February 2010

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Experience Danish hospitality during a two- to three-hour visit, with dinner, in a home in Copenhagen or Arhus. The visit costs DK400 (near $80) per adult or DK200 for a child 8-15 years old and is free for children under eight.

The booking should be made at least one week ahead. Contact Dine with the Danes (phone +45 26 85 39 61).

Torquay, birthplace of Agatha Christie, will hold its Agatha Christie Week, Sept. 12-19, 2010, with talks about the writer, street performances, creative-writing workshops and screenings of film adaptations of her works.

A leaflet of events along the Agatha Christie Mile is available both as a PDF download and in print from the English Riviera Tourist Board (5 Vaughan Parade, Torquay, TQ2 5JG, U.K.).

Nara, the first capital of Japan, is celebrating its 1,300th anniversary in 2010 with a year of exhibits and events throughout Nara Prefecture.

Available only online from VisitBritain (phone +44 020 7482 1500), the Theatre Passport offers savings on ticket prices in London for the best-available seats at participating musicals and plays like “Chicago” and “The Woman in Black.” 

Projects Abroad (New York, NY; 888/839-3535) offers two-week learning vacations in 24 countries. There are projects in conservation, archaeology, language classes, coaching children’s sports, medical aid and care giving. While most volunteers are between 18 and 25 years old, projects are open to those 16 through 75.

Visitors to Nottinghamshire, England, can follow a Robin Hood Trail that takes in seven locations associated with the legend, including Nottingham Castle and Sherwood Forest. A free audio tour is available on CD or, along with a map, can be downloaded to an MP3 player from the website www.robinhoodbreaks.com.

The London Sightseeing Pass and the Paris Sightseeing Pass allow free entry to, respectively, over 55 attractions in London (such as Hampton Court Palace and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre) or 55 in Paris (including the Louvre and a Seine River cruise) plus discounts at selected restaurants and shops or on tours. Avoid long lines by showing your pass at the door.

The London pass costs £39 (near $65) adult or £26 child (five to 15) for one day on up to £89/£62 for a six-day pass. (A 6-day pass could save a total of £420, or $695.)

The 126-year run of the Orient Express* ended on Dec. 13, 2009. 

When the service was inaugurated in 1883 by entrepreneur Georges Nagelmacher, it ran twice a week from Paris to Varna, Bulgaria, where a ferry took passengers on to Istanbul. Later, the rail line was extended to Istanbul. 

The rococo palace of Frederik VIII (Amalienborg Slotsplads 1, 1257 Copenhagen, Denmark; phone +45 2257 3020) is being renovated and modernized as a residence for Denmark’s Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary. It will be open to the public Tuesday-Sunday, Feb. 27-May 30, 2010. Entry, DK40 (near $8).

Built in 1760, the palace was last renovated in 1828. The current renovation restored the exterior to its look before 1828.