Day 3 - Tues - Paris Discovery Day - Again, the entire day is dedicated to you doing exactly what you want to in this amazing city.  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 if you have not already.  You could also choose to go outside the city to such things as the Gardens at Giverney or even the beaches of Normandy. Your European Discovery guide will be available in the morning to help you plan out your itinerary for the day.  In the evening we will have an optional get together for those who want to share their Parisian discoveries of the day. 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 so bring your picnic lunch on the train. Even though it is a long ride it is very relaxing with wonderful views and you can move about the train. We will arrive early enough(about 2:30pm)  to explore this “yodeling” beautiful village.  In the evening we will head out for an amazing Swiss Fondue Feast (B, 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. We will break up thedrive with several rest stops and a stop for a high valley lunch with a view.  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,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 see 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 (again with lots of rest/photo stops and lunch), dropping down into Italy and Venice where we will leave the mini-bus.  We will take a water bus/ferry to our hotel on the island of Lido with plenty of time to relax. In the evening we will go to a wonderful local restaurant in the heart of Venice next to Piazza San Marco with Venetian specialties and the freshest seafood( B,D) 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, Viennese glass, or other artworks such as local Carnival Masks.  A quick boat tour out to the ancient glass blowing artwork/factories of Murano is also a wonderful way to enjoy the afternoon. Dinner is on your own tonight so you can eat wherever you end up exploring. (B) Sleep Venice

Day 10 - Tues - Art and Culture of Florence - We will depart for Florence by train(or minibus) 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 Accademia with Michelangelo’s David, the Duomo Cathedral, Tower, and Battistero with its famous bronze gates by Ghiberti, and finish in Signoria square.  After a well timed gelato break, we will skip the lines and head straight into the famous UFFIZI museum where you can wander and see this amazing 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 to the town of Siena, check into our hotel and relax.  Dinner is on your own. (B) Sleep Siena

Day 11 - Wed - Explore the Tuscan Countryside - We will hop on our private mini-bus wander through picturesque Tuscan countryside and villages.  We will visit the medieval village of San Gimignano 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. You will have time to have a nice lunch in this adorable town. After lunch, we will go to an ancient Chianti winery (that has been in the same family for almost 800 years) for a tour and wine tasting to get us hooked on the wonders of Italian wine.  We will return in the late afternoon to Siena for relaxing, shopping or seeing its sights which include the its famous Duomo and views at the top of the city. In the evening we will have dinner at a very traditional Sienese trattoria where the restaurant owner will cook us his personal Tuscan specialties; Yumm! (B, D) Sleep Siena

Day 12 - Thurs - Travel to Rome and visit the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel - We will take the 2 ½ -hr morning train to Rome and after time for a quick pizza lunch, meet our local guide at the entrance to the Vatican Museum. With our guide and our reserved time we can skip the line and get a treat with a personal guide to this incredible collection. 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 ceiling and 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 evening is free and dinner is on your own.  A great suggestion is to see all of Rome’s Piazza’s and fountains at night lit up. (B, D) Sleep Rome

Day 13 - Fri - Walking in Caesars' footsteps - We will 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. We will finish up on Capitoline Hill (home of a wonderful museum) which is the new home of the Equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, the only surviving bronze status of a pre-Christian Roman emperor.  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 by the historic Pantheon to say our “good-bye” to Rome, to each other and to Europe. (B) 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)