The setting: London, Paris, Rome. The actors: you, your family, your friends. The plot: Excited travelers arrive in London and have a glorious time. With smiles plastered on their faces, they travel to Paris for another exciting experience. Finally, they’re off to Rome with smiles bigger than they thought possible!
Your Local Hosts will be delighted to help you maximize your time in the world’s most-visited city.
Morning guided sightseeing includes all of London’s famous landmarks. Drive past the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben; Westminster Abbey, where Prince William and Kate Middleton were married; Whitehall’s mounted horseguards; the Prime Minister’s Downing Street; and Piccadilly Circus. Take photographs of the London Eye, the giant Ferris wheel situated on the riverbank; and the Shard, the tallest building in Western Europe. Visit ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL (except on Sundays). Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpiece with its world-famous dome is an iconic feature of London’s skyline, and the awe-inspiring interior holds fascinating stories about its history. The final highlight is the ceremonial pageantry of the Changing of the Guard (if held).
Ask your Local Hosts for recommendations for your day at leisure. You might want to visit the British Museum with its spectacular glass- and steel-covered Great Court, the largest covered public square in Europe and home to a vast collection of art and age-old antiquities.
Travel by HIGH-SPEED EUROSTAR TRAIN (Standard class) to Paris.
Morning guided sightseeing takes you to NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL, where Napoleon was crowned emperor in 1804, to admire its amazing 13th-century, stained-glass Rose Window. Pass the Latin Quarter, Les Invalides, the Opéra, Place de la Concorde, and Arc de Triomphe. Drive by the Seine River with its beautiful bridges, and stop to take photos of the iconic Eiffel Tower from one of the best panoramic viewing points. Also enter the world’s most visited museum, THE LOUVRE, with its modern glass pyramid, to see Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and other treasures (Louvre replaced with Seine cruise on Tuesdays).
A full day to explore the romantic “City of Light” at your own pace. Your Local Host has many suggestions. Perhaps walk around Saint Louis Island, connected to the rest of Paris by four bridges; or visit the Musee de la Vie Romantique, a quaint museum in a private mansion.
Travel to Rome by AIR on selected flights.
Your morning guided sightseeing, with headset, is rich in religious and ancient history. Visit the VATICAN MUSEUMS to see its amazing treasures. In the SISTINE CHAPEL, where the Conclave is held to elect new popes, view Michelangelo’s The Last Judgment and his famous ceiling paintings. Also on the agenda today: monumental ST. PETER’S SQUARE and BASILICA, built in 313 AD above St. Peter the Apostle’s tomb and home to Michelangelo’s masterpiece Renaissance sculpture, the Pietà. Cross the Tiber River and continue your immersion in history at the iconic COLOSSEUM, built for 50,000 spectators, and the ROMAN FORUM, where the oldest structures of the ancient city are located. (On Sundays, included guided sightseeing will take place the following day.)
The ancient Roman advice carpe diem (seize the day) is still relevant today. Your Local Host will have many ideas for you, such as where to sample the city’s best gelato!
Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning.
Located in fashionable Kensington the striking, 27-storey property enjoys excellent transport links close to London’s key attractions. Leafy Kensington’s restaurants and cafes are on your doorstep and the Natural History Museum and brand-name shopping on bustling High Street Kensington are a short walk away.
Located in the heart of Paris’s vibrant Grands Boulevards theatre district, this unique 88-room boutique style property embodies its Belle Époque heritage with grandiose restored décor. Free Wi-Fi access is available in all guestrooms and public areas of the hotel, there is a fitness center, and a cozy conservatory bar featuring an original Art Deco stained-glass roof.
Named after one of Rome’s great Emperors, this modern 161 room hotel has a relaxed atmosphere in a great central location. Free Wi-Fi access is available in the lobby and guestrooms. Amenities include a fitness room, a contemporary styled restaurant serving regional & international dishes and a lounge bar serving refreshments and light snacks.
