Travelers' Intercom

Of the three border crossings between Israel and Jordan, the southern crossing, located in the desert between Eilat, Israel, and Aqaba, Jordan, is generally regarded as the quickest and easiest. It’s known in Israel as the Yitzhak Rabin Terminal and in Jordan as the Wadi Araba (previously Arava) crossing.

If you are visiting both Israel and southern Jordan (e.g., Petra), it is highly recommended that you cross the border there instead of at the far busier and more daunting Allenby (Israeli name)/King Hussein Bridge (Jordanian name) crossing located between Jerusalem and Amman....

Rick Steves states that he has never been asked for an International Driving Permit (Jan. ’11, pg. 67). My wife, Judy, and I have traveled to Europe a modest 10 times and never had one before our trip in September ’10, but I was so glad I had it that time.

As we were leaving Salzburg, Austria, for Bad Reichenhall, Germany, one evening around 9:30 p.m., right at the city limits two policemen waved yellow flares at the car in front of us. I drove slowly to pass but was pulled over too. Neither of us had been speeding or doing anything wrong that I could see. The officer immediately...

Eager to explore Guatemala, my wife, Gail, and I chose Caravan Tours (Chicago, IL; 800/227-2826) for our trip, Jan. 2-11, 2012.

We arrived in Guatemala City for two nights at the centrally located Barceló Hotel, with comfortable rooms, a great pool and good food (served buffet style).

With our guide, Belinda Sanchez, on our first day we traveled by motorcoach to the National Museum of Archaeology to learn about Guatemala’s pre-Columbian history, then toured the city.

The next morning, with 44 passengers, we left the congestion of the city and were treated to...