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I was part of a group of eight friends who arranged a trip to Iran, Nov. 19-30, 2006, with the help of a guide, Saied Haji Hadi, or Hadi, at All Around Persia (Tehran, Iran; phone 0098-21-2357580 [or 81, 82 or 83], fax 2357584, e-mail info@allaroundpersia.com or visit www.allaround persia.com). All our correspondence was in English; we told Hadi what we wanted to see and he added the things we did not even know existed.

The visa process was twofold. Hadi got us the first part (a...

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During a 4-day stay in Amsterdam in July ’05, we took a day tour to Marken and Volendam, picturesque fishing villages less than an hour from town.

At $33.50 per person, our tour was arranged by ITB (Amsterdam; phone +31 20 305 1365 or visit www.itbholland.com. . . or contact their U.S. representative, Virtuoso Travel, Ft. Worth, TX; 866/401-7974, www.virtuoso.com).

It took place on a beautiful summer day. Highways followed the dikes, and beyond these large mounds covered by...

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My husband, John, and I and another couple visited Ireland and Scotland, finishing up with a few days in Amsterdam, Sept. 2-16, 2006. Since John is a home brewer, we are always on the lookout for good beer when we travel, and we found plenty of it in all three cities in which we stayed.

Beer prices were around €4-€4.50 (about $5.30-$6) in Dublin, about £2.40 (near $4.70) in Edinburgh, and €3.50-€4 ($4.60-$5.30) in Amsterdam.

• In DUBLIN, we ate several times at The Bull &...

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We asked readers to tell us what they buy at duty-free shops and why. Are there true bargains? Do the prices and selection vary in different countries? With the new airport security regulations, how do you handle your purchases? What advice can you offer? Below are replies received. If you have more to share, write to “Duty-Free Shopping,” c/o ITN, 2116 28th St., Sacramento, CA 95818, or e-mail editor@intltravelnews.com (please include the address at which you receive ITN).

Duty-free...

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I returned to Paris in October ’06 and visited several places of interest.

• Because the Musée de l’Orangerie (Jardin des Tuileries, 75001, Paris, France; phone +33 01 44 77 80 07 or visit www.musee-orangerie.fr) had recently reopened after years of closure due to renovation, attendance was very strong and advance timed-ticketing was recommended.

From the museum’s website, I was able to order tickets from the service FNAC (www.fnacspectacles.com), but I neglected to choose the...

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Since my wife, Barbara, and I had previously planned to visit the famous Saturday market in Otavalo, Ecuador (90 kilometers north of Quito), we opted to use Hotel Ali Shungu (www.alishungu.com) for a 4-day January ’06 stay and do day trips from there.

Located within town but on the edge of the business district toward the northeast corner, the Ali Shungu is at the corner of Quito and Miguel Egas. It is operated by a couple of expats, Frank and Margaret. Doubles were $40 (don’t forget...

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Naha, Okinawa, Japan, has a marvelous, sophisticated monorail that offers travel in air-conditioned comfort.

You use a machine to purchase the tickets; it takes a little time to figure out the location you want and then, based on icons with “1”, “2”, adult, adult with child, two adults or other combinations, you select your ticket. On our visit there were attendants who smiled and bowed and pointed to the ticket machines but did not speak English or sell tickets.

Chimes...

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My wife, Patricia, has severe arthritis and walks with two canes. On a trip to Russia a few years ago, we encountered the following issues as regards accessibility.

There were many stairs at the railroad stations. There was usually a ramp tucked away to one side.

The steps to get on the train from the station deck were several inches away, leaving a significant gap to bridge.

There were no luggage carts in the train stations. There were porters with carts, but be sure to...

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