Traveller Letters: Complimentary Qantas lounge pass not such a useful gift

Anthea and Chris Kenyon, Googong, NSW

HOSTEL LIFE

Michael Fowler's impressions of backpacker accommodation struck some resonance (Traveller, September 10). None of these options (pub sessions, shared rooms and the free community food cupboard or fridge) are compulsory. You can secure a single room without an en suite and share corridor facilities with those in bunk rooms. The communal kitchen is what it is and one can always get intelligence on where it's at in the town. Some cheaper hostels need more service than their individual guests. Pack a sense of humour and an open mind.

Mike Fogarty, Weston, ACT

KEEPING IT CLASSE

Angela Michaelis (Traveller Letters, September 10) has discovered what every traveller to Italy should know - if you miss Ravenna, you miss a masterpiece. And while you're there, don't miss Classe, especially its basilica, just down the road.

Margaret Callinan, Hawthorn Vic

FIRA NOT

Your writer Kristie Kellahan (Traveller, September 10) with her snapshot of Santorini, Greece, gave a guide to getting up to Fira. A much easier way that beats most of the crowds is to take a boat from the jetty at Fira to Oia. Make sure that the ticket for the bus to take you up to Oia and on to Fira is included. You get time to explore Oia free from the large crowds which arrive on multiple coaches just as your bus is due to leave for Fira. After a drive around the "other side" of the island you arrive at the bus terminal in Fira, just a short walk from the cable car. You can then catch the cable car back down - or walk if you are game, but at least it will be downhill.

Chris Smith, Newcastle, NSW

MORE AFRICA, PLEASE,

I thought it was interesting that your recent 15th anniversary special (Traveller, August 28) did not include articles on any of the 54 countries in Africa, apart from a brief reference to South Africa. From Cairo to Casablanca to Cape Town, Africa has a wide range of fascinating options, and not just for the more adventurous traveller.

Arch Cruttenden, Tugun,Qld

TIP OF THE WEEK

LIGHTEN THE LOAD

Reminiscing over a month-long trip from the Greek Isles to the Swiss Alps in June this year, my partner's best travel tip (for the next trip) was to travel light and simply ask the hotel reception to do your laundry - drop it off in the morning, do your day adventure and come back to a bag of fresh clothes. In fact, we'd both completely over-packed and were the fools at the end of the trip, throwing away the more weathered clothing to make room for souvenirs for the family, which of course entailed a last minute rush through the streets of Chamonix on our final day.

Elisia Richard, Bondim, NSW

AGE NO BARRIER

Good on you octogenarian David Lloyd (Traveller Letters, August 21). I am in my 70s and have travelled several times, pre-COVID-19, to Spain and Portugal, Italy and France with my husband and to Italy with my daughter and 20-month old grandson and also with my teenage granddaughter. Each time we travelled entirely by train, stayed in one country for the entire visit and always booked the first three nights' accommodation before leaving home. We stayed a minimum of three days in each place, allowing us to feel familiar with where we are. We have also stayed a week in Paris apartments and travelled by regional train to places such as Versaille and Chartres. Travelling by train means you normally end up in the city centre and we always get accommodation nearby with many places of interest accessible by foot. Don't be afraid to use public transport as it's easy after your first attempt.

Patricia Harrington, Kerang, Vic

FAST-TRACKED PASSPORT

I refer to your correspondence from Carol Murphy (Traveller Letters, August 27) regarding passport renewal wait time. We applied for renewal of our passports early August, and received them within three weeks, with no reference to particular dates of booked travel plans. We had no plans, just wanted the assurance of current passports as our daughter lives overseas and in case we took a cruise in Australian waters, where a passport is required on boarding a ship. Maybe they picked up on our respective ages (85 and 82), and decided to expedite our application in case we fell off the perch! Just wondering if they are trying to help us oldies?

Peter Pulver, Caulfield, Vic

DEEP DIVE

I recently did a new PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) scuba diving course to be ready for the migration of blue whales when I go to East Timor in a few weeks' time. I installed the PADI app on my phone to update my course history to show dive shops my qualifications to allow me to dive. Guess what I found – PADI charges $US37 ($55) just to upload a digital certificate to their app for courses I have already completed and paid for. This is just PADI exploiting their market power as they have a monopoly over recreational dive courses for tourists.

Simon Benedict, Docklands, Vic

HOW TO WRITE TO US

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The Letter of the Week writer wins Hardie Grant travel books worth more than $100. For September, that includes We Live in a Caravan; Life Unhurried; and Paris or Die. See hardiegrant.com

The Tip of the Week writer wins a set of three great Lonely Planet travel books, including Epic Hikes of Australia and New Zealand, Epic Road Trips of Europe, and Epic Road trips of the Americas. See shop.lonelyplanet.com