Lufthansa is beefing up its all business class service by adding a Dusseldorf to Newark route to its existing trans-Atlantic offerings. The airline currently flies all business class flights from Dusseldorf to Chicago and Munich to Newark. The new flight takes off on October 28, 2007.

Lufthansa to Launch All-Business Class Service from Frankfurt to New York

Got a little European travel news for you today. Starting June 10, travelers will be able to take a train from Paris to Suttgart, Germany in half the time it now takes to travel that route - and for less money. The new high-speed TGV train will depart Paris Est station (not hard to reach from the Paris Nord station’s Eurostar terminal, which means travelers from London can easily use this new service, too) and reach its destination in 3 hours, 39 minutes (now it takes about 6 hours, 15 minutes and involves multiple transfers). The one-way ticket price for the new high-speed train will run 95 GBP, while it now costs about 102 GBP for the longer route.

High-speed Trains to Link Paris with Two Key Business Cities in Germany

A new museum dedicated to Jewish history and culture opened today in Munich. Built as a freestanding cube with a completely translucent ground-floor, the Jewish Museum Munich houses a permanent exhibition of the history of Munich’s Jewish population, as well as temporary exhibits that change throughout the year. The museum is part of a larger Jewish community center that occupies the site.

From the Business Week feature linked below, I learned about an interesting way to kill time at Germany’s Frankfurt, Berlin or Bremen airports. Lufthansa offers three-hour flight training sessions in their very own ProFlight simulators (pictured) through the Lufthansa Flight Training Center. The simulators mimic take-off, flight and landing for a variety of airplanes, including the Boeing 737 and 747 and Airbus 320 and 340. The cost depends on which plane you choose, but ranges from 249 euros to 325 euros (aprox. $429) per session. To purchase tickets in advance, you can do so online via this translated page (be prepared for muddled English), Proflight Ticket Sales.

Five Cures for Terminal Boredom

In one of the more unusual frequent flyer promos I’ve seen lately, Lufthansa is offering doctors 5,000 bonus miles for joining the airline’s loyalty program. In exchange, the doctors must provide the airline with information about their field and expertise so that the airline staff can contact them when they are onboard a flight and a medical emergency occurs.

Lufthansa With Special Offer For Doctors

Perhaps you’re jonesing for some of that French rap you heard in gay Paris or the Afro-Peruvian beats you soaked in on Peru’s coast. Hey, you may get back there someday to hear your favorite international music genres in person, but in the mean time, check out National Geographic’s World Music department. You can listen to a bajillion genres you’ve never even heard of, listen to and download your favorites. And there are free downloads offered each week. Cool beans.

I learned of this new development via World Hum. Must give credit where credit is due.

GenArt’s recent travel feature on Berlin put the spotlight on new Berlin boutique hotel Bleibtreu. I just couldn’t get over the crazy bathroom tiles (pictured). Dizzying, eh? The 60-room hotel has a restaurant and bar, as well as some unusual wellness treatments like light therapy (good for anyone spending a dark winter in northern Europe) and a “chi machine” (still not quite sure what that’s all about). The hotel is located on a side street in the city center and close to high-end shops, restaurants, etc.

Sick of airlines and hotels banning smoking? Then you might be just the right sort of customer for a new German outfit called Smokers International Airline (Smintair). The luxury airline, scheduled to begin daily flights between Dusseldorf and Tokyo next spring, will allow smoking throughout the plane - from its business class seats with 70″ of leg room to its upstairs lounge. Passengers will also have their own 15″ TV screens and in-flight Internet access. Roundtrip fares are expected to be $8,300 for busines class and $12,800 for first class seats.

Nice idea if you’re a loaded chain-smoking businessman from Germany or Japan.

Smoking Airline Plan via CNN

The AAA is warning would-be travelers abroad not to fall prey to international driver’s permit scams, which can result in fake licenses for as much as $350. Why would you want to fork over a hunk of change when a real international driver’s permit costs only $10?

All you need to get your international driving permit is your U.S. license, $10 and two original passport-size photos (or let them take ‘em for you at the AAA office). You can apply for your permit in person or by mail.

The permits are valid - as long as you have your U.S. license to show alongside the international permit - in 150 countries for up to one year. They also have your information printed in 11 different languages - helpful if you’re traveling outside English-speaking countries.

AAA International Driving Permit

Berlin’s 54-room Schlosshotel is so posh and full of perks that Germany’s football team has admitted wanting to play extra hard in today’s quarter final game vs. Argentina just to have another night there. The Grunewald district hotel features oppulent rooms designed by Karl Lagerfeld that come with amenities like personal computers, high-speed Internet access and heated bathroom floors. And that’s in the basic rooms.

Berlin Schlosshotel

Lehmann Just Wants to Keep His Posh Hotel Room