European Headlines for Travelers
What's happening in Europe? Check this page every weekday for links to news of special interest to travelers...
Wednesday, November 19
- European online library launched (BBC)
- Donatello's David set to return to the Bargello in Florence (ANSA)
- Bill seeks to get Italian public servants to really work (IHT)
- Leaders break deadlock in Northern Ireland (IHT)
- Ancient monument to the soul found in Turkey (IHT)
One week since the election and President-Elect Obama still making headlines around Europe.
Miss a day? Check out this week's archived headlines
...and here's a summary of recent European and travel news...
Giant Light Sculpture to Replace Colossus of Rhodes
November 17 — German artist Gert Hof has been tapped to recreate the Colossus of Rhodes as a gigantic light sculpture. The original Colossus was built on the Aegean island of Rhodes and is believed to have stood over 120 feet tall before being destroyed by an earthquake in 226 B.C. The new €200 million Colossus is expected to exceed its predecessor in height and will be combination of metal and light. The announcement was made at the a meeting of the World Trade Center Association in Dubai.
Strikes Cause Travel Disruptions in France
November 17 — A week of transportation problems awaits travelers in France, where rolling strikes by various unions are disrupting public services. A four-day strike by airline workers, expected to end late today, has caused the cancellation of hundreds of domestic and international flights. Rail workers plan to strike on Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by teachers on Thursday and postal workers on Saturday. The unions are protesting government proposals to increase the number of hours in the work week and raise the mandatory retirement age.
Scotland Replants Its Forest
November 15 — Volunteers and conservationists are working to restore forested lands in Scotland, with the goal of creating a greenbelt of reforested and ancient forest that will stretch across the country. So far the nonproft Trees for Life has planted 750,000 trees in an effort to join up patches of forest. There's also talk of reintroducing native species such as beaver, wild boar, and even the wolf. Trees for Life offers week-long planting trips, where volunteers plant trees in exchange for a stay in rustic accommodations: www.treesforlife.org.uk.
Greek Necropolis Unearthed in Sicily
November 11 — Archaeologists have discovered a huge, ancient Greek necropolis in the town of Termini Imerese in northern Sicily. The necropolis is thought to contain up to 10,000 tombs dated from between the sixth and fifth centuries B.C., including soldiers and civilians who died in the Battle of Himera in 480 B.C. The necropolis was discovered during construction of a railway, and the finds will ultimately be displayed at a new museum.
Rome Reconstructed
November 12 — Enthusiasts of classical Rome can see the ancient city come to life in two new formats. Google Earth has unveiled its version of ancient Rome, which shows the city just as it appeared on April 1, A.D. 320. The animated map allows users to float over the city in a sort of "virtual time machine," which includes 6,700 digitally-reconstructed structures. Users can go inside ten structures, including the Colosseum. The digital project was begun in 1997 at the University of Virginia. See it for yourself at http://earth.google.com/rome/. Tourists in Rome itself can experience the city in a new 3-D attraction opening November 20 near the Colosseum. Rewind Rome allows tourists to see a simulation of Rome as it appeared in A.D. 310, with virtual visits to reconstructed monuments including the Forum and the temple of Vesta. While based on archaeological evidence, the simulation includes a visit with a virtual Emperor Maxentius and a trip inside a crowd-filled Colosseum. Cost and horus are available at www. 3drewind.com.
Europe Goes Bananas for Bicycle Sharing
November 9 — Bicycling-sharing programs in European cities are proving to be wildly popular in cities from Paris, France to Barcelona, Spain, where each bike logs about 10 rides a day. Even Rome has started a small trial program, Roma-n-Bici. The bike-sharing programs are aimed at easing congestion and reducing the environmental impact of motorized transport. They're made possible by smart-card technology that allows locals to quickly pick up and drop off bikes at hundreds of stands across a city. Most programs are not set up for tourists, and do not accept US credit cards as payment. North American cities have been slow to follow the trend, due to longer commutes and helmet laws, although Washington, D.C. and Montreal, Canada have trial programs underway.
