It was Monday again, which as usual means travel news here at FREEDOMtravel. You can tell that we are slowly moving towards winter, as several of this week's news items are about skiing or lighting in the winter darkness. Stay tuned!
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New charter destination from Örebro this winter
This winter, it will be possible to select even more destinations directly from the Örebro. TUI is launching charter flights to the popular Canary Island of Tenerife. Direct flights between Örebro Airport and Tenerife South (TFS) depart on 5 December, 23 January, 18 February (sports holidays) and 19 March. The journey time is approximately 6 hours. In addition to Tenerife, TUI also offers travel from Örebro to Gran Canaria this winter.
Shorter trips but increased bookings
When Swedes started travelling again, after several years of travel restrictions, the average length of a trip has been shortened by two days compared to 2019, according to new data from Ticket. The average trip now lasts 9.4 days compared to 11.5 days in 2019. The exception is Gran Canaria, where travellers want to stay as long as before. While trip lengths decreased, bookings increased by 9.6 per cent in summer 2023 compared to 2019. The five most popular destinations and their average trip length in 2023:
- Malaga - 7.3 days
- Gran Canaria - 10.2 days
- Alicante - 7.8 days
- Mallorca - 6.6 days
- Copenhagen - 3.6 days
SJ has released its winter and spring tickets
The demand for train journeys over Christmas and New Year is high and as of last week SJ's journeys are on sale. Last year the announcements from the Swedish Transport Administration were very late, but this year SJ has received all the information and planning needed according to the agreed timetable, which means that tickets for the period 10 December - 8 April have been released as planned.
World Pasta Day is almost here
World Pasta Day is celebrated on 25 October, and what better way to celebrate this day than to experience its birthplace? According to Hotels.com, the number of reviews containing the word 'pasta' has increased globally by 10 per cent this year compared to the previous year. To whet your appetite and inspire your wanderlust, Hotels.com has compiled a list of hotels in Italy where you can not only have the best pasta experience, but also make your own:
- I Portici, Bologna
- Masseria Palombara, Oria
- Grand Hotel et de Milan, Milano
- W Rome, Rome
- Pensione Bencista, Florence
Austria ready for the winter season
With innovative enhancements and exciting new facilities in place, the ski resorts of Europe are investing in Austria to make winter holidays an even better experience. Here are some of the latest innovations:
- Arlberg starts the season with a new 8-person gondola lift in Stuben.
- Zillertal has a new 10-person gondola lift and a 2-person chairlift.
- Kitzbühel welcomes skiers with two new 6-person chairlifts.
- Kühtainear Innsbruck, has a new family-friendly toboggan run (over 1,300 metres).
- St Johann in Tirol can now offer "Dynafit Ski Touring Park".
Orsa Grönklitt opens its cross-country trails already on 28 October.
Orsa Grönklitt is proud to announce that the cross-country ski trails will open for the season as early as 28 October. For the premiere, Orsa Grönklitt will start laying the snow on the artificial snow track, about 1 km, and then continue to lay the snow as far as it goes. A total of about 3 km of trails are expected for the opening on 28 October. The tracks will be full machine width, allowing for both skate and classic style skiing.
Soon the premiere of the Winter Lights promenade.
The new and unique Winter Lights concept is now being premiered at the Skansen in Stockholm. Visitors can experience a spectacular walkway of magical light and sound. The visually stunning 1.5 km long walk will open on 27 October. For this purpose, Skansen is extending its opening hours until 22:00 (not the whole of Skansen, just the light walk and the shops). The Christmas market, held every Advent weekend, usually closes at 16:00, but during Winter Lights it is open until 18:00.
Reflection of the week
It's interesting that journeys have become shorter... Could it be because you don't have much time, but still prioritise getting away? What do you think? "Winter Lights" sounds nice by the way. We plan to go to the press screening and will report back on our experiences!
Did you miss the last travel news? Read the Air travel etiquette and how we will camp in the future
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AverAber says:
Winter lights. YES, I understand that they want to attract tourists, but still. Winter lights is such a beautiful word! Could perhaps be called both? Experience that it becomes more and more English in Stockholm e.g. Museum of Wrecks, hey hey wreck museum.
23 October 2023 - 16:36