Jetsettersblog

Popular Landing Spots For British Skiers & Snowboarders

Leading flight search engine, Skyscanner (www.Skyscanner.net), dips into its data to see where British winter sports enthusiasts are flying to this winter. Despite economic woes, European ski searches appear healthy with a small rise in flight search traffic for ski airports compared to last year. With a strong US dollar, it seems many Brits are avoiding transatlantic mountains and favouring the more local European peaks.

1. Geneva (Switzerland) – at number one by quite a long way it’s Geneva. Close to the French border (the airport even has a French sector), Geneva is an ideal landing zone for skiers and snowboarders, offering the choice of over 100 ski resorts within two hours’ drive. One of the closest is Lelex, a small resort served by 13 ski lifts, ideal for families and beginners, and at the other end of the scale – Morzine, part of Les Portes Du Soleil ski area, a huge interlinked domaine offering some 650 different pistes, served by over 200 ski lifts.

2. Nice (France) – located for good access to the ski resorts of the Southern French Alps and the Italian Alps, Nice offers access to 12 ski resorts within 3 hours’ drive. Isola 2000 is one of the best in range, rising to 2610m, offering about 50 pistes and around 120km of downhill skiing and snowboarding. Alba, about 2.5 hours from Nice is an ideal choice for beginners, a compact area which is also good for cross country skiing, boasting 52km of Nordic trails.

3. Salzburg (Austria) – located in the north of the country, Salzburg is surrounded by over 100 resorts to the south, east and west, all of which are less than 2 hours drive from the airport. Mayrhofen is one of the most famous in the area and one of the highest resorts in Austria; part of the Zillertal ski area, it offers access to 130 pistes. If you’re looking for a family ski area and need something with shorter drive times, try St Wolfgang – one of the closest ski areas to Salzburg, this small resort has 9 ski lifts as well as 30km of cross country trials.

4. Munich (Germany) – another good access point with almost 100 ski resorts within 2 hours of the airport. Choose from a great selection of Northern Austrian resorts, or for something a little different, why not visit a German ski resort? Though little known as a skiing destination, Germany has some great options; Sankt Englmar is a small ski area best suited to beginners and young families in the east of Germany – or try Grainau – one of the bigger resorts in Germany offering an impressive vertical drop of over 2000m and 44 pistes.

5. Grenoble (France) – there are over 50 ski resorts within 1.5 hours of the airport, including some of the biggest and best such as Alp d’Huez, Courchevel, La Grave, Meribel and Valmorel. For somewhere a little more secret, try Autrans - a quieter area with 16 lifts and about 18km of downhill slopes as well as 160km of cross country ski trails.

Best of the Rest:

Toulouse (France) – offers access to Pyrenean ski resorts in France, Spain and Andorra. Pas de la Casa is a firm favourite with the Brits, renowned for its excellent value and lively après ski action.

Innsbruck (Austria) – great for getting to resorts in the Tyrol region and the city of Innsbruck itself is home to Nordkette, a small ski area with slopes overlooking the city, which boasts one of the steepest runs in Europe.

Milan Bergamo (Italy) – good for Northern Italian resorts. Try Livigno, a duty free ski resort with an excellent terrain park and good off piste options, a quaint alpine town untouched by overdevelopment.

To find more cheap flights, fast – visit www.Skyscanner.net

Rail Europe, a distributor of European rail products in North America, announced the launch of Trenitalia’s new Milan to Rome high-speed rail link. The new line shaves an hour off the route, connecting Italy’s political and financial capitals in 3 hours and 30 minutes. The new route establishes Milan as Italy’s main point of connection with Europe’s high-speed larger rail network for the benefit of business and leisure travelers alike. Milan is currently served by Artesia trains from Paris, Cisalpino from Basel, Bern and Geneva, Riviera from Nice and Elipsos overnight trains from Barcelona.