United Drops Second Bag Fee
November 7 — United Airlines has changed course and will not institute a proposed $50 fee for the second piece of checked luggage. The fee will instead stay at $25, with a 20 percent discount to travelers who pay online for their first checked bag.
New Guidebook For Disabled Visitors to Venice
November 5 — A new guidebook to Venice offers help to travelers who use wheelchairs or have other mobility problems. The book offers detailed information on potential accessibility problems at popular sights, and short-cuts to help travelers get around (such as hidden elevators at sights, bridges with wheelchair lifts, and restaurants with wheelchair-accessible bathrooms). The book could also be of use to older travelers. For more info, see www.easytravelbooks.com.
Venice Keeps Up Its Cleanliness Campaign
November 4 — Venice is extending its campaign to keep the city clean even in the winter, posting bilingual signs at major sights and on Grand Canal water-buses. Six police officers are roaming St. Mark's Square to enforce a ban on eating there. A recent ban on birdfeed vendors has reduced the number of pigeons in the square to a few thousand, down from a high of 20,000.
Mediterranean Union Picks Barcelona for HQ
November 4 — The fledgling 43-national Mediterranean Union has picked the Spanish city of Barcelona for its headquarters. The union includes 27 European Union nations and several countries in Africa and the Middle East, and aims to improve water quality, seek renewable energy, and expand education.
Delta Airlines Adds Fee for First Bags
November 4 — Delta Airlines has given in to the trend, and will begin charging domestic passengers $15 for the first checked bag and $25 for the second checked bag. Delta, which is merging with Northwest, also announced it will eliminate some fuel surcharges for tickets purchased with SkyMiles. Several other fees have been reduced slightly to align with Northwest's fee structure.
Ryanair Hopes to Offer Cheap Trans-Atlantic Flights
November 2 — The Irish discount airline Ryanair, well-known in Europe for its rock-bottom prices, would like to begin offering trans-Atlantic flights for as little as €10 before taxes and fees. It is proposing service from airports near Dublin and London to US destinations such as New York, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Boston.
Italian Wine Prices Fall
October 31 — About five percent more wine was harvested this year in Italy than in 2007, but the national winemakers association is predicting that prices will be about 20 percent less due to a drop in demand. The volume of exports of Italian wine to the US have fallen by nearly six percent.
EU to Approve Croatia's Membership
October 31 — Croatia could become a member of the European Union by 2011, provided it meets all the conditions in an EU report set to be approved this week. The report also outlines political reforms necessary if Turkey is to become an EU member, and says Serbia could become an EU candidate if it cooperates with the UN war crimes tribunal.
Airline Roundup
October 30 — The Denmark-based budget carrier Sterling Airlines is filing for bankruptcy and has suddenly ceased operations, stranding thousands of passengers. Sterling flew to 40 European destinations from hubs in Copenhagen, Oslo, and Stockholm. Sterling joins several other airlines that have gone belly up in recent months, including XL Airways, Zoom, Eos, MAXjet and Silverjet.
Another discount airline, British-based BMI, announced yesterday that it will be taken over by Germany's Lufthansa Airlines, which will take an 80 percent share in the airline. The remaining 20 percent of BMI is owned by Scandinavia Airlines. BMI flies to 51 destinations and is the second-biggest carrier at London's Heathrow airport.
Domestically, the US government has given the green light to a merger between Delta and Northwest Airlines. Delta hopes to complete its buyout of Northwest by the end of the year.
Amsterdam's Museumnacht is November 1
October 29 — For the eighth year in a row, Amsterdam's top museums will stay open until 2 a.m. on November 1. On Museumnacht, 41 museums remain open late with fun activities for museum-goers. After the museums close, nine nightclubs will continue the celebration until dawn. Among the activities planned: a jazz concert at the 17th-century Portuguese Synagogue, a low-budget bar in Rembrandt's kitchen at the Rembrandt House, champagne tours at the Van Loon Museum, a live concert of 18th-century music at the Tassen Museum of purses, and love potions to sample at the van Gogh Museum. Tickets are €17 and information is available (in Dutch only) at www.n8.nl/2008.
