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Great Winter Journeys

Beyond the Arctic Circle Norway

Discover the extraordinary Arctic landscape of the Lofoten Islands, perhaps at their most dramatic and beautiful in winter. Fly to Bergen, where you board the coastal steamer, one of the last great scheduled coastal boat journeys. After three nights on board, you cross the Arctic Circle and later that day reach the islands, where you spend four nights in a comfortable, converted rorbu (fisherman's cabin) in the settlement of Mortsund.

Prices & Travel 2008:

Nights: 7
Meals: breakfast & dinner every day
Start: any day
Included travel: SAS out Heathrow-Bergen via Oslo (4h) (dep 1020 or 1305), steamer to Stamsund (3 nights) SAS/Wideroe home Leknes-Heathrow via Bodø & Oslo (5h30) (arr 1830)
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Austria's Great Cities Austria

This journey gives you a taste of Austria's three greatest cities. Each city has a different feel, making for a week full of contrasts. Surrounded by mountains, Innsbruck is intimate and charming, while Salzburg is a major cultural centre with a rich musical heritage, and Vienna's grand buildings recall its former glory as Imperial capital. In winter, all three cities assume a special charm, their rooftops and pavements covered in a blanket of snow, and their restaurants and atmospheric coffeehouses all the more enticing.

Prices & Travel 2007/2008:

Nights: 7
Meals: breakfast every day
Start: any day
Included travel: British Airways out Gatwick-Innsbruck (1h55) ( times vary) home Vienna-Heathrow (2h35) (arr 2025)
#Variations (1-18 Dec): British Airways Heathrow-Munich (1h50) (out dep 0940) connecting journey by rail (3h) Return journey as above
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From Innsbruck to Venice

Austria & Italy

With its mountain backdrop, handsome medieval buildings and special winter atmosphere, charming Innsbruck is the perfect place to start your journey. From here you travel south, crossing from Austria to Italy via the Brenner Pass, for three nights in the mountains near the border at the idyllic Goldene Rose Hotel. Your second rail journey descends out of the mountains to Venice, where you have a full day to stroll through the atmospheric streets, all the more beautiful in the quiet of winter.

Prices & Travel 2008:

Nights: 7
Meals: 7 breakfasts, 3 dinners
Start: Tue, Thu or Sun
Included travel (most dates): British Airways out Gatwick-Innsbruck (1h55) ( times vary) home Venice-Gatwick (2h10) (arr 1840)
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Through the Pyrenees France & Spain

Travel by rail from Toulouse in south-west France up into the heart of the Pyrenees, then down to Catalonia's vibrant capital, Barcelona. In the middle, spend three nights in the snowy mountains at the charming 3-star Auberge des Ecureuils in Valcebollère, where you can relax and enjoy the scenery or try cross-country skiing or snow-shoeing.

Prices & Travel 2008:

Nights: 7
Meals: 7 breakfasts, 3 dinners
Start: any day
Included travel: British Airways out Gatwick-Toulouse (1h45) (dep 1455) home Barcelona-Gatwick (2h15) (arr 1415 or 2150)
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The Glacier Express Switzerland

Enjoy one the great train journeys on this classic Swiss itinerary. The Glacier Express takes you from Italianate Chur up to the Oberalp Pass before descending alongside the infant River Rhône. Spend three nights immersed in the beautiful Bernese Oberland at Kandersteg, staying at the 3-star Hotel Victoria, then two nights in the historic capital, Bern.

Prices & Travel 2008:

Nights: 7
Meals: 7 breakfasts, 3 dinners
Start: Sat
Included air travel: Swiss out Heathrow-Zurich (1h45) (out dep 0850), rail to Chur (1h50) home rail to Zurich airport (1h20), Swiss Zurich-Heathrow (1h45) (arr 1750)
Included rail travel: Eurostar St Pancras-Paris, Paris-Basel-Chur TGV/rail (return from Bern) approx duration (10h)
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For full details, request our Skiing and Much More brochure, or view the brochure pages online.

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