Summer brochure 2015

Taber Holidays

N O R W A Y S W E D E N D E N M A R K I C E L A N D

SCANDINAVIAAND THE NORDIC COUNTRIES

SUMMER 2015

TALK TO OUR SPECIALISTS: 01274 875 1992 Taber Holidays

WHY CHOOSE US?High quality service – We are a family owned business and take pride in making you feel as comfortable as possible. We have the attitude that no question is too big or too small, and we focus on delivering exactly what you want with the trust and commitment that comes naturally to us.

Recognition – During 2009 our Managing Director, Suzel, was awarded Norway Travel Ambassador of the Year by Innovation Norway. The intention of the award is to honour those individuals among tour operators whose exceptional personal enthusiasm, drive, and love of Norway sets them apart from many other operators who also promote Norwegian products.

Experience – Taber Holidays started life in 1973 when Roy Taber, Suzel’s father, had a dream of selling holidays to Norway after his first visit developed into a life-long love affair with the country. Since then Taber Holidays has grown to encompass all the Scandinavian and Nordic countries and is now the longest serving UK tour operator to Scandinavia.

Aftercare – Travelling with us doesn’t just end when your holiday finishes. Your feedback is very important to us, and we value all comments to ensure our products are constantly the best they can possibly be. In fact, the favourite part of our job is when we receive emails from clients who want to share their holiday experience with us, through stories and photos – we love knowing you’ve had a great time!

Interest-packed itineraries – Our holidays are meticulously designed so that you really get the chance to see, hear, smell, taste and touch the place you are visiting. Scandinavia is an extraordinary region with many extraordinary ways to experience it: our holidays are aimed at giving them to you.

Financial Security – You have peace of mind knowing that your holiday arrangements are financially protected. We provide full protection for our flight inclusive package holidays by way of our Air Travel Organiser’s Licence, number 1228. We are also members of the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), membership number V2005, with whom we provide full financial protection for our non-flight inclusive packages by way of a bond held by them.

Cover photo: Per Eide/visitnorway.com

Terje Rakke/ Nordic Life AS/ Reisemål Hardanger Fjord as/ Fjord Norge AS

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3FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT: WWW.TABERHOLS.CO.UK

Why Choose Us? 2

Contents 3

Meet the Taber Team 4

Our Tailor Made Service 5

Our Destinations 6

Norway for Beginners 8

Coastal and Capital Explorer 10

Hardanger Experience 12

Norway’s Greatest Driving Routes 14

The Fjords of Norway (escorted) 16

Across the Arctic Circle 18

The Lofoten Islands 20

Realm of the Polar Bear 22

Reykjavik and The Golden Circle 24

Icelandic Glaciers, Geysers and Waterfalls 26

Snæfellsnes and the West Fjords 28

West Iceland and Lake Mývatn 30

Iceland’s Full Circle 32

Grand Tour of Iceland (escorted) 34

Stockholm and the Archipelago 36

A Slice of South Sweden 38

Discover Denmark 40

Family Fun in Denmark 42

A Taste of Denmark 44

Art and Nature Highlights in Denmark 46

Scandinavian City Explorer plus mini-cruise 48

General Information 50

Booking Conditions 52

AITO Quality Charter 54

How to Book, Travel Insurance & Airline Information 55

Booking Form 56

CONTENTS

Taber Holidays

Munkebjerg Hotel © M. Scowen


OUR TAILOR-MADE SERVICEWhatever you want, we can do it. Whether it’s whale-watching in Norway, hiking on volcanoes in Iceland or simply doing nothing in your very own wilderness hideaway, we can bring together all your ideas, as well as making many helpful suggestions along the way.

Whilst our tour programmes offer a large selection of tours, we appreciate that you may have ideas of your own and that is why our tailor-made service is perfect for you. Through our love for travel and expertise of Scandinavia, Taber Holidays are here to help you create the holiday of a lifetime. Collectively we have a wealth of experience and knowledge of Scandinavia and know it inside out!

Tried and TestedOver the years our tailor-made service has provided a huge variety of alternatives, most often to centres not featured in our programme. And because our team knows Scandinavia like no one else, it means we have tried and tested most things and places, so all itineraries are effectively tried and tested beforehand! We also make suggestions that are practical and achieve your objective – whether you’re seeking culture, scenery or adventure we can make sure you get it - a lot of it! We are 100% positive that you’ll have your ideal holiday because we would never suggest anywhere we haven’t been and seen for ourselves.

To plan a tailor-made holiday takes a lot of time and effort, but for a non-refundable deposit of £30 we are able to make a holiday that adheres perfectly to your needs. If you love the itinerary and decide to go ahead, the £30 will be credited towards the final balance of your holiday. We make our itineraries as comprehensive as possible - so you just provide us with the sketch and we’ll fill in the colour.

For further details and/or to discuss your requirements please:

Telephone on 01274 875199 Or email [email protected]

Meet... Scattered throughout our website you will find more ‘Meet the People’ profiles for the quality suppliers we work with. Why not take a look?

Geirangerfjord © Per Eide/Visitnorway.com

Taber Holidays


Suzel Taber-Shaw

Suzel is the MD and has worked for the company, in one way or another, pretty much all her life. She loves all the Nordic countries but it is fair to say that her first love must be Norway as this is where it all began when she was just 8 years old. In 2009 Suzel was awarded Norway Ambassador of the Year by Innovation Norway, an award she is extremely proud of. Suzel loves dogs (though it’s a wolf in the photo above) and does much of her ‘managerial thinking’ whilst walking and talking to hers!

Email: [email protected]

Terry Shaw

Terry has worked at Taber Holidays for over 23 years and, although his knowledge of Norway, Sweden and Finland is excellent, his chief speciality is Iceland, a country he absolutely loves! There is nothing Terry likes better than a juicy tailor-made itinerary for Iceland and his obvious enthusiasm for all things Icelandic is infectious! Terry handles reservations to all destinations and is a key contributor to the development of our Iceland tour programme - there isn’t an inch of it he doesn’t know!


Jo Chapman

Jo has worked at Taber Holidays for over 20 years and has incredible knowledge of public transport timetables and motoring routes. She is responsible for reservations, travel itineraries and travel tickets and also ensures our IT booking system behaves itself and does as it’s told! Suzel and Jo meet each day to discuss new systems and products whilst walking their dogs and in her spare time Jo is studying for her degree in Business Studies and Spanish!


Shing Lin Yoong

A degree in creative writing and literature made Shing the perfect choice for researching and writing the content for our brochures and website. She also takes care of all the new ‘stuff’ such as blogging, Twittering and Facebooking! Shing loves to travel, and does so in abundance. She is a culture vulture, always heading to where the museums are; her aim is to rebuff the notion that museums are boring! Her camera is always poised and there is little she won’t do for the perfect shot... just ask Suzel.


Clara Patrick

Clara is the newest member of our team and handles much of our day-to-day general admin; this makes her not only our newest member of staff but also our most popular! Clara studied music at university and is a keen enthusiast and promoter of Scandinavian arts. Trips to Copenhagen, Malmö, Stockholm, Gothenburg, Reykjavik and Oslo (this year alone!) have kept her topped up with inspiration and have proved invaluable when liaising with clients by telephone and email regarding their holiday enquiries.


Margaret Scowen

Margaret has been successfully running Specialised Tours for over 30 years, and in 2013 Taber Holidays and Specialised Tours merged operations. Margaret wanted more time to concentrate on product research and development and on tailor made itineraries and her exceptional knowledge of Scandinavia made her the perfect person to do this. Suzel is very happy about having Margaret on board - they have been colleagues and friends for over 25 years and are a formidable team!


MEET THE PEOPLE

TABER HOLIDAYS.A company is only as good as the people it employs...

Taber Holidays

Margaret Scowen

Clara Patrick

Shing Lin Yoong

Jo Chapman

Terry Shaw

Suzel Taber-Shaw


NORWAY

ICELAND

A country with some of the most awe-inspiring scenery in the world. A country where deep fjords carved by huge glaciers indent the 1,600 mile long coastline.

Norway can boast more sunshine in summer than anywhere else in Europe, especially within the Arctic Circle during the phenomenon of the Midnight Sun. In Spring the snow retreats to the mountain tops leaving green meadows and mighty forests

broken by waterfalls and streams rushing to reach the fjords. Further inland are a myriad of lakes, large and small, fed by melting snow from the mountains.

During the early months of spring the south is ablaze with fruit blossom and wild fllowers and when summer arrives the landscape is in full bloom, and by autumn the trees are coated in ripening fruit and leaves in hues of every colour.

Svalbard, situated north of mainland Europe

and also known as ‘the last stop before the North Pole’ is also part of Norway and can be found within the pages of this brochure.

The pace of life is generally very leisurely and informal in Norway, like the rest of Scandinavia, and therefore those seeking a relaxing holiday in magnificient surroundings, amongst friendly, outdoor loving people, will not be disappointed. Norway really is ‘Europe’s best kept secret!’ and offers a holiday of a lifetime.

Known as the ‘Land of Fire and Ice’, a holiday in Iceland offers probably the most diverse and dramatic landscape you are ever likely to see in one country.

Sitting astride the middle of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Iceland is one of the world’s most volcanic regions resulting in some of the most unique geography and surreal landsapes: geysers, mud pools, active volcanoes, black

beaches, majestic mountains and fjords, vast deserts, glaciers (including mighty Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest) and powerful waterfalls.

Perhaps one of the most surprising facts, however, is that due to the Gulf Stream the weather is surprisingly warm in summer and winter temperatures are usually about 0° centrigrade, and in the summer it benefits from very long hours of sunshine, usually light until midnight due to its high altitude.

A starting point for most visitors to Iceland will be the capital city of Reykjavik, the most northerly capital in the world. It’s only a small city, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in character. You won’t find the same generic shops, restaurants and bars that most major cities have bought into; instead you will find a unique collection of independent clothing boutiques, design shops, and bars and restaurants.

© Asgeir Helgestad/VisitNorway.com

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SWEDEN

DENMARK

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Sweden is the third largest country in western Europe, with more than half of its land surface covered in pine and birch forest amongst which are an amazing 100,000 beautiful lakes.

The majority of Sweden’s towns and cities are to be found in the southern third of the country, where most Swedes live, 1.8 million of them in her capital city, Stockholm.

Stockholm is easily one of the most beautiful

cities in Europe, and is often referred to as ‘Beauty on Water’ or the ‘Venice of the North’ due to her situation covering 14 connected islands. Stockholm’s breathaking archipelago begins just outside the city and comprises of 24,000 islands which are the perfect places to relax and unwind.

A holiday in Sweden is also about experiencing a lifestyle that is relaxing and sociable, you will discover the culture of ‘fika’, meaning to have a ‘break’, something the

Swedes regard as an important part of their day, when they catch up with friends, family, or colleagues over a coffee and usually a sweet treat!

Sweden is now also famous for more than just ABBA, Volvo and IKEA! Now they have Nordic Noir, literature and TV series keeping us riveted and eagerly awaiting the turn of the page or the long wait until next week’s episode when, if we’re lucky, we may be one step closer to finding out ´whodunit’!

A holiday in Denmark gathers a delightful mix of city life and relaxing countryside, and you may also discover why the Danes are the happiest nation on the planet!

Denmark is the smallest and most southern of the Scandinavian countries, connected to continental Europe at the southern peninsula and bordered to the east by the Baltic Sea and the west by the North Sea.

Since Denmark is considerably smaller than most countries a holiday here enables you to discover many attractions without travelling very far. This means a holiday in Denmark doesn’t, and shouldn’t, stop at Copenhagen, even though the cosmopolitan and stylish capital city does have a vibrant selection of things to offer...

The country also boasts numerous quaint, little towns lined with half-timbered houses, medieval churches and Renaissance castles

along a lovely coastline peppered with tiny fishing villages and long, white sand beaches. There are few better ways to explore the nooks and crannies of Denmark than on bike, the country’s most popular mode of transport!

Its history is also preserved in a number of Viking ruins, including the fleet of viking ships that were excavated from the Roskilde Fjord and the ‘bog’ people’s 2000 year-old preserved bodies! For such a small country there is much to see, do, and learn!

Ola Ericson/imagebank.sweden.se

© Henrik Stenberg/VisitDenmark.com


NORWAYFORBEGINNERS

About... CiderhusetCiderhuset (Cider House) is a family business developed by Aage Eitungjerde and his wife Eli-Grete Høyvik. The house itself is situated in an orchard containing 100 different varieties of apples, pears, plums, apricots, cherries and grapes and has a cider cellar from which they produce their own juices, ciders and a small number of dessert wines and liqueurs. Their restaurant has wonderful views over the Sognefjord and is run by their eldest son Gard and his wife Tuba Ardic. Those travelling between 17 Jun and 18 Aug will enjoy dinner here made from locally sourced produce, for one evening of their stay.

This holiday offers much of what most people have seen or heard about when it comes to a holiday in southern Norway.

Balestrand with Kvikne’s and Midtnes Hotels

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The vibrant and modern capital city of Oslo; the great journey by rail across the mountain plateau from east to west; the famous Flåm Mountain Railway; the magnificent Sognefjord, Norway’s longest and deepest; and Bergen, Hanseatic town and ‘Gateway to the Western Fjords’.

Whilst this holiday is perfect for first time visitors, the destinations with all their sights, sounds and tastes are what keep visitors coming back year after year. So this holiday could also be called ‘Norway for Veterans’ too!

ItineraryDay 1 - Flight from Heathrow to Oslo. Independent transfer to your hotel.

2 nights OSLO - Comfort Hotel Børsparken*** or Hotel Bristol **** (BB)

Day 2 - A full day to explore Norway’s fabulous capital city. Vigeland Sculpture Park, the Munch Museum, and the newly opened Astrup Fearnly Museum of Modern Art will appeal to culture vultures!

Day 3 - Early departure by rail for the wonderful journey across the mountain plateau from Oslo to Myrdal. In Myrdal you change to the world-famous Flåm Mountain Railway for the magnificent descent to Flåm overlooking the Aurlandsfjord. Your journey continues by boat for a fjord-cruise to what we consider to be one of Norway’s most perfectly located and picturesque fjord villages, Balestrand – overlooking the mighty Sognefjord in all her splendour.

You will be met at the quay in Balestrand and transferred to your accommodation. Time for a pre-dinner drink or short walk in Balestrand before dinner.

3 nights BALESTRAND - Midtnes Hotel *** or Kvikne’s Hotel **** (HB)

Day 4 - Balestrand is an idyllic village with a magnificent mountain backdrop and the Sognefjord directly in front – the perfect location for stretching your legs on one of the marked walking trails or exploring the region’s cultural, art and food experiences. Those who have chosen the car hire option will be able to explore at leisure, perhaps taking the Gaularfjell road into the mountains for spectacular vistas. Those without car hire have an included Fjærland boat trip excursion departing directly from the harbour in Balestrand. Dinner at your hotel.

Day 5 - A free day to explore the area on foot or by car. This evening dinner is included at Ciderhuset, a local fruit farm producing its own apple juices, ciders, wines and brandies and which has a beautiful restaurant with a magnificent view of the fjord. Here you will enjoy a delicious 3-course dinner with all ingredients sourced directly from local suppliers. A ‘slate of cider’ is also included to wash it all down with!

Day 6 - Early morning transfer to the quay for departure by express boat along the Sognefjord out to where it meets the sea before heading southwards along the coastline to Bergen.

2 nights BERGEN - Augustin Hotel *** or Clarion Admiral Hotel **** (BB)

Day 7 - A full day to explore Norway’s second largest city with its charming and colourful Hanseatic harbour (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the funicular railway to the viewing point at the top of Mount Fløyen and the numerous shops, cafes and restaurants clustered within easy walking distance of one another.

Day 8 - Independent transfer to Bergen Airport for your return flight home.

Meet... Jon GjerakerThe Midtnes Hotel has been in the Gjeraker family since 1965. Jon worked full-time with his parents from 1983 eventually taking over completely in 1993. Where this region is concerned, believe us, he knows everyone and everything!

FactsDeparture Days: Mon - Wed (other dates on req) Departure Dates: 1 Jun - 26 Aug 2015 Duration: 7 nights

PricesDeparture Dates 2015

Price per person

Single supplement per person

Børsparken, Midtnes & Augustin1 - 15 Jun* £1295

£21817 Jun - 18 Aug £137519 - 26 Aug* £1295

Bristol, Kvikne’s & Admiral1 - 15 Jun* £1595

£23017 Jun - 18 Aug £164519 - 26 Aug* £1595* Ciderhuset closed during this period therefore dinner at your hotel for full duration.For extra night prices in Oslo and Bergen see pages 10 - 11.

Price includes • Scheduled return flights with SAS from Heathrow

to Oslo (direct) and from Bergen to Heathrow (via Oslo or Copenhagen) including taxes (alternatives available on request and subject to supplements).

• Accommodation as detailed based on double/twin bedded rooms with shower and WC including breakfast.

• Dinner in Balestrand at your hotel for 2 nights (3 nights for dates marked with *).

• Dinner at Ciderhuset in Balestrand including cider slate for 1 evening (dates not marked with *).

• Rail journey from Oslo to Myrdal based on reserved seats in Comfort Class.

• Flåm Mountain Railway journey from Myrdal to Flåm.• Express boat journey from Flåm to Balestrand

and from Balestrand to Bergen.• Either Fjærlandsfjord Boat Trip and Glaciers

excursion OR 2-days car hire whilst in Balestrand. Car hire includes CDW, Unlimited Mileage and Tax.

Bryggen, Bergen’s Hanseatic harbour © Sonia Arrepia/Visitnorway.com

Why Not?• Indulge your taste buds with a Kvikne’s Hotel

picnic hamper. Enjoy locally produced smoked salmon, cured ham, fried chicken, boiled eggs, home-baked bread, seasonal vegetables and fresh fruit and for liquid refreshment a bottle of Balholm Apple Juice - grown, pressed and lovingly bottled by Ciderhuset. Delicious! Price: £19 per person

• Tread in the footsteps of artists on the Balestrand Nature Trail, a marked walking route with lots of information about local flora and fauna and a magnificent view over the village and fjord. Two options are available - either a 2 hour walk or a 4 hour hike. Why not take your sketch pad with you?


COASTALANDCAPITALEXPLORER

Geirangerfjord © Per Eide/Visitnorway.com

Why Not?Enjoy a relaxing 2-night sojourn to Balestrand, overlooking the mighty Sognefjord. Balestrand is perhaps one of Norway’s most perfectly located fjordside villages and is a wonderful place to stretch your legs...or not...your choice! Travel to Balestrand is by express boat from Flåm, continuing to Bergen, again by express boat, after your stay. Price per person: £215 for Midtnes Hotel, £315 for Kvikne’s Hotel based on a double/twin room including dinner and breakfast plus the express boat journeys. See pages 8 & 9 for further information about Balestrand.

Oslo, Bergen, the Flåm Mountain Railway, Nærøyfjord, Hurtigruten Coastal Cruise, Ålesund, Geiranger, Trondheim...need we say more?!

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This tour features three of Norway’s most important and impressive capital cities: Oslo (the true capital), Bergen (the Hanseatic ‘capital’) and Trondheim (the ancient ‘capital’).

However, it is also the journeys between destinations that are a huge part of what makes this holiday so special. From Oslo your journey to Bergen features two of Norway’s most famous excursions; ‘Across the Roof of Norway’, the rail journey across the Hardangervidda Mountain Plateau to Myrdal, and ‘Norway in a Nutshell’, the world-famous excursion featuring the Flåm Mountain Railway and the Nærøyfjord. These two journeys alone feature in countless ‘Top 10’ lists featured in the folds of the world’s most prestigious travel magazines.

But there’s more... A leisurely 2-night journey onboard one of Hurtigruten’s coastal ships carries you from Bergen to Trondheim via the magnificent Geirangerfjord and the beautiful Art Nouveau town of Ålesund. Since 1893 Hurtigruten has carried passengers, cargo and the mail the full length of the Norwegian coastline and, although the ships now offer a much greater degree of comfort and service, the essence of the journey is still much the same - timeless.

ItineraryDay 1 - Arrive Oslo by air from the UK. Independent transfer to your hotel. Remainder of day and evening free.

2 nights OSLO - Comfort Hotel Børsparken *** or Hotel Bristol **** (BB)

Day 2 - Explore Oslo! Highlights of the city include the Edvard Munch Museum (come face to face with ‘The Scream’!), the stunning view of the Oslofjord from the Opera House, The Viking Ships Museum, The Vigeland Sculpture Park and Aker Brygge, Oslo’s picturesque harbour area full of cafes, restaurants and shops.

Day 3 - Morning departure by rail across the roof of Norway to Myrdal then by Flåm Mountain Railway and fjord cruise to Gudvangen, continuing by rail to Bergen. Your luggage is being transferred for you directly from your hotel in Oslo to your hotel in Bergen so there’s no

need to worry about carrying it yourself between modes of transport.

2 nights BERGEN - Augustin Hotel *** or Clarion Admiral Hotel **** (BB)

Day 4 - Explore Bergen; how about the funicular railway to Mount Fløyen, the old Hanseatic harbour Bryggen with its colourful shops, restaurants and cafes, the Hanseatic Museum, the cable car to Mount Ulriken or a leisurely stroll around the fish and flower market?

Day 5 - Evening transfer from your hotel to the Hurtigruten Quay. Sail at 2000.

2 nights ONBOARD - Hurtigruten Ship (HB)

Day 6 - Brief calls at Florø and Måløy before passing Stadthavet, the most westerly point of Norway. Sail into the magnificent Geirangerfjord before returning to Ålesund then onwards to Molde and Kristiansund.

