Travelers' Intercom | International Travel News

September 2007 issue

Safeguard your wallet

Dr. Wagenaar’s article on carry-on luggage (May ’07, pg. 87) was extremely informative and useful. I would only add the following helpful household hints.

I like shirts with two secured pockets, preferably with Velcro, with an additional deep pocket underneath the usual one. This allows me to keep my printed-out boarding pass/ticket and passport in a secured area without the nuisance of ﬁshing around in a money belt.

If you have trousers with an additional inside zippered pocket, you don’t need to use a money belt. If you still feel the need, get the pouch that hangs from...

January 2007 issue

Solution for crying babies

Regarding the “screaming infant on a flight” (Nov. ’06, pg. 30), the problem should have been referred to a pediatric physician, not an airline customer relations executive or legal officer.

“Dr.” Mueden prescribes a whiskey or gin tit — an age-old remedy, not my invention. Soak a piece of cloth in a sugar, water and gin or whiskey mixture and let the child suck. I have heard that it is magical and brings relief to all within earshot.

Airlines would put themselves at risk if they offered this service or advice, but they might require those in charge of a small child to carry...

October 2008 issue

Backpack cushion

There was a write-up of Rick Steves’ handy little black (now in other colors) backpack (July ’08, pg. 84). This little item saved my backside on my April 11-May 11, 2008, trip.

Shortly before we left for a month in Australia and New Zealand (with business-class air paid for), I developed a condition that made it impossible to sit without a lot of pain.

It turns out that that backpack is exactly the right size to hold an orthopedic prescription correction “donut” that I needed to sit on. It was my constant companion, yet I didn’t feel uncomfortable taking it into restaurants,...

July 2007 issue

Skip LAX when cruising

My wife and I took a cruise out of San Pedro, California, on the Celebrity Summit, March 31-April 14, 2007, visiting the Mexican Riviera, Costa Rica, Panama and Aruba and disembarking in Ft. Lauderdale. Based on our experience, we suggest that if you are flying to Los Angeles to pick up a cruise, consider using the Long Beach airport (LGB) rather than Los Angeles International (LAX).

Long Beach’s is a small, easy-to-navigate airport that is closer than LAX to both the San Pedro and Long Beach cruise terminals. In addition, JetBlue flies into Long Beach, and its all-coach seating is...

June 2008 issue

Bali with Gede

My wife and I took our fifth trip to Bali, Indonesia, in October ’07, again guided by Gede (e-mail balihaiguide@hotmail.com or visit www.balihaiguide.com). It is impossible to recommend him highly enough.

On-time and intelligent, Gede knows what we want to see and do almost before we do, and he will go the extra mile. We find him to be happy, with a great sense of humor.

On this trip we paid him $30-$50 per day, depending on the distance traveled (we toured from four to eight hours each day). For up to three people, Gede’s rate, posted on his website, is $10 per hour, which...

February 2007 issue

Museums in Amsterdam

On a trip to Amsterdam, Netherlands, in July ’05, we took canal boats to some of the city’s many famous museums. Some of these watercraft, in fact, are dubbed “museum boats,” linking the city’s cultural centers.

The Mecca for many is the Rijksmuseum. This voluminous gallery features one of the world’s most renowned collections of Dutch and European paintings and particularly celebrates Rembrandt. As we entered, the Dutch master’s epic “The Night Watch” loomed before us. The collection goes on for several floors and includes masterpieces by van Gogh and Vermeer.

My advice —...

September 2008 issue

Private tours in Istanbul

My husband, Andy, and I were part of a group of six traveling to Istanbul, Turkey, in September’07 to join a cruise. We arrived early so we could see the city in more depth.

Kagan Kosagan of Tours in Istanbul (Lion Team Altiyol, Onur Ishani 309/3, Kadikoy, 34714 Istanbul, Turkey; phone +90 216 338 87 76, e-mail kosagan@yahoo.com or visit www.toursinistanbul.com) was a joy to work with, and our guide, Deniz Polat, was excellent. She listened to our wants and met all our needs.

Deniz met us at our hotel, the Barcelo Eresin Topkapi, and quickly organized us into our first day’s...

August 2007 issue

Taking the grandkids

In May ’07 my husband and I took our granddaughter Laura to Rome, Orvieto and Florence. Incidentally, some guidebooks recommend getting tickets to the Colosseum at some other location to gain entry faster. This no longer helps, as the entry process involves a long security line and ticket holders are given no advantage.

Once we got through security, ticket purchasing was instantaneous. There was an elevator at the end of the corridor to the second and third levels; it helped a lot. Many places we went offered preference to mobility-impaired people.

The first time we took a...