I turned on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme this morning as usual to hear the recorded message “due to rights restrictions this part of the programme is unavailable”.

Then i tried BBC Radio 5 jsut to check and i get the same message.

I am in Italy….is anyone else getting this recorded message ? or just me ?

Is this because of the Olympic opening event this eve ? or the Olympics in general…and if so how long does this restriction  last ?

Anyone from the BBC please answer in comments others please answer the below question and once we have a 1000 answers/votes i will forward it to the BBC.

If you are abroad can you hear the BBC radio ?

Click Yes or NO to the question. (no need to be a registered member…this is an open public poll.)

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Free Ski week at Brembo Ski

FreeSki for 6 days at Brembo Ski in Val Brembana, 1 hour north of Bergamo BGY airport, Italy. Book a ski apartment or ski chalet from the participating ski accomodation in Foppolo for 1 week and get a 6 day free ski pass.

Brembo ski pass daily price is 21euros, saving you 126 euros.

Offer is available during the following dates :

7-15 January 2012 / 14-22 January 2012 / 17-25 March 2012 / 24 March – 1 April 2012 /.

You must stay in either :

3 star 7 day half pension ski hotel/chalet (costs 355euros/person/week) or a 2 star 7 day half pension ski apartment costing 306 euros/person/week. Get your voucher at the ski hotel and present at the Brembo ski lifts and pick up the 6 day free ski pass.

La Valle Brembana : Brembana Valley : Brembo Ski

Just over 1 hours drive north from Bergamo airport BGY (ryanair call it Milan-Bergamo or as it is known locally “Orio al Serio” airport), you can be in the Brembana Valley ski resorts of Foppolo – Carona – San Simone, collectively known as the ski resort “Brembo Ski”.

We have many Italian ski chalets, ski apartments for sale In Italy on our books. Contact for more details.

Why Brembo Ski ? Its just over an hours drive from BGY. That is it’s the nearest skiing to any Italian airport. It’s already popular with English school trips. Many small apartments ideal for kids groups. A 1970’s resort a bit like Marilleva, was popular but as skiing became more of a lifestyle event rather than intensive skiing they lost their market share to other smarter resorts. There were political problems between the 3 local resorts and they never got it together. Now the local mayors of each town are on the same side and they are re-investing into the infrastructure and have brought serious international investors in to the area.

The Italian group De Benedetti has recently bought out the whole old ski infrastructure and is now committed with local partners to spend over 100million euros in the redevelopment of the area, creating new hotels, new parking, new ski lifts  and new property developments.

Skiing : these slopes are great for beginners & intermediate skiers.

Follows relevant ski local website information for documenting :

Brembo Ski

http://www.brembanaski.com/ (English links in bottom right hand corner)

http://www.brembanaski.com/ingleseski/index.html

http://www.piazzatorreskiarea.com/impianti.html

http://www.valbrembanaweb.it/valtortaski.html

http://www.brembanaski.com/ingleseski/alberghi.html

http://www.orobievive.net/10_demanio_foppolo/rs_foppolo/record%20su%20piste%20sci_%2004%20gennaio%202011.pdf

How to get from trapani airport to Mazara del Vallo ?

As from 8th August 2011 there is now a bus connecting Trapani TPS airport directly to downtown Mazara del Vallo (via Guido Dorso).

Departure times from Trapani airport to Mazara (journey 60 minutes) are : 5:45  7:40  13:40  14:55  16:45  20:30  23:30

Departure times from Mazara (via Guido Dorso) to TPS airport are: 4:45  6:20  7:45  13:50  15:15  19:15  22:00

Service ran by local “AST” bus. Tickets cost 3.6 euros.

Follow here for more info on Trapani TPS airport

Trapani : I visit Trapani city centre often, so if you are flying into Trapani airport TPS for a holiday in or around Trapani, Sicily then here is some travel info on Trapani rentals.

I have stayed or visited these proposed rental accommodations and recommend them. When you contact them directly and book mention “MIPC” you will probably get a better rate than you can get through rental websites like booking.com hotels.com laterooms.com.
You have probably landed here as you have booked a cheap flight with Ryanair into Trapani airport, Sicily and need somewhere to stay. Firstly you need to consider onwards travel to your accommodation from the airport otherwise you will be stuck in the middle of nowhere.
Jump to each section of this article.

• Onwards travel from Trapani Airport
• Trapani city centre rental

Onwards travel from Trapani Airport:

Firstly it is important that you know that Trapani airport is 20 minutes from Trapani city centre and public transport is not the best. Your options of onward travel are bus, taxi and car hire.

Bus : The only bus routes running to/from Trapani airport are to the following destinations : Trapani city centre, Marsala centre and Palermo train station. Buses are not regular (see here for Trapani airport bus timetable and how/where to buy tickets) so do some research depending on your arrival time.

