Exchange to Zagreb
May 27 – June 3.
Zagreb
town square
UPDATE: This exchange is closed.
This exchange is a GO! We will explore this beautiful old city with our new Croatian friends. Join the exchange in Zagreb on the 27th or join fellow Friendship Force members on a
commercial tour of Eastern Europe, beginning in Dubrovnik on May 20th, ending in Zagreb on May 27th.
TOTAL $327 EXCHANGE ONLY
Enjoy a week in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. At the heart of Europe, it is a mix of medieval, gothic, baroque and modern architecture. The scars of the war that ended in 1995 are still there, but the city is recovering and welcoming visitors. Citizens are friendly and active, patronizing the city's many outdoor cafés and international shops. Croatia has been named "the world's hottest travel destination" in the new edition of the Lonely Planet guide to Croatia, which cited its “rich diversity of attractions,” accessibility and “relative affordability” (its currency, the kuna, is far friendlier to the dollar than the euro is) as well as its “stunning beaches and islands” and “magnificent food.”
The city with a tradition of almost one thousand years celebrated in 1994 its 900th birthday. Zagreb is not only rich in cultural and historical monuments, museums and galleries, it also has a variety of modern shops, and offers good quality of diversified restaurants as well as sports and recreation facilities. It is a big centre of congress tourism, economic and business events and trade fairs not only in Croatia but also in this part of Europe. Being an important junction point, it has road, air, railway and bus connections with European metropolises and all bigger cities and tourist resorts in Croatia.
Tourism information: http://www.croatia.hr/English/Home/Naslovna.aspx
Cost
Exchange: $327; full amount due now. Check to Friendship Force of Dallas or complete credit card
form: send to Mary Williams. I will mail or e-mail you an application
and/or charge card form on request.
Airfare: You will need to pay your full amount when reservation is booked – check or credit card to our travel agent, Groups by
Design (see contact below), or arrange your own flights. You can
also check on train schedules from Vienna or Budapest on http://www.raileurope.com/us/index.htm
or http://www.bahn.de/-S:PtVORd:eOqZlNNNkmcCudNNNNpM/p/view/international/
englisch/international_guests.shtml
Additional Expenses:
Airfare: We are arranging airfare
individually, meeting in Zagreb so that you may use air
miles or combine this trip with other touring in Europe. Join us for
this wonderful opportunity in the hottest tourist destination in
Europe. Please see some suggestions in the Transportation
Options section below. Air tickets are at a
premium. Consider flying to Vienna or Budapest and going by train from
there.
Travel Insurance: About $100 per week per person. Required by FFI. You can buy theirs or go through another company. (FFI Brochure
will be provided when you sign up.)
Possible fuel surcharge: Be prepared for the possibility of the airline charging you an additional fuel charge
Gifts for hosts: Your choice
Treat hosts to your choice of restaurants and dinner: prices
Airport landing fee: $80 to Croatia
Registration
Payment for the exchange may be made with a check or MasterCard or Visa credit card.
Please let me know your airline and/or tour arrangements . Please provide your arrival plans - dates and itinerary to me - in advance and a place I can reach you.
EXCHANGE PLACES WILL BE FILLED AS RECEIVED. THERE ARE 16 PLACES FOR THE
EXCHANGE. Return your exchange application ASAP to:
Mary
Williams
txtravel@flash.net
cell: 214-505-7924
Other information:
Our exchange number is #8093. U.S. Exchange Director is Mary Williams. Zagreb Exchange Director is Pjerina Dekanovic (pronounced Perina Dek-a no-vich).
Her son Petar is also helping with the ED duties. FFI Program Coordinator is Mary Mwambay.
You must be able to provide a passport that expires no less than 6 months from the date of your return (after Dec 3, 2006 or your return date). Check your passport now, so you won’t have a last-minute surprise.
There will be considerable walking (2-4 miles per day) – sometimes on rough pavement, hills and cobblestones. Be sure you are in good enough shape to do this so that you do not hold the group back. If you are over 72, FFI requires a written physician’s statement that you are in good health and will be able to handle the physical requirements of this exchange.
You must be able to carry all your own luggage, as we may be transporting it ourselves to trains and buses. (Do not take more than you can carry yourself.)
Be sure you understand the goals of Friendship Force International and your role as an ambassador representing our club and the United States. (Read the text of the Application Form.) Be prepared to be flexible and open in traveling with a group, a different language and culture, and in trying new foods and experiencing different sleeping and bathroom arrangements. If you feel you cannot live in an environment different from what you have at home, do not come.
See below::
Transportation Options
I will send an FFI application agreement (2
pages) and FFI application form (2 pages)
and charge card form to those requesting them. Contact me at txtravel@flash.net
or call 214-505-7924.
Those registering will receive:
FFI Insurance brochure
Health/Emergency Information form
Tour
UPDATE:
The preliminary tour has been cancelled due to an insufficient number of
interested people. Those wishing a Croatia tour can contact www.tourvacationstogo.com
or www.affordabletours.com for tours offered by Brendan Tours, Gate 1 Travel, Trafalgar, Insight
and others. Atlas Tours (www.atlas-croatia.com)
and Grand Circle Tours (http://www.gct.com)
also have tours to Croatia. Be sure you have transportation lined up, as it is
getting to be expensive or unavailable, particularly leaving Zagreb.
The
tours I am referencing are from Dubrovnik to Zagreb:
10 Day
Dalmation Coast – Gate 1 Travel – May 19th (beginning in
Dubrovnik on May 20 and ending in Zagreb on May 27) Price is about
$1200; single supplement $500.
http://tourvacationstogo.com/tour.cfm?npid=3771&nhr=1
Two
of our exchange participants are booked for this tour.
Dalmation
Sunshine – Brendan Tours – May 19th (beginning in Dubrovnik on May
20 and ending in Zagreb on May 27)
http://www.tourvacationstogo.com/brendan_tours.cfm?npid=2730
Prices and
hotels for both tours are the same; in fact, it may be only one tour.
