Vienna at your fingertips

VISITORS to Vienna can now gain access to more than 60 of the city's most popular attractions, tours and museums directly via their smartphones with the newly launched mobile version of the popular #Vienna PASS sightseeing card (www.viennapass.com).

The mobile Vienna PASS places the best of the city at the visitor's fingertips and makes it possible to use the pass within seconds of purchase. An email booking confirmation contains a link to the free Vienna Guide app for iOS or Android devices, which acts as a platform to download the mobile pass. The Vienna PASS customer then simply scans the app's barcode straight from their smartphone to gain entry at a featured attraction.

The app also acts as a digital guidebook, containing full details on all Vienna PASS attractions as well as maps of the city and essential tourist information. Once downloaded, all of the app content including the mobile Vienna PASS is available without an internet connection.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

A birds eye view

THE Vienna Tourist Board sent eagles up into the skies to capture footage of the city from above. Now online, travel fans can watch it using VR goggles and experience the capital in 360° just as the eagles caught it on camera. In the first half of 2018 Vienna established a new record of 7,223,000 visitor bednights.

Fritzi, Bruno, Darshan and Victor took to the skies on behalf of the Vienna Tourist Board, taking off from the top of the Danube Tower and a hot air balloon launched from the grounds of Palais Schwarzenberg. They were kitted out with 360° cameras and 16:9 format cameras on their backs. The eagles circled above the city capturing bird's-eye views in stunning 4k resolution supported by the production company Red Bull Media House, who were brought on board to give the Vienna Tourist Board campaign wings.



Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

On the runway

LAST month saw London Gatwick experience the busiest May in its history, as 4.1 million passengers travelled through the airport.

In the same month that Qatar Airways launched a new service from Gatwick to Doha, the airport’s 65 other long-haul routes continued to soar, services to Asia performed strongly, with Hong Kong particularly popular, +39% on last year.

Gatwick’s connections to the United States, +42.8% for the month, drove the airport’s busiest-ever May. The USA’s most iconic cities were among the most popular long-haul destinations during the month, East Coast favourites Boston and New York and Los Angeles.

Bucharest, Pula and Vienna, respectively, were among the most popular European destinations.  Elsewhere, domestic routes to Newquay and the Isle of Man were up 18.6% and 8.7% respectively, while Guernsey saw a 5.8% rise on May last year.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Out and About in Austria

AUSTRIANS love to throw a festival, a parade, anything to have a ball - there’s even a season for balls! Every month of the year is rich with wonderful events. Concerts and arts festivals take world-class to a new stage, whether floating on a picturesque lake or ringing out from the mountain top. Here are just a few of the amazing events you can join in on.

New Year’s Concert (Vienna), 1st January. The Vienna Philharmonic performs a selection of lively yet profound masterworks from the Strausses and their contemporaries. Broadcast from the Musikverein’s magnificent Golden Hall, this musical New Year’s greeting goes out to more than 90 countries and an estimated 50-million television viewers around the world. www.wienerphilharmoniker.at

Hahnenkamm World Cup Ski Race, Kitzbühel (Tirol), mid-January. It’s no secret that Austria is legendary for skiing, and this is one of the top races on the World Cup ski circuit. www.hahnenkamm.com

Ice World / Eistraum, City Hall (Vienna), starting late January. For several weeks from late January to late March, the plaza in front of Vienna's colorfully illuminated City Hall is transformed into a huge ice rink for everyone to enjoy. www.wienereistraum.com 

Mozart Week (Salzburg), late January. Salzburg's most famous son, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, gets a full week of stellar classical music events, timed to coincide with his birthday on the 27th January. www.salzburg.info

Carnival / Fasching, Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. On Fasching Tuesday, many people throughout Austria wear colorful costumes as they go about their daily business. Children play dress-up and teenagers or adults go to fancy dress parties. In small communities, there are parades and processions. In Tirol, the processions marking “Fasnacht” (the Shrovetide carnival) are such wild celebrations that these traditional events are only staged every 3, 4 or even 5 years. www.austria.info

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk
All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Vienna excels for the eighth year in a row

ONCE again in 2017 – and for the eighth year in a row – a comparison of cities worldwide confirmed what millions of visitors to the city discover each year: #Vienna excels in every respect.

