Provides the latest RSS feeds for Travel News. For more headlines on Breaking, National, Business, Finance, Sports and World News, visit our home page London Mercury.com http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/cat/7efe203e304dfafb/ en-us Sun, 19 May 2013 04:49:44 -0400 Sun, 19 May 2013 04:49:44 -0400 30 Dancers perform for the opening of the China Tourism Day and the 3rd Western China Tourism Industry Expo, in Chongqing, Southwest China, May 19, 2013. Chongqing is the main venue for the 2013 China Tourism Day. (Xinhua/Li ... http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214612056/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Sun, 19 May 2013 04:02:06 -0400 http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214612056/scat/7efe203e304dfafb The UAE topped the Middle East region for international tourism receipts in 2012, according to data released by the UN's World Tourism ... http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214610811/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Sun, 19 May 2013 01:27:09 -0400 http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214610811/scat/7efe203e304dfafb PARKERSBURG - Local tourism officials are anticipating a strong showing for the approaching summer travel season.. With attractions like Blennerhassett Island and the West Virginia Motor Speedway to a number of special events, fairs and festivals throughout the summer to the opening of the Boy Scout's Summit Bechtel Reserve in southern West Virginia, the area is poised to see a number of ... http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214610201/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Sun, 19 May 2013 00:43:19 -0400 http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214610201/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Air NZ ranks amongst world's safest airlines Airways New Zealand will up its charges from July, a move airlines say is uncalled for and could impact on tourism. The state owned enterprise announced the 10.6% increase in air navigation service charges yesterday, saying the changes reflected its pricing framework. But the Board of Airline Representatives says the price hike follows increases ... http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214610180/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Sun, 19 May 2013 00:34:49 -0400 http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214610180/scat/7efe203e304dfafb CHINA Southern Airlines or Hainan Airlines will receive China's first Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft within weeks, a senior official of Boeing China said ... http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214609648/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Sat, 18 May 2013 23:57:21 -0400 http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214609648/scat/7efe203e304dfafb No, we don't all eat at buffets. No, we don't eat French molecular gastronomy or prime rib all the time. No, we'd rather not go to the Strip if we don't have to. Although the Strip does have a lock on our high-end and gourmet restaurants, the rest of Las Vegas is hardly a desert when it comes to serious culinary experiences. With a car and a trusty GPS, you'll be able to ... http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214608596/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Sat, 18 May 2013 21:03:10 -0400 http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214608596/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Penguins acclimate to their new habitat at the "Antarctica: Empire of the Penguins" attraction, during an exclusive preview, Wednesday, May 15, 2013. The attraction is scheduled to open Friday, May ... http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214608255/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Sat, 18 May 2013 20:54:14 -0400 http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214608255/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Russian President Vladimir Putin's motorcade will no longer disrupt Moscow traffic now that a helipad has been installed to fly him to work. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown ... http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214608131/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Sat, 18 May 2013 20:17:41 -0400 http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214608131/scat/7efe203e304dfafb According to the Sanya tourism association, Sanya has been titled Hainan’s most popular wedding tourism destination by the tourism association and local wedding organization union of Hainan province. This year, the Hainan government set up a united organization system to regulate wedding market operations and speed up the construction of supporting facilities and services to help promote ... http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214607015/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Sat, 18 May 2013 19:28:57 -0400 http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214607015/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Gaza . The action left hundreds of Gaza residents stuck at the border, the Palestinian Ma'an news agency reported. Police refused to open the crossing even after Egyptian Interior Minister Mohammad Ibrahim sent an assistant to Rafah to intercede. Police said they would only open the crossing when their colleagues are released. The seven police officers and soldiers, including four who ... http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214606477/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Sat, 18 May 2013 18:03:50 -0400 http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214606477/scat/7efe203e304dfafb After dinner and a walk around their Viking River Cruises ship on Russia’s Volga River last May, Charles and Cecilia Ford went back to their cabin. Charles, 82, was in a good mood, his wife said, cracking jokes and singing during their walk. But he also was battling a cough, which grew worse in the night, and his breathing became increasingly labored. By morning, he had died. A year ... http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214605808/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Sat, 18 May 2013 16:41:18 -0400 http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214605808/scat/7efe203e304dfafb On April 1 - the first day that tickets went on sale for Tall Ships Duluth 2013, July 25-29 - every single ticket for the two-hour day sails on these old beauties had been sold. Latecomers (by which I mean the lazy folks who logged on for tickets on April 2) had to content themselves with dock or onboard tours. Fortunately for fans of old-time wooden ships (and their modern-day reproductions), ... http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214605224/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Sat, 18 May 2013 15:44:06 -0400 http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214605224/scat/7efe203e304dfafb In the early 1980s, when I was a fifth-grader at Jefferson Elementary School, in a small town in Minnesota, our teacher, Mr. Odegaard, asked us if we wanted to see something. We did. So he took us down a little-used stairway, through a door and into a tunnel beneath our school. He flicked on the lights. The sound of our shuffling feet echoed down a long, dark corridor. "The walls down here ... http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214605225/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Sat, 18 May 2013 15:44:05 -0400 http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214605225/scat/7efe203e304dfafb The ancient art of mosaics thrives in Ravenna, the Italian city known for the art form. A master's five-day crash course teaches the technique to ... http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214604664/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Sat, 18 May 2013 14:46:24 -0400 http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214604664/scat/7efe203e304dfafb The woman in the wheelchair and headphones is watching pictures go by and hearing a narrator speak about a place and a moment long ago. On the screen a typewritten love letter appears and as the words scroll down, you can imagine the woman when she first laid eyes on those words. It was 80 years ago in Pampa, Texas, when Mary Jennings, then 16, succumbed to the sweet words and married Woody ... http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214604665/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Sat, 18 May 2013 14:46:23 -0400 http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214604665/scat/7efe203e304dfafb As more countries propose legislation to legalize same-sex marriage, as Minnesota just did, destinations and travel companies are increasingly marketing themselves to gay travelers. But John Tanzella, president of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association, warned that not all those who talk the talk necessarily walk the walk. "Let’s say a hotel is doing an ad campaign, but ... http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214604666/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Sat, 18 May 2013 14:46:22 -0400 http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214604666/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Q: I'm trying to help my sister get a refund on her daughter's nonrefundable airline ticket. Her daughter went to Spain in January as an exchange student. Her return was scheduled for May 29. When my sister, her husband and son went to Spain to visit her, my brother-in-law was rushed to the hospital. He was hospitalized for over a week until he was stable enough to fly back to Boston. ... http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214604667/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Sat, 18 May 2013 14:46:21 -0400 http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214604667/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Starwood has just unveiled the renovated Prince de Galles on Avenue George V in Paris. The Art Deco hotel, close to the Champs-Elyses, has been closed for two years ... http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214604259/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Sat, 18 May 2013 14:40:35 -0400 http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214604259/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Ben Ross is Head of Travel at The Independent. He has worked for the paper for over a decade, and began reporting on travel in 2001. Before joining the travel desk full time, he ran The Independent's special projects department. He started his journalistic career at the BBC working for its commercial arm, BBC ... http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214604668/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Sat, 18 May 2013 14:40:34 -0400 http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214604668/scat/7efe203e304dfafb The number of hotel rooms in Fujairah is expected to double to 1,600 this year. Above, the Hotel JAL Fujairah Resort and Spa. Randi Sokoloff / The ... http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214602683/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Sat, 18 May 2013 11:47:25 -0400 http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214602683/scat/7efe203e304dfafb SANTIAGO (Reuters) - LATAM Airlines Group SA LAN.SN said on Saturday it will resume flights to, from and within Argentina by 1530 GMT after state company Intercargo unilaterally decided on Friday to stop providing services to the ... http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214602353/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Sat, 18 May 2013 11:25:31 -0400 http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214602353/scat/7efe203e304dfafb PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad -; Trinidad's finance minister has appointed a new interim board to oversee Caribbean Airlines after announcing that the state-owned company posted losses of more than $70 ... http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214601294/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Sat, 18 May 2013 09:45:51 -0400 http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214601294/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Image