Day 7 - Morning arrival in Trondheim. A visit to Gothic Nidaros Cathedral is a must, it is Scandinavia’s largest medieval building, followed by a stroll alongside the timber warehouses lining the riverside to Torvet, the main city square.

1 night TRONDHEIM - Thon Hotel Gildevangen *** or Britannia Hotel **** (BB)

Day 8 - Independent transfer to the airport for return flights to the UK.

Meet... Hurtigruten!We don’t like to use the word cruising for Hurtigruten since it is so much more. This is a wonderful means of transportation and accommodation; no fancy dress parties, cabarets or days at sea with no land in sight - this is a slow, gentle exploration of beautiful scenery with local food, tradition and community involvement. The true Norwegian Coastal Voyage.

Optional ExcursionGeiranger with Trollstigen Pass (2 Jun - 1 Sep)Your day begins with a thrilling drive up Ørneveien (Eagles Road), enjoying magnificent, incomparable views of Geirangerfjord en route to the beautiful Eidsdalsvatnet Lake. From here you take a picturesque ferry ride across the fjord from Eidsdal to Linge. Once back on dry land, you head for the stark, wild, high-alpine areas, stopping en route for photos at the impressive Gudbrandsjuvet (Gudbrands Gorge). One of the many highlights of your trip is the series of 11 hairpin bends winding down the narrow Trollstigen Pass. Once you’ve reached the bottom, it’s time for a hot drink and a bite to eat before continuing into the gentler landscape of the Romsdalsfjord. You conclude with a delicious dinner in Molde before being reunited with your Hurtigruten ship again and continuing your journey northwards.Price: £164 per adult, duration 7½ hours

FactsDeparture Day: Daily Departure Dates: 1 Jun - 28 Aug 2015 Duration: 7 nights


Price per person

Singlesupp.

Børsparken, Augustin, Gildevangen1 Jun - 28 Aug £1610 £440

Bristol, Admiral, Britannia1 Jun - 28 Aug £1815 £450

Price includes • Scheduled flights with SAS from Heathrow to Oslo

returning from Trondheim to Heathrow (via Oslo) including taxes (alternatives available on request and subject to supplements).

• 5 nights’ hotel accommodation based on two people sharing a double/twin room with shower and WC including breakfast. Harbour view room included at the Clarion Admiral Hotel in Bergen.

• The rail journey from Oslo to Bergen including the excursion ‘Norway in a Nutshell’.

• Luggage transfer service from your hotel in Oslo to your hotel in Bergen.

• Transfer to the Hurtigruten Quay in Bergen from your hotel.

• 2 nights onboard Hurtigruten ship from Bergen to Trondheim based on two people sharing an outside unspecified cabin with shower and WC including dinner and breakfast.

Optional extrasAccommodation

Extra night at hotelsPrice per

personSingle

supplement

Børsparken, Oslo £55 £35

Bristol, Oslo £88 £35

Augustin, Bergen £75 £40

Admiral, Bergen £115 £40

Gildevangen, Trondheim £55 £30

Britannia, Trondheim £88 £35

Cabin upgrade

Mini-suite£185 for duration

On Req.

Trondheim © CH/Visitnorway.com


HARDANGEREXPERIENCE

Trolltunga or ‘Troll’s Tongue’ is one of the most spectacular scenic cliffs in Norway. The cliff is 1100 metres above sea level and hovers approximately 700 metres above Lake Ringedalsvatnet in Odda. A roundtrip hike takes between 8 and 10 hours, however, you can also combine your hike with the Tysso Via Ferrata for an incomparable Bird’s Eye view of the fjord. Guided hikes are available with Trolltunga Active. Go on, go for it!

© Opplev Odda

Must Do!Enjoy Hotel Ullensvang’s heated indoor and outdoor swimming pool, with a waterfall and massage pool. There is also a panoramic sauna offering stunning views over the fjord and glacier, and Europe’s longest outdoor swimming channel (88 m long) which ends up in an outdoor infinity pool. Lovely for when you’ve kicked off those walking boots!

Hardanger is a delight for all senses and sensibilities. In order to fully appreciate it you need to be outdoors - seeing it, hearing it, touching it and tasting it too!

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Hardanger region and the beautiful Hardangerfjord have been an absolute paradise to those who love the great outdoors for centuries.

We recognize that walking and hiking are two very different activities; walkers tend to prefer gentler, marked routes with a nice tea room and a slice of homemade cake at the end, whilst hikers will most often set out with a hiking map, ruck-sack and packed lunch. The beauty of this holiday is that it caters for both; whether strolling along the Hardanger Fruit Trail, stretching your muscles along HM Queen Sonja’s Hiking Trail, or seriously treading earth for the grand prize itself - the view and photo opportunity at Trolltunga - you will not be disappointed. Your accommodation is the beautiful Hotel Ullensvang, in rooms with a glorious fjord view to provide the perfect wake-up and wind-down to your day. As they say at the hotel – check-in, breathe out. A final two nights in Bergen bring you back to city life...gently.

ItineraryDay 1 - Arrive Bergen Airport. Collect your hire car and take the tunnel road, via Dale, to the popular lakeside town of Voss. From here you take the fjord road and descend, passing Skjervet Falls, to the fjordside. Drive across the fjord via the new Hardanger Bridge and continue alongside Sørfjord to Lofthus. Lofthus is beautifully situated with the fjord on one side and a backdrop of orchards and mountains on the other (100 miles).

4 nights LOFTHUS - Hotel Ullensvang **** (HB)

Days 2 - 4 - There are numerous walks and hikes from and near Lofthus. Information regarding marked routes and walking maps are available from the hotel plus more detailed information can be found on our website at www.taberhols.co.uk/holiday/hardanger-experience. You have three whole days free in Lofthus therefore if you would like a break from walking take a look at our suggestions under Why Not? for further inspiration.

Day 5 - Drive alongside the fjord back to the Hardanger Bridge and across the fjord. Now take the road alongside the opposite side of the fjord, via Øystese and Norheimsund, with time to stop off at Steinsdalfoss waterfall for a quick walk behind it. Continue over the Kvam Mountains back to Bergen (101 miles).

2 nights BERGEN - Clarion Admiral Hotel **** (BB)

Day 6 - A full day free to explore the lovely Hanseatic city of Bergen. Stroll around the old harbour Bryggen, visit the Hanseatic Museum, try a couple of local delicacies at Kjøttbasaren (Bergen Food Hall), visit Bergen Aquarium and take the funicular railway to the top of Mount Fløyen for spectacular views of the city.

Day 7 - Transfer to Bergen Airport for your return flight to the UK.

Meet...the Utne FamilyMuch of the history of Hotel Ullensvang seems to revolve around the name Hans! In 1846 Hans Utne established the hotel with his wife Brita, in 1919 Bjarne Utne and his wife Brita took over, followed by Ellen Harris Utne and her husband Hans Utne in 1939, followed by Hans Utne and Ellen Utne in 1962, followed by Edmund Harris Utne and Ina Torill in 1969, followed by Hans Edmund Harris Utne and Barbara Zanoni in 2005... The point we are making here is that this hotel has been developed, loved and cared for by the same family for generations - and it shows.

Terje Rakke/ Nordic Life AS/ Reisemål Hardanger Fjord as/ Fjord Norge AS

View of Bergen from Mount Fløyen © Sverre Hjørnevik/Fjord Norway

Why Not?The Aurlandsfjord and Flåm Mountain Railway The small village of Flåm, overlooking the lovely Aurlandsfjord, is less than two hours drive from Lofthus. Take a return trip on the world famous Flåm Mountain Railway, or how about a RIB boat safari on the fjord...? Flåm also has a good selection of cafes serving delicious local food.

Hardangervidda Nature Centre and Vøringfoss Falls The Nature Centre is located at Øvre-Eidfjord and provides a real insight into the flora and fauna of the region. You will also find a rather good restaurant/cafe and souvenir shop opposite! Drive from Øvre Eidfjord to Fossli Hotel at Fossli where you have a fabulous view from the top of Vøringfoss Falls, Norway’s steepest vertical falls at 180 m.

Climb the Via Ferrata from Tysse Incomparable views of the mountains and fjord plus another amazing photo opportunity of you scaling the side of the mountain! Incredibly, no climbing experience is required for this activity as you are secured by harness and ropes with hand and foot holds to follow. A head for heights is helpful though and a friend to share the experience with!

FactsDeparture Day: Daily Departure Dates: 1 May - 25 Sep 2015 Duration: 6 nights


Price per person

Singlesupp.**

1 May - 25 Sep* £1425 £280

* Hotel full 21 - 25 May due to festival. ** When travelling with two other passengers in the same car. Prices for solo driving on request.


to Bergen (via Oslo) including taxes (alternatives available on request and subject to supplements).

• Car hire with Avis based on a Group B car (VW Polo or similar) including CDW, Theft Protection, Unlimited Mileage, City/Airport Surcharge and Tax.

• Hotel accommodation based on two people sharing a double/twin room with shower and WC including breakfast. Fjord view room in Lofthus and harbour view room in Bergen. Dinner also included each evening in Lofthus.

Optional extras - accommodationExtra Supplement

Upgrade to deluxe fjord view room in Lofthus

£55 per person per night

Tysso Via Ferrata - no climbing

experience required! © Chris Arnesen/Visitnorway.com


NORWAY’SGREATESTDRIVINGROUTES

The Atlantic Road © Terje Rakke/Nordic Life

Why Not?Take a walk behind Steinsdalfoss (waterfall) at Norheimsund, one of Norway’s most popular waterfalls, and feel the rush without getting wet!

Climb the 418 steps from Ålesund centre to the viewing point at the top of Mount Aksla for a panoramic view of the town, the archipelago and the Sunnmøre Alps. Then reward yourself with waffles at the Fjellstua...

In the end it just had to be the Western Fjords...

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Norway offers magnificent scenery on such a grand scale that without featuring a 6-weeks motoring tour we simply couldn’t do it justice.

So we have narrowed it down to a tour which presents much of the glorious Western Fjords in all their splendour plus panoramic mountain passes, roads with hair-pin bends snaking up mountain sides, islands connected by road bridges and a range of hotels offering true Norwegian hospitality and cuisine. This is our chosen tour, developed especially for you.

ItineraryDay 1 - Flight from Heathrow to Bergen (via Oslo). Collect your hire car at the airport and drive over the Kvam Mountains descending to Norheimsund, overlooking the Hardangerfjord (approx 50 miles).

2 nights NORHEIMSUND - Thon Hotel Sandven (HB)

Day 2 - Explore Hardanger. For more than a century travellers have visited Hardanger to experience mountains, fjords, waterfalls and glaciers and it has been a fruit-growing region since the 14th century.

Day 3 - Drive alongside Hardangerfjord and climb the gorge, passing Skjervet Falls, to the lakeside resort of Voss. Continue alongside Lake Løna and over the great Vik Mountain plateau with breathtaking panoramas whilst descending to the Sognefjord. Across the fjord by car ferry and around the Esefjord to Balestrand, located on a promontory of land overlooking the Sognefjord (approx 102 miles plus 1 car ferry).

2 nights BALESTRAND - Midtnes Hotel (HB)

Day 4 - Why not head off on one of the marked walking trails from Balestrand? Alternatively, the road over Gaularfjellet features racing rivers, waterfalls and steep mountain slopes and is right on the doorstep.

Day 5 - A delightful drive on the shelf road along the northern shore of the Sognefjord towards Sogndal. Continue alongside the Lustrafjord and begin the slow climb of Sognefjellet with panoramic views of the towering Jotunheimen Mountains and

glaciers. Through lovely Bøverdalen to Lom (approx 115 miles plus 1 car ferry).

1 night LOM - Fossheim Hotel (HB)

Day 6 - Today’s route showcases spectacular scenery of deep fjords, the Sunnmøre peaks and lush valleys. Ørneveien (Eagles Road), has 11 hairpin bends as it climbs out of Geiranger and provides incomparable views of the village, the fjord and Seven Sisters Waterfall. Trollstigen (Troll’s Path) also has 11 hairpin bends; don’t forget to make a stop at the viewing platform for a view of the curling road beneath you (approx 114 miles plus 1 car ferry).

1 night ÅNDALSNES - Grand Hotel Bellevue (HB)

Day 7 - An easy drive alongside Romsdalfjord and Storfjord to the fishing town of Ålesund. The town centre lies over three islands connected by bridges and the unique Jugend style architecture is the result of a rebuild after the great fire of 1904 (approx 76 miles).

2 nights ÅLESUND - Clarion Collection Hotel Bryggen (BB)

Day 8 - Explore Ålesund. We recommend you visit the summit of Mount Aksla for the famous viewing point of the town.

Day 9 - Cross the Romsdalfjord to the little town of Molde; the Molde Panorama is a magnificent view of 87 snowcapped peaks laid out before you. Out to the coastline to Averøy and the Atlantic Road, an impressive road consisting of 12 bridges connecting the islands. At 1630 board your Hurtigruten ship in Kristiansund and enjoy a relaxing dinner on board whilst slowly cruising amongst the islands and skerries towards Bergen (109 driving miles).

1 night ONBOARD - Hurtigruten (FB)

Day 10 - 1430 arrival into Bergen with the rest of the day free to explore Norway’s delightful Hanseatic city.

1 night BERGEN - Augustin Hotel (BB)

Day 11 - Drive to Bergen Airport and leave your hire car at the airport before checking in for your return flight home.

Must Do!Indulge yourself with a delicious freshly baked cake and cup of hot chocolate from Bakeriet i Lom, Morten Shakenda’s lovely bakery, made famous by those Hairy Bikers! The bakery has a great view of the river rapids and is a welcome break after visiting the Norsk Fjellmuseum and Lom Stave Church.

Optional ExtrasExtra night in Lom The Jotunheimen National Park offers some of the finest walking/hiking opportunities in Norway. If you would like to spend a day stretching your legs and exploring on foot why not add an extra night in Lom at the Fossheim Hotel? Price: £140 per person including delicious 3-course dinner and buffet breakfast

Fjærlandsfjord Boat Trip, Glacier Museum and Two Glaciers If you would like a break from driving we recommend a leisurely return boat trip along the Fjærlandsfjord to the village of Fjærland with a visit to the excellent Norsk Bremuseum and the Bøya and Supphelle glaciers. Departs from Balestrand quay at 0805, returning 1650. Price: £70 per person

FactsDeparture Day: Mon - Fri Departure Dates: 1 Jun - 31 Aug 2015 Duration: 10 nights


Price per person

Singlesupp.*

1 Jun - 31 Aug £2215 £132* When travelling with two other passengers in the same car. Prices for solo driving on request.

Price includes • Scheduled return flights with SAS from

Heathrow to Bergen (via Oslo) including taxes (alternatives available on request and subject to supplements).

• Car hire with Avis based on a Group C car (VW Golf 1.6 or similar) including CDW, Theft Protection, Unlimited Mileage, City/Airport Surcharge and Tax.

• Hotel accommodation based on a double/twin room with shower and WC including dinner and breakfast. NB. Breakfast only in Ålesund and Bergen though a free evening supper is available in Ålesund.

• Hurtigruten journey from Kristiansund to Bergen based on an unspecified outside cabin with shower and WC including dinner, breakfast and lunch.

• Reserved overnight car parking in Bergen.• Regional motoring map.

Additional costs payable locally

Domestic ferry crossings for car and passengers plus road tolls

£55 approx total additional cost

Hardangerfjord © CH/Visitnorway.com


THEFJORDSOFNORWAY

View from Skageflå, Geiranger © Per Eide/Visitnorway.com

Why Not?The Union Hotel at Geiranger has a lovely indoor swimming pool and outdoor wellness pool plus sauna and relaxation area. Go on...indulge...

A wonderful escorted tour combining Norway’s modern capital city with the majesty of her Western Fjords.

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Let us show you the Western Fjords! The hard work is done, all you have to do is sit back and enjoy.

Experience two UNESCO World Heritage Sites - Geirangerfjord and the Nærøyfjord and Bergen’s historical harbour. Sit back and marvel at Norway’s sublime scenery as you travel alongside mighty fjords, cross mountain passes and travel on the famous Flåm Mountain Railway.

ItineraryDay 1 - Arrive Oslo Airport from the UK. Transfer to your hotel where you will meet with your tour guide before dinner.

1 night OSLO - Radisson BLU Plaza Hotel (D)

Day 2 - Travel along charming Hallingdal to the resort town of Geilo. Buffet lunch in Geilo before crossing the wild Hardangervidda to Fossli, stopping to view thundering Vøringsfoss Waterfall (180 m). Across Hardanger Bridge and alongside Ulvikfjord to the picturesque village of Ulvik.

1 night ULVIK - Brakanes Hotel (B, L, D)

Day 3 - Alongside beautiful Hardangerfjord, famous for its many fruit orchards, before crossing the Kvam Mountains to Bergen. Tour of Bergen including the popular Fish and Flower Market, Bryggen Harbour, the old Hanseatic Quarter and a trip on the funicular railway to the summit of Mount Fløyen for a view of the city and fjords.

1 night BERGEN - Rica Hotel Ørnen (B, D)

Day 4 - Drive to Voss where we board the train to the mountain station at Myrdal. Here we join the famous Flåm Mountain Railway and descend with beautiful waterfalls and mountain scenery to the fjordside village of Flåm. From Flåm we take a 2-hours cruise along the narrow Aurlands and Nærøy fjords. Enjoy the

sheer mountain cliffs, snow-clad peaks and a variety of wildlife. Disembark at Gudvangen and continue through the striking Stalheim Gorge and Nærøy Valley continuing across the Vik Mountains to Vangsnes before crossing the Sognefjord to Balestrand.

2 nights BALESTRAND - Kvikne’s Hotel (B, D)

Day 5 - Free day to explore your magnificent surroundings - we recommend stretching your legs on the Balestrand Nature Trail.

Day 6 - Cross the fjord by ferry to Hella and then along the shelf road that runs alongside the northern shore of the Sognefjord. Drive through the road tunnel to Fjærland, passing the Jostedal Glacier, and continue alongside Lake Jølster and through Våtedal descending to the Nordfjord. Visit the famous Briksdal Glacier in open cars for the best views. Lunch in a nearby restaurant facing the glacier. Continue alongside Nordfjord before boarding the ferry for a 1-hour cruise along the spectacular Geirangerfjord to our beautiful hotel overlooking the fjord.

1 night GEIRANGER - Union Hotel (B, L, D)

Day 7 - From the top of the Eagles Road we will have an amazing view of the fjord before crossing Grotli Mountains to Lom. Continue alongside Lake Våga and into the Gudbrandsdal Valley to Lillehammer for lunch. Alongside Lake Mjøsa, Norway’s largest lake, to Oslo.

1 night OSLO - Radisson BLU Plaza Hotel (B, L, D)

Day 8 - Breakfast at your hotel before transfer to Oslo Airport to connect with individual flight departures to the UK.

Meet...RobinsonsThis holiday is operated in conjunction with Robinson Scandinavia Copenhagen. Robinson have been organising escorted tours to Scandinavia since 1988 and are well-known for the quality of their tours and their tour guides. Like us, they put you first and hand-pick all their products personally. Their tour guides are second to none, not just in terms of their knowledge but also their cheerful and friendly personalities!

FactsDeparture Day: Tuesday Departure Dates: 9, 16, 23 & 30 June; 7, 14, 21 & 28 July; 4, 11 & 18 August 2015 Duration: 7 nights


Price per person

Singlesupp.

9 Jun & 18 Aug £2055£325

All other dates £2095


to Oslo including taxes (alternatives available on request and subject to supplements).

• 7 nights accommodation including daily 3-course or buffet dinner and Scandinavian buffet breakfast, in centrally located first class hotels, all rooms with private facilities.

• 3 lunches on days 2/6/7.• Visit to the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo.• 2 hours guided tour of Bergen, incl. ride on the

Bergen Funicular to Mt. Fløyen.• Ride on the Bergen and Flåm Railways, Voss –

Myrdal - Flåm.• Approx. 2 hours cruise on the Sogn and Nærøy

Fjords, and 1 hours cruise on the Geirangerfjord.• Excursion in open car to the Briksdal Glacier.• All visits as described in itinerary.• All ferry crossings.• Luggage assistance at all hotels whilst with the

group.• Tour Guide throughout.• Transportation by modern deluxe coach with

reclining seats and seatbelts.• Transfers airport/hotel on first and last days of

the tour. Transfers to/from a different airport than the one mentioned in the tour programme may incur a supplement.



personSingle

supplement

Radisson BLU Plaza Hotel, Oslo

£86 £52

Did You Know?Geiranger is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognised for its outstanding natural beauty. Along the sheer walls of the fjord are numerous waterfalls whilst free-flowing rivers rise up through lush forest to glacial lakes and rugged mountains.

Flåm Mountain Railway © Visit Flåm/Morten Rakke


ACROSS THEARCTICCIRCLE

Trondheim’s historical wharf © CH/Visitnorway.com

Why Not?Music afficionados should visit both Ringve and Rockheim museums in Trondheim. Ringve is Norway’s national museum providing a musical tour through the history of music and Rockheim is the brand new national museum of pop and rock music. Indulge your musical senses!

A wonderful journey across the Arctic Circle from the ancient capital of Trondheim, via the Lofoten Islands, to the great Arctic capital, Tromsø.

Rockheim © CH/Visitnorway.com

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This holiday really suits those people who like a little bit of ‘texture’ in their journeys! A mixture of transportation, accommodation, scenery and experience.

