Compare Splendors of Germany by Great Value Vacations vs European Whirl (Paris, Base) by Trafalgar

Day 1: Welcome to Berlin!

Accommodation: Hilton Berlin

Upon arrival in the capital city you will be met by a local representative who will assist you with your car rental, and provide you with your final documents. The remainder of the day is yours at leisure, to begin exploring Berlin.

Day 2: Berlin

In the morning you will enjoy a regular city tour with audio-guides. This tour provides an overview of historic and contemporary Berlin, and includes many of the most famous monuments: the Kurfürstendamm, the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche Church, Charlottenburg Castle, the Siegessäule, the Government district (Regierungsviertel), Brandenburg Gate, the Holocaust Memorial (the monument to the murdered European Jews), Unter den Linden Avenue and the Museum Island. The remainder of your day is at leisure. Overnight in Berlin.

Day 3: Berlin – Potsdam – Dresden

Accommodation: InterCity Hotel Dresden

Today you will leave Berlin, and drive to Dresden. On the way, we recommend a stop in Potsdam to visit the Sanssouci Palace and Park – a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and former residence of Frederick the Great. Offering a breathtaking panorama of culture and history, Potsdam itself is best known for the magnificent palaces and parks that date back to its time as the former royal seat of Prussia, its noteworthy architecture and scholars, as well as for the important role it played in the Cold War. Continue on to Dresden - one of Germany’s most beautiful cities, known for its naturally beautiful surroundings, unique cultural landscape, musical heritage and award-winning modern architecture.

Driving Distance: 150 Miles

Day 4: Dresden

A great way to explore this lovely city is by foot. You may want to visit the recently restored Frauenkirche Church, the famous Dresden Opera House, and the Imperial Zwinger Palace. Enjoy a stroll along the Elbe River, and perhaps take in some of city’s acclaimed museums, which have formed the basis of the city’s reputation as an international center of arts and culture.

Day 5: Dresden – Nuremberg

Accommodation: Leonardo Hotel Nuremberg

After breakfast, set out on your drive to Nuremberg.  This incredible city has mirrored German history ever since the middle Ages – the power, the tension, great achievements and great tragedies. Today it offers a vibrant and diverse arts and culture scene, alongside sites that serve as reminders of the darker years in the city’s long history – including the documentation center at the former Nazi Party Rally Grounds, and Court Room 600 at the Palace of Justice, where the chief perpetrators of the Nazi atrocities were tried and convicted in 1946.

Driving Distance: 195 Miles

Day 6: Nuremberg – Munich

Accommodation: Metropol

Enjoy some time in Nuremberg if you wish, before driving on to Munich. Munich is a modern, cosmopolitan city that is full of life, with a long heritage – often referred to as Germany’s “lifestyle capital.”

Driving Distance: 105 Miles

Day 7: Munich

After breakfast, you will explore Munich on a regular city tour. You may hop-on and hop-off at the stops of your choice, and take your time getting around, and getting to learn the city. The “don’t miss” stops include the National Theatre, Marienplatz Square with the City Hall and the Frauenkirche Church. Overnight in Munich. 

Day 8: Depart Germany

Your vacation comes to an end today. Leaving the appropriate amount of time to return your rental car, drive yourself to the airport in Munich for your return flight home.

Day 1: Welcome to London

The vibrant British capital where you will spend the next two nights, enjoying the pomp and pageantry of a city that effortlessly combines old and new.

The Tower

Day 2: Discover Historic London

Join a Local Specialist this morning for a tour to see the iconic sites of London, including Big Ben, the imposing Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. Spend a leisurely afternoon shopping on Carnaby Street, consider visiting one of London’s museums or wander along the Thames watching ambitious Londoners pound the pavements.

The Tower

Breakfast

Day 3: Eurostar™ to Brussels and on to Amsterdam

This morning we meet our Travel Director before traveling to London's St. Pancras International where we will board the Eurostar™ for a high-speed train journey to Brussels and a luxury coach journey to Amsterdam. Enjoy an orientation of this historic Dutch city before joining your fellow travelers and Travel Director for a dinner cruise on its canals.

Mercure City

Breakfast, Dinner

Day 4: Journey to the Rhineland and a Scenic Cruise

Driving through the lush landscapes of the Netherlands and Germany, we arrive in Boppard where we board a cruise along the Rhine to St. Goar, passing vineyard-clad hills and medieval castles perched above riverside towns. Arriving in the Baroque city of Heidelberg, we explore its unexpected highlights before traveling to our Rhineland hotel.

