Travelers' Intercom

For our trip to Poland and Romania in August ’07, Orbis Polish Travel Bureau, Inc. (347 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10016-5020; 800/867-6526, www.orbistravel.com) had assigned to my wife, Margi, and me a guide and driver in each of the cities we visited. This made sightseeing easier and more flexible.

The cost of the Poland portion of our trip (nine nights) was $4,807 for two, including breakfast, hotels, private car, driver and guide, rail travel and entry fees. Other meals cost extra.

Our explorations in Poland were assisted by the driver and Orbis guide Margaret and by...

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Originally from Germany, I became involved in the tourism industry many years ago, working in a tour company as a group tour coordinator, tour manager and sales representative. I now have my own tour company. Since I am still traveling worldwide, I enjoy reading the comments, opinions and recommendations submitted by subscribers to ITN. At times, however, I am a little surprised at the attitudes of American travelers who travel to Europe or other foreign countries.

• I think the first law of traveling abroad is flexibility. For example, it does not matter how well organized and...

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Timna Park, in Israel, is huge; it reminded us of Big Bend National Park in Texas. It is the site of 6,000-year-old Egyptian copper mines. You can see the slag from the copper mines and the remains of the smelting ovens. It is also the site of nomads’ encampments and tabernacles that were erected by nomads in the desert.

The scenery is just breathtaking. There is a multimedia visitor center that explains everything you will see. (Park entry, ILS31 [$8] adult, ILS25, child. Write DN Hevel Eilot 880-820 Israel; phone 011-972-8-631-6756, fax 633-9403 or visit http://timna-park.co.il...

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I have individually thanked the readers who answered my request in the November ’06 ITN for information on the RMS St. Helena, a “mail packet” which sails from London to South Africa via the island of St. Helena, and now for all ITN readers I offer the address of the current booking agent for the ship.

It’s Andrew Weir Shipping, Ltd. (Dexter House, 2 Royal Mint Court, London, EC3N 4XX, U.K.; phone +44 [0] 20 7575 6000, fax 7481 4784 or visit www.aws.co.uk).

LESLIE R. STEVENS

Raleigh, NC

Puerto Varas, or the City of Roses, in Chile, is just that, with rosebushes lining the streets, both in the median as well as along the curb. The setting with Osorno Volcano in the background is breathtaking.

On a March trip to the Lake District of Chile, our tours included a half day in and around Puerto Montt and a half day to visit Frutillar, a small, German-style village, also on Lake Llanquihue.

One day was spent going up Osorno, where there is a ski resort and spectacular views. We were really impressed by all the beautiful flowers and trees everywhere. To see fuchsias...

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While in Copenhagen, Aug. 2, 2007, we noticed in the throwaway monthly guide called What’s Going On a small mention of a walking tour entitled “Jews in Copenhagen.” We called the number and arranged to meet the guide, Gitta Bechshoft (phone [+45] 40 81 12 17 or visit www.copenhagen-walkingtours.dk), in 30 minutes.

Gitta is fluent in English, Hebrew and Danish. She lived for six years in Berkeley, California, and for a number of years in Israel. She is a certified guide but not a travel agent. She gives many tours, and the one we got — an introduction to the history of Jews in...

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Kraków, Poland, is a small city. The Old Town — encompassing the town square, the old city walls, the opera house, museums and churches — is less than a square kilometer. The castle, called the Wawel, is a kilometer from the town square. Kazimierz, the old Jewish quarter, is a 15-minute walk beyond the castle.

Old Town’s town square has a lovely market square built in the Middle Ages. In its center is the Cloth Hall, a long, Renaissance-period building which today houses crafts and souvenir stands on the ground floor and a museum on the second level. During a visit my husband,...

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Rome’s Termini is a rather lovely train station. Really! It once was awful, but now it’s rather fine.

I first visited the station about 10 years ago, on a rainy January day. On the Eurostar Italia, my companion and I arrived at the dirty station, where litter gathered in doorways and on the tracks. I needed a coffee, but there seemed to be no open cafés. Everything was shuttered. Suspicious characters with scruffy beards followed us with their eyes.

I walked along the grimy platform to the ladies’ room, where I opened the toilet stall door to find a hole in the floor rather...

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