COMING AND GOING
COMING AND GOING
Staying Safe
Sunday, April 2, 2006; Page P01
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STAYING SAFE
Travelers and Traffic
The recent bus crash in Chile that killed 12 American cruisers was a sobering reminder that traffic crashes are the leading cause of death of healthy Americans traveling overseas. A report that the bus was not certified to carry passengers was also a reminder that safety standards and enforcement vary among countries.
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"More Americans are traveling to countries where their chances of being killed on the road are up to 80 times higher than in the U.S. ," said Rochelle Sobel, founder of the Association for Safe International Road Travel. Sobel, of Potomac, launched the nonprofit, which is dedicated to informing travelers of risks and how to avoid them, after her son died with 23 others in a bus crash in Turkey. CoGo asked Celebrity Cruises how the company vets shore excursions . (The crash victims had been on a Celebrity cruise, but the tour they took was not sanctioned by the cruise line.) David Llewellyn, vice president for shore excursions, said a similar trip offered by the line had used a bigger bus , provided oxygen and first aid equipment, had a supervisor following the bus, had an empty bus following in case of a breakdown, and had copies of the tour operator's licenses and maintenance records .
You can find international road conditions in U.S. State Department consular reports athttp://www.travel.state.gov. Vastly more detailed road reports, local driving customs, particular hazards and other hints are available through Sobel's group athttp://www.asirt.org.
Paris Watch
Dodging Demonstrations
Planning a trip to France this spring? The strikes that last week grounded a third of the flights in Paris airports, shut down the capital's Metro and bus systems, and brought demonstrators to the streets in several cities may not be over. "The situation is impossible to predict," said Agnes Vandermuhll, a press officer at the French Embassy in D.C. "Within the next weeks, further protests are possible."
Students, backed by trade unions, have pledged to continue protests until the government withdraws a new law that allows employers to fire workers 26 or younger without explanation. In Paris, police have blockaded some streets surrounding the Sorbonne. Although sporadic, sometime- violent clashes have occurred. Hoteliers and tour guides contacted in Paris nonetheless reported little or no disturbances. Vandermuhll noted that no tourists have been injured in the protests and said, "There is absolutely no danger to travelers ." A U.S. State Department announcement, in effect until April 30, advises travelers to France to avoid large gatherings , noting that police have used tear gas.
CoGo's advice: If you're bound for France, check frequently for updates on the status of protests: French Government Tourism Office, 514-288-1904, and U.S. State Department Web site,http://www.travel.state.gov.
Travel Ticker
Attend the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and raise money to house displaced musicians by making your reservations through Fans of the Fest. The nonprofit has put together three-day packages for $1,499 for two people, of which $250 is tax deductible and goes to musicians. Details: 800-535-8747, http://www.nojhf.org/ . . . Children under 11 may ride the London Under- ground and Docklands Light Railway for free on weekends and after 9:30 a.m. weekdays, starting today. Passengers under 16 can ride city buses for free . . . Continental Airlines promises to help accommodate its passengers traveling to Venezuela if the government carries out a threat to ban American carriers.
BARGAIN OF THE WEEK
Australian Fly-About
Qantas Aussie Airpass travelers can now fly throughout Australia, including such destinations as Hayman Island and Alice Springs, without paying extra. The $1,299 fare includes round-trip air from Washington Dulles to Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, plus up to three domestic flights. For example, an itinerary of Dulles to Sydney to Perth to Cairns to Sydney and back to Dulles is $1,459, including taxes. Priced separately, the trip would cost $2,226. Book by April 13; travel by June 30. Info: 888-505-6252, www.australia.com.
Reporting: Cindy Loose, Gary Lee.
Help feed CoGo. Send travel news to cogo@washpost.com. By fax: 202-912-3609. By mail: CoGo, Washington Post Travel Section, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071.
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