In my mind vacation usually involves some form of relaxation. The problem is my vacation pictures are all starting to look the same: That's me... chillin' at the beach, There I am...chillin' at the pool....oh, me again...chillin' at the buffet. Every photo looks the same, The only way I can tell the difference is the size of my waist line, which seems to expand from one Caribbean vacation to the next (Note to self avoid the all you can eat buffet). Don't get me wrong..I've vacationed in different places around the world but the one thing my vacations have in common is heavy doses of food, drink and relaxation.
Once again I'm voting for change. I want to go on an active vacation...not another Jet skiing, paragliding Caribbean get-away; a real challenge. If you're looking for an active vacation A stronger dollar and already low prices translate to excellent values for Americans booking trips with European bicycle tour operators with many one-week programs less than $1,000. Europe-based companies have long offered tours priced as much as 60 to 70 percent lower than those of companies based in North America, according to Jim Johnson, president of Tennessee-based BikeToursDirect, which represents more than 40 Europe-based bike tour companies.
"Most European companies have lower overhead and a larger client base than their American counterparts, which keeps tour costs low," Johnson explains. "Since they price their tours in euros, American clients now get the added benefit of an improved exchange rate."
For example, a one-week program along Austria's Danube Bicycle Path now costs less than $850 per person including lodging in three-star hotels, luggage transfers, bicycle rentals, detailed route information, and a service hotline. A weeklong tour in Provence costs about $900 and a tour around Tuscany about $980. "Wine and Bike in Hungary's Balaton Uplands" includes seven nights' lodging, two ride-along guides, support van, all meals and unlimited wine consumption at dinner and is perhaps one of the season's best values at less than $1,300.
LIQUID Travel Tips:
1. American travelers can take advantage of a stronger dollar and low tour prices by booking with European bicycle tour companies.
2. One-week tours can cost less than $1,000 per week including hotels, luggage transfers, bike rentals, maps and many meals
3. Keep this picture in mind for those steep inclines along the Europen countryside.
For further information, visit www.biketoursdirect.com
By Laurence Christian| < Prev | Next > |
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