Advice and Information for the World Traveller on Many Destinations

Archive for the ‘Air Travel’ Category

The ski resorts of Italy are perhaps not as famous as those in Austria, Switzerland or Germany but Alpine skiing in Italy definitely has a charm all its own. Should you choose the South Tyrol region, there is a definite German flavour to the resorts, while over in Aosta Valley the slopes have a French feel to them. The skiing meanwhile still remains very Italian.

There are apartments to rent that offer the option of summer skiing, all year round snowboarding and border free, snowshoe trails into duty free zones high in the mountains. The one thing you are always assured of at northern Italian apartment resorts is the usual high quality food, full-bodied wines and a friendly welcome.

Turin, the host for the 2006 Winter Olympics, is an excellent starting point; it is in close proximity to the mountains, the Italian-French border, and the Susa Valley which has resorts like Bardonecchia and the very popular Sestiere skiing destinations. At 2035 metres Sistiere has an ice rink, cross-country skiing and slopes supported by ski lifts.

Further north and into the Aosta Valley you are heading into traditional mountain ski terrain; here you will find the breathtaking splendour of the Monte Rosa, the Gran Paradiso and the Matterhorn all towering above you. Nestling in to the foothills of Monte Blanc is the elegant Courmayeur resort with its ice rink, cable cars and ski lifts to the slopes.

The Dolomites in the northeast also offer excellent slopes for the winter sport enthusiast and the resorts of Madonna di Campiglio and Cortona d’Amprezzo are superb locations worth considering.

If you are looking for a good reason to book cheap flights to Israel, look no further than Tel Aviv. The White City section, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003, combines a unique concentration of modern buildings blended in with the old, and as the richest city in the entire country and home to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, there is really no reason to book cheap flights to any other major city in the Middle East, because there is more than enough going on in Tel Aviv to keep you busy for weeks; if you can spare the time of course.

The northern section of the city is the wealthiest district and sites such as Hayarkon Park and Israel’s Museum can easily keep a visitor occupied for quite some time. The city centre is described as the heart of Tel Aviv and contains most of the major tourist attractions and shopping areas. This is the modern Tel Aviv that everyone can appreciate, regardless of which country they have taken a cheap flight from.

The southern section is the original district that contains the first neighbourhoods built in the early 20th century and while it is considered the poorer district it is continually evolving. The Jaffa section contains one of the oldest ports in the world, detailed in various religious manuscripts over the years as the place where Jonah started his journey. Andromeda was tied to the rock as a sacrifice to the sea monster and this is where Peter the Apostle received his famous vision.

When you take advantage of the many flights to Berlin you’ll be letting yourself in for a real treat. Berlin is one of Europe’s premier cultural capitals, and has a fascinating past, infamous in the 20th century for being divided down the middle by the notorious Berlin Wall between the East and West parts of the city.

Nowadays, Berlin has left all that behind, and is a world-class city that offers a great deal to the most demanding visitor. The population is multicultural and cosmopolitan, and the city is full of international eateries serving up not only German but also Vietnamese, Turkish and Russian cuisines amongst many others.

Berlin also features many acres of parkland in addition to its multitude of museums, theatres, art galleries and vibrant nightlife, so there really is, as the cliché goes, something for everyone here. 

Berlin is a modern city with a youthful and positive outlook, whilst at the same time refusing to ignore the old and troubling wartime memories that it has to live with. So as well as the socialising and fun of the Berlin Bike Tour and the day-trips to Potsdam and Sanssouci Palace you can take the more sombre Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial Walking Tour.

To really get into the spirit of Berlin you could not do better than to visit Charlottenburg Palace, where you can take a tour of this magnificent Hohenzollern residence and listen to the Berlin Residence Orchestra playing exquisite baroque and other music.

Once upon a time, if you said you were off to Lanzarote or Tenerife, people would assume that you would be staying in a cramped, soulless resort complex on a bargain basement package holiday, drinking beer in an English pub, shoulder to shoulder with fellow sunburnt Brits. Cheap holidays are still plentiful and great value for money, but standards have risen and there’s now also a wide range of upmarket accommodation, away from the crowds.

