Report Cards

May 2007 issue

Report Cards

From Sohren, GERMANY, March 18, 2007. . .

• Using the website www.flyhahn.com and flying into Frankfurt-Hahn Airport on Ryanair, I found this incredibly great hotel deal: €35 (near $47) per night, single (or €40 with breakfast), at Hotel-Pizzeria Venezia (Niedersohrener Str. 14, D-55487 Sohren, Germany; phone +49 [0] 6543/98 88-0, fax 98-88 38 or visit www.hotel-pizzeria-venezia.de).

The hotel is about eight minutes from the airport. Call the hotel upon arrival; they’ll pick you up and bring you back at no charge. The staff could not have been more helpful or kind.

...

CONTINUE READING »
June 2007 issue

Report Cards

From Trier, GERMANY, April 21, 2007. . .

• Hotel Pieper (Thebäerstrasse 39, Trier; phone 0651 23008, www.hotel-pieper-trier.de) is a very nice small hotel in Trier. Near the pedestrian zone of the city, it’s within walking distance of the bus and train station and a 10-minute walk from the Porta Nigra. The Church of St. Paulin, a beautiful baroque-style church, is a 3-minute walk from the hotel.

The staff is very friendly, although most do not speak English. The rooms each have TV (mostly German channels), shower and hair dryer, and the price includes a very nice breakfast. €...

CONTINUE READING »
August 2007 issue

Report Cards

From Wroclaw/Boleslawiec, POLAND, June 3, ’07. . .

• Hotel-Restauracia Bielany (55-075 Bielany-Wroclawskie, ul. Klecinska 3, Wroclaw, Poland; phone +4871 311 2794, www.hotelbielany.com.pl).

On a trip from Slovakia to Boleslawiec to buy Polish pottery, I stayed at Hotel-Restauracia Bielany in Wroclaw. The hotel is right off the A4 autostrasse near the large stores Tesco, Ikea, Makro and others. I chose this hotel for its easy access to the A4, but it is also only a 10-minute drive from the center of Wroclaw.

The hotel is relatively new and the price is good: 160 zlotys...

CONTINUE READING »
September 2007 issue

Report Cards

On FRANCE, July ’07. . .

• Do you love to try new wines in France? Head to the grocery stores and check out the wonderful selections that are available in half bottles (roughly two glasses per bottle). The prices range from €1.5 to €5 ($2-$7) for wines from all different regions. Grab some of that delicious French cheese and a baguette and, voila!, a picnic!

• When touring the château and grounds of Versailles*, France, be aware that you will be charged separately for everything! It’s € 9 (near $12) to go through the main palace, €13.50 ($18) to tour Marie Antoinette’s...

CONTINUE READING »
October 2007 issue

Report Cards

From BUJUMBURA, Burundi, July 17, 2007. . .

• 16-day trip “Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi” with Advantage Travel (Poway, CA; 800/882-2098 or e-mail advantaget@aol.com) — great trip!

Did a forest walk with a young chimp on my back in Uganda. This was on an island in Lake Victoria, and only those who stay overnight get to come in contact with the chimps; day visitors can watch them being fed. You need to get shots in advance, too. We stayed in plush tents.

Saw lots of gorillas in Rwanda. For the trip to see the mountain gorillas, bring warm clothes, especially at the hotel....

CONTINUE READING »
December 2007 issue

Report Cards

From PARIS, France, Oct. 10…

• We used Capitol Shuttle (www.airport-shuttle.com) in Paris for airport/hotel transfers. Beware! We had a one-hour wait for pickup at the airport (“caught in traffic”). Pickup at our hotel was on time, but they attempted to drop us off at the wrong terminal! Then they dropped us off at correct terminal but at a definite no-stopping area, which brought airport security over in a flash to question us. I would avoid this company.

• Hotel du Cadran (10 rue du Champ de Mars, 75005, Paris) — good location. A small hotel with the usual small rooms but...

CONTINUE READING »
March 2008 issue

Report Cards

On FRANCE, December ’07-January ’08. . .

After 20-plus trips to Paris, we continue to find excellent, unusual, inexpensive restaurants (in terms of euros, not in terms of the present dollar exchange rate). On our last trip, the following were noteworthy.

• Casa San Pablo (5 rue de Sevigne) — in the fourth arrondissement, about midway between the Hotel de Ville and the Bastille, near the Place des Vosges and very near the St. Paul Métro stop. Open daily.

Casa San Pablo serves French/Basque/Spanish cuisine, including a wide variety of tapas. We shared a Sunday lunch of...

CONTINUE READING »
June 2008 issue

Restaurant in Tournus, France, B&B in Delhi, restaurant in Madeira

From TOURNUS, France, May 19, 2007. . .

In Burgundy we found a delightful restaurant on the main street in the village of Tournus, which is south of Beaune. Le Rampart (2&4 avenue Gambetta, Tournus, France; phone [33] 038551056) is very pleasant, serves excellent food and is reasonably priced. Lunch with wine, $40 for two.

— Anita Tomasi, Santa Rosa, CA

From DELHI, India, Feb. 1-20, 2008. . .

• Delhi Bed & Breakfast (A/6 Friends Colony East, Delhi; www. delhibedandbreakfast.com) is the perfect and affordable way to personalize your visit to North India...

CONTINUE READING »