Travelers' Intercom
Thomas Cook timetables
Okay, so you have read the Rick Steves guidebook and the Rough Guide to wherever it is you want to go in Europe. You have decided to see the wildflowers in one village and a museum in another and to go wine tasting someplace else, but you have no idea how to get to them all.
Luggage lashing
My husband and I did a tour to Mali, Jan. 3-18, 2010. We used Air France because it was nonstop San Francisco-Paris and nonstop Paris-Bamako, Mali — as easy as it gets for such a long distance.
Recommended in London
My friend Billie Rivers and I spent two nights in Greenwich at One Six Two (162 Westcombe Hill, Greenwich, London, SE3 7DH, U.K.; phone +44 [208] 4655444, e-mail
Geared up for the Galápagos
I thought ITN readers would be interested in my assessment of clothing and equipment used on my April ’09 trip to the Galápagos with GAP Adventures (Toronto, Ont.; 800/708-7761). Some items were old faithfuls and some were purchased for this trip.
Foreign-transaction fee
I want to alert ITN readers to beware of new foreign-transaction fees that may have been imposed by their credit card companies.
Danu Enterprises in SE Asia
My husband and I took the “Arts and Culture of Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia” tour, Jan. 11-Feb. 4, 2009, with Danu Enterprises (Capitola, CA; 888/476-0543) — a great trip.
Traveling with O2 concentrator
My husband has COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and uses a personal oxygen concentrator on domestic flights. These concentrators do not involve oxygen tanks but use the surrounding air.
Leper King Terrace
Almost all tour itineraries at Cambodia’s ancient Khmer capital, Angkor, include a stop at the Elephant Terrace. If you’re lucky, your guide may mention the Leper King Terrace located north and to your right as you face the Elephant Terrace.
Pension near Ljubljana
At Ljubljana, Slovenia, I stayed near the airport at Pension Jagodic (Vopovlje 10, 4207 Cerklje, Slovenia; phone +386 4 25 21 333) on June 1, 2009.
Using Skype on cell phones
orldI read Ed Graper’s letter “World Cell Phone” (March ’10, pg. 48) and have a few comments.
Awaiting refund for canceled cruise
My husband and I phoned Elegant Cruises on March 31, 2009, and booked a two-week Adriatic cruise on the ship Monet for Nov. 4-18, 2009. On a total of $9,270, we sent a deposit of $1,500 that day by check. The company accepted our last payment on Aug. 4.
For mobility impaired to ask re ship
ITN asked for those who are mobility challenged and enjoy cruising to write in (Feb. ’10, pg. 68).
Red tape in Eritrea
During a private tour, we visited Eritrea, Feb. 5-14, 2010. Sana’a was fabulous. I’ve been to 111 countries, and the Old City is one of the most intriguing places I have been. However, we feel ITN readers should be made aware of the deteriorating tourism situation in Eritrea.
DenRus in St. Petersburg
In St. Petersburg, I highly recommend the independent-tour-guide company DenRus (Ligovsky Pr. 73 Office 608-610, St. Petersburg 191040, Russia; phone +7 [812] 572 4511 or, from the US, 561/459-5534).
What Makes Madrid “Madrid”?
In a writing “contest,” ITN posed the question “What makes Madrid “Madrid”? The window for submissions is closed, and in the last two issues we printed a few of the entries. Here are a few more. Other cities will be the subjects of future essay contests, with more prizes.
Comfort on TAM
My friend Mike and I took a trip to Brazil, Oct. 29-Nov. 16, 2009. It was our first experience with TAM Airlines (in the US, phone 888/235-9826).
Cinque Terre hotel
Saltwater scents from the Ligurian Sea mixed with aromas of homemade focaccia from the nearby bakery, Forno di Monterosso, as my wife, Cindy, and I arrived at La Spiaggia Hotel (Via Lungomare 98, Monterosso al Mare; phone 0187-817-567), five
Populous China
CLARIFICATION — A reader questioned the statement in the letter “China with Viking River Cruises (March ’10, pg. 29) that Chongqing is almost double the size of Shanghai and Beijing.
Cinque Terre tips
I’ve led small-group tours to Cinque Terre in Italy five times since 2006, most recently in May ’09. Here are some thoughts.