Traveller letters: Bus tour passengers - this is not the place to hang your wet underwear

Bold as bras

Further to the letter regarding washing while travelling (Traveller letters, September 30), years ago, on the second day of a Contiki-type tour through Scandinavia, on entering the bus we discovered a couple had strung a line up in the middle of the bus. On it, they’d hung up their undies and bras. When someone complained, they said we were all welcome to hang our items on the line as well (and the bus driver didn’t seem to mind at all).
Lesley Green, Castle Hill, NSW

The passengers on this Contiki-like bus tour may have had some regrets.Credit: Alamy

Australia, you’re standing in it

We have just returned from a wonderful 17,000-kilometre road trip from Sydney to Exmouth, Western Australia, and back again. I confess that I had no idea that Australia had so many achingly beautiful places. But go to any lookout, particularly as you cross the Nullarbor Plain, for instance, and there is a good chance you will see piles of human faeces, complete with used toilet paper, spread across the landscape. A community of free campers has grown up, some of whom park their caravans at some of the most spectacular places in Australia and proceed to do their “business” in the open air. It’s hard to admire the Bunda Cliffs in South Australia when every step risks putting your foot in human excrement. I can understand that some people don’t want to pay to stay at a caravan park with toilets, and would rather set up camp where you can watch whales migrate and sea lions play, but isn’t it just basic manners to pick up after yourselves?
Peter Berman, Balgowlah, NSW

South Australia’s spectacular Bunda Cliffs.Credit: iStock

Keep it clean

I recently used a Scrubba-brand wash bag during my six weeks of travels around France. I can highly recommend them, especially if your bathroom doesn’t have a bidet, just a small hand basin.
Anne Cloak, Bargo, NSW

Good Qantas

In response to Maurice Critchley (Traveller letters, September 16), our experience of Qantas flight points is a rave. In late August, we travelled to Noosa to visit family and have a last gasp of winter in “summer sun”. We booked Qantas online and easily secured our return flights, all on our points. We had never used points for flights before and were pleasantly surprised at the simplicity. The whole trip was a good dream, the flights on time, the staff excellent, the planes clean and the little pies on the return journey innovative and delicious. Well done, Qantas.
Armande van Stom, Glebe, NSW

Bad Qantas

During the recent weekend when the AFL and the NRL had their grand finals, it is worth reflecting that Emirates Airlines customers would have been able to live-stream these games (and many other live sports events), whilst on board at 35,000 feet. Whereas those using the local so-called “national carrier”, Qantas, would have had no such in-flight live coverage on international flights for these iconic sporting events. Arguably, this is a consequence of the many recent years when Qantas has prioritised their bottom line by underinvestment in their ageing fleet, technology and customer service/satisfaction.
Ranjan Tirimanne, Northcote, Vic

Notional not national

Please stop calling Qantas “the national carrier” which suggests it belongs to the Australian public. It does not. It is a rapacious private outfit. Since it was privatised years ago by Keating & Co it has treated passengers and employees with utter contempt. It deserves the same.
John Tully, Yarraville, Vic

Halifax of the matter I

Halifax is the provincial capital of Canada’s Nova Scotia.Credit: iStock

Kerry van der Jagt’s Guide Book article on Halifax, Canada (Traveller, September 30) was excellent. Having visited many years ago my own advice is to spend further time in the mentioned Maritime Museum and learn more about the unprecedented, massive explosion in the harbour in 1917 (it makes for a great story). Do also explore the various cemeteries where Titanic passengers are buried. It is there that you will gain a clear insight into class, religious and social distinctions in the early 20th century.
Noel Stonehouse, Camberwell, Vic

Halifax of the matter II

Congratulations to Kerry van der Jagt on her wonderful article on Halifax. It brought back memories of my trip many years ago. I realise that the included Peace by Chocolate is a very worthy chocolatier (and probably provides very scrumptious chocolates), but to my mind, no visit to Halifax is complete without a visit to Sweet Jane’s, located at 1300 Queen Street. Not only are the sweets marvellous, but Jane is the sweetest business owner I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.
Gordon Chirgwin, Harrington NSW

Not enough rope

I arrived back in Sydney Kingsford-Smith Airport this week to find the same old problem remains: the post-baggage collection queue for customs is a shambles. The absence of roping means that polite people find the end of a queue and wait their turn, while self-important people, or just tired ones confused by the lack of order, ignore that and barge in at the entrance. Customs staff I sought to engage were not interested, which explains the prominent signs asking for politeness towards staff. Immigration has done a superb job of automating the passport checks but the people in charge of customs are clueless to the fact that this is how we welcome people back to our shores.
Mark Elrick, Ryde, NSW

Making a McMeal of it

In August I travelled as a wheelchair passenger to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Phuket, Thailand. In both airports the wheelchair was waiting at the door of the plane on arrival and I was taken through passport control and baggage pickup without fuss. In fact, both wheelchair assistants went to great lengths to make sure that they saw me into my waiting taxi. However, upon arrival at Sydney Airport, I was told that wheelchairs weren’t allowed on the gangway and I had to walk about 100 metres just to get to one. Then I was told that they couldn’t take me outside the terminal but “only as far as McDonald’s”, leaving me with another 100 metres to walk (with baggage) in the rain to my designated taxi pickup spot.
Paul Grezoux, St Ives Chase, NSW

