Hotels and Lodging

by Betty Patterson, Largo, FL

Many of us prefer traveling with a group, since it is cost effective. This often means, especially during busy travel seasons, being tightly packed in a big bus. In the last six months of 2006 my wife, Marlene, and I took three such tours, which I compare below. All prices are per person and include airfare to and from Chicago.

We started with a 17-day “Grand Tour of France,” Sept. 7-23, with Grand European Tours (6000 Meadows Rd., Ste. 520, Lake Oswego, OR 97035; 800/552-5545, www.getours.com). It cost $3,599 and we spent $180 on optional tours.

by Harlan Hague, Stockton, CA | Harlan Hague shares more lessons learned when he and his wife, Carol, traveled from France to England in spring 2005 (continued from last month's article).

From Sohren, GERMANY, March 18, 2007. . .

We have traveled Norway from top (Kirkenes) to bottom and from east to west but not since 1983. However, some things don’t change. All over mountainous central Norway are hiking trails with magnificent views of lakes and glaciers, and the timberline is low at 1,000 feet.

There is no need to carry a tent and sleeping bag or much food because of the ubiquitous accommodations, from self-service “huts” to fancy hotels.

My wife, Emily, and I received the e-mail in early August ’06. It read, “Join Scope Travel in Ukraine for Lviv Carnival Celebrating Lviv’s 750 Anniversary Sept. 28-Oct. 6, 2006 — $1,499 + tax.” It promised gala concerts, jazz festivals, parades, choral shows, children’s concerts, youth ensembles, folklore dance competitions, bazaars, kiosks, fireworks and more.

While visiting Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA, my husband, Joe, and I decided to stay in the residential neighborhood of Sea Point. We chose Winchester Mansions (221 Beach Rd., Sea Point, Cape Town, South Africa; phone +27 21 434 2351, fax 434 0215 or visit www.winchester.co.za) for our September ’06 stay because of their sea-facing rooms.

We stayed at these three places on an October ’06 trip to JAPAN.

For a 13-night program to Bhutan that I was leading, our group departed for Paro, Bhutan, on Sept. 29, 2006, from Bangkok, THAILAND’s, new Suvarnabhumi Airport, which had officially opened at 3 a.m. on Sept. 28. Due to an early departure on Druk Air, our group stayed at the Novotel Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel (Suvarnabhumi Airport, Racha-Taeva, Bangpli, Samutprakarn 10540, Thailand; phone +66 2 131 1111, fax 1188 or visit www. bangkokairportonline.com), adjacent to the new airport.

My husband, David, and I have stayed 12 times at Hotel de la Paix (Bernastrasse 24, 3800 Interlaken, SWITZERLAND; phone +41 33 822 70 44, fax 822 87 28 or visit www. hotel-de-la-paix.ch), most recently in August ’06.