Tour
The
Best of Italy (Budget Class)
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Starts in Rome
Ends in Rome |
USA departure Mondays
From Feb 19 to Dec 3
Thursdays
From Mar 29 to Oct 18
and Sun, Dec 23
2007
Mondays
From Feb 18 to Mar 10
2008
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13 days
14 days incl. air
c6390 |
Tour price land only - - - - - - - -
from $ 1360 to $ 1550
Airline tickets from your home city also available
Your Travel Package Includes:
SIGHTSEEING:
Visits to Pisa, Lake Maggiore, Milan, Lugano, Sirmione, Verona, Ravenna, Assisi,
Sorrento, Capri
SCENIC HIGHLIGHTS:
Tuscany, Italian Lake District, Bay of Naples
Inside visits are shown in UPPERCASE in the tour description, including admission charges when applicable
GUIDES:
Local Guides for city sightseeing in Rome, Florence, Venice, Pompeii. Services of a professional Tour Director while touring
TRANSPORTATION:
Scheduled transatlantic flights and airport transfers in London if
Tour Operator issues the tickets. Touring by private first-class air-conditioned
motorcoach. Canal transfer boat in Venice; boat transfer to Capri.
MEALS:
12 buffet breakfast (B); 4 dinners (D)
AIRPORT TRANSFERS:
Airport transfers may be included when you make your flight
arrangements with Tour Operator.
OPTIONALS:
Choice of optional excursions at reasonable prices to customize your
own experience. Please find a detailed list in your travel documents
Itinerary - tour The Best of Italy
Day 1 BOARD YOUR OVERNIGHT TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT.
Day 2 ARRIVAL IN ROME, ITALY. Check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to explore this ancient capital. Tonight, meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers.
Day 3 ROME. Included sightseeing with Local Guide starts in St. Peter’s Square, followed by a visit to the Roman Forum and the mighty
Colosseum. (B)
Day 4 ROME-FLORENCE AREA. This morning vistas of undulating hills, austere rows of cypress trees, terraced vineyards, olive groves, and rural villages form the backdrop of your journey through beautiful Tuscany. Reach Florence in time to enjoy the included walking tour with a Local Guide, featuring most of the city highlights. You will see the Piazza Santa
Croce; the beautiful Piazza Signoria; the Palazzo Vecchio and its courtyard; 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 to Paradise."
(B,D)
Day 5 FLORENCE. EXCURSION TO PISA. An easy drive this morning to see more of the Tuscan countryside on the way to Pisa. Stop for a visit and see the Square of Miracles and the amazing Leaning Tower. Return to Florence for the afternoon. End the day by joining the optional Tuscan dinner in a typical restaurant. (B)
Day 6 FLORENCE AREA-MILAN-LAKE MAGGIORE. This morning leave hilly Tuscany to travel north into the plains of Lombardy crossing the great River Po with new and quite different scenery as you approach Milan for a stop to see its great
Duomo. Overnight in Baveno on the Lake Maggiore area. (B)
Day 7 LAKE MAGGIORE. Time to relax and get to know the area. Lake Maggiore is one of Italy’s largest lakes and is located on the very edge of Alpine Switzerland. In fact on clear days you can see the peaks of the Swiss Alps. Take advantage of the included excursion to visit Lugano and its lake in Switzerland. (B)
Day 8 LAKE MAGGIORE-SIRMIONE-VERONA-VENICE AREA. This morning journey eastwards for a first stop in Sirmione on the shores of Lake
Garda. Next, Verona for another stop to see Romeo and Juliet’s balcony before the relatively short drive to the Venice area. (B)
Day 9 VENICE. It’s really more like a marvelous film set than a real live city, with its
criss-crossing canals, gondolas and water buses, arched bridges, palaces and little quiet piazzas. The included tour starts with a boat ride and is followed by a visit to St. Mark’s Basilica and 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 10 VENICE AREA-RAVENNA-PERUGIA. An interesting drive southwards right across the Po Delta to Ravenna. In the afternoon, journey to Assisi enclosed by ramparts and little changed since the Middle Ages. This is the town of the deeply mystical and poetic St. Francis—see the Church of St. Clara, founder of the Order of Poor
Clares, the medieval castle, and cathedral. Overnight in beautiful nearby
Perugia, capital of Umbria. (B,D)
Day 11 PERUGIA-SORRENTO. Bypass Orvieto, then drive south on the excellent autostrada to Pompeii. Time stopped for the rich, aristocratic town of Pompeii with the terrible eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D. On the included visit you can see the luxurious villas, temples, theater, and forum. Next Sorrento—set on a plateau above the waters of the Bay of Naples. Wander the winding streets lined with shops and stalls, and sit with a glass of wine absorbing the easygoing life of this charming resort. (B)
Day 12 SORRENTO. BOAT TRIP TO CAPRI. This legendary island is surrounded by rocky coastline where the crashing sea has formed awe-inspiring caves. The town with its pretty piazza, maze of streets, fashionable boutiques, and smart restaurants is a mecca for the jet set. An optional island tour is available.
(B,D)
Day 13 SORRENTO-ROME. A comfortable drive northwards this morning for arrival in Rome well in time to enjoy most of the afternoon and evening. (B)
Day 14 YOUR HOMEBOUND FLIGHT ARRIVES THE SAME DAY. (B)
Quality Hotels:
Rooms with private bath or shower, hotel taxes, porterage, tips, and service charges
ROME Pineta Palace (ST), FLORENCE AREA Europa (ST) at Signa or Donatello (ST) at Florence or Delle Nazioni (ST) at Florence, LAKE MAGGIORE Simplon (F) at Baveno or Splendid (F) at
Baveno, VENICE AREA Poppi (ST) at Mira, PERUGIA Holiday Inn (F), SORRENTO Central Park (ST) at Massalubrense or Rivage (ST)
Hotel Rating Abbreviations:
F = First Class
ST = Superior Tourist Class
T = Tourist Class
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