Now Baltic Countries Require Separate Visas

American travelers to the newly independent Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia must now have visas for travel to each of those countries, rather than the Soviet visa that provided access before the countries became independent late this summer. Visas are free when obtained at the border of all three countries. But Latvia and Lithuania visas are also available for a fee at embassies in the United States.

At the Latvian Embassy (4325 17th St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20011, 202-726-8213), a visa for single entry for a period of up to 60 days can be obtained for $20. The Lithuanian Embassy (2622 16th St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009, 202-234-5860) issues a multiple-entry visa, good for three months (with extensions of up to six months possible) for $25.

However, Estonian visas ($20) are only available at the Estonian border city of Tallinn, or at Estonian consulate offices in Stockholm or Helsinki. For more information, call the Estonian Consulate in New York at (212) 247-1450.

In keeping with the tourist rush to Eastern Europe, this week Lufthansa Airlines begins regularly scheduled service between Frankfurt and Riga, capital of Latvia, and the Ukranian capital Kiev. Service, which will be three times weekly to each city, begins today to Riga and Monday to Kiev.

Travel Quiz: What city is the No. 1 tourist destination in the United States?

Park Place: When it comes to parking at LAX, no longer are travelers offered only short-term ($16 per day) or long-term ($5 to $7 per day) parking lots. There is a steadily growing assortment of lots and services to choose from. For example, a new valet company, started earlier this year, will provide a personal valet to handle parking duties for travelers using LAX. It even will have the car washed, serviced and has facilities to send faxes. The traveler simply drops by the company, Airport Valet Inc., near LAX, picks up the bonded valet and drives to the airport terminal. Once there, the valet assists with luggage and takes the car back to the company lot. On return, the traveler calls Airport Valet from the terminal and is picked up within five minutes, the company promises. Service like this does not come cheap. Cost is $16.50 per day, but the price drops to $11 per day after five days. Corporate discounts are available.

Other private parking companies at LAX are the Car Barn, which offers covered parking and shuttle van service between the parking structure and the airport ($10 per day), and Wally Park, which has covered self-parking ($8 per day) and valet parking at the lot ($10 per day). Wally Park also shuttles customers to the airport by van.

Belize Advisory: The U.S. State Department is advising travelers to the Central American country of Belize to exercise caution to avoid robberies and related assaults. While the government of Belize is making efforts to improve security in the seaport town of Belize City and inland tourist sites, crime has increased. Visitors are advised not to walk alone on city streets, especially at night, not to wear jewelry or carry valuables and, if traveling to a remote tourist site, to travel in a group.

A State Department pamphlet that provides general travel information for the area and tips for travelers to Central and South America may be ordered for $1 from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402.

Up in Smoke: Smoking is becoming less and less fashionable where travel is concerned. With that in mind, Homewood Suites, a nationwide chain with 20 properties, as of Jan. 1 will request that all of its hotels set aside 75% of their rooms for nonsmoking clients.

Nonsmoking hotel rooms, an oddity as recently as 1975, are growing in number. Bally’s Casino Resort in Reno has designated about a quarter of its hotel rooms and 20% of its blackjack tables as nonsmoking territories. Further, a 1990 survey by the American Hotel & Motel Assn. indicates that almost half of mid-priced, full-service rooms are for nonsmokers. (If you wish to smoke, try all-suites properties that dedicate only about 5% to nonsmokers nationwide.)

Train Suspended: “Cash flow” problems have prompted suspension of American-European Express luxury train service between New York and Chicago, which also had been scheduled to start between New York and Miami next month.

Reduced summer crowds and a June 21 derailment that wiped out half of the company’s fleet of 12 cars contributed to the decision.

The company’s board of directors decided last week to cease operations, including the proposed winter service to Florida, and to reorganize the company. AEE said it hoped that the New York-Chicago service would restart by next spring.

Quick Fact: Estimated number of disposable plastic shower caps used in U.S. hotel and motel rooms every year: 169,360,000. Estimated cubic feet of landfill those shower caps would occupy: 45,941, or a tennis court surrounded by a fence about 10 feet tall. (Sources: U.S. Lodging Industry 1989 report and Lodging Guest Research Summary.)

Comparatively Speaking: Average price of lift tickets at Colorado ski resorts and areas for 1981-82: $15.12. For 1990-91: $28.11. (Source: Tour & Travel News.)

Fair Warning: Bull riding, calf roping, steer wrestling and bareback riding will be part of the activities at the 35th anniversary Brawley Cattle Call Rodeo, Nov. 9-10 in Brawley, about 125 miles east of San Diego in the Imperial Valley. The rodeo will be preceded by a week of activities that will include a cowboy poetry reading, chili cook-off, mariachi festival and bluegrass concert. There will be two performances of the professional rodeo on Saturday and one on Sunday. All seats--$9 and $6--are reserved.

Quiz Answer: Atlantic City, which attracts 32 million visitors annually, 75% of whom live within a 150-mile radius, another 20% of whom live within 300 miles.