COSMOPOLITAN EUROPE W/ LONDON EXTENSION
Day 1 - Wed. BOARD YOUR OVERNIGHT TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT. Day 2 - Thu. ARRIVAL IN LONDON, ENGLAND. Check into your hotel. In the afternoon you may want to start exploring the lively British capital. Uniformed Hosts are available to help you make the most of your stay. Day 3 - Fri. LONDON. A full day to savor our rich program of optional activities: take a panoramic tour of London's landmarks, visit the Tower of London, or choose an excursion to Windsor Castle. Tonight maybe a leisurely cruise on the River Thames" (B) Day 4 - Sat. LONDON-BRUSSELS, BELGIUM. Leave London in the early morning and head through the lush English countryside to the Channel port, where you board your ferry for the Continent. Here your Tour Director and luxury coach meet you and you - re off to Brussels. (B) Day 5 - Sun. BRUSSELS-RHINE CRUISE, GERMANY-WÜRZBURG. Drive south this morning to the shores of the mighty Rhine. Your included Rhine steamer cruise is today's highlight with some legendary sights such as the Lorelei Rock. An easy and relatively short drive southeast to Würzburg, a baroque city famed for its cathedral, bridges, palace, and gardens. (B,D) Day 6 - Mon. WÜRZBURG-NUREMBERG-PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC. Travel eastwards today, making a first stop in Nuremberg, an ancient city still showing its medieval walls with rampart walks and an 11th-century castle. It is also famous for its 1945 trials of the Nazi leaders and war criminals. Continue by way of the world's beer capital, Pilsen, to Prague, capital of the Czech Republic for overnight. (B,D) Day 7 - Tue. PRAGUE-VIENNA, AUSTRIA. The wealth of Gothic and baroque architecture perhaps inspired Dvorak and Smetana, both Prague composers. The included guided sightseeing features landmarks such as the National Theater, Belvedere, Charles Bridge, and the old Town Hall with the Astronomical Clock. This afternoon, motor from Bohemia into Moravia and continue southwest for a few more miles before crossing into Austria for two nights in its splendid capital, Vienna. This evening, enjoy an optional Viennese concert. (B) Day 8 - Wed. VIENNA. There's so much to see on your included sightseeing tour: the State Opera, Parliament, and the Town Hall. Stop for a stroll in Heroes" Square to view the Hofburg and take an inside visit of St. Stephen's Cathedral. In the afternoon, an optional trip to the Palace of Schönbrunn. (B) Day 9 - Thu. VIENNA-VENICE AREA, ITALY. Breathtaking scenery as you travel across Austria to Velden and beautiful Lake Worth for a short visit. Next, into Italy by way of Tarvisio, then through the flat and fertile plains of Venetia to the Venice area for two overnights. (B) Day 10 - Fri. VENICE. The included tour starts with a boat ride and is followed by a visit to St. Mark's Basilica and a chance to watch Venetian glassblowers. Don - t miss out on the optional gondola trip. (B,D) Day 11 - Sat. VENICE AREA-ROME. Today travel south across the Po Delta into the very heart of the Apennines, dotted with towns and villages perched on the mountain sides. Reach the Eternal City in time to join the optional Rome by Night excursion. (B) Day 12 - Sun. ROME. The "Eternal City""a city steeped in history, vibrantly alive and exciting and absolutely unique! Included sightseeing with a Local Guide starts in St. Peter's Square, followed by a visit to the Roman Forum and the mighty Colosseum. (B) Day 13 - Mon. ROME-FLORENCE AREA. This morning join the optional excursion to the Vatican Museum before driving northward through the Tuscan countryside to reach Florence in the late afternoon. On the included walking tour with a Local Guide, discover most of the city highlights: the Piazza Santa Croce; the beautiful Piazza Signoria; the Palazzo Vecchio, and its courtyard; the Loggia dei Lanzi; and, to top it all, the Piazza del Duomo and its cathedral with the Giotto Campanile, and the magnificent East Door of the Baptistry known as the "Gate to Paradise." (B,D) Day 14 - Tue. FLORENCE AREA-LAKE LUCERNE, SWITZERLAND. Across the Lombardy plains this morning to Italian Switzerland's subtropical resort of Lugano. Here you take a break to stroll along the lakeside promenade, before climbing towards the St. Gotthard Tunnel. Emerge on the German-speaking side of Switzerland and then descend into the gentle landscape around Lake Lucerne. (B,D) Day 15 - Wed. LUCERNE. One of Switzerland's finest cities, nestled amid its snow-capped Alps, surrounded by its lake, and embellished by the clear mountain waters of the River Reuss. Your visit takes in the impressive city walls, a covered wooden bridge, ornate patrician houses lining cobblestone streets, and the Lion Monument - a masterful stone sculpture in honor of the heroic Swiss Guard of Louis XVI. A grand selection of optional activities completes the day: a cable car ride to the 10,000-foot summit of Mount Titlis; a cruise on the fjord-like lake; and, of course, there is time to shop for that very Swiss watch. (B,D) Day 16 - Thu. LAKE LUCERNE-PARIS, FRANCE. Enjoy vistas of green pastures and attractive chalets with rustic timbering and luxuriant flowers. Then into France on the highway past some of its most famous vineyards to Paris. Arrive in time to enjoy the optional cabaret show. (B) Day 17 - Fri. PARIS. Paris holds a special place in the imagination. It's a city of many facets famed for its culture, beauty, sophistication, and sparkle. By sitting with a glass of wine in a bistro or sidewalk café, you can absorb the essence of the city and the individualism of its people. The center has wide boulevards and impressive buildings. Included sightseeing with a local expert of many of the best-known Parisian sights: La Sorbonne, Arc de Triomphe, Opéra, Madeleine, the Eiffel Tower, the Pyramid near the Louvre, the Invalides, and Champs Elysées. Optional excursions are also available to the Palace and Gardens of Versailles and, to celebrate the success of your tour, a French farewell dinner might be just the ticket. (B) Day 18 - Sat. PARIS-LONDON, ENGLAND. Relax and let the countryside whiz by on the road north to the coast, where you board your Channel ferry. Through Kent return to London for an evening arrival. (B) Day 19 - Sun. YOUR HOMEBOUND FLIGHT FROM LONDON ARRIVES THE SAME DAY. (B) |
