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

Travel Company Brings Groups to World War II Sites on a ‘Valkyrie Movie’ Tour To Germany and Poland. Follow in the Footsteps of Claus Von Stauffenberg and His Fellow Conspirators in Their Attempt to Assassinate Hitler at the Wolf’s Lair Headquarters
Alpventures; owned and operated by Tony Cisneros (Portland, OR), offers history tours to sites depicted in the new ‘Valkyrie’ movie (starring Tom Cruise). Their 13-day Wolf’’s Lair Tour visits World War II sites throughout Poland and Berlin, Germany.

Hitler’s Bunker at the Wolf’s Lair

Ruins of the Führerbunker at the Wolf’s Lair near Ketrzyn, Poland. Part of the original Flak tower on the roof is still visible.
Stauffenberg Memorial

The memorial honors Claus von Stauffenberg, who placed a bomb next to Hitler on July 20, 1944 during a situation conference at the Wolf’s Lair. The ruins of the barrack building are in the background.
Stauffenberg’s Grave in Berlin

Stauffenberg and other Conspirators were executed (on Hitler’s order) at the Bendlerblock in Berlin. Their bodies were quickly buried and then exhumed and cremated by the Nazi Regime.
Alpventures Tours

Your Guide for World War II History in Europe and Russia.

More and more history buffs and curious travelers are looking for tours to World War II sites in Europe - and Hitler’s headquarters at the Wolf’s Lair is no exception. Alpventures offers a Wolf’s Lair Tour from May 1-14, 2009 that follows the story of the famous assassination attempt on Hitler’s life, called Operation Valkyrie. Tour groups visit many historical sites connected to Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg and the German Resistance; from Berlin to the Wolf’s Lair near Ketrzyn, Poland. The Tour starts and finishes in Berlin, Germany and includes two days each at the Wolf’s Lair, Warsaw, and Crakow, Poland. The Wolf’s Lair Tour also visits the memorial sites at Auschwitz / Birkenau as well as the Seelow Height battlefield.

Adolf Hitler spent nearly half of World War II (over 800 days) at his former East Prussian headquarters, ‘Wolfsschanze’ (Wolf’s Lair in German). In 1942, the highly secure compound contained as many as 80 buildings housing over 2000 employees, including massive bunkers for Hitler and his inner circle.

Alpventures Wolf’s Lair Tour, the only trip of its kind, allows plenty of time at the Wolf’s Lair and the additional German Army Headquarters at nearby Mamerki (Mauerwald). Alpventures Owner and Tour Guide on the trip, Tony Cisneros, says the Tour focuses on the Valkyrie plot to kill Hitler, but that it includes plenty of other significant spots.

 “We spend two days in fascinating Warsaw, and discover the remains of the Jewish Ghetto, as well as sites where the Warsaw uprisings took place,” says Cisneros. The Tour continues from Warsaw to spectacular Crakow, where industrialist Oskar Schindler lived during the war. Tour guests will see the Schindler Factory and the former concentration camp shown in the movie, Schindler’s List. Participants will also visit the most infamous Nazi Death camps in the world: Auschwitz and Birkenau. The Wolf’s Lair Tour finishes with many sites in Berlin, including the Bendlerblock, where Colonel von Stauffenberg and other Conspirators ultimately met their fate.

Visit our Tour Website: www.wolfslairtours.com

Alpventures specializes in guided Tours to World War II sites in Europe and Russia. For information, please visit our website below or contact us toll-free at 1 (888) 991-6718.

Alpventures Tours
P.O. Box 457
Canby, OR 97013
Toll-Free 1 (888) 991-6718

Website: http://www.alpventures.com

A second Courtyard by Marriott hotel will open in St. Petersburg, Russia, in late 2009 to early 2010 under a long-term agreement between Marriott International and OOO Stroiprogress.

