Specific Information About Our Alaska Skating Adventure

Mosel, Germany Skating Adventure :: July 17 - 23, 2016

Meeting Time & Place We meet on July 17, the first day of the trip, at 10:00 AM at the Hôtel Mercure in Thionville, France. The hotel is perfectly situated at 2 rue Georges Ditsch, near the old center of town, steps away from our skating path, and just across the river from the Thionville train station. You should plan to eat breakfast prior to our meeting and be dressed for skating (with your skates, helmet and other skate gear ready to go, but not on), as we will walk a short distance and begin our first skate. There is no airport in Thionville, so you will likely be taking the train from your airport city to our meeting point. From the train station, cross the bridge over the Mosel River and the hotel will be right in front of you.

The Night Before The Tour If you wish to spend the night before the tour in Thionville, you have many hotels from which to choose and can simply go on Booking.com to find lodging with the prices and amenities you like! If wish to spend the night at Hôtel Mercure, where we meet the first morning of the trip, you can book a room directly on their website (or booking.com). This is a typical three-star European hotel and is not fancy but is perfectly located.

Finishing Time & Place We will finish on the final day of the trip, July 23, at approximately noon at our hotel in Koblenz, Germany. We will shuttle you (in small groups since our van can’t fit everyone) to the main train station, which is only six minutes from the hotel. You can expect to catch trains starting around 12:30 to 1:00 PM from Koblenz to your next destination if you plan to leave that day.

Getting To and From the Tour Location For those of you flying to the tour location, you have many choices of airports. Because we essentially skate from point A to point B during the tour, the nearest airport to the tour start is not the nearest airport to the finish. One option is simply to pick one airport based on overall convenience and ticket price. A second option is to fly into one city and out of another, which would also give you the opportunity to see other cities before and after the tour. Following are your nearby airport choices and, below that, our recommendations.

Airport Station in Time to Time from Koblenz Recommendation Airport Thionville Brussels Train 3:40 to 4:40 4:00 Either Cologne/Bonn Train 4:30 to 5:00 1:10 to 1:30 Best for Departure Düsseldorf Train 4:40 to 5:40 1:45 Best for Departure Frankfurt Train 4:20 1:10 to 2:10 Best for Departure Frankfurt-Hahn Bus 2:15 1:10 Both Luxembourg Bus :45 2:20 Both Paris Train 1:45 4:30 to 5:00 Best for Arrival

For your arrival, Luxembourg Airport (airport code LUX) is by far the closest major airport to Thionville and often has decent prices, although there are no direct flights from North America. There is no train station in the airport, so you will need to take City Buses #16 or #9 (runs frequently) or a taxi (30 Euros minimum) from

Mosel, Germany Skating Adventure :: July 17 - 23, 2016 the airport to the train station and from there a train to nearby Thionville. Luxembourg is not too far distant from Koblenz so you might consider flying into and out of Luxembourg if the price is right, although you will need to take a train from Koblenz to Luxembourg’s city center and a bus from there to the airport. Next closest to Thionville and with much better international connections is the city of Paris and Charles de Gaulle Airport (airport code CDG) You will need to take the train from the airport to the city and the Gare de l’Est (East Train Station), from which there is a direct train to Thionville in under two hours. Although the train from Koblenz to Paris takes up to five hours, you might consider flying into and out of Paris if it is not possible to get an “open jaw” itinerary where you arrive in one city and depart from another. Frankfurt Airport (airport code FRA) is another good choice. It is a huge airport with many international flights and usually good prices. It is easy to reach from Koblenz and has a train station directly in the airport. If you want to fly home to North America the same day the tour ends, this is probably your only option since most North American-bound flights leave in the morning or early afternoon. Since the train to Thionville is long, a very good option if the flights are available is to fly into Paris or Luxembourg and out of Frankfurt. Dusseldorf Airport (airport code DUS) also has some direct flights from North America (including JFK in New York, Newark and Miami) via Air Berlin, United, American and Lufthansa. The Cologne/Bonn Airport (airport code CGN) is closer to Koblenz but has no direct North American flights.. The Frankfurt-Hahn Airport (airport code HHN is the most centrally located airport. It has no train station in the airport but does have bus service directly from the airport to Koblenz and to Luxembourg (you’ll have to take a train or bus from Luxembourg to Thionville). There are no flights directly from North America but many flights from major cities in Europe.

