Here Are Some Random Observations on Current Deals, Opportunities, and Oddities in Travel

Why is tourism to Greece down by as much as 30%? It's not because of a fear of civil disorder, say many observers, but because of a massive decline in visits to Greece by German vacationers, reacting nervously to anti-German sentiment on the part of the Greek population. Germany is widely blamed by the Greeks for the enforced austerity that many of them hate, resulting in less-than-cordial treatment of German tourists, including a recent burning of the German flag in Athens. With hundreds of thousands of German tourists choosing other destinations for their vacations, Greek resorts, restaurants, tours, ships and islands have yawning vacancies at good prices... My friend and colleague, Ed Perkins, has recently waxed rhapsodic about the new high-speed train in Italy called the Italo, which twice a day makes the run in each direction between Milan and Naples (via Bologna, Florence and Rome) at speeds of 200 miles an hour. The train is unusually pleasant, says Ed. He points out that in eight out of nine countries recently visited by him--China, South Korea, Poland, France, Turkey, Switzerland, Germany and Italy--high-speed rail is more and more available.
 
On this past Sunday's Travel Show ( www.wor710.com/arthur-frommer ), Pauline and I were asked whether some European countries require that you have 18 months of validity remaining on your passport, in order to come into that country. We answered, resoundingly, No. Where do false rumors of that sort originate?... The remarkable bargains on cruises of the Mediterranean are starting to spread into July and August, and will undoubtedly become even more attractive as we approach those months. Example: On the July 9 sailing of the Norwegian Spirit, spending 12 nights at sea from Barcelona to Venice, inside cabins are now offered for as little as $699 ($58 a day). On the July 28 sailing of Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas, 12 nights round-trip from Barcelona, inside cabins are $799 per person ($67 a day). Go to Vacations To Go ( www.vacationstogo.com ) for more... Another big current travel bargain? It's India, where the Rupee has now plunged to a rate of 55 to the dollar, and will probably go lower... And note, too, that the Euro is now selling for $1.25, reducing the cost of European expenditures, once you pay a high airfare to get there.
 
Where isn't it cheap to vacation? At a Disney theme park, for one. Disneyland has just raised a one-day adult admission to $87 (including tax), and the one-day park-hopper pass for a family of four now amounts to $488 at both Disneyland in California and Disney World in Florida... Exercise extreme caution if you fly anywhere on Spirit Airlines. That generous carrier will now charge (starting November 1) $100 per small suitcase brought into the plane and placed in an overhead rack -- provided that the carry-on luggage isn't earlier declared at the check-in counter. The infamous Ben Baldanza (Spirit's president) has thus done it again... A less expensive means of flying the Atlantic? It's nearly always on Aer Lingus, to any major European capital via a stop in Dublin. Example: a late July flight from New York to Amsterdam, returning mid-August, all on Aer Lingus via Dublin: $911. The same flight non-stop to and from Amsterdam via KLM: $1,286. But note that Aer Lingus flights are filling fast, requiring a quick decision on your part.
 
Finally, readers of this blog who have young children will confirm that it is growing increasingly difficult to arrange to sit next to their children in standard economy class. That's because larger and larger portions of economy areas are being classified as "premium economy seats" requiring surcharges of as much as $39 per seat. So few seats remain in standard economy that parents have difficulty finding adjoining seats for their children. This past week, Senator Charles Schumer complained of the situation to the Department of Transportation, urging that premium economy surcharges be waived for young children. Though it seems inconceivable that the D.O.T. will thus interfere in airline pricing, it also seems possible for the airlines to urge their flight attendants to request of economy passengers that they change seats within economy sections to enable young families to sit together.