Travel briefing archive

(Click on headlines to unfold column)

• US Airways begins nonstop flights from Philadelphia to Milan, Stockholm and Lisbon; Air France changes terminal; 
  Pa. offers online parks reservations

  • By Donald D. Groff
    Posted Feb. 15, 2006

    US Airways will start seasonal nonstop flights later this spring from Philadelphia to Milan, Italy; Stockholm, Sweden, and Lisbon, Portual, the airline announced, bringing to 16 the number of European destinations on routes from Philadelphia.

    • Milan service is scheduled to run from May 30 to Oct. 7, with daily flights aboard Boeing 767 aircraft that seat 203 passengers in two classes.
      
    • Stockholm service is to run June 3 to Oct. 7, with daily flights aboard a Boeing 767.
      
    • Lisbon service is to run from June 7 to Oct. 27, with flights four days a week aboard a Boeing 757 with 194 coach-class seats.

    The first-ever Park Tag helps supports Pa. state parks with a donation of $5 or more. www.PaParksandForests.org

    European cities to which US Airways already flies either year-round or seasonally from Philadelphia are London-Gatwick; Manchester, England; Paris; Madrid and Barcelona, Spain; Frankfurt and Munich, Germany; Rome and Venice, Italy;  Amsterdam, Dublin and Shannon, Ireland; Glasgow, Scotland, and Vienna, Austria.

    Visitor information on each of the US Airways destinations is at the US Airways site.

    Air France changing terminals at PHL. Air France moved to Terminal A-West at Philadelphia International Airport, effective. Feb. 15, 2006, from Terminal E, where it had leased space from Delta Air Lines.

    The move to Terminal A-West is part of a move to consolidate all international flights at Terminal A-West, also known as the international terminal, where customs and other immigration operations are located.

    Air France flies between PHL and Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, departing Philadelphia at 7:05 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday each week. Flights from Paris are scheduled to arrive at 3:45 p.m. on those days.

    Earlier, Lufthansa flights between PHL and Frankfurt shifted to the international terminal from Terminal A-East. British Airways flights to London still depart from Terminal A-East, but are expected to relocated to A-West later this year, the airport said.
    

    Pa. state parks go online. Campsites, cabins, pavilions and other facilities in Pennsylvania’s 117 state parks can be reserved online at the state park site, www.visitpaparks.com, under a new booking system that went into effect in January 2006. A "reservations" link is on the opening page.

    Reservations can be made at all hours online, although any changes or cancellations must be done by phone at 1-888-727-2757. That number also can be used for initiating reservations. The phone line is staffed from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday, except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Years Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

    To make online reservations, users must create an account with contact information and provide a credit card number.

    Reservations can be made up to 11 months before the arrival date. Cancellations or changes incur a fee.

    Cancellations made up to close of business seven days prior to your scheduled arrival date will incur a $10 cancellation fee. If you cancel six days or less prior to the arrival date, you will forfeit the first night’s fee or $75, whichever is the lesser amount. There is a $10 fee assessed for all changes made to your reservation, except adding nights to the reservation. The full cancellation policy can be found here.

    The online reservation system is operated by Spherix Inc, which in July 2005 was awarded a 5-year contract in July 2005 to Spherix Inc. to operate its central parks reservation system and build and host the state’s first-ever website to process state park facility reservations, according to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
    Top

• This is prime time for bargain meals at 'restaurant week' in New York, Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco and Toronto

  • By Donald D. Groff
    Posted 1/23/06

    Belly up to the table, bargain diners – it’s that time of the year when several big cities offer discount dining programs to lure the economy-minded and otherwise bolster business in the post-holiday commercial lull.

    The restaurant "weeks" often run for two weeks or more, and for these deals, reservations are usually essential. Weekends often are excluded.

    New York’s Winter Restaurant Week runs Jan. 23-27 and Jan. 30-Feb. 3, with nearly 200 restaurants offering three-course fixed-price lunch menus for $24.07 and/or dinner menus for $35, excluding beverage, tax and gratuity

    Among restaurants joining the promotion for the first time this year are Perry St., Jovia, Centrico, and Barca 18.  Some of the city’s best-known restaurants take part, including Nobu, Montrachet, San Domenico, Gramercy Tavern and Asia de Cuba.

    The full list is at the NYC Winter Restaurant Week site.

    As good as the deals sound, a New York Times story noted that the price of this year’s lunch is almost 20 percent higher than last year and drew attention to how the extra expenses not covered by the special can add up. "This year's lunch price exceeds last year's $20.12 lunch price," said the Times, "and once a diner has added a glass of shiraz, some sparkling water and a side of spinach -- not to mention tax and tip -- the check swells far beyond what most people think of as economical."

    Among other cities with restaurant weeks are:

    • Philadelphia. Feb. 19-24. Ninety-nine restaurants offer three-course meals for $30 per person. Among participating restaurants are Fork, Lolita, Old Original Bookbinder’s, Rouge, Sansom Street Oyster House, Susanna Foo and Zanzibar Blue. For full list, visit the Center City Restaurant Week site.
      
    • Toronto. Jan. 27-Feb. 9. The city’s Winterlicious promotion offers fixed-price menus at more than 120 restaurants, with a choice of lunch at C$15 or C$20 and dinner for C$25 or C$35. Acqua Ristorante e Bar, Assaggio Ristorante, Auberge du Pommier, Byzantium, and La Bruschetta Restaurant. Find the restaurants at the Winterlicious site, which denotes those with vegetarian offerings.
      
    • Boston. March 5-10 is Boston's first Winter Restaurant Week, following five years of a summer restaurant program. The Sunday-Friday observance features  more than 90 restaurants offering three-course lunches for $20.06 and three-course dinners for $30.06. Among participating businesses are Legal Seafoods, Meritage at the Boston Harbor Hotel, Brasserie Jo, Davio’s and Top of the Hub. The full list is at the Restaurant Week site.
      
    • San Francisco. The city’s Dine-About-Town program includes more than 100 restaurants, with three-course menus costing $21.95 at lunch, $31.95 at dinner. The program runs throughout January, and links to the restaurants are at the Dine-About-Town site. There’s one catch: You must pay for your meal with a Visa credit card.
      
    • Seattle. The city’s smaller promotion is called Twenty-five for $25, held in November with dinner for $25 and lunch for $12.50. A similar program is scheduled for March. Restaurants taking part in the program are described in promotional reviews here.
      
    • Washington, D.C. held its Restaurant Week earlier this month, Jan. 9-15. Watch for the next one at this Washington restaurant week link.

     

• Go to your separate rooms, boys! Eurostar splits first class into 'business select' and 'leisure premier'  • Southwest adds senior fare booking to its site •  Delaware parks day use fees rise •  Pennsylvania to add online booking for state camping and cabins

  • By Donald D. Groff
    
    It’s not exactly the Hatfields versus the McCoys, but the operators of the Eurostar train service linking London to Europe under the channel tunnel  have a new way to keep serious business travelers separated from free-wheeling tourists in first class.

