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.

Ski Freshtracks, the market leaders in adventure skiing, are offering the perfect solution for single skiers this season.

Every Ski Freshtracks holiday is graded by skiing standard which means everyone on the holiday skis and socialises together – ideal for those wanting to hit the slopes, when friends otherwise engaged.
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For the 2008-9 season Ski Freshtracks is offering nine holidays where everyone gets their own room at no extra cost. On all other holidays there are a small number of rooms which can be booked for single occupancy. The holidays with no single supplement include an instructional week in Courmayeur, Italy, a week in the chic Swiss resort of St Moritz and a testosterone-free girls’ weekend in Grindelwald, Switzerland.

For those keen to take advantage of the amazing early-season snow conditions there is still availability during Christmas week in La Plagne and a New Year off-piste week in Flaine.

Caroline Boileau, General Manager of Ski Freshtracks explained the secret to Ski Freshtracks’ success: “All our holidays are ideal for those who don’t necessarily have friends or family who ski at the same level as them, or maybe don’t even ski at all. Anyone can come on our trips and ski at the level that suits them, meaning their skiing nearly always improves and at the same time they make new friends.”

Ski Freshtracks offers 54 off-piste adventure and improvement courses as well as a large ski touring programme and heliskiing trips. Other trips on offer include Action holidays at varying levels of ski standard, weekend trips and a large ‘Peak Experience’ programme aimed at skiers over 50 years of age.

For more details and for booking visit www.skifreshtracks.co.uk  or call 0845 45 807 84

Snowfall Boosts Demand

Prices From £13* Per Day

With heavy snowfall already reported in the Alps, car hire comparator Carrentals.co.uk is advising customers to book ski car hire early to secure the best prices and essential accessories such as snow chains and child seats.

Many resorts in Switzerland, Austria and Italy are enjoying prime conditions, opening early to make the most of the snowfall, with skiers being attracted to snow levels of up to 130cm and more in places.

Gareth Robinson, managing director of Carrentals.co.uk, says: “With the ski resorts enjoying a fantastic start to the season, we’ve seen demand for car hire in these areas jump significantly over the last couple of weeks. There is still availability but prices for rental can vary significantly between suppliers, so our advice is to compare the best deals in advance and book early to secure specific requirements such as snow chains and baby seats.”

Carrentals.co.uk compares car hire deals from leading rental companies in over 9,000 locations, including ski destinations such as Lyon, Turin and Chambery, with prices starting from just £13* per day at Aspen; £18* per day in Lyon; and £21* per day at Banff and Geneva.

Gareth added: “If this level of snow fall continues we are likely to see a rush in bookings over the next couple of weeks. Leaving car hire to the last minute, or, worse, leaving it until you arrive in resort, is likely to mean you pay a premium to secure the car you need, so book early and shop around for the best prices.”

Carrentals.co.uk compares car hire prices from up to 50 companies including Holiday Autos, Alamo, Budget and Thrifty. To compare the best ski deals visit www.carrentals.co.uk

*Prices are based on seven-day rental from 31 January and are subject to change.

Ski holidays on the upward climb despite pound’s downward slope.

Ski-mad Brits are refusing to sacrifice their winter holidays by turning their back on the recession and heading to the slopes.

Even the falling pound, which means a lack of extra spending money, isn’t putting ski-crazy Britons off scouring the net for the best bargains to bring down the cost of their winter break.

By booking lift passes and organising the kitty in the UK, powder monkeys are ensuring they stay on the piste but not out of pocket, says Wigadoo, the UK’s leading website for booking trips and events.

“We’ve seen an avalanche of groups booking last-second trips to the slopes to enjoy the best snow for decades,” says Andy Cockburn, CEO of www.Wigadoo.com.

“Some groups have even used the site to get all the money together for a ski trip, and then wait until the best deal comes up.”

“As anyone who’s ever been on a group ski holiday will know, it’s impossible to bag the cheapest deal because of the length of time it takes to get all the money together and book it.”

Looking for holiday companies which offer a discount on groups, such as half-price lift passes or one free place is just one of the bonuses of going with a large group of friends, says Cockburn.

And the beauty of Wigadoo is that you can get your friends to commit quickly and collect the money instantly, then use a virtual prepaid MasterCard to book everything securely at once.

It takes the hassle and pain out of planning and is perfect for complicated get-togethers like ski trips where you might need to book flights, accommodation and ski passes separately but for many people.

Clever ski bunnies have always found the cheapest deals by tailoring their own holidays to suit their needs, and with the Wigadoo MasterCard, they can avoid falling victim to the exchange rate by buying lift passes in advance from the UK.