Trenitalia’s ETR500 AV Red Arrow Train, which will service the new route and will be available for reservations on www.agent.raileurope.com in January, was designed by Italian automotive designer, Giorgetto Giugiaro. Giugiaro was recently named Automotive Designer of the Century for his achievements in designing for Audi, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Maserati, Volkswagen and others. The Red Arrow reaches a maximum speed of 186 miles per hour, offering rail travelers in Italy an equivalent level of speed, service and convenience as other European countries.
Passengers can order from a menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner selections from the restaurant car, as well as snacks and beverages from the bar car. TrenItalia’s InterCity Plus and Eurostar Italia trains, offer speedy connections between Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan, Bologna and Naples and convenient access to many smaller Italian towns. Rail Europe offers a full range of TrenItalia tickets that can be tailored toward each traveler’s individual needs.

To book any of Rail Europe’s wide range of economical railpasses and point-to-point tickets on trains throughout Europe, call 888-382-7245 or visit Rail Europe’s website at the banner at the right.

A 7-night cruise from Venice to Istanbul and back aboard the luxury mega-liner Costa Serena is selling through ecruising.travel from just AUD$3199pp twin-share, including return air from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Cairns*, a hotel night pre-cruise in Venice and onboard gratuities.

Costa Serena will sail from Venice for Bari in Italy, Katakolon (Greece,) Izmir and Istanbul in Turkey, Dubrovnik (Croatia) and back to Venice on May 24 and 31, September 20 and 27 and October 11 next year.

The 112,000 tonne liner that’s one of the two largest in the Costa fleet, has countless big-ship facilities including four pools – two of them with retractable glass roofs – five Jacuzzis, a jogging track, a 2100 square metre Spa and Wellness Centre, nightly showroom entertainment, late-release movies and a casino.

There are five restaurants to choose from and a range of indoor and outdoor bars and lounges.

For full details of these cruises that are selling through ecruising.travel at prices vastly below previously advertised,

phone 1300 369 848

 or check out www.ecruising.travel

* air taxes and fuel surcharges at time of booking are additional.

Auto Europe has announced details of a new partnership with Europe’s largest golf travel company, Golfbreaks.com. Auto Europe will now be a sole supplier of rented vehicles for www.Golfbreaks.com  offered via its call centre and website booking system. Auto Europe will be providing Golfbreaks.com with a system designed specifically to help its call centre process car hire requests simply and quickly. Golfbreaks.com was formed in 1998 to make booking golf breaks as simple and straight-forward as possible. It offers a range of golfing breaks and holidays across the world.

For more information, visit www.golfbreaks.com or www.auto-europe.com

Market Leader in Lakes & Mountains and over 70 years of mountain experience!

Two new countries and seven new destinations are added to the 2009 Inghams Lakes & Mountains programme. Inghams newly designed brochure is packed with useful advice and inspiring features on the best resorts for mountain lovers, keen walkers and culture vultures alike. The new brochure highlights each region’s unique attributes as well as walking and hiking trails, local culture, cuisine, advice from the expert Inghams team and information on how to get the best from a Lakes and Mountains holidays.

What is new for summer ‘09
Two new countries, Iceland and Albania are added to the 2009 programme as well as seven new destinations in the more traditional Alpine Lake and Mountain areas of Kandersteg, Serfaus, Fiss, Vancouver Island and Santa Margherita.

Six new tours and more walking and cycling holiday choices are also on offer; Albania, the last frontier of Eastern Europe is an unspoilt, historic destination full of wild scenery, untouched coastline and very friendly people. Iceland, is home to the marvels of Mother Nature with spectacular landscapes filled with glaciers, spouting geysers, volcanoes and magnificent waterfalls; Kandersteg is a hikers paradise with excellent luxury hotels, close to the Gemmi Pass, a well known historical trail which Sherlock Holmes passed on foot to find Moriarty in the heart of the Bernese Oberland;

 Santa Margherita, nestled on the Italian Ligurian Riviera, is situated at the foot of Mont Portofino and close to the Le Cinque Terre and the Tuscan highlights of Pisa and Lucca. Serfaus and Fiss in Austria are just over one hour from Innsbruck airport. These beautiful villages offer extensive hiking with high standard of accommodation with 4* and 5* hotels making up the majority of accommodation options. Vancouver Island offers an amazing diversity of wildlife, both marine and terrestrial, only a short ferry ride from the picturesque city of Vancouver. The Pacific Ocean dominates the landscape and provides the best wildlife viewing, kayaking and hiking opportunities.

