Nice is Nice

Nice. No, not the word, the city in France. The gorgeous city in France on the Côte d’Azur. The French Riviera brings to mind images of white sand beaches, turquoise waters, a vibrant city culture, and colors abound. Nice is the fifth most populous city in the country of France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse. It is nicknamed Nice la Belle (Nice the Beautiful) because it really is just that, beautiful. The area has a Mediterranean climate with summers lasting nearly 6 months, and winters that are very mild.

What a wonderful place to live or visit. Nice is full of decadent gastronomical delights, festivals year-round, history and culture – it’s safe to say it is a city for everyone. The Promenade des Anglais is a gorgeous stretch of homes, businesses and hotels along the Baie des Anges. The Hotel Negresco is a famous and beautiful landmark located on the Promenade des Anglais. This patatial hotel, built in 1912, reflects the ritzy, art deco feel of the Mediterranean. There are a number of picturesque squares throughout the city, like Place Masséna, Place Garibaldi and Cours Saleya, with its daily flower market.

Sceptre Tours has a number of different French river cruises that stop in Nice, after traveling through Provence from Paris. Nice is a wonderful spot, not to be missed.

Wonders Abound in Wicklow

When you think of Ireland, what images come to mind? For me, I imagine rolling green hills, moss covered trees, sheep and gorgeous mountain lakes. Wicklow Mountains is that exact image. The Wicklow Mountains region is located in the mid-eastern side of Ireland, just south of Dublin. In fact, your journey into the Wicklow Mountains begins in Dublin. Military Road takes you straight out of Dublin and into the region, curving through lush, green hills, bogs and mountains dotted with small lakes. It looks like the setting for a storybook.

The mountains themselves aren’t very high. The highest peak, Lugnaquilla, is only about 3,000 feet and looks more like a very large hill, but that really doesn’t matter here. Between the mountains are a number of vast lakes, valleys and small villages. One of these quaint villages is Glendalough and it is a rugged, romantic little town. Military Road winds it’s way through the mountains, providing for some fantastic views of the Irish countryside.

Outside of the Wicklow Mountains National Park, the rest of County Wicklow is just as amazing. It is a wonderfully historic spot. It also is home to some of the most pristine beaches you will ever set your eyes on.

Sceptre Tours has a number of Ireland vacation packages taking you near or into this wonderful, fairytale-like region. You must make a trip to Wicklow while you’re traveling through Ireland.

Dreaming of Starry Nights

Perhaps one of my favorite artists of all time is Vincent Van Gogh. I don’t know. There’s something about his paintings that give me this dreamy, whimsical feeling – the kind of feeling where you believe all things are possible. Knowing Van Gogh mainly for the stirring he brought about from his infamous ear experience, I wanted to do a little research on the man who brought so much beauty into the world.

Born in Holland, Vincent William Van Gogh was a Dutch post-Impressionist painter. Raised mainly in Holland and spending quite a bit of his younger years in Paris, Van Gogh felt a pull later in his life to the clean and beautiful skies of Provence. And it was perhaps here that he produced some of his best work. Living in Arles, Van Gogh’s creativity, productivity and madness all reached a climax. He worked for a short while with fellow artist Paul Gauguin, eventually driving him away. In one year alone, he painted nearly 200 canvases, all the while living in intense isolation and an immense suffering. In fact the only main contact he had with the outside world was in his letters he’d write to his patient brother Theo.

The townspeople of Arles though were not as patient with him. A heavy drinker, and occasional user of whores, Van Gogh offended the majority of his neighbors. So much so that in 1889 the people of Arles petitioned to have him evicted. The shock of this left him even more unable to cope with life, eventually leading him to self-commit himself to an asylum in St-Rémy.

Most of Van Gogh’s paintings are now in Moscow and Amsterdam, so you can’t view them in France. However, you can visit many of the places that inspired his works in Arles. Starry Night may have been painted from the Quai du Rhône just off Place Lamartine. The Café La Nuit on Place Forum is exactly reminiscent for the terrace platform, scattered with tables and immersed in gaslight under the stars, from the painting Terrace de café le Soir. In fact, Van Gogh and Gauguin used to frequent here often.

