Travel Briefs

September 2008 issue

Sydney bike tours

Bonza Bike Tours (30 Harrington St., The Rocks, NSW 2000, Australia; phone +61 2 9247 8800, www.bonzabiketours.com) offers daily bike rentals plus four bicycle tours of Sydney.

Most popular is the 3½- to 4-hour “Sydney Classic Tour,” visiting Sydney Opera House, Royal Botanical Gardens, Chinatown, Sydney Harbour and more. At AU$89 (US$84) per person, including bike rental, it is available Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Renting a bike on your own costs AU$15 (near US$14) per hour; AU$35 for four hours, or AU$50 for 24 hours.

August 2009 issue

Elegant Cruises uncertainties

A reader reported having been informed on June 12 that their June 17-24 Dalmatian Coast cruise with Elegant Cruises & Tours (Port Washington, NY; www.elegantcruises.com) had been canceled. ITN called the company and was told that all May, June and July cruises of the Monet had been canceled “due to a lack of bookings and interest” but that cruises would be running August to November.

The rep said that all refunds for canceled cruises were “in the accounting office for processing.” He added that their ship m/s Andrea was in dry dock for the season.

October 2009 issue

Skyscanner fare browser

The website www.skyscanner.net helps travelers find the absolute lowest airfare when travel dates are flexible. On Skyscanner, users do not have to put in a specific travel date but can browse a graph of the lowest prices for entire months, including multiple airports, to find the lowest airfare. The site searches 675,000 routes of more than 600 airlines worldwide.

January 2009 issue

Canaletto in Treviso

In Treviso, Italy, the gallery Casa dei Carraresi (Via Palestro 33, 31100 Treviso, Italy; phone 0422 410886, fax 0422 303890 or visit, in Italian only, www.artematica.tv) is holding a retrospective on the work of the 18th-century, Venetian, large-scale-landscape painter Giovanni Antonio Canal, best known as Canaletto, until April 5, 2009. A hundred of his works plus those of other artists. Closed Monday. With audiotape, €12 ($15) adult or €9 senior.

July 2009 issue

Chartres Pass

The French city of Chartres has temporarily reduced the price of its Chartres Pass. Admission to the city’s cathedral, the Fine Arts Museum, the International Stained-Glass Centre and two other attractions are included, with an admission discount at five more sites. 

The pass costs €15 ($19) until Dec. 31, 2009, after which it will cost €24.50 ($32). Chartres Convention & Visitors Bureau (Place de la Cathédrale, BP 50289, 28000 Chartres, France; phone 02 37 18 26 26, fax 02 37 21 51 91, www.chartres-tourisme.com).

May 2009 issue

Agatha Christie

Mystery novelist Agatha Christie’s summer home in southwest England, Greenway, is open to visitors following a 2-year, £5.4-million restoration that returned it to its condition during the time she lived there, including many contents. Admission, £7.45. Visitors are encouraged to reach the property by ferry, as parking is limited and must be prebooked.

In addition, the upper floors of the house and a cottage on the property can be rented. Per week, the apartment costs £809-£2,778 (near $1,177-$4,044) and sleeps 10, and the cottage costs £407-£918 ($592-$1,336) and sleeps two (...

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December 2009 issue

Free to do in Wales

The Visit Wales tourism website has a guide to the top 20 free attractions in Wales. 

Museums, national parks, walking trails and more are listed. A link even provides times and locations of more than 80 male choir rehearsals.

Visit www.usa.visitwales.com, click on “search” at the top right and type in “Top 20 free attractions” in the search box on the next page.

September 2010 issue

Machu Picchu train

The repairs to the railway covered by landslides between Cuzco and Machu Picchu have been completed and full train service has resumed, including that of Orient Express’ luxury train Hiram Bingham,, leaving Cuzco daily at 9:10 a.m. and arriving at Machu Picchu station at 1:09 p.m. Return is at 6:07 p.m., arriving Cuzco at 9:59. 

$641 round trip includes brunch and dinner on board, bus to and from the ruins, entry to Machu Picchu, guided tour and afternoon tea at the Sanctuary Lodge. Book tickets through a travel agent, at Cuzco station or Peru Rail (www.perurail.com).