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#11
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There are lots of options for a short break in Europe, but I think
a weekend would be a bit short. Some suggestions: Ramsau, Austria. I have copied the extract below from a previous post. "Tourist Board website link: http://www.ramsau.com/Englisch/index.htm You can get there by train from Salzburg or Munich airport. Nearest train station is Schladming and bus or taxi from there. The tourist office in Ramsau also will arrange a taxi from Salzburg and try to fix up a share or a return trip to cut the cost. As for accommodation, again the tourist office were very helpful - there are loads of places to stay at all prices and qualities. Ski-ing - every level of track ski-ing from total beginner to World-cup. Snow-sure as it is quite high and there is the glacier as a back-up. Lots of instructors. First-rate ski-hire and they will even wax your skis for you. The hotel we stayed in, let us use their downhill-hire shop waxing room for serious waxing and allowed us free run of all their tools. Loads of cafes "mit Kaffee und Kuchen". Swimming-pool - don't know what that was like as the ski-ing was too good to find out. Some low-key downhill and snowboarding. Schladming is a major alpine resort if you want a change. Scenery - picturesque. Drawbacks - very popular - don't go there for mountain solitude." We stayed at the Knollhof, which was excellent and had a little spa. http://www.knollhof.at/ . I did not try any of the treatments, so I cannot vouch for them. There is a bigger public spa and pool in the village, which is connected to the Inntravel hotel. However, if you don't know about German and Austrian spas, it is not good to be modest. Mixed, and clothes off. You could also try Oslo. One or two of the holiday operators offer a short break there. Alternatively you can fly from Heathrow (BA/SAS) or Stansted (Norwegian/Ryanair) for a good price. Stay in the City Centre and take the tram to the ski-ing; or stay out in Oslomarka, ski locally and take a tram or taxi down the hill for the entertainments. Your wife can do city things, but don't let her loose with your credit card unless you are rich. If you google visitoslo you will get the tourist board website. Word of warning, Oslo is a great place, and I keep wondering why I don't pack up and move there. However, it can be a bit foggy in the winter and the centre can get damp and slushy. I think Inntravel offer both, if you don't want the hassle of booking. I saw you said your wife feels the cold. Is she dressing properly for it? It is no good expecting to be warm enough in a ski resort in a thin raincoat and fashion shoes. Make sure she buys or borrows some proper gear. We have just had a long discussion on Lapland dressing, which is full of good advice. It all applies to the Alps too. Maybe she would like some silk thermals as a present? Have fun and perhaps you would like to report back. Alex |
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#12
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Terje Mathisen wrote: Jonathan Grant wrote: I live in London and have done a fair amount of skiing. My wife has nev= er skied and doesn't like the cold, but has expressed an openess to a week= end away somewhere in Europe or Scandinavia where she can perhaps be pamper= ed in a spa or similar whilst I would like to try some cross country skiing. Nothing too taxing, I've never tried it before, and whilst I like walki= ng, I am not what I would consider fit. Preferably somewhere with a bit of scenery. Can anybody suggest a place that we could go to in February that might = fit the bill, please? Fly to Oslo, stay at pretty much any mountain lodge/hotel you like. :-) In fact, since we got several snowfalls over the holidays, conditions have become very nice here in Oslo, i.e. you could stay at Holmenkollen Park which afaik has a nice pool/spa area, and is situated directly alongside the Holmenkollen ski trails. If you require more mountains then you could take the train two hours north to Lillehammer and stay somewhere along the Birkebeiner trail, like at Sjusj=F8en. The key point is that pretty much every little village and town will have prepared xc trails, some of them even lighted for evening/nighttime skiing, and trails fees are still non-existent. :-) Terje -- - "almost all programming can be viewed as an exercise in caching" Ryanair.com and norwegian.no have very cheap flights from Stanstead to Olso (actually ryan air flies to Torp which is 100km away, but there are shuttle busses). Oslo is a great place for skiing. Miles and miles of lighted xc trails, some lighted downhill slopes, all accessible by tram, so you can stay at a hotel in the city center near shopping, operas, etc. If you wish and just jump on the tram, and 15 mintues later get off into a winter wonderland of free xc skiing and very cheap downhill. And EVERYONE speaks English. Joseph |
#13
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Thanks for the info.
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#14
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Thanks for the info.
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#15
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Jonathan Grant wrote:
I live in London and have done a fair amount of skiing. My wife has never skied and doesn't like the cold, but has expressed an openess to a weekend away somewhere in Europe or Scandinavia where she can perhaps be pampered in a spa or similar whilst I would like to try some cross country skiing. Nothing too taxing, I've never tried it before, and whilst I like walking, I am not what I would consider fit. Preferably somewhere with a bit of scenery. Can anybody suggest a place that we could go to in February that might fit the bill, please? How about Leukerbad in Switxerland - http://www.leukerbad.ch/en/welcome.cfm Fly to Geneva and 3. hours by train/bus, or Berne is even closer (and a more picturesque transfer). Sarissa |
#16
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Jonathan
I have had second thoughts about my advice. If you are off learning to ski, your wife is likely to be stuck on her own, in the cold, trying to find out how to do things in a strange place. What's more, you will be learning on your own. It might work, but more likely not. I think you may be better off booking a learn to ski holiday. It is more fun to learn in a group. If your wife wants to do something, then she can go off to a spa or something with her friends. Then you can have a holiday together in the summer. Oslo is great then, and the hotels are cheapest. The Alps are good too. If you want some suggestions for tour operators, let me know and I can point you at a couple. Alex |
#17
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Thanks Alex,
We only really want to go for a very short break, 3 or 4 nights. My wife would be happy to spend the time in the spa or reading by a warm fire. As it would be a short break I thought I'd like to try x-country, I've been glued to Eurosport, for the two or three days. Any pointers for tour operators would be perfect, I couldn't find any that offered advice on x-c, only alpine. |
#18
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Lots of choices, but I think the tour operator who offers the best in
the way of spas and things is Inntravel. http://www.inntravel.co.uk/index.htm I haven't used them myself. I tend to book my own trips nowadays, because it is cheaper, and I know what I want. However, I know people who often go with Inntravel and who recommend them. Inntravel organise individual holidays, not groups. I suggest you give them a ring to discuss things. If you just want to learn to ski, Waymark Holidays have been the market leader in cross-country for a long time. http://www.waymarkholidays.com Their holidays are mostly groups with leaders. However, the hotels they use, especially in Austria, can be fairly basic. OK for the skier, not so good for the non-skier, who may be stuck in them all day. Also, because they have group bookings, I don't think they offer as much flexibility as Inntravel with regard to dates of travel. Both of these regularly win awards for customer service. There are several others, but I don't know much about them. Quite a few of the big downhill operators also mention cross-country. |
#19
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Thanks for all your help, Alex.
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