Thursday, July 14, 2016

Visa-Free Cruises to St. Petersburg, Russia

Visa-free Cruises from Helsinki, Stockholm, Tallinn to  St. Petersburg/Russia

St. Peter Line
St. Peter Line visa free cruises to St. Petersburg, Russia continue to be a great success. Five Stars of Scandinavia has been representative for St. Peter Line for many years; our staff knows the cruises, ships and routes, and are able to answer your questions regarding procedures, customs, visa free etc.

Two ships, Princess Maria and Princess Anastasia, connect St. Petersburg with Baltic Sea ports Helsinki, Stockholm and Tallinn. One-way or round trip cruises are visa free, allowing a stay of up to 3 days / 72 hours, in St. Petersburg.

Passengers can enjoy Cruise and Hotel packages with one or two night hotel stays in St. Petersburg, and may add private sightseeing tours, excursions and transfers to make the most of their visit!

Ingrid Shumway
Embark on one of the many options of our visa-free cruises to St. Petersburg: depart from Helsinki to St. Petersburg, or from Stockholm via Tallinn to St. Petersburg. You have the option to stay up to 72 hours without having to obtain a visa, allowing you two hotel nights and three full days to explore the treasures of this historic city.

Our excursions by private car and driver enjoy great popularity: highly knowledgeable and educated English speaking guides are a great success and provide you with deep insight of local treasures, history and culture without having to stand in long lines, as they have seperate entrances to many sites. Enjoy the special guidance while your driver waits for you!


Ingrid Shumway
Five Stars of Scandinavia is representative for St. Peter Line in the USA. We know the cruises, the ships and procedures, and pride ourselves in being able to answer your many questions regarding travel to Russia.
Five Stars of Scandinavia



Please visit our website and select a cruise to fit your travel plans:
http://5stars-scandinavia.com/visa-free-cruises.html

Talk to the Experts - Book early and take advantage of special rates that might be available at the time of booking.

Toll free: 800.722.4126


Saturday, March 5, 2016

Viking River Cruise New for 2016!

New Cruise Tour!

New River Cruise: Poland, Prague and the Elegant Elbe 

Breathtaking, Chic and Utterly Surprising!

Complement the natural wonder and baroque beauty of your itinerary with breathtaking stays in three magical cities. Enjoy two nights in magical Prague, three in lovingly reconstructed Kraków and two in Warsaw.

Poland, Prag and the Elegant Elbe

From $5,999 | 16 Days | 14 Guided Tours | 3 Countries
Book early for 2016 and 2017!

Visit Warsaw, Prague & Berlin. Complement your Elegant Elbe itinerary with stays in three magical cities. On this inspiring cruisetour, you’ll sail the lilting waters of the Elbe past the sandstone cliffs of Saxon Switzerland. Spend two nights in vibrant Prague; three nights in Kraków, where you can join a moving excursion to Auschwitz; and two nights in Warsaw, home of the courageous Jewish Ghetto Uprising and a stunningly reconstructed Old Town.


Aboard our new Viking custom-built vessels, guests cruise through dramatic parts of Germany, as well as visit the revitalized cities of Warsaw and Krakow. These recently rediscovered Eastern European capitals are actively evolving as preeminent cultural centers while retaining their historical significance. This itinerary also gives your clients the luxury of spending more time enjoying the elegance of Prague, “City of a Hundred Spires.”

Watch our video (click on the arrow in picture):



Complement your Elegant Elbe itinerary with breathtaking stays in three magical cities on one inspiring cruise tour. Trace the lilting waters of the Elbe past the sandstone cliffs of Saxon Switzerland, admiring sweeping natural beauty and baroque splendor along the way. Enjoy two nights in Prague, “City of a Thousand Spires”; savor three nights in Kraków, where you can stroll the beautiful, historic center and join a moving excursion to Auschwitz; visit the pilgrimage city of Częstochowa; and spend two nights in the Polish capital of Warsaw, home of the courageous Jewish Ghetto Uprising and a stunningly reconstructed Old Town.

Toll free: 800.722.4126


 

Rail Products Scandinavia / Northern Europe

Five Stars of Scandinavia offers Rail Products throughout Scandinavia!