When opened, the 281-room Courtyard by Marriott St. Petersburg Marinsky Theatre will be located at 166 Naberezhnaia Kanala Griboyedova in central St. Petersburg, within a 10-minute walk of the Marinsky Theater. It will be Marriott’s second Courtyard-branded hotel in St. Petersburg. Accommodations at the Courtyard by Marriott St. Petersburg Marinsky Theatre will feature Courtyard’s bed and bath linens and amenities, in-room coffee makers and mini-refrigerator, flat-screen television and high-speed Internet access.

For dining and entertainment, the hotel will have Courtyard’s signature all-day casual restaurant and bar called Oleo Pazzo serving three meals daily, a specialty restaurant and a lobby lounge that flows into the hotel lobby. Recreational amenities will include a small fitness center. Other amenities include an Internet library in the lobby and a “Grab & Go” market.

For small meetings and social events, the hotel will offer a 397-square-meter main meeting room that will be divisible into three sections and 274 square meters of space consisting of seven individual meeting rooms in varying configurations.

The Courtyard by Marriott St. Petersburg Marinsky Theatre will also boast a weddings venue. The Marriott International portfolio in St. Petersburg currently consists of the Renaissance St. Petersburg Hotel and the Courtyard by Marriott St. Petersburg Vasilievsky Island.

Air Berlin and NIKI flights to Russia for summer 2009 are available for booking now. The daily non-stop service from Düsseldorf to St. Petersburg is a new addition. Furthermore there will again be a daily flight from Berlin-Tegel to St. Petersburg next summer. In addition to the daily morning flight, Air Berlin passengers will have the option in summer 2009 of an evening flight from Berlin-Tegel to Moscow six times a week (every day except Saturday). The service between Düsseldorf and Moscow, as well as between Munich and Moscow will have an additional flight on Saturdays and Sundays respectively. In summer 2009 NIKI will again be operating a flight six times a week (every day except Saturday) between Vienna and Moscow.

Air Berlin currently operates nonstop service from Miami and Fort Myers to Düsseldorf. In April, Air Berlin will operate four flights a week from New York and beginning in May increase it to daily service. In addition, three flights a week from Los Angeles and Vancouver also begin operating in May. All passengers using Air Berlin or LTU will be able to accumulate miles with, and redeem miles for all of the companies belonging to the Air Berlin Group when enrolled with Air Berlins TopBonus mileage program. At present, the Air Berlin Group includes Air Berlin, LTU, dba, Belair and NIKI. The summer timetable starts May 1, 2009, and ends Oct. 31, 2009. For more information, call 866-266-5588 or visit www.airberlin.com

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.

MARIINSKY BALLET FESTIVAL

18-23 March 2009

The Mariinsky Theater Trust and Exeter International have once again joined forces to create an exclusive tour for the 9th annual International Mariinsky Ballet Festival.

The combination of world-class performances and the beauty of St. Petersburg itself, have made the ballet festival a major occasion on the dance calendar.

Experiences include a rare stop at the Hermitage Storage Rooms, a visit to the exclusive and never opened to the public Vaganova Ballet Academy and a backstage tour of the Mariinsky Theater.

Exeter International is offering this unique opportunity to just a few discerning travelers at an extraordinary value- starting at just $4,995 per person, double occupancy. The tour starts in St. Petersburg on March 18th and ends on March 23, 2009.

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

Regent Holidays ( 0845 277 3317 www.regent-holidays.co.uk  is delighted to unveil its new 2009 brochure for The Baltics and Poland, meeting all holiday dreams and aspirations with its definitive collection of value-for-money city breaks, tours and itineraries tailored to suit your needs.

As a fully bonded tour operator with over 37 years of experience, Regent’s specialist team of well-travelled experts will bring your holiday dreams to life, providing the most personal of services.

A fantastic new addition to the 2009 brochure is Regent’s 7 day tour from £595 pp From Gdansk to Wroclaw, which includes plenty of time to explore the cobbled streets, historic harbour and medieval Old Town of Gdansk before cruising down the Elblag Canal, an astounding feat of hydro-engineering from the 19th century, as featured in Michael Palin’s book New Europe. Take the train to Torun, one of Poland’s most picturesque cities, whose Old Town is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 The tour also takes you to Wroclaw with its breathtaking cathedral, endless canals and bridges, its Old Market Square and magnificent burgher houses.