During high season (approximately June through August) ticket prices from North America are higher and seats scarcer. Nevertheless, with a little searching you will be able to find an affordable ticket. We always make plane reservations ourselves via the internet. Go to www.zephyradventures.com/makingAirResv.htm for information on making plane flights via the web. You can also try your travel agent if you have one. When booking an international airline ticket, please keep in mind several things. First, cheaper, advance- booking tickets generally have restrictions on changes and cancellations. Second, changing your travel date a bit might result in a cheaper ticket price. Third, try flying from and to a major gateway city such as New York, Minneapolis, Chicago, Atlanta, or Los Angeles from the US. On the other side of the Atlantic, it might be cheaper to fly to a major airport such as Paris or even Amsterdam and then take a connection to your preferred airport.

Late Arrival or Change in Travel Plans If for some reason you get delayed in your travel, we will ask you to contact one of our guides and let us know you will not make the meeting time. We will provide contact information in our pre-tour email, which we generally send out two to three weeks prior to the trip. We will be departing the town of Thionville around 11:00 AM on the first day. Unfortunately, if you miss the meeting point we won’t be able to easily come back to pick you up until the late afternoon. You can also arrange a taxi from the hotel or train station in Thionville for the 35-minute taxi ride to Remich, Luxembourg and our first night’s hotel.

Mosel, Germany Skating Adventure :: July 17 - 23, 2016

Getting Around in Europe The train is the easiest and most convenient way to travel for short distances within Europe. You do not generally need to purchase a train ticket in advance. If you wish to do so, however, you can use a travel agent or book tickets yourself via one of the following websites:  German railway site: This site has an easy search engine for finding train schedules, including international routes. (Remember to type the date with the day first and then the month and year.)  The Rail Europe site lists fares and schedules in addition to selling the popular Eurail passes. Passes are usually only a value for trips of intensive train use.

When purchasing train tickets, remember you can buy tickets for 1st or 2nd class and one-way or two-way trips. Also, when you buy a ticket at the train station, it will indicate the car number of the train. When you are at the station, look at the schedule board to see on what track the train will arrive. Renting a car is easy in Europe and can be done via travel websites such as Orbitz or www.AutoEurope.com. Car travel is very convenient for trips of short distance where you want to have the mobility to get to small, out- of-the-way places such as along the Rhein River. Cars are not a great idea if you plan to spend time in major cities, which can be very difficult to navigate. Finally, air travel within Europe has improved greatly in recent years, both in scheduling and pricing. Many discount air carriers now operate out of alternative, regional airports. If you plan to visit another region of Europe after the tour, air travel might be the best means of transportation.

Hotel Contact Information After meeting in France on the morning of Day 1, we skate or bike from hotel to hotel (while our luggage is transferred) and stay in the following hotels during the tour. Night Hotel Town 1 Hotel Saint Nicolas Remich, Luxembourg 2 Hotel Römischer Kaiser Trier, Germany 3 Hotel Lekker Neumagen, Germany 4 Hotel Trabener Hof Traben-Trarbach, Germany 5 Hotel Karl Müller Cochem, Germany 6 CONTEL Hotel Koblenz Koblenz, Germany

Extending Your Stay We encourage you to take advantage of your trip and extend your stay either before or after. In fact, due to flight schedules, you will probably end up arriving at least one day early and staying one extra day at the end. This is a good thing. Not only will it help you adjust to the time zone if you arrive one day early, it also allows a cushion of time in case you experience travel delays. Following are a few items to consider when planning your schedule. Arrival and Departure City: Pick your flight arrival and departure city based in part on flight times and costs but also on whether you wish to see any of the cities in the area. Frankfurt, Brussels, Düsseldorf, and Cologne all are large cities with some interesting sights. Luxembourg is a beautiful capital and Paris is simply Paris!