Your experience begins in the ancient city of Trondheim with its wonderful gothic Nidaros Cathedral and picturesque wharfside buildings. A journey by rail then carries you Across the Arctic Circle to the little port of Bodø, famous for its Sea Eagles, before you sail across the Vestfjord to the magical Lofoten Islands, surrounded by majestic granite cliffs and white sandy beaches. An overnight journey on-board Hurtigruten carries you past the beautiful Trollfjord and through the spectacular and narrow Raftsund strait to Tromsø, the great Arctic capital.

ItineraryDay 1 - Fly the the UK to Trondheim (via) Oslo. Transfer to your hotel (not included).

2 nights TRONDHEIM - Britannia Hotel (BB)

Day 2 - A full day to explore the lovely city of Trondheim.

Day 3 - An early departure by rail for a full day’s journey through the provinces of Trøndelag and Nordland, crossing the Arctic Circle just north of Mo-i-Rana, arriving in the little port of Bodø during early evening. Lunch included on the train.

1 night BODØ - Thon Hotel Nordlys (BB)

Day 4 - Morning at leisure in Bodø before departing at 1500 on-board Hurtigruten for the leisurely journey across the Vestfjord to the Lofoten Islands. This magical approach to the islands showcases them perfectly and a delicious dinner is included in the ship’s

restaurant. On arrival you will be met and transferred to Svinøya Rorbuer and your fisherman’s rorbu.

3 nights SVOLVÆR - Svinøya Rorbuer (BB) - see ‘Meet... Svinøya Rorbuer’ on page 21

Days 5 & 6 - Two full days to explore this world famous Arctic archipelago. We recommend a Sea Eagle safari by RIB boat, the viking museum, Lofotr and using the local bus service for a truly local sightseeing experience.

Day 7 - Why not spend most of today pottering about in Svolvær? The little town has a few good shops with local crafts and for real outside atmosphere you can always just sit on the boardwalk outside Bacalao Bar/Restaurant with a coffee and cake. This evening we have included a delicious 3-course farewell dinner at Børsen Spiseri prior to your transfer to the quay for your departure by Hurtigruten ship at 2200 bound for Tromsø.

1 night ON-BOARD SHIP - Hurtigruten (BB) - see ‘Meet...Hurtigruten’ on page 11

Day 8 - A relaxing morning at sea precedes mid-afternoon arrival in Tromsø. Lunch included on-board.

2 nights TROMSØ - Scandic Ishavshotell (BB)

Day 9 - A full day to explore the lovely city of Tromsø with its imposing Arctic Cathedral or join one of our featured optional excursions.

Day 10 - Transfer (not included) to Tromsø Airport for your return flight to the UK.

Stay... Svinøya RorbuerAuthentic, fishermen’s rorbu cabins preserved with time-honoured craftsmanship and timber. Experience the feeling of a rorbu cabin from the days when fishermen harvested the seas of Lofoten in boats with only oars and sails. Børsen Spiseri restaurant is housed in a former historical quayside warehouse and is the location for your included 3-course gourmet dinner made from fresh, local ingredients - especially the catch of the day!

Lofoten beach © Sonia Arrepia/Visitnorway.com

Optional ExcursionsTrollfjord RIB Safari from Svolvær An exciting journey by RIB boat into the beautiful Trollfjord, with the opportunity to spot Sea Eagles. Eagles are so used to being thrown scraps of fish by fishermen that they will follow the boat and swoop down when the opportunity for a morsel arises! Beautiful white sandy beaches and spectacular nature spots await you. Don’t forget your camera! Departs: Wed-Sat (May & Sep), Daily (Jun-Aug). Price: £70 per person

Car-hire on the Lofotens Islands With a hire car you have the opportunity to explore the islands at your leisure, dipping in to all the nooks and crannies! Car hire is with Avis and is based on a Group B car (VW Polo 1.2 or similar). Rental includes CDW, Unlimited Mileage, Theft Protection and Tax. Pick-up car at 0900 on Day 5 and drop the car off during the evening on Day 7. Total price for car: £275

FactsDeparture Day: Daily Departure Dates: 1 May - 30 September 2015 Duration: 9 nights


Price per person

Singlesupp.

May & Sep £1840On Req.

Jun, Jul, Aug £1935

Price includes • Scheduled flights with SAS from Heathrow to

Bodø (via Oslo) and from Tromsø to Heathrow (via Oslo) including taxes (alternatives available on request and subject to supplements).

• 6 nights hotel accommodation based on two people sharing a double/twin room with shower and WC including breakfast. Harbour view rooms included in Bodø and Tromsø.

• Rail journey from Trondheim to Bodø based on reserved seats in Comfort Class including lunch.

• Hurtigruten journey from Bodø to Svolvær including dinner.

• Return transfer from the quay in Svolvær to Svinøya Rorbuer.

• 3 nights fisherman’s rorbu accommodation at Svinøya Rorbuer including breakfast.

• 3-course quality dinner at Børsen Spiseri, Svinøya Rorbuer’s gourmet restaurant.

• Overnight Hurtigruten journey from Svolvær to Tromsø based on two people sharing an outside unspecified cabin with shower and WC including breakfast and lunch.

Optional extras - accommodation

ExtraSupp. per person per

night

Extra night in Trondheim £74

Extra night in Bodø £80

Extra night in Svolvær £75

Extra night in Tromsø £95

Tromsø cable car to Mount Storsteinen © Frithjof Fure/Visitnorway.com

Hurtigruten docking in Bodø ©Andrea Giubelli/Visitnorway.com


THELOFOTENISLANDS

Fishermen’s rorbus, Lofoten Islands ©Frithjof Fure/Visitnorway.com

Why Not?Enjoy a delicious 3-course dinner at Børsen Spiseri, the lovely gourmet restaurant belonging to Svinøya Rorbuer. The restaurant has bags of ‘Lofoten atmosphere’ and has a reputation for the quality of its food, especially fish! Pre-book a table for their standard 3-course menu (£43 per person) or their gourmet 3-course menu (£54 per person).

Breathtaking landscapes, long sandy beaches, sea eagles, authentic fishermen’s huts and the freshest fish on the planet!

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The Lofoten Islands are a magical Arctic archipelago teeming with history, culture, nature and wildlife.

This whole region of Nordland offers some of the most magnificent, unspoilt scenery you will find anywhere in the world and is a reason why it is so popular with photographers, writers, artists and pure nature lovers; we simply can’t get enough of it, just take a look at our Blog and social media! Here we have combined three destinations, each offering something completely different, but overall complementing one another perfectly.

ItineraryDay 1 - Flight from the UK to Bodø (via Oslo). Collect your hire car from the airport and drive to your town centre hotel (approx 1 mile).

2 nights BODØ - Thon Hotel Nordlys (BB)

Day 2 - Bodø is the town of Sea Eagles and nowhere in the world is there a larger stock of this majestic bird. We recommend you visit Saltstraumen, the world’s strongest maelstrom, located just 21 miles from Bodø; during the journey you will have a good opportunity to spot the eagles flying overhead or perched on rocks.

Day 3 - This morning we suggest a visit to the Nordland Museum in the centre of Bodø. The museum will provide you with a fascinating insight into the history and culture of this region and the fishing industry, past and present, of the Lofoten Islands. At 1500 you will depart by Hurtigruten ship across the Vestfjord to the Lofoten Islands. This is a lovely, relaxing approach to the islands whilst enjoying dinner on board. Arrive Svolvær at 2100.

4 nights SVOLVÆR - Svinøya Rorbuer (BB)

Days 4 - 6 - There is much to see and do on the Lofoten Islands. The scenery itself is world famous and we recommend you take a day to drive down to the bottom of the islands and visit Å, Reine and Nusfjord - all extremely beautiful areas. The picturesque fishing village of Henningsvær has a wonderful gallery and rather famous fish restaurant and Lofotr, the Viking Museum at Borg, gives a real insight into ancient Viking times. It is also possible to join a boat trip to the famous Trollfjord for another opportunity to spot Sea Eagles. The islands are home to numerous restaurants, serving the freshest fish you will ever taste; indulge...

Day 7 - Rejoin the mainland via suspension bridge, then cross the fjord by car ferry to Hamarøy. This region is blessed with dramatically beautiful scenery; towering mountains, forests and fertile farmland, skerries and islands, fjord and wide open sea. It is also the place where the Nobel prize winning author, Knut Hamsun, found the inspiration for some of his most famous novels and you will pass the Hamsunsenteret, a museum devoted to the author, en route to Engan (approx 142 miles plus car ferry, duration 1 hour).

2 nights ENGAN - Kobbelv Vertshus (HB)

Day 8 - This region is a paradise for walkers and therefore we suggest that today you stretch your legs - the old farm Kjelvik is a civilised distance and affords magnificent views of the surroundings.

Day 9 - Drive southwards, alongside the Leirfjord, towards Fauske and then back out towards the coast and Bodø Airport (70 miles). Leave your hire car at the airport before checking in for your return flight to the UK.

Meet...Svinøya RorbuerSvinøya Rorbuer and Børsen Spiseri are owned by Ola Skjeseth (below far left) who was born and brought up on the Lofoten Islands and has been welcoming guests to his fishermens’ rorbus for more than 20 years. He is ably assisted by Anders Løvik, Synnøve Nilsen and Anders Alsvik (left to right).

Bacalao Restaurant, Lofoten

Kayaking at Kjerringøy © Roger Johansen/nordnorge.com

Must Do!• Visit Saltstraumen, the world’s strongest

maelstrom, from Bodø. It puts on a show every 6 hours!

• Have a leisurely drink and a snack to eat at Bacalao, Svolvær’s popular boardwalk bar/restaurant. A great place to catch the locals...

• Stop off at Hamsunsenteret en route from Svolvær to Engan. The museum is dedicated to the life and work of Knut Hamsun, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1920, and is an architectural statement in its own right.

• Put on your hiking boots and head out on foot from Kobbelv Vertshus at Engan. Just ask Hege, the manager, to recommend the best routes - she knows all the best spots.

• Don’t forget your binoculars - there are Sea Eagles about!

FactsDeparture Days: Mon - Thu (other days on req) Departure Dates: 4 May - 24 Sep 2015 Duration: 8 nights


Price per person

Single supp.*

4 May - 24 Sep £1790 £190*When travelling with two other passengers in the same car sharing rorbu for 3 people. Prices for solo driving on request.

Price includes • Scheduled return flight with SAS from Heathrow

to Bodø (via Oslo) including taxes (alternatives available on request and subject to supplements).

• Car hire with Avis based on a Group C car (VW Golf 1.6 or similar) including CDW, Theft Protection, Unlimited Mileage, City/Airport Surcharge and Tax.

• Hotel accommodation based on two people sharing a double/twin room with shower and WC including breakfast. Dinner included at Kobbelv Vertshus.

• Hurtigruten journey from Bodø to Svolvær including dinner and vehicle transportation.

• Rorbu accommodation based on a rorbu with twin bedroom, living room, kitchenette shower and WC including breakfast (served at Børsen Spiseri - main building).

• Regional motoring map.

Additional costs payable locally

Domestic ferry crossing from Lødingen to Bognes for car and passengers plus road tolls

£28 approx total additional cost

Sea Eagle © Asgeir Helgestad/Visitnorway.com


REALMOF THEPOLARBEAR

A polar bear changing the course of the Expedition! © G Adventures

Photography expert included!Each Expedition trip comes with a resident photography expert on hand to help you capture the best possible photos on your trip. Your photographer will host lectures and workshops and teach you all the tips and tricks to help you take better photos or brush up on your technique.

Exploring amongst the ice floes on the western edge of the Spitsbergen Archipelago means a better chance of encountering the animals that hunt upon it.

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This holiday is about active exploration, cultural immersion, embracing the unexpected, escaping the well-trodden path, and learning about a destination from your experienced expedition team.

From close-up encounters with icebergs and glaciers to the region’s plentiful wildlife, this is a voyage of non-stop highlights. Always on the lookout for exotic animals, you’ll explore this landscape not only by ship but also on foot and via zodiac. Roaming polar bears, lounging seals, grazing reindeer, and colonies of birds all co-exist in this harsh land we dare only to explore a few months of the year.

ItineraryPlease note, the following itinerary is for example

purposes only as flight schedules and pre/post-

cruise hotel accommodation requirements will vary

depending on departure date and availability. Please

ask a member of our Reservations Team to confirm

the itinerary and price for your preferred departure

date at the time of enquiry.

Day 1 - Fly from the UK to Oslo. Spend the remainder of the day exploring Norway’s capital city. We definitely recommend The Fram Museum for an insight into the expeditions of previous Polar explorers.

1 night OSLO - Comfort Hotel Børsparken (BB)

Day 2 - Fly from Oslo to Longyearbyen (Spitsbergen) and transfer to the quay. Embark m.s. Expedition in the afternoon and depart Longyearbyen in the evening.

7 nights ONBOARD - m.s. Expedition (FB)

Days 2 - 7 - Visit ice-covered fjords with breathtaking mountain scenery and glaciers. Spend time exploring the natural wilderness searching for polar bears hunting seals. At one or more of the stops, you may have the opportunity to see Arctic foxes or Svalbard’s unique reindeer. Our goal is to give travellers the best possible opportunity to see wildlife in and around the Svalbard archipelago. Depending on ice conditions we will explore different areas of the archipelago. Early-season voyages often provide the greatest opportunity to see large ice floes in the Arctic pack ice, which usually means excellent wildlife viewing. Later in the season, you’ll cover more territory, which may allow you to explore the entire archipelago. This can lead you into the less explored regions of Nordaustlandet and Kvitøya, or the continental edges where large whales are attracted by nutrient rich upwellings.

Day 8 - Arrive back in Longyearbyen during the morning. Final night in Longyearbyen with an opportunity to mix with the locals - and remember Spitsbergen is Duty-Free...

1 night LONGYEARBYEN - Hotel Spitsbergen or similar (BB)

Day 9 - Departure from Longyearbyen Airport by air on your return flight to the UK via Oslo.

Shore excursionsGetting out into the thick of things is such a vital component of polar adventuring and therefore a priority. The Expedition is equipped with a full-service zodiac platform for easy disembarking, a mudroom to keep your stuff warm and dray when you’re not using it, and a library stocked with guidebooks.

We love the boxing polar bear cub! © Asgeir Helgestad/Arctic Light AS/Visitnorway.com

How handsome am I? © G Adventures

FactsDeparture Day: Specific dates Departure Dates: 11 & 18 Jun; 5 & 22 Jul 2015 Duration: 9 nights


Price per person

Single supp.

11, 18 Jun; 5 & 22 Jul £4955 £110** Based on a single room in Oslo and Longyearbyen and a ladies’ or gents’ share cabin on the ship. Price for solo cabin on request.

Price for example itinerary includes • Scheduled flights with SAS from Heathrow to

Longyearbyen (via Oslo) including taxes.• 2 nights hotel accommodation (1 x Oslo, 1 x

Longyearbyen) based on two people sharing a double/twin room with shower and WC including breakfast.

• 7 nights Realm of the Polar Bear cruise onboard m.s. Expedition based on two people sharing a Category 3 cabin (15m sq, with feature window, two lower berths, private shower and WC), located on Deck 3.

• All meals whilst on board the ship (Excluding Drinks)

• Shore excursions and Zodiac cruises• 10:1 Expedition staff and naturalists ratio• FREE Rubber Boots to use on-board• Expedition parka designed for the polar regions

use during your trip and to take home afterwards• Spitsbergen Destination Guide Book


Additional night in Oslo

£53 per person per night £35 single supplement

Additional night in Longyearbyen

£96 per person per night £62 single supplement

Upgrade to Category 4 cabin (large window, Deck 4)£650 per person for the tour

Upgrade to Category 5, Suite (separate entrance, separate living and sleeping area, Queen bed)£1300 per person for the tour

A small-yet-spacious ship with a big-ship feel, the Expedition offers superbly appointed public areas designed to educate, entertain, inspire, and get you sweating (but not necessarily in that order!). Be it a lounge, a library, a fitness room or a sauna, the ship has something for every traveller. The common areas are all set up with Wi-Fi too, so you can stay connected to the outside world.

Must Do!Visit The Fram Museum in Oslo You’re following in the footsteps of famous polar explorers such as Fridtjof Nansen and Roald Amundsen so we think it’s important to familiarize yourself with their amazing achievements and struggles before you go. The museum features a number of collections and exhibitions guaranteed to set the adrenaline rushing in anticipation of your own trip! Price: NOK80 per person (payable locally), open 0900 - 1800 daily.


REYKJAVIK AND THE GOLDEN CIRCLE

Reykjavik, the world’s most northerly capital, with a population of only 120,000 is beautifully positioned amid fjords and mountain ranges.

Strokkur hot spring

Must do!Pamper yourself by spending a few hours at the world-famous Blue Lagoon soaking in the therapeutic milky waters. And for those feeling extra indulgent why not have a massage?

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Reykjavik acquired its name, meaning ‘Smoky Bay’, after one of the first settlers, Ingolfur Arnarson, a Norwegian Viking, saw plumes of steam rising from the geothermal springs in AD 874.

In actual fact, Reykjavik is a completely smoke-free city heated almost exclusively by geothermal and hydro power. You will witness the result of the Earth’s natural geothermal energy all around you in Iceland, especially during your Golden Circle tour where you will discover bubbling mud pools, steamy fumaroles, and erupting geysers.

Icelanders are proud of having the cleanest, freshest air on the planet. Given the country’s latitude of 64ºN, the temperature is warmer than one might expect, courtesy of the Gulf Stream. During summer the days are full, bright and long with the sun setting around midnight. There is an eclectic shopping and foodie scene in the city with an emphasis on independently owned shops, great cafes selling home-made food, and superb restaurants. Whether you are seeking the bustling energy and nightlife of a cosmopolitan city or the quiet green energy of the landscape surrounding the city, Reykjavik promises a memorable break.

ItineraryDay 1 - Fly from the UK to Keflavik Airport and the airport bus will transfer you to your hotel (approx. 45 minutes). You then have the rest of the day to enjoy Iceland’s capital city at your leisure.

3 nights REYKJAVIK - Fosshotel Baron or Fosshotel Lind *** (BB)

Day 2 - A free day to explore the quirky city of Reykjavik or take a pre-booked optional excursion. We will provide you with plenty of recommendations of things to do and see.

Day 3 - Depart at 0900 (pick up from your hotel) for your included full day Golden Circle

excursion. The Golden Circle needs little introduction: it includes some of Iceland’s most stunning sights. You will see the hot spring Strokkur shoot a column of water up to 30 metres into the air every 4-8 minutes - a thrilling experience you will anticipate each time. You will also visit the magnificent Gullfoss waterfall, created where the river Hvítá tumbles and plunges into a crevice some 32m deep. Your tour also includes the historical and geological wonder that is Thingvellir National Park, where the American and Eurasian tectonic plates are pulling apart at a rate of a few centimetres per year. Additionally you visit the idyllic Friðheimar greenhouse cultivation centre, where you learn about the magic behind growing delicious, pesticide-free tomatoes and cucumbers with the aid of the geothermal heat that Iceland has in abundance. Return to your hotel at 1700, just in time to get ready for dinner!

Day 4 - After breakfast transfer to Keflavik Airport for your return flight to the UK.

Did You Know?Svartifoss, a unique waterfall in South Iceland famed for its basalt columns inspired Guðjón Samúelsson the architect of Hallgrímskirkja Church in Reykjavik

Whale watching © Visit Iceland

Harpa Concert Hall © Visit Iceland

Colourful Reykjavik!

Optional ExcursionsWhale Watching from Reykjavik Harbour The summer season is great for whale watching, as the wildlife in the bay is at its highest peak. This is the time when the migrating whales and birds entertain us with their magnificent presence in the happy company of the resident whales. Commonly seen are minke whales, white-beaked dolphins, harbour porpoises and humpback whales. Price: £45 per person, duration 2½ - 3½ hours

The Blue Lagoon on Arrival/Departure What better way to start your holiday than bathing in the famous Blue Lagoon geothermal spa to soothe and refresh body and soul? Relax in the milky-blue seawater (37-39ºC) and try out the sauna, steam bath and powerful massage waterfall. Price: £42 per person. It is also possible to take this tour from Reykjavik itself with seven daily departures, details on request.

Hekla Volcano and Landmannalaugur - the Ultimate Super Jeep Safari! This journey completely circles Hekla, Iceland’s most active volcano, believed to be the entrance to Hell in the medieval times! You travel over rugged mountains, lava fields, explosion craters and hot springs. Lunch pack included. Price: £185 per person, duration 9-10 hours

The Wonders of Snæfellsnes The Snæfellsnes peninsula in the west of Iceland is almost a miniature version of the whole country. Snæfellsjökull glacier, white and black sand beaches, bird cliffs, spectacular mountains and volcanic craters, incredibly rich trout lakes and salmon rivers, lush valleys, and unique harbours in charming fishing villages. Journey to the Centre of the Earth´ by Jules Verne and, more recently, ´The Secret Life of Walter Mitty with Ben Stiller have been inspired by it. Price: £99 per person, duration 13 hours



Price per

person

Extra night per

person

Singlesupp. per

night

1 - 11 May £775 £50 £3512 May - 30 Sep £860 £76 £59

Price includes • Return flights with Icelandair from Heathrow to

Keflavik including taxes.• Airport bus transfer on arrival and departure.• 3 nights based two people sharing a double/twin

room with shower and WC including breakfast.• The Golden Circle excursion as detailed.


