The Best of France
Including Northern Italy and the Matterhorn Mountain of Switzerland
July 28th-Aug 7th 2011

Join us for a wonderful way to spend an extended summer holiday visiting France in all its glory with 3 nights in Magnificent Paris, 3 nights visiting the chic towns and beaches of the gorgeous French Riviera and 3 nts. exploring the captivating Italian Riviera.

Our tour includes 9 amazing days and nights featuring:

•  3 days in Paris with a tour to see its famed sites like the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, Arc De Triomphe and more.
• A visit to stroll Monet’s water lilies and impressionist gardens at Giverny, just 1 hour outside Paris
• A visit to the amazing Palace of Versailles along with an amazing Laser light and fireworks show at the Versailles Gardens & Fountains
•  3 days in the charming town of Nice on the fabulous French Riviera with visits to the chic towns & beaches of Cannes, St. Tropez and the incredible cliff top village of St. Paul Devance.
• Visit the chic principality of Monaco and Monte Carlo
• 3 nights on the gorgeous Italian Riviera town of Stressa, along scenic Lake Maggiore with visits to the fashion gem that is Milan, the brilliant mansions along Lake Como and the chocolate lover’s paradise of Torino.
• Plus enjoy an included day trip from Stressa into Switzerland for a cable car ride to the top of the Magnificent Matterhorn mountain in the amazing Swiss Alps

Plus enjoy an included day trip from Stressa into Switzerland for a cable car ride to the top of the Magnificent Matterhorn mountain in the amazing Swiss Alps, along with a free afternoon for shopping for Great Swiss timepieces, cheeses or for the adventurous, to hike gorgeous mountain trails plus an optional Swiss fondue dinner for all in the scenic village of Zermatt nestled at the base of the gorgeous Swiss Alps.

Enjoy an optional day trip from Stressa to visit the scenic Boromean islands, less than 30 minutes by ferry from Stressa, featuring gorgeous lakefront mansions with exquisite flora and fauna, immaculately terraced gardens and more.

All together, you will enjoy a journey that will leave memories to cherish.

 
DAILY ITINERARY:

Thursday July 28th – Depart NY-JFK at 5:25pm on our nonstop American Airlines flight to Paris France

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Our group will be accompanied by an experienced allsinglestravel.com trip leader on our flights and throughout our tour.

Friday July 29th
Upon arrival this morning we will be met at the airport by our local French tour manager and taken on a guided  tour of the sites of Paris aboard our chartered coach air conditioned coach.  We will see famed sites including the Arc d Triomphe, the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Eifel Tower.

Following our tour we will be transferred to our 4 star hotel for the next 4 nights, the Novotel Eifel Tower.   www.novotel.com/gb/hotel-3546-novotel-paris-tour-eiffel/index.shtml

Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

Stain glass windows at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

The afternoon is free to enjoy exploring Paris at your leisure.

Saturday July 30th
This morning is free to explore Paris at your leisure.  At midday we will be picked up at our hotel and coached aboard our chartered air conditioned coach the short 1 hour to Giverney where we will enjoy free time to explore the fabulous gardens, home and water lilies of famed impressionist artist Claude Monet.

Here you will be able to stroll at your leisure to explore the same gardens as did Monet.  View the ponds where the water lilies he painted still float effortlessly and tour the house in which he lived.    Free time will be provided for lunch on site .

Monet's Home at Giverny

The gardens of Monet at Giverny

The scenic water lilies in Monet’s gardens at Giverny

Following our visit to Giverney, we will coach the easy 75 minutes to the palace of Versailles the masterpiece of King Louis XIV built in 1682 .  Here we will enjoy a guided tour of the ornate palace featuring bedrooms and ballrooms of royalty.

Versailles was the official residence of the Kings of France from 1682 until 1790.

 The palace has 700 rooms, with over 6000 works of art inside.

The marble court of the palace.  
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The salon of Mirrors, was used by Louis XIV as a council room. The furnishings of the apartments were looted or destroyed during the Revolution, but later renovated by Napoleon
 
Napoleon's Bedroom. It is decorated in a suitably imperial style. During the French Revolution, much of the furniture was auctioned off. Napoleon and his wife, Marie Louise stayed there.

After our tour, we will enjoy a free evening in the town surrounding the palace, where our passengers can dine at their leisure at one of the quaint restaurants.

