Venice Simplon-Orient-Express Offer

Venice Simplon-Orient-Express Adventure in France, Italy and Switzerland.  Save GBP 200 on October 17th departure.

An unforgettable holiday combining the romance of Venice with the elegance that is the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, the most famous train in the world, a travelling time capsule of European history.

17th October 2010 departure - Was GBP2,109. Now GBP1,909. Save GBP200

Included excursions
- Venice walking tour
- Venice & its islands

Also included
- The services of an experienced Specialist Guide
- Excellent centrally-located 4-star hotel
- Hotel porterage
- 3 nights bed and breakfast in hotels and 1 night full board on the Orient-Express

Highlights
- Experience the nostalgic romance of travel on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express
- Explore the real Venice and soak up its unique atmosphere

Accommodation
- British Pullman carriages of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

You will be seated at a table for your journey where you will be attended to by a steward who will serve your meal, drinks and any other refreshments you may require.

Itinerary

Day 1 : UK/Venice
Enjoy your short flight to Venice before transferring to your 4-star hotel for your three-night stay amongst the canals and gondolas of the unique city of Venice.

Day 2 : Venice
Enjoy two days at leisure to explore this fascinating city and soak up its unique atmosphere. Take a guided walking tour of the real Venice, the face that many visitors don’t get to see – the backwaters and hidden squares where life carries on much as it has done for generations.

Day 3 : Venice
Join your Specialist Guide on a journey by private boat to explore the Venetian Lagoon, on which the city ‘floats’. Visit some of the beautiful and relatively unexplored islands, including San Giorgio and Murano - famous for its glassware. On Burano, stroll among the brightly coloured houses and savour local Italian delicacies in one of its fine restaurants.

Day 4 : Venice Simplon-Orient-Express
The next part of the adventure starts at Venice’s Santa Lucia railway station where you will board the Wagons-Lits carriages of the world-famous Venice Simplon-Orient-Express for your overnight journey to Paris. Your personal steward, who is there to take care of you throughout your journey, will usher you to your private compartment. Settle in and enjoy the ambience of your authentic carriage dating back to the 1920s and lovingly restored by expert craftsmen.

Travelling aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is all about immersing yourself in the glamour and excitement of the golden age of travel and dining is no exception – take your seat in one of the beautiful restaurant cars for your three-course lunch.

Savour the delicious food prepared and presented by a team of skilled French chefs, against the backdrop of some of Europe’s most spectacular scenery, as your journey takes you through the Italian Dolomites and into the Swiss Alps. Enjoy a sumptuous afternoon tea and then it’s time to get ready for dinner.

They say you can never be over-dressed aboard the Orient- Express and dressing in black tie certainly adds to the sense of occasion. Elegance is the order of the day and after an aperitif in the Bar Car it’s time for a leisurely four-course dinner, before retiring to you cabin made ready for sleep by your steward.

Day 5 : Venice Simplon-Orient Express/UK
As you awake in the heart of France your steward will serve you morning refreshments before arrival at Paris Gare de l’Est station. Here you can enjoy a brief opportunity to stretch your legs before being whisked off again from Paris to the French coast during which you will be served with brunch in one of the train’s fabulous restaurant cars. As you reach the French coast you will transfer to a coach for the brief trip by Eurotunnel to the UK.

Once in England you will board your new train - the handsome British Pullman, with carriages also dating back to the 1920s and 1930s, brought back into service after careful restoration. Travelling through the Kent countryside you will enjoy your final fine dining experience with a three-course lunch with a glass of champagne before arriving at journey’s end, London Victoria station.

Find Out More:
Visit the Page & Moy Website or Tel: 0845 358 2639

Late Availability on Rail Holidays

Great Rail Journeys have been organising holidays by train for over 25 years. As the largest rail based holiday company in the UK they know exactly what makes a holiday by train successful.

You can choose from over 130 individual tours in over 40 countries. Their train tours cover Europe, Africa, America, Canada, the Far East, Russia, India and The Orient and Australaisia.

