Travel Briefs

The process of removing metal scaffolding that has encased Notre Dame cathedral in Paris for months, having melted and fused there during the fire in April 2019, began on June 8. The scaffolding was on the building due to restoration work that was being done when the fire broke out. The work to remove the scaffolding is expected to take up to four months.

Notre Dame has not reopened to the public. Reconstruction work cannot begin until after the scaffolding has been removed.

At Postojna Cave in Slovenia, visitors can take a 5-hour “adventure tour” led by expert spelunkers through parts of the cave system not open to most visitors.

A map of Australia that shows the COVID-19 travel restrictions for each state and territory, and which is continuously updated, can be found at www.australia.com/en/travel-alerts/australian-travel-status-map.html.

The map only shows rules regarding travel within Australia. At press time, Australia’s borders were closed to all foreign travelers aside from New Zealanders.

A new-model shin kansen (bullet train), the N700S, began operating on the Tokaido Line, between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka, on July 1. The line is on the Japan Rail system, so a JR Pass can be used.

The train’s engine creates less noise and vibration than previous models, and cabins have softer lighting. Each seat has a power plug to recharge electronics plus the ability to fully recline. The N700S also has battery backup, so it can continue to operate, at lower speeds, in case power is lost due to an event such as an earthquake.

Leaving from Reykjavík, Iceland, the “Eyjafjallajökull Super Jeep Tour,” operated by Arctic Adventures (+354 562 7000, adventures.is), takes guests to the Eyjafjallajökull Volcano, which last erupted in 2010, while also visiting Gígjökull Glacier and Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfalls.

The tour, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., includes pickup and drop-off at each guest’s hotel or certain other locations in Reykjavík plus a driver, a guide and a picnic lunch. Offered year-round, it costs $290 per person.

To view ancient indigenous rock art in the upper peninsula of Queensland, Australia, visitors can take either a jeep or helicopter with Jarramali Rock Art Tours (Laura, Queensland, Australia; phone +61 402 805 821, jarramalirockarttours.com.au).

Featuring carvings and paintings over 20,000 years old, the rock art location is accessible only to members of this tour, guided by one of the Traditional Owners of the land, who will narrate stories depicted on the rock.

Due to concerns about COVID-19, on May 14 Seychelles banned cruise ships from docking at the port in the capital city, Victoria, the only cruise port in the country, until at least 2022. At press time, Seychelles had recorded only 11 cases of COVID-19, with no deaths.

• The Italian island of Sicily revealed that, once travel restrictions in Italy are lifted, the Sicilian government will encourage travel to the island by paying for 50% of the cost of plane tickets and for one of every three hotel nights for foreign visitors in 2020. Vouchers for free museum visits and events will also be available.

The short-term-rental service Airbnb (www.airbnb.com) has created a cleaning protocol for hosts, based on recommendations from the CDC, to help ensure the health and safety of their guests. The protocol is optional for hosts, but potential guests will be able to see which hosts have been trained in the program before choosing rentals.

On May 19, the European airline EasyJet announced that more than 9 million online customer accounts had been compromised in a hacking attack dating back to January. Information stolen included email addresses and travel histories. At least 2,208 customers also had all of their credit card information stolen. EasyJet said that by early April, they had notified each customer whose credit card information had been stolen.