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| VANTAGE DELUXE WORLD TRAVEL |
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| Detailed Day by Day Itinerary |
| 2008 President's Escorted Land Tour: Italy, Paris & the World Renowned Orient Express |
| Rome to Paris |
| View Days: [1-5] [6-10] [11-14] |
print friendly version |
| Day |
Schedules and Accommodations |
1-2
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Depart Home / Arrive in Rome, Italy
Upon arrival in Rome, you'll be required to clear Immigration & Customs, then be met by a Vantage Travel representative who will transfer you to your hotel. Your “Presidential” journey begins with an included overnight flight to Rome, where you’ll stay for three nights in a Deluxe hotel near the top of the Spanish Steps. This evening, after an orientation briefing, meet fellow Vantage travellers for a Welcome Cocktail Reception.
InterContinental De La Ville Roma  |
3
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Rome
Following breakfast this morning, a very special attraction awaits ... a visit to the Vatican Museum where you’ll view centuries of Roman Catholic treasures, culminating in Michelangelo’s magnificent frescoes in the Sistine Chapel. The afternoon is at leisure, perhaps to stroll the Via Venetto or the Borghese Gardens. Tonight enjoy a Welcome Dinner at the hotel.
InterContinental De La Ville Roma (B,D) |
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Rome
Catch an intriguing glimpse of daily life in Rome as it was lived 2,000 years ago on this morning’s “Ancient Rome Wandering Tour.” Your licensed Rome guide will lead you through an ancient home site never open to the public before. Your afternoon is at leisure, perhaps to explore Rome’s highlights without the crowds. Or, take an optional Pope's Summer Residence tour with lunch. Then enjoy your first Dine Around evening — you’ll join a small group to dine on regional specialties at a local trattoria in Piazza Navona. Afterwards, enjoy a magical “Rome by Night” tour that ends with you tossing a coin in the Trevi Fountain — assuring that you’ll return to Rome some day!
InterContinental De La Ville Roma (B,D) |
5
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Rome / Florence, Italy
Bid arrivederci to Rome and head for Florence, “Cradle of the Renaissance,” with a pizza lunch along the way. You’ll have time to explore a bit after you check into your delightful hotel in Florence. Later, enjoy your second Dine Around evening in a cozy neighborhood restaurant for a “Festival de Pasta,” followed by a “Florence-by-Night” tour that shows this stately city in all of its grandeur.
Hilton Florence Metropole  (B,L,D) |
6
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Florence
You’ll have a choice of two tours this morning. Take your pick of a “Renaissance Florence” walking tour with entrance to the Accademia to see Michelangelo’s spectacular sculpture of David. Or, enjoy a specialized “Artists of Florence” walking tour with entrance to the Uffizi Gallery, one of the world’s great art museums. The afternoon is free with complimentary shuttle service available between the Florence's city center and the hotel. Then, get set for this evening’s Gala Dinner in the heart of historic Florence at the glittering Palazzo Borghese. In addition to a fabulous venue, the meal will be superb, and accompanied by Florentine entertainment.
Hilton Florence Metropole (B,D) |
7
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Florence
Take your pick of an included full-day tour of Siena and San Gimignano, both centers of medieval culture bristling with impressive Gothic buildings, squares and a profusion of churches. Or take the full day tour of Pisa and Lucca. Pisa, of course, has its famous Leaning Tower; Lucca a 13th-century clock tower and an exquisite Cathedral. Lucca is also home to one of the most famous chocolatiers in Italy — we’ll take you there so you can taste why! Complimentary shuttle service is available between the Florence's city center and the hotel.
Hilton Florence Metropole (B) |
8
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Florence / Venice
Today you’ll transfer to magical Venice — by motorcoach and then by water taxi to your hotel. You’ll stay two nights at a magnificent, brand-new hotel — located on the island of Giudecca, approximately 10 minutes from the mainland via the hotel’s complimentary water shuttle. It’s Venice’s newest landmark. Enjoy dinner at the hotel this evening.
Hilton Molino Stucky Venice (B,D) |
9
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Venice
In the morning, set out on a tour of Venice, highlighted by a walking tour of San Marco Square — one of the finest public spaces in the world. Also on the square, enjoy a demonstration of the art of glassblowing at the Vecchia Murano workshop. You’ll have the afternoon and evening at leisure to wander wherever your curiosity takes you in this luminous city. Perhaps tonight you’ll enjoy an optional gondola ride along the magical Grand Canal!