Following dinner, we will return to Versailles for an amazing show in its gardens.  The show features lasers, music, holographic images and more.  Passengers are free to explore the enormous grounds of the palace gardens at their leisure and witness the amazing variety of artistic displays, amongst the fountains and expansive gardens.  The gardens of Versailles have many fountains and each is lit up in unique ways during the show, allowing the opportunity for all to explore and witness a truly incomparable display at their own leisure.  You may wish to pick a favorite spot to enjoy the show , or choose to explore the many different displays as you stroll through the immaculate gardens.

 
One of the many fountains at Versailles that you can walk along during the spectacular show tonight.
Following the laser and light show, a grand  fireworks display caps off the event.
We will return to our hotel at approx. 11 pm tonight for one final night in Paris.

Sunday July 31st
Today is a full day at leisure to explore Paris at your own pace. You can visit the famed museums such as the Louvre, home of Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.  You may also wish to visit the Musee De Orsee, home to many masterpieces of the Impressionist movement.

Also worth a visit is the Invalides Museum, home to the tomb of Napoleon and a fantastic historical exhibition of World Wars I and II.

You may also wish to visit the beautiful cathedral of Sacre Coure at the top of Montmartre Hill.

The exterior of the most famous museum in the world – the Louvre, Paris

Be sure to stop for French Crepes at one of the many Creperies that dot the streets of Paris

Carousel at the foot of Montmartre, with the Cathedral of Scare Coure in the background.

Tonight, if you wish, join us for an optional evening of traditional Parisian entertainment with a night at the famed Lido, the legendary song and dance show on the famed avenue Champs Elysses.

Another popular evening entertainment is a river cruise along the Seine River to see Parisian landmarks glowing at night. 
Whatever you choose to do on our final night in Paris, don’t miss the hourly display of the Eiffel Tower, set to glittering lights at the top of each hour after the sun is down. (a free to the public nightly ritual in Paris)

Monday August 1st
This morning we will be transferred to the train station to board the high speed TGV train to Nice on the fabulous French Riviera.  We will enjoy first class cabin seating for the best comfort.

On arrival in Nice, we will be escorted to our chartered air conditioned coach. 
We will enjoy a short tour of scenic Nice before being taken on a tour of the neighboring principality of Monaco where we will enjoy a guided visit of the former palatial residence of the late Princess Grace Ranier (the former actress Grace Kelly).  The tomb of Princess Grace is viewable inside the home. 

We will also have the opportunity to visit the famed casino of Monte Carlo.

At the end of the day we will be transferred to our 4 star hotel in Nice called The Splendid Hotel, ideally located close to great dining and beaches of Nice. www.splendid-nice.com


One of the scenic beaches along the fabulous French Riviera
   
 

TUESDAY AUGUST 2ND
 
TODAY WE WILL ENJOY A FULL DAY TOUR ABOARD OUR CHARTERED AIR CONDITIONED COACH VISITING THE CHIC FRENCH RIVIERA TOWNS OF CANNES AND ST. TROPEZ 
CANNES, HOME TO THE ANNUAL FILM FESTIVAL THAT BEARS ITS NAME IS ANOTHER PLAYGROUND OF THE RICH. ST. TROPEZ IS A WATERFRONT HAVEN WHERE YOU WILL SEE MAGNIFICENT YACHTS ALONG ITS HARBOR, ALONG WITH TRENDY SHOPS AND EATERIES
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ON OUR RETURN TO NICE, WE WILL VISIT ST. PAUL DE VENCE, A CLIFFSIDE TOWN THAT IS ONE OF THE MOST PICTURESQUE VILLAGES IN ALL OF FRANCE.

Saint Paul de Vence is a charming hilltop fortified village in Provence, filled with art galleries, boutiques and sidewalk cafes

Located just northeast of Nice and towering at an altitude of 180 meters, this little charming medieval village has conquered the hearts of tourists from around the world.

A walk through its winding streets reveals elegant fountains, vine-covered stone walls and statues tucked into nooks in the walls. There are breathtaking views of mountains and sea. Even the ground below is attractive, as the cobblestones are laid into the shapes of flowers.

The fortified village itself is a site, with its medieval fortress walls surrounding the city.
As you walk through the village, be sure to look up so you don't miss some of the artwork embedded in the walls.

