I have traveled extensively overseas and have never run into any problems using my US credit cards. I usually use my Capital One Visa, as I think I get better rates with it. I never use debit cards.

A few years ago in Denmark, a chocolate shop wouldn’t take my American Express card. The store owner told me they could send their Visa and MasterCard charges in one package and the processing center would separate them, but American Express wouldn’t cooperate, so the store just didn’t...

I’m an old lady whose early travels were during World War II. When my parents realized that railway stations would no longer have porters, I was told to pack only what I could carry. That not only introduced a weight limit, it put a premium on size, too, for smaller was easier to carry.

I learned to pack into every inch of a suitcase. Heavy, bulky items go in first, to the rear at the bottom. Other odd shapes go in next, nestled with any underwear and socks/stockings that haven’t been...

Those who have seen the Cinque Terre in Italy have delighted in the settings of the five little towns perched on cliffs or built on hills that rush down to the blue, blue Mediterranean. The awesome beauty of the mountains coming right up out of the sea, with waves exploding against the sheer cliffs and rocky shores, makes the six- to ten-mile hike through the towns well worth the effort.

My wife, Elissa, and I made our third visit to the Cinque Terre in early October ’08, splurging...