    Starting Sept. 1, 2005, “first class” will be replaced by two new fare types, each assigned to its own train cars: business select and leisure premier.

     It seems business people didn’t appreciate the distractions of tourists, and the tourists didn’t appreciate a work atmosphere that included cell phone use.

    “Surveys showed, not surprisingly, that business class travelers paying a premium for first-class flexible tickets prefer to travel in an environment more conducive to work,” Eurostar’s commercial director, Nick Mercer, said in a news release.  “And leisure travelers paying the extra money for first class felt less relaxed when they were among business travelers working on laptops and discussing business matters on cell phones. 

    It appears business premier will become the new first class, judging by the price difference. For the London-Paris route, a one-way business premier ticket will cost $375 and is refundable or exchangeable. Leisure select starts at $190 round trip for a nonrefundable, nonexchangeable ticket.

    Besides refundable tickets, business premier passengers get special lounges at London , Paris and Brussels Eurostar terminals; fast check-in counters, and the choice of express or full-service breakfast options.

    Both the top classes have power outlets and meal service at seats, as well as newspapers and magazines.

    Elsewhere on the train, seats on “standard class” cars start at $90 round trip and are open to all comers, leisure and business travelers alike.

    Eurostar says that despite the unfavorable exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the euro, passenger traffic from North American visitors has grown this year, with a 15 percent increase during the January-April period. Eurostar said North American passengers accounted for 53 percent of Eurostar’s first-class tickets sold by the booking agency Rail Europe, compared to 48 percent for the period last year.

    Reservations and details on the services are at www.eurostar.com or from Rail Europe,   www.raileurope.com or 1-800-387-6782.

    Senior fares from Southwest. The airline has added “senior fare” selections to its site, www.southwest.com, so passengers 65 and older can find and book discounted senior fares without having to speak with an agent. Southwest long has offered fully refundable senior fares, but before July they were not available online – passengers had to use the phone booking line.

    Most other airlines traditionally offered a 10 percent discount to passengers age 62 and older, but under financial pressure many big airlines dropped that broad discount in 2002, adopting instead senior fare categories that better allowed them to control the quantity and size of the discounts. Some offer the better fares only in selected markets.

    At Southwest’s reservations page, look for the “How many are traveling” section where “senior fare” is listed separately from “adult fare.”  In that same section, there is a link leading to the airline’s seniors policies, including:

    * You must request the fare if you are 65 or older;

    * Some restrictions and seating limitations apply;

    * For weekend and holiday travel, you should reserve as far in advance as possible;

    * The airline encourages midday and midweek travel times, though that is not a requirement.

    * The fares are fully refundable.

    * The senior fares do not apply to younger travel companions.

    Southwest also offers reservations and information services for hearing impaired travelers with access to a TDD machine. Dial 1-800-533-1305.

    Booking Pa. campsites. Pennsylvania is joining the bandwagon of states offering online booking for state park camping.
    A company called Spherix Inc. has been awarded a five-year contract to operate the state’s central parks reservation system and build and host the state's first Web site for state park camping and cabin reservations.

    The site is expected to be available for reservations during the first half of 2006. 

    Spherix already runs reservations sites for the National Park Service and seven state park systems: Delaware , Maryland , Georgia , Michigan , Ohio , Indiana , and New Mexico . Links for those states are on the company’s reservation site, www.reserveworld.com.

    The company also will administer Pennsylvania ’s existing toll-free reservations line, 1-888-727-2757, available Monday to Saturday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. except for certain holidays. 

    State parks information is on the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources site, www.dcnr.state.pa.us.

    Delaware state park fees rise.  Daily vehicle entrance fees rose July 23 to $3 for state residents and $6 for out-of-state vehicles, up from $2.50 and $5, respectively.

    Included in that fee schedule are Trap Pond, Killens Pond, Fox Point, Brandywine Creek, Lums Pond, White Clay Creek and Bellevue State Parks and other sites.

    The daily entrance fee for the ocean parks -- Cape Henlopen , Delaware Seashore, and Fenwick Island – is now $4 for Delaware residents and $8 for non-residents.

    The prices for annual passes, which offer unlimited visits to 12 state parks and several nature preserves, increased to $27 from $20 for Delaware residents and to $54 from $40 for non-residents.

    Rates for annual passes for seniors and other details are on the site of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.  

• It was a big month for air service from Philadelphia: America West's takeover saved US Airways, nonstop flights began to Barcelona & Venice, and Southwest Airlines started flights to Pittsburgh -- dramatically reducing fares for the route  

  • By Donald D. Groff
    Posted May 25, 2005
    
    Three big airline developments in recent weeks have given Philadelphia-area travelers their heaviest dose of happy news in a long time.  

    The biggest development is the America West Holdings Corp. plan to acquire US Airways, becoming the nation's sixth largest airline, paving the way for US Airways' emergence from bankruptcy protection, and relieving the fears of  Dividend Miles members that their accumulated frequent flier mileage was at risk if US Airways folded.

    As it turns out, Dividend Miles members can look forward to even more ways to use their mileage as the America West network of cities is added to the program. (America West route map.) The merged airline will be a low-fare carrier using the US Airways name, based in Phoenix.   

    The airlines' spin on the acquisition is here.

    Days before that announcement, US Airways began daily nonstop flights between Philadelphia and two hot European destinations -- Venice, Italy, and Barcelona, Spain. 

    The scheduled flight time to Venice, airport code VCE, is 8 hours 25 minutes, leaving at 5:55 p.m. and arriving at 8:20 a.m. the next day.  On the return, the flight time is 9 hours 45 minutes, departing Venice at 11 a.m. and arriving at 2:45 p.m. the same day.

    The scheduled flight time to Barcelona, airport code BCN, is 7 hours 50 minutes, leaving at 8:15 p.m. and arriving at 10:05 a.m. the next morning. From Barcelona to Philadelphia the flight takes 8 hours 55 minutes, departing at 12:35 p.m. and arriving at 3:30 p.m. the same day. 

    Click on these links for aircraft and other details on the new routes to Venice and Barcelona.  They both are seasonal, running through the end of October. 

    The other big development in April was the start of Philadelphia-Pittsburgh service by low-fare carrier Southwest Airlines, which spurred an immediate drop in US Airways fares for the route. The trip takes about 1 hour 18 minutes westbound and just over an hour eastbound, but when US Airways was the only airline flying it, fares were often hundreds of dollars each way.

    With the new competition, US Airways had fares posted for as little as $58 round trip in June.

