Traveller Letters: One item every budget traveller should pack

FEELING SHIRTY

Need a bag for your dirty laundry? Tip. Pick a male shirt with a tight collar. Button all the way up. Throw in all the other items, starting with a big one to fill the collar hole. Yes, there is a use for those neck stranglers and not carrying a laundry bag reduces your luggage by 18 grams.

Peter Moulding, Umina Beach, NSW

LETTER OF THE WEEK

BEAGLE EYED

I agree, regarding your article on "the art of naming hotel rooms" (Traveller, July 2), that Canberra's Hotel Kurrajong is worth a stay, with the historical connection to one of our greatest PMs making it even more worthwhile. Elsewhere, Gardner's Inn at Blackheath in the Blue Mountains of NSW also has the distinction of having hosted Charles Darwin in 1836 during his formative, round-the-world voyage on the HMS Beagle. There is a plaque at the inn acknowledging the event and, given Darwin's importance to science and to the way we now see the world, I'm often surprised more is not made of his stay in Blackheath. The accommodation at Gardner's Inn is not in the same league as the Kurrajong, but it is clean, comfortable, and inexpensive and central to many of the best sights in the Blue Mountains.

David Towson, Mortdale, NSW

OH TAPPY DAY

Re the letter from John Darmody (Rants & raves, July 2). I have had my Westpac Mastercard cancelled due to fraud and replaced in two weeks. To get by, the bank made the card available in the Westpac app in two days so I could at least tap for any purchases. This is the backup if you prefer the physical card and need to continue your trip.

Paul Jones, Berowra Heights, NSW

YOU WOULDN'T CREDIT IT

Michael Gebicki's column on travelling with cards or cash (Traveller, June 27) reminded me of our trip to Bhutan when it had just opened to tourists. Hotels at that time were pre-paid and there was almost no credit card use for extras in hotels or on the road. We calculated costs and took a much more than expected amount of US dollars with us. Having triple checked that our last, international hotel, took credit cards, we had enough dollars left to buy a wonderful necklace I found. We ate in the hotel for a few days so the expense was on our hotel bill, but on check out, discovered they had no credit card facility. After quite a long discussion amid concerns about catching our flight, a solution was found. Our Bhutanese travel agent, by phone, guaranteed to pay the bill and trusted us to repay by transfer when we returned to Australia. A wonderful memory and I am not sure what the solution would be today when a credit card fails.

Heather Barker, Albert Park, Vic

CASHLESS SOCIETY

It was only when I arrived in Helsinki from Sydney in May that I realised I hadn't given a thought to travel money. As a seasoned, but rusty, traveller, in all my trip preparations (focused on bookings and vaccine requirements) I had totally forgotten this vital detail. I had with me €50 in cash from my 2019 travels, a Qantas Mastercard credit card and an ING Orange Everyday card, but no plans for getting cash. I quickly figured out I'd need to rely on my credit card for purchases and (expensive) cash advances. When I ventured out to explore Helsinki, I mistakenly offered my ING card for a purchase and was surprised when it was accepted. For four weeks, this card was as good as cash for all purchases in Finland, France and Spain. Still thinking I may need hard cash, I easily withdrew €100 in cash from an ATM (with a Maestro symbol) also using my ING card. I returned to Sydney with €90 cash, having learnt that cashless, is in fact, the way to go.

Vicki Tennant, Surry Hills, NSW

CAPITAL GAINS

Michael Thomas (Traveller Letters, July 2) asks why Canberra airport is so efficient for scanning. Most politicians use it twice a week when the federal parliament is sitting. They obviously do not like being held up so the airport invested heavily to keep our politicians happy and give them less chance of complaining.

Lindsay Somerville, Lindfield, NSW

OH (NO) CANADA

I sympathise with Peta Colebatch and her nightmare with Air Canada (Traveller Letters, July 2). She is not alone. Pre-COVID-19, I travelled to Canada most years, always in business class. After two poor experiences with Air Canada I now fly with Air New Zealand or Japan Airlines (JAL). I have found customer service with both these airlines is excellent.

Wendy Meads, Fadden, ACT

Peta Colebatch's letter telling of her woes flying with Air Canada would seem to reinforce the long held unofficial maxim of the airline: "we're not happy unless you're not happy".

