Great Sports Events To Travel For

FEBRUARY
Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, 10th-26th Of February.
Sports include: skiing, sledding, skating and you get the spectacular backdrop of the Italian Alps.
Easyjet and Ryanair and British Airways will get you there
www.torino2006.org

MARCH
Commonwealth Games Melbourn, Australia 15th March
Sports include Gymnastics, weightlifting, Hockey, Netball, Table Tennis to bowls
www.melbourne2006.com.au
Expect to flights to cost around ?600 return

Rome Marathon, March 26th
The marathon is run through sometimes narrow and cobbled streets and spectators can see the runners pounding those cobbles at three different occasions: at the beggining, at the 20 mile point and at the end. In the meantime check out the Colosseum, The forum, The Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon.
Expect to pay around ?61 on Ryanair from Stansted or ?76 with Easjet from Gatwick to Rome Ciampino
www.maratonadiroma.it

JUNE
World Cup Finals kicks of in Germany 9th June 2006
Finals end a month later in Berlin
The team are actually staying in Baden-Baden
England are facing Paraguay in Frankfurt on day two
www.fifaworldcup.yahoo.com
Air France, Ryanair will get you there

Stockholm Marathon, June 3rd
Runners do the same lap twice, so spectators get two viewings. In the meantime you can wander through the cobbled old town of Galma Stan, taking in the royal palace and the Storkyrkan (cathedral).
www.stockholmarathon.se
Expect to pay around ?65 from Stansted with Ryanair or ?70 from Luton to Vastera. British Airways flies from Heathrow to the more central Arlana for around ?97

JULY
93rd Tour de France, hosted in Strasbourg 1st-23rd July
21 teams each with nine riders wiz through 580 town throughout France finishing at the Champs Elysees in Paris on 23 July.
www.letour.fr

SEPTEMBER
Berlin Marathon, September 24th
You get to see the runners pass nearby at the start of the race, at the four mile point at 24 mile point and then at the finish. In the mean time you can visit the former wall crossing at Checkpoint Charlie and see the new Potzdamer Platz.
More info
You can get there with Air Berlin from Stansted (393), Sky Europe from Stansted (349), Jet2.com from Manchester (?78).

BUDAPEST
Budapest Marathon, October 22nd
The marathon is run through a picturesque landscape that crosses the Danube four times. A trip via the funicular to the buda castle district gives you a great view of the marathon runners on the riverbanks below. Visit the Hungarian national gallery and the Matthyas church.
www.budapestmarathon.com
Air Berlin takes you there from Stasted (?93), SkyEurope from Stansted (?49); Jet2.com from Manchester (?78)

NOVEMBER
Melbourn Cup, Australia – First Tuesday of November
This is the most prestigious horseracing event on the south of the equator.
If you fancy a flutter, Makybe Diva has won the last three races
www.melbournecup.com

6 February 2006