SkiEurope in the Press 2004

Sacramento Bee (December 26, 2004) by Janet Fullwood - And if you think Americans with anemic dollars can’t afford the good life, think again: Ski packages from the United States – negotiated before the dollar’s fall – can be had this season from about $1,500, including round-trip airfare, seven nights’ lodging at a three-star hotel. Check with Houston–based Ski Europe at (713) 960-0900 or www.ski-europe.com.

Los Angeles Times (December 12, 2004) by Grace Lichtenstein - With an exchange rate of about $1.35 to one euro, a package tour may be the most economical way to ski in France. Ski Europe, 1535 W. Loop South, Suite 319, Houston, TX 77027: (800) 333-5533, http: //www.ski-europe.com. Packages available Jan 14-22 or Jan 21-29 for $1,060 per person, double occupancy, including airfare from LAX to Geneva, ground transfers in Europe, seven nights in a moderately priced hotel with breakfast daily, local taxes and service charges.

Ski Canada Magazine (December 2004) by George Koch - Nearest airport is Torino (Turin), about 90 minutes’ drive by freeway and two-lane secondary highway. Milan, about four hours’ drive from Sestriere, has superior international air service. Ski Europe package including return airfare to Turin, Italy, seven nights’ hotel accommodation in four-star slopeside Hotel Cristallo in Sestriere, breakfast and dinner daily at the hotel, seven-day rental car, C$2,155 Toronto departure, C$2,590 Vancouver departure (local/European taxes included, Canadian taxes extra). For more information contact www.ski-europe.com.

SKI Magazine (November 2004) by Everett Potter - For first-timers heading across the pond, the question of where to go can be mind-boggling. Operators such as Ski Europe organize hundreds of vacations to Europe to resorts large and small. They have price-driven packages that defy the current week dollar and make a ski trip to Europe as attractively priced as one to the Rockies. But more importantly, says Daniela Gugliotta, Ski Europe’s marketing manager, "Most of our staff is European, or they've spent a lot of time at the resorts. And when people call, they want personal recommendations. We can give that to them."

The Houston Chronicle (October 17, 2004) by Harry Shattuck - Tours that include airfare and lodging are cost-savers, too. One weeklong Ski Europe package from Houston in January costs only $1,295 per person. St Moritz doesn’t fit the image of a romantic “Heidi-style” Swiss village. Instead of wood chalets, you’ll find lots of concrete, steel and glass. And no cows parade through the streets dragging bells as in Zermatt, another favorite Swiss ski resort.

For practical purposes, there are two distinct districts – St. Moritz-Dorf, home to the fanciest shops and lodgings (except the Kempinski) and the more budget-friendly St. Moritz-Bad. They are connected by public buses and walkways. Although you’ll hear German, Italian, French and the local Romansch language, almost everyone here understands English.

Acura Magazine (Fall 2004) by Claire Walter - Imagine taking one winter vacation to 14 ski resorts in two countries, with 288 marked slopes, untold off-piste acres, eight terrain parks, and more than 200 ski-lifts – without having to move from one hotel to another. Such is Portes du Soleil-French for “portals to the sun,” but in truth, synonymous with access to skiing, and more skiing. Billed as the world’s largest domain, it is truly a place where you can spend a week and hardly ever retrace your own ski tracks.

This vast ski region straddling the Franco-Swiss border comprises ancient Alpine villages, built-for-skiing mid-mountain resorts, and former farming hamlets where lifts now converge. You make your way from one to another by following coded signs that mark groomed circuits geared to specific ability levels from novice to expert. And if you tire of the groomers, you can drop into power bowls, mogul fields, and challenging chutes for an extra adrenaline rush. www.ski-europe-com (800)333-5533.

The Recorder – (February 5, 2004) by Phil Johnson - Also, the part of the trip that was not a family visit was under the watchful eye of an experienced tour coordinator, who made certain that transfers and accomodations went smoothly and without surprise. However, my experience is by no means unique, and is something that could be equaled by anyone with the time and interest. The tour operator who coordinated our plans was SkiEurope / SkiCanada, (www.Ski-Europe.com), a Houston, Texas-based ski-travel-only firm that has been in business since the mid-1980s.

The Gloucester Daily Times – (January 31, 2004) by David Sartwell - I do have one complaint, however. In all of the days we were skiing in Switzerland I never heard a single person yodel (except for me, of course). For more information on skiing in the Engelberg region, visit the Web site - www.engelberg.ch. For information on how to book a ski trip to Switzerland, contact SkiEurope at www.ski-europe.com.

WashingtonPost.com – (January 11, 2004) by Carol Sottili - Spend a week in the ski center of Austria for about $150 more than the price of airfare alone with a deal by Ski Europe (800-333-5533, www.ski-europe.com). The Feb. 20-28 package costs $725 and includes round-trip air on Lufthansa from Dulles to Innsbruck, seven nights at the three-star Hotel Tautermann, buffet breakfasts and local taxes. Air taxes of about $130 per person are extra. Airfare for late February weekends is currently running about $707, and the hotel is typically $101 a night.