Travel Holidays Around the World

As the year winds down, our stress level seems to wind up to full speed with so many decisions on what to do for the holidays. This year, try unwinding with some of these suggestions for the end of the year to celebrate the holiday of your choice in a far-away land.

If you're in Europe, try heading for the Alps for a very charming mountain escape. Whether or not you ski, there are always activities such as ice skating, nighttime Roedelbahning (European sleds careening down luge-like paths on the ski hills), snowshoeing, horse-drawn sleigh riding, or just hanging out in the ski villages and people watching. For the more extreme sorts, try snow tubing or snow rafting. In the Gasteinertal region of Austria, they've been known to use their whitewater rafts in the off-season to transport thrill seekers from the top of the bunny slope to the bottom (and sometimes beyond) very quickly.

The Austrian resort villages such as St. Veit, Elmau, and Scheffau all offers some type of holiday special, and as most resorts, they usually rent for the week as a minimum. There are many options of staying in hotels, private homes with a Zimmer Frei, or small inns if you prefer a quieter holiday. Be on the lookout for small "cow huts" among the ski trails that have been transformed into tiny food and beverage establishments, with more beverages than food offered. Some have impromptu guitar music or other such gemuetlichkeit.

Be forewarned that the custom of shooting fire arms into the air in some of these alpine towns may still be a live and well - just so you stay alive and well after ringing in the new year.

For a change of pace, try the elegant galas in Salzburg or Vienna with much more glitz and glamour than their neighboring villages. You can even attend a Viennese opera for a fraction of the usual cost by waiting in line to purchase the standing row tickets. These are spaces in the back of the theater where you must stand for the performance. This option is not for true opera buffs, but an inexpensive way to sample the show without having to stay the entire time. You will have to stand in line to claim your cheapie tickets earlier in the day. This is the budget-minded person's way of taking in a Viennese opera in the famed opera house without blowing the budget.

Walk across the street to the Sachre Hotel, the home of the famous Viennese Sachre Torte. You can also get discount tickets for the Royal Lippizaner horse show by viewing the practice sessions instead of the official show. If you plan to go to Sunday services anyway, why not attend chapel with the Vienna Boys Choir singing in the background. Even if you don't understand a word that is uttered, it is still a treat to hear them singing up close and personal above you in the chapel. You can meet some of the boys afterwards and get your picture taken with them. It's a moving experience to be in their chapel. You can also take a side trip to the tiny chapel where the song Silent Night originated.

The French ski resorts are more purpose-built, less charming, more cement, but more convenient with slope-side condominiums than their counterparts in Austria, Switzerland and Italy. These condos are much smaller than the ski condos in Colorado, Utah, or Vermont, so be prepared to house three or four people tightly in a six-person apartment. Beds may be tripled bunked or double as the dining couch, so make sure you know your condo-mates well in these tight quarters.

Our "toilet closet" in one place was so small we had to back into it and close the door to take off our skiwear since it was much to narrow to turn around and undo a one-piece ski outfit. Bring your sense of humor in these tiny accommodations - less suitcases are better. Bring some frozen dinner entrees and snacks for quickie meals or quick bites after skiing before your official French dinner, which don't start until much later.

Facilities similar to those in The Three Valleys, Tignes, or Les Arcs arc terrific for families who want to save some money by cooking their meals. We brought the frozen meals that we made ahead like lasagna or chile for easy preparation. It's handy to bring some kitchen spices, soap, or other cooking nicety's, your own music and player, as well as coffee mugs - theirs are hopelessly tiny - more like espresso cupettes. We even brought our own Christmas tree and candles for ambiance.

The Swiss Alps have their own personality which lies in between the styles of Austria and France. You can't beat their fondue, their spectacular views, and their world-renowned service. Club Med in St. Moritz offers something for everybody with nightly productions, never-ending buffets, and daily children's programs. Try their raclette cheese wheels for a tasty and smelly experience. The French also have this aromatic taste sensation. Also try the roesty - another favorite on the slopes.

The Italian Dolomites offer incomparable atmosphere and exquisite food and drink served zestfully to guests. There is something about the love of life in Italy that wraps you in warmth. Some hotels offer gourmet cooking classes and spa treatments for their non-skiing activities. Even for non-skiers the delight of being with a social group over the holidays away from home is quite fun. Leave it to the Italians to have ice bars set up on the slopes. Full bars built into the snow so you can sip slope-side without getting off of your skis.