ICELANDICGLACIERS,GEYSERS & WATERFALLS

The black beach opposite Jökulsarlon Glacial Lagoon © Taber Holidays

Why Not?In Reykjavik climb to the top of Hallgrímskirkja Church, one of the tallest buildings in Iceland for amazing views of the city. You won’t believe just how colourful this city really is until you’re there!

this luxury holiday focuses on bringing together many of iceland’s most jaw-dropping places as well as some of the more hidden gems.

Taber Holidays


What comes to mind when you think of Iceland?

We asked a group of people that question and the majority stated, ‘glaciers, geysers and waterfalls’. Some people also tried pronouncing ‘Eyjafjallajökull’ but successfully failed!

This luxury driving holiday focuses on bringing together many of Iceland’s most jaw-dropping places as well as some of the more hidden gems that having a car enables you to see more easily. Driving through Iceland is like no other place on earth, you can drive back and forth on the same road (although we would never suggest doing that!) and you would see something new everytime. The weather constantly changes; one minute it’s glorious sunshine, but in the blink of an eye the sky is dark and brooding, and then a rainbow suddenly appears. Being in your car and witnessing these changes is not just exciting but incredibly surreal.

ItineraryDay 1 - Arrive Keflavik Airport. Collect your hire car and drive to Hotel Rangá, one of Iceland’s most famous hotels. From here you are within close proximity to visit the Westman Islands which we recommend you do on one of your free days (see optional excursions). Nearby you will also find three of Iceland’s most famous and impressive waterfalls: Háifoss, Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss.

2 nights HELLA - Hotel Ranga (HB)

Day 3 - Vik is Iceland’s most southern town and a base from which to see many of Iceland’s most famed attractions. Despite its small size it’s still one of largest towns in South and arguably the prettiest, nestled at the bottom of rolling mountains and overlooking the ocean. Perhaps its most distinct feature are the ‘fingers’ of basalts rocks that eerily jut out of the sea and can be seen from most places, including your hotel.

3 nights VÍK – Icelandair Hotel (HB)

Days 4 & 5 - On your free days take the scenic drive to Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon, Iceland’s most startling attraction - setting eyes on huge icebergs and boulders of ice floes is a vision to behold! For a truly up-close experience you can join an Amphibian boat tour where you pass through icebergs and if lucky, spot some seals!

For another thrilling activity why not take a guided glacier hike on Sólheimajökull glacier nearby Vik? Other must-see sights of South Iceland include the black sand beach of Vik, and Svartifoss – a unique waterfall famed for its basalt columns.

Day 6 - From Vik enjoy the stunning drive to Grimsborgir near Thingvellir, a new luxury hotel ideally situated for exploring the Golden Circle, and South-West Iceland.

3 nights THINGVELLIR - Hotel Grimsborgir (HB)

Days 7 & 8 - On your free days at Grimsborgir Hotel explore ever-changing landscape of south-west Iceland at your leisure. See Must Do!

Day 9 - Drive to Reykjavik and drop off your car hire, then enjoy the last day of your holiday exploring Iceland’s quirky and colourful capital city. Drop hire car off at the Avis Office.

1 night REYKJAVIK - Hotel Reykjavik Centrum

Day 10 - Airport bus transfer to Keflavik Airport. Depending on the time of your return flight home you may have time to soak in the Blue Lagoon (see Optional Excursions). Return flight to the UK.

Must Do!On your free days at Hotel Grimsborgir use this time to explore the famous Golden Circle Route. This tour comprises of Thingvellir National Park, Geyser area (with the erupting Strokkur geyser) and Gullfoss.

Optional ExcursionsBlue Lagoon on departure What better way to finish your holiday than bathing in the famous Blue Lagoon geothermal spa to soothe and refresh body and soul? Relax in the milky-blue seawater (37-39ºC) and try out the sauna, steam bath and powerful massage waterfall. Price: £55 per person

Amphibian Boat Tour During this excursion you sail among huge icebergs in the otherworldly landscape of Jökulsárlón. If you are lucky you might even see some seals! On the boat you get to taste the 1000 year old ice. The excursion takes 30–40 minutes and includes an English speaking guide who explains to you the geology and facts of the lagoon. Only payable locally. Price: 4000 ISK per adult

Glacier Walk Walk through the dramatic glacial landscape formed over thousands of years. After a safety briefing and a lesson in ice walking you will head onto the glacier to experience this unique environment with some amazing terrain with crevasse, sink holes and ice ridges. Equipment provided. Only payable locally. Price: 9990 ISK per person. Not suitable for children under 10 years.

Svartifoss © Taber Holidays



Price per

person

Singlesupp*

Upgrade car to P Grade (total cost)

1 - 14 May £2134 £150 £16315 May - 14 Jun £2495 £170 £20915 Jun - 22 Aug £2680 £212 £32123 Aug - 11 Sep £2495 £170 £20912 - 30 Sep £2337 £170 £209

*When travelling with two other passengers in the same car.

Prices for solo driving on request.

Price includes • Scheduled flights with Icelandair from Heathrow

to Keflavik including taxes.• Airport bus transfer on Days 1 and 10.• Car hire with Avis for a period of 10 days based

on a Group L car (VW Golf, automatic or similar). Rental includes Unlimited Mileage, CDW, Theft Protection and Tax. * A Group P car is a Suzuki Grand Vitara, 4x4, manual or similar.

• Hotel accommodation based on two people sharing a double/twin room with shower and WC including breakfast.

• 3-course dinner included throughout except in Reykjavik which is BB only.

• Motoring map.

Not included (to be paid locally)Airport Service Charge of 5,400 ISK (approx £28.00 and an Environmental fee of 650 ISK (approx. £3.50)


SNÆFELLSNES& THEWESTFJORDS

Puffins © VisitIceland

Why Not?When in Rome... indulge in Icelandic folk tales at the quirky Museum of Sorcery and Witchcraft in Hólmavik - be very scared of the nábrók aka ‘necropants’!

This tour is ideal for those returning to iceland who wish to discover the more hidden treasures this incredible country has to offer...

Taber Holidays


A 4x4 fly-drive holiday featuring close-up encounters with exquisite birdlife plus the region’s most untouched scenery - a trip of non-stop highlights.

The West Fjords are without doubt one of the most beautiful areas of Iceland and relatively undiscovered by tourists - in fact only three percent of all foreign tourists make it out here. The region occupies less than 10% of Iceland’s land mass but represents half of the country s coastline - that’s more than half of the fjords in the whole country!

ItineraryDay 1 - Arrive Keflavik Airport by air from the UK. Collect hire car and drive via Reykjavik and the Hvalfjörður subsea tunnel to Stykkishólmur on the northern shore of the Snæfellsnes peninsula (138 miles).

2 nights STYKKISHÓLMUR - Hotel Stykkishólmur*** (HB)

Day 2 - A full day in which to circle the peninsula; highlights include the craggy cliffs, black beach and unique lagoon of Djúpalónssandur and the unique Shark Museum offering an insight into local culture.

Day 3 - Take the morning 3-hours ferry crossing from Stykkishólmur to Brjanlækur, via Flatey Island, to the West Fjords. Continue westwards to Hotel Látrabjarg near Patreksfjörður (29 miles, excluding ferry crossing).

2 nights PATREKSFJÖRÐUR - Hotel Látrabjarg (HB)

Day 4 - Visit the impressive Dynjandi falls and magnificient bird cliffs at Látrabjarg, the westernmost point of Europe. The cliffs are home to millions of birds, including puffins (mid-April to end August), northern gannets, guillemots and razorbills. The cliffs are vital for their survival as it hosts up to 40% of the world’s population of some species.

Day 5 - Head westwards to Laugarhóll, near Hólmavik in the Strandir region. This route includes crossing Steingrímsfjarðarheiði moors with its many lakes and brooks (159 miles).

2 nights LAUGARHÓLL - Hotel Laugarhóll (HB)

Day 6 - Visit Dynjandi Falls, the largest and most impressive waterfall in the West Fjords, 100 metres high and up to 60 metres wide.

Day 7 - Southwards on the coast road via several fjords to join the Ring Road at Bru then through moorland via Borgarnes to Reykjavik. Why not take a little detour enroute to Deildartunguhver, the highest flow hot spring in Europe? Geothermal reserves in the Reykholtsdalur valley pump a staggering 180 litres of water per second and steam billows from fissures in the ground. Drop off hire car once back in Reykjavik (186 miles, excluding detour).

1 night REYKJAVIK - Best Western Hotel Reykjavik (BB)

Day 8 - Transfer by airport bus from your hotel to Keflavik Airport for your return flight to the UK.

Must Do!A drive around the Snæfellsnes Peninsula is not complete without stopping off at Djúpalónssandur, a rounded, cliff-lined bay with two freshwater lagoons and an abundance of unusual rock formations.

Kirkufell © Visit Westfjords

Látrabjarg cliffs © Visit Westfjords

Did You Know?Rauðasandur (‘Red Sands’) is one of Iceland’s most stunning beaches where both grey and common seals can often be seen. The 10 kms beach is more accurately described as sands in changing hues of yellow, orange and red, depending upon the time of day and the weather. Whatever colour is presented before you, one thing is certain, this must be one of the most tranquil places on Earth! We suggest you get out of your car and stretch your legs on the long, sandy beach with seashells crunching underfoot and the sound of waves on the shore. Oh, and don t forget to take your camera with you!



Price per

person

Singlesupp.*

1 - 14 May £1783

Nil15 May - 8 Jun £18589 Jun - 22 Aug £227823 Aug - 30 Sep £1978

* Only applies when travelling with two other passengers in the same car. The supplement is nil as the third person receives a reduction for the car hire costs which have already been covered and which, for this holiday, are equal to the cost of the single supplement.


to Keflavik including taxes. Alternatives departure airports available on request.

• Airport bus transfer from hotel on Day 8.• Car hire with Avis based on a Group P (Suzuki

Grand Vitara, 4x4, manual or similar). Rental includes Unlimited Mileage, CDW, Theft Protection and Tax.

• Hotel accommodation based on two people sharing a double/twin room with shower and WC including breakfast except at Hotel Buðir which also includes 3-course dinner.

• Ferry crossing from Stykkishólmur to Brjanlækur for car and passengers.

• Motoring Map.

Not included (to be paid locally)Airport service charge of 5,400 ISK (approx. £28) and Environmental Fee of 650 ISK (approx. £3.50).

Dynjandi © Visit Westfjords


WESTICELAND&LAKEMÝVATN

Not Lake Mývatn but a photo of Viti Crater! © A. Karnholz - Fotolia.com

An unforgettable fly-drive holiday exploring the best of west and south iceland, with time at the end to enjoy reykjavik.

Why Not?Visit the small but rather unique Shark Museum nestling amongst a spectacular landscape of lava fields nearby Stykkishólmur. You have the opportunity to try the delicacy ‘Hákarl’, better known better as rotten shark! To see how the meat is prepared using traditional methods don’t forget to go to the drying shed behind the museum, but beware of the smell!

Taber Holidays


Its diverse landscape often makes Iceland difficult to describe, but ‘lunar’ and ‘Mars-like’ are words which we feel suit it best...

Snæfellsnes is a 90 kms mountainous peninsula teeming with natural beauty and long roads which are perfect for driving. There are plenty of opportunities to stop off at long sandy beaches, spectaular rocks formations, lava fields, craters, amazing bird life and pretty fishing villages - including Stykkisholmur where a scene from the film, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, was shot!

From Snæfellsnes you travel east to North Iceland to the bizarre and beautiful Lake Mývatn area with its Nature Baths and unique, almost weird, lava fields and huge mud pools - a true reminder of Iceland s volcanic history.

ItineraryDay 1 - Arrive Keflavik Airport and collect your Avis hire car. Drive through lava fields, via Reykjavik, heading northwards and taking the subsea toll tunnel under Hvalfjörður (Whale Fjord) to the mountainous Akranes peninusula. Across the Borgarfjörður by Iceland s second longest bridge to Borgarnes then north-west, via the Eldborg crater and lava fields, for the stunning drive along the southern shore of the Snæfellsnes peninula to the luxury Hotel Buðir.

2 nights BUÐIR - Hotel Buðir (HB)

Day 2 - Continue clockwise around the peninsula encircling the mighty 1446 m high Snæfellsjökull (Snow Mountain Glacier), which is actually a 700 000 year-old strato volcano with a glacier covering its summit and made famous in Jules Verne’s novel, A Journey to the Centre of the Earth.

Continue along the northern shore of the peninsula via Ólafsvik and Grundarfjörður with its impressive landmark mountain, Kirkufell, with a possible stop at the Shark Museum (we dare you to try the fermented shark meat called hákarl) before reaching Búðardalur and crossing Laxárdalur to join the ‘Ring Road’. Through an everchanging patchwork of mountains, plains, lakes, rivers marshland and lava desert to Akureyri, the ‘capital of the North’ and located on the shores of Iceland’s longest fjord, Eyjafjörður (303 miles). Should you decide not to drive around the peninsula then the distance is 258 miles.

3 nights AKUREYRI - Icelandair Hotel Akureyri (BB)

Days 3 - 5 - On your free days explore the Diamond Circle route and Lake Mývatn area. Why not soak in Mývatn Nature Baths or join the whale safari from Húsavik (see right).

Day 6 - Drop off your hire car at Akureyri Airport before your 45 mins flight to Reykjavik Domestic Airport. Take a taxi (not included) to your nearby hotel.

2 nights REYKJAVIK - Hotel Reykjavik Centrum (BB)

Day 8 - Airport bus from your hotel to Keflavik Airport for your return flight to the UK.

Did You Know?Dettifoss, Europe s most powerful waterfall has been the film location to several Hollywood blockbusters, including the dramatic opening scene of Sci-fi film Prometheus.

Djúpalónssandur © Taber Holidays

Optional ExcursionsGentle Giants Whale Safari Experience a thrilling whale watching tour from Húsavík considered the ‘whale watching capital of Europe’. Price: £49 per person

Diamond Circle route South Iceland has the famous Golden Circle route but North Iceland has the more hidden treasures along the Diamond Circle route! Drive northwards from Akureyri to Húsavík, where numerous whale-watching trips are available daily (see above excursion), then around the beautiful Tjörnes peninsula to Ásbryegi, a horse-shoe shaped 100 m wide canyon before heading southwards to Europe’s most powerful waterfall, Dettifoss. Then to the surreal Lake Mývatn area with it’s many attractions such as the weird lava formations at Dimmubogir, Viti explosion crater (see main image far left) and Namafjall Hverir geothermal area with its bubbling mud pools and fumaroles and not forgetting the Mývatn Nature Baths, very similar to the Blue Lagoon! Lastly, finishing up at Goðafoss - waterfall of the gods!



Price per

person

Singlesupp*


1 - 14 May £1669 £315 £10015 - 27 May £1747 £315 £13028 May - 14 Jun £1857 £380 £13015 Jun - 31 Aug £1998 £428 £2001 - 30 Sep £1795 £367 £130





on a Group L car (VW Golf, automatic or similar). Rental includes Unlimited Mileage, CDW, Theft Protection and Tax. * A Group P car is a Suzuki Grand Vitara 4x4 manual.


• 3-course dinner included throughout except in Reykjavik which is BB only.

• Motoring map.

Not included (to be paid locally)Airport Service Charge of 5,400 ISK (approx £28.00 and an Environmental fee of 650 ISK (approx. £3.50)

Icelandic horse © Alexey Stiop - Fotolia.com

Dried mud pools! © Taber Holidays

Dettifoss © Fyle - Fotolia.com


ICELAND’SFULLCIRCLEDRIVE

Skógafoss © Taber Holidays

Why Not?Relax and unwind at Mývatn Nature Baths. These geothermal pools are North Iceland s very own ´Blue Lagoon but on a smaller, more intimate scale. Open until Midnight in summer for those who like a relaxing soak before bedtime...

Without doubt one of the World’s most spectacular driving routes and definitely the holiday for those who want to drive around Iceland.

Taber Holidays


Discover unique natural wonders including magnificent waterfalls, volcanoes, glaciers, spouting geysers, bubbling mud pots and lava landscapes.

This is a wonderful tour taking in the Snæfellsnes peninsula and most of Iceland’s mountainous 830 mile long Highway 1, or ‘Ring Road’, which skirts the entire coastline, with the exception of the West Fjords, though we can arrange this for you too if you have a few extra nights to spare...! You’ll have the chance to see Europe’s largest glacier, Vatnajökull, rich birdlife and, in high summer, the Midnight Sun.

ItineraryDay 1 - Arrive Keflavik Airport. Transfer by airport bus to your hotel.

1 night REYKJAVIK - Hotel Reykjavik (BB)

Day 2 - Collect Avis hire car and head north on the Ring Road via the wide Kollafjörður and under the Hvalfjörður by subsea tunnel to Borgarnes. Through the Myrar region and Eldborg lavafield before driving through the Snæfellsnes mountain range to Stykkishólmur on the northern shore of the peninsula (107 miles).

2 nights STYKKISHÓLMUR - Hotel Stykkisholmur (HB)

Day 4 - Continue along the northern shore of the peninsula to the Hrutafjörður to rejoin the Ring Road. Now through the wide Viði valley via Blönduos and through moorland and valleys to Akureyri, located on the shores of Iceland s longest fjord, Eyjafjörður (225 miles).

2 nights AKUREYRI - Kea Hotel Norðurland (BB)

Day 6 - Onwards via Goðafoss ( waterfall of the Gods ), the pseudo-craters at Skutustaðir and the weird lava formations at Dimmuborgir to Reykjahlið, beautifully situated next to Mývatn (62 miles).

2 nights REYKJAHLIÐ - Hotel Reynihlið (HB)

Day 8 - Continue eastwards via the Mödrudalur valley and mountain ranges to Egilsstaðir, ‘capital’ of East Iceland (102 miles).

2 nights EGILSSTAÐIR - Guesthouse Egilsstaðir (HB)

Day 10 - Follow the coastline around numerous fjords via Höfn and in sight of majestic Vatnajökull, Europe s largest glacier. Westwards around the Hornafjörður, before reaching the wonderful glacial lagoon of Jökulsarlon with its huge icebergs and from where boat trips are possible. Through the vast Breidamerkursandur sand area passing Iceland s highest mountain, Hvannadalshnúkur (2119 metres) to Freysnes, next to Skaftafell National Park (230 miles).

2 nights FREYSNES - Hotel Skaftafell (HB)

Day 12 - Westwards through the vast black sand deserts of Skeiðarásandur via Kirkjubæjarklaustur then through the vast Eldhraun lava fields before reaching the Mýrdalssandur desert near Vik, Iceland s southernmost town (91 miles).

2 nights VIK - Icelandair Hotel Vik (HB)

Day 14 - Westwards to Selfoss via the two impressive waterfalls of Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss. Northeast via the Kerið explosion crater and world-famous Geysir area to spectaccular Gullfoss waterfall. Return to Reykjavik via the beautiful historical site of Thingvellir National Park (UNESCO) where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are still moving apart, then through the Mosfellsheiði moors to drop of your hire car (201 miles).

1 night REYKJAVIK - Hotel Reykjavik (BB)

Day 15 - Transfer by airport bus to Keflavik Airport for your return flight to the UK.

Icelandic horse © Taber Holidays

Vik © Taber Holidays

Must Do!Our suggestions about what to do on your free days.

Snæfellsjökull Glacier (Snow Mountain Glacier) - from Stykkishólmur A 1,446 metres high ancient cone volcano, made famous in Jules Verne s novel, A Journey to the Centre of the Earth. The glacier harbours an active volcano though there have been no recorded eruptions since Iceland s settlement!

The Herring Town of Siglufjörður - from Akureyri Once the richest town in Iceland due to its herring industry. There is a lovely little herring museum here well worth visiting and why not linger over lunch at Hannes Boy Cafe in the harbour?

Namafjall Hverir Geothermal Area and Dettifoss - from Reykjahlið With its steaming bubbling mud pools and fumaroles Namafjall Hverir will make you feel hot but don t worry, the sight and sound of Europe s most powerful waterfall, Dettifoss, will cool you down!

Hengifoss ( hanging falls´) - from Egilsstaðir Iceland s second highest waterfall at 118 metres. There is a viewing area at the top - wear good shoes!

Svartifoss Waterfall ( Black Falls´) and Svinafellsjökull - from Freysnes Svartifoss plunges over a wall of symmetrical columnar basalt and an easy walk to its base provides a spectacular photo opportunity. Walk to the edge of Svinafellsjökull, a glacial tongue of Vatnajökull, Europe s largest glacier.

Dyrhólaey ( Doorway Hill Island´) - from Vik Iceland s most southerly tip or cape. A 120 metres high promontory where a unique arch-shaped rock is found. The cliffs and sand dunes have been declared a nature reserve protecting large seabird colonies. Spectacular views of the black sand beaches from the lighthouse!



Price per

person

Singlesupp*


1 - 14 May £2398 £384 £23615 May - 14 Jun £2871 £360 £30015 Jun - 22 Aug £3135 £257 £46323 - 31 Aug £2871 £360 £3001 - 30 Sep £2574 £257 £300





on a Group L car (VW Golf, automatic or similar). Rental includes Unlimited Mileage, CDW, Theft Protection and Tax.* A Group P car is Suzuki Grand Vitara, 4x4, manual or similar.


• 3-course dinner included throughout except in Reykjavik and Akureyri which are BB only.

• Motoring map.

Mud pools at Lake Mývatn © North Iceland Tourist Board


GRAND TOUROFICELAND

South Iceland © Taber Holidays

Must Do!Iceland has the purest water in the world, a fantastic and eco-friendly way to experience this natural taste is by refilling your bottle at one of the many waterfalls you will visit along the way, or during your time visiting Jökulsarlon Glacier Lagoon.

a once in a lifetime adventure travelling the whole circle of iceland, the ‘land of fire and ice’

Taber Holidays


Iceland is a country like no other; with exceptional landscapes, some of the world’s finest waterfalls, erupting geysers, magical lagoons, active volcanoes, majestic glaciers, powerful lava flows and rare-breeding bird life.

