Travel Agenda: Berlin Biennale; Sardinia; Noma; Champions' League final; easyJet; Virgin Galactic 'space tourism'

Where to go and what to know

The Festival

The Berlin Biennale is under way, with a trove of young, emergent artists displaying their work under the banner of "social activism" for this year's event. The theme has been devised by Polish photographer, film-maker and curator Artur Zmijewski, who invited 7,500 artists from across the world to submit their work, which will be shown at venues throughout the German capital until 1 July. Events range from karaoke evenings to tree-planting sessions. berlinbiennale.de.

The Island

Italy's second-largest island (after Sicily) today celebrates its big day, Sa Die de sa Sardigna, marking the uprising against Piedmont. You can fly to Alghero on Ryanair from Stansted or Luton, and from East Midlands on Bmibaby, and to Cagliari from Stansted on easyJet.

The Gadget

Fujifilm's latest offering, the FinePix HS30EXR, bridges the gap between a basic point-and-shoot digital device and a professional camera, making it a good option for amateurs wanting to improve their photography. It features a sensor for low-light conditions, long battery life (up to 600 pictures), a 30x optical zoom and – a boon for summer –a setting for viewing photos in bright sun. £399; fujifilm.eu/uk

The Table

Noma – the Copenhagen venture voted the world's best restaurant – is currently taking bookings from August. If you can't wait for one of its coveted tables, chef René Redzepi opens a temporary venue at Claridge's Hotel in London this summer (28 July-6 August). Bookings open on 9 May (claridges.co.uk/ atasteofnoma).

The Warning

On 19 May, Chelsea travel to Bayern Munich for the Champions' League final. Fares are soaring in response to demand from fans. Ryanair is laying on extra flights from Stansted – but these are to Memmingen airport, 60 miles (and 100 minutes) west of the Bavarian capital.

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The number of routes on which easyJet is trialling allocated seating. Starting this week, passengers on all flights from Luton to Malaga and Sharm el Sheikh have been invited to pre-book specific seats for a fee of £3 (or £12 for extra legroom). The trial is extended from next Tuesday 1 May on flights to Alicante from Luton and Glasgow and the Luton-Istanbul route.

The Bargain

The Independent Traveller has trawled through peak-summer fares to Europe on a range of routes about two hours from London, flying out on Saturday 28 July for a week. Destinations checked included Bilbao, Pisa and Ljubljana; all are about 700 miles away. Most fares are currently around £150-£200 return, but the star performer is Nykoping near Stockholm, served by Ryanair from Stansted and Gatwick. Even with the "admin fee" of £12 return, you will pay £97 or less.

The Tour

Starting on 13 May, Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic "space tourism" enterprise opens to the public. It is offering preview tours of Spaceport America, at its base in New Mexico's remote Jornada del Muerto desert. The site has so far been the launch pad for eight successful suborbital missions. The three-hour tours, price $59 (£39), take place on Fridays, Saturdays and Sunday between 9am and 1pm. Book in advance through Follow the Sun (ftstours.com/spaceport).