International Travel News

Travel Briefs

August 2016 issue | Appears on page 4

Airlines end Nigeria routes

United Airlines and Spain’s Iberia ended flights to Nigeria due to difficulties in converting Nigeria’s currency, the naira (NGN), into dollars. Nigeria has a shortage of dollars, as its government has blocked Nigerian banks from accessing foreign-currency markets since 2015. Iberia’s final flight to Nigeria occurred in May, while United’s Houston-Lagos route ended on June 30.

• The airlines Lufthansa, out of Germany, and LATAM, out of Chile, both...

August 2016 issue | Appears on page 4

AAdvantage change

Starting on Aug. 1, American Airlines’ AAdvantage members will earn frequent-flyer miles based on the fare amount as opposed to the distance traveled. For each $1 spent, standard AAdvantage members each will earn five miles, while Gold, Platinum and Executive-Platinum members will earn seven, eight or eleven miles, respectively.

In making this change, American Airlines joins the other major US carriers, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, both of which switched their mileage...

August 2016 issue | Appears on page 5

Train to Taj Mahal

The Gatimaan Express began operating high-speed rail service from Hazrat Nizamuddin Station in Delhi, India, to Agra, location of the Taj Mahal, in April. The train makes the nearly 130-mile journey in about an hour and 40 minutes. Food service, TV and Wi-Fi are offered on board.

The Gatimaan Express has over 600 seats between two classes: AC Class, costing INR690 (near $10.25), and Executive, at INR1,395. International travelers can purchase Indrail passes for unlimited travel on all...

August 2016 issue | Appears on page 5

The Hague Tourist Tram

In The Hague, Netherlands, a hop-on, hop-off tram catering to foreign visitors began service in June 2016, running every half hour from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The retro-style, cream-and-green-colored Tourist Tram runs through the city center to Scheveningen Beach, making 16 stops at places such as the Peace Palace, Beelden aan Zee museum and Kerkplein. Recorded commentary in English plays from speakers in the seats.

The tram operates daily, June 1-Oct. 31, and weekends and...

August 2016 issue | Appears on page 5

Camping Lake Zürich

On the shores of Lake Zürich, Switzerland, the campground Fischer’s Fritz (Seestrasse 559, 8038 Zürich, Switzerland; phone +41 44 482 1612, www.fischers-fritz.ch/en), open all year, offers three ways for visitors to camp.

For CHF30 (near $30) per person per night for up to three people, campers can sleep under a “hanging tent” (no walls) suspended from a tree. Campers must bring their own bedding.

Campers can rent one of two kinds of safari tents nightly: a...

August 2016 issue | Appears on page 38

Quark’s online boutique

An online Polar Boutique store was opened in March by the polar-adventure-travel company Quark Expeditions (Seattle, WA; 888/978-5722, https://shop.quark expeditions.com).

The shop sells Arctic clothing as well as T-shirts, caps and small gifts. Among products are the Quark Parka ($350 and previously available only to those on Quark’s trips) and, for men or women, the Polar Gear Package, with base- and mid-layer clothing, waterproof pants, hand warmers, sunscreen and lip...

August 2016 issue | Appears on page 62

Franco-American Museum

Art, historical documents and other memorabilia highlighting the centuries of cooperation and friendship between France and the US are displayed in a salvaged, 17th-century château that was damaged during World War I in the city of Blérancourt, now the Franco-American Museum (Château de Blérancourt, 02300 Blérancourt, France; phone + 33 [0] 3 23 39 14 71, http://en.museefrancoamericain.fr).

The museum is scheduled to reopen in late September 2016 after a lengthy renovation and...

August 2016 issue | Appears on page 62

Queen’s wardrobe

In the “Fashioning a Reign” exhibit, some of the dresses and outfits England’s Queen Elizabeth II has worn are being shown in three of her official residences.

• Until Oct. 2, the largest exhibit is in the State Rooms of Buckingham Palace (London; www.royalcollection.org.uk/visit/buckingham palace), open daily, £21.50 (near $29).

• Until Oct. 16 at Palace of Holyroodhouse (Edinburgh, Scotland; www.royalcollection.org.uk/visit/palace-of-...