I have been reading with great interest readers’ reports about credit card/debit card use while traveling. I travel a fair amount and have always used my debit cards (business and personal), for reasons like not having to pay monthly bills; getting money from ATMs; avoiding extra exchange fees (with a debit card I get the commercial exchange rate, not just the regular “bank” rate at an airport or hotel desk), etc. However, following a trip to Hong Kong in March ’06, I noticed a huge foreign...

Regarding the supposed unavailability of Australian maps in Australia (Oct. ’06, pg. 4), first, both of Australia’s major book chains (Dymocks and Angus & Robertson) have an extensive selection of maps, and one or the other (or both) are in most sizeable towns. Second, Melbourne and Sydney, at least, each have specialist map shops.

Third, most state governments publish a range of useful maps.

Finally, AAA/CAA members have reciprocal privileges at Australian state motorist...

On a September drive from the Giant’s Causeway in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, to Belfast, we opted to take the more scenic coastal route. Although distances were not great, taking the smaller side roads meant adding additional time to our journey.

The road was a narrow, white-knuckle route. Often, we pulled over to let approaching cars pass. We drove slowly but stopped often to enjoy the continually changing views of the ocean and the small farms clinging to the coastal hills....