Travel News You Can Use
By Judy Newell, June 15, 2007



New high speed rail Frankfurt to Paris

The new Frankfurt to Paris rail line opens June 10. The line is France’s new TGV East line that links to Germany, Luxembourg and Switzerland. The trains will be able to reach up to 320 km. per hour and will make the trip from Frankfurt to Paris in three and a half hours, compared to six hours and fifteen minutes today. The line is being billed as the start of a Europe-wide high-speed rail network.

It will cost approximately US$133 for a second-class ticket between Frankfurt and Paris, while a roundtrip air ticket costs about US$268. The time by train or plane works out to roughly the same if you factor in time from home or hotel to the airport, security and waiting around for the flight.


New British museums

The Household Cavalry Museum opens in London on June 12. The new museum celebrates the 364-year history of the regiment and its opening will be attended by the Queen. The museum is on Horse Guards Parade. For more information, go to www.householdcavalry.co.uk. 

Another new museum is opening on the Shetland Islands off the coast of Scotland. The islands have a rich maritime history and the new museum highlights a collection of historic Shetland boats and more than 3,000 artifacts. The museum opens June 2. For more information, go to www.shetland-museum.org.uk. 

Just what you’ve dreamed of—Home, wine & cosmetic surgery

Baja Resort Advisors, a La Jolla, California-based resort development firm, said it would build a master-planned residential complex, vineyard and resort community in the Guadalupe Valley. The area, known as the Napa Valley of Mexico, is located just east of Ensenada. The Village at the Vineyard will be a joint venture with Liceaga Winery, a Baja California vintner. 

Construction is scheduled to begin this fall and be completed in 18 months. The US$40 million development will include a boutique hotel with as many as 36 suites and a spa; a 15-acre, Tuscan-style village with 75 private homes; a 50-acre winery; and a cosmetic surgery center. The homes would be available for rent when the owners are away.


Delta adds more Mexico flights 

Delta Air Lines is growing its West Coast gateways to Mexico and Latin America at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) with new nonstop flights to León, effective July 1. To celebrate the new service, Delta is offering a special low introductory rate from Los Angeles to León of US$99 one-way. For more information, visit www.delta.com. Good luck finding one—I’ve already tried.


Chichen Itza—Too much attention?

Mexico’s Chichen Itza is getting concerned that it could become a victim of its success if it is named one of the “New Seven Wonders of the World.” It is competing against such wonders as the Taj Mahal and the Eiffel Tower. People in the area are worried that this is going to bring a flood of tourists and the extra wear-and-tear could force authorities to limit tourist traffic. 

About 1.2 million people visit the site each year. Archaeologists have just finished a two-year restoration of the El Castillo Pyramid, including work on the so-called Jaguar Chamber, which has a statue of a red-colored jaguar encrusted with jade stones and is yet to be opened to the public. 


AAA nonmembers welcome

Previously, the only way to access resources at the American Automobile Association’s website (aaa.com) was to enter an account number. This annoyed members, who rarely had the number handy, as well as nonmembers, who were excluded. 

But AAA recently dropped the restriction. Now anyone can look up its tens of thousands of restaurant and hotel listings. It also provides driving directions and helpful traffic info about construction and road closures, and you can customize maps to incorporate up to 20 stops or to avoid tolls. Why bother with membership at all? It’s the only way to get AAA hotel discounts and roadside assistance. 


Biloxi’s “Cheeseburger in Paradise” 

Harrah’s Entertainment and famed singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett announced May 15 that they will open a Margaritaville Casino & Resort in Biloxi, Miss. in early 2010. The US$704 million project will break ground this summer as the largest development in the state since Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast region two years ago. The 798-room resort will feature a full-service spa, a pool, a casino, and other guest services.

Sources: ARTA, Travel Weekly, Modern Agent