Travel Briefs
Cliffs of Moher app
A new smartphone app, “Cliffs of Moher,” has been created for the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience (www.cliffsofmoher.ie) in County Clare, Ireland.
Canada cruises restart date
Canada’s ban on ships carrying more than 100 people in its territorial waters, originally scheduled to end March 1, 2022 (April ’21, pg. 5), was amended on July 16 to end Nov. 1, 2021.
Eiffel Tower reopens
In Paris, the Eiffel Tower (www.toureiffel.paris/en) reopened to visitors on July 16 after being closed for eight months due to COVID-19.
Cruise lines’ planned schedules
Carnival Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Line have multiple cruises scheduled to leave from US ports in September and October. However, each one must still be approved by the CDC before being allowed to depart, with those decisions to be made closer to the embarkation dates.
Italy/Switzerland ‘Foliage Train’
The “Foliage Train,” known locally as the Centovalli (100 Valleys), runs 52 kilometers between Domodossola, Italy, and Locarno, Switzerland. It operates from mid-October to mid-November each year, when the trees begin to shed their leaves. Each car features full-length windows.
Darwin’s Arch collapses
Darwin’s Arch, a natural rock arch off the coast of Darwin Island in the Galápagos Islands, collapsed due to natural erosion on May 17, leaving behind two pillars now being called the Pillars of Evolution.
Another cruise approved
The Centers for Disease Control approved Royal Caribbean International’s Freedom of the Seas to embark from Miami on July 2 for a Bahamas cruise — the second cruise approved to leave from the US since the CDC suspended cruising on March 14, 2020.
Interactive Estonia map
Those interested in visiting Estonia can plan their trip with the help of an interactive map available on Estonia’s tourism website. On the map, travelers can check off topics they are interested in, such as festivals, bird-watching, museums, churches or shopping.
COVID testing centers website
At press time, most countries in the world allowing US travelers to enter required that passengers each present a negative COVID-19 test regardless of vaccination status. Likewise, US travelers must present a test when returning to the US.
Colosseum underground opens
The underground passageways and corridors, or hypogeum, of Rome’s Colosseum opened to the public for the first time in the modern era on June 26 after a lengthy restoration. Entry to the hypogeum is included with an “Underground and Arena Full Experience” ticket (€22, near $26).
European airlines nix Belarus
A Ryanair flight from Athens, Greece, to Vilnius, Lithuania, was diverted by a fighter jet to Minsk, Belarus, on May 23 so that Belarusian authorities could arrest a dissident journalist and his girlfriend who were on board.
First US cruise approved
The Centers for Disease Control approved a Caribbean cruise scheduled to leave from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on June 26 with Celebrity Cruises (888/751-7804, www.celebritycruises.com), making it the first paid cruise to depart from the US since March 20
Iceland snowmobile tour
In northern Iceland in winter, visitors can take a snowmobile tour on frozen Lake Mývatn with Nonni Travel (Brekkygata 5, Akureyri, Iceland; phone +354 461 1841, nonnitravel.is).
Countries open to vaccinated travelers
As of press time, The following countries had opened or waived testing and/or quarantining requirements for vaccinated travelers. (A person is not considered vaccinated until two weeks after their final injection.)
No restrictions for Dominican Republic
On April 27, the Dominican Republic announced that it was removing all COVID-19 restrictions for incoming travelers.
France ends short-haul flights
In an effort to reduce air pollution, French lawmakers approved a plan to ban domestic flights along routes that can be reached by train in less than 2½ hours. Connecting flights along the banned routes from major airports are still allowed but are not able to be booked as stand-alone flights.
Madeira skywalk
At the top of Cabo Girão, a sea cliff on the south side of the Portuguese island of Madeira, visitors will find the glass-bottomed Cabo Girão Skywalk 1,900 feet above the Atlantic Ocean.
AA rebooks missed flights
As of April 20, American Airlines (www.aa.com) now rebooks passengers who missed their flights by no more than 15 minutes onto the next available flight at no additional cost.