Travel Briefs: Travel news & notes

TOUR TAKES VISITORS INSIDE WINDSOR CASTLE

A new tour at Windsor Castle takes groups of visitors behind the scenes to rooms that are not usually open to the public. The tour, From Great Kitchen to State Apartments, starts with tea or coffee and biscuits in the Winchester Tower and a talk by a senior warden that includes tales of Henry VIII's enormous appetite and Queen Victoria's speedy eating, which often left her guests feeling hungry as protocol dictated that the plates for each course be cleared as soon as she had finished.

After a fire in the castle in 1992, the Great Kitchen was restored. Visitors will see copper pots from the reign of George IV alongside modern equipment like a giant food mixer capable of whisking 100 eggs at once.

Another area on the 90-minute tour is the Undercroft, where arms and armor are stored and whose stone vaulting and arcade were revealed for the first time in centuries during the restoration. Also included is the state entrance to the castle, on the north side of the quadrangle, used by Queen Elizabeth I and her guests. Visitors are then free to inspect other sections of the castle, including the State Apartments, used for formal and official occasions.

Tours, which run on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday through March 24, are limited to 15 people at a time, and cost $51 a person (at $1.70 to the pound), including a guidebook and audio guide. Reservations: (44-207) 766-7313, www.royal.gov.uk.

AN ONLINE BOOST FOR THE AAA

The AAA is revamping its Web sites to compete with online travel agencies like Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz.

Among the improvements is Fare Calendar Shopping, introduced in May and available on the Web sites of the AAA's roughly 80 chapters, which lists the cheapest travel dates within a 90-day range.

Another new feature allows those searching for international flights to review fares from consolidators, companies that buy tickets in bulk from airlines and resell them at low rates. According to Lee Granger, managing director of AAA Travel Technology, the consolidator option is available at only a handful of AAA chapter sites, but will reach more members in the near future.

Other features will follow soon, said Granger, including improvements to the organization's hotel booking engine. With that upgrade, due by the year's end, visitors to the AAA sites will be offered discount hotel rates that have been negotiated by AAA and its business partners like TravelWeb.com. Visitors need not be AAA members to use these services.

CALIFORNIA ATTRACTIONS SPARED BY THE FIRES

After last month's devastating wildfires burned more than 140,000 acres near Lake Arrowhead, Calif., anyone driving up the Rim of the World Highway from San Bernardino might expect the worst.

Yet after snaking past the charred hillsides and ruins of scores of houses, the two-lane road inexplicably emerges into the dense pine forests and shimmering alpine lakes that serve as respite to nearly a million visitors a year.

"The drive up feels schizophrenic, but once you get to Lake Arrowhead it's as if there was never a fire at all," said David Caine, a local fire safety director.

Indeed, the fires that burned more than 750,000 acres from just north of Lake Arrowhead down to near the Mexican border spared most of Southern California's tourist attractions. Top spots from Disneyland to the San Diego Zoo remained open. And while the hard-hit tourist town of Julian, 60 miles northeast of San Diego, lost a handful of bed-and-breakfast lodges, the region's resort hotels, amusement parks and other attractions are back to business as usual.

At Lake Arrowhead, a welcome blast of cool, rainy weather that brought relief over Halloween weekend also brought the season's first snowfall to nearby ski areas like Bear Mountain Resort. The temperatures allowed the resort to make enough artificial snow to open on Nov. 7, two weeks earlier than usual. "We figured the best thing we could do was open early to show people that we're still here," said Brad Farmer, the resort's public relations director. The resort cut the price of lift tickets to $30, from $48, for an all-day pass. Lodging deals are also available; (800) 866-5766 or visit www.bigbearmountainresorts.com.

Yet most resorts and hotels in the region have found little reason to lower their rates to lure back tourists. "We lost maybe 100 room-nights during the week of the fire, but now we're back to normal," said Alan Farwell, general manager for the Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine, just north of San Diego, where the fire came within five miles of the hotel.

Amusement parks, however, are offering seasonal deals. Fall vacation packages at Disneyland cost $188 to $449 a person for a four-night stay. A Southern California Attractions CityPass includes passes valid for two weeks with single- and multiday tickets to Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, the San Diego Zoo and SeaWorld San Diego for $166. Both are available at www.disneyland.com.

Visitors wanting to see the fire's impact up close need only drive the Rim of the World Highway toward Lake Arrowhead. But those wanting to experience the forest as it was can detour via Redlands on Highway 38 to Big Bear Lake. "It's still the prettiest road into the mountains," said Sheri Davis, director of the Inland Empire Tourism Council, which includes Riverside and San Bernardino counties east of Los Angeles. "You see vistas of the mountains falling into the desert, and there's no sign of fire anywhere."

A BIRD'S PERSPECTIVE ON ROME

Rome has always been a walking city, best appreciated from the ground up. But for the last few months Rome has also been a flying city, able to be relished from the sky down. There is a new, big balloon in town, and it is ready to take the adventurous tourist for a ride.

