Where to dream of a white Christmas

If the thought of any more family festivities leaves you cold, why not break with tradition and head for the slopes? Metro asked Kate Whittaker of Mad Dog Ski to share her five favourite Christmas resorts. Courmayeur: the ideal place for a romantic Christmas getaway

Best for families
The sheer pleasure of a Christmas dinner cooked by someone else, and being able to ski instead of sitting through charades or The Sound Of Music once the presents have been opened combine to make a chalet holiday perfect for families. Tignes (www.tignes.co.uk) offers a snow-sure Christmas, guaranteed sightings of Santa and wonderful festive lights. Many tour operators offer childrens' clubs and there are dedicated ski areas for beginners.
Christmas bonus: Tignes tends to be less pricey than nearby Val d'Isère so your family budget should go further.


Best for romantics
The Italian resort of Courmayeur is perfect for a get-away-from-it-all Christmas break. It may not be the biggest resort in the Alps but the gourmet cuisine, great skiing and luxury spas more than compensate. It's just 90 minutes from Geneva, while Chamonix is close by if you fancy your chance on the legendary Vallée Blanche. For a perfect Christmas Eve, take a Ski-Doo to the Maison Vieille (www.maisonvieille.com) for dinner before skiing back by torchlight (or snowmobile if the red wine has taken its toll).
Christmas bonus: With boutiques from Cartier to Hermès, you're sure to find that perfect something to finish your Christmas shopping.

Best for thrill-seekers
Adrenaline junkies should head to Whistler, Canada. The investment in the resort ahead of the 2010 Winter Olympics takes effect this season with the opening of the Peak-to-Peak gondola linking Whistler and Blackcomb. When you've exhausted the off-piste, try cat skiing (www.powder mountaincatskiing.com). Snowcats (with heated cabins) take you off-piste; you ski down (hopefully in deep powder) and then do it all again. This is a similar experience to heli-skiing but you get more runs at a better price. For a non-skiing buzz, ziplining at up to 80 km/h through the tree tops (www.ziptrek.com) is unforgettable.
Christmas bonus: Treat yourself to the penthouse mountain suite at the Westin (www.westin whistler.com) for the ultimate in luxury including more than 140 square metres of space, breathtaking views and your personal hot tub to soak any aches away.

Best for eco-friendly
Zermatt (www.zermatt.ch) in Switzerland has long been a Christmas favourite. What may be less well known is Zermatt's commitment to the environment. The town is already car-free and horse-drawn carriages and electric taxis are a common sight. All new projects including lift replacements are considered in light of their programme for sustainable skiing. This winter, you can eat Christmas lunch in the new Mattherhorn Glacier Paradise restaurant, which has been built to comply with the highest energy standards. Take comfort in the special sewage treatment (the highest in the world!) which ensures waste water is purified in an environmentally friendly way. The building's solar panels generate almost twice as much energy at this altitude, meaning no external energy supply is needed.
Christmas bonus: Enjoy the charm of Zermatt's traditional village and still do your bit for the environment.

Best for Christmas every day
Courchevel in the Three Valleys (www.courchevel.com) is not just part of the biggest ski domain in the world, it seems they're also setting out to have the biggest Christmas ever. Their 'magical Christmas week' starts on December 21 at the lowest village of le Praz with Father Christmas arriving lakeside. Children can enjoy a show and a present from the Courchevel tourist office. For the next three days, you can follow Father Christmas's progress up the hill as he visits each village, accompanied by ski instructors from the French ski school, before finally arriving at 1850m on Christmas Eve. There's an ice skating Gala on December 23 and a Cirque Troque spectacle on Christmas Day itself. If you haven't sated your Christmas spirit by then, there's another concert on Boxing Day. Oh, and you can ski while you're there as well.
Christmas bonus: Fireworks and free hot drinks for your après-ski four nights running.

