| 8 Days ~ England
~ Belgium ~ Holland ~ Germany ~ Switzerland ~ France
Tour
Pace
This is a well paced tour with two night stays
in Amsterdam, Lucerne and Paris, allowing plenty of time for in depth
sightseeing. The only one night stay is in the delightful Rhineland region
of Germany. Comfortable driving days with frequent stops.
DAY 1 – SUN –
LONDON – AMSTERDAM
Meet your Tour Director
and drive to Dover for the short English Channel crossing to Calais. Pass
historic Dunkirk, famous for its Second World War evacuations, and follow
the coast north into Belgium. Enter your fourth country, the Netherlands,
passing windmills on the way to the cultural capital of Amsterdam, ‘City
of Canals’. In the evening, enjoy a Welcome Drink with the Tour Director
before boarding a canal cruise. Glide past high gabled houses and under low
bridges to alight at afloating restaurant on Amsterdam’s magnificent
harbour. Here, you will share a Highlight Dinner with your tour companions.
Hotel: Eden Rembrandt Sq. (Speciality Highlight
Dinner)
DAY 2 – MON –
AMSTERDAM SIGHTSEEING
An orientation tour
reveals the Mint Tower, Dam Square and Royal Palace. Leave Amsterdam and
drive through the Dutch countryside, with its windmills and canals, to the
old, traditional village of Volendam, situated on what was once the Zuider
Zee. Later, make a photo-stop beside one of the picturesque windmills and
then visit a cheese farm and a ‘Klompenhuis’, where wooden clogs are
made. Return to Amsterdam for a visit to a diamond cutting factory, whose
industry dates back to the 16th century. This evening, consider a visit to
the famous Sailors’ Quarter. (Buffet breakfast)
DAY 3 – TUE –
AMSTERDAM – RHINELAND
Leave Amsterdam for
Germany. Pass the border town of Arnhem, renowned for its ‘Bridge Too
Far’ (the Rhine bridge which was the object of bitter fighting at the end
of the Second World War), then cross the extensive Ruhr Basin to Cologne.
This city was also badly damaged in the war, but its superb Gothic Cathedral
survived. Take time to marvel at the soaring vaults and spires, and to
stroll in the bustling pedestrian malls of the city centre. Then it’s on
to Bonn, birthplace of Beethoven and capital of West Germany for more than
40 years until Berlin was reinstated as capital of a reunified Germany after
the fall of the wall. Travel to the picturesque Rhine Gorge to board a
Highlight Cruise at Boppard, and glide past medieval hill-top castles and
steep leafy vineyards to the legendary Loreley Rock. Rejoin the coach at St
Goar and continue to your hotel. Hotel: Steigenberger Mannheimer Hof. (Buffet
breakfast, dinner)
DAY 4 – WED –
RHINELAND – LUCERNE
Visit Heidelberg, city of
the ‘Student Prince’, on the banks of the River Neckar and view the
ruined clifftop castle. Take the scenic route along the Rhine Valley to the
ancient city of Freiburg, before climbing into the heart of the Black
Forest, home of the cuckoo clock industry. After stopping to see how these
clocks are made, continue past Lake Titisee and across the Swiss border to
Schaffhausen. Admire the Rhine River thundering over the Rhine Falls before
driving, via Zurich, to lakeside Lucerne. After checking into your hotel,
shop for chocolate or a special timepiece, and consider joining an optional
Swiss Fondue Party in the evening. Hotel: Astoria. (Buffet
breakfast)
DAY 5 – THU –
LUCERNE SIGHTSEEING
See Lucerne’s proud
Lion Monument, carved into a limestone cliff and dedicated to the Swiss
Guards massacred defending the King during the French Revolution. Take time
to stroll across the covered Chapel Bridge and see the baroque Jesuit
church. Enjoy an exciting Premium Highlight – an exhilarating ride by
cog-wheel train and cable-car to the summit of Mount Pilatus. Admire the
stunning panorama of snow-capped peaks – including the Eiger and Jungfrau
– before descending over mountain crags and pine forests back to terra
firma. (Buffet
breakfast, dinner)
DAY 6 – FRI –
LUCERNE – PARIS
Leaving the Alpine
region, cross the Rhine at Basel and continue into France. Travel past the
fortified town of Belfort, gateway to Alsace, and along the forested ridges
of the Jura Mountains into Burgundy. Continue through leafy vineyards and
past the forests of Fontainebleau to arrive in the glittering French capital
of Paris for a two-night stay. Why not sample the fabulous local cuisine
tonight? Hotel: Paris Rive Gauche. (Buffet breakfast)
DAY 7 – SAT –
PARIS SIGHTSEEING
A sightseeing tour with a
local guide takes you by the Île de la Cité to see Notre Dame Cathedral
with its famous tale of Quasimodo, the hunchback of Notre Dame. Pass the
immense facades of the Louvre and marvel at Garnier’s splendid Opera
House. See the Obelisk in the centre of the Place de la Concorde and drive
along the elegant Champs Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe. A Premium
Highlight takes you up to the viewing platforms of the wonderful Eiffel
Tower for spectacular views of the city. Visit the magnificent gilded Église
du Dôme to see the imposing tomb of Napoleon. Spend the afternoon exploring
Paris at your own pace. Perhaps take an optional tour to magnificent
Versailles and, by night, why not join in the fun at a world famous cabaret
show? (Buffet
breakfast)
DAY 8 – SUN –
PARIS – LONDON
Cross the World War One
battlefields of the Somme to arrive at the port of Calais for your return
Channel crossing to England. The white cliffs of Dover will welcome you as
you sail back into England. From here it’s a short drive through the Kent
countryside to London, where the tour ends a short time later. (Buffet breakfast)
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