Thursday, May 8, 2008
United Kingdom
ACCOMMODATIONS
Novotel London West. Google Map.
Tube: Hammersmith Stations, has the District and Picadilly lines in one location; the Hammersmith & City line in another.
TRANSPORTATION
Transport for London Map Links
Interactive Travel Map, use the journey planner on the right of the page.
Another Journey Planning Site
Travelcard Zone Map, showing tube lines and stops and rail connections.
Bus map
River Thames Boat Services. Printed copy
London Overground Network Map
Tube and Bus Fare and Ticket Guide
Taxi rates
Panoramic Map
ITINERARY
Friday, May 16.
Breakfast on ship. Other meals on our own.
Disembark the QM2 in Southampton, private car to London. Might be settled and ready to roam about by 2pm (14:00).
Westminster Abbey.....5pm (17.oo) Evensong. District line from Hammersmith Station to St. James Station or Westminster Station, then a 9 minute walk. The plan of the Abbey. Newton's monument stands against the choir screen, to the north of the entrance to the choir.
Getting to Prince Edward Theater...Walk North to Parliament Square (5 min). At Parliament Square Stop: C, take the Route Bus 24 towards Hampstead, Royal Free Hospital / Pond St. (14 minutes). We go up Whitehall. We will pass Downing Street on the left, go through Trafalgar Square, and pass the National Gallery. Get off at Cambridge Circus / Denmark St. Walk to the theater (4 minutes).
Jersey Boys at the Prince Edward Theater.....Show at 7:30pm. Tickets for Dress Circle B2 and 3 are being held at the box office window. Need handicapped evidence. Seating chart. Location. (Ordered directly from theater box office--011-44-207-447-5421.)
Soho.....A night spot, in the theater district, a gay area, seedy and overpriced strip joints, and pubs. The theater is in Soho. Soho Square is 2 blocks north on Greek Street. Ask a local for a recommendation for a dinner. Elizabeth suggests a Thai vegetarian buffet called 'Veg' at 11 Greek St, saying it "is great if you are dashing between places and want a quick meal at a decent price."
Piccadilly Circus.....An 8 minute walk from the theatre. Known for its video display and neon signs, as well as the Shaftesbury memorial fountain and statue of an archer popularly known as Eros. Surrounded by several noted buildings, including the London Pavilion and Criterion Theater. Directly above the Piccadilly Circus tube station.
Getting to hotel. Take the Picadilly line from Picadilly Circus to the Hammersmith Station. 17 minutes. Walk to hotel. Or take a taxi from Soho to hotel, asking them to drive through Picadilly.
Saturday May 17
All meals on our own.
Tate Britain.....Arrive by 10am. Meeting Diana and Ping. Open from 10.00–17.50. From our hotel, we take the District Line from Hammersmith to Victoria Station. Take the C-10 bus from Victoria Station Stop R on Buckingham Palace Road towards Canada Water to Tate Britain Stop L.
Location. Admission is free. I sent an email 5/7 to reserve a wheelchair. There are free daily guided tours except on Sunday; and there is an audiotape tour. Tate has a restaurant and a cafeteria. You can view and learn about the entire collection on the Internet, even set up a list of items you wish to see. There are 3 free special exhibits while we are there: (1) William Blake: 'I still go on / Till the Heavens and Earth are gone'; (2) Neoclassical sculpture in Britain; and (3) Rubens: The Apotheosis of James I and other studies.
We will take the Tate to Tate boat to the London Eye. £1.60 for travelcard holders, £2.50 adult. Ferry leaves Tate at 11.50 or 12.30; 7 minutes to the London Eye.
London Eye.....Open 10.00am - 8.00pm daily. The ticket office opens at 8.30. Location map. The standard flight is £15, £12 senior (on weekdays). You can book on the Internet at a discount and have to choose a time (30 minute increments). We will plan for a 13.00 Eye flight. The London Eye property has inside and outside cafes. Hoping to meet Simon and Sam here.
London Eye River Cruise.....The roundtrip river cruise to London Tower must be booked by time in hourly increments from 10:45 to 18:45. Planning to make the 13.45 boat. It looks like the cruise takes less than an hour. It can be booked on the internet at a discount from the £12 adult fair.
The day at this point becomes a choice for the locals. We could go to Covent Garden Market or to or near Hyde Park for a meal before adjourning for the day. Or somewhere else; we are open to suggestions. May meet up with Sheila around 4 or 5pm. Or she and Yvon may come on Sunday.
Covent Garden Market is a shopping/dining are in the theater district where restaurants and pubs are open even in the evening. From the London Eye we would take the RV1 line from Stop Z on Chicheley Street to the end--Covent Garden stop.
To the hotel from Covent Garden. Walk north on James Street to the Covent Garden Station and take the Piccadilly Line westbound to Hammersmith.
Hyde Park....The park is open from 5am to midnight. To Hyde Park from the London Eye, we would tube from Waterloo Station on the Bakerloo Line towards Harrow & Wealdstone Station; Queen's Park; or Willesden Junction. We would change at Picadilly to the Picadilly Line towards Rayners Lane; Heathrow Terminal 4; Heathrow Terminal 5; or Uxbridge. Get off at the Knightsbridge Station.
A map of the park, showing tube stops. The speaker's corner is active on Sunday. The lake looks like a place to go, maybe rent a boat. It appears food is served at the boat house. The new Princess Diana Memorial is near the lake. Someone might know a nice place to eat nearby. The Cafe Consort in the Royal Albert Hall is open until 4pm. (We probably couldn't make that.) It is at Door 12, the opposite side of the building from Hyde Park. Menu.
To return to hotel from Hyde Park. Piccadilly Line at the Knightbridge Station towards Rayners Lane; Heathrow Terminal 4; Heathrow Terminal 5; or Uxbridge. Get off at Hammersmith.
Elizabeth also suggests a spot in Trafalgar Square. The Crypt Cafe in St. Martins in the Field Church. In Trafalgar Square. "You can get just about anything there from a quick cup of coffee to a full meal, and the apple crumble' is legendary. " On Friday and Saturday the cafe is open until 10:30pm, and Sunday 12 to 6:30pm. They serve tea from 2-6pm. Recipes.
The church has a concert every Saturday at 7:30pm. On this particular Saturday, the church is having St. Martin's Discovery Day. Highlights include: a “Come and Sing Hallelujah Chorus” in church in the morning; Church Tours; a public reading of scripture with members of other faith communities, some celebrity readers and members of St Martin’s in the Hall in the afternoon. Tickets for the “Come and Sing Hallelujah Chorus” are available from the Box Office – free but donation invited. There is a gala concert that evening at 7:30pm with a chamber ensemble and choir (classical). Tickets are very limited, but could call box office at 020 7839 8362.
