Travel Events

Travel Events Co-ordinator:    
Click on picture to send email    

The Travel Events Co-ordinator does not personally receive your email. It goes into the Travel Events team mailbox and whoever is organising a particular event will respond to you.

THEREFORE IT IS IMPORTANT TO WRITE THE NAME OF THE EVENT
IN THE SUBJECT LINE OF YOUR EMAIL

      Click  here  to skip straight to the trips      

If you are unable to attend a General Meeting you can email us and you will be sent details of how you can pay and reserve a place on the trip for yourself.

Photo by:  Regina Müller                                                                                               
Travel Desk taking bookings at monthly General Meeting.

HOW TO PAY FOR TRIPS:
Please read at the bottom of this page.

Operating Guidelines

• First people to give their names and pay money go first on the list. When full we will create a waiting list. There will be a special desk at the monthly meeting.
• No refunds given. If you have to cancel you contact the organiser who will supply contact details of the people at the top of the wait list. It is then your responsibility to sort out arrangements and inform the organiser of change of names. It is NOT acceptable to substitute other people, especially non-members, when there is a waiting list.
• Before travel please complete a form giving contact details of somebody authorised to act for you in emergency.
• Organisers do not return calls (except in emergency). We have been advised there could be just too many, sorry.

Disclaimers

Insurance:   Members are reminded that they are responsible for their own insurance. U3A is not liable in any respect for any loss or injury that may be suffered by Members whilst participating in the Association's activities

Please note that, at times, it is necessary for the U3A to make deposits with travel agents for future trips, and whilst we do not anticipate any such problems, in the event of a travel agent or hotelier becoming bankrupt, Moraira U3A would not be in a position to refund any losses that might occur. We strongly recommend that you ensure that your own personal travel insurance provides cover for any such losses.

To see photographs and reports of past events, click the Tardis below

Webmaster's request: I welcome reports and photos for publication from members who attend Travel Events. If you need any help with preparing material, please email me

Updated 25 October 2011

Click to see if there are any places still available on the trips below,
and when deposits and final payments are due,
and other latest information updates.

Gandia Ducal Palace and Xàtiva Castle

-   day trip   -

28th February 2012

Leader:   Pamela Powell

The cost the trip is €30 per person to include the cost of the coach, guided tour and entrance to the Ducal Palace and Lunch at Viva España. Also included in the cost is the Tourist Train to Xàtiva Castle and the entrance cost.

Palau Ducal, Gandia

We will have lunch at Viva España near Oliva which will include half a bottle of wine per person. We will then visit Xàtiva.

Xàtiva castle

For a place on this trip, please come to the Travel Desk at a General Meeting or email the Travel Events Coordinator by clicking on her photo at the top of this page.

Dénia Fallas

- day trip -

Friday 16th March 2012

Leader:   Malcolm Burman

The Fallas festival is a celebration of the feast of Sant Josep (Saint Joseph), the patron saint of carpenters. Originally, the fallas, or offerings to the saint, were made from wood shavings and waste wood. Nowadays they are built from polystyrene and are up to 30 metres high.

They are built to exploit or campaign on local issues. In the days of General Franco's dictatorship, they increased in significance because they were one of the few ways in which dissention was countenanced.

Today, that tradition continues and they frequently have caricatures of the mayor and local politicians shown in various compromising situations, complete with potentially libellous captions. There are also normally smaller fallas representing the local children, generally with fairytale themes.

Both the main fallas and the children's ones are judged and awarded places 1-12. The whole celebration concludes on the 19th March, the Nit de Foc, when all the fallas are burnt to the ground in "La Crema" in reverse order, with number 12 first.

Since they are so high and generally close to buildings it can be a hazardous process and the fire brigade are always in attendance, hosing down nearby buildings to keep them from catching fire.

Our tour will be led by a local guide who will take us around the town to see the fallas erected in Dénia (normally 12 of them) explaining the local history of the fallas celebrations, the issues behind each falla and the captions (which are always written in Valenciano). Afterwards we will adjourn to a local restaurant for lunch - 3 courses plus half a bottle of wine per person.