Mosel, Germany Skating Adventure :: July 17 - 23, 2016

Places to Go: There are so many things to see and do in Germany (Berlin Wall, Holocaust Memorials, museums, churches, castles, autobahns, Black Forest, beer!) and there is reliable train transport throughout the country and surrounding countries. You might want to peruse a few “Top Lists” and see what appeals to you and go from there: Trip Advisor, Germany.travel, GoGermany Jet Lag: The best cure for jetlag is to immediately get into your new time schedule, staying awake until your normal bedtime. We never take a catnap upon arriving in Europe but, if you must, you should limit it to no more than an hour or so. Hotels: We recommend booking hotels in advance if you are staying in a larger city like the ones mentioned above. It can sometimes be hard to find hotel space in high season but it also just simplifies things if you have a hotel booked in advance. We suggest you use a website such as www.booking.com or www.hotels.com. Outside of major cities, you can often get by just showing up and asking at the local tourist office.

Passport, Visa, Money, Telephones, Electricity and Time Zone You must have a passport to travel to France, Luxembourg, and Germany. If you don’t already have one, call your local passport agency today (in the U.S. check the government blue pages), as normal processing takes 4-8 weeks (although you can expedite this with increased fees). No visa is required for American, Canadian, or European citizens and you won’t be required to show your passport, as we cross borders on skates! Along with most of Europe, the currency used in France, Luxembourg, and Germany is the Euro. For current conversion rates, see www.xe.com/ucc/. The easiest way to get money in Europe in general is by using a standard ATM bank card – no wait, small fees, and flexible amounts. Your card should work if it has a Cirrus or Visa sticker and, if it doesn’t, your credit card will likely work in the same ATM (although you may have to pay interest and a cash advance fee). Just in case, you should bring a small amount of cash (or a card that will allow you to procure cash advances) as a backup. Not all places will accept credit cards for payment. Be sure to contact your banks and card companies ahead of time to let them know you will be traveling in France, Luxembourg and Germany or they may put a lock on your card when you attempt to use it there. The cheapest way to use the telephone while in Germany is generally to purchase a local calling card. Cards can be purchased in local post offices or tourist offices in varying amounts. You can dial both locally and internationally. Note a calling card purchased in Germany will not work in France or Luxembourg. Now, many travelers just enable their cell phones to work overseas or use web-based calling programs that don’t require mobile data use like Google Hangout, Skype or WhatsApp (available when there is a wifi connection). Talk to your mobile provider to see what your options are. The United States and Canada use 110-volt electricity. Most countries outside North America use 220-volt electricity. If you plan to bring any electronics with you, you need to use a "converter" or “transformer” to change the 220-volt electricity into 110-volt electricity in order to use a 110-volt appliance (unless your appliance is dual voltage). If your appliance is dual voltage, you can switch it to work on 220 volts, without a transformer or converter. The electrical outlets outside the United States and Canada are usually different from those in North America. The plug on the appliance you use in the U.S. and Canada won't fit into the outlet in most foreign countries. Therefore, you will need a plug adapter in order to plug in your appliance into the foreign outlets. See http://www.travelproducts.com/electricity_guide.htm for more details. Germany and the surrounding areas are seven hours ahead of U.S. Central Standard Time.

Mosel, Germany Skating Adventure :: July 17 - 23, 2016

The Weather and Climate We can’t predict what the weather will be. However, we can and do find the historical weather averages for the area and use these to pick the best times of the year for our tours. Along the Mosel, this time is summer! You should expect pretty ideal skating weather when we are there. Following is the historical weather average for Koblenz with temperatures in degrees Fahrenheit. You will need to pack for a variety of temperatures and weather on this trip (see packing list). It can rain year round so be prepared with a rain jacket also.

Month AVG Temp AVG High AVG Low Precipitation Number of Rainy Days in Month July 74 74 57 2.7” 7

