Alpine Countries - 2008 - 2009
Tags:
Munich; Italy; Frankfurt; Switzerland; Brunig Pass; Rhône Valley; Lake Geneva; Lake Maggiore; Austrian Tyrol;
Be prepared for breathtaking views. This 16-day journey starts in Frankfurt and travels via medieval Rothenburg and Munich, where you will visit the Marienplatz, to Austria, where you have sightseeing tours with Local Guides in Salzburg and Vienna. Then drive over Semmering Pass into the popular mountain resorts of Carinthia ...
Read Full Description- Destination:
- Frankfurt, Germany; Innsbruck, Austria; Lucerne, Switzerland; Lugano, Switzerland; Munich, Germany; St. Moritz, Switzerland; Switzerland; Vienna, Austria
- Trip Length:
- 16 days
- Price Range:
- From $2000 to $3000 per person See what this includes and what this excludes
- Best Time to Go:
- April, May, June, July, August, September
- Recommended for:
-
15 - 17, 18 - 20, 25 - 30, 31 - 35, 36 - 40, 41 - 50, 51 - 55
Family Trip, Group Retreat, Trip Around the World
Detailed Trip Description
Be prepared for breathtaking views. This 16-day journey starts in Frankfurt and travels via medieval Rothenburg and Munich, where you will visit the Marienplatz, to Austria, where you have sightseeing tours with Local Guides in Salzburg and Vienna. Then drive over Semmering Pass into the popular mountain resorts of Carinthia and enjoy an overnight stay in pretty St. Veit. The Dolomites, Cortina d’Ampezzo in Italy, and the Brenner Pass to Innsbruck in the Austrian Tyrol are scenic highlights. St. Moritz, Lake Como, and Lake Lugano are next. Proceed to Lake Maggiore, Stresa, and over the Simplon Pass back to Switzerland, where you board a mountain train to Zermatt, at the foot of the world-famous Matterhorn for your two-night stay. Via the Rhône Valley, Lake Geneva, Berne, Interlaken, and Brunig Pass to Lucerne, for a relaxing two-night stay in this picturesque town. Your vacation is topped off by visits to the Rhine Falls, the Black Forest, and Heidelberg, Germany.
Trip Itinerary
Day 1 - On the Plane
Commercial Flight
Board your overnight transatlantic flight.
Day 2 - Frankfurt
Arrival in Frankfurt, Germany.
Hotel
Time to rest or to explore the bustling metropolis on the River Main. Stay at Sheraton Congress (F).
Food and Dining
At 6 p.m. meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a welcome dinner at your hotel. (D).
Day 3 - Munich
Frankfurt–Rothenburg–Munich.
Sightseeing
The day is dedicated to Germany’s Romantic Road leading from the flat country towards the Alps. Spend time in spectacular Rothenburg with its ramparts and towers, cobbled lanes, and 16th-century houses. From here it’s an easy ride towards the Danube Valley and Munich. Tonight you may want to tackle a stein of beer at the Hofbräuhaus. (BB,D).
Hotel
Stay at Holiday Inn City Centre (F) or Sheraton Munich Westpark (F).
Day 4 - Munich
Sightseeing
Sightseeing with a Local Guide in Germany’s “secret capital” includes the Olympic Stadium, 1,000-foot-high Television Tower, Nymphenburg Palace, Marienplatz with the Old and New Town Hall, and the gothic Frauenkirche. Afternoon at leisure.
Sightseeing
An optional excursion to Linderhof Castle and Passion Play town of Oberammergau is available. (BB).
Day 5 - Vienna
Munich–Salzburg, Austria–Vienna.
Sightseeing
Through southern Bavaria to the Austrian border and on to Salzburg. Your walking tour with a Local Guide features the historic center of Mozart’s hometown, exquisite Mirabell Gradens, the Great Festival Hall, St. Peter’s Churchyard, and the monumental Domplatz.
Sightseeing
Evening arrival in Vienna, once the center of the mighty Habsburg Empire. Tonight you may wish to try out local specialties and a typically Viennese form of entertainment. (BB).
Hotel
Stay at Mercure Grand Hotel Biedermeier (F).
Day 6 - Vienna
Sightseeing
Meet your Local Guide and start your sightseeing with vistas of Prater Park with its giant Ferris wheel, and the United Nations City on the banks of the Danube River. Then drive along Ring Boulevard, pass the State Opera House, the Jewish quarter, and stop at the Hofburg Palace, winter residence of the Austrian Imperial family. Marvel at the impressive courtyards and famous Heldenplatz and visit awesome St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Afternoon at leisure.
Sightseeing
Optional excursions to Schönbrunn Palace and to Grinzing for a taste of Heurigen wine are available. (BB).
Day 7 - Vienna
Vienna–St. Veit.
