Travel agenda
From the Rio rush for the 2016 Olympics to summer flights to Pula
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Your support makes all the difference.1. Rio rush
The race to get to Rio in 2016 is underway, with the British Olympic Association opening registration for tickets, which go on sale next month. Some hotels have vowed not to raise their rates during the event, such as Pousada Picinguaba, a beach hotel between Rio and Sao Paulo. bit.ly/RegisterRio2016
2. Photo comp
Aurora Expeditions is running a competition to find its next official Arctic photographer. The winner will get to climb aboard the Polar Pioneer on Aurora’s Across the Arctic Circle Voyage, a trip worth around £5,000. To enter, visit Aurora Expeditions’ Facebook page and upload a travel photo along with 50 words about why you should win.
3. Summer flights
easyJet has added three new routes for summer season: Gatwick to Preveza, handy for the Ionian islands, in Greece (starting 17 May), Gatwick to Pula (pictured) in Croatia (from 23 June), and Stansted to Monastir in Tunisia (from 2 June). All the routes will operate twice weekly.
4. Express app
The Heathrow Express App has been updated to allow passengers to book and display train tickets on their smartphones up to 15 minutes before travel. The app, for iPhone and Android devices also features live service updates, displaying the time of the next departure.
5. Visa change
From 16 March, British passport-holders wishing to visit India must visit an application centre, rather than applying by post. Centres will be available in London, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Manchester, Liverpool, Bradford, Newcastle, Belfast, Cardiff, Bristol, Glasgow and Leicester. Appointments are required to collect biometric data .
6. Remote tour
Discover the World is launching new trips to the remote island of St Helena. The sub-tropical British Overseas Territory is set to get its first airport in 2016 and Discover the World will be one of the first companies to offer trips when flights begin. In the meantime, visitors can travel on the RMS St Helena before it is retired next year.
7. Secret cities
InterContinental hotels have launched Secrets of the City, a collection of insider experiences in London, Tel Aviv and Paris. They include a visit to the Queen’s perfumer in London and a macaron-making lesson in Paris.
intercontinental.com/secretsofthecity
8. Ferry upgrade
DFDS Seaways is now offering ferry passengers access to the rebranded Sea View Lounge, as well as booking priority boarding for cars. Access to the lounge costs £8pp each way and priority boarding costs £10 per car each way. Both upgrades are available on the operator’s Dover to Dunkirk service.
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