Aircraft Charter Austria

Two-wheeling through Europe

A dozen or so years ago, when my wife and I were living in Hanoi, Vietnam, and needed a break, I booked a seven-day bicycle tour of Ireland through one of the big international touring companies. Two weeks before we were to fly to Dublin, the company notified us it had canceled the trip.

My first reaction was, well, that shoots down our vacation. The Internet was just becoming part of everyday life then, and before abandoning ship, I thought I'd give it a try on the chance it could salvage our trip. I typed "cycling Ireland" in my browser. Up came the name of a family in Killarney, County Kerry, whose business was putting together customized bike tours on the Dingle Peninsula for individuals and groups. The O'Callahans' price was about a third of what we'd have paid the company that canceled.

Sandy and I signed up and e-mailed some friends in the States, asking if they wanted to join us. Fifteen did. Thus was born what is now an annual tradition: Every June I find a local tour operator in a foreign country who will organize and customize a bicycle trip for 15 or 20 friends. Our costs generally undercut what the international touring companies charge for the same trip by half or more, and we aren't denied any of the comforts or amenities of the pricier itineraries.

So that explains why, as I write these opening paragraphs, I'm sitting with friends on the deck of an 11-cabin boat built in Rotterdam 84 years ago. We are docked on the small island of Albarella, Italy, awaiting a dinner of mussels, clams, and sea bass the cook just purchased in the fish market. The skies have cleared and a warm breeze wafts across the harbor. We are midway through a 125-mile bike ride from Venice to Mantua. I paid $26,000 to charter the Vita-Pugna ("Life Is a Struggle") for the week, which, split among 20 people, comes to $1,300 each - pretty reasonable for a "hotel," three meals a day, bicycle rentals, and a guide who bikes with us.

Air Charter News » Blog Archiv » Private Jet Charter To Austria

If you are from the UK and like “Ski Sunday” on TV you should be well aware of Austria as a skiing destination. Austria is located in between German, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Hungary.

This country offers some of the most spectacular scenery in Europe. Most of Austria is covered in mountainous forest, 32% of which is below 500 meters. For those interested in history and culture the choices can leave you a bit bewildered.

Top Vienna attractions

Schönbrunn Palace is the most visited tourist attraction of Austria. Its unique style of imperial Baroque painted in the archetypical Hapsburg light yellow makes it the undisputed number one. Schönbrunn is a huge complex of various additional buildings (such as the Gloriette or the Palm house) in a landscaped garden complete with a labyrinth. Schönbrunn was the summer residence of the Hapsburg family and the birthplace of Emperor Franz Josef (born 1830). Attached to Schönbrunn is one of the world’s oldest and largest zoo which has been modernized recently according to the highest standards.

The Fortress Hohensalzburg is the dominant landmark of Salzburg, the city of Mozart. Towering above the old city this castle dates back as early as to the twelfth century. Continuously revamped and fortified it grew to one of the mightiest castles in Central Europe ensuring the power of the Roman-Catholic Archbishops who ruled Salzburg until the late eighteenth century.

The Grossglockner High Alpine Road connects the two provincial states Salzburg and Carinthia over the high mountain passes just in the vicinity of the Grossglockner, Austria’s highest mountain (3798m). The road is mainly for sightseeing travel and is closed during winter (October – May).

The Basilica Mariazell is located a two hour car-ride in the South-West of Vienna. Probably not that prominent at an international level it is an important pilgrim location for Roman-Catholics. Pope Johannes Paul II (in 1983) and Pope Benedict XVI (2007) visited Mariazell during their official tour of Austria.

The Giant Ferris Wheel is a prominent Viennese landmark in the Prater, an old traditional amusement park just between the Danube and the inner city. The Giant Ferris Wheel was built in 1896/1897 and recently revamped. The Giant Ferris Wheel gained international prominence while featuring in “The Third Man” (1947, with Orson Wells), a film playing in the desperate post-war years of Vienna. Riding the Giant Ferris Wheel gives an amazing overview of the Viennese City, especially to the old city area around St. Stephen’ Cathedral.

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