credit: www.thetwelveoaks.com No more students, no more books . . . just lots of discounts for teachers at bed and breakfasts across the country this summer, thanks to a new program from BedandBreakfast.com. Often overworked and most definitely underpaid, many teachers are lucky enough to have the summer months off, but the summer is the most expensive time of year to take a ... http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214600201/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Sat, 18 May 2013 06:07:43 -0400 http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214600201/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Nice, France: If you want wild flavors, you'll find them at Fenocchio, a family-owned parlor scooping up scrumptiousness since 1966. While the scoops are on the pricey side, loyal customers will tell you the cones are worth it. Salted caramel and pistachio ice cream are favorites, though if you're looking for something adventurous, go for the cactus or tomato-basil ... http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214599732/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Sat, 18 May 2013 05:19:08 -0400 http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214599732/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Prices: Transportation prices are mostly fixed, but hotel and menu prices are pretty much whatever the proprietor thinks that he can get, with significant seasonal variation. We were there in December, the low season, and prices listed here are either what we were quoted or actually paid, often after some bargaining. In the high season (May-August), however, prices can easily be 50 percent higher ... http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214596302/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Sat, 18 May 2013 00:07:45 -0400 http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214596302/scat/7efe203e304dfafb If you go To book a fossil hunting dive charter in southwest Florida, visit aristakatcharters.yolasite.com or call 941-321-0852. Fee is $60 per diver for Bone Yard charters; $70 for fossil hunting in the region south of the Venice Pier. For a guided fossil hunt on the Peace River, call Mark Renz at 239-368-3252 or visit fossilexpeditions.com. Rates are $75 for walk-in adults; $50 for children ... http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214596769/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Sat, 18 May 2013 00:07:45 -0400 http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214596769/scat/7efe203e304dfafb It’s mid-May. Memorial Day and the end of the school year are in sight. Suddenly, you’re thinking about a summer vacation. A little advance planning — and some insider tips — can save you a lot of money. Whether you’re booking airfare, a car rental or a hotel room, there are questions you should ask ... http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214596770/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Sat, 18 May 2013 00:07:44 -0400 http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214596770/scat/7efe203e304dfafb I spoke with a manager, who told me he was sorry he couldn’t offer me a nonsmoking room. The only rooms the hotel had left to sell were smoking ... http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214596216/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Sat, 18 May 2013 00:07:42 -0400 http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214596216/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Getting there: The closest airport is the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport, just 17 miles away. There are no nonstops from Miami or Fort Lauderdale, but several airlines make the trip in about four hours with a change of planes. Round trip airfare starts around $285 from Fort Lauderdale, $420 from Miami in late July. Williamsburg is 45 miles from Richmond or Norfolk. American flies ... http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214596771/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Sat, 18 May 2013 00:07:42 -0400 http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214596771/scat/7efe203e304dfafb RICHMOND, Va. -- Among the swords, the wrenching letters home and the haunting photographs in the Museum of the Confederacy’s new exhibit on Gettysburg, few artifacts embody the ferocious battle more than the eight battle flags recovered from the bloodied fields where Pickett’s Charge was fought. The men who carried them were first in the line of fire, and the flag was coveted by the ... http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214596772/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Sat, 18 May 2013 00:07:41 -0400 http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214596772/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Cruise ships have a reputation for encouraging a measure of gluttony. On nearly every modern ship, you may start eating before the sun comes up and maintain a forkful until late into the night, when a call to room service will bring a snack to tide you over until dawn. A cruise can be a constant flow of French fries, sticky buns, and globs of multi-course meals with a never-ending supply of ... http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214596210/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Sat, 18 May 2013 00:07:41 -0400 http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214596210/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Key West Pride will be celebrated June 5-9 honoring diversity, openness and freedom on the subtropical island internationally known as a top gay and lesbian vacation spot. Festival events include pool and dance parties, comedy and film, a street fair, contests, a pride parade and more — and visitors will get a chance to meet Gilbert Baker, who in 1978 created the original rainbow flag that ... http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214596662/scat/7efe203e304dfafb Sat, 18 May 2013 00:07:40 -0400 http://www.londonmercury.com/index.php/sid/214596662/scat/7efe203e304dfafb