Winter Travel

Which to Choose? Austria or France for Skiing

written by Bree

Torn between Austria or France for Skiing for skiing? Both Austria and France have a long history as excellent ski destinations. Since the 1970’s France has been the most popular destination for ski holidays due to its vast ski resorts with numerous facilities. However, Austria is growing in popularity due to its low costs and fantastic apres ski. This guide helps you pick the best ski destination to suit your individual needs.

Why Choose Austria?

One of the main reasons people are choosing a ski holiday in Austria is the price. The costs of a ski holiday can quickly add up, with equipment rental, ski passes, food, alcohol, flights and travel insurance. Austrian ski holidays are significantly cheaper than those in France, allowing you to enjoy your holiday without having to think about your bank balance.

March 16, 2022 1 comment

Cruises Winter Travel

Escape the Cold Winter With a Cruise

written by Mae

There’s a fairly good reason that Summer Nights from Grease has always been such a huge hit. Other than its catchy melody, the song reminds us of what we crave for the most- long and lazy summer days and nights. Sadly though, the world has to turn, and the seasons must change. Although we can’t really do any tweaking with this, we can somehow extend that luxurious pleasure and escape those cold winter nights. Yes, especially for one born in an archipelago of more than 7000 islands…the sea calling is so hard to resist.

February 2, 2018 0 comment

Cruises Winter Travel

A Guide To Winter Cruise Destinations

written by Mae

The winter weather in the United Kingdom is renowned for being cold, wet and dull during the evenings. In fact, it’s actually the perfect time to plan for a cruise holiday.

Instead of sitting at home wearing an extra jumper and sipping on a hot cup of tea, why not spend it lying in the sun on the deck of a cruise ship, crisp glass of wine in hand, or viewing some stunning scenery from the deck? It is not a hard decision!

It used to be that cruise holidays were thought of strictly as a summer event, with the winter holidays to be saved for ski trips or something of that nature. But, over the years, winter cruise holidays have grown in popularity, and lowered in price, as people are quite excited to escape a dreary winters day for a sunny seaside one.

Now when it comes to winter cruise destinations, there are a handful which are quite popular and find a steady stream of visitors year after year. Many of these spots are probably exactly what you might think would be popular destinations, but there also might be a few interesting surprises in there as well!

December 10, 2012 0 comment

Skiing Winter Travel

Travel Ski Vacations

written by Mae

Considering taking your family on a ski vacation? Check out these five family-friendly lodges we have identified around the world with slopes for all ages and skill levels along with other exciting winter activities. Perfect for budget-conscious travelers, these resorts have programs to help you keep costs low while providing many different opportunities for families to have fun together on their winter holiday.

Australia
Although the name is a bit silly, Dinner Plain offers families great deals on holiday vacations packed with fun among Australia’s fairy tale mountains in Victoria. Besides groomed ski runs for every skill level and the charming ski village full of kid-friendly activities, parents will also appreciate the babysitter services so they can relax at the spa or kick up their heels at the local nightclubs.

Chile
Families who visit the Portillo Ski Resort often leave saying they will never ski anywhere else again. Not is the skiing top notch, with 23 trails accessed by 12 ski lifts, but the ski school is considered one of the best in the world. The leisurely atmosphere is perfect for relaxing together and during their special “Family Weeks” they offer special discount packages and offer a host of activities to keep the whole clan happy. Make your reservations well in advance, though, this resort keeps its atmosphere intimate by only allowing 450 guests per week and with the added value of the low exchange rate in Chile, the accommodations stay booked well in advance.

(photo by hubby at the Unterberg)

Norway
Known for decades as one of the most snow reliable mountains in the world, the Myrkdalen ski resort outside of Voss is full of family-friendly activities. Kids have their own supervised play area where they can participate in art projects or strap on their skis and use the mini-lift and moving carpet for classes in downhill and cross-country techniques. Advanced skiers appreciate the 12 ski lifts that lead to 18 beautifully groomed slopes.

Switzerland
Located in the beautiful Lake Geneva region of the Alps, Villars is an authentic Swiss town that’s perfect for families with beginning skiers. There are plenty of the gentle slopes and 77 ski lifts to take advanced skiers on to more challenging runs. A favorite of English speaking vacationers, children under nine ski for free and appreciate all the fun ways to get on the slopes like the moving carpet, the carousel and rope tow.

