Welcome
Orientation * English Channel Crossing * French
Bistro Dinner * Paris by Night * Seine River Boat
Cruise * Brussels Grand' Place *Dutch Dinner * Amsterdam
Canal Boat Ride * Edam Cheese Farm * Bicycling in
Windmill Country * Cologne Gothic Cathedral * Rhine
River Cruise * Traditional German Dinner * Heidelberg
Castle * Hansel & Gretel's Black Forest * Roaring
Rhine Falls * Liechtenstein * Munich Glockenspiel
* Salzburg Mozart Sights * AESU's ALPINE CENTER
* Venice Grand Canal Boatride * Murano Glass-blowing
Workshop * Florentine Leather Workshop * Lavish
Roman Banquet * Rome's Trevi Fountain & Ancient
Illuminated Ruins * Vatican City...AND MUCH MORE!
Day 1
Travel to London
You're
on your way to new sights and sounds. Relax during the overnight
flight to Ole London Town.
Meals:
In-flight
Day 2
London
You
have the afternoon to explore a bit before the AESU welcome
orientation. Then join some of your travel companions during
your free evening by going on a pub-crawl or hobnobbing at
a posh nightclub.
Meals:
In-flight, Dinner
Day 3
London
This
morning we see some of London's famous sights - Big Ben, Tower
Bridge, Piccadilly Circus, St. Paul's Cathedral, Buckingham
Palace to name a few. During your free afternoon, stroll through
Hyde Park, ride double-decker busses or shop at Harrods in the
fashionable area of Knightsbridge. Nighttime suggestions: take
in a West End play, National Theater production or Shakespeare
at the Globe Theater.
Meals:
Breakfast
Day 4
London * Eurostar to Paris
Travel
through southern England and Kent today. After boarding our
ship near the white cliffs of Dover, we cross the English Channel
en route to Paris, "City of Romance." Drive along
the grand boulevards past the illuminated monuments and fountains.
We'll dine together at our French Bistro Dinner including superb
wine. Afterward, take a moonlight cruise down the Seine on a
glass-topped "Bateau Mouche."
Meals:
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5
Paris
Our
morning sightseeing takes us along wide tree-lined avenues and
past elegant architecture -Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, The
Opera, and more. Our local art historian shows us
Quasimodo’s Notre Dame Cathedral and Place de la Concorde
where the guillotine once stood. Your afternoon is free.
Meals:
Breakfast
Day 6
Paris
Consider
exploring the Left Bank bookstalls, have your portrait done
by Place du Tertre artists or sample the delectable pastries
for which this country is famous. Your free evening may find
you
watching the world go by from a sidewalk cafe on the Champs
Elysées or join in the excitement at a can-can cabaret.
Meals:
Breakfast
Day 7
Paris * Brussels * Amsterdam - Dutch Countryside
We
leave Paris, driving northward through Champagne country to
Brussels, Belgium. See the Grand' Place, a perfect medieval
square with gilded Renaissance houses and the statue of Mennekin-Pis,
then on to Amsterdam. Dine tonight at our fun Indonesian Rice
Table, a specialty in Holland, as Indonesia was once a Dutch
colony. A relaxing boat ride through the maze of tree-lined
canals and under arched stone bridges in the "city below
sea level" rounds off the day.
Meals:
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8
Amsterdam - Dutch Countryside
Today
join in the locals' favorite pastime as we ride bicycles along
the famous dikes, through the windmill-dotted countryside and
13th –century Dutch fishing villages. See wooden shoes
being carved and Edam cheese being made. Back in Amsterdam there
will be free time to tour the Van Gogh or Rijksmuseum, the Anne
Frank house or shop for famous Delftware china
Meals:
Breakfast
Day 9
Cologne - Rhine River Cruise * Heidelberg
Cross
the German border into Cologne, famous for the world’s
largest Gothic cathedral that took over 600 years to complete.
Then we board our boat and cruise past the notorious Lorelei
Rock, terraced vineyards and castles nestled in the hills overlooking
the Rhine. Once ashore a short ride brings us to Germany's oldest
university town. Climb to the Palatine Elector's Castle for
a stupendous view over Heidelberg before we dine on traditional
German fare.
