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INSIGHT VACATIONS Highlights of Europe TINERARY
Tour Pace
This tour is well-balanced with the majority of the one night stays in the first section and then two night stays in the key cities of Venice, Rome, Lucerne and Paris, where there is ample time to relax or to take optional tours. Travelling days are interspersed with frequent rest stops.
Day 1 - LONDON - BRUSSELS
After a warm welcome from your Tour Director, transfer to Dover, bid farewell to the white cliffs and cross the channel to France. Continue along the coast into Belgium and stop in Bruges, one of Europe's best preserved medieval towns. Stroll along peaceful canals and through cobbled streets to the Main Square dominated by the octagonal belfry of the Market Hall. Continue to the capital of Brussels, where you visit the Grand Place and see the cheeky Mannekin Pis. During your stay your Tour Director will introduce you to the world of Belgian beer! Valuable knowledge as you join your fellow guests for a Welcome Drink.
Hotel: Royal Windsor Grand Place
Day 2 - BRUSSELS -COLOGNE - RHINELAND
Travel into Germany to view Cologne Cathedral before continuing along the Rhine, via Bonn, to board a highlight cruise at Boppard. Relax as you glide past medieval castles and steep vineyards to the village of St Goar, near the legendary Loreley Rock. Continue on to Heidelberg, town of the 'Student Prince', to see the clifftop castle before arriving at your Rhineland hotel.
Hotel: Renaissance Karlsruhe (BB,D)
Day 3 - RHINELAND - MUNICH - INNSBRUCK
Visit Bavaria and fun-loving Munich; see the Olympic Stadium, Hofbrauhaus and visit the Marienplatz with its Glockenspiel. Head into the Alps and over the Austrian border to reach the Tyrolean capital of Innsbruck. Perhaps spend the evening enjoying a fabulous Tyrolean folklore evening.
Hotel: Hilton. (BB,D)
Day 4 - SALZBURG EXCURSION
See the Imperial Palace and delightful Golden Roof in the old town before visiting the Wilten Basilica, its interior richly decorated with cherubs and angels. Now follow the Inn Valley to Salzburg, 'alive with the Sound of Music'. Your local guide shows you the formal gardens of the Mirabell Palace, the imposing fortress, Mozart's birthplace and cathedral. Return to Innsbruck in the afternoon, perhaps spend the evening enjoying a fabulous Tyrolean folklore evening. (BB,D)
Day 5 - INNSBRUCK - VENICE
A morning drive through the mountains brings you to the unique and romantic city of Venice, 'Queen of the Adriatic'. A private launch ferries you past canals lined with ornate palaces to St Mark's Square, dominated by its magnificent Basilica and overlooked by the great Clock Tower where bronze Moors beat out the hours on a huge bell. Nearby is the Campanile and Doges' Palace which is connected to the prisons by the Bridge of Sighs. See a demonstration of Venetian glass-blowing before enjoying a highlight ride by traditional gondola along the picturesque canals. Transfer by boat to your hotel on the Lido.
Hotel: Villa Mabapa (BB,D)
Day 6 - VENICE AT LEISURE
Today is free to enjoy the magical atmosphere of this incredible city at your own pace. Perhaps meet the locals at the open air markets near the Rialto Bridge or cruise across the lagoon to the colourful island of Burano. Stroll back to your hotel tonight, past the al-fresco cafes, and picturesque little bridges... unforgettable! (BB)
Day 7 - VENICE - ROME
Head south over the Apennine Mountains and follow the 'Highway of the Sun' to Rome.
Hotel: Radisson Blu Roma (BB)
Day 8 - ROME SIGHTSEEING
Join a local guide to visit St Peter's Basilica to see Michelangelo's moving work the 'Pieta'. Drive across the Tiber to visit the mighty Colosseum, where gladiators fought to the death against armed warriors and wild beasts. Look out over the Roman Forum, once a bustling centre of commerce, law and religion. The afternoon is at leisure. (BB)
Day 9 - ROME - FLORENCE
Drive north into the Chianti Hills and the Renaissance city of Florence. Sightseeing with a local guide takes you to see the original statue of 'David' in the Academy Gallery. Stroll on to the Duomo to see Giotto's belltower and Gates of Paradise on the Baptistery. Continue to Signoria Square, a virtual open air gallery, lined with fountains and statues. In the area around Santa Croce Basilica, view a demonstration of traditional leatherwork, a craft dating back to Renaissance times, when Franciscans made covers for manuscripts and Bibles. Afterwards there is time at leisure to shop or continue sightseeing.
Hotel: Hotel Londra (BB,D)
Day 10 - FLORENCE - LUCERNE
Journey north, past the great commercial centre of Milan and the Italian Lake District, to the Swiss border. Take the St Gotthard route and enjoy its Alpine scenery on the way to Lucerne. Tonight, enjoy a Dine-Around evening which offers you and your fellow travellers a choice of dining experiences, atmosphere and cuisine.
Hotel: Astoria (BB,DA)
Day 11 - LUCERNE SIGHTSEEING
Sightseeing in Lucerne begins with a visit to the Lion Monument commemorating the hundreds of Swiss soldiers who died defending Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette during the French Revolution. See the covered Chapel Bridge and the Jesuit Church, then enjoy a Premium Highlight ascent of Mount Pilatus by cog-wheel railway. From the summit, admire some of the best possible views of the snow-covered Alps. (BB,D)
Day 12 - LUCERNE - PARIS
Pass the Swiss port city of Basel on your way to France. After crossing the wine region of Burgundy, it's on to glittering Paris for two fabulous nights in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. Perhaps spend the evening sampling wonderful French cuisine.
Hotel: Pullman Paris Tour Eiffel (BB)
Day 13 - PARIS SIGHTSEEING
A guided sightseeing tour takes you along the elegant boulevards to see the Notre Dame Cathedral, Louvre building and the Opera House. Drive from the Place de la Concorde along the Champs Élysees to the Arc de Triomphe. Now survey the city from the heights of the Eiffel Tower, a marvel of design, built for the World's Exhibition of 1889. As evening falls, there is the chance to see a cabaret show. (BB)
Day 14 - PARIS - LONDON
Cross the World War One battlefields to Calais. Sail across the channel to Dover and continue to London, where the tour comes to an end a short time later. (BB)
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