So it seems to me that to learn more about this magnificent artist and his traumatic, yet beautiful life, I need to venture to the French countryside. And Provence couldn’t be a more amazing vacation destination. If you’re interested as well, Sceptre Tours has great European River Cruise packages that travel right through this region.

Look For the Loch Ness Monster This Spring in Scotland

Check out this new package we have for spring. The majestic beauty of Scotland has never been more accessible AND affordable than with this 6-night Explore Scotland in Spring package which takes travelers to Edinburgh, Inverness, and Glasgow for just $699 per person including airfare, hotel, rental car, and breakfast daily.  Travelers who attempt to book these components on their own would pay over $1,249 per person! Our deal at Sceptre Tours deal gives you savings of up to $1,100 per couple.

From visiting the home of the infamous Loch Ness Monster in Inverness to touring Edinburgh Castle, and seeing the internationally acclaimed museums, architecture, and shopping of Glasgow, this is the perfect introductory visit to Scotland.

The Explore Scotland in Spring package includes the following:

• 2 nights at the Holiday Inn Express - Waterfront in Edinburgh;
• 2 nights at the Royal Highland Hotel in Inverness;
• 2 nights at the Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow;
• Breakfast daily;
• Round-trip trans-Atlantic airfare to Scotland;
• Standard manual shift car rental

Our package is priced from $699 from New York and Boston, $799 from Chicago, and $849 from Los Angeles for travel March 1 to March 31, 2011.  It is available through June 15, 2011 at slightly higher rates. 

In addition to all that great stuff, we also are offering some cool upgrade options with this package:

Scottish Heritage 7-day Pass from $61 per person: Receive access to over 120 attractions all over Scotland including Edinburgh Castle, Culzean Castle, Traquair House, Stirling Castle, and many more. 

The Historic Scotland Explorer Pass from $40 per person: Includes access to 78 sites all over Scotland.  Attractions include; Edinburgh Castle, Stirling Castle, the Border Abbey's, Fort George, Dallas Dhu Historic Distillery, and many more. 

We are so happy to be able to provide this wonderful Scotland vacation package to you this spring. Visit our site for more details!

Ceilidh Culture Festival This Spring in Edinburgh

If you’re traveling to Scotland this spring, there is one event you don’t want to miss. Edinburgh’s Ceilidh Culture is the city’s annual traditional arts festival, taking place every spring. This year it will be held March 25^th through April 16^th. The festival is a great way to take in the local Scottish culture and learn about its heritage. Events range from traditional music, dances and storytelling. This year it will also host a street fair packed with stalls of food, drink, crafts, fashion and music, all celebrating the very best of Scotland.

Musicians from all across Scotland will come together to bring you the sounds of the traditional Gaelic culture. Watch and participate in traditional dances of the country. And join in to listen to tales of Scottish history and culture.

Sceptre Tours has a number of great vacation packages that take you to Scotland, many of which include air transport and car rentals. We have this awesome deal for $699 right now that includes 6 nights with air and car to Scotland in the spring and the travel dates will put you in Edinburgh just in time for the festival. You will also get to explore the towns of Inverness and Glasgow while you’re there.

Here’s a little more information about the event: http://www.ceilidhculture.co.uk/

And of course, talk to us anytime about this great travel deal or any other travel deals you may be curious about!

Don’t Tell a Lie in Rome

Rome. The magestic city of romance. I have been fascinated with Rome since I was a little girl and perhaps it was thanks to a little movie starring my favorite actress, Audrey Hepburn. When I first saw Roman Holiday, I fell in love with the city and I had never even been there. It’s beauty, it’s culture, it’s gorgeous piazzas - everything about the place drew me in.

In the movie, Audrey Hepburn plays Ann, the crown princess of an unspecified country. Unhappy with a life of schedules and public appearances, Ann decides to run off one evening into the busy streets of Rome. Along the way she meets American expatriate Joe, who happens to work for an American tabloid in Rome. Ann lies to him, claiming to be just a tourist in Rome for the day. Joe soon discovers her true identity and decides to show her the city, meanwhile keeping his new found knowledge of who she really is a secret.

