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-AMSTERDAM
AREA, HOLLAND. Leave London in the early morning and head
through the lush English countryside to the Channel port, where you
embark on your ferry for the Continent. Meet your Tour Director and
board your luxury coach for the drive to the Amsterdam area. (B)
Day
5 AMSTERDAM
AREA-RHINELAND, GERMANY. Today, enjoy a canal cruise to see
the town from water level, then watch the cutting and polishing of
precious stones at a diamond center in Amsterdam. Later, sightseeing
with a Local Guide points out the city highlights. In the afternoon,
travel southward to the Rhineland area for an overnight. (B,D)
Day
6 RHINELAND-INNSBRUCK, AUSTRIA.
A choice today of the included scenic drive along the shores of the
Rhine or, even more thrilling, the optional Rhine cruise with vistas of
the Lorelei rock, hilltop castles, half-timbered wine villages, and
terraced vineyards. In the afternoon, ride along the Autobahn to
Austria. Overnight in Innsbruck. (B,D)
Day
7 INNSBRUCK-VENICE
AREA, ITALY. Early morning departure via the Tyrolean Alps
to the unique floating city of Venice. This afternoon’s orientation
includes a boat ride followed by 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 plain, then through the gentle Umbrian hills to Assisi,
where St. Francis was born in 1182. Visit the world-famous basilica
with its beautiful frescoes 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-MONTECATINI. An easy
drive 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; 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 of Paradise.” Overnight in the spa
town of Montecatini. (B,D)
Day
11 MONTECATINI-PISA-MILAN-LAKE COMO.
Start the morning by driving to Pisa to visit the Square of Miracles
and admire the Leaning Tower. Next, journey northwards through the
Tuscan hills and across the Po plain to Milan to admire the majestic
gothic Duomo. Then, continue to the shores of romantic Lake Como. (B,D)
Day
12 LAKE COMO-LUGANO, SWITZERLAND-LUCERNE.
Leave beautiful Lake Como to cross the border into Switzerland. Stop in
Lugano, in the Italian-speaking Ticino, then continue to Lucerne, one
of Switzerland's finest cities, nested amid its Alps, surrounded by its
lake, and embellished by the clean waters of the River Reuss. (B)
Day
13 LUCERNE-INTERLAKEN-LAUSANNE.
This morning, spend some time in this beautiful town, then drive to
nearby Stans, with a chance to join the optional excursion by funicular
and cable car to the summit of Mount Stanserhorn. Later, stop in
Interlaken and follow the shoreline of Lake Thun. A few more miles to
Lausanne, overlooking Lake Leman. (B)
Day
14 LAUSANNE-BEAUNE, FRANCE-PARIS.
Vistas of famous vineyards on the way to Beaune. Visit the medieval
Burgundian town, known the world over for its wine production. Later,
take the autoroute to Paris. Tonight, maybe an optional cabaret show?
(B)
Day
15 PARIS. 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 shows off 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.
An optional excursion to the Palace and Gardens of Versailles is
available. (B)
Day
16
YOUR HOMEBOUND FLIGHT FROM PARIS ARRIVES THE SAME DAY. (B)