“Normally as the organiser I would pay for the car rental, ski hire and lift passes out of my account and we would sort out the money when we were there,” says Olivia Gwynn. “However, I would always end up a bit out of pocket and this year that just wasn’t an option.”

Olivia suggested going on a ski trip while she was at work, inviting friends through the Wigadoo Facebook application. Two days later, she had collected all the money, booked a bargain deal and transferred the surplus cash into her own account to use as a kitty.

“Skiers are passionate about their hobby,” says Dan Fox, MD of SkiWeekends.com. “A poor exchange rate or even a recession is not enough to put powder monkeys off their annual pilgrimage to the slopes.”

“Using Wigadoo is just one of the things skiers and boarders can do to keep the costs of their trip down, along with seeking out the best exchange rate,” says Fox. “Because we buy currency in advance if you pre-book your passes with us it’s cheaper than buying them in resort and similar savings apply to ski hire.”

Wigadoo’s top 10 tips to save on a ski holiday

1. Book in groups – there are often great deals around, such as ‘10th person goes free’ or half price insurance for groups of over eight

2. Book ahead – buying lift passes on the internet from the UK is often cheaper than on the slopes

3. Be realistic – if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t get up till gone midday, buy half-day lift passes rather than a full week

4. Be flexible - Christmas, New Year, February half-term and two weeks in April are the most expensive times to ski so try and go in between these dates

5. Get organised – using Wigadoo to pay for everything up front, like a kitty for the chalet, car hire and petrol money means no-one is left out of pocket

6. Don’t settle – ski hire shops are often flexible and a little bit of bartering can go a long way

7. Buy in the UK – goggles, gloves and everything else ski-related practically doubles in price once you get on the slopes, so make sure you’re kitted out before you go

8. Look elsewhere – while the pound is weak against the euro, ski outside of the Eurozone in places like the Czech Republic

9. Be quick – last-second trips are often the cheapest, and many packages have been reduced by 50 per cent in the last few weeks

10. Get behind the wheel – with the recent drop in petrol prices, it may be cheaper to drive to the Alps rather than fly

The Austrian Tirol is clothed in a veil of snow, with many ski resorts now open and up to a metre of snow in some places. While the Tirol is renowned for its excellent quality 4* and 5* hotels, many of which are privately run, most of which offer excellent health and spa facilities, the province also has a great choice of smaller, more intimate properties. Small hotels and guest houses that promote rural charm and a simpler way of life are found all over the Tirol. Here’s a selection of some of the cosiest and most charming.

A romantic rustic getaway, away from modern life

Set in a typical high Alpine valley in the far south of the Tirol, Innervillgraten is one of Austria’s most beautiful mountain villages and Villgratental is one of the last Alpine valleys that has remained largely untouched. Amid this idyllic rural setting, is the traditional Gannerhof hotel, pannelled throughout with old pine, with tables and benches dating back a hundred years.

Guest roomsare lovingly furnished from the hands of local craftsmen and the beds are exquisitely comfortable, made from Villgraten wool for a particularly restful sleep. Farm produce from the Gannerhof’s own small farm ensures that the food is fresh and delicious. A night’s stay costs from € 75,00 per person.
Further info: Gannerhof, tel. +43.4843.5240, gannerhof@aon.at  www.gannerhof.at

Magnificent farmhouse in a Tirolean market town
In the heart of the market town in St. Johann is the magnificent Landhaus Schwarzinger, a sky blue, traditionally painted country farmhouse dating back to the baroque 17th century, furnished with rustic or Bidermeier style pieces. Heart shaped chair backs, ornately painted and framed windows and beamed ceilings add hugely to its rusticity, while heavy dark wood doors, old chests and cupboards give it the feeling of a rural country house.

A nights’s stay costs from € 41,00 and € 47,00 per person in a double room.

Further info:
Landhaus Schwarzinger, tel. +43.5352.62733, info@landhaus-schwarzinger.at  www.landhaus-schwarzinger.at.

Small is beautiful

Set in a marvellous garden in the middle of the medieval, cobbled town of Kitzbühel is the small Hotel Villa Licht, a romantic, friendly and relaxed small hotel, furnished in traditional Tirolean style, with light wooden floors and tasteful country furnishings. Accommodation is in double rooms, or a family apartment, and with a large garden, fireside bar and sauna in a little wooden house in the garden, the Villa Licht is a charming and cosy place to stay.