Sunday May 18
We get breakfast at the hotel. Other meals on our own.
We start with the Globus tour group around 8:30. We don't plan to stay with them for the 11:30 Changing of the Guard. This is only an overview tour; we won't be going into any of the building. The sights we may stay with them for might include The Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, 10 Downing Street (there is a virtual tour on the Internet), and Buckingham Palace.
Trafalgar Square.....A square in Central London. It's a 20 minute walk down The Mall from the circle between the Palace and St. James Park to the Square. Or, we could walk (11 minutes) to New Scotland Yard and at Stop SC take the Route Bus 24 towards Royal Free Hospital / Pond St. Get off at the Trafalgar Square stop. We will be meeting up with Mary and Derek Cole and perhaps Sheila and Yvon.
To get to the Tower of London. Walk to Embankment Pier (9 minues), and take Boat Thames Clipper towards Woolwich Arsenal Pier. Ferries leave every 20 minutes. We might get there as early as the 12.52 ferry. Get off at Tower Millenium Pier. About 20 minutes.
Tower of London...Last admission any day is 5pm. Map to the Tower. Map of the Tower property. You can buy tickets online to avoid lines. £16.50 each. There are suggestions for 1, 2, and 3 hour visits (printed). There are cafes and restaurants in and near the Tower property. There are wheelchairs available. We have to be out by about 5:15pm to make the cathedral service.
To go to St. Paul's, a short walk from the Tower to Tower Hill / Tower Of London Stop: TA. Take the Route Bus 15 towards Paddington Basin / The Point. Get off at St. Paul's Stop. Takes about 30 minutes total.
St. Paul's Cathedral....Services--Sunday is Evensong--15:15, and Evening Service 18:00. We likely will make the 18.00 Evening Service. Map to St. Pauls. There is a virtual tour of the building.
To return to hotel, from St. Paul's. Walk north from the cathedral to the St. Paul's station. Take the Central line westbound to Holbom. Switch to the Picadilly line back to the Hammersmith Station. Chances along this route to get out at Picadilly, Hyde Park Corner, and Knightsbridge (Park and Royal Albert Hall).
Saturday May 31
Return from Paris late on Saturday, May 31 and see the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London with Steve and Sabina at 22:05. Hopefully, we will have dinner beforehand. If we have time before dinner, we might like to see Southwark (SUTH-uck) Cathedral.. It is a 9 minute walk from the London Bridge tube station. (The Cathedral site says 3 minutes.) They have food there until 6pm. Rick Steves says "The enthusiastic docents give impromptu tours if you ask."
Sunday June 1.
We are taking a day trip to Bath, Lacock, and Stonehenge with Premium tours (0207 404 5100) on Sunday June 1. £79. We will meet the tour at Millennium Gloucester at 11: 10. Our confirmation # is 2BII002184. 100% refund if cancel before 24 hours. 50% if cancel within 24 hours, including on the day of the tour. Lose everything if complete no-show. Tour will return to London around 9pm. We will spend 2hours in Bath, 1 hour in Stonehenge and 90 minutes in Lacock. The District and Picadilly lines will get us between the Hammersmith and Gloucester stations.
Monday, June 2.
A private car from London to Southampton for the return ship to the US. We need to be to the pier by 2pm.
Novotel London West. Google Map.
Tube: Hammersmith Stations, has the District and Picadilly lines in one location; the Hammersmith & City line in another.
TRANSPORTATION
Transport for London Map Links
Interactive Travel Map, use the journey planner on the right of the page.
Another Journey Planning Site
Travelcard Zone Map, showing tube lines and stops and rail connections.
Bus map
River Thames Boat Services. Printed copy
London Overground Network Map
Tube and Bus Fare and Ticket Guide
Taxi rates
Panoramic Map
ITINERARY
Friday, May 16.
Breakfast on ship. Other meals on our own.
Disembark the QM2 in Southampton, private car to London. Might be settled and ready to roam about by 2pm (14:00).
Westminster Abbey.....5pm (17.oo) Evensong. District line from Hammersmith Station to St. James Station or Westminster Station, then a 9 minute walk. The plan of the Abbey. Newton's monument stands against the choir screen, to the north of the entrance to the choir.
Getting to Prince Edward Theater...Walk North to Parliament Square (5 min). At Parliament Square Stop: C, take the Route Bus 24 towards Hampstead, Royal Free Hospital / Pond St. (14 minutes). We go up Whitehall. We will pass Downing Street on the left, go through Trafalgar Square, and pass the National Gallery. Get off at Cambridge Circus / Denmark St. Walk to the theater (4 minutes).
Jersey Boys at the Prince Edward Theater.....Show at 7:30pm. Tickets for Dress Circle B2 and 3 are being held at the box office window. Need handicapped evidence. Seating chart. Location. (Ordered directly from theater box office--011-44-207-447-5421.)
Soho.....A night spot, in the theater district, a gay area, seedy and overpriced strip joints, and pubs. The theater is in Soho. Soho Square is 2 blocks north on Greek Street. Ask a local for a recommendation for a dinner. Elizabeth suggests a Thai vegetarian buffet called 'Veg' at 11 Greek St, saying it "is great if you are dashing between places and want a quick meal at a decent price."
Piccadilly Circus.....An 8 minute walk from the theatre. Known for its video display and neon signs, as well as the Shaftesbury memorial fountain and statue of an archer popularly known as Eros. Surrounded by several noted buildings, including the London Pavilion and Criterion Theater. Directly above the Piccadilly Circus tube station.
Getting to hotel. Take the Picadilly line from Picadilly Circus to the Hammersmith Station. 17 minutes. Walk to hotel. Or take a taxi from Soho to hotel, asking them to drive through Picadilly.
Saturday May 17
All meals on our own.
Tate Britain.....Arrive by 10am. Meeting Diana and Ping. Open from 10.00–17.50. From our hotel, we take the District Line from Hammersmith to Victoria Station. Take the C-10 bus from Victoria Station Stop R on Buckingham Palace Road towards Canada Water to Tate Britain Stop L.
Location. Admission is free. I sent an email 5/7 to reserve a wheelchair. There are free daily guided tours except on Sunday; and there is an audiotape tour. Tate has a restaurant and a cafeteria. You can view and learn about the entire collection on the Internet, even set up a list of items you wish to see. There are 3 free special exhibits while we are there: (1) William Blake: 'I still go on / Till the Heavens and Earth are gone'; (2) Neoclassical sculpture in Britain; and (3) Rubens: The Apotheosis of James I and other studies.
