Slovakia as Attractive Incoming Destination

BASIC FACTS ON THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC

Regime: Republic
The capital: Bratislava (population: 452.288)
Population: 5.395.000
Official language: Slovak
Nationalities: Slovak (86 %), Hungarian (10 %), Romany, Czech, Ruthann, German, Polish, Ukraine
Religion: Roman Catholic (60 %), Greek Catholic, Protestant of Augsburg confession, Orthodox, Jewish
Electricity: 230 V/50 Hz, two-pole socket with safety pin
Area: 49.035 sq. km (18.933 sq. miles)

WHERE IS SLOVAKIA SITUATED?

The Slovak Republic is the Central European country and EU member from 1st May 2004. The country geography is characteristic with major differences in the height above sea. The central and northern Slovakia is a mountainous region - the Carpathian Mountains cross this area. The southern and eastern Slovakia is a lowland region, characterized as an important agricultural part. The Danube river connects Slovakia with Vienna, the Rhine-Main channel, and harbors at the Black sea.

Climate

Slovakia has mild continental climate, with distinctive rotation of seasons. The average daily temperature is -2 °C in winter, 21 °C in summer. The coldest month is January, the warmest months are July and August. In average, the snow keeps up in the highest locations 130 days a year.

Time Zone

1 hour ahead of GMT, the summer time which lasts from March to October is 2 hrs ahead of GMT, as in all European countries.

Currency

EURO from 1st January 2009

TIME SCHEDULE FOR WELCOME SLOVAKIA TOUR CALLED “SLOVAK DIAMOND SPA AND HIKING”

SAMPLE ITINERARY as preliminary time schedule with program:

DAY 1

• Arrival to Bratislava
• Accommodation: BRATISLAVA – HOTEL BEST WESTERN WEST****     www.hotel-west.sk
• Program: City by night – tour and evening with wine tasting and professional sommelier

DAY 2

• Place of stay: Bratislava
• Accommodation: BW WEST Bratislava
• Program: Hiking in Little Carpathian mountains
• Evening program: Folk evening with live traditional folk group

DAY 3

• Morning bus transfer from Bratislava to middle Slovakia
• Accommodation: Hotel SITNO***, Vyhne     www.hotelsitno.sk
• Program:
  • Hiking in the mountains Stiavnicke vrchy, region of SLOVENSKE RUDOHORIE
  • Visit of  historical manor house St.Anton, city of Banska Stiavnica listed in UNESCO, alternatively brewery STEIGER or city of Kremnica and its Museum of coins and medals
• Evening program: Hotel thermal bath including massage

DAY 4

• Place of stay: Vyhne
• Accommodation: Hotel SITNO***
• Program: Hiking in Slovenske Rudohorie

DAY 5

• Transfer from Valcianska valley to the High Tatras
• Accommodation: GRANDHOTEL Stary Smokovec**** (exclusive historical building)     www.grandhotel.sk
• Alternative program:
  • Hiking in the gorgeous mountains of the High Tatras and gondola lift trip to the peak of Lomnicky stit, 2634 m above see level, just 500 metres from the hotel     http://www.vt.sk/activities/lomnicky-peak/en/summer/

  Price of cableway to Lomnicky peak (will be paid on spot individually according to the clients interest): http://www.vt.sk/pricelists/cableways/en/summer/

  Cablecar trip depends on the weather conditions and wind forecast.

  • Visit of one of the caves: Belianska Cave, Vazecka Cave, Demänovska Cave

DAY 6

• Place of stay: High Tatras
• Accommodation: GRANDHOTEL Stary Smokovec****     www.grandhotel.sk
• Hiking tip:
  Cottage “Skalnatá chata“ – Cottage „Zamkovského chata“ in the heights of 1475 m above see level – peak „Hrebienok“ – lengths of 2 hours, more on http://www.vt.sk/activities/hiking/en/summer/
• Program: Evening in a traditional shepards house called in Slovak KOLIBA in Stary Smokovec with live folk music

DAY 7

• Morning departure from the High Tatras to Bratislava
• Accommodation: hotel Best Western West**** Bratislava     www.hotel-west.sk
• Program: evening free + shopping in Bratislava
• Alternative stop on way to Bratislava:
  • TRENČÍN and its castle
  • PIEŠŤANY spa

DAY 8

• Flight departure morning from Bratislava

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• GROUP of 18 people will be coordinated and accompanied by 2 Slovak representatives.
• Hiking will be accompanied by English speaking professional guide which will act for the whole stay as professional guide-hiker and the travel agency representative.
• All members of the group must have individual travel health insurance from their local country.
• Price is guaranteed and calculated EXCLUSIVELY for group of minimum 20 persons (upon request could be calculated for the other season of 2010).

PACKAGE PRICE/per person/whole stay in summer season (JUNE-AUGUST 2010): up to 867 EUR/ per person in DBL room for the whole stay

Price includes:

• 7 nights accommodation in 3-4 stars hotels
• Half board (breakfast and dinner)
• Wellness package, thermal spa and massage
• Private Mercedes transfer with a professional driver for whole tour including extra booked excursions
• Traditional folk dancing performance
• 2 English speaking Slovak persons – 1 professional guide-hiker and agency representative as coordinator
• Traditional Slovak gifts for unforgettable memories

Price doesn´t include:

• Insurance (regular travel health insurance + additional insurance for mountain hikers)
• Entrance fees (cave,  cableway, St.Anton manor house, other extras)

Terms and conditions:

• The tour must be reserved for the whole group latest 2 month before arrival.
• The reservation must be fixed by written form latest 1,5 month before arrival, otherwise cancellation fees will be applied and the pre-reservation will be cancelled.
• The payment of 50 % deposit is obligatory 2 months before arrival  and the rest of 50 % has to be paid latest 1,5 month before arrival.

Cancellation terms and fees for incoming groups:

• Latest up to 3 days after the registration on the tour it is obligatory to settle the payment via bank transfer.
• The client has binding registration of the tour by payment settlement and agrees with the cancellation fees in case of tour cancellation:

  General cancellation fees:
  15 days and more:  50% from the tour price
  7-14 days :              75% from the tour price
  4- 6 days:                90% from the tour price
  3 days and less:    100%  from the tour price

• If the client is absent from the tour, the travel agency is not obliged to pay already settled price.
• In case that the tour is cancelled from the the agency side, the client will be given back the whole amount of the tour price.

The travel agency Starling has the right to state special terms and cancellation fees for each group request and individual package tour. Terms modofication is acceptable following the special terms given by the hotel in different destinations. Starling agency is obliged to advice clients on each extra terms in written form latest 1 month before group arrival.