Travelers' Intercom
Saving money in Copenhagen
Before boarding a ship for a Baltic cruise, my friend and I, along with my daughter and her husband, spent four days and three nights (Sept. 1-4, 2014) in Copenhagen, a city with a reputation for being one of Europe’s priciest.
Clothing for Travelers: A fan of L.L.Bean
L.L.Bean (800/441-5713, www.llbean.com) sells a line of men’s UNDERWEAR called ExOfficio (800/644-7303, www.exofficio.com). It’s made of a loosely woven synthetic fiber that wicks away moisture in humid climates.
Used BA miles for hotels
A few years ago I got the British Airways Chase Visa card, since I had been promised 100,000 bonus miles and was told that it would charge no foreign transaction fees. I quickly racked up 150,000 miles and a companion voucher for British Airways. However, this turned out to be worthless.
The UK with Explore!, Rabbie’s
I spent five super-great weeks in the UK, mostly in Scotland, in late summer of 2013. Two of those weeks were spent doing tours with Explore! (Nelson House, 55-59 Victoria Rd., Farnborough, Hampshire, GU14 7PA, U.K.; phone 0843 634 5157, www.explore.co.uk). one in Orkney and one in Hebrides and Skye.
No tripods at Machu Picchu
My wife and I visited Machu Picchu, Peru, in May 2014. We had read on different online forums and were advised by more than one tour company that a special permit was required for lenses over 200mm long.*
Weight-conscious packing
Over many years of travel, I’ve learned to plan carefully in terms of how much clothing I really need and what can be pared down, such as as for those low luggage-weight limits on small-plane trips between safari lodges (when, with fewer items, it becomes necessary to wash clothes every night).
Lux Express in the Baltics
When my wife, Paula, and I visit Europe, we typically travel by train. But while arranging intercity transportation for our visit to the Baltic States in September 2014, our research indicated that buses were a better transit option in those countries.
SMCCU Dubai culture tour
My husband, Ed, and I spent four days in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in April 2013 (May ’14, pg. 14). Our final full day there was special.
Having money saves money
Some banks do not charge wire fees if you have a good relationship with them — for example, if you have a bank account that’s connected to a stock brokerage account, as account holders with Bank of America could have with Merrill Lynch.
Pakistan border bombing
At least 55 people were killed and more than a hundred were injured by a suicide bomber on the Pakistani side of the Wagah border crossing with India after the evening border-closing ceremony on Nov. 2. The blast occurred outside a nearby restaurant.
Day tour from Lisbon
Before joining a Douro River cruise in Portugal in June 2014, my husband and I booked a small-group day trip from Lisbon to Sintra and Cascais at $70 per person. We booked it through Viator (San Francisco, CA; 866/648-5873, www.viator.com).
Travelogue blog
I found Florence Drake’s letter, “Keeping a Travelogue” (Oct. ’14, pg. 32), to be interesting. Traveling with a group to Romania in 2007, I used a borrowed laptop and dial-up Internet to send my first travelogue. It was a difficult process, at best.
Mexican students missing
In Iguala, Guerrero, Mexico, on Sept. 27, students from a teaching college who were protesting unfair hiring practices were fired on by police as they boarded buses they had hired to transport them. Six people were killed.
Dacey’s Cornish Tours
My husband and I had booked a cruise on Holland America Line’s Prinsendam, which had a port call in Fowey, Cornwall, England, on July 24, 2014. We’re great fans of the PBS British comedy “Doc Martin” and wanted to see the town of Port Isaac, where it’s filmed.
Computers at JFK Customs
My husband, Ray, and I arrived at New York’s JFK Airport on Delta Air Lines flight 185 from Paris, Sept. 21, 2014. Our flight was on schedule.
Boutique hotel in Prague
Prague is truly a city for walking. My husband and I went there for the first time in June 2014. We chose one hotel as a base from which to do some genealogical research and travel around the countryside.
Barcelona’s Poble Espanyol
Visitors to Barcelona who confine their sightseeing to the Gaudí architecture, Las Ramblas pedestrian mall, the Gothic Quarter and the inviting beach miss one of the city’s most enticing attractions.
Riots in Burkina Faso
Violent protests in Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou, on Oct. 30 resulted in protesters capturing and setting ablaze the parliament building, the city hall and the ruling party’s headquarters.