From the Colosseum to the Eiffel Tower Family Vacation with London (HFFT) - 2013

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12 days from Rome to London

From the Colosseum to the Eiffel Tower Family Vacation with London

Vacation Overview

Discover Europe with your family! Start in Rome with a welcome dinner, and enjoy sightseeing featuring the Colosseum, St. Peter’s Square, and the Pantheon; in Circo Massimo you get a family picture with a gladiator (if available). Next, travel via Pisa to take pictures of the Leaning Tower, and to the spa resort of Montecatini, where a special highlight dinner at a local agriturismo awaits you. In Florence, visit the Palazzo Vecchio and admire sculpture-studded Signoria Square. Travel to Venice, enter in style by private boat, and have a pizza dinner at a local restaurant. The following day, enjoy a unique experience: create your own Venetian carnival mask! Also enjoy a glassblower demonstration and a private family gondola ride. On to charming Stresa at Lake Maggiore for your overnight stay, then cross the Simplon Pass, ride a cogwheel mountain train, and arrive in car-free Zermatt at the base of the Matterhorn. Before continuing to Lake Geneva, you may wish to join an optional ride up the open-air railway on Gornergrat Mountain. From Lausanne, ride the famous high-speed TGV train to Paris, where visits to Notre Dame Cathedral and to the top of the Eiffel Tower are included. You can also try out a freshly made crêpe. Finally, travel to London on the high-speed Eurostar train, and enjoy sightseeing and a ride on the London Eye, the world’s tallest observation wheel.

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Receive a $200 per couple air credit on all 2013 Globus air-inclusive Europe vacations.*

*Book a 2013 Globus air-inclusive Europe (excluding Jordan) vacation to receive the $100 per person air credit. Must be booked, under deposit and discount applied between January 9 and June 25, 2013 for travel between January 9 and December 31, 2013. Not applicable on instant purchase air. Applies to coach class only. Air must be purchased through Globus in conjunction with a Europe tour. Air credit will apply to the per person air price and is non-transferable. Offers not valid with any other offer except Journeys Club Repeat Traveler benefit. Applies to new 2013 bookings only, and offer will not be applied to pre-existing bookings. An additional $300 non-refundable deposit is required for air booked in conjunction with a land vacation. Once airfare is confirmed and Globus has received your full air and land deposit, your air-inclusive price is guaranteed. Globus reserves the right to ticket passengers upon receipt of full land and air deposit; Any subsequent changes and/or revisions to airline reservations at your request after receipt of full land deposit are subject to revision fees and/or airline-imposed change or cancellation fees. These fees are a minimum of $300, and in some instances may be up to 100% of the ticket price. In addition, promotional discounts do not carry forward on changed air bookings. However, promotions in effect at the time of the change will apply. Total air price includes all government-imposed taxes and fees applicable at the time of booking. Air price, air tax and security fees are non-commissionable. Additional airline fees for baggage may apply. For the most current airline-imposed baggage fees, please check the following website, www.iflybags.com. Offer reliant on space availability. Full cancellation penalties will apply. Additional restrictions may apply.

Similar Vacations that may interest you:

From the Colosseum to the Eiffel Tower Family Vacation (HFF)

ROME
Welcome party & dinner; the Colosseum; family picture with a gladiator in Circo Massimo (if available); St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City; walking tour with the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and Navona Square; the Time Elevator Experience

PISA
Take pictures of the Leaning Tower

MONTECATINI
Tuscan dinner at a local agriturismo

FLORENCE
Guided walking tour with Palazzo Vecchio and Signoria Square

VENICE
Private boat ride; pizza dinner; Venetian carnival mask decorating; vaporetto ride; glassblower demonstration; private gondola ride with your family

TÄSCH-ZERMATT-TÄSCH
Cogwheel mountain train

LAUSANNE–PARIS
By high-speed TGV train (first-class)

PARIS
Ascend the Eiffel Tower to the top floor; guided sightseeing, visit Notre Dame Cathedral; taste a crêpe; send-off celebration dinner at a local restaurant

LONDON
Guided sightseeing on a double decker bus; Ride the London Eye

Headsets throughout the tour on the Continent

NOTE:

In Rome, on rare occasions, the inside visit of the Pantheon may not be possible due to closure for special religious ceremonies and bank holidays.

