Scenic Delights

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Detailed Trip Description

This 13-day vacation consists almost entirely of two-night stays in a variety of famous cities and picturesque towns. In Amsterdam enjoy guided sightseeing and a canal cruise. Cruise the Rhine River, and stop in Cologne and Heidelberg, medieval Rothenburg, and Munich. Enjoy an exclusive stay in Garmisch in Bavaria and visit nearby King Ludwig’s Castle in Neuschwanstein and Passion Play village Oberammergau. Drive through the Alps via Innsbruck to Venice, where sightseeing includes St. Mark’s Basilica and Doges’ Palace with its Bridge of Sighs. Then over famous St. Gotthard Pass to Lucerne, Switzerland, where you can roam its medieval streets. Next, drive to Montreux of festival fame for an overnight stay, then board the high-speed “TGV” train to Paris, where a visit to the second floor of the Eiffel Tower is included.

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Trip Itinerary

Day 1 - On the Plane

 
Commercial Flights

Board your overnight transatlantic flight.

On the Plane Commercial Flights picture

Day 2 - Amsterdam

 
Arrival in Amsterdam, Holland.
Hotels

The day is free to rest or to start exploring the Dutch capital. Stay at Jolly Carlton (F).

Food and Dining

At 6 p.m. meet your traveling companions and Tour Director for a welcome dinner at your hotel. (D).


Day 3 - Amsterdam

 
River Cruises

A Local Guide shows you the 700-year-old capital, and the highlight is a Canal Cruise past patrician mansions, gabled façades, and humpback bridges.

Sightseeing

Next, visit a major Diamond Center to appreciate how a rough mineral is transformed into a sparkling jewel. You may wish to visit one of Amsterdam’s many museums.

Optional Excursion
Sightseeing

Later, an optional excursion to Volendam can be arranged. (BB).


Day 4 - Amsterdam

 
Amsterdam–Heidelberg, Germany–Rhineland.
Sightseeing

A passing glance at the Dutch region best known as the locale of A Bridge Too Far on the way to Germany. Stop in Cologne to visit the awesome twin-spired gothic Cathedral.

River Cruises

Then the afternoon’s highlight: a romantic Rhine Cruise past castle-crested cliffs, terraced vineyards, and trim, half-timbered towns. Next stop is Heidelberg, famous for its red-walled castle. (BB,D).

Hotels

Stay at Holiday Inn City Centre (F) at Mannheim.


Day 5 - Germany

 
Rhineland–Rothenburg–Munich–Garmisch.
Sightseeing

Leisurely morning break on the Romantic Road in spectacular Rothenburg with its ramparts and towers, cobbled lanes, and 16th‑century houses. South towards the Danube Valley and Munich, Germany’s “secret capital.” Your orientation tour features the Olympic Stadium, 1,000‑foot‑high Television Tower, and Marienplatz with the Old and New Town Hall. Then continue into the Bavarian Alps to Garmisch, site of the fourth Winter Olympics in 1936, where you spend the next two nights. (BB,D).

Hotels

Stay at Best Western Obermühle (F).


Day 6 - Germany

 
Bavarian Excursion.
Sightseeing

Focus on Neuschwanstein, Germany’s premier tourist attraction. Visit King Ludwig’s Castle on its craggy outcrop high above a sparkling lake.

Optional Excursion
Sightseeing

Afternoon at leisure in Passion Play town Oberammergau, with the chance to join an optional excursion to nearby Linderhof Castle. (BB).


Day 7 - Venice

 
Garmisch–Innsbruck, Austria–Venice, Italy.
Sightseeing

Morning break in Innsbruck, capital of the Austrian Tyrol. Stroll through quaint medieval lanes to Emperor Maximilian’s Golden Roof. Continue south on the spectacular Brenner Pass road across the mighty barrier of the Tyrolean Alps. Take a picture of the ski jump at Cortina, Italy’s skiing and mountaineering center beneath the jagged limestone towers of the Dolomites, before reaching Venice, the celebrated “Pearl of the Adriatic.”

Food and Dining

Tonight is your chance to sample the city’s fine restaurants. (BB).

Hotels

Stay at Plaza (F) at Mestre.


Day 8 - Venice

 
Sightseeing

Enter Venice in style by Private Boat to meet your Local Guide. Highlights of your walking tour are St. Mark’s Square and the byzantine Basilica, the Clock Tower, lavish Doges’ Palace and the Bridge of Sighs.

Sightseeing

Also watch skilled Glassblowers fashion their delicate objects in an age-old traditional manner. Then enjoy Venice at your own pace, or join an optional gondola ride. (BB,D).


Day 9 - Lucerne

 
Venice–Lugano, Switzerland–Lucerne.
Sightseeing

Through the lush Lombardian plains, past the commercial capital of Milan into Italian-speaking southern Switzerland. Free time in flower-festooned Lugano for lunch and to browse through the shops of Via Nassa. Admire the towering majesty of the Swiss Alps on the way over 6,935- foot-high St. Gotthard Pass and through William Tell country to the captivating charm of Lucerne. Why not sign up for a folklore party with yodeling and alphorn blowing for a first-hand impression of Alpine merrymaking? (BB).

Hotels

Stay at Grand Hotel Europe (F).


Day 10 - Montreux

 
Lucerne–Montreux.
Sightseeing

Admire Thorwaldsen’s Lion Monument and the ornate patrician houses lining the cobbled streets of the Old Town, then cross the famous covered Chapel Bridge to the Jesuit Church.

Shopping

Afterwards, shop for Swiss watches.

Optional Excursion
Sightseeing

Why not join an optional excursion to the top of a mountain? Later in the afternoon, a smooth drive to Montreux of festival fame. Take a picture of the Festival Hall (BB,D).

Hotels

Stay at Eurotel Riviera (F).


Day 11 - Paris

 
Montreux–Lausanne–Paris, France.
Trains

A short drive to Lausanne, where you board the high-speed “TGV” train to Paris, the traditional climax of every European vacation.

Sightseeing

Discover the world capital of chic and style with a Local Guide and admire its most famous sights: the Opéra, Arc de Triomphe, Champs- Elysées, Notre Dame Cathedral, and more. For a bird’s-eye view take the elevator to the second floor of Paris’ most famous landmark, the Eiffel Tower. (BB).

Hotels

Stay at Mercure Porte de Versailles Expo (F).


Day 12 - Paris

 
At Leisure in Paris.
Shopping

Another day to enjoy what this extraordinary metropolis has to offer. Shop for perfume and fancy fashion accessories, take your pick from many fine museums, or stroll through the magnificent parks.

Optional Excursion
Sightseeing

Optional excursions are available to the Louvre Museum and the lavish baroque Palace of Versailles.

Nightlife

Tonight maybe a lively cabaret show? (BB).


Day 13 - Paris

 
Airport Transfers

Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (BB).


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