The Grand European by Cosmos Vacations

The Grand European

1-877-510-4653

COSMOS Vacations

Affordable Escorted Vacations!

The Grand European

Duration: 23 Days

Land Tour w/deluxe motorcoach

ENGLAND, BELGIUM, HOLLAND, GERMANY, SWITZERLAND, ITALY, FRANCE and SPAIN

Specially-priced Air Rates Available: YES

This extensive European tour stretches through Central Europe from London to Rome, then along the Mediterranean coast to Spain and France. You’ll travel to some of Europe's most famous cities—London, Amsterdam, Lucerne, Venice, Rome, Florence, Barcelona, Madrid, and Paris, and see some of its most famous landmarks. You'll also stay in some smaller, but equally charming cities, including Nice, Carcassonne, and Poitiers in France; Wiesbaden in Germany; and Bilbao in Spain.

This European tour is filled with historic sights. Italy is a country rich in natural and artistic treasures. In fact, Italy has the highest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world, some of which you’ll visit on this European tour: Assisi’s Basilica of St Francis and the historic city centers of Rome, Florence, Verona; Pisa’s Piazza dei Miracoli, Venice with its lagoon and the stunning Cinque Terre. In France, see the ancient battlements in the beautifully preserved, medieval town of Carcassonne and admire the royal castle in Amboise. In Spain, see the Burgos beautiful gothic cathedral, begun in the 13th Century; in Barcelona, on your city tour, see Gaudi’s eccentric architectural masterpieces.

This tour through Europe also features stunning scenery. On your travels from Germany into Switzerland, admire awe-inspiring alpine scenery. Spend time on the gorgeous French Riviera and enjoy a scenic journey along France’s Loire, with its rivers, and many castles. Drive through the scenic Rhineland and witness its picturesque countryside, historic castles, and charming villages. Marvel at the rolling hills, terraced vineyards, olive groves, and rural villages as you travel through Tuscany and Umbria. Discover the Cinque Terre region, with views that inspired artists and poets. Plus, enjoy some of France’s loveliest scenery—right out of a Van Gogh painting—in the Provence region.

This is the perfect vacation for value-minded travelers who want to see it all!

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:

LONDON Visit
LONDON-BRUSSELS by Eurostar train
AMSTERDAM Canal cruise, guided sightseeing
LUCERNE Visit
VERONA Visit
VENICE Canal boat ride, glassblowing workshop
ASSISI Visit St. Francis Basilica
ROME Guided sightseeing
FLORENCE Guided walking tour
PISA See the Leaning Tower
CINQUE TERRE Visit
GENOVA Guided sightseeing
ÈZE Visit a Perfume workshop
AVIGNON & CARCASSONE Visit
BARCELONA & MADRID Guided sightseeing
SARAGOSSA, BURGOS, BILBAO & AMBOISE Visit
BORDEAUX Orientation
PARIS Guided sightseeing

The following UNESCO World Heritage Sites can be seen or visited on this vacation:

17th Century Canal Ring Area of Amsterdam
Assisi (the Basilica of San Francesco)
Burgos Cathedral
Cinque Terre
City of Verona
Genoa old city and Palazzi dei Rolli
Historic Centre of Avignon: Papal Palace Episcopal Ensemble and Avignon Bridge (See Only)
Historic Centre of Florence
Historic Centre of Rome - various properties Vatican City
Historic Fortified City of Carcassonne
Paris Banks of the Seine
Piazza del Duomo Pisa
Pyrenées
Upper Middle Rhine Valley
Venice and its Lagoon
Works of Antoni Gaudi in Barcelona

Inside visits and special features:
Shown in UPPERCASE in the tour description including admission charges where applicable.

