Far West Ski Association trips + Romania guide

My partner, Carolyn, and I took a three-week trip to Switzerland, Bulgaria and Romania, Feb. 26-March 19, 2011, with Far West Ski Association (310/319-3757). This trip, like others organized by the FWSA about March every year, was part skiing and part touring.

Each week could be booked separately, but the cost for all three weeks was about $4,200 per person. That included transatlantic airfare from San Francisco or Los Angeles; 20 hotel nights in three- and four-star hotels; all breakfasts and most dinners, and a number of parties.

FWSA offers a trip to Europe every winter (you don’t have to be a skier to go) plus some nonski trips now and then. To go, you need to either become a “direct” FWSA member or belong to one of the many constituent ski clubs found all around the western United States (the one in Sacramento is the Capitol Ski & Sports Club). A year’s membership costs $50 for a couple or $30 for a single.

The Romania part of our February-March trip was entirely touring, and, for us, a highlight was the young guide who took us around Bucharest and three cities in Transylvania: Vlad Petrov (phone 004 0721 766 865 or e-mail vladdrakool@gmail.com or reach him at Danubius Travel, Palas Pelican Complex, Mamaia 900001, Constant¸a, Romania; e-mail vlad.petrov@danubius.ro)

Vlad, about 30, is fluent in English and has a delightful sense of humor.

HAP DUNNING
Davis, CA

Editor’s note: Vlad Petrov charges the following for his guide services: for a half-day tour (four hours or fewer) of Constant¸a, €50 per tour, NOT per person; for a full-day tour (more than four hours) of Constant¸a, €60, and for round trips within Romania, €60 (near $80) per day.