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NOT-SO-FINE-PRINT
How excited we had been to be despatched complimentary lounge passes by Qantas as they might make our upcoming 10 hour LA stopover tolerable. Then the high quality print…Tom Bradley Worldwide Enterprise Lounge is excluded. How acceptable that LA native Tom Waits growled that “the big print giveth, and the small print taketh away”. Perhaps Qantas may really make their present a helpful one?
Greg Malcher, Hepburn, Vic
LETTER OF THE WEEK
TALK TO MY AGENT
My spouse and I spent a stunning summer time in Europe this 12 months. We not often use a journey agent however did on this journey because of the uncertainty of reserving forward, particularly for transport. We had fairly a number of hiccups over the 4 months we spent there with many practice, bus and flight cancellations. Making an attempt to work out Greek ferry timetables to the Sporades underneath these circumstances was a nightmare. Nevertheless, we had the pleasure to cope with Dimitrious of Jetatours (.jeta-tours.gr/) in Athens, which specialises on this area. There have been many alterations to our plans alongside the best way however we had been saved effectively knowledgeable by this firm with refunds dealt with promptly. All of it labored out superbly for us with all our tickets ready for us after we checked in to our Athens resort. Nice experience and repair. We extremely advocate this firm.
Peter O’Keefe, Collingwood, Vic
JET SET
We have now simply returned from visits to our household in Europe and the US. Over 4 weeks we took 18 flights by way of 9 completely different airports with 4 completely different airways. Most flights had a barely delayed departure (aside from one home flight in Australia that left 20 minutes early), and most arrived inside quarter-hour of their schedule. Immigration and safety queues had been often prolonged however moved shortly. Service was good, Qantas nearly being on a par with Lufthansa and our baggage was by no means misplaced or delayed. It was so good to see household once more and really feel the exhilaration of experiencing life in different nations. Now to save lots of up for the following go to.
Anthea and Chris Kenyon, Googong, NSW
HOSTEL LIFE
Michael Fowler’s impressions of backpacker lodging struck some resonance (Traveller, September 10). None of those choices (pub classes, shared rooms and the free neighborhood meals cabinet or fridge) are obligatory. You possibly can safe a single room with out an en suite and share hall services with these in bunk rooms. The communal kitchen is what it’s and one can at all times get intelligence on the place it is at within the city. Some cheaper hostels want extra service than their particular person friends. Pack a way of humour and an open thoughts.
Mike Fogarty, Weston, ACT
KEEPING IT CLASSE
Angela Michaelis (Traveller Letters, September 10) has found what each traveller to Italy ought to know – for those who miss Ravenna, you miss a masterpiece. And whilst you’re there, do not miss Classe, particularly its basilica, simply down the highway.
Margaret Callinan, Hawthorn Vic
FIRA NOT
Your author Kristie Kellahan (Traveller, September 10) together with her snapshot of Santorini, Greece, gave a information to getting as much as Fira. A a lot simpler approach that beats a lot of the crowds is to take a ship from the jetty at Fira to Oia. Be sure that the ticket for the bus to take you as much as Oia and on to Fira is included. You get time to discover Oia free from the big crowds which arrive on a number of coaches simply as your bus is because of depart for Fira. After a drive across the “different facet” of the island you arrive on the bus terminal in Fira, only a quick stroll from the cable automotive. You possibly can then catch the cable automotive again down – or stroll in case you are sport, however at the least it is going to be downhill.
Chris Smith, Newcastle, NSW
MORE AFRICA, PLEASE,
I believed it was fascinating that your latest fifteenth anniversary particular (Traveller, August 28) didn’t embody articles on any of the 54 nations in Africa, aside from a short reference to South Africa. From Cairo to Casablanca to Cape City, Africa has a variety of fascinating choices, and never only for the extra adventurous traveller.
Arch Cruttenden, Tugun,Qld
TIP OF THE WEEK
LIGHTEN THE LOAD
Reminiscing over a month-long journey from the Greek Isles to the Swiss Alps in June this 12 months, my accomplice’s finest journey tip (for the following journey) was to journey gentle and easily ask the resort reception to do your laundry – drop it off within the morning, do your day journey and are available again to a bag of recent garments. In reality, we would each fully over-packed and had been the fools on the finish of the journey, throwing away the extra weathered clothes to make room for souvenirs for the household, which in fact entailed a final minute rush by way of the streets of Chamonix on our ultimate day.
Elisia Richard, Bondim, NSW
AGE NO BARRIER
Good on you octogenarian David Lloyd (Traveller Letters, August 21). I’m in my 70s and have travelled a number of occasions, pre-COVID-19, to Spain and Portugal, Italy and France with my husband and to Italy with my daughter and 20-month outdated grandson and in addition with my teenage granddaughter. Every time we travelled solely by practice, stayed in a single nation for your complete go to and at all times booked the primary three nights’ lodging earlier than leaving house. We stayed a minimal of three days in every place, permitting us to really feel aware of the place we’re. We have now additionally stayed per week in Paris flats and travelled by regional practice to locations comparable to Versaille and Chartres. Travelling by practice means you usually find yourself within the metropolis centre and we at all times get lodging close by with many locations of curiosity accessible by foot. Do not be afraid to make use of public transport as it is simple after your first try.
Patricia Harrington, Kerang, Vic
FAST-TRACKED PASSPORT
I confer with your correspondence from Carol Murphy (Traveller Letters, August 27) concerning passport renewal wait time. We utilized for renewal of our passports early August, and acquired them inside three weeks, with no reference to explicit dates of booked journey plans. We had no plans, simply wished the reassurance of present passports as our daughter lives abroad and in case we took a cruise in Australian waters, the place a passport is required on boarding a ship. Perhaps they picked up on our respective ages (85 and 82), and determined to expedite our software in case we fell off the perch! Simply questioning if they’re attempting to assist us oldies?
Peter Pulver, Caulfield, Vic
DEEP DIVE
I not too long ago did a brand new PADI (Skilled Affiliation of Diving Instructors) scuba diving course to be prepared for the migration of blue whales after I go to East Timor in a number of weeks’ time. I put in the PADI app on my telephone to replace my course historical past to indicate dive retailers my {qualifications} to permit me to dive. Guess what I discovered – PADI costs $US37 ($55) simply to add a digital certificates to their app for programs I’ve already accomplished and paid for. That is simply PADI exploiting their market energy as they’ve a monopoly over leisure dive programs for vacationers.
Simon Benedict, Docklands, Vic
HOW TO WRITE TO US
We give desire to letters of 100 phrases or fewer they usually could also be edited for house, authorized or different causes. Please use full sentences, do not use textspeak and do not embody attachments. E-mail us at travellerletters@traveller.com.au and, importantly, embody your identify, deal with and telephone quantity.
The Letter of the Week author wins Hardie Grant journey books price greater than $100. For September, that features We Stay in a Caravan; Life Unhurried; and Paris or Die. See hardiegrant.com
The Tip of the Week author wins a set of three nice Lonely Planet journey books, together with Epic Hikes of Australia and New Zealand, Epic Highway Journeys of Europe, and Epic Highway journeys of the Americas. See store.lonelyplanet.com
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