In Melbourne, Australia’s Central Business District, as of Jan. 1, 2015, people can ride trams for free. Sites of interest within the “Free Tram Zone” include the Queen Victoria Market, the Melbourne Observation Wheel and the Parliament House. Sites within a 5- to 10-minute walk of the free-fare zone include the Melbourne Museum, the National Gallery of Victoria and the Royal Botanic Gardens.
Visitors spending at least one night in the Swiss capital are eligible for a free Bern Ticket, which allows for unlimited travel on public transit in zones 100 and 101 as well as on the Marzilibähnli and Gurtenbahn funicular railways.
The Bern Ticket is valid during a visitor’s entire stay in Bern. In fact, any traveler arriving in Bern with a confirmed reservation at a hotel or boarding house is guaranteed free public transfer from either the Bern-Belp Airport or train station to their accommodation. For info, contact the Bern Tourism office (www.bern.com).
In northeastern China, my wife, Meg, and I visited Harbin, Jan. 19-25, 2015, to attend the International Ice & Snow Sculpture Festival (Jan. 5-Feb. 25, 2015).
On Jan. 21, 12 people were stabbed by a Palestinian man aboard a public bus in Tel Aviv, Israel. At least five of those stabbed were in serious to critical condition. The attacker was shot in the leg and arrested when attempting to flee the scene.
Israeli authorities are calling the incident a terrorist attack, though the attacker has not been connected with any terrorist organization.
At least 11 people were killed when a fire broke out on the Italian Ferry Norman Atlantic off the northwestern coast of Greece on Dec. 28.
The ferry, believed to be carrying 478 people, was sailing from Patras, Greece, to Ancona, Italy, when fire broke out on the car deck. Rescue efforts took more than 36 hours, as rescue boats struggled in high seas, wind and smoke to get passengers to safety. Helicopters were eventually brought in to assist the rescue effort.
Visitors to New Zealand can use TravelPass bus passes offered by InterCity (Sky City Travel Centre, 102 Hobson St., Auckland, New Zealand; phone +64 9 583 5780).
InterCity TravelPass trips follow preplanned itineraries. TravelPasses are good for up to 12 months after purchase, and, for as long as the pass is valid, a rider can pause his trip and stay in one of InterCity’s destinations, then board a later bus to finish his trip. Passes also cover ferrying between islands (when applicable). The buses have free Wi-Fi, too.
One person was killed and 20 others were injured on a sightseeing tour of Victoria Falls and the rainforest on July 1 when their open-air tram was struck by a cargo train. Most of the 32 passengers were members of a wedding party.
The tram was hit from behind while stopped at the Victoria Falls station to change tracks. Authorities suspect that a signal error led to the cargo train’s being on the same line as the tram. On July 16, to aid investigators, Victoria Falls Steam Train Company paused operation of the tram.
A Moscow Metro train jumped the tracks between stations on July 15, killing 23 people and injuring more than 250 others. The train was traveling toward the city center when it derailed between the Slaviansky Boulevard and Park Pobedy stations west of the city. A power surge was blamed for the crash.
My girlfriend and I decided to take a brief vacation to the Dominican Republic, Dec. 6-10, 2013. We chose the Dominican Republic because we had heard that the weather there in December was warmer than Cancun’s.
