Day 0 - Depart US - Travel day needed to schedule your overnight departure flight.

Day 1 - Sun - (June 1 or Sept 14) - Arrive in Paris - A European Discovery guide will meet your flight into Paris if you would like and help you get to our classy hotel in the Marais District (across from Notre Dame).  We will get together around 4:00pm for group introductions and a 2-hr introductory walk through the Marais district- one of the most beautifully-preserved quarters of the city - with a local Parisian guide.  For dinner, we will continue our "French education" at a small family run bistro specializing in the local cuisine.  The owner of the restaurant will also explain a bit about French wines and regions while we taste to give us some knowledge about French wines and make them easier to understand.  (D) Sleep: Castex Hotel

Day 2 - Mon - Highlights of Paris -We will meet our local Paris guide for an exciting day of highlights of this historic and romantic city. We will start where Paris started, with the Île de la Cité, centered in the Seine with the cathedral of Notre Dame and the gothic marvel of Sainte-Chapelle. After lunch in a little sidewalk cafe (with people-watching included for free) we will take the metro and wander the peaceful gardens of the Tuileries Gardens and Palais Royal and see how they fit into the Royal history for France.  We will finish our tour at le grand Louvre. For eight centuries the Louvre was the palace of the kings and queens of France. Now it is the home of one of the richest collections of art and antiquities in the world. Our guide will talk about the history of the Louvre and introduce us to it showing the recently discovered Medieval foundations of the old castle.  Our guide will leave us here and you will be able to take your own pace through this amazing museum accompanied by an audio guide.  Dinner tonight is on your own with delightful suggestions in the tour handbook. (B,L) Sleep: Castex Hotel

Day 3 - Tues - Paris Discovery Day - Again, the entire day is dedicated to you doing exactly what you want to in this amazing city. With your Museum Pass and transportation tickets (included with the tour), you can skip the fee and the line in most of Paris' sites. You could start the morning by going to Musee d'Orsay, Arc de Triomphe, the views from Monmartre or a walk down the Champ Elysées.  During the day but especially at night, the Eiffel Tower and its 360° views is also a must see.  You could also choose outside the city such things as the Gardens at Giverney. Your European Discovery guide will lead through some of the city choices for those that wish to join.  In the evening we will have a wine and cheese gathering for those who want to share their Parisian discoveries. Dinner is own your own tonight. (B) Sleep: Castex Hotel

Day 4 - Wed - On to the beautiful Swiss Alps - We will board our fast TGV train first thing in the morning that will zip us from the center of Paris to the Swiss mountain town of Interlaken surrounded by the towering Alps of the Bernese Oberland. The journey is about 6 hours with our lunch on the train but very relaxing with wonderful views and we will arrive early enough(about 2:30pm)  to explore this “yodeling” beautiful village together.  In the evening we will head out for an amazing Swiss Fondue Feast (B, L, D) Sleep Interlaken

Day 5 - Thurs -Swiss Alps Experience Day - It is a free day in Interlaken with many choices for you to take in the scenery of the towering Alps.  Choose from village tours, Shilthorn and Piz Gloria with “top of the world” views of Junfrau from revolving restaurant,  up Jungfraujoch to the “highest rail station in the Europe”, Trimmelbach Waterfall, Lake Cruises and more.  Interlaken is gateway to the Swiss Alps also many hiking adventures. Bring your cameras! (B) Sleep Interlaken

Day 6 - Fri - On to the Bavarian Alps and Villages - We will pack up into our private mini-bus and make the beautiful drive filled with views of craggy peaks and clear lakes to the border area between Germany and Austria and our village destination where the German Alps rise right up from the valley floor. Along the way we will stop for a high valley picnic lunch(or Austrian restaurant if it rains).  We will arrive in our Bavarian village B&B around 3:00 with plenty of time for a relaxing walk or just your first local “Weissbier” with a view.  We will have dinner at our B&B which specializes in both venison and other local Bavarian specialties(B,L,D) Sleep near Reutte

Day 7 - Sat - Bavarian Castle Day - A leisurely day starting in the morning with a quick 30 minute drive across the hill, short walk up the driveway with a guided tour of the fairy tale castle of the mad King Ludwig - Neuschwanstein.  An amazingly beautiful castle nestled at the foot of the Alps.  It was built in the old style of knights of long ago but has many modern conveniences.  After Neuschwanstein we will tour the older castle of Ludwigs family, Hohenschwangau.  The afternoon is free for lunch, to take walk or hike up to the beautiful views from Marienbrücke, head off to find a speeding luge or drive through some of the cutest Bavarian villages for some shopping.(B) Sleep near Reutte

Day 8 - Sun - Over the Alps to Venice - We will hop back in the mini-bus for another scenic drive through the Austrian countryside and Alps with picnic lunch, dropping down into Italy and Venice where we will leave the mini-bus.  We will check into our hotel in the center of Venice and take a relaxing private guided cruise down the Grand Canal at sunset to introduce us to this enchanting city. ( B,L) Sleep Venice.

