QThis winter my husband and I are determined to take advantage of lower trans-Atlantic airfares and spend a week skiing in the Alps. I’m looking for a quaint, picturesque ski village without high-rises. My husband wants gung-ho skiing. Where can we both be satisfied?
— S.S., Alexandria
AI suggest St. Anton am Arlberg in Austria. A village of about 2,500 people, it has, I’m told, retained the Old World charm that drew me back for three successive ski vacations before Europe got so expensive. Despite its small size, it generally is credited with being the birthplace of Austrian skiing and still rates as one of the top ski destinations in Europe. Details: www.stantonamarlberg.com.
Zermatt in Switzerland has experienced mushrooming growth, but it remains an appealing village — even more so because automobiles are not permitted on its narrow, winding streets.
Considerably smaller, Wengen in the Jungfrau region is as quaint as they get in the Alps. Both Zermatt and Wengen offer first-class skiing. Wengen is famous on the international race circuit. Details: 877-794-8037, www.myswitzerland.com.
QAre you aware of any tours that would help me learn more about the Native Americans of the Southwest? I drove through the Navajo Nation in Arizona last year, and I decided I wanted to come back with a guide who could provide a better understanding of what I was seeing.
— L.L., Annapolis
AThe Southwest Indian Foundation, which markets the crafts of Southwestern tribes, has been co-sponsoring tours of the Four Corners area of the Southwest for eight years. Its promotional literature promises a chance to spend time face to face with Pueblo, Hopi and Navajo people. Four nine-day bus tours are scheduled in 2007, visiting Santa Fe, Laguna Pueblo, Acoma Pueblo’s Sky City, the Grand Canyon, Old Oraibi on the Hopi Reservation and Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelly and Window Rock on the Navajo Nation.
Tours begin and end in Albuquerque and are scheduled for May 17 to 25, June 14 to 22, Sept. 20 to 28 and Oct. 11 to 19. The price is $2,190 per person (double) or $2,799 (single). The rate includes nine lodging nights, all breakfasts, six lunches and two dinners.
Details: 928-871-4455 between 9 a.m. and noon MST. Fax 928-871-4096. Or write Sr. Loyola Edelen, St. Michael Indian School, P.O. Box 650, Lupton Road, St. Michaels, AZ 86511-0650.
QMy sister and I, both in our 20s, have decided this is the year we are going to take a cruise. How do we find the right cruise for us? — J.S., Washington
AFirst you decide what kind of trip interests you. At your age, you probably are looking for a ship that attracts other young travelers and offers a lively night life: Dancing, shows, a casino, group games by the pool. If this is so, the big Carnival ships would be just what you are looking for. Beware, the average age on some non-Carnival ships hovers around 70 — presumably not for you.
Of course, the ports of call are important, too. Do you want to visit ports where shopping is primary (for example, St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands) or are you looking for less-spoiled destinations where swimming, snorkeling and other water sports are easily available? Each ship is different, and you want the one that matches your interests and personality. I suggest talking to a travel agent with cruise expertise who can detail all the options.
E-mail travel questions to [email protected]. Include name and city of residence.