10 Bargain Destinations

For travelers on a budget, these places offer great value: With a wealth of attractions, they're affordable without necessarily being cheap.
Going on vacation doesn't have to cost a fortune. It's possible to see the world without breaking the bank — and you don't have to bunk in hostels or pack a sleeping bag to do it. Money-saving strategies include venturing to off-the-beaten track destinations, avoiding tourist traps, traveling during periods of low demand or simply seeing a place the way the locals do. Here are some of our favorite travel bargains around the globe.
Kuala Lumpur: The cheapest big city on the planetThe Swiss banking company UBS recently ranked Kuala Lumpur as the world's best travel bargain. The study found that the average tourist would pay $260 for a first-class hotel room, three meals, transportation and a theater outing — less than a quarter what that same night on the town would cost in London or Tokyo. An undervalued currency, low inflation rates and subsidized oil prices (which keep taxi fares low) combine to make all of Malaysia an unrivaled travel bargain. Take in the city's colonial history at Merdeka Square, or marvel at its modern side from the sky bridge linking the Petronas Towers, which reigned as the tallest buildings in the world until 2004. Admission is free for up to 1,300 visitors per day.
Zion: The jewel of America's national parksZion recently raised its admission prices, but at $25 per carload (good for seven days), it's still a fraction of what you'd pay to haul the kids to a theme park. All of America's national parks are serious bargains, but maybe none more so than this peaceful oasis just two hours from Las Vegas. Zion has no single central attraction, so crowds are dispersed throughout the park. To get even farther away from it all, ascend the switchback trail to Observation Point. Camping is free (obtain a permit in advance from www.nps.gov/zion), while numerous hotels and lodges outside the park offer luxurious comforts for less than $100 a night for those who don't want to rough it, or who need a hot tub to soothe their trail-weary muscles.

Nicaragua: The new Costa RicaLeave it to the surfers to find gorgeous, deserted white-sand beaches with cheap eats, free-flowing rum and simple accommodations at discount prices. But their secret is out. Nicaragua is commonly considered the next Costa Rica, its neighbor to the south. The countries share much in common: language, cuisine, tropical climate, volcanoes and great opportunities to spot sea turtles. For years, the biggest difference was political: Costa Rica has long been a peaceful oasis, while up until recently, Nicaragua continually was the scene of ruthless bloodshed. But as political stability has taken root in Nicaragua, so has a burgeoning tourism industry, attracting numerous visitors for whom Costa Rica has become too expensive. Hotel rooms that might fetch $200 a night or more on Costa Rica's most desirable beaches often cost $50 or less on similar strands in Nicaragua's San Juan del Sur

Alaska by ferryThe Alaska Marine Highway System (www.akferry.org) is the public-transportation system for the 49th state, and it plies many of the same waterways as luxury cruises costing thousands of dollars more. But the scenery — humpback whales breaching in Frederick Sound, bears romping in the Tongass National Forest, or the majestic fjord at Lynn Canal — is completely free. You can get off at ports of call along the way to explore Alaska on foot or by bike, or spend the night onboard the ferry in a cabin or your own tent. Best of all, you'll meet actual Alaskans on the ferry, something that rarely happens on a cruise ship.

Turkey: The cradle of civilizationTurkey has more historic sites than Greece, and more Roman ruins than all of Italy. Most of the archaeological attractions are free, and those that aren't are thoroughly inexpensive. So too is the Grand Bazaar — the world's largest — where 400,000 people come to trade their wares daily. Istanbul, where Europe meets Asia, is home to modern luxury hotels (with European-style prices). But get outside the big city and you'll be flooded with bargain options, including charming hotels that occupy their own private beach, for just $50 a night (check www.nisanyan.net). To soak in Turkey's rich history — literally — take a hamam (a traditional Turkish steam bath) in a bathhouse once used by Roman soldiers or Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm.

Milwaukee: Great museum, great music, great lakeName a bustling city on the shores of Lake Michigan, with a world-class museum, excellent architecture and a thriving nightlife scene. Chicago? No, it's Milwaukee, where dining, lodging and attractions are significantly more affordable than those in the Windy City. The spectacular addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum (www.mam.org), designed by renowned architect Santiago Calatrava, single-handedly has made the city an architectural destination. There's no charge to watch the museum's “wings” open and close (come at noon for the full show), but admission is a mere $8. In summer, Milwaukee becomes the “City of Festivals,” with a different celebration every weekend. The biggest of them all is Summerfest (www.summerfest.com; June 26-July 6) the world's largest music festival, which attracts acts like Tom Petty, Steely Dan and Paul Simon. For $15, you get admission to 10 stages from noon to midnight.

