AVALON 2009: WINDMILLS,VINEYARDS & PARIS (WAR)

Mehrangarh Fort,built in 1459,is one of the largest forts in Rajasthan.

	Specials
	Cruises
	Resorts
	Tours
	Vacation Packages

15 days incl. air, or 14 days from Amsterdam to Paris

Experience France, Luxembourg, Germany, Belgium, and Holland on this fantastic cruise vacation. See the city's major highlights on a guided tour of Paris and travel between Paris and Metz via TGV high-speed train. Also enjoy guided sightseeing in Trier and Cologne, a canal cruise in Amsterdam, and take pictures of the windmills at famous Kinderdijk. Visit Reichsburg Castle in Cochem and enjoy a wine cellar visit in Bernkastel. Guided sightseeing in Arnhem includes a visit to the Airborne Museum Hartenstein, and you can sample the area's famous Riesling wines in the pretty wine village of Rudesheim.

HOTELS
Paris Le Meridien Montparnasse (SF)

Details

Tour Operator

Globus

Duration

15 Days

Escorted

Escorted - Yes

Itinerary

Day	Destination	Description
Day 1	Board your flight	(Sat.) Board your overnight transatlantic flight.
Day 2	Amsterdam	(Sun.) Welcome to Amsterdam! Holland's capital is sophisticated and modern, with a rich and fascinating history. The works of famous Dutch masters can be seen in world-renowned museums such as the Rijksmuseum or the Van Gogh. This afternoon, the crew of your vessel awaits to welcome you aboard. (D)
Day 3	Amsterdam	(Mon.) There is no better way to see the city than by CANAL BOAT, cruising through the elegant grachten lined with stately homes dating back to Amsterdam's "Golden Age." There is plenty of free time to explore on your own. Your Cruise Director will have suggestions of how to make the most of your stay. (B,L,D)
Day 4	Gouda-Dordrecht	(Tue.) The Netherlands and cheese-a winning combination. Gouda, located at the confluence of the Ijssel and Gouwe Rivers, is famous not only for its cheese but also for the 70 stained-glass windows in ST. JOHN'S CHURCH. After visiting the town with a local expert, time to stroll through the little lanes or to have a cup of coffee alongside one of its canals. After lunch we cruise through the busy HARBOR of Rotterdam. Sitting between two branches of the Rhine, charming Dordrecht inspired many painters in the 17th and 18th centuries. Nearby is KINDERDIJK with its picturesque row of windmills. (B,L,D)
Day 5	Antwerp	(Wed.) Antwerp is Belgium's second-largest city and one of the world's most important ancient seaports. Included sightseeing shows you its superb architecture, the GROTE MARKT with its beautiful city hall, and the Church of Our Lady. (B,L,D)
Day 6	Maastricht	(Thu.) Once prized for its strategic location at the confines of Belgium and Germany, Maastricht is now the bustling cosmopolitan capital of the province of Limburg. The town is quite distinct from the rest of the country with its bustling pedestrian precincts, squares with sprawling cafe terraces, almost Mediterranean atmosphere, Mosan-type stone houses, and its rolling hinterland. A university town since 1976, Maastricht has five faculties and boasts a student population of around 7,000. As we start sailing down the Maas River this afternoon, you might want to join an optional excursion across the border to Germany for a visit of Aachen, ancient seat of Charles the Great. (B,L,D)
Day 7	Arnhem	(Fri.). One of the major tragedies of World War II was the Battle of Arnhem, featured vividly in the AIRBORNE MUSEUM HARTENSTEIN and the inspiration for the movie A Bridge Too Far. A visit to the American War Cemetery near Nijmegen is available after lunch. Tonight, sail into Germany. (B,L,D)
Day 8	Cologne	(Sat.) Cologne is the capital of the Rhineland and one of Germany's largest cities. The soaring twin steeples of the magnificent gothic cathedral dominate the river skyline, and the Germano-Roman Museum next to the cathedral is a must for history buffs! The OLD TOWN abounds with taverns, cafes, and shops. Try a Kolsch, the favorite local beer, and shop for a bottle of 4711, the original "eau de cologne." (B,L,D)
Day 9	Koblenz-Rhine Gorge-Rudesheim	(Sun.) Situated at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle Rivers, 2,000-year-old Koblenz is the cultural and business center of the Middle Rhine region. The DEUTSCHES ECK, located on a tongue of land where the two rivers converge, holds an impressive equestrian statue of Wilhelm I. The dramatic RHINE GORGE is the most beautiful stretch of river. Pass the legendary rock of the Lorelei, where sweet songs of local beauties lured enchanted sailors to their doom. Rudesheim is the perfect example of a Rhine Valley wine town and SIEGFRIED'S MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MUSEUM is a real surprise! A SPECIAL TREAT is planned, then time to explore the Drosselgasse and pick up some souvenirs. (B,L,D)
Day 10	Cochem	(Mon.) Today we sail up the Moselle River, which rises in the Vosges Mountains of northeastern France and enters Germany at Trier. Visit Cochem's REICHSBURG CASTLE, which sits atop a conical hill covered in vines. From here the views of the little town nestled down below and of the river valley are splendid. Cruising the wide, peaceful curves of the river, it quickly becomes obvious that the Moselle is an important wine-growing region. Most notably, the Riesling grape is cultivated, producing a dry to sweet, floral white wine. (B,L,D)
Day 11	Bernkastel	(Tue.) In the middle of the Moselle region is the charming wine village of Bernkastel with its well-preserved half-timbered houses surrounding the beautiful MARKET PLACE. Wine growers in this area look after Germany's largest expanse of vineyards, the most celebrated of the vintages being the Bernkastel Doktor. Before dinner, visit a local WINE CELLAR and taste several of this region's varietals. (B,L,D)
Day 12	Trier-Remich, Luxembourg	(Wed.) The venerable Episcopal city of Trier is the oldest in Germany and, some claim, even older than Rome! A house on the marketplace bears the inscription, "Trier was standing 1,300 years before Rome." The famous PORTA NIGRA is the only surviving fortified gate from the original Roman settlement and it still gives access to the town center. Trier's most famous son was socialist revolutionary Karl Marx. This afternoon, cruise to Remich in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. (B,L,D)
Day 13	Remich (Disembarkation)-Paris, France	(Thu.) After breakfast, transfer to Metz to board the TGV HIGH-SPEED TRAIN for a swift and comfortable journey to Paris. (B)
Day 14	Paris	(Fri.) Paris' famous sights are living history: your included city sightseeing shows you magnificent Notre Dame Cathedral, the unique Louvre Museum with its glass pyramid as a contrast to its ancient architecture, the commemorative Arc de Triomphe, Opera, Madeleine, Champs Elysees, and the Eiffel Tower, a structural miracle of its age. The city is well known for its colorful nightlife including some of the world's most famous cabarets. (B)
Day 15	Paris	(Sat.) Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (B)

