Tango in Turin with the International Tango Festival - 7 nights
Immerse yourself over Easter in the majestic city of Turin in a Tango experience that you won't ever forget! Stay in the luxurious five star Hotel Meridien Lingotto where the Tango Festival will take place. Enjoy nine hours of Festival Tango classes. Have your breath taken away at the four Milongas (dance parties) which are attended by hundreds of Tangueros.
Unique Features Turin International Tango Festival 2005
Now in its fifth year, the Turin International Tango Festival is a truly international festival taking place in one of Italy’s most majestic cities. It focuses on well attended tango courses taught by the biggest names in tango and elegant Milongas attended by hundredes (literally) of high level Tangueros from Europe. It starts on Friday and finishes on Monday night. Most of the Festival events take place in the hotel that we will be staying at - The four star Meridien Lingotto. The Festival features:
*4 x Milongas with live music (included in your holiday) *Nine hour Festival courses (included in your holiday). *Technique classes (available as optional extras). Dates and Prices 21 March to 28 March - £748.00
Your Holiday Take a long weekend holiday in majestic Turin and immerse yourself in the sensual world of Tango at one of Italy's most glamorous and well attended Tango Festivals over the Easter weekend. Enjoy six hours of exclusive pre-Festival Club Dance Holidays tuition, nine hours of pre-Festival classes, four pre-Festival Milongas, sightseeing in one of the capitals of Baroque art and delight in the delicious Italian cuisine.
What's Included Return flights from a London based airport Meet & Greet upon arrival at the airport
Return airport transfer for all arrivals and departures coinciding with the standard Dance Holidays flight 7 nights accommodation and breakfast in the luxury five star Hotel Lingotto
6 hours of exclusive pre-Festival Club Dance Holidays tuition
Full Festival pass which includes 9 hours of Festival classes and 4 Festival Milongas Courtesy Champagne in your room
Club Dance Holidays Tour Host
Welcome Drink and Orientation Pack on arrival
What previous Customers Have Said about this Holiday
'Absolutley fab! The best holiday I've had in years. I will definitely go again.' 'Friendly, well structured and in all a very enjoyable holiday.' 'Excellent accommodation and good Dance Holidays classes.' 'Good atmosphere and people (participants, teachers). Real tango!' 'Uplifting, insipring and leaves me wanting more!' 'It was more than a holiday - it was an experience!' 'A pleasure. A joy from start to finish. I had the sensation that I was improving throughout. Teachers were excellent - down to earth and fun which is rare and really is important when it comes to this kind of holiday. Great!' 'Inspirational Maestros! Excellent company! Incredible feeling that tango creates in the soul!' Your Destination,
includes sightseeing Turin will astonish you with daring styles that, from the late 17th century, transformed Turin into one of the capitals of Baroque art. You also can discover the history of Italy by visiting a city that became, from Roman camp and medieval town, the first capital of Italy, in 1861. Turin is the capital of the wines, both red and white, that perfectly match its traditional dishes. Discover the pleasure of coffee in all its forms - cappuccino, marocchino and above all the bicerin, a characteristic Turinese drink- while comfortably enveloped in the warm atmosphere of the city's historic cafés. And what to say about romanticism. Turin will delight you with its romantic corners and evocative angles, so special for passing unforgettable moments, together with the lights of the city night: the lights of the moon and the lights of the candles illuminating restaurant tables on the hill or along the river.
Sights: Let the magic atmosphere of a city with a great past and an exciting future captivate you...Discover the
masterpieces of Baroque Turin, of the home of Italian cinema...Satisfy your desire for art and music...Turin, the first capital city of Italy, shows to visitors masterpieces of architecture in its monuments and squares. Have fun, discovering
lovely places by waking around the city: culture is everywhere! Inside the Cathedral, Turin conserves one of the most important items for the Christian religion, the Holy Shroud, or sheet that is thought to have been wound around the body of Christ.