For those returning to the Baltic States or wishing to travel outside the main cities, Regent has introduced Vilnius & Druskininkai, a 7 day tour that gives you the chance to familiarise yourself with Lithuania’s capital city, Vilnius (European city of Culture 2009), before travelling to Druskininkai, a spa town close to the Belarusian boarder surrounded by natural springs, peat bogs and pine forests and home to Grutas Park, where toppled statues of Lenin and Stalin are gathered together in a form of Soviet theme park. From £460 per person, this tour offers the kind of value for money with which Regent has become synonymous.

The popular 9 day Cycling on Saaremaa Tour, explores this tranquil island by bicycle and spends each night in one of the island’s many cosy farmhouses. Alternatively, check into the luxurious Padaste Manor, a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World with elegant bedrooms, exceptional restaurant choices, a renowned spa and stunning scenery on tap on the Tallinn & the Islands 6 day tour from £780 pp.

Back for 2009 are old favourites including Regent’s best-selling Classical Baltic Group Tours (from £775 per person for 8 days) and its Capital Cities Tours (from £635 per person for 10 days), which continue to be excellent value and offer an ideal introduction the delights of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

For those wishing to explore Poland for the first time, take your pick of Regent’s collection of tours, which include the 10 day Highlights of Poland tour from £795 per person, the Warsaw & Krakow 7 day tour from £495 per person and the 8 day Classical Poland Group Tour from £850 per person.

For 2009, Regent is delighted to offer three fly-drives, which remain an extremely popular holiday choice for those wanting flexibility as well as value for money. The fly-drive options are a 10 day Baltic Fly-drive from £880 per person, a Lithuanian Fly-drive from £715 per person for 10 days and an 11 day Coastal Baltic Fly-drive. From £890 per person, this unusual fly-drive itinerary starts in Vilnius from where you drive to Lithuania’s coastline, heading north via pretty fishing villages, the Curonian Spit, via ferry to the islands of Saaremaa and Muhu, before reaching Tallinn, your final destination.

Regent has added a selection of the region’s new hotels, including the 4* Mabre Residence Hotel, a former 17th century monastery on the edge of Vilnius’ Old Town and Hotel Shakespeare, a boutique hotel in the heart of Vilnius’ Old Town – many of its 31 rooms, all named after famous writers, overlook St Anne’s Church or Gedmino Castle while the hotel’s Sonnet restaraurant and its cosy lounge bar are a must.
The variety of the 2009 brochure perfectly reflects Regent’s deep-rooted understanding of The Baltics and Poland and its commitment to providing clients with endless possibilities for adventure in this increasingly popular part of Europe.

Nomadic Expeditions, a pioneer of adventure travel in Mongolia and beyond, now offers several unique and engaging opportunities that take travelers well off the tourist path to experience authentic local culture on their own. Nomadic Expeditions offers exclusive access to local families and cultural institutions, from dinosaur digging with paleontologists on assignment in the Gobi Desert to throat-singing lessons with professional artists. Experiences are priced individually and can be enjoyed on their own or as extensions to any of Nomadic Expeditions’ more than two-dozen cultural journeys and adventures or a customized stay in the Three Camel Lodge, Nomadic Expeditions magical eco-lodge in the Gobi Desert. Taken together or one at a time, these Bespoke trips are a great opportunity to immerse yourself in Mongolian culture for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Here are some descriptions of the trips:

Kazakh Hospitality and Golden Eagle Hunting — Spend two days experiencing the nomadic way of life with a Kazakh family in the foothills of the breathtaking Altai Mountains. Accompany family members as they tend to livestock, make dairy products, construct a nomadic ger (yurt) and craft traditional Kazakh tapestries. You’ll also take part in a Golden Eagle training session with a family as the Golden Eagle hunter prepares his magnificent bird of prey for competitions of speed, agility and accuracy at the Golden Eagle Festival in Western Mongolia.
Throat-Sing Me a Song — Study the traditional art of Mongolian throat-singing, or khoomi, with professional musicians. By eschewing musical instruments for the vocal organs, khoomi singers are able to produce distinct yet beautiful sounds with their tongue, teeth, larynx and palates alone. Mongolia is one of the few remaining country where throat-singing has developed to its full potential, with khoomi artists capable of brilliant performances.

