European budget travel news

Virgin Trains will not be running trains on Christmas Day (25 December 2006)and Boxing Day (26 December 2006). Engineering Works are being undertaken on these days.
In addition they are relaxing the rules for Saver tickets so that they will be available for purchase all day between Friday 22 December 2006 and Monday 1 January 2007.

The budget hotel arm of Holiday Inn have some tempting offers at present starting at £39 for a room including continental breakfast. Here are just a few of the deals available right now from Express by Holiday Inn:
Valencia from 49 euros (£33)
Düsseldorf from 49 euros (£33)
London from £39
Ipswich from £39
Lille from 59 euros (£40)
Cardiff from £55

Eurotunnel has today achieved the first part of its restructuring plans. At a meeting with its creditors got a vote favour of a deal that will lead to 50% of the debt for the operation being dropped. The vote accounts for 72% of the Junior and Senior debt of the cross channel operator.
Eurotunnel is currently operating under the French Safeguard Procedure, similar to Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in the USA. There is still a long way to go to finalise a deal but we will keep you informed on here.

The Cairngorm ski resort in Scotland plans to open this weekend (25 November / 26 November) if the weather permits. It plans to operate the funicular, the Ciste T-bar, and possibly the M1. Lifts will be open 09h30 -15h30 with the upper lifts closing at 15h00. It could be busy though as it will be the only Scottish resort open.
A ski pass will cost £16.50.

The easyGroup headed by Stelios founder of easyJet is to open another easyHotel. This time the location will be Budapest in Hungary. It will follow three easyHotels in London and one in Basel, Switzerland and is planned to open in Spring 2007. Centrally located it will offer rooms starting at 29 euros a night. The hotel will have 57 rooms with en-suite facilities. The easyHotel brand has signed an agreement for 38 hotels in India, the Middle East and North Africa over the coming 5 years.

DFDS will launch a new overnight service from Newcastle to Bergen via Stavanger and Haugesund tomorrow 11 November 2006. The voyage is a gateway to Norway’s spectacular fjords. The service will be served by a new ship the m.s. Princess of Norway. Connecting the ports twice a week on the low season and three times a week in high season.
Prices start at a low £28 per foot passenger and £130 for a car plus four people one way. They also have some excellent introductory offers on with a three night break to Bergen on offer for £50. The deal includes two nights onboard in a two berth cabin and a night in Bergen.

Opodo the travel company comprised of Europe’s leading airlines is offering some tempting deals on Winter sports breaks to Europe. They have 2 Star breaks in Italy, 3 Star breaks in Andorra and France starting at a low £149 per person.