Climate and weather Weather: Turin is wonderful all year long. An ideal time to go is March and October when the tempreatures are around 14-22C. Winters are relatively mild.
Your
Accommodation Meridien Lingotto - Hotel**** (Bed & Breakfast) (Included) The four star Hotel Le Meridien Lingotto, open in October 2003, is located within the 'Lingotto Centre'. The hotel is situated in one of the most important buildings of Turin, the old Lingotto car factory expertly renovated and modernised by Renzo Piano, an undeniably genial architect of international fame. All the rooms and suites of Le Meridien Lingotto are beautifully appointed, spacious and artfully illuminated. Its facilites are individually controlled air conditioning, two direct-dial, telephone lines for connections to fax, PC modem, TV with satellite link and in house movies, Mini-bar and Electronic safe. A full buffet breakfast is included in your holiday.
Classes and
Workshops Exclusive pre-Festival Club Dance Holidays tuition:
We recommend that you take advantage of the six hours of pre Festival Dance Holidays tuition which takes place before the Festival starts because the classes are smaller, they are translated and you get lots of individual attention. Our clients tell us that they get an enormous amount out of these classes. Beginners and improvers, especially, say they prefer them to the festival classes.
Dance Studios: The tango classes commonly take place in a tango venue a short taxi ride from your hotel.
Festival tuition:
There are nine hours of Festival classes (three hours a day over the three days of the weekend) included in your holiday.
Dance Levels: There will be Festival courses of nine hours offered at Beginners, Intermediates and Advanced levels. Dance Spaces: The tango classes commonly take place in spaces within the Hotel Lingotto. The floors are made of terracotta and marble.
Language: Since the majority of those attending these classes are Italian, the classes are given in Italian. Some of the guest teachers have a reasonable level of english and so depending on the size of the english speaking contingency, they may also teach in english.
Daily Itinerary Sample Itinerary
This is a provisional itinerary aiming to give you an idea of what your holiday will look like. There will be some elements which will change:
(OP) indicates an optional extra for which a charge will be made in advance.
DAY 1
Arrival and transfer to hotel
Afternoon - Activity suggestion: Wander around the city centre getting a feel for Turin city and lunch at any of the restaurants in the city centre.
Evening - Overview of the week.
DAY 2
Morning – Pre-Festival Club Dance Holidays Tango lessons (2 hours)
Afternoon suggestion - Wander around the city centre getting a feel for Turin city and lunch at any of the restaurants in the city centre.
Evening – Tango Milonga with the locals!
DAY 3
Morning - Pre-Festival Club Dance Holidays Tango lessons (2 hours)
Afternoon suggestion - Lunch and free time in Piazza Castello shopping area!
Evening - (OP) Excellent Argentinian Night: Enjoy a superb traditional Argentinean meal in the company of the Festival organizers. Tango dancing afterwards!
DAY 4
Morning - Pre-Festival Club Dance Holidays Tango lessons (2 hours) Afternoon - Free time in Turin.
Evening - Tango Festival Milonga
Morning and Afternoon - Tango Festival workshops with the best tango Masters in the world! Evening - Tango Festival Milonga
DAY 6
Morning and Afternoon - Tango Festival workshops with the best tango Masters in the world! Evening - Tango Festival Milonga
DAY 7
Morning and Afternoon - Tango Festival workshops with the best tango Masters in the world! Evening - Tango Festival Milonga included in your holiday
DAY 8
Transfer to Airport
Nightlife Four Festival Tango Milongas (Tango dance parties) are included in your holiday. These Milongas are attended by hundreds (literally) of Tango aficionados.
Your Teachers Pre-Festival Club Dance Holidays course teachers:
We will be working with the best of the tango teachers in Turin.
The Festival teachers:
Your teachers for the Festival tango classes are not announced yet by the organisers. Last year guest teachers were: Esteban Moreno y Claudia Codega
Carlos Copello and Silvina Pino Javier Rodrigues y Geraldine Rojas Leo Calvelli y Eugenia Usandivaras Alejandra Martinan y Gabriel Misse Pedro Monteleone
Food and Meals Breakfast is included in your holiday. Lunch and Dinner are not included in your holiday.
