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September 2008 issue

A visit to Madeira

I spent seven days in Madeira, starting May 22, 2008. This trip was offered by Sun Holidays (7932 W. Sand Lake Rd., Ste. 302, Orlando, FL 32819; 800/422-8000 or 407/345-0100, www.sunholidaytours.com). Kristen Molloy handled my reservations and did a superb job.

The package included transatlantic airfare; hotel; airport/hotel transfers; a half-day tour of Funchal; daily buffet breakfast at the Baia Azul Hotel, and three buffet dinners at this hotel plus three vouchers for dinners at nearby restaurants.

A driver met me upon my arrival at the Funchal airport and a representative...

June 2008 issue

Tips for Italy

• In both the Roma Termini and Napoli Centrale train stations in Italy, the overhead signs that point toward washrooms, exits, platforms, etc., also direct travelers to ticket sales offices (biglietterie). In each station I saw only a single Trenitalia ticket office but several travel agencies sporting lots of Trenitalia logos.

It can be difficult to distinguish the official sales office operated by Trenitalia from the travel agency ticket offices (especially in Naples). Pay close attention or you may find yourself paying an unexpected sales commission on your tickets.

On my...

January 2007 issue

Ringside seat

I read the letter “Screaming Infant on a Flight” (Nov. ’06, pg. 30), regarding a reader’s ordeal on a Virgin Atlantic flight. I had a similar experience in May ’06.

On a Finnair flight from Helsinki to New York, a tall man occupied a bulkhead seat. I am sure he asked for it due to his long legs. A short time later a young mother with a very young baby took the seat next to him. Almost immediately the flight crew installed a crib for the baby which took up most of the room in front of both seats.

Of course, the baby cried a lot, and the mother got up frequently to walk the...

November 2007 issue

Debit card fee error

On our trip to the Azores in spring 2006, in the town of Velas on the island of São Jorge I went one morning to withdraw money from the ATM at the local bank. The screen gave me a message that the machine was not, at the time, operative. Needing cash that day, I went inside the bank and asked the teller if I could withdraw money.

“Of course,” was the reply.

I had more than enough money in my account. I took the bank at their word that they would process the withdrawal just as if I were using their ATM. I showed my debit card (branded Visa but not a credit card or any...

October 2007 issue

Southern Africa by rail

My husband, Jim, and I took a trip from Cape Town, South Africa, to Chobe National Park in Botswana by way of Victoria Falls, Feb. 19-March 5, 2007.

The trip was set up by Deborah at Wild African Ventures (10505 Wheatland Ave., Shadow Hills, CA 91040; 800/358-8530, www.wildafricanventures.com) and included a 16-day train trip with Shongololo Express. Including the $700 cost for all excursions (a light package is available), the train trip cost $4,284 per person in a Commodore suite with private bathroom and air-conditioning. We used frequent-flyer miles for the air.

Other...

June 2008 issue

Engaging West Africans

Before our trip to West Africa, we read with interest Jim Sill’s 2-part feature on that region, even taking a copy of it with us on the trip. What a different experience we had. (In portions of Jim’s 2-part account, Dec. ’07, pg. 46 & Jan. ’08, p. 58, he describes being hounded by two hustlers in Mali and mentions “being unable to connect on a personal level with any of the locals.” — Editor)

Our 36-day private tour of seven countries (Mali, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Senegal), Feb. 13-March 19, 2008, was arranged by Palace Travel (5301 Chestnut St.,...

February 2007 issue

Santiago de Compostela

My husband, Karl, and I took a long weekend trip to Santiago de Compostela in the far northwest corner of Spain, April 29-May 2, ’06.

Santiago is a wonderful city, filled with red-faced and sweaty pilgrims from all over Europe. They come alone sometimes or in groups of 30 sometimes, singing and chanting as they walk, but they all carry walking sticks. We didn’t know that Santiago is the third-most-visited Christian destination in the world, behind Rome and Jerusalem.

We scheduled our itinerary around the opening times of the museums. All of the museums were closed on Monday,...

August 2007 issue

Flying from UK, only one carry-on allowed

The reader’s letter “British Air and Luggage” (June ’07, pg. 75) may confuse some people, I feel. He was discussing checked baggage; however, I found that the rules on carry-on baggage in the U.K. are still strictly limited.

A passenger entering Britain can indeed have two pieces of carry-on luggage, but if he is transiting to another flight then he runs up against the one-bag rule. According to websites I checked as well as airport security personnel, this restriction is U.K.-wide and applies to all passengers.

We transited through London-Gatwick on our way to Rome on April...