This trip covers all the “must-see” cities and sights in Europe, but also includes a Eurostar train ride from London to Brussels, a canal cruise in Amsterdam, a Rhine cruise, the Black Forest, the Rhine Falls, Liechtenstein, Innsbruck, Munich, and Salzburg, a private boat transfer in Venice, and stops in Ferrara and Pisa in Italy and Avignon in France. In all cities, visit the stand-out features like St. Paul’s in London; St. Stephen’s in Vienna; St. Mark’s Basilica and Doges’ Palace in Venice; St. Peter’s, the Sistine Chapel, and the Colosseum in Rome; Michelangelo’s David in Florence; and more. In Nice at the Côte d’Azur, enjoy a full day at leisure with the possibility to visit Monte Carlo. In Paris, a visit to the second floor of the Eiffel Tower has been included in your city tour. Special highlights are a wine tasting at the famous Breuer winery, followed by dinner with local specialties, a visit to the Palace of the Popes in Avignon, and a farewell dinner at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, followed by a cruise on the Seine River as a proper Au Revoir, Paris.
Itinerary:
Day #1 Arrive in London, England. Welcome to London! Uniformed Globus Hosts are available to help you make the most of your stay.
Day #2 London. Morning sightseeing with a Local Guide includes all the famous landmarks: the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben beside the River Thames, Westminster Abbey, Whitehall’s mounted horseguards and the Prime Minister’s Downing Street, Piccadilly Circus, and Buckingham Palace. Visit ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL and see the Changing of the Guard, if held. (B)
Day #3 London–Brussels, Belgium. Meet your Tour Director and traveling companions and board the high-speed EUROSTAR TRAIN to Brussels. Walk to the GRAND’PLACE and admire its baroque guild houses and the gothic Town Hall. You cannot leave Brussels without rubbing the statue of Everard ‘t Serclaes, a 14th-century hero, for good luck, and taking pictures of the tiny but world-famous statue of Manneken Pis. A welcome dinner awaits you at your hotel. (B,D)
Day #4 Brussels–Amsterdam, Holland. In Amsterdam, enjoy a CANAL CRUISE, the best way to see the 700-year-old capital, and visit a major DIAMOND CENTER. Later, maybe join an optional excursion to visit a cheese farm, a clog maker, a working windmill, and the pretty fishing village of Volendam at the former Zuiderzee. (B,D)
Day #5 Amsterdam–Cologne, Germany–Rüdesheim–Wiesbaden. Pass the locale of A Bridge Too Far on the way to Cologne. Here, visit the gothic CATHEDRAL. The afternoon’s highlight is a romantic RHINE CRUISE along the prettiest part of the Rhine River. Stop in Rüdesheim, capital of Riesling wine country, and enjoy a [LF] WINE TASTING at Breuer’s Rüdesheimer Schloss followed by dinner with local specialties. Continue to Wiesbaden for your overnight stay. (B,D)
Day #6 Wiesbaden–Lucerne, Switzerland. Morning stop in the BLACK FOREST, renowned for its cuckoo clocks. Hear about the art of WOODCARVING from a local woodcarver, Adolf Herr, and enjoy a taste of the local fruitwine. On the Swiss border, take your pictures of the thundering RHINE FALLS, and continue to picture-book Lucerne. This evening, you may wish to sign up for a folklore party with yodeling and alphorn blowing. (B)
Day #7 Lucerne. During your walking tour, admire the emotional LION MONUMENT, dedicated to the fallen Swiss Guards who protected the Royal House of France during the French Revolution, and cross the famous covered CHAPEL BRIDGE to the Jesuit Church. Afterwards, shop for Swiss watches and choose from our optional activities: climb Mount Pilatus by cable car or take a cruise on the fjord-like lake. (B,D)
Day #8 Lucerne–Liechtenstein–Innsbruck, Austria–Munich, Germany. A short stop in Vaduz, capital of the pocket-sized Principality of Liechtenstein. Next, a spectacular drive through the Tyrolean Alps to Innsbruck, capital of Tyrol. Walk through its quaint streets and take pictures of Emperor Maximilian’s GOLDEN ROOF before continuing to Munich. Your orientation drive features Munich’s most famous landmarks: the Olympic Stadium and 1,000-foot-high Television Tower. Tonight is your chance to try a Stein of beer at the famous Hofbräuhaus. (B)
Day #9 Munich–Salzburg, Austria–Vienna. Arrive in Salzburg and follow your Local Guide for a pleasant stroll through the historic center. Admire exquisite MIRABELL GARDENS, the Great Festival Hall, and ST. PETER’S CHURCHYARD. Time to browse through the shops with their pretty ornaments and delicious Mozartkugeln, or to visit Mozart’s birthplace, if you wish. Then, drive past the lovely Salzkammergut Lake District, made famous by the movie The Sound of Music, and along the Danube Valley to Vienna, proud capital of Austria. (B)
