Munich is conveniently located on the edge of the Austrian border, close to dozens of ski and snow resorts. It’s often difficult to sift through the many options to chose a resort that is best for you. We’re doing the work for you. Here are three of the best ski resorts near Munich.

Best Overall: Kitzbühel, Tyrol, Austria

This all-encompassing resort is set in an idyllic Bavarian village. Set in the midst of a small, medieval town,  Kitzbühel is the perfect winter vacation destination. The town, complete with shopping, night life, dining and wellness services provides the perfect backdrop for a vacation for two or a family outing.

Skiing, snowboarding, snow mountaineering, or snow hiking, this resort has got it all. A wide array of indoor and night activities range from ice skating, curling, climbing, swimming, ice hockey and tobogganing.

Best for Families: Ellmau, Austria

This resort has a longstanding reputation for being family-friendly. All around the resort, guests enjoy looming views of the beautiful Wilder Kaiser mountains. Staff at the Ellmau don’t leave the weather up to chance, and have more than 1,000 snow machines ready to intervene to make the slopes powder perfect all year round. Ellmau also offers an extensive family slope area that is perfect for all ages. Snow huts, sun terraces and ski bars pepper the slopes to offer refreshments around every corner.

Best Value: Söll, Austria

Located in the wide valley of the SkiWelt region, this resort offers the best bang for your buck. Transfers and shuttles make this resort one of easiest to get to from the Munich Airport. A quaint central village street runs through the center of the resort. Visitors can enjoy hot mulled wine called glühwein and warm up from the day on the slopes at the Christmas markets in the village.

Speaking of skiing, this week, I Fly Nonstop is giving away a special cross-country ski package in our EuropeanWinterness contest! Enter daily to win Rossignol Evo Glade cross-country skis, OneWay Telescopic cross-country ski poles, and Rossignol X1 Ultra cross-country ski boots. Now that’s worth celebrating! Head to http://www.europeanwinterness.com to enter daily.

Photo credit: Cross country skiing, Szymon Nitka; skiing…., nonanet; toboganning, Alex Barth.

Venice is not called the “Queen of the Adriatic” for nothing. This floating island has been a European favorite destination for centuries. Venice is small, serene and quiet (unless it’s Carnival season!) and offers some of the greatest photo opportunities a traveler can ask for. Tiny winding alleyways, draping clothing on drying lines and gondolas aplenty create an atmosphere that is unlike any other European city. Venice is worthy of a visit regardless of the season. If you’re heading to Venice this winter, here are three of Venice’s best that you should be sure not to miss.

Enter our EuropeanWinterness contest this week to be entered to win a Conquest Dyad Tandem inflatable kayak, inspired by Venice. You’ll also be entered to win the grand prize of a trip to Europe for two on a nonstop Delta flight to Amsterdam! Head to http://europeanwinterness.com and enter daily.

Where to Eat: Da Fiori

Try the tuna carpaccio and the oysters and you’ll see why this restaurant is one of the most revered among travelers enjoying a vacation in Venice. Treat yourself to a night of fine dining, a wonderful ambiance and fantastic canal views. Da Fiori is often noted as the best restaurant in Venice, so it’s not a bad idea to make reservations before you indulge in the canal city’s best.

Be Entertained: Attend an opera at the Teatro La Fenice, built in 1836.

Catch the masterpieces of Vendi or Puccini on their home turf. Attending an opera in Venice only adds to the romance of it all. The theater also offers tours in the day-time to get a behind-the-scenes peek into the production of operas.

 Photo Opportunity: Bovolo Staircase

This beautiful outdoor spiral staircase is part of the Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo. The staircase is difficult to find, tucked away down a small side street between the Rialto Bridge and Piazza San Marco. The Palazzo was originally built for the Contarini family and has some of the most unique architecture in all of Venice. The staircase is the centerpiece of the building, and it is definitely worth locating to snap a photo of this marvel.

Photo credits: Venice and the leaning tower, Tambako the Jaguar; ahi carpaccio, “highlimitzz”; Scala Contarini del Bovolo, HarshLight; Venice, Dr. Savage.

One of the greatest benefits of traveling to Europe during the winter months is avoiding crowds of fellow tourists. If you can spare just a few degrees off the thermometer from the summer months, traveling in the winter is ideal for many. If you are going to visit Europe during the winter, it only makes sense to travel like the locals do.

One city to hit on your wintertime tour is London. This city is heavy with tourists during the summer, so enjoy the shopping, beautiful sites and night life with a little less bustle.  Here is your quick guide to London through the eyes of a local.

Single Best Attraction: The Botanical Gardens in Kew. You can take the Xstrata Treetop Walkway and walk among the tallest tree canopies, literally! This tranquil place will refresh your senses and leave you ready to explore the busier parts of London Town.