Bid to Save Red Phone Boxes
October 27 — Small towns across Britain are scrambling to save their red telephone boxes. The phone booths, one an ubiquitous symbol of Britain, are in danger of disappearing altogether as British Telecom takes them out of service. Nearly 300 town councils have applied to "adopt" the telephone boxes, paying £500 a year for maintenance and to keep the phone operational.
Avoid the Rush: Apply Now for Passport
October 26 — Travelers are being advised to apply now for US passports for travel next year. Changes to US passport requirements being implemented in June 2009 are expected to result in a rush to get passports this coming winter and spring. The changes will require travelers to carry passports or the new "passport card" when traveling by land or sea to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. (Passports are already required for all international air travel). The federal government has added staff in anticipation of a surge in applications, but recommends applying now, when the number of applications is at its traditional low point.
Rising Dollar Goes Farther in Europe
October 22 — American travelers to Europe are starting to see the silver lining in the global economic crisis, as the dollar makes strong gains against the world's benchmark currencies. The euro this week fell to $1.28, its lowest point in two years, and the British pound fell to $1.653, a five-year low.
Full Disclosure Required for European Airlines
October 22 — A new European Union rule requires airlines to clearly show — up-front — all taxes, fees, and surcharges added to the base price of a ticket. Any optional supplements and upgrades must also be presented to the consumer at the start of the booking process as "opt-in" choices. The new rules are intended to protect consumers using airline websites from "bait and switch" tactics where one price is displayed on the initial page, but a different — and much higher — price appears late in the booking process. Discount European airlines have been accused of misleading consumers in this way, often by automatically tacking on optional upgrades.
More Travelers Rely on Frequent-Flier Miles
October 21 — Airlines report that more customers are using frequent-filer miles to travel this year. For example, over 20 percent more frequent-flier miles have been cashed in at Continental Airlines this year than last. Despite a slew of new fees and restrictions on frequent-flier miles, many travelers are burning up their frequent-file miles as a way to pay for higher-priced airfare.
London's WWII Underground Tunnels For Sale
October 20 — A maze of underground tunnels in central London built to protect citizens from German bombs during World War II is up for sale. The tunnels are about 100 feet below the city and about a mile long. They were originally used by MI6, Britain's intelligence agency. After the war, the tunnels were used to store government documents and as a long-distance telephone exchange.
EU Keeps Climate Change Plan
October 16 — The European Union will keep to its plan of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by the year 2020, despite the recent global financial crisis. Poland and six other Eastern European countries had proposed pulling back from the commitment. The plan will require countries and businesses to implement cleaner technology, seek renewable energy, and reduce emissions from vehicles and manufacturers. The EU's original 15 member nations are on track to meet an earlier goal of cutting emissions by 8 percent by 2012.
Restoration Begins on Berlin Wall East Side Gallery
October 16 — A three-quarter-mile long remnant of the Berlin Wall known as the East Side Gallery will be dismantled and restored. The section of the wall was covered with murals in 1990 and attracts throngs of tourists. The $3 million restoration project will replace the original concrete with longer-lasting material, and the original 118 artists or their assistants are being asked to recreate their murals. The goal is to have the restored wall in place by November 9, 2009, the 20th anniversary of the fall of the wall.
Holmenkollen Ski Jump To Come Down
October 15 — Work to tear down a landmark in Oslo, Norway — the Holmenkollen Ski Jump — was to begin on Thursday. The jump, which was built used for the 1952 Winter Olympics, is being replaced in advance of the 2011 Nordic Skiing World Championships. Construction of the new ski jump is expected to be finished by 2010.
Fuel Surcharges Drop
October 14 — The falling price of oil has led some transatlantic airlines to reduce their fuel surcharges. According to Bestfares.com, fuel surcharges have dropped by an average of 18 percent, to about $280 per ticket, on flights from the eastern US to Rome, Madrid, and Amsterdam. Surcharges on flights from the western US to London have gone down about 17 percent, to about $366 per ticket. Industry analysts say the cuts may also reflect declining demand for flights to Europe.