DAY 1Arrive in Rome, Italy

Benvenuti a Roma! Welcome! Enjoy free time today to rest or to start exploring the “Eternal City.” At 5 pm, meet your Tour Director and fellow traveling companions for a festive WELCOME PARTY & DINNER. (Dinner)

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DAY 2Travel Back in Time to Ancient Rome

Your day begins with a visit to the imposing COLOSSEUM, followed by a FAMILY PICTURE WITH A GLADIATOR in CIRCO MASSIMO (if available). Then time to admire monumental ST. PETER’S SQUARE in the Pope’s Vatican City, the smallest country in the world. This afternoon, a guided walking tour shows off the Spanish Steps, famous Trevi Fountain, the PANTHEON, and Navona Square. Take a trip through the history of the Eternal City at the TIME ELEVATOR. (Breakfast)

The interior of the Pantheon painted by Giovanni Paolo Panini

The Baroque inspired Spanish Steps connect the Trinita dei Monti church to the square below

Trevi Fountain

"Rome is one of the most filmed cities on earth, with its signature set location being the Fontana di Trevi, or Trevi Fountain, a romantic, 85-foot-high baroque masterpiece depicting the god of the sea, Neptune, and his Tritons. Not surprisingly, the best time to visit Fontana di Trevi is late at night, when the crowds have gone, the din of Rome’s traffic has died and floodlights dance magically on the water. In fact, the whole centro storico takes on a calm, timeless aspect after dark, and it is well worth stretching your legs after dinner on your own Fellini-esque promenade."

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DAY 3Straighten the Leaning Tower of Pisa & Relax in Montecatini

Say arrivederci to Rome and make your way into Tuscany. Stop in Pisa and see if you can straighten its amazing Leaning Tower. This afternoon, relax by your hotel pool in the spa town of Montecatini, or maybe go exploring. A special HIGHLIGHT DINNER at a local agriturismo lets you taste the region’s famous specialties. (Breakfast, Dinner)

See the vineyard covered hillsides of Tuscany

Tuscany is known for its landscapes and its artistic legacy

Pisa

"It was the most perfect experiment in the history of science. Holding both a cannon ball and a small musket ball, the 30-something Pisa native Galileo Galilei scaled the steps of his city’s famous Leaning Tower, and held them dramatically over the edge. Eight stories below, the town’s most learned scholars and priests were gathered as observers. They watched as the two balls dropped to the ground at the same speed – disproving, with a single stroke, the ancient idea that objects fall at different rates depending on their weight and size. This archaic concept, which had been espoused by the ancient Greek author Aristotle, had been accepted without question for more than 2,000 years, Galileo’s great innovation was to put it to a practical test of observation. Unfortunately, this famous story is probably not true. Galileo never wrote about it himself – it was recounted in a late biography penned by his secretary, Vincenzo Viviani. Most historians now believe that it was Galileo’s imaginative disciples who invented the Leaning Tower tale in order to make the theory so clear that even a child could understand it. "

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DAY 4Renaissance Florence & Real Italian Pizza

This morning, explore Florence, the “Cradle of the Renaissance,” on a guided walking tour. Visit the fortress palace of PALAZZO VECCHIO, and see SIGNORIA SQUARE with its many famous statues, like the Fountain of Neptune, and a reproduction of Michelangelo’s David. On to magical Venice, where you’ll enter the city in style—by PRIVATE BOAT! Admire St. Mark’s Square, Doges’ Palace and the Bridge of Sighs. This evening, dig in to an authentic Italian PIZZA dinner at a local restaurant. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Visit stunning Florence and the Ponte Vecchio

Venice is considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world

Bridge of Sighs

"The world’s most poetically-named bridge, Il Ponte dei Sospiri, the Bridge of Sighs, was built in 1614 so that prisoners of the Venetian state could be transferred in secret from the Doge’s Palace to the so-called Nuovi Prigioni, or New Prisons. The wistful name was actually conceived by the English poet Lord Byron in the early 1800s that imagined the horror of prisoners taking their last glimpse of Venice before going underground to captivity. "

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."

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DAY 5Decorate Your Own Carnival Mask & Take a Private Gondola Ride

Walk through the narrow streets of Venice to an original mask workshop, and decorate your very own VENETIAN CARNIVAL MASK. When you’re finished, you can use your included vaporetto ticket to return to the hotel or to find a cozy trattoria for lunch. An amazing GLASSBLOWER DEMONSTRATION and a RIDE ON A PRIVATE GONDOLA with your family rounds out your Venetian experience. (Breakfast)

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DAY 6Relax in Stresa on Lake Maggiore

Travel to the heart of the Italian Lake District, the beautiful resort town of Stresa on Lake Maggiore. Explore on your own this afternoon, or maybe relax at the hotel pool or join an optional excursion to the baroque palace and peacock gardens of enchanting Isola Bella. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Stunning view of the beautiful Lake Maggiore

Isola Bella

"Isola Bella. Beautiful Island. Rising out of the waters of Lake Maggiore in Northern Italy, a gardener’s paradise awaits. When Count Carlo Borromeo decided to give his wife, Isabella, a gift back in 1632, he was thinking big. The expansive island villa and garden he planned for her are considered the epitome of Baroque-style architecture and garden design. With terraces built straight to the water’s edge, the island appears as if it is a floating flowering ship. Many of the rooms are of notable historical interest, like the Music Room, where Mussolini hosted the Stresa Conference in 1935 that should have ensured peace in Europe, and Napoleon’s Room, where he often stayed in the company of Giuseppina Beauharnais."

