travel insurance articles

The ‘real’ Orient Express
Travelers' Intercom, March 2007 issue.
The so-called Orient Express leaves Paris every evening at 5:16 p.m. and arrives in Vienna at 8:30 the next morning. We traveled on this train on May 11, 2006, and returned on May 20 (only because we had nonrefundable tickets).

For a Tuscany day trip
Travelers' Intercom, March 2007 issue.
While on a 2-week independent trip to Italy in June ’06, my two girlfriends and I found a wonderful company providing day trips into the Tuscan countryside outside of Florence: Doors To Italy (27500 Pinyon St., Murrieta, CA 92562; 951/704-5729, e-mail

Unspunnen in Switzerland
Travelers' Intercom, March 2007 issue.
My wife, Mary Ellen, and I were in Switzerland for 10 days in September ’06. We stayed in Merligen, which is on Lake Thun and near Interlaken. We had been in this area before and basically were interested in hiking in the beautiful mountains of the area, which was marvelous.

Courteous in France
Travelers' Intercom, March 2007 issue.
We took a 2-week tour of France, Oct. 7-20, 2006, with Trafalgar Tours (Long Island City, NY; 866/544-4434 or www. trafalgartours.com).

Little known but fine places
Travelers' Intercom, March 2007 issue.
Here are some small towns that stand out in my mind for their beauty or other unique characteristics.

Le Lot in France
Accommodations Worldwide, March 2007 issue.
We read the recommendation for Le Lot (46320 Issepts, FRANCE; phone 011 33 [0] 5 65 40 17 61 or e-mail catherineissepts@wanadoo.fr) (April ’06, pg. 55).

Hotel Beránek in the Czech Republic
Accommodations Worldwide, March 2007 issue.
The Hotel Beránek (Belehradská 110, 120 00 Praha 2, CZECH REPUBLIC; phone +420 221 59 59 59, fax 61 or visit www.hotelberanek.com) was my accommodation for a conference I attended in August-September ’06, and I was so pleased with it that

Visiting the Black Madonna of Montserrat
Features, March 2007 issue.
by Chloe Ryan Winston, Redding, CA

Dealing with glitches in London
Travelers' Intercom, March 2007 issue.
Crowds everywhere. Queues everywhere. And glitches galore. Has London always been like this? Has travel always been like this?

Guide in Yalta
Travelers' Intercom, March 2007 issue.
On a September ’06 cruise, four of us went ashore at Yalta, Ukraine, and met Sergey Tsakapora (e-mail sergo2@yalta.crimea.ua), who leads guided tours in and around this historic city.