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February 2005 issue

‘Rolled’ in Milan

I was “rolled” in Milan, Italy, in January ’04.

I was at The Royal Café, in the galleria near the Duomo, and wanted a simple salad. The waiter put one roll on a side plate. When I got the final bill, it listed $10.95 for the salad and €7 (about $9) for the roll! Ouch! As a “carb-conscious” American, I didn’t even want the roll! JIM DELMONTE Honolulu, HI

March 2011 issue

Rented a car in the UK

Many people believe that someone over 70 cannot rent a car in the UK, but having this policy or not is up to each car rental company. At the age of 82, in 2009, I rented a car there from a major car rental company; I believe it was Avis. (A friend in England found out for me which companies had no age limit. I am too unskilled at the computer to do this for myself.)

If they offer you an upgrade to a larger vehicle at no extra cost, my advice is not to accept. Some of the prettiest parts of the country have tiny roads, some of them one lane. We discovered that our vehicle was too big...

September 2010 issue

Hurtigruten recap

I read with interest Fred Steinberg’s article about cruises along Norway’s coast with Hurtigruten (June ’10, pg. 18) and would like to add a few comments. My wife and I traveled on the line’s ship Midnatsol from Kirkenes to Bergen in June 1994 and thoroughly enjoyed the trip.

We spent a full day in Kirkenes before boarding, and we recommend that people do that. Kirkenes is a very interesting place, with lots of history. During World War II the Germans used it as a base to try to cut the Allied supply line to Murmansk, and the Russians bombed it more than 300 times. Many civilians...

March 2005 issue

‘Waterways of the Czars’

I went on a 14-day cruise from Moscow to St. Petersburg in August ’04. This was my first trip with Uniworld (Encino, CA; phone 800/257-2264) and I was very impressed with not only Russia itself but the spotlessly clean ship, the wonderful food, the most gracious staff and the relatively modest price of the cruise.

We lived on board the ship for three days in Moscow and had several tours of the city and surrounding area with very knowledgeable local guides.

When we set sail for St. Petersburg, we enjoyed six luxurious days cruising through canals, rivers and lakes and passing...

April 2005 issue

Romania with car and driver

We spent 18 days traveling in Romania in September ‘04 — a truly great trip. Our itinerary included UNESCO world treasures like the painted monasteries in Bucovina plus picturesque villages and dramatic mountain scenery.

We flew on LOT Polish Airlines from Newark to Bucharest (changing planes in Warsaw), where we were met at the airport by travel agent Costela Petcu and our driver. The driver spoke excellent English and was well informed and very careful.

We heartily recommend Costela and her agency AKS Tours, which we found through a contact on the Internet. She was...

July 2010 issue

Rescued by Regent Seven Seas

We booked the “Circle South America” cruise aboard the Seven Seas Mariner of Regent Seven Seas Cruises (Ft. Lauderdale, FL; 877/505-5370), Jan. 9-March 16, 2010, and one of the optional excursions offered was a two-night, three-day trip to Machu Picchu in Peru.

The excursion cost $2,600 per person, with only six hours actually at Machu Picchu. That seemed expensive, and I found a similar tour on the Internet for much less, but, in the end, we thought it might be safer to take the ship’s excursion.

There were 65 of us on the three-day trip, one that ended up being a seven-day...

January 2004 issue

New books

I recommend the following two new travel books.

• For those of you who have been to Africa or plan to travel there, I would like to recommend Paul Theroux’s new book, “Dark Star Safari — Overland from Cairo to Capetown” (2003, Houghton Mifflin Co. ISBN 0618134247 — 496 pp., $28). In his description of the gritty and chaotic conditions encountered on his overland journey, he reveals a side of Africa that is unlikely to be seen along the tourist trails.

He has this to say about well-meaning humanitarian, political, economic and developmental assistance provided by foreign...

August 2010 issue

Brussels B&B

We were looking for a quiet, smoke-free apartment for our stay in Brussels, Sept. 23-29, 2009, and B&B Maritiem (rue de Ribaucourtstraat 135, 1080 Brussels, Belgium; phone +32 0 498 33 97 32) was perfect.

Our hosts, Lies and Danny, answered all our questions prior to our booking online and provided travel advice later.

The B&B is located just across the canal from Lower Town and just two blocks from public transit. To the south, at the metro station Ribaucourt, the number 2 and 6 lines loop around the town center down to Gare du Midi/Zuid. And to the north, the No. 14...