Your itinerary
18 Days ~ England ~ Belgium ~
Holland ~ Germany ~ Czech Republic ~
Austria ~ Italy ~ Switzerland ~ France
Tour Pace
Insight has planned this itinerary
with two night
stays in every major city. This allows
you time to settle into your new
environment
before your sightseeing tour the
following day. Leisure time follows each
city tour
- relax or indulge in an optional
excursion if you like!
DAY
1 SUN LONDON
AMSTERDAM
Meet your Tour Director at London's
Thistle Marble Arch hotel and transfer
to Dover.
Bid farewell to the white cliffs as you
cross the channel to France and continue
through Belgium to Amsterdam. As evening
falls, join your Tour Director for a
Welcome
Drink. Hotel: Vondel Park Plaza. (D)
DAY 2 MON
AMSTERDAM SIGHTSEEING
Visit one of Amsterdams great
diamond houses,
see the Mint Tower and nearby floating
flower market and drive across the Dam
Square.
Join a local guide who will show you the
priceless paintings of the Rijksmuseum,
including Rembrandt's 'The Night Watch'.
The rest of the day is yours to enjoy -
why not visit Volendam? (BB)
DAY 3 TUE
AMSTERDAM HAMELIN
Pass the 'Bridge Too Far' at Arnhem
on your way
to the 'water castle' region of Germany.
Arrive in Münster, to see the Old
Town and Prinzipalmarkt beer halls.
Don't miss the hanging iron cages of St
Lambert's
Church before departing for your
delightful castle hotel, set in
its own grounds,
near the Pied Pipers town of
Hamelin. Hotel: Schlosshotel
Munchhausen. (BB,D)
DAY 4
WED HAMELIN
BERLIN
Call into Hamelin to see the fabled
Rat-catcher's
house on your way to Wolfenbüttel
which still retains its Renaissance glory.
Explore the well planned streets,
half-timbered houses and Market Place
before taking
the Autobahn to Berlin. Hotel: Berlin.
(BB,D)
DAY 5 THU
BERLIN SIGHTSEEING
A guided city tour takes you along
the Unter den
Linden past Humboldt University and the
Opera. Stop on Museum Island before
returning
past the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag
Building and a drive through the
Tiergarten.
The afternoon is at leisure.
(BB)
DAY 6 FRI
BERLIN PRAGUE
Stop in Dresden, which was almost
totally destroyed
by air raids in 1945. Now faithfully
restored, see the Frauenkirche, the huge
mosaic
on the Castle wall, the Opera House and
Zwinger Palace before crossing the Czech
border to Prague. Hotel: Diplomat.
(BB,D)
DAY 7 SAT
PRAGUE SIGHTSEEING
See the highlights of 'Golden Prague'
during a
morning sightseeing tour. From the
heights of Prague Castle, dominated by
the soaring
spires of St Vitus' Cathedral, look down
on the Old Town before descending to
explore
the Old Town Square with its
Astronomical Clock. The afternoon is at
leisure. (BB)
DAY 8
SUN PRAGUE VIENNA
Enjoy a drive through the green
Bohemian countryside
to medieval Cesky Krumlov. Take time to
explore the old town, with its
cobbled
streets, little back lanes and arch
covered footpaths. In the afternoon,
continue
across the Austrian border to Vienna.
Hotel: Hilton.(BB)
DAY 9
MON VIENNA SIGHTSEEING
With a local guide, visit glorious
Schönbrunn
Palace, built as a summer residence for
Maria Theresa during the Golden Age of the
Hapsburg Empire. Head into the city
centre to tour the Ring Street, pass the
Opera,
the soaring spires of the City Hall and
the Parliament. Spend the afternoon
relaxing
with a spot of shopping or a famous
Viennese coffee? (BB)
DAY
10 TUE VIENNA
VENICE
Journey southwards past quiet
villages and forested
mountains into the Carinthian Lake
district. Cross into Italy near
Tarvisio, and
follow mountain valleys and cascading
streams down to the Veneto Plain on your
way
to Venice. Hotel: Principe/Amadeus.
(BB,D)
DAY 11 WED
VENICE SIGHTSEEING
An included canal cruise takes you to
St Marks
Square to see the Doges' Palace and
Basilica. Witness the ancient art of
glass-blowing
before enjoying a gondola ride through
the watery 'streets'. Consider enjoying a
seafood lunch on the beautiful island of
Burano. (BB)
DAY 12
THU VENICE ROME
Board your high speed train to Rome
at Venices
San Lucia Station. Relax and enjoy the
ever changing scenery as the fertile Po
Valley
gives way to the Apennines. Arrival in
the 'Eternal City' is mid afternoon.
Tonight
stroll to the Spanish Steps before a
Highlight Dinner of pasta, wine and music.
Hotel: Cicerone. (BB,HD)
DAY 13 FRI
ROME SIGHTSEEING
Sightseeing with a local guide in
this magnificent
city includes the vast St Peter's
Basilica. Visit the Colosseum and
overlook the
Roman Forum. The afternoon is free for
shopping, relaxing or more sightseeing.
(BB)
DAY 14 SAT
ROME MILAN
Arrivederci Roma as you
journey through
the Chianti wine producing region of
Tuscany to the cosmopolitan city of Milan,
Italy's industrial nerve centre,
dominated by its magnificent Duomo.
Hotel: Marriott.
(BB,D)
DAY 15 SUN
MILAN LUCERNE
Head north through the Italian Lake
District into
the spectacular mountains of
Switzerland. Take a cable car ride to
the summit of
Mt Pilatus for superb Alpine views
before spending time at leisure in the
beautiful
lakeside resort of Lucerne. Shop for
clocks and watches, and don't miss the
emotive
Lion Monument. Hotel: Astoria.
(BB,D)
DAY 16 MON
LUCERNE PARIS
Travel through the wine growing
region of Burgundy
to glorious Paris. Don't miss the chance
to tour the sparkling illuminations which
bring out the best of this glittering
city. Hotel: Sofitel Bercy.
(BB)
DAY 17 TUE
PARIS SIGHTSEEING
Join a local guide
to see the highlights of the city,
including Notre Dame Cathedral,
the Louvre and Arc
de Triomphe. Ascend the Eiffel Tower and
visit Napoleon's
tomb before spending the afternoon at
leisure. Consider taking in a world-famous
cabaret show as night falls.
(BB)
DAY 18 WED
PARIS LONDON
Bid 'au revoir' to Paris and cross
the agricultural
region of Northern France. At Calais,
board the ferry to Dover for your return
journey
to London.
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