    This is not the first time a low-fare carrier has invaded the US Airways space between Pennsylvania's two biggest cities. Three times in the past 15 years airlines have competed on the route. Start-up carriers EastWind and Nations Air flew against US Airways on the route in the 1990s. 

    US Airways responded by lowering its fares, and with far more aircraft and departure times it was able to undermine its competitors, which in each case failed on the route within a couple of years. 

    In July 2001, AirTran Airways began Philadelphia-Pittsburgh service and as an established airline seemed poised to give US Airways a run for its money. But the air traffic drop-offs after 9/11 led AirTran to discontinue those flights. 

    This time, the tables have turned. With Southwest Airlines' financial strength -- it recently announced its 115th consecutive quarterly dividend and is the only major U.S. airline to operate profitably -- US Airways may now find itself the underdog on the route, even with America West riding in on a white horse.   (May 25, 2005)

• Passports would be required for travel from Caribbean, Canada, Mexico under new plan •  A warning about Cancun crime •  Cost of U.S. passports rises •  Cherry blossom watch • A free lot awaits cell-phone-bearing motorists on pick-up duty at PHL

  • By Donald D. Groff
    posted April 6, 2005

    U.S. citizens have long been able to get by without a passport when traveling to Canada, Mexico and most Caribbean destinations, relying instead on a birth certificate or driver's license.  That will change starting late this year, the State Department announced.

    "Travelers to and from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama, Mexico and Canada will be required to have a passport or other secure, accepted document to enter or re-enter the United States," the department said. "This is a change from prior travel requirements and will affect all United States citizens entering the United States from countries within the Western Hemisphere who do not currently possess valid passports."

    [Some doubt was cast on the plan April 14 when President Bush expressed reservations about some elements and asked for a review. "When I first read that in the newspaper, about the need to have passports, for particularly the day crossings that take place - about a million, for example in the state of Texas - I said, `What's going on here?'" Bush said at a meeting of the American Society of Newspaper Editors. "I thought there was a better way to ... expedite the legal flow of traffic and people."

    The new provisions, aimed at improving security, will also affect certain foreign nationals who up until now have not had to present passports to enter the United States. "Most Canadian citizens, citizens of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda, and to a lesser degree, Mexican citizens will be affected by the implementation of this requirement."

    The timetable for the new requirements:

    • December 31, 2005: Passport or other accepted document required for all travel (air/sea) to or from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Central and South America.
    • December 31, 2006: Passport or other accepted document required for all air and sea travel to or from Mexico and Canada.
    • December 31, 2007: Passport or other accepted document required for all air, sea and land border crossings.

    The "other accepted documents" mentioned are government-issued cards affiliated with several international frequent traveler programs. A Border Crossing Card will be OK for Mexicans traveling into the United States from Mexico or Canada. 

    Details of the new passport requirements are on the State Department site.

    Cancun crime warning. Visitors to Cancun should beware, the U.S. State Department warns in an unusual public announcement. Budget problems have eroded law enforcement there, according to the agency, and tourists have become targets.

    The announcement issued April 6 alerts U.S. citizens "to the deterioration in recent weeks of local law enforcement in Cancun caused by a persistent shortage of municipal funds to pay for police and public services.  Police responsiveness to emergency calls and investigation of crimes has been severely impaired, and the U.S. Consulate in Merida has received several reports of petty corruption and extortion aimed at U.S. travelers."

    The notice supplements another issued Jan. 26 that warned about problems along the Mexican side of the U.S.-Mexico border in the wake of increased violence among drug traffickers. "Although the majority of travelers in the region visit without mishap, violent criminal activity, including murder and kidnapping, in Mexico's northern border region has increased. The overwhelming majority of the victims of violent crime have been Mexican citizens. Nonetheless, U.S. citizens should be aware of the risk posed by the deteriorating security situation."

    The Mexico announcement is scheduled to expire on May 31. 

    The Cancun advisory comes as the two-month spring break season winds down. The State Department’s information sheet on Mexico notes that as many as 120,000 Americans visit Mexican resorts during that period.  Usually the Mexican government objects, as it did after the border-crime notice, when the U.S. calls attention to such problems.

    The new notice said the U.S. Consular Agency in Cancun "has received numerous allegations of tourists being extorted for money by taxi drivers and malfeasant police or individuals posing as police officers.  In some cases, tourists have been taken to ATM machines for immediate payment of alleged infractions.  In other cases, extortion attempts occur after a motorist (typically in a rental car) is stopped for an alleged moving violation.  The motorist is threatened with imprisonment if a 'fine' is not immediately paid, even though there is no proof that any infraction has been committed."

    "Visitors to Cancun should be aware that a written citation should be received before the payment of any fine," the department advised. "No money should be paid directly to a police officer.  If you believe you are the victim of an extortion attempt, you should make a note of the officer's name and badge number, the time and location of the incident, and the number of the patrol car if applicable, and immediately call the U.S. Consular Agency in Cancun or the U.S. Consulate in Merida."

    The full announcement is at the State Department site.

    Top  

    By Donald D. Groff
    posted Feb. 19, 2005
    ©2005 Donald D. Groff

    The cost of a U.S. passport will rise March 8 when the State Department institutes a $12"security surcharge" to help pay for its new biometric passport program.
    
    The surcharge will bring the base cost of a first-time adult passport to $97 from the current $85. An adult passport is good for 10 years.
    
    The base cost of a passport for those under 16 years old will rise to $82 from $70. Children's passports are valid for five years.
    
    Those totals include a $30 "execution fee." For renewals processed by mail rather than at the post office or other acceptance facility, the $30 is waived, so the cost of a mailed-in renewal rises to $67 from $55.
    
    The high-tech passports, which be issued to new and renewing travelers starting about the middle of this year, will include an electronic chip that stores personal identifying data. 
    
    Beside funding the passport program, proceeds from the new charge will be used to upgrade passport delivery from first-class to priority mail. 

    The cost of a U.S. passport last rose in 2002, when the price for an adult's passport went to $55 from $40.
    
    People in a hurry to receive their passports can pay a $60 expedite fee, which is unchanged. Normally passport processing takes up to six weeks, according to the department. With expedited processing, applicants can get their passports back in under two weeks, and sometimes within a few days.
    
    The State Department also said that starting March 8 it will increase to $60 from $45 the cost to search department files to confirm a previous passport. Such searches are conducted when an urgent applicant cannot provide other proof of citizenship but once had a U.S. passport. The increase in cost will go partly to automate the search process.
    Passport application and renewal information is available from the State Department site, or by calling the center at 1-877-487-2778.

    Check the latest estimate on when the cherry blossoms will peak at the U.S. Park Service site.

    Free waiting lot near PHL for cell-phone chauffers. Drivers who go to Philadelphia International Airport to pick up arriving passengers now have a place to wait without charge until their cell phones ring with that "we’ve landed and are ready for you" call from friends, relatives and colleagues.

