BELARUS, UKRAINE & MOLDOVA
EXPLORE EASTERN EUROPE
Newly designed for 2006—Ukraine recently dropped visa requirements for U.S. citizens, and expanded flights have made the area more accessible—this 16-day cultural traverse starts in Minsk and heads south, for visits to cathedrals in Kiev, Yalta's seaside homes (where Pushkin and Chekhov summered), and the marble Livadia Palace. You'll sleep in charming four-star hotels, hike the Black Sea coast, and taste wine in Moldova, the unsung charmer of Eastern Europe. Price: $4,895 Outfitter: Mir Corporation, 800-424-7289, www.mircorp.com When to Go: May, August
BRITAIN
HIKING HADRIAN'S WALL
Follow the winding route of Hadrian's Wall on Britain's newest long-distance trail. The Roman-era engineering feat stretches for 70 miles along the Scottish border, connecting two coasts. Start in Bowness-on-Solway, where the wall meets the sea on
the west coast, and hike eight to ten miles a day through a magical landscape little changed in 2,000 years: lush hills, heather-covered moors, and rolling dales pocked with deep forests. En route, explore Roman forts, archaeological sites, and the bird-rich tidal estuary of Budle Bay. Your guide, Peter Goddard, has hiked the area for more than 30 years and is a local-history buff, as you'll learn over family-style dinners at country B&Bs.Price: $3,495 and up Outfitter: Wilderness Travel, 800-368-2794, www.wildernesstravel.com When to Go: July
BULGARIA
SKIING IN BANSKO
Get a piece of the Pirin Mountains while you still can. Bulgaria's January 2007 admission to the European Union will only bolster its booming vacation-home market. Towns like Bansko—where property values have more than doubled in recent years—are where everyone's buying. It's no wonder: One of the most modern ski resorts in Bulgaria is nestled below 9,000-foot peaks with Jackson Hole–style off-piste steeps. Even if you don't have a couple hundred grand to snag a condo, the resort's multi-million-dollar upgrades make it visit-worthy. The new Kempinski Hotel Grand Arena (doubles, $213; bulgariaski.com/bansko/kempinski.shtml) has a mod Swiss-chalet vibe and a prime location at the base of the gondola.
CROATIA
MOUNTAIN-BIKING ISTRIA
Istria, the sunny Adriatic peninsula in Croatia's northwestern corner, bordered by Slovenia, is an undiscovered mountain-biking destination. Locally harvested olives, figs, and almonds provide fuel as you pedal 30 to 50 miles a day, through Pazin, the region's elegant old capital, to the vineyards outside of Motovun and the historic west coast, staying at four-star inns and family farmhouses. Price: $1,325 Outfitter: Saddle Skedaddle, 011-44-191-265-1110, www.skedaddle.co.uk
When to Go: June to September
FRANCE
CYCLE LIKE A PRO THRU FRANCE
In addition to making the bikes that Lance Armstrong and his RadioShack teammates will use at this year's Tour de France, Trek also offers a trip where you can ride those bikes. At the Tour. The same day the pros race, to the soundtrack of screaming fans. Trek Travel's Team RadioShack Trip offers access to coach Johan Bruyneel, the team's mechanics, and some of the riders, in addition to a dinner at the team hotel. Between stays in four- and five-star hotels, up to 24 guests will ride portions of three of the Alps stages and be privy to VIP viewing areas, including one at the mountaintop finish of Stage 8, in Avoriaz. Tip: For an extra $500, Trek will outfit you with a carbon-wheeled Madone 6.9—just like the one Lance rides. July 10–15; $6,600; Trek Travel Bike Tours
CYCLING THE FRENCH ALPS
A ten-day fantasy camp for serious cyclists: Accompanied by a former pro rider/professional photographer, you'll ride stages of the famed Dauphiné-Libéré, contested over many of the same roads as the Tour de France. Ditch the peloton at day's end for elegant digs in picturesque mountain villages such as Uriage-les-Bains, where you'll fortify yourself for the next day's ride with local delicacies like goat sausage from Savoy Alps pastures and flinty white wines. Save your legs for the final 73-mile day (you can also opt for either a 55-mile or 93-mile route)—the Megève-Mont Blanc Classic, with 9,000 feet of climbing over three magnificent cols. Price: $3,695 Outfitter: Velo Classic Tours, 212-779-9599, www.veloclassic.com When to Go: June
FRANCE & SWITZERLAND
SKIING THE HAUTE ROUTE
Linking the two most iconic peaks in the western Alps—Mont Blanc, in Chamonix, France, and the Matterhorn, in Zermatt, Switzerland—this famed seven- to ten-day, 70-mile high-country journey is best suited for advanced skiers who feel confident in dicey conditions. (If kick turns on icy steeps aren't in your repertoire, consider waiting for summer and hike the route instead.) Nights are spent in small hotels and dorm-style alpine huts, where you'll find goulash, beer, and the kind of conviviality that generally ends in off-key singing. Even if you're an accomplished ski mountaineer who can parlais français (quick, what does "Danger de mort!" mean?), it's wise to hire a guide (consult chamonix.net) or hook up with an outfitter like Selkirk Mountain Experience ($3,225; 250-837-2381, selkirkexperience.com). Prime ski-touring season is mid-April to mid-May.
GEORGIA
TREKING THE CAUCASUS
Rob Smurr, a seasoned expert on the former Soviet Union, is your guide on this 15-day trip, the heart of which is a nine-day trek through the south-central Caucasus, a largely untouristed area of high glaciers, waterfalls, and massive granite peaks. From your first campsite, at the base of 12,600-foot Mount Chauki, you'll hike eight to 15 miles daily—along the Chanchakhi River and up some of the range's highest passes, skirting 16,558-foot Mount Kazbek. Camp out or stay with locals in villages where medieval towers mirror the peaks. High Point: Joining families for lamb and baklava, in their ninth-century villages. Low Point: Occasional rerouting due to security issues. Travel Advisory: Corruption can be common, so keep up your anti-scam guard.Price: $3,390—$3,690 Outfitter: Mountain Travel Sobek, 888-687-6235, www.mtsobek.com When to Go: August
GREECE
PADDLE THE GREEK ISLES
Sea kayaking among the Greek Isles will recalibrate your definition of relaxation. On the Northwest Passage's eight-day, 80-mile circumnavigation of the islands of Paros and Andiparos, guests average three to six hours of casual paddling a day in clear waters. Rest at sand and pebble beaches (clothing is optional), tour 4,000-year-old Minoan ruins, and sip cocktails on the porches of seaside inns. Pack light: The air and water temps are both 82 degrees. June 6–13; $2,895, plus $80 round-trip for the five-hour ferry ride from Athens to Parakia, the start of the trip; nwpassage.com
ITALY
CYCLING THRU GIRO DEL GELATO
Finally, a trip that acknowledges the number-one reason we cycle in Italy. Vacations don't get much sweeter than this eight-day ride through southern Piedmont with gelato-making genius Danilo Zecchin, of Ciao Bella Gelato. Pedaling an average of 40 miles per day on paved roads that roll through vineyards and over patchworked hills, you'll work up just enough hunger for the copious Italian dinners, private wine tastings, and all-you-can-eat frozen treats. Recharge at 500-year-old castles and 17th-century farmhouses as the chef spills the secrets behind his sinful concoctions. Then pedal, gorge, repeat. OUTFITTER: Ciclismo Classico, 800-866-7314, ciclismoclassico.com; PRICE: $3,995; DIFFICULTY: Moderate; WHEN TO GO: May
WALKING THE PIEDMONT