Vegetarianism is not a very mature concept in Italy. A lot of Italians, especially bar and restaurant owners, don't
understand someone who doesn't eat any meat. However contrary to popular belief there are some real treats for vegetarians - Mediterranean vegetables, bread, pasta and olive oil are of excellent quality. If you are vegetarian we will give you some more tips on arrival.
The food and water is just as well regulated in Italy as in Britain and the chances of falling sick because of what you
eat are equally unlikely in both countries. However some people are upset by the change in diet. This can be minimised by ordering carefully.
Optional Extras What are optional extras? In addition to your holiday we also offer you a variety of optional extras to make your
holiday even richer and add some local colour. You can buy your optional extras at the welcome meeting at the beginning of your holiday. We will ask you to pay in cash and fill out a form. These are the optional extras that we anticipate running – actual details and prices will be confirmed on arrival. Some may require minimum numbers. Excellent Argentinian Night (optional extra): Enjoy a superb traditional Argentinean meal in the company of the Festival organizers. Tango dancing afterwards! (£25)
Festival technique classes - prices and programme to be announced by Festival.
Single Room Supplements, Upgrades and Budget Options
Option 1 (Five star hotel included in your holiday) - Included
Meridien Lingotto - Hotel**** Bed & Breakfast - (21/03/2005 to 28/03/2005 - 7 nights)
Twin Room (Single Occp.) (1 Person) 217.00 GBP
Flights and Transfers Flights: Flights are from a London based airport to Turin . Please check in two hours prior to departure. Those wishing to fly from regional airports within the UK and abroad can request a quote through Dance Holidays. Please note supplements may apply.
transfers are provided for all those passengers whose flights coincide with the arrivals and departures of the standard Dance Holidays flight. Please look out for a Dance Holidays representative in the Arrivals Lounge. Times of the Airport transfer: Please see www.clubdanceholidays.com or contact our UK Reservations Team to find out the times of our Airport transfer (+44 870 286 6000).
Making you own way to the hotel for ground only package
Making Your Own Way to Turin: For those whose flights don't coincide with our Airport coach transfer, we
recommend the following modes of transport: By bus: Turin Airport - Turin
A public bus service, available from early in the morning until midnight, will take you from the airport to the centre of town or vice versa. It takes about 40 minutes from and to the airport and the ticket costs euro 4,13. If you buy the ticket on the bus you pay euro 0,52 extra.
Airport-city centre
· Airport Terminal: Arrival level in front of national/E.U. flight gate · Ticket vending machine on Arrival level (national/E.U flights lounge)
City centre-Airport
· City Terminal: Railway station Porta Nuova, Corso Vittorio Emanuele II / Via Sacchi · Ticket purchase points: Cafés near Terminal on bus.
By Taxi
The airport taxi stand is located on the Arrivals level in front of the gate of national/E.U. flights. It takes about 30 minutes to reach the centre of Turin or vice versa and the trip approximately costs euro 30 euros.
What to Expect in terms of
Organisation
On Arrival: You will receive information on the Festival and other helpful tips on arrival.
Independence during your holiday and free time: You are fully independent on this holiday. Although your
holiday is carefully organized and coordinated, we believe our guests do not like to be over-organised. So we give you quality information with all the addresses of where there are dance activities. You can decide for yourself if and when you want to turn up. We encourage you to explore Turin during your stay. This can be done when you please around the dance classes and Milongas at night.
Club Dance Holidays Host: Your holiday tour host is there to make your holiday as enjoyable as possible. Club
Dance Holidays Tour Hosts are a cut above your typical Holiday Rep with a lightness of touch that enables you to get the best out of your holiday without being in the least bit interfering. We make sure you get the best out of the destination even though you are there for a relatively short time and we do this through our local knowledge and our knowledge of dance. Club Dance Holidays Tour Hosts normally offer much more of themselves than you would expect including making sure your nights are sociable and fun often well into the small hours if that is your whim. During the daytime the level of participation and presence of Club Dance Holidays tour hosts varies according to the nature of each holiday and its destination.
