European Masterpiece with London Ext 2010

This truly comprehensive and exciting vacation takes in the best of Western and Central Europe. Start your trip in London with time to explore this city and take an optional sightseeing tour of London’s landmarks. Cross the Channel by ferry to join your motorcoach heading for Paris, where you enjoy two nights and a sightseeing tour including Paris’ famous sights. On the way to Spain, enjoy Bordeaux, famous for its vineyards. In Barcelona, Spain, enjoy a sightseeing tour before heading back to France and the French Riviera, rightly known as one of Europe’s most scenic regions. In Italy, stop in Pisa to admire its Leaning Tower, and enjoy a walking tour of Florence’s highlights. Your sightseeing tour in Rome includes St. Peter’s Square, the Roman Forum and the mighty Colosseum. On your way to Sorrento for two nights, stop at Pompeii, where time stopped in 79 AD with the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. Take an overnight ferry to Greece and arrive in Patras before heading to Olympia. In Athens, Greece’s ancient capital, your sightseeing tour includes a visit to the fascinating Acropolis. Return to Italy by ferry and stop in San Marino, the oldest state in the world. A boat ride and orientation tour, including St. Mark’s Basilica and Square, awaits you in Venice. Leave Italy and arrive in Vienna, Austria’s capital. A sightseeing tour of Vienna includes the Opera, Parliament, and the Town Hall. In Innsbruck, host of the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics, your orientation tour includes Innsbruck’s most famous attraction, the Golden Roof—the 3-story balcony on the central square capped with 2,738 gold plated copper tiles and constructed for Emperor Maximilian I. From Innsbruck, cross into Switzerland and stop in the tiny Principality of Liechtenstein. Arrive in medieval lakeside Lucerne, one of Switzerland’s finest cities, for two overnights. In Lucerne, nestled amid Switzerland’s snow-capped Alps, see the impressive city walls, Europe’s oldest wooden bridge, ornate patrician houses, and the Lion Monument—a masterful stone sculpture in honor of heroic Swiss Guard of Louis XVI. Optional activities in Lucerne include a funicular and cable car ride to the summit of Mount Titlis, a cruise on the fjord-like lake, and of course, time to shop for a Swiss watch.You see more of Switzerland and its quaint little villages, farms, and chalets before crossing into Germany and enjoying the Rhine cruise past the legendary Lorelei rock, hilltop castles, terraced vineyards, and half-timbered villages. This European vacation continues in remarkable Amsterdam with its intriguing canals. The sightseeing tour in Amsterdam includes an orientation drive and canal cruise to see the town from water level. Finally, return to London via the Channel ferry. On this European Masterpiece vacation, you have a wonderful mix of beautiful scenery, historic cities, free time on your own, and included sightseeing tours of some of Europe’s most exciting and popular cities. This is a once-in-a-lifetime European vacation!