Tours are gaining in popularity and with many more emerging destinations, this year Inghams has introduced some high-quality new itineraries. Client’s feedback continues to highlight that they like visiting more than one place during their holiday. New tours include: Albania Highlights (Albania); Austrian Express and Austrian Selection (Austria); Grand Tour (Croatia); Classic Iceland and Natural Wonders (Iceland); Alpine Highlights (Switzerland) and Best of Alaska and Yukon (USA);

Ten Top Tips for summer 2009
1. Outside the Euro-zone and tipped as front runners for next summer. The ‘Albanian Highlights’ seven nights tour crosses the undiscovered Mediterranean country of Albania. From the capital Tirana to the northern town of Shkodra, highlights include Berat, the town of a Thousand Windows, Pogradec a UNSECO World Heritage Site, Lake Ohrid in Macedonia and the rugged Montenegro coastline. Plus the ‘Grand Tour of Croatia’ tour combines cities, rivers, lakes and mountains. The tempting cities of coastal Dubrovnik, Zagreb, Mostar, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovinia, Split and Zadar are all included. This seven night tour is based on Croatia’s natural highlights.

2. Rather than fly, relax and enjoy the sense of adventure of an international rail journey whisking you across Europe to Inghams’ destinations. New day time services from London St Pancras to all Inghams’ Swiss resorts are available as well as to the Italian resorts on Lake Maggiore and overnight to Lake Garda.

3. A record number of British visitors are discovering Europe’s long, sunny summer and its unspoiled lakes and mountains as a refreshing, affordable and increasingly fashionable alternative to the beach.

4. Inghams offer value added holidays and this is an excellent perk when you are budgeting for that all important summer holiday. Little extras such as free lunch packs, free guided walks or free wine with dinner can impact the budget for a holiday. Look out for Inghams Plus offers throughout the programme.

5. Jet-ski versus foot and pedal power? Nothing is more energising than invigorating the senses by walking in the mountains or cycling out in the fresh mountain air. Next summer getting highs in an affordable way will be the way forward. Inghams continues to offer a huge variety of walks from pleasant strolls, professionally guided Wanderwalks and more challenging all-day hikes. In Italy, qualified mountaineering guides lead the seven nights ‘Lake Garda Panoramas’ tour and the ‘South Tyrol Explorer’; in two of the most awe inspiring scenic areas of Italy. On the ‘Valley Explorer’ Inghams propose five full days of guided walking from the comfortable base of Mutters, near Innsbruck. Whilst the ‘Danube Cycle Tour’ is an unescorted cycling tour along the shores of the Danube with luggage transportation included between the hotels.

6. Needing the freedom to roam? This year there are eight independent self-guided walking holidays in conjunction with Inntravel, Inghams’ sister company. Among the tempting European trails are a flexible route through the most westerly High Dolomites, Spain’s Catalan Coast, Switzerland’s Lake Lucerne, the Waterways and Flowers of Madeira, Slovenia’s Lake Bled and, in Austria, both the Leutasch Valley and the Lakes and Mountains of Salzkammergut.

7. Lakes and Mountains holidays span a multitude of activities, including cultural festivals. Head to the shores of Lake Lucerne and enjoy Lucerne’s Summer Festival in September, one of the great European music festivals, standing alongside Salzburg and Edinburgh. Verona Opera opens in June, so make the most of your trip to Verona. Sit in the warm night air and enjoy the magnificent Roman Arena, the electric atmosphere and spectacular Opera.

