I lost 196,000 Virgin points because I didn’t receive ‘marketing’ emails

We are flying back next week, and our daughter, now seated between strangers, well away from mum, is anxious and stressed. The welfare of children should never take second place to convenience.
Mark Hardy, Seaforth, NSW

Sounds fishy

In relation to the article about fast food across the globe (Traveller, February 5). I have a recommendation from Germany and Austria. Nordsee has been around since 1896 and can be found in many towns and cities. They sell all kinds of delicious and affordable fish meals and snacks, including a yummy herring bread roll for only a few euros. Look for the queues.
Christine Watson, Baulkham Hills, NSW

Funny business

I was booked on a business class flight from Sydney to Christchurch with Qantas. Upon checking in, I was rudely told I was not entitled to access to the business/first class lounge as I did not have a Qantas Frequent Flyer membership. Particularly annoying was the fact that my flight was running four hours late. My return from Wellington to Sydney was also business class, but there was no such problem and I enjoyed the lovely atmosphere in the business lounge.
Kerry Gunn, Bundanoon NSW

Editor’s note: Read more about different business class entitlements in Michael Gebicki’s column here.

Hit the wall

I spent a couple of weeks in China last year (Traveller, January 31) and it’s a fascinating destination to visit. However you won’t be able to buy a sim card at an airport or at a convenience store, nor will you be able to access any of the websites you take for granted such as Google. As mentioned in the article, this is due to the “Great Firewall of China”. I was unable to get my global roaming operating and couldn’t use Google over the hotel Wi-Fi to diagnose the problem. Alipay is accepted everywhere and cash can be used fairly easily. I’d recommend getting your devices sorted and all the apps you need downloaded before leaving Australia. I’d also suggest using a VPN, but you’ll need to find one that can burrow through that Great Firewall.
David Farrell, Erskineville, NSW

Buried treasures

One could add the tour of the Roman necropolis under St Peter’s Basilica to Brian Johnston’s Seven Wonders within the Vatican City guide (Traveller, February 4). Known as the Scarvi, the ancient site is said to be the burial place of St Peter. Unfortunately, the tight space only allows for small groups so it is important to book well in advance. Tours are in multiple languages.
Brian Lucas, North Sydney, NSW

Going to the chapel

Your Vatican City feature brought back memories of my visit last May. I can highly recommend a series of YouTube videos titled “Rome Wise” in which an American woman, who has lived in Italy for a long time, gives practical information regarding travel in Italy. I followed her recommendations regarding being the first visitors of the day to the Sistine Chapel. I bought Vatican tickets online exactly 60 days out and got the 8am tickets. As soon as we were admitted to the Vatican, we hurried up the stairs, following her directions and were the first to go into the Sistine Chapel at 8.30am. It was fabulous to sit at the side with so few people, and listen to the audio guide. At that time, I think the guards outnumbered the visitors. We were then able to back track and visit the rest of the Vatican.
Christine Bentley, Goulburn, NSW

Tip of the week: Take a peak

Travelling to Hakone seemed like a good idea, as a day trip from Tokyo to see the countryside with a bonus view of Mount Fuji from the train. Our search for day trips had come up with the option to use the Hakone Freepass, a two-day travel pass to this region. It was somewhat tricky but our persistence paid off. Each pass had to be downloaded individually on our phones and we had to co-ordinate our tickets to ensure we had the same carriage and sat next to each other (on the right- hand side) for views of Mount Fuji. The passes cannot be activated until the day of departure, which gave some anxiety on whether they would download. This step went easily, but travellers need to have adequate charge on their phones for the day, otherwise access to the pass will be lost. We travelled on a bus, pirate ship, two cable cars and a historical train. There are queues at each stop, so allow plenty of time to experience the sights which include the lake, sulphur pits and various galleries.
Fouli Christmann, Northcote, Vic

Tromso far from so-so

What a surprise Tromso, Norway, is proving to be during our short stay here. Gateway to the Arctic Circle and known as the “Paris of the North” we are stunned by the breathtaking views of mountains and water. A highlight was the evening trip on the Fjellheisen cable car to Storsteinen Mountain, 421 metres above sea level. And then there are numerous shops, restaurants, museums, bookshops, a film culture centre, and of course, the glorious Northern Lights if you are lucky. A bucket-list destination.
Rhoda Silber, Manly, NSW

Dorm raiders

One “hostel” missing from your story (Traveller, February 2) is The People Paris Nation. Its rooms and dormitories are very reasonably priced at about €130 ($215) for a double with fabulous views over Paris and under €30 ($49) a person for a bunk in one of the dorms. The cafeteria/bar on the top floor can be visited by non-residents and has spectacular views to the Eiffel Tower.
Katharine Stevenson, Pyrmont, NSW

Hop away

I would like to strongly endorse Peter Miniutti’s advice (Traveller Letters, February 1) to avoid the hop-on, hop-off bus in Malta. With some trepidation we boarded a hot, overcrowded and unroadworthy bus a few years back. We disembarked at the first beach stop and had an enjoyable dip, but on our return to the bus stop, we encountered a large queue of disgruntled fellow travellers, some of whom complained to have been waiting for over an hour. By the time we managed to board another bus, it was time to return home.
John Ryan Brighton East, Vic

Punnet intended

In response to Leeann Abbott’s letter, the reason that the punnet of strawberries in Paris was so expensive in November is that it was well past prime strawberry season in France (roughly March to July-August). Produce purchased out-of-season anywhere will always be expensive. And one of the joys of shopping at farmers’ markets, especially in regional France, is that you are often purchasing from “les maraicheurs”, that is, directly from the farmer. From personal experience, cash is still king for those folks.
Judith Manion, Strathfield, NSW

Package mentality

To limit the weight of our luggage while travelling through various seasons, we used local postal services to mail clothing back to Australia, such as winter clothes no longer needed and gifts bought. I’ve sent six packages over four months, and they all arrived. Sure beat carrying the extra weight and paying for excess baggage.
Linda Berry, Toolijooa, NSW

Dearest diaries

Like Irene Charles (Traveller Letters, February 1), I too keep a diary of each trip. Now with more than 60 years of diaries they are a great memory. It is amazing how they trigger memories. At my wife’s suggestion I now add boarding passes, maps, restaurant cards, menus from at least one meal each cruise and tickets to give the work some colour. It is a slight chore after a busy day but well worth the effort years later. We encouraged our young children when travelling to do the same. Now they have their children do an electronic diary.
Lindsay Somerville, Lindfield, NSW

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