| European Spotlight - Itinerary
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DAY 1 – LONDON – BRUSSELS
This morning meet your Tour Director at London’s Thistle
Marble Arch and transfer to Dover. Bid farewell to the famous white cliffs as you cross the channel
bound for the French port of Calais. Now past historic Dunkirk, famous for its Second World War
evacuations, and along the coast to Belgium. At medieval Bruges, walk with your Tour Director along
peaceful canals and through the cobbled streets lined with high gabled houses from the Golden Age
of the 16th century. In the Market Square there is time to admire the exquisite lace work traditional
to the town. Continue to the capital of Brussels, where you visit the Grand Place and see the cheeky
Mannekin Pis. Tonight, enjoy a Welcome Drink. Hotel: Sofitel Toison d’Or. |
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 2 – BRUSSELS - 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
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. Afterwards, visit the Cathedral and see Giotto’s belltower, and the Gates of Paradise on the
Baptistery. Continue to Signoria Square, lined with many statues. After watching a demonstration of
leatherwork, there is time at leisure to shop or perhaps continue sightseeing.
Hotel: Sheraton/Villa Gabriele D'Annunzio. (BB,D) |
DAY
3 – RHINELAND - 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: Innsbruck. (BB) |
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. Hotel: Astoria. (BB) |
DAY
4 – INNSBRUCK - SALZBURG
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
imposing fortress, Mozart’s birthplace and cathedral. Hotel: Castellani Parkhotel. (BB,D) |
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 superb Premium Highlight as you ascend Mount Pilatus by cog-wheel railway. From the
summit, admire some of the best possible views of the snow-covered Alps. (BB,D) |
DAY
5 – SALZBURG- VENICE
This morning a spectacular drive takes you through the
Tauern Mountains to the Carinthian Lake District, and on to the Italian border. Follow mountain
valleys and cascading streams down to the Veneto Plain on your way to the unique magical, waterbound
city of Venice. Your hotel overlooks the Grand Canal. Hotel: Continental. (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. Consider spending
the evening sampling wonderful French cuisine. Hotel: Hilton/Pullman Paris Porte de Sevres. (BB) |
DAY
6 – VENICE SIGHTSEEING
Cruise by private launch to St Mark’s Square and alight
to see the Bridge of Sighs which connects the Doges’ Palace to the prisons. Cross the square to see
the famous Moors, who have been striking the hour for over 500 years, the belltower and the
beautiful mosaics of St Mark’s Basilica. After a demonstration of Venetian glass blowing, join an
included romantic Premium Highlight gondola ride along the canals. Perhaps consider taking a boat
trip to the island of Burano for a delicious seafood meal. (BB) |
DAY
13 - PARIS SIGHTSEEING
A guided sightseeing tour shows you Notre Dame
Cathedral, the Louvre building and Opera House. Drive from the Place de la Concorde along the
Champs Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe. Your visit would not be complete without an ascent of Paris’
most famous symbol! Survey the city from the heights of the Eiffel Tower, before visiting the Tomb of
Napoleon in the Église du Dôme, As evening falls, there is the chance to see a cabaret show. (BB) |
DAY
7 – VENICE - ROME
Head south over the Apennine Mountains and follow the ‘Highway of
the Sun’ to Rome. Tonight, enjoy a Dine-Around evening which offers you and your fellow travellers a
choice of dining experiences, atmosphere and cuisine. Hotel: Sheraton. (BB,DA) |
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) |