8. Lakes and Mountains holidays can also be a spa break. The Alps have a long spa tradition and with a rich cultural heritage make European mountain resorts an ideal destination to re-energise and detox in style. Inghams has hand picked the best European spas that focus on wellbeing and offer some of the most inspiring treatment room views in the world. High altitude destinations are known to increases the blood cells and endorphins released into your bloodstream, so you look and feel great too!

9. Every Inghams’ holiday represents excellent value for money.

Prices start from £287 per person at the 3* Poblado apartments in Arinsal in a 2 room apartment on a self-catering basis, including flights from Gatwick and transfers for seven nights. Prices start from £362 per person at the 3* Hotel Solana in Arinsal in on half board, including flights from Gatwick and transfers for seven nights. Regional airports are available at a supplement for both holidays. www.inghams.co.uk 020 8780 4454. People like to know that they are protected by their tour operator when travelling if anything goes wrong. Inghams have over 75 years of experience and are ATOL protected.

10. Austria and Switzerland will not be hosting Euro 2008, instead they will be offering fantastic improved facilities in the host cities of Innsbruck, Vienna, Salzburg, Berne, Zurich, Basel and Geneva. Time to visit.

Skyscanner takes a look at some of Bond’s best European spots so you can launch a mission of your own.

Despite carrying more than 100ml of poisonous liquids and gels, not to mention various sharp objects and even explosives in his hand luggage, Bond rarely seems to have any problems at security. In his 37 odd years, 007 has travelled to countless exotic locations around the world undertaking important missions on behalf of Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Skyscanner (www.Skyscanner.net) takes a look at some of Bond’s best European spots so you can launch a mission of your own.

Lake Constance, Germany, Switzerland, Austria (Quantum of Solace) – this extremely beautiful body of water in the heart of Europe is the scene for Bond stalking his enemy at a performance of the Italian Opera – Tosca. The lake is an ideal venue for a relaxed short break, and is also a water sports centre, with sailing, water skiing and fishing on offer. It’s also a wine sweet spot with local vineyards producing the delicate and fruity Müller-Thurgau vintages. Enjoy dining at the lakeside restaurants which serve up delicious fresh fish such as pike, trout, char and eel, plus game from nearby forests.

Monte Carlo (GoldenEye) – glitz, glamour and million dollar yachts; Monte Carlo is a classic setting for Bond’s adventures and is 007’s first port of call in the hunt for the GoldenEye Satellite weapon. Relive a Bond moment in the decadent Monte Carlo casino – if only just to watch the big spenders burning copious amounts of cash on the card tables. Like Bond, you’ll need to brush up: a suit jacket for men is compulsory and ladies should also dress to impress.

Corfu, Greece (For Your Eyes Only) – in an early sequence set in the Ionian Sea off the coast of Corfu, we witness the sinking of a British spy trawler by a mysterious mine. Corfu is well known to British tourists for its beaches and warm blue green seas, as well as its vibrant night life, offering visitors the opportunity to carry out some of Bond’s favourite pastimes: diving, yachting and fraternising with members of the opposite sex.

Baku, Azerbaijan (The World Is Not Enough) – 007 travels to the very eastern fringes of Europe with bond Girl beauty, Elektra, where he investigates the route for a planned oil pipeline through the Caucasus mountains. Baku is a cosmopolitan capital built on oil money and offers an intoxicating mix of modern and traditional. Visit the walled old city with its narrow streets and mansions, then stroll the boulevard that could almost be in Paris, before investigating the bizarre bubbling mud volcanoes found a short trip from the city.