Great Rail Journeys currently have late availability on the following short breaks:

Highland Adventure - 6 days departing 3, 17 June 2010, prices from £548 per person

Little Trains of the Rhine Valley - 5 days departing 3, 17 June 2010, prices from £648 per person

Bruges and the Flavours of Flanders - 5 days departing 6, 20, 27 June 2010, prices from £665 per person

Bournemouth and the New Forest - 5 days departing 6 June 2010, prices from £335 per person

Moselle Valley - 5 days departing 6 June 2010, prices from £698 per person

Single Travellers: The Beautiful Black Forest - 5 days departing 7 June 2010, prices from £825 per person

Châteaux of the Loire - 6 days departing 7 June 2010, prices from £998 per person

Little Trains of Switzerland - 5 days departing 11 June 2010, prices from £995 per person

Black Forest Discovery - 5 days departing 13 June 2010, prices from £858 per person

Mont Blanc Trekking Holiday

Trekking Mont Blanc.  A holiday with GAP Adventures.  Trek the Alps from France to Italy and Switzerland; cross glaciers and pine forests, visit remote villages and mountain refuges before finishing your days with local cuisine and wines. The Mont Blanc region boasts one of the world's premier hiking circuits and the highest mountain in Western Europe.

Highlights
The Alps, France, Italy, Switzerland, Chamonix, Les Houches, Col de la Croix du Bonhomme, Les Chapieux, Col de la Seigne, Val Veny, Courmayuer, La Fouly, La Forclaz.

Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive Chamonix
Arrive in Chamonix at any time. Welcome meeting in the evening.

Day 2 Les Contamines (D)
Head to Les Houches and begin with a cable car ride to the starting point of your trek in Bellevue. Hike through beautiful spruce forests and alpine meadows, on past the magnificent Bionnassay Glacier, and continue along the old Roman road towards the Col Du Bonhomme. Enjoy views of the Chamonix Valley and Mont Blanc Range before descending to Les Contamines valley to the La Balme gite, near Col du Bonhomme.

Day 3 Col de la Croix du Bonhomme, Les Chapieux (B,D)
As we ascend the flanks of Mont Blanc, we are rewarded with awesome views down into the Vallée des Chapieux, where you'll spend the night.

Day 4 Col de la Seigne, Val Veny, Courmayeur (B)
Continue climbing through open pastures, arriving at the Col de la Seigne and the border with Italy. We pass Col Checroui, before descending into the beautiful Val Veny. Hike along picturesque glacial lakes en route and then enjoy a night in the Italian town of Courmayeur.

Day 5 Courmayeur (B)
Relax today with a much-needed rest day. Spend the day taking it easy, with options for a cable car ride to Pointe Helbronner on Mont Blanc or a transglacial crossing from Italy into France.

Day 6 Col de Grand Ferret, La Fouly (B,D)
Hike from Courmayeur to Mont de la Faxe. We take the "balcony road", for fabulous views of the Grandes Jorassses Ridge, and spend the night in the mountains at the rustic Bonatti Refuge.

Day 7 Champex (B)
Hike through the Grand Col Ferret to the border with Switzerland, before descending to the Swiss side of Val Ferret to the village of the same name. Here we hop on a local bus towards Champex, and onto Prazde Fort, where we can choose to hike the final segment of the walk, or continue by bus all the way to the village if your feet are weary!

Day 8 Trient (B,D)
Today’s hike starts at Champex d’en Bas. We take the spectacular Bovine Way, an ancient trail used to access the flower-filled summer cow pastures high above the valley. We cross the Col de la Forclaz and continue on to the Swiss town of Trient.

Day 9 Chamonix Valley (B)
Saying goodbye to Switzerland, we return to France via the Chamonix Valley. We hike over the Col de la Balme and the Col de Posettes, descending to Col des Montets in the Chamonix Valley, from where we jump on a train or bus back to Chamonix for our final night on the town.

