Transcontinental Train to Connect L.A., Miami

Amtrak will next year begin running the nation’s first transcontinental train, an extension of its triweekly Sunset Limited that will link Los Angeles and Miami for the first time with direct train service. The new service will take 58 hours, replacing a trip that now takes nearly twice that long, requires two transfers and takes a Miami-bound passenger from Los Angeles to New Orleans and then to Washington, D.C., before turning back south to Florida. The new transcontinental train will take passengers from Los Angeles through New Orleans and then directly to Florida--for the same fare as the old, slower trip. The triweekly service is scheduled to begin April 4, 1993.

Travel Quiz: What are the 10 largest islands in the world?

Not Just for Democrats: When the Democrats descend on Manhattan next week for that party’s national convention, there will be two new New York City visitor information kiosks in Times Square, manned by multilingual workers answering questions and dispensing directions, brochures and maps of New York. The seven-foot-tall booths--actually, two steamer trunks standing on end with a sign that reads “Where It’s At”--will be at 7th Avenue and 47th Street and at Broadway and 44th. Staffed by employees and volunteers under the direction of the New York Convention & Visitors Bureau, they will be open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. And you don’t have to be a Democrat to use them.

Getting a Line on San Diego: A new toll-free, 24-hour electronic visitor information telephone service offers travel advice on north San Diego County, ranging from Oceanside on the north to Del Mar on the south, and east as far as Borrego Springs. Coordinated by the Escondido Convention and Visitors Bureau, the recorded messages from members of the nonprofit bureau will not include critical evaluations, but will provide listings of restaurants, hotels, entertainment sources, golf courses and some special events. The number is (800) 848-3336.

Are They Nature-Friendly?: A new system, called the Green Evaluation Program, will soon help travelers compare the ecological merits of various nature tours. The Ecotourism Society, with the help of the National Audubon Society, Sierra Club, World Wildlife Fund and Nature Conservancy, is preparing guidelines for a consumer evaluation program for tours to fragile natural areas. Monitoring by travelers is expected to start by the end of the year, with evaluations collected and compiled by the Ecotourism Society and results available in 1993. For information on the Society, as well as a fact sheet detailing questions consumers can ask tour operators, write: Ecotourism Society, 801 Devon Place, Alexandria, Va. 22314.

Less Before More: May domestic traffic on U.S. airlines remained depressed while international traffic rose, continuing the pattern that prodded beleaguered U.S. airlines into the half-price sale that has been a boon for travelers. International traffic on U.S. airlines jumped 10% in May, over the same month in 1991, while domestic traffic fell less than 1% for the same period, according to the Air Transport Assn. May’s domestic drop followed modest declines for the first four months of 1992 and depressed advance bookings, which resulted in the price reductions. “If the bookings had been good, they wouldn’t have been discounting, at least not to this extent,” an ATA spokesman said.

Submerged in Monaco: First came the passenger submarine ride Atlantis (with eight locations worldwide, including Grand Cayman, Barbados, Guam, Maui and Waikiki). Then Israel introduced the Yellow Submarine in the Red Sea. Now Monaco has daily 45-minute SeaBus tours under the Mediterranean. The non-polluting, self-propelled vessel features full-length, floor-to-ceiling acrylic windows for 44 passengers to view wrecks and reefs as deep as 100 feet. Admission: about $50 for adults and $25 for children 5-12 for day trips; about $65, $30 (children) for night excursions (summer only). Reserve by calling 011-33-92-161819, faxing 011-33-92-161821 or contacting a travel agent.

Quick Fact: The Japanese are coming. And spending. Of more than 10.6 million Japanese citizens who traveled abroad last year, 3.32 million came to the United States, spending a total of $11.4 billion--an average of $3,430 per visitor. (Source: Japan National Tourist Organization.)

The Sound of Painting: The Trapp family will always be thought of as part of the “The Sound of Music,” but the famous Austrian singers disbanded in 1956. Seven of the 10 children of George and Agathe von Trapp are still living, and two of them are featured in a new show in Washington, D.C. Maria von Trapp, now 78, served more than 30 years as a missionary in New Guinea. Her sister Agathe, 79, founded a kindergarten in Glyndon, Md. But both were also painters, as revealed in a sizable exhibition of their watercolors and prints at the Austrian Embassy through July 31. Agathe’s landscapes constitute an album of her travels in America and to the Trapp Family Lodge in Vermont, while most of Maria’s paintings are abstracts done in New Guinea. The Austrian Embassy: 3524 International Court N.W., (202) 895-6700.

Comparatively Speaking: Average cost to rent an intermediate-size car for a day in Milan, Italy: $195.50. In Tokyo, Japan: $154.97. In Sao Paulo, Brazil: $129.90. In Sydney, Australia: $71.30. In Islamabad, Pakistan: $36.06. (Source: Runzheimer International.)

Fair Warning: The Sonoma “Salute to the Arts” food, wine and art festival will be held in historic Sonoma Plaza, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. July 18-19. Sonoma wineries, restaurants, caterers, bakers and food producers will present fine Sonoma County wines and culinary creations. Art galleries and visual arts organizations will sell art. Performing arts organizations and artists will stage open-air performances and classical, jazz and world music concerts, and authors will sign books and greet festival-goers. Tasting tickets, $1 per, will be available for purchase at booths in the plaza. Call (707) 938-1133 for additional information.

Quiz Answer: In order they are: Greenland, New Guinea, Borneo, Madagascar, Baffin in Canada, Sumatra, Honshu in Japan, Great Britain, Victoria and Ellesmere in Canada.