Something to Declare

The column that gives the global picture

Destination of the week: new horizons in North America

"Modern trains and splendid stations: architecture and design for the 21st century" is one of three brave new exhibitions that have opened to entice travellers across the Atlantic. It runs at the Art Institute of Chicago (001 312 443 3600, www.artic.edu) until 28 July. The exhibition features the rejuvenated Penn Station in New York and Japan's bullet trains. The previous exhibition, "Building for Space Travel" – which traces the way that science fiction and pop culture coalesced with extra-terrestrial exploration – has transferred to the Museum of Flight in Seattle (001 206 764 5700, www.museumofflight.org).

Edmonton is carving a niche for itself as "the biggest 60s experience in North America". The Provincial Museum of Alberta has a photographic exhibition called "Spirit of a Generation: Dylan, The Band and Woodstock". It will capture the era for anyone who wasn't there, or simply can't remember it. Still running at the museum (001 780 453 9133, www.pma.edmonton.ab.ca) is "The Beatles – backstage and behind the scenes".

You can fly non-stop to Edmonton on Air Canada, or find a discount flight to Toronto and transfer to the no-frills airline, WestJet (001 403 444 2552, www.westjet.com) for the onward flight – though you have to change to Hamilton airport.

Bargain of the week: Europe's cities on sale – with frills

At 8am today, the best-ever fares on BMI go on sale. Flights from Heathrow to Amsterdam, Brussels, Dublin and Paris cost £54 return, if you book on the website www.flybmi.com. Madrid and Milan are available for £74. A £5 fee applies to phone bookings (0870 60 70 555).

The offer lasts until midnight on Tuesday 15 January, for travel between 19 January and 21 March. BMI says that seats are available on every day, unlike many similar deals, though not on every flight.

The deals revealed today are nothing to do with BMI's new no-frills subsidiary which was announced by the airline on Thursday. That move aims to thwart Go's arrival, in March, at East Midlands airport – BMI's home base.

The no-frills rivalry should mean bargains at East Midlands this summer to Nice, Faro and Spain's main Mediterranean airports: Alicante, Malaga, Barcelona and Palma.

Warning of the week: airport links cut through London

Starting tomorrow, rail journeys to Luton and Gatwick airports will be regularly disrupted on Sundays.Thameslink trains, which normally connect the two airports to central London, will not run between Blackfriars and Kentish Town. Call 08457 484950 for details.