I was scammed twice in Europe. Here’s how I got my money back

Counting cards

I’ve recently returned from Europe and was grateful I’d taken the precaution of having several extra credit and debit cards with me. At a petrol station in Italy, I inserted my card into the machine – the fuel pumps there won’t operate until your card is read – filled my tank with about $70 worth of fuel, took the card and drove off. That night, I checked my bank account and, apart from the $70 transaction, I’d been charged a second amount of about $185 from the same petrol station. I froze the card, called the bank and they cancelled the second amount.

In Romania, I wanted to use up my remaining $40 of local currency so arranged with Uber and the driver to pay by cash when heading to the airport to depart the country. I paid cash, added a tip and flew out. An email later arrived advising that I’d not paid the fare and that the amount, minus tip, would be deducted from my card next time I used Uber. Again I was able to freeze the card and the dispute was settled once I returned home. With the several spare cards from various banks, I was spared some inconvenience.
John Lander, Forestville, NSW

Letter of the week: More in Ecuador

While Ecuador is geographically distant from the attractions most often visited in Peru, Argentina and Chile, it is well worth the detour, and not just because it’s the starting point for tours to the Galapagos (Traveller, October 11). We travelled on the Tren Crucero (cruising train – pictured above) from Guayaquil to Quito which enabled us to see a lot of the country in style. The highlight is the journey along the Avenue of the Volcanoes into Quito. In Paraguay, everyone knows about the utopian settlement founded by a group of Australians led by William Lane in the late 19th century, but most Australians are unaware of the history. We visited both settlements, the original New Australia (now called New London) and the later one at Colonia Cosme. Paraguay is also worth visiting for the stunning ruins of the Jesuit Missions.
Jennifer Farrer, Castle Hill, NSW

Grave situation

I appreciated the bargain-hunt hints by Brian Johnston (Traveller, September 27) and would like to add one more for Zurich. If of a literary bent, take Tramline 6 to its final destination – Zurich Zoo – but go to Fluntern Cemetery instead. There you’ll find the graves of James Joyce, his wife, Nora Barnacle, and Nobel Prize winner Elias Canetti. The cemetery is free, and you’ll have a nice view of Lake Zurich.
Beate Josephi, Glebe, NSW

Taxi anxiety

I agree with Lee Tulloch’s experiences of taxis from Sydney’s domestic airport (Traveller, October 11) and am apprehensive every time I get into one. Travelling with a government job, I use Cabcharge, which very few taxis will now accept and when they do, I have experienced every type of ripoff tactic from being told the machine is not working, pretending my card won’t scan, being charged $85 to $100 for a trip to a city hotel and being lectured to about the unfairness of Cabcharge for the taxi driver.
Kath Mack, East Lismore, NSW

Toll taken

I booked an Uber from Melbourne Airport to a city hotel and while the trip was fine, the amount charged to my credit card was more than double the fee estimate. Looking at the Uber app, I saw I had been charged for tolls and a route we had not taken. Having been to Melbourne on numerous occasions I was well aware of the route we had taken and knew it contained no tolls. Had I been new to the city, I may have just accepted the route shown as being the one taken and Uber’s comments regarding toll charges and just accepted the fee. With no way of connecting to Uber other than by email, I finally got a refund of the overcharge four days later.
Campbell Edmondson, Bulli, NSW

Island-hopping

Regarding Clare Rock’s experience with island ferries in Greece (Traveller Letters, October 18) we too have just returned from a trip including three islands – Naxos, Poros and Milos – with some heavy luggage, packed for a five-week stay in Europe. We used Minoan Lines, Hellenic Ferries and Champion Superjet. Yes, there were crowds loading and quick turnarounds, but the crews were alert to people struggling with heavy bags (like me) and stepped in to help. They were super efficient and helpful managing throngs on stairwells, making sure there were limited numbers on the stairs at any one time to avoid pushing or crushing. It was confusing though, when despite having allocated and numbered seats, everyone was told to sit anywhere.
Michael Greenwood, Hahndorf, SA

Ferries vs trains

True, getting on and off the ferries in Greece is very much a self-service operation, but we found the trains even more challenging. Often across “the gap”, up steep stairs, and with small luggage storage areas in each carriage, even first class. It was as chaotic as the ferries in Greece, but without the rocking of the seas to make it just that little more exciting. We often pondered the question – why is there no dedicated luggage car on the trains, like they have on planes?
Patrick McMonagle, t/c

Credit-card hope

Hopefully, Tim Stephens has not paid the Venice speeding fine yet (Traveller Letters, October 25). If it has been paid by Avis on his behalf through a credit card then try and dispute the charge with the credit-card provider. If there is any doubt with car-rental companies who try it on, dispute the charge. I find Hertz is usually helpful in such cases.
Richard Dowling, Craignish, Qld