Day 10 Departure
Depart Chamonix at any time.

Trip Details
Trip Style: Active
Service Level: Basic
Physical Demands Rating: 5
Duration: 10 days
Trip Code: EFMB
Countries Visited: France, Italy, Switzerland

Dates and Departures
£719 GBPpp for 1 Adult
Local Payments now included on all Gap Adventures
International airfare is not included
Next Available Departure: Sat, Jun. 19, 2010

Trekking Mont Blanc - Find Out More

Last Minute Ski Holidays from Club Med

Club Med is renowned for its up-market all-inclusive ski holidays in some of the best resorts of Europe. 

If you can move quickly then you can snap up one of their last minute online exclusive offers to Saint-Moritz Roi Soleil in Switzerland or Arcs Extreme and La Plagne in France.

You'll have to move quickly though as these offers won't hang around long:

Saint-Moritz Roi Soleil, Switzerland
7 nights departing 23rd January from GBP679pp.  Save up to GBP213pp excluding transport.

7 nights departing 30th January from GBP799pp.  Save up to GBP195pp excluding transport.

Resort Highlights
 - Alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding lessons, ski pass included
 - Activities for discovering Haute-Engadine
 - Indoor swimming pool, Club Med Spa*, hammam and sauna

Arcs Extrême, France
7 nights dep. 31 January from £659pp
Save up to £166pp excluding transport

Resort Highlights
 - Paradiski ski domain skiing, ski-to-the door-skiing
 - Special snowsports programme for teenagers
 - Ski and snowboard lessons, ski pass included in the package price

La Plagne 2100, France
7 nights dep. 31 January from £999pp
Save up to £250pp excluding transport

Resort Highlights
 - Paradiski ski domain skiing with ski-to-the-door skiing
 - Ski and snowboarding lessons, ski pass included
 - Ice cave, skating rink, bob-rafting included

See all Club Med Online Exclusive Offers

Last Minute Ski Holidays from Club Med

It's not too late to get out on the ski slopes this season. Club Med have just released some amazing last minute offers on ski holidays in France & Switzerland. You'll have to move fast though - once they're gone, they're gone!

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE OFFERS

Arcs Extreme, France

7 nights dep. 12 Apr from GBP549pp

Save up to GBP165pp - Excludes transport

Highlights

> Paradiski ski domain skiing, ski-to-the door-skiing

> Special snowsports programme for teenagers

> Ski and snowboard lessons, ski pass included in the package price

L' Alpe d'Huez La Sarenne, France

7 nights dep. 19 Apr from £569pp

Save up to £159pp - Excludes transport

Highlights

> Ski-to-the-door skiing

> Lessons in skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing and ski passes included in the package price

> ice cave, night-time luge and skating rink included

Chamonix Mont - Blanc, France

4 nights dep. 12 Apr from £299pp

Save up to £121pp - Excludes transport

Highlights

> In the legendary Savoy Hotel

> Cinq Mondes Club Med Spa*, hammam, saunas

> heated outdoor swimming pool,

Méribel Aspen Park, France

7 nights dep. 12 Apr from £789pp

Save up to £282pp - Excludes transport

Highlights

> The 3 Vallées ski domain skiing

> Ski and snowboard lessong, ski pass included

> Club Med Spa*, hammam, sauna

Méribel Antarès, France

7 nights dep. 12 Apr from £899pp

Save up to £328pp - Excludes transport

Highlights

> The 3 Vallées ski domain skiing

> Ski and snowboard lessong, ski pass included

> Club Med Spa*, hammam, sauna

For more information visit the Club Med website

Méribel le Chalet, France

7 nights dep. 12 Apr from £899pp

Save up to £333pp - Includes transport from Manchester

Highlights

> The 3 Vallées ski domain skiing, ski-to-the-door skiing

> Ski and snowboard lessons, ski pass included

> Club Med Spa*, hammam, sauna and indoor swimming pool

La Plagne 2100, France

7 nights dep. 12 Apr from £819pp

Save up to £308pp - Excludes transport

Highlights

> Paradiski ski domain skiing with ski-to-the-door skiing

> Ski and snowboarding lessons, ski pass included

> ice cave, skating rink, bob-rafting included

Saint-Moritz Roi Soleil, Switzerland

7 nights dep. 11 Apr from £589pp

Save up to £204pp - Excludes transport

Highlights

> Alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding lessons, ski pass included

