Trafalgar Tours gears up for once-in-a-decade spectacular

Trafalgar has just released its Oberammergau 2010 brochure with 14 distinct itineraries and rates that start at $2,675 per person, double occupancy. Each of the tours and departures featured in the new Oberammergau 2010 brochure includes pre-reserved tickets to the play, but you are encouraged to book now as these itineraries will sell out quickly.

Trafalgar Tours’ lengthy history of offering tours to the village and creating packages around this spectacle each decade means it can offer premium seats, top-tier accommodations and plenty of access to this attraction, which often sees more than 500,000 spectators in a season.

"Trafalgar’s relationships are key to our success in offering the best experience possible of this momentous and important part of European history," says Trafalgar Tours president Paul Wiseman. "And we have seen a great demand for these tours and tickets many months in advance of the season."

All packages in Trafalgar’s new brochure highlight the Oberammergau 2010 experience within a greater tour of Germany and, in several tour itineraries, a visit to Vienna, Paris and other legendary destinations in Europe.

The Oberammergau Passion Play happens only once a decade and it has been happening that way since 1634, ever since medieval villagers found their prayers answered and their village spared from the ravages of the great plague.

In its 376 years and 37 seasons, the Oberammergau Passion Plays have attracted more than their share of interest from heads of state, royalty and travelers alike interested in witnessing a spectacular piece of Europe’s embattled and legendary past.

From May through September next year, the mountain hamlet of Oberammergau located some 60 miles southwest of Munich will come alive each afternoon and evening as the town’s people reenact the Passion of the Christ from his arrival in Jerusalem to his resurrection in an eight-hour sensation (including dinner) of drama, tableaux and choruses.

"The Passion Play is often a highlight of the tour but it also serves to anchor in the European experience and gives you a wide and emotional perspective of the continent’s history as well as a connection to the culture around them," says Wiseman.

Examples of the attractive tours Trafalgar has designed around the event include:

* Best of Germany (13 days, from $3,135 per person) visits Frankfurt, Rhine Valley, Cologne, Hamburg, Berlin, Dresden, Nuremberg, Rothenburg, Munich, Oberammergau (2-night stay), Black Forest and Heidelberg.

* Sound of Music (10 days, from $2,675 per person) visits Vienna, Salzburg, Berchtesgaden, Innsbruck, Oberammergau (2 night stay), Neuschwanstein and Munich.

* European Delight (15 days, from $2,999 per person) visits Rome, Florence, Venice, Vienna, Salzburg, Oberammergau (2 night stay), Innsbruck, Lucerne, Paris and London.

* European Escapade (22 days, from $4,999 per person) visits London, Bruges, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Rhine Falls, Lucerne, Innsbruck, Oberammergau, Salzburg, Vienna, Venice, Rome, Florence, Pisa, Monte Carlo, Nice, Lyon and Paris.

Trafalgar’s Europe vacations always include First Class hotel accommodations; luxury transportation by motor coach, rail or cruise ship; outstanding cuisine; daily sightseeing and optional excursions with expert local guides; and the personal concierge services of the most professional, knowledgeable Tour Directors in the travel industry.

For more information and reservations, see your travel agent or call  (866) 544-4434  or visit www.trafalgartours.com. Brochures can be ordered online at www.trafalgartours.com.