We will take the Tate to Tate boat to the London Eye. £1.60 for travelcard holders, £2.50 adult. Ferry leaves Tate at 11.50 or 12.30; 7 minutes to the London Eye.
London Eye.....Open 10.00am - 8.00pm daily. The ticket office opens at 8.30. Location map. The standard flight is £15, £12 senior (on weekdays). You can book on the Internet at a discount and have to choose a time (30 minute increments). We will plan for a 13.00 Eye flight. The London Eye property has inside and outside cafes. Hoping to meet Simon and Sam here.
London Eye River Cruise.....The roundtrip river cruise to London Tower must be booked by time in hourly increments from 10:45 to 18:45. Planning to make the 13.45 boat. It looks like the cruise takes less than an hour. It can be booked on the internet at a discount from the £12 adult fair.
The day at this point becomes a choice for the locals. We could go to Covent Garden Market or to or near Hyde Park for a meal before adjourning for the day. Or somewhere else; we are open to suggestions. May meet up with Sheila around 4 or 5pm. Or she and Yvon may come on Sunday.
Covent Garden Market is a shopping/dining are in the theater district where restaurants and pubs are open even in the evening. From the London Eye we would take the RV1 line from Stop Z on Chicheley Street to the end--Covent Garden stop.
To the hotel from Covent Garden. Walk north on James Street to the Covent Garden Station and take the Piccadilly Line westbound to Hammersmith.
Hyde Park....The park is open from 5am to midnight. To Hyde Park from the London Eye, we would tube from Waterloo Station on the Bakerloo Line towards Harrow & Wealdstone Station; Queen's Park; or Willesden Junction. We would change at Picadilly to the Picadilly Line towards Rayners Lane; Heathrow Terminal 4; Heathrow Terminal 5; or Uxbridge. Get off at the Knightsbridge Station.
A map of the park, showing tube stops. The speaker's corner is active on Sunday. The lake looks like a place to go, maybe rent a boat. It appears food is served at the boat house. The new Princess Diana Memorial is near the lake. Someone might know a nice place to eat nearby. The Cafe Consort in the Royal Albert Hall is open until 4pm. (We probably couldn't make that.) It is at Door 12, the opposite side of the building from Hyde Park. Menu.
To return to hotel from Hyde Park. Piccadilly Line at the Knightbridge Station towards Rayners Lane; Heathrow Terminal 4; Heathrow Terminal 5; or Uxbridge. Get off at Hammersmith.
Elizabeth also suggests a spot in Trafalgar Square. The Crypt Cafe in St. Martins in the Field Church. In Trafalgar Square. "You can get just about anything there from a quick cup of coffee to a full meal, and the apple crumble' is legendary. " On Friday and Saturday the cafe is open until 10:30pm, and Sunday 12 to 6:30pm. They serve tea from 2-6pm. Recipes.
The church has a concert every Saturday at 7:30pm. On this particular Saturday, the church is having St. Martin's Discovery Day. Highlights include: a “Come and Sing Hallelujah Chorus” in church in the morning; Church Tours; a public reading of scripture with members of other faith communities, some celebrity readers and members of St Martin’s in the Hall in the afternoon. Tickets for the “Come and Sing Hallelujah Chorus” are available from the Box Office – free but donation invited. There is a gala concert that evening at 7:30pm with a chamber ensemble and choir (classical). Tickets are very limited, but could call box office at 020 7839 8362.
Sunday May 18
We get breakfast at the hotel. Other meals on our own.
We start with the Globus tour group around 8:30. We don't plan to stay with them for the 11:30 Changing of the Guard. This is only an overview tour; we won't be going into any of the building. The sights we may stay with them for might include The Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, 10 Downing Street (there is a virtual tour on the Internet), and Buckingham Palace.
Trafalgar Square.....A square in Central London. It's a 20 minute walk down The Mall from the circle between the Palace and St. James Park to the Square. Or, we could walk (11 minutes) to New Scotland Yard and at Stop SC take the Route Bus 24 towards Royal Free Hospital / Pond St. Get off at the Trafalgar Square stop. We will be meeting up with Mary and Derek Cole and perhaps Sheila and Yvon.
To get to the Tower of London. Walk to Embankment Pier (9 minues), and take Boat Thames Clipper towards Woolwich Arsenal Pier. Ferries leave every 20 minutes. We might get there as early as the 12.52 ferry. Get off at Tower Millenium Pier. About 20 minutes.
Tower of London...Last admission any day is 5pm. Map to the Tower. Map of the Tower property. You can buy tickets online to avoid lines. £16.50 each. There are suggestions for 1, 2, and 3 hour visits (printed). There are cafes and restaurants in and near the Tower property. There are wheelchairs available. We have to be out by about 5:15pm to make the cathedral service.
To go to St. Paul's, a short walk from the Tower to Tower Hill / Tower Of London Stop: TA. Take the Route Bus 15 towards Paddington Basin / The Point. Get off at St. Paul's Stop. Takes about 30 minutes total.
St. Paul's Cathedral....Services--Sunday is Evensong--15:15, and Evening Service 18:00. We likely will make the 18.00 Evening Service. Map to St. Pauls. There is a virtual tour of the building.
To return to hotel, from St. Paul's. Walk north from the cathedral to the St. Paul's station. Take the Central line westbound to Holbom. Switch to the Picadilly line back to the Hammersmith Station. Chances along this route to get out at Picadilly, Hyde Park Corner, and Knightsbridge (Park and Royal Albert Hall).
Saturday May 31
Return from Paris late on Saturday, May 31 and see the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London with Steve and Sabina at 22:05. Hopefully, we will have dinner beforehand. If we have time before dinner, we might like to see Southwark (SUTH-uck) Cathedral.. It is a 9 minute walk from the London Bridge tube station. (The Cathedral site says 3 minutes.) They have food there until 6pm. Rick Steves says "The enthusiastic docents give impromptu tours if you ask."
Sunday June 1.
We are taking a day trip to Bath, Lacock, and Stonehenge with Premium tours (0207 404 5100) on Sunday June 1. £79. We will meet the tour at Millennium Gloucester at 11: 10. Our confirmation # is 2BII002184. 100% refund if cancel before 24 hours. 50% if cancel within 24 hours, including on the day of the tour. Lose everything if complete no-show. Tour will return to London around 9pm. We will spend 2hours in Bath, 1 hour in Stonehenge and 90 minutes in Lacock. The District and Picadilly lines will get us between the Hammersmith and Gloucester stations.
Monday, June 2.
A private car from London to Southampton for the return ship to the US. We need to be to the pier by 2pm.
Amsterdam
ACCOMMODATIONS
Hotel: Amsterdam Novotel. By public transport (train, subway 50 or 51 or tram 4), get off at RAI Station. Follow the signs to Amstel Park (5 min walk). On Europaboulevard, near intersection of De Boelelaan. Tram 4 from Station RAI goes downtown.
