Globus > THE BEST OF AUSTRIA and SWITZERLAND (ZC2008)

THE BEST OF AUSTRIA and SWITZERLAND (ZC2008)
13 Days starting from $2,149

Countries Visited:
Austria, Switzerland

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Length: 13 Days
Type: First Class Tour
Category: REGIONAL DISCOVERY EUROPE
Operator: Globus
Tour Code: ZC-2008
   
 
About This Tour



Vacation Overview
For those with a bit more time this 13-day journey covers all the highlights of two of Europe’s most scenic countries: Austria and Switzerland. Enjoy two-night stays in Salzburg, Zermatt, and Lucerne, and a three-night stay in romantic Vienna. This pace allows for many special included visits and enough free time to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery in this part of Europe, including leisure time in posh St. Moritz. The Danube cruise, the Sound of Music’s lake country, Mirabell Gardens in Salzburg, quaint Innsbruck, Zermatt’s mountain train, and an unforgettable ride on the famous Glacier Express from Chur to Zermatt makes this one of Globus’ most scenic vacations.

 
  • What's Included
  • Itinerary
  • Dates & Prices
  • Sightseeing Highlights
  • Additional Details
  • SPECIALS

Meals
11 buffet breakfasts (BB); 1 lunch (L) on the Glacier Express train; 6 three-course dinners (D), including a welcome dinner in Vienna and a farewell dinner in Lucerne

Hotels
VIENNA De France (SF), SALZBURG Best Western Stieglbräu (F), ST. MORITZ Monopol (F) or Laudinella (F), ZERMATT Pollux (F), BERNE Allegro (SF), LUCERNE Grand Hotel Europe (F)
Day 1:
Board your overnight transatlantic flight.

Day 2:
Arrival in Vienna, Austria. Time to rest or start exploring the Viennese capital. At 6 p.m. meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a special welcome dinner at your hotel. (D)

Day 3:
Vienna. Meet your Local Guide and start your sightseeing with vistas of Prater Park with its giant Ferris wheel, and the United Nations City on the banks of the Danube River. Then drive along Ring Boulevard, pass the State Opera House, the Jewish quarter, and stop at the Hofburg Palace, winter residence of the Austrian Imperial family. Marvel at the impressive courtyards and famous Heldenplatz and visit awesome ST. STEPHEN’S CATHEDRAL. Afternoon at leisure. Optional excursions to Schönbrunn Palace and the wine village of Grinzing are available. (BB)

Day 4:
At Leisure in Vienna. A full day to explore Vienna independently. Why not visit the imposing Hofburg Palace to see the precious Habsburg dynasty treasures? If you are interested in great paintings, do not miss the Museum of Fine Arts, with works by Jan Van Eyck, Rubens, Rembrandt, Raphael, and more. Later, you may want to join an optional excursion. (BB)

Day 5:
Vienna–Melk–Salzburg. This morning enjoy a leisurely DANUBE CRUISE. Afterwards, follow the Danube Valley to historic Melk for pictures of the Melk Abbey. No landscape is more typically Austrian than the Salzkammergut lakeland. A picture stop at the Parish Church in Mondsee, which was used for the wedding scenes in The Sound of Music, then continue to Salzburg. (BB,D)

Day 6:
Salzburg. A pleasant stroll with a Local Guide takes you through the historic center. Admire exquisite MIRABELL GARDENS, the Great Festival Hall, ST. PETER’S CHURCHYARD, the monumental Domplatz and take pictures of Mozart’s birthplace in the charming Getreidegasse. Afternoon at leisure with optional possibilities. (BB)

Day 7:
Salzburg–Innsbruck–St. Moritz, Switzerland. Morning visit to Innsbruck in the Tyrolean Mountains. Enjoy a pleasant walk through its quaint medieval lanes to Emperor Maximilian’s GOLDEN ROOF. Next, enter the Swiss Engadine, considered by many as the most beautiful mountain area in the world, with its deep-blue lakes, airy larch forests that turn golden in the fall, mountain peaks exceeding 12,000 feet, and quaint villages with massive white stone houses in the characteristic Grisons style. The rest of the day is at leisure in ritzy St. Moritz. (BB,D)

Day 8:
St. Moritz–Chur–Zermatt. Drive through exhilarating Alpine scenery. At Chur board the first-class panoramic coach of the world-renowned GLACIER EXPRESS TRAIN. Admire thundering waterfalls, impressive peaks, glacial ice fields, and tiny villages as you pass through the Valais, a region known for its great mountain resorts and excellent wines. This afternoon you are in Zermatt, a picturesque cluster of rustic chalets beneath the majestic Matterhorn. (BB,L,D)

Day 9:
At Leisure in Zermatt. An entire day at leisure to breathe the fresh mountain air and to catch up on your postcards. A suggestion: ride Europe’s highest rack-railway to 10,272-foot Gornergrat for a breathtaking panoramic view of the Alps. (BB)

Day 10:
Zermatt–Berne. Board the MOUNTAIN TRAIN to Täsch and motor through the vineyards and apricot groves of the lower Rhône Valley to the shores of Lake Geneva. Here enjoy a highlight visit to CHILLON CASTLE, the 12th-century water fortress immortalized by the poet Lord Byron. Evening arrival in Berne. (BB,D)