    The city has designated a 60-space area of Septa’s Park & Ride lot on the west side of the I-95 exchanges on the airport perimeter for drivers-in- waiting, addressing a sticky situation of recent years. Because of post-9/11 prohibitions against waiting in front of the terminals and construction congestion, many drivers had begun parking along the shoulders on roads approaching the airport, where they waited to hear from arriving passengers.

    For more than a year, airport authorities appeared to tolerate the practice, but eventually posted no-parking signs and announced a crackdown, although the practice continued to a lesser extent.

    The new lot mimics a similar plan put into effect at Baltimore-Washington International Airport.
    
    To get to the PHL lot:

    • From I-95 southbound: Take Exit 12B "Cargo City." At the light at the end of the ramp, turn left onto Bartram Avenue. Follow the signs to the lot, which is on the left.
      
    • From I-95 northbound: Take Exit 10 "Bartram Avenue/Cargo City." At the 1st light, turn left onto Bartram Avenue and follow Bartram Avenue to the lot, which will be approximately ½ mile up the road on the right.

    
    To return to the airport from the Park & Ride lot, turn right onto Bartram Avenue and follow Bartram Avenue to Island Avenue. Turn right onto Island Avenue and follow the signs for I-95 South. From I-95 South, take Exit 12A to Philadelphia International Airport and follow the signs for "Arriving Flights."

    A map of the lot’s location is on the airport’s site.

    Southwest's fare magic. True to form, Southwest Airlines has worked its fare magic at Philadelphia International Airport.

    Average airfares for flights from PHL declined 9.9 percent during the second quarter of the year, April through June, airport officials announced during the first week of November.

    The decline in prices occurred even though the airline didn’t start flying until the third week in May, more than halfway through the quarter, and it suggests that even bigger increases may be in store when third quarter fares are compared to the previous year.

    Southwest started with 14 daily departures; the number has tripled to 41.

    The price drop reflects not only Southwest’s introducing lower fares to its new market, but also the depressing effect they have on the fares of competitors, including PHL’s principal airline, US Airways. The trend has been well-documented whenever Southwest enters a new market. Another factor was Frontier Airlines, which started flying from Philadelphia a few weeks after Southwest.

    The airport said the decline was the biggest for the period of any in the country’s top 85 airline markets.

    "This considerable reduction in airfares is attributable to the increased presence of low-cost carriers at Philadelphia International Airport," Charles J. Isdell, the city’s director of aviation, said in a news release.

    The airport said low-cost competition was expected to save travelers from the region more than $200 million a year. Besides Southwest and Frontier, they include AirTran Airways, America West Airlines, ATA, and USA3000

    A record 26.1 million passengers flew from PHL in the fiscal year that ended on June 30, the airport said, an 8 percent increase over the previous year.

•  Amtrak offers 10% off and toughens its baggage policy 

  • Amtrak’s new site, Web discount, baggage policy. Through Dec. 15, 2004, Amtrak passengers can get a 10 percent discount for booking through the rail line’s newly improved Web site. Among restrictions are that the booking must be at least three days in advance, and not all routes or trains are eligible for the discount. But for many riders the deal is excellent, especially because the discount is on top of several routine discounts, such as the 10 percent available to seniors, students, and AAA members. Travel must be completed by the end of February, and the deal is not available for holiday travel Nov. 23-30, Dec. 17-Jan. 2, and Feb. 18-21. When booking online, enter H431 in the promotion code box. For full details, see the Amtrak site. … Amtrak said that starting Nov. 1 it would begin enforcing its baggage restrictions, which include a two-piece limit on carry-on luggage, excluding briefcases, purses, laptops, and baby-related items. Each carry-on can weigh no more than 50 pounds and may not exceed 28 x 22 x 14 inches in size.

    Each passenger may check up to three pieces of luggage at no charge; additional pieces are $10 per piece. Each piece of checked baggage may not exceed 50 lbs. and must be packed in luggage or containers able to withstand normal handling. Details at Amtrak’s baggage page. 

• A new book examines Boston's French accent, and the Irish weigh in, too • Cruise lines begin their autumn repositionings • Las Vegas launches its monorail  Updated Aug. 30, 2004

  • Everyone knows Boston has a green tinge, but many people overlook its French accent. 
    
    That French twist is the focus of a new book in the Hidden Heritage Travel Guides series, Boston's French Secrets: Guided Walks That Reveal Boston's French Heritage, by Rhea Hollis Atwood (Images From the Past, 2004).
    
    The 160-page book presents five walks, illustrated with easy-to-read maps, covering downtown Boston, the waterfront and vicinity, the financial district, Beacon Hill, and the Back Bay. 
    
    Another chapter pinpoints assorted other sites, including the Paul Revere House. Come again? That's right, the house was bought by Revere's father, Apollos Rivoire, a Huguenot who fled France. Paul never read or spoke French.  
    
    The Irish are not letting any moss grow beneath their feet, of course. Two other guides revolve around that heritage.
    
    Irish Boston: A Lively Look at Boston's Colorful Irish Past, by Michael P. Quinlin (Globe Pequot Press, 2004) combines historical accounts with modern sites that could anchor any exploration of Irish Boston. Quinlin is the founder of the Boston Irish Tourism Association and creator of the Boston Irish Heritage Trail. 
    
    The trail also shows up in "Irish Massachusetts," a free booklet being offered by the association. It notes that 23 percent of the state's residents claim Irish ancestry. The guide has a calendar of events, including Celtic festivities in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, tourism contacts, and a listing of cultural groups. The guide can be ordered at the association's site, www.irishmassachusetts.com.
    
    Repositioning cruises. A big autumn migration is getting under way, and it has nothing to do with birds. It's the annual shifting of ships around the globe from their summer cruising grounds to their winter ports. These repositioning cruises barely register on the radar of most passengers who think single destination - Alaska, Caribbean, Mediterranean. 
    
    But for those who want variety, they provide itineraries that aren't regularly available. Royal Caribbean International has one of the busier repositioning schedules - 14 cruises, including a 10-night transatlantic voyage on the Jewel of the Seas from Harwich, England, to Boston, with calls in Paris; Plymouth, England; Cork, Ireland, and Portland, Maine.
    
    Most of the repositionings occur in September and October. 
    Descriptions of 13 cruise lines offering ship-shifting cruises can be found at the Web site of the Cruise Lines International Association.
    
    The new Vegas monorail. Mass transit recently took a great leap forward in Las Vegas, the boomtown whose traffic volume has become an urban headache in the past decade. A new monorail began running in July from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. along about four miles of elevated track between the Sahara and MGM Grand resorts.
    
    The route roughly parallels the famous Strip between the MGM Grand and Harrah's, then jogs east away from a number of the northern Strip properties. It does not serve McCarran International Airport. The just-opened service incorporates an earlier section that connected the MGM Grand and Bally's. 
    