Meals:
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 10
Black Forest - Rhine Falls * Swiss Alps
Journey
southward to the mysterious Black Forest, thick with evergreens
and dotted with gingerbread houses. Stop deep in the forest,
with free time to snack on delicious Black Forest Cake and watch
cuckoo clocks being made. After the Swiss border, we come to
the largest waterfall in Europe, the Rhine Falls, before traveling
on, past Zurich, into William Tell Country.
Meals:
Breakfast
Day 11
Lucerne Area
This
is the perfect day to explore charming Lucerne. Shop for Swiss
watches and chocolates, explore the old town and scenic wooden
bridge dating from 1333, or take a boat ride on Lake Lucerne.
In the afternoon you might consider an excursion up on one of
the highest mountains in central Switzerland. Drink in the pure
crisp air and stunning jagged mountain spires with swirling
snow. Tonight join our optional Swiss Folklore Party
and dinner.
Meals:
Breakfast
Day 12
Lucerne * Liechtenstein - Munich
Travel
through more breathtaking Alpine scenery on our way to Liechtenstein,
one of the smallest and wealthiest countries in the world. Later,
arrive in the fun-filled Oktoberfest city of Munich where we'll
see the Glockenspiel chimes. Free evening to check out the oom-pah-pah
bands at the rowdy Hofbrauhaus.
Meals:
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 13
Munich * Salzburg - Austrian Alpine Center
Travel
to Salzburg, Austria, home of the summer music festival, as
well as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's birthplace. Explore the narrow
streets lined with colorful wrought iron signs and shops before
we continue to Europe's largest alpine sports region. Be our
guest for two nights of fitness and fun while nestled in the
snow-capped Austrian mountains at our Alpine Center.
All day is at your leisure; go for a hike in the Alps then unwind
in the sauna, take a ride on horseback through alpine meadows,
or join the fun and excitement of whitewater rafting. The
options are endless in nature’s paradise.
Meals:
Breakfast
Day 15
Austrian Lake District * Venice
Lakes
give way to the Adriatic Sea en route to romantic Venice, floating
on a lagoon with its houses perched on pilings. On our walking
tour we cross ornate bridges and follow narrow, winding alleys
past 12th and 18th-century marble palaces. At St. Mark's Square
photo-ops abound with the world's friendliest pigeons and with
local artisans at a Murano glass-blowing workshop. Leisure time
may find you on a romantic gondola gliding through the intricate
maze of canals.
Meals:
Breakfast
Day 16
Venice * Florence
Travel
southward through the Po Valley to Florence, "Art Capital
of the World" and birthplace of Michelangelo. Our local
art historian will show us the Gates of Paradise and the marble
Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral. We’ll also visit a Florentine
leather workshop. Then free time to shop for leather and gold
jewelry or explore the Uffizi Galleries to see the collections
of Giotto, Botticelli, Raphael and da Vinci. Tonight dine at
a lovely Florentine trattoria.
Meals:
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 17
Florence * Rome
Depart
for the Eternal City of Rome, passing the Apennine Mountains
and the Chianti vineyards of Tuscany. Free time for roaming
in Rome-stop to throw 3 coins in the Trevi Fountain to ensure
your return or sample sinfully delicious "gelati"
ice cream at popular
Piazza Navona.
Meals:
Breakfast
Day 18
Rome * Vatican City
See
the Colosseum where gladiators fought to the death and the Forum
Romanum where Caesar was assassinated in 44 B.C. Then to Vatican
City, the world's smallest state, to visit St. Peter's Basilica
housing Michelangelo's magnificent "Pieta." Travel
the Via Appia tonight to indulge in our Roman Banquet complete
with Italian specialties and wine. Our return ride takes us
past the city’s illuminated ancient ruins.
Meals:
Breakfast, Dinner,
Day 19
Travel Home
Our
Euro Focus ends with breakfast this morning. Board your flight
bound for home with great memories and plans to return another
time.
