Insight > Winter Spotlight

Winter Spotlight
13 Days starting from $2,525

Countries Visited:
England, Holland, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, France

 

Length: 13 Days
Type: First Class Tour
Category: 2007-08 European Fall, Winter and Spring
Operator: Insight
Tour Code: W501
   
 
About This Tour


Follow European history from the Romans in Verona to the Second World War in Arnhem. Contrast the canals of Amsterdam with those of Venice, and the snowy Alpine scenery with Parisian city views from the Eiffel Tower!

 
  • What's Included
  • Itinerary
  • Dates & Prices
  • Sightseeing Highlights
  • SPECIALS

Insight's First Class Services

  • Escorted by a professional Tour Director (hosted by Insight staff in London)
  • Luxury 40 seat touring coach with extra legroom & onboard toilet
  • First Class hotels with all service charges, taxes and porterage
  • Insight Traveler document wallet, map book journal and information pack
  • Airport arrival transfer Day 2 and departure transfer in Paris Day 13

Quality Dining

  • Highlight Dinner of traditional cuisine on a floating restaurant in Amsterdam (HD)
  • 1 Continental Breakfast (CB), 10 enhanced or buffet breakfasts (BB), 4 three course table d’hôte dinners, or buffets, plus tea or coffee (D)

13 Days ~ England ~ Belgium ~ Holland ~ Germany - Austria ~ Italy ~ Switzerland ~ France

Tour Pace - There will be a few early starts on driving days in order to cover the required distances between hotels. From Venice onwards, however, this tour travels at a more relaxing pace with two nights stays in each location.

Fellow Passengers - This tour appeals to those with limited vacation time, who wish to experience the winter highlights of a good cross-section of northern and central Europe. Enjoy the festive spirit on Christmas market departures.

DAY 1 – DEPART USA
Overnight flight to London.

DAY 2 – ARRIVE LONDON
Welcome to London! There are transfers from the airport to the tour hotel. After checking into your hotel, the afternoon is yours to relax.
Hotel: Thistle Marble Arch.

DAY 3 – LONDON SIGHTSEEING
Get acquainted with London on your half day sightseeing tour. Drive through London’s West End seeing Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, and Westminster Abbey. The remainder of the day is at leisure. (BB)

DAY 4 – LONDON – AMSTERDAM
After a warm welcome from your Tour Director, depart London for the white cliffs of Dover. Board your ferry bound for Calais, where your luxury touring coach awaits. Continue northwards through Belgium into the Netherlands. See the first windmills on your way to lively Amsterdam, with its hundreds of tree-lined canals. An orientation tour shows you the Royal Palace and Mint Tower. Tonight, enjoy a Welcome Drink before a wonderful dinner of local specialties on a floating restaurant.
Hotel: Movenpick City Centre. (CB,HD)

DAY 5 – AMSTERDAM – HEIDELBERG. Drive past the infamous town of Arnhem this morning before crossing into Germany. In the thriving commercial city of Cologne, view the superb Gothic cathedral with its soaring spires and fine windows. Continue alongside the Rhine via Bonn, birthplace of Beethoven, to the scenic Rhine Gorge, where you embark on a cruise past half-timbered villages and turreted castles perched high above terraced vineyards. Now on to your hotel in the ‘Student Prince’ town of Heidelberg, dominated by its red sandstone castle.
Hotel: Best Western Leonardo. (BB,D)

DAY 6 – HEIDELBERG – INNSBRUCK
Today your route skirts the northern Black Forest and passes Ulm, home to the world's highest church spire. At the base of the Bavarian Alps, stopto admire King Ludwig's fabulous fairytale castle of Neuschwanstein. Continue through rolling countryside to Oberammergau, where each decade, the villagers present the Passion Play - a promise that has been carried out for over 370 years. Then past Garmisch-Partenkirchen to the Austrian frontier and on to lively Innsbruck. Walk with your Tour Director past the narrow arcades and gabled shop fronts of the Old Town to see the Golden Roof.
Hotel: Hilton. (BB,D)

DAY 7 – INNSBRUCK – VENICE
Before leaving Innsbruck, visit the superb rococo Wilten Basilica - its interior richly decorated with cherubs and angels. Now the superb Europa Bridge ferries you over the valley of the Sill River towards the Italian border. In Verona, home of the legendary Romeo and Juliet, stop to see the maze of elegant squares, the Roman Arena and to glimpse the Capulet House with its famous balcony. Stay tonight amid the palaces, shops, restaurants and canals of romantic Venice.
Hotel: Boscolo Bellini. (BB,D)