Day 11:
Berne–Interlaken–Lucerne. Sightseeing with a Local Guide starts at the popular BEAR PIT and then focuses on the monumental Federal Palace and the beautifully preserved medieval Old Town. Witness the hourly parade of painted figures at the Clock Tower and take your pictures of ornate, floweradorned fountains. Leisurely lunch break in Interlaken, beautifully situated beneath the towering Jungfrau. Over Brünig Pass to picture-book Lucerne. You may wish to sign up for a folklore party with yodeling and alphorn blowing for a first-hand impression of Alpine merrymaking. (BB)

Day 12:
Lucerne. On your walking tour this morning, admire Thorwaldsen’s LION MONUMENT and ornate patrician houses of the walled Old Town, then cross the famous covered CHAPEL BRIDGE to the Jesuit church. Afterwards, shop for watches and choose from our optional activities: climb a mountain by cable car or take a cruise on the fjord-like lake. Tonight a farewell dinner to celebrate the success of your Swiss vacation. (BB,D)

Day 13:
Lucerne–Zurich Airport. Homebound flight. Morning transfer to Zurich Airport in time for homebound flights leaving no earlier than 10 a.m. Extra nights are available in Zurich, not Lucerne. (BB)


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Airfare Disclaimer
A NOTE ABOUT AIRFARE: We encourage you to buy your airfare from the tour operator, because if your tour cancels then your airlines tickets will be covered. Purchasing flights separately at a lesser rate and incorporating it with a Non-Guaranteed Departure Date can result in loss of total cost of your flight investment. Depending on the fare rules, flights may be Non-Refundable and/or Non-Transferable. Neither the tour operator and/or Atlas Cruises & Tours will be held responsible for loss if a tour is cancelled for Lack of Participation. If you would like to check for discounted fares on Guaranteed Departures or for competitive pricing on air and hotel packages, we invite you to follow this link.

Documents
TRAVEL DOCUMENTS: Necessary Travel Documents such as Passports and Visas is the responsibility of the traveler. Passports must be valid six months from your return travel date.

         
Touring Date
Land Only
Land + Air
Single
(Land Only)
Single
(Land + Air)
10/11/2008 - 10/23/2008
$2,149
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Price Details US
Single room supplement:
$357

Triple room reduction per person:
$72

Extra nights per person in Vienna:
in single room $166, in twin room $106, in triple room $102

Extra nights per person in Zurich:
in single room $145, in twin room $95, in triple room $80

City Highlights
VIENNA
Welcome dinner; guided sightseeing, visit St. Stephen’s Cathedral

DANUBE CRUISE

MELK
Picture stop at the abbey

SALZBURG
Guided sightseeing, visit Mirabell Gardens and St. Peter’s Churchyard

INNSBRUCK
Orientation including the Golden Roof

CHUR-ZERMATT
Glacier Express Train (first-class)

CHILLON
Guided visit of the castle

BERNE
Guided sightseeing including the Bear Pit

INTERLAKEN
Lunch stop

LUCERNE
Orientation walk including the Lion Monument and Chapel Bridge; farewell dinner

Price Details US
Single room supplement:
$357

Triple room reduction per person:
$72

Extra nights per person in Vienna:
in single room $166, in twin room $106, in triple room $102

Extra nights per person in Zurich:
in single room $145, in twin room $95, in triple room $80

CURRENT SPECIALS:

Standard Offers and Specials provided by Globus

Discount for young travelers

Share the pleasure of a Globus vacation with your children and grandchildren and take advantage of a 10-percent discount on the land-only price. For eligibility, children must be under 18 years of age on the departure date and must be accompanied by an adult. On escorted vacations we don’t accept children under eight years old because we have found that they are too young to enjoy these vacations.

Pay less for your second vacation

We charge you vacation price for your first vacation in 2008, but for every additional Globus vacation you take in the same year, you pay US$35 under list. Our vacations are designed and scheduled so you can combine them almost any way you want. It’s fun to play the add-a-vacation game yourself or talk to your travel agent.

Triple room reduction

On most Globus vacations you receive a reduction when three people travel together and share the same accommodations. Triple room reductions, when available, are listed on the itinerary pages. A word of caution: Triple rooms usually are no larger than twin rooms and the third bed, if there is one, is often a rollaway put in a twin-bedded room.

Avoid the single room supplement

We do not take reservations on a “share” basis because we have found that strangers rarely enjoy sharing a room for the duration of their vacation. Avoid the single room supplement by traveling with a friend. It’s less expensive and much more fun!


Do you have a large party of friends or family that wants to travel?

Right now when you book between 5 and 7 people before December 31, 2008, each passenger will save $75.* For example, book 5 passengers and receive a $375 discount, 6 passengers equals a $450 discount and 7 passengers will receive a $525 discount. With an offer like this, the world’s greatest destinations are now closer than ever!

*Book a 2009 Globus vacation for five, six or seven travelers to receive the $75 off per person offer. Booking must be made, under deposit, and discount applied between Jun 4 and Dec 31, 2008 for travel through December 31, 2009. Individuals must be traveling together from the same origination point to receive the discount. Not valid with any other offer and applies to new 2009 bookings only. Offer reliant on space availability. Full cancellation penalties will apply. Additional restrictions may apply.


   
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