Czech Out the Rates

After spending five weeks working diligently as an executive volunteer to help an Eastern Bloc country, I was disappointed at the ripoff I received from the Czech-based travel office in Vienna. Because of the shortage of hotel rooms in Prague, reservations can only be made through the Cedok group. I paid the equivalent of $120 per day for a five-day stay in Prague. I was surprised to find that the room rate was actually $50, with which breakfast would have been $60, or half of the amount charged.

The regional manager of Cedok tried to explain the difference as the “currency exchange fluctuation” but admitted that the company does not control the rates charged by its offices. A commission rate of 10 or 20% would have been expected, but 100% is outlandish.

Travelers to Czechoslovakia should be advised to use caution in dealing with Cedok.

R.J. HAMMAN

Winnetka, Ill.