DAY 8 – VENICE SIGHTSEEING
Sightseeing by private launch on Venice's watery 'streets' reveals canals lined with ornate palaces - memories of a golden age now finished. Pass the Bridge of Sighs, named in the 19th century by Lord Byron, to reach St Mark's Square, dominated by its magnificently decorated Basilica, and overlooked by the great Clock Tower where bronze Moors beat out the hours on a huge bell. After a demonstration of Venetian glass-blowing there is time to shop or explore at your own pace. (BB)

DAY 9 – VENICE – LUCERNE
Cross some of the richest farmlands in Europe today as you travel through northern Italy. Glimpse the beautiful Italian Lake District as you pass Lake Como to enter Switzerland. Continue into the heart of the Swiss Alps, through the St Gotthard Tunnel, then alongside towering mountains and past rushing torrents, down to Lake Lucerne. Tonight you may wish to experience a fondue party and folklore evening?
Hotel: Astoria. (BB)

DAY 10 – LUCERNE SIGHTSEEING
A full day to enjoy this beautiful city with its covered wooden bridges, painted gables, medieval fortifications, Lion Monument, baroque church, lake-side walks and excellent shops. Later, take a spectacular cable-car ride up to the the summit of Mount Pilatus for snow-capped views and true Alpine majesty. (BB,D)

DAY 11 – LUCERNE – PARIS
Travel into France and continue through the wine area of Burgundy to reach glittering Paris. Tonight, perhaps sample some French cuisine?
Hotel: Pullman Paris Bercy. (BB)

DAY 12 – PARIS SIGHTSEEING
Your guided sightseeing tour shows you Notre Dame Cathedral and the immense façades of the Louvre. Drive through the Place de la Concorde and along the elegant Champs Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe. Your tour culminates with an ascent of the famous Eiffel Tower for spectacular panoramas over the city! This afternoon is free for shopping or more sightseeing? (BB)

DAY 13 – RETURN USA
Transfer to Charles de Gaulle Airport this morning. (BB)


To speak to one of our live, experienced travel consultants, Call us now at 1-800-942-3301.

Airfare Disclaimer
A NOTE ABOUT AIRFARE: We encourage you to buy your airfare from the tour operator, because if your tour cancels then your airlines tickets will be covered. Purchasing flights separately at a lesser rate and incorporating it with a Non-Guaranteed Departure Date can result in loss of total cost of your flight investment. Depending on the fare rules, flights may be Non-Refundable and/or Non-Transferable. Neither the tour operator and/or Atlas Cruises & Tours will be held responsible for loss if a tour is cancelled for Lack of Participation. If you would like to check for discounted fares on Guaranteed Departures or for competitive pricing on air and hotel packages, we invite you to follow this link.

Documents
TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: Necessary Travel Documents such as Passports and Visas is the responsibility of the traveler. Passports must be valid six months from your return travel date.

         
Touring Date
Land Only
Land + Air
Single
(Land Only)
Single
(Land + Air)
10/31/2008 - 11/11/2008
$2,575
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11/7/2008 - 11/18/2008
$2,550
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11/14/2008 - 11/25/2008
$2,550
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11/21/2008 - 12/2/2008
$2,550
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11/28/2008 - 12/9/2008
$2,550
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12/5/2008 - 12/16/2008
$2,550
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12/12/2008 - 12/23/2008
$2,550
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12/19/2008 - 12/30/2008
$2,525
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12/26/2008 - 1/6/2009
$2,790
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1/2/2009 - 1/13/2009
$2,525
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1/9/2009 - 1/20/2009
$2,525
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1/16/2009 - 1/27/2009
$2,525
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1/23/2009 - 2/3/2009
$2,525
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1/30/2009 - 2/10/2009
$2,525
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2/6/2009 - 2/17/2009
$2,525
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2/13/2009 - 2/24/2009
$2,525
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2/20/2009 - 3/3/2009
$2,525
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2/27/2009 - 3/10/2009
$2,525
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3/6/2009 - 3/17/2009
$2,550
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3/13/2009 - 3/24/2009
$2,550
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3/20/2009 - 3/31/2009
$2,550
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3/27/2009 - 4/7/2009
$2,550
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Hotels - Enjoy views over Amsterdam from the contemporary Movenpick City Centre. The Pullman Paris Bercy is also modern and stylish. Contrast this with the historic Boscolo Hotel Bellini, set in a former Venetian palace overlooking the Grand Canal.