This tour takes you on an unforgettable journey including Snæfellsnes peninsula and the magical West Fjords. Experience the spectacular splendour and untamed beauty of Iceland s nature, breathtaking scenery and unique history and culture. You will discover some of the most remote parts of the country and visit many well-known highlights as well.

ItineraryDay 1 (Wed) - Arrive Keflavik Airport by air from the UK. Flybus transfer (independent) to Reykjavík where you spend the first night in Iceland. Evening free to explore Reykjavik.

1 night REYKJAVIK - Hotel Klettur (BB)

Day 2 (Thu) - Enjoy the classic highlights: Gullfoss waterfall, the active geothermal area of Geysir and Thingvellir National Park.

1 night BORGARFJÖRÐUR - Icelandair Hotel Hamar or Fosshotel Reykholt (HB)

Day 3 (Fri) - Travel around the Snæfellsnes Peninsula visiting the most popular sites of the National Park where volcanic craters, lava flows, an ice cap, mountains, sandy beaches and high cliffs shape its landcapes.

1 night SNÆFELLSNES - Hotel Framnes Grundarfjörður or similar (HB)

Day 4 (Sat) - By ferry over a wide bay with countless islands to the West Fjords. Continue through a very remote region to the bird cliffs of Látrabjarg.

1 night WEST FJORDS - Hotel Breiðavík or Fosshotel Westfjords or Hotel Flókalundur (HB)

Day 5 (Sun) - Along the shores of many scenic fjords and beautiful beaches until we reach the unique waterfall Dynjandi, declared the country’s most beautiful waterfall by the people of Iceland. Continue along the southern shores of the West Fjords.

1 night DALIR - Vogur Country Lodge (HB)

Day 6 (Mon) - At Haukadalur there is an authentic replica of the homestead of Erik the Red, the famous explorer who founded the Icelandic colony in Greenland. His son Leif-the-Lucky was the first European to set foot in North America. We head north stopping at a

local farm for a horse show, and spend the night in the charming town of Akureyri.

1 night AKUREYRI - Hotel KEA (BB)

Day 7 (Tue) - Explore Goðafoss waterfall and continue to Lake Mývatn, known for its rich bird life and extraordinary volcanic lava landscape. We visit pseudo craters, walk in the lava field Dimmuborgir, climb up to the rim of an ash crater, see hot springs and bubbling mud pools, travel to a crater lake then soak in Mývatn Nature Baths.

1 night LAKE MÝVATN - Hotel Laxá or Keahotel Gigur (HB)

Day 8 (Wed) - Visit Dettifoss, Europe’s most powerful waterfall. From here we head through the unhibited highlands to the isolated village Bakkagerði.

1 night EAST ICELAND - Country Guesthouse Alfheimar in Borgarfjörður Eystri (HB)

Day 9 (Thu) - Admire the dramatic fjord landscape and tiny fishing villages of the East Fjords. Then head to Vatnajökull, Europe’s biggest glacier stopping for a boat ride amongst the floating icebergs of Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon.

1 nights VATNAJÖKULL NATIONAL PARK - Hotel Skaftafell or similar (HB)

DAY 10 (FRI) - Visit Skaftafell at Vatnajökull National Park, nestling below Iceland’s highest mountains. Continue along the south coast, always between the sea, black lava beaches and mountainous cliffs, glaciers and waterfalls. Stop at Eyajallajökull Information Centre where we learn what it’s like to live next to a glacier and active volcano. End the holiday with a farewell dinner.

1 night REYKJAVIK - Hotel Klettur (HB)

Day 11 (Sat) - Transfer to Keflavik Airport for your return flight to the UK.

Geyser area © VisitIceland

FactsDeparture Day: Wednesday Departure Dates: 3 & 17 Jun; 1, 15 & 29 Jul; 12 & 26 Aug 2015 Duration: 10 nights


Price per person

Singlesuppl.

3 Jun - 26 Aug £3335 £587


to Keflavik including taxes.• Arrival and departure airport transfer by Flybus.• 10 nights at country hotels, guesthouses and

farms based on two people sharing a double/twin room with shower and WC including breakfast.

• 8 x dinners.• Fully escorted 10-day bus tour with an English

speaking guide.• Visit to three national parks including the Golden

Circle Route.• Admission to Settlement Centre in West Iceland.• Entrance and visit to a lava cave.• Ferry trip to the West Fjords.• Admission to the folk and transport museum at

Hnjótur.• Visit to Erik the Red s homestead.• Horse show in north-west Iceland.• Entrance with towel to the Nature Baths at Lake

Mývatn.• Visit to the stone collection in the East Fjords.• Boat trip on Jökulsárlon Glacial Lagoon.• Visit to the multimedia presentation at

Eyjafjallajökull Volcano Information Centre.• Average 1 - 2 hours walking per day.

Did You Know?Gullfoss, in the Hvítá river on the edge of the central highlands, is one of Iceland’s most renowned and spectacular waterfalls. A natural formation of remarkable beauty, Gullfoss is the most visited tourist attraction in Iceland and where you will be visiting on day two of your trip. The waterfall is about 32 m high, falling in two casades down into an impressive gorge up to 70 m deep. About 2.5 km in length, the gorge has been formed over the past 10,000 years, since the end of the last Ice Age by erosive action of the river. The name Gullfoss (Golden Falls) is believed to be inspired by the refraction of sunlight in the spray of the falls, which often forms a multiple rainbow. But legend also attributes the name to a hoard of gold and other valuables once flung into the waterfall by a wealthy farmer in the neighbourhood!


STOCKHOLMAND THEARCHIPELAGO

View of Stockholm from the Bell Tower at City Hall © Taber Holidays

Did You Know?Stockholm has 100 underground stations and more than 90 of them are covered in street art. For the most examles visit the rainbow themed station at Stadion, the Harlequin design at Kungsträdgården, and the Hell inspired station at Solna Centrum!

Often hailed as ‘the Venice of the north’, Stockholm’s archipelago is made up of no less than 24,000 islands, making a boat trip ideal for sightseeing.

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Stockholm is Sweden’s magnificent capital city, beautifully situated over 14 islands and connected by 57 bridges.

Scandinavia’s largest capital city is full of charm and atmosphere with something to see and do for everyone. You will discover a perfect blend of old and new as you explore the Old Town of Gamla Stan, one of the largest and most well-preserved medieval centres in Europe; walk further south to Södermalm to find contemprory design shops and fashionable pop-up bars and cafes.

Stockholm’s archipelago begins just outside the city limits and is made up of no less than 24,000 islands. Scheduled boat trips can be made to the islands and provide a break from the hustle and bustle of the city. Included in your holiday is a Stockholm Card that gives you free admission to over 80 museums and attractions, and free travel on public transport including tram, metro and local boat, all providing unique ways of island hopping across this beautiful city!

ItineraryDay 1 - Fly from the UK, arrive Stockholm Arlanda Airport. Arlanda Express to city centre (not included).

4 nights STOCKHOLM - Clarion Hotel Sign or similar (BB) - we offer a variety of 4 star

hotels in Stockholm to suit different tastes.

Please ask at time of booking

Day 2 - Free day to familiarise yourself with the city of Stockholm. How about visiting the colourful and cobbled streets of Gamla Stan and Fotografiska (photography museum) as they are in the same direction? If you’re feeling hungry we suggest dinner at Hermans Vegetariska Restaurang located near the museum.

Day 3 - Another free day in Stockholm. How about taking the taxi boat across to

Djurgården? This is an island situated in the middle of Stockholm where you will find three very different but fun and unique museums; Skansen, Vasa Museum, and the newly opened ABBA Museum! Lastly, a visit to City Hall, an imposing building and site of the Nobel Prize Awards Ceremony is well worth a visit, along with the bell tower where you are granted a breathtaking view of the city after climbing a narrow set of winding stone staircases.

Day 4 - Today we have included a day trip to the island of Sandhamn in the Stockholm Archipelago. The boat departs from Strandvägen at 0930 and travels via the picturesque island of Vaxholm, Grinda and Gällno passing lovely archipelago-style houses with elaborate woodwork and beautiful gardens. The journey takes 2¼ hours and allows a full afternoon in Sandhamn before its return to Stockholm, departing at 1700. The island has a lovely harbour with yachts of all shapes and sizes, and has a pretty village centre which is a haven of narrow alleyways, winding streets and overgrown verandahs.

Sandhamn was also featured in the Stieg Larsson Millennium Series as the island refuge of his character, Mikael Blomkvist!

Day 5 - Time to say goodbye to Stockholm and retrace your route to the airport for your return flight to the UK.

Why Not?Whether you’re a vegetarian or not, dinner at Herman’s restaurant offers you tantalising food in a relaxed environment plus spectacular views of Stockholm from its cliffside location above the water. It’s also almost next door to Fotografiska...

Ola Ericson/imagebank.sweden.se

Suzel and Shing in good company! © Taber Holidays

Must Do!Skansen The world’s first open-air museum, founded in 1891, and a living exhibition of five centuries of Swedish history with a real sense of the past represented in historical buildings and dwellings and by people as characters in period dress. Free with your Stockholm Card.

Fotografiska Stockholm’s fabulous contemporary photography museum exhibits work by world-renowned photographers, and holds a variety of provoking exhibitions throughout the year. Free with your Stockholm Card.

Moderna Museet Stockholm’s Modern Art Museum is located on the beautiful island of Skeppsholmen and has one of the world’s finest collections of art from 1900 to the present day, including key works by artists such as Marcel Duchamp, Louise Bourgeois, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí and Henri Matisse, along with important Swedish works of art. Free with your Stockholm Card.

The Vasa Museum It is no surprise why this is the most visited museum in the whole of Scandinavia. Upon entering you are greeted with the imposing vision of the Vasa, a magnificent war ship that sank on her maiden voyage in 1628 after sailing less than 1300 metres from Stockholm harbour! It was only discovered again in 1961 and since then a team of archaeologists and scientists have been carefully reconstructing the events of that fateful day. Tip: Don’t miss the bottom floor where you can find skeletal remains salvaged from those onboard! Free with your Stockholm Card.



Price per

person

Extra night per

person

Singlesupp.

1 May - 30 Sep £875 £90 On Req.

Price includes • Scheduled flight with SAS from Heathrow to

Stockholm including taxes.• 4 nights at the Clarion Hotel Sign or similar

centrally located 4 star hotel in Stockholm based on two people sharing a twin bedded room with shower and WC including breakfast. Hotel will be named and confirmed at time of booking.

• 72-hours Stockholm Card.• Roundtrip Cinderella Boat ticket to the island of

Sandhamn in the Stockholm Archipelago.Gamla Stan © Taber Holidays


A SLICEOF SOUTHSWEDEN

The boardwalk at Malmö’s Western Harbour © Taber Holidays

Why Not?Dine with a local family in Malmö! A Slice of Swedish Hospitality is a special dining concept. Basically you dine with local people in their homes; food is a 2-course meal (either starter and main or main and dessert) and is always something they would eat themselves at home - locally produced and locally eaten! All the participating hosts love entertaining and talking about local life and the best things to see and do in and around their town. They also love to hear your stories too... For more information and to book visit: www.asliceofswedishhospitality.com

Fans of Nordic Noir will appreciate the familiar locations, and fans of medieval cities, architecture and the sea will love it all.

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A lovely relaxing holiday giving the opportunity to explore some of southern Sweden’s most popular picturesque towns.

Malmö, Ystad, Lund, Kalmar and Stockholm are all very different from one another and yet complement one another perfectly. Ancient, modern, international, traditional, bustling, tranquil

- words to describe all of them, but most of all southern Swedish - a slice of southern Sweden. Transportation between destinations is by rail giving you the opportunity to just sit back and enjoy the view.

ItineraryDay 1 - Arrive Copenhagen Airport. Take the train directly from the airport across the fabulous Öresund Bridge into Sweden and the cosmopolitan city of Malmö.

3 nights MALMÖ - Clarion Collection Hotel Temperance (BB)

Day 2 - Morning and early afternoon free to explore Malmö. Lilla Torg (square) is situated in the old part of Malmö and is a large outdoor area with cafes and shops. Malmö Castle holds many of the town’s major museums and Western Harbour is Malmö’s new harbour area with a lovely boardwalk overlooking the Öresund and Öresund Bridge. Make sure you visit the city’s most famous architectural landmark at 190 metres high, the Turning Torso. After lunch take the train (15 minutes) to the nearby city of Lund, a popular university city with a nice relaxed atmosphere. Kulturen is the city’s excellent open-air museum and is well worth an hour or so. Lund Domkirke is a beautiful Gothic cathedral with a unique Astronomical Clock

from 1380 which ‘chimes’ twice daily with a little performance! Return to Malmö at your leisure.

Day 3 - Morning departure by train for Ystad. Ystad is one of Skåne’s most popular and picturesque coastal towns, not least due to a certain fictional detective called Kurt Wallander from the Henning Mankell series! Browse the numerous handicraft shops, perhaps take the guided Wallander tour, relax on the beach with a picnic or take a walk to experience the nature and scenery. There is a nice harbour and marina and the town has a medieval centre. Return to Malmö at your leisure.

Day 4 - Morning departure by train for the town of Kalmar on Sweden’s southeast coast. Why not visit Kalmar County Museum or Kalmar Art Museum - both are excellent.

2 nights KALMAR - Clarion Collection Hotel Packhuset (BB)

Day 5 - Kalmar Castle’s history is legendary and dates back over 800 years. The castle and grounds are open daily and we highly recommend a visit.

Day 6 - Late morning train from Kalmar to Stockholm (via Alvesta). Stockholm is quite simply ‘Beauty on Water’ - see pages 36 & 37 for information regarding Stockholm. A 48-hours Stockholm Card is included in your holiday.

3 nights STOCKHOLM - Clarion Hotel Sign or similar (BB)

Day 6 - Independent transfer to Stockholm Airport for your return flight to the UK.

Meet...Kurt Wallander!!Well OK, perhaps not the man himself (he’s fictional you know!), but rather follow In the Footsteps of Wallander. There is a great website providing details of all the locations in Ystad which featured in Henning Mankell’s popular books and the subsequent TV series. Go on, have a browse or visit the local Tourist Information Office during your visit - they love telling visitors about it!

www.wallander.ystad.se/en

The sort of slice we like! © Taber Holidays

Must Do!Western Harbour, Malmö Formerly a polluted old shipyard but now Malmö’s beautiful new stylish area of the city. There is a lovely boardwalk alongside the Öresund with a great view of the Öresund Bridge plus there are shops, cafes and restaurants and a rather trendy residential area plus the Turning Torso. But that’s not all - Western Harbour is powered by 100% local, renewable energy!

Kulturen, Lund Kulturen is an open-air museum filled with historic buildings and gardens for you to visit. Step into the houses and experience life in the city and the countryside from the Middle Ages to the 1930s, with guides dressed in costume and in character. You can also choose from among 20 exhibitions – from folk art to modern design, from medieval history to the present day, from local culture to world culture. Entrance fee (payable locally) SEK120 per person (2014).

Kalmar Castle, Kalmar Kalmar Castle traces its origins back to the 12th century. It was here that the Kalmar Union was signed in 1397, and it was during the 16th century and the time of the Vasa kings that the castle acquired its current design - that of a Renaissance palace, furnished and decorated in continental fashion. The castle has numerous rooms and halls - all with a story to tell - and a rather sobering Women’s Prison where women were imprisoned and tortured when superstition was sufficient to convict. Guided tours in English daily at 1130. Entrance fee (payable locally) SEK120 per person (2014).

FactsDeparture Day: Daily Departure Dates: 1 Jun - 15 Sep 2015 Duration: 8 nights


Price per person

Single supplement

1 Jun - 15 Sep £1365 £345


Copenhagen and from Stockholm to Heathrow including taxes.

• 8 nights 3 star plus/4 star hotel accommodation based on two people sharing a double/twin bedded room with shower and WC including breakfast. NB. Clarion Collection Hotels also include a free evening meal.

• Swedish Rail Pass for a period of 4 days (you will use the pass for the journeys to Ystad and Lund). Standard class.

• 48-hours Stockholm Card.

Ystad © Cecilia Smitt

The Turning Torso © Aline Lessner/imagebank.sweden.se


DISCOVERDENMARK

Nyhavn in Copenhagen © Taber Holidays

Discover Denmark and find out why the Danes are the happiest people on earth!

Why Not?From Silkeborg take a scenic boat trip on ‘Hjelen’ - the oldest paddle-steamer in the world still in regular service.

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Enjoy Copenhagen, then explore the land of Hans Christian Andersen with its sparkling lakes, magical forests, rolling hills, and glorious beaches.

This relaxed fly-drive holiday enables you to experience the very best of Denmark, with hotels specially chosen to enhance your experience. Good food is a highlight at the last two hotels on your itinerary – so we have also included dinner to round off this wonderful holiday!

ItineraryDay 1 (Sat) - Arrive Copenhagen early afternoon. Take a taxi to your hotel (not included).

3 nights COPENHAGEN - Copenhagen Admiral Hotel (BB)

Days 2 & 3 (Sun & Mon) - At leisure in Copenhagen. Your character hotel is right on the waterfront, close to the Amalienborg Palace, and colourful Nyhavn, with its boats, pavement cafes and restaurants. Enjoy many fine museums including the splended Viking Ship Museum at nearby Roskilde.

Day 4 (Tue) - At 0930 a hire-car will be delivered to your hotel. Drive to Odense (approx. 100 miles) – crossing the impressive Great Belt Bridge.

3 nights ODENSE - City Hotel (BB)

Days 5 & 6 (Wed & Thu) - At leisure in Odense. Your hotel is very central, close to the Hans Christian Andersen Museum, his Childhood Home and other attractions. Within half an hour’s drive is the lovely Egeskov Castle.

Day 7 (Fri) - Drive to Silkeborg in the beautiful Danish Lake District (approx 85 miles).

3 nights SILKEBORG - Gl. Skovridergaard (BB)

Days 8 & 9 (Sat & Sun) - Your hotel is set in lovely grounds with woods and lakes starting at the hotel gates. The centre of Silkeborg is about a mile away with 2,000 year old Tollund Man in Silkeborg Museum, canoes for hire and enjoyable boat trips on the lake. Within an

hour’s drive is the fine city of Aarhus.

Day 10 (Mon) - Drive to Skørping in the lovely Rold Forest on the edge of the Rebild Bakker National Park (approx 65 miles).

3 nights SKØRPING - Rold Stor Kro (HB)

Days 11 & 12 (Tue & Wed) - Relax and enjoy the wonderful scenery at one of our favourite hotels! Take a walk through the forest or in the hills of the National Park and we would certainly recommend a day trip to the artists’ ‘mecca’ of Skagen. A delicious dinner is included each evening in the hotel’s lovely restaurant.

Day 13 (Thu) - Drive south to Århus (approx 65 miles). Depart Århus at 1130 on the fast ferry back to the island of Sealand (where your journey began) arriving at 1240 into Sjællands Odde. Drive on to Hornbæk (approx 90 miles).

2 nights HORNBÆK - Havreholm Slot (HB)

Day 14 (Fri) - The sandy beach at Hornbæk is just a 5-minute drive and there are several impressive castles nearby. Later you can return to the peace of Havreholm and relax on your own private terrace overlooking the lake - before another memorable dinner at this splendid manor house hotel!

Day 15 (Sat) - Drive to Copenhagen Airport (approx 50 miles) and return hire-car. We recommend you take the scenic route along the coast maybe stopping to visit the Louisiana Art Museum en route. Fly home from Copenhagen.

Rubjerg Knude with lighthouse © Visit Denmark

Silkeborg Lakes and sailing boats

Must Do!• Take a canal-boat tour of Copenhagen.

• Visit the Roskilde Viking Ship Museum and take a ride in a replica Viking Ship.

• Visit the romantic Egeskov Castle with its beautiful gardens, mazes, motor museum, segway riding and woodland adventure park.

• Visit Århus, Denmark’s second city. There you can enjoy the magnificent AROS Art Museum and ‘Den Gamle By’ - the old town open-air museum.

• Visit Skagen. The quality of the light has been drawing artists to Skagen for about 150 years and we would recommend a trip to this delightful little town with its picturesque houses, bustling harbour, and splendid art galleries and museums. Close by you can also visit the giant shifting sand-dune and part-buried lighthouse at Rubjerg Knude.

• Visit Hamlet’s Kronborg Castle in Helsingør.

FactsDeparture Day: Saturday Departure Dates: 2 May - 19 Sep 2015 Duration: 14 nights


Price per person


2 May - 19 Sep £1950 On req

Price includes • Scheduled return flights with SAS in SAS Go class

from Heathrow to Copenhagen including taxes (alternative departure airports available, please ask for details).

• Car hire with Avis based on a Group B car (Ford Fiesta or similar) including CDW, Theft Protection, Unlimited Mileage and Tax.

• Accommodation as detailed based on two people sharing a double/twin room with shower and WC including breakfast. A 3-course dinner is also included at Rold Stor Kro and Havreholm Slot Hotel for all evenings.

• Car ferry from Århus to Sjællands Odde.

NB. Larger cars or automatics are possible at a supplement and extra nights can be added as required. Details on request.

