For the past few years, Ice Hotels have been a hot winter item. While the actual stays in the hotels aren’t all that pricey per se, most of them are located in places that are prohibitively expensive to reach, north of the Arctic Circle in Sweden, for example.
If it’s sleeping out in the cold that appeals to you, there’s a thriftier solution available without even leaving Germany. Just head to the Bavarian Alps, to the Allgäu, for an “Eskimo Weekend in an igloo.”
Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, thoughts are naturally turning to Christmas. And for those of us in Germany, that means Christmas markets. On Nov. 29, Stripes’ Thursday travel section will run a comprehensive listing of Christmas market dates for Austria, Belgium, Germany, France, and the Netherlands, among other countries.
A recent article on the Web site of the Guardian Unlimited, So what on Earth's the big attraction?, caught my eye. It lists some of the world’s so-called wonders that many travelers have found disappointing. While I don’t agree with everything included on the “underwhelming” list, I can understand where people are coming from.
If you are planning a trip on Ryanair before the end of January 2008, today might not be a bad day at all to book it. In addition to the discounted fares, there are 500,000 free flights available on selected routes. These special rates include no taxes, fees or charges. From Frankfurt-Hahn, those include flights to Palma de Mallorca, Bologna, Italy and Pisa, Italy. From London Stansted, your options include Brussels, Newquay, Glasgow, Shannon, Knock and Belfast. So why not? It doesn't get any cheaper than free!
Where: Bad Kreuznach, Germany
When: October 2007
Why: A day trip, to see what interesting places lie right under my nose
How: By train, with a connection in Mainz
Who: With a girlfriend
Stayed at: Nowhere
Where: Hameln, Germany
When: August 2007
Why: Husband wanted to see the area he had been stationed in while serving in the British army all those years ago.
How: Drove there. The town is about 30 miles southwest of Hanover.
Stayed at: The hotel La Principessa , with its tidy, modern rooms, killer view of ancient half-timbered building across the street, and a buffet breakfast with an enormous array of tiny dishes with interesting tidbits to try.
Where: Copenhagen, Denmark
When: June 2007
Why: to visit a girlfriend
How: Lufthansa flight.
Stayed at: Friend’s house. (On my previous visit to the city, I stayed at the Hotel Amager, which is outside of the very center but cozy and inexpensive, relatively speaking.)
Where: Funchal, Madeira
When: February 2007
Why: to celebrate a birthday, and to break up the long gray winter
How: package deal inclusive of airfare, hotel, and airport transfers, approximate cost 600 euros per person for four overnights, purchased through L’Tur.
Who: just the husband and me
Lots of us love to ski or snowboard, but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Suppose your travel companion is a skier, and you’re not. What can you do while your buddies are on the slopes?
What’s the next best thing to traveling? Well, plotting your next trip ranks right up there.
