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Edinburgh Military Tattoo

Saturday, July 09, 2011

The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is a series of military drum performances done by International and Commonwealth military bands, as well as the British Armed Forces. It is performed annually in Edinburgh, Scotland. It takes place through the month of August during the Edinburgh Festival.

The first tattoo, called “Something About A Soldier” was performed at the Ross Bandstand in Edinburgh in 1949. The first official Military Tattoo, however, started in 1950 with only eight items in the program. It was done at the Edinburgh Castle, and brought nearly 6,000 people in to watch. In 1952, the stands were upgraded to allow an audience of to 7,700. This allowed up to 160,000 people to view the live performances each year.

Presently, on average, over 217,000 people come to see the Tattoo live yearly on the esplanade of the castle. For the last decade, the tickets have sold out in advance. The Tattoo performs every night of the week, and twice on Saturday all through August, and to this day has never been cancelled due to weather. There aren’t any performances on Sundays. Every performance has Pyrotechnics, but the second Saturday showing includes a fireworks display. 100 million people watch the performance every year on television, and it is broadcast in 30 different countries.

Many different groups have performed at the Tattoo over the years, including African tribes and international military regiments. The Band of the Royal Netherlands Grenadiers were the first regiment outside the UK to take part in 1952. A ‘lead’ service performs each year, alternating between the Royal Air Force, the Royal Navy, the British Army, and the Royal Marines.

The Tattoo also performs in order to generate money to donate to charities. Over the years, they have given over €5 million to numerous charities. Charities that the Tattoo support includes any that help people with disabilities, homelessness, poverty, and unemployment. Some of the charities that benefit from the help of the Tattoo include the RAF Benevolent Fund, the Army Benevolent Fund, and Seafarers UK. The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, is the official patron of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

This year, the Tattoo will be performing from August 5th to August 27th. On Friday, August 5th, the performance will begin at 8:30 pm. Otherwise, the performances will take place Monday through Friday at 9:00 pm. Saturday performances will be at 7:30 pm for the first, and 10:30 pm for the second. There are four different ways to book tickets to attend the Tattoo: postal bookings, over the counter, Internet bookings, and over the telephone. For telephone and Internet reservations, there will be a €4.00 fee for each transaction completed. Internet and telephone reservations will not be accepted on the day of the performance. Depending on the seating you want, ticket prices range from €25 to €55. An extra €3.00 will be added for the Saturday 10:30 pm performance due to the fireworks display.

Why not book your Europe tour for 2012 that includes the Edinburgh Military Tattoo and take advantage of early booking deals where you save 10%?

Globus Tours 2012 Trafalgar Tours 2012 Insight tours 2012

Insight Gold...New for 2011

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Insight Gold is an exclusive collection of deluxe escorted tours, each celebrating the fine art of luxury travel, genuine local experiences and great service.

Our Iconic Hotel Collection exudes elegance and style, featuring luxury hotels throughout. You'll enjoy Manor houses, Relais & Châteaux and unique or culturally typical hotels when visiting smaller and picturesque towns. Many properties are members of Leading Hotels of the World or other internationally recognized upmarket or specialised hotel associations.

Insight Gold has more leisurely itineraries than other deluxe tours. We feature relaxed stays in the best locations in the most sought-after towns, cities and scenic areas. In each destination you will enjoy plenty of free time for personal exploration and individual activities.

You'll delight in our delicious & authentic dining. Savour four course and full buffet hotel dining, a-la-carte menus in gourmet and smaller local restaurants and full cooked breakfasts. You'll never be issued with dining vouchers or color-coded menu restrictions!

Insight Gold has a more personalised service, with smaller group sizes, less waiting, no crowding and more individual attention from the finest Tour Directors in the business. Our Tour Directors are caring, seasoned professionals each of whom has a love of travel and a vast knowledge of each destination. They'll take care of all the hassles, dealing on your behalf with the labyrinth of languages, customs and currencies. He or she will act as your 'Personal Concierge', so you'lll feel like a local as they introduce you to people and places, assist with private dining or theatre reservations, and personalized free-time activities, excursions, transport and services.

We take care of everything. You'll never have to carry luggage nor worry about hotel & dining gratuities or entrances fees & taxes (tour director & driver gratuities are at your discretion).

Insight Gold includes valuable 'Premium Highlight' sightseeing worth hundreds of dollars – in fact, every feature on each itinerary is included. Unique insights include a private tour of the Sistine Chapel, a cruise and speciality seafood lunch in Venice, a vineyard tour and wine sampling with aperitif pairing and other 'must-see' and 'must-do' excursions such as private tours, VIP entrances, preferred seating, door to door service, guest lectures with experts, and guided tours with historians & local guides – all as specified in our tour features.

What's more, we'll surprise and delight you with Insight's on-tour 'flourishes' such as Welcome Drinks, Club Bon Voyage Gift & Drinks for repeat travellers, on-coach Insight Tote Bags and umbrellas and revitalizing 'Pick-Me Up' and a 'Taste of Europe' delicacies during your journey. We'll even present you with a group photo from a scenic spot on tour!

See Europe :: Travel Safely and In Style, Escorted Tours

Thursday, January 06, 2011

What a Stress Free, Hassle Free way to travel to Europe?

