Travelers' Intercom | International Travel News

October 2007 issue

Paris dining options

I would not go across town to eat there, but if you are in the neighborhood a good light dinner can be had in Paris at Plein Soleil (90 ave. Parmentier, Paris 11e, France).

Located just above the entrance to the Parmentier Métro station, it offers an area non-fumeur — not as good as a salle non-fumeur but better than the choking fog that envelops most Paris restaurants.

On our visit in February ’07 my wife had a tartiflette, which proved to be our old friend scalloped potatoes (appropriate since Parmentier was the father of the potato). She said it was so good, it made her...

December 2008 issue

Why don’t we have that here — better elevator dispatch

I was visiting my aunt in the hospital in Tel Aviv, Israel, in September ’08 and encountered an interesting elevator setup.

There were six elevators. At the central control panel on each floor, instead of just pressing up or down you pressed the button for the floor you wanted. The display then directed you to the elevator that would be the most direct to your floor.

Inside each elevator there were no buttons to push, although it did show you which floors that elevator would stop at. It was definitely efficient.

NILI OLAY

New York, NY

April 2008 issue

Croatia with HF Holidays

Those planning to visit Croatia should note that there are several ways to get there.

In mid-May ’07 my wife, Inge, and I flew British Air from England’s Gatwick Airport to Split, Croatia, for a walking tour plus a few days on our own. We then flew to Germany, staying another week before flying back to England and on home.

One could also take a bus to Croatia from several cities in Germany, and, if one has the time, it’s possible to take a boat across the Adriatic from Italy to several ports in Croatia.

Upon our arrival in Split, we took a bus an hour’s ride south to...

May 2008 issue

Disabled parking in Europe

A reader mentioned taking a disability pass to Europe in order to park in spaces for the handicapped (Dec. ’07, pg. 103). At the website www.globalaccessnews.com and after clicking on “Travel Archives,” under “Trips, Tips and Resources” I found the following item:

“Great news! European countries now honor disabled parking placards from the U.S. and Canada. The placards must display the international symbol for disability and state the name of the document holder. Prominently display your documents inside your car’s windshield.”

On the disability pass for my state, Washington...

September 2007 issue

China trip arranger

A friend and I took our second trip to China in October ’05. Prior to the trip, we were put in touch with John Zhang, a tour agent employed by Teddybear Center (e-mail cqteddybear@126.com or phone 013983177596 or 023 63773545) in Chongqing, China, and worked with him in planning part of our trip.

We ﬂew from Beijing to Chongqing, where John met us and took us out to dinner for a traditional hotpot. He planned a day trip for us to the Dazu rock carvings ($35), a place of spectacular Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian sculptures carved from the seventh to 13th centuries.

Two days...

June 2007 issue

Attractions and museums in Paris

I returned to Paris in October ’06 and visited several places of interest.

• Because the Musée de l’Orangerie (Jardin des Tuileries, 75001, Paris, France; phone +33 01 44 77 80 07 or visit www.musee-orangerie.fr) had recently reopened after years of closure due to renovation, attendance was very strong and advance timed-ticketing was recommended.

From the museum’s website, I was able to order tickets from the service FNAC (www.fnacspectacles.com), but I neglected to choose the option of having the tickets mailed to me and instead had to retrieve them from an FNAC outlet in...

October 2008 issue

Hiring a day guide

My husband, Steve, and I have had very good luck with hiring our own private guides when disembarking from a cruise ship, rather than paying the exorbitant prices for the line’s shore excursions.

What we do is ask around the area as we disembark; there are always local tour guides wanting business. We find one who speaks English and has a decent car, decide on a price for the day and off we go. We tell the guide we don’t want to go to the touristy places or the government-run stores for shopping.

In Mumbai, India, in February ’07, “Sonny” was a third-generation taxi driver...

September 2008 issue

Pros and cons of tour group audio systems

I suspect that many ITN subscribers have had some experience with the relatively new audio systems used by tour groups to allow better communication between guides and group members. I believe it might be worthwhile to exchange some thoughts on this subject.

These systems are essentially one-way, low-power radio links, with the guide having a small transmitter and microphone and each of the group members “wearing” a small receiver and headphones. My wife, Janet, and I have had both good and bad experiences with these devices over the past few years.

The advantages of such...