The Best of France
And
Northern Italy
July 12-22, 2012
With optional day trip to the Matterhorn Mountain of Switzerland

Join us for a wonderful way to spend an extended summer holiday visiting France in all its glory. 

• Spend 3 days in Paris with a tour of its famed sites
• Stroll Monet’s water lilies and impressionist gardens at Giverny
• Visit the amazing Palace of Versailles, along with its Gardens & Fountains
• Enjoy 3 days in the charming town of Nice on the fabulous French Riviera with visits to the chic town & beaches of Cannes, and the incredible cliff top village of St. Paul Devance.
• Visit the chic principality of Monaco and Monte Carlo
• Spend 3 nights on the gorgeous Italian Riviera town of Stressa, along scenic Lake Maggiore
• Spend 1 night in the fashion gem that is Milan, with a visit to the brilliant mansions along Lake Como
•  Enjoy a day trip to visit the scenic Boromean islands, just off Lake Maggiore, including the mansion and gardens of the late actor Marlon Brando

• Plus enjoy an optional 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 and an optional Swiss fondue dinner\

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

 
DAILY ITINERARY:
Thursday July 12th – Depart NY-JFK at 8:55pm on our nonstop American Airlines flight to Paris France

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

Friday July 13th
Upon arrival this morning  at 10:10am, 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 Paris Pullman Bercy Hotel 

 Our hotel is located in the Marais district, only 3 miles from the Louvre and from the Notre Dame Cathedral and less than 5 miles from the Eiffel Tower, all a short and easy ride on the metro.  The hotel features a spa and sauna, restaurant and bar.  Rooms feature air conditioning, safe deposit box and dual 220/110 electrical outlets for your convenience.
Click here to view photos of the hotel
http://www.pullmanhotels.com/gb/hotel-2192-pullman-paris-bercy/gallery.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 14th
This morning 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.  
.
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 return to Paris for the evening at leisure

Sunday July 15th
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.

Monday July 16th
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.
www.splendid-nice.com


One of the scenic beaches along the fabulous French Riviera
   
 

TUESDAY JULY 17TH
 
TODAY WE WILL ENJOY A FULL DAY TOUR ABOARD OUR CHARTERED AIR CONDITIONED COACH VISITING THE CHIC FRENCH RIVIERA TOWNS OF CANNES AND ST. PAUL DEVANCE 
CANNES, HOME TO THE ANNUAL FILM FESTIVAL THAT BEARS ITS NAME IS ANOTHER PLAYGROUND OF THE RICH.

ON OUR RETURN TO NICE, WE WILL VISIT ST. PAUL DE VANCE, 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
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. July 18th -   Today we will enjoy a full day tour visiting the chic principality of Monaco.  Monaco is the 2nd smallest independent nation in the world, (After Vatican City).  Monaco is also one of the wealthiest.  It was home to the legendary Princess Grace (previously known as American actress Grace Kelly.)  Here you can visit the lasting commemoration to Princess Grace at her former Palace, where visitors can still see the daily changing of the guard in front of the palace.

The palace remains the official residence of the Prince of Monaco.

Prince's Palace of Monaco

Our tour will take us to Monte Carlo this afternoon where you can see its famed casino.

An optional walking tour of the quaint village of Eze is available at no extra cost at the end of the afternoon. 
Eze is a fascinating medieval village situated about half way between Nice and Monte Carlo. Eze is a great place to spend a few hours.  The view of the Mediterranean from the hillside village of Eze is wonderful.  You can wander the narrow, meandering cobblestone paths of Eze, visiting small, quaint shops, eateries and more and then visit the gardens at the top of the town, offering a panoramic view of the sea.

The medieval village of Eze on the French Riviera near Monte Carlo

Thursday July 19th
Today we will depart the fabulous French Riviera on our chartered air conditioned coach to head across the border to the scenic Italian Riviera

We will reach Milan, one of the fashion capitals of the world, where we will enjoy a brief walking tour, followed by the afternoon and evening at leisure.

Enjoy free time to shop for great Italian fashions, relax over Italian gelato (ice cream) at your leisure or visit the famed painting of the Last Supper.

We will spend the night at the Hotel Dei Cavalieri
Just 820 ft. from Milan's Cathedral, Hotel Dei Cavalieri is set in a historic building across from Missori Metro Station. It offers free Wi-Fi and a restaurant serving classic Italian cuisine.

The rooms are decorated in classic style, with wooden furniture, pastel colors, and carpeted or parquet floors. Each room is equipped with LCD TV with satellite channels, and private bathroom with bathtub or shower.

Breakfast at Dei Cavalieri Hotel is a varied buffet including cold cuts, cheese and fresh pastries. Hot snacks are served at the bar for lunch, and there is a dinner menu. During summer the top-floor restaurant with terrace is also available.
The hotel is close to Milan's Stock Exchange and the Teatro alla Scala Opera House. Duomo Metro Station on the red line is also nearby

Friday July 20th
Leaving Milan we will head the short distance to our home for the final 3 nights of our tour, the village of Stressa, along chic Lake Maggiore.

Enroute we will stop for a short visit along famed Lake Como and will then continue to Lake Maggiore.

                                        Scenes of Lake Maggiore’s village of Stressa

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.

Upon arrival, we will check into our fabulous 1st class hotel, the Regina Palace

Overlooking the banks of Lake Maggiore, in the center of Stresa and directly facing the Borromean Islands, the hotel represents a fine example of prestige both in the hotel world and historically speaking. The four-star Regina Palace hotel that opened in 1908 still preserves its fin de siècle fascination, even though it has a renewed appearance as a result of a meticulous, albeit conservative refurbishment programme. The unique combination of charm and modernity will render a stay in one of the 214 rooms or suites - all furnished with period pieces and equipped with every facility - totally unforgettable.


The century-old park contains the open-air pool, a tennis court and a five-a-side football pitch. The snack bar is the perfect place for a quick bite to eat or even a light lunch. The recently opened Regina Sporting Club is the hotel’s wellness centre to which admission is totally free.

The indoor pool is heated and packed with invigorating water features. The multi-sensory showers and the different musical and colour features provoke an instant feeling of wellbeing. Rounding it all off there is a sauna, Turkish bath and gym. Beauty treatments are chargeable.


The hotel has two restaurants – the Liberty, where it is also possible to stage banquets and special events and the Charleston that, with its a la carte menu, offers a wide choice of seasonal dishes. Gluten free and kosher menus are also available
http://www.regina-palace.it

Photos of the Regina Palace hotel.
After our hotel check in, we will enjoy a boat ride excursion to visit the exquisite gardens on its islands of Isla Bella & ISLA MADRE.

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

Following our visit, passengers can choose from an included return ferry ride back to Stressa for the remainder of the afternoon at leisure, or free time to explore the quant shops on the island with return to Stressa at your leisure on the regular ferry service which runs approx. every 30-40 minutes.  (a nominal cost of a few euros applies to the regular ferry service)

Passengers may also choose to take the ferry from Isla Bela to Isla Madre, another island featuring quaint restaurants and shops.  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.

A regular ferry service is offered approx. every 30-40 mins. from Isla Madre to Stressa as well.

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

  Saturday July 21st
Today is a full free day to relax and enjoy the scenic waterfront of Stressa and its shops, or if you wish, enjoy an optional 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.
                                                                      

At the end of the day, we will head back to the regina Palace hotel on Lake Maggiore aboard our chartered coach

Sunday July 22nd
This morning we will be taken by chartered coach to the airport in Milan (only 1 hour away) for our American Airlines 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, as listed 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 of the palace and free time to visit the gardens

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

• Guided tour of Monaco and Monte Carlo
• Ferry excursion from Stressa to Isla Bella with entrance to Palace and Gardens

• 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 escort that will travel with the group from JFK to Paris and on 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 MOF 9am-5:30pm EST or 770-992-8795  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 March 1st and are non refundable thereafter.
Balance payments are due April  6th and are non refundable at that time.
Travel insurance is available upon request. Ask for details if interested