Day #10 Vienna. Guided sightseeing features the State Opera House, the Jewish quarter, a stop at Hofburg Palace, and a visit to ST. STEPHEN’S CATHEDRAL. Choose from our optional excursions to magnificent Schönbrunn Palace or to Grinzing, for a taste of Heurigen wine, to enhance your stay. (B)
Day #11 Vienna–Venice, Italy. Journey across scenic Semmering Pass and through the loveliest parts of Austria to Italy and the Adriatic Sea. Arrive in Venice, the city for romantics. Tonight you may wish to join an optional evening featuring an exciting water-taxi ride along the Grand Canal followed by dinner, Venetian style. (B)
Day #12 Venice. Highlights of your guided walking tour are ST. MARK’S SQUARE and its BASILICA, lavish DOGES’ PALACE and the BRIDGE OF SIGHS. Also enjoy a GLASSBLOWERS’ DEMONSTRATION. Then, explore Venice at your own pace or join an optional gondola ride. (B,D)
Day #13 Venice–Ferrara–Rome. Enter the Po area and arrive in Ferrara, “City of Bicycles.” Stroll along imposing Este Castle, former residence of the ruling family, to the marble cathedral. Time to explore the shops and little cafés before continuing to the “Eternal City.” (B)
Day #14 Rome. Sightseeing with your Local Guide starts with a visit to the VATICAN MUSEUMS and SISTINE CHAPEL. Continue to monumental ST. PETER’S SQUARE and BASILICA. Cross the Tiber and visit the COLOSSEUM and the ROMAN FORUM. To make the most of your stay, join our optional Roman Highlights excursion and see the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, and the sites and squares of medieval Rome made famous in the movie Angels and Demons. (B)
Day #15 Rome–Florence–Tuscany. An easy morning drive to Florence, “Cradle of the Renaissance.” During your walking tour with a Local Guide, visit the ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS with Michelangelo’s celebrated David. Admire the magnificent cathedral, Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistry’s heavy bronze “Gate of Paradise,” and visit sculpture-studded SIGNORIA SQUARE. Time to shop for leather goods and gold, for which the city is famous, before continuing to the resort town of Montecatini in Tuscany. (B,D)
Day #16 Tuscany–Pisa–Nice, France. In Pisa, marvel at its amazing Leaning Tower. Next, enjoy a spectacular drive along the Italian and French Rivieras towards France. Leave the highway for the panoramic Moyenne Corniche and visit one of the PERFUME FACTORIES for which the area is famous. This evening, you might want to sample some French cuisine. (B)
Day #17 At Leisure in Nice. Full day to enjoy this enchanting resort on the Côte d’Azur at your own pace. Exciting optional excursions are available to the picturesque artist village of St. Paul de Vence and to famous Monte Carlo. (B)
Day #18 Nice–Avignon–Lyon. Stop in Avignon, the medieval residence of several popes and antipopes. Walk through the Old Town, [LF] visit the gothic PAPAL PALACE, and admire the bridge of the popular song. Time to browse through the many shops for traditional Provence region products: herbs, honey, and candy, like nougat, before proceeding to Lyon, the country’s second-largest city. (B,D)
Day #19 Lyon–Paris. Drive past the Burgundy vineyards and Fontainebleau Forest to Paris, the traditional climax of a European vacation. Afternoon at leisure to explore the world capital of chic and style at your own pace or join an optional excursion to the famous Louvre Museum to see the Mona Lisa. Tonight, a lively cabaret show might just be the ticket! (B)
Day #20 Paris. Morning sightseeing with a Local Guide includes the Opéra, Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Elysées, and more. For a bird’s-eye view, take the elevator to the second floor of the EIFFEL TOWER. An optional excursion to the Palace of Versailles is available, and a [LF] special farewell dinner with wine at the foot of the Eiffel Tower awaits you, followed by a CRUISE on the River Seine as a proper way to say, “Au Revoir, Paris.” (B,D)
Day #21 Paris. Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (B)
Hotels:
LONDON Park Plaza Westminster Bridge (SF)
BRUSSELS The Hotel (SF)
AMSTERDAM Novotel Amsterdam City (F)
WIESBADEN Crowne Plaza (F)
LUCERNE Grand Hotel Europe (F)
MUNICH Hilton Munich City (SF)
VIENNA Hilton Vienna Danube (SF)
VENICE Ambasciatori (F) at Mestre
ROME Crowne Plaza St. Peter’s (SF)
TUSCANY Francia e Quirinale (F) at Montecatini
NICE Ellington (F)
LYON Golden Tulip Millénaire (F)
PARIS Mercure Paris Centre Tour Eiffel (F)