Each year, international consultants Mercer conduct a quality of life survey in 230 major cities worldwide. In 2017 Vienna claimed top marks once again, with the Austrian capital taking the title of the world’s most liveable city for the eighth year in a row.

The study looks at a range of factors including the political, social and economic environment, medical services, education, and infrastructure facilities including public transportation and power and water utilities. Leisure facilities such as restaurants, theatres, and cinemas, sports facilities, availability of consumer goods ranging from food to automobiles and environmental factors including green space and air quality are all taken into consideration.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Austrian Airlines Flies to the Seychelles

AUSTRIAN Airlines will initiate flight service to the #Seychelles starting with its winter 2017/18 flight schedule. 

From October 25, 2017, it will fly non-stop every Wednesday from Vienna to the vacation island in the Indian Ocean, returning to Vienna on Thursdays.

“Demand for direct flights to long-haul tourist destinations is high. We responded: In addition to Mauritius, Colombo and Havana, the Seychelles represent our fourth new destination within a period of only two years”, says Austrian Airlines CCO Andreas Otto.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: 97760755@N08/25901110864 Seychelles: i miei 8 giorni in paradiso per ritrovare la pace dei sensi via photopin.com

Up in the air . . .

FLYBE is reported to have sought permission to operate regular commercial flights from RAF Northolt, the West London airfield usually reserved for government and military flights, and executive jets. The regional carrier has applied to Britain’s Ministry of Defence for clearance to fly twice a day to five cities.

EASYJET is stepping up services from Scotland next year by adding an eighth aircraft to its base at Edinburgh airport. New routes to Vienna and Venice will operate from the Scottish capital while Glasgow will gain a connection to Marseille.

BRISTOL is to become WOW Air's second UK departure point for flights to Iceland and North America. Tickets for flights beginning in May are now on sale from £39 to Reykjavik, Iceland, and £99 to the USA and Canada. Flights will depart Bristol Airport for the airline's hub in Reykjavik on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Passengers travelling through will then have a short stop-over before continuing on to one of the airline's North American destinations – Boston, Washington D.C., Montreal, Toronto, Los Angeles, or San Francisco.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Austrian Airlines starts Miami flights

AUSTRIAN AIRLINES has launched a five-times weekly non-stop service from #Vienna to #Miami, Florida.

‘The addition of Miami shows that we are significantly expanding our service to North America, and now offer a total of 27 weekly flights to six destinations in the US and Canada in our winter flight schedule,’ said Austrian Airlines chief commercial officer Andreas Otto. ‘We expect about 50,000 additional passengers to North America this year.’

In addition to Miami, the airline offers four flights a week each to New York JFK and Newark, five flights weekly to Washington DC, up to five weekly flights to Chicago, and four to Toronto. 


Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Yours, for just £14,470 a night!

IT’S said to be largest hotel suite in #Austria, but is it also the planet’s most expensive? 

The Royal Penthouse suite at the Park Hyatt in Vienna comprises two storeys connected by an onyx stairway, four roof terraces, living and dining areas, three kitchens, four bathrooms, a gym, a family room, an office, and two bedrooms (with the possible addition of two more). It can accommodate between seven and ten people.

Park Hyatt Vienna’s director-general, Monique Dekker says: ‘The largest suite in Austria, with its unique views of Vienna and breathtaking interior, is available as an accommodation option for local and international guests, and promises to turn any stay into an unforgettable experience.’

But the bill – for most folks – will be memorable, too. Nightly rates for the suite start from … wait for it … €19,800, which in English dosh is £14,470, give or take a penny or two. But that does include breakfast and VAT!

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: Park Hyett Vienna

Austrian Airlines launches Manchester-Vienna route

AUSTRIAN AIRLINES has launched its daily service between Manchester and #Vienna, becoming the first airline to do so.  

