EUROPEAN SPOTLIGHT

Your itinerary

11 Days ~ England ~ Belgium ~ Holland ~ Germany ~ Austria ~ Italy ~ Switzerland ~ France

Tour Pace

This tour slows down considerably after the first two days in Amsterdam and the Rhineland. It then runs at a leisurely pace with two-night stays in the key cities of Innsbruck, Venice, Lucerne and Paris, with time to relax or participate in optional excursions organised by your Tour Director.

DAY 1 – SUN – LONDON – AMSTERDAM

Meet your Tour Director at the Thistle Marble Arch hotel in London and transfer to Dover. Bid farewell to the famous white cliffs as you cross the English Channel. Disembark at Calais and follow the coast into Belgium, entering the Netherlands and seeing your first windmills en route to Amsterdam. Pass the Mint Tower and Royal Palace in Dam Square on your way to watch diamonds being cut and polished. Enjoy a Welcome Drink with your Tour Director before boarding a special sightseeing boat and cruising past mansions and under low bridges to alight in the harbour for a Highlight Dinner aboard a floating restaurant. Hotel: Eden Rembrandt Sq. (HD)

DAY 2 – MON – AMSTERDAM – RHINELAND

Pass Arnhem, renowned for its ‘Bridge Too Far’, and continue over the German border to Cologne. Despite the city being badly damaged in World War Two, its Gothic Cathedral survived. After marvelling at its soaring spires, continue through the former West German capital of Bonn to the scenic Rhine Gorge. Board a cruiser at Boppard and glide past vineyards and imposing castles, and hear the legend of the Loreley Rock before rejoining the coach at St Goar to continue to the hotel. Hotel: Steigenberger Mannheimer Hof. (BB,D)

DAY 3 – TUE – RHINELAND – INNSBRUCK

Skirt the northern Black Forest and pass Ulm, which has the world’s highest church spire. Stop at the base of the Bavarian Alps to see the Royal castles, including King Ludwig’s fabulous fairytale castle of Neuschwanstein. Cross the Austrian border and drive over the spectacular Fern Pass to arrive in Innsbruck, capital of the Tyrol. Tour the architectural jewels of the city, seeing the Imperial Palace, delightful Golden Roof and the 14th century houses of the old town before enjoying dinner at the hotel. Hotel: Hilton. (BB,D)

DAY 4 – WED – SALZBURG EXCURSION

Drive out to 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)

DAY 5 – THU – INNSBRUCK – VENICE

Leave Innsbruck and travel across the impressive Europa Bridge, and cross the Brenner Pass into Italy. Follow the Adige River through spectacular scenery down to the great plain. Visit fascinating Verona, with its first century Roman Arena, maze of elegant squares and, of course, Juliet’s famous balcony. Now you pass Padua on your way to your hotel on the fashionable Venice Lido. Hotel: Le Boulevard. (BB,D)

DAY 6 – FRI – VENICE SIGHTSEEING

Romantic Venice! Relax on a private launch as it cruises past the island of San Giorgio to alight at St Mark’s Square. Stroll along the water’s edge to see the Bridge of Sighs that connects the Doges’ Palace with the prisons. See St Mark’s Basilica and belltower before watching one of the few remaining craftsmen hand-blow Venetian glass. The tour concludes with a gondola ride through the canals. Don’t miss the chance to try the city’s delicious seafood, freshly caught in the lagoon. (BB)

DAY 7 – SAT – VENICE – LUCERNE

Travel through some of the richest farmland in Europe as you cross northern Italy. Glimpse the beautiful Italian Lake District as you continue into the heart of the Swiss Alps, past gushing streams and soaring peaks to scenic Lake Lucerne. Consider spending the evening at a fondue party and folklore night. Hotel: Astoria. (BB)

DAY 8 – SUN – LUCERNE SIGHTSEEING

Visit the Lion Monument, carved into a cliff to commemorate the Swiss Guards who lost their lives during the French Revolution. Spend time shoppingor strolling along the Chapel Bridge to the richlyornate Jesuit Church. Embark on a Premium Highlight excursion by cog-wheel train and cable-car to the summit of one of Switzerland’s most famousmountains, Mount Pilatus. Admire the views overthe snow-capped Jungfrau and Eiger peaks before returning to Lucerne. (BB,D)

DAY 9 – MON – LUCERNE – PARIS

Drive to Basel before crossing the Rhine to France. Travel across the fertile fields of Burgundy to Paris, the vibrant heart of French life, and a city which glitters by night. Here, you have the option of a night-time illuminations tour. Hotel: Concorde Ambassador. (BB)

DAY 10 – TUE – PARIS SIGHTSEEING

A comprehensive guided sightseeing tour includes seeing the Champs Élysées, Arc de Triomphe, Garnier’s Opera, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Louvre. A Premium Highlight sees you ascend by elevator to theviewing platforms of the Eiffel Tower before visitingthe gilded Dôme Church to see the imposing tombof the Emperor Napoleon. There is also timefor sightseeing at your own pace: perhaps admire the impressionist paintings in the Musée d’Orsay or, ifyou prefer, relax at a sidewalk cafe. (BB)

DAY 11 – WED – PARIS – LONDON

Cross the battlefields of World War One en route to Calais for the return voyage back to Dover. After a short drive through the pretty Kent countryside, the tour ends at the Thistle Marble Arch in London. (BB)

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