Cheapflights.ca Gets Ready for Some Ice Ice baby

TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - Dec 11, 2013) -  While the weather outside may be frightful, and the fire may be so delightful, the travel experts at Cheapflights.ca, the online leader in finding and publishing travel deals, say there're definitely fun winter places to go. The Cheapflights.ca team welcomes the season with its Top 10 stand-out ice skating spots around the world -- from the longest to the highest; the most romantic to the most star-studded; and yes, there's even a beach-side option.

Regardless of where you are, there is nothing like a spin on the ice to make winter feel like a wonderland. So bundle up, strap on the skates and get ready for some fun on the ice at these five skating rinks to make the list:

• The largest ice rink in the world: Rideau Canal Skateway, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada - The Rideau Canal Skateway in Ottawa holds the title for world's largest skating rink, running from the Parliament Buildings through to Dows Lake. The whole rink is nearly eight kilometres long. It typically opens in January or February depending on weather conditions, and it's busiest during Canada's Winterlude, an ode to winter in February. The event features an ice sculpture competition and an outdoor art gallery. You can also embrace your inner kid on North America's largest snowy playground, the Snowflake Kingdom at Jacques-Cartier Park.
  
  
• The most iconic rink: Rockefeller Center, New York, N.Y., United States - Featured in many Hollywood blockbusters and on hundreds of travellers' winter to-do lists, the ice skating rink at Rockefeller Center is the most iconic rink of all. You may not know the rink was an accident. It was built in the 1930s as a temporary landmark meant to attract more visitors to the plaza. The 122-foot-long rink still stands today, attracting thousands of tourists and locals alike. Plus, it's a hot spot for marriage proposals, even offering a booking process if you'd like to propose on the ice -- you just need to do it in five minutes or fewer.
  
  
• The most romantic skating spot: Somerset House, London, England - Need a gorgeous spot to win over your loved one? The rink at Somerset House lets you add on a glass of champagne and handmade chocolate for £25 pounds (about CA$40) plus booking fees, while enjoying live music from local bands. Nestled in the heart of London, the historic setting bills itself as "London's favourite outdoor ice rink", chock full of activities in addition to ice skating like live bands, skate school for the little ones or specially-themed holiday Tuesdays.
  
  
• The most star-studded rink: Sun Valley, Idaho, United States - When you think of celeb status, Idaho might not immediately come to mind, but the iconic Sun Valley ice rink is a long-time hot spot for the rich and famous. The town has played host to the Hemingways, The Kennedys and Lucille Ball, among others. Photos of celebrities who have visited the rink grace the walls of the adjacent hotel, and visitors can rub elbows with skating's elite during winter training and Saturday shows featuring former Olympic skaters. The 1940s movie "Sun Valley Serenade", which was filmed at the rink, often plays on repeat on a nearby TV.
  
  
• Top rink for skaters on the go: Munich Airport, Munich, Germany - Passport? Check. Boarding pass? Check. Ice skates? Check -- but only if you're at the Munich Christmas Market at Munich Airport. When you're done skating around this airport-based rink, get your fill of the holiday spirit by gazing at the more than 400 different Christmas trees that surround the premises. You can also sip some mulled wine and peruse more than 50 kiosks in the open-air market.

Rounding out our worldwide ice skating delights are: The rink with the most unusual shape - Liège, Belgium; the rink with the best view - Paris, France; the highest rink - Chicago, Ill., United States; best culture clash rink - Moscow, Russia; and most sun-drenched skating spot - San Diego, Calif., United States. To read all the cool details on Cheapflights.ca's Top 10 stand-out ice skating spots around the world visit www.cheapflights.ca/travel/top-10-stand-out-ice-skating-spots-around-the-world.

About Cheapflights.ca, part of the Momondo Group
 Momondo Group is an online travel media and technology company that is driven by the belief that an open world is a better world. The group now serves travel search and inspiration to over 13 million visitors a month -- plus 7 million travel newsletter subscribers -- via its Cheapflights (www.cheapflights.ca) and momondo (www.momondo.com) brands.

Skygate began the sourcing of complex air-travel data in 1992, while Cheapflights pioneered the online comparison of flight deals for users in 1996 and momondo launched meta-search in the Nordic countries in 2006. 

The Group has offices in London, Copenhagen, Boston and Toronto, with a consumer base across more than 20 core international markets but users all over the world.

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