One stop they make along the way is at the Bocca Della Verità (The Mouth of Truth). It is perhaps one of my favorite places in Rome and a sight not to be missed. La Bocca della Verità is an image, carved from Pavonazzetto marble, of a man-like face, located in the portico of the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin. It is believed that the sculpture dates back to the 1^st century and that it was part of an ancient Roman fountain, portraying a pagan god. Its ancient history fascinates me, but even more so is the whimsical myth associated with it. It is said that the mouth acts like a lie detector. If you place your hand into the mouth and tell a lie, your hand will be bitten off. Now, I’ve honestly never tested this theory but I think it’s such a fun little piece of culture.

In Roman Holiday, the character Joe does exactly this and pretends to have his hand bitten off to frighten Ann. He of course, is just joking but the symbolism that they are both being dishonest with each other is grand.

If you are in Rome at all while on your Italian travels, you must stop by and see this magical little piece of history.

A Chianti Love Affair

Red wine has been synonymous with fancy dinners, romance and Italy since it’s birth. It is said that one glass a day helps to prevent heart disease. And there’s nothing better than pairing it with a nice steak, a fancy charcuterie, or a decadent chocolate dessert. UB40 wrote a song about it. Hollywood producers have made countless movies about it. We love red wine. And more specifically, we love Chianti and all it’s velvety goodness. We thought we’d take a minute here to tell you a little more about the famous wine.

Chianti is an Italian red wine produced exclusively in Tuscany. Most people recognize its iconic image of a squat bottle enclosed in a straw basket. The first declaration of its growing region in Tuscany was made in 1716. The area is near the towns of Castellina, Radda and Gaiole. In 1932, the area was redrawn and divided into seven sub-areas: Classico, Colli Aretini, Colli Fiorentini, Colline Pisane, Colli Senesi, Montalbano and Rufina. Throughout the years, producers continued to perfect the making of Chianti wine. In the 1970s they began to reduce the number of white grapes in the wine. Now for a wine to be called a Chianti, it must be produced with at least 80% Sangiovese grapes.

Each Chianti has a slightly different taste depending on what part of the region it is from. But overall, Chianti wines tend to be medium-bodied with light floral and berry notes. You may notice that a bottle has an image of a black rooster on it. This is the symbol of the Consorzio Chianti Classico, a foundation of producers in the Chianti Classico region. The foundation was formed to promote the wines of the region, improve wine quality and help to prevent wine fraud.

Many of our Italian vacation packages at Sceptre Tours take you to Tuscany where you can attend exclusive Chianti wine tastings and learn about the incredible growing region. We are crazy about Chianti. Are you?

A Vacation for the Princess at Heart

The Ashford Castle. A medieval wonder that harkens back to the days of princes and princesses, of knights and court jesters. Who would object to stepping back in time to imagine what it was like to live like them? Not me, that’s for sure. When I was a little girl I remember building forts in my room and then later decking my treehouse out to look like a royal palace. I held high court and would invite only the most special guests to attend (boys with cooties were strictly prohibited). I loved watching movies like Robin Hood and pretended I was Maid Marion, waiting for my noble outlaw to arrive.

Now that I am an adult, I have mainly forgotten these child-like dreams but was once reminded of them again when I came across this gorgeous castle-resort in Ireland. Ireland’s Ashford Castle is a 350 private acre wonder, set amidst lush, moss-covered forests, resting on the banks of the Lough Corrib. Established in 1228 by the Anglo-Norman de Burgo family following their defeat of the O’Connors, the castle eventually became the estate of the Guinness family in the 1800s. In 1939 it was sold to a Noel Huggard, who then opened the estate as a hotel, which it has been ever since. It has been the set of a famous John Wayne movie, The Quiet Man, played host to famous guests such as John Lennon and King George V of England, as well as many other celebrities.

Lucky for me, I came across this castle while looking through Sceptre Tours’ independent vacations page. They have this awesome Ashford Castle Package that gives you one night at the castle as well as four nights throughout Ireland in different farmhouse B&Bs. I am excited to book my vacation soon! I urge you to check it out as well.

