International Travel News

Travelers' Intercom

September 2005 issue | Appears on page 0

Don’t be caught short

Airlines and guidebooks often fail to warn travelers about the (sometimes substantial) entry and exit fees and taxes that some countries charge. These fees vary widely from country to country, over time and according to the nationality of the traveler. What can be most surprising about these fees is that often they are payable only in U.S. dollars (cash, of course), despite the traveler’s nationality. I’ve heard that sometimes only the exact amount due is accepted (no change is provided)....

September 2005 issue | Appears on page 0

Sydney Smartvisit Card

After reading an item about the Discover Adelaide Card (March ’05, pg. 75), I set out to see if such a card for Sydney exists. It does. Here are my impressions and comments.

As Bill Bryson writes in “In a Sunburned Country,” “Life cannot offer many places finer to stand at eight thirty on a summery weekday morning than Circular Quay in Sydney.”

And if you are a visitor on that summery morning, Sydney could not offer more places to see. So much to see, and so little time (and,...

September 2005 issue | Appears on page 0

Science museums in Italy

We would like to add some ideas to the readers’ “less-well-known museum” suggestions printed back in the June ’04 issue.

We spent nine days in Tuscany in May ’05. In Florence, the plethora of art museums may obscure the existence of the small, stunning Museo di Storia della Scienza (Museum of the History of Science). It is located just behind the Uffizi in the Palazzo Castellani, a building that dates to the 12th century. The Renaissance was an awakening of the sciences as well as the...

September 2005 issue | Appears on page 0

Flights via São Paulo

In the fall of 2004 we decided to make a spring trip to Brazil. In mid-November, after looking at different options, we called Gate 1 Travel and booked a 10-day trip for March 10, ’05, called “Kaleidoscope of Brazil,” which was sponsored by Varig Brazilian Airlines.

I believe the cost of this trip was $2,676 each, which included round-trip airfare from Miami (but not from Virginia to Miami).

When we did not receive the usual written confirmation after a month, we called Gate 1...

September 2005 issue | Appears on page 0

Little things tainted great river cruise

After deliberately leaving some time to pass for reflection, I have a few comments about our Eastern Europe river cruise in August ’04. Grand Circle Travel (GCT) was the operator, and our flights were arranged on Lufthansa by GCT.

When I saw where our assigned seats were for our Aug. 3 flight from New York’s JFK, I called Lufthansa and had the seats changed. Arriving for the flight, we discovered that the changes had not been done; we wound up in the 3-seat row immediately behind the...

September 2005 issue | Appears on page 0

Surcharge for rising fuel cost

In August of 2004 we booked the trip “Athens, the Greek Islands and Beyond” for June 4-26, ’05, with Grand Circle Travel. The total cost for two was $7,596.80. We were told that if we paid early in advance we could save $398 and that paying in advance would “lock in the cost of the trip,” so we paid the full cost in advance. However, we received a letter dated Jan. 19, ’05, from Grand Circle stating that we owed $110 as a “fuel surcharge.”

We went to the Grand Circle Travel Handbook...

September 2005 issue | Appears on page 0

Looked after by Andes Adventures

I would like to tell you about a company that really came through when things went awry. The company is Andes Adventures (1323 12th St., Ste. F, Santa Monica, CA 90401; phone 800/289-9470 or 310/395-5265 or visit www.andesadventures.com).

I booked a 10-day tour to Machu Picchu, Peru, with Andes Adventures for Oct. 7-16, ’04. The cost was $2,425 from Los Angeles, with single supplement included as well as all meals and round-trip internal air Lima to Cusco. This was a fully inclusive...

September 2005 issue | Appears on page 0

Travel Downunder

During April ’05 my husband and I traveled in Australia. I worked with Wendy Schatz, an Australian, of Travel Downunder to plan the trip, initially giving her a wish list of places we wanted to see and the types of activities we liked. In addition to being able to e-mail Wendy, I was able to speak with her on her toll-free 800 number because she has an office in the States. This made it easy to discuss options and choices.

Wendy provided a day-by-day itinerary, which was modified as...