    For the first two months, single one-way tickets cost $3, a round-trip fare is $5.50, an all-day pass costs $10, a 10-ride pass is $20, and a three-day pass is $25. Tickets can be bought at kiosks that take cash or plastic. Children under 5 ride free; there is no discount for older children.
    
    After Sept. 9, most of the fares are scheduled to rise. The round-trip jumps to $5.75, the 10-ride to $25; the one-day pass to $15, and the three-day pass to $40. 
    
    The line has seven stations, positioned adjacent to the MGM Grand, Bally's-Paris, Flamingo-Caesar's, Harrah's-Imperial Palace, Convention Center, Las Vegas Hilton, and Sahara. About 19 million riders are expected to use the monorail each year. 
    
    A map showing the route and stops is at www.lvmonorail.com. Advance purchases can be made from the site. 
    
    

• Restaurant Week in Boston, Aug. 23-27 • Best hotel deals rest with the hotels, not the online brokers, a Consumer Reports study finds • No-frills Ryanair ponders charging a fee for checking baggage. Updated Aug. 15, 2004 

  • Scores of Boston restaurants will offer three-course, fixed-price lunches for $20.04 and three-course dinners for $30.04 from Aug. 23 to 27 during the city’s fourth annual Restaurant Week. 

    Eighty-four restaurants will take part in the tourism-promoting observance, according to the Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau, including Newbury (lunch & dinner), Armani Café (l, d), Brasserie JO at the Colonnade Hotel (l, d), The Bristol at the Four Seasons (l), The Elephant Walk (l, d),  Icarus (l, d), Pigalle (d), The Palm Restaurant (l), Torch (d), UpStairs on the Square (l, d), and Zephyr on the Charles at Hyatt Regency Cambridge (l, d).

    Some dining spots are offering other discounts as well, such as reduced prices on wine or beer.

    The participating restaurants and which meals they are offering can be found at the BostonUSA site’s Restaurant Week link.

    Casing hotel rates. You think sites such as Hotels.com always offer the best rates for lodging? Not so, according to a price study by Consumer Reports, which found that booking with hotels themselves beats such travel sites three out of four times. The magazine searched for the cheapest rate for 100 rooms in five cities.

    The magazine also used responses from 35,000 readers to form a picture of 50 hotel chains in four categories.  The findings:

    In the luxury category, the best values were Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, Omni, and Fairmont.

    Among upscale hotels, the best values were Walt Disney Resorts, Embassy Suites, and Harrahs.

    Moderately priced hotels offering best value were SpringHill Suites, Homewood Suites, Wingate Inn, and Residence Inn.

    The survey found that readers were generally satisfied with their hotel stays, but cited problems with some chains, including:

    * Unattractive décor (based on complaints by at least 20 percent of readers surveyed), at Days Inn, Econo Lodge, Howard Johnson, Ramada, and Travelodge.

    * Poor room lighting, based on complaints by at least 18 percent of readers surveyed, at Days Inn, Econo Lodge, Howard Johnson, and Travelodge.

    * Excessive phone charges, based on complaints by at least 45 percent of readers surveyed who made calls, at Hyatt, Sheraton, and Westin.

    Best complimentary breakfast honors went to Embassy Suites (“best by far”), Homewood Suites, and Residence Inn.

    The full report is in the July 2004 issue. Tips for finding the best rates are on the Consumer Reports site.  

    No-frills in extremis. One of Europe's top no-frills airlines, Ryanair, is considering cost-cutting in a way that takes no-frills to a new level.

    The Dublin-based airline may start charging for checked luggage in the next couple of years. The Times of London, the BBC, and other news outlets  quoted Ryanair chief  executive Michael O’Leary as saying baggage handling accounts for a significant part of the airline's expenses and such a charge would help cover those costs. 

    Airlines commonly have a checked baggage allowance of one one or two pieces at no charge as long as weight limits are observed. But Ryanair said baggage 

    Europe's low-fare airline market is hotly competitive, and Ryanair had previously announced plans to reduce costs by ordering new aircraft without standard-issue features such as reclining seats, seat pockets, and headrests.

    As the pay-for-checked-bag reports circulated, the airline announced a winter sale with fares starting at 99 pence -- under $2 -- for certain flights from Glasgow Prestwick to Dublin, Bournemouth, London, Paris and Brussels. The fares, for midweek travel from early September through January, had to be booked by July 15 through www.ryanair.com.

    The airline serves 84 destinations in 16 European countries.

     

• Scotland opens a huge national park, just in time for new nonstop flights to Glasgow and Edinburgh; Rail Europe offers a free pass to Normandy veterans; England turns the spotlight on its gardens.  Updated April 28, 2004

  • Nature-lovers bound for Scotland have a new preserve to frolic in: Cairngorm National Park , recently opened in the Grampian Highlands region west of Aberdeen. The park has almost 1,500 square miles of forests, farmland, heather moorland and mountains, dotted with historic villages and ancient sites.

    It officially opened last September as the largest national park in the United Kingdom, according to VisitBritain. Tourism officials said the park has a quarter of Scotland's native woodland and the biggest continuous stretches of near-natural vegetation in Britain. It is a refuge for many rare plants and creatures, including 25 percent of the United Kingdom’s threatened species. The park’s Web site is at www.cairngorms.co.uk.

    The park is just one attraction that Scottish and British tourism authorities are touting as new nonstop flights are about to begin between Scotland and the United States.  US Airways is scheduled to begin seasonal service May 10 between Philadelphia and Glasgow .  Continental starts service June 10 between Newark N.J. Edinburgh.

    VisitScotland’s latest vacation planner is an 88-page primer to a country that many Americans know only in caricature. While the guide acknowledges the country’s scenery in movies such as Braveheart, the Harry Potter movies, Rob Roy, and Monarch of the Glen, most of it is devoted to more practical lures.

    Among events on the calendar are  the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, April 30-May 3; Royal Deeside Walking Week, May 22-28); the British Open Golf Championship, Troon, July 15-18; World Championship Highland Games, Callander July 31-Aug. 1; the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Aug. 6-28; Edinburgh International Festival, Aug. 15-Sept. 4); the Braemar Gathering, Sept. 4,  and the Royal National Mod, Perth, Oct. 8-16.

    The Scotland 2004 vacation planner can be obtained through the VisitScotland site, or by calling 877-899-8391.

    Another worthy primer is the May 2004 issue of Bon Appetit magazine, entirely devoted to the cuisine of Scotland. It includes a dissection of haggis, the national dish, and “A Walk Through the Highlands,” by Bill Bryson.

    Free railpass for Normandy veterans. U.S. and Canadian veterans of the Normandy Invasion are eligible for a good deal from Rail Europe: A free four-day France Railpass, available starting April 15 and good for travel between June 1 and Aug. 31. The first France in a one-month period and is valued at $252.