With their arid, volcanic landscape, Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria have an unusual natural beauty as well as a sunny climate. Although the well-known resorts are very busy with tourists, these big islands still have nature reserves, fishing ports and banana plantations. If you venture further afield than the imported sands of Tenerife’s Playa de las Americas and Los Cristianos, or Lanzarote’s Puerto del Carmen, you’ll find peaceful holiday villas away from the crowds. The smaller islands of La Gomera and La Palma have forested mountain interiors which are perfect for exploring.

The appeal of these islands continues because there is something for everyone, from resort apartments to secluded villas and rural cabins. All tastes are catered for, with lively bars and clubs and idyllic unspoilt countryside, plus a whole range of activities. Also, Fuerteventura is a mecca for windsurfers with its strong prevailing winds.  At about 4 ½ hours flying time from the UK, and with a choice of budget airlines offering deals, the Canary Islands are very easily reached.

If staying in a private holiday villa while in Italy is high on your list of priorities as a traveller, there is no better place than Turin for your extended stay in the country. Nestled in the shadows of the Alps as they dominate the skyline of the Piedmont region, Turin contains literally dozens of villas to choose from, including the more famous tourist attractions such as the 17th century Royal Palace or the Savoy Residences. There are also a variety of other sights to see, such as the Villa la Tesoreria, the Giardini Reali di Torino, or the Royal Gardens of Turin.

In addition to the picturesque countryside filled with mountains, forests, valleys, gardens, hidden Italian villages and more, Turin is also a major industrial centre for Italy, functioning as the headquarters of Fiat as well as for various factories where modules for the International Space Station were built. The University of Turin is also headquartered in the city, ranked as one of the best universities in Italy, as well as one of the oldest.

Bear in mind that Turin is not a budget destination. During the summer months this is one of Italy’s favourite mountain retreats for both foreigners and locals alike, and during the winter months this is one of the premier ski resorts in the country. As such, most of the accommodation is comparable with resort prices around the world, especially when it comes to renting villas for the duration of your trip. As long as your pockets can handle a little extra stretching, Turin is the perfect place for a vacation, regardless if your stay is during the winter or summer months.

There is an interesting way to travel that is very cost efficient if the parameters meet your needs. It is referred to as courier travel.

Many businesses and corporations need their products or documents to reach their overseas destination quickly. They hand the responsibilities off to a courier who is expected to accompany the goods or paperwork to a trusted representative at the end of the flight. The courier assumes the company’s baggage as their own and, in return, the company pays for part of the airline costs as reimbursement for the service.

Ticket costs will be reduced from 20-75% of the original price. Most people can register with a respected courier company, who will have an established relationship with the airlines. The freight will be pre-boarded. It is the courier’s job to show up, handle the manifest with the representatives both on departure and arrival. The courier is not required to handle the freight themselves.

The downside is that a courier is only allowed carry-on luggage and cannot bring a partner or a friend along for company. Sometimes, the courier’s travel may be dictated by the company, if they want the same courier on both legs of a trip.  Destinations have become more limited and restricted based on natural disasters, conflicts and world events.

If you are a single traveller who wants a flight to Brussels to see a little of the world, or wants to book a quick flight from Manchester to Aberdeen to get home for the holidays, courier travel may be the answer for you.

Skiing is not a cheap sport and the cost of extras such as ski passes, equipment and lessons can push the budget to the limit. But there are places where it is possible to get a good ski deal, and some skiing holidays to France can be reasonably priced.

By shopping around and being careful, it is still possible to save money. If there is a group of you travelling it is worth considering hiring a car and driving to your destination. Food at ski resorts can be very expensive so look around for cheap places to eat. Clothing does not have to be the highest standard as long as it is warm and comfortable since fashion is not the most important factor.

