CONTINENTAL INTRODUCTION - 2010

15 days incl. travel, or 14 days from Paris to Amsterdam (HY)

Return to France Vacations

Vacation Overview

This trip gives you a satisfying taste of the heart of Europe. Enjoy 2-night stays in Paris, Rome, Venice, and Amsterdam, and single-night stays in Lucerne, Lugano, Florence, Munich, and Germany’s Rhineland. Guided sightseeing introduces you to all the major sights, like Notre Dame Cathedral and a bird’s-eye view of Paris from the Eiffel Tower; the Lion Monument in Lucerne; the Baptistry’s “Gate of Paradise,” Signoria Square, and Michelangelo’s David in Florence; Rome’s Colosseum and Sistine Chapel; St. Mark’s Square, Doges’ Palace, and the Bridge of Sighs in Venice; the Olympic Stadium and Nymphenburg Palace in Munich; and a canal cruise in Amsterdam. Other highlights include Pisa’s Leaning Tower, a private boat transfer and glassblowing demonstration in Venice, Ferrara, Innsbruck, medieval Rothenburg, Cologne, and a cruise down the romantic Rhine—the best way to see Europe in two weeks!

Special Departure:
Dec 17th Departure - Christmas Eve in Rome

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Extend Your Vacation in London by Eurostar Train (HYT)

Things to see on your vacation: View Vacation Photo Slideshow

A Vacation Story Notre Dame Cathedral

Europe’s most famous cathedral, whose twin Gothic towers loom above France’s most beloved river, the Seine, actually owes a lot of its international success to the author Victor Hugo. Back in 1831, when Hugo wrote his classic novel about a hunchbacked bell-ringer at Notre Dame who falls in love with a beautiful gypsy, the medieval cathedral had fallen on hard times. During the Revolution in 1789, it had been seized, looted of its treasures and converted into an atheistic “Temple of Reason.” Even worse, after the monarchy was restored in 1815, Notre Dame was used as riverside warehouse – its once-splendid glass windows now dimmed and its facades decaying pathetically above the Île de la Cité. But Parisian’s indifference to their landmark ended suddenly in 1831, when Victor Hugo published his romantic novel the “Hunchback of Notre Dame,” (called “Notre-Dame de Paris” in French). The book was an international bestseller and lured armies of tourists to Paris in search of its Gothic cathedral setting. Hugo used this groundswell of public interest to lobby the French government for renovations of his beloved Notre Dame. From 1845 to 1864, repairs were indeed carried out – the clogged medieval streets nearby were cleared, revealing the marvelous edifice we see today.