Top Stories
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Channel Tunnel rail competition heats up with Deutsche Bahn entry
DestinationsDeutsche Bahn AG has been granted the right to run London-bound trains through the Channel Tunnel in competition with Eurostar Group Ltd. following three years of study by the body responsible for safety in the subsea link. The German state rail company was given the go-ahead by the Anglo-French Intergovernmental Commission, Groupe Eurotunnel SA, which [...]
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Scottish tourism bosses argue over existence of the Loch Ness monster
DestinationsA row has broken out among tourist centre bosses in Scotland over the existence of the Loch Ness Monster, with one accusing another of selling fake photographs of the creature. The argument started when George Edwards, who runs Loch Ness Cruises in Drumnadrochit, Scotland, criticised fellow members of the local Chamber of Commerce for treating [...]
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Britain to airlines: Don’t fly NSA leaker Snowden to UK
TransportThe British government has warned airlines around the world not to allow Edward Snowden, who leaked information on top-secret U.S. government surveillance programs, to fly to the United Kingdom. A travel alert, dated Monday on a Home Office letterhead, said carriers should deny Snowden boarding because “the individual is highly likely to be refused entry [...]
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France’s travel woes continue with country-wide rail strike
DestinationsAfter two days of air traffic controller strikes, French rail workers walked off the job Thursday to protest a reorganization of the national rail and train companies. Up to 70 percent of train journeys in France were canceled on Thursday. The action began Wednesday night, affecting overnight international travel, and ends Friday morning. Commuter traffic [...]
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Rome continues tourism cleanup with crackdown on outdoor cafe tables
DestinationsDear to the hearts of tourists visiting Rome are its picturesque piazzas dotted with cafés and restaurants, charming spots where they can enjoy a coffee or aperitif while taking in the architecture and local culture. But the five main piazzas in the city’s historical center are overflowing with tables, city officials say, causing them to [...]
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More flights to France cancelled as strike hits budget airlines hard
TransportMore than 300 budget airline flights scheduled to travel through French airspace were cancelled on Wednesday as French air traffic controllers continued their industrial action over a planned overhaul of the industry by the European Commission. Flights between the UK and France were severely affected, with Ryanair cancelling 250 flights and easyJet cancelling 66. Some [...]
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Dutch city proves it’s serious about clamping down on local pot tourism
DestinationsOwners and staff of three cannabis-selling cafes went on trial Wednesday in the southern Netherlands charged with selling weed to foreigners, in a case both sides of a heated drug debate in this border city hope will clarify the legality of a clampdown on so-called “coffee shops.” Maastricht is using new national legislation banning coffee [...]
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The cost of fun: 20 global cities ranked by entertainment expense
DestinationsSofia is the most cost-effective city for British travellers, according to a new study into hotel rates, restaurant, bar and taxi prices. The Bulgarian capital was the most affordable of 49 cities that featured in the study, carried out by the website TripAdvisor. A night out in the city, including one night at a four-star [...]
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Spain’s high-speed rail sees ticket sales soar after service slashes fares
DestinationsSpain’s Ministry of Transport this week reported that ridership on Renfe AVE services has risen 14% year-on-year in the last four months to 4.7 million passengers, following an 11% cut in all tourist class tickets in early February. The fare cuts were introduced as part of a raft of measures including the launch of 10-trip passes, [...]
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The EU battle over air traffic control is just beginning
TransportA massive battle is taking place in the skies over Europe — and airplane passengers across the continent are feeling its effects. A plan to simplify the European Union’s patchwork air traffic control system and open up more air traffic duties to private enterprise has sparked strikes and job actions by controllers that began Tuesday [...]