Channeling Your Inner Braveheart

Now who could forget this classic? Set amidst the beautiful Highlands of Scotland, Braveheart shares with us the tale of a commoner who unites 13^th century Scotland to defeat English rule. We love the tale but even more so, we love the setting. The Scottish Highlands have got to be one of the most mystical and enchanting places on Earth.

Sparsely populated with mountain ranges lining the region, including the highest peak in the British Isles, Ben Nevis, the region screams of history. It was the site of many medieval battles, Vikings, and even the home of the fabled Loch Ness Monster. Outdoor enthusiasts will love the area as it provides an abundance of walking and hiking activities. The islands surrounding the area boast of golden sand beaches and beautiful scenery. There is an abundance of stunning wildlife as whales, seals and birds you have never seen before are aplenty. Locals are wonderful and friendly and are apt to invite you for a drink and stay in their homes.

At Sceptre Tours we have a few great Scottish travel deals put together for you that you are going to want to check out if this sounds like the destination for you.

I Lost My Heart To A Galway Girl

If you’ve ever seen the movie P.S. I Love You, you are probably familiar with one of Ireland’s top hits for this decade, “The Galway Girl.” It’s a catchy tune that speaks to the beautiful people, or one person in particular, of a place in Ireland called Galway. Galway is the fifth largest and fasted-growing city in Ireland. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay.

Galway has stolen the hearts of many and is considered the cultural heart of the country. It is renowned for its vibrant lifestyle, numerous festivals and events, and awesome music scene. In 2007, Galway was named as one of the eight “sexiest cities in the world.” Some top sights include the Church of Ireland St. Nicholas’ Collegiate Church, the largest medieval church still in use in Ireland. As well as Eyre Square, one of the largest gathering places in the city and a venue for many events.

With a great bohemian and youthful, artsy vibe, Galway is a great place to take in a local show at a pub. The night scene is fantastic as cafes and pubs line the streets, while musicians serenade passersby. The cobblestone-lined streets have a magical air about them that speak to the incredible historical stories they contain. Students make up a quarter of the population. There is an immense amount of restaurants and options for eating that you will not want to miss.

Sceptre Tours has a number of Ireland vacation packages that take you near Galway and with the included car rental you can get there in no time to explore its wonders. Galway is often said to be the most Irish of all of Ireland’s cities. It’s no wonder someone fell in love with a Galway girl. We would too.

Relaxing at One of Ireland’s Most Exclusive Resorts

We have got another great Ireland vacation package for you! Introducing Sceptre Tours 6-Night Ritz-Carlton in Spring Package. This lovely new deal we’re proud to boast about allows travelers to enjoy the luxury resort this spring for the incredibly affordable price of just $799 per person. The 5-Star Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt is the perfect home base for exploring Dublin and East Ireland. After a day of seeing the sights, guests get to spend their evenings being pampered by the resort's wide range of amenities and services. This 6 night luxury vacation includes deluxe accommodations, round-trip airfare to Dublin and a rental car for the week.

Located just 16 miles from historic Dublin City in Wicklow, the Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt is set amidst one of the most scenic estates in Ireland. It offers spacious accommodations, top notch service, first class golf courses and several restaurants including Gordon Ramsay at Powerscourt. Wicklow, known as “The Garden of Ireland,” offers easy access to Dublin City, Belfast, Kilkenny, Waterford and more.
 

Priced from $799 per person, the 6-Night Ritz-Carlton in Spring Package includes 6 nights at the Ritz Carlton Powerscourt, roundtrip airfare to Dublin from NYC, standard economy car rental, a guided tour of the Belleek China Factory, A Glimpse of Ireland discount book and 20% off on select spa treatments at the Ritz Carlton Powerscourt’s famous ESPA Spa.

Visit us at Sceptre Tours for more information and to view other packages like this one!

Antique Shopping in Tuscany

One of the many wonderful things about Tuscany is the abundance of fantastic antique markets and street fairs. They are an incredible, not-to-be-missed activity while you’re on your Italian vacation. Tuscany in fact, is Italy’s biggest region for antiques and street fairs and many famous markets host millions of visitors every year.

Perhaps Tuscany’s best known and most prestigious market is the one held in Arezzo on the first Saturday and Sunday of every month. Over the course of one weekend it is said to host nearly 30,000 visitors from all across Italy and the world.

Lucca plays host to Tuscany’s second busiest antique market. Taking place over the third weekend of every month, you can find an ample display of tables, armoirs and chairs as well as antique china and World War I memorabilia.

Florence hosts another market, in the Piazza dei Ciompi which runs Mondays through Saturdays and on the last Sunday of every month. Stalls are set up in the shadow of Vasari's Loggia del Pesce, but on the last Sunday of the month they extend out to the surrounding streets with vendors coming from outside Florence.

Pisa has another great flea market on the second weekend of the month in the historic center, Livorno on the first weekend in Piazza Cavour, and Prato and Pistoia on the fourth and second weekends in the Piazza San Francesco.

Whichever one you choose to attend, you are bound to find great little relics that will add history and character to your home as well as make wonderful souvenirs and gifts. You won’t want to miss these!

What to Pack for Your Ireland Vacation

So, you are stoked because you are about to embark on your Ireland vacation but are a little unsure as to what to pack. Depending on what time of the year you go will matter so it’s best first to think about that. Ireland’s climate is much like that of the mid Atlantic coast of the U.S., just without the extreme cold and humidity. It’s said to be mild, moist and changeable with abundant rainfall. Summers are generally warm, and winters are mild. So, what should you pack?

The answer to this is packing casually and lightly. I guess my first rule about packing for a trip has and will always be, travel lightly. Who wants to be carting around huge suitcases packed to the brim while you are trying to enjoy your trip? Not me, that’s for sure. Plus, you want to have room in your bags to bring back souvenirs! Ireland is a fairly casual country. If you stick to jeans, t-shirts, sweaters and sneakers, you should be just fine. Of course, if you are planning on going out to a fancy dinner, pack something for that, but for the most part you won’t feel out of place in your casual attire. If you are planning on a two-week vacation, I suggest you pack for one week and then find a launderette to wash for the next week. Launderettes are easy to find in most cities throughout Ireland.

It’s important to keep in mind that even in the summer, it can get cool in the evenings in Ireland. So it is best to pack layers. A light coat, an extra sweater or shirt, a scarf – any of these will do. And make sure to have something light for the rain. A raincoat and an umbrella would be good and perhaps a coat with a hood or a nice hat for the areas where it may be too windy for an umbrella.

After that, you probably know what else you need or would like to bring for vacation. And remember, when traveling, less is always more! Bon voyage!

Luxurious Travel Through Britain

For those of you out there who maybe want a more guided vacation, with less stress of getting around on your own, have you ever thought about taking an escorted vacation? Escorted vacations can be wonderful. With the motorcoach, there is no need to drive yourself around, an especially great thing when traveling in the U.K., seeing as not many of us Americans are comfortable with the left side of the road thing. If this sounds like your kind of thing, you will probably love this package.

We’ve got a great British Sampler vacation package. With prices starting at $1,099 it’s hard to beat this nine day escorted tour package with travel provided for you all across the U.K. You start in London, complete with sightseeing tours of all the famous landmarks. Next, you’re off to Stonehenge and then Bath, a quaint village in the English countryside. You will visit Shakespeare’s birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon and then onto picturesque Llangollen in North Wales. After that, you will head to Edinburgh, Scotland’s castle and home of a famous castle and the Queen’s Holyrood Palace. But we’re not done yet. Next, you’ll enjoy a walking tour of the medieval city of York and a visit to the market town of Stamford. Lastly, you will venture to the famous city of Cambridge.

Most meals are included, as well as hotel stays, and complete transportation to and from the airport and all over the U.K. If this doesn’t sound like the coolest, yet easiest vacation ever, we don’t know what does. We would love to make this dream British escorted vacation happen for you. Help us help make you happy and book today!

