International Travel News

Travelers' Intercom

April 2004 issue | Appears on page 0

‘I regret to inform you, but. . .’

In September ’03, one of the largest holding companies of tour companies, FAR&WIDE Travel Corporation, declared bankruptcy (Nov. ’03, pg. 24), pulling the rug out from under numerous tour companies, including Grand European Tours, with whom we were traveling at the time. Here are the lessons we learned:

Pay for your trip by credit card. Anticipate your tour company’s going out of business and leaving you stranded. Take along an ATM card or extra dollars.

We were in Nuremberg,...

April 2004 issue | Appears on page 0

Paradise on a freighter

The passenger freighter Aranui 3 is the best way to see the lush, raw beauty of the remote French Polynesian islands of the Tuamotu Archipelago and the Marquesas. I sailed on the Dec. 13, ’03, voyage out of Papeete, Tahiti. With cabin space on board for only 200 passengers, the friendly Polynesian crew made us feel like family. Their pride in the Aranui 3 was immediately evident.

Our days were filled with new adventures led by well-trained multilingual guides. We hiked to...

April 2004 issue | Appears on page 0

Recapping a month in New Zealand

Here are some notes on our October-November ’03 trip to New Zealand. We spent 13 days on the North Island and 16 days on the South Island.

Our car from Ace Car Rentals (based in Parnell, Auckland, N.Z.; call anytime +64 9 3033112 or visit www.acerentals.co.nz) cost about US$750 for 30 days. As we shared the cost with another couple, it was quite reasonable. Another advantage to traveling as a foursome was that we often stayed in 2-bedroom motel units that cost little more than a 2-...

April 2004 issue | Appears on page 0

Tips for visiting Spain

My husband and I spent three weeks in Spain in April ’03. We made all of our lodging and car reservations online or by phone. Although we usually prefer to be less restricted schedule-wise, we were there during Holy Week and Easter and rooms would have been hard to find in our price range without reservations.

We flew from Boston to London to Barcelona, took a train to Figueres and another to Madrid, picked up a car and drove to Toledo, Avila and Salamanca to sample the Holy Week...

April 2004 issue | Appears on page 0

‘Small World’ Department: Nice name

On April 8, ’03, the QE2 was making a port call at the island of St. Helena, where Napoleon had been exiled and where he died. Through the St. Helena Tourist Bureau I had obtained a car and driver for a tour of the main points of interest on this tiny island in the South Atlantic.

Returning to Jamestown, the capital and only town, I decided to shop. Entering Solomon & Co. Souvenir Store, I quickly found a box for my collection. On giving the clerk my credit card, she asked me, “Is...

April 2004 issue | Appears on page 0

An Oasis in the City

Have you ever been in a big, busy city overseas, dodging traffic, recoiling from the noise and gasping for air, when suddenly you came upon an oasis of calm and beauty in the form of a garden or park — a refuge of (relative) quiet and nature where people could escape the commotion of downtown? ITN asked its readers to write in about just these sorts of “urban oases” (outside of North America). For each, we asked that readers give an idea of its location in the city, tell how they found it...

April 2004 issue | Appears on page 0

Travel is...

ITN asked its readers to write essays on the subject “Travel is. . .” in 250 words or less. Originally, we were going to print only the top five, but your words were so inspiring that we decided to print the top 10 essays. We featured half of them in the February issue. The remaining essays, as before in no particular order, we present below. Thanks to everyone who entered, reflecting on the whole subject of travel and putting such thought and heart into your writing. Again proving ITN...

April 2004 issue | Appears on page 0

Maiden voyage of the QM2

There she was, in all of her advertised superlatives: the greatest, the largest (151,000 tons), the costliest (about $800 million), the most beautiful superliner ever built, ad infinitum. It seemed that not enough praise could be lavished on any one vessel. In our opinion, she deserved all these accolades and more.

My wife, Lili, and I had seen news stories and ads in various travel papers and in our wildest dreams believed that being part of history in the Queen Mary 2’s maiden...