I enjoy reading ITN travelers’ stories and have noticed that they tend to provide the useful and practical details of itineraries, costs, pros/cons, etc. I find, however, that no matter how you travel, the most rewarding experience can be the people you meet and, in many cases, make friends with.

My husband and I happen to be independent travelers with a specific interest in prehistory. Using a Cadogan guide (no longer published) for the south of France around 2002, we contacted...

I took the “Grand European River Cruise – Black Sea to Rhine River Valley,” plus a pre-cruise option in Transylvania, with Vantage Deluxe World Travel (Boston, MA; 888/514-1845; www.vantagetravel.com). I flew from Miami, Florida, to Bucharest, Romania, on Oct. 22, 2015, boarded the ship on Oct. 27 and returned from Frankfurt, Germany, to Miami on Nov. 21, the day the cruise ended.

I had reserved one of the River Splendor’s eight single cabins, and there was no...

My husband and I, along with another couple, traveled to Iceland, July 7-16, 2015 — our second trip to Iceland and their first. We rented a car and drove the Ring Road all around the island. Here are some of the places where we stayed plus other reports. 

We booked all of our hotels at Booking.com. On the whole, most of the places were squeaky clean (even gas station restrooms were very clean). The food all over the island was very fresh and well prepared, and people were...