Classic Europe - A Family Adventure: 12 Days Escorted Tour Create lifetime family memories on this itinerary featuring highlights of England, France, Switzerland and Italy. Visit Shakespeare's Globe Theater and ride the London Eye. Experience history and culture at the Louvre in Paris, at the Uffizi in Florence, and at Vatican City in Rome. Enjoy an excursion through the Swiss Alps and see the Colosseum in Rome. Inclusions Highlights Features Itinerary Dates Inclusions 2 nights at the Radisson Edwardian Berkshire in London 2 nights at the Hotel Royal Saint Honore in Paris 2 nights at the Hotel Bristol in Geneva 2 nights at the Boscolo Hotel Astoria Florence 2 nights at the Empire Palace Hotel in Rome First Class train service from England to France, then to Switzerland and on to Italy 10 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 6 dinners Highlights Explore London's famous sights plus the Shakespearean Globe Theater and a ride on the London Eye Attend a London theater performance Take a Eurostar Chunnel Train ride under the English Channel Visit the Louvre and Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris Evening cruise on the Seine River in the "City of Light" Enjoy a Swiss Alpine adventure and a cable car ride on Mt. Blanc Travel the European countryside in comfort and speed of top trains Visit the Uffizi and Duomo in Florence See Rome's Colosseum and Vatican City treasures Dine at local restaurants and have free time for personal adventures Special Features Itinerary includes must-see highlights of the European Continent - a great introduction.

Itinerary

Days 1 & 2 - Arrive London
Depart on your overnight flight to England. Arrive and stay on Oxford Street, London's premier shopping street. RADISSON EDWARDIAN BERKSHIRE

Day 3 - London sightseeing/Theater performance
Meet your expert local guide--there will be several--and begin with a panoramic drive of London. See Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. Near London Bridge, visit the Globe Theater, the faithful reconstruction of the playhouse where Shakespeare wrote and worked. Then cruise on the Thames River and ride the London Eye, the ferris-wheel (the roomy capsules are enclosed) attraction affording terrific views of Londontown. Your afternoon is at leisure. A theater performance highlights the evening! RADISSON EDWARDIAN BERKSHIRE

Days 4 & 5 - Eurostar Chunnel Train/Paris sightseeing
Depart London aboard the high speed Eurostar Chunnel Train, whisking you through County Kent and under the English Channel to France. On arrival Paris, drive along the Champs-Elysees from the Arc de Triomphe to Place de la Concorde, where Marie Antoinette met her untimely end. See Sainte Chapelle and the dominating, yet graceful, Eiffel Tower. Visit Notre Dame Cathedral, essence of Gothic architecture with its fanciful stonework and elegant flying buttresses. On Wednesday visit the Louvre, a former palace and now a truly great art museum. See crown jewels and Master paintings. The Mona Lisa is here, as is the incomparable Nike of Samothrace. The afternoon is free; if you enjoy art, consider the Museee D'Orsay or a stroll in Montmarte to see artists at work. This evening, enjoy the "City of Light" on a Seine River cruise. HOTEL ROYAL SAINT HONORE

Day 6 - TGV train/Geneva sightseeing
Travel across France and into Switzerland aboard a TGV high-speed train. Your arrival Geneva is early in the afternoon and your Swiss guide is there to show you the city's highlights, including a walk through the Old Town medieval lanes. HOTEL BRISTOL

Day 7 - Geneva/Alps/Mt. Blanc
Explore the Alps today! Drive along Lake Leman on the scenic mountain drive to Chamonix, oldest of the French winter-sports resorts (it hosted the first winter Olympics in 1924). Take the world's highest cable car ride 12,000 feet up the Aiguille du Midi. Staggering views of the Alps await, including Mt. Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe at 15,700 feet and first ascended by Paccard in 1786. HOTEL BRISTOL

Day 8 - Florence, Italy
Take the train south through more of Switzerland, the Bernese Oberland and the Alps. Enter Italy. At Milan, switch train lines for a late afternoon arrival in Florence, the "birthplace of the Renaissance." You are surrounded by the glories of the art and architecture of the Renaissance period, the 13th to 16th centuries. BOSCOLO HOTEL ASTORIA FLORENCE

Day 9 - Florence/Duomo/Ponte Vecchio/Uffizi
Experience the beauty and appreciate the history of Florence. See Michelangelo's masterpiece David in the Galleria dell'Accademia. Explore the enormous Cathedral (the Duomo) and see Giotto's Campanile and the Baptistry with its engraved bronze doors. Walk to Ponte Vecchio, the famous bridge over the Arno River, still housing jewelry and antique shops. Then visit the Uffizi Gallery, founded in 1581, making it one of the oldest fine art museums in the world. Visit (June and July tours only) the Medici Chapel in the Church of San Lorenzo. BOSCOLO HOEL ASTORIA FLORENCE

Day 10 - Imperial Rome
Enjoy the Tuscan countryside en route to Rome. This afternoon, sightsee the magnificent Italian capital city. Toss a coin at Trevi Fountain; see Villa Medici, Navona Square and the Spanish Steps overflowing with summer flowers. Follow Via dei Fori Imperiali by Trajan's Forum to see the Arch of Constantine, the Pantheon, Palatine Hill and Circus Maximus, all remnants of the era when Rome ruled the western world. Visit the Colosseum, both the famous and infamous past home to the Roman games. EMPIRE PALACE HOTEL

Day 11 - Vatican City/Rome
Visit Vatican City, a sovereign nation within Rome's boundaries. See the Sistine Chapel, where Michelangelo painted his remarkable frescoes, and St. Peter's Basilica covering nearly 5 acres. Michelangelo's exquisite and moving sculpture, The Pieta, created when he was only 20, stands in St. Peter's. The afternoon is free for your own Roman adventures. EMPIRE PALACE HOTEL.

Day 12 - Conclude Rome
Transfer to the Rome airport for your flight home. We hope you join us again soon!

Travel Dates & Rates

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• Booking Code: HFA

• Land only rate is per person based on double occupancy. International airfare is not included. Please inquire about our competitive rates at the time of booking. With the purchase of international airfare through Maupintour, arrival and departure transfers are included. Pre/post nights are available upon request. Reservation deposit is $500 per person. Travel insurance is highly recommended

Prices subject to change without notice until time of deposit. All dollar values not denoted as US or CA are in US Dollars.