Day 9 - Mon - Venice Highlights and free afternoon - In the morning we will meet our Venice guide and take a highlight tour of this beautiful city starting with the architecture and art of Doges Palace and St. Marks Piazza and Basilica.  We will finish with some wandering the back streets of Venice and the historic Rialto Bridge area.  Lunch and the afternoon are free for you to explore. You can choose from the most wonderful shopping for Italian goods or Vienese glass or artworks such as local Carnival Masks.  A quick boat tour out to the ancient glass blowing artwork/factories of Murano is alsoa wonderful way to enjoy the afternoon. We will meet in the evening for our Viennese Italian dinner at a quiet little local restaurant. (B, D) Sleep Venice

Day 10 - Tues - Art and Culture of Florence - We will depart for Florence by train and arrive around noon, store our bags and grab a quick Italian café lunch.  We will join our Florence expert guide for a 2-hr historic walking tour of this city including the Duomo Cathedral and Tower, Accademia with Michelangelo’s David, Battistero and its famous bronze gates by Ghiberti, Signoria square and the Old Bridge area.  After a well timed gelato break, we will skip the lines and head straight into the famous UFFIZI museum where you will have a personal audio guide and wander the museum at your own pace.  The works of  Italian Renaissance artists such as Botticelli, Titian, Raphael and many more will keep you amazed.  After the museum we will head on to the heart of Tuscany and the town of Siena for a relaxing evening and a Tuscan dinner. (B, D) Sleep Siena

Day 11 - Wed - Explore the Tuscan Countryside - Our private mini-bus and driver will pick us up at our hotel and off we will wander to the more picturesque Tuscan countryside and villages.  We will visit the medieval villages of San Gimignano and Colle Val d'elsa where you can wander the ancient walls, shop for local goods or just gather in the views of the Tuscan hillsides.  Gelato in the center of San Gimignano is a must. In between we will stop at an ancient Chianti winery for a tour and wine tasting to get us hooked on the wonders of Italian wine.  We will return early afternoon to Siena for relaxing, shopping or seeing its sights which include the its famous Duomo and views at the top of the city. Lunch is on your own in the village and dinner in Siena. (B) Sleep Siena

Day 12 - Thurs - Walking in Caesars' footsteps - We will take the 3-hr morning train to Rome and after a quick pizza lunch, meet our local guide at the entrance to the Roman Colosseum for our 3 hour walking tour of ancient Rome and its people. We will begin by skipping the lines and touring this ancient structure inside and out, imagining exactly how it looked when it was completed and used by Emperor Titus in 80AD.  After the Colosseum we will wander next door through the Forum – a set of buildings and temples which represented the center of Roman civilization for nearly 500 years. If we have time we will also visit the Capitoline Hill and museum which is the new home of the Equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, the only surviving bronze status of a pre-Christian Roman emperor.  Dinner is on your own. (B,L) Sleep Rome

Day 13 - Fri - The Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel morning plus free afternoon - We will head out to the Vatican and again, skip the long winding queue, and pick up our guide at the group desk inside the Vatican museum for our 2-hr walking tour.  With the fall of Rome, the church became the great preserver of art and civilization which you will see with exhibits on ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome in addition to works by Michelangelo and Raphael.  We will finish with the famous Sistine Chapel – the Last Judgment - by Michelangelo.  It took him four years on scaffolding to complete this masterpiece which is often judged to be the single greatest work of art by one human being.  You can see if you agree – prepare to be in awe! The afternoon if free for you to explore Rome - The Pantheon, National Museum, or even the ancient site of Ostia Antica outside of Rome are all good choices. We will get together in the evening for our “Roman feast” at one of the local Roman specialty restaurants situated on the peaceful Piazza Farnese to say our “good-bye” to Rome, to each other and to Europe. (B, D) Sleep Rome

Day 14 - Sat - The tour is over after breakfast.  You can head to the airport or if you have made other arrangements, stay on in Europe on your own.  Whew, what an awesome experience! (B)