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Tour Update-2006 is complete, 2007 looks
fabulous!
Whew! The 2006 tours are complete and it was a great season
with most tours being completely full! The weather was
wonderful (though a bit hot in July), each small group of
people were so fun and enjoyable with tours ending in hugs and
promises to keep in
touch. Coming soon will be photo
albums from each tour which will be available to browse on our
website! So stay tuned to see the wonderful places, people and
events of our tours at www.eurodiscov.com on the photos
page.
For 2007, the schedule is ready and the tours are starting
to fill now. Our popular tours from last year are back and we
have added a few new things. Here is the lineup:
 New! -Discover
Highlights of Europe, a 14 day tour of the best
mixture of two worlds- the magnificent and historic sites of
Paris, Venice and Rome, and the wild scenery of the quaint
villages and countryside of Switzerland, Germany and Tuscany.
You will see the famous sites (Notre Dame, Colosseum, etc),
incredible views (top of Swiss Alps), experience the culture
of Europe (private wine tasting in Tuscany) and more. European
Discovery has picked some of the gems of Europe to help you
explore!! $3195.00 per person double occupancy, June 3-16 and
September 2-15, 2007.
Click here for details about Highlights of
Europe.
Jewels of Italy, 10 days explores the best
Italy has to offer is ready to roll with incredible feedback
from this year. Begin in the romantic city of Venice and take
a private Canal Cruise and highlights walking tour. Then train
to the heart of Tuscany and the beautiful town of Siena. See
the art and architecture with a local guide and tour the
surrounding villages and wineries. The tour ends in Rome with
a guided tour with local historical experts of the ancient
sites of the Colosseum, Vatican City and more!! Italy is one
of our most popular destinations, so this tour always fills up
quickly! $2395.00 per person double occupancy, May 17-26 and
August17- 26, 2007.
Click here for details about Jewels of
Italy.
 London and Paris in 8 days. Perfect
first tour to Europe and a week long introduction to Europe’s
cultural capitals. Begin in the cosmopolitan city of London,
get a “bird’s eye view” from the London Eye. With our London
expert guide, explore Westminster Abbey, St. James Park,
Buckingham Palace, great pub lunch Trafalgar Square and finish
at the historic Tower of London with a Thames River cruise.
After a full free London day you take the Eurostar train to
romantic Paris. Here we will tour the medieval Marais
district, the cathedrals of Notre Dame and Ste Chapelle and of
course the collections at the Louvre. You also have a full
free Paris followed by a day exploring the magnificent Chateau
de Versailles. $1795.00 per person double occupancy, May
27-June 3 and August 26-September 2, 2007.
Click here for details about London and
Paris.
Discover England and Scotland. 14 days in
some of the most beautiful and historic country imaginable. It
is the perfect mixture of two worlds - the magnificent
historic sites and the beauty of the quaint villages. Begin in
London with a guides tour of historic Westminster Abbey, St.
James Park, Buckingham Palace and more. Then hop on your own
private mini bus to the beautiful Georgian city of Bath and
the nearby ancient site of Stonehenge. Continue through the
fairy tale like villages of the Cotswolds and then onto the
medieval city of York with an in depth our of York’s Gothic
church – York Minster. Then onto the wildly beautiful Scottish
highlands with whiskey tours and soaking up the country life.
Finish in Edinburgh, the cultural capitol of Scotland. In all
these wonderful places, you will have time on your own to
explore! $2895.00 per person double occupancy, September
16-29, 2007.
Click here for details about London and
Scotland.
Secrets of the Da Vinci Code 10 day tour.
With the new release of the movie in DVD and all of the
interest in this tour, we have decided to dedicate an entire
article to this exciting tour so read more below. Read
the article below for the full story.
All tours have several things in common which make us
unique and keep our customers saying it was the “best vacation
they have ever had.”
- The groups are always small
– 10-15 people.
- A LOT of free time for you
to explore and discover on your own.
- The guides, hotels and restaurants
are personally chosen and constantly reviewed for
excellence.
- Exceptionally high level of service
before and during your tour. We escort them
personally! Our goal is to make sure you get all the help
you need to be able to do whatever you want to make your
tour unique.
Come join us to discover your own little piece of
Europe!
Ellie
Burns-Brookens
Owner, European
Discovery
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| Packing Advice |
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 One of the first questions when getting ready for a
trip is “What do I pack?” The rule of thumb is the less you
bring the better! So how can you pack light and have all that
you need? On our tours we move around and explore so here are
4 guidelines to help you:
Pack light and mobile.
The key on any
trip is to be able to move everything you have brought in one
trip and be able to carry your luggage up and down stairs. The
airline luggage regulations changed on November 1, 2005 and
for international travel the maximum dimensions for a suitcase
in 62 inches (length, height and width) and the case can’t
weigh over 50 pounds. A smaller case of 45 inches in total
dimension can either be checked in or carried on. All cases
should be on rollers!! Luggage must be left unlocked unless
you use an approved TSA lock. We also recommend bringing a day
pack to carry water, maps, camera, umbrella, etc and it could
be used for your carry on.
All those little details.
Bring your
passport, ID and money with you at all times. Think of
investing in a money belt. There are some for around the waist
and also around the leg. Leave a copy of your passport at home
and put one in your suitcase. This makes it easier to get a
replacement in case your passport should get lost. Medicine
should be in original containers and the labels should be
legible. It is also a good idea to bring spare eyeglasses and
contacts. A small address book with a list of e-mail addresses
and mailing addresses will help you stay in touch. Bring along
postcards from your home and photos of your family to share
with your fellow tour participants and the Europeans you
meet.
