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EUROPE'S
HIGHLIGHTS - 2010
16
days incl. air, or 15 days from London to Paris (CO-5100)Return to Italy
Vacations & Tours
 Return to
France, Spain, Portugal and Morocco Vacations & Tours Vacation
Overview
Experience the
major highlights of Europe on this extraordinary vacation. Your trip
starts in London with free time to tour and discover London’s many
jewels. Cross the Channel via ferry and head to Amsterdam, one of
Europe’s most beautiful cities. A city sightseeing tour and canal cruise
show you the best of Amsterdam. Journey through the German Rhineland,
passing castles and vineyards, with an optional Rhine River cruise.
Overnight in Innsbruck, Austria, host of the 1964 and 1976 Winter
Olympics. Drive through the Tyrolean Alps from Innsbruck on the way to
the floating city of Venice, Italy. Your orientation tour in Venice
includes a boat ride and a chance to watch glassblowers fashion their
delicate objects as they did centuries ago. Then it’s on to Assisi, St.
Francis’ town in the gentle Apennine hills.
Spend two nights in the “Eternal City” of Rome, Italy’s capital. Visit
its archaeological jewels including the Colosseum and the Roman Forum on
your guided tour. Next up: Florence, the “Cradle of the Renaissance,”
with a walking tour that features the Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio, and Piazza
Signoria. On the way to Switzerland, stop in Pisa with its famous Leaning
Tower. Discover the Swiss subtropical town of Lugano, and then travel
through some of Europe’s most splendid Alpine scenery on your way to
Lucerne with its medieval wooden bridge and surrounding mountains. Stop
in Interlaken and Gruyère before reaching Lausanne on Lake Geneva. Absorb
the beautiful vistas of French vineyards in Burgundian Beaune, known the
world over for its wine production. Your vacation concludes in fabulous
Paris, where you spend three nights. See the city highlights, including
Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, and Champs-Elysées, on the included
sightseeing tour. This Europe’s Highlights trip will leave you with
wonderful vacation memories of fabulous cities and scenic beauty.
Itinerary
Day
1 BOARD YOUR OVERNIGHT TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT
Day
2 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 LONDON
A
full day to savor our rich program of optional activities: take a
panoramic tour of London’s landmarks, visit the Tower of London, or choose
an excursion to Windsor Castle. Tonight, maybe a leisurely cruise on the
River Thames? (B)
Day
4 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 AMSTERDAM AREA-THE RHINELAND, GERMANY
A
morning to enjoy Holland’s busy metropolis. After your included visit to
a famous diamond center, it’s time for morning sightseeing with a Local
Guide pointing out the city highlights; finally, a canal cruise to see
Amsterdam from water level. In the afternoon travel southward to the
Rhineland area for an overnight. (B,D)
Day
6 THE RHINELAND-INN SBRUCK, AUSTRIAA church on an Austrian mountaintop
A
choice today 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. In the afternoon, ride along the Autobahn to Austria.
Overnight in Innsbruck. (B,D)
Day
7 INNSBRUCK-VENICE AREA, ITALY
Early
morning departure via the Tyrolean Alps to the unique floating city of
Venice. This afternoon’s orientation includes a boat ride followed by 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
8 VENICE AREA-ASSISI-ROME
An
interesting drive southward, cutting across the Po Delta, then through
the gentle Umbrian hills to Assisi, where St. Francis was born in 1182.
Visit the world-famous Basilica with its beautiful frescoes by Giotto,
then head for Rome. (B)
Day
9 ROME
The
"Eternal City"—a city steeped in history, vibrantly alive, and
exciting and absolutely unique! Included sightseeing with a Local Guide
starts in St. Peter’s Square, followed by a visit to the Roman Forum and
the mighty Colosseum. (B)
Day
10 ROME-FLORENCE AREA
An
easy drive on the Highway of the Sun to Florence. This Renaissance gem
and city of the Medicis will keep you enthralled for a whole day. Traffic
is banned in part of the historic center so visitors can wander at
leisure and admire the city’s timeless beauty in relative peace and
quiet. Don’t miss out on the included walking tour with a Local Guide
that features 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 of Paradise.” (B,D)
Day
11 FLORENCE AREA-PISA-LAKE LUCERN, SWITZERLAND
Start
the morning by driving to Pisa to visit the Square of Miracles and admire
the Leaning Tower. Next, journey northwards through Tuscan hills across
the River Po into the Lombardy Plains, crossing into Switzerland for a
stop in lovely lakeside Lugano. In the afternoon, travel through some of
Europe’s most splendid Alpine scenery through the St. Gotthard Tunnel to
descend to Lake Lucerne for an overnight. (B,D)
Day
12 LAKE LUCERNE-INTERLAKEN-LAUSANNE
Lucerne
is 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 visit takes in the impressive city walls, a covered
wooden bridge, ornate patrician houses lining cobblestone streets, and
the Lion Monument. Next, to nearby Stans for an optional excursion by
funicular and cable car to the 6,227-foot summit of the Stanserhorn.
