24 DAY GRAND EUROPE: Amsterdam to London in 05/28/09 Start Price - Current Price - Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Sunday, September 21, 2008 End Time Tuesday, October 21, 2008 Location Mesa, AZ See more about '24 DAY GRAND EUROPE: Amsterdam to London in 05/28/09' Description      YOUR PREVIEW CODE FOR ONLINE ENROLLMENT IS: GRANDEUROPE2 VIEW YOUR GROUP PAGE FOR ADDITIONAL LINKS TO OTHER PERTINENT TOUR INFORMATION VIEW THIS ITINERARY ON-LINE VIEW TYPICAL HOTELS FOR THIS EUROPEAN GRAND TOUR VIEW PRICING DETAILS VIEW TOUR OVERNIGHTS VIEW WHAT'S INCLUDED VIEW OPTIONAL EXCURSIONS LAND ONLY GRAND EUROPE: Amsterdam to London via Germany, Italy, Southern France and Spain 24 days DAY 1: ARRIVAL - LAND ONLY Amsterdam is your destination: get ready to explore your surroundings! Did you know that this "Venice of the North" is composed of some 90 islands connected by about 1,000 bridges?    Dinner and overnight in Amsterdam. DAY 2: AMSTERDAM CITY SIGHTSEEING This morning includes city sightseeing of Amsterdam, old and new, with a local guide. See 17th- and 18th-century patrician houses and historic landmarks, including the Oudekerk (Old Church), Nieuwekerk (New Church) and the Westerkerk (West Church), where Rembrandt is buried. Visits are included to a diamond-cutting workshop and to the house which was the hiding place of the Frank family for two years before they were deported to Germany by the Nazis. The rooms described by Anne Frank in her journal have been preserved as they were when she lived there. Anne began her life in hiding as she turned 14 and died in a concentration camp at the age of 16.    This afternoon is free for sightseeing of your choice. You may want to visit the Resistance Museum, which illustrates the Dutch resistance to the Nazi occupation during World War II through its collection of period artifacts, audiovisual documents and interactive displays.   Art lovers should not fail to visit the turreted Rijksmuseum and its unrivaled exhibits of Dutch masters, or the Vincent van Gogh Museum's collection of the artist's paintings, drawings and letters. Check out the shops along Nieuwendijk or the Dam Square department stores.    Dinner and overnight in Amsterdam. Professionally-guided coach tour of Amsterdam, including visits to Anne Frank's House and a diamond-cutting workshop. DAY 3: ANTWERP, BRUGES WALKING TOUR This morning, your coach takes you into Belgium via the prosperous city of Antwerp, home of Rubens and van Dyck. Here, you will visit Diamondland, probably the most spectacular diamond showroom in the world, where you can see gems, slide shows, films and diamond-cutting demonstrations.   A short drive later, you're in the magnificent city of Bruges. The town's merchants made their fortunes from the cloth trade, and with the profits they constructed impressive public buildings, in particular the soaring Belfry and the ornate City Hall on the handsome Market Square. Enjoy a walking tour of this canal-filled town featuring 16th-century houses with characteristic gabled roofs. If time allows before your return to Amsterdam, view the rich collection of Flemish paintings at the Groeninge Museum, Michelangelo's delicate Madonna and Child at the Church of Our Lady, or visit the Lace Center, both a museum and lace-making school.    Dinner and overnight in Bruges. Visit to Diamondland in Antwerp. Walking tour in Bruges. DAY 4: BRUSSELS, THALYS TRAIN TO COLOGNE, RHINE CRUISE, HEIDELBERG WALKING TOUR Early start this morning for the transfer to Brussels' train station, where you'll board a high-speed THALYS train bound for Cologne, the fourth largest German city after Berlin, Hamburg and Munich. This city is famous for its resistance to the Roman conquest, its university, its Cologne perfume and its Gothic cathedral.   Travel on by coach to the Rhine Valley to enjoy an afternoon cruise down the mighty Rhine River, with sights pointed out to you on the way, such as Bacharach, St. Goar and Boppard. Beware the call of the siren as you sail past Lorelei Rock!   Continue to Heidelberg, the seat of the country's oldest university (1386) and the inspiration for Sigmund Romberg's operetta The Student Prince.   This evening, under the guidance of your courier, explore the picturesque Old City.    Dinner and overnight in Heidelberg. Direct THALYS train Brussels-Cologne. Rhine River cruise. Evening walking tour in The Student Prince city of Heidelberg. DAY 5: HEIDELBERG CASTLE, ROTHENBURG WALKING TOUR, DINKELSBUHL, MUNICH This morning, start your explorations with a visit of the majestic Schloss, which overlooks the town and the Neckar Valley. See the medieval and Renaissance wings of the palace, the Great Terrace, and the 50,000-gallon wine barrel!    