    The pass must be obtained prior to leaving home. Rail Europe said it is not available in Europe

    Getting the rail pass requires jumping through a few hoops. First, veterans must register at Web site www.normandiememoire.com. A follow-up e-mail provides the details on how to obtain the free pass. 

    Rail Europe also is offering a special three-day first-class France Railpass to others for $199, good for travel during the same period as the free pass. It can be been purchased between April 15 and Aug. 15. Travel must occur between June 1 and Aug. 31.

    June 6 will be the 60th anniversary of the Normandy Invasion. A Web site devoted to the anniversary is at www.normandy-dday.com, where planning information and links to companies offering tour packages can be found. Another site for the region is that of the Western France Tourist Board, www.westernfrancetouristboard.com.

     

    Gardening in Britain. Britain has dubbed 2004 the “Year of Gardening,” saluting the 200th anniversary of the Royal Horticultural Society, the country’s top gardening charity, and the role the United Kingdom’s gardens play in tourism.  An 88-page guide to gardens is available by calling 877-899-8391 or going to the VisitBritain site at www.visitbritain.com/usagardens.

    Among events noted in the guide is the bicentennial exhibit at the Chelsea Flower Show in London May 25-28 and the unveiling in May of the “Secret Garden” of Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, a garden that has been largely out of view for more than 30 years.

    Other events on tap:

    ·        “Art of the Garden,” an exhibition at London’s Tate Britain art gallery from June 3 to Aug. 30 of British paintings of plants and gardens.

    ·        An international lily show at the horticultural society halls from June 29 to July 3.

    ·        A series of exhibits at the society’s Lindley Library in London, featuring Mediterranean plants May 15-19 and Frederick Warne’s “Flower Fairies” paintings and drawings Sept. 14-Oct. 30.

    ·        Exhibits and other events at more than 80 museums and gardening groups throughout Britain in observance of the Year of Gardening.  

• Frontier Airlines to start PHL-Denver and PHL-Los Angeles nonstops; Continental to go nonstop from Newark to Edinburgh; big apple art coming to the Big Apple; Berlin offers museum & transit passes; water festival contest results. (March 3, 2004)  

  • Frontier Airlines will add Philadelphia-Denver and Philadelphia-Los Angeles flights starting May 23, the Denver-based airline announced on Feb. 19. The schedule offers two daily nonstops to Denver and one daily nonstop to Los Angeles, with introductory fares starting at $99 each way for Los Angeles and $109 each way for Denver, the airline said.

    On the Denver route, flights will depart Philadelphia at 8:50 a.m. (arriving at 10:50 a.m. Denver time) and 5:55 p.m. (arriving at 7:55 p.m.). From Denver, flights depart at 10:50 a.m. (arriving 4:15 p.m.) and 3 p.m. (arriving 8:25 p.m.).

    On the Los Angeles route, the flight will leave Philadelphia at 9:10 p.m., arriving at 11:55 p.m. Los Angeles time. From Los Angeles, the return is a red-eye, departing at 11:20 p.m. and arriving at 7:25 a.m. the next day.

    For bookings or fare details, check Frontier's Web site at www.frontierairlines.com, call the airline at 800-432-1359, or consult a travel agent.

    Frontier has been in business 10 years and is the second-largest jet-service airline at Denver International Airport. With its affiliate Frontier Express if offers service to more than 37 cities in 22 states and to five Mexican cities. Most of its destinations are in the West and Midwest. Eastern destinations served by Frontier are New York’s LaGuardia Airport; the three main Washington, D.C., airports; four Florida cities; Atlanta, and Indianapolis.

    Its frequent flier program is called EarlyReturns; enrollment is available on the Web site.

    Frontier’s announcement of Philadelphia service comes almost four months after Southwest Airlines said it would begin flying from Philadelphia International Airport. Southwest’s new service also is scheduled to begin in May. 

    The Philadelphia Inquirer's report on Frontier’s announcement.
    
    Newark-Edinburgh nonstop. Continental Airlines plans to start daily nonstop flights between Newark Liberty International Airport and Edinburgh , Scotland , on June 10, 2004. The airline says it will be the first nonstop service between the U.S. and the Scottish capital, whose biggest tourist month is August, when the  Edinburgh Military Tattoo, the Edinburgh International Festival, and many other events occur. A good central source is the Edinburgh Festivals site. … Continental says it now guarantees that its lowest fares are at its own Web site, not at other sites that promise low fares. “If you find an online fare for the same flight, itinerary and class of service that’s more than $10 lower than through continental.com, we’ll make up the difference and give you a $100 Electronic Travel Certificate,” Continental says in its latest frequent flier statement. To be eligible for the guarantee, the tickets must be purchased through the Web site; the flights must be on itineraries operated by the airline and its related companies, and “some discount fares” are not eligible.  Other restrictions apply. Details at the Continental site.

    NYC’s apple crop. New York City will drop apples all over its sidewalks and lobbies this summer in a Big Apple Fest to stir tourism enthusiasm and raise money for charities. Hundreds of the 4-foot-high apples, each decorated by artists, will be on display Aug. 15 to Oct. 15. 

    The artists will be sponsored by businesses and organizations whose contributions -- $8,500 per apple -- will benefit the Police Athletic League, the food program City Harvest, and the nonprofit work of the city’s tourism agency. The apples will later be auctioned or, for $12,500, sponsors can keep their fruit.

    Besides the fundraising, the exhibit aims to spark street buzz, notably during the Republican National Convention scheduled for Aug. 30-Sept. 2.

    The program will become an attraction even before it hits the street. Starting in May, the public can watch the artists’ progress at a Big Apple Fest design studio.

    The project recalls Chicago’s “Cows on Parade” public art project of  1999, which was later mimicked in New York and elsewhere. The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs estimated that its cow show had an economic impact of $200 million as more than a million visitors came to see its more than 300 cows that summer.

    Information on the project is at www.bigapplefest.org. 

    Water festival results. Each February the spa town of Berkeley Springs, W.Va., sponsors a water-tasting competition as part of its Winter Festival of the Waters. This year’s contest attracted contestants from 25 states and the District of Columbia, plus Canada , Bulgaria, Bosnia, Sweden and Romania. Among results:

    • Noncarbonated bottled water: Ice Mist, from Mörarp, Sweden

    • Purified water: Pure StoneClear Springs Water, Vanleer, Tenn.

    • Carbonated bottled water: Borsec, from Harghita County, Romania

    • Municipal water: Desert Hot Springs, Calif.

    Rankings for other contestants are at the Travel Berkeley Springs site.

