Travelers' Intercom | International Travel News

October 2011 issue

Heathrow snowed in; staying informed

My travel partner and I were scheduled to return from London’s Heathrow Airport to Cleveland, Ohio, by way of Chicago on Dec. 17, 2010. Upon our arrival at the airport, we were handed a notice that our United Airlines flight to Chicago had been canceled because of the nonarrival of an aircraft from the US. The United desk rebooked us on another United flight (operated by Continental Airlines) to Newark the next day.

The agent gave us a phone number for Room Solutions (0203 004 8948), which offers discounted accommodation, enabling us to book a room at a steeply reduced rate at...

July 2011 issue

CEMAC for Cameroon

I have a recommendation for a great company for off-the-beaten-track travel in Africa. In June ’10 I took a private, independent tour of Cameroon from CEMAC Tours (Box 4877 Douala, Cameroon; phone +237 75 61 94 86 or 97 92 70 23).

These days were part of a longer FIT trip, so I don’t know what I paid for their services, but I want to commend the company and its Director General, Muhamadu Danteni Musa. He made it his business to come to the hotel the first day to introduce himself and the guide and driver. During my stay, he arranged interesting tours, in a spotless car, to Buea and...

April 2011 issue

Day room luxury in Fiji

Travelers using Nadi International Airport in Fiji often face several empty hours before the next stage of their journey. I’ve used a number of the airport hotels there in the past; all were adequate though nothing special.

On my most recent visit to Fiji, however, on Oct. 16, 2010, our family stayed at a delightful new hostelry, The Fiji Orchid (Saweni Beach Rd., Lautoka, Nadi, Fiji; phone 679 664 0099 or, in the US, 800/224-0220 or 888/345-4669).

Managed by a hospitable staff and serving gourmet meals, this hotel turns those empty hours into a virtual mini-vacation on which...

May 2011 issue

Using plastic in France

I stayed 3½ weeks in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France, in June ’10 with my children and grandchildren, ages 13 to 50, mostly visiting the smaller towns in Provence.

In advance, so that I could access cash, no matter what, I got a prepaid Cash Passport debit card in euros from Travelex Currency Services (No. Am. headquarters in New York, NY; e-mail retail.marketing@travelexamericas.com). It had a magnetic stripe only and needed a PIN. I got the card from my bank in St. Paul along with several hundred dollars worth of euros in cash.

From my local AAA office, I got some American...

November 2009 issue

On buying an extra seat

I’m writing in response to the news item “Passengers of Size Pay Double” (July ’09, pg. 23), on United Airlines.

Before I started flying in business class in my older years, I found that when my wife and I booked bargain fares in economy class, buying a third seat was far less costly than flying in the forward cabin, yet it provided significantly increased comfort, especially on long flights.

United calls it EXST (extra seat), and for a long time they would not offer mileage credit for it. A couple of years ago that policy changed, and now the EXST is linked to my account and...

December 2011 issue

Car rental snag in Ireland

Our family of 20 was planning a June ’11 visit to Ireland, where we would rent six vehicles. Our son mentioned that Visa would not provide insurance coverage on his rental, though it normally does when he uses that credit card to rent a car. Our daughter’s American Express card wouldn’t include insurance coverage, either.

Our own Visa credit card has always covered the insurance, but before we rented our vehicle we called the domestic hotline on the back of the card (800/698-0120), just in case. We were assured that we were covered. We booked online with our Visa...

September 2011 issue

Medical Needs Overseas: Carry meds record

Recently, I visited one of my doctors and was asked to update the list of all medications that I currently take. This information was entered into the PPO’s (preferred provider organization’s) databank of reports that each of my doctors consult in their management of my case. (All of my doctors belong to the same PPO.)

I asked for, and was given, a copy of the updated list, which shows the medications by prescription name, dosage instructions, etc., and the name of the medical provider. (My wife received a copy of her medications too.)

I added to this list the...

November 2009 issue

Traveling in Costa Rica

The Costa Rica tour a subscriber wrote about in the September ’09 issue (page 20) seems to offer good value for the money, but she did err in one matter.

She probably didn’t realize that a boat is not the only way to get to Tortuguero National Park. True, there are no roads, but there is a small airstrip. While I haven’t taken the plane, I have friends who have; there is service every day from San José. My companion and I actually walked the airstrip when we were turtle hunting.

We were in Costa Rica again in January-February ’08, and we’ve planned another 18-day trip for...