City breaks and relaxing resort stays from Voyages Jules Verne

April 2, 2012 - PRLog -- Innovative specialist tour operator Voyages Jules Verne has launched the latest edition of its popular Classic Resorts & Weekends brochure. Covering departures until April 2013, the brochure features 35 tempting itineraries - ranging in duration from three to seven nights - to destinations across Europe, Africa and the Middle East, including three new tours:

• A Taste of Albania: enjoy a few days in the ‘Land of the Eagles’ on this three-night sojourn that explores the capital, Tirana, before venturing further afield to visit the picturesque museum town of Berat, the Corinthian city of Apollonia and the historic centres of Shkodra and Kruja. Price is from £495 pp*.

• Return to the Old Cataract: be among the first to stay at one of Egypt’s most iconic hotels - recently re-opened after extensive refurbishment - where Agatha Christie wrote parts of ‘Death on the Nile’ and which featured in the 1978 film of the same name. Price for a seven-night stay is from £995 pp*. Optional excursions available at additional cost.

• An Icelandic Summer: witness the ‘Midnight Sun’ phenomenon during a seven-night stay in Reykjavik, when 24-hour daylight and warm, balmy evenings make seeing the sights of this unforgettable country even more of a delight. Price is from £995 pp*.

Also new for 2012 is the option to enjoy selected tours from Voyages Jules Verne’s Classic Resorts & Weekends brochure as a Private Journey. Ideal for the more independently-minded or for those seeking a more personal experience – perhaps travelling as a family or with several friends – a relatively modest supplement offers clients all the highlights of the published itinerary alongside the comfort and convenience of having their own private car and driver/guide. For example, try A Taste of South Africa as a Private Journey from £1,690 pp (nine nights), spend A Few Days at the Pyramids as a Private Journey from £1,020 pp (four nights) or explore Austria’s Traditional Tirol on a seven-night trip that costs from £1,320 pp when taken as a Private Journey.

Whatever one’s preferred way of unwinding, the latest Classic Resorts & Weekends brochure has something to suit. Rail travel enthusiasts will relish a journey on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express combined with a few days in the romantic city of Venice, where accommodation is at the sumptuous five-star Hotel Grand Dei Dogi (five nights from £2,295 pp*). Prefer being afloat? Combine river cruising with wine tasting on a four-night meander on Bordeaux’s Garonne river and Gironde estuary aboard the MS Princess d’Aquitaine (from £945 pp*) or stay full-board on the MS Michelangelo at its fine mooring just 15 minutes’ walk from Venice’s St Mark’s Square (four nights from £625 pp*).

Interested in ancient history? This year, Jordan celebrates the 200th anniversary of the re-discovery of Petra by Burckhardt, making 2012 a superb time to check out the rose-red city. A four-night Petra Weekend Offer that also includes time at the Dead Sea costs from £695 pp*, whilst Jordan’s Red Sea & Petra is an eight-night itinerary that blends a five-star resort stay in either Aqaba or Tala Bay with ample opportunity to explore Petra and the Dead Sea. Price is from £995 pp*. Or why not give Tunisia a try? Enjoy easy access to the marina, bars and restaurants of Port El Kantaoui with a seven-night stay at the four-star El Hana Palace Hotel, from where included excursions take culture seekers to Carthage, El Djem, Kairouan and Sousse. Price is from £525 pp*.

After a relaxing escape with guaranteed sunshine? Opt for a three, four or seven-night stay in Marrakech, where weary travellers can recharge their batteries with a spell on the sun-lounger before heading into the atmospheric souks of Morocco’s famous city (from £375 pp*). Alternatively, head to Lake Como in Italy, where a leisurely week staying at either the Grand Hotel Cadenabbia or Grand Hotel Menaggio - with optional sightseeing - costs from £695 pp*.

Travelling alone? Renowned for its No Single Supplement programme, Voyages Jules Verne continues to expand the range of destinations and departures on which solo travellers can book without financial penalty. For example, explore the Treasures of Budapest (three nights from £575 pp*), immerse yourself in the Heritage of Malta (four nights from £475 pp*) or take a seven-night tour of Kyrenia, North Cyprus (seven nights from £765 pp*).

For a copy of the new Classic Resorts & Weekends brochure, contact Voyages Jules Verne on 0845 166 7035, email sales@vjv.co.uk or visit the award-winning website at http://www.vjv.com.

*According to the itinerary selected, prices include air travel and taxes, transportation, accommodation, some meals, a sightseeing programme (in some cases) and the services of guides and local representatives. With the exception of No Single Supplement itineraries, prices are based on two people sharing.

Ends / 2 April 2012

Press: For further information, contact Karen Carpenter at Travel PR on 020 8891 4440 or email k.carpenter@travelpr.co.uk.  At Voyages Jules Verne, contact Prini Patel on 020 7616 1094 or email prini.patel@vjv.co.uk.

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