December 31, 2009 E-MAIL PRINT

Plan a European vacation

by Tony Chamberlain/

Ernesto and Paulo dole out plenty of cheerful chatter while roasting chestnuts on a street corner in Sestriere, Italy. (photo: Tony Chamberlain)

Ernesto and Paulo dole out plenty of cheerful chatter while roasting chestnuts on a street corner in Sestriere, Italy. (photo: Tony Chamberlain)

There is the old cautionary semi-joke that if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans. On the other hand, if you want to avoid last-minute glitches and scrambling, planning a travel-heavy ski trip — the earlier you get on top of it, the better.

Besides, planning is fun. It’s an act of the imagination that can take you away to a world of limitless possibilities.

Before spring, I want to have a trip planned for next winter back to the Torino area of Italy known as the Milky Way. I spent a month there during the 2006 Winter Olympics, and now I want to go back, with family and friends for a non-working holiday.

As the name suggests, the Milky Way is a firmament of ski slopes and villages spread along the northern Italian Piedmont country near the French border. So already, I’m a little ahead of the game knowing where I want to travel to, and roughly how to get there.

I love the kinds of hotels and rooming houses you find in small villages, even famous ones like Sestriere or Sansicario. But the even more remote towns such as Claviere and Sauze d’Oulx are, for my money, more charming and less hectic. And they all seem to have little secret features about them.

For example, in Claviere, where I stayed at the Hotel Passaro Pellegrino, there are two fresh bread bakeries at either end of town, and you can take a lift out of village, hook a right turn and with minutes be skiing in Montegenevre France.

The easiest way to plan European trip is with a group tour. This takes much of the hassle and guesswork out of the trip, and essentially leaves the planning to someone else.

The obvious drawback to this approach is that you lost some of your freedom to group movement. So if you’re making your own plans, begin online and definitely pick up a copy of “Ski Snowboard Europe” by Charlie Leocha. He takes a lot of guesswork out of finding the right village or resort to fit your fancy and your budget.

There are several options for booking a hotel or rooms, beginning with using direct online communications. Or, even easier, pick up the phone and call to make plans. Almost all European hotels have English-speaking personnel in the reservations office.

If you can’t make a credit card deposit, you’ll have to wire it ahead. This can take many days, and you need to give the recipient your banking numbers.
These days, WiFi is pretty ubiquitous. A small notebook computer is a good way to stay in touch with the cat-sitter and family members, and to make airline confirmations for the return trip and secondary travel options during your vacation.

Then, figure in some blank time just to poke in the corners of the new world you’re in. Coffee shops (don’t expect Dunkin' Donuts or Starbucks products), ancient churches and historic places can catch you by surprise. Plan to spend time talking to people (again, most speak English) and getting beyond the tourist patina of the place you’re in.

Planning a European vacation used to be somewhat daunting and limited. But with today’s flow of information online, it has never been easier.

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