Four of us (my wife, Lanette, and I along with our daughter, Charlotte, and her husband, Andre) spent Thanksgiving week, Nov. 20-28, 2021, in Rome, Italy, on an enjoyable family vacation. Prior to going, we arranged two private tours with Francesca Caruso (email francescainroma@gmail.com or visit
francescacaruso.com).
We selected Francesca based on a recommendation we saw from Fred Kranz (April ’13, pg. 26) in one of our old copies of ITN. (Thanks, Fred!)
My wife, Marilyn, and I took a customized 3-week trip to India arranged by Swagatam Tours (New Delhi, India; www.swagatam.com) in February 2019. A tour guide was provided in each of the various cities, and two were outstanding enough for us to recommend.
Both were friendly, thorough, well informed and entertaining and spoke English that was easy to understand. They both provided suggestions on the best angles and locations for taking pictures and took good pictures of us at the sites.
Richard Buehler of Oroville, California, wrote, “Over the years, many ITN subscribers have mentioned guides and drivers local to destinations outside of the US. I would like to know about websites that list private guides and drivers, either throughout the world or in specific areas. I am aware of Toursbylocals.com, but what are other resources?”
Richard Buehler of Oroville, California, wrote, "Over the years, many ITN subscribers have mentioned guides and drivers local to destinations outside of the US. I would like to know about websites that list private guides and drivers, either throughout the world or in specific areas. I am aware of Toursbylocals.com, but what are other resources?"
For our trip to the Balkans, May 14-30, 2015, my wife, Nita, and I wanted to hire Patrick Peneff (bulgariaprivate guide@gmail.com) to be our private guide. We had previously employed Patrick as a driver/guide for a Bulgaria tour that we took in May 2012 (Jan. ’13, pg. 32).
When we contacted Patrick, he said he would be glad to drive us but that he couldn’t serve as a guide in the Balkans in the same way he had done in Bulgaria, since he wasn’t as familiar with the history and sites there. Nevertheless, we hired him again.
Based upon another ITN subscriber’s recommendation (Sept. ’14, pg. 46), in January 2015 I arranged for a private tour in Madagascar through Mr. Jenita Jaozandry, owner of Madagascar Natural Tours (Antananarivo, Madagascar; madagascar-natural-tours.com).
I planned to arrive in Madagascar on June 27, 2015, and fly out on July 17. Mr. Jaozandry arranged my ground itinerary and transportation and booked the best-available 3- or 4-star accommodations, all for $5,347.
The Association of Independent Tour Operators, or AITO (www.aito.com), represents 122 tour operators based in the United Kingdom.
AITO-member tour companies must provide financial protection for their customers in case a tour is canceled or interrupted, they must maintain accurate brochures and tour descriptions and they must provide quality customer service. If a dispute between a traveler and a tour company cannot be resolved, AITO also can arrange for the services of an independent arbitrator (with some cost to the traveler).
Flyers on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines departing from the US or Canada with a layover of six hours or more in Amsterdam, Netherlands, can meet up with locals by using KLM’s “Layover with a Local” app, free on the website.
Through the app, a traveler is matched with an Amsterdammer based on shared language and interests. After arriving at Schiphol Airport, the app provides the traveler with instructions on where to meet the local plus a free ticket for a Dutch Railways train to the city center. Visit www.klm.com/layover.
For the past 30-plus years, whenever I’ve been asked to state my occupation at a border crossing, I’ve said, “Teacher.” People may find my TV shows to be entertaining or my guidebooks practical, but my passion has always been to teach, whether it’s about art, culture or nuts-and-bolts travel skills. My fundamental cause is that good travel teaches people to better understand the world they live in.
Tell us about the funniest thing that happened to you while traveling in a foreign country. (ITN prints no info on destinations in the United States.) There are no restrictions on length. ITN staff will choose each month’s winner, who will receive a free one-year subscription to ITN. Include your full mailing address. Entries not chosen cannot be acknowledged.
This month’s winner is GLADYS SHELDON of Oconomowoc, WI: