Visa-free transit stays in the Chinese cities of Beijing and Tianjin have been extended from 72 hours to 144 hours. To qualify for the visa-free visit, a traveler must show that he has an ongoing plane ticket to another country, other than the one he arrived from, and that his flight out of China will be departing before the end of the visa-free period.
The European Commission, which governs the European Union (EU), announced on Sept. 27 that it now will allow member states to temporarily reinstitute border controls, suspending free movement across borders, because of security concerns due to terrorism.
The measure will allow member states to enact border controls for six months to two years, depending on the nature of the security threat. Any country wishing to reinstate border controls will need to prove that it faces a serious threat.
On the Southern Caribbean island of Curaçao, visitors can take any of five dives in a submersible with Substation Curaçao (Bapor Kibra z/n, Curaçao; phone +599 9 465 2051, www.substation-curacao.com).
Among choices are the 1½-hour “Standard Dive” ($650 per person), which goes to depths of 500 feet to view research projects, the 1½-hour “Night Dive” ($800 pp), descending to 500 feet after dark, and a 45-minute “Adrenalin Dive” ($425 pp) to a shipwreck at 450 feet.
Book in advance. Maximum, four passengers (at least 10 years of age).
On the guided “Colosseum Tour by Night” in Rome, Italy, tour members will visit the tunnels under what was once the Colosseum floor, where gladiators and animals were prepared for their entrances, and see the mechanisms that once operated the Colosseum’s elevators.
Afterward, tour members will walk the Via dei Fori Imperiali among the Roman Forum ruins and visit the Piazza del Campidoglio on Capitoline Hill.
€79 (near $94). 13 people maximum. Through Eternity Tours (phone, in the US, 800/267-7581, www.
While in Bangkok, you can take the 6½-hour “Small Teak Boat Canal Adventure” with Pandan Tour (780/488 Charoen Krung Rd., Bang Kho Laem, Bangkok 10120, Thailand; phone +66 08 7109 8873, thaicanaltour.com).
Travelers board the boat (which seats five, including the English-speaking guide) and visit temples, markets, an orchid nursery and an artists’ colony. A Thai lunch is included. THB2,395 (near $72) per person; two people, minimum. Hotel transfers available at extra cost.
The ebooks “Ireland: Essential Walking Guide” and “Ireland: Essential Cycling Guide,” each with route maps, trail conditions and a cultural guide, are available for download from the Irish tour company Ireland Ways.
Visit irelandways.com/travel-tips/download-free-fitness-ebook, click on the title of the book you wish to download and fill out the required form. (In doing this, you agree to receive the company’s emailed monthly newsletter.)
Opera Australia will perform the opera “La Bohème,” by Giacomo Puccini, on a floating stage on Sydney Harbour every day except Mondays and some Fridays, March 23-April 22, 2018.
Tickets, which cost AUD99-AUD315 (near $78-$249), adult, and AUD89-AUD284, senior, must be bought in advance. Call +61 2 9318 8200 or visit opera.org.au.
Available free for download, “The Ultimate Guide to Driving the Great Barrier Reef” covers coastal Queensland, Australia, from Bundaberg in the south to Cape York in the north.
Including maps plus info on hotels, restaurants and activities, the guide can be viewed or a PDF version downloaded at queensland.uberflip.com/i/850408-great-barrier-reef-drive-guide-2017.
The app Frankfurt Shop-Finder, in English and German, guides shoppers to as many as 1,000 stores throughout the German city of Frankfurt am Main. Whether someone is looking for a name-brand shop or a certain type of store or eatery, the app’s “near me” function directs him to the closest location. The app can be downloaded for free at Google Play and Apple Store.
After the Swedish government introduced new 1-, 5- and 10-krone coins on June 30, Swedish businesses stopped accepting the old coins on Aug. 31. The new coins are lighter and cheaper to produce.