Norway in a Nutshell Tour - Sognefjord in a Nutshell - Hardanger in a Nutshell


Oslo to Bergen Route

As booking agent for your rail product needs we are proud to assist you with all your rail needs, i.e.
Point to point rail, Rail passes, Scandinavia Rail tours:

By far our most popular Rail Journey in Norway:
Norway in a Nutshell Tour

Destination Flam
Attractions: Aurlandsfjord - Nærøyfjord - Flåm Railway - Fjord village Flåm - Gudvangen

Norway in a Nutshell 
Sognefjord in a Nutshell 
Hardanger in a Nutshell
Hurtigruten, Trondheim and Oslo
Majestic Fjords, Norway Nutshell, Sognefjord and Hardangerfjord
Fjord Majesty, Nutshell, Sognefjord and Glacier 
Norway Fjord Discovery


Destination Flam

EuRail Passes throughout Scandinavia: 
Single Country Pass:
Eurail Denmark
Eurail Finland
Eurail Norway 
Eurail Sweden Passes

Multi Country Pass:
Eurail Denmark - Sweden
Eurail Norway - Sweden
Eurail Finland - Sweden
Eurail Denmark - Germany

We are proud to provide travelers from around the world access to its attractive range of
"All Country Passes" and point to point train tickets which offer great value and flexibility for exploring exciting destinations by rail, including Northern Europe.

Destination Flam

Toll free: 800.722.4126

 

Basecamp Antarctica

Additional Antarctic Basecamp Voyage, 10 nights - November 08 - 18, 2016

Antarctica Cruise on M/V Plancius, with free activities during our Basecamp Plancius voyages.
Book before the 15th of May 2016 and receive a discount of 10 % per person!

 From $6,480 per person in Quadruple Porthole cabin


"Basecamp Plancius" emphasis is on activities, including: zodiac excursions, hiking, kayaking, glacier walking/mountaineering, camping and photo shooting. All activities will be conducted by trained expert guides.

The vessel will stay for two or three days at specific locations to serve our active passengers as a comfortable hub to allow more time than usual for wide ranging activities: mountaineers to climb mountain ranges (soft climbing), hikers to participate in long walks, photographers to explore photo opportunities, campers to enjoy life at shore base camps, kayakers and zodiac passengers to explore near shores where the ship cannot go.
 

Activities: Camping | Kayaking | Mountaineering | Snowshoeing | Photography

Passengers who do not wish to become physically active will enjoy our zodiac excursions and follow the normal shore program and land excursions (easy to moderate walks and hikes with focus on wildlife)

Please visit: http://5stars-scandinavia.com/antarctic-peninsula-basecamp-cruise.html
South Georgia


 Toll free: 800.722.4126

 

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Fly Fishing the Gaula in Norway!

What is in store for 2016? We all have high hopes!


Lower Gaula Chrome – caught by Taylor Edrington in June 2015

Overall, both the NFC and the Gaula experienced a good 2015 fishing season. Especially 2-Sea winter, or medium sized salmon (4 to 7kg/ 9 to 18lbs) ran the river in very good numbers. Also the scientific research bag-net caught and released a lot of medium sized fish during season 2015, so we knew that this past summer was supposed to be a good one for fish of that size.  With such a strong run of 2 sea winter salmon this past year, we are expecting a run of very large fish (3 sea winter fish) in good numbers weighing 8-15 kg (or hopefully even bigger!!) should be filling the Gaula from June 1st of the 2016 season!

We are also glad to announce that we have been able to add new Beats to our rotation! With new productive water both above and below the Gaulfoss this will be a great improvement – especially in the early season for the big spring salmon and as well in the later season and also any time we experience low water. Stay tuned for more information on the specific beats, their descriptions and some photos to come soon!
Matt Harris with a big fish from our Bogen Søndre Beat caught end of June 2015
Many of our regulars have already been re-booking again for the coming summer – and as well many new faces have been securing their rods already for 2016.
We still have rods available in the early season and also very few rods in prime time and as well in the later season. We are looking forward to another great season in 2016 and hopefully we will see many of you on the Gaula during the summer 2016!