Meet at DÉNIA railway station at 10.00am
(Participants must make their own way to Denia by car or train)

Cost €15 includes guided tour and lunch

Details of train times will be given by email closer to the date of the trip.

Sagunto & St. Joseph's Caves in Vall d'Uixo

- day trip -

Friday 30th March 2012  &  Thursday 17th May

Leader:   Malcolm Burman

Following the exceptionally high demand for places on Friday, 30th March, we are organizing a second trip on Thursday, 17th May. Cost: €15 per person to include coach and boat trip through the caves

Sagunto ancient fortifications

The site of Sagunto has been inhabited for at least 3000 years, and the earliest Iberian settlers started the fortification process in the 5th century BC. The Romans greatly extended the site and added the castle and amphitheatre. Coins were minted here for the flourishing trade with the Greeks & Phoenicians.

Since then, the Visigoths, the Moors and the Christians have all left their mark. The castle on the top of the hill and the Roman Amphitheatre were constructed in the first century AD. The castle walls measure approximately one kilometre in length.

The theatre has recently been subject to a controversial restoration, which hides a lot of the original Roman stonework, but makes it more suitable as a venue for concerts and plays. We will have a guided tour of the castle, amphitheatre and other remains.

After the tour, we will have free time to walk around the old town of Sagunto. There are a number of churches (notably the 13th century San Salvador and the 14th century Santa Maria), palaces and a hermitage. The typical Jewish barrio has narrow, winding streets, houses jostled up against one another and ojivals, or pointed arches, over the entries to some streets.

Caves of Sant Josep in Vall d'Uixo

After lunch, we will head approx 12 miles north to the Caves of Sant Josep in Vall d'Uixo. The caves are explored by boat along an underground river.

The tour lasts approximately 40 minutes, with a boat trip of nearly one and a half miles and a walk through a dry gallery. The temperature is a constant 20 degrees throughout the year.

Within the grounds there is a small hermitage. There are also some modern shops, bars and entertainment facilities.

Madrid and Cuenca

-   a 4 days and 3 nights trip   -

Monday 16th April 2012 to Thursday 19th April

Leader:   Carol Mantle

Royal Palace - Madrid

This Trip has been arranged for April to take advantage of the clement weather in Madrid. It can be either extremely cold or extremely hot in Madrid. Therefore, this time of the year will give the best opportunity for seeing the sights in comfort - not to mention keeping the costs within an acceptable level.

Accommodation in Madrid will be bed and breakfast and we will be staying at the Hotel Ganivet in the centre of the city. We will be staying one night in Cuenca at the Hotel Cueva del Fraile where dinner will be included.

DAY 1

We will leave Moraira and have a stop for coffee en route, arriving in Madrid in time for lunch and a free afternoon to explore the Plaza Mayor

Plaza Mayor - Madrid

Royal Palace throne room - Madrid

..... or the Royal Palace where you will find the famous works of Goya, Lucas, Jordán and the Throne Room and Porcelain room etc.

DAY 2

After breakfast there will be a guided tour of the city including the districts of Austrias and Bourbones, the Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol, Fuente de la Cibeles, Paseo de la Castellana and Puerte de Alcalá the Parque del Retiro.

Fuente de las Cibeles - Cibeles Fountain

In the afternoon there will be free time to visit the Prado Museum (entrance not included). The Prado is one of the most important art museums in the world, where you will find the works of El Greco, Goya, Velázquez, etc.

Prado Museum

DAY 3

Escorial Monastery

After breakfast we will depart from Madrid for a visit to San Lorenzo del Escorial, which was originally constructed by Philip II, where there is a monastery, palace, pantheon, basilica, library and an impressive monument of Philip II. In the afternoon we will depart for Cuenca arriving in time for dinner.

