Open Jaw

Wher readers answer backi

Bermuda fly angle

As a annual vacationer to Bermuda for more than 35 years, I was amazed to learn that St George has become its new capital. This lovely town, one of the jewels in the crown of that exquisite place, ceased being its capital in 1815, and was replaced by Hamilton. Maybe American airline pilots get confused because they fly into the airport, a former US Naval Air Station, which is close to St George.

Lawrence Tagg

South of the border

Mackinaw Island is in Upper Michigan, US, not Canada. I remember lovely family holidays there – no cars allowed 25 years ago, bikes only – is it still so nice?

Mrs V McKennell

West is not always best

Under Destination of the Week, you refer to some of the events at the Perth International Festival taking place "hundreds of miles west of Perth, at Lake Ballard". A glance at the map reveals this would place the festival in no mere lake, but in the midst of the Indian Ocean.

Michael and Sybel Laird

Independent versus package

I don't understand why you speak as if it is unusual to construct a holiday independently. I'm in my sixties, and have always done it, as have other people I know. I have just returned from a seven-week back-pack from Crete to Rome. If you travel outside July and August – as most people without children can – it isn't even necessary to book accommodation in advance. And once you are retired it isn't even necessary to book a flight home in advance.

Wendy Brady

US immigration rules

What I don't understand is why NC Walker ("Land of the Free?" – Open Jaw, 4 January) even needs a visa to "enter" Miami. Maybe I was being naive, but I was astounded to find we needed to complete visa waiver forms when transiting Houston en route to Costa Rica. I never gave US visas a moment's thought, as everywhere I had travelled previously (Europe, Africa, Asia), the norm is for "airside" transit and no immigration formalities. What perturbed me most was that there was no warning from the travel agency/tour operator and nothing in our itinerary to alert us to the requirement to actually, physically "enter" the United States. It might well have been that we did not fall within the visa waiver programme, had reasons for not wanting to enter, or would simply not have been welcome in the US.

And with a tight (but advertised) connection, the result of the inevitable long lines at immigration was that we missed our onward flight to San Jose, costing Continental a night's superior hotel accommodation, a good dinner (with a decent Californian wine) and even a first-class upgrade the next day, since the tourist cabin was already full.

Keith Bailey

travel@independent.co.uk