> Activities for discovering Haute-Engadine

> indoor swimming pool, Club Med Spa*, hammam and sauna

For more information visit the Club Med website

Other ski holidays available on inspiringholidays.com

Club Med Ski Deals

Club Med have just released these amazing April 4 to 7 night ski deals from only GBP329 excluding transport. You could save up to GBP337!

Prices include full board, ski tuition and domain ski passes!

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE OFFERS

Chamonix Mont - Blanc, FRANCE
4 nights dep. 9 Apr from GBP399pp
4 nights dep. 12 Apr from GBP329pp
Save up to GBP130pp - Excludes transport

Meribel Aspen Park, FRANCE
7 nights dep. 12 Apr from GBP1099pp
Save up to GBP313pp - Includes transport from Manchester

Meribel le Chalet, FRANCE
7 nights dep. 12 Apr from £1249pp
Save up to £300pp - Includes transport from Manchester

La Plagne 2100,FRANCE
7 nights dep. 12 Apr from £1149pp
Save up to £337pp - Includes transport from Manchester

La Plagne 2100, FRANCE
7 nights dep. 12 Apr from £889pp
Save up to £238pp - Excludes transport

Serre-Chevalier, FRANCE
7 nights dep. 5 Apr from £609pp
7 nights dep. 12 Apr from £579pp
Save up to £159pp - Excludes transport

Sestrière, ITALY
7 nights dep. 5 Apr from £579pp
Save up to £169pp - Excludes transport

Saint-Moritz Roi Soleil, SWITZERLAND
7 nights dep. 4 Apr from £649pp
7 nights dep. 11 Apr from £689pp
Save up to £144pp - Excludes transport

For more information visit the Club Med website

Other ski holidays available on inspiringholidays.com

Club Med Ski Holidays

The Club Med Ski Package. Club Med has thought about everything you might need during your ski holiday. Enjoy their hassle-free, all-inclusive skiing package. All the following are included in a Club Med Ski Holiday package:

Full Board - Amazing gourmet food from out of this world. Discover varied and creative dishes prepared by our teams. Enjoy the finest local products daily at our speciality restaurants.

Bar and Snacks Included - At any time of the day, enjoy a drink and sweet or savoury treats. Be carefree with the Open Bar and Snacks (included in your package) (during bar opening hours).

Snow Sports - Carefree skiing: the ski-lift package (6 days or 5 days depending on the Village) and lessons given by teaching professionals are included in the Club Med Package. You will make swift progress in small groups of around 12 people trained by specialised instructors.

Baby Welcome Club Med - The Club Med Baby Welcome offers childcare equipment and specially-prepared food. Leave with peace of mind and lighter suitcases. You can entrust your child aged 4 to 23 months to Baby Club Med where teams of attentive G.Os will look after them.

Activities for Kids and Teens - Let your children enjoy Mini Club Med over the school holidays. Skiing is for all ages! Intensive ski courses over 5 days with, amongst other things, a freeride programme and Snow park practice, supervised by specialised GOs. Downhill skiing from age 4 upwards in Family Villages. Downhill skiing lessons at all levels from first time to competition. Club Med Password is a lively place for meeting others where teens feel at home with creative workshops (video, sounds, jewellery, etc) and fun activities (African dance lessons, hip-hop, drama, songs etc.), and have parties. With G.Os, at their side who listen to what they want to do or if they don't feel like doing anything at all. Only at Peisey-Vallandry, Arcs Extreme and Sestriere.