If the Sutra Fits — Engage in exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the rare, ancient and out-of-print books at the State Central Library of Mongolia. With contributions from Mongolian scholars from ancient times in fields such as Buddhism, theology, art, linguistics, astronomy, and the history of Mongolian Empire, the collection is indeed significant. Some books are in Cyrillic, others in Mongolian traditional script, Tibetan, Sanskrit and more. Ancient Buddhist sutras are a highlight of this visit. The library is tucked in the heart of Ulaanbaatar, across from the State Academic Drama Theater.

Meditation at the Gandan Monestery — Experience a private audience and tea with high-ranking lamas of the Gandan Monastery in Ulaanbaatar while learning about Tibetan Buddhism and meditation. Afterwards, join other lamas in the Monastery’s private meditation hall where you can dwell in spiritual tranquility through Buddhist meditation. In the afternoon, visit the affiliate School of Gandan Monastery in Buddhism, the largest institute of higher education in Tibetan Buddhism in Mongolia, to study the art of traditional Buddhist Tanghka paintings — a marvelous gem of Tibetan Art.

The Art of the “Deel” — Enjoy an exclusive private tour with the museum curator through the Hall of Ancient Costumes of Mongolia at the National History Museum in Ulaanbaatar, followed by a fine reception in the main hall. The behind-the-scenes access to the museum’s workshop, which is normally off-limit to the public, allows a rare glimpse of how the ancient costumes of various Mongolian ethnicities are restored and kept safe for public appearances. Finish with a fitting of your own Mongolian deel as a memento, custom tailored to your shape, size and taste. Garments will be crafted in fine silver and silk.

Digging for Dinosaurs — Join noted paleontologists from the Academy of Science for a trip of a lifetime as you prospect and excavate fossils from the Gobi Desert for 3 days. The Gobi is one of the world’s premier fossil sites and home to some of the most important paleontological finds of the 20th century. Also enjoy an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the Paleontological Lab at Mongolia’s Natural History Museum’s in Ulaanbaatar, including a private tour with one of Mongolia’s leading paleontologists.

Bespoke journeys start at $200 per day. Nomadic Expeditions, the pioneer of exceptional adventures in Mongolia and beyond, offers more than two-dozen authentic active adventures and cultural journeys, as well as unlimited customized adventures throughout Mongolia, Tibet, Bhutan, Siberia and China, and operates the new Three Camel Lodge luxury ger camp in the heart of the Gobi Desert.

For more information, call 800-998-6634 or visit www.nomadicexpeditions.com  or www.threecamellodge.com

An Entente Cordiale –With KE Adventure Travel

When the Russian government petitioned UNESCO to register the volcanoes of the Kamchatka Peninsula as a World Heritage site, it made its case simply: “(Kamchatka) represents the most active volcanic region in the world.” Its 29 active cones alone were enough to warrant World Heritage status in 1996 and lure KE Adventure Travel there in 2009. KE’s new groundbreaking adventure holiday offers the opportunity to take part in an expedition with a truly international flavour. Their ‘Kamchatka – Land of Ice and Fire’ trekking holiday is run in partnership with Allibert, the largest independent French Adventure operator. All 3 departures will be made up of a mix of English and French speaking participants. This is a unique opportunity to explore one of the last true wildernesses on earth and enjoy the company of an international blend of people.

Celebrating 25 years of “Real Adventure”, this is just one of 42 new trips that appear in the 2009 collection of KE Adventure Travel brochures.

Visit this link for Volcanco Hopping.

www.keadventure.com