We will be getting breakfast both days and dinner on Monday.
This site lists the top 10 tourist sites in Amsterdam.
GLOBUS ITINERARY
Monday, May 19...London to Brussels, Belgium to Amsterdam, Holland
Meet your Tour Director and traveling companions and transfer to the railway station to board the EUROSTAR TRAIN to Brussels, Belgium. From here a comfortable drive will bring you to Amsterdam, Holland. Tonight enjoy a welcome dinner at your hotel. (FB,D)
Tuesday, May 20...Amsterdam
A Local Guide shows you the 700-year-old capital, and the highlight is a CANAL CRUISE to see the patrician mansions, gabled façades, and humpback bridges. Next visit a major DIAMOND CENTER and appreciate how a rough mineral is transformed into a sparkling jewel. Balance of the day is at leisure, and later you may wish to join an optional excursion to Volendam. (BB)
ITINERARY
Monday May 19.
The train leaves London St. Pancras International, which is in a part of London we wouldn't have gotten to. Video of the station.
The train travels through the Channel Tunnel. It gets into Brussels Midi/Zuid. The train could leave as early as 7am, and it takes 2 hours. There is a one hour time change. It doesn't sound like we will do anything but get on a bus and leave Brussels for Amsterdam. If there is time in Brussels, we will wing it.
It takes 2 hours to drive the 211km (131 miles) from Brussels to Amsterdam. We will skirt Antwerp.
We are uncertain when we will be getting into Amsterdam. The tour doesn't talk about free time, and it does have a group dinner. The last Tram 4 back from Downtown leaves Central Station at 12:30am.
If we have time, we may just want to wander around downtown, maybe do the red light district. There are three Red Light Districts in Amsterdam: the main area is in the Walletjes area (between Central Station and Nieuwenmarkt), and the other two, in Singel (between Raadhuistraat and Centraal Station) and de Pijp (behind the Rijsmuseum).
Tuesday, May 20
We will be going on the canal cruise, but not to the diamond center or the optional evening tour to Volendam.
Rijksmuseum...the National museum. Address: Jan Luijkenstraat 1. Tickets for the collection, called "The Masterpieces," are € 10.00 each and can be ordered and printed on the internet. Open from 9:00 to 18:00; ticket window closes at 17.30. Museum has wheelchairs. From Central Station: tram 2 or 5 (to Hobbemastraat). From Zuid/WTC Station: tram 5 (to Hobbemastraat). No eatery; Café Cobra on the Museumplein offers visitors who show their ticket a 15% discount.
There is an audio tour for €4. There is a publication of the collection for €5.
Van Gogh Museum...Paulus Potterstraat 7 . A couple block walk from the National Museum. Open 10.00 to 18.00; ticket office until 17.30. Tickets €10. No online sales. Wheelchairs available. Audiotour: €4.
From Central Station in Amsterdam, take tram 2 (towards Nieuw Sloten) or 5 (towards Amstelveen Binnenhof) to the Van Baerlestraat stop. You can also take tram 3 or 12 to the Van Baerlestraat stop or bus 145, 170 or 172 to the Museumplein stop. From hotel, take Metro 50 from Station RAI west to the next station, Ringweg-Zuid, and get tram 5 to the Van Baerlestraat stop.
Anne Frank House...Downtown at the Westermarkt stop. 9am to 9pm. € 7.50. Visit takes about 1 hour. Not friendly to the handicapped.
Magere Breg...a traditional double-leaf Dutch draw-bridge connecting sides of river Amstel. About every 20 minutes the bridge opens, as the bridge master lets boats through. Where Kerkstraat/Nieuwe Kerkstraat cross the Amstel.
Oude Kerk (Old Church). The present Gothic structure is 14th-century and it has grown from a single-aisled church into a basilica. Open until 5pm. In the red light district. On the museum and I Amsterdam cards.
There is a same-day, half-price ticket shop: Last Minute Ticket Shop. Tickets go on sale at noon. You must go the the shop, at Leidseplein 26. Trams 1, 2, 5, 7, 10. Theater, comedy shows, etc.
TRANSPORTATION
General information about transportation...
The I amsterdam Card consists of a card, a public transport ticket, and a full color guide. 24, 48 or 72-hours pass. The card covers use of all public transport in Amsterdam, a canal tour, and entry to various Amsterdam museums, including the 3 listed above. A discount of 25% on attractions and restaurants is also included. 24 hours = € 33,00; 48 hours = € 43,00. Time starts when first used.
Buy at Tourist Bureaus. One inside and one outside Central Station. Open until 7pm. One on the line for Tram 5 at the Leidseplein station. Open until 5pm. Also buy at the GVB ticket offices. Zuid Station open until 6pm; Stationsplein, opposite Central Station, open until 9pm.
GVB Ticket. Public transport ticket. 24 hours, € 7,00. Buy from the ticket machines in the metro stations (24-, 48- and 72-hours tickets), from tram- and busdrivers and conductors (24-hours ticket), from the ticket machines on tram 5 and metro 51 (24-hours ticket).
Could also use an 8-strip ticket from GVB as a one-day ticket for €6.40.
Canalbus sells an All-Amsterdam Transport Pass that includes the canalbus and all public transport, and some museum and attraction discounts for €24/day. (for example, BOGO for the National museum.) Canalboat ticket locations: Rijksmuseum, Leidseplein, Anne Frank House, hotels, the Amsterdam Tourist Information Offices, and the NZ Hollands Koffiehuis (opposite Central Station). Canalbus runs from 10.00 am till 07.00 pm. I can't tell the hours of the Canalboat offices. The canalbuses run every 40 minutes.
There is a Stop and Go line of minibus service around the downtown area. No fixed stops. Every 12 minutes, 9am to 5:30pm.
Train, bus, subway, ferry maps.
Taxi info. Expensive; hard to get. A few stands around town, including in the Dam and at the Van Gogh museum. €1.80 per km regardless of the time of day and a 5%-10% tip is expected. Dam to RAI Station ~€12. Taxis displaying an exemption card (inside the passenger side of the front windscreen) may use the tram and bus lanes.
Bike taxis: three-wheeled post-modern style rickshaws with open windows and fluorescent sides that carry up to two passengers. 11 in the city. 10am to 3am. 1 € for 3 minutes per person.
Hotel: Amsterdam Novotel. By public transport (train, subway 50 or 51 or tram 4), get off at RAI Station. Follow the signs to Amstel Park (5 min walk). On Europaboulevard, near intersection of De Boelelaan. Tram 4 from Station RAI goes downtown.
