Travel Briefs

Located on the grounds of Versailles, about 25 kilometers southwest of Paris, the Petit Trianon — the small château commissioned by Louis XV for his mistress and used by Marie Antoinette — has officially reopened to the public after more than a year’s restoration.

The Petit Trianon is open daily, noon to 5:30, Nov. 1- March 31 (low season), and 12-7 p.m., April 1-Oct. 31 (high season), except holidays. 

Adult admission to only the Domaine de Marie-Antoinette (where the Petit...

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Along the bank of the River Main, Frankfurt’s “museum embankment” will become a festival area with stage productions, live music and events, including a dragon boat race, Aug. 29-31, 2009. Ten of the museums will hold special exhibitions. Contact the German National Tourism Office (212/661-7200, www.cometogermany.com).

If you travel with several electronic devices (camera, GPS, music player, phone, laptop, etc.), the Tumi Ultra Slim Universal Power Adaptor Kit may come in handy for recharging. This single kit can replace several of those clunky AC/DC power-adaptor “bricks” (which go between the wall plug and the gadgets to be used or recharged) because it has output tips to fit many different devices.

Also, two power input cords are provided for connecting to the power source, one for using wall...

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A sacred ritual that takes place once every seven years will take place April 5-May 31, 2009, at the 1,400-year-old Zenkoji Temple in central Nagano: a window of the three Buddha statues will be opened. The temple is the largest wooden structure in Japan and houses the country’s oldest Buddhist statue, from the sixth century. For info, contact Japan National Tourist Office (213/623-1952, www.japantravelinfo.com) or visit (in Japanese only) www.gokaicho.com.

CORRECTION — After reading the item “Argentina Tourist Fee” (Dec. ’08, pg. 19), a reader pointed out that he had never had to pay a visa-application fee to get into Argentina as a tourist.

ITN called the Argentine consulate and was told that it is true that travelers have not had to pay a visa application fee, even though the consulate and embassy website states that the fee for a “holiday” visa application from the US is $30. The spokesman said that, while a visa is still required,...

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Costa Rica dropped its 3% hotel tax in November 2008, then scheduled an entry fee of $15 to be charged to tourists arriving by air. Over all, stays now will be less expensive.

[See correction in the April issue. —Editor]

While in Antarctica’s Gerlache Strait on Dec. 4, Antarpply Expeditions’ MV Ushuaia struck a rock, which damaged the hull and grounded the cruise ship. All 122 passengers and crew were safely transferred to another ship, and a limited amount of fuel oil leaked out.

The ship was refloated in four days and made its way under its own power to Paradise Bay. A week later it entered dry dock in Punta Arenas, Chile, where it was expected to be back in operation out of Ushuaia, Argentina, on...

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After a 30-year restoration effort, a large hall in the Baths of Diocletian, or Terme di Diocleziano (Viale E. di Nicola 79; metro stop Termini; phone 06 39 96 7700, www.roma2000.it/munaro.html), has reopened to the public.

Built around AD 306 and once able to accommodate 3,000 people, the baths, now one of the sites of the National Museum of Rome, house a collection of Greek and Roman art, mosaics, sarcophagi and artifacts such as jewelry and coins. The newly opened hall contains...

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