Travel Briefs

Travelers with layovers of six to 12 hours at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport can take any of 15 tours of four to seven hours from/to the airport. Example — the four-hour “City & Temple Tour,” at 1,100 baht (near $33) per person for two people, visiting the Golden Buddha, pagodas of Wat Pho and the marble temple of Benchamabophit.

Book a tour by calling 0 2134 4262, visiting the Transfer Passenger Tour Counter in the departure area on the second-floor Concourse F or in the Transit...

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The rococo palace of Frederik VIII (Amalienborg Slotsplads 1, 1257 Copenhagen, Denmark; phone +45 2257 3020) is being renovated and modernized as a residence for Denmark’s Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary. It will be open to the public Tuesday-Sunday, Feb. 27-May 30, 2010. Entry, DK40 (near $8).

Built in 1760, the palace was last renovated in 1828. The current renovation restored the exterior to its look before 1828.

The 126-year run of the Orient Express* ended on Dec. 13, 2009. 

When the service was inaugurated in 1883 by entrepreneur Georges Nagelmacher, it ran twice a week from Paris to Varna, Bulgaria, where a ferry took passengers on to Istanbul. Later, the rail line was extended to Istanbul. 

In its first decades, the train became the stuff of story and legend. “Dracula” used it as a setting, as did Ian Fleming in the James Bond novel “To Russia With Love.” Agatha Christie was...

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The London Sightseeing Pass and the Paris Sightseeing Pass allow free entry to, respectively, over 55 attractions in London (such as Hampton Court Palace and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre) or 55 in Paris (including the Louvre and a Seine River cruise) plus discounts at selected restaurants and shops or on tours. Avoid long lines by showing your pass at the door.

The London pass costs £39 (near $65) adult or £26 child (five to 15) for one day on up to £89/£62 for a six-day pass. (A 6-day...

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Visitors to Nottinghamshire, England, can follow a Robin Hood Trail that takes in seven locations associated with the legend, including Nottingham Castle and Sherwood Forest. A free audio tour is available on CD or, along with a map, can be downloaded to an MP3 player from the website www.robinhoodbreaks.com.

Projects Abroad (New York, NY; 888/839-3535) offers two-week learning vacations in 24 countries. There are projects in conservation, archaeology, language classes, coaching children’s sports, medical aid and care giving. While most volunteers are between 18 and 25 years old, projects are open to those 16 through 75.

The cost of the two-week projects runs $2,195-$2,895 and covers accommodation; food; travel and medical insurance, and support from the staff at home and abroad. It does...

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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...

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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...

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