European Tour, Italy, Switzerland & France

country:	France, Italy, Switzerland
trip type:	A small group adventure
departures:	Departs selected Saturdays throughout the year beginning April
price:	From £1180 (21 days) excluding flights. Local payment €450. We can arrange flights from the UK. All departure dates are guaranteed

Holidays to Europe

the amazing things you'll be doing

21 days Rome to Paris
Rome, Lucca, Florence, Tuscan cycling, Pisa, Cinque Terre, Milan, Italian Lakes, Lucerne, Swiss Alpine walks, Burgundy vineyards, bubbly in Champagne, Paris

Three unforgettable countries provide one classic overland journey through the true heart of Europe. Experience historic cities, ancient monuments and fantastic coastal scenery. Imagine waking up in the Swiss Alps, sampling some of the finest wine and champagne that France has to offer and relaxing by the regal Italian Lakes. This fantastic itinerary allows us time to take in the best that each country has to offer.

day-by-day itinerary

Day 1:	Rome. The Eternal City is a treasure trove of monuments including the Colosseum, the Vittorio Emmanuel Monument and St Peter's Basilica.
Day 2-5:	Lucca. Travel by train to medieval Lucca, base for our Tuscan explorations. Enjoy a cycling trip alongside the scenic Serchio River. We also take in the sights of nearby Florence and the head-tilting Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Day 6-7:	Cinque Terre. Walk the stunning Cinque Terre, where pastel-coloured villages cling to rocky outcrops high above the sea.
Day 8-9:	Milan/Stresa. After a short stopover in fashionable Milan, say ciao to Stresa, launch pad to the beautiful Borromeo Isles and their Lombard-Baroque villas. Why not take a cable car up to the top of Mount Mottarone for wonderful views of the Swiss Alps.
Day 10-11:	Lucerne. After exploring Lucerne's quaint old town, there is time to catch a cog railway up nearby Mt Pilatus or yodel up a storm at a Swiss folklore show.
Day 12-14:	Lauterbrunnen. Marvel at Trummelbach Falls before relaxing amid glacial cliffs and alpine air. A funicular ride to the 'roof of Europe' at nearby Jungfraujoch is a must.
Day 15-16:	Dijon. Renowned for its fine wines, boeuf bourguignon and mustard, Dijon is also home to the Ducal Palace, which houses the Dukes of Burgundy's art collection.
Day 17-18	Reims. Raise your glasses to this historic city of champagne and coronations. Visit the champagne caves for an insight into the drink's effervescent magic.
Day 19-21:	Paris. Take a scenic stroll along the Seine and soak up the romance of Paris. There is plenty of time to explore so wander the long corridors of the Louvre or climb to the top of the Sacre Coeur in vibrant Montmartre. Then perhaps enjoy a final feast before saying au revoir to this romantic destination.

small group adventure holiday

This is a 'small group adventure' - on our group trips you'll be with a maximum of 11 like minded travellers and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends it's good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting people from other parts of the world as well as seeing new places! (more)

Because of our small group size, we're able to guarantee departures for all of our trips. Once you have booked and paid your deposit, your trip is guaranteed to go!

highly commended

This tourism business was Highly Commended in our 2007 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society.

Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.

how this holiday makes a difference

We are committed to a style of travel that is environmentally, culturally and socially responsible. With your participation we aim to travel in a way that conserves the areas we visit and bring positive benefits to local communities. Basically we ask all our travellers to respect local rules and values. This means different things in different countries so be as informed as possible about the country you visit before you arrive - try to learn some of the local language and read about the religion and culture. This will improve your travelling experience. With a little effort on your part you will find yourself coming away with a greater sense of understanding of other cultures and feeling pleased to have left a positive mark on the country you visited.

As this trip traverses three countries, it is important for travellers to learn as much as possible in advance about the cultural differences that will arise, so that we can travel respecting these differences and minimising any negative impacts. Your group leader and the local guides we use along the way will help to break down barriers in your interactions with local people.

Our travel style involves:

Grass roots travel using local public transport where possible - minimises demand for special tourist vehicles and fuel.
We choose small-scale locally owned accommodation and homestays where available and local restaurants and markets for dining, retaining revenue in local communities.
Our leaders facilitate communication of our values to travellers and local communities, educating them in sustainable tourism practices.
We employ local guides to aid travellers' understanding of local culture and etiquette.
Small groups allow travellers to experience cultures at first hand, offering greater opportunity for cross- cultural understanding.

Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people.

We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel.

'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left).

We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays.

We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism.

This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards.