Other activities in Europe
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Rental Bike Venice
The scenic plains of the Brenta Riviera make an easy, enjoyable bicycle ride, and you can speed past those tour boats along 150km of cycling routes. Rental Bike Venice is a friendly bike-rental spot accessible by bus from Venice, Mestre or Padua offering city bikes with baskets, mountain bikes and handy foldable bikes to take on buses, plus free parking, roadside assistance and advice in English on itineraries, local restaurants and shops.
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Free Sofia Tour
This free walking tour led by a local tourism volunteer NGO sets off twice daily from in front of the Palace of Justice (diagonally across the road from McDonalds). Led by friendly, English-speaking volunteers, the two-hour brings you by the city’s main sites, with lots of interesting background presented in a fun and engaging way. The tour is a hit with travellers from backpackers to businesspeople, serves as a great introduction to Sofia and often makes new friends among other travellers and locals in the process.
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Arctic Adventures
With young and enthusiastic staff, this company specialises in action-filled tours – rafting, horse riding, quad bike tours, glacier walks etc.
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Freya’s Florence
Highly recommended tours by an Australian-born, Florence-based private tour guide introducing the art, history and magic of Florence. It costs €50 to €60 per hour for private tours of between one and 20 people, including two-hour ‘Secret Florence at Twilight’ and Uffizi Gallery tours (admission fees extra).
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Disneyland Resort Paris
Visitors (mostly families) pour into this park to scare themselves silly in the bloodcurdling Tower of Terror, dance in a High School Musical, dive with Nemo, hit 70km/h in a Space Mountain rocket, shake Winnie the Pooh’s paw and share a fiesta of other magical moments with Mickey and his Disney mates. And the kids can’t seem to get enough. As its marketing bumph boasts, at Disneyland ‘the party never stops’.
One-day admission fees at Disneyland Resort Paris include unlimited access to all rides and activities in either Disneyland Park or Walt Disney Studios Park. Those who opt for the latter can enter Disneyland Park three hours before it closes. Multiple-day pas…
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Birdwatching Bulgaria
Birdwatching Bulgaria runs numerous birding trips throughout the year, headed by professional, English-speaking guides. For those with minimal time, the one-day trip around Sofia (€80) takes in Vitosha Nature Park and/or Dragoman Marsh, some 35km west of the capital, where possible sightings include ferruginous ducks, sedge warblers and black woodpeckers. More dedicated bird-watchers can book onto longer tours, such as the eight-day Southern Bulgaria tour (€680 per person full board, for a group of two) where you’ll have the chance to spot rarer species including the Squacco heron and Imperial eagle. The company also offers bear-watching tours and specialised excursions c…
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Jampa Ling Buddhist Centre
If you’re on a quest for enlightenment, or just seeking some time out, the Jampa Ling Buddhist Centre, in a beautiful country setting, is peace on earth. Jampa Ling, meaning ‘Place of Infinite Loving Kindness’, offers courses, retreats and workshops (about €45 to €60 per day, €215 to €275 per weekend) on Buddhist teachings, philosophy, meditation, yoga, and medicinal and culinary herbs. Though you don’t have to take part in a course to stay here, accommodation may not be available if there is an event on. All meals, which are included in the day courses and for overnight guests, are vegetarian.
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Duddington Village
Nestling under the southeastern slopes of Arthur’s Seat, the picturesque village of Duddingston is one of the oldest parts of the city, dating from the 12th century, though all that remains of that era are parts of the parish church. At the western end of the village stands an 18th-century pub, the Sheep Heid, and at the eastern end is Prince Charlie’s Cottage, where the Young Pretender held a council of war before the Battle of Prestonpans in 1745.
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After the Rain Spa
Soothe urban body and soul at After the Rain Spa, a haven of peace and tranquillity in downtown Geneva, where the icing on the cake for chocolate fiends has to be a body wrap in creamy milk chocolate (Sfr140, 45 minutes) or – even better – a good old soak in a milk or white chocolate bath (Sfr180, 30 minutes).
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Madrid Vision
The orange double-decker buses of Madrid Vision provide the usual hop-on-hop-off overview of the city, running every 10 to 20 minutes along two routes, Historical Madrid and Modern Madrid. Information, including maps, is available at tourist offices, most travel agencies and some hotels, and you can get tickets on the bus.
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Texelse Bierbrouwerij
The isle’s brewery, the Texelse Bierbrouwerij gives tours on an erratic schedule that may drive you to drink. Fortunately this former dairy has a terrace ideal for downing a few from the bar. The nine beers brewed here (try the bock) are widely available across Texel and are always worth ordering first.
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Podolí Swimming Pool
There are swimming and tanning opportunities galore at this huge swimming complex with Olympic-sized pools, both indoor and outdoor, and plenty of sunbathing space (best to bring footwear for the grotty showers, though). To get there, take the tram to the Kublov stop; from there it’s a further five-minute walk south.
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Mountain Guides
This adventurous company offers a wide range of hiking and climbing tours, including day trips to Heiðmörk (near Reykjavík), Hengill and Sólheimajökull, and a series of ice-climbing and trekking tours around Skaftafell. It also provides equipment rental and private guiding for more serious climbers.
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Davy the Ghost Tours
Davy the Ghost Tours offers 1¼-hour tours led by an ‘18th-century ghost’ in period costume. Expect tales of the city’s horrific past, including ghosts, witches, murders and hangings. Tours depart at 7pm from the blackboard outside the tourist office.
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Ocean Turizm & Travel Agency
Next to the tourist office, the Ocean Turizm & Travel Agency sells boat tickets and organises parasailing (TL125 for 45 minutes), day-long rafting trips (TL85) and half-day horse-riding excursions (TL50) along with lots of other water sports including so-called blue voyages.
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Lido Beaches
Lido beaches remain a major draw, especially on the Adriatic side, where cleaner water makes for maximum sun-umbrella density on sunny days. The tanning crowd thins out and rates drop a couple of euros after 2pm.
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Mountaineers of Iceland
Specialises in adventure tours, including day trips to the Golden Circle and Hengill, multiday super-Jeep expeditions, snowmobile and photographic tours, glacier tours, white-water rafting, kayaking, canyoning and horse riding.
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Viana Welcome Centre
This private outfit offers adventure activities such as canyoning, rafting and kayaking. Unfortunately, it’s geared mostly to groups. Bike rental is also available (€2.50/6 per hour/day).
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Skye Guides
A five-day basic rock-climbing course costs around £800 and a private mountain guide can be hired for around £190 a day (both rates apply for up to two clients).
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Original & Best Walking Tours of Florence
Excellent one- to three-hour walks of the city (€25 to €39) led by historians or art-history graduates, including an evening Medici murder stroll (€25, 1½ hours).
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Parque de Atracciones
Inside the Casa de Campo is the Parque de Atracciones, a decent amusement park sure to keep the kids entertained. Opening hours vary.
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Awaiting Table
Silvestro Silvestori’s splendid cooking and wine school provides day or weeklong courses with tours, tastings and noteworthy lecturers.
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Sagres Natura
Bikes can be hired from Sagres Natura. The company also offers canoeing trips (€30). Offers surfing lessons too.
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La Sirenetta Diving Club
La Sirenetta Diving Club offers diving courses and accompanied dives.
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