Travel Briefs

The credit-card-sized Dublin Pass provides access to over 30 attractions in Ireland’s capital at reduced rates. And a “smart” chip in the pass eliminates the need for cash transactions at admission points, allowing the holder to beat queues and gain fast entry.

The pass gives the holder preferential rates at shops, theaters and restaurants; provides special offers such as museum guidebooks, complimentary coffee, etc., and includes Aircoach transfer form the airport to the city....

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Two free guides provide details of 43 places to eat in the English counties bordering Wales.

• With sections on restaurants; ethnic restaurants serving food from the Indian subcontinent; brasseries; pubs, and tea shops, “A Taste of Staffordshire” can be obtained by calling 08705 004444 or visiting the website www.tasteofstaffordshire.com.

• “Flavours of Herefordshire” features leading entries in the county’s annual awards scheme for restaurants, pubs, tearooms, bed-and-...

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Orient-Express Safaris’ luxury tented safari lodges Khwai River Lodge, Eagle Island Camp and Savute Elephant Camp in Botswana now offer guests the use of high-level telescopes to view the night sky. Four of the larger moons of Jupiter, the rings of Saturn, scores of galaxies and innumerable other objects are among the spectacles to see.

The powerful Meade Digital Electronic Series (DS) 114 telescopes are refracting telescopes, each featuring a preprogrammed auto star controller that...

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ATS Tours is offering discounted “Magical New Zealand” packages of 10 to 15 days, beginning at $1,299 per person out of L.A.

For example, on the 11-day/8-night independent vacation “New Zealand Movie Magic,” from $2,849 (including savings of $235), “Lord of the Rings” fans can explore the locations that provided backdrops for the Academy Award-winning films.

Included are airfare from Los Angeles to Christchurch and return from Queenstown, eight days’ Hertz compact automatic...

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In Travemunde, north of Lübeck, Germany, 70 sand sculptors will use over 70,000 tons of sand to create sand castle masterpieces at a beach festival, July 9-Aug. 22, 2004. In fact, 2-hour workshops in sand sculpting will be held twice a day, Monday through Friday.

Sand World itself is open until Sept. 5. Entry costs €6 adults and €3 children five to 11.

Hampton Court Palace, the former home of King Henry VIII, has a new permanent gardens exhibition. Situated off the East Front Gardens, it shows how the palace gardens evolved from the early 16th century up to the present day.

On Saturdays and Sundays through Sept. 26, 2004, costumed interpreters dressed as courtiers in the days when William III and Mary II were in residence will lead 30-minute tours of the East and South Front gardens.

Contact Hampton Court Palace, East...

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Orient-Express Hotels is offering the “Orient-Express Private Jet Experience.” Flying out of the U.S. by private jet, travelers can design their own itinerary to any destination or choose from a portfolio of scheduled one-week itineraries to Europe and South America with fine hotels, ground transfers and guided tours.

The aircraft are not restricted to conventional routes or commercial airports and can fly at higher altitudes.

A sample itinerary — the 7-night “Romance of...

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The Coventry Transport Museum relaunched in March following a major refurbishment. It displays the world’s largest collection of British vehicles, with over 230 cars and commercial vehicles, 90 motorcycles and 250 cycles. It’s open daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and admission is free.

Contact Coventry Transport Museum, Hales St., Coventry, CV1 1P, U.K., phone 024 7683 2425.