Europe

A Paris vacation is a dream trip, but it doesn’t have to be a wallet breaker.

REPORT ON HUNGARY…

The subject of July’s photo is the “Crocodile Rock,” one of the painted rocks on the Isle of Cumbrae, off the coast of North Ayrshire, Scotland. The croc, in Cumbrae’s only town, Millport, is not far from the pub which its creator, retired architect Robert Brown, had just visited on the day in 1913 when he decided to paint this cheerful reptile. The paint has been touched up over the years, but Brown’s original design remains intact.

The Swiss Knife Valley Visitor Center (Bahnhofstrasse 3, 6440 Brunnen, Switzerland) in Brunnen features information on scenic spots nearby plus a multimedia presentation on how Victorinox Swiss Army knives are made. (The knife’s ancestor was patented in 1897.) A museum as well as a store offering regional specialties and Victorinox products are on the ground floor.

On June 1, Bulgaria expanded its ban on smoking in public to include school courtyards, playgrounds, cinemas, restaurants, bars and cafés. Since 2005, smoking had been banned in government buildings, schools and airports and on public transportation.

Fines for smokers breaking the law run BGN300-BGN500 ($192-$320), and business owners face fines of up to BGN5,000 for the first offense, increasing to BGN10,000 for further violations.

ITN reported that the new Willy Brandt Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) would open on June 3 (June ’12, pg. 68). Because German authorities are concerned about fire-safety systems, the opening has been delayed until March 2013.

In April, in response to noise complaints, Frankfurt International Airport (FRA) imposed a curfew on all flights between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., in accordance with a ruling by the Federal Administrative Court in Germany. The court also reduced from 150 to 133 the number of flights allowed in the “shoulder hours.” The airport is the second busiest in Europe for cargo traffic, and this will negatively affect many firms that depend on night deliveries.

Switzerland’s Preda-Bergün toboggan run is the longest in Europe that is illuminated for nighttime use; you can sled until 11:30 p.m. The 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) course begins in Preda and drops 400 meters (1,300 feet). Average run time is half an hour (fastest record is five minutes).

Visitors take a narrow-gauge train from Bergün to reach the head of the run in Preda. A single-run ticket costs CHF13 (near $13) for an adult or CHF6.6 for a child (12-17). A half-day ticket costs CHF26 for an adult, with a full-day ticket costing CHF36 for an adult or CHF18 for a child.

In honor of Queen Elizabeth II — on the occasion of her 60th year since ascending to the throne — the tower in London’s Palace of Westminster that houses Big Ben (which is the name of the Great Bell inside the 4-faced clock atop the Clock Tower) has been renamed the Elizabeth Tower by the House of Commons.

11-day / 10-night tour of TURKEY, May 3-13, 2013. Highlights: Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia in Istanbul / Ankara’s Anatolian History Museum / underground cities in Cappadocia / Roman ruins in Aphrodisias / Ephesus / Hellenistic Pergamon / Troy / Gallipoli. Land, $1,925. Single supp., $595. TunisUSA (Wayne, PA; 888/474-5502).