Travel Briefs

July 2007 issue

Rail Europe’s Pass Finder

Rail Europe’s websites now offer an easy-to-use Pass Finder function. Type in the name of the country or countries you’re planning to visit and specify the number of days you want to use the train and the number of days you’ll be in each country, and you will be presented with both first- and second-class options. Visit www.raileurope.com (U.S.) or www.raileurope.ca (Canada).

April 2011 issue

Medieval in France

Daily life and events of the 15th century will be reenacted by some 60 Middle Ages enthusiasts, Aug. 7-15, 2011, at Château de Crèvecoeur (phone +33 [0] 231 630 245), located in Crèvecoeur-en-Auge in France’s Normandy region. Period-inspired food will be available. In 2010, entry cost €8 (near $11) adult, €4 child (7-14) and under seven free.

February 2012 issue

Ballooning near Uluru

In Australia, hot-air balloon flights to view Uluru (Ayers Rock) from afar are offered by Outback Ballooning (P.O. Box 2702, Alice Springs, NT, Australia 0871; phone +61 0 8 8952 8723). Guests are picked up from their hotels at Yalara before dawn and driven to the takeoff site 10 to 25 kilometers south of the rock. The flight, itself, covers about 10 kilometers in 45 to 60 minutes, while the entire excursion takes four to five hours. In 2012, flights run March 1-Oct. 31 and cost AUD450 (near $453) per person, with a light breakfast.

July 2004 issue

Monastery stays, Italy and Spain

Many of the monasteries listed in Elizabeth Barish’s “The Guide to Lodging in Italy’s Monasteries” (ISBN 1-884465-19-6 — 512 pp., $22.95) and “The Guide to Lodging in Spain’s Monasteries” (ISBN 1-884465-17-X — 480 pp., $22.95) are hundreds of years old but provide visitors with modern and updated accommodations. Rates can be as low as $30 per day, and many include meals.

Obtain the guides at major bookstores or from the publisher (800/496-2665) or visit www.monasteriesofitaly.com and www.monasteriesofspain.com.

June 2004 issue

Stay in a historic building

The Landmark Trust is a preservation charity which restores architecturally interesting and historic buildings in Britain and offers them as self-catering holiday homes. Prices vary according to the size of the property and the season, averaging about £25 (near $42) per person per night.

The 20th edition of the “Landmark Trust Handbook” lists 178 properties and costs £9.50 (refundable against a booking) including postage and packing. Call 01628 825925 or visit www.landmarktrust.co.uk.

July 2004 issue

Burma visas online

On Jan. 21, 2004, Burma (Myanmar) began offering online visas, one of the few countries in the world to do so. Visit www.visa.gov.mm. There are instructions in English. Most applications are approved and returned via e-mail within 24 hours. Travelers show a printout and pay the fee once they reach Burma.

March 2012 issue

‘The Riga Story’
Eight-hundred years of history in 30 minutes — the documentary “The Riga Story,” in English and Russian
January 2011 issue

Drive supercars in Australia

The RentaDreamCar (Burleigh Heads, QLD; phone 1300 226 412) “Drive Day Tour,” accommodating four to six people, allows visitors to Queens­land on Australia’s Gold Coast to drive a Ferrari 360 Modena AND a Lamborghini Gallardo in one day.

After a briefing in a Ferrari showroom to familiarize drivers with the cars, the self-drive tour follows a preplanned route, including winding mountain climbs, highway cruising and a beachside drive. Slim, well-fitting shoes are a must, and the driver must be at least 30 years old and have held a valid driver’s license for at least five years....

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