Of course the mention of New Years in Europe would be complete without including Paris or London. The U. S. O. in Paris is quite helpful in arranging lodging, deposits, and discount tickets to shows. Hotel rooms and shows in both cities sellout early for the holiday season, so plan early. New Years in both these cities is not for the faint of heart. They can be very rowdy and downright dangerous with drunken revelers. Plan accordingly with your travel and lodging and dining so you don't get caught in the midst of a gang.

Be mindful, these are not charming choices and not for those who dislike crowds. Everybody else had the same idea you did to spend New Year's Eve at the Tower, along the Champs Elyse, or in Trafalgar Square. These places are not for the faint of heart or the small of bladder. If you plan to enjoy the outside street scene, know that it is awash in a sea of wild and crazy people with hardly any public restrooms. The restaurants and bars are so crowded it is difficult, if not impossible to get in to use their facilities and those in the metro stations are not tidy to say the least.

I remember people walking on top of cars to cross the jammed street around the Arc de Triomphe and dodging champagne bottles which rained down from the sky as revelers threw their bottles into the air after drinking the last drop. Things also got so scary in London that we decided to ditch Trafalgar Square at 10:30 and take the tube back to the safety of our hotel to watch the hoopla on the "telly".

If you find yourself in Turkey, there is a mix of Muslim and Christian culture and you can find an interesting combination of celebrations in Istanbul, Ankara, or Izmir as well as the smaller towns along the turquoise coast. The larger casinos and hotels usually have festivities planned for the holidays.

In Japan, try a trip to the Gotembo hot baths in the shadow of Mount Fuji. Local MWR offices run day-tours, or drive yourself and stay a while. How about a hike up Mount Fuji or just relax in the mineral water pools gazing at the surrounding mountains. The Japanese baths are an experience in themselves. It is wise to ask somebody who has been before to fill you in on the etiquette of bathing in public and where to put your tiny towel. In the evening, whoop it up in the Mongolian-style yurts housing private karaoke performances. These yurts are domed canvas tents decorated in lavish red and purple curtains, pillows, carpets and other Bedouin-type furnishings and accommodate groups of 10-20 for their special show.

If you're in the Pacific, why not try a tropical style holiday to Guam, Bali, or Sulewesi for a completely different flavor. This is a true chilling-out kind of holiday with beachcombing, scuba diving, or hammock hanging as the main events. Singapore's special offering is dinner at the world-famous Raffles hotel, just for the experiences of unparalleled exquisite dining and service.

Your options back in America besides Times Square and Dick Clark are only limited by your imagination. From mountaintop chalets, to welcoming bed and breakfasts, or rustic dude ranches to the sparkle of Las Vegas or Los Angeles, you can have your pick of extreme experiences. Las Vegas is incredible with mega-properties resembling the grand hotels in Paris, Venice, Dubai and Bellagio. You can spring for the showstoppers like "0" or other big names, or you can choose the low-cost sites like battling pirate ships, a gondola ride in a Venetian canal, viewing the white tigers at the Mirage, the roller coaster at New York New York, or the fine art gallery and dancing waters at Bellagio. Just a stroll down the strip and through the lobbies of these majestic properties is quite entertaining and inexpensive if you stay out of the casinos. You can get cheapie tickets at a ticket consolidator www.Goldstar.com not only for Vegas but for other big cities in the US and for sporting events as well as theatre. Special buys on www.Houseseats.com gets you free tickets for last minute deals after you purchase an annual pass. A great deal for the culturally inclined.

For the extreme adventurer, how about a trip to Peru to trek up the Inca trail to the famous spiritual grounds of Machu Picchu. A sturdy heart, lungs, legs, and wallet are needed for this trip; it is sure to be an unforgettable extreme holiday adventure. It would be wise to solicit a reputable guide for this trip in order to secure entrance, transportation, and lodging etc.

There you have it. Just a smattering of ideas on where to host your holiday hoopla. Whether you want peace and quite to reflect on the past year and bring in the new year, or a rambunctious, rowdy time in the old town tonight, you can pick and choose from far-flung places, or your local hang-outs to be with friends and loved ones to share in your extreme adventure.