Columns

Dear Globetrotter:

It is in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic that I welcome you to this, the 531st issue of International Travel News, and, boy, have things changed since a month ago!

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus COVID-19, which was identified in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, in December, was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11. As of press time, the virus had spread to 212 countries and territories.

President Trump, after restricting travel by Americans to and from various countries, banned nonessential travel to the US by non-...

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If police stop you on the street and ask to check your wallet for counterfeit bills, it’s probably a scam. Photo by Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli

Europe is a surprisingly creative place when it comes to travel scams. Many of the most successful gambits require a naively trusting tourist, but seasoned travelers can be taken in, too. We should all be wary of the numerous subtle scams — a cabbie pads your fare, a hotel business center computer records your password, or a waiter offers a special with a “special” increased price — but if you’re cautious and not overly trusting, you should have no problem.

Here are some of the latest travel scams I’ve discovered on my travels, and how to skirt...

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Nature is reclaiming a 19thcentury synagogue near the Danube in Vidin, Bulgaria, abandoned during the Soviet era.

Dear Globetrotter: Welcome to the 530th issue of your monthly foreign-travel magazine, the one where most of the content is written by its subscribers, people who love travel.

One of those people, Cindy Tarnoff of Saltillo, Mississippi, sent us a few travel reports along with this note: “I have wanted to write some hotel and restaurant recommendations and a couple of travel tips for ITN but have found myself frozen by the task of being perfect. It is a time-consuming chore to write, reconstruct sentences, check spelling and analyze content. I wonder how many other subscribers...

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Stone gargoyle on the façade of the Nicholson Museum in Sydney, Australia, founded in 1860. The museum holds 30,000 archaeological artifacts from Egypt, Greece, Italy, Cyprus and the Mideast.

Dear Globetrotter:

Welcome to the 529th issue — our 44th Anniversary — of your monthly foreign-travel magazine. With this issue, we start our 45th year. (I got a little ahead of myself when, in last month’s column, I said we had completed “45 full years.”)

While I’ve got you looking back and looking forward, Where Were You in 2019? If you haven’t yet sent us your list of countries visited last year, you’ve got only a few weeks left to do so. March 31st is the deadline, at which time we’ll hold drawings to determine which...

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Canterbury Cathedral, a masterpiece of English Gothic architecture, will soon have a new welcome center. Photo by Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli

Britain, while engulfed in Brexit politics, is constantly investing in first-class projects to share its heritage, and, in so many ways, Britain’s heritage is linked to our heritage.

While many travelers are understandably curious about how Brexit is affecting tourists, from my experience it isn’t. The only impact I’ve found is that the tourism industry seems to respect visitors more than ever. (And, for those who like to talk politics, the topic is a fascinating conversation starter.)

Here’s a rundown on the latest for travelers going to Great Britain...

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The 26-foot-long, stone-arch Tanners’ Bridge, or Tabak Bridge, is an 18th-century Ottoman footbridge in Tirana, Albania. The river it crossed was diverted in the 1930s.

Dear Globetrotter:

Welcome to the 528th issue of your monthly foreign-travel magazine.

This is the time of year when I ask subscribers to send in their lists of countries they visited in the previous year. The countries are tallied and the information is shared with you a few months later in this column (June issue).

Considering how well traveled ITN’s readership is, the results are fairly impressive and help us attract potential advertisers, which, aside from subscriptions, is the other source of income that’s kept this magazine in publication for, now, 45...

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The Schlosskirche (Castle Church, aka All Saints’ Church) in Wittenberg, Germany, is where Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses in 1517. The church also contains his tomb.

Dear Globetrotter:

Welcome to the 526th issue of your monthly foreign-travel magazine, one place where people try to help others, sharing what they’ve learned while doing what they love: traveling.

Covering destinations outside of the US, much of International Travel News is a collection of subscribers’ articles, letters and reports plus their thoughts and comments on travel-related subjects.

Have a question about a place, a product or a procedure? An ITN subscriber may have an answer for you, as most are widely traveled. Ask it here. Or share a tip, a find...

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Dear Globetrotter:

Welcome to the 492nd issue of your monthly foreign-travel magazine.

For the first time since he took the column over from ITN’s founder, Armond Noble, in March 1999, our editor, David Tykol, is not writing the “Boarding Pass.” He needed some time off to attend to family matters, and he gave me the instructions to “write whatever you want.” So buckle your seat belts and please place seat backs and tray tables in their upright positions, ’cause this might get bumpy.

The...

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