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If your trip is going to cover three weeks or more, here is an option which guarantees no film damage by x-ray machines at airports.

Take an inexpensive, empty 35mm camera. Wait until you arrive and then purchase a couple of 24-print rolls. Have your film processed as you use it at one of the plentiful one-hour Kodak kiosks. Keep one roll ahead as you go.

No pleading with rigid airport inspectors who lie to you about the possible film damage their x-ray machines will cause. No waiting until you return home to assess the possible damage done to your entire sack of unprocessed...

On our way to a week in Umbria in September ’09, my husband, two friends and I debated descriptions of the various villas along the tourist trail and decided on a visit to the Villa d’Este (Piazza Trento, 5) in Tivoli, ground central for villas.

We made our way to the center of the city and discovered that we were practically at the doorstep of Villa d’Este. (Entry, €10 [near $14] adult; closed Monday.)

Our guidebook emphasized that the villa, itself, didn’t have much to offer, as the grounds were the main attraction. We couldn’t have disagreed more! The Renaissance frescoes...

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.

If you use a taxi, make sure it has a meter and that the driver actually...