7 Days; 7 Travel Stories

1. New Food Group

According to a recent survey released by the Travel Industry Association of America and the National Restaurant Association, food is central to deciding vacation destinations for at least 25% of leisure travelers. About 58% of American leisure travelers say they are somewhat or very interested in taking a trip to engage in culinary or wine-related activities. These gastro-tourists are not only driven by the new-found concern for the origin of food but they also want to learn the history and culture of their favorite cuisines. economictimes.indiatimes.com

2. Train Fetishes

All aboard. Askmen.com has come up with a list of the top train trips around the world, rating them on attributes like amenities, comfort, convenient routes, reasonable fares, and technology. Here goes:

TGV, France--The French sense of style extends to train travel and the TGV is an acronym for "train grande vitesse" - or high-speed train -- which can travel at 357 mph while the passenger runs hit 200 mph. Top route: Lorraine - Champagne-Ardenne

Japan Railways Group, Japan--Japan's original 130-mph bullet train of 1964 has inspired imitators, but the country's high-speed trains are still among the fastest and most technologically advanced and are reliable, safe and fast. Passengers aren't treated to the same 361-mph top speed achieved in testing, but 186 mph still isn't bad. Top route: Tokyo - Shin-Osaka

Eurostar, England--There are Eurostar lines throughout the continent and they're some of the best ways to get around. The 1,290-foot trains cruise up to 186 mph in certain areas. But one route stands apart -- it's the trip through the Channel Tunnel, with the journey beginning at London's historic St. Pancras International train station and ending in Paris. Top route: London – Paris

ICE/NachtZug, Germany--Deutsche Bahn keeps passengers moving by day with their efficient and popular InterCityExpress, better known as ICE. For overnight trips, there's the inviting NachtZug, or Night Train, which is a refreshing trip. Top route: ICE "Sprinter": Berlin - Frankfurt; NachtZug: Hagen – Prague

TAV, Italy--Many Italians like traveling by car or plane but trains are gaining popularity beyond intra-city use and considerable efforts are being made to emulate and connect with Europe's finest. Top route: Rome – Florence

Also on the list: Russian Railways, Russia--St. Petersburg – Moscow; KTX, South Korea--Seoul – Pusan; AVE, Spain--Madrid – Seville; Great Southern Rail Limited, Australia-- Sydney to Perth; VR, Finland—Just about anywhere from Helsinki

3. Clausets

Five of the worst clauses you'll find in a travel contract:

In a Celebrity Cruises contract: "No undertaking or warranty shall be given or shall be implied as to the seaworthiness, fitness or condition of the Vessel or any food or drink supplied on board."

What American Airlines won’t compensate you for in case these items are lost in transit: antiques, artifacts, artwork, books and documents, china, computers and other electronic equipment, computer software, fragile items.

In your hotel room on the policy sign on the backside of the entry door: "Hotel is not responsible for lost or stolen items."

At the rental car place: A few years ago Hertz quietly changed its contract language to say that if your rental was damaged in a natural disaster, you were liable for it. Avis says "We may repossess the car anytime it is found illegally parked, being used to violate the law or this Agreement, or appears to be abandoned…We may also repossess the car anytime we discover you made a misrepresentation to obtain the car. You agree that we needn't notify you in advance."

Frequent flier rule gem: the airline can change the rules whenever it wants to and that they can delete your miles for pretty much any reason. MSNBC.com

4. Going Green

In a move to become more environment-friendly, one of Europe’s largest hotel operators, Scandic, announced it is has decided to stop selling bottled water in its restaurants and during conferences. The hotel chain calculates that this move will cut fossil carbon dioxide emissions by 160 tons per year. It claims it currently sells around 1.2 million liters of water, equating to 3.6 million 33cl bottles, every year. Instead of bottled water, Scandic will now offer its guests chilled and filtered water, both still and carbonated, from taps.

The taps will ensure that valuable minerals and salts are retained while unwanted chemicals are removed. Scandic’s guests will still be able to have their water bottled – but filling the bottle at the hotel avoids unnecessary shipments of water impacting on the environment. According to the Stockholm Consumer Cooperative Society, bottled water generates 1,000 times the carbon dioxide emissions created by the same quantity of tap water.