Then, journey to the medieval city of Rothenburg, which peers down upon the River Tauber from behind 16th-century stone walls.   Enjoy the car-free central enclave and experience the feeling of stepping back into the 1500s as your courier leads you on a walking tour including the Herrengasse (Street of the Nobles). View the feudal walls, towers and comfortable burgher houses that mark the birth of the German middle class.    In the afternoon, travel on along the Romantische Strasse, famous for its castle-topped hills and rural greenery. See the ramparts and watchtowers of Dinkelsbühl on the way.    Continue to Bavaria's capital city, Munich. You'll be struck by your first impression of the city and its landmarks, which have been beautifully restored and returned to their pre-war condition.    Dinner and overnight in Munich. Visit to Heidelberg Castle. Walking tour in medieval Rothenburg. Dinkelsbuhl and the Romantic Road. DAY 6: MUNICH CITY SIGHTSEEING, NYMPHENBURG PALACE, EXCURSION TO DACHAU A morning tour of the city in the company of a local guide includes entrance to the Nymphenburg Palace and Gardens, once the summer residence of the Bavarian sovereigns. Continue around the impressive Theresienwiese, site of the famous annual Oktoberfest. In the center of the city, discover the grand set-piece boulevards of the Ludwigstrasse and Maximillianstrasse with their neoclassical palaces, Baroque churches and the magnificent Feldherrnhalle, where in 1923 Hitler failed in his attempt at the coup d'état known as the Munich Putsch. The tour introduces you as well to Schwabing, Königsplatz, the Residenz and the historic city center around Marienplatz, and ends with a performance of the red-coated mannequins in the Town Hall Glockenspiel.   This afternoon, a coach takes you to the somber Dachau concentration camp, which has been preserved as a memorial to the victims of the Nazi horrors. The town of Dachau itself, paradoxically, has long been renowned for the beauty of its scenery and the gaiety of its summer festival.    Dinner and overnight in Munich. Professionally-guided coach tour of Munich, including a visit to the Nymphenburg Palace and Gardens. Coach excursion to the Dachau Memorial. Optional: Dinner and show at the Hofbrauhaus, with one soft drink included. DAY 7: NEUSCHWANSTEIN, INNSBRUCK WALKING TOUR This morning, follow a scenic route into fantasyland to visit the dream castle built by Bavaria's "mad" King Ludwig II. For Neuschwanstein, the model for Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle, it is said that Ludwig employed a stage set designer rather than an architect. The result is pure fantasy, stimulated by the King's fancy for Wagnerian music: from artificial grottoes to ornate rooms to dazzling views of the Alps from the belvedere.   Continue through Garmisch, a winter resort located at the foot of Germany's tallest summit, the Zugspitze, on your way to Austria.    Your destination is Innsbruck, which hosted the Winter Olympic Games twice, in 1964 and 1976. The city's historic center is concentrated in a few small blocks. Your courier will introduce landmarks such as the Hofburg Palace (summer residence of the Hapsburg monarchs), the cathedral, the Little Golden Roof, Marie-Theresienstrasse and the rococo-style Helblinghaus.    Dinner and overnight in Innsbruck. Guided tour of Neuschwanstein Castle, minibus shuttle included. Walking tour in Innsbruck. DAY 8: BRENNER PASS, VENICE Today, travel over the 600-foot-high Europa Bridge on your way to the Brenner Pass and Italy. There, follow the autostrada along the fertile plain of the Po River to Venice, the "Pearl of the Adriatic," and your hotel, located either in Mestre on the mainland, in the floating city itself, or on the Lido Beach.      Relax, or start your explorations of this wonderful city. Remember Marco Polo, who set out from this magnificent harbor in 1271, at the age of 18, on a fantastic journey to Asia.    Dinner and overnight in Venice area. Crossing of the Alps at the Europa Bridge. DAY 9: VENICE CITY SIGHTSEEING, ES TRAIN TO ROME As the morning mist burns away, the soft sunlight mirrors off the water to reveal an almost heavenly kingdom of majestic yet delicate architecture. After a waterbus ride to the greatest square in the West, Piazza San Marco, enjoy a walking tour led by a local guide. This guided tour includes a visit to St. Mark's Basilica, which dates back to the 11th century and houses precious treasures behind its elaborate façade: you will see gleaming mosaics and the breathtaking Pala D'Oro (Golden Altarpiece).   