This six-day introduction to the still-quiet agricultural region 40 miles southeast of Turin is a glutton's guide to Italy. Long a gastronomic hot spot (the Slow Food movement began here), Piedmont produces the country's noblest wines—Barolo and Barbaresco—and hearty and refined cuisine like wild boar and risotto with fresh truffles. After daily hikes of six to 15 miles, arrive at a farmhouse ringed with vineyards. When you're not hiking with a naturalist or dining in an award-winning restaurant, taste wines with a local family, sip spumante with a top producer, trail a trifulao (truffle hunter) and his prized dog, or take cooking lessons—then soak in a hot bath enriched with crushed grapes. Price: $3,995 Outfitter: Butterfield & Robinson, 800-678-1147, www.butterfield.com When to Go: May, September
HOLY PLACES BY JET
On this crash course in world religions guided by renowned scholar John Esposito, travel to major sacred spots via private jet and come to your own conclusions about which faith works for you—or doesn't. In late March 2007, a custom-fitted Boeing 747 will take you to nine countries on three continents in 24 days, starting with Vatican City and journeying on to the holy sites of Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Shinto, and Islam. The trip ends in the multi-cultural city of Istanbul, where you'll visit the famed Hagia Sophia. Price: $44,950 Outfitter: TCS Expeditions, 800-727-7477, www.tcs-expeditions.com
SAIL SICILY AND THE AEOLIAN ISLANDS
The intimate 32-passenger Callisto is your luxurious floating hideaway on this nine-day sail through Italy's southern islands. Begin with an architectural tour of Palermo's 11th-century splendors, then set sail for the sun-blasted Aeolian Islands, seven volcanic spurs north of Sicily. When you're not scuba-diving, snorkeling, and swimming in tucked-away coves or hiking up a live volcano, lounge at Lipari Island's San Calogero, the oldest-known spa in the Mediterranean, or take a siesta deckside, grappa in hand. Price: $8,950 and up Outfitter: Butterfield & Robinson, 888-596-6377, www.butterfieldandrobinson.com When to Go: July
MALTA
SWIMMING THE COAST
Caught in the narrows between Sicily and North Africa, Malta is a group of islands with some of the warmest and clearest waters in the Mediterranean. On this six-day swimfest, you'll self-propel two to three miles a day, hopping from island to island and drying off in small family-run inns. You can always hop aboard the escort boat, but rest assured that your guides know their stuff—many have completed solo crossings of the English Channel. In the evening, the fun continues with talks on swimming technique and video analysis in the hotel pool. Price: $1,200 Outfitter: Swim Trek, 011-44-20-8696-6220, www.swimtrek.com When to Go: April-June, September
NORWAY
SKIING THE LYNGEN PENINSULA
When the last ice age receded from the 48-mile-long Lyngen Peninsula, a string of peaks north of the Arctic Circle, it left behind perfectly shaped terrain—for skiers. On this luxuriously remote eight-day trip, you can carve from summit to fjord in the Lyngen Alps, where the sea never freezes and heavy snowfall and a temperate climate guarantee hero snow. Each morning, don your boots, then speedboat (yes, speedboat) across the fjord to the day's chosen 2,500-to-3,500-foot peak. Summit on skins or snowshoes, then take your pick of bragging rights from the numerous unclaimed first descents that lead to snow-covered beaches. Bunk down fjordside at Lyngen Lodge, a new timbered inn 50 miles north of Tromsø, with panoramic windows and geo-thermal heat; après-ski means a sauna, a beer, apple strudel, and the spectacle of the northern lights. OUTFITTER: Aspen Expeditions; aspenexpeditions.com PRICE: $3,900 DIFFICULTY: Moderate to challenging WHEN TO GO: April–May
SVALBARD PHOTO EXPEDITION
