Travelers' Intercom | International Travel News

November 2007 issue

The Hiram Bingham to Machu Picchu

My husband, Joe, and I traveled to Machu Picchu in Peru in January ’07.

I didn’t know if we would ever return to Machu Picchu, so I wanted to make the trip very special. I decided to book all Orient-Express Hotels properties for our Machu Picchu trip as well as their elegant train called the Hiram Bingham; we also used their travel agency Peru Experiences for our day tours. I did all my bookings through their website, www.machupicchu.orient-express.com.

I was extremely happy with the service we received. All staff we encountered were very professional and helpful....

October 2008 issue

Questions State Dept. Travel Warnings

I have concerns as to the value of the State Department warnings for travelers going to certain countries. My case in point is the warning on visiting Syria. Having completed my sixth trip to Syria in March ’08, I question their advice.

The wording of the warning seems to indicate that violence and danger are a constant in Syria. From my experience, nothing could be farther from the truth.

The warning concentrates on potential terrorist activities. As an example, they cite the killing of the notorious Hizbollah leader Imad Moughniyeh in February ’08. He was a man who needed...

April 2008 issue

Accessing foreign currency

Plan to get local currency upon your arrival at the airport overseas before you have to tip anyone or hire a taxi.

I prefer an ATM direct to my debit card because it is cheapest. But if you have dollars or euros, it often is more cost effective to use airport money changers than search for an ATM later. Just verify what extra fees there might be.

Before leaving for home, I usually use most of my local currency to pay for part of my last hotel bill.

Also, I always carry ironed, unmarked one-dollar bills for quickie tips and have never had any refused.

KIT STEWART...

June 2007 issue

A museum of wars remembered

“Saving Private Ryan” and “The Thin Red Line” are about as realistic as war movies get, but I saw a couple of battle films that they couldn’t hold a rifle to. In one, British Tommies in World War I clambered over the top of their muddy trench to face withering German fire that cut many down. In another, Russian troops in World War II made their final assault on Berlin, a destroyed city that looked like the backyard of hell.

It’s unlikely you’ll see this black-and-white grainy footage at a theater near you. However, if you happen to be in London you can view these documentaries at...

September 2007 issue

EZE’s queues cue ‘Q rating’

After arriving in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on an Oceania Cruises ship, departing from the nearby Ministro Pistarini International Airport (or EZE, in Ezeiza) for the U.S. in February ’07 was an eye-opener.

The queues, darling, the queues!

Let me count for you the ways you queue (line up) at EZE:

1) Pre check-in security check — tickets and documents, basically, and a luggage chain-of-evidence interrogation. Chugalug your water and toss the bottle.

2) Check-in — the usual boarding passes and baggage tags routine.

3) Departing-passenger taxes. You get bar-...

January 2007 issue

Untour in Nafplio

My wife, Margaret, and I spent 3½ weeks in Greece in September ’05, and for the first two weeks we were based in Nafplio, less than two hours west of Athens by car. We had arranged to rent an apartment through Untours (Box 405, Media, PA 19063; 888/868-6871). The cost of our Nafplio Untour apartment plus a rental car was $1,299 per person.

To get to Greece, we were fortunate to find a very good business-class fare of $2,215 each from Houston to Athens via Boston and Rome, returning via Rome and Newark. The flights from Houston to Boston and from Newark to Houston were on Continental...

October 2008 issue

Surprise mini-bar charge

My Florida cousin, Beverly, and I returned March 18, 2008, from a 2-week trip to the Azores, where we visited four of the nine islands. This was arranged by Abreu Tours (New York, NY; 800/223-1580, www.abreu-tours.com) and cost $3,002 per person, including airfare.

Accommodations, sightseeing, etc., were very good. Breakfast was included with every hotel as was a half day’s sightseeing on each island. On Pico Island we got lucky and our private tour lasted almost the entire day.

However, on our flight on Azores Express to São Miguel Island, Abreu neglected to write on our air...

June 2008 issue

Making the most of airport stopovers

After traveling around the world with occasional long airport stopovers, I have come to learn some of the secrets of making the most of the “dead” time.

I found that when I make a visit to a nearby area, I feel much more relaxed and ready to continue the next leg of the trip. Available options include 1) taking one of the tours offered directly from the airport, 2) finding transportation into the city and taking a tour from there or 3) winging it on your own.

If time is a critical factor in making another flight (fewer than five hours), it might be best to take a tour with...