Highlights - Follow European history from the Romans in Verona, to the story of ‘Operation Market Garden’ during WWII. Contrast the canals of Amsterdam with those of Venice, and the snowy Alpine scenery with city views from the Eiffel Tower!

Enjoy our Premium Highlights plus these extra tour features

Excursions & Sights

  • See all the sights of London’s West End
  • See Amsterdam’s canals, Royal Palace and Mint Tower
  • See the soaring Gothic spires of Cologne Cathedral
  • See the fairytale castle of Neuschwanstein
  • Visit the German Alpine village of Oberammergau
  • Visit Innsbruck’s Wilten Basilica and see the Golden Roof
  • See Juliet’s Balcony & the Roman arena in Verona
  • Cruise to St Mark’s Square to see the Basilica, Doges’ Palace & Bridge of Sighs
  • See Lucerne’s Lion Monument and covered bridges
  • See Notre Dame & drive along the Champs Elysées to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris

Guided City Tours

  • Indepth sightseeing tours, with audio headsets where appropriate, in London and Paris
  • Orientation tours in Amsterdam, Cologne, Innsbruck, Verona, Venice and Lucerne

Insight's First Class Services

  • Escorted by a professional Tour Director (hosted by Insight staff in London)
  • Luxury 40 seat touring coach with extra legroom & onboard toilet
  • First Class hotels with all service charges, taxes and porterage
  • Insight Traveler document wallet, map book journal and information pack
  • Airport arrival transfer Day 2 and departure transfer in Paris Day 13

Quality Dining

  • Highlight Dinner of traditional cuisine on a floating restaurant in Amsterdam (HD)
  • 1 Continental Breakfast (CB), 10 enhanced or buffet breakfasts (BB), 4 three course table d’hôte dinners, or buffets, plus tea or coffee (D)

CURRENT SPECIALS:

Great Savings and Discounts

EARLY PAYMENT DISCOUNTS

SAVE UP TO 10%: Insight sells its tours in many countries worldwide so the most popular tours fill very quickly. Don’t be disappointed, book early! You’ll be assured of the tours you want, andthe earlier you pay, the more you SAVE!

Here’s how...

Pay 4 months prior to tour departure date to SAVE 2.5%

Pay 7 months prior to tour departure date to SAVE 5%

Pay 10 months prior to tour departure date to SAVE 7.5%

Pay 12 months prior to tour departure date to SAVE 10%

Tours must be paid in full for this discount to apply. Discounts apply to the land-only portion of your tour. Tour prices may change in future brochures. Exceptions: 1. Does not apply to additional accommodation, airfares or flight supplements, Easy Pace London & Countryside, Easy Pace London & Paris, Easy Pace London, Paris & Rome, Egypt tours, Israel tours, Jordan tours, the 3 Night Greek Island Cruise & Athens Extension, and Greek tours which include a Mediterranean cruise. 2. Does not apply to tours with River Cruises.

FAMILY SAVINGS

YOUNG TRAVELLERS SAVE 10% AGED 5-17 YEARS :Travel broadens the mind and enhances those special relationships. Insight offers you the opportunity of

sharing your happy holiday memories with your children or grandchildren. This discount applies to the Land Only portion of your tour. Young Travellers must be under the age of 18 years old on the tour departure date, and MUST be accompanied by an adult (limit of one Young Traveller Discount per room). On all escorted tours, children under 5 years old are NOT accepted. The Young Traveller must be the specified age at the time of travel to be eligible for this discount. This discount cannot be combined with our Groups Discount. Exceptions: 1. Does not apply to additional accommodation, airfares or flight supplements, Easy Pace London & Countryside, Easy Pace London & Paris, Easy Pace London, Paris & Rome, Egypt tours, Israel tours, Jordan tours, the 3 Night Greek Island Cruise & Athens Extension,

and Greek tours which include a Mediterranean cruise. 2. Does not apply to tours with River Cruises.

GROUP DISCOUNTS

5 OR MORE – SAVE 5%: If a group of 5 to 8 people travel together a discount of 5% per person applies to the Land Only portion of your tour. So it pays to get together with your family and friends!

SAVE $$$ FOR 9 OR MORE : If you have a group of 9 or more people travelling together on the same scheduled tour, then you automatically qualify for big savings! Your savings will be determined by the number of people travelling so ask call for details. You may also reserve a tour departure exclusively for your group! Some restrictions apply. Please contact our Groups Department 1-866-475-7023.

