Traveler's Advisory

By Sinting Lai

AFRICA

EGYPT. Tired of Tut and Ramses II? Two new pharaonic sites have opened to the public for the first time in the Valley of the Kings on the west bank of the Nile, across from the city of Luxor in Upper Egypt. The tomb of King Tuthmosis IV (reigned 1413-1405 B.C.), discovered in 1903, is one of the largest of the 18th dynasty. The tomb of Prince Ramses Montu-Hir Khobsh-Ef (1137-1117 B.C.), the son of King Ramses IX, was unearthed in 1817.

EUROPE

LONDON. Does the trip to and from Heathrow seem, well, boring? Virgin Atlantic Airways, owned by thrill-seeking entrepreneur Richard Branson, is now offering business-class travelers a cooler kind of commute -- and a quicker one, given the usual traffic snarls on the M4 highway. Those arriving or departing at Heathrow on Virgin's New York City, Los Angeles or Tokyo flights have a choice between a free limousine ride or a seat behind the driver of a Honda motorcycle. Each Taxijet is equipped with heated leather seats and running boards, has a hands-free portable telephone and intercom, and can cut the driving time to less than 30 minutes. Helmets and weatherproof clothing are provided, but passengers may tote only one carry-on bag. Book 24 hours before departure.

TOLEDO. In this medieval city in central Spain 67 km south of Madrid, Domenikos Theotokopoulos, or El Greco (1541-1614), spent his later years creating a prodigious number of paintings. Nineteen of his highly expressionist works, including the dramatic landscape View of Toledo, are again on display at the recently renovated El Greco Museum. Temporarily closed for restoration is the adjoining Casa del Greco, which contains period furniture, paintings and personal belongings.

NORTH AMERICA

MONTREAL. The gambling pandemic has reached new heights in the second-largest French-speaking city in the world. The Casino de Montreal -- the city's first and only gambling house -- opened last week; it boasts five floors of baccarat, roulette and blackjack, plus 1,200 slot machines. Located on the site of the French pavilion on the Expo 67 grounds, the casino expects to handle 6,000 visitors a day. The aim is to attract low-rolling tourists and conventioneers, although one of the one-armed bandits accepts only mauve- colored tokens worth $375 each. Open daily from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m.

CHICAGO. The grand Beaux-Arts building that houses the Art Institute of Chicago is 100 years old. To celebrate that centennial, the Institute on Nov. 1 unveils "Chicago's Dream, a World's Treasure," a show of some of the choicest works from the 260,000-piece permanent collection. The 350-piece exhibit includes a number of works that are rarely seen owing to their fragility and sensitivity to light. Among the highlights: Seurat's A Sunday on La Grande Jatte -- 1884, the masterpiece most closely identified with the institute; Rembrandt's Young Woman at an Open Half-Door; Degas's pastel On the & Stage; Cezanne sketchbooks; Picasso prints and Walker Evans photographs. Through Jan. 9.