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Heart of Europe® Tour
15-day tour featuring Holland, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland & France
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Tour Description
Our Heart of Europe® Tour, now in its 48th year, is the ideal choice among first time travelers to Europe and anyone looking for a great vacation value. The itinerary offers a potpourri of seven countries, major cities, and wonderful local flavor.
Included Features
Meals - In addition to any meals you may be served during your flights to and from Europe, the tour price includes 13 breakfasts and 9 dinners during the land portion of the tour.
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| Details | | Image Tours | | | | Difficulty Level - Moderate |
| | Day | Destination | Description | | Day 1 | Depart USA | Departure from the USA. | | Day 2 | Amsterdam | Arrive at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport. Meet your tour manager and transfer to your hotel in Holland (1 ½ hrs). (Dinner) | | Day 3 | Amsterdam | Day at leisure to explore Holland. The Grand Holland optional begins with a drive through Holland's countryside and a stop at a picturesque Dutch village (1 hr). Continue to Amsterdam for free time and a boat ride through the canals (1 hr). Dine at your hotel (1 ½ hrs). (Breakfast, Dinner) | | Day 4 | Lanaken | Visit historic Antwerp (2 ½ hrs) and an American WWII Cemetery (2 hrs). Overnight in Lanaken, Belgium (3/4 hr). (Breakfast, Dinner) | | Day 5 | Mannheim | Cross the border into Germany's North Rhine area (2 hrs). At Boppard, begin your cruise of the castle-lined Rhine River (1 hr). Then tour the old town and castle of Heidelberg. Overnight in Mannheim, Germany (3/4; hr). (Breakfast, Dinner) | | Day 6 | Augsburg | Sleepy little villages, majestic fortresses and timeless castles enhance the scenery before and after the morning stop (1 hr). Then it's on to Rothenburg, Europe's best-preserved medieval city (1 hr). After lunch and an afternoon stop (1 ½ hrs), travel to Augsburg, Germany (1 ½ hrs). (Breakfast, Dinner) | | Day 7 | Innsbruck | Morning sightseeing and independent lunch in the Bavarian capital of Munich (1 hr). End your day in the Austrian Alps at the Imperial City of Innsbruck (2 ½ hrs). Optional Tyrolean Folklore Show & Dinner. (Breakfast) | | Day 8 | Innsbruck | A free day to explore Innsbruck and the scenic surroundings. On the Bavarian Castle optional, you will walk through the Linderhof Castle in Bavaria (2 hrs) and visit the Passion Play town of Oberammergau ( ½ hr). Also make a photo stop with a picture-perfect view of the famous Neuschwanstein Castle (3/4; hr) before heading back to Innsbruck (2 hrs). (Breakfast, Dinner) | | Day 9 | Bussolengo | Continue across the spectacular Brenner Pass ( ½ hr) and through the Alps. Stops along the way in Bolzano (1 1/4 hrs) and Lake Garda (2 hrs) before reaching Bussolengo, Italy (1 ½ hrs). (Breakfast, Dinner) | | Day 10 | Bussolengo | Spend the day in Bussolengo, Verona, or the Lake Garda Region. On the Verona & Venice optional excursion, visit legendary Verona ( ½ hr) with a lunch stop (1 hr) on the way to the romantic city of Venice (3/4; hr), and return to Bussolengo in the evening (2 hrs). (Breakfast) | | Day 11 | Lake Lucerne | Cross the border into Switzerland (2 ½ hrs). Leisurely break in Lugano, "Rio of the Old Continent" (1 hr). Continue through William Tell country (1 3/4; hrs) and overnight in the Lake Lucerne Region (2 hrs). Optional Lake Lucerne Boatride & Dinner. (Breakfast) | | Day 12 | Lake Lucerne | Leisurely day in the Lake Lucerne Region. Half-day sightseeing in Lucerne (3/4; hr). Swiss Mountain optional will take you up to the peak of a Swiss mountain for spectacular alpine vistas. Nature Pur optional explores the beautiful countryside. (Breakfast, Dinner) | | Day 13 | St. Dizier | Cross the French border into the wine country of the Alsace region (1 ½ hrs). Lunch stop in Kaysersberg (1 ½ hrs). Proceed past Nancy (2 hrs) and on to St. Dizier, France (1 ½ hrs). (Breakfast, Dinner) | | Day 14 | Paris | St. Dizier to morning stop outside Paris (2 1/4 hrs). On to Paris ( ½ hr). Spend your last afternoon and evening in the City of Lights. Your tour manager will offer an optional | | Day 15 | Return USA | Fly back to the U.S.A. from Paris' Charles De Gaulle Airport (3/4; hr). (Breakfast) |
| | | | The hours in parentheses ( ) indicate time on the motor coach between stops. |
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