Ha'penny Bridge over the River Liffey, Dublin Courtesy Irish Tourism Board

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TIPS & HINTS

 

EUROSTAR ADDS 11TH DAILY LONDON-BRUSSELS SERVICE

Eurostar, the high-speed passenger train operator linking the UK and Continental Europe, will add an 11th daily service (Monday to Friday) in each direction on the London-Brussels route starting December 14.

The extra service is being introduced to meet demand from travelers, says Eurostar. Passenger numbers on the London-Brussels route have increased by 30% since the launch of Eurostar services on high speed trackage which began November 1, 2007, when the fastest London-Brussels journey time fell to one hour 51 minutes.

The additional service will leave London at 11:04 a.m. and arrive in Brussels at 2:03; the Brussels departure will be at 12:59 p.m. arriving in London at 2:03 p.m. The extra service will deliver 7,500 seats each week on the London-Brussels-London route.

 

NEW EUROPE TRAVEL PASS CARD

A new $10 Europe Travel Pass, offering discounts for same-day travel services such as sightseeing, excursions, renting bikes, boat rides and more in 24 countries is now being sold. Order the new pass at www.europetravelpass.com.

 

ROME ROLLS OUT BIKES

Yes, bikes, are now becoming the rage in Rome.

You can stroll across the piazza or you can take your fancy sports car out on the road, but in Roman the latest kick is to bike. The 2 1/2 million citizens of Rome can now hop aboard a bike--there are 250 of them for rent. All you have to do is go to a travel office, register, pay a fee and go peddling away.

Actually, if you use the bike under an hour--it's free. And it costs only about 1 euro for the next half hour, with higher fees the longer you have the bike out. Rome residents must pay a 30 euro deposit. There are nearly 20 bike stands around the city that are open between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. every day.

The bikes limit traffic in the city, appeal to those who don't want to spend a lot of money, and are a healthy way for people to get about.

 

DUBLIN REPORTED 'BEST IN WORLD' TOURISM VALUE

Dublin has been rated the best value-for-money city in the world, after a survey conducted by the Sunday Telegraph reported that the cost of its tourist attractions was substantially less in Dublin than it was in 10 other major cities around the world.

Taking into account castle and museum visits, in addition to other cultural and heritage attractions, the survey found that a family of four visiting the nine most popular attractions in Dublin would pay less than a third of what they would pay in London, to enjoy similar activities.

Across Ireland the tourism industry has been taking an aggressive lead to address the weakening dollar with operators offering packages B&B stays and car rental for as little as $65 a day.

 

U.S. Passport Fees Increase

Obtaining a passport just became more costly—it's now $100 for one.

The United States State Department says it needs more money “to cover the cost of providing efficient and secure passport services.”

The new $100 fee was raised from $97 for adults, and from $82 to $85 for children. Renewal of current passports was raised to $75 from $67.

Also, both parents will be required to appear in person, or one parent in person with required documentation, to apply for a child's passport (younger than 16 years of age).
New passport forms can be obtained from www.travel.state.gov.

LOST LUGGAGE HELP
How do you keep from losing your luggage?

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics reports that mishandled airline baggage is up 32.3% during the last several months. Reportedly, one in every 125 travelers has a piece of luggage missing.

There’s not much that you can do in this regard when you are leaving your luggage to airplane, airport, bus, boat or train personnel.

But there is a better way to make sure that if your luggage is lost—and the tag comes off the outside of the luggage—that you mitigate the problem.

Most people do not put another name/address tag on the inside of their luggage, but that’s an easy way to help you get your luggage back. Write your name/address/telephone on a large piece of paper and put it on top of your belongings.

MEXICO HAS STRICTER RULES
If you’re traveling to Mexico, be sure to check with the airlines or travel company prior to your trip date, because you may need additional documentation to enter.

Each country can require additional pieces of paperwork when you enter, and Mexico requires that you have a copy of your birth certificate, naturalization papers or passport.

It’s always best to check.

BIKING AROUND THE PROBLEM
In the Netherlands, there are more bicycles than people: 20 million bikes, 16.5 million people.

At the Amsterdam Central Train Station, five levels of bikes are stored on a daily basis, so it behooves bicycle owners to know where their bikes are when they return to retrieve them.

Best bet is to memorize where you put your bike (level, area, row) and mark it somehow with a piece of bright ribbon or other distinguishing mark. If you don’t remember, it could take you hours to find it again.

THE LOCALS KNOW
When you travel to Europe, and you want to best places to shop or eat, watch the local people to see where they go.

Stand on a sidewalk out of the way, and observe.

If locals fill up a certain restaurant or pub, it’s likely it’s a good place to eat and drink, with prices likely better as well.

If locals shop the outdoor fruit/flower/vegetable markets, it’s more than likely that’s where you will find the freshest products and at a good price.

Sometimes, of course, these places will not be where all the tourists gather. They may be right off the central tourist area, especially in the “ring” (older) sections of Europe’s larger cities.

You can also ask a local, or a shopkeeper, where the town’s people shop. It’s fun to discover these places!

TSA RULES FOR CARRY-ON ARTICLES
Here are the latest rules from the Transportation Security Administration regarding carry-on items:

The following rules apply to all liquids, gels, and aerosols carried through security checkpoints.

All liquids, gels and aerosols must be in three-ounce or smaller containers. Larger containers that are half-full or toothpaste tubes rolled up are not allowed. Each container must be three ounces or smaller.

All liquids, gels and aerosols must be placed in a single, quart-size, zip-top, clear plastic bag. Gallon size bags or bags that are not zip-top such as fold-over sandwich bags are not allowed. Each traveler can use only one, quart-size, zip-top, clear plastic bag.

Each traveler must remove their quart-sized plastic, zip-top bag from their carry-on and place it in a bin or on the conveyor belt for X-ray screening. X-raying separately will allow TSA security officers to more easily examine the declared items.

There are exceptions for baby formula, breast milk, and other essential liquids, gels, and aerosols, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines.

These rules were developed after extensive research and understanding of current threats. They are intended to help air travelers bring essential toiletries and other liquids, gels and aerosols for short trips. If you need larger amounts of liquids, gels and aerosols such as toothpaste or shampoo, please place them in your luggage and check them with your airline.

To ensure the health and welfare of certain air travelers, in the absence of suspicious activity or items, greater than 3 ounces of the following liquids, gels and aerosols are permitted through the security checkpoint in reasonable quantities for the duration of your itinerary (all exceptions must be presented to the security officer in front of the checkpoint):

• Baby formula, breast milk, and juice if a baby or small child is traveling;
• All prescription and over-the-counter medications (liquids, gels, and aerosols) including KY jelly, eye drops, and saline solution for medical purposes;
• Liquids including water, juice, or liquid nutrition or gels for passengers with a disability or medical condition;
• Life-support and life-sustaining liquids such as bone marrow, blood
products, and transplant organs;
• Items used to augment the body for medical or cosmetic reasons such
as mastectomy products, prosthetic breasts, bras or shells containing gels, saline solution, or other liquids; and,
• Gels or frozen liquids needed to cool disability or medically related items used by persons with disabilities or medical conditions.

You are allowed reasonable amounts over 3 ounces of the items above in your carry-on baggage, but you will need to perform the following:

* Separate these items from the liquids, gels, and aerosols in your quart-size and zip-top bag.
* Declare you have the items to one of our Security Officers at the security checkpoint.
* Present these items for additional inspection once reaching the X-ray. These items are subject to additional screening.

For more information, go to www.tsa.gov