VISITING
ENGLAND, FRANCE, SWITZERLAND AND ITALY
Day
1 – Depart USA
Overnight flight to London.
Day 2 – Arrive London
Welcome to London! On arrival you are
transfered to your London tour hotel.
Hotel: Holiday Inn Kings Cross/Bloomsbury.
Day 3 – London Sightseeing
Your half day London sightseeing tour
shows you all the major sights. Afternoon at leisure. (B)
Day 4 – London – Paris
Meet your Tour Director before crossing
picturesque Kentish farmlands en route to the port of Dover where your ferry to
Calais awaits. Follow the Autoroute across the battlefields of northern France where
names like the Somme and Arras evoke memories of World War One. Arrive in the French
capital in the late afternoon; consider joining an evening illuminations tour the
perfect introduction to one of Europe's loveliest cities.
Hotel: Novotel Est. (B)
Day 5 – Paris Sightseeing
Sightseeing with a local guide this
morning shows you the highlights of the city, including the Eiffel Tower, Arc de
Triomphe, Opera House, Invalidesand the immense facades of the Louvre. See also
the city’s famous 13th century Gothic cathedral, with its memories of the tale
of Quasimodo, the hunchback of Notre Dame. The afternoon is yours to shop, ascendthe
Eiffel Tower or to visit the superb collections of the Louvre. A Parisian bistro
is a wonderful way to soak up the city’s atmosphere at night. (B)
Day 6 – Paris – Lake Lucerne
Journey via the vineyards of Burgundy,
crossing the Rhine at Basel and entering Switzerland, with its wonderful snow-capped
mountains and tranquil lakes.
Hotel: Postillon (Buochs). (B,D)
Day 7 – Lucerne Sightseeing
This morning admire the Lion Monument,
carved into a limestone cliff to commemorate the Swiss Guards who lost their lives
during the French Revolution. Stroll along the Chapel Bridge before taking time
to relax, shop or perhaps take a cable-car ride up a nearby mountain. (B,D)
Day 8 – Lake Lucerne – Florence
After a truly spectacular drive through
Switzerland (and one of Europe’s longest tunnels), arrive in the splendid Italian
Lake District. Glimpse beautiful Lake Como as you continue southwards to Milan,
the heart of the Italian fashionworld. The smooth highway carries you across the
fertile plains ofthe Po Valley, into the wild Apennine Mountains and into the heart
of Tuscany. Your destination: the Renaissancecity of Florence. Hotel: Wall Art.
(B,D)
Day 9 – Florence – Rome
Start your sightseeing with the superb
view over Florence from Piazza Michelangelo before walking with your Tour Director
to the Santa Croce area for a leather working demonstration. Take time to explore
the cathedral, Ghiberti’s ‘Gates of Paradise’ and the Signoria Square,
the political centre of old Florence and a living museum of Renaissance art. Take
the ‘autostrada’ south through the province of Umbria to the ‘Eternal
City’, Rome. The Italian capital comes alive at night, with beautiful fountains
providing the perfect backdrop to the lights around the Via Veneto and the cosmopolitan
square of Piazza Navona.
Hotel: Cristoforo Colombo. (B)
Day 10 – Rome Sightseeing
Your city tour with an expert guide
begins with the Vatican City: visit the impressive St Peter’s Basilica to admire
Michelangelo’s ‘Pieta’ and splendid dome. There is also time for
an optional visit to the Vatican Museum to see the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
Your local guide unfurls the history of the empire at the Imperial Roman Forum before
moving on to see the magnificent Colosseum. (B)
Day 11 – Return to USA
Your tour ends after breakfast with
a transfer to Rome Airport. (B)
