June 11, 2004 -- With the 60th anniversary commemoration of the Normandy invasion now past, we can look to less-serious reasons to visit the continent. Today, we've got two nifty deals that put you in some affordable digs in almost any country; one includes airfare no less, and all are budget friendly.
One of our favorites, Untours, donates part of its earnings back to its local community (and others) through its charitable foundation, and we think that's in the proper spirit. This summer, they have deals for several destinations, including one in Paris during August, when the elite of the city evacuate it for the beach and mountainside, almost as though an order had been given to get out. All this translates into price reductions for the American tourist.
The Untours Paris offer involves apartment stays in the center of town and roundtrip airfare out of Boston or New York starting from $2,089 for a 14-day excursion (land-only prices start from $1,279). These prices are valid for July 14 & 18 and August 11 & 25 arrival dates. Departures from other gateways are available at varying prices. With all deals, you get the apartment and ground transportation (car rental or rail pass), transatlantic flights (if you pay the air-inclusive price) and on-the-ground, 24 assistance from Untour reps.
Other discounted deals along with arrival dates include:
- Austria (Salzburg) on June 30, July 14 & 28, August 11 from $1,989 with air; $1,099 without
- Germany (various villages along the Rhine) on July 28 and August 11 & 25 from $2,099 with air; $1,189 without
- Holland (Leiden ) on July 28 from $1,599 with air, $789 without (each price representing a $400 per person reduction)
- Italy (Tuscany) on July 14 & 28 and August 11 & 25 from $2,169 with air; $1,219 without
- Switzerland (Bernese Oberland and Central Switzerland) on June 30, July 14 & 28, and August 11 & 25 from $1,849 with air; $919 without
Except for the Holland tours, all trips at this price have limited availability and are for new bookings only.
For more information, phone 888/868-6871 or visit www.untours.com.
Another option comes from Continental Journeys, which is offering four-day/three-night stays in six different cities at $199 per person in tourist-class hotels, $239 to $299 per person in first-class hotels, and $325 to $539 per person in deluxe properties. These land-only deals average out to just over $66 for the tourist class accommodations (a bargain especially during high season this summer), from just under $80 to just under $100 for the first-class places, and about $109 to $180 for the deluxe spots.
The deal is valid through December 31, 2004 for lodgings in Berlin, Dresden, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich and Prague. Each package includes a centrally located hotel, daily buffet breakfast, hotel taxes and service charges, and a city sightseeing tour except in Hamburg, where you get a three-day City Welcome Card instead. The Hamburg Card covers free public transport, free admission to six museums and discounts on many attractions. As to the first-class and deluxe hotel prices, Continental notes, they are lowest in Munich and highest, inexplicably, in Prague.
Other city packages from Continental include Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Budapest, Warsaw, Krakow, Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki, Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius, St Petersburg and Moscow. Other samples: Cologne, Dusseldorf and Frankfurt packages start at $210 to $215 per person in tourist-class hotels, while a four-night beauty and wellness vacation in the spa of Baden-Baden costs $1,239.
For more information, contact them at www.continentaljourneys.com or phone 800/601-4343 or 818/995-8643.