Travelers' Intercom

March 2012 issue

‘Paris, Paris’

The American Library in Paris (10 rue du Général Camou, 75007 Paris, France; phone +33 [0] 1 53 59 12 60) is a great institution. It has a wonderful collection of books (in English). Even more interesting for the short-term visitor, it runs evening and afternoon programs — book reviews, authors speaking, etc., also in English — open to the public, for a small fee.

I attended a session by two authors on Nov. 16, 2011. One of them, the travel and food writer David Downie, discussed his book “Paris, Paris: Journey into the City of Light” (2011, Broadway — 320 pp., $10.20 on Amazon.com...

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April 2012 issue

Woman driver in Bangkok

I had read about a taxi service in Bangkok, Thailand, owned by a woman, Rat Service (phone [66] 08 9108 2170, e-mail rat_bkk@yahoo.com), and decided to book her for my arrival transfer in November ’11. I contacted her a month ahead.

On our drive into central Bangkok, we talked, and I booked her for the following day for sightseeing and shopping.

Rat charges THB800 (about $25) for an airport-hotel transfer (she’ll wait for you in the arrivals hall with your name on a sign) and THB600 for hotel-airport transfer. For sightseeing or shopping, she charges THB250 an hour with a...

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March 2012 issue

Tour guide in South Africa

My wife, Nenko, and I have taken 14 tours and traveled extensively independently, and we have never met a finer guide than Ron McGregor, our guide on the 14-day trip “South Africa — Highlights and Safari” with smarTours (New York, NY; 800/337-7773).

Our trip, Aug. 23-Sept. 8, 2011, cost $2,999 per person (land and internal air) plus $899 each for a three-day extension to Victoria Falls. The itinerary included Johannesburg, Cape Town, Kruger National Park, Swaziland, Zululand, Soweto and Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve.

Ron is a national treasure in South Africa and the author...

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September 2012 issue

Global Entry program ‘how to’

Going through passport control and Customs when reentering the United States can involve long lines — not our favorite way to end a wonderful trip. Recently, my husband and I eliminated the need to stand in those long lines. Interested?

While in the passport control areas of airports, we had noticed the signs reading “Global Entry.” This is “a US Customs & Border Protection program that allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers.” Coming back to the US from a cruise in April ’12, we decided that there are now enough participating entry points to make the...

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June 2004 issue

Narrowboat in Wales

Along with another couple, my wife and I “narrowboated” the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal in southeast Wales at the end of July ’03. We hired our narrowboat through Beacon Park Boats and had a wonderful experience.

Alistair and Sarah Kirkpatrick, the owners of BPB, furnished us with a practically new, 52-foot narrowboat that had two separate bedrooms with adjoining shower/toilet/sink (as well as a cellphone, in case we had any problems). The rental cost for one week, Saturday to Saturday, was $1,700; i.e., each couple paid $850.

We took the canal from Abergavenny to...

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July 2004 issue

Enamored of Iceland

My husband, Compton, and I wanted to get away to gain new perspectives and hoped to find some peace in Iceland. We found that and much, much more. The one week we spent there in September ’03 was most memorable and exciting. We only regret that we did not have more time.

Ours was a spur-of-the-moment decision. Through Iceland Saga Travel, LLC. (3 Freedom Square, Nantucket, MA 02554; phone 866/423-7242 or 508/825-9292, e-mail info@icelandsagatravel.com), we found what we wanted: eight days with two tours. The cost was $2,546 for both of us and included air from Boston, guest house...

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August 2004 issue

Mixed view of Lirica cruise

I took a Caribbean cruise aboard Mediterranean Shipping Company’s Lirica, Jan. 26-Feb. 6, ’04, and wish to give my impressions. My perspectives come from over 50 cruises, including canal and Atlantic crossings.

The Lirica left Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, for Montego Bay, Jamaica; Cartagena, Colombia; the San Blas Islands and Panama Canal; Puerto Limón, Costa Rica, and then back to Florida to Key West and Ft. Lauderdale. The fare was $1,995 for the first passenger and $700 for the second (special AARP rate).

Following are some good points:

• The cabin service was the best...

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February 2012 issue

SE Asia with Green Papaya

My husband, John, and I found Green Papaya Travel (21B Lo Duc St., Hai Ba Trung Dist., Hanoi City, Vietnam; phone +84 391 323 4507) in ITN’s The MART classifieds and would recommend them to anyone who wants to see Southeast Asia. Green Papaya was great. We communicated by e-mail and they made all the arrangements (except international flights) for our 17-day trip to Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, Sept. 23-Oct. 11, 2011. We asked for, at least, three-star hotels, a car with air-conditioning, a driver and English-speaking guides. We wanted to go by car from Danang to Hanoi (466 miles), as we...

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