Dates/Pricing

Disclaimer

US$ Price Details

Port charges: $154 per person.

Please call for single accommodation price. Triples not available.

Extra nights per person in Amsterdam:
in single room $490, in twin room $280

Extra nights per person in Paris
in single room $400, in twin room $235

Prices shown above include cruise in Category E in a deluxe outside stateroom on Indigo Deck.

To upgrade to a higher category (all staterooms Twin/Double), add per person:

Category / Affinity Decks / Price
B / Sapphire Deck / $784
A / Sapphire Deck / $863
P / Royal Deck / $1,020
Jr. Suite / Royal Deck / $1,884

Our Volume Buying Power Saves You Money!
-We may be able to provide you with flight arrangements from your gateway city.
-Additional accommodations before or after your tour may be available at our low prices.

Additional Information:
-Departure/arrival taxes and fares from other cities will be advised at the time of booking.
-2008, 2009 & 2010 vacation itineraries and prices are subject to change.

Guaranteed Air-Inclusive Price:
Air-inclusive prices do not include a September 11th fee up to $10, passenger facility charges of up to $18, Federal domestic flight segment fees of up to $3.50 per segment and U.S. and International arrival and departure and other government imposed fees of up to $300 depending on your itinerary. Please see the Applicable Airfare Taxes and Fee link above for more information.

Air booked in conjunction with a land vacation is considered an air-inclusive vacation. Air can only be booked by Globus in conjunction with a land package and is only available for passengers traveling from the United States. For vacation departures in 2008, your final air-inclusive vacation price is guaranteed when your air schedule had been confirmed and your entire vacation package has been paid in full. For vacation departures in 2009, an additional $250 non-refundable deposit (total $500 non-refundable) is required for air booked in conjunction with any land vacation and your final air-inclusive vacation price is guaranteed when your flight information is confirmed and Globus has received your full land and air deposit.

Not Included in the Vacation Price:
Federal inspection fees for the Federal U.S. Customs and Immigrations; International Air Transportation tax; agricultural tax; other per person taxes imposed by government entities; airport taxes and fees including the September 11th Security fee up to $10 per person, Passenger facility charges up to $18 per person, Federal domestic flight segment fees up to $3.50 per segment and U.S. and International arrival and departure, and other government imposed fees up to $300 per person; port taxes; passports; visas and vaccinations; tips to your Tour or Cruise Director, Local Host, driver, Local Guides, and/or ships' crew; gratuities on ferries, trains, and cruise ships; laundry; telephone; minibar; alcohol, beverages, and food outside of the contracted Globus menu as presented at a hotel or restaurant (these extra items will be billed to you before leaving the hotel, ship, or restaurant); optional excursions; airport transfers on non-qualifying flights; porterage at airports and train stations; Travel Protection premiums; all airline imposed baggage fees (including internal flights); and all other items of a personal nature.

Online Agency Travel Websites