Not Included

Road toll on Great Belt Bridge

Approx. £25 each way

Odense © Kim Wyon/Visit Denmark


FAMILYFUN INDENMARK

Countries don’t come much more family-friendly than denmark.This is, after all, the land that gave us Hans Christian Andersen and the LEGO® brick!

Must Do!Visit the original LEGOLAND® at Billund in Denmark - alongside the LEGO® factory where it all began? Marvel at the detail in the amazing models built from millions of ordinary LEGO® bricks and enjoy a variety of fun rides to suit all ages. The name LEGO® is a contraction of the Danish words leg godt, meaning to play well. We hope you do!

©Visit Denmark

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Why not treat the children (or grandchildren) to a holiday in the magical Kingdom of Denmark. Chances are that you will enjoy it every bit as much as they do!

This holiday starts with time to enjoy Copenhagen before driving across Denmark to spend four nights within easy reach of the original Legoland and a host of other attractions. You can choose to stay in either a cosy farmhouse or a magnificent 4 star hotel - with half-board included in both. So come and enjoy a real family holiday in Denmark and create magical memories to last a lifetime.

ItineraryDay 1 (Sun) - Arrive Copenhagen. Collect hire-car at the airport and drive to your hotel, where parking is available behind the hotel.

3 nights COPENHAGEN - Tivoli Hotel(BB)

Day 2 & 3 (Mon & Tue) - At leisure in Copenhagen. Canal-boat tours offer an enjoyable way to see the sights and there are also hop-on/hop-off bus tours. Nearby are the wonderful Tivoli Gardens with cafes, restaurants, entertainment and amusements. Within a 40-minute drive is Roskilde and its splendid Viking Ship Museum, where you can even take a ride in a replica Viking Ship! Closer still, why not take a drive across ‘The Bridge’ into Sweden? Your hotel has an indoor swimming-pool, playroom and playground so the children will never be bored.

Day 4 (Wed) - Leave Copenhagen and drive across Denmark, over the impressive Great Belt Bridge to the island of Funen, then proceed across Funen and the shorter Little Belt Bridge onto Jutland, the mainland peninsular of Denmark, and thence to your

Farmhouse in Sjølund to the south of Kolding (approx. 155 miles), or to your hotel at Vejle (approx. 150 miles). En route you may like to visit Odense or take a slight deviation into the Funen countryside and visit the romantic Egeskov Castle with its beautiful gardens, mazes, motor museum, segway riding and woodland adventure playground.

4 nights SJØLUND OR VEJLE - Vejstrupgaard Farmhouse or Munkebjerg Hotel (HB)

Days 5-7 (Thu-Sat) - Relax and enjoy life on the farm (see below) or at the Munkebjerg Hotel. The hotel is situated in lovely beech-woods overlooking the Vejlefjord offering good facilities for families including an indoor swimming-pool and playroom. Within an hour’s drive of either you can visit the original LEGOLAND® at Billund, which will surely be a ‘must’. Also about an hour away is Ribe, Denmark’s oldest town with some fine Viking attractions. From Ribe you can take a tractor-bus to Mandø Island in the Wadden Sea National Park. Not much further is Silkeborg in the Danish Lake District with canoe hire, boat trips and the 2000 year old Tollund Man in the Silkeborg Museum. Near Silkeborg is ‘Labyrinthium’ – a theme park full of mazes, and the Aqua Aquarium. There are sandy beaches within a few minutes drive of both the farm and the hotel.

Day 8 (Sun) - Drive back across Funen and over the Great Belt Bridge to Copenhagen Airport (approx. 155 miles) and return hire-car. Fly home from Copenhagen.

Vejstrupgaard FarmhouseThe farm can accommodate up to seven families at a time, either in family rooms or in a double room and a separate room with bunk-beds. Though not en-suite, each family has its own bathroom. Your hosts, Hanna and Poul Thomsen, have been welcoming guests for many years and tasty farmhouse cooking has always been a highlight of holidays here.

Tractor/bus at Ribe

FactsDeparture Day: Sunday Departure Dates: 3 May - 12 September 2015 Duration: 7 nights


Price per adult

Price perchild

(under 12)*

3 nights Copenhagen, 4 nights Farmhouse

3 May - 12 Sep £995 £700

3 nights Copenhagen, 4 nights Hotel

3 May - 14 Jun £1245£65021 Jun - 9 Aug £1175

16 Aug - 12 Sep £1295* In extra bed in hotels

Price includes • Return flights from London Gatwick with

Norwegian including tax, hold bag (20 Kilos) and seat reservation. Departure from other airports available - details on request.

• Car-hire with Avis throughout including tax, CDW, theft waiver and unlimited mileage. Based on a Group B (Ford Fiesta or similar) if 2 persons; Group C (VW Golf or similar) if 3 persons; Group D (VW Passat or similar) if 4 persons.

• 3 nights accommodation at Tivoli Hotel in Copenhagen including breakfast.

• 4 nights at Vejstrupgaard Farmhouse (Sjølund) or Munkebjerg Hotel (Vejle) including dinner and breakfast.

Not includedParking charge at Tivoli Hotel Copenhagen (approx. £15 per day); Road Tolls on Great Belt Bridge (approx. £25 each way)

Why Not?• Visit wonderful Tivoli Gardens

Tivoli is a lovely combination of amusement rides, flower gardens, food pavilions and open-air stage shows. As night falls and the many thousands of lights come on, Tivoli is transformed into a positive fairyland.

• Viking Ship Museum at Roskilde A fascinating museum where it is easy to lose yourself for a couple of hours. Children will love taking a ride on the replica Viking ship!

• Take the Tractor Bus to Mandø Island Mandø Island is one of the Danish Wadden Sea islands and is connected to the mainland by a 4 kms causeway, only accessible during low tide. Although cars can, carefully, drive out during low tide, the most exciting way to visit the island is by ‘tractor bus’ with its huge tyres. Extensive mudflats and tidal marshes encircle the island providing breeding grounds to multitudes of birds.

Boat ride in Tivoli Gardens


ATASTEOFDENMARK

Egeskov Castle © Visit Odense/Visitdenmark.com

Enjoy......your included, delicious 5-course gourmet dinner in the exclusive Tree Top Restaurant at Munkjeberg Hotel courtesy of the talents of resident chef, Rasmus Munk (pictured), who, at the age of 23, has been awarded the title of Young Chef of the Year 2014 by the prestigious White Guide. (NB. Restaurant closed 5 Jul - 3

Aug, see Facts box).

Come and enjoy some splendid Danish cuisine, sample some of Denmark’s cultural highlights, and absorb the flavour of this delectable country

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Good food is one of Denmark’s greatest attractions and all the hotels featured in this tour have excellent restaurants and well-respected chefs.

The first four nights include breakfast only allowing you to choose where and what to eat, whilst the last four nights also include dinner and some unforgettable meals.

ItineraryDay 1 (Thu) - Arrive Copenhagen Airport. Transfer to your hotel (not included).

2 nights COPENHAGEN - Copenhagen Admiral Hotel (BB)

Day 2 (Fri) - At leisure in Copenhagen. Your character hotel is right on the waterfront, close to the Amalienborg Palace and colourful Nyhavn, with its boats, pavement cafes and restaurants.

Day 3 (Sat) - Hire-car delivered to hotel. Drive to Nyborg (approx 85 miles) crossing the impressive Great Belt Bridge (road toll approx £25 not included). Your hotel is just across the bridge, about two miles from the charming town of Nyborg, beside the Blue Flag beach at Nyborg Strand. It offers excellent facilities, including a superb a la carte restaurant, where you will doubtless want to dine.

2 nights NYBORG - Hotel Hesselet (BB)

Day 4 (Sun) - At leisure in Nyborg to explore the town and its splendid castle. Within half an hour’s drive is Hans Christian Andersen’s Odense, or the lovely Egeskov Castle.

Day 5 (Mon) - Drive to Vejle and your superb hotel, set on a hillside overlooking the Vejle fjord (approx 65 miles). The hotel has two restaurants – the Panorama Restaurant where you have dinner the first night, which will be either a buffet or a set 3-course menu. On the second night you will enjoy a delicious 5-course gourmet meal in their exclusive Tree Top Restaurant.

2 nights VEJLE - Munkebjerg Hotel (HB)

Day 6 (Tue) - At leisure to enjoy a walk in the forest or perhaps a game of golf on the adjacent golf course. There are a number of splendid options for a day out including Aarhus - Denmark’s second city.

Day 7 (Wed) - Drive back across Funen and the Great Belt Bridge, and thence north to Hornbaek (approx 175 miles). A few miles before Hornbaek you will reach Havreholm Slot your impressive manor-house hotel set in lovely grounds, with a nice outdoor swimming pool, and a superb restaurant where dinner is included.

2 nights HORNBÆK - Havreholm Slot (HB)

Day 8 (Thu) - At leisure to enjoy the beautiful scenery of North Sealand. Within half an hour’s drive you have a variety of castles, palaces and gardens. However you spend the day you will doubtless enjoy returning to Havreholm, and relaxing on your own private terrace overlooking the lake – with another delicious dinner to look forward to!

Day 9 (Fri) - Drive to Copenhagen Airport (approx 50 miles) and return hire-car. We recommend you take the scenic coastal route, maybe stopping to visit the Louisiana Art Museum at Snekkersten or Karen Blixen’s Museum at Rungsted – where you will find a delightful harbour with a choice of restaurants for that last lunch in Denmark! Fly home from Copenhagen.

Copenhagen evening © Visitdenmark.com

FactsDeparture Day: Thursday Departure Dates: 30 Apr - 24 Sep 2015 Duration: 8 nights


Price per person


30 Apr - 24 Sep £1595 On Req

Price includes • Scheduled return flights with SAS in SAS Go class

from Heathrow to Copenhagen including taxes (alternative departure airports available, please ask for details).

• Car hire with Avis based on a Group B car (Ford Fiesta or similar) for a period of 7 days including CDW, Theft Protection, Unlimited Mileage and Tax*.

• Accommodation as detailed based on two people sharing a double/twin room with shower and WC including breakfast. Dinners also included as follows: Munkebjerg Hotel, 1 x buffet or 3-course dinner in the Panorama Restaurant and 1 x gourmet 5-course dinner in Tree Top Restaurant, except 5 Jul - 3 Aug when both nights 3-course dinner in the Panorama Restaurant**; Havreholm Slot, 3-course dinner.

*Larger cars or automatics are possible at a supplement and extra nights can be added as required. Details on request. ** There is a reduction of £45 per person if staying at Munkebjerg Hotel during these dates.

Not IncludedRoad tolls over Great Belt Bridge (approx. £25 each way)

Must Do!• Take a canal-boat tour of Copenhagen.

• Visit Roskilde Viking Ship Museum and take a ride in a replica Viking Ship.

• Visit the romantic Egeskov Castle with its beautiful gardens, mazes, motor museum and segway riding.

• Visit Aarhus, Denmark’s second city. There you can enjoy the magnificent AROS Art Museum and ‘Den Gamle By’ - the old town open-air museum.

• Visit Hamlet’s Kronborg Castle in Helsingør.

Munkebjerg Hotel © M. Scowen


De-luxe harbour-view room at Copenhagen

£40 per person per night

£40 per person per night£35 per person per night


ART & NATUREHIGHLIGHTSOF DENMARK

Århus © Ditte Isager VisitDenmark

Why Not?A few hundred metres north of Skagen lies Grenen, where the two seas Skagerrak and Kattegat meet. This natural wonder of colliding seas, which you can only experience a few places in the world, creates a unique spectacle and allows you to get close to a natural force so strong that bathing actually is forbidden at Grenen. Why not take the tractor bus out across the sand to view this spectacle. It may not be glamorous but its certainly different!

Experience the amazing quality of the light, and the stunning landscapes that have attracted artists to the north of Denmark for the past 150 years.

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The picturesque town of Skagen has been attracting artists since the mid-19th century - drawn by the quality of the light and the wild coastal landscapes. Now you can enjoy some of their finest works - and the landscape that inspired them.

Besides Skagen, this tour features the fine city of Århus with its splendid Art Museum as well as welcoming country hotels in the beautiful Lake District and amid the forest and hills of the lovely Rebild Bakker National Park. So come and enjoy some of the lesser-known joys of Denmark. You’ll be glad you did!

ItineraryDay 1 (Thu) - Fly direct from Gatwick to Aalborg collecting a hire-car at the airport and driving south to Skørping (approx 25 miles) to the beautiful Rold Forest, on the edge of the Rebild Bakker National Park.

2 nights SKØRPING - Rold Stor Kro (HB)

Day 2 (Fri) - At leisure to unwind and enjoy the wonderful scenery and superb cuisine, at one of our favourite hotels! Take a walk through the forest, among the gnarled and twisted trees of the seemingly enchanted Troldeskoven, and visit the nearby Rebild Bakker National Park Information Centre from which even a short walk offers some splendid views.

Day 3 (Sat) - Drive south to Aarhus (approx. 65 miles). En route you may like to stop at Hobro and visit the Viking Fortress of Fyrkat, and the nearby Viking Centre, where a reconstruction of a Viking village offers an excellent insight into their way of life.

2 nights ÅRHUS - City Hotel Oasia (BB)

Day 4 (Sun) - At leisure to enjoy this splendid city. Do not miss the fantastic ARoS Art Museum, which offers the complete spectrum of Danish art from the Golden Age through to the present, including a number of fine works from the Skagen painters. There are splendid views from its roof terrace and the Rainbow Panorama. Another highlight of Århus is ‘Den Gamle By’ – the old town open-air museum.

Day 5 (Mon) - Drive to Silkeborg in the beautiful Danish Lake district (approx. 25 miles).

3 nights SILKEBORG - Gl. Skovridergaard (BB)

Days 6 & 7 (Tue & Wed) - At leisure to enjoy this wonderful area. The hotel is situated in lovely grounds, with woods and lakes starting at the hotel gates. The hotel will supply a map of walking paths and bicycle routes, and bicycles can be borrowed free of charge. The centre of Silkeborg is about a mile away, with the 2,000 year old Tollund Man in Silkeborg Museum, canoe hire and boat trips on the lake.

Day 8 (Thu) - Drive north to to the delightful little town of Skagen (approx. 140 miles).

3 nights SKAGEN - Hotel Skibssmedien (BB)

Days 9 & 10 (Fri & Sat) - At leisure in Skagen, with its picturesque houses, cosy cafes, bustling harbour and splendid art galleries and museums! A lot of artists still choose to live and work in this amazing region, and you will find galleries and workshops in many of the villages around this wild and beautiful coastline as well as some lovely sandy beaches.

Day 11 (Sun) - Drive to Aalborg Airport (approx. 65 miles) and return hire-car to Avis. Fly home on direct flight to London Gatwick.

Skagen © Skagen Turistbureau/Visit Denmark

ARoS © Claes Bech-Poulsen/Visit Denmark

FactsDeparture Day: Thursday Departure Dates: 3 May - 17 Sep 2015 Duration: 10 nights


Price per person


3 May - 17 Sep £1450 On req.

Price includes • Scheduled flights in Economy class from Gatwick

to Aalborg with Norwegian including taxes. ‘Hold luggage 20kg and seat reservation.

• Car hire with Avis based on a Group B (Ford Fiesta or similar) including CDW, Theft Protection, Unlimited Mileage and Tax.

• Accommodation as detailed based on two people sharing a double/twin room with shower and WC including breakfast. A 3-course dinner is also included for both nights at Rold Stor Kro in Skorping.

NB. Larger cars or automatics are possible at a supplement and extra nights can be added as required. Details on request.

Silkeborg lake © Cees van Roeden/VisitDenmark

Must Do!• While in Silkeborg take a boat-trip on ‘Hjelen’ the

oldest paddle-steamer in the world in regular use (or one of her sister ships), along the lakes and river to Himmelbjerget (‘Sky Mountain’) – at 143 metres the highest point in Denmark!

• Within about half-an-hour’s drive of Silkeborg at Bryrup is the Midtjyllands Kunst Centre – Denmark’s largest Art Centre, specialising in contemporary art from renowned Danish and foreign artists in a wide variety of styles – primarily paintings, but also scupltures in bronze, steel and granite. All items on show are for sale, with prices starting at quite reasonable levels.

• ARoS is the main art museum in Århus and one of the largest museums in Northern Europe. Here you will find not only Danish artists but also numerous international artists. Make sure you walk around your rainbow panorama, a 150 metre long, circular panoramic path with 360º views of the surrounding city by the world-famous Danish-Icelandic artist, Olafur Eliasson (see top right image).


SCANDINAVIAN CITYEXPLORERWITHMINI-CRUISE

Must Do!Discover the creative side of Oslo by visiting at least one of the superb arty attractions: Vigeland Sculpture Park, the Munch Museum, and the newly opened Astrup Fearnly Museum of Modern Art.

stockholm, copenhagen, olso: three dynamic scandinavian capital cities, each with their own individual character and personality

Vigeland Sculpture Park, Oslo © Terje Borud/Visitnor-way.com/Vigeland-Museet/BONO

Taber Holidays


There are probably no better cities that manage to balance a relaxed atmosphere with hustle and bustle better than those in Scandinavia.

This city break combination includes the excellent and reliable rail networks of Sweden and Norway. These journeys are not simply to get from A to B but in themselves are enjoyable sightseeing excursions; find yourself transported over mountains, alongside lakes, fjords and rivers and through rolling forests and valleys - all from the comfort of your reserved seat.

Add to this the relaxing overnight journey by passenger ship along the Kattegat, from Copenhagen to Oslo, and you have a holiday that not only combines the excitement of city life but chill and thrill in good measure!

ItineraryDay 1 - Arrive Stockholm Arlanda Airport. Take the Arlanda Express (not included) to your hotel in central Stockholm. We have included a Stockholm Card giving you free admission to over 80 museums and attractions and free travel on public transport including tram, metro and local boat.

3 nights STOCKHOLM – Clarion Hotel Sign or similar **** (BB)

Day 4 - Morning departure by rail for Denmark’s cosmopolitan capital, Copenhagen. The journey travels through Sweden’s southern counties before crossing the Öresund Bridge from Sweden into Denmark. The Öresund Bridge is an amazing two-tier structure linking Denmark and Sweden by rail and road and is the longest cable-stayed main span bridge in the world. Viewers of the BBC4 programme The Bridge may remember it...

2 nights COPENHAGEN – Copenhagen Admiral Hotel or similar **** (BB)

Day 6 - A full day in Copenhagen before departing at 1630 by sea for a lovely leisurely journey along the Kattegat to Oslo. Your overnight stay on-board includes accommodation in a 2-berth outside cabin with shower and WC including buffet dinner and breakfast the following morning whilst sailing along the Oslofjord.

1 night ON BOARD SHIP – 2 Berth Outside Cabin (HB)

Day 7 - A leisurely breakfast whilst sailing along the Oslofjord precedes your arrival at 0945 into Oslo. You now have two full days to explore Norway’s dynamic capital city.

2 nights OSLO – Hotel Bristol**** (BB)

Day 9 - Morning departure by rail across the roof of Norway to Myrdal then by Flåm Mountain Railway and fjord cruise to Gudvangen, continuing by rail to Bergen (Norway in a Nutshell®). Your luggage is being transferred for you directly from your hotel in Oslo to your hotel in Bergen so there’s no need to worry about carrying it yourself between modes of transport!

2 nights BERGEN – Clarion Admiral Hotel ****(BB)

Day 11 - Transfer to Bergen Flesland Airport for your return flight home.

Why Not?Want to experience the 70s all over again? Then head over to the brand new ABBA Museum whilst in Stockholm for the history of the band, their music, their velvet flares and sequin costumes and your very own chance to sing on stage with them! Then you too can buy the T-shirt...

Cinnamon buns © Tina Stafren/Imagebanksweden.se

Stockholm © Henrik Trygg/imagebank.se

More Must Do’s!• Visit Skansen (Stockholm)

The world’s first open-air museum, founded in 1891. A living exhibition of five centuries of Swedish history represented in historical buildings and dwellings and by people as characters in period dress. Free with your Stockholm Card.

• Visit wonderful Tivoli Gardens (Copenhagen) Tivoli is Scandinavia s second oldest amusement park and is a lovely combination of rides, flower gardens, food pavilions and open-air stage shows.

• Explore Bryggen (Bergen) Bryggen is Bergen s charming and colourful Hanseatic harbour (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Here you will find shops, cafes, bars and restaurants.

Nyhavn, Copenhagen © Taber Holidays



Price per person

Single supplement

1 May - 30 Sep £1985 £475


Stockholm and from Bergen to Heathrow (via Oslo) including taxes.

• 9 nights 4-star hotel accommodation based on two people sharing a double/twin room with shower and WC including breakfast.

• 48-hour Stockholm Card.• Rail journey from Stockholm to Copenhagen with

reserved seating.• Overnight sea crossing from Copenhagen to Oslo

based on two people sharing an outside 2-berth cabin with shower and WC including buffet dinner and breakfast.

• Norway in a Nutshell® excursion from Oslo to Bergen including the rail journey from Oslo to Myrdal, the Flåm Mountain Railway and fjord cruise.

• Luggage transfer from hotel in Oslo to hotel in Bergen.



personSingle

Supplement

Clarion Hotel Sign £75 £50

Copenhagen Admiral Hotel

£99 £65

Hotel Bristol £88 £35

Clarion Admiral Hotel £115 £40


GENERALINFORMATION

Per Eide/visitnorway.com

Taber Holidays


Taber Holidays

Accommodation

Many Scandinavian establishments are personally managed by their owners and have been handed down within the family for generations. There is no official graded list of hotels but to give some idea of standards that can be expected we have used our own one to five star system (*/*****). The gradings are only given for hotels where the stay is for several nights. We must emphasise that there is a wide variation in styles between hotels of the same category. The atmosphere of both hotels and guesthouses is very informal. All our featured accommodation includes en suite bedrooms unless otherwise stated.