A nights’s stay costs from € 90,00 per person in a double room.
Hotel Villa Licht, tel. +43.5356.62293, hotel-licht@tirol.com  www.villa-licht.at

Romantic hotel in Austria’s prettiest village

The 4* Böglerhof has created a name for itself as a cosy, romantic hotel in Alpbach, known as the loveliest village in Austria, for its traditional wooden, authentic Tirolean houses. As well as offering baths, massages and treatments for couples, it has a choice of four `stube’ restaurants an indoor pool and even an outdoor massage area in the beautiful gardens. The original building is an ancient farmhouse and the modern day hotel retains the period styling, with cosy farmhouse parlours and wood panelling.

A night’s stay costs from € 83,00 to € 149,00. Further info: Hotel Böglerhof, tel. +43.5336.52270, info@boeglerhof.at    www.boeglerhof.at

Traditional Tyrol in the heart of cosmopolitan St. Anton

The jet-set resort of St. Anton has long been renowned for its contemporary hotels and exclusivity, but amid the glass and concrete is the charming Himmlhof, a former farmhouse, now a boutique hotel in traditional Tirolean style. The façade of the Himmlhof is made almost entirely of wood, its thick, ancient walls and wood lined interiors retain the feel of age, creating warm interiors and a homely feel, while traditional tiled stoves are found in most of the rooms.

A night’s stay costs from € 71,00 to € 142 per person. Further info: Hotel Himmlhof, tel. +43.5446.2322-0, info@himmlhof.com  www.himmlhof.com

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

 Over 40 Years Of Experience, 21 Countries, 46,000 Properties

With terms like ‘sub prime mortgages’ and ‘inflation’, summer holidays next year were beginning to look extravagant… Interhome says there is a way to still get your fix of sun without seeing your bank balance going into the red and steam escaping from your ears.

For summer ’09 Interhome continues to offer excellent value holidays with uncompromising standards. Interhome’s 10% Earlybird discount is available if bookings are made nine months prior to travel. With this in mind, there is still plenty of time to plan the ‘09 summer school holidays.

In addition, Interhome is offering reduced deposits when bookings are made before 7th January 2009. Instead of the normal 30% deposit, only 10% needs to be provided making budgeting nine months in advance more palatable. If the ‘credit crunch’ hits harder than you expected and you need to cancel 60 days prior to travel, Interhome offer a 100% money back guarantee. With self catering properties it is possible to tailor your travel needs and with Interhome you have the freedom to choose between driving to your destination, using Low Cost airlines or let the train take the strain to save costs.

To help with environmental issues and to reduce the amount of paper Interhome uses, paper summer brochures are no longer being produced. Interhome’s website offers an excellent flexible and fully integrated reservation system where you can create a personalised electronic FLIP holiday brochure, tailor made to the individuals needs, which can be delivered as a PDF –making it easier to choose destinations at the touch of a button. Interhome has always been a step ahead of the competition and has succeeded in developing an innovative IT solution of the highest technical standard.

Madeleine Winship, Director of Interhome, says, “Forget the cold and rain as the autumn leaves tumble to the ground. Take time to imagine the warm sun, by a calm sea or a picturesque lake, in the crisp clean air of the mountains or deep in the romantic countryside. Interhome has loyal customers who know what they want and has secured the best choice of properties for all budgets. This flexible programme offers a range of ‘accommodation only’ from modest to the most luxurious properties in majestic villas, city apartments, country houses, rustic farmhouses, luxurious palaces, cosy cottages, historic castles, comfortable apartments that range from an apartment that sleeps two people to a villa that sleeps 27”.

There is somewhere to suit all tastes and the properties offer excellent value for money.

For a laid back break in the sun, head to a small medieval city in the heart of France. Follow the Provencal wine and lavender routes, an area of small typical villages, made famous by writer Alphonse Dudet. The relaxing, recently built, 3* Holiday house in Vaison La Romaine, can accommodate up to 14 people and boasts a large terrace, private solar heated swimming pool, 5000m2 private grounds and a small equestrian centre nearby.

Where to stay?

Specialist rental agency Interhome (020 8780 6629; www.interhome.co.uk property ref FR8004.710.1 with prices starting from £2630 (was £2,922) for seven nights for 14 people (£188 per person). Deposit of 10%, £263. Travel not included.

Visit this link.

If Gaudi floats your boat then head to the wild impressive coast of the Costa Brava. This holiday house ‘Llla Blanca’ is filled with plush antiques in a tranquil setting above the town of Begur. The 900m2 gardens have grandiose views across the bay and the outdoor pool is the perfect place for that end of day sunset aperitif. Host summer parties in the beautiful landscaped gardens or relax next to your very own private swimming pool. The house is the perfect holiday home-from-home with Gaudi architecture on the doorstep.

