How to avoid hotel prices for your vacation in the Alps
| To whet your appetite for a summer in Europe, here's a shot of the stunning beach of St. Brelade's Bay. To find out where it is read our second article. |
The European
Vol. 1, Issue no. 26
June 5, 2007
Paris, France
The atmosphere in Europe seems to be buoyant right now. First, last week's report by the International Herald Tribune showed that the French are happy with the level of immigration, despite fears that the creation of the new ministry of immigration and national identity would foster a nationalist backlash. Then we hear promises by the new French president that first-time house buyers will get a tax break on their mortgages, details to be worked out later. The Greek authorities are gearing up for even more tourists this summer, positive that projected developments by the Aegean are not going to turn the coastline into another Costa del Sol (the Greek coastline has some of the cleanest bathing waters in Europe). Even the notoriously surly taxi drivers in Athens are being involved, with plans afoot to provide them with lessons in courtesy. At The European, we're also getting ready for vacation mode and have a few tips for your summer travels.
Bests, Leigh Fergus
Editor, The European
Never stay in a lousy hotel room again
by Neil P. Harkins With a cup of tea and marmalade-slathered toast, I relax on my balcony, draw in the cool fresh air, and gaze across the Isar River, beyond the meadows of wild flowers, at the snow-capped Bavarian Alps. Few hotels can boast this kind of atmosphere. But this is no hotel…it's a 600-square-foot, two-bedroom apartment, and costs about $60 a day from April to August. My furnished unit has a full bathroom, kitchen, and living room/dining room, and is a few blocks from the center of historic Mittenwald (20 miles north of Innsbruck, Austria). Colorful murals adorn this village's building facades, and Goethe described it as "a living picture book." Bavaria's stringed instrument manufacturing began here in 1684, and artisans can still be seen carving and assembling their traditional creations in the town center. The violin and local history museum, as well as numerous stores selling woodcarvings, textiles, jewelry, and touristy things, keep me entertained until I settle into a cozy restaurant for a delicious regional meal. A short hike leads me to Lautersee Lake and its pasture, a picturesque tiny chapel, and grazing sheep and goats. Vacation like a European
For over 25 years, I have vacationed like many Europeans, shunning commercial establishments and choosing private accommodations instead. I save money, enjoy conveniences and hospitality unavailable in typical hotels, and stay where no hotels exist. From simple rooms to apartments, farmhouses, and villas, each accommodation reflects the personalities of both the owner and the locale.
In Austria, Germany, and northeastern Switzerland, private parties offer Zimmer frei, and Fremdenzimmer (available rooms, usually with breakfast), or Ferienwohnung and "Ferienhaus" (vacation homes); a Zimmer is typically booked by the day, and a vacation home for three days or more. Private accommodation is so popular in some regions that the business of providing them has surpassed cottage industry status (no pun intended). Hosts pride themselves on the cleanliness and comfort of their facilities, and there are thousands of places to stay.
Many lodgings can be stumbled upon by chance (e.g., advertised by a sign on the road or in front of a building, a listing board in the village center, a local tourist office, or through word of mouth), but the Internet makes it easy to find a place before leaving home. These tips will increase the likelihood of a positive experience: 1. Be flexible with your dates. 2. Ensure sheets and towels are provided (e.g., Inclusive: Bettwäsche, Handtücher). 3. Check availability carefully. The websites are not airline systems; listings may not update immediately after bookings. For clarity, state your arrival and departure dates, and abbreviate month names (e.g., Ankommen: 29 Apr - Abreisen: 5 Mai); Mai is the only exception to English abbreviations. 4. A range of seasonal prices may be listed, so request the total cost, including tourist taxes, cleaning fees, etc.: Bitte, schicken Sie mir die Endsumme, inclusive Mwst, Kurtaxe, Endreinigung, usw. 5. Query several alternate properties at the same time, because responses may take a day or so, considering time zones and other factors. Choose one positive response and book promptly; politely express regrets to the others.
Jersey: A beauty of an island by Rachel Webb 
| A dramatic coastline is another of Jersey's many charms. This is Beauport Bay on the southwest coast-and yes, the photo in the introduction was also taken on the southwest coast of Jersey. Photos © Jersey Tourism |
At one time linked with mainland Europe, Jersey has been an island for around 8,000 years. The most southerly and largest of the Channel Islands, its position in the warm flow of the Gulf Stream makes the climate mild, and it boasts the best annual sunshine records for the British Isles. With its mild climate and a 45-square-mile landmass that's rich in history, golden beaches, and verdant countryside, Jersey is a popular vacation destination. Small fishing villages and "green lanes"-46 miles of designated country lanes with a speed limit of 15 mph where walkers, cyclists, and horse riders have priority-make for a slower pace of life. This pace is not for everyone however, and is reputedly the reason that the 19th-century society beauty and actress Lillie Langtry married Irish landlord Edward Langtry: He had a yacht and promised to take her away from the quiet island. Things have changed since Lillie's days however, and the capital of St. Helier offers more movement and interest with its vast marina and lively nightlife, as well as a vintage car show in early June; the Maritime Festival in the harbor, July 1-2; The Battle of the Flowers, August 9-10; and a yearly open-air film festival toward the end of August (the dates this year are August 12-18). In fact, the whole island hosts a number of events throughout the summer, including the Early Summer Rose & Flower Festival at Radier Manor, Grouville, June 24-25, and Le Tour des Ports de la Manche, July 11, when more than 100 yachts arrive in St. Helier for the annual yacht race around Normandy and the Channel Islands. Accessible by ferry from France and the UK, as well as by air, there are many daily flights from the UK or Guernsey, and less frequent flights from Paris. To find hotels on the Island, visit the website www.seabird.co.je P.S. Warning: Be careful not to fall in love with Jersey… The regulations on who can buy and even rent property in Jersey are complex and you'll need "housing qualifications" and consent from the States of Jersey Housing Committee. The main stipulation seems to be that only those who were born in Jersey-or have lived there for more than 10 years-can buy or rent property. Some of the lower-value properties are also reserved for local first-time buyers. This small island in the gulf of St. Malo jealously guards its heritage and makes provision to preserve its local community. Only around eight applications of residence are approved per year, and those with a capital worth of more than £10 million are preferred, and expected to purchase a luxury property in excess of hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Best day-trips from Paris by Leigh Fergus If you're looking for a change from the Versailles-Giverny-Eurodisney tried and tested day trips from Paris, here are a few for a getaway with a difference…
| The château of Chantilly and the surrounding forests are just a 30-minute train ride from Paris.