Rising Seas Threaten Treasured Sites
October 13 — A recent report lists 142 ancient monuments, 111 historic buildings, and one historic garden which are at risk of flooding or erosion due to rising seas along the coast of southwest England. On the list: St. Michael's Mount, off Penzance in Cornwall; the boathouse at Agatha Christie's summer house in Devon; and Westbury Court Garden in Gloucestershire.
Top Art Museums Branch Out
October 10 — Paris's Louvre and Pompidou museums are opening branches in rural France, as well as in international destinations. The Pompidou will open a branch in the French city of Metz in 2010, while the Louvre is building an annex in Lens that will open in 2011. Another branch of the Louvre is being built in Abu Dhabi, and a branch of the Pompidou in Shanghai.
Ancient Stadium Opens to Public
October 10 — An ancient Roman stadium in Pozzuoli, Italy (near Naples) is once again open to the public, almost five centuries after it was buried by volcanic ash in the 1538 eruption of Mount Nuovo. A road was built through the center of the stadium in the 1930s. Archaeologists have dug out about half of the structure, which was built by Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius in 142 AD.
Green Light for Stansted Airport Expansion
October 9 — Stansted Airport near London has the go-ahead to expand, under a plan that would allow the airport to serve an additional 23,000 flights and 10 million passengers a year. The proposal had been shut down by a local council on environmental grounds, but the ruling was overturned by the UK transportation secretary. Long-term plans call for construction of a second runway at Stansted, which is located about 40 miles northeast of London and serves as a hub for several low-cost airlines.
Oil Prices Fall but Airfares Stay High
October 8 — The price of oil has fallen by roughly one-third since July — but it's still about 25 percent higher than it was at this time last year. Most airlines continue to struggle with high fuel costs. They have also cut back on capacity, so there are fewer tickets to buy. These two factors are keeping airfares high. Analysts say that oil must fall to $80 a barrel, or customer demand drop sharply, before we'll see any price relief on airfares.
Ryanair Considers Transatlantic Flights
October 8 — Europe's leading low-cost airline, Ryanair, is considering starting up a budget airline to fly between the US and Europe. The no-frills transatlantic service could be running within three years, according to Ryanair's CEO. The announcement drew comparisions to Canadian transatlantic start-up, Zoom Airlines, which went out business in August after only six years.
French Rail To Provide Taxis
October 7 — The French national rail operator SNCF plans to buy several hundred taxis in a bid to end the long lines for taxis at major train stations in Paris. The city currently has about 16,000 taxis — a number that has only gone up by about 2,000 since 1937. The SNCF fleet of taxis will use electric cars and be assigned specifically for use by rail passengers. The plan has drawn criticism from the taxi drivers' union, which is opposed to issuing additional licenses for taxi drivers.
US to Build New London Embassy
October 2 — The US will sell its embassy building on London's Grosvenor Square and build a new, more-secure embassy facility south of the River Thames. The US has had a presence on Grosvenor Square since the late 18th century. The relocation will take about five years.
Scots Plans Year-Long Homecoming Celebration
October 1 — Scotland will mark the 250th birthday of its national poet, Robert Burns, in 2009 with a year-long Homecoming celebration. Events kick off on Burns Night (January 25) and wrap up on St. Andrew's Day (November 30), with a country-wide program of events celebrating Scotland's culture, heritage, and contributions to the world, including Burns himself, whisky, and golf. One of the largest events will be Edinburgh's annual Gathering of the Clans, planned for July 25-26, 2009, with traditional Highland Games and a Clan Pageant.
Lower Estimate of Dresden Bombing Deaths
October 1 — A new report has pegged the number of people killed in the Allied bombing of Dresden, Germany during World War II at 25,000. Earlier estimates has put the number as high as 135,000. The civilian death toll in Dresden has long been a source of controversy. The report was commissioned by the German government and based on four years of research. Additional research will continue through 2009.