You will also visit with your guide the Doges' Palace, built in the 14th century. Visitors marvel at its Golden Staircase, Compass Room, and Chamber of the Great Council with Tintoretto's Paradise, the world's largest painting on canvas.   Of course, you will see the Bridge of Sighs, named for the sighs of prisoners being led to their cells across this enclosed bridge. Your tour also includes a glass-blowing demonstration to better appreciate the manufacture of the world-renowned Venetian glass.   This afternoon, enjoy a scenic ride aboard a fast ES train to the "Eternal City."   This evening, plan a visit to the Trevi Fountain, one of Rome's most celebrated sights, which was the terminal of the Aqua Virgo aqueduct. The Trevi is at its best at night, when the fountain is illuminated. Throw a coin into the spray to ensure your return to this wonderful city!    Dinner and overnight in Rome. Professionally-guided walking tour in Venice, including visits to St. Mark's Basilica and the Doges' Palace, a glass-blowing demonstration and a round-trip waterbus ride to St. Mark's Square. Fast ES train Venice-Rome. DAY 10: ROME CITY SIGHTSEEING, THE VATICAN, COLOSSEUM, PIAZZA NAVONA WALKING TOUR This morning, in the company of your courier, make your way to the Vatican, where you will meet the local guide who will spend this day with your group.   Your guided tour begins with the Vatican Museums to view outstanding collections of masterpieces. You'll see exceptional statues from antiquity and stunning Renaissance paintings in the Raphael Rooms. Then, marvel at Michelangelo's Last Judgment and brightly-colored ceiling frescoes in the Sistine Chapel. Your guided tour continues with a visit to the magnificent St. Peter's Basilica, which houses priceless works of art, in particular Michelangelo's Pietà and Bernini's Dove of the Holy Spirit.   In the afternoon, you'll see with your guide some of the best-known monuments of Ancient Rome, including the Colosseum (entrance included) and the Arch of Constantine. You will visit the Roman Forum. Once the heart of a vast empire, the Forum was filled with extravagant buildings and crowded with people from all over the known world.   Then, follow your courier to the Pantheon (the Temple to All the Gods) for a visit. This is one of the better-preserved and most harmonious monuments of antiquity. In the vicinity, you'll find Piazza Navona, built on the site of Domitian's stadium and adorned with trendy bistros, statues and monuments, notably Bernini's Fountain of Four Rivers.    Dinner and overnight in Rome. Full-day, professionally-guided tour of Rome, including visits to the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica with whisper headset, and visits to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. Walking tour in the Piazza Navona district, with a visit to the Pantheon. DAY 11: FLORENCE CITY SIGHTSEEING, ACCADEMIA Enjoy the lush vineyards and little villages of Italy's heartland, as your coach takes you north on the modern autostrada (superhighway) to splendid Firenze, the "jewel of the Renaissance."   This afternoon, hear about the Medici family and the art of politics, as a local guide leads you on a city tour, which begins with a visit to the Accademia to admire Michelangelo's David. Next, your guide will introduce the Duomo, the Baptistry with Ghiberti's Doors of Paradise, Giotto's Bell Tower and the Piazza della Signoria. In the church of Santa Croce, see the final resting places of Michelangelo, Machiavelli and Galileo, and the extraordinary Pazzi Chapel. A visit is also included to a leather workshop to see the fabrication of the renowned Florentine leather goods.   This evening, stroll along the River Arno, or over it, using the shop-lined Ponte Vecchio, the oldest bridge in Florence, built in 1345. This medieval bridge is especially attractive at sunset when it reflects the warm Italian light.    Dinner and overnight in Florence. Professionally-guided walking tour in Florence, including visits to the Accademia, the Duomo, the church of Santa Croce with the Pazzi Chapel, and a leather workshop. DAY 12: PISA, MONACO'S MOYENNE CORNICHE ROAD, NICE Today's journey begins with a ride to Pisa, the city whose navy once dominated the Western Mediterranean, for a photo stop at the Leaning Tower (now tilting 17.5 feet from its vertical axis)!   