Taxi : Taxis operate around the Ryanair arrivals times schedule and generally hang around for 30 minutes after a plane arrives, after which they leave the airport as there is not a continuous arrival of flights/business. So move quickly to the taxi rank, don’t hang around having a snack in arrivals lounge or you may find the taxi rank empty. Negotiate your price with driver before setting off. Taxi to Trapani town centre is 30euros.

Car hire : Best option for mobility if you are NOT staying in Trapani city centre. Bring your sat nav you’ll need it if you are staying in some country agroturismo. NB. I have known people to queue for over an hour to get the hire car. Tip: On arrival send 1 of your group upfront to the car hire queue whilst others wait for luggage.


Trapani city centre rental:
Weekend or short stay in Trapani centre then I would advise you take the bus from Trapani airport (see here for Trapani airport bus timetable and how/where to buy tickets) rather than car hire, it just makes life easy. The rental accommodations in Trapani listed below are all within a 5 minute walk of the bus stop. Get off the bus at Trapani port bustop also known as Piazza Garibaldi, DO NOT stay on the bus to Trapani Bus Station (last stop) unless the accommodation listed recommends that stop.

If you have any problems booking just email MIPC and we will try to help

Highly recommended : “Residence Rosa dei Venti” : 3 star. Self catering apartments. great value quote “MIPC” when booking.

A: name “Tra Le Mura Le case di Hilde” : various apartments in Trapani historic town centre. MIPC rating 3 star

B: name “Residence Cortile Merce” : various services hotel, B&B or apartments. MIPC rating 2star

C: name “La Gancia” : 4 star accommodation

D: name “Al 10 B&B” : Opens summer 2011 : Looks good MIPC 3 star rating

E: name “Le Chiavi di San Francesco Residence” : website not in English. MIPC 3 star rating

F: name “B&B Le Vele” : 10 minute walk from port. MIPC 2 star rating

G: name “Casa Vacanza San Pietro” : MIPC rating 2 star, though nice historic building.

Trapani rent sicily.

06/09/11 : September 6th 2011 : A general strike by the CGIL union will bring Italy to a stand still today. Best to avoid flying in/out of Italy. Travel trains/buses/flights also cancelled /cancellations. Main italian airport disturbance scheduled from 10:00 – 18:00. The strike is all to do with Italian austerity measures to cut national debt, which is having consequential affects on employee rights, to name 1 of many issues.

Check your airline prior to leaving to the airport to check if  your flight to/from Italy has a cancellation or is cancelled or delayed.

Italy Air transport sector is on strike today 06/05/11 causing delays cancellations and disruption across the italian airports.

Check your airline prior to leaving to ensure your flight to/from Italy is not cancelled or delayed.

Ryanair flight info can be found here Ryanair. Italy.

Trapani TPS airport closed to civil aviation this afternoon Sunday 20/3/11 until further notice,   in preparation for international military action towards Libya. If  you are flying with Ryanair to Trapani TPS you will probably be diverted to Palermo PMO, (Trapani airport is also a military airport hence its closure). Not that you should panic visiting Sicily, but it is a strategic base in the current war with Libya along with the NATO base Sigonella. There has been increased military air action over the last 24 hours, quite strange actually for such a peacful area.

UPDATE : TPS Closed till 31st March inclusive. Airport opens as from 1st April….and no its not an Aprils Fools joke !! But not all flights will arrive and take off from Trapani, that is some will still operate from/into Palermo until 10/4/11.

You need to check the day and flight number here on the Ryanair website to be sure where you will land/take off.

ps: there is a shuttle bus operating between both airports for transfers.

The italian defense department has recently offered for sale some of her assets, including some intersting buildings. One in particulr is the light house on the italian island of Marettimo in the Egadi islands near Trapani sicily, next to the islands od Levanzo and Favignana. I will be visiting it on Sunday to take some photos and will report back next week. This is an interesting italian property development opportunity of a lighthouse on an accesabile island in Italy, I see a boutique hotel/residence with an exclusive mooring for yachts and a private jet runway or helicpoter landing pad….Buy a piece of italian history…sign up to our RSS to keep updated on this italian historic building development opportunity in Italy on the Egadi Islands near Trapani, Sicily in Marettimo.

Sicily continues to be highlighted in travel destinations as the sicilian lifestyle in it’s new era is discovered by international tourism. International investment opportunities are opening up. The UK telegraph continues with further articles on Sicily.
A guide to Sicily
Sicily : A new dawn
Considering a holiday in sicily, contact us for further details. Sicilian villas, B&B, property and more in Sicily.

Planning a holiday this 2011 ? Then Italy should be high on your list. Take a read of the UK telegraphs Italy holiday planner for 2011. Key areas of interest the “New Sicily” and “Iseo”, 2 key areas MIPC have an interest in where we can find you italian holiday homes and enhance your holiday with the MIPC local italian guide books and concierge service. Happy New Year and we hope to see you on holiday in Italy this 2011.