Class on a Lufthansa flight from New York to Frankfurt. Without having removed or even loosening my seat belt, I leaned forward in my seat to talk to my daughter, Dorie, who was sitting in front of me, and I bruised my liver!
Checking daily for a flight’s lowest fare
My letter about the best day on which to book certain domestic flights on United Airlines was printed under the title “Wednesday’s Fares” (Aug. ’15, pg. 50).
Max. passport pages + Traveler’s Aid Int’l
I saw the item stating that travelers no longer will be able to get pages added to their US passports after Dec. 31, 2015 (Aug. ’15, pg. 58).
Peru with Tara Tours
My husband and I generally are independent travelers, but for our customized 20-day, 19-night trip to Peru, April 20-May 9, 2014, we used the services of ITN advertiser Tara Tours (Miami, FL; 800/327-0080, www.taratours.com).
Homeaway rentals in Portugal
My wife and I spent two weeks in Portugal, mainly focusing on Lisbon and Porto, in September 2015. In each city, we rented an apartment for six nights. I would highly recommend these apartments, both of which were booked through Homeaway.com (www.homeaway.com).
BofA FTF at ATM
I was at the Frankfurt Airport in Germany on June 17, 2015, and needed euros.
Serendipity with OAT
In all my years of travel, few tour group companies have lived up to their motto more than Overseas Adventure Travel (Cambridge, MA; 800/955-1925, www.oattravel.com), with its promise of opportunities for learning and discovery.
Belfast & Castletown for Titanic
It was at the midpoint of our “Exploring Scotland & Ireland” tour when we got to visit the Titanic Experience Museum (1 Olympic Way, Queen’s Rd., Titanic Quarter, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT3 9EP, U.K.; phone +353 21 481 4412, www.titanicbelfast.com).
River cruise became bus tour
My wife, Jacquey, and I traveled to France for our first river cruise with Viking River Cruises. On our 8-day cruise, “Portraits of Southern France,” the Hermod was scheduled to sail May 3-10, 2015. We had also signed up for Viking’s 3-day Paris package that preceded the cruise.
Sweden with Vertical Horizons
For my trip to Sweden, I wanted to visit more than Stockholm. Being handicapped by a lack of tech savvy, let alone a computer and Internet access, I needed some help.
Advice for visitors to Bogotá
Colombia’s capital, Bogotá, is worth three days of your time if you’re traveling to that part of the world. Staying in the atmospheric and historic La Candelaria neighborhood puts you within easy walking distance of the majority of the city’s attractions. There is plenty to see and do there.