    Bound for Berlin? The city offers a museum pass called the SchauLUST Ticket for €12 (about $15) that gives admission to more than 50 museums over a three-day period. Buy it at Tourist Information Centers or at any of the participating museums. Another money-saver is the Berlin WelcomeCard, which costs €21 (about $26) and is good for three days of travel in Berlin and Pottsdam as well as for discounts on many attractions. It covers all buses and trains of the Berlin-Brandenburg public transport network operating anywhere within the A, B and C fare zones. Details on both cards at the
    

• To lure post-holiday visitors, big cities mount discount package programs    

  • January 2004  Flashy as the big holiday parades were, they pale in scale to the parade of discounted lodging, shopping and sightseeing offers that big Northern cities are rolling out at the time of year to lure visitors during the traditionally slow winter season.
    
    Among those with come-hither deals are Philadelphia, New York, Boston and Washington. 
    
    The cornerstone of Philadelphia's program is the Philly Overnight package, offering a second night free if you check in on a Friday or Saturday through March 28 at dozens of hotels in the city and surrounding region. That deal includes free hotel parking both nights, and giveaways such as a map guide. Details at the city's official tourism site, www.gophila.com.  (A big "Manet and the Sea" show opens Feb. 15 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.)
    
    New York dubs its love fest Paint the Town and includes deals from more than 300 hotels, restaurants, museums and Broadway and off-Broadway shows through March 31. Packages start at $105 per person, including a night's hotel stay, tickets to a show, dinner at a restaurant, discounted parking, a booklet of other discounts. Two- and four-night packages also are available. Visit the NYC & Company site at www.nycvisit.com or call 1-800-692-4843 for a Paint the Town guide. 
    
    Boston's winter program, Boston Overnight, runs through March and also encourages those in town for the day to stay over. Dozens of hotel packages and descriptions of diversions are described at www.bostonusa.com or can be obtained from the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau by dialing 1-888-733-2678 and asking for the Boston Overnight brochure. (The "Gaugin-Tahiti" exhibit opens Feb. 29 at the Museum of Fine Arts.)
    
    Through Feb. 29 in Washington, D.C., the Holiday Homecoming promotion features more than 50 hotels offering discounted rates and packages, while restaurants offer specially priced meals and a dozen attractions discount admissions. A list of the promotions is at the Holiday Homecoming site, or call 1-800-422-8644 or visit www.washington.org.

    Top

• At long last, rail service to JFK Airport; US Airways ticketing resumes on Expedia  

  • After five years of construction and generations of dreaming, rail service between Manhattan and Kennedy International Airport is set to begin on Wednesday, Dec. 17. The service, called AirTrain JFK, will allow passengers to go between Penn Station and JFK terminals in about an hour for $7.

    Using the light rail system will be a two-part process: getting to the Howard Beach station by subway, Long Island Rail Road, or other method, then taking the new rail line the final 15 minutes or less to one of the six station stops on the Central Terminal Area loop.

    Taking the new service from Howard Beach station to the terminal will cost $5; the additional $2 in the above example is for subway fare to Howard Beach on the A train. Other subway lines that intersect with the AirTrain are E, J and Z.  AirTrain service also connects with the Jamaica Station.

    The light-rail cars will run 24 hours a day from those two stations, arriving every four to eight minutes during peak daytime, every 12 minutes overnight. The trains also stop at parking and hotel shuttle locations.  

    AirTrain JFK details can be found at www.panynj.gov/airtrain, or call 1-877-535-2478.

    The light-rail system is about eight miles long and is expected to serve 34,000 passengers per day when it opens. The total price tag for the project was $1.9 billion, funded with Port Authority of New York & New Jersey funds and passenger facility charges that fliers pay with the purchase of each airline ticket.

    Reaching JFK Airport has long been problematic for many travelers because of either cost or time considerations, or both.  The Port Authority noted the trip from midtown Manhattan to JFK can take more than two hours by car or taxi during heavy traffic periods.

    AirTrain will be a boon to many travelers, especially those who can travel light. That includes passengers from other cities. Budget travelers from Philadelphia, for instance, can make the 90-mile rail trip to Penn Station on Septa and New Jersey Transit, or go by bus to the Port Authority bus terminal, for around $20. Taking a Chinatown bus could reduce that cost further.

    US Airways, Expedia patch up differences. US Airways tickets can once again be purchased on the booking site Expedia after the two companies settled a month-long dispute over booking fees. 

    On Nov. 21, the booking giant increased the service fee it charged for US Airways tickets – to $8.99 from $5 – during negotiations over commission charges.

    On Dec. 9, the airline said it had withdrawn its flights from Expedia.com, noting it was the only airline to which the higher charge would apply.

    On Dec. 26, both US Airways and Expedia issued statements saying US Airways tickets could again be purchased through Expedia and that "the details of the partnership are confidential."

    A check of fees for bookings of US Airways flights on Expedia showed the Expedia service charge is once again $5.

    Expedia competitor Travelocity charges $5 per ticket for tickets on most major airlines, and Orbitz assesses a $6 charge. The US Airways site has no charge for booking standard e-tickets.

    Fee disagreements between airlines and the booking agencies have occurred almost since the launch of online booking, usually without much a ripple from the flying public’s perspective.

    But US Airways suggested a higher booking fee creates the impression its flights are more expensive, putting the airline at a disadvantage in the eyes of shoppers.

     

• US Airways opts out of Expedia in fee dispute;  Vegas rooms for $11.35  (Posted Dec. 12, 2003)

  • US Airways-Expedia clash. US Airways said it had withdrawn its flights from Expedia.com after the booking giant increased the service fee it charged for US Airways tickets – to $8.99 from $5 – during negotiations over commission charges. A US Airways e-mail to customers said it was the only airline to which the higher charge would apply and branded the Expedia move as unfair.

    Bookings previously made through Expedia are not affected, both the airline and Expedia said. Negotiations were continuing.

    Teri Franklin, an Expedia spokeswoman, described US Airways as a “valued partner” and said, “We’re hoping to resolve this quickly.”

    Travelers shopping for US Airways tickets have many alternative booking choices, including Travelocity, which charges $5 per ticket for tickets on most major airlines;  Orbitz, which assess a $6 charge, and the US Airways site, which has no charge for booking standard e-tickets.

    Fee disagreements between airlines and the booking agencies have occurred almost since the launch of online booking, usually without much a ripple from the flying public’s perspective.

    But US Airways suggested a higher booking fee creates the impression its flights are more expensive, putting the airline at a disadvantage in the eyes of shoppers.

    The airline made its withdrawal announcement Dec. 9; Expedia said it imposed the new charge on Nov. 21.

    Cheap rooms in Vegas. How does $11.85 a night sound for a hotel room? Las Vegas is renowned for its hotel deals, but the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas is traditionally the height of low room prices. This year is no exception.

