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9-day/9-night tour in France and Spain, Oct. 3-11, 2009. Highlights: In FRANCE, explore Biarritz’s Les Halles marketplace with a chef; learn to cook Basque specialties/in Bayonne, visit a chocolatier/go wine tasting/shop in markets of St. Jean Pied du Port and St. Jean du Luz/in San Sebastian, SPAIN, do a “tapas crawl.” Land price, $3,695. Single supplement, $400.
Your Great Days In Paris (Medford, MA; 781/391-6183).
10 days/9 nights, May 8-17, 2010. Highlights: 6-night river cruise aboard M/S Casanova, beginning in Rotterdam and Delft, HOLLAND/visit windmills of Kinderdijk/in BELGIUM, medieval Bruges/Antwerp/Brussels/100 varieties of tulips and more at Keukenkhof Gardens near Amsterdam/fly to Munich, GERMANY/2,000 performers recreate Christ’s Passion in Oberammergau. Land/cruise, from $5,299. Single supplement, $900.
General Tours (Keene, NH; 800/221-2216, www.generaltours.com).
By joining the Royal Oak Foundation (New York, NY; 800/913-6565, ext. 205, or 212/480-2889, www.royal-oak.org), American visitors to Britain can enjoy unlimited free entry to more than 350 National Trust destinations: historic houses, gardens, castles, nature reserves and UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
At hotels and holiday cottages owned by the National Trust, Royal Oak members also get a 25% discount on all published room-and-breakfast rates and a 10% discount on all published seasonal breaks, plus a free room upgrade.
Designed for self-drive travelers in New Zealand, the Kruse® audio guide includes more than 2,000 point-of-interest commentaries, among them Maori legends, suggestions for photo stops, information about flora and fauna and directions to sights such as fossilized whalebones.
The small device sits on a car’s dashboard and works with compatible FM radios. For car rentals of a week or more, the Kruse® costs NZ$10 (near US$6) per day, and for a 3- to 6-day rental it costs NZ$12.50 per day (minimum, 3-day rental).
Available only in conjunction with any of their travel insurance or medical evacuation plans, Medex Global Group, Inc. (Baltimore, MD; 800/537-2029 or 410/453-6300, www.medexassist.com) offers analyses of the quality of health care and medical facilities in any of 237 countries.
Each 360°m Global Medical Monitor report covers one country’s current medical alerts, top diseases, required vaccinations, health care conditions and medical risk ratings and also lists local preferred hospitals and Medex emergency contact information.
The Kids Travel Card is a customized photo ID card for children, with information such as home address, food allergies, parents’ names and emergency contact.
It costs $10.95 plus $10.99 shipping (in CA, add 7.75% tax) and includes a lanyard. Duplicate cards in the same order cost $4.95 (plus $3.25, lanyard).
Travel ID Cards (Box 214673, Sacramento, CA 95821; 800/462-2328 or 916/803-1665, www.kidstravelcard.com).
Hestasport-Activity Tours (Vegamót, 560 Varmahlíð, Iceland; phone +[354] 453 8383, fax 8384, www.rafting.is) offers whitewater rafting trips in northern Iceland. From May until Mid-July, the region has sunlight 24 hours a day, which allows for rafting at midnight, not to mention a mid-ride stopover for pancakes and hot chocolate with rum.
A 4-hour trip on the West Glacial River includes 1½ to two hours on the river, costs ISK6,500 (near $68), with drysuits, booties, gloves and helmet, and must be arranged in advance.
“Stern’s Guide to the Cruise Vacation” by Steven B. Stern (2009, Pelican Publishing. $26 paperback) covers the history, vital statistics, physical details and price categories of nearly 430 ships from more than 50 cruise lines and rates the ships and lines (1 to 6 stars). Photos of ships, decks and interiors are included.
The guide also gives info and tips on major ports of call, including attractions and restaurants. It is available at bookstores, online or by calling Pelican Publishing (800/843-1724, www.pelicanpub.com).
For travelers with special requirements to accommodate their handicaps, Special Needs at Sea (2860 West State Rd. 84, Ste. 107, Dania Beach, FL 33312; 800/513-4515, www.specialneedsatsea.com) provides equipment to rent or buy, including mobility aides, patient lifts, oxygen equipment, devices for the blind or deaf and even materials for companion dogs.
Silversea Cruises (Ft. Lauderdale, FL; 800/722-9955, www.silversea.com) is offering free airfare for cruises in Europe and South America on bookings made before March 31, 2009. Example — a 7-day voyage from Stockholm to Copenhagen with stops in Helsinki and Tallinn plus a 2-night stay in Saint Petersburg costs $7,395-$24,095 per person, double, excluding port charges.