Fine solution

Avis once sent me a police fine for speeding in Avignon in 2016. As that area was gridlocked at the time I knew I didn’t speed so never paid the fine. They did however charge me €30 for the cost of contacting me. The next year, again with Avis, my husband was fined for speeding. He paid the fine and again we paid the €30 admin fee to Avis. The solution? Never book with Avis again. We have travelled to Europe many times since 2017 (COVID-19 not withstanding) and have never been fined since. Curious.
Liz White, Abbotsford, Vic

Son rises

I can identify with Paul Marshall’s sentiments about travelling with his Mum (Traveller, October 18). My son and I have travelled together for years and explored Europe, Scandinavia, the Middle East and India. I joke that I travel with my son to carry the bags and use as my “muscle”, but the truth is we get along well and have lots of laughs as he drags me out of my comfort zone around all kinds of crazy corners I’d never go around myself. Our next trip will be just before I turn 80 so we’re taking the opportunity while we can.
Christine Tiley, Albany Creek, Qld

Passenger screening

Regarding the recent Virgin lounge incident and Christine Hinton’s solution of a folding screen in response to Lee Tulloch’s article, I’m assuming that this screen would be placed around the person who complains? This would draw attention to the person with the problem, rather than drawing the attention to the mother who is simply feeding her baby.
Melissa Parker, Silvan, Vic

On a plate

Switzerland is a beautiful country to visit with exquisite scenery, a top class rail system and a very safe atmosphere. It is, however, quite costly, especially given our current exchange rate. The chain of MANOR department stores, found throughout the country, include good inhouse cafeterias. They work as a buffet, with plenty of nutritious offerings – you fill your plate, it is weighed, and the cost (very reasonable) is calculated. A number of meals taken there can definitely help ease your travel budget.
Merryn Sterling, Randwick, NSW

Editor’s note: Last week’s letter “Tango led” should have been attributed to Maggie Ferguson of Potts Point, NSW. The online version has been updated.

Tip of the week: Kids are welcome

Children open amazing opportunities to connect with locals while travelling, but the logistics can seem daunting. Having travelled across India and Nepal, Europe and the UK with baby twins and toddlers, my top tip is to pack a roll of masking tape and a sarong. Masking tape derisks accommodation in minutes – covering power outlets, fixing strangulation risks from errant cords, softening sharp corners, “locking” draws and cupboards. Use it to tape your sarong over a window and sleep routine is restored. It’s wonderful now to hear my (mostly grown) children remember our travels.
Nicole Gurran Malla, Sydenham, NSW

Passport swap

Heed Michael Gebicki’s advice about changing passports mid-trip and the need for care and forethought (Tripologist, October 17). When I was working in Mozambique I had to attend a conference in Chicago, involving flights via Johannesburg and London. This meant leaving Maputo on my UN passport, transiting Johannesburg on my Australian passport and London on my British, finally arriving in the US on my Australian, with a US visa. In London, I was approaching the American Airlines departure gate, juggling passports, when two burly men intercepted me: “May we see your passport please?” “Sure”, I replied, “which one?” This took a lot of explaining.
Mark Latham, Croydon Park, NSW

Vaccination queries

My husband and I in our late 60s are travelling to Antarctica in November followed by a land tour, of three days each in Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls and Rio de Janeiro. Yellow fever is the recommended vaccination, but our doctor has advised against this because of our age and has offered to provide a letter stating this. If a letter is acceptable, should we have it translated? Would readers have any advice on this? What we have read is conflicting.
Mary Thornton, Melbourne, Vic

Hardy country

Marnhull sits in Dorset, a county in the south-west of England. Its claim to fame is that it is the fictional Marlott in Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles. Today it provides a great spot to explore the county. Lyme Regis lies an hour’s drive away through the most picturesque rolling countryside. From there, you can follow the Jurassic Coast with pretty little hamlets to explore delightful Anglo-Saxon villages with their thatched roofs. There are plenty of local breweries and English pubs.
Jan Naughton, Wahroonga, NSW

Independent travellers

My friend and I plan our itineraries to explore places on our own. We joke about how we’ll be described as “elderly Australian grandmothers” if something goes wrong. Recently, in France, we had a few scrapes that were sorted amid fits of laughter, due to our ability to speak French. Whether it was hurrying onto a bus during the general strike to find it was heading to St Tropez, not Toulon; or turning up at the SNCF station in Aix, not the TGV station 15 kilometres away; or not knowing we must book the bus to the little village of Noyers-sur-Serein, we solved every pickle with the help of locals.
Elizabeth Hartnell-Young, North Melbourne, Vic

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

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