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Simon Calder's deals of the week
Training in style, boating Scotland, flying to Prague, Dutch freebie
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Your support makes all the difference.A train
How's this for a romantic trip? A Suite matrimonial with a double bed, video and private bathroom – plus breakfast in bed – and all on the move. The new Thomas Cook European Timetable reveals the pinnacle of style on scheduled trains in Europe: Excelsior Class, on overnight trains from Paris to many Italian cities, including Genoa, Milan, Venice, Pisa and Rome. Book through Rail Europe (08705 848 848, www.raileurope.co.uk) for a fare of £440 return per person from Paris to Rome. There are easy connections from London Waterloo on Eurostar, with first class returns to Paris available for £135 if you book in advance.
A boat
Fingal of Caledonia is a comfortable old barge that cruises the Great Glen between Fort William and Inverness all summer. She begins the season on Saturday 13 April with a three-day mini-cruise costing £185, including all meals and use of bikes, canoes and other equipment. Call 01397 772 167 or visit www.caledonian-discovery.co.uk for more details.
A plane
Competition is blossoming to Prague, thanks to the two no-frills airlines starting cheap flights from East Midlands and Bristol to the Czech capital. In response, Czech Airlines has hit back with a with-frills fare of £97.50 from Birmingham, bookable through www.opodo.co.uk.
A freebie
This coming weekend is the time to be in Scotland, or Holland, if you want to dodge admission fees for tourist attractions. Historic Scotland (0131-668 8800, www.historic-scotland.net) is opening 70 properties from the Borders to the Shetlands, including such notable locations as Edinburgh Castle and Fort George.
In the Netherlands, you can tiptoe through most of the country's museums without spending a guilder on admission. The annual National Museum Weekend on Saturday and Sunday 13/14 April, gives free entrance to over 800 museums, ranging from the Amsterdam Historical Museum in the capital to the Rock'n'Roll Museum in Arum in Friesland, in the north of the country.
Note that the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam do not take part. From experience, I suggest you concentrate on the smaller museums – the big-hitters tend to be even more crowded than usual over the free weekend. More information (in Dutch): www.museumweekend.nl.
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