England, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech. Rep.

Tour price land only -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -   -  -  from    $ 1590 to $ 1680
Airline tickets from your home city also available

Your Travel Package Includes:

SIGHTSEEING: 
Visits to Trier, Nuremberg, Bratislava, Dresden, Hamelin

SCENIC HIGHLIGHTS:
Moselle Valley, Salzkammergut, Rhineland, Lake Balaton, Bohemia

GUIDES:
Host service in London. Local Guides for city sightseeing in Vienna, Budapest, Prague, Berlin. Professional Tour Director while touring.

TRANSPORTATION: 
Scheduled transatlantic flights and airport transfers in London if Tour Operator issues the tickets. Round-trip transportation between London and the Channel ports; on the Continent, private first-class air-conditioned motorcoach. Cross-Channel ferry.

MEALS: 
15 buffet breakfasts (B); 6 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  Imperial Capitals

Day 1 Fri. BOARD YOUR OVERNIGHT TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT.

Day 2 Sat. 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 Sun. LONDON. A full day to savor our rich program of optional activities: take a panoramic tour of London’s landmarks, visit the Tower, or choose an excursion to Windsor Castle. Tonight maybe a leisurely cruise on the River Thames? (B)

Day 4 Mon. LONDON-BRUSSELS, BELGIUM. Leave London in the early morning and head through the lush English countryside to the Channel port, where you board your ferry for the Continent. Here meet your Tour Director and board your luxury coach for the drive to Brussels. (B)

Day 5 Tue. BRUSSELS-LUXEMBOURG-THE RHINELAND, GERMANY-FRANKFURT AREA. Drive south this morning into the Duchy of Luxembourg. Cross the German border and make a stop in ancient Trier before continuing through the splendid scenery of the Moselle Valley. A choice this afternoon 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. Just a few more miles by coach to the overnight in the Frankfurt Area. (B,D)

Day 6 Wed. FRANKFURT AREA-NUREMBERG-SALZBURG AREA, AUSTRIA. Journey through the heart of Germany on the fast and comfortable highway to reach Nuremberg, at one time Germany’s most beautiful city and much later famed for the war criminal trials which took place in 1945. Stop for a short visit. Drive south this afternoon into Bavaria, past Munich, across the German-Austrian border, and into the Salzburg area for overnight. (B,D)

Day 7 Thu. SALZBURG AREA-VIENNA. A morning to enjoy some optional sightseeing in Salzburg, Mozart’s hometown. In the afternoon journey through the Salzkammergut Lakelands of Sound of Music fame, past Mondsee to follow the Danube almost all the way to Vienna. (B)

Day 8 Fri. VIENNA. Start the morning with an included sightseeing tour featuring the State Opera, Parliament, and the Town Hall. Stop for a stroll in Heroes’ Square to view the Hofburg. Finally an inside visit of St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Complete the day by joining the optional excursion to Schönbrunn Palace. (B)

Day 9 Sat. VIENNA-LAKE BALATON, HUNGARY-BUDAPEST. East today into Hungary through the historic city of Györ. Next the vast stretch of Lake Balaton unfolds as you drive through some of its summer resorts. Reach Budapest by way of Martonvasar, where Beethoven wrote his Appassionata. Tonight an optional cruise on the Danube to enjoy the fascinating city illuminations. (B,D)

Day 10 Sun. BUDAPEST. Buda Castle dominates the twin cities of Buda and Pest, separated by the broad ribbon of the Danube. Heroes’ Square typifies the modern capital, while along the riverbank you find the old inns and wine cellars. Included sightseeing takes in the Parliament building, Margaret Island, Fishermen’s Bastion, the Royal Castle, and Matthias Coronation Church. (B)

Day 11 Mon. BUDAPEST-PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC. Start the day by traveling into Slovakia. Once across the border have a break in Bratislava, its capital. Drive north to cross yet another border into the Czech Republic. The highway will take you through Bohemia, an enchanted land of castles, spas, and picket-fenced villages. Evening arrival in Prague. (B,D)

Day 12 Tue. PRAGUE. The wealth of Gothic and Baroque architecture here perhaps inspired Dvorak and Smetana, both Prague composers. Included sightseeing features landmarks such as the National Theater, Belvedere, Charles Bridge, and the old Town Hall with the Astronomical Clock. (B,D)

Day 13 Wed. PRAGUE-DRESDEN, GERMANY-BERLIN. Discover more of Bohemia as you journey towards the German frontier. Next the mountains and fortresses of the Erzgebirge range. Today’s highlight is a stop in Dresden, a magnificently restored city after its almost total destruction in World War II. In the afternoon travel north across the River Elbe to reach Berlin for overnight. Maybe join the optional dinner outing. (B)

Day 14 Thu. BERLIN. Included sightseeing focuses on the Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate, and the Europa Center. Reunited Berlin has regained not only its territorial integrity but also the status of a German capital. There is also the option of visiting Berlin's most important museums. (B)

Day 15 Fri. BERLIN-RHINELAND. Back on the Autobahn this morning past Brunswick on the way to Hamelin. Stop and hear the story of the Pied Piper. Next the grand scenery of the Teutoburger Forest and into the Ruhr, and further west to the Rhineland for overnight. (B,D)

Day 16 Sat. RHINELAND-LONDON, ENGLAND. A comfortable drive this morning to the Channel port for your ferry crossing from the Continent to England. Through Kent return to London for an evening arrival. (B)

Day 17 Sun. YOUR HOMEBOUND FLIGHT ARRIVES THE SAME DAY. (B)

Quality Hotels:

Rooms with private bath or shower, hotel taxes, porterage, tips, and service charges

LONDON Novotel Euston (F), BRUSSELS Husa President Park (ST), FRANKFURT AREA Mercure (ST) at Friedrichsdorf, SALZBURG AREA Schweighofen (ST) at Eugendorf, VIENNA Novotel West (ST), BUDAPEST Millennium (ST), PRAGUE Quality Fortuna (ST), BERLIN NH Alexanderplatz (F), RHINELAND Holiday Inn (F) at Cologne-Bonn Airport or Arthotel (ST) at Aachen

Hotel Rating Abbreviations:

F   = First Class
ST = Superior Tourist Class
T   = Tourist Class