Classic Race Aarhus (Denmark) Ferrari, Bentley and other Oldtimers in the battle for victory! A classical car race with running engines, spectators in typical clothes of the time and the most beautiful historical race course of Europe are waiting for you. The setting for this unique event is the charming harbour city Aarhus. Accommodation at the first class Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel in Aarhus. You will learn more about Aarhus, the 2nd largest city in Denmark. The renowned town hall, the open airmuseum "The oldtown" and the romantic latin quarter. Are you getting curious? To really explore Aarhus and all its secrets, we recommend an extra night! Another tip: Visit the Oldtimermuseum close to Silkeborg! SERVICES INCLUDED: - 1 night with breakfast at Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel - 2 course dinner at Restaurant Raadhuus Kafeen - Entrance to Classic Race Aarhus (stand) 1 day - Entrance „The oldtown“ open airmuseum Period: 25.06. or 26.06.10 PRICE PER PERSON: € 158,- Download the package info at: http://www.driveeurope.com/classic-race-aarhus-denmark.pdf Info about the city: http://www.visitaarhus.com/ BEST CAR RENTAL DEALS FOR EUROPE Check out our best car rental deals in Europe at www.driveeurope.com All rates include all mandatory costs such as: > unlimited mileage > CDW Insurance > Theft Insurance > Liablity insurance > Airport or premium location fee > Licensee Fee > Road tax > Value added tax (VAT) in addition you'll get FREE OF CHARGE: 1. A PDF City Guide of your choice - you can select them out of 140 different ones! 2. European Rebate Vouchers: Benefit from our unique Rebate Vouchers which are worth a few hundred Euro’s! The average age of the cars are about four to eight months, and each car is well maintained to ensure safe, trouble-free driving. We offer a special Free Phone Hotline for your European vacation. Here is an example: 7 full days Car Group Economy in Andalusia/Spain will be Euro 203,- only and INCLUDES ONE FREE HOTEL NIGHT! This includes also ALL MANDATORY COSTS and no insurance deductibles! Express check in is available as well as your personal account to check status of the bookings. PARIS NEWS - IN THE SPOTLIGHT (France) The tradition of a coffee at the bar is a firm part of Parisian culture. Other consumption trends are emerging, and there are lots of places where you can buy delicious beans to enjoy at home. On the subject of coffee. Coffee is part and parcel of daily life in France, whether it is a cup of coffee in the morning, getting together for a chat over an espresso, or coffee at the end of a meal. It is of course served in all local bistros and can be drunk at the bar. Specialist coffee houses are the places to enjoy different types of coffee or buy coffee beans direct from coffee roasters. The best coffees to taste and learn about Coffee may also be enjoyed in highly-prestigious settings. Some top restaurants have a selection of grand crus coffees on their menus, like at the Cinq, the Four Seasons George-V, drawn up under the direction of Éric Beaumard. At the Meurice, the restaurant also serves fine coffees from Brazil, Ethiopia and Colombia in its restaurant. To familiarize yourself with the many thousands of coffee flavours, there is a place in Paris that is a veritable Mecca for coffee: the Caféothèque. Situated in the Marais, a few steps from Notre-Dame, it offers coffeeology training and training for baristas, to both professionals and amateurs. Where can I buy the ebst coffee in Paris? Where I find other places specializing in coffee? See the whole story here including all addresses: http://www.driveeurope.com/paris-news-februar2010.pdf The Fjord Coast Route (Norway) Have you ever smelt the tang of the sea through the open window of a car? If you drive along the coast of Fjord Norway you will be met with less traffic, scenic ferry crossings and an amazing coastal scenery. THE ROAR OF THE WAVES accompanies you almost all the way – from the soft beaches of Jæren in Rogaland, to the lush skerries of Hordaland and less well-known mountains, glaciers and fjords in Sogn og Fjordane and the peaks and cliffs teeming with nesting birds on the Møre coast. THE COAST ROAD is a stretch of road that hugs the shore along the entire coast of Western Norway, from Kristiansand to Trondheim. En route, there are countless gems – small towns and villages, spectacular bridges and natural attractions that will take your breath away. Sheltered areas with tidal currents where the fish bite, the westernmost point in mainland Europe, glaciers with views of the sea, mountains rising straight up from the ocean, sea eagles hovering over the cliffs where the breakers meet the shore. If you want to get closer to the elements, you can hire a boat, take part in a guided kayaking trip or walk along well-marked coastal paths. Or simply lie and relax on the warm rocks by the shore while listening to the seagulls and the lapping of the waves. It’s all there waiting for you. DURING YOUR TRIP YOU CAN FIND peace and quite in small communities on islands right out at the ocean’s edge. The people on Norway’s West Coast have always taken advantage of the area's rich resources in pact with nature - the ancient hunting communities in prehistoric times, the Viking legacy, the fisher-farmer tradition and today’s hi-tech production of fish and energy. Now, tourism is also helping to invigorate communities that are situated far from the noise and pace of city life. TAKE YOUR TIME on your journey. This is not the fastest way from A-Z. If we were to make a recommendation, it would be