VISITING
ENGLAND, BELGIUM, HOLLAND, GERMANY, AUSTRIA, ITALY,
VATICAN CITY, SWITZERLAND AND FRANCE
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. This afternoon you are at leisure to relax
or shop.
Hotel: Holiday Inn Kings Cross/Bloomsbury.
Day 3 – London Sightseeing
You will enjoy a half day sightseeing
tour of the West End. You’ll get a feel of what London has to offer as we show
you Westminster Abbey, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Nelson’s Column,
Downing Street, the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and Buckingham Palace. (B)
Day 4 – London – Amsterdam
You meet your Tour Director and head
for the White Cliffs of Dover and your ferry to Calais. Cross Belgium’s
Flanders Fields to Holland’s lively Amsterdam. Pass canals and tall gabled
houses to see the Royal Palace in Dam Square and sparkling stones transformed before
your eyes when you visit a diamond-polishing factory.
Hotel: Tulip Inn Riverside. (B)
Day 5 – Amsterdam – Rhineland
Leave Amsterdam this morning and cross
the border into Germany. At historic Cologne, stop to view the 13th century Gothic
cathedral with its soaring spires. After passing Beethoven’s home town of Bonn,
continue to the charming village of Boppard to join a cruise past awesome castles,
leafy vineyards and picturesque villages. Rejoin the coach and see the legendary
Loreley Rock, before continuing to your hotel.
Hotel: NH Weinheim. (B,D)
Day 6 – Rhineland – Innsbruck
Head into the wooded Bavarian Alps
today to see ‘Mad’ King Ludwig’s fairytale castle of Neuschwanstein.
Cross the Austrian border and travel the spectacular Fern Pass to arrive in Innsbruck,
the capital of the Tyrol. Your Tour Director will show you Innsbruck’s Golden
Roof and the Imperial Palace before offering an optional thigh-slapping folklore
show.
Hotel: Alpin Park. (B,D)
Day 7 – Innsbruck – Venice
Cross the impressive Europa Bridge,
one of Europe’s highest, and the Brenner Pass into Italy. Visit Romeo and Juliet’s
Verona – and see Juliet’s balcony and the Roman arena – before travelling
across the fertile Adriatic Plain to the Veneto region.
Hotel: Il Burchiello (Oriago). (B,D)
Day 8 – Venice sightseeing
Drive to the Venetian Lagoon where
a private launch takes you to St Mark’s Square. See the ornate Basilica of
St Mark, Doges’ Palace, Bridge of Sighs and the prison in which Casanova was
incarcerated – and from which he escaped. Join a demonstration of Venetian
glass-blowing before spending the rest of the day at leisure – why not explore
the islands of the beautiful lagoon or try a local seafood lunch? (B,D)
Day 9 – Venice – Rome
Cross the Appenine Mountains and follow
the Autostrada del Sole past ancient Etruscan hill towns to Rome, a city founded
on seven hills above the river Tiber. Discover hidden piazzas and the splendid fountains
of the ‘Eternal City’.
Hotel: Cristoforo Colombo. (B)
Day 10 – Rome Sightseeing
Rome is three cities in one: Imperial
Rome, Catholic Rome and modern Rome. Enter the Vatican City with your local guide
and explore St Peter’s Basilica and its moving ‘Pieta’ by Michelangelo.
Cross the Tiber River to see the remains of the Colosseum, where Nero was entertained
by gladiator fights. Your guide will enthral you with stories of the Roman Empire
as you overlook the Imperial Forum, from where Julius Caesar contemplated his victories.
The rest of the day is yours to explore the treasures of the Vatican Museum, including
the Sistine Chapel, and to sample the best of Italy: pasta, vino and music. (B)
Day 11 – Rome – Florence
Bid ‘Arrivederci’ to Rome
as you head north to the Tuscan hills and Renaissance Florence. View the city
from Piazza Michelangelo, before enjoying a Florentine leatherwork demonstration
and shopping for the latest fashions. Be sure to explore Signoria Square with its open-air
museum, the Ponte Vecchio and tombs of Galileo and Michelangelo in Santa Croce
Basilica.
Hotel: Wall Art. (B,D)
Day 12 – Florence – Lucerne
Head north from Tuscany, past Milan
and on to the Lake District on the Italian/Swiss border. Enjoy the magnificent drive
through the Swiss Alps to Lucerne, where you see the wooden Chapel Bridge and view
the famous Lion Monument.
Hotel: Luzernerhof. (B,D)
Day 13 – Lucerne – Paris
Cross the Rhine at Basel before skirting
the Jura Mountains and following the valley of the Doubs River into Burgundy –
a region noted for its fine wines. Cross the wheat fields of Auxerre and the forest
of Royal Fontainbleau before arriving in Paris – don’t forget to look
out for the Eiffel Tower as you approach the French capital. Consider taking a tour
of the sparkling illuminations.
Hotel: Mercure la Defense 5. (B)
Day 14 – Paris Sightseeing
Tour the city with a local guide, seeing
the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Cathedral of Notre Dame, the Opera and Place
de la Concorde. The afternoon is yours to shop for souvenirs or to visit the
Mona Lisa in the Louvre; perhaps plan a farewell dinner in a typical Parisian restaurant
or take in a cabaret. (B)
Day 15 – Return to USA
Your memorable tour ends after breakfast
with a transfer to the airport. (B)