Sightseeing
Scenic Semmering Pass, peaceful baroque crossroad towns in Styria, and then the mountains, lakes, and popular resorts of Carinthia are on today’s agenda.
Hotel
Overnight in St. Veit. (BB,D). Stay at Fuchspalast (F)
Day 8 - Innsbruck
St. Veit–Italian Dolomites–Innsbruck.
Sightseeing
An unforgettable drive via the Iselsberg Pass to the Italian border and to Cortina d’Ampezzo, the Olympic skiing resort in the Dolomites. Then via Tre Croci Pass and Lake Misurina to Brunico and the Brenner Pass to Innsbruck in the Tyrolean Alps. Stroll through its medieval lanes to Emperor Maximilian’s Golden Roof.
Performing Arts
Why not join an optional Tyrolean song-anddance show? (BB,D).
Hotel
Stay at Sporthotel Penz (F).
Day 9 - St. Moritz
Innsbruck–St. Moritz, Switzerland.
Sightseeing
From the Inn Valley into beautiful Swiss Engadine, see deep-blue lakes, airy larch forests, mountain peaks exceeding 12,000 feet, and quaint villages with massive white stone houses in the characteristic Grisons style. Afternoon free in ritzy St. Moritz. (BB,D).
Hotel
Stay at Monopol (F) or Laudinella (F).
Day 10 - Lugano
St. Moritz–Lugano.
Sightseeing
Descend towards the Italian Lake Como and continue on to the southern tip of Switzerland to the popular subtropical resort town of Lugano, with plenty of time for an espresso on the flower-festooned Piazza Riforma and a refreshing walk in the shade of Parco Ciani’s magnificent old trees. (BB,D).
Hotel
Stay at Holiday Inn Lugano Centre (F).
Day 11 - Lugano
Lugano–Stresa, Italy–Zermatt.
Train
From Lake Lugano to the Italian shore of Lake Maggiore for a break in elegant Stresa. An optional boat ride to the enchanting Isola Bella can be arranged. On over the lofty Simplon Pass into the Swiss Valais, an area renowned for its great mountain resorts. To reach the most famous of them, leave the coach behind in Täsch and board a Mountain Train to climb the last few miles up to Zermatt, a picturesque cluster of rustic chalets beneath the Matterhorn. (BB,D).
Hotel
Stay at Simi (F).
Day 12 - Switzerland
At Leisure in Zermatt.
Sightseeing
Full day at leisure to ride Europe’s highest rack-railway to 10,272-foot Gornergrat to explore the town on your own or to just simply relax. (BB).
Day 13 - Lucerne
Zermatt–Berne–Interlaken–Lucerne.
Sightseeing
Through the vineyards and apricot groves of the lower Rhône Valley towards the terraced vineyards on Lake Geneva and the verdant dairy country of Gruyère, to the Swiss capital, Berne.
Sightseeing
See the monumental Federal Palace and the Bear Pit before continuing via Interlaken, a Bernese Oberland resort beneath the towering Jungfrau, and across Brünig Pass to Lucerne. (BB,D).
Hotel
Stay at Grand Hotel Europe (F).
Day 14 - Lucerne
Sightseeing
On your walking tour, admire Thorwaldsen’s Lion Monument and ornate patrician houses of the walled Old Town, then cross the famous covered Chapel Bridge to the Jesuit church.
Shopping
Afterwards, shop for Swiss watches.
River, Barge or Yacht Cruise
Choose from our optional activities: climb a mountain by cable car, take a cruise on the fjord-like lake, or sign up for a folklore party with yodeling and alphorn blowing for a first-hand impression of Alpine merrymaking. (BB).
Day 15 - Frankfurt
Lucerne–Heidelberg, Germany–Frankfurt.
Sightseeing
On the way back to Germany visit the thundering Rhine Falls at Schaffhausen, a 70-foot cataract of the River Rhine. From here head north into the pine-clad hills of the Black Forest, and enjoy a Woodcarving Demonstration on your way to Heidelberg, well-known for its red-walled castle.
Food and Dining
Tonight enjoy a farewell dinner with the friends gained during your exciting two-week vacation. (BB,D).
Day 16 - Frankfurt
Airport Transfer
Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (BB).
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Prices are per person, based on double occupancy. Meals: 14 buffet breakfasts (BB); 9 three-course dinners (D), including welcome and farewell dinners in Frankfurt. Accommodation for 15 nights in hotels mentioned in the itinerary. Transfers & sightseeing as per itinerary.
Budget Excludes:Federal Inspection Fees for the U.S. Customs and immigration; International Air Transportation Tax; any other taxes; security fee; airport taxes and fees; passports; visas and vaccinations; tips; tour host; driver; local city guides; gratuities on ferries, trains and cruise ships; laundry; telephone; mini bar; alcohol; beverages and food not on the regular table d'hôte menu; optional excursions; porterage at airports; travel protection; excess baggage fees; all other items of a personal nature.
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