South Africa: Beautiful beaches before spectacular safarisThe rand is one of the few currencies performing as poorly as the U.S. dollar, making South Africa's glorious beaches and spectacular wildlife parks a relative bargain for American travelers. Safari packages advertised in the U.S. may not seem like much of a deal, but if you book your safari when you get to South Africa instead of from home, you'll save hundreds, even thousands of dollars. Savvy travelers fly straight to Cape Town, a modern coastal city that's routinely named one of the most beautiful in the world. To recover from jet lag, spend a few days in the nearby wine country or simply relax on one of the Cape's pristine beaches. When you're ready to go out on safari, walk over to Long Street and choose from the numerous tour operators lining the boulevard. You'll be surprised at how affordable these once-in-a-lifetime adventures can be if you book in person

Telluride: Prices drop when the mercury risesSkiing destinations, even super-luxurious ones, are surprising bargains after the snow melts. Rooms that command top dollar in February and March often sit empty in July and August, forcing hotels to offer deep discounts. The drawback is that some ski resorts can feel abandoned in the off-season. Not so in Telluride, Colo., a real town with a real history: Butch Cassidy robbed his first bank here during Telluride's original heyday in 1889. The beautiful alpine scenery is ideal for hiking and biking in summer and early fall; Telluride's free gondola will even ferry you up the mountain so you can hike or bike down it. In the summer, Telluride stages countless events including a Jazz Festival, a well-regarded Film Festival and a Blues and Brews Festival that combines great music with the region's best microbrewed beers

Buenos Aires: The Paris of South AmericaAs you sip a glass of wine from a sidewalk table overlooking the wide boulevard, it's easy to think you're in the City of Light. But good luck finding a steak this good in France, especially at these prices. Buenos Aires has long been considered the Paris of South America, and you'll get an argument from the locals if you try to tell them otherwise. But when it comes to nightlife, Argentines have more in common with their ancestors from Spain. They go out for dinner around 10 p.m. and then party into the wee hours. Better yet, the best of Buenos Aires won't break your vacation budget. Admission to the outlandish mausoleums of Recoleta Cemetery (where Evita Perón is buried) is free. Tango lessons at a milonga (dance hall) cost just a few dollars. And shopping for shoes along Calle Florida or antiques in San Telmo unearths bargains that might make even Parisians head south of the equator.

North Carolina on two wheels
A statewide bicycle ride is a terrific way to get to know a place up close and personal, at speeds of 15 mph or less. Several states sponsor organized rides across their length; one of the best is Cycle North Carolina (www.ncsports.org/nccyclemain.php), which has traversed the Tar Heel state since 1999. The route varies slightly from year to year, but usually starts in the mountains near Asheville and stops in communities in the Blue Ridge and the Piedmont before ending at the Atlantic Ocean. Expect to cycle about 400 miles over seven days; shorter options are also possible. The $200 cost includes mechanical support, hot showers and entertainment at the campgrounds each night, baggage transportation and food and drinks at the rest stops. Most riders camp in their own tents, but hotel rooms are also available for those willing to pay for the privilege. After a long day's biking, a comfortable bed may be the best bargain of all.
John Rosenthal, a resident of Santa Monica, Calif., has written for The New York Times, National Geographic Traveler, The Washington Post and Fast Company.

SHADYSİDE INN SUİTES

Shadyside Inn Suites is different. Your idea of staying in a hotel is about to change. Our suites are not typical hotel rooms. In fact we do not have rooms; we only offer suites. Why are we different? Your suite is a fully furnished apartment with the same amenities as a hotel located in a residential neighborhood. It’s not just any neighborhood, it's Shadyside, Pittsburgh’s most quaint, trendy, and upscale urban area. Picture Boston’s Newberry Street, or New York’s East Village and you will get an idea of what the Shadyside area is like.

Imagine having your own apartment in the best location in Pittsburgh for as little as a day or for as long as a lifetime. Shadyside Inn Suites is as flexible as you need. Only going to be here for a night? Why not have your own fully equipped apartment? Need somewhere to stay for a month while your house is renovated? Shadyside Inn Suites is your answer. Looking to attend the University for only nine months? Shadyside Inn Suites can accommodate. Think this is going to cost you more than a hotel? Not even close. Our rates are lower, our suites are double the size of any hotel in the area, our parking is free, and our location is unrivaled.

Our suites are located within a block or two of some of the best dining, entertainment, and shopping in Pittsburgh. At your door are 135+ shops, 15+ restaurants and some of the best nightlife in the area. Shop in small boutiques, visit your favorite national store, and dine on cuisines from all over the world. Shadyside living is unmatched.

Stay in Shadyside and still be approximately 4 miles from Downtown Pittsburgh and the Convention Center and less than 1 mile from the following hospitals: Presbyterian, Montefiore, Magee Women's, Falk Clinic, West Penn, Children's, Shadyside Hospital, and Western Psychiatric

Within 1 mile of the Shadyside Inn Suites is The Carnegie Museum of Art, The Museum of Natural History, The University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University Chatham College, and Carlow College.

Besides coming for a visit, the best way to learn about our story is read what other people have said about us. Please click on the following links to read what the professionals have to say.

