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Good night Vienna

16th May 2026 funtime65

It promises to be a good night Vienna with Eurovision but we’re going high-brow here with Andrea Bocelli and our old pals at Institute for Culture Travel.

With the Italian tenor the centrepiece of a four-nighter tour of the grand old Austrian capital.

Where you’ll take in grand palaces, historic streets, manicured public gardens and charming street cafes.

It’s fitting that Vienna is hosting Eurovision, in spite of all its chintz.

As there are few cities with quite the classical heritage as the Austrian gem.

With Schubert, Strauss, Schoenberg and Berg all born here.

And Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Brahms and Mahler choosing Vienna as their home.

Time to say hi, hi

Rock me Amadeus: With Mozart in Salzburg

Bocelli’s turn on August 22 is part of his Romanza 30th Anniversary World Tour.

Bocelli will be accompanied by a full orchestra and choir, delivering an evening of beloved classics.

Especially selections from Romanza, the album that launched his global career with hits like Con te partiro and Time to Say Goodbye.

All in a grand open-air setting filled with emotion and musical excellence.

Your Discover Imperial Vienna & Andrea Bocelli in Concert tour comes in at from €1369pps with a booking deposit of €650pp.

Tour de force

ICT will ensure you’ll have to do nothing but sing your little hearts out with a package including:

Return flights from Dublin
Three nights’ accommodation at the 4★ Austria Trend Parkhotel Schönbrunn, including daily breakfast
Welcome drink at your hotel
Evening dinner on day one
Guided panoramic coach tour of Vienna, showcasing the city’s grand architecture and historic highlights
Visit to the Johann Strauss House, celebrating the life and music of the legendary “Waltz King”
Traditional Viennese café experience, immersing you in the city’s celebrated coffeehouse culture
Visit the Hofburg Palace and Sisi Apartments
Three-course pre-concert dinner at a carefully selected local restaurant
Evening concert performance by Andrea Bocelli, an unforgettable night of music
Coach transportation and professional guide services for all transfers and excursions

Austria, Countries, Deals, Europe, Skiing

They start them young in Söll

28th November 202528th November 2025 funtime65

They start them young in Söll in Austria which is why Junior is zipping by you as you snow plough down the run.

Junior, of course, has been waiting since April to get back out on the mountains.

And this weekend is when he/she and you get to strap on your ski boots again.

And if you feel deflated by them lapping you on the slopes there is the consolation that it’s not costing you.

Because the start of the ski season, sees kiddies go free.

In the Wilder Kaiser region, which includes our favourite, Soll, and Hopfgarten, Brixen, Scheffau and Ellmau.

Kiddies and big kiddies

It’s definitely child’s play in Söll this winter.

With the Hexenwiese Beginners and Family area at the Söll Valley Station offering exciting new attractions.

Including a Magic Carpet for Beginners, a Bewitched Lock, magical sounds from the Witches of Söll, and a tubing slide.

Now, us big kiddies don’t get left behind though with our hosts offering special rates.

It always helps when you’ve got an insider and ‘Austrian’ Aileen has done all the heavy lifting for us here.

To bring us up to date with what’s been happening around the Ski Welt since last we visited.

Kaiser Wilder things

And a sample range of accommodations when you book your five-night stay through Wilder Kaiser for January 10-15.

4 Star Hotel Feldwebel – 5 nights for 2 sharing – from €1,305 including full breakfast.
4 Star Hotel Alpenschlössl – 5 nights for 2 sharing – from €1,085 half board plus skiers afternoon snack.
4 Star Hotel Berghof – 5 nights for 2 sharing – from €1,135 half board.
Appartement Unterbering – 5 nights for 2 sharing – from €760 room only.
Haus Niederacher – 5 nights for 2 sharing – from €465 room only.

And seeing that Aileen flies the flag on Austria for the Irish market, she rightly bigs up the 30 direct flights per week from Ireland, including Aer Lingus.

Get there how you can

The Wilder Kaiser is just one and a half hours from Munich.

Winter season access is also available from Salzburg and Innsbruck.

With charter flights from operators including Crystal Ski, Topflight, and DirectSki.com.

There are access flights from Dublin, Cork and Belfast for Austria.

And, of course, check out their Black Friday deals.