We will be getting breakfast both days and dinner on Monday.
This site lists the top 10 tourist sites in Amsterdam.
GLOBUS ITINERARY
Monday, May 19...London to Brussels, Belgium to Amsterdam, Holland
Meet your Tour Director and traveling companions and transfer to the railway station to board the EUROSTAR TRAIN to Brussels, Belgium. From here a comfortable drive will bring you to Amsterdam, Holland. Tonight enjoy a welcome dinner at your hotel. (FB,D)
Tuesday, May 20...Amsterdam
A Local Guide shows you the 700-year-old capital, and the highlight is a CANAL CRUISE to see the patrician mansions, gabled façades, and humpback bridges. Next visit a major DIAMOND CENTER and appreciate how a rough mineral is transformed into a sparkling jewel. Balance of the day is at leisure, and later you may wish to join an optional excursion to Volendam. (BB)
ITINERARY
Monday May 19.
The train leaves London St. Pancras International, which is in a part of London we wouldn't have gotten to. Video of the station.
The train travels through the Channel Tunnel. It gets into Brussels Midi/Zuid. The train could leave as early as 7am, and it takes 2 hours. There is a one hour time change. It doesn't sound like we will do anything but get on a bus and leave Brussels for Amsterdam. If there is time in Brussels, we will wing it.
It takes 2 hours to drive the 211km (131 miles) from Brussels to Amsterdam. We will skirt Antwerp.
We are uncertain when we will be getting into Amsterdam. The tour doesn't talk about free time, and it does have a group dinner. The last Tram 4 back from Downtown leaves Central Station at 12:30am.
If we have time, we may just want to wander around downtown, maybe do the red light district. There are three Red Light Districts in Amsterdam: the main area is in the Walletjes area (between Central Station and Nieuwenmarkt), and the other two, in Singel (between Raadhuistraat and Centraal Station) and de Pijp (behind the Rijsmuseum).
Tuesday, May 20
We will be going on the canal cruise, but not to the diamond center or the optional evening tour to Volendam.
Rijksmuseum...the National museum. Address: Jan Luijkenstraat 1. Tickets for the collection, called "The Masterpieces," are € 10.00 each and can be ordered and printed on the internet. Open from 9:00 to 18:00; ticket window closes at 17.30. Museum has wheelchairs. From Central Station: tram 2 or 5 (to Hobbemastraat). From Zuid/WTC Station: tram 5 (to Hobbemastraat). No eatery; Café Cobra on the Museumplein offers visitors who show their ticket a 15% discount.
There is an audio tour for €4. There is a publication of the collection for €5.
Van Gogh Museum...Paulus Potterstraat 7 . A couple block walk from the National Museum. Open 10.00 to 18.00; ticket office until 17.30. Tickets €10. No online sales. Wheelchairs available. Audiotour: €4.
From Central Station in Amsterdam, take tram 2 (towards Nieuw Sloten) or 5 (towards Amstelveen Binnenhof) to the Van Baerlestraat stop. You can also take tram 3 or 12 to the Van Baerlestraat stop or bus 145, 170 or 172 to the Museumplein stop. From hotel, take Metro 50 from Station RAI west to the next station, Ringweg-Zuid, and get tram 5 to the Van Baerlestraat stop.
Anne Frank House...Downtown at the Westermarkt stop. 9am to 9pm. € 7.50. Visit takes about 1 hour. Not friendly to the handicapped.
Magere Breg...a traditional double-leaf Dutch draw-bridge connecting sides of river Amstel. About every 20 minutes the bridge opens, as the bridge master lets boats through. Where Kerkstraat/Nieuwe Kerkstraat cross the Amstel.
Oude Kerk (Old Church). The present Gothic structure is 14th-century and it has grown from a single-aisled church into a basilica. Open until 5pm. In the red light district. On the museum and I Amsterdam cards.
There is a same-day, half-price ticket shop: Last Minute Ticket Shop. Tickets go on sale at noon. You must go the the shop, at Leidseplein 26. Trams 1, 2, 5, 7, 10. Theater, comedy shows, etc.
TRANSPORTATION
General information about transportation...
The I amsterdam Card consists of a card, a public transport ticket, and a full color guide. 24, 48 or 72-hours pass. The card covers use of all public transport in Amsterdam, a canal tour, and entry to various Amsterdam museums, including the 3 listed above. A discount of 25% on attractions and restaurants is also included. 24 hours = € 33,00; 48 hours = € 43,00. Time starts when first used.
Buy at Tourist Bureaus. One inside and one outside Central Station. Open until 7pm. One on the line for Tram 5 at the Leidseplein station. Open until 5pm. Also buy at the GVB ticket offices. Zuid Station open until 6pm; Stationsplein, opposite Central Station, open until 9pm.
GVB Ticket. Public transport ticket. 24 hours, € 7,00. Buy from the ticket machines in the metro stations (24-, 48- and 72-hours tickets), from tram- and busdrivers and conductors (24-hours ticket), from the ticket machines on tram 5 and metro 51 (24-hours ticket).
Could also use an 8-strip ticket from GVB as a one-day ticket for €6.40.
Canalbus sells an All-Amsterdam Transport Pass that includes the canalbus and all public transport, and some museum and attraction discounts for €24/day. (for example, BOGO for the National museum.) Canalboat ticket locations: Rijksmuseum, Leidseplein, Anne Frank House, hotels, the Amsterdam Tourist Information Offices, and the NZ Hollands Koffiehuis (opposite Central Station). Canalbus runs from 10.00 am till 07.00 pm. I can't tell the hours of the Canalboat offices. The canalbuses run every 40 minutes.
There is a Stop and Go line of minibus service around the downtown area. No fixed stops. Every 12 minutes, 9am to 5:30pm.
Train, bus, subway, ferry maps.
Taxi info. Expensive; hard to get. A few stands around town, including in the Dam and at the Van Gogh museum. €1.80 per km regardless of the time of day and a 5%-10% tip is expected. Dam to RAI Station ~€12. Taxis displaying an exemption card (inside the passenger side of the front windscreen) may use the tram and bus lanes.
Bike taxis: three-wheeled post-modern style rickshaws with open windows and fluorescent sides that carry up to two passengers. 11 in the city. 10am to 3am. 1 € for 3 minutes per person.
Germany
ACCOMMODATIONS
Hotel Best Western Queens Karlsruhe. Wednesday night. Thursday night will be in Switzerland.
We will be getting breakfast and dinner both days.