DAY 4

After breakfast there will be a guided tour of the old town which is located at the top of a hill overlooking the city. The old town is a World Heritage site where you will find the famous hanging houses (Casas Colgadas), numerous narrow street and hidden plazas. There are tunnels excavated through the rocks which lead to several viewing points from which you will see reminders of the Ababic and Jewish Heritage. There is also a beautiful Gothic style cathedral and across the valley you will find the Parador which was once a convent and is well worth a visit. In the afternoon we will return to Moraira, our expected arrival time is approximately 7 pm.

Cuenca 'hanging houses'

The cost per person will be about €230 euros depending on the number of people taking part. Single room supplement: €75 euros.

To secure a place, please pay a deposit of €60 per person at the Travel Desk at the next meeting. If you are unable to get to the meeting you can email Carol at carol.mantle@hotmail.com

Alicante

-   day trip   -

Wednesday 25th April

Leader:   Ann Cattle

Alicante - castle and port

The coach will drop us alongside the port area (number 1 on the tourist bus map - if you click to open the map, you can use your image viewer to zoom in for more detail and to read the street names) from where you will be able to choose your preferred activity for the day.

El Corte Inglés, Alicante

You could choose to go shopping. There are major stores, such as El Corte Inglés, as well as many interesting small shops in the old town.

You could explore the old Arab quarter. Or you could choose to go sight-seeing. There is a 'hop-on hop-off' tourist bus service. Alicante tourist office also has four suggestions for walking tours in the city centre.

Old Arab quarter

The cost of the trip is €10 per person.

Visit to Jerez Horse Fair

(also taking in Seville, Jerez, Cadiz, Grazalema National Park and Granada)

-   a 6 days and 5 nights trip   -

Saturday 5th May 2012 to Thursday 10th May

Leader:   Carol Mantle

This trip has been organised following the suggestion of two of our members who visited the fair earlier this year. Also we have had requests to visit equestrian events in the past so it is hoped that this trip will satisfy that request and also give other members an opportunity of visiting other attractions in Spain.

We will visit Seville, Jerez, Cadiz, Grazalema National Park with its white villages and Granada. The highlight of this trip will be the Horse Fair in Jerez which is opened on Sunday the 6th May at about midnight with a spectacular Firework display.

Jerez Horse Fair

In the fairground itself there are side shows of all descriptions, including bodegas etc. Many of the local inhabitants of Jerez dress in national costume. There should be something at the fair for everyone or there are many beautiful buildings, such as the cathedral, palace and gardens to visit in Jerez itself.

Our accommodation will be half board and we will be staying at the Hotel Don Paco in the centre of Seville. The Hotel Sherry Park which is in centre of Jerez and the Hotel Alixares which is opposite the Alhambra in Granada.

DAY 1     5th May

We will depart from Moraira travelling towards Seville. We will have numerous stops throughout the journey arriving in Seville late afternoon. After dinner there will be an opportunity of exploring the surrounding part of the city.

Seville

DAY 2     6th May

This day promises to be a very full one. After breakfast there will be a guided tour of the city starting with a bus tour of the most important monuments of the city such as the Maria Luisa Park which includes the Plaza de España with its beautiful display of tiles representing the provinces of Spain.

Plaza de España - Seville

River Guadalquivir - Seville

The bus will continue along the banks of the River Guadalquivir (Spain's only navigable river). We will pass the Torre del Oro constructed by the Almohades, the famous Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza, the church of La Macarena and end at the wonderful Murillo Gardens.

The old Jewish quarter - Seville

We then continue on foot through the typical labyrinth of streets of the old Jewish quarter of Santa Cruz and finally to the area of the Cathedral (entrance not included). There will be free time to visit Los Reales Alcazares or take a boat trip on the River Gualquivir.

Mid-afternoon we will depart for Jerez. After dinner we will make our way to the Fair for the opening ceremony with the spectacular firework display at about midnight.

DAY 3     7th May

After breakfast we will visit one of the famous bodegas de sherry before departing for an excursion to Cadiz. The Central Market itself is well worth a visit in the morning, especially the fish section.

Cadiz

Cadiz is said to be the oldest city in Western Europe, as it was founded by Phoenician sailors about 3.000 years ago, as a commercial stronghold.

