Signs on Lake Windermere warning of toxic blue-green algae should not put visitors off, urged the Environment Agency in Cumbria this week. The algae, which can cause skin irritation and vomiting, “is here for the summer”. Swimming has not been banned, but visitors should beware of “water with an unnatural electric-blue haze on top”.
Ryanair (0906 270 5656, 25p/min; www.ryanair.com) has four new routes from Stansted: Grenoble, in France (from September 23; returns from £30), Kaunas, Lithuania (September 22; £32), and Lodz (October 30; £26) and Poznan (September 23; £29), both in Poland. Pass the atlas.
Singapore Airlines (0870 608 8886, www.singaporeair.com) is introducing interactive audiovisual language-learning programmes in all its cabin classes. Initially, you’ll have to make do with 11 languages, including French, Spanish and Mandarin. By next year, it will rise to 20. A certificate will be e-mailed to passengers who pass a course ... with flying colours.
US immigration has added yet another security hurdle for holidaymakers. From next year, travellers will be expected to “check out” of the USA, with mandatory digital fingerprinting and a photograph when they leave the country as well as enter it.
Next time you buy a near-perfect copy of the latest Louis Vuitton luggage down the market, remember not to take it to France. A consortium of France’s top luxury-goods manufacturers has warned tourists that those caught buying or in possession of fake goods on French soil faced fines of £200,000 and three years in jail.
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The Comité Colbert, which includes Chanel, Bollinger, Givenchy and Hermès, corroborated advice received from French customs that airport staff would ‘challenge passengers passing through with designer luggage’ — and that those caught with counterfeit goods would be fined