THE BEST OF ITALY & FRANCE - 2010

12 days incl. travel, or 11 days from Rome to Paris (HH)

Return to Italy Escorted Tours

Vacation Overview

This exciting vacation features 2-night stays in Rome, Venice, Florence, Nice, and Paris. Begin in Rome with guided sightseeing that includes the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s, the Colosseum, and the Roman Forum. Pause in Assisi to visit St. Francis’ Basilica, then to Venice for a private boat ride and guided walking tour that showcases St. Mark’s, Doges’ Palace, and the Bridge of Sighs. On to Ferrara to imposing Este Castle, then stop in Florence, the “Cradle of the Renaissance.” Here you’ll see Michelangelo’s David, the Cathedral, and Signoria Square. A scenic drive takes you to Pisa and its Leaning Tower, then along the Italian and French Rivieras to Nice for a stop at a local perfume factory and an included excursion to the famous artist town of St. Paul de Vence. Finally, board the high-speed TGV train and head to Paris, where guided sightseeing shows you the most famous sights: the Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Élysées, Notre Dame Cathedral, and a visit to the second floor of the Eiffel Tower.

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Things to see on your vacation: View Vacation Photo Slideshow

A Vacation Story Assisi

"Saint Francis may be Assisi’s most internationally famous son, the charismatic preacher who has been the subject of numerous bio-pics. But his female counterpart, Saint Clare, evokes almost as much devotion amongst Italians. Her life story reads like a medieval inversion of The Sound of Music: A beautiful young woman born into a wealthy family, she was betrothed at an early age to a dashing local noble and seemed destined for a conventional life of luxury and pleasure. But her future was transformed in 1210, when she saw the handsome young Francis, espousing the sacred virtues of poverty in the streets of Assisi. Clare immediately cut off her long golden hair, took a vow of celibacy, gave away all her fine clothes and began to dress in a simple cassock. She soon founded her own religious order for women, the Poor Sisters of Saint Clare, which demonstrated a devotion to good works that matches the all-male Franciscan order of monks. In fact, she is often known to Catholics as alter Franciscus, another Francis."