• The important locales, from the Louvre to Westminster Abbey

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Simon Mein / Columbia Pictures (ENLARGE)
Architect I.M. Pei's dramatic pyramid at the Louvre provides a stunning backdrop for Tom Hanks' character in 'The Da Vinci Code.' The murder of a fictional curator in the museum ignites events in the book and the film.
REMY DE LA MAUVINIERE (ENLARGE)
In the film version of 'The Da Vinci Code,' Lincoln Cathedral in Lincoln, England, stands in for Westminster Abbey in London.
P. TOMKINS / VisitScotland/Scottish Viewpoint (ENLARGE)
Rosslyn Chapel in Roslin, Midlothian, Scotland, is noted for its intricate carvings, including the 'Green Man' in the Lady Chapel. The chapel figures prominently in 'The Da Vinci Code.' The movie version opens Friday.
Britainonview.com (ENLARGE)
Burghley House in Stamford, England, was the site for numerous exterior and interior scenes taking place at Castel Gandolfo, the pope's summer residence, in 'Code.' An impressive ancestral home, Burghley was built circa 1555-1587.
Britainonview.com (ENLARGE)
In the film version of 'The Da Vinci Code,' Lincoln Cathedral in Lincoln, England, stands in for Westminster Abbey in London.
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It's no mystery why the European capitals of Paris, London and Edinburgh are expecting a blockbuster summer for tourism — "The Da Vinci Code."

The enormous popularity of Dan Brown's controversial best-seller and the buzz surrounding the film adaptation, opening May 19, has the tourism industry in a frenzy over the myriad marketing opportunities for travel tie-ins. While the book is fiction, the places are very real.

Tour agencies work with film company

Three national tourism agencies — VisitBritain, VisitScotland and Maison de France — have partnered with Sony Pictures and its global partner Eurostar, the high-speed rail service, to encourage visitors eager to follow in the footsteps of the book and film's characters.

The idea is to showcase locations, destinations and attractions associated with the film starring Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou as Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon and French cryptologist Sophie Neveu, who team up in a murder investigation that unearths a religious mystery covered up for 2,000 years.

The collaboration of the three European tourism agencies spawned a new Web site, www.visitdavincicode.com. The site provides in-depth information about the three key cities as well as behind-the-scenes secrets from the various locations, key destinations and related attractions, a downloadable "Da Vinci Code" movie map, and background on the movie. (The movie map is also available by calling VisitBritain at 1-800-462-2782.)

The interactive site links to partners Novotel hotels (www.novotel.com), Gray Line (www.goldentours.com) and Eurostar (www.eurostar.com), whose U.S. agent is RailEurope (www.raileurope.com). Novotel has hotels convenient to the film's settings, while Gray Line's tours offer visitors the chance to see iconic images such as the Louvre and the 17th-century church of Saint-Sulpice in Paris, England's gothic Lincoln Cathedral (the stand-in for Westminster Abbey), and Rosslyn Chapel near Edinburgh. Traveling at 200 mph, Eurostar trains whisk travelers between Paris and London.

In Paris, excursions are offered by partners ParisVision (www.parisvision.com) and CityRama (www.graylineparis.com).

Though the three tourism agencies have partnered to promote the Da Vinci sites, they aren't alone in drumming up interest in seeing "Code" locations firsthand.

Fodor's suggests an itinerary

"Fodor's Guide to the Da Vinci Code: On the Trail of the Best-Selling Novel" (Fodor's, $14.95) includes insiders' views on people, places, landmarks, symbols and historic events germane to the book, along with photography of key pieces of art (many in color) and detailed maps and floor plans.

Although Rome, Vatican City and Milan aren't locales in the book or movie, Fodor's guide includes the Italian cities in its suggested "Code" itinerary because of the Da Vinci and papal connections. The travel chapter recommends "Code"-related places to eat, drink, stay and see in Paris, Rome, London and Roslin, Scotland, for do-it-yourself travelers.

The just-released "Laura McKenzie's Da Vinci Code Tour" ($12.99) is a 60-minute DVD that immerses viewers in the art and history of France, Italy, England and Scotland and offers tips on shopping and dining.

