Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Ski weekends defy the credit slide
According to a press release from the budget airline easyJet, 16% more Winter Sports enthusiasts are flying off to the Alps for the weekend than last year. Overall passenger numbers out of the United Kingdom's airports are down on last year. However 2008 / 2009 has been on of the best years for snow for a very long time. Browsing through the Ski Travel Operators' late booking offers there appears to be plenty of spare capacity at the resorts. After Christmas and New Year the February Half Term Holidays are the busiest time at ski resorts and there is still some capacity. According to easyJet, many British families have not booked a Winter Holiday but instead are taking the opportunity to get a cheap flight and are taking ski weekends.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Swansea Cork Ferry
In the first of my 2009 posts, I mentioned that the Swansea - Cork Ferry service had gone. Adrian from Bring Back the Swansea Cork Ferry Campaign contacted this blog to say that it was far from the end of the ferry service. The campaign has negotiated discounted port rates at Swansea and Cork, has an experienced ferry operator and a modern ship available at a reasonable price. They have 2 million of the 3 million euros required to start operating. They have been been holding public meetings and roadshows at at Kinsale and Cork. Today they are running 2 at Swansea. I hope everything goes well and they get the service going again.
Snow Train price cuts
The Snow Train service has just announced significant price cuts on all of its March services with savings of up to £70!
Friday 27 February 2009 returning Saturday 7 March 2009 starts at £219 save £50
Friday 6 March 2009 returning Saturday 14 March 2009 starts at £199 save £70
Friday 13 March 2009 returning Saturday 21 March 2009 starts at £219 save £50
Friday 20 March 2009 returning Saturday 28 March 2009 starts at £219 save £50
You can book at Rail Europe.co.uk or by phone: 0844 848 4088
Departing on a Friday evening, the Snow Train experience involves a journey by Eurostar to Paris Gare du Nord, where you board the overnight snow train to the French Alps. Sleeping accommodation is in couchette compartments sleeping up to 6 passengers, and have seats that convert into bunk style flat beds for the night . Toilets and washrooms are located at the end of each compartment. If you like to party then there is an a bar and disco on the train. You arrive in the Alps at either Chambery, Albertville, Moutiers, Aime, Landry or Bourg St Maurice. The return journey is made on a Saturday evening, thus allowing nearly 8 days on the snow.
Friday 27 February 2009 returning Saturday 7 March 2009 starts at £219 save £50
Friday 6 March 2009 returning Saturday 14 March 2009 starts at £199 save £70
Friday 13 March 2009 returning Saturday 21 March 2009 starts at £219 save £50
Friday 20 March 2009 returning Saturday 28 March 2009 starts at £219 save £50
You can book at Rail Europe.co.uk or by phone: 0844 848 4088
Departing on a Friday evening, the Snow Train experience involves a journey by Eurostar to Paris Gare du Nord, where you board the overnight snow train to the French Alps. Sleeping accommodation is in couchette compartments sleeping up to 6 passengers, and have seats that convert into bunk style flat beds for the night . Toilets and washrooms are located at the end of each compartment. If you like to party then there is an a bar and disco on the train. You arrive in the Alps at either Chambery, Albertville, Moutiers, Aime, Landry or Bourg St Maurice. The return journey is made on a Saturday evening, thus allowing nearly 8 days on the snow.
Labels: Alps, France, snow, train
Full Eurostar service resumes
Following the fire in the Channel Tunnel last September, Eurostar train services to Paris, Brussels and Lille are now back to normal as of 23 February 2009. The journey times from London – Paris 2h15, London – Brussels 1h51 and London – Lille 1h20 are once again the norm . The full timetable has also been restored, with up to 19 trains per day on the London – Paris route and up to 10 per day on the London – Brussels route.Labels: channel, Eurostar, train, tunnel
Monday, February 23, 2009
LD Lines may take over Sea France
Sea France the French ferry operator owned by the railway company SNCF may be taken over by LD Lines. LD Lines is a newcomer to Dover. It operated on longer cross channel routes until the demise of SpeedFerries last month. Sea France has already announced it will need to restructure in order to survive in the present climate. It announced that 650 jobs were under threat. A merged company would be a major cross Channel operator.Christophe Santini of LD Lines said that at least 350 jobs would be saved if the takeover was successful. It has also pledged to continue to operate the ships under the French flag.
Sea France currently services the popular Dover - Calais route.
Labels: Calais, Dover, ferry, LD, Sea France
Back again!
Hi,
Its been a long time. Over two years in fact. A lot has happened in that time. The world financial slowdown and credit crunch is affecting us whether we like it or not. In the UK it means that the pound buys less Euros and dollars than last year
Many travel companies have failed since I was blogging here last. These include XL Airlines's UK division, Sterling and Zoom.
On the ferry scene SpeedFerries ceased trading at the end of last month, but LD Lines have stepped in and taken over the Dover - Boulogne routes and even added a service from Dover to Dieppe. Superfast Ferries Rosyth - Zeebrugge service will now be operated by Norfolkline. Swansea Cork Ferries have gone altogether and so have the Newcastle - Norway ferry services.
The good news is that there are still some very cheap offers from the remaining ferry operators, hotel prices are actually falling and the budget and superbudget chains continue to expand.
John
Its been a long time. Over two years in fact. A lot has happened in that time. The world financial slowdown and credit crunch is affecting us whether we like it or not. In the UK it means that the pound buys less Euros and dollars than last year
Many travel companies have failed since I was blogging here last. These include XL Airlines's UK division, Sterling and Zoom.
On the ferry scene SpeedFerries ceased trading at the end of last month, but LD Lines have stepped in and taken over the Dover - Boulogne routes and even added a service from Dover to Dieppe. Superfast Ferries Rosyth - Zeebrugge service will now be operated by Norfolkline. Swansea Cork Ferries have gone altogether and so have the Newcastle - Norway ferry services.
The good news is that there are still some very cheap offers from the remaining ferry operators, hotel prices are actually falling and the budget and superbudget chains continue to expand.
John