Continue along the Italian Riviera to the French border. After the city of Menton, you'll travel along the N7 coastal road, Moyenne Corniche, which overlooks the Mediterranean. Soon, you'll enjoy superb panoramic views of the Principality of Monaco.   Arrive in the elegant city of Nice, the Côte d'Azur, famous for its sunny climate, the turquoise Mediterranean, and the vedettes de cinéma who inhabit the surrounding hills.    Dinner and overnight in Nice. Photo stop at the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Ride along the N7 coastal road of the Moyenne Corniche, from Menton to Nice, with panoramic views of the Principality of Monaco. DAY 13: AVIGNON, PONT DU GARD, ARLES This morning, travel across Provence to Avignon, the beautiful medieval city known as la Cité des Papes for the Roman Catholic popes who took up residence here in the 14th century. On a stroll through town, you will see the Palace of the Popes and the famous Pont d'Avignon.   There, go marvel at the Romans' engineering genius at the Pont du Gard, an aqueduct constructed in 19 BC which delivered 44 million gallons of water each day to the nearby Roman city of Nemausus (Nîmes).    Continue to Arles, the city called "the soul of Provence" by the artists, writers and historians who were lured by its glorious past, rich folklore and luminosity. Vincent van Gogh, the master of Expressionism, lived and worked here in 1888-1889. During your stay in the city, you may want to visit the Espace van Gogh, a cultural center with a wing dedicated to Vincent van Gogh. The center is located in Arles' former hospital, where van Gogh resided during periods of depression and where he painted works such as Le Jardin de l'Hôpital d'Arles. Or check out the Fondation Vincent van Gogh, an art institute which exhibits works of artists influenced by van Gogh.   On the Place du Forum, you will see the Café Van Gogh, a congenial restaurant with an outdoor terrace which you will recognize as the model for van Gogh's famous painting, Café La Nuit.    Dinner and overnight in Arles. Sightseeing stop in Avignon. Visit to the Roman aqueduct of the Pont du Gard. DAY 14: ARLES WALKING TOUR, THE CAMARGUE, AIGUES-MORTES, CARCASSONNE This morning's walking tour includes visits to the largest Roman amphitheater north of the Alps and to the Cryptoporticus, an underground gallery that formed the Forum's substructure. Other landmarks include a Roman theater, the eerie Alyscamps (a Pagan and Christian burial ground which fascinated Dante, van Gogh and Gauguin) and the magnificent Church of St. Trophime, the city's former cathedral, which is regarded as Provence's finest Romanesque sanctuary.   Then, enjoy a ride through the vast expanse of the Camargue. This legendary corner of France consists of the wide delta of the Rhône River, a land of dramatic, flat marshlands and paddy fields offering endless views. Rice is grown there. The region is home to white horses that roam free through the flatlands, black bulls raised for corridas (French-style, where the bull is not killed) and a variety of wildlife, in particular ibises and pink flamingoes.    You'll stop for photos at the medieval fortified town of Aigues-Mortes, the greatest of the Camargue's man-made treasures. This town was built in the 13th century as a port for crusaders on their way to the Holy Land. Now several miles inland due to deposits brought by the Rhône, Aigues-Mortes is still surrounded by impressive city walls, from which visitors can scan the horizon like the warrior-knights of yesteryear.   Continue to the spectacular medieval city of Carcassonne, a fortified stronghold dating to Roman times. Its extensive crenellated ramparts are so solidly built that the city, though often besieged (notably by Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne in the 9th century), has never been taken.   As time allows, you may want to stroll through the Ville Basse (the old city built outside the fortifications) to the 16th-century bridge that spans the River Aude.   This evening, catch sight of the old city's dramatically illuminated towers.    Dinner and overnight in Carcassonne. Walking tour in Arles, including a visit to the Roman amphitheater. Drive through the Camargue, including a photo stop at Aigues-Mortes. DAY 15: CARCASSONNE WALKING TOUR, FIGUERES, BARCELONA A morning walking tour in Carcassonne highlights the great Narbonne Tower, large enough to store pork from 1,000 pigs, 200 sides of beef, and enough fresh water to supply the town for six months. Enclosed within the city's fortifications, see the Castle of the Counts of Carcassonne, the Cathedral of St. Nazaire and old houses piled haphazardly along winding streets.   