The Continent, Off the Grid

A sheep-and-goat herder in Cyprus. Photo: Terry Williams/Getty Images

Yes, the Euro and the pound have been killing the dollar. But that doesn’t mean a European vacation is entirely out of the question. You just have to be smarter about where you go. We turned to Tom Marchant of the U.K.-based travel service Black Tomato for assistance. Marchant’s two-and-a-half-year-old company, which he runs with two college friends, specializes in helping what he describes as “time-poor” clients locate destinations and activities that haven’t been steamrolled by the worldwide Tourist Industrial Complex. (The firm’s name, by the way, refers to an exotic fruit that is coveted in Russia.) Black Tomato has just launched a Website for U.S. customers (blacktomatotravel.com) and plans to open an office in New York before the end of the year.

Marchant’s advice to American travelers is twofold: Head east, where the exchange rates are weaker and regional cultures stronger, and if you must hit the major postcard countries, be prepared to stray from the beaten path. We asked him to make suggestions in three broad categories of travel.

FOR LOCAL CULTURE

The Machine House in Transylvania. Photo: Courtesy of Black Tomato

Transylvania, Romania
“Stay at the Machine House (from $127; 407-2400-3658 or zabola.com). It’s an inn set in private parkland, at the foot of the Carpathian Mountains. Unbelievable scenery—a crumbling castle, a stunning lake. You’ll be amazed at the utter silence; it’s right out of a fairy tale. Combine it with a long weekend in Bucharest, which is like what Moscow used to be before the Western influence got out of control.”

Tahko, Finland
“My mother’s Finnish, so I’m biased. But this is a wonderful area. There are a thousand lakes, with the purest water you can imagine. Tahko introduces you to the simple, life-affirming rituals of Finnish culture. Everybody’s got a cabin, called a mökki, with their sauna right on the lake. You can drink cloudberry-infused Champagne. There’s also a great beer called Lapin Kulta—you’ll want one or two of those right after your sauna. If you can get a big group together, the place to stay is the Villa Pekka ($11,200 per week for up to ten people; inquire through Black Tomato), which has a magnificent view of its own lake and interiors by Finnish design star Tiina Ruotsi.”

FOR FOOD AND WINE

Troödos Mountains, Cyprus
“The mountains are the border between the Greek and Turkish parts of the island where they produce fantastic white wine. You come back home raving about Cypriot wine, and people might look at you funny. But you’ll know something they don’t. And the food is good and simple, goat farmers making cheese and amazing lamb, of course. You can rent out a private residence there or stay in a small inn, like the Mill Hotel (from $130, including breakfast; 357-2292-2536 or cymillhotel.com).”

San Sebastián, Spain
“It’s a coastal town, so there’s quite a few tourist traps. But you don’t have to go far down a back street to find amazing local restaurants with great cheap wine and an unspoiled atmosphere. Plus you’re well situated to take side trips, like, say, three days in the Rioja wine region, where you can stay in boutique hotels, eat some of the world’s most amazing food, and cycle through the hills to burn it all off.”

FOR OUTDOORS AND ADVENTURE

Lake Bled, Slovenia
“This is a real escape from the world, a beautiful lake framed by the Julian Alps. I remember going out to the middle of it one morning on a boat with my girlfriend. We had a warm flask of coffee and watched the sun rise over the surface of the water, which had not a single ripple. There’s plenty of hiking and biking options, too, caves to explore, mineral springs. Stay at the intimate Vila Bled (from $363; 386-4579-1500 or vila-bled.com) and row to the pilgrimage church on its own island in the center.”

Chamonix, France
“Okay, so it’s not exactly cheap. But this is the best resort in all of the Alps. Mont Blanc dominates the town, with a smaller range of mountains all around it. You spend the days mountain biking or rafting in the streams. In the evening, there’s a vibrant nightlife, but not discothèques. More like restaurants and bars that have been there for generations. You have your Verbiers and St. Moritzes, which are incredibly lovely, but Chamonix is the place to go.”

CAPITAL DISCOUNTS
To lure U.S. vacationers, luxury hotels in Europe’s biggest cities are getting creative.

Photo: Courtesy Donna Smith International PR

LONDON
The Digs: The Capital Hotel (44-20-7591-1200 or capitalhotel.co.uk).
The Deal: Three nights in an executive-double room for $1,400. The Capital’s International Package, reserved solely for U.S. citizens, includes a full breakfast, a chauffeured car to and from Heathrow, and free health-club access. Standard double rooms normally cost £285 (approximately $573) per night, so the deal saves Yanks $320 for a three-night stay.

Photo: Courtesy of St. James Paris

PARIS
The Digs: Saint James Paris (33-1-4405-8181 or saint-james-paris.com).
The Deal: $470 a night for a Superior Room, including taxes and breakfast. The charming century-old château is just steps from all the tourist fodder in the 16th Arrondissement. Dollar-users save over $300 off the regular rate of 490 euros.

Photo: Courtesy of Starwood Hotels

ROME
The Digs: The St. Regis Grand Hotel, Rome (39-06-47091 or stregis.com).
The Deal: Fixed rate of $1.30 to the euro for all rooms (the current exchange rate is roughly $1.60). The centrally located property tempts American travelers with an across-the-board 19 percent discount.

The Continent, Off the Grid