Chill-Out and Non-Skier Activities - Fir trees, authentic Savoyard chalets, waterfalls, chamois and more. Far from the hustle and bustle of the ski slopes, explore a natural environment which is still preserved. On foot, wearing snowshoes, the other side of the mountains reveals its most beautiful secrets to you.

Organized Activities - Because Club Med is synonymous above all with relaxation and pleasure, come and express your creativity in dance, video or cooking lessons, depending on the Village. Or simply enjoy dances or a hot chocolate by the fire.

Practical Services: The Ski Service (Optional Extra) Use the Ski Service: a rental store at the heart of each Village. Equipment to suit all levels of experience which is regularly replenished and selected from among the best products on the market. You can hire or we can look after your own equipment. The wonderful powder snow is all yours.

Discover our other services available on site: the Boutique, the Baby Sitting Club Med in some Villages, internet points, the Club Med Spa and more. A wide range of readily-available services which you can pay for so that your stay goes perfectly well.

Visit the Club Med website for more information

About Club Med
Club Med, the most inclusive luxury holiday experience, gives you the opportunity to experience an exceptional all-inclusive holiday experience where your every need is catered for. Set in beautiful sites all around the world and offering innovative facilities and a wide range of activities to suit all tastes and desires there really is something for everyone at Club Med.

• Over 80 destinations worldwide.
• The most inclusive luxury holiday experience
• Refined: exceptional renovated sites, areas designed by renowned architects and designers, fabulous cuisine.
• À la carte: 6 holidays styles for everyone to choose the Village that best suits them, a choice of room comfort, a perfect tailor-made package (scuba diving, golf or Club Med Spa at extra cost)

A Club Med Package includes:

• Return flights and transfers
• Accommodation
• All meals with wine, beer and soft drinks
• Bar drinks & snacks
• Sports and tuition plus leisure activities
• Mini Club Med and Junior’s Club Med
• Entertainment and special events
• Personal holiday insurance
• Ski and snowboarding lessons and ski passes in our winter ski villages

A travel experience for everyone:

• Families: children and adults alike can enjoy a unique holiday experience

• Couples: discover together our refined Club Med Villages, exquisite cuisine and the charm of the local culture

• With friends: get away with friends in a unique atmosphere and unforgettable setting. - Singles: Club Med Villages where you can indulge in as much sport as you like or simply relax during the day and make the most of the party atmosphere at night

Visit the Club Med website for more information

View Club Med Ski Holidays on inspiringholidays.com

Amazing offer on Shearings Christmas Market Holidays

For a limited time only save 40GBP per couple on selected European Christmas Market Holidays to Germany, France, Belgium, Holland and More.

Shearings collection of coach holidays to Germany, France, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland and the Czech Republic includes the very best and most famous of markets throughout Europe and allows you to combine essential Christmas shopping with a visit to somewhere new.

All coach tours include excursions to the markets and places of local interest throughout your holiday.

What's included on your christmas market holiday?
- Modern fleet of coaches with great legroom and convienent pick-up points
- Excellent standard of accommodation, including dinner, room & breakfast
- Included excursions to the Christmas markets and local places of interest
- En-suite rooms with colour TV
- Complete luggage handling service
- Special Requests can be booked in advance

Save up to £40 per couple on all the following holidays:

Blue Danube & Vienna Christmas Markets only £325 per person.
Join us to discover the magic of Advent in the Danube region, as we visit the traditional Christmas Markets of Passau, Linz and Steyr.

Cologne & Aachen from only £269 per person.
Cologne is the perfect location for festive shopping, with four different Christmas Markets in the city centre, including a lively and atmospheric market at the foot of the imposing cathedral.

Dutch & Belgian Christmas Markets only £269 per person.
Enjoy the Christmas markets of Maastricht, Liege, Valkenburg and Brussels on this exciting tour.