In the afternoon, your coach takes you over the eastern Pyrénées mountains and into Spain. Stop in Figueres, the hometown of the world's best-known Surrealist artist, Salvador Felipe Jacinto Dalí y Domenech. There, visit the Dali Theater-Museum, housed in a fantastic building complete with egg-crowned roof and tower. Its captivating collections include many masterpieces, and curiosities such as the Mae West Room and the Rainy Cadillac.  Continue to Barcelona, a vibrant city that hosted 1992 Summer Olympic Games. Enjoy an evening stroll in this Mediterranean town of parks and fountains.    Dinner and overnight in Barcelona. Walking tour in the walled city of Carcassonne. Visit to the Dali Theater-Museum in Figueres. DAY 16: BARCELONA CITY SIGHTSEEING, SAGRADA FAMILIA BASILICA This morning, a city tour in the company of a local guide will introduce landmarks, such as the string of avenues called Las Ramblas, the medieval Gothic Quarter around the cathedral, and Plaça de Catalunya, the lively heart of the city. From the Parc de Montjuïc, situated on a hill to the south of the harbor, you'll enjoy a panoramic view of the city and the Mediterranean coast.   This afternoon, visit the Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia, a basilica whose construction was planned in the 1870s. Antonio Gaudi was chosen as its architect in 1883, at the age of 31. For more than forty years, until his death in 1926, he worked to create a unique and huge sanctuary, still far from being completed, that combines elements of Gothic architecture and the tenets of the Modernista movement that are a trademark of his work. Visitors can see his grave in the crypt and visit the museum that documents his life and work as well as the history of the sanctuary.    Dinner and overnight in Barcelona. Professionally-guided coach tour of Barcelona. Visit to the Sagrada Familia Basilica. DAY 17: PARC GUELL, GOTHIC QUARTER WALKING TOUR This morning, visit Parc Güell, where you'll discover some of Gaudi's most fanciful and colorful creations, in particular mosaic-decorated pavilions, the cavernous Room of a Hundred Columns, and the curved bench on top of the hill, from which there's a great view of the city. In Parc Güell, you may also see the house in which Gaudí lived from 1906 to 1926. It was designed by one of his disciples, the architect Berenguer. Now called Casa-Museu Gaudí, it houses a museum dedicated to Gaudí's life and work.   This afternoon, enjoy a walking tour with your courier in the tight maze of streets found in the Gothic Quarter, Barcelona's medieval district. Its focal point is the great Gothic cathedral, which you will visit to see its unusually wide nave and its cloisters surrounding a tropical garden. Other landmarks in the Gothic Quarter, all dating back to the 14th century, include the Palau de la Generalitat (Catalonia's Parliament), Casa de la Ciutat (the Town hall) and the ancient royal palace where Christopher Columbus met Isabel and Ferdinand upon his return from the Indies. Several of the district's 14th century mansions now house museums.    Dinner and overnight in Barcelona. Visit to Parc Güell. Walking tour in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter, including a visit to the cathedral and its cloisters. DAY 18: ALTARIA TRAIN TO MADRID, CITY SIGHTSEEING, PRADO This morning, a brand new state-of-the-art ALTARIA train takes you at high speed from palm-fringed Mediterranean shores and across the semi-deserts of northern Spain to the dusty plains of Castile. Upon arrival in Madrid, transfer to your hotel.   This afternoon, set out on a city sightseeing tour in the company of a local guide. See the Plaza Mayor, Calle de Cuchilleros, Puerta del Sol, Plaza de España with the Cervantes Monument, Gran Via, Calle Alcala, Cibeles and Neptune Fountains and the grand Palacio Real. Your tour ends with a visit to the Prado Museum to see the world-famous paintings of El Greco, Goya and Velázquez.    Dinner and overnight in Madrid. High-speed ALTARIA train Barcelona- Madrid. Professionally-guided coach tour of Madrid, with a visit to the Prado Museum. DAY 19: ROYAL PALACE, FLAMENCO SHOW This morning, visit Madrid's opulent Palacio Real, which, with its 2,800 rooms, is ten times larger than Buckingham Palace. It is still the official residence of Spain's king, Juan Carlos I, although used solely for state functions. Explore its labyrinthine corridors decorated with Baroque paintings and its lavishly furnished royal apartments and audience chambers.   