GLOBUS ITINERARY
Wednesday May 21....A passing glance at the Dutch region best known as the locale of A Bridge Too Far on the way to Germany. Stop in Cologne to visit the awesome twin-spired gothic CATHEDRAL. Then the afternoon’s highlight: a romantic RHINE CRUISE past castle-crested cliffs, terraced vineyards, and trim, half-timbered towns. Next stop is Heidelberg, famous for its red-walled castle. (BB,D)
Thursday, May 22....A scenic day! Morning stop in the lush valleys and pineclad hills of the BLACK FOREST, renowned for its cuckoo clocks. On the Swiss border take your pictures of the thundering RHINE FALLS, then continue to picture-book Lucerne. (BB,D)
ITINERARY
Cologne (wiki article). Locally--Köln. It seems we will be in town only to go inside the Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom). Don't know whether they will be explaining the place; will have a copy of Rick Steve's self-guided tour.
Rhine River Cruise. South of Cologne to North of Heidelberg. The cruise is provided and I am sure narrated.
Heidelberg (wiki article). It doesn't look like we will be spending time here. If we do, we'll take it as it comes. The river there is the Neckar, which joins the Rhine 12 miles Northwest of Heidelberg.
Karlsruhe--Wiki article. This appears to be a lovely town. The hotel is not far from the center of town, which is the Karlsruhe Palace. This is a view of the town from the palace tower, looking south toward our hotel.
The palace at night...
There is a zoo and a large park immediately to the west of our hotel.
The Augartenstraße station is right near our hotel. To get the center of town, we would be heading to the Marktplatz (Kaiserstr) station or the Marktplatz (Pyramide) station. Tram 2 or one of a few trains would get us there. There also seems to be a bus system.
Karlsruhe, Germany, tourist bureau and virtual map.
On Thursday, we will go through the Black Forest on our way to Switzerland.
Switzerland
ACCOMODATIONS, CURRENCY, AND CLIMATE
Lucerne (map) is in the center of Switzerland, on Lake Lucerne. Hotel Royal or Grand Hotel Europe. (The 2nd one sounds nicer.) The 2 hotels are in the same area on the North Shore of Lake Lucerne. About a ten minute walk to city center. Near bus stop.
In Switzerland, the money is Swiss Franks (CHF). It's about a one to one conversion. Denominations up to 5 CHF are coins. Can use Euros, but get change in swiss franks.
The average May temperature in Lucerne is 46 to 64 degrees Fahrenheit.
GLOBUS ITINERARY
Thursday, May 22...Rhineland to Lucerne, Switzerland
A scenic day! Morning stop in the lush valleys and pineclad hills of the BLACK FOREST, renowned for its cuckoo clocks. On the Swiss border take your pictures of the thundering RHINE FALLS, then continue to picture-book Lucerne. (BB,D)
Friday, May 23...Lucerne, Switzerland to Liechtenstein to Innsbruck, Austria
Admire Thorwaldsen’s LION MONUMENT, walk through the Old Town, and cross the famous covered CHAPEL BRIDGE to the Jesuit Church. Time to shop for Swiss watches or climb lofty Mount Pilatus. Then leave Switzerland, stop in the Principality of Liechtenstein, and continue to Innsbruck in the Austrian Tyrol. Take pictures of Emperor Maximilian’s GOLDEN ROOF. (BB,D)
ITINERARY
Without stops, Lucerne is about 3 hours by road from Karlsruhe, Germany. The page on Germany discusses the Black Forest.
Rhine Falls--wiki. The largest falls in Europe: average flow of 25’000 cubic ft /sec, 450 ft wide and 75 ft high.
Lucerne...(Wikitravel). New York Times Travel section info on Lucerne.It appears we may have some part of the afternoon and the evening in Lucerne.
Film of the city and area. Wonderful pictures of the area. Lucerne Tourist page, which has the best descriptions/maps of the area I can find.
If we get in early enough on Thursday, we could wander about by ourselves and see most of what the tour will show us Friday morning. That way, we could have most of our Lucerne time on Friday to take a boat ride and do some building/art viewing.
From the hotel, one can walk across the covered chapel bridge into old town. The Hof Church is a catholic cathedral; on the north side of the river near the chapel bridge. West from the bridge on the south side of the river is a Jesuit Church, no info about open times. East from the bridge on the south side is the harbor and the Convention Center. We culd pick up info on the boat rides that evening. We could see the nice water views in one of two bars in the Center: The Seebar and The Terrace.
In the morning we will use the tour to see the Lion Monument, which is well north of the city center, and to explain the chapel bridge to us. Then we will take off for the water. Around the city are remnants of the city wall and towers. Three towers are open to the public. The old Town Hall building is on the north side of the river.
There are boats on the lake, but I'm having trouble deciphering time and cost. Excursion and round trip timetable from Lucerne looks like we can take a 2 or 3 hour boat ride. Another site says we could get one-hour rides.
There is a Picasso museum, in a 1618 Renaissance-style building, the historic Am-Rhyn-House. A collection of paintings, drawings, original prints, sculpture, and ceramics by Picasso from the last 20 years of his life. Also "Picassso, photographed by David Douglas Duncan." Address: Furrengrasse 21; 10am to 6pm; Bus 1; 4CHF adults. It one block north of the river, 4 blocks west of the bridge next to the city Hall.
There is also the Rosengart Collection, including Klee, Picasso, Cézanne, Monet, Matisse, Braque, Léger, and Miró. The gallery is at Pilatusstrasse 10, on the south side of the river, a street starting at the train station and heading diagonally southwest. It is open from 10am to 6pm, and costs 12 to 15 CHF (discounted combo ticket with the Picasso Museum). On Fridays, the museum has a tour at 2:30pm.
TRANSPORTATION
There is a bus system, but the site is not available in English. I found from another site that if you are staying in any hotel in Lucerne, you can obtain a 3 DAY PASS for 8 CHF at the reception desk. Normally a ONE DAY PASS costs 10 CHF; ONE TRIP costs from 2 to 5 CHF depending on the distance.
The railway station is on the south side of the river, east toward the lake. You can rent bikes at the railway station, including electric bikes.
SELF-GUIDED TOUR
Here's a one-day tour one website suggests: (Tip: "Platz" means Plaza or Square)
Start in the heart of Lucerne at Schwanenplatz (Swan Square), on the north bank of the Reuss River, reached by crossing the Seebrücke bridge from Bahnhofplatz on the south bank, site of the train station.
Adjoining the square on the west is Kapellplatz (St. Peter's Church). From here, continue west along Kapellgasse, until you reach the Rathaus (Old Town Hall). Continuing to the left is the Picasso Museum at Am-Rhyn-Haus.
After leaving the museum, follow Rathausquai east toward Schwanenplatz again and cross the Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge), view the Jesuitenkirche (Jesuit Church), Wasserturm (Water Tower), and Nadelwehr (Water Spikes). Spreuerbrücke (Mills Bridge).
