Collette Vacations just introduced its 2009 season, offering more guaranteed departure dates than ever before. Customers can look for many new types of programs and new destinations―Turkey, Morocco and Jordan. The destination roster spans seven continents and Collette’s three brands, including its small tour division, Explorations by Collette, and its Smithsonian Journeys Travel Adventures learning tours, both of which have been expanded due to increased consumer demand.

“In response to travel trends we saw developing in the escorted tour market,” says Melissa Famiglietti Snape, vice president of product, “we’ve developed four new tours that feature a rail component, including Eastern Rail Odyssey – which travels the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. – and Beautiful British Columbia which features the Rocky Mountaineer Train’s Fraser Discovery Route."

“Four new programs were developed featuring U.S.-based destinations, fulfilling a demand for travel closer to home,” Snape added. “Domestic travel is really surging, though there is still a strong demand for international destinations – especially to exotic places like Morocco and Jordan. Also, we’ve launched an all-Australia small group program this year, which affords travelers more time for in-depth exploration and discovery in one of our top destinations.”

Daniel Sullivan, Jr., president and CEO of Collette Vacations, emphasizes India’s growth this year as well. “Last year, we launched our first program to visit India, and as the 2009 season takes off, more and more people want to go there; it’s really on the map now.”

Sullivan also notes that Oberammergau, famous for its once-in-a-decade Passion Play, is being featured in five 2010 European itineraries centered around the performance. “It’s already selling incredibly well; the limited engagement of this historic event is one of the driving forces for customers in the coming travel season.”

New Collette Vacations tours:
• Eastern Rail Odyssey, 8 days • 10 meals Starting at $2149*
• Cruise the Bays & Railways of New England, 10 days • 16 meals
Starting at $1899
• Colors of New England, 8 days • 10 meals Starting at $1899
• Historic Trains of California, 10 days • 14 meals Starting at $2099
• Beautiful British Columbia, 11 days • 15 meals Starting at $3299
• Coastal Ireland, 13 days • 18 meals Starting at $2399
• France and Bavaria, 10 days • 12 meals Starting at $2049

New Explorations by Collette tours:

• Journey through Jordan & Egypt, 15 days • 24 meals
Starting at $2899*
• Treasures of Spain, 11 days • 17 meals Starting at $2849
• Australian Adventure, 18 days • 23 meals Starting at $4199

New Smithsonian Journeys Travel Adventures tours:
• Crossroads of Sicily, 11 days • 15 meals Starting at $2299*
• Mediterranean Spain & Morocco, 13 days • 19 meals
Starting at $3449
• Classical Turkey, 12 days • 19 meals Starting at $2199

To view day-by-day itineraries and available departure dates, visit Collette’s website at www.collettevacations.com.

*Prices are starting at, per person, land only, based on double occupancy.

The famous Oberammergau Passion Play — presented every 10 years in the southern German town — is scheduled to be performed on 102 days in 2010, with the first show on May 15.

According to its Web site, www.passionsspiele2010.de, the famous play was the result of a vow made by the townspeople after they had suffered through a plague and the destruction of the Thirty Year’s War. They promised to put on a "play of the suffering, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ" every 10 years if they survived.

In a change for 2010, the first part of the performances will be 2:30 to 5 p.m. and the second part from 8 to 10:30 p.m. Previous performances had been in the mornings and afternoons.

Oberammergau is offering one-night packages for performances on Friday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, the price depending on the hotel category. It starts at 199 euros per person (about $275) and includes one night’s accommodation, lunch or brunch, dinner, shuttle to the play, admission ticket, program book and admission to the Oberammergau Museum. A two-night package is good for Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday performances. It begins at 275 euros per person and includes an additional night’s accommodation and dinner.

Tickets without the package run from 49.50 euros to 165 euros. The Web site includes a complete schedule and further details.

Little Venice, Bamberg, is one of the exotic sights in the digital show "The Best of Bavaria," which kicks off the Kiwanis Travel and Adventure Series tonight.
The Kiwanis Club of Phoenixville's first program of its Travel and Adventure film series will be held Thursday, Oct. 2, at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium at the Center for Arts and Technology, Pickering Campus, Charlestown Road, Phoenixville.

For the 36th year, the Kiwanis has offered this series as a community service promoting international understanding and an appreciation of our world's many cultures. All profits from the series go directly to support Kiwanis service projects in the Phoenixville community.

The Oct. 2 program is titled "The Best of Bavaria,'' presented by award-winning filmmakers Fran and Brooke Reidelberger, the program will offer a fun-filled digital show focusing on food, festivals, fantastic mountain scenery, fascinating history and story-book towns. Using archival footage, they show the re-birth of Munich after World War II and then capture the spirit of Munich today at the city's renowned Oktoberfest. Highlights of the program will feature the Bavarian Forest, the "Romantic Road," Mad King Ludwig's castles, and the tourist trilogy towns of Mittenwald, Oberammergau and Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Join us as we visit Regensburg, Bamberg, and view a children's festival, woodcarvers, beer makers and German craftsmen.

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The second program in the series will be "St. Vincent and Grenadine Islands'' on Nov. 6. Two programs will be offered in the spring of 2009. Spring programs will be "America's Pacific Northwest," March 12, and "From Scotland to Provence," April 16.

All programs are held at 7:30 p.m. at CAT Pickering Auditorium. Tickets for individual programs are $7 for adults and only $2 for students. A season ticket good for four admissions is available for $23. Tickets may be purchased at the door for each show or in advance by writing to Kiwanis Club of Phoenixville, P.O. Box 622, Phoenixville, PA 19460. Checks should be made payable to The Kiwanis Club of Phoenixville.

Prior to each show, the Culinary Arts Department of the Center for Arts and Technology will provide a dinner themed to the evening's program. The dinner will be served beginning at 6 p.m. The dinner charge is $12 payable at the door. Advanced reservations for the dinner must be made by calling 610-948-1278 by the Sunday prior to each show. The reservation deadline for the October show is Sunday, Sept. 28.

Offered as a community service for the past 36 years, the Travel and Adventure Series has been both informative and a great evening of family entertainment. For additional information or to receive a brochure about the series, call 610-948-1278.