Travelers' Intercom
The right way ’round
I agree with those who reassure travelers that driving here in the UK — on the left-hand side of the road — is not too difficult (“Embrace Left-side Driving,” March ’10, pg. 52).
Blissful barge trip
My wife and I and four of our friends booked a cruise on the eight-person barge Horizon II of French Country Waterways (Duxbury, MA; 800/222-1236).
Asia nuances
Kimberly Edwards’ letter “Tips for Communicating in Japan” (Nov. ’10, pg. 12) contains a lot of good advice, much of which is applicable throughout Asia.
Fine dining in Europe
As my wife, Judy, and I traveled for 37 days in Central Europe, late August through early October 2010, we found a number of restaurants we would recommend.
El Salvador surprise
As a “country counter” avidly trying to reach my personal goal of traveling to 100 countries, I added El Salvador (number 70) to my list in January 2010. To be truthful, it had not been at the top of my list of destinations to visit, not because I didn’t want to go there but because I had not thought about going.
The Affordable Travel Club
We’ve been members of The Affordable Travel Club (6556 Snug Harbor Lane, Gig Harbor, WA 98335; 253/858-2172) for several years. With members in the US and abroad, it’s a hospitality exchange club for people over 40.
Tipping appropriately in China
FROM THE EDITOR — Several months ago, Kathy Wilhelm of Cary, North Carolina, wrote, “I was very surprised by the reader’s recommendation that others ‘be prepared to spend $300-$400 per person in tips, not including the tip to the tour director, on a smarTours trip to China (“
Rough it… safely
Here are a few tips for backpackers who like adventure travel and the unknown. If you can’t peel it, don’t eat it.
STA Travel came through
I normally do not purchase travel insurance, choosing instead to self-insure.
‘Salzburg Interlude’
Salzburg’s historic city center became a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 1996, and a visit to the delightful Old Town will convince you it truly is a special place.
Slovenia road tax
My wife, Sigrid, and I took an extended road trip in Europe in August-November 2010. While in Germany, we were warned about driving on the toll roads in Austria without first purchasing a vignette.* We were not alerted about needing a vignette in Slovenia, however, and it never crossed our minds.
Tours for Wine Lovers
My husband, Bob, and I were introduced to Vin Marottoli’s outstanding Tours for Wine Lovers (New Haven, CT; 800/256-0141) in 2002 and have taken six tours with him since then, in the US and abroad.
Give Paris a chance
I was dismayed to read the subscriber’s comments in the letter “France Fast with Cosmos” (Nov. ’10, pg. 28); he said that he and his wife did not care for Paris, mostly because it was “inundated” with tourists.
Lufthansa’s speedy payment
My wife, Judy, and I flew on Lufthansa from Detroit to Budapest via Frankfurt on Aug. 28, 2010. When we picked up our luggage in Budapest, Hungary, one of our suitcases had been damaged. A wheel was missing and the bag had been ripped.
Discovering El Salvador
If you’d like to visit a destination that offers good weather, beautiful countryside, plenty of shopping and some of the best surfing in the world — and you don’t like rubbing elbows with other tourists — El Salvador is hard to beat.
Auto rental ripoff
I read the readers’ auto rental tips (Sept. ’10, pg. 40). On a trip to Zürich during the ’90s I filled the tank of my rental car right before turning it in so as to avoid the higher charge per liter or being charged for more liters than were actually needed to fill the tank.
Base outside London (insider’s tips)
A suggestion for those of you coming to London for a repeat visit — why not stay just outside of central London (viz., outside of the West End), where there is good train service into the city centre?
Travels with a netbook
My wife, Vera, and I were in France, Sept. 27-Oct. 13, 2010. We had a week in Paris, a leisurely drive south to tour medieval towns and a few days with friends in Nimes.
Tour Mandalay
We’ve traveled three times to Myanmar and have made our arrangements through a local agency which we recommend without hesitation, Tour Mandalay Co., Ltd. (No.