The Svalbard Archipelago is one of the inhabited spits of land closest to the North Pole, just over 600 miles away, but it's anything but barren—in summer the islands are blanketed with wildflowers, seabirds swirl en masse, and walruses, whales, seals, and bears gorge themselves during the 24-hour days. This expedition is all about capturing it on film—for 11 days, naturalists will help you spot the critters, and one of the world's top nature photographers, Art Wolfe, will teach you how to take advantage of polar light, among other skills. Each day you'll load into Zodiacs to shoot the glaciers, icebergs, fjords, and herds of reindeer that catch your interest from the bow of the ice-class ship Endeavor.Price: $5,290
Outfitter: Lindblad Expeditions, 800-397-3348, www.expeditions.com
When to Go: July
Portugal
Kayaking the Douro River
On this 11-day flatwater float on the Douro River from Quinta das Aveleiras to Peso da Régua, through northern Portugal's fertile port-wine region, you'll paddle three to five hours daily, stretching out with afternoon hikes across golden-terraced hillsides. In the fall, glide through the grape harvest, feasting on feijoada (bean-and-meat stew) and the ruby-hued regional wines (you can pick tinta amarela grapes off the vine from the seat of your kayak), staying at manor houses and 18th-century blue-tiled quintas (wine estates). Price: $3,590 Outfitter: Explorers' Corner, 510-559-8099, www.explorerscorner.com When to Go: June, September
ROMANIA
WALKING ROMANIA'S COUNTRYSIDE
This 14-day romp through Transylvania and the Caliman Mountains is a low-key way to explore Romania's still intact natural beauty. After gathering in Bucharest, with its belle époque architecture, hit the countryside for majestic views of giant white cliffs in Piatra Craiului National Park, Bran Castle, of Dracula legend, and the verdant Bucovina region, where valleys are dotted with painted monasteries. Bed down in small hotels, B&Bs, homestays, and, for one night—after a nip of plum brandy by the campfire—a kober, or shepherd's hillside shelter. Trail tip: "Sa traiesti" ("Cheers") is the common hiker's greeting.Price: $2,895 Outfitter: MIR Corporation, 800-424-7289, www.mircorp.com When to Go: June to September
RUSSIA
SIBERIAN RAILS
The ultimate classic in Russian travel is the Trans-Siberian Express, a legendary 17-day luxe train journey from Moscow to Vladivostok that rumbles for nearly 6,000 miles. The onboard experts are a font of knowledge, especially during stops at the charming village of Irkutsk and mile-deep Lake Baikal.Price: $8,495—$12,865
Outfitter: American Museum of Natural History Discovery Tours, 800-462-8687, www.discoverytours.org When to Go: August
SCOTLAND
MOUNTAIN BIKING COAST TO COAST
The premise of Wilderness Scotland's Coast to Coast trip is simple enough: Cross the country on a mountain bike. On this weeklong, 249-mile journey, up to eight clients pedal west from Aberdeen. By the afternoon of day one, riders bank singletrack turns through ancient pine forests and fog-cloaked fields of purple heather. Nights are spent in century-old inns where dinners are capped with a choice of way too many locally distilled Scotches. Three 30-plus-mile days prep riders for the grind up 2,500-foot Corrieyairack Pass and, at journey's end, a long, gentle descent to a lighthouse overlooking the Island of Skye and the Inner Hebrides at Ardnamurchan Point. Departures in May, July, and September; $1,430; wildernessscotland.com
SPAIN/FRANCE
CYCLING THRU BASQUE COUNTRY
Dozens of pros in the Euro peloton—and an obscene number of Michelin-starred chefs—call the Basque region home. On this eight-day trip, pedal along the snaking mountain roads of the western Pyrenees, past pine forests, remote villages, and cherry orchards, pumping up for Indurain-worthy climbs, like a five-mile ride up Monte Jaizkibel, the highest point on the Cantabrian coast, and a 13-mile haul up Col Bagargui—known locally as the "Col du Sinistre," or "Evil Mountain." Feed-zone snacks include nutty Ossau-Iraty cheese and gâteau Basque (sweet cake with cherries). At night, sip Armagnac in white-stucco villas and historic inns, including a tenth-century castle, and dine on regal fare like wood pigeon and txipirones (baby squid). For cross-training, there's the txikiteo (tapas crawl) in San Sebastian and surfing in Biarritz. OUTFITTER: Velo Classic Tours; veloclassic.com PRICE: $5,000 DIFFICULTY: Challenging WHEN TO GO: June