NOTE
December 10 Departure – Christmas in Barcelona and New Year’s in Paris, including festive dinner

OPTIONALS:
Choice of optional excursions at reasonable prices to customize your own experience. Please find a detailed list in your travel documents

HEADSETS throughout the tour

LONDON NOVOTEL LONDON WEST (F)
AMSTERDAM HOTEL IBIS STYLES AMSTERDAM AIRPORT (ST)
WIESBADEN NOVUM CITY (ST)
LUCERNE IBIS STYLES LUZERNE CITY (ST)
VENICE AMBASCIATORI AT MESTRE (F)
ROME VILLA MARIA REGINA (MF)
MONTECATINI GRAND HOTEL AMBASCIATORI (F)
GENOA STARHOTELS PRESIDENT (F)
NICE IBIS PROMENADE DES ANGLAIS AT NICE (ST)
CARCASSONNE DES 3 COURONNES (ST)
BARCELONA HOTEL IBIS STYLES BARCELONA CITY BOGATELL (ST)
MADRID ELBA MADRID ALCALA (F)
BILBAO NH LA AVANZADA (ST)
POITIERS IBIS POITIERS CENTRE (ST)
PARIS TIMOHOTEL BERTHIER (ST)

HOTELS - (SF) Superior First-Class (F) First-Class (MF) Moderate First Class (ST) Superior Tourist Class (T) Tourist Class

DINING HIGHLIGHTS

Buffet breakfasts daily; 6 dinners

TRANSPORTATION
Touring by private, first-class, air-conditioned motorcoach with free Wi-Fi; Eurostar train London-Brussels; Amsterdam canal cruise; canal boat in Venice; Pisa mini-train ride; Cinque Terre train ride

GUIDES
Host service in London

AIRPORT TRANSFERS
Airport transfers may be included when you make your flight arrangements.

Day 1 Arrive in London, England

Check into your hotel. In the afternoon, you may want to start exploring the lively British capital. Uniformed hosts and the CosmosGO app are available to help you make the most of your stay.

Day 2 London

Enjoy a full day with your choice of optional activities: take a panoramic tour of London’s landmarks, visit the Tower of London, or choose an excursion to Windsor Castle. Tonight, we recommend our optional Taste of London excursion with dinner, followed by a guided illumination cruise on the Thames River.

Breakfast

Day 3 London–Amsterdam Area, Holland

Transfer to the railway station and board the EUROSTAR TRAIN to Brussels with your Tour Director. From here, travel on your luxury motorcoach to the Amsterdam area.

Today’s Distance: 323 mi/ 520 km

Breakfast

Day 4 Amsterdam Area–Wiesbaden, Germany

Today, enjoy a CANAL CRUISE to see the city 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 Wiesbaden.

Today’s Distance: 258 mi/ 415 km

Breakfast

Day 5 Wiesbaden–Heidelberg–Lucerne Area, Switzerland

Drive through the scenic Rhineland and enjoy splendid scenery as you skirt the Rhine River. Continue into Germany’s oldest university town, Heidelberg, nicely located at the confluence of the Neckar and Rhine Rivers, for a short visit. Carry on to Switzerland for two overnights in the Lucerne area.

Today’s Distance: 270 mi/ 435 km

Breakfast

Day 6 Lucerne

Lucerne is nestled amid snowcapped Alps, surrounded by Lake Lucerne, and graced by the clear mountain waters of the Reuss River. Your visit takes in the impressive city walls, CHAPEL 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. Sign up for an optional cable-car ride to the 10,000-foot summit of Mount Titlis.

Breakfast

Day 7 Lucerne Area–Verona, Italy–Venice Area

More wonderful alpine scenery as you drive into the mountain ranges that surround massive St. Gotthard Pass into the warmer and sunnier ambiance of Canton Ticino, then cross into Italy and drive across the Po Valley to Verona, medieval setting of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. See Juliet’s house and balcony, and stroll around the picturesque market square. Tonight, arrive in the Venice area.

Today’s Distance: 367 mi/ 590 km

Breakfast

Day 8 Venice

Venice is more like a marvelous film set than a real-life city, with its crisscrossing canals, gondolas and water buses, arched bridges, and palaces. Your included orientation starts with a BOAT RIDE to St. Mark’s Square and is followed by some time at leisure and a chance to visit a GLASSBLOWING WORKSHOP. Don’t miss out on the optional gondola trip.

Breakfast

Dinner

Day 9 Venice Area–Assisi–Rome

Drive southward 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.

