July 27, 2004 -- The central part of Europe, once the frontier of "Western Europe" in the days of the Cold War, is now the vibrant heart of a nearly unified continent. It's a pleasure to report on several new packages there in the lands of fortified castles, narrow cobblestone streets and hearty meals.
Germany, now the center of everything European for sure, is very affordable if you take a Nordique Tour. They have a new four-night autumn-winter package to Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin or Dusseldorf starting at just $444 per person (double occupancy) for travel outbound on Wednesdays or Thursdays, returning on Mondays or Tuesdays. You must book this by September 30, 2004, but can travel from November 1, 2004 through February 28, 2005.
Each deal includes roundtrip airfare, four nights in four-star and centrally located hotels, and daily breakfast. You can upgrade, add a different city, extend your stay, travel on different days of the week or rent a car, all at optional expense. The $444 is from New York City, but the price from Boston, Philadelphia or Washington DC is only $494. From Atlanta, Chicago or Detroit it's $544, from Dallas, Houston and Miami $594. Out of Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco and Seattle, the price is $619. There are some holiday blackouts and there may be a surcharge from December 16-24, 2004. For more information, phone them at 800/995-7997 or visit www.picassotours.com (Nordique is a subsidiary of Picasso).
If you can book by August 15, 2004, you can save up to $150 per person with United Vacations. Their "Winter Early Booking Sale" is good for travel from November 1 through December 9 and from December 25-31, 2004; and from January 11 through March 31, 2005. Vacations to Frankfurt with lodging at the Excelsior Hotel begin at $499 from New York or Boston, $529 from Washington DC, $559 out of Chicago, $609 from Denver, $614 from Los Angeles or Portland OR, $629 from Seattle and $634 out of San Francisco. Contact them at www.unitedvacations.com or by phoning 888/328-6877.
The ten new nations that joined the European Union recently are still good value for the dollar since they have not completely adopted the Euro yet. Now is the time to take advantage of the exchange rates on these soon-outdated currencies. Ilene Braun, Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Gate 1 Travel, claims that Budapest, Prague and Vienna have "four-star hotel prices similar to those of two- or three-star hotels in Italy, France or London." With, roundtrip air from New York, four nights of hotel accommodation and daily breakfast part of all packages, you can try Budapest at $489 for departures in November and December and from January through March in 2005 ($479 for March 9, 2005). From now through October 27, the prices range from $639 to $909 for the same trip. The package to Prague in November and December is priced at $529, while Vienna is $519. Check out www.gate1travel.com or phone 800/682-3333 for more information on these and other destinations.
Note that in none of the packages mentioned above are airport taxes and security fees included.