Leave all of the travel details to a tour operator. They provide you with comfortable transportation, several meals, a rich sightseeing program and much more.

Traveling can be stressful, especially if you are traveling to a country where English is not their first language. Something amazing happens when you feel comfortable. Your senses have the luxury to stray from the detail and worry, finding in their place anticipation and wonder. You'll feel comfortable staying in first class hotels located in clean, safe areas.

Save time and money. Spending hours in line to get into major attractions such as the Louvre or Vatican Museums can take all day. Groups have a separate entrance, and get to go in with little or no wait so that you have more time to enjoy the sites, and more free time in the city.

Nothing introduces you to the true flavors of your destination like fine local cuisine. Included three course dinners are carefully planned to avoid the repetition of entrees. From the tapas bars of Spain to the vineyards of Italy and France, the tour operator will include on your trip optional specialty dinners and plenty of free time to venture out on your own. For the evenings when dinners are not included, your tour director will have a number of suggestions for favorite nearby restaurants. After all, one of the best ways to learn about a foreign culture is to eat like the local do!

The tour buses are air conditioned are are equipped with emergency washrooms. The bus normally accommodates 53 seats, but they install fewer seats (44) for extra leg room.

If buses are not for you, tour operators have many other options including city stays, rail packages and river cruises through Europe.

There are hundreds of tour operators you can choose from, however some have been in the business for over 50 years and have proven over time that they offer consumers the best value and service. Check with a travel agent if you need assistance finding a reputable operator.

Here is our network of Europe travel destination sites:

We also have specialty European Tour Operators sites:

Europe Cruise vs. Europe Tour

Friday, October 29, 2010

Many clients come to us asking for advice on whether to take a Europe cruise or a land tour. Many people feel a cruise is the better choice. The answer, at the risk of being evasive is yes and no. It's like comparing apples and oranges, and although both taste great, they are quite different.

A rather simplistic answer could be that you won’t really see Europe on a cruise ship. You’ll see piers and ports which are usually industrial areas that you will want to hurry through to catch the tour bus that will take you on a tour of the region for a few hours. So you’re back to the land tour option, and a brief one at that. For example, a cruise of the Mediterranean stops in Rome, well that’s not true. The port of Rome is really the city of Civitavecchia, which is 50 miles from Rome and takes about one and a half to two hours by bus. So, if your ship is in port for 12 hours you will be spending almost a third of your precious time ashore traveling to and from the ship. You will have time to see a few, (very few if you are traveling in the summer months,) of the sights and perhaps enjoy an espresso or gelato before your bus ride back to the port. Another popular port of call is Barcelona, where you are usually in port for 6 to 8 hours. The port is close to the city, but it is not nearly enough time to see and taste what this wonderful city has to offer. Other cruises, begin in Barcelona, but include no time to enjoy the city - you arrive into the airport and transfer straight to the ship. Another popular cruise port is St. Petersburg, Russia. Most ships stay around 12 hours, which only gives you time for a run-through of the Hermitage, a glimpse of Peter-Paul Fortress, a blini and then back to the ship.

Shore excursions on cruises can also be quite expensive. To spend the day in Rome could easily cost $150 to $200 USD pp. If you are taking a cruise that has several ports of call, you could be talking about spending as much on your sightseeing tours as you did on your cabin.

Now don’t misunderstand me, I love cruising! The leisurely dining, great entertainment, breakfast on the balcony, cocktails at sunset, unlimited ship-board activities, unpack once for the entire trip and sleeping in the same bed every night are all wonderful, but not, in my opinion, a way to really get the flavor and see a country. Cruises also offer a wonderful advantage to families by having programs to keep the children occupied on sea days versus trying to entertain them on a bus.

On the other hand, land tours are not the total panacea. There’s that suitcase to pack and unpack every few days and a different hotel. Depending on the itinerary, you would experience long bus or train rides between your highlighted cities. The plus side is that there will be much more time for sightseeing. and if you plan properly and in advance, free time to visit areas on your own, unhurried and in depth. A ten day tour of Italy for example, will typically visit at least the three major cities of Rome, Florence and Venice, giving plenty of time to visit museums and cathedrals, small shops and mysterious back streets, as well as wonderful restaurants & trattorias. However, keep in mind that unlike your cruise ship, not all (if any) of your meals will be included in the price. Talk to a travel agent to find the best tour option for you. Many itineraries have now been designed to give you up to 3 nights in each city so there is less packing and unpacking. You can also choose to travel in smaller groups of under 24 people to ensure more personalized service, or rather than by bus, travel by train. Also look at itineraries closely to see how much sightseeing is included versus having to purchase optionals.

There is one way to combine your apples and oranges and make a nice fruit salad, which is the packaged “cruise-tour” offered by many of the best ship lines and some tour operators. This is your chance to combine the best of both. Depending upon the cruise and the area involved, you can tour for five, six or seven days, then board your ship for a wonderful restful sail, and even make brief visits to other cities.

No matter how you travel, Europe is filled with gems, amazing history, architecture and cuisine, so you are sure to enjoy your vacation. The key is knowing what to expect in advance so you are not disappointed.

Europe cruise versus a Europe tour? Well, what ever "floats your boat." Bon voyage and/or happy touring!