HF - 12 days incl. air, or 11 days Rome/London

  Admire the Sistine Chapel in Rome, Michelangelo's David in Florence, and cruise
  Venice's canals, see the towering Swiss Alps, and take the Eurostar train to London

Day 1  Board your overnight transatlantic flight.

Day 2  Arrival in Rome, Italy. Time to rest or start exploring the Eternal City. At 6 p.m. meet your tour director and traveling companions and leave the hotel for a special welcome dinner with wine in one of Rome's fine restaurants. (D)

Day 3  Rome. Sightseeing with your local guide starts with a visit to the VATICAN MUSEUMS and SISTINE CHAPEL (arranged next morning if closed today), world famous for Michelangelo's ceiling paintings and The Last Judgement. Continue to monumental ST. PETER'S SQUARE and BASILICA. Proceed across the Tiber for a stroll along the Via Sacra in the ROMAN FORUM, where Roman Legions marched in triumph, and finally visit the COLOSSEUM and hear about gladiatorial combats. Then time for independent activities and exciting optional excursion possibilities. (BB)

Day 4  Rome-Florence. An easy morning drive north to Florence, cradle of the Renaissance. See the magnificent CATHEDRAL, Giotto's Bell Tower, the Baptistry's heavy bronze "Gate of Paradise," and sculpture-studded Signoria Square. To top it off, admire Michelangelo's celebrated David in the ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS. Later take a moment to check out the enticing shops with Florentine leather goods and gold jewelry. (BB,D)

Day 5  Florence-Venice. Drive across the wooded Apennine mountain range and through the lush plains of the mighty River Po to Venice. Enter the city in style as you glide by private boat along the Giudecca canal to meet your resident expert. Highlights of your walking tour are ST. MARK'S SQUARE and the BYZANTINE BASILICA with its 1,000-year-old gem-studded gold altar piece, the Clock Tower, lavish Doges' Palace, and the Bridge of Sighs. Also watch skilled GLASS BLOWERS fashion their delicate objects. Afterwards wander at whim or join an optional gondola serenade. (BB,D)

Day 6  Venice-Lucerne, Switzerland. Through the lush Lombardian plains, past the commercial center of Milan, into Italian-speaking southern Switzerland. Free time in flower-festooned Lugano for lunch and to browse through the shops in Via Nassa. Admire the towering majesty of the Swiss Alps on the way over 6,935 foot-high St. Gotthard Pass and through William Tell country to the captivating charm of Lucerne. (BB,D)

Day 7  Lucerne. Medieval heritage every step of the way as you discover this delightful city on a walking tour with your tour director. Admire Thorwaldsen's LION MONUMENT, the ornate patrician houses of the walled Old Town, and cross the famous covered WOODEN BRIDGE to the Jesuit church. Afterwards shop for Swiss watches and choose from our optional activities: climb a mountain by cable car; take a cruise on the fjord-like lake; sign up for a folklore party with yodeling and alphorn blowing for a first-hand impression of Alpine merrymaking. (BB)

Day 8  Lucerne-Paris, France. Today cross the border into France at Basle. Then a fast ride on the modern highway skirting the vineyards of Burgundy and Fontainebleau Forest. Tonight you are in Paris, the traditional climax of every European tour. (BB)

Day 9  Paris. Discover the world capital of chic and style with a local expert and admire its most famous sights: the Opéra, Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Elysées, Notre Dame Cathedral, and more...For a bird's eye view take the elevator to the second floor of Paris's most famous landmark, the EIFFEL TOWER. An optional excursion to the lavish Baroque Palace of Versailles is available. Tonight, a lively cabaret show might just be the ticket. (BB)

Day 10  Paris-London, England. Board the ultra-modern Eurostar train for a smooth ride to London arriving in the late afternoon. Why not take in a West End show tonight? (BB)

Day 11  London. Morning sightseeing with a professional London guide includes all the famous landmarks: Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Palace and the area's splendid museums, Knightsbridge with Harrods, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben beside the River Thames, and Westminster Abbey. Highlights are a visit to ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL and the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, if held. Afternoon at leisure or for an optional excursion to the Tower of London with its fabulous Crown Jewels. How about celebrating the success of your tour by joining an optional evening cruise on the River Thames? (FB)

Day 12  Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (FB)