Balloon Life,
August 2000
Thesnow-coveredAlpsviewedfroma
balloon.Floating over400-yearold castles.
Experiencingthe countrysideof France.
These arenot exotic, unreachable dreams.
Theseareplaceswhereyou’llfindbal-
loon events as easy to get to as an event in
the U.S.
Inmanycases,aneventinEurope
canbelessexpensiveandofferbetter
“perks” than many of your local events in
theStates.Theseareplaceswherethe
locals meet you with wine and croissants
when you land, banquets are held in 300-
yearoldtownhallswhileyoudineon
localspecialtiesandwherefriendships
made last forever.
Tobeaspectator,crewpersonor
even a participant at an event in France is
easier than you might think. With a little
advance planningyou can have the vaca-
tionof alifetime.Infact,itmighteven
become an annualevent or openupnew
areas to visit in the future. And the people
you meetwillinvite youbackagainand
again.AlthoughweuseFranceasthe
destinationfor thisdiscussion,the ideas
are applicable to travel to other countries
as well.
First, decide whichevent youwould
liketoattend.MagazineslikeBalloon
LifeorAerostatcanprovideyouwith
datesandlocationswithplentyofad-
vance notice. Contact the event organizer
an dreq uestani nformatio npacket.
Whetheryouplantoparticipateornot,
thisinformationwill help youplanyour
visitthisyearor next. Thencontactthe
local tourist office foradditional informa-
tion.You’llfindmanyoftheseoffices
accessible via the Internet and most have
an e-mail address.
If possible, getintouchwithsome-
one who has been there before. First-hand
experiencecanbeinvaluable and,in the
end, cansave youboth time andmoney.
Hintsonwheretostay,wheretoeat,
interestingsightsnot tomiss,evenwhat
size rental car is right,canallbe usedto
help plan your trip. If you have decided to
ship yourballoon to an event the advice of
a “veteran”cannotonlybehelpfulbut
also veryreassuring.
Thenextstep,onceyou’vesetthe
dates and secured the vacation time, is to
take alookatwhatisusuallythe major
cost—theairlinetransportation.Ifyou
usefrequentflyermilesyou’llneedto
planwellinadvanceandbereadyto
commit to dates. You also may need to be
veryflexibleastheairlinesonlyallow a
limited number of seats to be allocated to
frequentflierson eachflight.
Otherwise,shoparound.Contacta
couple of the major airlines directly to get
afeel for the kind of rates you’ll be facing.
Then contact theagency, Internet or“brick
‘nmortar,” that deals inconsolidatedair
ratesorcharterflights.Alittle research
here will pay off in extra cash left over for
a night’sstayinachateauora gourmet
dinner—orboth.If youfindarateyou
like, buy it. Its rare when rates go down as
the departure date approaches—they nor-
mallygo up.
Off-seasonrates for charters or spe-
cialdiscountedflightscanbeaslow as
$350, fromthe WestCoast,intoParis or
London. Peak season (Summer) rates, by
comparison,canstartat$800+/-,and
$1,100 is not unusual (less from the East-
ernUS).Witha littleflexibilityandre-
searchyoucansave enoughtoput these
rates better within reach. Again, theInter-
netiscurrentlyyour place to begin your
searchunlessyouhaveatrustedtravel
agent.
You might evenconsider flying into
one city and out of another. By doing this
you don’t have to backtrack overthe same
part of the country you have already seen.
And the cost isn’t much more, if anything
at all, to do this. In most cases you’ll only
need to stay on the same airline both ways
inorder tokeep the price low.
Travel tips for both the first-time and veteran traveler.
The World of Ballooning
is Easy to Get To!
Balloon Life,August2000
So, now you’ve arrived! What next?
Getting to where you want to be is your
nextstep. Eventsare usuallyina ruralarea
well away from controlled airspace. So,
as a general rule, if your destination is
more than150-milesfrom whereyouare—
take the train. Here is the next tip. Go to
the Rail Europe web site and determine
which rail pass is best. In mostcases, the
local country pass is a much better value
than point-to-point travel. You’ll have a
choice here of either 1st or 2nd class. A
better seat onlonger tripsiswellworththe
1st class! Do your research, then find an
Internet agency that will sell toyou with-
out the service fee for an added savings.
Some will even include maps and guide
books.
In France, the “country pass” gives
you any three-days oftravel in aone-
monthperiodforaslittle as $146per
personwhereasthepoint-to-point fare
from Paris to Nice just one way is $100.
So, in thiscase itonly makes good sense
tousethe pass.Evenwithreservationfees
it is stilla better value.
Whether you decide to use the train
or not, youwillwantto renta car. Driving
in Europe is easy and the best way to see
the country up close! As a general rule
you’ll find the roads in better condition
than homeand extremely well-marked.