Photo courtesy of www.istockphoto.com |
Moret-sur-Loing
This small medieval town at the edge of the forest on the river Loing offers a quiet alternative to the relative bustle of the more famous Fontainebleau, 6 miles away. The Impressionist artist Sisley was attracted by the tranquil charm of this town, which makes a logical add-on trip to any visit to the artists' village of Barbizon to the north. Mini-cruises are offered during the summer months, and the annual plays and son et lumière shows organized on the river banks always draw massive crowds. Among the sights are a museum of bicycles, set in an old bicycle parts factory, and a small museum of barley sugar (only open at weekends and on public holidays), where you can see how this treat is made, and taste it
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Moret is 44 miles south-east of Paris. Trains from Gare de Lyon, Paris stop at Moret-Veneux-les-Sablons. Access by highway A6 or A5, Fontainebleau exit, (6 miles from Fontainebleau). Chantilly
Combining culture and countryside, Chantilly is a perfect day trip from Paris. The château's Musée Condé has an astonishing art collection, 18th-century stables, famous racecourse, as well as the museum of the horse, which features live horses. Within the grounds are a natural English-style garden with waterways and the charmingly named Temple of Venus, and a formal French garden, designed by Le Nôtre.
Trains from Paris Gare du Nord to Chantilly-Gouvieux take 30 minutes, and there are buses from the station to the Château. Boulogne-Billancourt
Just outside Paris, Boulogne-Billancourt to the southwest offers a green oasis and site for car lovers. The Albert Kahn gardens, built by the banker and anthropologist of the same name, is a microcosm of the world's garden styles: Japanese Zen, English lawns, tropical palm trees, and French Vosges forests are all here, without any sense of being cramped or reduced to their most basic elements. He created Archives of the Planet, a collection of photos and films of the 50 countries he and his colleagues visited between 1910 and 1931 in an effort to promote a world of better understanding and harmony. Tea ceremonies are organized during the summer, a small café restaurant is open in the converted Orangérie, and you can visit exhibitions of the photo collection year-round. 14 rue du Port, 92100 Boulogne-Billancourt; tel: +33 (0)1-4604-5280. Métr Boulogne-Pont de St. Cloud. Entrance: 1.5 euro. Car fans can visit the Renault museum and automobile display, where the car manufacturer's history-and a major part of French industry-is explained in images and objects, from the workers' blue overalls to enamel advertisement boards and car prototypes, all organized and taken care of by retired Renault employees. Open in the afternoon, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., 27, rue des Abondances, 92100 Boulogne-Billancourt; tel: +33 (0)1-4605-2158.
Getting hot in Helsinki by Chris Keeling The Finns have developed a cultural delight to relax you totally: the sauna. The Finnish bath is distinct from what you might already know of Swedish or Turkish sauna baths, and the Finns would likely claim that theirs is the original and most sophisticated way to unwind in a hot, darkened room. Among the several types of sauna are lakeside wood-burners, from which you can run directly out onto a jetty and hurl yourself into cold, shallow water, to the vast, communal "smoke" saunas or savusaunan, like the one at Kuusijarvi, in Vantaa, just outside the capital. This is where the whole family or groups of work mates can congregate on a Friday afternoon to unwind.
Hygiene first
Virtually all Finnish apartment buildings have a communal sauna in the basement, and individual homes built from the 1970s onwards often include a sauna in the shower room. Enamel bathtubs are hard to come by, as flowing water is considered more hygienic, hygiene being an aspect of social responsibility that is deeply regarded in the culture here. Steam saunas are less common, but there is usually a second sauna at public swimming pools in excess of 75° C-and 85°C for the more experienced. In Helsinki, the place to go is the Yrionkatu Uimahalli, a stunning1920s Roman spa (www.hel2.fi/liv/eng/pools.html). Contemplative silence
In the past, the sauna was where one would cleanse the body by sweating and scraping the skin, stimulating the blood circulation with light smacks from a bath "whisk" of fresh birch leaves, rinsing off with either a plunge in the adjoining lake (there are more than 180,000 of them in this country of just over 5 million people) or a quick dip through a newly hewn ice hole in winter. It was also the place where water heated by the log burner was used to wash the family clothes. And as the warmest, comfiest place, most Finns up until the 1960s were born here too. It's little wonder that the sauna remains so dear to the Finns.
The only sauna etiquette I came across is that in the single-sex sauna (naked, because swimming trunks can harbor dirt!), men tend toward contemplative silence. Yet, if conversations strike up, everyone is welcome to join in. There is no rule about who may or may not pour water over the hot stones. Like any new cultural experience, it's wise to simply observe and follow what you see before you. The point, remember, is to relax totally. IL |
