|
INSIGHT VACATIONS Road to Rome ITINERARY
Tour Pace
This classic tour is well paced with two night stays in Paris, Lucerne, Venice, Montecatini and Rome. The only one night stop is in the musical city of Salzburg. The travelling days are well planned for your comfort with frequent rest stops.
Day 1 - LONDON - PARIS
After a warm greeting from your Tour Director, leave London for Dover and wave goodbye to the white cliffs on board your ferry to Calais. Visit the imposing Canadian War Memorial at Vimy Ridge, surrounded by land still scarred from the Great War. Continue to the French capital, arriving late afternoon. Enjoy a Welcome Drink with your fellow travellers and, afterwards, consider an evening of fun at one of the spectacular cabaret shows.
Hotel: Pullman Paris Tour Eiffel
Day 2 - PARIS SIGHTSEEING
Sightseeing with a local guide shows you the highlights of the city. See the Gothic Notre Dame cathedral, with its tale of Quasimodo, hunchback of Notre Dame. Then drive past the immense facades of the Louvre to the Place de la Concorde, its centre occupied by a giant Egyptian obelisk. Continue along the elegant Champs Élysées to Napoleon's Arc de Triomphe, only completed after his death. Now ascend the Eiffel Tower for fine views over Paris. Spend the afternoon at leisure, shop in the department stores or visit the Louvre's superb collections. (BB)
Day 3 - PARIS - LUCERNE
After an early breakfast, follow the autoroute across France's great agricultural lands and on through the Burgundy wine region. After passing the Jura Mountains, cross into Switzerland at Basel before ending the day in lovely Lucerne.
Hotel: Astoria (BB,D)
Day 4 - LUCERNE SIGHTSEEING
Join your Tour Director to see the Chapel Bridge and the stirring Lion Monument, dedicated to the Swiss guards who died defending the King of France. Enjoy an exciting included highlight - an exhilarating ride by cog-wheel train and cable-car to the summit of Mount Pilatus. Admire the stunning panorama of snow-capped peaks, including the Eiger and Jungfrau, before descending over mountain crags and pine forests back to terra firma. There is time set aside to shop for fine watches and delicious chocolate in Lucerne. (BB)
Day 5 - LUCERNE - INNSBRUCK
Drive east past Liechtenstein to Austria and continue through the Arlberg Tunnel to Innsbruck. See the Golden Roof and the Imperial Palace and the 14th century houses of the old town before enjoying diner at your hotel.
Hotel: Hilton. (BB,D)
Day 6 - SALZBURG EXCURSION
We visit Innsbruck's superb Wilten Basilica - its interior richly decorated with cherubs and angels. Follow the Inn Valley to Salzburg for a guided tour of Mozart's home city. From the formal gardens of the Mirabell Palace, photograph the city skyline crowned by its castle. Cross the river to the Getreidegasse and Mozart's birthplace and stroll through the Old Town's narrow lanes to the cathedral and Residenz fountain. Return to Innsbruck in the afternoon, after which you can opt to join a lively folklore party. (BB,D)
Day 7 - 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 Marks 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.
Hotel: Boscolo Bellini. (BB,D)
Day 8 - VENICE - TUSCANY
Bid farewell to Venice and follow the highway past the university city of Bologna, into the wild Apennines and on to the peaceful landscapes of Tuscany. En route, hear an informative tutorial about the famous Chianti wines that make this region so famous. Your destination is the fashionable spa town of Montecatini where you can shop or enjoy a stroll through town before dinner.
Hotel: Grand Hotel Bellavista Palace & Golf (BB,D)
Day 9 - FLORENCE SIGHTSEEING
Drive to the Tuscan capital, Florence, and join a local guide for a sightseeing tour which includes entrance into the Academy Gallery to see Michelangelo's original 'Statue of David' and the half-completed 'Slaves'. See the magnificent Cathedral, the 'Gates of Paradise', and the living gallery of Signoria Square, political stage of the Florentines. Then spend some time shopping for leather, gold and other treasured memories in this wonderful city. (BB)
Day 10 - TUSCANY - ROME
Take the 'autostrada' south to Rome, arriving at your hotel mid-afternoon. After freshening up, perhaps start the evening with a 'passeggiata' (traditional evening stroll). Rome comes alive at night; enjoy cosmopolitan squares like the Piazza Navona with its beautiful fountains, or the Via Veneto - scene of La Dolce Vita.
Hotel: Milton. (BB)
Day 11 - ROME SIGHTSEEING
A local guide will introduce you to the grandeur of the city today. Begin with a visit to the mother church of the Catholic faith, St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City. See Michelangelo's early masterpiece, the Pieta, as well as the splendid dome, completed after his death. Cross the Tiber to hear tales of the glory of ancient Rome! Visit the mighty Colosseum and overlook the Forum, once the bustling centre of commerce, law and religion. Later, there is time for last-minute shopping or sightseeing at your leisure. As night falls, join your Tour Director for a celebration Highlight Dinner of local cuisine, wine and entertainment. (BB,HD)
Day 12 - ROME
The tour ends after breakfast. Departure transfers arrive at Rome's Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport at 07:00 & 09:30. (BB)
|
