We've rounded up some of the rock-bottom-cheap winter packages currently offered throughout Europe. Maybe Santa will bring you a plane ticket to one of these places?
Central & Eastern Europe
Picasso Tours (tel. 800/995-7997; www.picassotours.com) is offering a "Prague Special." Four nights are priced at a low $399 for the tourist class hotel Denisa, based on New York departure. You can customize the trip and spend seven nights, for example, for $489. Other hotels are possible, such as the deluxe-class Hilton, which is priced at $699 for four nights. The rates include breakfast daily, round-trip airfare, hotel, and all local taxes and service charges. There are some restrictions, however on departure dates based on how long you're staying, and although the rates are good for travel January 3-March 23, departures anytime from March 23-30 are available at a higher rate upon inquiry.
Those who are interested in Germany and who have some flexibility in their schedule might find Picasso's special from New York City, priced from $499, suitable. The four-night trip, which includes Nuremberg and Munich, is priced from $499 available for a Wednesday or Thursday departure only. Or choose from Regensburg and Munich from $539, or Prien at Chiemsee Lake and Munich from $539. You can also opt for a seven-night, nine-day trip, good for departures Monday-Wednesday and which hits all the aforementioned spots, from $719. Other departure cities are available for additional fees. Rates are good on departures January 3-March 23 and no travel is permitted on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.
Paul Laifer Tours (tel. 800/346-6314; www.laifertours.com) specialists in central Europe, offers several mini-vacation programs for three or four nights and include round-trip airfare, buffet breakfast and hotel accommodations. The rates are valid until March 27. All prices are based on JFK departures although others are available by request and for an additional fee. Budapest, Hungary, for example, is priced from $519 per person for three nights at Starlight Suites and $549 for four nights at Ibis Centrum.
Continental Journeys (tel. 800/601-4343; www.continentaljourneys.com) is running a "Dubrovnik Winter and Spring Getaway" priced from $879-$1129 for a three-night tour. The trip has daily departures, includes round-trip airfare on Austrian Airlines from New York, daily breakfast, private city tour with an English-speaking guide, airport transfers, hotel and service charges. They're also offering a three-night, five-day trip to Croatia's capital city Zagreb, at $729-$979, also based on New York departures.
Great Britain & Ireland
For London in January, Travelocity (tel. 888/872-8356; www.travelocity.com) is running a special on European Vacations. London is priced from $699 for four nights, including round-trip airfare, for the Dolphin Square Hotel. The hotel is situated on three and a half acres of private gardens and within walking distance to both Pimlico and Victoria Stations, Tate Museum and, of course the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace. The Travelocity special gives you the chance to add on other activities such as a one-day London pass from $65, a full day tour of Stonehenge and Bath from $85, and other extras. Each room has its own bathroom and shower, modem, cable television and a safe. The sample rates are based on pricing of flights that depart January 25 from New York City; rates may vary depending on city and date of departure.
Go-Today (tel. 800/227-3235; www.go-today.com) is offering a "London & Dublin Special" priced from $579 for a budget hotel, good for travel January 6-March 25. Airfare and three nights in each city, continental breakfast daily and all hotel service charges and fees included. Prices are configured from New York-JFK and Newark, New Jersey departures. The deadline to book the trip is January 12. Although politically speaking these destinations feel a bit incongruous, given the two countries' longstanding issues, the cities make for a lively pairing for travelers. You can of course change your departure city for additional fee and upgrade your accommodations (the priciest is $979 for superior class) if desired, but that doesn't quite make it a rock-bottom price anymore, does it?
Scandinavia & the Baltic States
Nordic Saga (tel. 800/848-649; www.nordicsaga.com) is a Washington-based company that runs tours to Scandinavia, Russia, and the Baltic States. Right now they're offering a special, all-inclusive spa trip in Lithuania. The seven-night trip is priced at $909 for New York departures up to March 31 and includes round-trip airfare, accommodations at the Regina Hotel in Druskininkai, which is surrounded by lakes and forests, three meals daily, two spa treatments daily, and round-trip airport transfers.
For a quick trip, Nordic Saga is offering several three-night, four-day trips between roughly January 1 and March 31 2006, with three nights accommodation, round-trip airfare, and daily breakfast included. Click on "exciting air & land specials" for details. The trip to Helsinki, Finland from New York is priced at $549 from January 1-March 31, and it includes round-trip airfare on Finnair, three nights at the Aurora Hotel or a hotel of similar class, daily breakfast and hotel taxes and charges. They're running a similar, three night, four-day winter escape to Copenhagen, priced from $524 from New York or Washington, D.C., with accommodations at the Alexandria Hotel or something similar, daily breakfast, and hotel charges and taxes. The Oslo Winter Escape is good for travel January 10-March 31 and is priced from $524 for New York and Washington, D.C. The booking deadline for both the Oslo and Copenhagen trips is January 31.
The Mediterranean
Foreign Independent Tours (tel. 800/248-3487; www.fittours.com) is currently offering a sweetheart of a deal for the Chianti region of Tuscany. This price of $830 for a five-night stay at a Tuscan Castelleare de' Noveschi, based on round-trip airfare from New York-JFK, is only good for the March 7 travel date and you must book by January 16. When you arrive, you'll have the opportunity to add tours, such as one of the region, for $69. If you want to take this trip but can't depart on March 7, other departures March 2-24 are available for an additional $110. Currently, there are only six rooms left. Other cities are priced accordingly; Boston, $1074; Los Angeles, $1219, Miami, $1169.
For Valentine's travel, the company is also offering "9-Day Romantic Florence, Rome & Rail". It's a seven-night trip and the February 8 departure is priced at $949 for round-trip fare from either New York City or Washington, D.C Dulles. Spend three nights in Florence and take a first-class train ride through the Tuscan countryside to Rome. Buffet breakfast daily is included. Other pricing is as follows: February 1-7, $999; February 9-16, $1049; March 1-14, $1129. Prices rise as the weather gets nicer and don't include taxes.
Picasso Tours (tel. 800/995-7997; www.picassotours.com) is also running a Spain special, good for travel January 3-March 23. It's priced from $449 for three nights from New York to Madrid for the value-priced (lowest-class) Asturias Hotel but you can customize it for up to seven nights at the same place for $609. For a more deluxe hotel, the Wellington nabs the highest price, from $630 for three nights and $1019 for seven nights. The rates include airfare, breakfast daily, local taxes and service charges. You can also choose Barcelona, priced from $489 for three nights at value-priced Junior Hotel and $689 for deluxe accommodations at Majestic. Or combine both cities for a six-night, eight-day trip, ranging in price from $699-$1159, depending on the hotel class.
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