Welcoming the first passengers at Manchester Airport, Mr Christian Schindler, Lufthansa Group’s regional director for the UK, Ireland & Iceland said: ‘This service has been added to our schedule to meet the demand of our passengers. Over the last few years, Vienna became the number one onward connection destination for Lufthansa passengers departing from Manchester, so it was logical for us to offer direct flights.

‘This not only reduces the travelling time for the passengers but will also increase the number of seats available for other passengers wanting to access the Lufthansa network through or hubs at Frankfurt and Munich.’

Return fares, including taxes and charges, for the new service start at £160 (Light), £175 (Classic) and £215 (Flex), with return business fares from £550.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: Wien Strassencafe by © Túrelio (via Wikimedia-Commons) /. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons

A world on the move …

IRELAND’S Central Statistics Office reports that almost 3.9 million foreign tourists visited the republic in the first half of 2015, up by 11.7% on the same period last year. 

More than 1.6 million of them were from the UK, up by 9.4%, while numbers from the US and Canada rose by 15%.

VIENNA registered 6.3 million visitor overnights between January and June 2015 – 5.4 per cent more than for the same period in previous year and an all-time record. 

Vienna’s top markets in the half-year included Germany, the US, Italy, and the UK.

ST. LUCIA has seen a surge in holiday bookings, says the Expedia Group. Overall, demand increased by more than 20% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2015.

GERMANY recorded 27.1 million overnight stays by foreign visitors between January and May this year, a 4.1% increase on the same period last year. Tourists from the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Great Britain accounted for almost half of the increase.

GUERNSEY reports strong Q2 results, with the total number of staying visitors up 6.2% year-on-year. Total overnight stays were up 10.7% and the average length of stay increased by 4.3%. This follows healthy visitor numbers in Q1, which saw a 7.3% increase. From January to June, there was an overall increase of 6.5% – to 102,000 – in the number of staying visitors.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/54238124@N00/1413904048">Lough Leane, Killarney National Park, Kerry, Ireland</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license), http://www.flickr.com/photos/33174580@N00/7337171826">Smugglers Cove</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">(license), http://www.flickr.com/photos/8851994@N05/3488379497">Vienna at Night</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)

easyJet adds Vienna & Basel to Bristol schedules

FLIGHTS from Bristol to #Vienna and #Basel are to be started by easyJet in November, taking the number of destinations served by #easyJet from Bristol to 55.

With prices starting from £23.49 one-way, Bristol to Basel in Switzerland will be a year-round service flying four times a week. Bristol to the Austrian capital will be a year-round, twice-weekly service with prices starting from £23.99 

one-way.

Ali Gayward, easyJet’s UK Commercial manager, said: ‘These two destinations are a fantastic addition to our offering from Bristol Airport and further highlight our commitment to serving the South West.’

Shaun Browne, Aviation Director, Bristol Airport, commented: ‘The addition of Vienna links Bristol to yet another capital city, taking the total number of European capitals served by us to 16.’

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: Parlament Vienna Austria by Jebulon - Own work. Licensed under CC0 via Wikimedia Commons 

Up in the air . . .

AUSTRIAN AIRLINES will join the other carriers of the Lufthansa Group at Manchester with the start of a daily service to Vienna on September 10.

Return fares will be from £169. 

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/42819205@N05/17323892735">Austrian Airlines, OE-LBQ Airbus A320</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">(license)

Austrian Airlines signs up with Vienna Card

AUSTRIAN AIRLINES has launched its partnership with the Vienna Card, the city’s official card for guests offered by the Vienna Tourist Board.

The card enables passengers with economy class tickets to get a ten percent discount at the business class lounge at Vienna Airport on the day of departure. Passengers can purchase the card online after their booking at austrian.com.

The Vienna Card offers 210 discounts at museums, tourist attractions, theatres and concerts, shopping, coffee houses, restaurants, and wine bars.

Visitors can purchase the card at hotels and at tourist information centres.

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: www.vienna.info

Travel facts............

VIENNA’S central cemetery – Zentralfriedhof – is the second largest cemetery in Europe covering 593 acres. Twice as many people - 3.3 million - are buried here than live in the city. 

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk