COSMOPOLITAN EUROPE

Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, Switzerland & France

ITINERARY:

1 LONDON - BRUSSELS, BELGIUM.
Leave in the early morning from your London joining hotel (see your travel documents) and head through the lush English countryside to the Channel port, where you board your ferry for the Continent. Here your tour director and luxury coach meet you and you're off to Brussels.

2 BRUSSELS - RHINE CRUISE, GERMANY - WURZBURG.
Drive south this morning to the shores of the mighty Rhine. Your included Rhine steamer cruise is today's highlight with some legendary sights such as the Lorelei Rock. An easy and relatively short drive southeast to Wurzburg, a baroque city famed for its cathedral, bridges, palace and gardens. (B,D)

3 WURZBURG - NUREMBERG - PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC.
Travel eastwards today, making a first stop in Nuremberg, an ancient city still showing its medieval walls with rampant walks and an 11th-century castle. It is also famous for its 1945 trials of the Nazi leaders and war criminals. Continue by way of the world's beer capital, Pilsen to Prague, capital of the Czech Republic for overnight. (B)

4 PRAGUE - VIENNA, AUSTRIA.
The wealth of gothic and baroque architecture perhaps inspired Dvorak and Smetana, both Prague composers. The included guided sightseeing features landmarks such as the Jewish Quarter, Wenceslas Square, Charles Bridge, and the old Town Square with the Astronomical Clock. This afternoon, motor from Bohemia into Moravia and continue southwest for a few more miles before crossing into Austria for two nights in its splendid capital, Vienna. This evening, enjoy an optional Viennese concert. (B)

5 VIENNA.
There's so much to see on your included sightseeing tour: the State Opera, Parliament, and the Town Hall. Stop for a stroll in Heroes' Square to view the Hofburg and take an inside visit of St. Stephen's Cathedral. In the afternoon, an optional trip to the Palace of Schonbrunn. (B)

6 VIENNA - VELDEN - VENICE AREA, ITALY.
Breathtaking scenery as you travel across Austria to Velden and beautiful Lake Worth for a short visit. Next, into Italy by way of Tarvisio, then through the flat and fertile plains of Venetia to the Venice area for two overnights. (B)

7 VENICE AREA.
The included orientation starts with a boat ride and is followed by some time to soak up the atmosphere of this unique city and chance to watch Venetian glassblowers. Don't miss out on the optional gondola trip. (B,D)
8 VENICE AREA - ASSISI - ROME.
Today, travel south across the Po Delta into the very heart of the Apennines, dotted with towns and villages perched on the mountain sides. Stop in Assisi, where St. Francis was born in 1182. Visit the world famous Basilica with its beautiful frescoes by Giotto. Reach the Eternal City in time to join the optional Rome by Night excursion. (B)

9 ROME.
The "Eternal City" - a city steeped in history, vibrantly alive and exciting and absolutely unique! Included sightseeing with a Local Guide starts in St. Peter's Square, followed by a visit to the Roman Forum and the mighty Colosseum. (B)

10 ROME - FLORENCE AREA.
This morning, join the optional excursion to the Vatican Museum before driving northward through the Tuscan countryside to reach Florence in the late afternoon. On the included walking tour with a Local Guide, discover most of the city highlights: the Piazza Santa Croce; the beautiful Piazza Signoria; the Palazzo Vecchio, and its courtyard; the Loggia dei Lanzi; and, to top it all, the Piazza del Duomo and its cathedral with the Giotto Campanile, and the magnificent East Door of the Baptistery known as the "Gate of Para e". (B,D)

11 FLORENCE AREA - LAKE LUCERNE, SWITZERLAND.
Across the Lombardy Plain this morning to Italian Switzerland's subtropical resort of Lugano. Here you take a break to stroll along the lakeside promenade, before climbing towards the St. Gotthard tunnel. Emerge on the German-speaking side of Switzerland and then descend into the gentle landscape around Lake Lucerne. (B,D)

12 LUCERNE.
One of Switzerland's finest cities nestled amid its snow-capped Alps, surrounded by its lake, and embellished by the clear mountain waters of the River Reuss. Your visit takes in the impressive city walls, a covered wooden bridge, ornate patrician houses lining cobblestone streets, and the Lion Monument - a masterful stone sculpture in honour of the heroic Swiss Guard of Louis XVI. A grand selection of optional activities completes the day: a cable car ride to the 10,000 feet summit of Mount Titlis; a cruise on the fjord-like lake; and of course there is time to shop for that very Swiss watch. (B,D)

13 LAKE LUCERNE - PARIS, FRANCE.
Enjoy vistas of green pastures and attractive chalets with rustic timbering and luxuriant flowers. Then into France and on the highway past some of its most famous vineyards to Paris. Arrive in time to enjoy the optional cabaret show. (B)

14 PARIS.
Paris holds a special place in the imagination. It's a city of many facets famed for its culture, beauty, sophistication, and sparkle. By sitting with a glass of wine in a bistro or sidewalk cafe, you can absorb the essence of the city and the individualism of its people. The centre has wide boulevards and impressive buildings. Included sightseeing with a local expert of many of the best-known Parisian sights: La Sorbonne, Arc de Triomphe, Opera, Madeleine, the Eiffel Tower, the Pyramid near the Louvre, the Invalides, and Champs Elysees. Optional excursions are also available to the Palace and Gardens of Versailles, and to celebrate the success of your tour, a French farewell dinner might be just the ticket. (B)

15 PARIS - LONDON, ENGLAND.
Relax and let the countryside whiz by on the road north to the coast, where you board your Channel ferry. Through Kent, return to London for an evening arrival. (B)