not to do things in a hurry. Let your heart beat in time with the rolling waves that break on the shore often a mere stone’s throw from your car. If you are fortunate enough to experience a storm, pause and admire the forces of nature at work. You are guaranteed to spend some time waiting in the line for a ferry (there are plenty of them), so bring a fishing rod. SPECIAL TIP: IceTroll - Glacier Lake Kayaking ICETROLL offer kayaking tours on remote glacier lakes in Jostedalen, on the eastern side of the Jostedalsbreen Icecap. The tours, designed for any ability, range from day trips on one of two lakes, an overnight tour and, for the more adventurous, a 2-day tour. ICETROLL welcome anybody with a desire for the outdoors. See more info at: http://www.fjordnorway.com THE BREMEN TOWN HALL (Germany) Together with the statue of the "Roland" on the Bremen Market Place, the UNESCO pronounced the Town Hall a world cultural heritage site, more than 600 years old! The Bremen Town Hall is not a museum. It is a living place at which for more than 600 years, the people of Bremen have shaped the politics of the oldest city republic in Europe. It was built between 1405 and 1410. About two hundred years later, in 1608, the Gothic building was given a new facade by Lüder von Bentheim, an architect from Bremen. This Renaissance facade has graced Rathaus (City Hall) ever since. The Ratskeller of Rathaus The Ratskeller, the "Cellar of Rathaus", is the "exquisite foundation" of the Gothic Rathaus. Since 1405, wine has been served here. Today, visitors can choose from around 600 different wines, all of which, without exception, originate from German wine-growing areas. Majestic, giant, old wine casks with opulent carvings give the main room a distinctive ambience. The oldest cask is from 1723. Guests sit at hefty, long, wooden tables, order a "Schoppen" (a glass of wine) or select from the 60-page wine list. For a more intimate setting, it is possible to have a fine meal served in one of the so called "Prioelken". These are small, semicircular rooms built in 1600. Originally each "Prioelkin" was made comfortable by the warmth of its own oven. In the so called Hauff Cellar, the poet Wilhelm Hauff was inspired to write his well-known novella "Fantasies in Bremen's Ratskeller" (1827). Presumably under the influence good wine from Ratskeller, the painter Max Slevogt was stirred to depict these stories in humorous frescoes which still decorate the walls today. The Hauff Celler as well as the Bacchus Cellar were originally built for wine storage. In the meantime they are open for guests. On a "virtual tour" you can have a look around some of the great rooms: http://www.rathaus.bremen.de/sixcms/detail.php?gsid=bremen54.c.2308.de Info about the Ratskeller needed? See here: http://www.ratskeller.de/ THE ABBEY OF ST. FLORIAN (Austria) A Baroque Masterpiece The Monastery of St. Florian, the largest in Upper Austria (a few kilometer south of Linz), is an outstanding example of baroque architecture. Augustinians have occupied this site since the 11th century, although the baroque structures you see today were built between 1686 and 1751. St. Florian was a Christian martyr who was drowned in the Enns River around A.D. 304. He is often called upon by the faithful to protect their homes against flood and fire. The abbey was constructed over his grave. The greatest composer of church music in 19th-century Austria, Anton Bruckner (1824-96) became the organist at St. Florian as a young man and composed many of his masterpieces here. Although he went on to greater fame in Vienna, he was granted his wish and buried at the abbey church underneath the organ he loved so dearly. You can visit the crypt as well as the room where the composer lived for about a decade. The western exterior of the abbey is crowned with a trio of towers. The doorway is especially striking. As you enter the inner court, you'll see the Fountain of the Eagle. In the library, which contains some 140,000 books and manuscripts, are allegorical ceiling frescoes by Bartolomeo Altomonte. The marble salon honors Prince Eugene of Savoy for his heroic defense of Vienna against a major siege by the Turks. The ceiling paintings here depict the Austrian victory over the "infidels." Altdorfer Gallery is the most outstanding part of the abbey, surpassing even the Imperial Apartments. Well-known works by Albrecht Altdorfer, a 16th-century master of the Danube school of painting, are displayed. Altdorfer was a warm, romantic contemporary of Dürer, to whom he is often compared. He painted more than a dozen panels for the abbey's Gothic church, depicting, among other scenes, the martyrdom of St. Sebastian. The Imperial Apartments, the Kaiserzimmer, are reached by climbing a splendid staircase. Pope Pius VI once stayed here, and a whole host of royalty has occupied these richly decorated quarters. You're allowed to visit the bedrooms of the emperors and empresses. The abbey church has twin towers reaching 79m (259 ft.). The church is distinguished by columns of pink marble, quarried near Salzburg. Lavish stucco decoration was used in the interior, and the pulpit is in black marble. The choir stalls are heavily gilded and adorned with ornamentation and carving. A guided tour of the Monastery will be 60 minutes. The tour includes the Crypt with the Coffin of the composer Anton Bruckner, Collegiate Basilica, Altdorfer Altar, Marble Hall, Library. From Easter to 31st of October: daily at 10.00 and 11.00 am and 2.00, 3.00 and 4.00 pm We recommend a combined ticket "Guided Tour + Acoustic Experience": "Acoustic Experience" with