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January 2011 issue

Auto rental ripoff

I read the readers’ auto rental tips (Sept. ’10, pg. 40). On a trip to Zürich during the ’90s I filled the tank of my rental car right before turning it in so as to avoid the higher charge per liter or being charged for more liters than were actually needed to fill the tank.

I dropped off the car, making sure the full tank was noted, and the agent acknowledged it with an “Okay.”

When I got my credit card bill, however, I had been charged nearly $50 for gas for the Ford Fiesta — obviously a ripoff.

I later was told that I should have gotten it in writing that I had...

March 2010 issue

Bicycling Switzerland and No. Italy

A number of my friends and I, who are in good but not spectacular physical shape, decided to craft our own bicycling itinerary through Switzerland and northern Italy. The result was a wonderful 2½ weeks of biking among the spectacular Alps, June 17-July 3, 2008. Six of us biked and one nonbiker rode in taxis with our luggage.

Two of us had biked along the Danube in 2006, utilizing the services of a tour company that furnished bikes, daily shuttle and reserved lodging plus contingency services. With that experience “under our belts,” we decided we could plan this trip ourselves....

January 2005 issue

Chichime Island

Ann Abeles going for a stroll on Chichime Island, part of the San Blas group, during a March ’01 Panama Canal cruise stop. We sailed on ACCL’s Grand Caribe, which can carry about 90 passengers. This was our third trip with ACCL (phone 800/556-7450; www.accl-smallships.com), a well-run cruise line. — ANN & FRED ABELES, Frederick, MD

April 2010 issue

Amman museum

An unexpected find during the trip my husband, Charles, and I took to Jordan was the Jordan Archaeological Museum (phone +962 [0] 6 463 8795), on Citadel Hill in Amman, adjacent to the Umayyad Palace.

The museum presents the history of man in the Jordan Valley along with artifacts, from the days of the Neanderthals to the rise of Islam over the Crusaders. Included are Dead Sea Scrolls. What a find!

We’ve been to museums in London, Rome, Athens and more and never saw a display of the history of mankind done in such a concise, understandable way. When you go to Jordan, of...

May 2010 issue

Geared up for the Galápagos

I thought ITN readers would be interested in my assessment of clothing and equipment used on my April ’09 trip to the Galápagos with GAP Adventures (Toronto, Ont.; 800/708-7761). Some items were old faithfuls and some were purchased for this trip.

Two absolutely essential items are a wide-brim hat and walking shoes with good tread.

I found Mephisto trekking sandals to be ideal. They have good tread for climbing lava rocks, and the Velcro® brand hook-and-loop straps on the instep and heel allow for adjustment and easy on/off at airport security.

I was not pleased with...

March 2004 issue

Trip enhanced with InfoRoma

In ITN’s book on Italy I came across InfoRoma, experts on Rome. It was such a wonderful find that I’m writing to recommend this resource to readers, myself.

Margaret Coffin of InfoRoma (Via Peltechian 42, 00173 Rome, Italy; phone/fax +39 06 72900141, e-mail questions@inforoma.it or visit www.inforoma@inforoma.it) provides itineraries, maps, recommendations and in-depth site information to visitors to Rome. Thank goodness, because as a first-time traveler to this phenomenal city I was overwhelmed by the potential sights and opportunities.

Communicating initially by e-mail,...

October 2010 issue

Charging toward business class

In planning for a trip to China and Nepal in October ’11 to celebrate my 50th birthday, I went online to www.airlinequality.com/main/forum.htm to determine which airline to use. Passenger reviews I found on the site rated Cathay Pacific highly, with a five-star score. On Cathay Pacific’s website, www.cathaypacific.com, I found they had nonstop flights to Hong Kong.

For me, flight schedules are as important as flight comfort. I hate layovers and always avoid them when I can. And if I’m taking a trip with a flight time of more than eight to ten hours or one where there’s a huge time...

July 2005 issue

Set for Paris

My husband and I had a week’s vacation in Paris in March ’05. For the second time in five years, we used Go-today.com for our travel arrangements. They offer a package with flight and six nights in a hotel plus breakfast for very reasonable rates.

We paid a total (for two) of $1,752, including add-on airfare from San Francisco (the base rate is from New York) and a shuttle from the hotel to Charles de Gaulle Airport on departure day. (Go-today no longer seems to offer shuttle service, upon one’s arrival, from the airport to the hotel, so we ordered and paid for that separately,...