HORSE-BACK RIDING IN CASTILIAN COUNTRY
Saddle sores will be your only worry on this six-day romp through Spain's vast central plateau. HQ is the utterly tranquil El Molino, an 18th-century equestrian center on the fringe of the medieval town of Pedraza. Each morning, saddle up your horse, perhaps a purebred Andalusian, and train in dressage technique. Then take guided afternoon trail rides through the wheat fields and rolling hills of the Castilian countryside, galloping by deep gorges and velvety forests or trotting through Roman ruins. Come evening, you'll dine on tapas, fresh seafood, and el frite—fried lamb with garlic and lemon—accompanied by dry local wines. Price: $1,995
Outfitter: Cross Country International, 800-828-8768, www.equestrianvacations.com
When to Go: January-November
SWEDEN
SKIING THE KING'S TRAIL
Ditch the wimpy groomers at American nordic centers and dig into a real cross-country challenge: The Kungsladen, or King's Trail—which links Abisko and Sarek national parks, above the Arctic Circle—is Sweden's crème de la crème strip of snow-covered track. For seven challenging days, you'll slide your way along a 58-mile section of trail through the Kebnekaise Range, with plenty more payoff than pain. On day three, your dogsled support team will await at a rustic hut with a hefty platter of reindeer steaks and potatoes. After huffing up 3,773-foot Tjaktja Pass on day six, glide into the Tjaktjavagge Valley, stopping to bunk at the Salka Mountain Hut. If cross-country touring isn't your thing, you can opt to explore the Kungsladen on foot during the summer and climb to the top of Sweden's highest peak, 6,965-foot Mount Kebnekaise, for views of distant Norway. High Point: Bringing your core temperature up with a sauna at the Abisko, Alesjaure, and Salka huts.Low Poi nt: Having your circadian rhythms thrown off by 24-hour twilight. Travel Advisory: Beware snowmobiles—they are an essential part of life in Lapland but can shatter your hard-won solitude. Price: $2,295 Outfitter: KE Adventure Travel, 800-497-9675, www.keadventure.com When to Go: February to April
SWITZERLAND
CYCLING CAMP
This first-of-its-kind European offering is the ultimate two-wheeled fantasy: On this nine-day trip, there'll be seven days of personalized training in Aigle, at the International Cycling Union's new ultramodern World Cycling Center (WCC), and in surrounding alpine terrain. With your coach, seven-time world track champion and Frenchman Frederic Magne, you'll train on the WCC's state-of-the-art 200-meter wooden track and on daily rides ranging from 25 to 75 miles. Base camp is a Victorian-style four-star hotel on Lake Geneva's eastern shore. From there, ride along Rhone Valley roads and into the Vaud Alps, with views of the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc providing inspiration as you grind up legendary mountain passes. Out-of-the-saddle luxuries include thermal spas, private wine tastings, a trip masseur, and regional specialties like saucisson Vaudois (local sausage).
High Point: Cranking up the famous hairpin turns of the Grimsel and Furka passes before hopping the cable car to the top of 9,603-foot Eggishorn Mountain for a view of Europe's largest glacier, the Aletsch. Low Point: Trying to avoid too much pinot noir at the farewell dinner, knowing there's a timed 91-mile race in Bulle—the Pascal Richard Cyclosportif—still to come. Travel Advisory: High-altitude climbs combined with August heat can mean easy dehydration, so keep the fluids coming. Price: $6,500 Outfitter: Velo Classic Tours, 212-779-9599, www.veloclassic.com
When to Go: August
