The book “On the Tracks of 007” by Martijn Mulder includes 30 stories of the author’s travel to locations that have been featured in James Bond films. It contains a list of every filming location used from the 1962 “Dr. No” to the 2006 “Casino Royale”; travel directions; historical background info, and 665 photos showing filming locations as they look today.
In an ultraluxury self-drive group tour, travel at your own pace in a choice of classic cars from the late ’50s to early ’70s — Alfa Romeos, Lancias and Fiats — with Italy by Vintage Car Tour (based in Italy, with US office at Whitman, MA; 781/275-1188, www.vintagecartour.com).
Example from October 2008 — with a group of four to eight cars (two per car) and starting and ending in Naples, the 5-day Amalfi Coast trip cost $9,995 per person, double occupancy.
You can drive or ride in a Ferrari on an overnight shore excursion in Italy with Crystal Cruises (888/722-0021, www.crystalcruises.com or see a travel agent).
After a driving lesson, a convoy of Ferraris follows a lead car from Lazio to Tuscany along the Mille Miglia route. The trip includes stops in Pienza, Florence and Pisa; an overnight at Fonteverde Natural Spa Resort, and limo return to the ship.
Beit She’an National Park, located in the Jordan Valley, has a multimedia “She’an Nights” tour. Visitors hear stories, song and music and see presentations projected onto dozens of screens as they stroll through the streets of the excavated Roman-Byzantine-era city of Scythopolis. They’ll meet “local characters” and “experience” the earthquake that destroyed the city in AD 749.
In Ayutthaya, Thailand, you can ride, feed and bathe an elephant at the Royal Elephant Kraal & Village, about an hour away from Bangkok, where the Elephantstay (Royal Elephant Kraal & Village, 74/1 M.3 Tumbol Suanpik, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, 13000, Thailand; phone [66] 80668 7727, www.elephantstay.com) program is involved in the research, rescue and rehabilitation of elephants.
These are the locations of some of the Christmas markets operating in Vienna, Austria, in 2008.
• Vienna City Hall, Nov. 15-Dec. 24 — in the park facing City Hall. Held annually for 700 years.
• Schönbrunn Palace, Nov. 22-Dec. 26 — handicrafts and gifts. Choirs, brass bands and ensembles perform. On weekends, games for children plus decorating of cookies and gingerbread in the Imperial Bakery of Café Residenz Schönbrunn.
People with phones that run Nokia Maps now can download Lonely Planet guides directly to their phone.
From inside Nokia Maps 2.0, select “Extras,” “Guides” and then “Download more Guides” to browse the catalog of city guides. If you’re already in your target country, local guides will appear in the list. If not, click on “Options” and “More Destinations” to browse the 56 countries for which guides are available.
TourCrafters (Libertyville, IL; 800/482-5995, www.tourcrafters.com) has a 5-day/4-night “Paris City Break” package from $575 per person, double, out of New York.
Valid Nov. 1-March 31, 2009 (except second half of December), and subject to availability, it includes airfare, hotel, buffet breakfasts, service charges and taxes but excludes airport taxes of $112 and fuel surcharges. Restrictions apply.
Hapag-Lloyd is offering bilingual cruises in 2009 on which travel documents, daily programs, entertainment, shore excursions, announcements, safety drills and menus will be in English as well as German. The crew also will speak English.
The Europa will offer seven bilingual cruises, and the two expedition ships Hanseatic and Bremen will offer a total of 15. Itineraries are available for Arctic, Antarctic, South America, South Seas, Asia and Europe cruises.
Marking the 250th anniversary of the death of composer Georg Friedrich Händel, a 13-night “Baroque Music Festival” cruise is being offered by Peter Deilmann Cruises (Alexandria, VA; 800/348-8287, www.deilmann-cruises.com/theme), May 21-June 3, 2009.
Enjoying on-board concerts, MS Deutschland passengers will sail from/to Hamburg and visit London, Aberdeen, Ullapool, Dublin, Cobh and Brugge.