Travel Briefs

February 2010 issue

Theatre Passport, London

Available only online from VisitBritain (phone +44 020 7482 1500), the Theatre Passport offers savings on ticket prices in London for the best-available seats at participating musicals and plays like “Chicago” and “The Woman in Black.” 

The price is $33 per person per ticket. To use the passport, purchase a ticket for a show through VisitBritain and print a voucher. Take the voucher to the Britain & London Visitor Centre (1 Regent St., London, SW1Y 4XT, U.K.) on the day you wish to go to the theater and exchange it for tickets at the Encore Tickets desk (open 10-6 Monday-Friday...

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March 2010 issue

Dubai has tallest building

Burj Khalifa, at 828 meters (2,717 feet) the world’s tallest building, opened in downtown Dubai on Jan. 4. On Level 124 it has the world’s highest outdoor observation deck, At The Top, with panoramic views of the city, desert and ocean.

The At The Top experience (open 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday and 10 a.m. to midnight Thursday-Saturday) includes a multimedia presentation and lasts about one hour. Tickets are time-stamped at 30-minute intervals, on specific days, to manage crowds.

Introductory ticket, AED100 (near $27) adult, AED75 child (four to 12), child under three...

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May 2010 issue

Machu Picchu Rail

After floods and landslides wiped out access to Machu Picchu in January-February, repairs allowed Peru Rail to begin limited train service on April 1. It was expected that by May, repairs would support heavier locomotives and full trains. 

Entrance tickets to Machu Picchu, strictly limited, can be purchased only in Cusco. Visitors travel from Cusco by bus or car (about three hours) or from Ollantaytambo to the Piscacucho station and board the train there. Rail repairs between Cusco and Piscacucho may not be completed until June.

May 2010 issue

Stoke-on-Trent at 100

The home of the English pottery industry and of the Staffordshire Hoard gold artifacts, Stoke-on-Trent, England, is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2010. The city’s tourism board (Victoria Hall, Cultural Quarter, Stoke-on-Trent City Centre ST1 3AD; phone 01782 236000) has organized exhibitions, talks and walks.

Historic pottery is on display at The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery (Bethesda St., Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, ST1 3DW; phone 01782 232323). Free admission.

September 2014 issue

Bernini in Leipzig

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 temporary exhibits, €5, or combined, €8-€11. Children up to 18, free. Located near the Leipzig Markt S-...

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January 2014 issue

Single-passenger UK cab

Cab4one (phone 01279 815 807) is an eco­friendly taxi service that takes passengers from/to all of London’s major airports and other places in the area. Each chauffeured cab, a Smart ForTwo Passion Cdi, transports a single passenger up to 6'4" in height plus a large suitcase. The vehicles have A/C and offer free WiFi.

On the website, you can calculate the fare, generally a third less than a conventional taxi’s, and prebook your trip. Example — a 31-mile, 45-minute journey from Stansted airport to Cambridge’s city center costs £39 (near $64).

June 2010 issue

Israel flightseeing

SunAir (P.O.B. 10250, Jerusalem 91102, Israel; phone +972 54 5818883, fax +972 2 6717775 or e-mail gilaviv@zahav.net.il) offers flights over the Dead Sea and surrounding area.

For up to three people, the flights, out of Masada Airfield at the Dead Sea, range from a 20-minute flight over Masada, the Ein Gedi oasis and the Dead Sea coastline for NIS600 (near $159) to a 75-minute flight along the Dead Sea coast and over the city of Jerusalem for NIS 2,200 ($584).

February 2010 issue

Nara at 1,300

Nara, the first capital of Japan, is celebrating its 1,300th anniversary in 2010 with a year of exhibits and events throughout Nara Prefecture.

On April 24 a celebration will mark the completion of the restoration of Heijo-kyo Palace’s Daigoku-den (Imperial Audience Hall). There will be a Flower & Greenery Fair, April 24-May 9, and a light festival with candles and a large LED display, Aug. 20-27. Historic exhibits will be displayed in the castle, April 24-Nov. 7, including a life-sized replica of a Tang dynasty diplomatic ship. Visit www.1300.jp/foreign/english/index.html.