Orbitz's 7-day sale: Save 20 percent instantly

Chatter about the Playmobil security checkpoint has been floating around the internet for years, but the thing was newish to us, and the comments from the wisenheimers visiting Amazon are too good not to share. A sample: "This toy would be a lot more realistic with about 350 people standing in line for an average of an hour." Or this: "I was a little disappointed when I first bought this item, because the functionality is limited. My 5 year old son pointed out that the passenger's shoes cannot be removed. Then, we placed a deadly fingernail file underneath the passenger's scarf, and neither the detector doorway nor the security wand picked it up." Sadly, it looks as if the set is not longer being manufactured (was it ever, I wonder?). Playmobil's web site does have many other cool airport toys, including an awesome-looking private jet as well as a surreal set-up for loading up a horse. [Via Reason]

Aeroflot has just lost its place as Russia's largest airline. The government has merged 11 companies into Russia Airlines, which now flies twice as many planes as Aeroflot, says the International Herald Tribune. Russian Airlines is so new that its website isn't in English yet. Both carriers are owned by the state. In the meantime, Aeroflot continues to control most of the international flights from the U.S. to Russia. So if you're visiting the country in 2009, you'll likely still be flying Aeroflot. Meanwhile, Moscow's two international airports, Domodedovo and Sheremetyevo, are competing with each other to offer better service. Domodedovo has modernized with new stores and restaurants, while Sheremetyevo has built a speedy train line for transfers to downtown Moscow, says the Wall Street Journal. (Domodedovo has had a high-speed rail link since 2002.)

A smart bookstore just north of Union Square recently became my new go-to spot for all things travel- and literature-related. From the street, the only hint is a huge illuminated globe in Idlewild Bookstore's window, but walk up the stairs and you'll find a selection that caters to exactly what us travelers want. David Del Vecchio opened Idlewild over the summer, and word's definitely spreading around Manhattan. A former United Nations press officer, David named his shop after the original name for New York International Airport, which, in 1963, was renamed JFK. The genius behind Idlewild is its shelving system: books are organized by destination, so it's like a one-stop shop for your next trip. The store sells more than 5,000 books covering more than 150 countries. Let's say you're headed to Paris. On the France shelves, you'll find everything from the big-name guidebooks to lesser-known guides that chain bookstores don't even stock. Guidebooks share shelf space with novels, non-fiction, and maps. They've got titles cover everything you'd ever wanted to learn about the City of Light: books on the best brasseries, patisseries, markets, the best quiet corners of Paris. Then there's Ernest Hemingway and Julia Childs next to Eloise in Paris. The same applies to anyplace you're thinking of visiting—they've got sections for all 7 continents. The wanderlust-inspiring shop has something for everyone. If you're a New Yorker, drop in, take a seat, and fantasize (or start planning) your next trip. Just visiting the city? Check out the extensive New York shelves, with everything from Not For Tourist books on all five boroughs to guides to the Hamptons. Idlewild's also got international cookbooks, globes, maps, bags, inflatable neck pillows…. My only immediate travel plans are to head home for the holidays. I sure didn't need a guidebook, but today I picked up a neoprene iPod sleeve with super-cute Sukie graphics. The best part: Everything in the store goes on sale this Sunday (11/23). For one day only, you'll get 20 percent off books and 40 percent off travel accessories. You heard it from BT first. Idlewild Books, 12 West 19th St., New York, 212/414-8888, idlewildbooks.com

Seth Kugel at the New York Times has pulled together a handy tour that covers Manhattan from top (the Cloisters) to bottom (Bowling Green). The trip, which takes 3-1/2 hours, relies mainly on using the city's public buses, with a bit of subway and some walking added to the mix. If the idea works for you, check out our similar approach in A DIY Tour of Berlin. Along with a slide show, there's a clickable map showing vids of places you can reach on the M29's bus route. And if it's Paris you're headed for, check out Gridskipper's rundown of the best sightseeing routes there.