Today’s Distance: 345 mi/ 555 km

Breakfast

Day 10 Rome

The “Eternal City” is steeped in history, vibrantly alive, exciting, and absolutely unique! Included sightseeing with a Local Guide starts with St. Peter’s Square and Basilica. Other highlights are the iconic Colosseum, the largest amphitheater ever built and Circus Maximus. An optional visit is available to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, world famous for Michelangelo’s The Last Judgment.

Breakfast

Day 11 Rome–Florence–Montecatini

Journey to beautiful Tuscany. Stop in Florence, Renaissance gem and city of the Medicis to admire the city’s timeless beauty on the included walking tour with a Local Guide. Continue to Montecatini.

Today’s Distance: 202 mi/ 325 km

Breakfast

Day 12 Montecatini–Pisa–Cinque Terre–Genoa

Take a break in Pisa where you hop on a mini train to see the SQUARE OF MIRACLES and the amazing Leaning Tower. Then, hop aboard a TRAIN to discover some of the five spectacular Cinque Terre villages. Here, the beauty of the rugged cliffs and romantic fishing villages once inspired poet Lord Byron. From Levanto, head towards Genoa, birthplace of explorer Christopher Columbus.

Today’s Distance: 149 mi/ 240 km

Breakfast

Dinner

Day 13 Genova–Italian Riviera–Èze, France–French Riviera

Today’s included guided tour is an excellent introduction to Genova. A maze of squares and alleys, the city grew around the port, a natural inlet, and boasts the largest medieval historical center in Europe. Journey northwest, with views of the Italian Riviera. Continue to France for a visit to a PERFUME WORKSHOP in Èze before traveling along the celebrated Côte d’Azur. An optional Monte Carlo by Night excursion with dinner is available.

Today’s Distance: 124 mi/ 200 km

Breakfast

Day 14 French Riviera–Avignon–Carcassonne

Today’s journey will take you through some of France’s loveliest scenery, sun-drenched landscapes right out of Van Gogh’s paintings, on the way through Provence. Stop for a visit in historic Avignon. Continue westwards to Carcassonne.

Today’s Distance: 336 mi/ 540 km

Breakfast

Dinner

Day 15 Carcassonne–Barcelona, Spain

Discover the medieval citadel of Carcassonne, an almost-untouched piece of fortified architecture, still standing in all its walled glory. See the drawbridges, towers, battlements, watch turrets and ramparts, used to defend the city from the enemy. Later, cross into Spain and arrive in Barcelona.

Today’s Distance: 211 mi/ 340 km

Breakfast

Day 16 Barcelona

This morning’s sightseeing with a Local Guide includes a drive around Montjuïc to see the Olympic Stadium and a panoramic view of the port and city. The drive continues to the city center to Plaza Catalunya and Paseo de Gracia to admire the greatness and eccentricity of Gaudi’s architectural masterpieces in the Houses Batlló and Mila and the Sagrada Familia (entrance fees not included).

Breakfast

Day 17 Barcelona–Saragossa–Madrid

See more of Catalonia as you drive northwest, stopping in Saragossa through the very heart of New Castile for two overnights in Spain’s capital, Madrid.

Today’s Distance: 395 mi/ 635 km

Breakfast

Day 18 Madrid

Not only because it’s the capital of Spain, but also because it is situated 2,180 feet above sea level, the Spaniards say Madrid is the nearest thing to Heaven. Enjoy the main highlights on the included sightseeing excursion. The optional trip to Toledo is rewarding, too. The splendid setting is like a great open-air museum of Spanish history and art.

Breakfast

Dinner

Day 19 Madrid–Burgos–Bilbao

Stop in Burgos to visit the beautiful gothic cathedral. Continue through the Basque Country to Bilbao, famous for four contemporary architects: Norman Foster, Santiago Calatrava, Cesar Pelli, and Frank Gehry.

Today’s Distance: 273 mi/ 440 km

Breakfast

Dinner

Day 20 Bilbao–Bordeaux, France–Poitiers

A change of scenery as you travel into France across Gascony for an orientation of Bordeaux, the wine capital of France, and through the Cognac area to Poitiers, of Black Prince fame.