French Sailing… C’est Magnifique!

We love France and everything about it. From its cheese to its wine to its beautiful language, we are all about France. We are so all about it that we have come up with this awesome package for you. We have been offering European river cruise packages at Sceptre Tours for quite some time now, and we are so stoked about this one. This 7-night cruise package comes complete with two nights in Paris as well as one night in Nice, on the famous Côte d’Azur. You will travel in style, like the movie stars do, darlings.

After your stay in the Côte d’Azur, you venture up to Arles in the Provence region to start your journey up the scenic Rhône and Saône Rivers. Along the way you will get to explore Avignon, charming Viviers, medieval Tournon, Vienne, France’s gastronomic capital of Lyon, as well as Mâcon, Tournus, Chalon-sur-Saône, and fascinating Beaune. All the while, you will lavish in the beauty that is France, sampling its cuisine and award-winning wines. Upon reaching Paris, you will get two overnight stays in addition to guided sightseeing and free time to explore the romantic “City of Light” on your own. You may never want to leave.

Things to keep in mind: The June 27^th departure date will be a jazz cruise, including special music features at no additional cost. The October 31^st departure date is offered as a wine cruise, complete with special lectures and tastings, all again at no additional cost. If this sounds like your cup of tea, or should we say, “glass of wine,” visit us at Sceptre Tours today to book!

Dream Vacation in a Tuscan Castle!!

Check out this awesome new Italian vacation package we have for you! It’s a 6-Night vacation to charming Tuscany where you will stay at a beautiful Tuscan castle. Travelers will be transported to Italy's most celebrated region to experience the unique charm and beauty of Tuscany, and some of the best food and wines in the world. Package prices for travel this spring start from just $699 per person, based on four people traveling, and include accommodations in a two-bedroom guesthouse on the historic 12-century estate of Montegufoni Castle, round-trip air to/from Florence and a rental car for the week. This package saves travelers $1,200 compared to the cost of booking air, hotel and car separately.

You will love it. It’s the perfect way for family and friends to enjoy a fairytale vacation in Tuscany. Set amidst lovely Italian gardens, with 400-year-old lemon trees, olive groves, and panoramic views of the world-famous vineyards of Chianti, the historic Montegufoni Castle Estate is the perfect place to relax and take in the beauty of the Tuscan countryside. Just 30 minutes from vibrant Florence, and ideal for exploring nearby cities Siena, San Gimignano, Certaldo, Pisa, Lucca and Arezzo, you are right in the middle of the best wine region in the world.

Priced from $699 per person, based on 4 people traveling, the 6-Night Tuscan Castle in Spring Package includes:

Accommodation

• 6 nights in a 2-bedroom guest house at Montegufoni Castle

Transportation

• Round-trip economy class airfare between NYC-JFK or Newark to Florence. Other departure cities offered at slightly higher price.
• Manual shift rental car with unlimited mileage.

For more info, check it out online at www.sceptretours.com today!!  

Showing Travel Agents Some Love!

Throughout our 30 years in business, we at Sceptre Tours, your number one Ireland and Scotland vacation deal resource, have always had a 100% commitment to our network of travel agents. We always want to show our appreciation for them and have come up with some pretty great perks for them. In addition to that, for 2011, we’ve added some great new incentives to make our existing travel agent program even more rewarding.

Some of these new incentives include: 

• Bonus Commission until January 31, 2011
• Bonus Referrals on Escorted Tours & River Cruises
• $500 off per couple on select Escorted Tours
• Group Travel: Book a Group and 1 in every 10 travels free

These new incentives are in addition to Sceptre Tours already generous reward program which offers travel agents higher commissions on select tours; a bonus commission and referral on a consumer booking made directly with Sceptre for each agent booking on select tours; and "Book 3 Get Paid for 4" rewards.

Our goal is to partner with travel agents to help them earn higher commissions, sell more groups, and provide agents with education, marketing support and tools. If you are a travel agent and are reading this, we want you to know how much we appreciate what you do.

