International Travel News

Travel Briefs

February 2010 issue | Appears on page 80

Agatha Christie Fest

Torquay, birthplace of Agatha Christie, will hold its Agatha Christie Week, Sept. 12-19, 2010, with talks about the writer, street performances, creative-writing workshops and screenings of film adaptations of her works.

A leaflet of events along the Agatha Christie Mile is available both as a PDF download and in print from the English Riviera Tourist Board (5 Vaughan Parade, Torquay, TQ2 5JG, U.K.).

February 2010 issue | Appears on page 80

Dine with Danes

Experience Danish hospitality during a two- to three-hour visit, with dinner, in a home in Copenhagen or Arhus. The visit costs DK400 (near $80) per adult or DK200 for a child 8-15 years old and is free for children under eight.

The booking should be made at least one week ahead. Contact Dine with the Danes (phone +45 26 85 39 61).

January 2010 issue | Appears on page 47

Bedbugs, be gone!

Rest Easy is an all-natural, cinnamon-scented nonpesticide that kills and repels bedbugs and other small insects, such as bed mites. It is available in two-ounce travel-size bottles (twin-pack, $13.95) at retail stores such as Bed, Bath & Beyond or online (www.pestproductsonline.com).

January 2010 issue | Appears on page 64

OAT & GCT woo solos

The Grand Circle Corporation companies Overseas Adventure Travel and Grand Circle Travel are offering this Best Price Guarantee: if a solo traveler booked on a 2010 OAT or GCT trip finds a comparable trip at a lower price, the company will match the lower price and take an additional $500 off.

For 2010, both OAT and GCT are offering free single supplements on all of their land vacations and “low single supplements” on GCT’s river cruises and OAT’s small-ship adventures. Also in 2010,...

January 2010 issue | Appears on page 67

CDG tax-refund kiosks

France’s Customs department has placed self-service VAT tax refund kiosks in all terminals at Charles de Gaulle Int’l Airport. The service, PABLO, processes the tax refund forms travelers collect from salespersons.

Travelers carrying-on their purchases can bypass the line at the counter by using a three-step process. First, scan the bar codes on your VAT refund forms at the blue, Number 1 kiosk in front of the tax refund/Customs desk. Next, go through security to the boarding area,...

January 2010 issue | Appears on page 69

Cinderella’s store

In Paris, the luxury department store Galeries Lafayette (40 boulevard Haussmann; phone 014 282 3456, www.galerieslafayette.com [French only]) opened an enormous shoe department in July 2009.

The basement-level, 34,500-square-foot shop includes hundreds of brands, from simple flip-flops to designer boots, with prices running €10-€1,000. One section offers items to take care of shoes and your feet.

January 2010 issue | Appears on page 79

Leipzig Bach Festival

The annual Bach Festival in Leipzig, Germany, is being held this year June 11-20. It will focus on how Bach influenced his musical successors Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms.

With famous artists and ensembles, there will be 113 events in 38 venues, including theaters, churches, museums and historic sites, plus dancing exhibitions and museum tours.

Several open-air concerts) are free. Ticket prices range up to €85 (near $128). Contact Bach-Archiv Leipzig (Postfach 101349,...

January 2010 issue | Appears on page 79

Avoid taxi scams

The website www.ihatetaxis.com gives tips on how to pick the right taxi, avoid taxi scams and arrive at your hotel safely. The website covers more than 300 international airports, train stations and ports in 85 countries.

Select a destination from the list, search by airport code or check on the map. Each airport listing has a page with information on the terminals, where to find ATMs, how far the airport is from the center of town and how to identify a legitimate taxi plus...