European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 20, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Cover Story Sis pm pm this will be one packed Gondola come Olympy ski time in february at to lines. Invading Albertville Frank Myers knew that if he wanted to realize a lifetime dream of attending the olympics he would have to get a jump on the Competition. So More than a year ago a about the same time the first . Troops were setting up Camp in saudi Arabia a Myers began organizing a trip to the Winter olympics in France this february. A a it s kind of a once in a lifetime Opportunity to be Able to go to the olympics and be on the slopes at the same time a said Myers an avid skier who works for a computer firm in we Brucken Germany. Myers trips officer for the we Brucken ski club has 40 people signed up for a one week ski trip to Val d Sere one of the tiny olympic villages in the Savoie Alps and the Hometown of Jean Claude Killy the French hero of the 1968 Winter olympics.  get to ski the slopes and watch olympic events. The Price which ranges from about 900 to 1,300 Marks includes transportation by bus apartment lodging a seven Day ski pass and tickets for three olympic events. A when you re talking about spending $500 to $700,�?� said Myers a a it a something people need to plan on far in  take Myers advice. If you re interested in getting tickets to the Winter olympics in and around Albertville France feb. 8-23, its Worth getting off to a fast Start. Tickets and lodging Are going fast. By late september almost 600,000 of the 800,000 tickets available for the games had been sold. Sold out events include the ice hockey final in Meribel feb. 23, freestyle figure skating for women in Albertville feb. 21 and menus downhill Alpine skiing in Val do Sere feb. 9. In addition the opening and closing ceremonies in Albertville Are nearly sold out. Meanwhile lodging in and around the 10 olympic resorts of the Savoie Region which includes Albertville is  growing More scarce by the Day. The hundreds of thousands of travellers who will descend on the villages for the olympics Are expected to Strain the Region s capacity of 500,000 Beds. A there is still room now. But in december and january it will be hard to say a said Veronique Ballanfant of the Savoie department of tourism. Tours the easiest Way to make plans to go to the Winter olympics is with a tour group. Travel agents usually offer olympic tickets in combination with ski passes allowing you to take advantage of the three valleys Cour Chevel m6-Ribel and Les menu res Val Thorens with its 300 Miles of slopes equipped with 200 lifts and More than 600 Snow making machines. In Germany there Are several travel agencies working with americans going to the olympics. Among them Are Scherer Tours in Hochberg Germany at Telephone 0931-409046 and sport Tours International in mor Felden Germany at 06105-1222. Its  Wise to Check with the american ski clubs. Several including the Heidelberg and we Brucken clubs Are organizing trips combining skiing with tickets to olympic events. You have to be a member to sign up for a trip. Sato of the airline ticket and reservations office located on military installations is  planning trips to the games. The one week trips Are to either Val do Sere or Les menu Iris both olympic resorts and include seven nights of lodging a seven Day ski pass and several olympic events. The Cost which varies according to Type of lodging ranges from 954 Marks about $580 to 1,372 Marks $830 for Val do Lucre and 1,015 $615 to 1,448 Marks $880 for Les menu res. Transportation is by bus. Transportation Albertville is easily reached by train and is near Bourg St. Maurice which connects by High Speed train to Geneva Lyon Grenoble and Paris. The Alpine villages Are connected by frequent running Public buses which easily accommodate skis and Luggage. Tickets about 200,000 tickets Are left prices vary widely by event and seat location from 60 francs nordic combined freestyle skiing to 1,500 francs for first class seats at the opening ceremony in Albertville. Almost half the tickets Cost 120 francs or less. People can buy or sell tickets on the Street according to Security officials As Long As they done to overcharge for the ticket. You re taking a big risk if you visit the games without getting tickets in Advance according to travel agents. A there obviously is a Chance to do that a said John Schwartz manager of Scherer Tours. A but its like going to London and trying to see phantom of the opera that night. You can certainly go out in front of the ice skating rink at Albertville and there will be scalpers. But its a question of whether you want to have the Assur Ance of getting tickets or whether you want to run the risk of paying a ridiculous Price a like four or five times the face value a or just going Back to your apartment and watching it on to which of course you could do just As Well Back  on your own for those who love to put off planning until the last minute there a Hope. Although most hotel rooms will probably be snatched up travel officials say a Good selection of apartments will Likely be available up to the Start of the games. Generally these rent on a weekly basis. To Check on rooms in the Region Call the Maison de Savoie an official lodging service at 33-79-45-9292, or fax 33-79-45-3952 in Albertville. French is preferable but some agents speak English. Where to look your Best bet in terms of Price and availability will be outer areas of the Savoie Region in Chamb fit Aix Les Bains or Annecy West of Albertville and the olympic villages. A free train for ticket holders runs from Chambery and Aix Les Bains to Albertville where you can catch a round the clock bus that runs Between All the olympic Sites. The bus ride provided by . Bus is  free if you re holding a ticket to an olympic event otherwise the roads Are open to traffic around the olympic resorts except for a couple of hours before and after the olympic events. Of the olympic villages the easiest place to find hotel or apartment rooms is in tines with its 30,000 Beds said Jean Luc be Yronne director of the Maison de Savoie. Aix Les Bains has u0 hotels and the train ride is free to Albertville if you have a ticket to an olympic event. There Are  possibilities in Les menu res. Done to bother with brides Les Bains where All available rooms Are reserved for athletes and olympic officials Meyronne said. Albertville which is housing most of the official olympic family is  full. So is Moutier. Cou Cheval a ritzy olympic Village about 20 continued on Page 7finding out the Way unselected official olympic ticket agencies Belgium Wagon lits Tours Avenue Eugine Plasky 155 a be 11, b-1040 Brussels. Telephone belgian country code 32 2-736-6067. Fax 32-2-736-4811. Britain sport world travel new Abbey court Stert Street United kingdom a Abingdon Oxon. Ox14 3jz. Telephone British country code 44 235554844. Fax 44-235-554841. Germany Deutscher Rei Sebiro a Mph Postrach 100701, d-6000 Frankfurt am main 1. Telephone German country code 49 69-15660. Fax 49-691566797. The Netherlands Arke Rei zen b.v., dept. Special proj., Post bus 365,7500 a enschede. Telephone dutch country code 31 53-880346. Fax 31-53-336435. Italy Cit Viaggi s.r.l., Piazza Della Republica no. 68, Roma. Telephone italian country code 39 6-47941. Fax 396-4825735. Spain Tiempo Libre , Sor Angela de la Cruz 6, e a 28020 Madrid. Telephone Spanish country code 34 1-5562013. Fax 34-1-5971656. Turkey vip tourism Pirinccioglu a.s., cumhur yet cad. No 269/2,80230 Harbine Istanbul. No Telephone listed. United states Olson travel world ltd., 1334 Parkview ave., suite 210, Manhattan Beach calif., 90266. Telephone . Country code 1 213-5468400. Fax 1-213-546-8450. Page 6 a sunday october 20. 1991