These discounts cannot be combined with Frequent Traveller, Family Savings or Triple Room Discounts. To qualify, names of all passengers travelling must be advised to Insight at the time of booking. Exceptions: 1. Does not apply to additional accommodation, airfares or flight supplements, Easy Pace London & Countryside, Easy Pace London & Paris, Easy Pace London, Paris & Rome, Egypt tours, Israel tours, Jordan tours, the 3 Night Greek Island Cruise & Athens Extension,

and Greek tours which include a Mediterranean cruise. 2. Does not apply to tours with River Cruises.  

SINGLE TRAVELLER SAVING

SAVE UP TO $2850 PER PERSON with Insight’s Room Mate Matching service Insight believes travelling solo should not cost you more! That’s why for people travelling alone on an Insight coach tour, we'll match you with someone of the same gender, so you don't have to pay the single room supplement. If we fail to match you, we'll provide a single room at no extra cost. Please note there is a no-smoking policy in all shared rooms. Exceptions: 1. Does not apply to additional accommodation, airfares or flight supplements, Easy Pace London & Countryside, Easy Pace London & Paris, Easy Pace London, Paris & Rome, Egypt tours, Israel tours, Jordan tours, the 3 Night Greek Island Cruise & Athens Extension, and Greek tours which include a Mediterranean cruise. 2. Does not apply to tours with River Cruises. 3. Does not apply to Irish Elegance.

TRIPLE ROOM DISCOUNTS: When three people travel together and share one room,

each of the three enjoys a discount off the tour price. See the Triple Room Reductions on the itinerary of your choice. This discount only applies to tours featuring the “Share a Triple Room” reduction on the itinerary pages. Note the third bed will, on occasions, be a foldaway.

FREQUENT TRAVELLER SAVING

SAVE 5% OFF YOUR NEXT TOUR: Most first-time travellers go on vacation with Insight again and again. In recognition of our loyal customers, Insight now extends to all clients automatic membership into our Premier Plus Club, as well as a 5% Discount off the Land portion of their next Insight trip. Insight’s Premier Plus Club & 5% Discount is not available retroactively. Only one voucher is available per person, per tour, per year and only one voucher can be redeemed against each further tour

booking. This discount cannot be combined with our Groups Discount.  Exceptions: 1. Does not apply to additional accommodation, airfares or flight supplements, Easy Pace London & Countryside, Easy Pace London & Paris, Easy Pace London, Paris & Rome, Egypt tours, Israel tours, Jordan tours, the 3 Night Greek Island Cruise & Athens Extension, and Greek tours which include a Mediterranean cruise.

EXTRA TOUR DISCOUNTS

SAVE $$$ON YOUR 2ND TOUR: Book two Insight vacations, each 7 days or longer and you will receive a reduction of 5%off the cheaper of the two tours. Both tours must be booked at the same time. This discount is per person.

COMPLIMENTARY TRANSFERS: Save up to $135 per couple on LONDON taxi fares

FREE LONDON RETURN : Passengers taking the 'Land only' option on our Discovery

tours may return to London by Insight motorcoach at NO EXTRA CHARGE, instead of departing from Paris. Offer applies to the final day of the following Discovery tours:  E920, E910, E933, E914, E912, E913, E916 & G916. Accommodations will be

required, as arrival in London is late afternoon/early evening.

SMALL GROUPS ADVANTAGE : Many tour operators fill their tours with up to 53 passengers. This means more congestion and less leg room on the coach as seats are configured more closely. At Insight we have a

maximum of only 40 guests per tour.

INSIGHT'S GUARANTEES

PRICE GUARANTEE: With Insight, you don’t need to worry about currency fluctuations. Once we receive your full deposit, your land tour price is guaranteed and protected against any increases. (Excludes pre-registration for tours in future brochures and any imposed fuel surcharges or Government Taxes.

TOUR GUARANTEE FOR LAND TRAVEL: To assist you when booking our airline offers and taking our great early payment savings, Insight has designated a large number of tours which we guarantee will operate on the scheduled date, unless circumstances occur beyond our control. Look for Tour Guarantee (TG symbol) on the itinerary of your choice indicating applicable dates. All other featured departures are planned to operate however, for operational reasons, may be subject to re- scheduling with at least 50 days notice (between May 1st & September 30th).


   
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