Countries, Deals, Europe

How to be the life and Soll of a skiing trip

20th November 202520th November 2025 funtime65

And this one’s for Daughterie and her partner Cakes as she takes her first steps on the snows of a nursery slope… how to be the life and Soll of a skiing trip.

Because the Austrian user-friendly skiing resort was where we, the Scary One and myself, tested whether we were suited for the mountains.

The answer to which is ja, but only through patience and the reviving powers of shots and schnapps.

Which I should have tried with my University sweetheart in Aberdeen.

Now as Daughterie and Cakes (and as an ex-ice hockey player, I put him down as a black runner) scope out trips for their first skiing holiday.

I’m gently directing them to Irish providers Directski.com.

And the Black Friday deals which run until December 2.

Live life to the Max

Reach for the heights: The Austrian Alps

With a tag line of ‘founded on the belief that skiing shouldn’t be reserved for the loaded or Lycra-clad’ Directski.com sounds just right for my party people.

Directski.com offers flights, accommodation transfers and a friendly rep in resort, all bundled in in a week of snowy fun.

Of the destinations they’re flagging up is our old stomping ground of Soll.

Where you’ll stay at the Pension, or Hotel, Maximilian on January 31.

With a bumper reduction, from €948, down to €699, which is a saving of €249 per person.

Of course, proximity is key with any accommodation, then this billet will suit you down to the Max.

It’s just a three-minute walk to the ski bus stop, with easy access to the slopes.

Andorra’s box

Alternatively, Andorra is often mooted as the ideal destination to learn how to ski plough.

And, of course, visitors from Ireland need no education in apres-ski.

Now Directski.com are all over the tiny Pyrenees country between France and Spain.

Arinsal is the pick of the bunch with Directski.com pointing us in the direction of the Hotel St Gothard for a week from March 8.

Where they’re offering a ski couple getaway to knock your ski socks off.

Pitched at €679, down from €903, which, and we’ll do the math for you, is a saving of €224pp.

Countries, Europe, Skiing, Sport

The Austrian Alps and a new big-skiing experience

7th October 20257th October 2025 funtime65

Frankly you’d never come down from the mountains these days and the Austrian Alps and a new big-skiing experience.

Because skiers who count raves in the slopes as highly as black, red and blue runs now have an extra leisure option.

Among the numerous new attractions in our old stomping ground of Wilder Kaiser and SkiWelt Söll.

All tailored for families.

With the Hexenwiese adventure play area at the bottom lift station now expanded.

To include an additional conveyor-belt lift and a tubing slide with the highlight a new sound installation.

All to allow Mum and Dad to relax in the newly designed, elevated sun terrace.

Flicks on the slopes

And because you can refuel at any one of the restaurant stations you really can spend the whole day on the slopes.

And even take in a movie now on the Keatabfahrt slope (ski piste number 43).

It’s Austria’s first ski-in cinema – open from Monday to Thursday.

And including popcorn and drinks.

So which ski-related movies would you switch on.

Double Oh heaven

For many of us we were first turned on to skiing seeing James Bond dropping from the skies and scooting around the peaks.

And even more impressive that he was able to make his cliff jump on Mount Asgard on Baffin Island in Canada.

And then have his high-speed ski chase in St Moritz in Switzerland.

For those who prefer a romcom (guilty!) then Chalet Girl is the quintessential boy meets girl love story in the mountains.

And I’m passing over my own slip-slidin’ missteps here with a then-girlfriend in Aviemore in Scotland here.

Chalet Girl showcases the ski resort of St Anton in Austria with some exterior shots in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Where Winter Olympic history is all around you and you can immerse yourself in it with your own selfie.

Have-a-go heroes

The greatest have-a-go hero story on the slopes is, of course, that of Eddie the Eagle.

Again highlighting the famous Garmisch ski jump.

There is definitely something about winter sports that brings out the dreamer in all of us.

And though it’s not skiing it is definitely the Jamaican bobsleigh team whose odyssey was celebrated in Cool Runnings is in our wheelhouse.

Which allows us to flag up the Caribbean (any excuse) and Calgary in Canada.

Licked it

If truth be told though we’ve probably got more in common on the slopes with Harry and Lloyd.

Although the hapless skiers in Dumb and Dumber were actually larking around in Main Street, Breckenridge in central Colorado.

Rather than Aspen.

But they did lick it.

Not that you have to resort to winter sport films, as we imagine that you’ll get your pick of the flicks on your Söll slopes… but just saying.