The Longest Nile

Q. We wish to visit Egypt in late November and are interested in taking a cruise on the Nile. Are there any U.S. tour operators who arrange such tours?

Gene Williams, Baltimore

A. "So now we journey into Nubia. You are pleased, Mademoiselle?"

Sorry, forgive the Hercule Poirot moment, although it's fitting that "Death on the Nile" came to mind: Investigating these cruises took more detective work than you might think. Our suspicions were first aroused when calls to the Egyptian Tourist Authority went unreturned. Hmm. Then we learned that an interview would not be possible on such short notice. Double hmm. The agency instead directed us to the Egyptian Hotel Association Web site ( http://www.eha.org.eg), where allegedly we'd be able to find detailed information on Nile cruises. Strange, though: Only one cruise appeared to be mentioned on the site.

Triple hmm.

The gathering mystery eventually led us to the AETBI -- Association of Egyptian Travel Businesses on the Internet ( http://www.touregypt.net) -- where at last we came across a good overview of ships and destinations, and then to New York, where Hisham Elkady proved even more illuminating. Elkady's firm, Misr Travel (800-223-4978, http://www.misrtravel.org), dates to the time of Agatha Christie (1934, to be exact), and his tone was no-nonsense.

"November is high season, and you should book in advance . . . at least one or two months," he warned, although he added that prospective cruisers might be able to take advantage of cancellations. There are more than 200 ships on the Nile, some going from Aswan to Luxor, some going the reverse, Elkady said. In general, he advised, "Look for the ones that are operated by hotel chains -- Sonesta ( http://www.sonesta.com/nilecruises), Oberoi ( http://www.oberoiphilae.com), Moevenpick ( http://www.moevenpick-hotels.com) -- as these are well managed and the food is safe." Some boats operated by locals may look similar, he said, but appearances can be deceiving. "There's a difference in the management" was his delicate way of putting it.

Et voila."The picture is complete," we said with finality, once more in the mood to shamelessly crib Poirot.

An elderly relative of mine longs to visit the beaches of Normandy but cannot walk far. Are there tours for such individuals?

Thomas Calhoun, Bethesda

In many cases, the D-Day beaches have been kept just as they were when Allied forces landed in 1944. That is both a blessing and a curse, particularly for visitors with disabilities who face rugged, strenuous terrain.

You might consider Normandy Sightseeing Tours (011-33-2-31-517-052, http://www.normandywebguide.com), which has been helping tourists relive the heroism and horrors of the beaches since 1999. Frederic Guerin, whose eight-passenger buses "cover all sectors" -- i.e., the landing spots of Canadian, British and U.S. troops -- said that his tours are quite handicap-friendly, although the buses do not have wheelchair lifts. The Web site for the highly regarded Battlebus (011-33-2-31-222-882, http://www.battlebus.fr) is unequivocal: "These are not drive-by bus tours. . . . We walk the actual beaches and battlefields, and the days can be quite tiring."

Would you consider a private tour that includes an aerial view of the landing areas?

D-Day Air Tours (011-44-1-865-842-887, http://www.d-dayairtours.com) offers scenic flights from Oxford Airport, just outside London, to the French town of Caen, where your Normandy excursion will continue by car.

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