Children

You will note that we do not automatically feature child prices (apart from for our Family Fun in Denmark holiday, pages 42 and 43). This is because we have found that there can be so much variation on how parents would like to stay with their children, i.e. family room, inter-connecting rooms, double room with extra bed, holiday home, that our price panels simply aren’t big enough to detail all the options. We therefore ask that you let us know which holiday you are interested in and what sort of accommodation you would like along with the number and ages of your children and we will happily supply a quotation.

Climate and Clothing

The advice we always give our clients when taking a summer holiday in Scandinavia is take the same sort of clothes you would if taking a holiday in the UK, that is, be prepared for anything or everything! Temperatures are very similar to the UK though a little cooler in the Arctic regions and Iceland. Allow for wind and rain but also prepare for very warm sunshine.

None of the destinations we feature, or indeed any of the hotels for that matter, have a formal dress code. Formal dress in Scandinavia is not a requirement but a choice. If you are going out to a rather nice restaurant during the evening, or dining in your hotel’s restaurant, then we are sure you will want to dress up a little bit more than you probably would during the day – just as you would at home – the point is that no-one is going to refuse you entry if you do not. The Scandinavians are used to wearing practical clothing and therefore if they are going out in the evening, especially if it is to celebrate something special, you will find them dressed up in all their finery because they do not do it very often (apart from in the cities of course), but this is their choice. It is customary, however, to remove your shoes inside someone’s house so if you are invited for a home visit don’t forget to wear your socks without the holes in them!

If you plan on doing some serious walking or hiking them you will need hiking boots of course and a back-pack is useful too, even just during the day when doing general sightseeing. When visiting museums and galleries you will find most people leave their outdoor coat and large items of hand luggage in the cloakroom which is often an open, unattended space, much as you would find outside a school room though some of the larger museums and galleries do have lockers.

If you are unsure what you may need for a specific activity or excursion just ask us and what we don’t know we’ll find out.

Excursions

A number of our holidays offer the opportunity to pre-book optional excursions/activities. Suppliers have been chosen due to their level of experience, qualifications and that they meet the high standard of local regulations to operate as an excursion/activity provider. Brochure space prevents us from detailing every little piece of information regarding these trips so we recommend you discuss them with a member of our helpful staff beforehand to ensure they are perfectly suited to you. We strongly recommend and request that any excursions you would like to pre-book and pre-pay for should be requested at the same time

as your holiday booking. This means we do not have to make amendments to your booking at a later stage and thus avoids producing a new confirmation invoice. Of course this does not mean you are prevented from adding excursions at a later stage - it just avoids disappointment due to possible lack of availability and helps us to keep our administration costs down!!

Flight Upgrades

Both SAS and Icelandair offer flight upgrades. All the holidays in our brochure include standard, economy class seats, however, we are happy to quote for upgrades. Details are as follows:

SAS Plus Class

All SAS flights included in our holidays are based on SAS Go class. The following table indicates the differences which would be applicable to your journey should you wish us to quote for an SAS Plus Class Upgrade for your chosen travel dates.

SAS Go SAS Plus

Mobile check-in Changeable tickets

Mobile boarding card Assisted premium check-in

Advanced seat reservation

Fast track security

Lounge access

1 x 23 kg checked baggage

2 x 23 kg checked baggage

Free coffee/tea

Newspapers

Free meals and drinks

Free WiFi

Icelandair Economy Comfort Class

All Icelandair flights included in our holidays are based on Economy class. The following table indicates the difference which would be applicable to your holiday:

Economy Economy Comfort Class

6 abreast seating 4 abreast seating

More leg room

Personal seat back screens and all new inflight entertainment

Personal seat back screens and all new inflight entertainment

Complimentary soft drinks

Complimentary meal, soft drinks, wine and beer

Use of business class check-in desk and lounge

Food

You will find a staple diet of meat and fish in these regions, however, this does not mean that people with specific dietary requirements e.g. vegetarians, diabetics etc cannot be catered for as long as we have been informed in advance.

The day generally commences with a substantial help yourself buffet breakfast offering everything from toast and cereal to cheese, ham, boiled eggs, pickled herrings and reindeer pate. Dinner at larger hotels may be the traditional Smörgåsbord or ‘cold table’ consisting of fish, cold meat and salad selection plus a choice of four or five hot dishes followed by a selection of desserts. At smaller hotels dinner could be a served 3-course dinner with a selection for each course. Please be aware that the blood alcohol limit in Scandinavia is lower than in the UK and our advice would be not to drink alcohol at all if you are driving.

Midnight Sun

During the summer season in Norway and Sweden the sun never sets north of the Arctic Circle and for a couple of months the sun is visible 24 hours a day. The further north you travel the longer the Midnight Sun is visible giving you more time to enjoy the sights and make new discoveries. The Midnight Sun may also be experienced at latitudes slightly south of the Arctic Circle for example, in Iceland.

The phenomenon is caused by the tilt in the Earth’s axis – an imaginary line through the planet between the north and south poles around which it rotates. As the Earth orbits the Sun, the tilt makes the North Pole face towards the Sun in summer (keeping it in sunlight even as the Earth spins) and away from it in winter (keeping it dark). Hence the continuous sunlight during the summer.

Location & Dates:

The Arctic Circle: 12 June – 1 July Bodø: 4 June – 8 July Svolvær: 28 May – 14 May Andenes: 22 May – 21 May Tromsø: 20 May – 22 July Hammerfest: 16 May – 27 July North Cape: 14 May – 29 July Longyearbyen: 20 April – 22 August

Summertime in Swedish Lapland is usually between end of May and mid-July. However the further north you go the longer it lasts.

Luggage

Remember most of the time you will have to handle your own luggage so do not take more than you can comfortably manage (20-23kg luggage allowance by air). We recommend a trolley suitcase for ease of transportation. Few hotels automatically provide porterage these days but most will arrange it for guests who are elderly or disabled if notified in advance. Our escorted tour The Fjords of Norway includes luggage handling at all hotels.

Motoring

Throughout Scandinavia you can drive for miles through mountain passes, towering peaks and forests and only infrequently see another car - even at peak periods the roads are seldom jammed. This makes it a dream destination for those who have never driven abroad before with Scandinavian drivers being amongst the most courteous and patient. Driving is on the right. There is no upper age limited for driving in Scandinavia as long as you still have a valid UK driving licence. The minimum age for renting a car is 20.

Transfers

We no longer include airport transfers (except in Iceland) by airport bus or ‘flybussen’. The reason for this is that many of our clients preferred to jump in a taxi rather than take the bus, others preferred to take an airport train (a more expensive but quicker option). This meant we were obliged to refund unused bus tickets which became a bit of an administrative nightmare. We will, of course, include information on the various forms of transfers available in your itinerary which will be supplied with your final travel documents. Unless otherwise stated, transfers are also not included from arrival points to accommodation when travelling by bus, train, ferry and express boat and clients would be expected to walk or, with heavy luggage, take a taxi the short distance and pay for this locally.

Transport

For information regarding flights and flight carriers please see page 55.


This holiday programme is operated by Roy Taber Ltd, of PO Box 176, Tofts House, Tofts Road, Cleckheaton, BD19 3WX. Taber Holidays is a registered trading name of Roy Taber Ltd, registered number 1138491.

These Booking Conditions, together with any other written information we brought to your attention before we confirmed your booking, form the basis of your contract with Taber Holidays (“we” or “us”). Please read them carefully as they set out our respective rights and obligations. In these Booking Conditions references to “you” and “your” include the first named person on the booking and all persons on whose behalf a booking is made or any other person to whom a booking is added or transferred. By making a booking, the first named person on the booking agrees on behalf of all persons detailed on the booking that:-

a. He/she has read these terms and conditions and has the authority to and does agree to be bound by them;

b. He/she consents to our use of information in accordance with our Privacy Policy;

c. He/she is over 18 years of age and where placing an order for services with age restrictions declares that he/she and all members of the party are of the appropriate age to purchase those services.

1. Booking and Paying For Your Arrangements

A booking is made with us when:

a) you tell us that you would like to accept our written or verbal quotation; and

b) you pay us a deposit. Deposits will be £200.00 per person, although we reserve the right to apply a deposit of 25% of the whole holiday cost in some tailor made packages and for holidays which include a substantial amount of travel by Hurtigruten, but we will inform you of this prior to booking. (Sometimes you may be required to make an interim payment at the time of booking. If you are booking within 56 days of departure, full payment is due at the time of booking); and

c) we issue you with a booking confirmation. We reserve the right to return your deposit and decline to issue a confirmation at our absolute discretion. A binding contract will come into existence between you and us as soon as we have issued you with a booking confirmation that will confirm the details of your booking and will be sent to you or your travel agent. The balance of the cost of your arrangements (including any applicable surcharge) is due not less than 56 days prior to scheduled departure. If we do not receive this balance in full and on time, we reserve the right to treat your booking as cancelled by you in which case the cancellation charges set out in clause 10 below will become payable. When you buy a flight-based holiday, all monies you pay to the travel agent are held by him on behalf and for the benefit of the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust at all times. This is subject to the agent’s obligation to pay it to us for so long as we do not fail. If we fail, any money held at that time by the agent, or subsequently accepted from you by him, is and continues to behalf on behalf of and for the benefit of the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust without any obligation to pay that money to us. When you buy a holiday not including a flight, all monies you pay to the travel agent are held by him on our behalf at all times. In the case of international payments you must ensure that the full GBP Sterling amount is received by us after all bank charges have been levied.

2. Your Financial Protection

1. We provide full financial protection for our package holidays, by way of our Air Travel Organiser’s Licence number 1228. When you buy an ATOL protected flight or flight inclusive holiday from us you will receive an ATOL Certificate. This lists what is financially protected, where you can get information on what this means for you and who to contact if things go wrong. We will provide you with the services listed on the ATOL Certificate (or a suitable alternative). In some cases, where we aren’t able do so for reasons of insolvency, an alternative ATOL holder may provide you with the services you have bought or a suitable alternative (at no extra cost to you). You agree to accept that in those circumstances the alternative ATOL holder will perform those obligations and you agree to pay any money outstanding to be paid by you under your contract to that alternative ATOL holder. However, you also agree that in some cases it will not be possible to appoint an alternative ATOL holder, in which case you will be entitled to make a claim under the ATOL scheme (or your credit card issuer where applicable).

If we are unable to provide the services listed (or a suitable alternative, through an alternative ATOL holder or otherwise) for reasons of insolvency, the Trustees of the Air Travel Trust may make a payment to (or confer a benefit on) you under the ATOL scheme. You agree that in return for such a payment or benefit you assign absolutely to those Trustees any claims which you have or may have arising out of or relating to the non-provision of the services, including any claim against us,

the travel agent (or your credit card issuer where applicable). You also agree that any such claims may be re-assigned to another body, if that other body has paid sums you have claimed under the ATOL scheme.

2. When you buy a package holiday that doesn’t include a flight, protection is provided by way of a bond held by ABTA Ltd.

3. Accuracy

We endeavour to ensure that all the information and prices both on our website and in our brochures are accurate, however occasionally changes and errors occur and we reserve the right to correct prices and other details in such circumstances. You must check the current price and all other details relating to the arrangements that you wish to book before your booking is confirmed.

4. Pricing

Prices are based on exchange rates quoted by Travelex; please ask a member of our reservations team to confirm the exchange rate applicable to a particular product as there may be a variation between seasonal brochures. Details of what your holiday price includes are detailed in the heading of the relevant price panel for your chosen holiday. Prices include all appropriate local taxes and mandatory charges. We reserve the right to amend the price of unsold holidays at any time and correct errors in the prices of confirmed holidays. The price of your confirmed holiday is subject at all times to changes in transport costs such as fuel, and any other airline cost changes which are part of our contracts with airlines (and their agents), cruise ship operators and any other transport provider; to cost changes arising from government action such as changes in VAT or any other government imposed changes; and to changes in the currency exchange used to calculate your arrangements and to rates, dues, taxes or fees chargeable for services such as landing taxes or embarkation or disembarkation fees at ports and airports any or all of which may result in a variation of your holiday price. We will absorb and you will not be charged for any increase equivalent to 2% of the price of your travel arrangements, which excludes insurance premiums and any amendment charges and/or additional services or travel arrangements. You will be charged for the amount over and above that, plus an administration charge of £2.00 per person together with an amount to cover agents’ commission. If this means that you have to pay an increase of more than 10% of the price of your confirmed travel arrangements (excluding any amendment charges and/or additional services or travel arrangements), you will have the option of accepting a change to another holiday if we are able to offer one (if this is of equivalent or higher quality you will not have to pay more but if it is of lower quality you will be refunded the difference in price), or cancelling and receiving a full refund of all monies paid to us, except for any insurance premiums and any amendment charges and/or additional services or travel arrangements. Should you decide to cancel for this reason, you must exercise your right to do so within 14 days from the issue date printed on your final invoice. There will be no change made to the price of your confirmed holiday within 30 days of your departure nor will refunds be paid during this period. We will consider an appropriate refund of insurance premiums paid if you can show that you are unable to transfer or reuse your policy. Should the price of your holiday go down due to the changes mentioned above, by more than 2% of your confirmed holiday cost, then any refund due will be paid to you. However, please note that travel arrangements are not always purchased in local currency and some apparent changes have no impact on the price of your travel due to contractual and other protection in place.

5. Links to external websites

These links are provided so you can find out further information quickly and easily. Taber Holidays is not responsible for the content of these websites and Taber Holidays accepts no responsibility for the content of such other websites, nor does Taber Holidays accept responsibility for any losses or penalties incurred as a result of your use of the links or reliance on any website to which the Taber Holidays’ website is linked to.

When you access a website, through a link from the Taber Holidays website, you accept that it is independent and that Taber Holidays has no control over the content of the linked third party website. Accordingly, a link to a website does not mean that Taber Holidays endorses or accepts any duty or responsibility for the content, accuracy or the use of the contents of such website.

6. Privacy

We may require basic information which identifies you as an individual such as your name and address, in order to enable you to take advantage of particular services that we offer. We will only use such personal information for the purposes of providing information or services which you have requested, or for other related purposes as set out in our Privacy Policy.

7. Jurisdiction and applicable law

These Booking Conditions and any agreement to which they apply are governed in all respects by English law. We both agree that any dispute, claim or other matter which arises between us out of or in connection with your contract or booking will be dealt with by the Courts of England and Wales only. You may however, choose the law and jurisdiction of Scotland or Northern Ireland if you live in those places and if you wish to do so.

8. Cutting your holiday short

If you are forced to return home early, we cannot refund the cost of any services you have not used. If you cut short your holiday and return home early in circumstances where you have no reasonable cause for complaint about the standard of accommodation and services provided, we will not offer you any refund for that part of your holiday not completed, or be liable for any associated costs you may incur. Depending on the circumstances, your travel insurance may offer cover for curtailment and we suggest that any claim is made directly with them.

9. Changes by You

If you wish to change any part of your booking arrangements after our confirmation invoice has been issued, you must inform us in writing as soon as possible. This should be done by the first named person on the booking. Whilst we will do our best to assist, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to meet your requested change. Where we can meet a request, all changes will be subject to payment of an administration fee of £25.00 per booking (for a minor change (e.g. cancellation of car hire) or £25 per person for a major change (e.g. name change, change of accommodation etc) as well as any applicable rate changes or extra costs incurred as well as any costs incurred by ourselves and any costs or charges incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers. You should be aware that these costs could increase the closer to the departure date that changes are made and you should contact us as soon as possible. Where we are unable to assist you and you do not wish to proceed with the original booking we will treat this as a cancellation by you. A cancellation fee may be payable. If you are prevented from travelling it may be possible to transfer your booking to another suitable person provided that written notice is given. An administration fee will be charged, details available upon request. Note: Certain arrangements may not be amended after they have been confirmed and any alteration could incur a cancellation charge of up to 100% of that part of the arrangements. Please note that a booking cannot be amended within the 8 weeks prior to departure and any amendment during this time will be treated as a cancellation of the original booking and therefore be subject to cancellation charges as set out under ‘Cancelling your booking’.

10. If you Cancel

If you or any other member of your party decides to cancel your confirmed booking you must notify us in writing. Your notice of cancellation will only take effect when it is received in writing by us at our offices. We recommend that you use recorded delivery. Since we incur costs in cancelling your arrangements, you will have to pay the applicable cancellation charges up to the maximum shown below (The cancellation charge detailed is calculated on the basis of the total cost payable by the person(s) cancelling excluding insurance premiums and amendment charges which are not refundable in the event of the person(s) to whom they apply cancelling):-

• More than 56 days, loss of deposit • 56 - 43 days prior to departure 30%; • 42 – 29 days, 50% • 28 - 15 days, 70%; • 14 days or less 100% of the total holiday cost.

The above percentages include the deposit.

Note: Certain arrangements may not be amended after they have been confirmed and any alteration or cancellation could incur a cancellation charge of up to 100% of that part of the arrangements in addition to the charge above. If the reason for your cancellation is covered under the terms of your insurance policy, you may be able to reclaim these charges. We will deduct the cancellation charge(s) from any monies you have already paid to us.

If any member of your party is prevented from travelling, that person(s) may transfer their place to someone else (introduced by you and satisfying all the conditions applicable to the arrangements) providing we are notified not less than 28 days before departure and you pay an amendment fee of £50.00 per person transferring, meet all costs and charges incurred by us and/or incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers and the transferee agrees to these booking conditions and all other terms of the contract between us. If you are unable to find a replacement, cancellation charges as set out will apply in order to cover our estimated costs. Otherwise, no refunds will be given for passengers not travelling or for unused services.

Booking Conditions

Taber Holidays


Taber Holidays

11. If We Change or Cancel

It is unlikely that we will have to make any changes to your travel arrangements, but we do plan the arrangements many months in advance. Occasionally, we may have to make changes and we reserve the right to do so at any time. Most of these changes will be minor and we will advise you or your travel agent of them at the earliest possible date. We also reserve the right in any circumstances to cancel your travel arrangements. For example, if the minimum number of clients required for a particular travel arrangement is not reached, we may have to cancel it. However, we will not cancel your travel arrangements less than 60 days before your departure date, except for reasons of force majeure or failure by you to pay the final balance. Examples of “major changes” include the following when made before departure; a change of accommodation area for the whole or a significant part of your time away, a change of accommodation to that of a lower standard or classification for the whole or a significant part of your time away, a change of outward departure time or overall length of your arrangements of twelve or more hours, a significant change to your itinerary, missing out one or more destination entirely. Examples of “minor changes” include the following when made before departure: any change in the advertised identity of the carrier(s), flight timings, and/or aircraft type; a change of outward departure time or overall length of your holiday of twelve hours or less, or a change of accommodation to another of the same standard or classification. If we have to make a major change or cancel, we will tell you as soon as possible and if there is time to do so before departure, we will offer you the choice of i) (for major changes) accepting the changed arrangements ii) having a refund of all monies paid or iii) accepting an offer of alternative travel arrangements of comparable standard from us, if available (we will refund any price difference if the alternative is of a lower value). You must notify us of your choice within 7 days of our offer. If you fail to do so we will assume that you have chosen to accept the change or alternative booking arrangements.

If we make a major change or cancel, less than 56 days before departure, we will also pay compensation as detailed below:

• 56 days or more before departure £NIL, • 55 – 29 days £20.00 per person, • 28 - 14 days £30.00 per person, • 13 – 0 days £40.00 per person

The compensation that we offer does not exclude you from claiming more if you are entitled to do so. We will not pay you compensation where we make a major change or cancel more than 56 days before departure or in the event that we are forced to make a change or cancel as a result of unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, the consequences of which we could not have avoided even with all due care or if we cancel your arrangements because the minimum number of participants to run the arrangements has not been reached. (We will tell you if we have to cancel for this reason not less than 45 days before departure). The above sets out the maximum extent of our liability for changes and cancellations and we regret we cannot meet any expenses or losses you may incur as a result of change or cancellation. Please note: where accommodation with a higher price than the original accommodation is offered by us and accepted by you, the difference in price will be deducted from any compensation payable. In no case will we pay compensation if accommodation is offered by us and accepted by you with a higher price than that originally booked in the same location where no additional payment is made by you.

We will not pay you compensation and the above options will not be available if we make a minor change or cancel as a result of your failure to make full payment on time or where the change(s) or cancellation by us arises out of alterations to the confirmed booking requested by you.

Very rarely, we may be forced by “force majeure” (see clause 12) to change or terminate your arrangements after departure. If this situation does occur, we regret we will be unable to make any refunds (unless we obtain any from our suppliers), pay you compensation or meet any costs or expenses you incur as a result.

If we become unable to provide a significant proportion of the services that you have booked with us after you have departed, we will make alternative arrangements for you at no extra charge and, if appropriate in all the circumstances, will pay you reasonable compensation.

12. Force Majeure

Except where otherwise expressly stated in these booking conditions we will not be liable or pay you compensation if our contractual obligations to you are affected by any event which we or the supplier(s) of the service(s) in question could not, even with all due care, foresee or avoid. These events can include, but are not limited to war, threat of war, civil strife

terrorist activity and its consequences or the threat of such activity, riot, the act of any government or other national or local authority including port or river authorities, industrial dispute, lock closure, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, chemical or biological disaster and adverse weather, sea, ice and river conditions and all similar events outside our or the supplier(s) concerned’s control. Advice from the Foreign Office to avoid or leave a particular country may constitute Force Majeure.