Where to stay?

Specialist rental agency Interhome (020 8780 6629; www.interhome.co.uk  property ref ES9440.400.1 with prices starting from £2293 (was £2,548) for seven nights for 8 people (£286 per person). Deposit of 10%, £229. Travel not included.

Visit this link.

For the Heidi countryside experience head to Ovronnaz in Switzerland and indulge your passion for mountain pursuits with a stay in the charming ‘Les Falaises’ chalet. With space to accommodate up to eight people, enjoy the panoramic views as the sun sets over the impressive Alpine mountain range. This is the heart of the Swiss wine route and many character full mountain villages are easily accessible at a relaxing pace if you are looking for a calming destination.

Where to stay?

Specialist rental agency Interhome (020 8780 6629; www.interhome.co.uk property ref CH1912.419.1 ‘Les Falaises’ with prices starting from £1,040 (was £1,155) for seven nights for 8 people (£130 per person). Deposit of 10%, £104. Travel not included.

Visit this link.

Interhome, one of the largest holiday rental specialists in Europe features properties in Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, UK and the USA.

Record breaking early snow falls has allowed Andorran ski resorts to open early this year.

Resorts in both the Grandvalira and Vallnord valleys will be fully open by Friday (November 28) ready for the weekend.

Snow has been falling in the Pyrenees since early October and the resorts have been busy preparing the slopes.

“The conditions are near perfect and we just had to open to take advantage of the situation,” said Marta Rotes, director of Ski Andorra.

“With a good base layer of over 85 cms of snow, on average across the resorts, we look forward to a great season and welcoming our UK repeat and first time visitors over the next five months.”

 If you can’t get enough of snowboarding and constantly dream of being the next Shaun White then you should be staying at rudechalets™. Their recently announced partnerships with Burton Snowboards; Xbox 360® and Ubisoft the developers of the new Shaun White Snowboarding videogame provide the basis for a week long snowboarding extravaganza.

By Day: Wake up, eat a hearty breakfast, throw on your gear, grab your board, meet your friends… go riding.

From rudechalets flagship Chalet Christophe in Morzine-Avoriaz you can select one of Burton’s revolutionary 09 boards from their Burton Snowboard Test centre. The on-site facility is stocked with a whole range of brand new kit show casing the latest ICS / EST* binding technology designed by the team in Vermont. The high altitude snow sure ski area of Avoriaz is just 500m from the chalet giving you access to over 650km of pistes, 4 snow parks & miles of backcountry trails. And last winter Avoriaz saw the arrival of the Burton Stash - Europe’s first ever eco snowboard park designed by the legendary Jake Burton himself. If you need help to hone your freestyle technique then rudechalets™ have sponsored riders on hand to give advice on style and stance which will get you charging the Stash like a pro.

By night: Head back to the chalet, soak in the hot tub, have a drink with your mates, eat a well-earned dinner, rig up the Xbox 360 to the 42” plasma screen and once again…you are ready to go riding…

 All rudechalets properties are pimped to the max including an Xbox 360 in every bedroom.

This means you can play the brand new Shaun White Snowboarding videogame and continue shredding the mountain long after the lifts have shut and the sun has set. You can choose how, where and with whom you want to ride. The videogame offers 16 resorts which span four different continents…but all in good time…before hitting the slopes you can choose to don some of the latest Burton snowboarding gear. You and up to 15 of your mates can then ride together - sessioning the parks, cruising the pistes, shredding the backcountry and even hiking to secret spots.

And if you fancy a break you can take your board off to film your fellow riders and then upload your videos to the web.

In addition to Xbox 360 & Shaun White Snowboarding all rudechalets have table football’s; flat screens; iPod docking; media centers; walkie-talkies; Free WiFi, guest computers, some cool décor and funky snow art. Their fully catered service includes FREE airport transfers from Geneva, ensuite accommodation, half board, unlimited wine & mountain hosting in Morzine-Avoriaz.

About rudechalets
In addition to Xbox 360 & Shaun White Snowboarding all rudechalets™ have table football’s; flat screens; iPod docking; media centers; walkie-talkies; Free WiFi, guest computers, some cool décor and funky snow art. Their fully catered service includes FREE airport transfers from Geneva, ensuite accommodation, half board, unlimited wine & mountain hosting in Morzine-Avoriaz.

For more details please visit: www.rudechalets.com