Tethered by cables to a patch of high ground in the Villa Borghese park, the balloon rises straight up another 500 feet to provide a bird's-eye view of Rome's architectural splendors and gentle topography. The soaring dome of St. Peter's, the gaudy white flanks of the Vittoriano, even the twists of the Tiber: All of it can be seen from the doughnut-shaped basket beneath the blue balloon. That basket accommodates between 10 people and 30 people, depending on the wind, which also prevents the balloon from going aloft at times.

Inspired by similar balloons in other historic cities, the entrepreneurs at Aerophile Italia launched a Roman enterprise last summer, inaugurating what they call the city's "eighth hill." It is certainly more conspicuous than the other seven. When the balloon is aloft, it and its tail of tethers are visible from almost any direction, like a gigantic apostrophe on the horizon.

A 15-minute ascent costs about $15 a person (at $1.17 to the euro), less for children. Twice a week, for about $22, people can go up for 45 minutes, accompanied by a guide who provides commentary on the domes of Rome. It is also possible to reserve the balloon for a private cocktail cruise -- or, rather, levitation -- that costs about $320 for an hour.

Aerophile Italia says the balloon is guaranteed to operate only until June, and its hours each day are variable and limited, generally beginning around 11 a.m. and ending before nightfall.

On weekends, the wait in line can be several hours long. For a specific schedule and more information, visit www.aerophile.it or call (39-06) 3211-1511.

Versailles renovation

PARIS -- The Chateau of Versailles is getting a $158 million overhaul to brighten its facade, improve safety and reorganize the way visitors pass through its gilded rooms.

The restoration is the chateau's most ambitious since Louis-Philippe's reign from 1830-1848, according to French culture minister Jean-Jacques Aillagon. Work will start this year and continue until 2009.

"The objective of this vast project is to give Versailles back its dazzle," Aillagon said.

Workers will install better fire alarms, improve fire exits and replace aging electricity systems. Hundreds of wooden window frames on the facade that faces Versailles' immense back gardens will be repaired.

Visitors to Versailles are often confused by the many entrances, some for tour groups, others for individual tourists.

The overhaul will simplify entrances and add four new visiting routes through the palace.

The chateau will remain open during the work, which is partly financed by the private sector.

The 17th-century palace and its sprawling 2,000-acre grounds -- known for fountains, calm pathways and geometric gardens -- are a top tourist attraction, drawing 9 million visitors a year.

Avoiding grizzlies

BOZEMAN, Mont. -- How do you avoid grizzly bears in Yellowstone?

Travel in groups, make loud noises and avoid dawn and dusk.

Problem is, that type of behavior also makes it difficult for hunters to stalk legitimate prey, like elks. As a result, 35 of the 188 grizzlies who died in encounters with humans in Yellowstone National Park since 1980 were killed by hunters seeking other game.

"People get into positions where they feel their life is threatened," Chris Servheen, a federal biologist, recently told a subcommittee of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee, which is looking at ways of reducing grizzly deaths in the park.

Generally, hunters have become more conscientious about keeping camps clean and food secure, but other important precautions aren't always taken, he said.

"There's a lot of room for improvement in sanitation," Servheen said.

Other human-related grizzly deaths in the 23-year period include 59 killed after they were attracted to homes or camps, 37 shot for no apparent reason, 11 killed after preying on livestock, 10 killed in capture operations and 13 killed after being mistaken for black bears.

Despite the number of bear deaths, others said the grizzly population seems to be growing. One U.S. Forest Service study put the number of grizzlies in the ecosystem at 530.

Australia warns about Holland, New Zealand

CANBERRA, Australia -- A rash of petty crimes against foreigners in the Netherlands and the possibility of earthquakes in neighboring New Zealand has prompted Australia to issue its first-ever travel warnings for both countries.

The warnings were prompted by advice from Australians living in the countries and did not relate to specific security or terror threats, the Foreign Ministry said on its Web site.

"They're still safe and popular tourist destinations," a ministry spokesman said on condition of anonymity.

New Zealand is located in a seismic zone and subject to earthquakes, the ministry warned.

Foreigners are often the victims of robbery, pick-pocketing and bag-snatching in popular tourist spots in the Netherlands, it said.

Beijing Web site

BEIJING -- The Chinese capital is revealing itself to the world -- online and in English.

Beijing's municipal government has launched an English Web site aimed at foreigners. The subjects: investment, tourism, work, study and life in the city.

Beijing is embracing the outside world increasingly as China opens up -- and as the 2008 Olympics approach.

The site includes such sections as "Life in Beijing," "Foreigners in Beijing," "Scenic Spots" and an area called "Consultancy," which features information on finding medical help, getting pet permits and applying for a driver's license.

Check it out at http://www.ebeijing.gov.cn.

Budget airline in Germany

BERLIN -- Budget airline EasyJet has announced plans to establish a new base in Berlin next year, adding to competition in Germany's increasingly crowded market for low-cost flights.

The British carrier will fly to 11 destinations from Schoenefeld airport, about 12 miles from downtown Berlin. It already has bases in Geneva and Paris.

