Vacation Overview
Enjoy a leisurely vacation with 2-night stays in Rome, Venice, Florence, Nice, and Paris. Begin with a special welcome dinner with wine at a lively Roman restaurant. Guided sightseeing features: St. Peter’s, the Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum and the Forum in Rome; a stop in Assisi to visit St. Francis’ Basilica; a private boat ride, St. Mark’s Basilica and Doges’ Palace in Venice; a stop in Ferrara; and Michelangelo’s David in Florence. A scenic drive along the Mediterranean takes you to Pisa to see its Leaning Tower, then to Nice on the French Riviera. From here, an included visit takes you to the famous artist town of St. Paul de Vence. A thrilling ride on the high-speed TGV train delivers you to Paris, where you ascend to the second floor of the Eiffel Tower, enjoy an included dinner at a local restaurant, and have plenty of free time to immerse yourself in the splendid “City of Light.
Vacation Highlights
INCLUDED FEATURES
MEALS - (B) Breakfast (L) Lunch (D) Dinner
Full buffet breakfast (B); 2 three-course dinners (D), including a special welcome dinner with wine in Rome.
Rome: Welcome dinner at a local restaurant; guided sightseeing including headsets, visit the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Square and Basilica, the Colosseum and Roman Forum
Assisi: Visit the Basilica of St. Francis
Venice: Private boat ride; guided walking tour including headsets, visit St. Mark's Square and Basilica, Doges' Palace and the Bridge of Sighs; glassblowers' demonstration
Ferrara: Walk along Este Castle to the cathedral
Florence: Guided walking tour including headsets, visit Michelangelo's David, the cathedral, and Signoria Square.
Pisa: Take pictures of the Leaning Tower
Nice: Visit a perfume factory; excursion to St. Paul de Vence
Nice-Paris: By high-speed TGV train (first-class)
Paris: Guided sightseeing, ascend the Eiffel TowerNote:
P.S. In the rare event that the TGV train or the Eurostar train (tour HHT) is unavailable, alternative services will be provided.
Itinerary
DAY 1 Arrive in Rome, Italy
Time to rest or start exploring the “Eternal City.” At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions and leave the hotel for a special welcome dinner with wine at one of Rome’s lively restaurants. (Dinner)
DAY 2 Rome
Sightseeing with your Local Guide starts with a visit to the VATICAN MUSEUMS and SISTINE CHAPEL, world famous for Michelangelo’s ceiling paintings and The Last Judgement. Continue to monumental ST. PETER’S SQUARE and BASILICA. Cross the Tiber and visit the COLOSSEUM and the ROMAN FORUM, where Roman legions marched in triumph. Then, time for independent activities and exciting optional excursion possibilities. (Breakfast)
DAY 3 Rome–Assisi–Venice
Morning break in peaceful Assisi. Visit the massive 13th-century BASILICA OF ST. FRANCIS built above the saint’s grave. A kaleidoscope of Italian landscapes parades past the coach windows on the way to the Adriatic coast and across the Po Delta to Venice. Tonight, why not join an optional dinner, Venetian style? (Breakfast)
DAY 4 Venice
Start morning sightseeing in style by PRIVATE BOAT to meet your Local Guide. Highlights of your walking tour are ST. MARK’S SQUARE and the byzantine BASILICA, lavish DOGES’ PALACE and the BRIDGE OF SIGHS. 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 cruise to Burano Island. (Breakfast)
DAY 5 Venice–Ferrara–Florence
First stop this morning is Ferrara. Stroll past imposing Este Castle to the marble cathedral before continuing through the wooded Apennine Mountains into Tuscany to Florence, “Cradle of the Renaissance.” Time to wander at whim or to check out the enticing shops with Florentine leather goods and gold jewelry. You may want to join one of the exciting evening optionals. (Breakfast)
DAY 6 Florence
Enjoy a walking tour with your Local Guide and visit the ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS with Michelangelo’s celebrated David, the magnificent CATHEDRAL, Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistry’s heavy bronze “Gate of Paradise,” and sculpture-studded SIGNORIA SQUARE. Afternoon and evening at leisure. (Breakfast)
DAY 7 Florence–Pisa–Nice, France
Focus on Pisa this morning for pictures of its amazing Leaning Tower, 180 feet high and 12 feet out of the perpendicular. Then, a scenic drive past a string of Italian and French Riviera resorts towards the Principality of Monaco. Here, leave the highway for the panoramic Moyenne Corniche. Before arriving in Nice, visit one of the PERFUME FACTORIES for which the area is famous. (Breakfast)
DAY 8 Nice. Excursion to St. Paul de Vence
This morning, enjoy a highlight visit to the picturesque hilltop town of St. Paul de Vence. Then, a lazy afternoon to dabble in the blue Mediterranean or to stroll along the elegant Promenade des Anglais. An optional outing is available tonight to Monte Carlo. (Breakfast)
DAY 9 Nice–Paris
Transfer to the railway station and board the high-speed TGV TRAIN to Paris. For a bird’s-eye view, take the elevator to the second floor of Paris’ most famous landmark: the EIFFEL TOWER. This evening, enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. Afterwards, why not join an optional drive through the “City of Light?” (Breakfast, Dinner)
DAY 10 Paris
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. Optional excursions to the Louvre Museum and the lavish baroque Palace of Versailles are available. Tonight, a lively cabaret show might just be the ticket. (Breakfast)
DAY 11 Paris
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (Breakfast)
SUPERIOR HOTELS - (D) Deluxe (SF) Superior First-Class (F) First-Class
Rome: Grand Hotel Beverly Hills (F)
Venice: Carlton & Grand Canal (F)
Florence: Starhotels Michelangelo (SF)
Nice: Boscolo Plaza (SF)
Paris: Novotel Paris Tour Eiffel (F)
MEALS
Full buffet breakfast; 2 three-course dinners, a special welcome dinner with wine in Rome and a dinner with wine in Paris.