Archaeological remains can be found all around the old town. The archaeological museum (Plaza de Mina) exhibits are interesting, especially two Phoenician stone sarcophagi. The remains of the Roman theatre just behind the old cathedral are also worth a visit.

We will return to Jerez for dinner and free time in the evening to visit the Fair.

DAY 4     8th May

After breakfast there will be free time but for those wishing to go to the equestrian school there is normally a show of horsemanship at 12 noon (entrance not included). The rest of the day is free.

Jerez - equestrian show

DAY 5     9th May

After breakfast we will depart from Jerez travelling toward Ronda crossing the natural Park of Grazalema. We will pass through white villages such as Arcos de la Frontera, Villamaritin and Algodonales arriving in Ronda where there will be free time for lunch.

Arcos de la Frontera

Ronda

Ronda is the capital of the white villages and is said to have the oldest Bullring in Spain. There is also Santa Maria church and the impressive bridges. We will depart from Ronda en route to Granada. Dinner will be provided in the hotel.

DAY 6     10th May

After breakfast there will be plenty of time to visit the Alhambra which is opposite the hotel. (It is suggested that you ask the Travel Group to pre-book entrance tickets so you can get into the Alhambra early.) There is a bus service that runs approximately every 20 minutes into the city where you can visit the cathedral or simply go along the river bank for coffee and chill. We will be leaving Granada for our return trip to Moraira at about 1.30pm and we will expect to arrive in Moraira at about 7.30pm

Alhambra Palace - Granada

The cost per person will be about €370 depending on the number of people taking part. Single room supplement: €110.

To secure a place, please pay a deposit of €60 per person at the Travel Desk at the next general meeting. If you are unable to get to the meeting you can email Carol at carol.mantle@hotmail.com

Teruel

-   a 4 days and 3 nights trip   -

Mid June 2012 - date not yet fixed

Leader:   Anne Cattle

Although this Trip is scheduled to take place in the middle of June, the actual dates cannot be fixed until we have sufficient people who have paid their deposits. This is because we are unable to book one of the venues without paying a deposit at the time of booking. We will be staying in half-board accommodation.

On this trip we will be visiting some of Spain Medieval towns and villages. In particular we will spend one night in a Monastery where, although the rooms are not very big, there will be an enormous amount of atmosphere.

The Monasterio is set in a very unusual landscape which is said to be both beautiful and tranquil.

DAY 1

Zaragoza

We will leave Moraira and head toward Zaragoza with the usual comfort breaks approximately every two hours. Zaragoza is on the banks of the River Ebro and you will be able to visit the Plaza de las Catedrales Basilica del Pilar, Lonja and the Aljaferia Palace with its Arabic arches and columns.

Aljaferia Palace

DAY 2

After breakfast and a last look at Zaragoza we will depart toward Monasterio de Piedra, where you will be able to visit the natural park, located in a desert like region. It gives the impression of being in an oasis sculptured by the River Piedra, where a pathway leads you through the trees, over streams and past and impressive waterfall. We will be staying in the Hotel Monasterio where we will also have dinner.

Monasterio de Piedro

DAY 3

After breakfast we depart on our journey to Teruel and en route we visit the historic and beautiful hillside town of Albarracin. This is an iconic Spain fortress town not to be missed. We then continue on to Teruel and Dinner.

DAY 4

After breakfast we can visit Teruel with its towers built in the Madejar style, Roman and Muslim architecture, Plaza del Torico and the church of San Pedro with the sarcophagus dedicated to "los Amantes" (the lovers). In the afternoon we return to the Costa Blanca.

Plaza Mayor - Teruel

The cost per person will be about €250 depending on the number of people taking part. Single room supplement is not known yet. To secure a place, please pay a deposit of €60 per person at the travel desk at the next General Meeting. If you are unable to get to a General Meeting, please email Carol at carol.mantle@hotmail.com

Carcassonne

including visits to:  Peñiscola, Girona, Collioure, Albi, Toulouse, Mirepoix, Foix, Andorra, Montblanc and Tarragona

-   a 7 days and 6 nights trip   -

Sunday 23rd September to Friday 29th September 2012

Leader:   Norman Peterken

The highlight of this trip will be the visit to the 'vieux cité' of Carcassonne which is a World Heritage Site.

