Create lifetime family memories on this itinerary featuring highlights of England, France, Switzerland and Italy. Visit Shakespeare's Globe Theater and ride the London Eye. Experience history and culture at the Louvre in Paris, at the Uffizi in Florence, and at Vatican City in Rome. Enjoy an excursion through the Swiss Alps and see the Colosseum in Rome.
PROGRAM DAY-BY-DAY
DAY
DESCRIPTION
1
Arrive in London - Free day Arrive in London and have free time to explore.
Everything London Meet your expert local guide--there will be several--and begin with a panoramic drive of London. See Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. Near London Bridge, visit the Globe Theater, the faithful reconstruction of the playhouse where Shakespeare wrote and worked. Then cruise on the Thames River and ride the London Eye, the ferris-wheel (the roomy capsules are enclosed) attraction affording terrific views of Londontown. Your afternoon is at leisure. A theater performance highlights the evening!
Eurostar Chunnel Train / Paris Depart London aboard the high speed Eurostar Chunnel Train, whisking you through County Kent and under the English Channel to France. On arrival Paris, drive along the Champs-Elysees from the Arc de Triomphe to Place de la Concorde, where Marie Antoinette met her untimely end. See Sainte Chapelle and the dominating, yet graceful, Eiffel Tower. Visit Notre Dame Cathedral, essence of Gothic architecture with its fanciful stonework and elegant flying buttresses.
Today the Louvre Today visit the Louvre, a former palace and now a truly great art museum. See crown jewels and Master paintings. The Mona Lisa is here, as is the incomparable Nike of Samothrace. The afternoon is free; if you enjoy art, consider the Museee D'Orsay or a stroll in Montmarte to see artists at work. This evening, enjoy the "City of Light" on a Seine River cruise.
TGV Train to Geneva Travel across France and into Switzerland aboard a TGV high-speed train. Your arrival Geneva is early in the afternoon and your Swiss guide is there to show you the city's highlights, including a walk through the Old Town medieval lanes.
More Switzerland Explore the Alps today! Drive along Lake Leman on the scenic mountain drive to Chamonix, oldest of the French winter-sports resorts (it hosted the first winter Olympics in 1924). Take the world's highest cable car ride 12,000 feet up the Aiguille du Midi. Staggering views of the Alps await, including Mt. Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe at 15,700 feet and first ascended by Paccard in 1786.
A train to Florence Take the train south through more of Switzerland, the Bernese Oberland and the Alps. Enter Italy. At Milan, switch train lines for a late afternoon arrival in Florence, the "birthplace of the Renaissance." You are surrounded by the glories of the art and architecture of the Renaissance period, the 13th to 16th centuries.
Everything Florence Experience the beauty and appreciate the history of Florence. See Michelangelo's masterpiece David in the Galleria dell'Accademia. Explore the enormous Cathedral (the Duomo) and see Giotto's Campanile and the Baptistry with its engraved bronze doors. Walk to Ponte Vecchio, the famous bridge over the Arno River, still housing jewelry and antique shops. Then visit the Uffizi Gallery, founded in 1581, making it one of the oldest fine art museums in the world. Visit (June and July tours only) the Medici Chapel in the Church of San Lorenzo.
On to Rome Enjoy the Tuscan countryside en route to Rome. This afternoon, sightsee the magnificent Italian capital city. Toss a coin at Trevi Fountain; see Villa Medici, Navona Square and the Spanish Steps overflowing with summer flowers. Follow Via dei Fori Imperiali by Trajan's Forum to see the Arch of Constantine, the Pantheon, Palatine Hill and Circus Maximus, all remnants of the era when Rome ruled the western world. Visit the Colosseum, both the famous and infamous past home to the Roman games.
Everything Rome Visit Vatican City, a sovereign nation within Rome's boundaries. See the Sistine Chapel, where Michelangelo painted his remarkable frescoes, and St. Peter's Basilica covering nearly 5 acres. Michelangelo's exquisite and moving sculpture, The Pieta, created when he was only 20, stands in St. Peter's. The afternoon is free for your own Roman adventures.
Return Home Transfer to the Rome airport for your flight home. We hope you join us again soon!
PRICES FROM
From $5800 per person in double occupancy
FACTS
Departure: Daily, year-round.
Duration: 10 Nights, 11 Days
Type of services: Guided services throughout with local English-speaking guides.
Travel documents: Please visit our “Visa Info” page to inquire if you need a travel visa for this tour. It is the responsibility of the traveler to obtain proper travel documents for this tour..
Inclusions: All ground transportation at the destination; lodging, meals and tours per itinerary; hotel taxes; English-speaking assistance.
Not included: International and/or domestic airfares; airport departure taxes; tips of any kind; incidentals at hotels; any meals not included in the itinerary; alcoholic beverages; souvenirs.
VISA INFORMATION
It is the travelers responsibility to have all proper travel documents which can include passports and foreign visas. Learn more here: Passport & Visa Information
TRAVEL INSURANCE
Travel Insurance is highly recommended to protect your travel investment and for any emergencies that could occur while traveling. Learn more here: Travel Insurance
IMPORTANT NOTES
All rates are “From Prices”
and correspond to the lowest season in the year.
Expect moderate to high increases for high season
and holiday periods. Low season dates vary from
destination to destination. Please inquire for details.
All rates on this website are per person and based
on double occupancy, unless otherwise indicated.
If a hotel included in a program is not available
at the time of the reservation, we will substitute
it for a hotel of similar category.
Room and cabin upgrades are available at most hotels
and cruises. Please inquire at the time of reservation.
Most programs can be customized.
All itineraries are subject to change without notice.
Website is for research purposes only.
To receive an estimate, please contact Toll Free at 1-800-255-4266 us
or send
an email to us.
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