THE BEST OF ITALY & FRANCE – 12 DAYS - G.
Dates and Prices
Prices below do not include airfare. We will be glad to help you find the least
expensive airfare,
or you can use mileage if desired. When you Book Online
please enter your departure city
on the "SPECIAL REQUESTS" field and we will
get back to you immediately with an air quote.
If you book your air with us, airport transfers at destination will be included.
Otherwise we can provide them for you at a fee of $50 per person round-trip,
as long as you let us know your flights in advance. Thank you.
| Depart Date |
Vacation Start Date |
Return Date |
Price Without Air |
|
| 4/1/12 |
4/2/12 |
4/12/12 |
$3,499.00 |
|
| 4/8/12 |
4/9/12 |
4/19/12 |
$3,529.00 |
|
| 4/15/12 |
4/16/12 |
4/26/12 |
$3,529.00 |
|
| 4/22/12 |
4/23/12 |
5/3/12 |
$3,529.00 |
|
| 4/29/12 |
4/30/12 |
5/10/12 |
$3,529.00 |
|
| 5/6/12 |
5/7/12 |
5/17/12 |
$3,529.00 |
|
| 5/13/12 |
5/14/12 |
5/24/12 |
$3,689.00 |
|
| 5/20/12 |
5/21/12 |
5/31/12 |
$3,689.00 |
|
| 5/27/12 |
5/28/12 |
6/7/12 |
$3,689.00 |
|
| 6/3/12 |
6/4/12 |
6/14/12 |
$3,529.00 |
|
| 6/10/12 |
6/11/12 |
6/21/12 |
$3,529.00 |
|
| 6/17/12 |
6/18/12 |
6/28/12 |
$3,529.00 |
|
| 6/24/12 |
6/25/12 |
7/5/12 |
$3,529.00 |
|
| 7/1/12 |
7/2/12 |
7/12/12 |
$3,529.00 |
|
| 7/8/12 |
7/9/12 |
7/19/12 |
$3,529.00 |
|
| 7/15/12 |
7/16/12 |
7/26/12 |
$3,529.00 |
|
| 7/22/12 |
7/23/12 |
8/2/12 |
$3,529.00 |
|
| 7/29/12 |
7/30/12 |
8/9/12 |
$3,529.00 |
|
| 8/5/12 |
8/6/12 |
8/16/12 |
$3,529.00 |
|
| 8/12/12 |
8/13/12 |
8/23/12 |
$3,529.00 |
|
| 8/19/12 |
8/20/12 |
8/30/12 |
$3,529.00 |
|
| 8/26/12 |
8/27/12 |
9/6/12 |
$3,529.00 |
|
| 9/2/12 |
9/3/12 |
9/13/12 |
$3,549.00 |
|
| 9/9/12 |
9/10/12 |
9/20/12 |
$3,549.00 |
|
| 9/16/12 |
9/17/12 |
9/27/12 |
$3,549.00 |
|
| 9/23/12 |
9/24/12 |
10/4/12 |
$3,529.00 |
|
| 9/30/12 |
10/1/12 |
10/11/12 |
$3,529.00 |
|
| 10/7/12 |
10/8/12 |
10/18/12 |
$3,529.00 |
|
| 10/14/12 |
10/15/12 |
10/25/12 |
$3,499.00 |
|
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|
|
|
|
| Prices based on double room occupancy. |
|
|
| Single room supplement: $791, $922 (May 13-May 27) |
|
|
| Triple room reduction: $105 |
|
|
|
| Extra nights per person in Rome: |
|
|
|
| in single room $226, in twin room $165, in triple room $138 |
|
| Extra nights per person in Paris: |
|
|
|
| in single room $345, in twin room $180, in triple room $180 |
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