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DAY 7Take a Cogwheel Train to Zermatt, at the Foot of the Matterhorn

High in the Alps, drive over Simplon Pass to the Swiss village of Täsch, where you’ll board the COGWHEEL MOUNTAIN TRAIN that takes you to Zermatt. You may choose to explore this car-free mountain town on your own, or you can join an optional excursion to Gornergrat mountain, at 10,269 feet above sea level for fantastic views including the world-renowned Matterhorn. In the late afternoon, continue on to your hotel on Lake Geneva. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Visit the iconic Matterhorn in the heart of the Swiss Alps

View Switzerlands most famous landmark, the majestic Matterhorn

Lake Geneva

Stretching along Switzerland’s southern border with France, Lake Geneva (also called Lac Leman by the Swiss) is the largest lake in Europe. It’s pristine shores support a strong fresh water fishing industry. Some would argue that it offers the most beautiful views of any waterway. They are jaw-droppingly amazing; especially the snow capped Jura Alps across the lake from Montreux and Vevey. The temperatures are moderate along the lake in winter; most of the weather takes place in the mountains. In summer numerous music festivals and artistic events are held in towns along the lake, especially Lausanne, the third most popular city for travelers in Switzerland, next to Zurich and Geneva. It is a sophisticated artist’s haven and the city where T.S. Eliot lived when he wrote “The Wasteland.”

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DAY 8Ride the TGV Train & See Paris from Atop the Eiffel Tower

In Lausanne, board the high-speed TGV TRAIN (first-class) and zoom north across France to Paris, the “City of Light.” Upon arrival, take the elevator to the TOP OF THE EIFFEL TOWER, the tallest structure in Paris, for an unforgettable experience overlooking the city. (Breakfast)

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DAY 9Explore Paris

Meet your Local Guide and explore this haute couture city to see what makes Paris so captivating. Admire the most famous sights along the way: the Opéra, Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Elysées, and visit NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL, setting for The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. Try counting the many gargoyles, or marvel at its beautiful stained-glass Rose Window. Later, sample one of France’s specialties—a freshly made CRÊPE. The afternoon is free to maybe join an optional excursion to the Louvre Museum, home to the legendary Mona Lisa. This evening, enjoy a SEND-OFF CELEBRATION DINNER at a local restaurant. (Breakfast, Dinner)

The Arc de Triomphe standing in the center of the Place Charles de Gaulle

Notre Dame Cathedral

Europe’s most famous cathedral, whose twin Gothic towers loom above France’s most beloved river, the Seine, actually owes a lot of its international success to the author Victor Hugo. Back in 1831, when Hugo wrote his classic novel about a hunchbacked bell-ringer at Notre Dame who falls in love with a beautiful gypsy, the medieval cathedral had fallen on hard times. During the Revolution in 1789, it had been seized, looted of its treasures and converted into an atheistic “Temple of Reason.” Even worse, after the monarchy was restored in 1815, Notre Dame was used as riverside warehouse – its once-splendid glass windows now dimmed and its facades decaying pathetically above the Île de la Cité. But Parisian’s indifference to their landmark ended suddenly in 1831, when Victor Hugo published his romantic novel the “Hunchback of Notre Dame,” (called “Notre-Dame de Paris” in French). The book was an international bestseller and lured armies of tourists to Paris in search of its Gothic cathedral setting. Hugo used this groundswell of public interest to lobby the French government for renovations of his beloved Notre Dame. From 1845 to 1864, repairs were indeed carried out – the clogged medieval streets nearby were cleared, revealing the marvelous edifice we see today.

