Travel Briefs

May 2010 issue

Petra fees rise

For a one-day pass to Jordan’s Petra Archaeological Park, the entry fee rose by 50% on March 1 and will jump another 50% on Nov. 1, 2010 — a rise from JD40 on Jan. 1 to JD90 (near $127) at year’s end.

Fees may be paid only in Jordanian dinars, with no credit cards accepted. Fees for overnight visitors also go up in November (ex., from JD33 for one night to JD50).

Fees include a horse ride from the visitor center to the Siq plus guide service, maps and brochures. Visit www.go2jordan.info.

April 2010 issue

Radiotaxi in Italy

In Rome, a cooperative of cab owners has set up a book-ahead system for travelers to assure them of reliable drivers and fixed rates.

Using a phone or a computer (or a “smart” cell phone), a traveler can book and prepay for a taxi with the co-op Radiotaxi 3570 (in Rome, dial 06 3570; visit www.3570.it/en.servizi.htm).

It’s possible to request a driver who speaks English, French, Spanish or German and to make other requests (for a van, for example, or to take extra luggage). Other cities with the service in Italy are listed on the website.

January 2014 issue

Spinlister bike-sharing app

Spinlister is a bike-sharing network in more than 40 countries, including the US and Canada. 

Either using the website or a free app (download from iTunes), the user inputs the location where he wants to rent a bike. Spinlister directs him to a page with a photo and price plus details (such as suggested height of rider) for each bike listed. A click on the bike owner’s name brings up his contact information. Payment, either by credit card or PayPal, is managed through Spinlister.

Owners set their own rental prices. Current listings run from $5 to $150 per day. Use of...

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June 2010 issue

Zeppelins over Tokyo

Air tours over Tokyo in helium-filled zeppelins holding 12 passengers and two crew members are offered by Nippon Airship Corp. (St. Luke’s Tower 27F, 8-1, Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0044, Japan; phone +81 3 5148 2650).

Tours range from a 40-minute tour of Tokyo for ¥63,000 (near $680) per person, daytime, or ¥68,000, night, to a two-hour tour of sprawling Yokohama at ¥168,000 ($1,814) weekdays or ¥178,000 weekends/holidays.

February 2010 issue

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.).

April 2014 issue

Steam train in China

The Shibanxi Railway (aka Jiayang Coal Railway), an authentic, narrow-gauge steam line on which foreigners may book tickets, is located in the town of Shixi, south of Chengdu in Sichuan Province, south-central China.

Tickets are available at the station in Shixi and cost RMB5 ($0.80) for the local train or RMB50 ($8) for the tourist train with air-conditioned passenger cars. All trains are powered by any of the six steam engines that take coal and passengers from Shibanxi to Bagou, making six stops along the 20-kilometer route. 

At times, there are delays as the passenger...

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May 2010 issue

Closed, open in Prague

In Prague, Czech Republic, the “Golden Lane” is an alley lined with small, colorful 16th-century houses, part of the Prague Castle complex. Number 22 Golden Lane was home to author Franz Kafka from 1916 to 1917. The passage will be closed for renovations until May 1, 2011.

Also part of Prague Castle, Rosenberg Palace, built in the 16th century and rebuilt in the Baroque style as the Residence for Noblewomen in 1756, opened to the public for the first time on April 6. The palace’s Holy Trinity chapel has unique frescoes. Palace entry is included with castle admission.

April 2010 issue

Little Edo, near Tokyo

In Japan, Kawagoe, or Little Edo, is an old castle town with a river running through it. Full of pre-WWII architecture, the streets still show traditional merchants’ warehouses and temples.

It’s a 24-minute train ride from Tokyo to Ikebukuro Station by JR Yamanote Line plus another 33 minutes to Kawagoe Station by Tobu-Tojo Line (regular express), for a total cost of ¥640 ($7).

In the fall (on the third Saturday and Sunday of October), the Kawagoe Festival — one of the largest in the nation — offers live music, theatrical performances and a parade of lavishly decorated floats...

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