Today’s Distance: 379 mi/ 610 km

Breakfast

Dinner

Day 21 Poitiers–Châteaux Country–Amboise–Paris

Leave the “Town of a Hundred Bell Towers” for a scenic journey along the Loire. Stop in Amboise before reaching Paris in time to enjoy an optional excursion.

Today’s Distance: 249 mi/ 400 km

Breakfast

Day 22 Paris

Enjoy a 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 shows off many of the best-known Parisian sights. Optional excursions are also available to discover more of this beautiful city.

Breakfast

Day 23 Paris

Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.

Breakfast

The Grand European

23 Day Tour

From $3369USD
(Less applicable COSMOS PROMO(S) and Gardner Travel Discounts)

REQUEST RATES, AVAILABILITY AND OTHER INFORMATION HERE

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You may reserve your tour online OR email us and we will provide our private rate back to you by email response or phone call as you prefer it.

PLEASE NOTE:
We have access to the U.S./Canada reservations only for this tour. If you reside outside of the U.S./Canada please contact the closest Globus Family of Brands travel agent in your country of origin.

Exceptional Vacations

Celebrating over 85 Years of Touring!

Prices are per person based on double occupancy and are land only. We also offer competitive group-based airfares from your home city airport that fit with this particular touring program.

Toll Free Call
1-877-510-4653
USA and Canada

We provide an additional agency point-of-sale discount for all Globus, Cosmos and Avalon Waterways tour programs. Offer subject to availability and change without notice.

TALK TO AN EXPERIENCED

As a full-service travel provider, we can help you in finding your perfect tour at the best price available, today. We've been representing the GLOBUS Family of Brands for over 35 years as a Premier Agency Partner - a designation only awarded to the top tier agencies that are authorized to represent the full Globus Family of Brands. We can take you all the way from your own hometown to some of the most beautiful touring experiences in Europe and then back again - all with the expertise of a seasoned COSMOS professional representative. When it is important to get it right, you can trust the services of our own professional COSMOS Certified travel specialists.

Requesting Availability
We will check your requested tour program and accommodations for the date range that you may specify in the boxes below and reply back to you as soon as possible. Of course the more information that you can provide us, the closer we will be in matching your needs and preferences. We will not knowingly sell or pass along your information that you provide to any third party for any reason (see Liabilities and Privacy Policy). And we use SSL Technology to safeguard your information on our tour request forms that we have posted throughout our website.

We are available to answer your inquiries in person Monday - Friday (except holidays) from 8:30am until 5:30pm CST (1-877-510-4653 | 817-788-5210). We are available from time to time on the weekends via email to answer your questions. Our typical response time for your email request ranges from 3 hours to as many as 72 depending upon the availability of onsite resources and those of the tour companies and resorts/lodging establishments, as well as any variations you may request from our listed programs. We will respond to your requests as quickly as possible and as soon as we have all components of your package confirmable. All tour program rates are based upon double occupancy unless otherwise specified.

Thank you for your interest in this quality Cosmos Tour by The GLOBUS Family of Brands!

Randy C. Gardner
President
Gardner Travel Service, Inc.

More than three decades ago Cosmos pioneered the idea of quality value travel to Europe. Since then we've developed and refined the concept of vacation packages. Over a million people have come back to us for a second or third vacation...or more!

Our clients' repeat business is the best testimony to the incredible value and experience we offer.

If you've never taken a package vacation, consider this: Traveling with Cosmos is less expensive, more comfortable, and far easier than going it alone. Our volume contracting for hotels and services provides you with travel at wholesale prices. A Cosmos package is carefully planned to make the best possible use of your time.

Our team of experts has refined our itineraries to combine the must-see sights with significant time on your own, offering more choice and flexibility. You can travel relaxed and hassle-free, knowing that we've taken care of all the details.

Arthur Fromer Europe on a Budget

Once you've discovered the special advantages of traveling with Cosmos, you'll never want to travel any other way again. Cosmos is "A Smart Way To Go."

Guidance

At the heart of every great Cosmos tour are the friendly, knowledgeable folks who show you around and help you maximize your free time. We go to incredible lengths to find the most professional Tour Directors and Local Guides. They deliver commentary in English, but are multilingual so they can navigate Europe with ease and give you the richest experience possible.

