EUROPE'S GOLDEN COAST
Day 1 - (Sun.) Board your overnight transatlantic flight. Day 2 - Arrival in Rome, Italy. (Mon.) 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 welcome dinner at one of Rome's lively restaurants. (D) Day 3 - Rome. (Tue.) Sightseeing with your Local Guide starts with a visit to the VATICAN MUSEUMS and SISTINE CHAPEL, world famous for Michelangelo's ceiling paintings. 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. Afternoon and evening at leisure. (B) Day 4 - Rome - Ferrara - Venice. (Wed.) A scenic day. Drive north across the Apennine Mountains to Ferrara. Time to stroll along the imposing Este Castle to the marble cathedral. Then, continue through the fertile plains of the mighty River Po to Venice, a powerful magnet for romantics and art lovers from around the globe. (B) Day 5 - Venice. (Thu.) Enter in style by PRIVATE BOAT to meet your Local Guide. Highlights of your walking tour are ST. MARK'S BASILICA and SQUARE, 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. (B) Day 6 - Venice - Padua - Florence. (Fri.) A short drive to Padua, city of St. Anthony. Time to explore its lively center and to admire the majestic six-domed basilica. Then, continue to Florence, the splendid capital of Tuscany. This evening you might try the culinary delights of a fine Florentine restaurant. (B) Day 7 - Florence. (Sat.) Enjoy a walking tour with your Local Guide and visit the ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS with Michelangelo's celebrated David and the magnificent CATHEDRAL. Admire Giotto's Bell Tower, the Baptistry's heavy bronze "Gate of Paradise," and sculpture-studded SIGNORIA SQUARE. Afternoon at leisure. You may wish to join your Local Guide for an optional visit of the Uffizi Gallery. (B,D) Day 8 - Florence - Pisa - Monte Carlo, Principality of Monaco. (Sun.) 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 to Monte Carlo. (B) Day 9 - At Leisure in Monte Carlo. (Mon.) The day is yours to do as you please. You may wish to dabble in the blue Mediterranean or check out the elegant shops. Exciting optional excursions are available. (B) Day 10 - Monte Carlo - France - Barcelona, Spain. (Tue.) Drive along the glittering shores of the Côte d - Azur past Cannes, famous for its annual international film festival, towards the Pyrenees, and enter Spain. Arrive in Barcelona, the proud capital of Catalonia. (B,D) Day 11 - Barcelona. (Wed.) Your Local Guide takes you to the Columbus Monument, elegant tree-lined Ramblas and Plaza de Cataluna, historic buildings along Paseo de Gracia, the Church of the Holy Family, a panoramic view of the city and harbor from Montjuïc Hill, and a visit to the CATHEDRAL OF SANTA EULALIA. Afternoon at leisure. An optional excursion to Montserrat can be arranged. (B) Day 12 - Barcelona - Madrid. (Thu.) This morning, board the "AVE" TRAIN to Madrid on the plateau of Castille. On arrival, enjoy sightseeing with a Local Guide featuring Puerta del Sol, Plaza de España with its monument to Cervantes, the Parliament, Cibeles Fountain, and a highlight visit to the PRADO MUSEUM. (B) Day 13 - At Leisure in Madrid. (Fri.). A full day at leisure. Your Tour Director will have suggestions for exciting optional excursions. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner to celebrate the success of your European vacation. (B,D) Day 14 - (Sat.) Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (B) |
