Travelers' Intercom | International Travel News

June 2009 issue

Praise for ACCL

I appreciated Lew Toulmin’s article on the American Canadian Caribbean Line (“The Cruising World,” March ’09). My husband and I took an ACCL cruise in October ’07, and although I had wished to share the merits of ACCL, I did not know how to do it as the cruise we took began in Quebec and ended in Warren, Rhode Island, places ITN does not cover.

We were aboard the Grande Mariner, and although the ship was in need of refurbishing, that did not stop the 86 passengers on board from having a wonderful time and partaking of the personal benefits offered to us.

One gentleman was...

October 2009 issue

Summer-weight duvets

The Brits have found a perfect solution to the “too-hot duvet” problem. You can buy two very light, summer-weight duvets which can be zipped or buttoned together to make a heavier, winter-weight one. Summer-weight duvets are sold all over Great Britain.

Most people in Great Britain and some other European countries tend not to use a top sheet with a duvet; they just use duvet covers made of the same material as a sheet and take them off to wash them. That cuts down on both the heaviness and the heat generated.

By the way, there’s a great firm in Seattle, All About Down (888/...

July 2011 issue

Memorable Morocco

At this time of unrest in several North African countries, I found no reason for concern at any time during my two weeks in Morocco, March 12-25, 2011. The weather was very comfortable and the fields were green with crops. The High Atlas Mountains were beautiful with snow and vistas of the country.

The souks in Fez, Meknes and Marrakesh and the camel ride at sunset in the sand dunes were highlights.

The tour was with Odysseys Unlimited (Newton, MA; 888/370-6765), and the cost, including round-trip airfare (New York-Casablanca) was $4,800, plus I paid a single supplement of $...

April 2011 issue

Heavenly hammam in Paris

One of the largest mosques in Europe is the Grand Mosquée in Paris (39, rue Saint-Hilaire; phone 01 43 31 38 20). It’s on the southeast corner of rue Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire and rue Daubenton, across from the Jardin des Plantes. In October ’10, my traveling companion and I ventured to the mosque’s hammam (Turkish bath).

We were not able to go into the mosque, itself, because it was a holy day, but we went around the block to a lovely gateway through which a tea garden led into the building. We found the women’s entrance to the hammam behind a glass counter of pastries.

Once...

May 2011 issue

Oceania’s Regatta

I took a 12-day Caribbean cruise, “Sun-Splashed Holiday,” on the Regatta of Oceania Cruises (Miami, FL; 800/531-5619), Dec. 22, 2010-Jan. 2, 2011. Sailing out of Miami, the ship called at Turks & Caicos, Dominican Republic, British Virgin Islands (Tortola), Antigua (St. John’s), Martinique and St. Croix. We didn’t get into St. Barts because the seas were too rough.

Booked through Didi Menendez of White Glove Cruises (Dania Beach, FL; 954/885-6015), the total cost of our trip for two, including airfare Dallas/Miami, was $9,598.

The line has three identical ships, Regatta...

September 2009 issue

France trip’s best B&B

Le Petit Versailles (Route du Château, 24220 Beynac et Cazenac, FRANCE; phone +33 [0]6 71 88 59 72, www.lepetit versailles.fr) was our favorite accommodation on our 7-week trip to France in the fall of 2008. Beynac is in the Dordogne region of France.

My husband, Bill, and I had a double room with a pretty view of the countryside. A fantastic multicourse breakfast was included in the price of €60 ($79) per night.

We travel to Europe a lot and prefer to stay in economical B&Bs with atmosphere. This is the best one we’ve ever stayed at!

JANET WAGNER Beaverton, OR

December 2011 issue

Bilbao delights

The Vizcaya Bridge in Bilbao is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Granted, the fabulous, Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum is a centerpiece of Bilbao, Spain, but the city has much more to offer.

My wife, Anne, and I were in Bilbao, April 19-21, 2011, and stayed at the NH Villa de Bilbao (Gran Via 87, 48011 Bilbao; phone +34 94 4416000, fax 4416529).

The hotel is a 10-minute bus ride ($1.80) from the airport yet within comfortable walking distance of both the new and old parts of the city. Our room cost $105 per night.

Bilbao has changed from an environmentally run-down industrial city to one of Europe’s most attractive...

April 2011 issue

Galloping good time in Chile

I’m not a horseback rider, but my daughters are, so while traveling around the world for a year, on occasion we had to appease their desire to be on the back of a horse. By the time we got to Chile in April ’09 we were due, and both girls let us know loud and clear.

I found Ritoque Expediciones (Camino Concón, Quintero km 3s, n Punta de Piedra, Valaparaíso, Chile; phone 56 09 9730 52 12), which is in Concón, 30 kilometers north of where we were staying in Valparaíso. We e-mailed them from our laptop and received a prompt response.

We booked the half-day “Ritoque Dunes” ride...