Photo of the Day (6.1.10)

by Stephen Greenwood on
June has finally arrived, which can only mean one thing – the World Cup is just less than two weeks away! When traveling abroad, it’s easy to see that football really is the most widely played sport on Earth; scenes like this one are a familiar occurrence.

This photo was taken by Flickr user pirano, on the steps of the beautiful Sacré Cœur in Montemartre, Paris. I love the beautifully balanced black & white tones and unique perspective that offsets the distinct backdrop of Parisian buildings with photo’s subject.


Do you have a shot of people playing football in an interesting location? Care to place your bet for World Cup outcomes in the comments? Head over to Flickr, submit your photos to our pool, and you could be featured as the Photo of the Day!

World Cup 2010: is Johannesburg ready?

by Sean McLachlan on

With the World Cup barely two weeks away, Johannesburg has shifted into high gear to get ready.

The city’s 2010 FIFA World Cup page proudly proclaims that a huge amount of effort and money has been spent on cleaning up the city and improving infrastructure. It has spent 1.2 billion rand ($151 million) to revamp Soccer City, a giant stadium where the opening ceremony and final game will be held. Billions have also gone into other stadiums and city infrastructure.

But a report by Business Day newspaper has found the city still hasn’t finished fixing roads between the main venues, the airport, and the hotel district. It’s an open question whether these will be done in time to deal with the huge increase in traffic once the World cup gets started. Another problem is transportation for the fans. The special transport set up between the airport and the fan park won’t run at night, forcing people to use public transport.

At least fans will be going to a place that was named the city with the lowest cost of living in a 2009 survey, and if they don’t find the savings being passed onto them, they can always get away from the crowds and visit Mozambique like many South Africans are doing this year.

Intrepid sees travel market turn for better

by Tom Johansmeyer on

For travel sector, the good news isn’t supposed to come until sometime next year, at best. Intrepid Travel, though, the market’s already headed in the right direction. The adventure tour operator posted sales growth of more than 30 percent over the past three months. March was up 38 percent from March 2008, with April up 57 percent year over year, so far. It may not be indicative of a broad shift in U.S. travel spending, but it’s certainly great news for Intrepid.

Europe is a top destination for Americans buying through Intrepid: sales to the region are up 625 percent year over year. Egypt is also a hot spot, boasting a year-over-year sales gain of 425 percent in February and March. And, the World Cup has pushed a sales increase of 217 percent for February and March year over year.

“We are certainly thrilled with these results. Travelers are feeling more confident about the economy and they are celebrating the ideal way – by going an adventure that will provide holiday memories to last a lifetime,” said Intrepid Travel North America General Manager, Matt Berna.

World Cup travelers outraged by high airfares

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Eager fans headed to this summer’s World Cup in South Africa have been finding plenty of frustration due to sky-high airline prices. According to a story in today’s Sydney Morning Herald, there may be a reason why: South Africa’s two main carriers are currently under investigation due to allegations of price collusion.

South Africa’s antitrust “Competition Commission” recently began an investigation of South African Airways and the country’s budget carrier Mango. Both carriers are suspected of agreeing to keep airfare prices artificially high during the ever-popular World Cup, with the country expecting around 350,000 visitors. Other airlines targeted by the probe include British Airways and partner Comair, as well as 1Time. South African Airways has offered to cooperate with the investigation in exchange for immunity from prosecution.

Is behind-the-scenes price fixing at work? The jury is still out, though the $1700-1900 tickets we found on Kayak from New York City did not exactly remove our doubts. Tickets to South Africa have never been cheap, and the higher demand during World Cup is sure to keep prices up as well. If you’re heading to South Africa for the Cup this summer, make sure to have good look around the airfare sites at prices before you purchase.

Daily Pampering: The only way to do the World Cup

by Tom Johansmeyer on


True fanaticism isn’t cheap. Cars, cigars and treats from bars – you can spend an absolute fortune satisfying your itch for a particular vice. Though the fans are few but fierce in the United States, soccer draws addicts around the world, and the upcoming World Cup in South Africa is sure to attract a committed crowd. If you want to put yourself in the middle of the action, don’t settle for a second-class experience. Envelope your World Cup experience in luxury, and it will be the sort of trip that you’ll use to judge the others you take for the rest of your life.

Cox & Kings has put together some itineraries that fuse exclusivity and high luxury. “Follow Team USA” includes both soccer and safari components and can be booked through late March. You’ll pick up guaranteed tickets for U.S. matches and also be able to roam through world-renowned safari camps. If you’re going to head all the way out to South Africa, you’ll want to make the most of your trip.

Each of the three “Follow Team USA” all-inclusive World Cup VIP packages runs between June 9 and June 24, 2010. All three include tickets to all three Team USA matches and bonus matches, including opener between South Africa and Mexico. You’ll enjoy the action from VIP business seats as a guest of the Los Angeles Futbol Club Foundation. Additionally, safaris are available, ranging from three nights to five. Prices range from $24,355 to $29,060 per person, depending on safari options and how late into the World Cup you plan to stay around (you can get tickets to the finals, if you can handle the tab).

Want more? Get your daily dose of pampering right here.