| Day 1 – London –
Amsterdam You
meet your Tour Director at the Holiday Inn Kings Cross/Bloomsbury and head
for the White Cliffs of Dover and your ferry to Calais. Cross Belgium’s
Flanders Fields to Holland’s lively Amsterdam. Pass canals and tall gabled
houses to see the Royal Palace in Dam Square and sparkling stones
transformed before your eyes when you visit a diamond- polishing factory.
Hotel: Tulip Inn Riverside.
Day 2 – Amsterdam –
Rhineland
Leave Amsterdam this morning
and cross the border into Germany. At historic Cologne, stop to view the
13th century Gothic cathedral with its soaring spires. After passing
Beethoven’s home town of Bonn, continue to the charming village of Boppard
to join a cruise past awesome castles, leafy vineyards and picturesque
villages. Rejoin the coach and see the legendary Loreley Rock, before
continuing to your hotel. Hotel: NH Weinheim.
(Full Breakfast, dinner)
Day 3 – Rhineland –
Innsbruck
Head into the wooded Bavarian
Alps today to see ‘Mad’ King Ludwig’s fairytale castle of Neuschwanstein.
Cross the Austrian border and travel the spectacular Fern Pass to arrive in
Innsbruck, the capital of the Tyrol. Your Tour Director will show you
Innsbruck’s Golden Roof and the Imperial Palace before offering an optional
thigh-slapping folklore show. Hotel: Alpin Park.
(Full Breakfast, dinner)
Day 4 – Innsbruck –
Venice
Cross the impressive Europa
Bridge, one of Europe’s highest, and the Brenner Pass into Italy. Visit
Romeo and Juliet’s Verona – and see Juliet’s balcony and the Roman arena –
before travelling across the fertile Adriatic Plain to the Veneto region.
Hotel: Il Burchiello (Oriago).
(Full Breakfast, dinner)
Day 5 – Venice
sightseeing
Drive to the Venetian Lagoon
where a private launch takes you to St Mark’s Square. See the ornate
Basilica of St Mark, Doges’ Palace, Bridge of Sighs and the prison in which
Casanova was incarcerated – and from which he escaped. Join a demonstration
of Venetian glass-blowing before spending the rest of the day at leisure –
why not explore the islands of the beautiful lagoon or try a local seafood
lunch? (Full Breakfast,
dinner)
Day 6 – Venice – Rome
Cross the Appenine Mountains
and follow the Autostrada del Sole past ancient Etruscan hill towns to Rome,
a city founded on seven hills above the river Tiber. Discover hidden piazzas
and the splendid fountains of the ‘Eternal City’.Hotel: Cristoforo Colombo.
(Full Breakfast)
Day 7 – Rome
Sightseeing
Rome is three cities in one:
Imperial Rome, Catholic Rome and modern Rome. Enter the Vatican City with
your local guide and explore St Peter’s Basilica and its deeply moving
‘Pieta’ by Michelangelo. Cross the Tiber River to see the remains of the
Colosseum, where Nero was entertained by gladiator fights. Your guide will
enthral you with stories of the Roman Empire as you overlook the Imperial
Forum, from where Julius Caesar contemplated his victories. The rest of the
day is yours to explore the treasures of the Vatican Museum, including the
Sistine Chapel, and to sample the best of Italy: pasta, vino and music.
(Full Breakfast)
Day 8 – Rome – Florence
Bid ‘Arrivederci’ to Rome as
you head north to the Tuscan hills and Renaissance Florence. View the city
from Piazza Michelangelo, before enjoying a Florentine leatherwork
demonstration and shopping for the latest fashions. Be sure to explore
Signoria Square with its open-air museum, the Ponte Vecchio and tombs of
Galileo and Michelangelo in Santa Croce Basilica. Hotel: Art Miro.
(Full Breakfast, dinner)
Day 9 – Florence –
Lucerne
Head north from Tuscany, past
Milan and on to the Lake District on the Italian/Swiss border. Enjoy the
magnificent drive through the Swiss Alps to Lucerne, where you see the
wooden Chapel Bridge and view the famous Lion Monument. Hotel: Luzernerhof.
(Full Breakfast, dinner)
Day 10 – Lucerne –
Paris
Cross the Rhine at Basel before
skirting the Jura Mountains and following the valley of the Doubs River into
Burgundy – a region noted for its fine wines. Cross the wheat fields of
Auxerre and the forest of Royal Fontainbleau before arriving in Paris –
don’t forget to look out for the Eiffel Tower as you approach the French
capital. Consider taking a tour of the sparkling illuminations.Hotel:
Mercure La Defense 5. (Full
Breakfast)
Day 11 – Paris
Sightseeing
Tour the city with a local
guide, seeing the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Cathedral of Notre Dame,
the Opera and Place de la Concorde. The afternoon is yours to shop for
souvenirs or to visit the Mona Lisa in the Louvre; perhaps plan a farewell
dinner in a typical Parisian restaurant or take in a cabaret.
(Full Breakfast)
Day 12 – Paris – London
Cross the Somme’s World War One
battlefields to Calais and the English Channel. The tour ends after a return
crossing to Dover and short journey back to London.
(Full Breakfast) |