Make a sharp right through the Mühlenplatz (Mills Square), site of the 16 century Lucerne markets. Go east down Kramgasse to Altstadtplatze (Old City Squares). From Hirschenplatz, go east along Weggisgasse to Falkenplatz. From Falkenplatz, continue east along Hertensteinstrasse until you come to Löwenplatz - the site of the Bourbaki Panorama.
Next you'll go north along Denkmalstrasse - high above your head you'll see one of the most famous statues in the world - the Löwendenkmal (Lion Monument). Now go back to Löwenplatz and head south along Löwenstrasse to the lake and Kurplatz. A few steps east of Schwanenplatz is the site of the Hofkirche (Hof Church) are visible.
Kurplatz is a good way to end the tour. It has the best view of the lake from its northern rim. You can also take steamers from this area to visit various resorts along the lake. The view from here includes the lake and the Alps from Rigi to Pilatus. This area is great for exploring and shopping. At the end of the promenade is the Lido (beach), called Lucerne's "Riviera."
WON'T BE DOING
Unfortunately, due to height, we cannot do either of the optional tours that go up the mountains. The Pilatus Tour appears to take 4-5 hours. Pilatus is south of Lucern. (Another site, with timetable.)
The Mount Rigi tour goes to Vitznau to board a cogwheel train to Mount Rigi (6K feet high), returning by train and aerial cable car to Weggis. Rigi is north of Lake Lucerne. Looks like it takes about 5 hours. Website. Film.
Lucerne (map) is in the center of Switzerland, on Lake Lucerne. Hotel Royal or Grand Hotel Europe. (The 2nd one sounds nicer.) The 2 hotels are in the same area on the North Shore of Lake Lucerne. About a ten minute walk to city center. Near bus stop.
In Switzerland, the money is Swiss Franks (CHF). It's about a one to one conversion. Denominations up to 5 CHF are coins. Can use Euros, but get change in swiss franks.
The average May temperature in Lucerne is 46 to 64 degrees Fahrenheit.
GLOBUS ITINERARY
Thursday, May 22...Rhineland to Lucerne, Switzerland
A scenic day! Morning stop in the lush valleys and pineclad hills of the BLACK FOREST, renowned for its cuckoo clocks. On the Swiss border take your pictures of the thundering RHINE FALLS, then continue to picture-book Lucerne. (BB,D)
Friday, May 23...Lucerne, Switzerland to Liechtenstein to Innsbruck, Austria
Admire Thorwaldsen’s LION MONUMENT, walk through the Old Town, and cross the famous covered CHAPEL BRIDGE to the Jesuit Church. Time to shop for Swiss watches or climb lofty Mount Pilatus. Then leave Switzerland, stop in the Principality of Liechtenstein, and continue to Innsbruck in the Austrian Tyrol. Take pictures of Emperor Maximilian’s GOLDEN ROOF. (BB,D)
ITINERARY
Without stops, Lucerne is about 3 hours by road from Karlsruhe, Germany. The page on Germany discusses the Black Forest.
Rhine Falls--wiki. The largest falls in Europe: average flow of 25’000 cubic ft /sec, 450 ft wide and 75 ft high.
Lucerne...(Wikitravel). New York Times Travel section info on Lucerne.It appears we may have some part of the afternoon and the evening in Lucerne.
Film of the city and area. Wonderful pictures of the area. Lucerne Tourist page, which has the best descriptions/maps of the area I can find.
If we get in early enough on Thursday, we could wander about by ourselves and see most of what the tour will show us Friday morning. That way, we could have most of our Lucerne time on Friday to take a boat ride and do some building/art viewing.
From the hotel, one can walk across the covered chapel bridge into old town. The Hof Church is a catholic cathedral; on the north side of the river near the chapel bridge. West from the bridge on the south side of the river is a Jesuit Church, no info about open times. East from the bridge on the south side is the harbor and the Convention Center. We culd pick up info on the boat rides that evening. We could see the nice water views in one of two bars in the Center: The Seebar and The Terrace.
In the morning we will use the tour to see the Lion Monument, which is well north of the city center, and to explain the chapel bridge to us. Then we will take off for the water. Around the city are remnants of the city wall and towers. Three towers are open to the public. The old Town Hall building is on the north side of the river.
There are boats on the lake, but I'm having trouble deciphering time and cost. Excursion and round trip timetable from Lucerne looks like we can take a 2 or 3 hour boat ride. Another site says we could get one-hour rides.
There is a Picasso museum, in a 1618 Renaissance-style building, the historic Am-Rhyn-House. A collection of paintings, drawings, original prints, sculpture, and ceramics by Picasso from the last 20 years of his life. Also "Picassso, photographed by David Douglas Duncan." Address: Furrengrasse 21; 10am to 6pm; Bus 1; 4CHF adults. It one block north of the river, 4 blocks west of the bridge next to the city Hall.
There is also the Rosengart Collection, including Klee, Picasso, Cézanne, Monet, Matisse, Braque, Léger, and Miró. The gallery is at Pilatusstrasse 10, on the south side of the river, a street starting at the train station and heading diagonally southwest. It is open from 10am to 6pm, and costs 12 to 15 CHF (discounted combo ticket with the Picasso Museum). On Fridays, the museum has a tour at 2:30pm.
TRANSPORTATION
There is a bus system, but the site is not available in English. I found from another site that if you are staying in any hotel in Lucerne, you can obtain a 3 DAY PASS for 8 CHF at the reception desk. Normally a ONE DAY PASS costs 10 CHF; ONE TRIP costs from 2 to 5 CHF depending on the distance.
The railway station is on the south side of the river, east toward the lake. You can rent bikes at the railway station, including electric bikes.
SELF-GUIDED TOUR
Here's a one-day tour one website suggests: (Tip: "Platz" means Plaza or Square)
Start in the heart of Lucerne at Schwanenplatz (Swan Square), on the north bank of the Reuss River, reached by crossing the Seebrücke bridge from Bahnhofplatz on the south bank, site of the train station.
Adjoining the square on the west is Kapellplatz (St. Peter's Church). From here, continue west along Kapellgasse, until you reach the Rathaus (Old Town Hall). Continuing to the left is the Picasso Museum at Am-Rhyn-Haus.
After leaving the museum, follow Rathausquai east toward Schwanenplatz again and cross the Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge), view the Jesuitenkirche (Jesuit Church), Wasserturm (Water Tower), and Nadelwehr (Water Spikes). Spreuerbrücke (Mills Bridge).