 

The Sights, Smells and Tastes of Italy

Pizza, spaghetti, vino…ahhh the flavors that scream la cucina italiana. If you love Italian cuisine as much as we do, we know you’ll love this new Italy travel package that we’ve put together over at Sceptre Tours. Our lovely culinary package, an independent travel package to Italy, starts at $1,179 and offers you a dream six night trip to Florence and Tuscany, where you will sample the many delectable flavors of Italy and learn some secrets of their famous cuisine.

You start with three nights at the elegant Villa Pitiana in Florence. The rooms are stylish, yet have a touch of the quaint Tuscan countryside to them. While there, we will arrange for you to enjoy an exclusive Chianti wine tasting at the cellar of the villa. Next, it’s time for your three day cooking course, where you will not only marvel in the culinary delights of Italy, but also learn some new techniques and recipes to bring home with you. Yum!

After three days in Florence, you are off to the Tuscan countryside for three nights the beautiful resort, La Fattoria Degli Usignoli, where you will unwind, relax and take in the marvelous surroundings. With so many enticing flavors, you will never forget your culinary trip to Italy! Visit our site today for more information.

Under the Tuscan Sun

Beautiful, scenic Tuscany, with it’s rolling hills lined with vineyards and lemon groves. Italy, a place of romance and wonder. Sceptre Tours has a lovely new Italian vacation package just for you. For only $899, enjoy 6 nights in a private villa at the magestic and historic 4-star Fattoria degli Usignoli, a mid size rental car, plus roundtrip airfare to Florence. If you were to put this package together on your own, you would pay over $1,399.

La Fattoria degli Usignoli is a 14^th Century Italian estate, set high in the hills of Tuscany. It is surrounded by a magical landscape of olive groves, vineyards, and cypress trees. Located only 25 minutes from Florence and close to many other famous Italian cities, such as Siena, Pisa, Lucca and Arezzo, this little piece of paradise will allow you to sit back, relax and marvel at your surroundings. There are a vast array of cultural, artistic and historical sites nearby, not to mention the most famous of them all, Florence’s Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, also known as the Duomo. One of the Renaissance’s most beautiful masterpieces, this cathedral, designed by Filippo Brunelleschi was completed in 1436 and is now known as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We encourage you to check out Sceptre Tours for more information about this incredible Italian vacation package. And act quick, because we expect it to sell out!

Castles, Lighthouses and Pots of Gold!

What are we talking about? Why a great new escorted Ireland tour we have right now at Sceptre Tours! Rates start at $1,850 for an 8 day trip around beautiful Ireland. Plus, if you book by February 28^th, you can qualify for $500 off per couple! Can’t beat that.

This wonderful new journey begins at a traditional Irish castle in Dublin, the Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel. You’ll get to follow in the footsteps of Saint Patrick while on a walking tour of Dublin. Next, you’re off to take in the enticing beauty of the Wicklow Mountains on your way to Glendalough and the Valley of the Two Lakes. After that, you’ll venture off to the coast to Hook Peninsula, home to one of the world’s oldest working lighthouses. Then onto Cobh and Blarney as you travel towards Killarney and the stunning Killarny lakes. You will definitely get a taste of the whimsical countryside of Ireland when you visit the quaint Kissane Sheep Farm, a traditional, working farm. And last but not least, we of course must mention our favorite part – an exclusive whiskey tasting session at the Old Midleton Distillery.

All in all, this is one magical journey that you do not want to miss! Visit us at Sceptre Tours for more information and to book right away. We promise, it will be the trip of a lifetime!

Vacationing with Smartphones, Part Deux

In our last entry, we talked about how stoked we are about iPhone apps and they way they’ve changed travel. Since then, we found a couple other wonderful iPhone apps that are sure to make your dream Ireland or Scotland vacation come true. First, let’s talk about Snapshot Postcard. This great app allows you to convert any iPhone image into a postcard, type a message and then send it off to your loved ones back home. The app is entirely free and the folks behind Snapshot Postcard take care of printing it off and sending it.