Later, Interlaken for a stop. Follow the shoreline of Lake Thun to the
delightful hilltop village of Gruyère. A few more miles to Lausanne
overlooking Lake Geneva. (B)
Day
13 LAUSANNE-PARIS, FRANCE
Vistas
of famous vineyards on the way to Beaune. Visit the medieval Burgundian
town, known the world over for its wine production. Later, via the
comfortable autoroute to Paris. Tonight, maybe an optional cabaret show?
(B)
Days
14-15 PARIS
Two
days in which 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 Lourvre, the Invalides, and Champs
Elysées. Optional excursions are also available to the Palace and Gardens
of Versailles and to the Louvre Museum. (B daily)
Day
16YOUR HOMEBOUND FLIGHT FROM PARIS ARRIVES THE SAME DAY
(B)
AIRPORT
TRANSFERS
Airport transfers
may be included when you make your international flights arrangements.
Dates
and Prices
|
Departure
Details
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Departure
Date
|
Tour
Start Date
|
Return
Date
|
Land/Cruise
Price Only
|
Status
|
|
3/5/2010
|
3/6/2010
|
3/20/2010
|
$2,100.00
|
Sold Out
|
|
Popular
Departure
|
3/7/2010
|
3/8/2010
|
3/22/2010
|
$1,899.00
|
Available
|
|
3/12/2010
|
3/13/2010
|
3/27/2010
|
$2,100.00
|
Sold Out
|
|
3/14/2010
|
3/15/2010
|
3/29/2010
|
$1,899.00
|
Sold Out
|
|
3/21/2010
|
3/22/2010
|
4/5/2010
|
$1,899.00
|
Sold Out
|
|
3/28/2010
|
3/29/2010
|
4/12/2010
|
$1,989.00
|
Sold Out
|
|
Popular
Departure
|
4/4/2010
|
4/5/2010
|
4/19/2010
|
$1,989.00
|
Available
|
|
Popular
Departure
|
4/11/2010
|
4/12/2010
|
4/26/2010
|
$1,989.00
|
Available
|
|
4/18/2010
|
4/19/2010
|
5/3/2010
|
$1,989.00
|
Available
|
|
4/25/2010
|
4/26/2010
|
5/10/2010
|
$2,089.00
|
Available
|
|
Popular
Departure
|
5/2/2010
|
5/3/2010
|
5/17/2010
|
$2,089.00
|
Available
|
|
5/9/2010
|
5/10/2010
|
5/24/2010
|
$2,089.00
|
Available
|
|
Popular
Departure
|
5/16/2010
|
5/17/2010
|
5/31/2010
|
$2,089.00
|
Available
|
|
5/23/2010
|
5/24/2010
|
6/7/2010
|
$2,089.00
|
Available
|
|
5/30/2010
|
5/31/2010
|
6/14/2010
|
$2,089.00
|
Available
|
|
Popular
Departure
|
6/6/2010
|
6/7/2010
|
6/21/2010
|
$2,089.00
|
Available
|
|
6/13/2010
|
6/14/2010
|
6/28/2010
|
$2,089.00
|
Available
|
|
6/20/2010
|
6/21/2010
|
7/5/2010
|
$2,089.00
|
Available
|
|
6/27/2010
|
6/28/2010
|
7/12/2010
|
$2,089.00
|
Available
|
|
Popular
Departure
|
7/4/2010
|
7/5/2010
|
7/19/2010
|
$2,089.00
|
Available
|
|
7/11/2010
|
7/12/2010
|
7/26/2010
|
$2,089.00
|
Available
|
|
7/18/2010
|
7/19/2010
|
8/2/2010
|
$2,089.00
|
Available
|
|
Popular
Departure
|
7/25/2010
|
7/26/2010
|
8/9/2010
|
$2,089.00
|
Available
|
|
8/1/2010
|
8/2/2010
|
8/16/2010
|
$2,089.00
|
Available
|
|
8/8/2010
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8/9/2010
|
8/23/2010
|
$2,089.00
|
Available
|
|
Popular
Departure
|
8/15/2010
|
8/16/2010
|
8/30/2010
|
$2,089.00
|
Available
|
|
8/22/2010
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8/23/2010
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9/6/2010
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$2,089.00
|
Available!
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8/29/2010
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8/30/2010
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9/13/2010
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$2,089.00
|
Available
|
Popular Departure - due to itinerary and
time of year, this departure historically sells out quickly. Early
booking is encouraged.
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