Battlefields Archives - FirstClass Travel Specialist

Europe & Mediterranean with Crystal Cruise

Lautaro Chocobar — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 01:37:51 +0000

With island hopping, dips in aquamarine seas, and UNESCO World Heritage Sites, this seven-day cruise shows you the Mediterranean in real style. Casting off from Piraeus in Greece, sail to Santorini for its fabled sunsets, followed by the quiet medieval town of Monemvasia. Olympia, birthplace of the ancient Games, is next, before the Ionian island of Corfu comes into view. Sailing north through the Adriatic Sea to Croatia, you’ll call by Dubrovnik to discover baroque grandeur and cultural riches in Trogir. End the voyage in Venice, the most romantic of Italy’s destinations.

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Baltic & Northern Europe with Crystal Cruise

Lautaro Chocobar — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 03:08:10 +0000

Celebrate the courageous individuals who played pivotal roles in altering the course of World War II. Embark with us on the Crystal Symphony for an unforgettable journey from Dover, traversing through locations steeped in historical significance. Explore Ijmuiden, a mere 17 miles from Amsterdam, and immerse yourself in the vibrant commemorations of Operation Market Garden’s 80th anniversary. Continue your voyage to Zeebrugge before spending three enlightening days in Rouen, where you’ll have the opportunity to pay homage at the D-Day landing sites in Normandy. This special commemorative cruise, enriched with renowned speakers and tailored thematic experiences, is a must for enthusiasts of history

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Springtime in Scotland – Garry’s Highland Roadtrip

admin@firstclass — Mon, 20 Jun 2016 10:16:46 +0000

Spring, ideally May, is the perfect time to visit Scotland. While not being as warm as the summer months, you will have a far better chance for clear blue skies. We were spoiled with sunny days for almost our entire stay and a heatwave which delivered 20+ degrees for most of the trip – very un-Scottish.

We started our trip, naturally, in Edinburgh. Old town is definitely the place to stay with traditional buildings that date back hundreds of years. The castle that overlooks the city inspired JK Rowling’s Hogwarts and is a must to visit. While you’re in the mood for royal history see if the Royal Yacht Britannia, the royal family’s private yacht, is in town to see how modern royalty live.

Balmoral Castle – The Queen’s summer holiday home

From Edinburgh it’s worth hiring a car to explore the surrounding countryside and sites like Tantallon Castle and Seton Collegiate Church.

Then you can keep heading on the route north, through the seaside county of Fife, stopping off to visit Dunfermline Abbey built over 900 years ago, before arriving in St Andrews. Not only is St Andrews a perfect locale for a spot of golf but it’s also home to Prince William’s and Princess Kate’s meeting place and university.

From St Andrews we headed into the mountains where you can visit Glamis Castle (or Glamorous Castle as we like to call it) before continuing the castle binge and visiting Braemer and Balmoral Castle. The charming village of Ballater is a nice pit-stop if you’re a bit castled-out.

Urquhart Castle on the banks of Loch Ness (Image Credit: Sam Fentress)

Keep driving into the heart of the Scottish Highlands and you’ll reach their capital – Inverness. This is a great place to try some famous Scottish Haggis. Fort George is the sight to see here, an 18th century stronghold that is still in use today.

After our time in Inverness we headed west to the Scottish Isles and along the way we finally spotted some Highlander cows for a photo-op. It turned out to be a day full of photography as we visited Loch Ness (no monsters in sight), the very picturesque Urquhart Castle and lastly Eilean Donnan Castle.

Isle of Skye – Nature’s island canvas

Unfortunately for us the main road north was closed on the stunning Isle of Skye, so instead we headed south and nabbed a ferry to the mainland where we found a surprising number of beautiful white-sand beaches.

We then headed to Fort William, overlooked by Ben Nevis – Scotland’s highest mountain. Climb to the top for spectacular views of the surrounding hills and lochs.

Wallace Monument – Captured from Stirling Castle through the mist

From Fort William you can head back inland via Glencoe road which is a spectacular journey. Enjoy beautiful scenery as you head in to central Scotland via Kinlochleven and Killin before arriving in Pitlochry. This is an amazing and picturesque little town, possibly my favourite (though it being on the River Garry might have something to do with that). Blair Atholl Castle is a must-see, the Laird of which is the only person to still have his own private army.

We then drove south to Crieff and on to Stirling. Stirling is home to many sights such as Stirling Castle, the Old Town Jail, Dunblane Cathedral whose tower dates back to the 6th century BC and the magnificent Wallace Monument (the highlight of our trip).

Glenshee – Gateway to the Cairngorm mountains

From Stirling it’s back to Edinburgh and on to your next destination.

As you can see, there’s a whole lot to see in Scotland and how much you enjoy it will often up to the weather. So do yourself a favour, come visit my homeland in the Spring to see it at it’s finest.

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Custom-Made Cruising by Orient Express

admin@firstclass — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 02:42:26 +0000

Charter any one of the 'Afloat in France' luxury barges and create your own French river cruising journey. Whether your passion is for wine, history, architecture, walking, cycling, antiques or golf - or a combination - Orient will be able to arrange specific activities and sightseeing trips.

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Gallipoli and the Splendours of Turkey and Greece

admin@firstclass — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 04:55:34 +0000

To coincide with the Centenary of the Anzac landings, Insight Vacations has opened their Splendours of Turkey tour with Greece Option for booking.

Join Insight Vacations on a memorable trip of a lifetime to Turkey & Greece including Anzac Day in 2015.

From Istanbul to Gallipoli, then Ephesus and the salt baths of Pammukkale to the cave dwellings of Cappadocia! Extend with a Cruise to the picturesque Greek Islands and visit the Corinth Canal & WWI sites.

Tour Options:

12 Day Tour Splendours of Turkey – Twinshare $3350, single supplement $1635
22 Day Tour Splendours of Turkey & Greece – Twinshare $6895, single supplement $2345

The Ballot

Tickets to the Anzac Dawn Service are being allocated via a ballot system, which is being arranged by the Australian and Turkish Governments, as numbers will be limited. The ballot has now closed and the winners of the ballot tickets have now been contacted.

However, regardless of whether you were successful in the ballot or not, you are still able to join the escorted tour and enjoy the gorgeous sights and community atmosphere of the Centenary.

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