Belgrade, Serbia and Zagreb, Croatia (From Russia With Love) – Bond travels by train to these former Yugoslavian cities where he almost meets his match at the hands of his Soviet counterpart. Following independence from Russia, both cities have now become popular tourist destinations; Belgrade is renowned for its busy nightlife and 24 hour party people, and Zagreb is a historic capital blessed with museums and galleries set in cobbled streets lit by gas lamps, not to mention high fashion, high-end culture and a buzzing café society.

About Skyscanner

Skyscanner is the most powerful and flexible flight search engine in Europe, which provides instant online comparison on prices for over 300,000 flights on over 600 airlines. With Skyscanner, users can browse without having to enter specific dates or airports, and Skyscanner is available in 20 different languages, including Russian, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Polish and German.

 Topdeck’s program for 2009/10 has been unveiled, with the new season’s trips including even more activities and Earlybird fares offering a 10% discount on all trips paid for before December 31, 2008.

With 35 years experience in creating memorable holidays to Europe, Egypt and Africa for 18-30 something travellers, Topdeck goes beyond the iconic sites to experience local cultures and gives travellers free time to explore destinations their way.

New for 2009 is the 36 day European Pioneer EuroClub trip. Offering excellent value-for-money, this five week trip covers 18 countries, visiting the French Riviera, Greek Islands, Croatian Coast, Prague as well as the must-see capitals of Europe. Activities and sightseeing tours of all cities are included.

Also new for 2009 is the Britain + Ireland (from $2530), a 15 day adventure through the UK and Ireland, visiting the capitals of London, Edinburgh, Dublin and Belfast as well as lively, historic towns such as York and Galway. Passengers can join for particular sectors or for the whole trip.
“We’re constantly upgrading our trips to include more activities within the price and expanding our itineraries. For 2009 we’ve introduced wine tasting and dinner at a Chianti vineyard outside of Florence, which we’re sure will be popular,” said James Nathan, Managing Director, Topdeck.

Topdeck offers three accommodation styles. EuroHotel trips stay at charming hotels in great locations; EuroClub trips use multi-share accommodation in cabins, castles, yachts and hostels for budget conscious travellers and EuroCamping trips stay at Europe’s best campsites (many with nightclubs and swimming pools!) with roomy twin-share dome tents and air mattresses.

Topdeck’s 36 day European Pioneer EuroClub trip

Visits: Starts in London and travels through France, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Greece, Albania, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Hungary, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium and back to London.
Cost: From $4395, plus food fund $1030 per person.

Includes: Modern coach transport, accommodation, many meals, sightseeing tours of cities, knowledgeable guide.

Stays at: Six free hotel upgrades, a variety of hostels, bungalows, cabins and one overnight ferry.
Highlights: Sightseeing tours of all cities, fun in the sun in Mykonos, beautiful Belgrade, Berlin night life, celebrity spotting on French Riviera, vaporetto on Venice canals, cycling tour of Amsterdam.
Contact: Topdeck on 1800 077 250 or www.topdeck.travel

To request a new Topdeck 2009/10 brochure to make a reservation, please contact Topdeck on
1300 886 332. For more information on Topdeck’s extensive range of European holiday options, visit www.topdeck.travel

 Skyscanner.net, Europe’s most popular flight search engine, has just launched the Skyscanner Maps Tool API , the first in a new series of free tools that allows third party websites to integrate Skyscanner flight functionality into their own sites.

The Skyscanner Maps Tool API is a Flash travel map that webmasters can easily embed on their own sites to display Skyscanner flight route information and is free to download from www.Skyscanner.net.

Barry Smith, Skyscanner Director of Business Development said:

“The Maps Tool API has been developed in response to the huge demand we’re getting from businesses who want a way to integrate Skyscanner’s search functionality into their websites.

“Much of that demand is coming from businesses in the travel sector, such as resorts and hotels, tourism organisations and airports, but the Skyscanner Maps API is a powerful marketing tool for any business that depends upon people travelling to or from them. The fact is that if you don’t make it easy for people to find out how to do that, they’ll go somewhere else.”