Kredi,Bank,Financien,Finance

Schnell ist es passiert. Kein Geld um finanzielle Forderungen zu erfüllen, beispielsweise die Telefonrechnung. Das reicht aus und schon hat man einen negativen Eintrag in seiner SCHUFA-Akte. Die schufa (Schutzgemeinschaft für allgemeine Kreditsicherung) ist ein Kreditbüro, das von den Kreditgebern zum Beispiel Kreditinstituten, getragen wird. Ihr Ziel ist es Kreditgeber vor finanziellen Ausfällen zu bewahren, indem sie die Informationen sammelt, die für die Einschätzung der Kreditwürdigkeit von Personen von Belang sein könnenMit einem negativen Eintrag in die SCHUFA-Akte kann man meist bei inländischen Kreditinstituten keinen Kredit mehr erhalten. Die Lösung ist der so genannte "Schweizer Kredit". Hier wird ein Kredit auch trotz schufa gewährt. Das Kreditinstitut hat den Sitz in der Schweiz. Diese schufafreien Kredite werden über Vermittlungsfirmen vermittelt, und es wird keine Einsicht in die SCHUFA-Akte verlangt. Auch wer selbstständig arbeitet oder arbeitslos ist hat hier die Möglichkeit einen Kredit aufzunehmen, obwohl er nur in einem engen Rahmen sein Einkommen belegen könnte. Oftmals werden schufafreie ratenkredite in Anspruch genommen, die in monatlichen festgelegten Raten zurück bezahlt werden. Hier muss man allerdings im Normalfall mit höheren Zinsen rechnen, als es bei einem Kredit mit Einsicht in die SCHUFA-Akte der Fall wäre. Der Kreditgeber geht ein höheres Risiko ein und das spiegelt sich meist in den höheren Zinsen wider.Die Gründe weshalb man einen Kredit aufnehmen möchte sind vielseitig. Wichtig ist es für den Kreditnehmer jedoch, sich über seinen finanziellen Rahmen im Klaren zu sein. Er muss vorher genau prüfen, ob er in der Zukunft in der Lage sein wird, den aufgenommenen kredit auch wieder abzubezahlen. Ansonsten läuft man Gefahr, in noch größere finanzielle Probleme zu geraten, anstatt seine Probleme zu lösen. Ein gründlicher Vergleich zwischen Kreditangeboten ist also dringend anzuraten, damit nichts der Umsetzung seines Projekts im Wege steht.

Not much Fawlty about this hotel

'It actually looks more like the set of Eldorado,' bemoans my friend Andy as we pull into the drive of the Hotel Gleneagles in Torquay – a building with a continental, Cubist feel that's painted so white viewing it without sunglasses will see its image seared on your retinas for life. The Gleneagles hotel: very, very white

The Gleneagles – not to be confused with the big posh place in Perthshire – does play a huge part in British television history but it has nothing to do with the early 1990s soap opera that proved anything but 'the golden one' for the BBC when it bombed after just a year. Instead the hotel served as inspiration for one of Britain's best loved sitcoms: Fawlty Towers.

John Cleese and the rest of the Monty Python team stayed here in the 1970s, arriving, the story goes, to find their luggage out in the rain. 'It could be a bomb,' said grumpy owner Donald Sinclair of the alarm clock ticking in one case. 'I will not have a bomb in my hotel.'

Cleese was already taking the notes that gave life to hotelier-from-hell Basil Fawlty. 'He was so wonderfully rude,' the comedian later recalled.


Understandably, the local tourist board spent a long time adopting a 'don't mention Fawlty Towers' policy. And who can blame them for not wanting to draw attention to a series that became synonymous with everything bad about British holidays in the late 1970s?

Over time, that attitude has mellowed and Enjoy England recently released a comedy map of Britain that features Torquay, while holiday firm Superbreak started offering Fawlty Towers entertainment breaks at the hotel – the reason for our being here.
Inside Gleneagles – now part of the Best Western chain – Sue Pine, the bright, breezy, blonde manager ushers us into the lounge which has a distinctly 1920s Art Deco feel, urging us to have a drink while waiting for our rooms to be readied.

A glance at the bar menu soon reveals an awful culture clash: a list of continental paninis with that most English of accompaniments, curly fries, while Peter, the East European barman, could easily be a Noughties Manuel. 'Are you here for the Fawlty Towers break?' he whispers. 'Get very drunk. They are too loud.' The spirit of Sinclair, it seems, remains intact.

Nonetheless, our rooms are clean if unremarkable, despite the hotel having undergone a £4million renovation, and the view may not be of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon but it's a pretty spectacular one of a small cove.