Bot nothing

Don’t bother trying to cancel a plane ticket with Ryanair.Credit: iStock

I read Sue Williams’ Flight Path review of Ryanair (Traveller, September 23) with interest as I recently needed to cancel two Ryanair flights in Europe due to serious health issues. I interacted with a number of diligent bots when trying to cancel and quickly gave up on any chance of refund or credit, understanding that it is a no-frills budget carrier. My complaint is that I tried many times but was never able to actually cancel the seats, finally receiving emails, texts and midnight phone call reminders to check in (and avoid the €55 penalty). It seems poor business practice to fly with empty seats rather than provide some incentive for passengers to surrender tickets for resale in return for some future discount on their many add-ons.
Lorraine Hickey, Green Point, NSW

TIP OF THE WEEK: Days at the museums

The Palais des Papes in Avignon is great for kids.

We are just back from a fantastic trip to London and France with our two kids aged eight and nine. We all loved visiting the galleries and museums largely because of the wonderful kids’ activities available. At the Musee Marmottan Monet in Paris we scanned our favourite paintings to create a printed personalised catalogue and at the Palais des Papes in Avignon we had fun using the histopad (digital tablet with headphones) device to view the palace in its original state. Big shout-outs, too, to the Tower of London for the chance to yield a sword and fire a cannon (both faux) and the Power Up video game gallery at the London Science Museum which includes games from the past 50 years, making it great for parents, too.
Sarah Nieuwenhuysen, Elsternwick Vic

Right on track

During a recent month-long holiday in busy Italy, our experience of travel on fast regional trains was excellent. On time, clean trains with polite staff on board and helpful digital messages displayed in English indicating your next stop made train travel largely stress-free and efficient. The experience was complemented by a three-day stopover in Singapore where we experienced its excellent underground train system. There was a maximum two-minute wait for a super-clean, driverless train (no food or drink permitted) along with a highly legible colour-coded signage system (even though it’s better if you have a map). There’s a tiny user cost, requiring only your credit card to swipe on at each route entry point, which is great for short stay visitors who don’t need to buy a local travel card.
Andrew Rodda, Balwyn North, Vic

Taking the Mickey

Watch out for pickpockets at Eurodisney in Paris.Credit: GONZALO FUENTES

Paris’s reputation for being a pickpocket haven appears to extend to EuroDisney (32 kilometres east of the French capital) as well. As the crowds were ready for Disney Fireworks, an attempt was made to pickpocket my nephew who was putting his four-year-old onto his shoulders. After some stern words with the pickpocket, she just slipped her way through the crowds to escape. As Disney is a place of dreams and happiness, I didn’t want to make a scene at the time, which may have spoilt the atmosphere for other guests. I have since written to EuroDisney.
Susan Chan, St Ives, NSW

Check before check in

This letter is on the theme of being cautious when booking hotel rooms. Just when you think you’re getting skilful at booking accommodation, you arrive in your room to find out you should have checked several factors, namely the things we just take for granted. My list of things to check in future includes whether there is a bar fridge (great for takeaway meals and beer storage); whether the bathroom is shared; is it a single sex facility with several toilets and showers; how many floors up is your room; and is there a lift as well as a fire escape? Lastly, is there an actual window since natural light is apparently optional these days.
Margot Pope, Lewisham, NSW

Curtail retail

I never buy “stuff” when travelling. I only buy “experiences”, which makes for lighter travel and great long-term memories.
Tim Schroder, Gordon, NSW

Harry while tickets last

There is no need to book tickets for the ‘Harry Potter Steam Train’ 12 months in advance.Credit: iStock

I am currently on a trip through the UK, France and Germany with my husband. One of our priorities whilst in Scotland was the Jacobite Steam Train, also known as the “Harry Potter Steam Train”. I attempted to book it online but was disappointed to learn that it was booked out around 12 months in advance. We decided however to just go to the station to see the spectacular train leave the station, in all its steamy glory. Once at the station, we learned that the operators always keep a group of tickets aside for sale on the day and we had no problems scoring good seats, as did dozens of others.
Judy Shilson-Josling, Springwood, NSW

Rosa by any other name

I have nothing but praise for the UK-based agency, Hire Cars in Spain, which I recently used to arrange a car for a road trip through southern Spain. They answered my many pesky questions promptly and patiently. They found me a great deal that suited my needs perfectly, was very reasonably priced, and included full insurance. The rental company, Malaga Cars, was also friendly and efficient. They even gave me a partial refund without asking when I brought the car back a day early. Rosa at the car return point was lovely, explaining in detail how to take the €1 ($2) train ride into Malaga city, instead of a €10 to €20 to taxi. Car rental experiences can be frustrating. This was an admirable exception.
Ross Duncan, Potts Point, NSW

The Letter of the Week writer wins three Hardie Grant travel books. See hardiegrant.com

The Tip of the Week writer wins a set of three Lonely Planet travel books. See shop.lonelyplanet.com