WONDERS OF EUROPE
Day 1 - BOARD YOUR OVERNIGHT TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT. Day 2 - 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 - 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 - 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 across Belgium to Brussels. (B) Day 5 - BRUSSELS-LUXEMBOURG-LUCERNE, SWITZERLAND. Enjoy ever-changing scenery on your southbound drive: see the Duchy of Luxembourg; then through fertile French farmlands southwards, bypassing Strasbourg to the vineyards of Alsace on the way to the Swiss border near Basel. Finally, pass the foothills of the Alps as you approach Lake Lucerne. (B,D) Day 6 - LUCERNE-INNSBRUCK AREA, AUSTRIA. This morning take advantage of the Lucerne walking orientation and maybe join the optional excursion to Mount Titlis. Later, head for the tiny but very wealthy Principality of Liechtenstein. To the east lie the picture-perfect villages of Austria's Voralberg, and once you - re through the Arlberg Tunnel, the scenic splendor of the Inn Valley. Overnight in the Innsbruck area with time to see its Golden Roof. (B,D) Day 7 - INNSBRUCK AREA-VENICE AREA, ITALY. Early morning departure via the Austrian and Italian Tyrol to the unique floating city of Venice. This afternoon's sightseeing includes a boat ride followed by a visit to St. Mark's Basilica and a chance to watch Venetian glassblowers fashion their delicate objects as they did centuries ago. Don - t miss out on the optional gondola trip, gliding along the picturesque canals with a local troubadour to serenade you. (B,D) Day 8 - VENICE AREA-ASSISI-ROME. An interesting drive southward, cutting across the Po Delta, then through the gentle Umbrian hills to Assisi, where St. Francis was born in 1182. Visit the world-famous Basilica with its beautiful frescos by Giotto, then head for Rome. (B) Day 9 - 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 10 - ROME-FLORENCE AREA. An easy drive this morning on the Highway of the Sun to Florence. This Renaissance gem and city of the Medicis will keep you enthralled for a whole day. Traffic is banned in part of the historic center so visitors can wander at leisure and admire the city's timeless beauty in relative peace and quiet. Don - t miss out on the included walking tour with a Local Guide that features most of the city highlights. You will see 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) Day 11 - FLORENCE AREA-PISA-FRENCH RIVIERA, FRANCE. Stop in Pisa to see the Leaning Tower and the Square of Miracles. Bypassing the great port of Genoa, you drive northwest, getting glimpses of the Italian and French Rivieras. Visit one of the famous Provencal perfume workshops before reaching your overnight destination on the lovely French Riviera. (B) Day 12 - FRENCH RIVIERA-LYON. Take the opportunity today to enjoy all the amenities of the French Riviera, rightly known as one of Europe's loveliest regions. In the afternoon, your coach takes the inland road, crossing sun-drenched Provence into the vineyards of the Rhône Valley. Overnight in Lyon. (B,D) Day 13 - LYON-BEAUNE-PARIS. Drive through the neat vineyards and fields of Burgundy to visit Beaune, famous for wines such as Chambertin and Nuits St. Georges. Its Hotel-Dieu is one of the oldest hospitals in Europe. Head for the final excitement of Paris, the most sparkling city in the world. Time to enjoy an optional cabaret show. (B) Day 14 - PARIS. One full day to explore the city that's known throughout the world for its fashions, art and museums, delicious food, and joie de vivre. 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 15 - YOUR HOMEBOUND FLIGHT FROM PARIS ARRIVES THE SAME DAY. (B) |