Sceptre Tours offers wonderful Ireland and Scotland vacation packages that allow you to see not only the lush landscapes and quaint country towns, but also beautiful, centuries old castles full of history. Most smartphones now have great cameras built into them, which makes capturing those magical moments so easy. And now with this app, you can share those with your friends and family back home in no time.

Our second app that we think you’ll love as much as us is Gate Guru. This app allows you to check flight status updates, gate changes and any amenities that are near your gate. Say you’re famished after running around Dublin on your last day of you Ireland vacation. You can find out what restaurants are near your gate before you even get there. Problem solved, just like that. So while some of you still may be fighting the onset of the smartphone and the digital age, we say bring it on.

Vacationing with Smartphones

It seems like as of late, the whole world has jumped on the smartphone bandwagon. Smartphones and the invention of “apps” have dramatically changed the way people travel too. For most destinations now, there is no need for the traditional paper guidebooks anymore, as many iPhone apps now have all the necessary details for you at the touch of a fingertip. At Sceptre Tours this exciting change intrigues us. While we still offer great tour packages such as Ireland guided tours and escorted Italy and Scotland tours, we still love how our travelers can now always feel at ease wherever they are in the world with these awesome apps.

For example, let’s say you are traveling through Ireland on one of our golf vacation packages. While we may be there to make arrangements for you, what if you decided to take the car for a drive into busy Dublin? You need not fear getting lost – there’s an app for that. AroundMe is a great app that locates you via GPS and finds local amenities around you, like ATMS, stores, restaurants, hotels. It will even guide you with step by step instructions.

 Lonely Planet and other guidebook companies now have app versions of country or city guides, eliminating the need for extra baggage. And let’s not forget to connect with other local friends and organizations while on your European vacation. Facebook and Twitter have apps that make it easy for you to stay connected. There are numbers of other apps that can make your vacations abroad ten times easier. We dig it. Do you?

Golf Escapes in Ireland

Ireland. Land of rolling green pastures and dreamy, whimsical hills. Where colors come alive and the sights renew your senses. It’s the birthplace of Guinness, Colin Farrell and Pierce Brosnan. Ireland. Who wouldn’t want to vacation there? But on top of all that, did you know that Ireland has some amazing golf courses?

Most recently, Ireland’s North West region has been named European Golf Destination of the Year for 2011 by the International Association of Gold Tour Operators (IAGTO). Among the courses that the region boasts is the famous par-72 Connemara Championship Links course, which has played host to many famous visitors including Tom Watson. We at Sceptre Tours are very into this and have a number of Ireland golf packages for you, including one that visits not only this course but also many others in the North West region. Along with our golf vacations, you will also get to stay at wonderful B&Bs, and see many of the small towns in the quaint countryside of Ireland. You’re sure to get the ultimate treatment in a very authentic Irish experience.

So next time you start to think about taking a golf vacation, think about beautiful, green Ireland. It’s sure to amaze you.

Awesome New Deal: 6 Night Ireland Villa plus Airfare and Car

So I’m sure you know by now that we love helping you get a good deal on travel. After all, we believe that the only way to fully live life is through seeing the world. That being said, you should seriously check out our new package deal on TravelZoo. It is a dream Ireland vacation, trust us.

The package includes a 6-night stay at a three-bedroom private villa on the grounds of the 5-star Adare Manor Resort in Limerick, Ireland. The property boasts an 18-hole championship golf course, fine dining, horseback riding, fishing, spa services and an indoor pool. The resort was rated among Europe's top resorts on Conde Nast Traveler's 2010 Hot List.

Also included in the deal is roundtrip, nonstop airfare to Ireland, departing from either New York or Boston. As well as manual car rental so you can drive around the gorgeous Irish countryside. (If you prefer an automatic, it’s just $99 extra per person.) All of this for only $899! Plus, there’s a great bonus: the first 100 people to book will receive a complimentary historical tour of Adare Manor Resort!

This is one of our best Ireland tour packages yet. You will certainly not be disappointed. Travel dates are between June 16^th and August 31^st. Please check it out on TravelZoo: http://www.travelzoo.com/vacations/europe/950096/

Oh yeah, we know it may be tough, but the trip must be booked by January 16^th!