 As an artists' village, it is also filled with more affordable artwork in the form of various crafts

SCENIC CLIFFS ALONG THE FRENCH RIVIERA’S ST. PAUL DEVANCE
Click the link below to view more pictures and read more about St. Paul Devence
http://www.saint-pauldevence.com/picture_saintpauldevence.html

Upon our return to Nice we will enjoy one more night at leisure to explore the fun of the local French cuisine and nightlife.

Wed. August 3rd
Today is a full free day to explore the fabulous French Riviera at your leisure.
You may wish to take the train for an easy ride to explore the scenic lavender fields of Provence, take a short cruise along the callanques of Marseilles, or stroll the perfumeries of the hillside village of Ez. 

Of course, there are always the chic beaches along Nice to enjoy.

Thursday Aug 4th
Today we will depart the fabulous French Riviera on our chartered air conditioned coach to head across the border to the scenic Italian Riviera.  Our day’s first visit will be the town of Torino, site of the 2006 Winter Olympic Games.  Torino is best known for its fabulous chocolate shops that line its town center.  We will enjoy free time to explore the very walkable town square and its delectable chocolate shops.

Our next stop will be Lake Como, where we will be able to see the fabulous mansions, one of which is home to American actor George Clooney

One final stop on our day’s touring is Milan, one of the fashion capitals of the world.  You will enjoy a brief walking tour and then free time to shop for great Italian fashions, relax over lunch at your leisure or visit the famed painting of the Last Supper.

Leaving Milan we will head the short distance to our home for the final 3 nights of our tour, Lake Maggiore.
We will check into our fabulous 1st class hotel, the Regina Palace
http://www.expedia.com/pub/agent.dll
http://www.regina-palace.it 

exterior of the Regina Palace hotel
Inside the Regina Palace hotel

Lake Maggiore, or Lago Maggiore, is part of the stunning Italian Lakes region, situated on the edge the Italian Alps.
Maggiore is one of the most popular of the Italian lakes and has a number of very popular towns crossing the border between Italy and Switzerland.

Like all the other Northern Italian lakes it is a deep glacial basin fed by rivers   

Anyone who reads Hemingway will know this lake and its forested shores from A Farewell to Arms. That's just the sort of place Lake Maggiore is -- a pleasure ground that's steeped in associations with famous figures (Flaubert, Wagner, Goethe, and many of Europe's other great minds seem to have been inspired here)

Read more: http://www.frommers.com/destinations/lakemaggiore/0741010029.html#ixzz0WohPRjRn
The most popular town along Lake Maggiore is Stressa.

Strolling and relaxing seem to be the main activities in Stresa. The action is at the lakeside promenade, running from the center of town north past the grand lakeside hotels, including the Iles des Borromees, where Hemingway set A Farewell to Arms.

The walk in the town takes you past many villas and sculpture gardens.
 
Classic architecture along Lake Maggiore and the chic town of Stressa

Stressa is the best known resort town along chic Lake Maggiore. Located on the western shore on the peaceful Borromean Bay in Northern Italy, Stressa is well known for its eye popping architecture and lively ambiance. It is also noted for its great Italian hospitality with plenty to see and do. Shopping in the old cobbled streets is also a definite must, filled with exciting Italian goods to get your hands on.

With museums, galleries, historical sites and old squares as well as enticing shopping, you are sure enjoy a visit to Stressa.

After a brief orientation of Stressa’s highlights the evening is at leisure to relax and stroll the dining opportunities along the lakefront at your leisure.

 
                                        Scenes of Lake Maggiore’s village of Stressa

Friday August 5th
Today we will enjoy a full day visit across the border to see the magnificent Matterhorn Mountain in the Swiss Alps.  The drive on our chartered air conditioned coach isles than 2 hours to the scenic town of Taesch, where we will pick up a short, but most scenic Swiss train experience, taking us to the quaint village of Zermatt.

Zermatt is located at the base of the awe inspiring Matterhorn, one of the most famous of all single mountains in the world

Upon arrival, we will enjoy a scenic ride on the cable car gondola to the top of the Matterhorn. 

The ride up the cable car lasts 30 minutes and offers amazing views along the way.
Upon reaching the observation deck we will enjoy even more breathtaking panoramic views.

We will be escorted for a guided tour of the Glacier Palace, located alongside the observation deck.

A view of the Matterhorn and surrounding mountain scenery from its cable car

It is hard to describe just how spectacular the approach by cable car to the mountain top is. Once at the top there is a very pleasant restaurant, a view to a huge expanse of glacier and snow, a tremendous view of mountain peaks and a lift which takes you to the very peak where you can stand on a viewing platform at 12,700 feet. The view on a clear day is just awesome.

