Food & Wine

(Also see the March and January articles)

I was happy with the Hotel Ambassade (Herengracht 341, 1016 AZ Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS; phone +31 20 555 0 222 or visit www.ambassade-hotel.nl). I stayed there March 29-April 3, ’06, during the off-season, so my double room cost €185 ($238) per night, reduced from the rack rate of €220 ($283).

My wife, JoAnn, and I wanted to go to Switzerland to celebrate our 10th anniversary, so I said, “Okay, probably in the spring.” While surfing the net for fares, however, I found a round-trip nonstop Miami-Zürich flight on Swiss International on March 15, ’06, for $485 round trip. That was less than $1,000 for both of us, so I grabbed it. We spent 12 days there.

We spent a great 2½-week vacation in Haarlem (Netherlands), Paris and London in May ’05.

As I’m a more frequent traveler to London and Dublin these days, and having most recently visited both cities in December ’05-January ’06, I thought I’d pass along some tips and information to my fellow ITN readers. In this letter, I’ll write about London.

After landing at Heathrow Airport, the most inexpensive way to the city is via the underground. If you intend to make more trips on the tube that same day, buy a one-day ticket for zone 6, which gets you into London in about 45 minutes and includes unlimited travel for that day.

I was aware of the buzz surrounding Iceland as a new travel “hot spot,” but the only in-depth coverage I had actually come across was filtered through the acerbic wit of Anthony Bourdain on an episode of the Travel Channel’s “No Reservations.” (There seemed to be a lot of late-night drinking and eating of odd foods….)

FIRST, FAST & FURIOUS ? The following is a sampling of reports received from ITN readers around the globe. ITN invites you to join our corps of reporters ? just drop a card in the mail while the travel impressions are fresh in your mind. To obtain your ITN Report Cards, send a self-addressed, stamped, business-size envelope to ITN Report Cards, 2116 28th St., Sacramento, CA 95818. You will receive eight cards.

Readers who are computer savvy can click here to access access the online form. Pass along your hot travel tips!

Ocean bluff seascapes, the sweet scent of stately and abundant pines and cypress, ice plant carpeted slopes and recreational amenities galore —_welcome to the Monterey/Carmel of South America, the Chilean Riviera.

Every year I spend a wonderful four days in London, seeing as many theatrical productions as I can squeeze in. This year’s visit, in April, was one of my best experiences so far.

The Plaza Mayor area in Madrid, Spain, can be very pricey for meals, especially in the tapas bars on the street Arcos de Cuchilleros; they are mentioned in almost every guidebook.