12 day Road to Rome - escorted tour of the UK, France, Austria & Italy with Insight Vacations

Inclusions

• 11 nights in first class hotels
• 11 breakfasts, 5 dinners including a dine-around evening in Lucerne & highlight dinner in Rome
• Travel by luxury 40-seat coach with more legroom
• Escorted by professional tour director
• Included sightseeing & premium highlights

Itinerary

Day 1    London - Paris
Leave London  goodbye to the white cliffs on board your ferry to Calais. Visit the imposing Canadian War Memorial at Vimy Ridge, surrounded by land still scarred from the Great War. Continue to the French capital, arriving late afternoon. This evening, enjoy a Welcome Drink with your fellow travellers. Hotel: Pullman Paris Tour Eiffel.

Day 2    Paris and Versailles
Travel out to the elegant town of Versailles to visit the immense palace built for the Sun King, Louis XIV. Your guide leads you through the royal apartments and there is time to take a stroll in the fine formal gardens. Return to Paris for a comprehensive guided sightseeing tour. See Garnier's Opera, Notre Dame Cathedral and the immense facades of the Louvre. From the Place de la Concorde, drive down the Champs Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe. Ascend to the viewing platforms of the Eiffel Tower for panoramic vistas over the city. The afternoon is at leisure.

Day 3    Paris - Lucerne
After an early breakfast, follow the autoroute across France's great agricultural lands and on through the Burgundy wine region. After passing the Jura Mountains, cross into Switzerland at Basel before ending the day in lovely Lucerne. Hotel: Astoria.

Day 4    Lucerne Sightseeing
Your Tour Director shows you the covered Chapel Bridge and stirring Lion Monument. Then embark on an exhilarating ride by cog-wheel train to the summit of Mount Pilatus. Admire the panorama of snow-capped peaks, before descending by cable-car over mountain crags and pine forests back to terra firma.

Day 5    Lucerne - Innsbruck - Salzburg
Drive past Liechtenstein into Austria. Continue through the Arlberg Tunnel to arrive in mountain-ringed, Innsbruck. See the Golden Roof and Imperial Palace in the old town before following the Inn Valley, past the Wild Kaiser mountain range to Salzburg, setting for the film, The Sound of Music. On arrival, photograph the city skyline from the Mirabell Gardens, then cross the river with your local guide to see Mozart's birthplace. Hotel: Castellani Park Hotel.

Day 6    Salzburg - Venice
A morning at leisure and a chance to explore further this beautiful Austrian gem before enjoying a scenic drive through the Tauern Mountains down to the Carinthian Lake District and across the border into Italy. Your destination is romantic Venice. Hotel: Cavalletto E Doge Orseolo.

Day 7    Venice Sightseeing
Your hotel is only steps away from St Marks Square, dominated by its magnificent Basilica and overlooked by the great Clock Tower where bronze Moors beat out the hours on a huge bell. Also in the square stands the immense Campanile and Doges' Palace which is connected to the prisons by the Bridge of Sighs. After a demonstration of Venetian glass-blowing enjoy a highlight ride by traditional gondola along the picturesque canals.

Day 8     Venice - Florence
Bid farewell to Venice and follow the highway past the university city of Bologna, into the wild Apennines and on to the peaceful landscapes of Tuscany. On arrival in Florence, join a local guide for a sightseeing tour which includes entrance into the Academy Gallery to see Michelangelo's original 'Statue of David' and the half-completed 'Slaves'. See the magnificent Cathedral, the 'Gates of Paradise', and the living gallery of Signoria Square. Hotel: Londra.

Day 9    Florence at leisure
A whole day to explore this glorious city, treasure-house of the Italian Renaissance. Perhaps spend some time in the magnificent museums, stroll across the Ponte Vecchio, or relax amid the formal terraces of the Boboli Gardens. It's up to you.

Day 10    Florence - Rome
En route south, hear an informative tutorial about the great Chianti wines that make this region so famous. Stop in the Umbrian hilltop town of Orvieto; its Cathedral is one of Italy's most celebrated buildings. Once in Rome, perhaps start the evening with a 'passeggiata' (traditional evening stroll). Hotel: Crowne Plaza St Peters.

Day 11    Rome Sightseeing
A local guide introduces you to the grandeur of the city today. Begin with a visit to St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City. See Michelangelo's masterpiece, the Pieta, as well as the splendid dome, completed after his death. Cross the Tiber to hear tales of the glory of ancient Rome! Visit the Colosseum and overlook the forum. Later, there is time for last-minute shopping or sightseeing at your leisure.

Day 12    Rome
The tour ends after breakfast.

Departure dates and Prices*

Single supplement is an additional $980 per person.

Please contact an RACQ Travel consultant to advise about further discounts that may be available on 1300 096 166.

*Terms and Conditions

• Prices current as at 23 February 2012
• ^Members receive an additional 5% off departure date in October when you book this 12 day tour. Discount has not been deducted from the price. The discount is available for all bookings where at least one person in the party is an RACQ member at the time of booking
• Prices are per person in AUD$ based on twin share, land only
• Prices are subject to change (eg due to currency fluctuation)
• Offer is subject to availablity and may be withdrawn at any time
• Single Supplements apply
• Further conditions apply please see Insight Vacations 2012 Europe & Britain brochure or speak to your RACQ Consultant