There are very few mountains in the world that can compare in magnificence with the Matterhorn. Such an exalted view is experienced because of the location of the mountain and its solo position.
                                                                      

This evening is at leisure to explore the many dining options in Zermatt or join us for our optional Swiss Fondue Dinner.
After dinner we will head back to the regina Palace hotel on Lake Maggiore aboard our chartered coach

Saturday August 6th

Today is a full free day to explore the many shopping & sightseeing opportunities along Lake Maggiore or enjoy an optional excursion by ferry to visit the exquisite Boromean islands of Isla Bella & Isla Madre.

The ferries from Stressa to the Borromean islands leave every half hour and cost only11 Euros, covering 3 islands (although we recommend spending your time just on Bella and Madre, the 2 most exquisite of the Boromean islands
The ferry from Stressa to Isola Bella takes only 5 minutes and once on this island, passengers can visit for free, the exquisite 17th century gardens along 10 luxuriantly planted terraces. 

There is also an impressive palace BUILT IN 1632 that is still today occupied by the family of the late count Borromeo that you can visit for a small admission fee. 
 

The palace of Count Borromeo on Isola Bella

The ferry ride then on to Isola Madre takes 30 minutes and offers an opportunity to see exotic flora and exotic, colorful birds. (This visit has an admission cost of an additional 8 Euros however.)
The villa’s gardens have exotic flora and fauna including a flock of white peacocks and various other flamboyantly plumed birds that guard the 200-year-old Cashmir Cyprus.

The evening is free to enjoy the many restaurants along the waterfront of Stressa on Lake Maggiore and one final night at the wonderful Regina Palace hotel

Sunday August 7th
This morning we will be taken by chartered coach to the airport in Milan (only 1 hour away) for our flight at 10:30am nonstop back to NY, arriving at JFK airport at 1:30pm.

Our Best of France tour includes:

• Air nonstop on American Airlines from NY-JFK to Paris, returning nonstop from Milan Italy

• Airport meet and greet service by local bi-lingual tour manager with group transportation from the airport to the hotel on arrival and back to the airport on the final day of the tour.

• Accommodations in 4 star hotels in each city on the itinerary

• Breakfast daily at each hotel

• All tours as listed in the trip itinerary:

• Guided City tour of Paris

• Excursion to the gardens of Giverney for free time exploration at your leisure

• Excursion to the Palace of Versailles with guided tour

•  Entrance to the gardens of Versailles for the musical fountains and laser light Show

• Guided tour of Nice, Cannes, St. Tropez and St. Paul Devance

• Guided tour of Monaco and Monte Carlo

• Full day tour visiting Torino, Milan and Lake Como

• Full day excursion tour of the Matterhorn Mountain in the spectacular Swiss Alps

• TGV TRAIN RIDE FROM PARIS TO NICE WITH FIRST CLASS SEATING

• Services of both a local bi-lingual tour manager dedicated to the group, that will assist the group from arrival in France throughout the tour each day as well as an allsinglestravel.com tour leader that will travel with the group from JFK to France and each day of the tour as well

• Free roommate matching based on age, sex and smoking or non smoking preference

TRIP COST: $2999 + air taxes of $490
(taxes are subject to change by the airline)

FOR THOSE THAT PREFER TO HAVE THEIR OWN ROOM HOWEVER, AN OPTIONAL SINGLE SUPPLEMENT OF $599 APPLIES.

FOR THOSE WISHING TO PROVIDE YOUR OWN AIR, YOU MAY DEDUCT $575 FROM THE $2999 TRIP PACKAGE PRICE AND YOU MAY DEDUCT THE $490 IN TAXES AS WELL. 

A $200 deposit is due within 7 days of making your reservation. Deposits can be made either by calling our office at 800-717-3231 M-F 9am-5:30pm EST or 770-664-7437 M-F 9am-7pm EST, or deposits can be made online by clicking the paypal link after completing the reservation form which you may click to at the bottom of this page.

Deposits are refundable if cancelled by Feb. 1st

Deposits are transferrable to another 2011 trip if cancelled by April 1st

Deposits are non refundable or transferable if cancelled after April 1st

Balance payments are due May 5th and are non refundable at that time.

Travel insurance is available upon request. Ask for details if interested