Travel briefs
Published 9:00 pm Saturday, July 16, 2005
Looking for an insider’s view of your favorite show? Consider a studio tour on your next visit to the Los Angeles area. Just remember to call ahead to make reservations and double-check schedules, as times and routes can vary.
Warner Bros. VIP Tour (4000 Warner Blvd., Burbank, 818-972-8687) includes a trolley ride through back lot sets, sound stages and craft shops where guests are likely to see productions in progress, followed by a final stop at the Warner Bros. Museum. The two-hour tours are offered every half-hour weekdays beginning at 8:30 a.m., and each tour is slightly different, customized where possible to guests’ interests. Tickets are $39, ages 8 and up. For a more in-depth look, four-hour deluxe tours are offered daily at 10:30 a.m. for $125.
Sony (10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, 323-520-8687) has a two-hour guided indoor and outdoor walking tour offering a glimpse of old Hollywood (you’ll see where Dorothy’s yellow-brick road once was). Tours are 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $25, ages 12 and up.
Paramount (5555 Melrose Ave., Hollywood, 323-956-1777) has a two-hour behind-the-scenes tour of the studios that created “The Godfather” and “Titanic.” Tour times are 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tickets are $35, ages 12 and up.
NBC (3000 W. Alameda Ave., Burbank, 818-840-3537) has a 70-minute behind-the-scenes tour of NBC studios, which may include glimpses of the “Tonight” show and “Days of Our Lives” sets. Tours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays; adults, $7.50 and kids 5 to 12, $4.
Perhaps the best-known tour is a tram ride to see movie sets – from classics to “War of the Worlds” – and special effects demonstrations at Universal Studios Hollywood. Admission to the theme park, which also has rides, shops and live entertainment, is $53 for adults and $43 for children; details at www.universalstudioshollywood.com. But there is also an all-day VIP Studio Tour Experience of movie and production facilities offered daily at $149 a person, ages 5 and up (100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, 818-622-5120).
Hadrian’s Villa
Hadrian’s Villa, among the most ambitious of palaces built by Roman emperors, has opened for evening guided tours led by archaeologists.
The tours are offered Wednesday through Sunday, Aug. 10 to Sept. 11. They include music, readings and video screenings at the villa near Tivoli, 15 miles east of Rome.
Hadrian became emperor in A.D. 117 and began building the villa the following year, completing it a decade later.
Many parts of the villa were based on famous buildings in Egypt and Greece and were designed by Hadrian himself.
The tours cost $8.50 to $12, are conducted in English and Italian, and last 90 minutes.
Santa Barbara food
Hunt for chanterelles with a local chef, tour an organic farm or inhale fresh lavender at an organic market.
These are a few of the culinary-themed adventures that visitors to Santa Barbara County, Calif., can experience with the help of a free 32-page guide called “Get Fresh on the American Riviera: Savor the Flavors of Santa Barbara.” The guide can direct you to cooking classes, specialty markets, gourmet restaurants and tours of working farms that raise everything from ostriches to nuts.
Attractions include the Old Mission Santa Barbara’s Huerta restoration project, a showcase garden where grapes, herbs, fruits and vegetables were once cultivated for cooking and medicinal purposes; the harbor’s Fisherman’s Market where the morning catch includes spiny lobster and spot prawns; and one-day cooking courses, just $12 to $20, at Santa Barbara City College.
Specialty shops include Eclectico for gourmet mushrooms to C’est Cheese, while vineyards include McKeon-Phillips Winery, Santa Barbara Winery and Rideau Winery. The brochure also lists local food festivals and the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History’s series of lectures on food.
For more information on culinary tourism, contact the Santa Barbara Conference &Visitors Bureau and Film Commission at 800-927-4688 or www.santabarbaraca.com.
Madrid Card
When in Madrid, consider using the Madrid Card.
The card provides free admission to 43 museums, cultural institutions and attractions and discounts for various restaurants, shops, tours, night spots and shows. The cards also provide unlimited access to local Madrid Vision tour buses, and are valid for either 24, 48 or 72 hours, at about $30, $42 or $55, respectively. They are sold on the Madrid Vision buses, at the airport, at the Municipal Office of Tourism Information and other locations, and online at www.madridcard.com.
Similar cards are available for attractions in Barcelona, Bilbao, Gijon, Granada, San Sebastian, Seville and Valencia.
For more information, call the Tourist Office of Spain, 212-265-8822, or go to www.okspain.org.
Travel deals
Island Hideaways has deals on 20 villas throughout Barbados. Stay for 14 nights and pay for 10 nights, or stay for seven nights and pay for five. For example, the three-bedroom Caprice at Old Trees Bay, which usually rents for $6,020 a week, is $4,300. Deal is good through Sept. 30. Info: 800-832-2302, www.islandhideaways.com.
A nine-night cruise aboard the M/V Polar Star to Canada’s Newfoundland, Labrador, and Nova Scotia has been discounted by 50 percent by Expedition Trips. The cruise, which departs St. Johns, Newfoundland, on Sept. 23, starts at $1,488 per person double, including port charges and taxes. Info: 877-412-8527, www.expeditiontrips.com.
France Cruises is discounting 12 summer departures of its canal and river barge excursions throughout France by more than 30 percent. The seven-day cruises start at $1,250 per person double (usual fare is $1,890); deal includes regional wines with meals and all sightseeing. Info: 866-498-3920, www.francecruises.com.
Southwest has a systemwide sale for late summer and fall travel with fares as low as $39 each way. Buy tickets by Aug. 4 at www.southwest.com and travel Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays from Aug. 18 through Oct. 28. Fourteen-day advance purchase is required.
A package that includes five nights at the four-star Marriott Plaza Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, round-trip air from Miami, transfers, a city tour and breakfasts is $649 per person double, plus $185 taxes, through Analie Tours. Departures are available July-September. Priced separately, air is about $718 and the hotel $170 a night. Info: 800-811-6027, www.analietours.com.
Language courses
NWLA, Center for World Language and Culture, offers a series of weekend intensive language courses designed to facilitate travel. Instead of memorizing phrases, you will learn basic patterns of conversation that you can apply to many different circumstances. Practical travel tips and cultural orientation are also highlighted.
Instructors are native speakers with professional experience. The fee for the workshop is $250 and includes a language text and other materials. NWLA offers discounts for family groups and couples, as well early registration. Group size is limited to 15 and registration is required. Call 360-914-0391 or 360-579-2416 or e-mail info@nwlanguageacademy.com. More information at www.nwlanguageacademy.com.
* Italian Language Cafe – Aug. 5-7, Whidbey Island;
* French Cafe – Aug. 26-28, Mukilteo.
Travel classes, seminars
Rick Steves’ Europe Through the Back Door hosts free travel classes most Saturdays at 10 a.m. at the Edmonds Theater, 415 Main St., Edmonds.
July 23 – European rail travel skills.
July 30 – Great Britain.
Classes are free, reservations recommended. Call 425-771-8303 ext. 298 or visit www.ricksteves.com/seattle.
