Travel Briefs

In Prague, Czech Republic, the “Golden Lane” is an alley lined with small, colorful 16th-century houses, part of the Prague Castle complex. Number 22 Golden Lane was home to author Franz Kafka from 1916 to 1917. The passage will be closed for renovations until May 1, 2011.

Also part of Prague Castle, Rosenberg Palace, built in the 16th century and rebuilt in the Baroque style as the Residence for Noblewomen in 1756, opened to the public for the first time on April 6. The palace’s Holy Trinity chapel has unique frescoes. Palace entry is included with castle admission.

For a one-day pass to Jordan’s Petra Archaeological Park, the entry fee rose by 50% on March 1 and will jump another 50% on Nov. 1, 2010 — a rise from JD40 on Jan. 1 to JD90 (near $127) at year’s end.

Fees may be paid only in Jordanian dinars, with no credit cards accepted. Fees for overnight visitors also go up in November (ex., from JD33 for one night to JD50).

Fees include a horse ride from the visitor center to the Siq plus guide service, maps and brochures. Visit www.go2jordan.info.

The home of the English pottery industry and of the Staffordshire Hoard gold artifacts, Stoke-on-Trent, England, is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2010. The city’s tourism board (Victoria Hall, Cultural Quarter, Stoke-on-Trent City Centre ST1 3AD; phone 01782 236000) has organized exhibitions, talks and walks.

After floods and landslides wiped out access to Machu Picchu in January-February, repairs allowed Peru Rail to begin limited train service on April 1. It was expected that by May, repairs would support heavier locomotives and full trains. 

Entrance tickets to Machu Picchu, strictly limited, can be purchased only in Cusco. Visitors travel from Cusco by bus or car (about three hours) or from Ollantaytambo to the Piscacucho station and board the train there. Rail repairs between Cusco and Piscacucho may not be completed until June.

Cited as of the world’s best restaurants, elBulli, located beside Cala Montjoi bay on Spain’s Catalan coast, will be closed during 2012 and 2013, Chef Ferran Adrià announced. 

In the six months a year the restaurant was open, Adrià worked 15-hour days, and he needs a break. Hinting at a radical format change, he said, “When we come back in 2014, it’s not going to be the same.”

Cell phone service providers lose revenue when people use VoIP (voice over internet protocol) on their mobile phones to link to the Internet and make free phone calls with programs like Skype.

In March, the Egyptian government banned the use of services like Skype for cell phone calls made over Egypt’s three national mobile networks (Vodafone, Mobinil and Etisalat). The ban does not affect cell phones using international mobile phone providers. Also, the ban does not affect fixed-line Internet calls made using a computer/laptop.

A free application for smartphones running Windows Mobile, Blackberry and Google’s Android contains the locations, descriptions and contact information for hotels, restaurants and activities in Vancouver and can show these places on a map. Download the app at www.tourismvancouver.com/download or on your device’s application store.

On Feb. 9, 2010, the State Department proposed increases — possibly to go into effect as soon as mid-April — in all fees for applications for US passports and passport cards.

The total cost of a first-time adult passport now will be $135 (up from $100), and an adult passport renewal will cost $110 (was $95). A set of extra passport pages, which were free, now will cost $82. For the complete table of fees, visit http://travel.state.gov.

The World Expo (World’s Fair) is being held in Shanghai, May 1-Oct. 31, 2010. Themed “Better City, Better life,” it features pavilions from 192 countries and 50 organizations as well as 20,000-plus events at 34 venues. Over 70 million people may visit.

A one-day adult ticket purchased on site costs CNY200 (near $29) on peak days or CNY160 ($23), regular days. People born before 1950 and children taller than 1.2 meters (almost four feet) pay CNY120 ($18) or CNY90 ($13), respectively. Discounts on advance tickets.

The exhibition “A City for Impressionism: Monet, Pissarro, Gauguin in Rouen” at the Rouen Fine Arts Museum (Esplanade Marcel Duchamp, 76000 Rouen, France; phone 02 35 71 28 40), June 4-Sept. 26, 2010, will feature 100 paintings, some never exhibited before. €3 ($4) adult. 

It is part of the Normandy Impressionist Festival, throughout the region through Oct. 10, featuring art exhibits, theater, dance, concerts, films and outdoor food booths. Visit www.normandie-impressionniste.fr.