During your free time this afternoon, consider a visit to the Centro de Arte Reina Sofía to view modern works by Dalí, Miró and Picasso, notably his haunting Guernica, a memorial to the victims of the Nazi bombing of a Basque village, long kept out of Spain because of the artist's refusal to recognize Franco's dictatorship.   Tonight, enjoy an evening of traditional entertainment, flamenco! The poet Federico García Lorca called it "the most gigantic creation of the Spanish people." You will long remember its complex and insistent rhythms, castanets, guitars and clacking heels as the highlight of your trip to Spain.    Dinner and overnight in Madrid. Visit to the Palacio Real. Evening of flamenco entertainment, including one soft drink. DAY 20: EXCURSION TO TOLEDO, MADRID, OVERNIGHT ELIPSOS TRAIN/HOTEL TO PARIS This morning, enjoy an excursion to Toledo! The city is surrounded on three sides by the Río Tajo, which has cut a deep gorge out of the encircling mountains. Christianity, Judaism and Islam coexist on the tiny streets of this ancient city, which was once the capital of Spain. Indeed, the entire panorama of Spanish history is embedded in its churches, synagogues, Moorish mosques and fortifications.   A guided walking tour includes a visit to the cathedral, one of the most venerated in the country. It took almost 300 years to build and was completed in 1492. Its treasury contains an impressive display of gold and silver vessels and alabaster sculpture. You will also visit one of the city's two remaining 14th-century synagogues and the Santo Tomé church, which houses El Greco's Burial of the Count of Orgaz, a fresco commissioned in honor of a Spanish nobleman who was known for his generosity and charitable deeds.   Toledo is the best center of crafts in Castile. It has been known for centuries for its highly-tempered, flexible steel, and its damascene (metal objects inlaid with gold and silver). Your tour includes a visit to a damascene and sword factory.   Return to Madrid in the afternoon, where there will be some free time to spend as you wish.   This evening, pick up the tempo as an overnight ELIPSOS Train/Hotel (couchettes provided) speeds you across Spain to France, and its capital city, Paris!    Lunch is included today. Coach excursion to the historic city of Toledo, with a guided walking tour including visits to the cathedral, the church of Santo Tomé, a synagogue and a damascene factory. Overnight ELIPSOS Train/Hotel Madrid-Paris, couchettes included. DAY 21: PARIS CITY SIGHTSEEING, CATACOMBS, NOTRE-DAME, BATEAUX-MOUCHES This morning, enjoy a coach tour of the city in the company of a local guide. On the Right Bank of the River Seine, see Napoléon's Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Elysées, the Place de la Concorde and the Place de la Bastille, and the exuberant Opéra Garnier. On the Left Bank, discover the Eiffel Tower, the Invalides and Saint-Germain-des-Prés.   This afternoon, visit the Catacombs, a labyrinth of tunnels used to store bones from reclaimed graveyards. These tunnels served as hiding places for members of the French Resistance during WWII. Please note that this activity is not for the faint of heart as the one-way-only circuit through dark, narrow tunnels lined with human bones takes no less than one hour, with no turning back possible and no catacombs staff available underground.   Then, make your way to the Ile de la Cité, the very heart of the ancient city which the Romans called Lutetia, for a visit of Notre-Dame. This cathedral has presided over centuries of glorious and somber French history, from its construction in the Middle Ages to the French Revolution and the coronation of Napoléon in 1804 (the 35-year-old upstart crowned himself emperor!). Admire the bas-reliefs, statuary, gargoyles and remarkable rose windows.   This evening, see Paris transformed into a wonderland like no other during a Bateaux-Mouches cruise along the River Seine.    Dinner and overnight in Paris. Professionally-guided coach tour of Paris. Visit to the Catacombs. Visit to Notre-Dame Cathedral. Bateaux-Mouches cruise. DAY 22: CHUNNEL TRAIN TO LONDON, CITY SIGHTSEEING This morning, board the high-speed Eurostar train for an exciting ride under the English Channel, through the "Chunnel." Arrive in downtown London less than three hours later!   