the famous Bruckner-organ, 20 minutes‘ live concert performed with the Bruckner-organ. Daily from May 17th until October 18th 2009 (except Tuesdays and Saturdays) at 2:30 pm. Price: Single visitor Adults € 9,50, children under the age of 18 € 5,00 See info at: http://www.stift-st-florian.at GERMANY SUMMER SPECIAL (Germany) The U.S. dollar hit a record low against the Euro and was lower against other major currencies in Europe. So its time to make your travel plans for your summer vacation. Checkout the GERMAN SUMMER SPECIAL , a 2-week driving tour which offers the most interesting sights like the Romantic Road, Munich, Dresden, the number 1 destination Berlin and a Rhine river cruise. The All-Inclusive rate start from Euro 899,- per person!! See more info at: www.driveeurope.com TICINO ITINERARIES AND MOUNTAIN PATHS (Switzerland) Summer is quite simply the golden season for alpine excursions. The heat invites people to escape from the towns and reach for the mountains: it's possible to reach even the highest peaks, the snow has receded to leave in its place the green of the alpine flora. Here are two suggestions, one for experts and trained alpine trekkers only (the "Via Alta" in Valle Verzasca), the second for everybody (Monte Generoso). Via Alta Verzasca It unravels right in the heart of Ticino: the Via Alta of Valle Verzasca is a beautiful few days trek on the crest which divides the Verzasca valley from Leventina and the Riviera. In a wild and genuinely unspoilt landscape, this path - unique in its kind in Switzerland - links five mountain huts, the views magnificent over mountainous Ticino. The route is signed in white and blue and is suitable only for expert trekkers who like adventure. An experience exclusively for people not suffering from vertigo (there are many exposed transits), trained AND well equipped! Careful planning necessary! See info at: www.tenero-tourism.ch Monte Generoso Monte Generoso is located in the extreme south of Ticino and is known as "the mountain for everybody". Indeed, it is quite easily reached thanks to the small rack railway which starts from the shores of Lake Ceresio in Capolago. In some forty minutes you can reach the peak, at 1700 m, where you can choose to have some rest in the convivial restaurant surroundings, enjoying the beautiful panorama which stretches out before you from the Pianura Padana to the Alps, or, a slightly more active option. Monte Generoso lends itself well to various sporting choices: trekking, cycling and mountain biking, and of course, paragliding. There's also an opportunity to learn something: nature discovery trails have been created to admire the flora of the region, there's a "planets' trail", some ethnographic itineraries which focus on activities and buildings of the past, among them the "nevere" (the "fridges" of our grandparents) and the "carbonaie" (charcoal pits). Kids will especially like a visit to the "grotta dell'orso" (bear's cave), where some bones of bears who used to live on the Generoso some 20'000 years ago have been found. See info at: www.montegeneroso.ch NEW ESCORTED TOURS We offer many new escorted coach tours in our site. For example the 10 DAYS BEST OF CENTRAL EUROPE tour with the hightlights of Budapest - Vienna - Melk - Salzburg - Herrenchiemsee - Munich - Nuremberg - Prague - Dresden - Prague. 10 Days - Tour Rates start from Euro 795,- only! Your Tour Highlights will be: Budapest - UNESCO World Heritage Site with the Roman city of Aquincum and the Gothic castle of Buda, one of the world's outstanding urban landscapes Vienna - historic centre of Vienna is rich in architectural ensembles, including Baroque castles and gardens, as well as the late-19th-century Ringstrasse lined with grand buildings, monuments and parks Bratislava - the capital of Slovakia with the old city and the castle Melk Abbey - the spiritual and cultural center of the country Salzburg - the beautiful city with its Old City, Mirabell Gardens, Getreidgasse with Mozart’s Birthplace and the Fortress Hohensalzburg Herrenchiemsee - the Chiemsee Lake, and the fairy tale castle built by Ludwig II on the Herreninsel Munich - exciting city with the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), the Marienplatz and the Viktualienmarkt Nuremberg's Imperial Castle, the main market square with the Frauenkirche, the „Beautiful Fountain“ and the worldknown Bratwurst Prague - visit the many magnificent monuments, such as Hradcani Castle, St Vitus Cathedral, Charles Bridge and numerous churches and palaces Dresden was once justly called the Florence of the north, greatest monuments such as the Semper Opera House, the Hofkirche or the baroque Zwinger More info at: Escorted and Special Tours MOTORHOME HOLIDAYS IN EUROPE Drive away to freedom! See Europe - you'll have your hotel with you! Motorhomes are allowed to drive within all of Europe and they offer a high quality with great comfort. Many locations in Germany, France, Scandinavia, Netherland, Spain, Britain, Croatia, Portugal and Italy. And brandnew also now in Iceland!! Super equipment as well as full insurance is always included. Rent a motorhome from Germany for example, rates starts from only Euro 60,- per day all inclusive! See more info about them here. Motorhomes are the most requested accommodation during major events such as the Tour de France or Formular One races throughout Europe and booked out very early in advance. So when you may want to go and stay cheapest with the most flexibility then hurry to book your unique hotel room quickly! Motorhome Rentals - your unique and cost effective holiday in Europe!