Get up early and you could have 20 minutes' quiet time visiting the statue of David in Florence.Credit: Getty Images
TIP OF THE WEEK
TRAINS OF THOUGHT
I have just returned from a wonderful holiday in Italy. All over, I used trains which were punctual and clean and all my museum and art gallery tickets were bought online to save queuing.
I suggest buying all your train tickets online through Trenitalia and make sure you reserve your seat. The website is easy to use and the earlier you book, the cheaper the prices (some at half price).
Get the earliest time at the museums before the crowds and cruise groups arrive. I was able to spend 20 minutes with the statue of David with just a handful of other people.
Do be aware of pickpockets. We were vigilant everywhere and were fine but the most vulnerable places are the metros, buses, airport, train stations and museums.
At Rome airport a man was having a few pieces of hand-luggage wrapped in plastic as a security measure. We thought this was strange as they were hand luggage not check-in luggage.
A woman came screaming along yelling that it was her bag just about to be wrapped and that it was stolen. The man then fled leaving behind all the bags he was getting wrapped. So the thief steals your hand luggage and gets it wrapped so you can't recognise it and walks out of the terminal with them.
Be vigilant and enjoy Bella Italia.
Susan Scully, Middle Cove, NSW
GIMME A BREAK
Whenever I'm flying to Europe I love to break my travel and sleep at the Dubai airport hotel inside the airport. The hotel has a meet-and-greet service that whisks you through security with your carry-on luggage, to check in and on to your room.
The whole process is seamless and very quick. If you time your flights well you can get a blissful eight hours sleep, a shower, change your clothes in-between flights and arrive at your destination bright-eyed and bushy tailed.
Robyn Hayes, Roseville Chase, NSW
TOP END, TOP SPOT
We have enjoyed many restoring visits to Darwin to escape the Melbourne winter for a short respite and treasure the many special places that it has to offer in a delightfully warm environment.
Our hidden gem for breakfast and lunchtime dining with superb service is Speaker's Corner Cafe at Parliament House, which has the added bonus of magnificent views across a lawn area to Darwin Harbour.
The staff include inspiring young Indigenous trainees who show great talent and genuine love for their work. The menu is fairly limited but the quality and prices are excellent.
Peter Harms, Boronia, VIC
EXPRESS PURPOSES
I agree with Chris and Anthea Kenyon (The Trip, August 21) that the Baltic states need to be visited. We were there in November two years ago, arriving into Tallin from St Petersburg. We travelled south to Riga and Vilnius for 10 days before flying to Krakow.
The Baltic states were magnificent and city walks by the free walk groups were a great introduction in each city. It was easy to do day trips either organised or just jump on a tram or bus.
We found that the best way to get from capital cities was by Lux Express buses. Sure, it might take four hours, but do it in comfort of leather recliners, Wi-Fi, coffee, toilets, and you get to city centres for €15.
Planes take as long with booking in, travel to and from airport, and are more expensive. We would definitely recommend Lux Express in the north of Eastern Europe; wish they had services in more countries so that we did not have to fly.
Robert Lubbock, Sandrinhgam, VIC
NEW YORK STORIES
Going to New York? Begin by revisiting the 1987 movie Moonstruck starring Cher and Nicolas Cage, follow up with Brooklyn for some mid-20th century immigrant history.
Now you're in the mood, download Edward Rutherford's historical saga New York and immerse yourself in the engrossing four-century journey that led to the foundation of this fabulous city, soon to be yours.
A few days before you leave home, download Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch and begin reading on the plane. On your first day in New York City visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art and experience that blissful feeling of having truly arrived; sharpen the thrill with a Dorothy Parker evening cocktail at the Algonquin Hotel.
Judith Salmon, Haberfield, NSW
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