Money Matters

I want to alert ITN readers to beware of new foreign-transaction fees that may have been imposed by their credit card companies.

I read with great interest Lew Toulmin’s article “Cruising the Burgundy Canal” (January & February 2010 “The Cruising World” columns) because a friend and I cruised the Marne-Rhine Canal from Reims to Vitry-le-François, Sept. 12-17, 2009.

My wife and I took our seventh trip in eight years to Thailand, Dec. 5, 2009-Jan. 13, 2010, and we noticed something new regarding paying for hotel rooms with a credit card.

For a stay in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in December ’08, my husband, Roger, and I rented a flat for 13 nights on Anchorena. During our stay, Roger had a medical emergency that required us to leave early.

Upon our arrival in Buenos Aires we had signed a contract which, in my opinion, did not clearly state that in the case of our leaving early, the whole fee could be kept by the apartment owner. Nevertheless, the owner refused to return any part of the rental fee, although we stayed only four nights. Because we had (foolishly) paid in cash, we had no recourse.

by Diane Harrison, St. Louis, MO

We returned from France on May 27 to find the June ’09 issue and Abbie Salny’s letter titled “Heads up on Paris Métro” (page 14), which said there are no longer any ticket booths in the Métro stations, only machines that accept credit cards or cash. There are, indeed, manned ticket booths in the Métro, just not in every station.*

My wife, Nancy, and I were the oldest patrons in the restaurant. Younger senior citizens addressed me as “sir.” That’s when I suddenly realized, in my 75th year, that I have become an aging traveler.

In December 2008, I called Grand Circle Travel to arrange March 2009 travel for two to Sicily. GCT calls the basic trip a “14-Day Extended Vacation.” They also offer a 6-night pretrip to Malta and a 7-night post-trip on the Amalfi Coast of Italy. I had hoped to arrange for air transportation and all three trip elements, which would include hotels and some meals plus travel insurance.

I read the reader’s letter “Coping With and Fighting Poverty During Travels” (Dec. ’08, pg. 56). The social service organization ChildSafe International (www.childsafe-international.org) provides shelter and training for street children in Southeast Asia, and their website contains advice for travelers who encounter children begging or offering trinkets for sale on the street.

Although their advice is written from the perspective of the situation in Southeast Asia, where child poverty is particularly dire, it may be relevant to other poor areas of the world.

During a visit to Paris, my wife and I used the Métro to travel around. One time we were going down the stairs, staying close to the wall and the handrail, when all of a sudden three fellows came in directly behind me.

My wife yelled, “Jack! Wallet!”

I quickly turned around, and the three fellows moved to the center of the stairs and rushed down and soon were out of sight. I then realized I would have been the victim of a pickpocket except for the quick action of my wife.