There was an article on page D1 of the "Personal Journal." section of the _Wall Street Journal._ on Wednesday, January 4, 2006 about Turin. The article was carried by several other newspapers.
Lack of Buzz Surrounding Turin Means
Good Seats, Hotel Rooms Still Available
By AVERY JOHNSON
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
January 4, 2006; Page D1
The coming Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy, have generated such little buzz that there are still thousands of tickets unsold and an unexpected number of hotel rooms available.
With fewer than 40 days left until the opening ceremony on Feb. 10, Jumbo Grandi Eventi, the Italian agency organizing hotel accommodations, still has 2,000 rooms free. CoSport, the company in the U.S. authorized to sell seats at the Turin Olympics, has tickets available for almost every event -- including the popular women's figure-skating final. The Torino Organizing Committee has been so worried about turnout that it has commissioned a national television and advertising campaign called \"Being There Is Different.\"
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The confluence of factors is creating a lot more last-minute options for travelers who might want to take in the Games, which run from Feb. 10 through Feb. 26. Those searching for a quick Olympic fix will find that about half of event tickets sell for between about $25 and $60. (Though markups from sellers can add to the price.) Early rounds of women's hockey, for example, are about $24, while some tickets to Alpine skiing are $36 (through
Torino2006.org).
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In one of the biggest surprises, it isn't nearly as difficult to find hotel rooms as once feared. Turin has built three five-star hotels and two four-star hotels in time for the Games. Jumbo Grandi Eventi has deals like $165 a night at the Hotel Residenza Del Lago, which is about 28 miles from the Turin airport. Ludus Tours has a seven-day package that starts at $1,450 and includes a downtown Turin hotel, airport transfer, two dinners and a tour guide.
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Airline tickets also are readily available. ... Bargain-hunting travelers can also take advantage of cheap off-season fares to London and Paris. Then they can fly European discounters, such as
easyJet and Ryanair, to Turin, sometimes for the price of a sandwich. A one-way ticket from Paris's Orly Airport to Turin on Feb. 10, for example, is about $8 (plus tax) on easyJet.
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The $8 (actually EUR6.99. The Euro symbol won't show properly on my computer. This is supposed to be it: €.) fare for February 10 is gone, but that fare is available for other dates. Taxes and landing fees raise the final cost somewhat. Still, it's a pretty good fare.