CONTINENTAL INTRODUCTION - 2010

15 days incl. travel, or 14 days from Paris to Amsterdam (HY)

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Vacation Overview

This trip gives you a satisfying taste of the heart of Europe. Enjoy 2-night stays in Paris, Rome, Venice, and Amsterdam, and single-night stays in Lucerne, Lugano, Florence, Munich, and Germany’s Rhineland. Guided sightseeing introduces you to all the major sights, like Notre Dame Cathedral and a bird’s-eye view of Paris from the Eiffel Tower; the Lion Monument in Lucerne; the Baptistry’s “Gate of Paradise,” Signoria Square, and Michelangelo’s David in Florence; Rome’s Colosseum and Sistine Chapel; St. Mark’s Square, Doges’ Palace, and the Bridge of Sighs in Venice; the Olympic Stadium and Nymphenburg Palace in Munich; and a canal cruise in Amsterdam. Other highlights include Pisa’s Leaning Tower, a private boat transfer and glassblowing demonstration in Venice, Ferrara, Innsbruck, medieval Rothenburg, Cologne, and a cruise down the romantic Rhine—the best way to see Europe in two weeks!

Special Departure:
Dec 17th Departure - Christmas Eve in Rome

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Extend Your Vacation in London by Eurostar Train (HYT)

Things to see on your vacation: View Vacation Photo Slideshow

A Vacation Story Lion Monument

“The Lion of Lucerne” (Lowendenkmal) is a compelling statue in the north section of Old Town dedicated to the 42 members of the Swiss Guard who were assigned to protect Louis the XVI, Maria Antoinette and their family at the Royal Palace. When the Tuileries was stormed on August 10, 1792 by rioting Parisians at the start of the French Revolution, the king ordered the soldiers to lay down their arms. They were subsequently slaughtered by the crowd and the royal family was captured. Louis had made a big mistake. In 1821 Danish sculpture Berthel Thorwaldsen finished the sculpture, a 30-foot likeness of a wounded and dying lion with a broken lance in its heart and his paw resting atop the fleur-de-lys shield of the Bourbon king. The Latin inscription translated “To the bravery and fidelity of the Swiss.”