    In its annual survey, Las Vegas Advisor newsletter priced rooms at more than 90 casinos and found the weekend of Dec. 14-18 offered the best rates. Eight had prices under $20 per night; 34 had rates under $30. Fifty-one were under $40. The Plaza had an $11.80 rate – the lowest of all – and the Palace Station had a $13 rate.

    Finding bottom-dollar rates at the glitzy newer resorts is tougher. But the newsletter’s survey showed good deals even at them, including $57 at the Luxor, $62 at the  Paris, $70 at the MGM Grand, and $87 at Mandalay Bay.  

• A new booking service for 12 national parks; 12 new cruise ships coming in 2004;  planning for the 60th anniversary of the Normandy invasion; new nonstops to Vail from Philadelphia & Charlotte (Posted Nov. 18 and Dec. 2, 2003)

  • Vacationers aiming to visit any of a dozen national parks next summer can now reserve through an agency that specializes in recreational bookings. ReserveAmerica, based in Los Angeles, said reservations at the parks could be made online starting in January at www.reserveamerica.com.

    The parks involved are:

    • Arches National Park, Utah

    • Big Bend National Park, Texas

    • Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colo.

    •  Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia and North Carolina

    • Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

    • Buffalo National River, Ark.

    • Chickasaw National Recreational Area, Okla.

    • Curecanti National Recreational Area, Colo.

    • Lake Roosevelt National Recreational Area, Wash.

    • Lassen Volcanic National Park, Calif.

    • North Cascades National Park, Wash.

    • Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Mo.

    Cruise report. More than 2.1 million North Americans took cruises in the third quarter of this year, 5 ½ percent more than during the same period last year, and a dozen new ships are scheduled for launching in the new year, an industry trade group said.  The Cruise Lines International Association, whose member lines account for almost all of the  cruise capacity of ships serving North America, reported Dec. 3 that the industry was on pace to meet its estimate of 9.6 million passengers for the year worldwide.

    CLIA said the 12 ships expected to begin service in 2004 will bring to almost 26,400 the number of new cruise beds on the market by the end of the year.

    Normandy Invasion anniversary. Next June 6 will be the 60th anniversary of the Normandy invasion, and tour organizers here and in France are preparing for a surge of visitors planning day trips and longer explorations of the area.

    One of the must-see stops, the Caen Memorial, is offering a new historian-led tour that includes the memorial and the D-Day Landing beaches. A one-day pass costs 65.60 euros, about $77.  A reduced fare of 55.20 euros, about $65, is available for morning departures, for those under 18, and for World War II veterans. The package also includes a book detailing the D-Day Landings in English.

    A one-day package for 89.50 euros, about $105,  includes pick up and return at the Caen railway station and lunch at the Caen Memorial. Two-day packages with lodging also are available.

    Stops on the mini-van tour from the memorial are the artificial harbor at Arromanches, the battery at Longues-sur-Mer, the American Military Cemetery at Colleville, Omaha-Beach, the Pointe du Hoc, and return to the Caen Memorial. 

    The passes can be purchased through the Caen Memorial Web site at www.memorial-caen.fr.

    A Web site devoted to the 60th anniversary is at www.normandy-dday.com, where planning information and more-extensive packages offered by 15 companies can be found. Another site for the region is that of the Western France Tourist Board, www.westernfrancetouristboard.com.

    Skiers’ express. US Airways begins weekend flights to Vail, Colo., on Dec. 20 from Philadelphia and Charlotte, Philadelphia will leave at 9:45 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, arriving in Vail at 12:14 p.m.   Return flights depart Vail at 1:15 p.m. Philadelphia at 6:42 p.m.   Flights from Charlotte will depart on Saturdays at 10:28 a.m., reaching Vail at 10:28 a.m. Return flights leave Vail at 11:40 a.m. US Airways began Saturday nonstop service on Nov. 8 between Philadelphia and San Jose, Costa Rica, and between Charlotte and San Jose. The airline plans to expand the San José service on Feb. 1 to four weekly from Philadelphia and four from Charlotte. . . . US Airways said it will begin seasonal nonstop service between Glasgow, Scotland, and Philadelphia on May 8.

    Casino robberies. Mississippi casinos are getting robbed in record numbers, reports the Las Vegas Advisor newsletter, with police reporting 23 robberies in the first 10 months of the year. That was more than all the casino robberies combined since 1994, the newsletter said. In Mississippi, countermeasures include posting local police guards 24 hours a day in Tunica, where 18 of the robberies happened. Tunica is home to 10 casinos.

    Five-star restaurant. Le Bec-Fin in Philadelphia has been awarded a five-star rating for 2004 by Mobil Travel Guide. The restaurant had won the designation for 20 years in a row until 2000, when it garnered only four stars. The five-star rating was restored in 2003. Le Bec-Fin is one of 14 North American restaurants to earn the rating, and the only one in Pennsylvania.

• Perkiomen Trail is completed, dedicated  Posted 11/22/03

  • The Perkiomen Trail was dedicated Saturday [Nov. 22], only days after completion of the final one-mile stretch of the 19-mile path in Montgomery County, Pa.,  between Oaks and Green Lane. The final section includes a new  bridge across Perkiomen Creek between Graterford and Schwenksville. 

    L to R: John Wood, Michael Marino, Keith Laughlin speaking.  (Click to enlarge)

    Several hundred people turned out in brilliant sunshine at Green Lane Park to hear John Wood, director of trail development, jubilantly declare the path completed. The festive audience was dense with children, dogs, bikers and, on the periphery, more than two dozen riders atop their horses. 

    Wood praised the county commissioners, particularly chairman Michael Marino, for forcefully promoting the trail's development.

    That sentiment was repeated by the keynote speaker, Keith Laughlin, president of the national Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. "For this to be completed in 3 1/2 years is truly extraordinary," Laughlin said, noting that usually such a trail can be seven to 10 years in the making.

    The new bridge

    "If not for the leadership of commissioner Mike Marino, this trail would still be a plan on paper," said Laughlin.

    He said that nationwide more than 12,600 miles of rail trails have been completed. "These trails provide multiple benefits for communities. They provide safe places for family recreation."

    "In many of these communities it becomes an engine of economic revitalization," Laughlin said, noting the growth of B&Bs, bike shops, and other business that cater to trail users. 

    "These trails become, in effect, long linear parks that preserve the green space.  I can assure you, the longer the trail is open, the more popular it will be."

    With the commissioners and other county officials looking on proudly, a replica of the dedication plaque was unveiled, after which the officials and the crowd moved a few yards to the trail for a ribbon-cutting.

    With the ribbon down, bikers surged forward, followed by horse riders and people on foot. 

    The trail's other end is in Lower Perkiomen Valley Park, where the path meets the Schuylkill River Trail near Valley Forge National Historical Park. The Schuylkill River Trail continues for 25 miles to the Phil