England, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France

Your Travel Package Includes:

SIGHTSEEING: 
Visits to Heidelberg, Lucerne, Lugano, Verona, Assisi, Sorrento, Capri, Pisa, Grenoble, Beaune

SCENIC HIGHLIGHTS:
Rhineland, French Riviera, Route Napoleon

GUIDES:
Host service in London. Local Guides for city sightseeing in Amsterdam, Venice, Rome, Pompeii, Florence, Paris. 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; canal transfer boat in Venice; boat transfer to Capri.

MEALS: 
17 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 The Best of Europe (London/Paris)

Day 1 Wed. BOARD YOUR OVERNIGHT TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT.

Day 2 Thu. 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 Fri. 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 Sat. LONDON-AMSTERDAM AREA, HOLLAND. Leave London in the early morning and head through the lush English countryside to the Channel port, where you embark on your ferry for the Continent. Meet your Tour Director and board your luxury coach for the drive to the Amsterdam area. (B)

Day 5 Sun. AMSTERDAM AREA-THE RHINELAND, GERMANY. A morning to enjoy Amsterdam, delightful city of a thousand bridges. Your included excursion will take in a visit to a diamond factory, city sightseeing and a canal cruise. This will give you lasting knowledge of Holland’s best-known and largest city. Later travel southward into Germany along the banks of the legendary Rhine. Admire the pretty villages, the castles perched high above the river, and the numerous terraced vineyards. Overnight in this area. (B,D)

Day 6 Mon. THE RHINELAND-HEIDELBERG-LAKE LUCERNE, SWITZERLAND. Take the optional Rhine River cruise this morning and enjoy splendid scenery including the Lorelei Rock. Next, drive into Germany’s oldest university town, Heidelberg, nicely located at the confluence of the Rivers Necker and Rhine, for a short visit. In the afternoon, travel by way of the fast autobahn into Switzerland for an overnight around Lake Lucerne. (B,D)

Day 7 Tue. LUCERNE. One of Switzerland’s finest cities nestled amid its snow-capped Alps, surrounded by its lake, and embellished by the clear mountain waters of the River Reuss. Your sightseeing takes in the impressive city walls, a covered wooden 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. A grand selection of optional activities completes the day: a cruise on the fjord-like lake; a cable car ride to the 10,000-foot summit of Mount Titlis; and, of course, there is time to shop for that very Swiss watch. (B)

Day 8 Wed. LAKE LUCERNE-LUGANO-VERONA, ITALY-VENICE AREA. More wonderful Alpine scenery as you drive into the mountain ranges that surround the massive St. Gotthard. Once through its great tunnel, you’ll start your scenic descent into the warmer and sunnier ambiance of the Canton Ticino. Stop in beautiful Lugano and take a stroll along the lakeside promenade. In the afternoon, 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 you are in the Venice area. (B)

Day 9 Thu. 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 quiet little 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 Fri. VENICE AREA-ASSISI-ROME. A long but interesting drive southward, cutting across the Po Delta, then joining the expressway which skirts the Adriatic coast. After crossing the Apennines, stop in Assisi, where St. Francis was born in 1182. Visit the Basilica, then head for Rome. (B)

Day 11 Sat. 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 12 Sun. ROME-POMPEII-NEAPOLITAN RIVIERA. South all the way today, with the volcano Vesuvius in the distance. First a stop in Pompeii where time stopped in 79 A.D., when the Vesuvius eruption totally destroyed it. On the included visit you can see the luxurious villas, temples, theater, and forum—even human and animal bodies petrified by lava. Just a few more miles for overnight on the Neapolitan Riviera. (B,D)

Day 13 Mon. NEAPOLITAN RIVIERA. EXCURSION TO CAPRI. Cross the blue sea to Capri. This legendary island, surrounded by rose-tinted rocks, has incredibly beautiful coves of translucent blues and greens. The town, with its pretty piazza, maze of streets, fashionable boutiques, and smart restaurants, is a mecca for the jet set. An optional tour takes you around the island with its steep roads and panoramic views. (B)

Day 14 Tue. NEAPOLITAN RIVIERA-FLORENCE AREA. An early start this morning for the journey north to Florence. 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. Arrive in the afternoon in Florence in time to enjoy its magnificent architectural and artistic treasures; included sightseeing will take in most of the highlights. (B,D)

Day 15 Wed. FLORENCE AREA-PISA-FRENCH RIVIERA, FRANCE. Stop in Pisa to see the Leaning Tower and the Square of Miracles. Bypassing the great port of Genoa, you drive northwest, getting glimpses of the Italian and French Rivieras. The drive continues to descend to the shores of the Côte d’Azur for an overnight in this charming region. (B)

Day 16 Thu. FRENCH RIVIERA-ROUTE NAPOLEON-GRENOBLE. A great itinerary today since you’ll follow in the footsteps of Napoleon as he escaped from exile in Elbe. Once he landed on the shores of the Côte d’Azur, he made his way to Paris via Grasse, Digne and Gap to Grenoble. This has since been known as the Route Napoleon and was made into a highway in 1932. Overnight in Grenoble, now an alpine sports mecca and site of Olympic games. (B,D)

Day 17 Fri. GRENOBLE-BEAUNE-PARIS. Enjoy the very heart of the wine growing region of France, making a stop in lovely Beaune, surrounded by some of the world’s finest vineyards. Time to see the famous Hotel Dieu Hospital. Continue northwards directly to Paris for overnight. (B)

Day 18 Sat. PARIS. One 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 of many of the best-known Parisian sights: La Sorbonne, Arc de Triomphe, Opéra, Madeleine, the Eiffel Tower, the Pyramid near the Louvre, the Invalides, and Champs Elysées. Optional excursions are also available to the Palace and Gardens of Versailles and, to celebrate the success of your tour, a French farewell dinner might be just the ticket. (B)

Day 19 Sun. YOUR HOMEBOUND FLIGHT FROM PARIS ARRIVES THE SAME DAY. (B)

Itinerary - tour The Best of Europe (London/London)

Days 1, Wed. to 18, Sat. Like tour London / Paris

Day 19 Sun. PARIS-LONDON, ENGLAND. Relax and let the countryside whiz by on the road north to the coast, where you board your Channel ferry. Through Kent return to London for an evening arrival. (B)

Day 20 Mon. YOUR HOMEBOUND FLIGHT FROM LONDON ARRIVES THE SAME DAY. (B)

Quality Hotels:

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

LONDON Thistle Euston (ST), AMSTERDAM AREA Ibis West Corner (ST), RHINELAND Holiday Inn Stadtwald (F) at Cologne or Zum Anker (ST) at Andernach, LAKE LUCERNE Seehof (T) at Flüelen, VENICE AREA Holiday Inn (F) at Quarto d'Altino, ROME Ibis Tor Vergata (ST), NEAPOLITAN RIVIERA Tirrenia (ST) at Sorrento or Reginella (ST) at St. Agata or Central Park (ST) at Massalubrense, FLORENCE AREA Ibis (ST) at Sesto Fiorentino, FRENCH RIVIERA Holiday Inn Express (ST) at Cannes le Cannet or Park Inn (F) at Nice, GRENOBLE Europole (ST), PARIS Ibis Paris Berthier (ST) or Kyriad (ST) at Bercy

Hotel Rating Abbreviations:

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