Louvre

Today, a thick pane of bullet-proof security glass keeps artlovers a safe distance from the most famous painting in the world, Leonardo da Vinci’s “Portrait of Lisa Gherardini, Wife of Francesco Giacondo,” known in French as “La Joconde” and English as the “Mona Lisa.” But back in 1911, it was simply hung on the walls of the Musée du Louvre like any other canvas. That was until a former museum employee named Vincenzo Perrugia strolled into the gallery before opening hours on August 21, noticed the room was empty, took down the Mona Lisa and walked out of the Louvre with it under a painting smock. When the loss was finally noticed, the police were mystified. For two years, the whereabouts of the masterpiece was unknown, while French detectives made various wild guesses. (It had been stolen by the Germans. By anarchists. By evil geniuses. By lunatics.) They actually arrested the country’s top art critic, Guillame Apollinaire, then let him free. Then, out of the blue in 1913, an Italian art dealer in Florence was contacted by a man calling himself “Leonardo” who claimed to have the Mona Lisa and wanted to see it hang in the Uffizi, Italy’s top art museum. Although he found it hard to believe that the thief could be so reckless, the dealer tipped off the police and agreed to meet the strange Leonardo in a Milan hotel room. There, the nondescript fellow opened his suitcase, emptied out his socks and underwear, opened up a false bottom in the case to reveal the Mona Lisa – and was immediately arrested.

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DAY 10Travel the "Chunnel" to London

All aboard the high-speed EUROSTAR TRAIN! You’ll zoom up to 150 miles per hour, traveling through the undersea Channel Tunnel (Chunnel) and arriving in London in the afternoon. The evening is free—why not take in one of London’s West End theater shows? (Breakfast)

The London Eye, also known as the Millennium Wheel

Marvel at the architecture on Londons infamous Big Ben

Ride the iconic double decker bus in London

London’s Tower Bridge over the River Thames

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DAY 11See Big Ben & Ride on the London Eye

Hop aboard a traditional London double-decker bus for a memorable morning of sightseeing that includes all the famous landmarks: Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, the Prime Minister’s home and office at Number 10 Downing Street, Piccadilly Circus, and Buckingham Palace. Then, a ride on the LONDON EYE, Europe’s tallest Ferris wheel! (Breakfast)

Westminster Abbey – the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English monarchs

Houses of Parliament

"Big Ben may be the most famous feature of the Houses of Parliament, but equally impressive is the hammerbeam ceiling of Westminster Hall. The Hall dates back to 1097 and, at that time, the roof was supported by pillars. During the reign of King Richard II (14th century), however, it was replaced by the hammerbeam roof seen today. This roof – its beauty and sustainability – is even more impressive when you know its history. It was built with beams made from trees that were ancient at the time, reputedly acorns, dating back to the 6th century (or earlier). If only these walls (beams, rather) could talk!"

Buckingham Palace

"Amid the splendor of modern cities it’s hard to imagine what places looked like before they became what we know today. In a previous incarnation, the ground where Buckingham Palace now stands was a mulberry garden cultivated by King James I as food for silkworms. The silk industry he hoped to nurture never materialized, and eventually a roadhouse was built there, followed in due course by the Blake House, Goring House and Arlington House.Originally known as the Buckingham House, built as a townhouse by the Duke of Buckingham in 1709, the estate was acquired by King George III in 1762."

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DAY 12London

Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. (Breakfast)

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Transportation

Motorcoach with free Wi-Fi; private boat, vaporetto and gondola rides in Venice; cogwheel train; high-speed TGV train; high-speed Eurostar train; double-decker bus

ROME Starhotels Michelangelo (SF) or UNA Hotel (F)
TUSCANY Settentrionale Esplanade (F) at Montecatini or Grand Hotel Tettuccio (F) at Montecatini
VENICE All’Angelo (F)
LAKE MAGGIORE Grand Hotel Bristol (F) at Stresa
LAKE GENEVA Alpha-Palmiers (F) at Lausanne
PARIS Novotel Paris Tour Eiffel (SF) or Concorde Montparnasse (F)
LONDON Park Plaza Westminster Bridge (SF)

Full buffet breakfast; 6 three-course dinners, including a welcome party & dinner in Rome, a special highlight dinner at a Tuscan agriturismo, a pizza dinner in Venice, and a send-off celebration dinner at a local restaurant in Paris

Four Ways Globus Eliminates the Hassles

VIP Access
Skip the lines and get special treatment at the must-see attractions.

Perfect Hotels
We’ve done the work to find just the right hotels in just the right locations.

Tour Directors
Take your heads out of the guidebook and let expert guides make every destination fascinating.

Transportation
Leave the navigating to us – and just sit back and enjoy the ride.

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Receive a $200 per couple air credit on all 2013 Globus air-inclusive Europe vacations.*

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

The following UNESCO World Heritage Sites can be seen or visited on the From the Colosseum to the Eiffel Tower Family Vacation with London:

Historic Centre of Florence
Historic Centre of Rome
Venice and its Lagoon

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