Public Transportation

by Jay Brunhouse

A misty sky hovered over a pastoral patchwork of emerald and lime. White-capped waterfalls cascaded in glistening sheaths along the green hillsides and weaved through the wild heather and forested terrain. In the distance, a glimmer of sunlight struggled to lighten the lavish landscape drenched by days of rain.

“Looks like a bit of sunshine. Not very typical for Ireland, love,” said our bus driver, John, with a cheery lilt that belied the inclement weather.

by Jane B. Hanrahan, Woodbridge, VA

In Bangkok, the SkyTrain continues to be a godsend for getting passengers up and out of the awful fume-ridden traffic. The SkyTrain is quite crowded during rush hours, but it’s air-conditioned, so being packed in isn’t bad.

I think there are plans to expand the lines even further. For now, they go just about everywhere a businessperson needs to go, plus they link up with the new subway system and the water taxi system on the Chao Phraya River. Outside every SkyTrain station there are many taxis waiting.

—Deanna Palic, Contributing Editor, ITN

Pardon my bias, but I think my native Australia is a great place for North Americans to visit. Similar culture and language (more or less) and a general affection for Americans (called “Yanks”) will make you feel welcome. Yet Australia is still different enough to emphasize that you are in another country.

In September ’03 my wife and I took a train from Berlin Ost Bahnhof to Prague, a 5-hour trip.

My husband and I have done quite a bit of traveling. We research in depth the places to which we are going. We do not like traveling with large groups, as we travel for art, history and architecture and do not want to be rushed through places where we would like to spend a lot of time. Thus, we travel alone or with a private guide.

To sightsee Barcelona, I recommend the Bus Turistic. Run by the local transit authority, it is a 25-stop bus route featuring both a north and south loop. A multilingual tour guide is aboard each bus.

One- and 2-day tickets are available at €15 and €19 (near $17.50 and $22). They can be purchased at the Playa de Catalunya in the heart of the city. A 6-language guidebook is provided as well.

Facilitating planning a tour, brochures are available all over the place showing the routes and stops.