Travel desk: steep slopes and stripping off

SLOPES GET STEEPER?

The cost of an Austrian ski holiday could go up thanks to labour legislation due to go into effect on January 1st. The law, which follows on similar legislation introduced in France, states that all foreign seasonal workers – including holiday reps and chalet staff – must be paid at least the Austrian minimum wage on top of benefits in kind (usually ski passes, board and lodging). Austria has traditionally been the most popular European destination for Irish skiers, due to a variety of factors including price, range of ski options and a vibrant apres-ski scene, but so far the main Irish operators are holding firm on pricing, despite some UK tour operators indicating the cost of a ski trip could rise by up to £140. Ray Scully of Crystal Ski said its “prices are fixed for the 2014-15 season and will not increase”, while Anthony Collins of Topflight said it wouldn’t impact on its pricing

RIO STRIPS OFF

Rio finally designated its first nudist beach this month after a prolonged campaign by naturists. Abrico beach, about an hour west of the city, has been a nudist hangout for years, but the new law gives official sanction to a practice that is surprisingly controversial in a city known for its over-the-top carnival celebrations.

Lawmakers have been praised for their “courageous decision” by naturists, who congregate on Abrico. World Cup visitors may have missed out, but tourists landing in for the 2016 Summer Olympics know where to go if they want to bare all

LONDON HOTEL BANS ALCOHOL
The four-star Bermondsey Square Hotel in south London has stopped serving alcohol following its takeover by a Middle Eastern owner who wants it run according to Sharia law. Booze will not be sold but the hotel has adopted a BYOB policy as the restriction is on profiting from the sale of alcohol.
Pork products may be removed from menus after Christmas, but Masterchef's Gregg Wallace, who used to run the hotel restaurant, isn't put out by the change. "It doesn't bother me what the owner wants to do. It's his religious point of view not to serve alcohol and pork and I respect that. I stay at the hotel and if I want to drink I go elsewhere." Sharia law also takes a dim view of homosexuality, but a spokesperson for the hotel, part of the Bespoke Hotels collection, said same-sex couples would be welcome. Earlier this year a B&B in Cornwall was deemed to have broken equality legislation when it refused to allow a gay couple to stay because of the religious beliefs of its Christian owners.

DOUBLE THE NEW YEAR
Seeing in the new year once is bad enough, but a UK private jet company is offering customers the opportunity of doing it twice…in the one night. The adventure starts in Sydney, Australia, where no sooner have you watched the fireworks over the Harbour Bridge than a Gulfstream G650 stocked with enough champagne to keep the party going will transport you across the international date line, landing in Los Angeles at 6pm on New Year's Eve…and off you go again. The charter costs ¤9,240 per person and doesn't include the cost of getting to Sydney. See privatefly.com 

MICRO-GUIDE: NEW ORLEANS

STAY

Soniat House (1133 Chartres Street;

[ soniathouse.com ]

; room from $240) Three French Quarter townhouses dripping with Creole elegance and romance.

EAT

Gautreau’s (1728 Soniat Street;

[ gautreausrestaurant.com ]

; mains from $23) There’s no sign but every local knows this award-winning spot.

DO

Music on Frenchmen (Frenchmen St) Forget tacky Bourbon Street – here you’ll hear everything from metal to jazz, and it’s very good

FIVE TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS MARKETS

With the Christmas season in full flow, so are Europe’s traditional Christmas markets, now as ubiquitous as Santa Claus. Here are five that tick the romantic and traditional boxes.

Bologna, Italy

(November 21-January 7;

[  bolognawelcome.com/en ]

) Bologna embraces the Christmas spirit with two markets: Fiera di Natale, below the Cathedral of St Peter, and Antica Fiera di Santa Lucia, in the cloister of the Santa Maria dei Servi church. You can buy artisanal objects, but Bologna is the unofficial gastronomic capital, so the focus is on food: recommended are the marzipan fruits and nougat (torrone). Fly to Pisa with Ryanair and then take the train to Bologna (3 hours).

Dresden, Germany

(November 27-December 24;

[ dresden.de ]

) Germany’s oldest Christmas market, founded in 1434 . The highlight is Stollen Festival on the second Sunday in December, when a 3,000-kg stollen is paraded around town. The rest of the 250-odd stalls in the market are traditional: look out for glass from nearby Lauscha and blue-and- white Saxony ceramics. Fly to Berlin or Prague, then two hours by train.

St Gallen, Switzerland

(November 27–December 24;

[ st.gallen-bodensee.ch ]

) An hour’s train ride from Zurich is medieval St Gallen, where Switzerland’s tallest Christmas tree looks down on the merchants’ houses of the Altstadt, which hosts the annual Christchindli market. There’s carol singing, snow (usually) and biberli –a gingerbread and marzipan biscuit – that you wash down with feuer- zangenbowle, a rum-and-wine hotpunch.

Strasbourg, France

(November 28 - December 31;

[ noel.strasbourg.eu/en/accueil ]

) The Alsatian capital’s market was voted the best in Europe in 2013: not only do they have plenty of practice (the first Christkindelsmärik was held in 1570) but the setting is just right, as the Place Kléber is surrounded by half-timbered houses draped in festive garlands. Get the TGV from Paris, just over two hours.

Valkenburg, Netherlands

(November 14-January 4;

[ kerststadvalkenburg.nl ]

) This medieval town hosts its markets in caves, where you wander a candle-lit labyrinth of passageways. Above ground, Valkenburg is home to Europe’s largest crib. Fly Ryanair to Maastricht, it’s 11km by train to Valkenburg.

GET AWAY AT HOME

Fancy a pre-Christmas trip north of the Border? Ballygally Castle Hotel (hastingshotels.com) on the Antrim coast is offering one night’s B&B accommodation plus a four-course dinner in the Garden Restaurant for €163 per room in a superior double or €188 in a coastal deluxe or tower room. If you’re sticking to the euro zone, No 1 Pery Square (

[ oneperysquare.com ]

) in Limerick has a two-night B&B package for €199 per person sharing while Castleknock Hotel and Country Club (

[ castleknockhotel.com ]

) is offering one night’s B&B for €69 per person sharing.

LAPLAND FOR €3,486:

Two nights in Sky Hotel, Ounasvaara (Finland) for family (two adults, one child aged 2-12). Includes flights, meals, meeting Santa, gala dinner, snowmobile, husky and reindeer rides. Travel December 15 or 17;

[ visitsanta.ie ]

BOSTON & NEW YORK CITY FOR €999

: three nights each in three-star Hilton Boston Back Bay and three-star Hotel Metro NYC. Includes flights from Dublin, airport taxes. Price based on two adults sharing. January-March 2015;

[ americanholidays.com ]

SHARM EL SHEIKH FOR €399

: Seven nightsself- catering in three-star Xperience St George. Includes flights, departs January 23; see

[ falconholidays.ie ]