Easyjet's German presence is currently limited to a Munich-London route. The first of the Berlin flights, to London's Luton airport, will start May 1 next year, with the rest -- including flights to Paris, Copenhagen, Athens and Barcelona -- to follow by the end of June.

Among other low-cost operators already operating out of Berlin are Dublin-based Ryanair, Air Berlin, Germania, Lufthansa affiliate Germanwings and TUI's Hapag-Lloyd Express.

Air travel up

GENEVA -- After collapsing because of SARS and the war in Iraq, the number of air passengers on international flights has recovered to year-earlier levels. But it is still behind the robust levels that preceded the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

"For the first time since February when SARS and Iraq so radically impacted our industry, we can write our monthly traffic figure with black ink," meaning the number is higher than the same month the year before, said Giovanni Bisignani, director-general of the International Air Transport Association.

The global figures for September 2003 are 1 percent above September 2002, confirming the steady traffic rise of the past three months, the association said.

It marks the first time since February, when SARS and the looming conflict in Iraq frightened off flyers, that passenger traffic has shown an increase over the year-earlier figure.

IATA forecasts that by the end of the year, global passenger traffic for all of 2003 would be within 1 percent of the 2002 total, provided stable conditions continue.

Royals good for tourism

LONDON -- Eight out of 10 Britons between the ages of 16 and 24 believe the royal family is out of touch and overprivileged, but good for the tourist industry.

Although 81 percent thought the royal family was good for tourism, nearly three-fifths said they would not cross the road to see Queen Elizabeth II if she came to visit their town.

Only 10 percent thought the royals were important to their life, but 79 percent thought they were good for charities, and 71 percent believed they gave Britain prestige abroad.

The ICM survey for The News of the World, a Sunday newspaper, polled around 500 young people by telephone in late October. The margin of error was plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.

Georgia swamp

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- A new visitors center is opening at Phinizy Swamp Nature Park in Augusta.

The visitors center at the 1,100-acre park will initially only be open on weekends and staffed by volunteers, said Jackie Maryak, executive vice president of the Southeastern Natural Sciences Academy, which manages the park.

It will have a 10-minute video, "Look Outside at Phinizy Swamp," which includes scenes of plants, wildlife and a hawk feeding her young.

Virginia ad campaign

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- Virginia's still for lovers.

A Virginia Tourism Corp. decision retains the famous state marketing slogan "Virginia is for lovers," but delegates the job of spreading it to a new advertising firm.

Herndon-based White and Baldacci are the new keepers of the phrase under a deal worth about $300,000 annually. Richmond-based Work Advertising had held the previous contract, worth about $550,000 annually plus expenses, for more than two years.

"Emotions sell brands," White and Baldacci Senior Vice President Mike Smith said. "We want to tap into not just the love of Virginia as a place to spend your honeymoon, but love as the thrill of founding a new country, of new ideas and the passion of the American Revolution."

Grand Canyon rail

PHOENIX -- Grand Canyon Railway has proposed creating a $186 million high-speed light rail line aimed at easing traffic congestion along the South Rim.

The railway currently runs daily tours from Williams to Grand Canyon Village.

Railway leaders said that under the proposal, high-speed rail service could begin in 2005 from Williams to the canyon and reduce the South Rim's vehicle traffic by 50 percent.

Grand Canyon Superintendent Joseph Alston said the Railway's proposal is one of six that will be considered by the U.S. Park Service. The aim is to get visitors to leave their cars outside the park's boundaries.

The Park Service has been mandated by Congress to reduce noise at the Grand Canyon.

According to the proposal, the Williams-to-Grand Canyon rail line would run for 62 miles and would take an hour and 18 minutes one-way.

The project's second phase, to begin in 2013, would build a six-mile rail spur from Tusayan to the visitor's center near Mather Point. That trek would last about nine minutes.

Concordes in museums

SEATTLE -- Seattle's Museum of Flight will receive one of seven Concorde supersonic jetliners that have been retired by British Airways.

The other planes will go to the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York; Grantley Adams Airport in Bridgetown, Barbados; the headquarters of Airbus U.K. in Filton, southwest England; the Museum of Flight in Scotland; Manchester Airport in England, and the planes' home base of Heathrow airport near London.

Although some had wished at least some of the sleek aircraft could be kept flying, BA chief executive Rod Eddington said a study had shown that "the technical and financial challenges of keeping a Concorde airworthy are absolutely prohibitive."

The airline rejected some of the more colorful suggestions, including turning one of the needle-nosed planes into a restaurant or transforming one into a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to help scuba divers suffering from the bends.

Air France grounded its five Concordes in May. One has gone to the new branch of the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. The others will be displayed in France and Germany.

Cigarette fine

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands -- It was the most expensive cigarette he ever smoked.

Kenneth Carroll, 50, from Dunnellon, Fla., was fined nearly $1,000 at a judicial proceeding in the Cayman Islands on Oct. 30 for lighting up aboard a Cayman Airways flight.

The plane's captain smelled the smoke as he descended into the Grand Cayman airport. When he sent a flight attendant to check on the bathroom, Carroll emerged in a cloud of smoke.

The Associated Press and the New York Times News Service contributed items to this report.