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Larry Habegger

Published 4:00 am, Sunday, February 19, 2006

Photo: Courtesy Danish Tourist Board



TRAVEL COPENHAGEN Nov. 9, 1999 � One of the sights for the tourist in Tivoli Gardens are the horsemen and buggies.(SHNS photo courtesy The Danish Tourist Board)

Danish treat: More Tivoli time

It used to be that if you didn't visit Copenhagen during its peak season -- mid-spring to late summer -- you didn't get a chance to go inside its famed amusement park, Tivoli. But it started opening for a brief Christmas season in December 1994, and this year it will add a treat for October visitors: a 10-day Halloween season.

Tivoli, which begins its regular season April 12, will be open daily at 11 a.m. through Sept. 24 and then reopen Oct. 13 with a Halloween theme. The 10-day fall period coincides with a weeklong holiday for Danish students.



Last year, 2 million people visited the downtown attraction during the summer period, according to the Associated Press, while another 1 million people passed through its gates in December.

During the Yule season, about 20 rides reopen, Christmas decorations are sold in booths and a village of hundreds of mechanical pixies takes up residence in a tent at the center of the park. Tivoli's Concert Hall features special performances of "The Nutcracker" co-produced by the Royal Danish Ballet.

The Concert Hall, which reopened in November after a 10-month renovation, now includes a special attraction for visitors even when no performance is scheduled. The Aquarium Foyer, in the hall's former basement, is called Europe's largest saltwater aquarium, with 1,600 tropical fish, rays and sharks.

Built in 1843 on the ramparts that once surrounded medieval Copenhagen, Tivoli is considered one of the world's oldest amusement parks. It includes restaurants as well as rides and entertainment. Adult admission starts at 75 kroner ($11.95 U.S.), rides at 15 kroner ($2.39 U.S.). For more information, visit www.tivoli.dk (click on British flag for English). -- Staff and wire report

WORLD TRAVEL WATCH / Rio de Janeiro police issue safety warning

Just two weeks before Carnaval opens in Rio de Janeiro, Rio police officers protested low pay by handing out leaflets at the international airport warning tourists that they might not be safe in the city because the police have little incentive to combat crime.

Rio has a reputation as a violent city, and the protest has not helped its image. The angry officers were demanding a 50 percent increase of their $550 per month salary, but those involved in the action were suspended.

China: The Great Wall of China sees some 4 million visitors a year, and too many of them leave graffiti behind, usually their own names or expressions of love. Managers of the Juyongguan section have devised a novel plan to fight the problem: They have built a bogus wall of marble bricks near the most-visited section of the wall in Badaling and are offering it up for carving at a cost of $120 per brick.

The scheme is designed to discourage defacing the real wall and to raise funds for its management.

Vietnam: Tourism managers for Ho Chi Minh City have assigned a volunteer force of young people to protect tourists.

The youths, who must be high school graduates, able to speak English and adept at martial arts, will work to protect tourists from theft and harassment from beggars and vendors. The volunteers will patrol major tourist sites, including Ben Thanh market, Thong Nhat palace and the shopping area of Dong Khoi, Le Thanh Ton, Le Cong Kieu and Me Linh.

In other news, it is now possible to ride ostriches for fun in the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long. Some 30 ostriches are available for racing around the yard of a farm in An Thuan Hamlet in Long Ho District. Most of the farm's clients are Vietnamese, but it is becoming increasingly popular with foreigners looking for something new.

-- Larry Habegger

CONSUMERS / Filled rental car tank? Better keep the proof

Here's a new reason to be sure to read the fine print on rental car contracts: To help offset gasoline prices, Budget Rent a Car is imposing an additional $9.50 charge on all vehicles driven fewer than 75 miles.

Most car rental companies give customers three fueling options: Fuel the car, pay in advance for fuel at the rental counter, or return the car on empty and let the rental company fill up the vehicle. The latter is usually the most expensive, as companies often charge as much as $6 a gallon.

The new charge is aimed at renters who drive short distances and don't fill up their tanks before they return because the gas gauge still reads "full," even though the tank is a few gallons short. In the past, Budget filled the tank and billed the customer the highest rate. But now, Budget will impose the $9.50 charge even if the renter tops off the tank before returning the car. The charge will be removed only if customers show their gas receipt to a Budget agent, which could slow travelers who are rushing to catch flights.

Budget implemented the policy in November. Now Avis is testing the fee at several of its locations, including Baltimore-Washington, Houston Hobby and Minneapolis/St. Paul airports. Hertz and other rental companies said they have no plans to adopt the fee.


