Travel briefs
A racy package
PACK A Panama and a pair of binoculars if you fancy a trip that takes in the racing highlights of Australasia. On offer from Joe Walsh Tours is a 15-day Horse-Racing Holiday with the Irish Racegoers Club. Taking in the cities of Kuala Lumpur, Melbourne, Sydney and Singapore, it departs on October 27th with a return date of November 10th. The package price, per person sharing, costs €2849 plus airport tax of €489. Contact joewalshtours.ie for details.
Leg it over Ballyhoura
The National Mountain Bike Marathon Championships heads for the Ballyhoura Mountains, Co Cork, for the first time on September 26th. The 60km course will take in some of most challenging bike trails in Ireland and will test the most experienced riders. A mini-marathon over a 25km trail will also take place. Race registration is at mbcc.ie/marathonchamps or email mbccork@gmail.com.
Ballyhoura is to host the European Elite Marathon Championships in 2014.
Weather check
Meteo Alarm on Met Éireann’s homepage (met.ie) offers an over-view of Europe, accurate to four and five day forecasts. Before going on holiday Met Éireann’s own forecasters like to check worldweather.com
€56.3m
The amount in euros demanded of German drivers in parking fines abroad in 2009. Around five million Germans drive to European holidays each year, resulting in 515,784 tickets last year: half of them from Switzerland.