Travelers' Intercom

I traveled in France, Sept. 15-Oct. 10, 2010, and visited Paris, Lyon, Dijon and several small towns and villages in Burgundy. I used my American-issued Visa credit card, American Express card and Visa debit card without any problems at all in ATM machines and at merchants’, restaurants and hotels.

There were only two minor problems. My American cards did not work in the automated ticket machines in the Paris Métro or in the automated ticket machines at the railroad stations. However, at the rail stations I was able to use my credit cards in the ticket office.

SUSAN JERRICK...

I cruised on the Queen Elizabeth, Dec. 15, 2010-Jan. 5, 2011, embarking in Southampton, England, and visiting Madeira, then crossing the Atlantic to Antigua, St. Lucia, Barbados, Dominica and Tortola before recrossing the ocean to Ponta Delgada, Azores, and Southampton. Excluding airfare, the cost for my inside, single cabin was $8,010.

My category 7 cabin, No. 4163, was located very close to the bow. It was extremely noisy and, for me, uncomfortable, even in the least seas. In my cabin, there was no way to keep the bathroom door secured open. The result was that it would swing...

Beaune, a 4-hour drive north from Avignon, is one of our favorite places in France. My wife, JoAnn, and I have been there three times and will go again if we have the opportunity. Beaune doesn’t change much. It’s a charming city and the focal point of Burgundy’s wine industry.

There are many places for wine tasting in and around Beaune, with quite a few open seven days a week. On our last visit we stopped at Patriarche Pere & Fils (5-7 re du Collège; phone 03 80 24 53 79), which has thousands of bottles in underground caves, in the center of Beaune. We tasted 15 wines, some...