The Towns, Lodging & Food Following are a few of the fun towns we visit on our trip:  Thionville, France: Thionville is a medium-sized town with a population of about 42,000 located on the banks of the Mosel River. Thionville has a nice town center with streets closed off to cars. Although it is a fairly quiet town, it should have a few things to do on Saturday night before our tour!  Remich, Luxembourg: Remich is the only town we stay in located in Luxembourg. A tiny hamlet of less than 3000 individuals, Remich is essentially the western start of the tourist area along the Mosel. It is easy to walk through the entire town and has a number of outdoor cafes overlooking the river.  Trier, Germany: Trier is the largest city we visit on our trip until we get to our ending point in Koblenz. The city is fun and filled with a university, museums, a fantastic walled-off central walking district, and a long history. In fact, Trier is considered Germany’s oldest city and still has Roman ruins.  Cochem, Germany: Cochem has a 2000-year history and a 1000-year old castle perched above the area. Although it is a small town, the population probably doubles in the summer as it is the center of tourism in the area. The town is a traditional small German town and one you will certainly enjoy.  Koblenz, Germany: Koblenz is a real city with a population of over 100,000 people. It has a university and is a major industrial and trading town due to its location at the confluence of the Rhein and Mosel rivers. It has fantastic restaurants, a good nightlife, and plenty of other things to do. The hotels we use are typically German, even the first one in Remich, Luxembourg. (Don’t tell French- speaking and Luxembourger owner Mr. Houdremont!) They generally have beautiful exteriors, clean interiors with comfortable furnishings, and a view of the Mosel River from an outdoor cafe. The hotels are not always luxurious by American standards, so don’t count on elevators, internet access, or large bathrooms. The food in the Mosel area is heavily influenced by the German and French cultures and by the tourists who visit. Three-course set menus are popular and so many nights we are presented with the menu of the day. Heavy sauces are common and chefs are not prone to skimp on butter, so if you are a healthy eater please ask questions to make sure you get what you want! Breakfasts are generally a cold buffet with cereals, meats, and cheeses.

Mosel, Germany Skating Adventure :: July 17 - 23, 2016

The Mosel area is famous for its wine. Whites dominate and Riesling is the most popular grape variety. Other grapes include Rivaner, Dornfelder, and Auxxerrois Blanc. While we encourage you to try the local wine, we all know Germany is also famous for its beer. You will have plenty of opportunities to try your drink of choice.

The Mosel Valley The Mosel River is in the heart of Europe and is a truly international region. It starts in eastern France (Moselle), runs along the border of Luxembourg (Musel), and then enters Germany (Mosel). The Mosel River ends in Koblenz, Germany as it feeds into the Rhein River. The Mosel Valley was originally an industrial and transportation area and still is in parts of France to the west of our tour. Now, however, it is primarily known for its beauty, for tourism, and as a wine growing region. The three aspects are naturally connected and we will see many, many vineyards on the rising banks of the river along our skating route. Small towns dot the shore of both sides of the river and an occasional castle rises above the scene.

Skating Along the Mosel We love the Mosel Valley not only because of the river but also due to the twin paths on each bank running hundreds of kilometers from France all the way to the end in Koblenz. Because France has the least skatable portions, we start our tour in Thionville, France and skate our way northeast to Koblenz. The skating is generally very good along the paths. One disadvantage we face as skaters, as is almost always the case, is the paths were built for bikes rather than skaters. This means at some points the path is rough, crosses cobble stones in towns, or runs along a busy road. However, this is often offset by a big advantage: we have paths on both sides of the river and we can choose the best side for our routes. Because of this, we tend to skate for a distance on one side of the river and then cross over to the other side using one of the many bridges. We’ll give you directions each day on when to cross over the river. Not only does this break up the straight skating but it also provides great views of the river and countryside as we cross each bridge. As on all our tours, we will have short, medium, and long skating routes available most days. However, because this tour is essentially linear (or at least goes from point A to point B along a very non-linear route), our skating trip in the Mosel Valley requires many shuttles for the short and medium routes. The long routes are generally from hotel to hotel. We have a van available at all times that we will also use as needed for the short and medium route shuttles. In addition, you will have two other options you can choose as a shuttle to enhance your vacation. One is the train, which runs for parts of our trip along the Mosel from town to town. The second is a system of ferry boats that ply the river along our route. Both are a great way to see the scenery and we will give you information each day for using the local train and ferry boats as the “shuttle” service if you wish, just for fun. Please note the train and ferry costs are not included. We would like to mention one more important thing about skating along the Mosel. It is slightly downhill the entire way – not so much you will notice but enough to give us a slight boost! If you are not a skater, it is possible to rent a bicycle on this tour at an extra cost. Just let us know on the Online Information Form contained in your electronic Pre-Departure Packet.