[Idyllchat] RE: IdyllChat Digest, Vol 12, Issue 6
Hughes, Aija
AHughes at wsgr.com
Fri Jul 6 15:57:33 EDT 2007
Hello, Fellow Travelers - my friend and I are starting to plan a trip in early October 2008 to Paris for a few days and to northern Italy where we would like to visit my son-in-law's mother who lives in Meina near Lago Maggiore between Milan and the Swiss border. Would love to have your input whether it's feasible to rent a car in Paris and drive to Italy or should we fly/take a train from Paris to Milan and rent a car in Italy? Also, we'd like to drive across the Swiss border into Switzerland and would appreciate any suggestions. Has anyone stayed near the Lago Maggiore area, and if so, would love to have some input on places to stay in that area.
Happy Traveling!
-----Original Message-----
From: idyllchat-bounces at lists.untours.com [mailto:idyllchat-bounces at lists.untours.com] On Behalf Of idyllchat-request at lists.untours.com
Sent: Thursday, July 05, 2007 11:02 PM
To: idyllchat at lists.untours.com
Subject: IdyllChat Digest, Vol 12, Issue 6
Send IdyllChat mailing list submissions to
idyllchat at lists.untours.com
To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
http://mailman.dca.net/mailman/listinfo/idyllchat
or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
idyllchat-request at lists.untours.com
You can reach the person managing the list at
idyllchat-owner at lists.untours.com
When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of IdyllChat digest..."
Today's Topics:
1. Re: getting around in Florence (Terry Baraldi)
2. Credit Card Charging Method (Joan Herriges)
3. Re: getting around in Florence (Robert A Meyer)
4. Re: Credit Card Charging Method (Russ Crum)
5. Re: Credit Card Charging Method (Bob Johnson)
6. Re: Credit Card Charging Method (Bob Bestor)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2007 21:20:19 -0400
From: "Terry Baraldi" <basketsbybaraldi at comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [Idyllchat] getting around in Florence
To: "T. R. Maines" <rm_maines at hotmail.com>,
<idyllchat at lists.untours.com>
Message-ID: <002001c7bf6b$d155b750$678a5344 at baraldipc>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
T.R.
I'm planning my second visit to Florence next spring, and will definitely return to La Scaletta on the Via Guicciardini, located on the Altrarno, or the "other side of the Arno", very near to the Ponte Vecchio, and backing up to the Pitti Palace and Boboli gardens. You can't get any better location! This 2-star pensione occupies the top floors of the original Guicciardini palazzo, so the rooms are all different, and kind of quirky, which is what happens when you start carving up old palazzi. But the best feature is a small rooftop deck offering a 360 degree view of the city. So spectacular that it made me cry! Go to www.hotellascaletta.it and see for yourself.
Although the hotel is now under different management since my visit, Rick Steves still recommends it in his books. Also, ask them (or whatever hotel you choose) to make your reservations for L'Accademia and save several hours of waiting in line to see David.
Buon viaggi!
----- Original Message -----
From: T. R. Maines
To: idyllchat at lists.untours.com
Sent: Thursday, July 05, 2007 7:00 PM
Subject: [Idyllchat] getting around in Florence
Hello, fellow travelers - My husband and I are excitedly preparing for our first Untours trip. We will be staying at La Famiglia in Montelcino the first two weeks of September. We are planning a 3 day stay in Florence preceding our two weeks in Montelcino and are trying to decide on a hotel. I found great rates online for Hotel Ritz , but am concerned re: its distance from everything except the Uffizi. Is bus service reliable and readily available? Does it run latish in the evening? Or will we be fine just walking to everything? We are "fair to middling" walkers, but don't want to be exhausted when we reach Montelcino. Any other suggestions for hotels beyond what is suggested in the Untours pamphlet? Thanks to all of you for all your helpful hints. We have been perusing trip logs and archived emails. My head is swimming!! Marie Maines
Ray and Marie Maines
7909 Woodland Drive
North Richland Hills, TX 76180
ph 817-503-8371
cell 817-422-4183
fax 801-203-5799
rm_maines at hotmail.com
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PC Magazine's 2007 editors' choice for best web mail-award-winning Windows Live Hotmail.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
_______________________________________________
This message was sent by IdyllChat.
