Travel news: EgyptAir introduces free 96-hour transit visa; Spain restricts alcoholic drinks to six a day; no strolley bags in Croatian town

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EgyptAir introduces free 96-hour transit visa: EgyptAir, the national carrier of Egypt, has announced that travellers can obtain a free transit visa to enter Egypt and stay for a duration starting from 8 hours to 96 hours. This visa can be obtained upon arrival at Cairo International Airport, provided that the passenger goes to the EgyptAir transit office at the airport to fill out the data form upon which they can obtain the visa free of charge.

Transit passengers can take advantage of tour programs offered by its tourist tours subsidiary Karnak to explore attractions in the country.

Recently, Egypt introduced a new five-year multiple-entry visa for foreigners, available for a fee of $700.

It may be recalled that in March this year, Egypt had relaxed tourist visa requirements for visitors from India, China, Iran, Turkey, Morocco, Algeria and Israel.

Tired of GoT tourists, San Juan introduces online ticketing system: San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, a tiny town in Basque Country (an autonomous community in northern Spain known as Dragonstone to Game of Thrones fans) is so tired of Game of Thrones enthusiasts that it has launched an online ticketing system to curb tourism and deter tourists from ringing the church bell.

San Juan has seen an exponential increase in arrival of tourists that is not only causing discontent amongst locals but is also disturbing the breeding patterns of marine life due to the constant ringing of church bells by GoT fans.

Not more than 6 alcoholic drinks a day in Balearic Islands (Spain): The all-inclusive meal options in Magalluf, El Arenal, Playa de Palma in Mallorca and Sant Antoni in Ibiza, will serve a maximum of six alcoholic drinks per person per day and these drinks will be provided only during lunch and dinner ( 3 each). The Balearic government has also put a stop to pub crawls, the sale of alcohol in shops between 9.30pm and 8am, and advertising party boats in some areas.

Spanish party capitals Ibiza and Majorca have introduced heavy penalty for excessive and illegal partying. Clubbers attending illegal parties on these two islands can be fined up to €29,000 while those participating in events/parties inside protected natural areas can be fined up to €28,000. The penalty for home partying is much higher - up to €350,000.

No strolley bags in Croatian town: As part of a campaign to reduce noise and encourage responsible tourism, the city of Dubrovnik (Croatia) has announced that visitors to the Old Town of Dubrovnik will no longer be able to roll their luggage on the stone-paved streets.

Dubronvik is a favourite of Games of Thrones (GoT) fans because the city has been a prominent GoT filming location since Season 2. After all, Dubrovnik is King’s Landing, the capital of the Seven Kingdoms.

According to the mayor of the city, residents of the Old Town complained about the noise of the suitcases rolling at night. So, for this summer season, visitors must carry their bags and avoid rolling the wheels on the stone-paved streets.

This November onwards, there will be a logistics centre within the Čilipi (Dubrovnik airport) from where all the luggage of Dubrovnik visitors will be transported from Čilipi directly to the guests’ addresses. Of course, the visitors will have to pay for this service.

Ryanair bans alcohol as cabin luggage: Ryanair, the low-cost Irish carrier, has banned passengers from carrying duty-free alcohol as part of their cabin luggage. In all airlines, onboard passengers are not allowed to open and consume alcohol bought at duty-free stores but can carry it as cabin luggage, but Ryanair has gone a step forward and issued a diktat that any purchased alcohol will have to be stowed in the hold. If you arrive at the departure gate with the alcohol only in a carrier bag, you could be made to put it in the bin.

Eurostar ends direct trains from London to Disneyland Paris: The convenience of hopping into a Eurostar in London straight to Disneyland Paris is no longer available until the end of 2023.

Starting next year, Eurostar’s train that connects Amsterdam to London will also be suspended for a period of over 11 months. According to Eurostar, the service disruption is due to renovation work at Amsterdam’s railway station that will start in June 2024 and will last until May 2025 and during this period there will be no direct cross-channel rail services to Amsterdam.