The tool is fully configurable, allowing webmasters to display a fixed departure point, fixed destination point, fixed departure and destination, or an ‘anywhere to anywhere’ open search. Webmasters can also select their preferred language from a choice of 20, including Spanish, Japanese and Russian.

The new Maps Tool API is the first in the series of new online travel tools that can be integrated into third party sites.

To download the Skyscanner Maps Tool API visit: Skyscanner Maps Tool API.

About Skyscanner

Skyscanner is the most powerful and flexible flight search engine in Europe, which provides instant online price comparisons on over 300,000 flights and over 600 airlines. With Skyscanner, users can browse without having to enter specific dates, departures or even destinations. The site is available in 20 different languages including: Russian, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Polish and German. Skyscanner fans can join the Skyscanner Facebook Page to view Skyscanner’s photo albums and interact with other travellers.

Building on the success of its initial venture into Eastern Europe last year, CIE Tours International is offering a full program of escorted vacations in Eastern Europe as part of its 2009 repertoire. Destinations include Austria, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Russia, Baltic Republics, Croatia and Slovenia.

A sample of the tours is featured in CIE Tours’ largest-ever vacation program — Ireland & Britain with Italy and Eastern Europe 2009, a 108-page brochure. CIE Tours also plans to produce an additional 44-page brochure concentrating solely on vacations in Italy and Eastern Europe for 2009.

Leading the list for Eastern Europe is Prague, Vienna and Budapest, an 11-day/9-night/12-meal vacation using first-class hotels. Departures are on selected Thursdays, March 19 through Oct. 29, with land-only prices starting at $2,250.

The package starts in Prague and ends in Budapest, with Vienna in the center, providing relaxing three-night stays in each city.

Activities aim to impart the ambiance and cultural highlights of each city, such as visits to landmark palaces and castles, a Strauss and Mozart concert in Vienna, an opera performance and a folklore show in Prague, a walk around Prague’s Old Town, and dinner at a typical csarda restaurant in Budapest.

The price includes first-class hotel accommodations with private bath for nine nights; nine buffet breakfasts and three dinners;

 entertainment and sightseeing including admissions to Royal Castle of Hradcany, St. Vitus Cathedral, Hofburg Palace, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Kunsthistorische Museum, Fisherman’s Bastion and Matthias Church; sightseeing by luxury motorcoach with professional tour director; all local taxes, hotel service charges and porterage; deluxe flight bag, ticket wallet, luggage tags and strap.

 For more information, call 800-CIE-TOUR or visit www.cietours.com

The Eurail Group is bringing out several special edition extended rail passes, offering free travel days good for travel throughout Europe in the spring. With fewer crowds, lower airfares and more availability in hotels, spring is a pleasant time to travel to Europe. Eurail is launching a special off-peak promotion, offering free travel days on two of its classic products: the Eurail Select Pass and the Eurail Global Pass.

The Eurail Select Pass allows customers to choose three or more adjoining countries in which to travel, enabling a practically tailor-made rail pass. For those wishing to cover more ground, a Eurail Global Pass will give travelers access to 21 participating countries from January 2009. Travelers can plan the itinerary to meet their particular travel needs.

Customers buying a 15- or 21-day Eurail Global Pass will instead receive 21 days or one month, respectively. The Eurail Select Pass 3 Countries, valid for six or eight days within two months, now comes with an additional two travel days. These promotional passes went on sale worldwide (outside of Europe) on Oct. 1. To be eligible for the additional travel days, passes must be purchased before the end of November. Travel can start from March 1 and must be completed by May 31.

All Eurail Passes are available from Eurail’s network of authorized Sales Agents worldwide: ACP Rail International (www.eurail-acprail.com ; Eurail (www.Eurail.com)  Flight Centre (www.flightcentre.com) ; www.OctopusTravel.com  Rail Europe (North America: www.raileurope.com  rest of the world: www.raileurope.fr), and STA Travel (www.statravel.com)