See NorwayIf this week’s Oslo feature whets your appetite for an excursion to Norway, listen up: Fjord Tours offers a variety of one- to three-day tours in the fjords of Norway and three- to five-day tours in the country itself.
The popular one- to three-day “Norway in a Nutshell” trip goes to beautiful scenery in the country’s fjords. Ride the Bergen Railway, northern Europe’s highest railway, and the Flam Railway, which travels from the mountain station of Myrdal down to Flam, deep in the fjord. Take a boat out to Aurlandsfjord and into the narrowest fjord in Europe, Naeroyfjord (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Travel by bus through the hairpin turns of the Stalheimskleiva mountain.
The trip, which does not include accommodations, costs 1,896 Norwegian kroner (about $300) from Oslo, 820 Norwegian kroner from Bergen. It’s available year-round (from October to April the Stalheimskleiva portion is discontinued for safety reasons).
The three- to five-day Triangle Tour (Bergen, Oslo, Stavanger) travels from Oslo through forested and flat landscape to the coast on the Southern Railway Line. From there, travelers take an express boat from Stavanger to Bergen. After exploring the city, they take the Bergen Railway, which includes views of the Hardangerj∅kulen glacier’s blue ice.
The cost is 1,670 Norwegian kroner and is available year- round on various starting days. Accommodations are not included. Optional tours of Stavanger are available.
For details on these and other tours, go to www.fjord-tours.com.
Turkey tripSee not only the sights of Istanbul and Izmir but also the surrealistic landscapes of Cappadocia on an April 7-14 trip to Turkey organized by Meyer Travel Group.
The unique countryside is a result of three volcanic eruptions 30 million year ago and contains “fairy chimneys” and thousands of natural rock formations.
Trip highlights include a tour of Istanbul, with the Roman Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, St. Sophia church, the Grand Bazaar, boat ride on the Bosphorus Strait and Topkapi Palace; a visit to the city of Kayseri; a city of tunnels and rooms 200 feet underground; Cappadocia’s famous landscapes; the pottery town of Avanos; and Izmir — with its carpet shopping, ancient Greco-Roman city of Ephesus, House of the Virgin Mary, burial site of St. John and walking tour of the ancient agora.
The cost is $1,575 per person, double occupancy, and includes round-trip flight from Frankfurt to Istanbul (other departure cities available on request), internal flights, breakfasts, three dinners, hotel accommodations in three- and four-star hotels and the five-star Izmir Hilton, guided tour and entrance fees to all itinerary sites and airport transfers. An initial deposit of $300 is due Jan. 15.
For details, contact Michael Curley at (+49) (0)6384-514838 or by e-mail at Mkurlee@aol.com. Or contact Katie Meyer in the States at (916) 786-3708 or e-mail meyerfr@juno.com. The Web site is www.meyertravelgroup.com.
Travel discountsAffordable Tours is offering 5 percent off all its land-only escorted tours. Destinations run from Scotland throughout Europe to Sicily.
The six-day Irish Jaunt, for example, begins at $650 per person, double occupancy, minus $32.50. Highlights include the Blarney Stone, Cliffs of Moher, Dublin, Killarney, Limerick, Ring of Kerry and Shannon. The price include accommodations, four breakfasts, one dinner, airport transfers and transportation in luxury motor coach.
The 15-day Scenic Europe begins at $2,935 per person, double occupancy, minus $146.75. Highlights include the European cities of Brussels, Cologne, Heidelberg, Schaffhausen, Lucerne, Venice, Rome, Florence, Pisa, Nice, Paris and Vim Ridge. It also includes drives through the Rhine Valley, Black Forest, Alpine Switzerland, Tuscany’s Chianti wine region, the French Riviera and across the Somme Battlefields.The price includes accommodations, some meals, all transportation in motor coaches, ferries and trains, plus transfers and a guide. Find details at www.affordabletours.com.
Scotland Potter toursThe fifth Harry Potter movie, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” is set to be released in July. To visit scenes that appeared on the big screen, head for the Scottish Highlands. In the second, third and fourth films, the Lochaber area played a starring role. The Quidditch matches, for example, were filmed against the backdrop of Glen Nevis; Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was digitally placed on Ben Nevis; and the scene involving the near collision between a flying car and a train was shot in Glenfinnan, along a section of an arched railway viaduct.
The Jacobite Steam Train (www.westcoastrailway.co.uk) travels along this route, between Fort William and Mallaig; trips start at $28 round trip. Glencoe also features prominently in the Potter oeuvre; for instance, the sets of Hogsmeade and Hogwarts were built nearby. For film locations in Scotland, check out www.scotlandthemovie.com/movies/flocmap.html or Visit Scotland, www.toscotland.com.
For the release of “Phoenix,” Beyond Boundaries Travel has planned a number of July tours. A five-night Scotland trip includes Alnwick Castle, which appeared in two Potter movies, a Highlands ride on the train used in the movie, and a gala at Edinburgh Castle. Cost is $1,949 per person double, land only. Info: www.hpfantrips.com. For a less structured trip, Lynott Tours (www.lynotttours.com/b-potter.htm) organizes self-drive tours of Harry Potter sites. Cost: $791 per person double, including car and five nights’ lodging.
The Washington Post contributed to this report.
Best BetsENGLAND: The annual London Boat Show begins Friday and continues through Jan. 14 in the ExCel exhibition hall on the Royal Docks. More than 700 marine-related exhibitors will offer information on deck equipment, clothing, dinghies, boating vacations and schools, inland waterway boating, small crafts, inflatables, snorkeling, sails and boat electronics. The show is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday through Wednesday and Jan. 12 and 13. On Jan. 11, it’s open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and on Jan. 14, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is 14 pounds (about $28) for adults, free for those 15 and younger. On Friday, the entry fee is 18 pounds for adults. Details at www.londonboatshow.com.
— Jayne Traendly
