Travelers' Intercom
Overlooked Aachen
You would think that a town with history stretching back 5,000 years, one which was once a Roman military spa town and which was Charlemagne’s capital during the eighth century, would be a well-known tourist destination.
Global Entry double-checks
In the letter “Issues with Global Entry” (Dec. ’14, pg. 51), a traveler enrolled in the Global Entry program wondered why she and her husband rarely were assigned TSA Pre√TM (Pre-check) status for easier security clearance for domestic flights.
French dining concerns
My husband, Jim, and I spent May and June of 2014 in a rental home in the small village of Paziols in southern France, very close to the Spanish border. Our intention was to find a location where the residents didn’t speak English. We found it!
Finding one’s way in Brussels
In regard to Stephen Addison’s comments in the letter “A Guide to Brussels’ Metro” (March ’15, pg. 12), I can only agree.
Venezuela visa change
On March 15, 2015, I had just competed back-to-back group tours and was continuing traveling on my own, scheduled for a 5-day adventure at Angel Falls. (I fly a lot in premium class, and putting many trips together saves airfare.)
Wasn’t impressed with US Air’s Economy Choice seats
Through a travel agent, my wife and I scheduled a US Airways flight for Nov. 19, 2014, traveling from Detroit to Philadelphia and then to Rome, with the return along the same route on Dec. 3.
Driver/guide in Greece
Prior to our leaving for a 10-day visit to Greece in May 2014, our travel agent — with Travelive (US office in Bloomfield, NJ; 888/377-5483, www.travelive.com) — arranged for my husband and me to take a private two-day trip to Delphi and Meteora.
Visa-free stays in China
China now allows 72-hour visa-free stays in an ever-increasing number of cities: Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Guangzhou, Guilin, Hangzhou, Kunming, Shanghai, Shenyang and Xi’an. My husband, John, and I made use of this to visit Shanghai.
Discover card in China
In an article about Shanghai, a traveler reported that a restaurant did not accept Visa, MasterCard or American Express (Feb. ’15, pg. 11). There’s a simple solution: use a Discover card.
United’s unlocked- luggage policy at Narita
Preparing to fly back to the US from our second trip to Japan in 2014, my husband, Clyde, and I were at Narita International Airport on Dec. 16.
Praise for Squaremouth
When my wife, Patti, and I went to book a 10-day trip (April 30-May 9, 2015) to Peru and Bolivia back in February, the tour company told us they no longer sold trip insurance and now referred people to Squaremouth (St. Petersburg, FL; 800/240-0369, www.squaremouth.com).
Drivers in Chile & Argentina
My husband and I spent October 2014 visiting Chile and Argentina on a customized tour, and for three days in Santiago we had an excellent English-speaking guide whom we highly recommend.
Navigating Frankfurt Airport
Arguably, the best gateway for trips to continental Europe is Germany’s centrally located Frankfurt Airport (FRA) (www.frankfurt-airport.com).
B&Bs in France
In a rental car, my husband, Bernard, and I toured the Loire Valley and Normandy beach areas of France in September 2014, staying in two excellent B&Bs. You’ll want to have GPS to locate these.
Toll roads & Visitor’s e-PASS in Australia
Along with two other couples, my husband, Scott, and I arranged to rent a van in Sydney, Australia, for a week, March 20-26, 2014. We would drive east to the Blue Mountains and then north as far as Port Macquarie before returning the van in Sydney.
Drying washed socks
I want to thank Elizabeth Pugh-Zaleski for her travel tips on drying clothes more quickly after washing them (Feb. ’15, pg. 47). I’ve found that the hardest things to dry are men’s socks, for which a hair dryer works very well.
Russian space program museum
My wife, Dee, and I began our trip to Russia on May 8, 2013, when we flew Delta Air Lines from Fort Myers, Florida, to New York, then took Aeroflot to Moscow.