Welcome Drink: At the start of the holiday, you will be invited to a drink.
Getting Around: You are responsible for making your own way to the dance classes and dance activities on the
itinerary. Turin is a big city. You may wish to take taxis at some points on the itinerary.
Before Your Go Books on Turin and Italy: It may be worth your while reading up on your destination before you go. 'The Shroud
of Turin': The Most Up-To-Date Analysis of All the Facts Regarding the Church's Controversial Relic. 'Milan & Turin - The Heritage Guide from Touring Club Italiano' is one of the best local guide and has a big section in Turin. Another suggestions are: 'The Italian Food Guide: The Ultimate Guide to the Regional Foods of Italy' and 'Italy - The Heritage Guide' both from Touring Club Italiano.
Budgeting for your holiday: Here are some guidelines on prices, to help you do your own calculations. Please refer
to the optional extra section of the fact sheet for the prices of the optional extras. Three course meal including drinks in the centre of town: 25-30 euros
Taxi ride across town: 10 euros Rum and coke in a nightclub: 6 euros Beer in a bar/cafe: 3 euros
Coffee in a bar/cafe: 2 euros
Entrance to a monument or museum: 5 euros.
Health and Fitness: There are no particular health requirements for a dance holiday. However you should be able to
Insurance, Visa and Passport Requirements: Refer to the brochure for full details. In brief, Insurance is a
condition of booking. Visas may be required for non EU citizens. British nationals need a full passport to travel to Italy. Travel Documents: You receive these when you have paid for your holiday in full and we have received your airline tickets. In some cases the airlines do not release the tickets until five days before the departure date. We also confirm the address and phone number of the hotel and the emergency contact numbers.
Essential equipment and clothing to bring
Useful Things to Bring:
Camera
Shoes suitable for spending a long time walking around the streets Dance shoes
Spring clothing for day Light weight coat for evenings
This fact sheet and Joining Instructions Passport, money, plane ticket.
What to wear for dancing: We recommend that you bring shoes with a leather sole for the dance classes. You
may also be wise to bring shoes with a rubber sole as the floors in the evenings might be somewhat “fast” and they will give you an alternative. Your shoes should be comfortable and supportive. Wear lightweight cotton socks to avoid sweaty and blistered feet! It is probable that you may get through quite a few clothes in the classes and dancing at night so bring a variety of outfits. Wear comfortable loose clothing for the classes. Some of the Festival events will be quite smart – do bring some smart outfits with you for the evenings.
At Your Destination Banks and Money: The easiest way to buy obtain euros is by using a credit card at one of the numerous cash points. You can buy small amounts, as often as you like, at any time, without queuing. You will need to know your P.I.N. Bank opening hours are normally 9.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. Banks will change cash, travellers cheques and will sell you currency on your credit card providing the lines are open. You will always need to show your passport at a bank.
Tipping is not generally common in Italy as in Britain. There is no need to tip taxis but it is usual to leave a 5 - 10%
tip at a restaurant if you are particularly pleased with your dinner/lunch.
We feel our tour hosts work hard to give you an exceptional holiday and sometimes you may find that they add some special touches which are beyond the call of duty. If you agree with us, you might wish to show your appreciation by way of a tip. You can do this by putting money in an envelope on your own or by getting together with other guests. This evidently is entirely at your discretion.
Making friends with the locals and people not on the holiday: If you make friends with a local and would like
them to come along to the activities organised by us, then just ask your Tour Host and except for the dance classes and provided they pay their way there should not be a problem. We are here after all to interact with the locals. Generally, however, we discourage people who are not on the holiday from coming out with us or joining the activities and we ask for your discretion is this respect.
