PLANE SEAT ETIQUETTE
I think it would be great if along with the safety video on aircraft, they could show people how to get up out of their seat without pulling and pushing on the seat in front of them. If people pushed on the arm rests and then turned around to face their own seat they could get out without disturbing (and waking!) the people in front of them. And they could also be reminded that they can work the media screen using the handset and avoiding the stab, stab, stab into the back of the seat and head of the person in front. I think so often we put up with bad behaviour because we're stuck together for a length of time but, if "etiquette" comes from the airline (like chairs in the upright position when meals are being served), it gives us all a fighting chance of a more relaxed and enjoyable trip.
Belinda Burke, Hawthorn, VIC
BAG-SITTING SERVICE
On a recent trip to France, we had a late departure flight from Paris. We obviously didn't want to traipse around all day with our luggage and looked into storing it at a train station. In my search I discovered the best option was with a company called Eelway (www.eelway.com). After booking online, a rep came to our apartment at a designated time and collected our luggage. We were met at our flight check-in counter later that night, and our luggage was handed over. Brilliant system, for €20 ($29) a bag, it couldn't have been better. We will certainly be looking for this kind of service at other destinations in the future.
Georgina Buttel, Shellharbour, NSW
FEATHER-LIGHT CABIN BAG
In August I travelled through Heathrow Airport with Swiss International and Geneva with Emirates. At both departure points my hand luggage was checked, weighed and tagged. My single, under-nine-kilograms, bag plus a medium-sized shoulder handbag was permitted on board. As a tip, my very light in-cabin bag, that I bought at IKEA, does not have all the unnecessary metal padding and frames; only the pull-up handle, wheels and cardboard to keep its shape.
Ramona Quazzola, Burraneer, NSW
BYO POST BAGS
Anyone intending a trip to Italy and who may want to post back to Australia gifts or luggage overload, be aware that Italian post offices no longer sell boxes, post bags, or any form of packaging. A good idea for travel in any country other than Britain, where postal services are like ours, is to buy a couple of Australia Post tough bags before your trip. These can live at the bottom of a case with no extra weight but very handy if needed.
Elaine Coventry, Sandringham, VIC
DOOR TO DARKER TIMES
I would add to the list of underground attractions (Traveller, November 13) the Berlin Unterwelten tour, taking you through an innocuous door in a metro station into a former WWII bunker. Our guide was bossy and witty, and the warnings not to wander off alone or touch the paint on the walls added a thrill factor. The tour was a highlight of a short weekend in Berlin and a fascinating glimpse into the city's subterranean history.
Claire Stollery, Vermont, VIC
APP MAPS A TREASURE
We found that having a city map app, such as CityMaps 2 Go or maps.me, is invaluable. You download the maps at home on your Wi-Fi and then use them overseas on your tablet or mobile. You can also load extra information such as of points of interest and also mark a personal spot on the maps at any location. It doesn't need roaming data to work, just have your GPS turned on.
Often we would both open the app, agree on a meeting location and time, mark it on the map on each of our devices and go our separate ways. Then follow the GPS plotter on the map to get to the prearranged meeting point. We used it in many mainland Europe cities and always found each other.
Garry Wright, Fairlight, NSW
ROCKY FACILITIES
My husband and I caught the Amtrak Californian Zephyr last month from Chicago to San Francisco. Seeing the country was wonderful, especially the Rockies, but the facilities left a lot to be desired. We booked a "roomette" with two small single bunk beds, one above the other, that were quite hard. The room was extremely small and we had to use toilet and shower facilities shared by the others in the carriage. By morning, the toilet was less than clean, so I would recommend taking some slip-ons. The food was edible but served on plastic plates! The trip took two nights and three days, and cost $US900 ($1200).
Robyn Campbell-Wood, Collingwood, VIC
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