Headsets
For all guided visits and included sightseeing in Europe, Cosmos will provide personal audio headsets. See tour itinerary for details.

The Right Balance
No one enjoys a vacation where every second is spent on a schedule. We build free time into every Cosmos vacation, so you can eat, shop, and explore the way you want. Your Tour Director and Local Guides can offer suggestions for things to see and do-or you can join one of our many intriguing optional excursions.

Sightseeing
Our packages include guided sightseeing and scenic highlights that reveal the best of Europe, North America, and South America. Enjoy inside visits of the must-see sites with knowledgeable Local Guides who will bring each destination to life. Inside visits and special features are shown in UPPERCASE in the tour description. See individual itinerary pages to learn what is included in your vacation.

Personalize Your Vacation with MyCosmos
Cosmos lets you enhance your tour with optional excursions that are meaningful to you. Whether you enjoy art, music, food, wine, history, or whatever, we give you the freedom to truly personalize your trip. Best of all, you can make your selections-and even pre-pay-in advance online at Cosmos.com/MyCosmos.

Cosmos Takes Care of Your Hotels

Where you stay makes all the difference.
After a day's traveling you want to relax at a comfortable, clean, and attractive hotel. We have chosen hotels with the best rooms, service, and food for the money. Of course, they vary as different countries have different standards. However, we ensure that everywhere you get the best available in cleanliness and comfort.

Cosmos hotels are always located in good neighborhoods, some more centrally and others in residential areas. Especially in large cities we sometimes prefer good hotels in residential areas on the outskirts to less desirable or overpriced downtown hotels.

Rooms at all our hotels include private facilities: private bath or shower and a toilet.

Triple rooms are usually no larger than twin rooms and the third bed is often a roll-away bed put into a twin-bedded room just for the night.

Cosmos specifies your hotels
Our hotels are mainly superior tourist-class (ST) and tourist-class (T) establishments, but we also feature some first-class (F) hotels. Cosmos hotel ratings follow standards set by the independent Official Hotel Guide (OHG) or by national tourist boards. The specific rating for each contract hotel is determined by our quality controllers.

We reserve the right to substitute hotels listed on the tour pages with hotels of equivalent standard. With your Cosmos travel documents you'll receive a list of hotel addresses, telephone numbers, and fax numbers for your tour.

Stretch Your Vacation Dollars

Value-packed vacations at bargain prices.
With Cosmos, a company that specializes in package travel arrangements, you'll visit the world without spending a fortune. Because all our buying power is devoted to package travel, our clout with suppliers is powerfully concentrated -- and we pass the savings on to you with affordable vacation packages for every budget.

Singles save with "guaranteed share" rates
More than one-third of all people traveling with Cosmos are traveling independently. We therefore accept reservations on a "guaranteed share" basis. We charge singles the basic price and match up singles of the same gender in twin-bedded rooms. For mutual comfort we adopt a no-smoking rule in shared rooms. "Guaranteed shares" are not available for extra nights before or after your tour, on tours with overnight trains, or on train or cruise extensions.
If we cannot find a roommate for a traveler who has booked on a "guaranteed share" basis, we'll absorb the single room supplement, and that traveler will be accommodated in a single room at no extra charge.
Of course we do offer single rooms when available to those who prefer to travel solo and pay the single supplement.

Triple room reduction
Cosmos grants a reduction to three people who travel together and share the same accommodation. Triple room reductions, when available, are listed in the Dates and Prices box on the tour page.

A word of caution: Triple rooms usually are no larger than twin rooms, and the third bed, if there is one, is often a rollaway bed put in a twin-bedded room for the night.

Discount for young tour members
Cosmos grants a 10 percent discount on the land tour price to travelers who are under 18 years old on the tour departure date, provided they are accompanied by an adult. We do not accept children under eight on our tours because we have found that they are too young to enjoy these vacations.

