EUROPE IN DEPTH W/ LONDON EXTENSION
Day 1 - (Thu.) Board your overnight transatlantic flight. Day 2 - Arrival in London, England. (Fri.) Uniformed Globus Hosts are available to help you make the most of your stay. Day 3 - London. (Sat.) Sightseeing with a Local Guide includes all the famous landmarks: Knightsbridge with Harrods, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and Buckingham Palace. Highlights are a visit to ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL and the ceremonial pageantry of the Changing of the Guard, if held. Afternoon at leisure. (FB) Day 4 - London - Brussels, Belgium. (Sun.) Meet your Tour Director and traveling companions and head for the station to board the EUROSTAR TRAIN to Brussels, capital of Belgium and the European Union. An orientation drive focuses on Grand "Place with its baroque guild houses and Gothic Town Hall, and famous Manneken Pis. Tonight enjoy a welcome dinner at your hotel. (FB,D) Day 5 - Brussels - Amsterdam, Holland. (Mon.) Past Antwerp and into the Netherlands. In Amsterdam enjoy a CANAL CRUISE and a visit to a major DIAMON Day 6 - Amsterdam - Rhineland, Germany. (Tue.) South to Cologne to visit the awesome twin-spired GOTHIC CATHEDRAL, followed by a romantic RHINE CRUISE (weather permitting). Next stop is Heidelberg, famous for its red-walled castle. (BB,D) Day 7 - Rhineland - Lucerne, Switzerland. (Wed.) This morning stop first in the BLACK FOREST, renowned for its cuckoo clocks. Take photos of the thundering RHINE FALLS, then continue to picture-book Lucerne. (BB,D) Day 8 - Lucerne. (Thu.) Admire Thorwaldsen's LION MONUMENT and walk through the walled Old Town, then cross the famous covered CHAPEL BRIDGE to the Jesuit Church. Why not join an optional excursion to the top of a mountain" (BB) Day 9 - Lucerne - Liechtenstein - Innsbruck, Austria'Salzburg. (Fri.) Stop in Vaduz, in the pocket-sized Principality of Liechtenstein. Next, stroll through the quaint medieval lanes to Emperor Maximilian's Golden Roof in Innsbruck, before continuing to Salzburg. (BB,D) Day 10 - Salzburg - Vienna. (Sat.) Walk through the historic center with your Local Guide and admire the exquisite MIRABELL GARDENS, the Great Festival Hall, ST. PETER'S CHURCHYARD, and the monumental Domplatz. Then travel past Sound of Music country to the Danube Valley and Vienna. (BB) Day 11 - Vienna. (Sun.) Guided sightseeing features vistas of the Prater Park with its Ferris wheel and the United Nations City. Pass the State Opera House, the Jewish Quarter, the Hofburg Palace and visit ST. STEPHEN'S CATHEDRAL. Afternoon at leisure. (BB) Day 12 - Vienna - Venice, Italy. (Mon.) Today a scenic journey south to the Adriatic coast. (BB) Day 13 - Venice. (Tue.) Enjoy a PRIVATE BOAT ride and meet your Local Guide to visit St. MARK'S SQUARE and BASILICA, lavish DOGES" PALACE and the BRIDGE OF SIGHS. Watch Venetian GLASSBLOWERS at work before exploring the narrow streets on your own. (BB,D) Day 14 - Venice - Rome. (Wed.) Through scenic Tuscany, home of the Chianti, to the Eternal City. (BB) Day 15 - Rome. (Thu.) Sightseeing with a Local Guide features the VATICAN MUSEUMS and SISTINE CHAPEL, world famous for Michelangelo's ceiling paintings. Continue to monumental ST. PETER'S SQUARE and BASILICA. Next visit the COLOSSEUM and the ROMAN FORUM. (BB) Day 16 - Rome - Florence. (Fri.) An easy drive to Florence, where guided sightseeing includes visits to Michelangelo's David in the ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS and the CATHEDRAL. Admire Giotto's Bell Tower, the Baptistry's heavy bronze "Gate of Paradise," and SIGNORIA SQUARE. (BB,D) Day 17 - Florence - Pisa - Nice, France. (Sat.) After a picture stop at Pisa's amazing Leaning Tower enjoy a scenic drive along the Mediterranean towards the principality of Monaco and Nice. Stop at one of the famous PERFUME FACTORIES. (BB) Day 18 - Nice. Excursion to St. Paul de Vence. (Sun.) This morning visit the picturesque hilltop town of St. Paul de Vence. Afternoon at leisure. (BB) Day 19 - Nice - Arles - Barcelona, Spain. (Mon.) Drive through the romantic Provence region to Arles, and admire its Roman Amphitheater, before continuing to the Spanish border and Barcelona. (BB,D) Day 20 - Barcelona. (Tue.) Morning sightseeing features the Columbus Monument, elegant Ramblas and Plaza de Cataluña, as well as the Church of the Holy Family, and a visit to the Cathedral of SANTA EULALIA. (BB) Day 21 - Barcelona'Saragossa - Madrid. (Wed.) Today travel through Catalonia to Saragossa, then wind your way through three sierras to Madrid on the plateau of Castile. (BB) Day 22 - Madrid. (Thu.) Guided sightseeing of Spain's capital takes you to the Plaza de España with its monument to Cervantes, the Parliament, Cibeles Fountain, and a highlight visit to the PRADO MUSEUM. The afternoon is free for an optional excursion to Toledo. (BB) Day 23 - Madrid - Burgos - Bilbao. (Fri.) North to Burgos for a morning stop, then continue to Bilbao for a guided visit to the famous GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM (2007 departures overnight in Vitoria instead of Bilbao and visit EL ESCORIAL and VALLEY OF THE FALLEN instead.) (BB,D) Day 24 - Bilbao - Biarritz, France - Bordeaux. (Sat.) Back into France visit Biarritz before reaching Bordeaux where an orientation drive acquaints you with this historic port. (BB,D) Day 25 - Bordeaux - Paris. (Sun.) The high-speed "TGV" TRAIN whisks you to Paris. Sightseeing with a Local Guide features Notre Dame Cathedral, Opéra, Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Elysées, and more. Take the elevator to the second floor of the EIFFEL TOWER for a bird's-eye view. Tonight maybe a cabaret show" (BB) Day 26 - At Leisure in Paris. (Mon.) All day at leisure to explore this magnificent city. An optional excursion to the Louvre is available. (BB) Day 27 - Paris - London, England. (Thu.) Board the Eurostar train to London arriving in the late afternoon. Optional evening outings are available.Overnight at the first class hotel Novotel London Novotel London West (F). (BB)
Day 28 - (Wed.) Your homebound flight from London arrives the same day. (FB) |
