Travel Briefs

For a young child on a plane who may be more safe with something other than a seat belt meant for an adult, extra security is offered with the Child Aviation Restraint System (CARES).

Comprising straps and buckles weighing one pound and able to be packed flat or bundled into a 6-inch-tall bag, CARES can be used on window and center seats but not in exit rows. There is no minimum age to use the harness, but children must be between 22 and 44 inches tall and weigh at least 22 pounds....

CONTINUE READING »

In Riga, Latvia, more than 130 bicycles are available at a dozen self-service rental stations in and around the city center. 

Through Sixt, you can register by calling +371 67 67 67 80 or by downloading the Google app or via the website www.sixtbicycle.lv (the app is in Latvian). After registering, choose a bike and call the number shown on the bicycle or use the app. You’ll be sent a code to unlock the bike’s combination lock. When done, let Sixt know which station the bike is at....

CONTINUE READING »

When the Crystal Serenity sails out of Seward, Alaska, and above the Arctic Circle to New York, Aug. 16-Sept. 17, 2016, it will be (at 68,870 tons), by far, the largest cruise ship to have traveled through the Northwest Passage. On Sept. 2, people other than Crystal Society members may book cabins, which start at $45,510 per person, double.

Crystal Cruises (888/722-0021) joins Adventure Canada,  Compagnie du Ponant, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Lindblad Expeditions, One Ocean Expeditions and...

CONTINUE READING »

The “Swiss Hike” app, from Switzerland Tourism, can be downloaded for free on Apple’s App Store. Covering each of 32 hikes all over the country, with info on duration and difficulty, the app shows topographical maps overlaid with restaurants and lodgings.

Wine, spirits or other bottled liquids can be safely transported in carry-on or checked luggage in inflatable, durable-plastic Vinnibags. Vinnibags hold bottles and jars of many sizes and shapes, from standard 750ml wine bottles to olive oil and perfume bottles. Place a bottle into the bag, then inflate and seal it. Flat when not inflated, VinniBag is reusable.

$28 each with free shipping at www.vinnibag.com… or $29.85 plus $7.99 shipping from Magellan’s Travel Supplies (800/962-4943...

CONTINUE READING »

To download a brochure with a city center guide, maps and info on events around the Christmas markets in Leipzig, Germany, Nov. 25-Dec. 23, 2014, visit this page and click on “Christmas Market and Year-end Celebrations 2014.” Examples —

• “Magic Nights” Christmas dinner show, Nov. 21-Dec. 31, at Historic City Baths (Markt 9, 04109 Leipzig; phone +341 96 28 88 63, www.dinnershow-leipzig.de [German only]).

• “Johann Sebastian Bach: Christmas Oratorio,” Dec. 12-14, at St. Thomas...

CONTINUE READING »

Drawings and sketches by Renaissance architect and designer Gian Lorenzo Bernini, most famous for designing St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, will be exhibited Nov. 9, 2014-Feb. 1, 2015, at the Museum der bildenden Künste Leipzig (Katharinenstrasse 10, 04109 LEIPZIG, Germany; phone +49 341 216 990). 

200-plus pieces from the museum’s collection as well as loans from Rome, Vatican City and Austria will be displayed. 

Bernini exhibit, €6-€8 (near $8-$11); museum excluding...

CONTINUE READING »

This year, two New Year’s Eve events will take place at Sydney’s iconic Opera House.

In the Opera House’s Concert Hall, Australian and international singers and the Australian Opera & Ballet Orchestra will present a concert, with hits such as “Nessun Dorma” from “Turandot” and “I Could Have Danced All Night” from “My Fair Lady.” At the same time, in the Joan Sutherland Opera Theatre, a production of “La Bohéme” will take place. Both events will end before a fireworks show over the...

CONTINUE READING »