You've saved precious time. Unpack and get ready to explore the sights and sounds of the British capital on an afternoon guided tour. See Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, St. Paul's, Soho, Oxford Street and #10 Downing Street.   The London theatre scene is unmatched in Europe. You can find anything you're looking for, be it classical drama, whodunits or the best Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals. Why not make plans to attend an optional performance at a West End venue this evening?    Dinner and overnight in London. Chunnel crossing on the Eurostar train Paris-London. Professionally-guided coach tour of London. DAY 23: BRITISH MUSEUM This morning, visit the British Museum. The world's oldest public museum, established in 1753, has been splendidly renovated. It houses, in a stunning building, countless treasures of ancient and modern civilizations. Sculptures from two of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World are on display there along with the Elgin Marbles, the Rosetta Stone, an important collection of Roman artifacts and so much more.   During your free time this afternoon, interested travelers may want to take the tube or a riverboat to Greenwich to walk along the Prime Meridian. There are museums there as well: the Old Royal Observatory with its display of inventions and instruments that marked the advent of modern science, and the National Maritime Museum with the world's largest exhibit of ship models, naval instruments and maps. Nearby are anchored the clipper ship Cutty Sark (one of the fastest vessels of her time when launched in 1869) and Gipsy Moth IV, the 53-foot ketch which Sir Francis Chichester sailed solo around the world in 1966.    Dinner and overnight in London. Visit to the British Museum. DAY 24: FAREWELL Most good things must come to an end. Your suitcase full of memorabilia and of photos ready to be processed, you'll be eager to share your discoveries with family and friends. LAND ONLY GRAND EUROPE: Amsterdam to London via Germany, Italy, Southern France and Spain A travel itinerary prepared forMR. JOSE GONZALEZand executed by passports24 DAYSpassports services begin at Amsterdam hotel on May 28, 2009$5,399 Add $95 lifetime membership/registration fee. Double-room guarantee included.Not included: Roundtrip international airfare, airport taxes or any weekend supplement.TravelPakTM insurance/benefits extra at $149. Amsterdam - 2 nights Bruges - 1 night Heidelberg - 1 night Munich - 2 nights Innsbruck - 1 night Venice area - 1 night Rome - 2 nights Florence - 1 night Nice - 1 night Arles - 1 night Carcassonne - 1 night Barcelona - 3 nights Madrid - 2 nights Aboard train - 1 night Paris - 1 night London - 2 nights Train station transfers. Double-room accommodations in centrally-located three-star or four-star hotels. Services of a specially-trained passports courier throughout. Deluxe motorcoach, with driver, per itinerary. One-day pass for underground and public bus transportation within Rome. All breakfasts, one lunch and twenty two dinners included. NOTE: Lifetime membership valid for unlimited travel with passports. Available from: Munich HOFBRAUHAUS UPGRADE Buffet dinner and show at the Hofbräuhaus, with one soft drink included. Available from: Barcelona BARCELONA PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION PASS - THREE DAY Three day public transportation pass within Zone 1. (Expires at midnight on the third day from day of purchase.) Available from: Madrid MADRID PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION PASS - TWO DAY Two day public transportation pass within Zone A. (Expires at midnight on the second day from day of purchase.) Available from: Paris LOUVRE GUIDED TOUR Reservation and admission to the Louvre Museum for a professionally-guided tour. PARIS VISITE METRO PASS - ONE DAY One-day Metro pass within Zones 1-3. (Expires at midnight on the day of purchase.) Available from: London CARVERY DINNER UPGRADE Dinner at a local carvery. LONDON THEATRE West End theatre performance. LONDON TRAVELCARD - ONE DAY London Travelcard for one day unlimited usage within Zones 1 and 2. (Expires at midnight on the day of purchase.) THAMES RIVER CRUISE AND GREENWICH Round-trip river cruise with entrances to the National Maritime Museum and the Cutty Sark. (You may substitute the Greenwich Observatory for one of these entrances.) *Please note the entire group must choose the same two entrances. THE LONDON EYE Ride on the London Eye. Place a Bid!