Olivier playing a salmon in Beat D1
Please get in touch with us as soon as possible if you are interested to fish with us!

Toll free: 800.722.4126 

Monday, October 26, 2015

Experience Norway!

Experiencing Norway Like a Local!

There are certain destinations and attractions within Norway that tourists flock to, such as the Viking Ship Museum, Geirangerfjord and the Heddal stave church. While locations such as those are certainly worth seeing, you can have the opportunity to view this beautiful place from the eyes of a local. The following attractions are the most popular destinations among Norwegians:

Holmenkollen and the Ski Museum
As Norway is considered to be the birthplace of skiing, you can't visit without checking out the slopes. You can go skiing all over the world, but only Norway is home to a ski museum, which opened in 1923 and is the oldest of its kind. You can explore the origin of skiing, which dates back 4,000 years. At Holmenkollen, you can also find a the world's most modern ski jump, which opened on March 3, 2010. The total length of the slope is 96.95 meters, and the entire jump consists of 1,000 tons of steel, making it the only steel ski jump in the world. You can explore Holmenkollen on your own, or take part in any of the guided tours which occur during and after opening hours. The guides will fill you in on everything from polar history to modern skiing.

Vigelandsparken Sculpture Park

This destination is just as loved by Norway locals as it is tourists. Approximately 1 million Norwegians visit the park annually. Located in Oslo, this park contains 212 bronze and granite sculptures, all created by Gustav Vigeland. You can't miss the 14-meter high sculpture known as the Monolith, which is made up of more than 121 human figures.

Vigeland even designed the architectural setting and layout of the entire park. Spend the afternoon at the park, making sure to stop by Cafe Vigeland for a French pastry, sandwich or baguette. Aside from the magnificent sculptures, there's also a museum at the park, which displays the original full-sized plaster casts of the sculptures.

Floibanen Funicular

Rest assured, there are a number of stunning views throughout Norway, but nothing can beat the breathtaking scenery admired from the Floibanen Funicular, a cable car. When you step inside this car, you'll be taken 320 meters above sea level, where you'll be able to see all of downtown Bergen. The car will also take you to the peak of Mount Floyen, allowing you to soak in the truly picturesque view of sparkling fjords and islands. And it's not just the views you get to enjoy when you take the Floibanen Funicular. Hop off and go for a relaxing hike or visit the Floien Folkerestaurant to fine dine at 320 meters above sea level. The Floibanen Funicular departs every 15 minute from the city center.

The Lofoten Islands

You haven't truly experienced relaxation and serenity until you have visited the Lofoten Islands, which is as off the beaten track as you can get. Admire Norway's seabird population by heading to the island of Rost, located on the tip of Lofoten.You can also go on a nature safari, experience a northern lights tour or go fishing as you enjoy the natural beauty of your surroundings. If you want to practice your golf game, pay a visit to the Lofoten Golf Links course, where you can play along the Lofoten Mountains. If you go during the summer, you can play under the midnight sun - darkness will never fall on the golf course.



Toll free: 800.722.4126

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

New Hurtigruten Ship

DISCOVER YOUR INNER EXPLORER

new Hurtigruten ship

MS Spitsbergen is named after the Arctic crown of Norway – the archipelago of Spitsbergen. Hurtigruten has a long history of traveling to Spitsbergen, dating back to 1896 with its ‘Sports Route’. After a complete reconstruction, MS Spitsbergen will be included in the Hurtigruten fleet in 2016. The ship will feature elegant, modern, comfortable public areas and cabins and the decor will reflect the color palette of the sea. The ship is environmentally-friendly and we will continue to make improvements to reduce emissions and fuel consumption. She will also be equipped and adapted for future sailings in polar waters. The new ship’s maneuverability and size makes her particularly suitable for exploring the coast of Norway and bringing Hurtigruten’s guests even closer to nature.

A NEW WAY TO SEE NORWAY

We've long celebrated the traveler who wants to see as many new things as possible (and those voyages are still plenty) but our new ship - the MS Spitsbergen - is for the wanderer, the ponderer, the sightseer. Spend a little time with us in Norway.  


Toll free: 800.722.4126