Andorra used to be a cheap place for ski holidays but with the advent of the Euro it is now necessary to travel further afield. Eastern European destinations such as Bulgaria are worth a try although generally the destinations are not up to the standard of the French resorts. Many of the travel firms now offer skiing holidays, not just the specialist ones, but the summer package firms too. There can be bargains to be had with all of them. If your accommodation is included in the price as well as your meals, then it can be a really cheap way to holiday. There are bargains to be had especially if you are not restricted to times and dates of travel.

The city of Amman, which is the capital of Jordan’s Hashemite kingdom, now stretches over 19 hills (known as jabals). In its settlement days, the city originally unfolded over the landscape of seven hills.

Almost half of Jordan’s population lives in Amman, dotting the hills with pastel coloured houses made of stone. The houses are all uniformly shaped like boxes, with the flat roofs of desert dwellings. Pavement markets, ancient minarets, and the crumbling remains of ancient civilizations mix in harmonious contrast to the international restaurants, fashion houses and contemporary office buildings.

The downtown district is the heartbeat of Amman. In the centre is the Ottoman style King Hussein Mosque. The area around the Mosque is busy at all times, but is especially a beehive of activity during the prayer times. The streets are filled with the sound of worship, scented by the exotic smells of Arabia and surrounded by rows of jewel-like treasures in the marketplace, with the haggling of bartering voices.

Amman dates back over 5,500 years and was the capital city of the Ammonites. Overlooking the city, the Citadel is the site of the ancient Rabbath-Ammon of the Old Testament. At its feet lays the Roman amphitheatre, a relic of the city of Rome’s Philadelphia.

Amman is one of the oldest cities in the world, and has been continuously inhabited since it was first settled. Today, it is also a thriving administrative and commercial centre of notable hospitality, modern facilities and historical attractions. Many of the other attractions in the region are no more than a five hour drive away.

Flights to Amman are available from most international airports.

Aberdeen is one of Scotland’s major cities. It follows Edinburgh, the capital city, and Glasgow, the most populous, as Scotland’s third major city. Other Scottish places of note are Perth, Inverness, St Andrews and Dundee.

Aberdeen is situated on the east coast of Scotland, on the North Sea coast. It is a historic fishing city, economically vibrant since the 1980s due to its participation in the North Sea oil industry. Largely due to this industry, Aberdeen has become one of Scotland’s most internationally minded cities, with many expatriates working and living there.

As a travel destination, Aberdeen enjoys cheap flights to and from other Scottish cities like Edinburgh, Glasgow or Inverness, or UK cities like London, Manchester or Newcastle. Aberdeen is often used as a base from which to travel along the east coast of Scotland, to visit beaches, golf courses or whiskey distilleries. It is also within a few hours reach by car of the Central Highlands, Loch Ness, the Cairngorm Mountains and the lowland cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Aberdeen itself has a number of tourist attractions. These include the historic harbour, a number of museums, cinemas, restaurants and pubs, traditional and modern, as well as historic university buildings and architecture.

Scottish hospitality is, generally speaking, of a warm nature. Travellers can choose from a wide variety of accommodation, including world class hotels as well as large numbers of bed & breakfast businesses, hostels and self-catering cottages. Most places, in addition, have tourist information offices.

One of the first things most travellers do after getting off their flight to Amman is to begin exploring the various architectural and archaeological wonders within the city and surrounding countryside. While it is true Amman is the capital of an extremely diverse kingdom and there are plenty of things to see and do in the city itself, it acts more as a gateway to the surrounding countryside than anything else. As can be seen from the thousands of travellers booking cheap flights to the city every year, there are a wide number of things to see and do.

One of the main sites in the city proper is the Roman theatre, but beyond that there is also the Roman Nymphaeum and the Temple of Herakles.  Umayyad Palace offers a unique view over Amman, as well as the Citadel, which is located in the centre of both the ancient and modern city, combining a unique blend of ancient ruins and modern buildings.

One of the most highly recommended things to do in this wonderful city is to experience the sunset while near the Citadel, and if you time it perfectly with the muezzin call while at the viewpoint, the panorama of the entire city stretching before you combined with the acoustics and the sight of the sun going down is one of those one in a million moments that you will not forget for many years.