ESSENTIAL EUROPE - 2010

12 days incl. travel, or 11 days from Rome to London (HF)

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Vacation Overview

This is one of our most popular Europe vacations. See the best of Rome, Florence, Venice, Lucerne, Paris, and London, featuring all the “must-see” landmarks with a Local Guide, like Rome’s Colosseum and Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo’s David and Signoria Square in Florence, Doges’ Palace and the Bridge of Sighs in Venice, Lucerne’s Lion Monument and Chapel Bridge, Notre Dame Cathedral and the second floor of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and London’s Buckingham Palace and St. Paul’s Cathedral. Other memorable highlights include Tuscany, Chianti and Burgundy wine country, the Apennines, subtropical Lugano, the stunning Swiss Alps, and an exciting trans-channel journey from Paris to London on the famous Eurostar train.

Special Departure:
Dec 18th Departure - Christmas Eve in Lucerne

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Add a River Cruise to Your Vacation (WCA)

Things to see on your vacation: View Vacation Photo Slideshow

A Vacation Story La Piazza Della Signoria

"What’s the best vantage point to ponder the most illustrious town square in Florence, the Signoria? An outdoor table in the venerable Caffè Rivoire – preferably over a delicious, if not painfully expensive cioccolata con pane, a dark and mud-thick hot chocolate. Late at night, when the crowds have gone, you can search the long shadows and imagine that very little has changed here since the 1400s. The Signoria is the most elegant sculpture garden in Europe. Masterpieces include the splendid Neptune Fountain by Ammannati, Hercules and Cacus by Bandinelli and a precise copy of Michelangelo’s David, all strategically poised in front of the Palazzo Vecchio. This grand public space has been the centerpiece of Florence since the 15th Century, the golden age when the city was established as the most beautiful in Europe. Eminent merchants in their ostentatious finery met here to discuss business in the midst of Florence’s raucous daily life."