USA
The Lone Mountain Peak in Big Sky, Montana offers families over eight square miles of ski runs and a winter wonderland full of exciting activities. Kids ages 10 and under ski free and the variety of trails and short lift lines guarantees everyone has plenty of “vertical time” on the slopes. Try snowing tubing, taking a zip line across an alpine ravine or climbing aboard the coach for a guided tour to nearby Yellowstone. When you have had all the outdoor fun you can take, warm up with a spa treatment before you settle into your cozy Mountain Village hotel or fully-furnished cabin.

Guest Post: Megan Gates is an active blogger who provides written work to the blogosphere pertaining to New York Real Estate,Manhattan Homes, home improvement and the latest architecture, design and fashion. Follow her on twitter @MEGatesDesign.

December 6, 2011 0 comment

Winter Travel

No Winter is Too Chilly with a High Efficiency Furnace

written by Mae

No Winter is Too Chilly , 3 kids on rest

Winter in Vienna can be welcomed in two varying degrees. There are those who welcome it with outstretched arms because Vienna in winter is very picturesque – think along the lines of a fairytale winter wonderland with snow on the ground, crisp night air, friends enjoying each other’s company half-hidden in the steam rising from mugs of hot mulled wine. That is Vienna during winter, which falls between December to February and early March.

However it also does get bitterly cold, sometimes going down to -15 centigrade. What do Austrians do when that happens? Well, not much, wear winter socks, home boots, sip coffee or tea, and turn up the furnace so their houses get cozy, comfy warm. Of course, there are people who prefer high efficiency furnace even if it costs more primarily because it doesn’t use as much fuel thereby reducing the cost of heating by as much as 10 to 20 percent.

As for us, well, we already have a furnace and it is still running smoothly. Proper maintenance is all it takes to ensure that. But should we ever need to have it replaced then we would definitely go for a furnace with high rather than mid efficiency.

How about the other cities around the world? Let’s look at some chilly and not so chilly cities to compare.

walking on snow, No Winter is Too Chilly

No Winter is Too Chilly : Schönbrunn in winter

Winter in Denver

Denver, the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado, is not so chilly when winter comes. Winters are mild with an average daily high temperature of 4 °C (40 °F) and days reaching 15°C (60°F) are not uncommon. Fortunately, snow doesn’t stay on the ground long in Denver so it’s a good thing to know that golf courses and outdoor cafes are able to stay for most days of the year.

But snowstorms do happen, and the cold breeze add to the chill. Good thing there are companies like Denver furnace installation to help residents with home heating and other services to keep them warm.

No Winter is Too Chilly: Denver Civic Center

Winter in Winnipeg

Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba, Canada, its local climate is extremely seasonal with average January highs of around −11 °C (12 °F) and average July highs of 26 °C (79 °F).

The city is surely to have a white Christmas every year, and this means that furnace and heating are working overtime in most homes.

No Winter is Too Chilly, Manitoba Legislature Building

Winter in Furano

Furano a famous tourism destination in Hokkaido, Japan is known for its lavender fields, and the Furano Ski Resort where Snowboarding World Cup is often held. The temperature gets down to around -30°C (-22°F), and with all the snow is the perfect spot for such snowboarding events.

If you plan to visit this picturesque spot in the winter, make sure that you stay in a fully winter-proof accommodation. It gets chilly when you stop moving down the slopes, so stay warm with blankets and some coffee.

No Winter is Too Chilly, Hokkaido Japan winter

No Winter is Too Chilly : Furano, Hokkaido

Winter in Edinburgh

Ediburgh, the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas, has its coldest weather in January and February, with temperature averaging roughly 1.5°C (34°F). This makes it easy to walk around the city and enjoy the scenes and landscapes blanketed in white.

It could be windy though, so make sure that you are properly dressed and warm, even when just staying at your hotel, or rented home. Turn up your heater a bit and enjoy a cup of tea while you watch the snow fall from the window.

No Winter is Too Chilly : Stockbridge Edinburgh

August 31, 2011 0 comment