Travelers' Intercom
Airline fare extremes
Lawrence W. Schonbrun wondered why airlines seem not to offer a moderate price choice between the economy-class fare and, many times that price, a business- or first-class ticket (Feb. ’14, pg. 68).
Miami airport woes
My husband, Al, and I arrived at Miami International Airport from Panama City on March 4, 2014, at 10:30 a.m., leaving plenty of time before our 1:30 p.m. flight aboard American Airlines to St. Louis, Missouri.
Traveling & Giving: Practical or playful
I enjoy traveling with groups that focus on textiles, so I take lots of reading glasses that can be distributed to villages where they are put to use by people doing intricate embroidery, weaving, etc. The glasses are very much appreciated.
Glob Metropoliten for Serbia
My wife and I decided, on short notice, to try to get to the Davis Cup tennis finals in Belgrade, Serbia, Nov. 15-17, 2013, and then spend another week or so seeing more of the country.
Chip-and-signature card in France
I wrote about traveling in France in February 2013 with a Visa Signature® card, a BankAmerica Cash Rewards™ credit card (March ’14, pg. 42). On a return, 2-week trip to France, Feb.
Found AmEx cheques nixed in Bodrum
While we were in Bodrum/Milas, Turkey, in March 2014, I visited bank after bank in an effort to find one that would exchange American Express Travelers’ Cheques. Nobody would change them. In the past, this was never a problem; even the hotels would cash them. But this time everyone said ‘No.’
Swissôtel Amsterdam
During my September 2013 stay at the Swissôtel Amsterdam (Damrak 96, 1012 LP, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; phone +31 20 522 3000, fax +31 20 522 3223), just off Dam Square, I found its location convenient for walking to the Centraal S
The five ’Stans on a budget
A travel buddy and I spent a full month in spring 2013 traveling from Bishkek to Tbilisi in the “five ’Stans” and the Caucasus, and we did it for a whole lot less than the “approximately $10,000 per person” plus international air for a 16-day trip that a traveler wrote about in the article
Adventures in Kenya and Tanzania
Two friends and I spent an exciting month in Africa, June 18-July 15, 2012.
Uniworld Paris-Rouen cruise
You unpack once, sleep as you sail between cities, and when you get up in the morning you find that you are in or near the center of town.
Explore UNESCO sites
I would like to commend Marcia Brandes for the well-written article “Ten Cities in 20 Days — a Delightful Custom Tour of China” (Feb. ’14, pg.
Guide in Ethiopia
On a trip to several remote tribes in Ethiopia’s lower Omo Valley, Oct. 19-Nov. 1, 2013, my wife and I and five other photographers hired an experienced Ethiopian guide, Robel Petros (phone +251911 423112 or email robguide28@yahoo.com).
Praise for tummy fiber
I read the subscribers’ accounts under the title “Maintaining a Special Diet While Traveling” (Feb. ’14, pg. 42).
Lessons learned in Australia
My husband and I consider ourselves experienced travelers, and I thought I had gone over our itinerary with a fine-toothed comb, but there were a few glitches on our Oct. 12-26, 2013, trip to Australia that I might have been able to avoid.
Impressions of Turkmenistan
I read the letter from, and had a different view than, the traveler who came away with a negative impression of Turmenistan (March ’14, pg. 23).
Now carries a doctor’s note
Traveling by myself in November ’13 on a tour arranged by a tour company, I was using Djibouti as a base of operations to fly to Puntland, Somalia, and to Mogadishu, Somalia, and back.
Altours private Bulgaria tour
My husband, Leo, and I were going to take a cruise out of Istanbul, Turkey, and decided to also visit a nearby country first. Our choice was Bulgaria, which is small, uncrowded and loaded with antiquities and history. We arrived on Aug.
Public transport caution
My wife and I and two other couples arrived in Naples, where we were to spend one day prior to joining an escorted tour of southern Italy in October ’12.