Best Museum: Victoria & Albert: This museum highlights art and design from years past all the way to the present. You can find everything from architecture to fashion to furniture art in this unique museum.

Best Local Events Website: Time Out London. This is the best source to find out what’s happening in London on the web.

Best Dance Club: Fabric. If you’re looking for a night on the town, Fabric will not disappoint. This club is one of the biggest, best dance clubs in the city.

Best Hidden Market: Sunday UpMarket is one of the most imaginative markets in London. Get away from the typical tourist markets and head for something more authentic.

Best Kid-Friendly Attraction: The Science Museum. This museum will provide hours of entertainment for kids and parents. Give your kids a chance to get their hands dirty. Explore something tangible.

EuropeanWinterness Contest: Enter daily to win a weekly prize inspired by a great European city. This week we’re highlighting London! Win a 3-hour double-decker bus rental for your and your friends in Portland by entering this week. You will also be entered to win the grand prize of a trip to Europe for two!  Go to http://europeanwinterness.com to enter.

Photo credits: Orchid festival, Princess of Wales Conservatory, Kew Gardens, heatheronhertravels; London snow, Mike_fleming; Two double-decker Routemaster buses, London, Samil Virji.

Where can you find thousands of bicycles, delicious waffles and tulips as far as the eye can see? That’s right, Amsterdam. The city and its surrounding areas come alive during the wintertime and into the spring with some of Holland’s most famous attractions.

When in Amsterdam, do as the Dutch do. There are countless bike rental opportunities in the city. This is the most scenic (and most fun) way to explore the city and its surrounding areas. Have fun in the city, but don’t forget to explore towns nearby where you can find beautiful bike roads that take you through small, quaint towns equipped with plenty of windmills and photo opportunities.

One of the most iconic aspects of Dutch culture is flowers. Starting in March, visit THE place to see spring blooms: the famous Keukenhof. If you’re visiting Holland in April, don’t miss the Floriade 2012 World Horticultural Expo. This event only comes around once every 10 years, so it’s definitely worth the trip.

Embrace your EuropeanWinterness this week! Enter daily to win an Electra Townie Euro bike, inspired by this glorious city. You will also be entered to win the grand prize: a trip to Europe for two on a nonstop Delta flight to Amsterdam! A new weekly prize inspired by a wonderful wintery European city will be featured each week. Visit Europeanwinterness.com to see what other events are well worth the trip to Europe this winter.

Photo credits: Canal, oarranzli; amsterdam bikes #365 pic of the day, Les Haines; Keukenhof 01, quantz

For the first week, we’re celebrating one fabulous winter destination, Amsterdam! Enter daily from October 14-20 to win a brand new Electra Townie Euro bike.

]]> http://iflynonstop.com/promotions/embrace-your-europeanwinterness/feed/ 13 http://iflynonstop.com/promotions/ready-get-set-discover-your-europeanwinterness/ http://iflynonstop.com/promotions/ready-get-set-discover-your-europeanwinterness/#comments Wed, 12 Oct 2011 17:09:45 +0000 Jamie Kerr http://iflynonstop.com/?p=3673 There is something magical about traveling to Europe during the off-season. There are fewer lines, crowds, and the beauty of brisk, frosty winter mornings sipping hot chocolate in cafés makes up for the drop in temperature from the summertime. You can explore Europe like the locals do, without the gaggle of fellow tourists. Also, traveling in the off-season is usually cheaper. It’s a win-win. 

Starting this Friday, we’re celebrating EuropeanWinterness! Get ready, because each week from this Friday until mid-November, we’re giving out one spectacular prize each week to celebrate one of four European cities that offers a winter like no other. Enter daily to win.

Drum roll please…….At the end of these four weeks, one lucky entrant will win a EuropeanWinterness vacation for two!

Check back on Friday for your first chance to enter the contest. Good luck!

Photo credits: Snowy Street, The World According to Marty.

Brussels

After a 10 hour flight, a three-hour wait in the Schipol airport for the train, an hour walk through cobblestone and rain, we finally made it to the first stop in our European adventure: Brussels. After a long day of travels, we were starving. We found a quaint little restaurant in the Grand Place called “Le Roy”, where we had our first hot meal. That evening, we walked the streets of Brussels and found ourselves at the famous Manneken Pis. We made our way around town by the Hop-on-Hop-off Bus Tour, which took us by many remarkable landmarks in Brussels, and a free tour through the Kings Palace. One word: WOW.