Maps can offer more detailthan expected
and help you locate a unique hideaway.
Having a car willallow you the freedom
and flexibilityyou enjoy at home. You’ll
be able to do some sightseeing whenever
you want. You’ll be able to drive to the
launch field or use your car for the second
chasevehicleduring those times when
there is extra crew.
You’llalsoencounteroneortwo
additional charges related to rentingyour
car inEurope. Mostairportslevy a$15-25
one-time surcharge forthe privilege of
picking up the car in a more convenient
location. The cost is about the same as
transportationfor two to another location
that doesn’t havethesurcharge.Some
countries have a “road use” tax of about
$10-15, as well. In Italy, where the com-
prehensiveinsurance coverage in manda-
tory, rates will seem considerably higher
than most other countries.
Be sure to request a vehicle based on
comfort aswell asnumberofpeople.
Remember,you’ll each have at least 2
bags.Compacts and mid-sizecars will
have the best rates. If you go through a
rental car consolidator, your rate will in-
cludeunlimited miles,thelocalValue
Added Tax (inFrance it’s 20.6%), third-
party liability and fire insurance. If you
call a rental company directly, be sure to
askfortheinclusionsastheyarenot
usuallyquoted unlessrequested. If you’re
taking your balloon, the event organizer
can usually offer advice about, if not ac-
cessto,rentalvans.Budget andAvis
maintain large fleets of vans of various
sizes throughout Europe. Determine now
how many square meters of space you’ll
need so you don’t come up short.
And be forewarned, the extra insur-
ance we mentioned earlier, known as the
ComprehensiveDamage Waiver orCDW,
like automatic transmission, is an option
in Europe. You can pay dearly for both.
Check first to see if your creditcard pro-
videroffers aninternational insurance
policy that covers this. Most gold and
platinum card providers havethis as a
“perk.” And, if you don’t currently drive
a manual vehicle, learn!After all,you
may be asked to drive the chase vehicle
and you’ll need to be ready.
Once you’ve rented the car, how do
you find yourwayaround. Easy!!In France,
you’ll find the maps put out by Michelin or
the National Geographic Institute show so
much detail you can actually tell how many
buildings there are in a village. This makes
getting lost virtually impossible. And if you
do get lost—enjoy yourself. This is when
you make some of the more exciting dis-
coveries. Mapsare available inadvance
fromgoodtravelstoresor fromseveral
good Internet locations.
Nowyou’vemadeittoEu rop e.
You’ve rented a car and now you’re get-
ting tired. Where do you sleep? Adifficult
decision? Notat all! Most regions, and
many of the towns and villages, maintain
listings of the hotels and B&B’s in their
areas. Special rates for the balloonists and
participantscanbefoundwithalittle
advance planning. Usually the best way to
get to know the area and it’s people, is to
stay with a local family. In France look for
the chambre d’hote or B&B.
At a chambre d’hote you’ll find one
or two rooms thatthe home owner has
fixed up. Usually there is a private bath-
room and a very comfortable bed—very
similar to a small, comfortable B&B in
the States. Breakfast is normally included
and dinner, if not at the balloon field or
other venue,canbearranged.Andthe
inside scoop on where to go and what to
do if not ballooning is available from the
best source—the “local.” You’ll also find
the prices at a chambre d’hote to be more
reasonable than most hotels with similar
facilities.
There is always a need for good crew
people, be it at an event in the U.S. or one
inEurope. Andvolunteeringisjustas
easy. You’ll be surprised how many people
willwant topractice their Englishwith
you. And, ifyou’vetaken the time to learn
a few important phrases in the local lan-
guage,you’llbeabletopracticewith
them as well. It can create a unique bond
as you take the timeto get to know another
person in this way. In France, the combi-
nation of brokenFrenchandEnglishis
jokinglyreferredtoas“Franglais,” ac-
companied,of course, bya lot of hand
gestures.
Bythis time youmaybe getting a
little hungry. Fast food does exist in Eu-
rope. McDonald’s restaurants abound in
most of the larger towns. But unless you
are looking for the familiar avoid these
places and go for the local bistro or cafe.
The localfoodscanbe anadventure in
themselves. If you are not sure what your
are ordering, ask! The French are proud of
theirfoods and will behappy to tell you all
you needtoknow. If your stomachal-
lows,don’tbeafraidtotryalittleof
everything. Over indulgence can be easy.
The foods are rich and heavy and the local
wines can be very inviting. Lighter meals
can certainly be found but France is not
known for low-cal, low-fat cuisine.
Again, these ideas apply to travel to
other countriesbesidesFrance.A little
research,talking to others who have“been
there, done that,” and a desire for a differ-
ent kind of vacation all combine to give
you a trip you’ll always remember.