Ross MacPherson, Seaforth, NSW

OH (YES) CANADA

I had exactly the opposite experience to Peta Colebatch flying Air Canada. Two weeks back I flew AC business Sydney to Vancouver where I connected to Chicago. Having flown in North America in December and January, I expected things could be slightly unpredictable. Arriving in Vancouver, I was asked to take a seat and watch for confirmation on the big screen that my luggage was in transit between the two aircraft then confirmation it had been loaded. I arrived in Chicago and my bag was fourth onto the carousel. Chicago to Toronto, again flying Air Canada, was just as simple, as was a flight two days later back to Vancouver. Having flown Air Canada many times pre-COVID-19 I had some reservations about their aircraft and service. The 787s I recently flew on were immaculate and the service impeccable. When I do have problems like Peta Colebatch experienced, I just call my travel agent and travel insurers and tell them to sort it out.

Mark Swanton, Bondi Beach, NSW

KINDNESS OF STRANGERS

In May, my sister and I spent two weeks in London, exploring this great city and enjoying the excitement of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations. At Heathrow, ready for our return to Australia, we suffered a dilemma: my sister's resident return visa had not arrived and consequently, we could not board our flight. Two elderly and rather distressed ladies left the airport to look for accommodation. We tried three hotels before we found a room at the Moxy London Heathrow Airport, Hounslow. Thank you to the staff at the Moxy, namely Linda, Russell and Ansell, who all showed us great kindness. Thank you, as well, to Raj at Heathrow Qantas customer service. And to Lauren at the Bowral, NSW, Flight Centre, who, in conjunction with my daughter Samantha in Sydney, arranged our flight home.

Lily Murray, Bowral, NSW

TIP OF THE WEEK

PLASTIC NOT SO FANTASTIC

For those worried about credit cards when travelling, I suggest getting Apple Pay or the Google equivalent and a limited amount of cash. Stow your plastics in a safe place and one that can be hard to access. Then use your phone for all credit card transactions. If you lose your phone, it is password protected and won't threaten your accounts with your plastics serving as a backup for a new phone. We travelled through Spain including Barcelona where thieves prey on tourists and never used plastic. The occasional street stall needed cash but that was all.

Peter Single, Lane Cove, NSW

BIG TURN OFF

When travelling and enjoying experiences first hand, it's timely to remember to put away the phone and other electronic devices. Better still, leave them behind when you can. Disconnecting from the digital and connecting with the real natural world around us is second to none. You'll have the memories for life if you open up and look around. We don't need that many filtered photos,

Stephanie Ashworth, Pascoe Vale South, Vic

POST HASTE

Passport processing times are improving. When I lodged my renewal on June 2 I was warned it could take 10 weeks. On June 27, an email informed me it was in the mail. It arrived on July 1. So, four weeks, not 10.

Colin Parks, Canberra, ACT

BEACHY KEEN

Joining the droves of Australians visiting Bali has never been on my travel wish list but reading your report about the island's Potato Head Beach Club has changed my mind (Traveller, July 3). The "good times do good" philosophy of Potato Head, who "constantly pursue and provide ways to live better and more responsibly, while having incredible fun along the way" is perfect. Fun, tasty, and engaging travel experiences that are zero-waste, carbon-neutral, and genuinely supportive of local communities, are exactly what conscious travellers seek.

Amy Hiller, Kew, Vic

EDITOR'S NOTE: Earlier this week we ran an extra letters page featuring reader feedback about Qantas. You can read it here.

WRITE TO US AND WIN

The Letter of the Week writer wins Hardie Grant travel books worth more than $100. For July, that includes Vantastic by Kate Ulman; Great World Wonders by Michael Turtle; and Ultimate Weekends Australia by Emma Shaw.

See hardiegrant.com

The Tip of the Week writer wins a set of three great Lonely Planet travel books, including Ultimate Australia Travel List, The Travel Book and Armchair Explorer.

See shop.lonelyplanet.com

HOW TO WRITE TO US

We give preference to letters of 100 words or fewer and they may be edited for space, legal or other reasons. Please use full sentences, don't use textspeak and don't include attachments. Email us at travellerletters@traveller.com.au and, importantly, include your name, address and phone number.