Travel Briefs

With Volvo’s Overseas Delivery Program, buying a car in Sweden becomes a vacation.

After picking up your car at the Volvo Factory Delivery Center in Gothenburg, including a factory tour, lunch and an introduction to your car by the English-speaking staff, you are free to embark on one of the Volvo travel agency’s suggested self-drive tours of Sweden.

Itineraries include a 3-day food tour that visits the city of Smögen, a 3-day cultural-history tour that includes Marstrand and Gunnebo House, and a 6-day circular “Roadtrip” to northernmost Sweden and Stockholm.

The online Iceland Academy, created by the Iceland Tourism Department, comprises a series of videos with free “classes” taught by Icelanders. Among multiple topics are lessons on Icelandic festivals, Icelandic hot tub etiquette, how to drive in Iceland and how to photograph the northern lights. Visit http://inspired.visiticeland.com/academy.

Guided tours of Sydney are available on Gocycles, bicycles with lightweight electric motors to assist with uphill climbs. Take the 1½-hour, 8-mile “Bike the Bridge” tour for AUD59 (near $42) each or the 2½-hour, 12-mile “Sydney City Tour,” AUD99, or customize a tour. 

Tours 9 a.m.-1 p.m. daily except Sunday. Group limit, six people. BlueBananas Electric Bike Tours (Arcade 2, 281 Clarence St., Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia; phone +61 [02] 9114 8488, http://bluebananas.com.au). 

Here are two temporary exhibitions at Barcelona’s Picasso Museum (Montcada 15-23, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; phone +34 93 256 30 00, www.museupicasso.bcn.cat/en):

• “Cubism and War. The Crystal in the Flame,” Oct. 20, 2016-Jan. 29, 2017, focuses on three artists living in France during WWI — Picasso, Juan Gris and Diego Rivera — with 60 Cubist works from 1914 to 1919.

The United Kingdom’s tourism board continually offers, on its website, limited-time discounts on day tours, city passes and admission fees to particular city sites, such as Red London Bus tours starting at $44 for a 3½-hour tour or 10% off a London Pass. Visit www.visitbritain.com/us/en/shop.

The bells of the clock at the Palace of Westminster in London (often mislabeled as Big Ben, which is actually the name of the largest of the bells) will be silenced for three years, starting in January 2017, as the structure is renovated. In addition to repairing the roof and cleaning and inspecting the bells, the clock hands on all four sides will be stopped for the first time in its 160-year history as they are repaired and the springs are replaced.

The Czech Republic has reduced its common name to “Czechia” (“Cˇesko” in Czech). The new name will be reflected on maps, on merchandise and in media. Internally, the country still will be known officially as the Czech Republic. The change was made for ease of reference.

Zimbabwe, which has no currency of its own, is set to print “around October” its own versions of US dollar notes, called “bond notes,” to alleviate cash shortages. The bond notes, backed with a loan from the Africa Export-Import Bank, will have the same values as the corresponding denominations of US dollars. 

Zimbabwe ceased printing the Zimbabwe dollar in 2009 after years of inflation made it nearly valueless. Since then, Zimbabwe has used the US dollar, South African rand, Indian rupee and Chinese yuan as official currencies. 

The city of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, imposed new fees on hotel stays as of June 1. Hotel guests now will be charged a fee of AED15 (near $4) per night as well as a 4% “municipality fee” on their room bill. These fees are in addition to the 6% city tax and 10% service fee already charged.

The city of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, imposed new fees on hotel stays as of June 1. Hotel guests now will be charged a fee of AED15 (near $4) per night as well as a 4% “municipality fee” on their room bill. These fees are in addition to the 6% city tax and 10% service fee already charged.