VISITING ENGLAND, BELGIUM, THE NETHERLANDS, GERMANY, SWITZERLAND AND FRANCE

Day 1 - London - Amsterdam

Meet your Tour Director at the Holiday Inn Kings Cross/Bloomsbury and drive to Dover for the short English Channel crossing to Calais. Pass historic Dunkirk, famous for its Second World War evacuations, and follow the coast north into Belgium. Enter your fourth country, the Netherlands, passing windmills on the way to the cultural capital of Amsterdam, ‘City of Canals’.
Hotel: Crown Plaza. (D)

Day 2 - Amsterdam Sightseeing

An orientation tour reveals the Mint Tower, Dam Square and Royal Palace. Leave Amsterdam and drive through the Dutch countryside, with its windmills and canals, to the old, traditional village of Volendam, situated on what was once the Zuider Zee. Later, make a photo-stop beside one of the picturesque windmills and then visit a cheese farm and a ‘Klompenhuis’, where wooden clogs are made. Return to Amsterdam for a visit to a diamond cutting factory, whose industry dates back to the 16th century. This evening, consider a visit to the famous Sailors’ Quarter. (B)

Day 3 - Amsterdam - Rhineland

Leave Amsterdam for Germany. Pass the border town of Arnhem, renowned for its ‘Bridge Too Far’ (the Rhine bridge which was the object of bitter fighting at the end of the Second World War), then cross the extensive Ruhr Basin to Cologne. This city was also badly damaged in the war, but its superb Gothic Cathedral survived. Take time to marvel at the soaring vaults and spires, and to stroll in the bustling pedestrian malls of the city centre. Then it’s on to Bonn, birthplace of Beethoven and capital of West Germany for more than 40 years until Berlin was reinstated as capital of a reunified Germany after the fall of the wall. Travel to the picturesque Rhine Gorge to boarda Highlight Cruise at Boppard, and glide past medieval hill-top castles and steepleafy vineyards to the legendary Loreley Rock. Rejoin the coach atSt Goar and continue to your Rhineland hotel.
Hotel: NH Weinheim (B,D)

Day 4 - Rhineland - Lucerne

Visit Heidelberg, city of the ‘Student Prince’, on the banks of the River Neckar and view the ruined clifftop castle. Take the scenic route along the Rhine Valley to the ancient city of Freiburg, before climbing into the heart of the Black Forest, home of the cuckoo clock industry. After stopping to see how these clocks are made, continue past Lake Titisee and across the Swiss border to Schaffhausen. Admire the Rhine River thundering over the Rhine Falls before driving, via Zurich, to Lake Lucerne.
Hotel: Krone Giswil. (B,D)

Day 5 - Lucerne Sightseeing

See Lucerne’s proud Lion Monument, carved into a limestone cliff and dedicated to the Swiss Guards massacred defending the King during the French Revolution. Take time to stroll across the covered Chapel Bridge and see the baroque Jesuit church. The rest of the day is at leisure; perhaps shop for chocolate or that special timepiece, or take an exciting ride by cog-wheel train and cable-car to the summit of Mount Pilatus for stunning views of the snow-capped peaks. (B,D)

Day 6 - Lucerne - Paris

Leaving the Alpine region, cross the Rhine at Basel and continue into France. Travel past the fortified town of Belfort, gateway to Alsace, and along the forested ridges of the Jura Mountains into Burgundy. Continue through leafy vineyards and past the forests of Fontainebleau to arrive in the glittering French capital of Paris for a two-night stay. Why not sample the fabulous local cuisine tonight?
Hotel: Mercure Pantin. (B)

Day 7 - Paris Sightseeing

A sightseeing tour with a local guide takes you by the Île de la Cité to see Notre Dame Cathedral with its famous tale of Quasimodo, the hunchback of Notre Dame. Pass the immense facades of the Louvre and marvel at Garnier’s splendid Opera House. See the Obelisk in the centre of the Place de la Concorde and drive along the elegant Champs Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe. Now stop for photographs and great view of the Eiffel Tower. Spend the afternoon exploring Paris at your own pace. Perhaps take an optional tour to magnificent Versailles and, by night, why not join in the fun at a world famous cabaret show? (B)

Day 8 - Paris - London

Cross the World War One battlefields of the Somme to arrive at the port of Calais for your return Channel crossing to England. The white cliffs of Dover will welcome you as you sail back into England. From here it’s a short drive through the Kent countryside to London, where the tour ends a short time later. (B)