Cosmos Vacations Offer Flexibility

Joining late and leaving early*
Many Cosmos land arrangements start and end in London. If you have already spent time in the British capital, you may want to skip one or more of the included London nights or even join at the first overnight hotel on the Continent. Call your Travel Agent for any reductions that apply to your vacation for joining late or leaving early. Vacations with these reductions are sold on a land-only basis.

A professional team takes care of you in London
For any help or information you might require during your London stay, please contact the Cosmos hospitality desk at your hotel. Our knowledgeable staff will serve you with a smile; give you guidance on what to do and where to go; and arrange excursions, evening entertainment, and theater outings for you.

Extra nights*
If you'd like more hotel nights than we've provided at the start or end of your tour, we can make reservations for you at the rates quoted below, provided you request them at the time you book your vacation. Rates are per person, per night, and include room with private bath, breakfast, service charges, and taxes.

Extra nights are only available immediately prior to or after your tour. Extra pre-tour nights in London are not available if you join your tour later than Day 2.

Every effort is made to reserve extra nights at the hotel where your tour stays. If space at the tour hotel is not available, alternative accommodation will be reserved at a hotel of equivalent standard. When this is the case, the transfer to and from the tour hotel is at our expense.

As hotel space is limited, we cannot reserve more than two extra nights before and/or after a tour, unless they are needed to bridge the gap between two Cosmos vacations. During particularly busy periods, hotel space in certain cities can become so tight that we may be unable to sell extra nights.

Trust & Travel Insurance

For generations, Globus has worked hard to provide the best on-trip experiences, world-class customer service, and the best consumer protection plans available in the travel industry.

DETAILS OF THIS INSURANCE PROGRAM WILL BE INCLUDED IN ALL OF OUR QUOTES.

and The Globus Family of Brands

More than 75 years ago, Antonio Mantegazza bought a rowboat to transport commercial goods across Lake Lugano in Switzerland. Who could know that rowboat would launch the world's leading escorted travel company? Today Globus is a global, family-owned company reaching every corner of the world. Globus is now the first choice among individuals looking for vacations with both domestic and international travel in a variety of styles to six continents and hundreds of itineraries to choose from (see Globus History video right).

Antonio's frequent trips across the scenic lake led him to consider opportunities in a different market - tourism. His entrepreneurial instinct pushed him to gradually acquire some motorcoaches to transport tourists around the Lake Lugano area. In 1928, Antonio opened a company specializing in motorcoach touring called Globus Viaggi. The company began with a fleet of 12 coaches which operated local excursions for European tourists in Switzerland.

By 1950, Globus Viaggi had grown to a fleet of 33 coaches and featured overnight excursions to Rome, Venice, the Dolomites and the French Riviera. Gradually, these became regularly scheduled tours and grew longer to cover more ground. Later that decade, under the leadership of Werner Albek, Antonio's business partner, Globus pioneered the concept of Grand European Touring by offering first-class European tours to North Americans. By 1961, the company launched its Cosmos arm, which featured affordable, value-priced European touring for the cost-conscious British traveler.

The coach tours were so successful that Cosmos soon introduced another form of travel for the British market: air holiday packages to the sunny destinations of southern Europe. By 1968, Cosmos air holidays became so popular the company formed its own airline, Monarch Airlines. Monarch Airlines started out modestly with two used Britannia aircraft and eventually blossomed into one of the most successful European charter companies with a large fleet of modern jets and its own engineering division.

Under the flagship of Sergio Mantegazza, current president and son of Antonio, Globus began expanding its markets beyond Great Britain and North America. Since 1974, travel packages have been sold in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and most recently in Southeast Asia. Starting in the 70s, the company also aggressively expanded its offerings, introducing travelers to more countries than any other tour operator with packages to Africa, South and North America, Europe, the South Pacific and Asia.

Today, the Globus family of brands is marketed and operated by a network of more than 32 independent tourism and aviation businesses, serviced by a group of more than 5,000 professionals worldwide. Combined, Globus, Cosmos, and Monograms carry over 500,000 passengers a year, making the organization the leading operator of guided vacations worldwide. Globus attributes its success to the ideals of founder Antonio Mantegazza. For three generations, his vision, hard work, love for travel, and commitment have guided the company. These values are the cornerstone on which Globus was built and will continue to grow.