Option 1: French & Belgian Christmas Markets from only £229 per person.
Bruges, Brussels & Lille Christmas Markets offer festive stalls filled with decorations, local specialities with delicious aromas, handmade crafts and chocolates.

Option 2: French & Belgian Christmas Markets only £279 per person.
Bruges, Brussels & Lille Christmas Markets offer festive stalls filled with decorations, local specialities with delicious aromas, handmade crafts and chocolates.

Harz Mountains Christmas Markets from only £329 per person.
The Harz Mountains, a panoramic range of conifer-covered hills and picturesque half-timbered towns, are the perfect setting for the region's traditional Christmas Markets.

Magic Of Rothenburg,Stuttgart & Ulm Christmas Markets from only £319 per person.
Enjoy visits to magical Rothenburg, with its famous Christmas shop, and Stuttgart's Christmas Market, with more than 200 stalls.

Munich & Fairytale Castles Christmas Markets from only £399 per person.
Enjoy visits to magical Rothenburg, with its famous Christmas shop, and Stuttgart's Christmas Market, with more than 200 stalls.

Northern France Christmas Markets from only £229 per person.
The Christmas markets of Lille, Arras & Amiens offer a festive atmosphere with stalls selling local specialities including Christmas beers and charming gifts.

Nürnberg & Munich Christmas Markets from only £399 per person.
The Nürnberg Christmas Market is regarded as the most famous of its kind in Germany, with many brightly coloured stalls lining the market square of the city's old town.

Prague & Nürnburg Christmas Markets only £269 per person.
Prague is a city with a unique atmosphere at any time of year but at Advent there's an extra special feel. As darkness descends the little wooden stalls start to twinkle and now is the time to enjoy a steaming mug of mulled wine.

Rhineland by Train Christmas Markets only £249 per person
Enjoy a ride on the Lahn Valley Railway as we explore the Rhineland, and visit the ever popular Christmas market in Rudesheim. We also visit the world famous Christmas markets in Aachen and Siegburg.

Rothenburg & Heidelberg Christmas Markets from only £399 per person.
A unique opportunity to stay in the beautifully preserved town of Rothenburg, famous for its beautiful Christmas shop and fairy-tale architecture.

Rothenburg, Ulm & Stuttgart Christmas Markets from only £399 per person.
Stuttgart plays host to one of Europe’s largest Christmas Markets, with more than 200 decorated stalls. Ulm's cathedral is the focal point for its Christmas market, and a visit Rothenburg's famous Christmas shop completes this wonderful holiday.

Rudesheim & the Rhine Valley Christmas Markets from only £249 per person.
The small town of Rudesheim in the Rhine Valley plays host to one of Germany's most famous Christmas markets.

Salzburg, Innsbruck & Nurnberg Christmas Markets from only £279 per person.
The many stalls and brightly coloured lights create a unique atmosphere in Salzburg, the 'City of Mozart', and the old medieval town of Innsbruck is a sightseeing and shopping paradise.

Stuttgart, Strasbourg & Reims Christmas Markets only £229 per person.
Europe's largest and most beautiful Christmas Market, Located in the squares and alleys around Stuttgart's Town Hall and Old Palace, dates back to 1692.

Swiss Christmas Markets only £359 per person.
Experience the magic of Advent as we visit Switzerland's Christmas Markets, including Zürich's famous Christmas Fair, held inside the main train station.

Trier & the Moselle Valley Christmas Markets from only £239 per person.
The small and charming Christmas Market of Trier is set in the medieval market place and against the backdrop of the magnificent cathedral.

Tuscan Christmas Markets only £279 per person.
The delightful streets of some of Tuscany's most famous cities are filled with traditional 'mercanto natale' in the run up to Christmas in such beautiful settings such as Florence and Pisa.

All holidays subject to availability and prices may change. Prices are per person based on two sharing and discounts are valid for a limited period only. Brochure price refers to Explore Europe Oct 08-May 09 and should only be used as a guide for holiday descriptions. Prices EXCLUDES the Euro currency surcharge.