Accommodation will be on a bed and breakfast basis with the additon of an evening meal on Days 1 and 5.

DAY 1  -  Sunday 23rd September

There will be a morning departure towards Peñiscola with a 'comfort break' en route.

On arrival at Peñiscola, there will be time for lunch and sightseeing. You could choose to visit the famous castle, surrounded by the sea on three sides, or take a stroll around the alleys and lanes of the medieval city.

Peñiscola Castle

We will then continue to Calella for an overnight stay. Dinner is included.

DAY 2  -  Monday 24th September

After breakfast, we depart for Girona where we will enjoy a guided tour of this ancient, walled city. We will visit the Old Town and its Roman and medieval monuments, including the Monastery of Sant Pere de Galligants, the Banys Arabs, the city walls and the cathedral.

Girona's cathedral with Sant Feliu in the foreground

After crossing the border, we will visit the picturesque village of Collioure, the inspiration for many of the paintings by Matisse and other 'Fauvist' artists. You can choose to follow the 'Chemin de Fauvisme', visit the Chateau-Royal or the church of Notre-Dame-des-Anges or take a stroll around the attractive streets of the village.

Collioure - view from the sea

From Collioure we will continue to Carcassonne for a three-night stay.

DAY 3  -  Tuesday 25th September

After breakfast, we will enjoy a guided tour of the 'cité', a medieval town surrounded by 3km of ramparts and 52 towers. Classified as a World Heritage Site. it is an exceptionally attractive place to visit. The guided tour takes us to the Porte Narbonnaise, the exterior fortifications and the Basilica of Saint-Nazaire.

After the completion of the tour, the rest of the day is free. You can choose to continue your exploration of the 'cité'...

DAY 4  -  Wednesday 26th September

After breakfast, we depart for Albi,whose Episcopal City is one of the largest conservation areas in France.

Of particular note are Sainte-Cecile Cathedral and the Berbie Palace which is the home of the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum.

Sainte-Cecile Cathedral

The Berbie Palace

Basilica of St Sernin

We continue to Toulouse. There is much to see in old Toulouse, including the Basilica of St. Sernin, an 11th century church on the pilgrim route to Santiago and the Place du Capitole

Place du Capitole

From Toulouse, we return to Carcassonne.

DAY 5  -  Thursday 27th September

After breakfast, we depart for the beautiful medieval bastide town of Mirepoix. The highlight is the central square, Place des Couverts, surrounded by medieval houses and arcades. The cathedral of Saint Maurice is the second largest single-naved church in Europe and is a classified Historic Monument.

Château des Comtes de Foix

We continue to Foix, a town with an attractive old quarter. Dominating the town is the 7th century Château des Comtes de Foix.

We will then be able to enjoy the magnificent Pyrenean scenery on our way to our overnight stay in Andorra. Dinner at the hotel is included.

DAY 6  -  Friday 28th September

After time for shopping during the morning, we head back into Spain, enjoying the lakeside scenery as we leave the Pyrenees. We will visit the walled medieval town of Montblanc. There is a tourist route for pedestrians. You can make your choice of locations to visit such as the Placa Major, the Portal de Boue and the Church of Santa Maria.

The medievil town of Montblanc

We will continue to Tarragona for our overnight stay at our hotel in its beautiful location adjacent to the Balcon del Mediterraneo and the Roman amphitheatre.

DAY 7  -  Saturday 29th September

After breakfast, there will be time to visit some of this ancient city's major attractions including the Tarraco Roman archaeological complex, a World Heritage Site, the cathedral, the old town and the Passeig Arqueologic. After sightseeing, we return to Moraira and the end of our journey.

Roman amphitheatre - Tarragona

The cost per person will be €415.  The single room supplement: €135. Entrance to museums and monuments is not included in the price.

To secure a place, please pay a deposit of €80 per person at the Travel Desk at the next General Meeting. If you are unable to get to the meeting you can email Norman