To reply or send a new message, email to:
IdyllChat at lists.untours.com
Visit the IdyllChat archives:
http://mailman.dca.net/pipermail/idyllchat/
Search Idyllchat Archives for any subject at: http://search.dca.net/sites/untours/main.html
>
Read real Untourists' candid accounts of their Untours:
> http://www.untours.com/triplogs.html To unsubscribe, change to digest delivery, or
temporarily pause delivery, visit:
http://mailman.dca.net/mailman/listinfo/idyllchat
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.10.0/887 - Release Date: 7/5/2007 1:55 PM
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.dca.net/pipermail/idyllchat/attachments/20070705/87f6c153/attachment-0001.htm
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2007 18:53:12 -0700
From: "Joan Herriges" <joanherriges at sbcglobal.net>
Subject: [Idyllchat] Credit Card Charging Method
To: <idyllchat at lists.untours.com>
Message-ID: <000601c7bf70$6a2e9ab0$196f8747 at joan880e3726a7>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Some of you may have experienced this before, but for the first time we observed a new "machine" in various CH shopping locations, located at the cash register as you use your charge card. The first was in Luzern. When you charge (MC, Visa, etc.) the machine shows the total in both US$ and CHF. It is your choice in which currency to pay. However, in our case (twice), each shopkeeper said the best rate would be in US$.
We decided to experiment. The first charge we selected US$. The second charge we selected CHF. Final accounting shows we paid 3 cents more per dollar by selecting US$. This is the first time we have seen this system in CH (or elsewhere in Europe). Obviously someone benefits-in our case certainly not the customer (choosing home currency),
Thereafter we reverted to our established method--cash only, using ATM's.
One other observation. The 2nd experimental charge was at the Zurich airport at the Duty Free Shop (inside the security zone) for cosmetics. On a $219. charge (in CHF), I saved $50.00. Not as much as the old days, but nice. Mind you, the cosmetics do little but make me feel good!
Perhaps others have experienced this new wrinkle (no pun intended)? Joan.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.dca.net/pipermail/idyllchat/attachments/20070705/70448927/attachment-0001.htm
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Thu, 05 Jul 2007 22:04:55 -0400
From: Robert A Meyer <hmrm34 at verizon.net>
Subject: Re: [Idyllchat] getting around in Florence
To: "T. R. Maines" <rm_maines at hotmail.com>
Cc: idyllchat at lists.untours.com
Message-ID: <468DA347.3020608 at verizon.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
/*Ray and Marie Maines*/
We stayed in the Hotel Centrale after our 2002
Tuscany Untour. We liked it, very convenient to all the important
sites and the RR station. Have a look at their Web site.
http://www.hotelcentralefirenze.it/sito_eng/index_eng.php
<http://www.hotelcentralefirenze.it/sito_eng/index_eng.php>
Bob Meyer
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.dca.net/pipermail/idyllchat/attachments/20070705/63ea1ee0/attachment-0001.htm
------------------------------
Message: 4
Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2007 22:40:11 -0400
From: Russ Crum <rrcrum at sbcglobal.net>
Subject: Re: [Idyllchat] Credit Card Charging Method
To: "Joan Herriges" <joanherriges at sbcglobal.net>
Cc: idyllchat at lists.untours.com
Message-ID: <FC13AF84-0F65-4AAF-9270-B116B62E5022 at sbcglobal.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1252"
Last fall in Italy we ran into this issue where the charge was in USD
instead of Euros. The shop keeper assured me the charge was being
done in Euros. However, when I got my statement, the transaction had
been processed in USD and the exchange rate was not as favorable as I
had that same day from an ATM. In addition, of course, my MC tacks on
their greedy 3%!
I think I have seen this same issue commented on previously where a
charge transaction done in USD instead of local currency had an
unfavorable exchange rate.
Russ Crum
rrcrum at sbcglobal.net
On Jul 5, 2007, at 21:53, Joan Herriges wrote:
> Some of you may have experienced this before, but for the first
> time we observed a new "machine" in various CH shopping locations,
> located at the cash register as you use your charge card. The
> first was in Luzern. When you charge (MC, Visa, etc.) the machine
> shows the total in both US$ and CHF. It is your choice in which
> currency to pay. However, in our case (twice), each shopkeeper
> said the best rate would be in US$.
>
> We decided to experiment. The first charge we selected US$. The
> second charge we selected CHF. Final accounting shows we paid 3
> cents more per dollar by selecting US$. This is the first time we
> have seen this system in CH (or elsewhere in Europe). Obviously
> someone benefits-in our case certainly not the customer (choosing
> home currency),
>
> Thereafter we reverted to our established method--cash only, using
> ATM's.
>
> One other observation. The 2nd experimental charge was at the
> Zurich airport at the Duty Free Shop (inside the security zone) for
> cosmetics. On a $219. charge (in CHF), I saved $50.00. Not as much
> as the old days, but nice. Mind you, the cosmetics do little but
> make me feel good!
>
> Perhaps others have experienced this new wrinkle (no pun
> intended)? Joan.
>
> _______________________________________________
> This message was sent by IdyllChat.
