Most seasoned travelers at one time or another have arrived at a hotel with a reservation in hand only to be informed that the type of room they thought they had reserved was not available. In this edition of “Under the Microscope,” I will examine strategies for finding acceptable solutions for such situations and also measures for trying to prevent such occurrences in future travels.

Questions

In the situation described above, several things must be determined....

Two hours’ drive south of Santiago lies one of Chile’s most renowned wine-producing regions, Valle de Colchagua. On my last visit to Chile, in February ’05, I had the opportunity to visit, albeit too briefly, this impressive valley of abundance on the Ruta del Vino.

A lengthy list of awards and medals have to date been earned by the valley’s wineries in prestigious international competitions and publications. This was highlighted in 2003 when the Colchagua...

Periodically, in future I plan to do “Under the Microscope” columns which will examine in detail various terms and aspects of tours and touring.

This first column will take a close look at advertised tour departure dates listed by tour and other travel operators. When the departure dates are attached to group tour products as compared to individual tours, examination is recommended for the careful, prudent traveler.

When a travel company advertises a departure date...