Travelers' Intercom
High and low points of Chile and Argentina tour
My wife, Lois, and I took a Grand Circle Travel tour of Chile and Argentina, Jan. 9-23, 2011. We live in the Northwest and did not know when we booked the tour what air routing we would be assigned.
Your preferred ATM card?
My companion and I are looking around to find an ATM card that we can use abroad without incurring exorbitant foreign-transaction fees. We welcome our fellow ITN readers’ advice and expertise on this matter. Help! — JOELLYN ROSS, Philadelphia, PA
Dumped in Dublin
I enjoyed reading of the variety of ways air travelers get all their liquids and gels into a one-quart bag (May ’11, pg. 40 & June ’11, pg. 42).
Seeks low-price barge cruise
My wife and I have traveled to almost all the countries in the world. We usually stay in hostels for $10 to $20 a night. In fact, if a Hilton or Sheraton were offered to us at that same rate, we would prefer to stay in a hostel, 15 persons to a room.
Traveling in Egypt during a revolution
At the end of January 2011, my daughter, LeAnn, 22, and I finalized our plans to visit Egypt. Our trip was not meant to be a traditional vacation but one arranged as we went along our way, using local guides and taking public transportation.
Switzerland for scenery
No matter when I take a trip, I always seem to travel one week too late. Upon arriving at a B&B or hotel, the host asks, “And how are you enjoying your visit to (wherever)?” When I answer, “Fine, but I wish it weren’t raining so hard,” the response is, “You should have been here last week. It was beautiful.”
Despite unanticipated walking, enjoyed tour
My wife and I took the eight-day tour “Munich, Salzburg & Vienna” with Globus (Littleton, CO; 866/755-8581), Sept. 4-11, 2011. The land price was $1,549 per person.
Bolzano delights
Once a year, I travel to my favorite country: Italy. During my 2011 trip, I visited Bolzano, May 15-18.
‘Paris, Paris’
The American Library in Paris (10 rue du Général Camou, 75007 Paris, France; phone +33 [0] 1 53 59 12 60) is a great institution. It has a wonderful collection of books (in English).
Recommendations in Wales
From a trip to Wales and southwest England that my husband, Jim, and I took, here are some recommendations of low-cost lodgings.
Tour guide in South Africa
My wife, Nenko, and I have taken 14 tours and traveled extensively independently, and we have never met a finer guide than Ron McGregor, our guide on the 14-day trip “South Africa — Highlights and Safari” with smarTours (New York, NY; 800/337-7773).
Museo Pajcha in Salta
Salta, in the far northwest of Argentina, has several interesting small museums. For my wife, Tamara, and me, the pick of the litter was Museo de Arte Étnico Americano (Fundación Pajcha, 20 de Febrero 831, Salta, Argentina; phone +54 387 422 9417 [website in Spanish]).
Handy, homey gift
My wife, Lyn, and I found that dish towels imprinted with the name of our city are great to give as gifts overseas, and towels indicating a foreign city or country are great to give as gifts back home.
Africa Dream Safaris
Seventeen of us, friends and family, followed the wildebeest migration in Tanzania, June 30-July 12, 2011, and it was the trip of a lifetime. We traveled with Africa Dream Safaris (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA; 877/572-3274).
More comfort on long flight
We took a fascinating trip, called “Life Along the Mekong River by Barge,” with Road Scholar (Boston, MA; 800/454-5768), Sept. 27-Oct. 11, 2011.
A glimpse at Macedonia and Kosovo
I took a fascinating trip to Macedonia and Kosovo, March 10-20, 2011. These countries were the two components of the former Yugoslavia that I had never visited, and I explored them with Dzengis Patel, an outstanding guide and driver.
Hotel near Schiphol
Six miles from Schiphol Airport, near Amsterdam, I spent a night in Hotel Zwanenburg (Olmenlaan 52, 1161 JX Zwanenburg, The Netherlands; phone 31 20 497 80 20) on Sept. 28, 2011.