Travelers' Intercom
Driving in Switzerland?
There are two things travelers planning to drive in Switzerland need to be warned about.
‘Algeria’s Roman Heritage’
Out of 33 trips in 14 years, one of the best-conducted and -managed small-group tours I’ve taken was “Algeria’s Roman Heritage” with Patrick Syder Travel (Zenobia House, 23 Bowmans Close, Steyning, West Sussex, BN44 3SR, U.K.; phone/fax +44 [0] 1903 879737).
Car rental experiences
I agree with the travelers who take digital pictures of their rental cars upon picking them up (Sept. ’10, pg. 40). I do so, myself, and although I have returned cars with a scratch or two it has never been an issue.
Passport pages
I renewed a passport in September 2010 through the mailing process established by the Department of State. I received a 10-year passport with a meager 17 pages available for visas or stamps.
For South America arrangements
For my grandson, Kent, and myself, in the fall of 2009 I booked June ’10 tours with Overseas Adventure Travel (the 16-night “Machu Picchu and the Galápagos” plus the optional, five-night “Amazon Rain Forest of Peru”). I purchased our air separately, planning to spend a few days in Bolivia before the tour began.
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.
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?
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.
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.
Travel info sources
When looking for a hotel, I never book one without reading all the reviews on www.tripadvisor.com, which provides large numbers of specific opinions on destinations.
Paid for a nonallowed upgrade
My husband, Tom, and I flew to Amsterdam on our way to board a ship on Aug. 2, 2010, out of Rotterdam. I had purchased our air tickets through our travel agent the previous February. In her office, we had talked about buying them through the cruise company or independently.
Zeppelin in Germany (day trip)
My husband, Bernie, and I love flying, not only in big jets but by many different methods.