Hilton Molino Stucky Venice (B) |
10
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Venice / Transfer to Exclusively Chartered Venice Simplon Orient Express train
The pinnacle of your trip awaits this morning — the “King of Trains” — the exclusively chartered Venice Simplon Orient Express bound for Paris. The entire train is ours for this momentous travel event, so you can look forward to a warm welcome and personal service as you set forth on one of the world’s great rail journeys. Few, if any, travel experiences can compete with the glamour, the history, and the romance of the Orient Express.
Your journey begins over lunch as we slowly roll out of Venice, picking up speed as we pass through Padua ... the Alps .... Austria .... Switzerland ... France .... and finally — Paris!
Many say the real joy in this journey is sitting back in the privacy of your own train compartment just watching the countryside slip by — the tidy farms and old towns of northern Italy ... the shimmering waters of the Italian Lake District ... famed Brenner Pass over the Alps to Innsbruck, Austria ... and on through Zurich and Basel.
This evening, we’ll reawaken the glamour with a sumptuous Roaring ‘20s Dinner. Dress in black tie, if you’d like ... or suitable 1920s-30s dress ... in celebration of the remarkable history and tradition of the train. Dinner aboard the Orient Express is a unique experience in itself ... the finest cuisine prepared by French chefs ... with tables graced with crisp white tablecloths, crystal glassware, and seamless service. Dinner is served at two seatings. (Your request for seating preference for dinner will be taken with your reservations and accommodated on a first come, first serve basis.) Afterwards, the Bar Car beckons — where you can enjoy the company of fellow passengers who, like you, are fulfilling a dream. As you are lulled to sleep tonight by the rhythm of the rails, think of the history. This is the setting of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express and the favored train of leading royal, literary, and political notables — along with its share of spies, courtesans and other adventurers. Now you’re one of the select ... sharing in the legend!
Venice Simplon-Orient Express (B,L,D) |
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Paris, France
You’ll disembark the Orient Express after continental breakfast in your cabin — but there’s much more ahead! Your accommodations for the next three nights in the “City of Light” are at the centrally-located Le Méridien Etoile hotel on the right bank of the Seine ... just steps from the Champs-Elysees and its monuments.
You’ll see the highlights of Paris on a panoramic city tour this morning, including a guided tour of Notre Dame. You’ll also have free time to stroll the winding lanes of Montmartre, the colorful artists’ section of Paris, where you can enjoy lunch on your own. The afternoon is free, then, bon appetit! as you set out for a typical French brasserie on your third Dine Around evening. Afterward, enjoy a dazzling “Paris by Night” tour. Seeing the beloved landmarks of Paris lit up at night is an unforgettable experience!
Le Méridien Etoile (B,D) |
12
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Paris
You’ll have a choice of tours again this morning. Enjoy a private, small-group guided tour of the Louvre, considered by many to be the world’s greatest art museum, or a visit to the Museum Orangerie, where Monet’s Water Lilies is displayed.
The remainder of the day is yours to explore Paris on your own, perhaps to shop or sit at an outdoor brasserie for pate or mussels and frites. Just relax and savor it all!
Enjoy the evening at leisure, or join an optional Moulin Rouge tour.
Le Méridien Etoile (B) |
13
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Paris
Enjoy more free time to explore Paris today. Or, you can join an optional tour of Versailles ... or a full-day “French Impressionism” tour to Auvers Sur Oise, the town where Van Gogh lived. In the evening, raise a glass to your travelling companions ... and to the journey of a lifetime ... as we enjoy a Farewell Dinner at a Parisian restaurant.
Le Méridien Etoile (B,D) |
14
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Paris / Return Home
Transfer to the airport for your flight home, or depart for the Loire Valley on our 3-night optional extension.
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Please note: For the Gala dinner in Florence and our evening on the Orient Express, men may opt for black tie, but a suit will be sufficient. On the Orient Express, there is a roaring '20s theme for dinner.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The above
day-by-day itineraries are preliminary and therefore subject to change.
If any major changes occur in advance of your departure, you will be
notified in writing by Vantage Deluxe World Travel. If changes occur
while on tour, you will be notified by your Vantage Program Manager.
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