Meanwhile, the government of Cambodia has given priority to the development of the country’s tourism industry, focusing on cultural and eco-tourism in order to promote the advancement of national economy and rapid poverty alleviation. One site under development is Prasat Preah Vihear, an eleventh century monument in Preah Vihear province, northern Cambodia, that is revered as one of the greatest Khmer temples.

Preah Vihear Temple is located in a pleasant environment with an attractive countryside slightly east of the mid section of the Dongrek Mountains. It is perched on the edge of a giant cliff, about 525 meters above sea level in Preah Vihear Province, Northern part of Cambodia. It is also situated close to the Cambodia-Thai border Sisaket province.
The Preah Vihear temple was built from year 900 to 1150. Preah Vihear, which means sacred monastery in Khmer, was built over a span of about 300 years, starting in the 9th century.

The Cambodian government has plans to develop the Preah Vihear temple into a cultural tourism destination in an effort to reach the goal of attracting 3 million tourists by 2010. The government has also proposed that the sacred Hindu Temple be listed as a World Heritage site because of its outstanding historical, cultural and universal value.

5. This and That

Beginning April 1, people in England age 60 and over will be able to travel on local bus services for free. The free travel applies during off peak hours, all weekend and for two full weeks over Christmas. Jaunted.com

http://www.attitudehotels.com/ announced a list of 27 gay and lesbian –friendly member hotels in 14 countries in Europe and the US.

On Sunday, the so-called open-skies agreement goes into effect, allowing airlines based in the US and Europe to fly across the Atlantic between any two airports in each region. The agreement is likely to spell more choices and cheaper fares for travelers.

Last year the airlines lost 7 bags per 1,000 passengers, up from 3.2 in 02, according to the US Department of Transportation. As a result, shipping bags ahead of flight through private carriers and the US postal service has increased dramatically. It costs between $48 and $149 to ship a 65-pound suitcase from NY to SF in five to seven business days. AP

All ears…A Finnish tourist was detained after allegedly stealing the right ear from one of the massive Moai statues on Easter Island. Some of the island’s 400 Moai are more than 70 feet tall. However, most have an average height of 20 feet and weigh about 22 tons. AP

6. Travel Tales

The Vatican's official travel agency, Romana Opera, will begin operating six weekly charter flights to Israel. Of late, the Israeli Tourism Ministry has gone to considerable lengths to attract Catholic pilgrims to the local holy sites. The net result: a 70% increase in tourism from Italy last February. The ministry's director-general estimated that the new endeavor will result in some 7,000 additional hotel reservations, particularly in Bethlehem. Some 500,000 pilgrims visited Israel in 2007, marking a 25% increase from the previous year. About 80,000 pilgrims visited the country in January and February of 2008, up 30% from the same time last year. Ynet.com

Slow Down You’re Traveling Too Fast…Ed Gillespie just returned home after 381 days on the road. Gillespie's voyage took him from his home in south London through Europe, Mongolia, Japan, Australia, French Polynesia, Mexico and Central America. And he didn’t take a plane to do so. Among his modes of transport: hump of a camel, bicycle and cargo ship. Gillespie said it took him 16 days to cross the Pacific Ocean. Find out more about Gillespie's trip, including his effort to move great distances with the smallest carbon footprint possible, at http://www.lowcarbontravel.com/

7. The Best Travel Web Sites

William J. McGee of Condé Nast Traveler likes these Web sites best courtesy of MSNBC:

Airline tickets: http://www.kayak.com/, http://www.itasoftware.com/
Knowing when to book: http://www.farecast.com/, http://www.farecompare.com/
Airline reviews: http://www.airlinequality.com/, http://www.seatguru.com/
Airport and flight information: http://www.faa.gov/, http://www.flightstats.com/ Security checkpoint wait times: www.Waittime.tsa.dhs.gov/index.html
DOT’s Aviation Consumer Protection Division: www.airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/reports/index.htm
Booking flights in Europe: http://www.wegolo.com/, http://www.opodo.com/
Booking flights in Asia: http://www.zuji.com/, http://www.vayama.com/
Booking hotels in the US: http://www.hotels.com/, http://www.orbitz.com/
Bidding on affordable luxury hotels: http://www.luxurylink.com/

[and then there is always http://www.itinarod.com/ for the best of everything travel related]

Rich’s Weekend Reader is published by AndTyler222 Communications. All rights reserved. Information from various sources and mostly rewritten. andtyler222@verizon.net http://www.itinarod.com/