> To reply or send a new message, email to:
> IdyllChat at lists.untours.com
>
> Visit the IdyllChat archives:
> http://mailman.dca.net/pipermail/idyllchat/
>
> Search Idyllchat Archives for any subject at: http://search.dca.net/
> sites/untours/main.html
>>
> Read real Untourists' candid accounts of their Untours:
>> http://www.untours.com/triplogs.html To unsubscribe, change to
>> digest delivery, or
> temporarily pause delivery, visit:
> http://mailman.dca.net/mailman/listinfo/idyllchat
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.dca.net/pipermail/idyllchat/attachments/20070705/0a5954ba/attachment-0001.htm
------------------------------
Message: 5
Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2007 21:57:22 -0500
From: "Bob Johnson" <robtjohn at tx.rr.com>
Subject: Re: [Idyllchat] Credit Card Charging Method
To: <idyllchat at lists.untours.com>
Message-ID: <005c01c7bf79$5ffe7c50$6373b74c at Betty>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
We experienced this transaction within the last two years at hotels in several places in Europe. The latest was at the Allegro Hotel close to the Zurich Airport. The option to charge in US dollars always figures higher. One other interesting switch was by our last hotel in London offered a 3% discount if we paid in cash at checkout. That was a significant saving. Credit cards are becoming very expensive for both the merchant and the customer.
As for cash, we never use a Visa or MC debit card. We use a bank ATM card. The only bank in Dallas that issues an ATM only card is Regions. However. they do charge $1.50 per withdrawal when using a foreign bank. This is cheaper than Visa or MC.
Bob Johnson
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.dca.net/pipermail/idyllchat/attachments/20070705/724a3688/attachment-0001.htm
------------------------------
Message: 6
Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2007 23:05:29 -0700
From: Bob Bestor <bob at gemut.com>
Subject: Re: [Idyllchat] Credit Card Charging Method
To: idyllchat at lists.untours.com
Message-ID: <p061104bec2b386737885@[10.0.1.2]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
What's happening in these cases is a nifty little
scam called Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC).
Clever entrepreneurs have picked up on the fact
that people traveling outside their own country
might like to know precisely what they will be
charged in their own currency, rather than
waiting until they get home and their credit card
bill arrives. The 3-5% charge, which I understand
is in addition to any credit card foreign
transaction charge, is divided between the
merchant and the 3rd party company that sold DCC
to the merchant. Besides that, we're getting
reports (which Joan's duty free experience backs
up) that the exchange rate with DCC is often not
competitive with your ATM or bank credit card.
We recommend to our customers that they never
accept a bill presented in anything other than
local currency. Apparently some merchants are
saying if you have a U.S. credit card they must
charge in U.S. dollars, but that is absolutely
false. You have the right to pay in local
currency. Offering this utterly worthless service
is simply a ruse to get more money from tourists.
You wind up paying more for goods and services
than do locals.
Bob
>Some of you may have experienced this before,
>but for the first time we observed a new
>"machine" in various CH shopping locations,
>located at the cash register as you use your
>charge card. The first was in Luzern. When you
>charge (MC, Visa, etc.) the machine shows the
>total in both US$ and CHF. It is your choice in
>which currency to pay. However, in our case
>(twice), each shopkeeper said the best rate
>would be in US$.
>
>
>
>We decided to experiment. The first charge we
>selected US$. The second charge we selected
>CHF. Final accounting shows we paid 3 cents
>more per dollar by selecting US$. This is the
>first time we have seen this system in CH (or
>elsewhere in Europe). Obviously someone
>benefits-in our case certainly not the customer
>(choosing home currency),
>
>
>
>Thereafter we reverted to our established method--cash only, using ATM's.
>
>
>
>One other observation. The 2nd experimental
>charge was at the Zurich airport at the Duty
>Free Shop (inside the security zone) for
>cosmetics. On a $219. charge (in CHF), I saved
>$50.00. Not as much as the old days, but nice.
>Mind you, the cosmetics do little but make me
>feel good!
>
>
>
>Perhaps others have experienced this new wrinkle (no pun intended)? Joan.
>
--
Gemütlichkeit, The Travel Letter for Germany, Austria & Switzerland
288 Ridge Road, Ashland OR 97520
Tel. 800-521-6722, 541-488-8462, Fax 541-488-8468
Email: travel at gemut.com, Web: http://www.gemut.com
Can we give you quote on European Auto Rental,
consolidator air tickets, or European Rail Passes?
Try us at 800-521-6722
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.dca.net/pipermail/idyllchat/attachments/20070705/034aa282/attachment.htm
------------------------------
_______________________________________________
This message was sent by IdyllChat.
To reply or send a new message, email to:
IdyllChat at lists.untours.com
Visit the IdyllChat archives:
http://mailman.dca.net/pipermail/idyllchat/
To unsubscribe, change to normal delivery, or
temporarily pause delivery, visit:
http://mailman.dca.net/mailman/listinfo/idyllchat
End of IdyllChat Digest, Vol 12, Issue 6
****************************************
This email and any attachments thereto may contain private, confidential, and privileged material for the sole use of the intended recipient. Any review, copying, or distribution of this email (or any attachments thereto) by others is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender immediately and permanently delete the original and any copies of this email and any attachments thereto.
More information about the IdyllChat
mailing list