Paris

All aboard, we are headed to Paris! We got a cab to our hotel and then, on to sightseeing! The first stop was The Louvre, (just down the street from our hotel!). We saw famous masterpieces like the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and others that I have only seen in textbooks. We walked around the gardens and could see the beautiful Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower in the distance. We loved the Hop-on-Hop-off Bus Tour in Brussels so much that we decided to try it again in Paris, making our adventures in the City of Lights that much easier.  The hour-and-a-half wait to get to the top of the Eiffel Tower was definitely worth the wait – what a breathtaking view it was! We walked down the Champs-Elysées and did some window-shopping, but didn’t dare to go in the stores. As we were sitting outside Notre Dame at a cafe enjoying authentic Parisian crepes, the bells of the cathedral started ringing. It was remarkable to hear. It was a perfect way to end our tour in Paris.

London

On our first evening in London, we walked through Hyde park, and made our way to the Princess Diana Water Memorial that was given by The Queen. As we were making our way to Kensington Palace it started to pour. We considered turning back, but then we thought better of it…we are Washingtonians! A little rain never hurt anyone, right? We visited The Tower of London and saw the Crown Jewels. It was absolutely amazing. That evening, we took a 30-minute ride on the London Eye. At the top, we could see down inside The House of Parliament. On our last day in London, we mingled with the stars at Madame Tussauds and got our picture with the Queen. After having our picture with the Queen, we couldn’t pass up stopping by Buckingham Palace for our last stop in London.

Amsterdam

Third time’s a charm? Fourth time is a charm for us.  We found our hotel with no problem at all. After settling in, we ventured off to Dam Square. We started our first full day with a tour in the Anne Frank House. Walking through a house that holds so much history was a little eerie, but it was an amazing experience.

In Amsterdam, we had an experience that was not to be forgotten: bike riding. It is a must do for tourists traveling to Amsterdam, but be careful! It’s not for leisurely riders. Biking is a way of life for the Dutch, and the streets are alive with quickly moving crowds of bikes that you must be watchful of.

We hopped on the free ferry to Amsterdam Noord, made a few turns here and there and ended up in the Dutch countryside. It was a very peaceful ride with beautiful scenery.

What better way to spend our last day in Amsterdam than to take a cruise on the canals? We actually took two cruises: one by day and one by night. The evening cruise was my favorite. We had a live tour guide who told us about the history of the canals and the city.

Thank you I Fly Nonstop and Delta Air Lines for this incredible opportunity! I had a blast on my European adventure and am already planning a trip back.

My sister, daughter and I are just days away from departing PDX for our non-stop trip to Amsterdam. We have been packing and planning for months, and it’s hard to believe the trip is almost here. We are all bursting with excitement.

We will be in Amsterdam for four nights, staying at a unique bed and breakfast just a few minutes from Central Station.

From there, we will bike to small towns surrounding the city – from Amersfoort to Utrecht to see the farmland and forests, and then to Haarlem to see the beach. My daughter and I are relying on my sister to be our tour guide, as she has been to Amsterdam several times and knows the area well.

After our stay in Amsterdam, we will take the Thalys speed train to Paris for two days of exploration. We are staying near Rue Cler Street, which is full of little shops and street vendors where we can buy flowers, pastries, fish, meat, clothes – you name it. My sister has planned a 4-hour bikeabout tour on the first morning we are there. After that we will explore shops, cafes and museums, hoping to soak up all we can in two days before heading back to Leiden in the Dutch province of South Holland for the final night of our trip.

Photo Credits: Amsterdam Central Station (B&W), jelleprins; Utrecht, Daniele Faieta; Haarlem, anafreitas

Julee Maltsberger

My name is Julee Maltsberger and I just graduated from Eastern Washington University with a degree in Public Relations.  My mom promised me a trip for my graduation, but at the rate we were going, it was looking more like a trip to the Oregon Coast…WHOO HOO!  There was a method to her madness when she told me I needed to play this crossword game with her to try to win a trip…so guess who I’m taking to Amsterdam?? My amazing mom. Besides my trip to Mexico a few years ago, the extent of my international travel has been limited to serving up all the Swedish flavors at my wonderful job at the IKEA Restaurant & Café. Since Amsterdam is so close to many other European countries and you can get almost anywhere by train, we definitely plan to make the most of the trip and see as much of Europe as we can.

Barbara Ramberg

My name is Barbara Ramberg, and I was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. I have three children who often invite me to join them on their worldly trips, but I rarely find the time to get away. My sister, Janis, is married to a Dutch-American man and travels to Holland often. I have spent many years listening to her stories of traveling the beautiful countryside by bike, tasting the Netherlands’ delicious food and craft beers, while she strolls the cobblestone streets and admires the area’s architecture. I can’t wait to take her with me as my “official tour guide” this summer. I have already started training on my bike for the long rides we plan to take while soaking up the Dutch culture via bike while we are there. We have also talked about visiting neighboring towns, markets, museums and the Heineken distillery. Oh the possibilities!

Julee and Barbara will keep us apprised on their upcoming trips, sharing their itineraries and post-trip experiences. Stay tuned!

Photos courtesy of the Port of Portland