13. Special Requests

Any special requests must be advised to us at the time of booking e.g. diet, room location, a particular facility at a hotel etc. You should then confirm your requests in writing. Whilst every effort will be made by us to try and arrange your reasonable special requests, we cannot guarantee that they will be fulfilled. The fact that a special request has been noted on your confirmation invoice or any other documentation or that it has been passed on to the supplier is not confirmation that the request will be met. Failure to meet any special request will not be a breach of contract on our part unless the request has been specifically confirmed. We do not accept bookings that are conditional upon any special request being met.

14. Disabilities and Medical Problems

We are not a specialist disabled holiday company, but we will do our utmost to cater for any special requirements you may have. If you or any member of your party has any medical problem or disability which may affect your stay, please provide us with full details before we confirm your booking so that we can try to advise you as to the suitability of your chosen arrangements. We may require you to produce a doctor’s certificate certifying that you are fit to participate in the tour. Acting reasonably, if we are unable to properly accommodate the needs of the person(s) concerned, we will not confirm your booking or if you did not give us full details at the time of booking, we will cancel it and impose applicable cancellation charges when we become aware of these details.

15. Complaints

We make every effort to ensure that your holiday arrangements run smoothly but if you do have a problem during your holiday, please inform the relevant supplier (e.g. your hotelier) immediately who will endeavour to put things right. If your complaint is not resolved locally, please contact your tour guide or in the case of a tailor-made tour our local agent or our Cleckheaton office as soon as possible. Failure to do so will affect ours and the applicable supplier’s ability to investigate your complaint, and will affect your rights under this contract. If the problem cannot be resolved and you wish to complain further, you must send formal written notice of your complaint to us at our Cleckheaton office within 28 days of the end of your stay, giving your booking reference and all other relevant information. Please keep your letter concise and to the point. This will assist us to quickly identify your concerns and speed up our response to you.

16. Your Behaviour

All guests staying with us are expected to conduct themselves in an orderly and acceptable manner and not to disrupt the enjoyment of other guests. If in our opinion or in the opinion of any hotel manager or any other person in authority, your behaviour or that of any member of your party is causing or is likely to cause distress, danger or annoyance to any of our other guests or any third party or damage to property, or to cause a delay or diversion to transportation, we reserve the right to terminate your booking arrangements with us immediately. In the event of such termination our liability to you and/or your party will cease and you and/or your party will be required to leave your accommodation or other service immediately. We will have no further obligations to you and/or your party. No refunds for lost accommodation or any other service will be made and we will not pay any expenses or costs incurred as a result of termination. You and/or your party may also be required to pay for loss and/or damage caused by your actions and we will hold you and each member of your party jointly and individually liable for any damage or losses caused by you or any member of your party. Full payment for any such damage or losses must be paid directly to the hotel manager or other supplier prior to departure from the hotel. If you fail to make payment, you will be responsible for meeting any claims (including legal costs) subsequently made against us as a result of your actions together with all costs we incur in pursuing any claim against you. We cannot be held responsible for the actions or behaviour of other guests or individuals who have no connection with your booking arrangements or with us.

17. Our Liability to You:

1) We will accept responsibility for the arrangements we agree to provide or arrange for you as an “organiser” under the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992 as set out below. Subject to these booking conditions, if we or our suppliers perform or arrange your

contracted holiday arrangements negligently, taking into consideration all relevant factors (for example following the complaints procedure as described in these conditions and the extent to which ours or our employees’ or suppliers’ negligence affected the overall enjoyment of your holiday), we will pay you reasonable compensation. Please note that it is your responsibility to show that we or our supplier (s) have been negligent if you wish to make a claim against us.

(2) We will not be responsible or pay you compensation for any injury, illness, death, loss, damage, expense, cost or other claim of any description if it results from:-

(a) the act(s) and/or omission(s) of the person(s) affected;

(b) the act(s) and/or omission(s) of a third party unconnected with the provision of the services contracted for and which were unforeseeable or unavoidable; or

(c) unusual or unforeseeable circumstances beyond ours or our supplier(s) control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all due care had been exercised; or

(d) an event which either ourselves or suppliers could not, even with all due care, have foreseen or forestalled.

(3) We limit the amount of compensation we may have to pay you if we are found liable under this clause:

(a) loss of and/or damage to any luggage or personal possessions and money, The maximum amount we will have to pay you in respect of these claims is £25.00 per person in total because you are assumed to have adequate insurance in place to cover any losses of this kind.

(b) Claims not falling under (a) above or involving injury, illness or death The maximum amount we will have to pay you in respect of these claims is twice the price paid by or on behalf of the person(s) affected in total. This maximum amount will only be payable where everything has gone wrong and you or your party has not received any benefit at all from your booking.

(c) Claims in respect of international travel by air, sea and rail, or any stay in a hotel

i) The extent of our liability will in all cases be limited as if we were carriers under the appropriate Conventions, which include The Warsaw/Montreal Convention (international travel by air); The Athens Convention (with respect to sea travel); The Berne/Cotif Convention (with respect to rail travel) and The Paris Convention (with respect to hotel arrangements). You can ask for copies of these Conventions from our offices. Please contact us. In addition, you agree that the operating carrier or transport company’s own ‘Conditions of Carriage’ will apply to you on that journey. When arranging transportation for you, we rely on the terms and conditions contained within these international conventions and those ‘Conditions of Carriage’. You acknowledge that all of the terms and conditions contained in those ‘Conditions of Carriage’ form part of your contract with us, as well as with the transport company and that those ‘Conditions of Carriage’ shall be deemed to be included by reference into this contract.

ii) In any circumstances in which a carrier is liable to you by virtue of the Denied Boarding Regulation 2004, any liability we may have to you under our contract with you, arising out of the same facts, is limited to the remedies provided under the Regulation as if (for this purpose only) we were a carrier.

iii) When making any payment, we are entitled to deduct any money which you have received or are entitled to receive from the transport provider or hotelier for the complaint or claim in question.

(4) It is a condition of our acceptance of liability under this clause that you notify any claim to ourselves and our supplier(s) strictly in accordance with the complaints procedure set out in these conditions.

(5) Where any payment is made, the person(s) receiving it (and their parent or guardian if under 18 years) must also assign to ourselves or our insurers any rights they may have to pursue any third party and must provide ourselves and our insurers with all assistance we may reasonably require.

18. Excursions

Excursions or other tours that you may choose to book or pay for whilst you are on holiday are not part of your package holiday provided by us. For any excursion or other tour that you book, your contract will be with the operator of the excursion or tour and not with us. We are not responsible for the provision of the excursion or tour or for anything that happens during the course of its provision by the operator.


19. Passport, Visa and Immigration Requirements and Health Formalities

Your specific passport and visa requirements, and other immigration requirements are your responsibility and you should confirm these with the relevant Embassies and/or Consulates. We do not accept any responsibility if you cannot travel because you have not complied with any passport, visa or immigration requirements.

20. Conditions of Suppliers

Many of the services which make up your holiday are provided by independent suppliers. Those suppliers provide these services in accordance with their own terms and conditions which will form part of your contract with us. Some of these terms and conditions may limit or exclude the supplier’s liability to you, usually in accordance with applicable International Conventions. Copies of the relevant parts of these terms and conditions are available on request from ourselves or the supplier concerned.

21. Delays, Missed Transport Arrangements and other Travel Information

If you or any member of your party miss your flight or other transport arrangement, it is cancelled or you are subject to a delay of over 3 hours for any reason, you must contact us and the airline or other transport supplier concerned immediately. The Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992 provide that in the event that you experience difficulty on the occurrence of circumstances described in clauses 17 (2) (b) (c) or (d) of these booking conditions, we will provide you with prompt assistance. Where you experience a delay which is not owing to any failure by us, our employees or sub-contractors, this prompt assistance is likely to extend to providing help in locating refreshments, accommodation and communications but not paying for them. Any airline or other transport supplier may however pay for or provide refreshments and/or appropriate accommodation and you should make a claim directly to them. Subject to the other terms of these conditions, we will not be liable for any costs, fees or charges you incur in the above circumstances, if you fail to obtain our prior authorisation before making your own travel arrangements.

We cannot accept liability for any delay which is due to any of the reasons set out in clause 12 of these booking conditions (which includes the behaviour of any passenger(s) on any flight who, for example, fails to check in or board on time). Under EU Law, you have rights in some circumstances to refunds and/or compensation from the airline in cases of denied boarding, cancellation or delay to flights. Full details will be publicised at EU airports and will also be available from airlines. However reimbursement in such cases will not automatically entitle you to a refund of your holiday cost from us. Your right to a refund and/or compensation from us is set out in clause 11. If any payments to you are due from us, any payment made to you by the airline will be deducted. A delay or cancellation to your flight does not automatically entitle you to cancel any other arrangements even where those arrangements have been made in conjunction with your flight.

This brochure is our responsibility, as your tour operator. It is not issued on behalf of, and does not commit the airlines mentioned herein or any airline whose services are used in the course of your travel arrangements.

22. Advance Passenger Information

A number of Governments are introducing new requirements for air carriers to provide personal information about all travellers on their aircraft to the Authorities before the aircraft leaves the UK. The data will be collected either at the airport when you check in or in some circumstances when, or after you make your booking. Where we collect this data, we will treat it in accordance with our privacy policy.

23. ForeignOfficeAdvice

You are responsible for making yourself aware of Foreign Office advice and warnings in regard to the safety of the countries and areas in which you will be travelling and to make your decisions accordingly. Advice from the Foreign Office to avoid or leave a particular country may constitute Force Majeure. (See clause 12).

24. ABTA

We are a Member of ABTA, membership number V2005. We are obliged to maintain a high standard of service to you by ABTA’s Code of Conduct. We can also offer you an arbitration scheme for the resolution of disputes arising out of this contract. The scheme is arranged by ABTA and administered independently. It is a simple and inexpensive method of arbitration on documents alone with restricted liability on you for costs. The upper limit on claims is £5,000 per person and £25,000 per booking form. The scheme doesn’t apply to claims which are solely in respect of physical injury or illness or their consequences. It can however deal with claims which include an element of minor injury or illness subject to a limit of £1,500 on the amount the arbitrator can award per person in respect of this element. Your request for arbitration must be received by ABTA within eighteen months of the date of return from holiday. For injury and illness claims, you can request the ABTA Mediation Procedure and we have the option to agree to mediation. Further information on the Code and ABTA’s assistance in resolving disputes can be found on www.abta.com.

25. Data Protection

In order to process your booking and to ensure that your travel arrangements run smoothly and meet your requirements we and your travel agent need to use the information you provide such as name, address, any special needs/dietary requirements etc.

We take full responsibility for ensuring that proper security measures are in place to protect your information. We must pass the information on to the relevant suppliers of your travel arrangements such as airlines, hotels, transport companies etc. The information may also be provided to security or credit checking companies, public authorities such as customs/immigration if required by them, or as required by law.

Additionally, where your holiday is outside the European Economic Area (EEA), controls on data protection in your destination may not be as strong as the legal requirements in this country. We will not however, pass any information onto any person not responsible for part of your travel arrangements. This applies to any sensitive information that you give to us such as details of any disabilities, or dietary/religious requirements. (If we cannot pass this information to the relevant suppliers, whether in the EEA or not, we cannot provide your booking. In making this booking, you consent to this information being passes on to the relevant persons.)

26. ABTA

Roy Taber Ltd is a Member of ABTA, membership number V2005. We are obliged to maintain a high standard of service to you by ABTA’s Code of Conduct. We can also offer you an arbitration scheme for the resolution of disputes arising out of this contract. The scheme is arranged by ABTA and administered independently. It is a simple and inexpensive method of arbitration on documents alone with restricted liability on you for costs. The upper limit on claims is £5,000 per person and £25,000 per booking form. The scheme doesn’t apply to claims which are solely in respect of physical injury or illness or their consequences. It can however deal with claims which include an element of minor injury or illness subject to a limit of £1,500 on the amount the arbitrator can award per person in respect of this element. Your request for arbitration must be received by ABTA within eighteen months of the date of return from holiday. For injury and illness claims, you can request the ABTA Mediation Procedure and we have the option to agree to mediation. Further information on the Code and ABTA’s assistance in resolving disputes can be found on www.abta.com.

27. AITO Quality Statement

Roy Taber Ltd is a member of the Association of Independent Tour Operators. The Association represents Britain’s leading independent tour operators and encourages high standards of quality and service. Roy Taber Ltd abides by the Association’s Code of Business Practice and adheres to the AITO Quality Charter which can be viewed on www.aito.com. Visit the website to find out more about the Association or call 020 8744 9280.

AITO Quality CharterAITO is the Association for independent and specialist holiday companies. Our member companies, usually owner-managed, strive to create overseas holidays with high levels of professionalism and a shared concern for quality and personal service. The Association encourages the highest standards in all aspects of tour operating.

Exclusive Membership

AITO sets criteria regarding ownership, finance and quality which must be satisfied before new companies are admitted to membership. All members are required to adhere to a Code of Business Practice which encourages high operational standards and conduct.

Financial Security

An AITO member is required to arrange financial protection for all holidays and other arrangements (including accommodation only) booked by customers with the member under the AITO logo. This financial protection applies to customers who are resident in the UK at the time of booking and to most overseas customers who have booked directly with the member. In doing so, the member must

comply with UK government regulations. Members are required to submit details of their financial protection arrangements to AITO on a regular basis.

Accurate Brochures and Websites

All members do their utmost to ensure that all their brochures and other publications, print or electronic, clearly and accurately describe the holidays and services offered.

Professional Service and Continual Improvements

All members are committed to high standards of service and believe in regular and thorough training of employees. Members continually seek to review and improve their holidays. They listen to their customers and always welcome suggestions for improving standards.

Monitoring Standards

AITO endeavours to monitor quality standards regularly. All customers should receive a post-holiday questionnaire the results of which are scrutinised by the Association.

Sustainable Tourism

All members acknowledge the importance of AITO’s Sustainable Tourism guidelines, which recognise the social, economic and environmental responsibilities of tour operating.

Customer Relations

All members endeavour to deal swiftly and fairly with any issues their customers may raise. In the unlikely event that a dispute between an AITO member and a customer cannot be settled amicably, AITO’s low-cost Independent Dispute Settlement Service may be called upon by either side to bring the matter to a speedy and acceptable conclusion.

Roy Taber Ltd is a member of the Association of Independent Tour Operators.

To contact the Association, visit www.aito.com or call 020 8744 9280.

Taber Holidays


How to BookOnce you have decided which of our exciting holidays you would like to book the next step is to call us on 01274 875199. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have and confirm that the choice you have made is exactly right for you. Alternatively, you can always send us a quick email to [email protected] and we will get on with it for you straight away.

What we need from you

Your chosen holiday, departure date, departure airport, number of passengers, type of room required and any special requests you may have i.e. vegetarian, allergies, special occasion, assistance. We also need a contact telephone number so we can call you if we have a quick question.

What we do next

We will then contact all our suppliers to confirm your booking and provide them with your details. As many of our suppliers are small, independent companies they are not always able to answer straight away as they may be with clients, so be prepared to wait for up to 48 hours for us to come back to you with confirmation of your whole holiday and provide you with a booking reference.

When your holiday is booked

Once this is all complete you will be asked to complete our Booking Form (we have a digital or paper version, whichever you prefer) and return this to us at the same time as you pay your deposit payment. Your Confirmation Invoice and ATOL Certificate (if you are booking a flight inclusive package) will be emailed or posted to you as soon as this deposit payment is received.

Taber Holidays

Final payment and tickets

The balance payment for your holiday is due 8 weeks prior to departure or at the time of booking if within this period. The due date is detailed on your Confirmation Invoice, however, don’t worry if you forget, we NEVER automatically cancel any holiday and one of our friendly staff (usually Clara!) will give you a quick call or email to remind you. Your travel documents will be send to you approximately 2 weeks prior to departure. These can be sent by surface mail, or, if you prefer, in pdf format via email.*

* Please note, if receiving travel documents via email the resort guides you receive will be links to destination websites rather than paper booklets.

Travel Insurance

It is a requirement that all clients travelling with Taber Holidays carry travel insurance which provides full cover for their holiday arrangements. Please remember to advise your insurers of any activities which you may be taking part in, such as a snowmobile or husky dog safari, to make sure that you are fully covered. Under certain circumstances Taber Holidays may ask you to provide evidence that you have purchased travel insurance for your holiday.

Taber Holidays no longer sell travel insurance, however our partners, Holiday Extras, provide a variety of travel insurance policies. To view details of these policies, which may be purchased online, please visit our website at www.taberhols.co.uk/holidays-extras.

All our holidays are based on scheduled flights in Economy class with scheduled flight carriers using special IT fares. We do not hold allocations on flights as we prefer to provide our clients with as much flexibility over their chosen departure date and time as possible and this means that these flights are subject to availability at the time of booking. In most cases we are able to confirm flights at the brochure price, however, should your chosen flight not be available in our included booking class we may be able to offer you the same flight in an alternative economy booking class but at a supplement. This supplement will be quoted at the time of booking.

On the rare occasion that we are unable to secure availability in one of our IT booking classes we may be able to quote the airline’s published fare for a flight. These fares are what we term ‘Best Buy’ prices which means that they are only valid if the flight is bought and paid for at the same time and are completely non-refundable or changeable. This means that these flights must be paid for in addition to our standard holiday deposit and are non-refundable in the event of cancellation.

Flight and Airline Information

Airline Information

Possible Alternative Departure Airports:

Aberdeen

Please note: schedules are constantly being updated and added to therefore flight times and supplements will be quoted and confirmed at time of booking. Please ask a member of our Reservations Team for further information.

Birmingham

Edinburgh

Glasgow

London Gatwick

Manchester

Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) was founded in 1946 and is the multi-national airline of Denmark, Norway and Sweden and is the leading carrier in these Scandinavian countries. SAS operates out of three primary hubs, Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo with Copenhagen being the chief focus for European services. SAS is a Star Alliance member. Norway’s regional airline, Widerøe, has been a member of the SAS Group since 2002, and primarily features in our programme to service the more remote parts of Norway.

Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA, commercially branded ‘Norwegian’, is a public low-cost airline noted on the Oslo Stock Exchange. The company is the second largest airline in Scandinavia, and has a route portfolio that stretches across Europeinto North Africa and the Middle East. Norwegian is the 4th largest low-cost airline in Europe operating over 40 aircraft on 170 routes to 87 destinations. In January 2009, Air Transport World (ATW) named Norwegian ‘Market Leader of the Year’.

WOW air is an Icelandic low-cost airline that flies to Iceland from a number of European cities the whole year round. The airline was founded in November 2011 and in October 2012 took over the flight operations of Iceland Express. The airline operates Airbus A320 aircraft that have been the choice of many of the world’s leading airlines. and is committed to providing the cheapest flights to and from Iceland, but doing so with a smile and providing a memorable service.

Icelandair was founded in 1939 and is the flag carrier airline of Iceland, based in Reykjavik. It is part of the Icelandair Group and operates services to 25 cities in 12 countries on both sides of the Atlantic. They operate scheduled flights from London Heathrow, Manchester and Glasgow to Keflavik Airport and their fleet consists of Boeing 757 aircraft. An in-flight seat-back entertainment system offers movies, TV programmes, music and documentaries.


Credit card payment

I wish to pay by:

⁄ Mastercard ⁄ VISA

⁄ Debit card ⁄ Deposit only

Card number:

N.B. we do not store credit / debit card details in our system therefore you will need to supply this information again in order to settle your balance.

Booking reference Departure airport Holiday name Number of nights Departure date

*As per your passport Lead name 2nd person 3rd person 4th person

Title

Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms, other

Surname*

First name *

Date of birth

Home address

Room type

Daytime telephone

Mobile

Email address

Please tick the box if you would NOT like to be added to our e-mailing list.

⁄ ⁄ ⁄ ⁄

Special requests

Eg; vegetarian, diabetic, low floor room, etc.

How did you first hear about Taber Holidays?

Agent name and address:

Agent’s reference:

ATBA number:

Cardholder’s name:

Start date: Expiry date: Issue No:

Security code: Signature:

Cardholder’s address:

Credit card charges: In line with most operators, we will make a charge of 2% for balances paid by credit card.

Insurance

It is a requirement that all passengers travelling with Taber Holidays have travel insurance (either independently or through their Travel Agent) to cover their holiday arrangements. Please complete the following:

I have taken out Travel Insurance to cover my holiday arrangements and personal possessions. Details are as follows:

My insurers are:

24hr emergency contact number:

Signed:

Payment authority I enclose: ⁄ Cheque ⁄ Credit Card Authority for:

Deposit/s (£150 per person): £

Balance (within 8 weeks of departure): £

Total enclosed (note: cheques made payable to Roy Taber Ltd.): £

Bank transfer: For convenience, payment may be made directly into our account by bank transfer. Our account details are: Account name: Roy Taber Ltd. Account number: 11051550. Sort code: 05-03-03. Please inform our Accounts Department that you have transferred payment in this way by sending an email to [email protected] stating your name, booking reference and amount transferred.

I certify that I am authorised to make this booking on behalf of the persons named above and that I am responsible for ensuring due payment of all monies payable in respect of this booking and have read and agree to accept the Booking Conditions and, if applicable, the details of insurance.

Signature: Date:

Taber HolidaysContact details Address: Taber Holidays, PO Box 176, Tofts House, Tofts Road, Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire, BD19 3WX. Telephone: 01274 875199 Email: [email protected]

BOOKING FORM

Summer brochure 2015

Documents

Transcript of Summer brochure 2015