Sinsheim

Breakfast, Dinner

Day 5: Off to Innsbruck

Crossing the Swabian Alps on the edge of the Black Forest, we arrive in the Bavarian capital of Munich. Our orientation takes us past the Hofbrauhaus, reputedly the most famous Beerhall in the world, and the neo-Gothic Town Hall which dominates the Marienplatz. We cross the Austrian border next, arriving in Innsbruck, the capital of the Alps. Admire the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture of the Old Town, including Emperor Maximilian's famous Golden Roof with its ornate façade and consider an evening of traditional Tyrolean entertainment.

Tivoli Innsbruck

Breakfast

Day 6: Onwards to the Canals of Venice Make Travel Matter

Journey through the emerald-green landscape along the Brenner Pass into Italy and across the Dolomite Mountains to Venice. We cruise the beautiful Venetian lagoon by private launch to the gateway of Venice, St. Mark's Square. View the ornate Doge's Palace and the Bridge of Sighs, so named for the sound made by condemned prisoners as they took one last longing look at their beautiful city before meeting their fate. Enjoy a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience where you’ll witness the centuries-old craft of Venetian glassblowing. You’ll learn how the master craftsmen shape the molten glass to make the exquisite and delicate works of art that adorn homes all over the world and perhaps be inspired to buy your own souvenir as a reminder of this special visit. There’s time later to enjoy the city your way. Get lost in Venice, cross bridges and discover hidden campi where locals share their daily stories over a glass of Venetian Spritz.

Novotel Mestre Castellana

Breakfast

Day 7: All Roads Lead to Rome Connect with Locals

Travel south across the Veneto Plain, passing Bologna and the dramatic Apennine Mountains as well as the green and golden fields of Lazio before reaching Rome, the 'Eternal City'. En route, we Connect With Locals over lunch at a Be My Guest experience and enjoy true Tuscan hospitality with a local family on their private estate in the Chianti countryside.

A. Roma Lifestyle

Breakfast, Lunch

Day 8: Discover Ancient Rome and the Vatican City

Our first stop today sees us discover the divine beauty of the Vatican City. We'll visit St. Peter's Basilica with a Local Specialist to view Michelangelo's Renaissance masterpiece, the Pietà. We continue to Ancient Rome to view Roman Forum, the walls of the iconic Colosseum and Circus Maximus, once the site of exhilarating chariot races centuries ago. The afternoon is yours to explore the city on your terms. Sit on the Spanish Steps savoring a tasty gelato, shop up a storm on the trendy Via Condotti or perhaps join an Optional Experience to see the magnificent frescoed ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

A. Roma Lifestyle

Breakfast

Day 9: Continue to Renaissance Florence

From Rome, we travel north through the rolling countryside of Tuscany and along the Arno valley to the 'Cradle of the Renaissance', Florence. Delve into the rich Medici heritage of this beautiful medieval city with your Local Specialist. Visit the political hub of the city, Piazza della Signoria, with its impressive sculptures and stunning palazzi. View the imposing Duomo, crowned by Brunelleschi’s dome, and the Baptistery, renowned for its sculptured bronze doors.

Hilton Metropole

Breakfast

Day 10: Across the Alps to Lucerne

Drive via the scenic Italian Lakes District, across the Alps into beautiful Switzerland, where we'll spend the next two nights in the medieval lakeside city of Lucerne. View the mournful, mortally wounded lion hewn from rock to commemorate the Swiss Guards who lost their lives defending Louis XVI. Walk along the flower-lined 14th-century covered Chapel Bridge, crossing the river Reuss.

Grand Europe

Breakfast

Day 11: Explore Lucerne

This morning join an exciting Optional Experience to one of the surrounding peaks for breath taking views of the Swiss countryside. We have some time later to discover the best Swiss chocolates in town.

Grand Europe

Breakfast, Dinner

Day 12: On to Captivating Paris

Crossing the border into France this morning, we travel past the picturesque vineyards and country towns of Burgundy en route to the 'City of Lights'. Spend some time this evening strolling along the Seine and grand boulevards in search of a cozy bistro for fine French cuisine or consider an Optional Experience to a colorful Parisian cabaret.

Evergreen Laurel

Breakfast

Day 13: Discover the Sights of Paris

Join a Local Specialist today for a sightseeing tour of this romantic city. View the sophisticated Champs-Élysées, Place de la Concorde, the 19th-century Arc de Triomphe, honoring those who fought for France, and Notre Dame Cathedral, then enjoy a stroll through the Latin Quarter. Our European Whirl is almost at its end, we spend the evening with fellow travelers and our Travel Director, enjoying a Farewell Dinner in a local bistro.

Evergreen Laurel

Breakfast, Dinner

Day 14: Farewell Paris

Today bid adieu to your fellow travelers and Travel Director at the end of your memorable experience.

Breakfast