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March 2005 issue

On Lufthansa seating

The reader’s letter “Flights Spoiled a Good Cruise” (Jan. ’05, pg. 26) regarding Edward DeCrappeo’s July 17 Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to Washington, D.C., inspired me to write. My wife and I took that same flight in June ’04 and we concur completely with his comments on the discomfort of the airplane.

While we thought the service and food were good, the seat configuration in coach was the worst we have ever seen. I have traveled on charter flights that had more comfortable seating. Although I doubt that any airline has really comfortable coach seating on transatlantic flights...

April 2005 issue

Bangkok observations

In Bangkok, the SkyTrain continues to be a godsend for getting passengers up and out of the awful fume-ridden traffic. The SkyTrain is quite crowded during rush hours, but it’s air-conditioned, so being packed in isn’t bad.

I think there are plans to expand the lines even further. For now, they go just about everywhere a businessperson needs to go, plus they link up with the new subway system and the water taxi system on the Chao Phraya River. Outside every SkyTrain station there are many taxis waiting.

If you use a taxi, make sure it has a meter and that the driver actually...

February 2005 issue

Sights in Germany

My husband and I traveled by train to Berlin, Germany, in June ’04. We used public transportation there (U-Bahn and S-Bahn), seeing all of the exciting landmarks such as the Brandenburg Gate, once a dividing point between East and West Berlin and now a symbol of German unity.

We visited the Kaiser-Wilhelm Church, or Gedächtnis-Kirche. I was impressed with the historical pageantry done in mosaic.

The Pergamon Museum was outstanding, and the Reichstag building was an architectural wonder with far-reaching views of the city.

In nearby Potsdam we toured the small but...

March 2005 issue

Florence repasts

I was in Florence, Italy, on a Christmas-in-Florence tour, Dec. 21-28, ’04, and found several good places to eat in the Centro Storico area. Both are on the street that is about one block from the famed Ponte Vecchio.

• On Borgo Santi Apostoli is Il Boccale Ristorante (Borgo S.S. Apostoli, 33r; tel. 283384). I had pasta, grilled veal, salad, custard, a quarter bottle of red wine, a small water and coffee for €18 (near $24).

Il Boccale is a small place — only nine tables — and is open for lunch and dinner. With excellent food and great service, it is popular with the locals....

January 2004 issue

Barcelona sightseeing

To sightsee Barcelona, I recommend the Bus Turistic. Run by the local transit authority, it is a 25-stop bus route featuring both a north and south loop. A multilingual tour guide is aboard each bus.

One- and 2-day tickets are available at €15 and €19 (near $17.50 and $22). They can be purchased at the Playa de Catalunya in the heart of the city. A 6-language guidebook is provided as well.

Facilitating planning a tour, brochures are available all over the place showing the routes and stops.

On our September ’03 visit we had only a one-day pass, but we would definitely...

August 2010 issue

Lacked chip-and-PIN card

When traveling, I have always depended upon getting funds in the local currency by using my ATM card, a debit Visa card with a local credit union.

In Brugge, Belgium, in March ’10, I tried, unsuccessfully, to withdraw funds with my card. I tried several banks’ machines, but the machines would not even read the card; I got the message “Unable to access card information” and the card was returned to me.

I went into one of the banks and was told that they couldn’t help me because my card did not have a computer chip.

The only bank ATM that did accept my card was KBC Bank...

November 2010 issue

The ’Stans by rail

“The Legendary Silk Road by Private Train,” offered by Lernidee Erlebnisreisen GmbH (Eisenacher Str. 11, D-10777 Berlin, Germany; phone+49 [30] 786 00 00, www.lernidee.com), was the first group tour my wife and I took that had no other native-born English speakers.

We traveled Oct. 13-26, 2009, and chose that departure because Lernidee promised an English-speaking guide. Only four of us on the 45-person tour spoke no German, but, as advertised, Lernidee flew in a guide, a delightful Russian woman, who spoke excellent English and German and, of course, Russian.

As it turned...

July 2010 issue

Guide in Turkey

Thank you, Bruce Kerfoot (April ’06, pg. 83), for recommending Mehmet Ozbalci of Turfantastik Tours (Istanbul, Turkey; phone +90 212 589 33 25 or fax 589 32 56).

My husband, daughter and I took a trip to Turkey in December ’09 and hired Mehmet to guide us in the countryside. He suggested a 6-day itinerary including the ancient cities of Troy, Pergamum, Ephesus and Aphrodisias plus the hot calcium pools at Pamukkale, a short visit to the Mevlâna (Rumi) museum and shrine at Konya and a tour of Cappadocia.

Mehmet made all the arrangements and drove us in his car. The $5,200 we...