Travelers' Intercom | International Travel News

April 2010 issue

Westernmost China

I chose the “Silk Road plus Shangri-La” tour, May 26-June 11, 2009, from China Plus (Irving, TX; 888/868-8811) because, after a day in Beijing, it went to the furthermost province in the west of China, Xinjiang. The cost, with air from the West Coast, was $4,298.

I never expected to see such contrasts, even in the landscape — from desert to mountain peaks. I enjoyed seeing Xinjiang’s capital, Urumqi. What a surprise to see skyscrapers and fancy shop windows in this 2,000-year-old city!

Other highlights were Kashgar (still, for now, with mud-and-straw houses, narrow alleys and...

May 2010 issue

Recommended in London

My friend Billie Rivers and I spent two nights in Greenwich at One Six Two (162 Westcombe Hill, Greenwich, London, SE3 7DH, U.K.; phone +44 [208] 4655444, e-mail

bookings@onesixtwo.co.uk) in September ’09. The location is convenient to the London City Airport, and it’s walking distance from the park.

The guest house’s webpage described the room as a boutique-style twin room with stylish en suite shower facilities. It also had a digital TV and free WiFi access. We found our twin room to be very small. The cost was £94 (near $146) per night, with breakfast.

The webpage...

February 2011 issue

Explore Orkney

On a two-week trip my husband and I took to Scotland in August 2010, the last five days were spent in Orkney.

We flew to Kirkwall from Glasgow on the budget airline Flybe (Exeter International Airport, Devon, UK; phone +44 [0] 1392 268529) at $200 per person, round trip.

A short taxi ride took us to the very comfortable, centrally located Orkney Hotel (40 Victoria St., Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DN, U.K.; phone +44 [0] 1856 873477), where we paid $150 per night for a double room with facilities en suite.

After a day of walking around Kirkwall on our own, we spent an...

April 2004 issue

Budget Europe Travel Service

My husband and I like to travel by rail when we are in Europe, and we have found that a wonderful place to purchase rail tickets is Budget Europe Travel Service (Ann Arbor, MI; phone 800/441-2387 or 800/441-9413). There are no handling fees and your tickets are sent by certified mail at no cost.

Not only is the service excellent, but they are the nicest people to deal with — very friendly and very helpful. They also are well traveled and can offer lots of advice on places to visit.

In December, for a trip the first two weeks of April ’04, I purchased railpasses for southeast...

May 2004 issue

Scammed at Bucharest rail station

On Feb. 3, ’04, a friend and I were victims of a scam in Bucharest, Romania, inside the main entrance to the Gare de Nord and outside of Wasteels Ticket Agency.

Persons entering the train station in Bucharest are required to have a rail ticket or to purchase a nominal ticket. As we entered at about 11 a.m., we were approached by two men who seemed to be officials because they showed I.D. cards (which, of course, we could not read).

They asked for our tickets, which we showed them. They did not speak English but indicated they also wanted to see the contents of our money belts...

February 2004 issue

Plying the Yangtze

Re the letter “Yangtze Cruise Curtailed” (Nov. ’03, pg. 34), about a cruise that was to begin in Chongqing, China, on April 8 but ended up being curtailed on two sections of the river, it is just by coincidence that on April 9, ’03, we were leaving Yichang and heading upriver on the MV East King to Chongqing. . . we thought.

There was never any doubt in our minds that the cruise no longer left Wuhan. Our tour company, Laurus Travel (#45 - 3195 Granville St., Vancouver, B.C. V6H 3K2, Canada; phone 877/507-1177 or visit www.laurustravel.com), had planned it that way and obviously knew...

March 2010 issue

Guide in Ghana

My husband, John, and I traveled in six West African countries for 40 days in January-February ’08, ending with a 10-day stay in Ghana. Our guide in Ghana, Charles Kobina Abakah (phone 00233 244 708878 or 00233 287 092839 or 011 272 150102 or e-mail ckabakah@yahoo.com), did an outstanding job, became a friend and continues to be an inspiration. Every so often he surprises us with a phone call.

Let me explain the inspiration part. Charles reminds me of Greg Mortenson, made famous by the book “Three Cups of Tea.” Charles mobilized his contacts and those around him to build a very much...

December 2010 issue

On the road in Costa Rica

Flying Continental from San Francisco via Houston, my companion George and I arrived in San José, Costa Rica, on Oct. 26, 2009.

I did a lot of research while planning this trip and wanted a car rental so we could be more flexible and independent. In my search I found the Adventure Inn Hotel (phone 506 2239 2633, www.adventure-inn.com), whose location, near the airport, could not be better.

They offered to pay our taxi transfer from the airport and gave us a 10% discount for paying cash on the room. They also said they would arrange for our rental car to be delivered to the...