What to pack.
Generally, packing enough
for one week is a good plan with the idea that along the way
you will wash or have your clothing laundered. Don’t forget a
stain remover stick. Think in layers and having all your
clothes mix and match is a great plan, along with a tie or
scarf, both can be used to make you look snazzy! Bring along a
light raincoat. Most importantly, bring along two pairs of
good walking shoes that are comfortable and pretty well broken
in. Bring along a variety of sizes of sealable plastic bags
which will contain wetness and leaks. Don’t forget the small
travel alarm clock.
Bag and Zip
The TSA recently changed
the rules on what a traveler can bring in a carry on and what
items must be checked in. To date, liquid and gel toiletries
in 3 ounce or smaller containers are allowed if they are in a
clear plastic, quart size zip locked bag. Eye drops, saline
solution and non prescription medications, up to 4 ounces, are
permitted in carry on bags. Larger bottles including shampoo
and suntan lotion must be checked in. Also, drinks, liquids
and gels purchased in airport stores inside security
checkpoints can be carried into passenger cabins. For a
complete list of permitted and prohibited items access http://www.tsa.gov/ and check the Travel
Tips area.
Finally, be sure to save a little room for those souvenirs
you find along the way.
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| The
Da Vinci Code Tour |
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 Are you looking for a fun way to
link together some of
Europe’s best cities and
sites?
European Discovery’s “Secrets of the Da Vinci Code Tour”, a
10 day tour, June 17-26, 2007 may be just the ticket. It is a
fun way to visit the Da Vinci Code locations of Paris, London
and Edinburgh; linking the real historic sights with the
mysterious events in the book and movie.
“We were originally going to do a different tour in the
summer but changed our minds and joined the Da Vinci Code tour
partly because it sounded like so much fun and partly because
we have always wanted to see Paris, London and Scotland. We
are so glad we did. Not only did we see all of these fabulous
sites but the guides really knew their stuff and made the real
history come to life while adding a little Da Vinci Code
flair!” said Ruth and Marvin from Gladstone, OR. “Even if you
are not a Da Vinci Code fan, this is a fabulous tour.”
We Start in Paris…
You begin your
exploration in Paris at the famous Louvre Museum where, in the
book, the murder of Jacques Sauniere takes place. Our own
private guide talks about the history of the Louvre and points
out the works and paintings evoked in Dan Brown’s tale. After
a sidewalk café lunch, continue to the cathedral of St.
Sulpice, the Rose line and other sites in the Latin Quarter
and Ile de la Cité with stories of the Merovingians and the
Blood Line of Christ. In all these places, our guides will
point out the connections to the book along with their
fascinating real history. While in Paris, you also visit the
Grand Palace and grounds of the Chateau de Versailles with its
stunning gardens and fountains; arguably one of the most
impressive palaces in all of Europe.
Then Move on to London…
After Paris,
jet over to London via the ultra-fast Euro star Chunnel train
and where we continue our quest for knowledge and clues. Your
London Blue Badge guide gives a fabulous tour of the city
starting with the Temple Church, built in the 12th century by
the Knights Templar where in the book, Robert and Sophie are
searching for “In London lies a knight a Pope interred.” After
a pub lunch, continue the tour to the famous 1000 year old
Westminster Abbey, home of the tomb of Sir Isaac Newton and
the Chapter House. You then travel through St. James Park,
Buckingham Palace and finish at the Tower of London.
Then Finish Up in Edinburgh…
For our
last stop, we head north to Edinburgh and straight to Rosslyn
Chapel, a 15th century chapel with its head-to-toe carvings
and symbols. Like other places we visit, Rosslyn Chapel was
used as a filming location for the Da Vinci Code movie. We
join a tour given by the Chapel Trust staff to help reveal
some of its history. We then continue to Edinburgh and explore
the Royal Mile and magnificent Edinburgh Castle.
Like all European Discovery tours, The Da Vinci Code tour
is fully escorted so you always have someone to help you. We
have small groups so there are never more than 15 people in
your entire group. We also build in free time. One full free
day in Paris, London and Edinburgh enable you to get out,
explore and have the freedom you want. “Not only did we see
great sites but the other tour members were so enjoyable, the
food was fabulous and Ellie got us around so we didn’t waste a
single minute.” said Ruth and Marvin. “We had such a wonderful
time that we’re currently planning on taking another European
Discovery tour in the near future.”
This 10 day tour is offered for $2,195 per person double
occupancy and will book up quickly. Click here for details and reserving your
spot.
To find out more about about Da Vinci Code related places
and tours, check out the following websites:
Eurostar, the Chunnel train: http://www.eurostar.com/dynamic/index.jsp
The
Louvre Museum: http://www.louvre.fr/llv/commun/home_flash.jsp
Rosslyn
Chapel: http://www.rosslynchapel.org.uk/
Da
Vinci Code talks at Temple Chapel: http://www.templechurch.com/pages/church/da_vinci_code_and_the_secret.htm
Da
Vinci Code talks at Westminster Abbey: http://www.westminster-abbey.org/
Paris
Walks: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/pariswalking/
“Walking
the Da Vinci Code in Paris,” Peter Caine, http://www.walkingthedavincicode.com/
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