In 2022, a new startup airline called Norse Atlantic Airways launched cheap flights between Europe and the US, operating Boeing 787 Dreamliners equipped only with economy and premium economy seats.
05.08.2024 - 11:46 / breakingtravelnews.com
Wife carrying championships, wine marathon and lake leaping contest top alternative summer sports Brits want to travel to
Mud Olympics in Germany, Hobby Horse Championships in Finland and famous British Cheese rolling also feature on the list
Finland’s Wife Carrying Championship, Dutch lake-leaping contest and French wine marathon have been revealed as the top must-do alternative sports to travel to watch.
Mud Olympics in Germany, Hobby Horse Championships in Finland and famous Scottish Haggis throwing contest also feature highly in a new alternative European sports tournament list compiled by airline easyJet and voted for by the British public.
With major international tournaments and sporting events taking place across Europe this summer the study of 2,000 sports-loving Brits by the airline has revealed a new hot list of lesser-known, must-see sports events across the continent, with some even offering the opportunity to take part.
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The list has been announced as sporting fever has been sweeping the nation this summer. 87% agreed that attending a sports tournament abroad is on their bucket list, while easyJet boosted its seats by around 20% across routes to European destinations hosting sporting events this summer, including the recent Euro 2024 football champions across Germany and upcoming Olympics in Paris, to provide customers with even great choice to attend these iconic competitions.
The top 10 alternative European sporting events as voted for by the British Public are:
Wife Carrying Championship, Finland (Rovaniemi Airport, July 2025) (38%)
Couples compete to win the wife’s weight in beer. This tournament has evolved into a two-day event that includes karaoke, markets and activities for children.
Fierljeppen, Netherlands (Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, until September) (37%)
Fierljeppen is a favourite sport of Friesland province. It can be translated as ‘far-leaping’. The aim of the game is to jump over the water body as far as you can. The games are held every year between May and September.
Concurs de Castille, Spain (Reus Airport – 5th October) (37%)
A human tower contest. After each level is built, children clamber up the human tower to complete the structure and wave the flag of victory.
Marathon du Medoc France (Bordeaux airport – 7th September) (33%)
A 26.2 mile running course through scenic vineyards, where fancy dress is compulsory, and participants sample 23 glasses of famed vintages on route as well as sampling specialities such as oysters, foie gras, cheese, steak and ice-cream are also part of the experience.
Coopers Hill Cheese Rolling, UK ( Bristol Airport, May 2025) (32%)
In an annual tradition dating back to the early 1800s, people chase a wheel of cheese down a
In 2022, a new startup airline called Norse Atlantic Airways launched cheap flights between Europe and the US, operating Boeing 787 Dreamliners equipped only with economy and premium economy seats.
For Olympics viewers that have recently caught Paris wanderlust, a low-cost carrier has affordable flights to make your trip to France a reality. Norse Atlantic Airways recently updated several one-way flight deals which include New York (JFK) to Paris (CDG) for as little as $112 one-way throughout the fall and even into 2025. From the west coast, travelers can score one-way flight deals from Los Angeles (LAX) to Paris (CDG) for as little as $188 throughout the fall. All of the deals are located on Norse’s main homepage. Travelers can filter the flight results by inputting their home city or destination, and even set a maximum budget. Beyond Paris, travelers can also get deals to London's Gatwick airport for as low as $72 one-way.
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