Package trips

If a package tour is more your speed, there are plenty of companies ready to oblige. A travel agent can help you find the one that suits you best. None of these tours are endorsed or sanctioned by Brown or his publisher, Doubleday.

Here's a sampling of what's available:

• Cross-Culture Journey's "Europe by the Book: Deciphering 'The Da Vinci Code' and Chasing Angels and Demons" is for hard-core Brown fans. The 14-day educational itinerary includes Paris, Rome, London and Edinburgh. Six UNESCO World Heritage Sites will be visited. Departures are June 25, July 23, Aug. 13 and Sept. 10. The cost, including airfare from Atlanta, is from $8,945 and includes luxury accommodations, overnight first-class sleeper accommodations from Paris to Rome and all meals. 1-800-491-1148, www.europebythebook.com.

• GeoPassage's six-night "On the Trail of 'The Da Vinci Code'" tour departs Oct. 14 and travels from the Grand Gallery of the Louvre, past Chateau Villette, across the English Channel to Kent and on to London to explore Westminster Abbey and the Temple Church. Prices start at $2,275 (airfare and most meals not included). Extend the tour with a day in Edinburgh, including a visit to Rosslyn Chapel, for $558. 1-800-246-3429, www.geopassage.com (select France from pull-down menu under Packaged Tours).

• Gutsy Women Travel's nine-day "On the Trail of 'The Da Vinci Code'" tours, with Aug. 5 and Dec. 9 departures, include airfare from New York to Paris, with a return from Edinburgh; three nights in Paris, two nights in London and two nights in Edinburgh; and seven breakfasts, two lunches and four dinners. The tour manager is Andrea Mikana-Pinkham, a Lady Templar Knight of the Order of Scottish Knights Templar and a co-director of the International Order of Gnostic Templars. The cost is $3,799 for the Aug. 5 departure, $3,599 for Dec. 9. 1-866-464-8879, www.gutsywomentravel.com.

• U.S. tour operators offering "Da Vinci Code" packages on behalf of Rail Europe offer Leisure Select (first class) travel on the high-speed trains. Among them: Delta Vacations (1-800-654-6559, www.deltavacations.com); Continental Vacations (1-800-

301-3800, www.covacations.com); and STA Travel, geared to students (1-800-781-4040, www.statravel.com). STA Travel is giving away a trip for two to London and Paris.

• Philadelphia-based CST Tours, which specializes in "experiential European tours," offers "The Da Vinci Code Road" June 18-25. "Our tour is designed for those who have devoured the book and now hunger to see all of the places where the action unfolds," writes CST Tours' Sam Rogers on the Web site. "At the same time, you'll have plenty of time to explore and experience three of the world's great capitals. It's the old Grand Tour of Europe, with a twist. Just like the book."

The luxury tour is $2,320 for seven nights in four-star hotels, breakfast daily, three dinners and all ground transportation. Airfare is not included. 215-575-0400, www.csttours.com/davinci-road.asp.

• European Discovery, which specializes in small groups and small hotels, has put together a "Secrets of 'The Da Vinci Code'" tour, which visits Paris, London and Edinburgh, for July 6-16. City tours will be led by local expert historians and guides. The cost is $1,875 (not including airfare), for four nights in Paris, three nights in London and two nights in Edinburgh, plus four lunches and four dinners. 503-624-5775, www.eurodiscov.com/Da_Vinci_Code_Tour.htm.

• "Breaking the Code" is the name of Globus' eight-night escorted tour that visits Paris, London and Edinburgh with all the expected stops. The departure dates are Sept. 1 and Sept. 22. The land-only price is $1,699. 1-800-942-3301,

www.escortedglobustours.com/europe/breakingcode.htm.

• ParisHotels.com wants to help visitors "decode" Paris, making the City of Light easier to navigate. The Web site (www.parishotels.com) has a database of one- to four-star properties and recommends hundreds of restaurants, cafes and bars as well as dozens of tour and entertainment suggestions. A Paris guide with map provides information on dozens of attractions. You can also book themed day and night tours of Paris, day trips and an airport shuttle service through the site.