Travel Briefs

April 2019 issue

Vietnamese airlines approved by FAA

The Federal Aviation Administration upgraded its safety rating for the air authority of Vietnam to "Category 1," meaning Vietnamese carriers now can be granted approval to fly to the US and any of its territories. The upgrade also allows Vietnamese airlines to enter into codeshare agreements with US-based airlines.

March 2019 issue

Luxembourg public transit to be free

Luxembourg will make public transit free throughout the country starting in March 2020. This includes all inter- and intra-city buses and state-run trains, provided the departure and destination cities are both within Luxembourg.

The Luxembourg government is hoping that free public transportation will help relieve traffic congestion in the country, which has one of the higher rates of car ownership in the EU.

March 2019 issue

Timed tickets at Machu Picchu

As of Jan. 1, in order to tackle overcrowding at the Incan-citadel archaeological site of Machu Picchu in Peru, tickets are now being sold for specific entry times, with visits limited to four hours. Entry times, printed on each ticket, are hourly from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. No one will be admitted at any time other than the one on his ticket.

An entry ticket costs PEN152 (near $46) and can be purchased in advance at www.machupicchu.gob.pe/inicio or at the tourism office in nearby Aguas Calientes or at one of two offices in Cusco.

February 2019 issue

D-Day 75th anniversary

June 6, 2019, is the 75th anniversary of the 1944 D-Day landings in Normandy, France. Visit www.ddayfestival.com for info on special events, including the following:

June 1-9 — Reconstructions of the US camps Camp Geronimo (Sainte-Mère-Église) and Camp American (Viervelle-sur-Mer) will be open to the public.

June 2-9 — Civilian reenactors portraying American and German forces will be on Omaha Beach outside Viervelle-sur-Mer. The beach-entry fee of €7 (near $8) includes entry to Musée D-Day Omaha.

June 5 — Skydivers in WWII-era C-47s and with...

CONTINUE READING »
February 2019 issue

300 years of Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein celebrates its National Day, Staatsfeiertag, each August 15th, and it's even more special in 2019, as it is the 300th anniversary of the country's independence.

National Day begins with a proclamation by the prince and the president in front of Vaduz Castle, followed by a reception in the castle's garden, which everyone present is invited to. (It is the only day of the year the garden is open to the public.) A day-long fair in Vaduz ends in a fireworks display.

Visit www.300.li/en for 300th anniversary info and www.staatsfeiertag.li/en/home for...

CONTINUE READING »
July 2008 issue

Rome’s Terminal 5

Leonardo da Vinci Airport (www.adr.it), at Rome, Italy, opened its new Terminal 5 in May solely to screen passengers of airlines with more stringent security rules. Passengers departing on the airlines American, Continental, Delta, United, US Airways and El Al will go through security checks and baggage and boarding pass check-ins in the new terminal, then take a shuttle bus back to the original main airport boarding gates for their flights.

January 2019 issue

Carnival’s tough smoking policy

Carnival Cruise Lines (www.carnival.com) announced, on Nov. 26, that any passenger caught smoking in an undesignated area, including in his or her own cabin, will be fined $500, and he or she, and any other person staying in their cabin, may be removed from the ship at the next port of call. Anyone removed from a ship for a smoking violation will be banned from future Carnival cruises.

Previously, smoking violators only faced a cleaning fee tacked onto their bill.

January 2019 issue

New Roman statutes

The city of Rome instituted new rules on Nov. 14 aimed at cleaning up the city. The rules include fines for swimming in fountains and eating in restricted areas. People caught swimming or otherwise defacing fountains may be banned from designated city zones and public transport for 48 hours, repeat offenders for up to 60 days.

Finable offenses include drinking in public after 10 p.m. as well as dressing like a centurion, then soliciting money from tourists. (Dressing like a centurion has technically been banned for years, but no fine had been set.) According to the Rome city council...

CONTINUE READING »