Make a sharp right through the Mühlenplatz (Mills Square), site of the 16 century Lucerne markets. Go east down Kramgasse to Altstadtplatze (Old City Squares). From Hirschenplatz, go east along Weggisgasse to Falkenplatz. From Falkenplatz, continue east along Hertensteinstrasse until you come to Löwenplatz - the site of the Bourbaki Panorama.
Next you'll go north along Denkmalstrasse - high above your head you'll see one of the most famous statues in the world - the Löwendenkmal (Lion Monument). Now go back to Löwenplatz and head south along Löwenstrasse to the lake and Kurplatz. A few steps east of Schwanenplatz is the site of the Hofkirche (Hof Church) are visible.
Kurplatz is a good way to end the tour. It has the best view of the lake from its northern rim. You can also take steamers from this area to visit various resorts along the lake. The view from here includes the lake and the Alps from Rigi to Pilatus. This area is great for exploring and shopping. At the end of the promenade is the Lido (beach), called Lucerne's "Riviera."
WON'T BE DOING
Unfortunately, due to height, we cannot do either of the optional tours that go up the mountains. The Pilatus Tour appears to take 4-5 hours. Pilatus is south of Lucern. (Another site, with timetable.)
The Mount Rigi tour goes to Vitznau to board a cogwheel train to Mount Rigi (6K feet high), returning by train and aerial cable car to Weggis. Rigi is north of Lake Lucerne. Looks like it takes about 5 hours. Website. Film.
Austria
ACCOMODATIONS AND CLIMATE
Innsbruck (map) is 3.5 hours by road from Lucerne. Hotel Maximilian. In center city.
BBC weather says that in May, Innsbruck's temperature ranges from 46 to 68 degrees Farenheit. Its climate is equivalent to that of Moscow and Montreal.
GLOBUS ITINERARY
Friday, May 23...Lucerne–Liechtenstein–Innsbruck, Austria
.......Then leave Switzerland, stop in the Principality of Liechtenstein, and continue to Innsbruck in the Austrian Tyrol. Take pictures of Emperor Maximilian’s GOLDEN ROOF. (BB,D)
Optional...Tyrolean Folklore Evening
The most traditional Alpine folklore show in town! Enjoy this entertaining evening including Schuhplatteln dancers, yodeling, lederhosen, dirndls, and zither music. Drinks included. Approximate value: EUR €36 per person.
Saturday, May 24....Innsbruck–Venice, Italy
The spectacular Brenner Pass leads through the barrier of the Tyrolean Alps to Italy. Enter Venice in style by PRIVATE BOAT to ST. MARK’S SQUARE.....
ITINERARY
Innsbruck is 3.5 hours by road from Lucerne. We doubt we will have much time there. Innsbruck was annexed by the Germans during WW2, and there was a concentration camp nearby.
The Golden Roof was built in 1500. (Picture.) It was decorated with 2657 fire-gilded copper tiles for Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor. The reliefs on the balcony show coats of arms, symbols and other figures in his life.
If we do have time in Innsbruck, there are a number of things within close walking distance. The railroad station, where there is a tourist information desk, is not close. There is a TI a few blocks from the hotel, at Burrggraben 3, open 9am to 6pm. If there turns out to be alot of time, a page of attractions is here.
As an alternative to Globus's optional folklore tour, Rick Steves says that city hotels offer slap dancing entertainment nearly nightly at 8:30 pm starting in April for €20, including a drink with the 2-hour show, tickets at the Tourist Information booths. Video of slap dancing.
The Brenner Pass is one of the principal passes through the Alps, along the border between Austria and Italy. On the 6-lane autobahn, it is the lowest (1370 m) and easiest of the Alpine passes. The Europe Bridge over the Sill River is 600 feet high and 1/2 mile long. The pass is infamous for heavy traffic conjestion.
It take over 4 hours to get to Venice from Innsbruck, by way of Verona and Vincenza Italy.
Innsbruck (map) is 3.5 hours by road from Lucerne. Hotel Maximilian. In center city.
BBC weather says that in May, Innsbruck's temperature ranges from 46 to 68 degrees Farenheit. Its climate is equivalent to that of Moscow and Montreal.
GLOBUS ITINERARY
Friday, May 23...Lucerne–Liechtenstein–Innsbruck, Austria
.......Then leave Switzerland, stop in the Principality of Liechtenstein, and continue to Innsbruck in the Austrian Tyrol. Take pictures of Emperor Maximilian’s GOLDEN ROOF. (BB,D)
Optional...Tyrolean Folklore Evening
The most traditional Alpine folklore show in town! Enjoy this entertaining evening including Schuhplatteln dancers, yodeling, lederhosen, dirndls, and zither music. Drinks included. Approximate value: EUR €36 per person.
Saturday, May 24....Innsbruck–Venice, Italy
The spectacular Brenner Pass leads through the barrier of the Tyrolean Alps to Italy. Enter Venice in style by PRIVATE BOAT to ST. MARK’S SQUARE.....
ITINERARY
Innsbruck is 3.5 hours by road from Lucerne. We doubt we will have much time there. Innsbruck was annexed by the Germans during WW2, and there was a concentration camp nearby.
The Golden Roof was built in 1500. (Picture.) It was decorated with 2657 fire-gilded copper tiles for Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor. The reliefs on the balcony show coats of arms, symbols and other figures in his life.
If we do have time in Innsbruck, there are a number of things within close walking distance. The railroad station, where there is a tourist information desk, is not close. There is a TI a few blocks from the hotel, at Burrggraben 3, open 9am to 6pm. If there turns out to be alot of time, a page of attractions is here.
As an alternative to Globus's optional folklore tour, Rick Steves says that city hotels offer slap dancing entertainment nearly nightly at 8:30 pm starting in April for €20, including a drink with the 2-hour show, tickets at the Tourist Information booths. Video of slap dancing.
The Brenner Pass is one of the principal passes through the Alps, along the border between Austria and Italy. On the 6-lane autobahn, it is the lowest (1370 m) and easiest of the Alpine passes. The Europe Bridge over the Sill River is 600 feet high and 1/2 mile long. The pass is infamous for heavy traffic conjestion.
It take over 4 hours to get to Venice from Innsbruck, by way of Verona and Vincenza Italy.
Venice
ACCOMMODATIONS AND CLIMATE
Il Burchiello at Oriago. Telephone +39 041 429555. Address: Via Venezia 19, Oriago Di Mira 30034 , Venezia (Italy). On the Brenta River between Mira and Oriago, (according to the hotel web site) 15 minutes from Venice. Google says 30 minutes by road. Email: hotel@burchiello.it. Sent an email 4/21 asking about late night travel to hotel from Venice.
Venice (map)
Weather in May--55 to 70 degrees Farenheit.
Public toilets often are not free; carry change. (I get the idea they are €1.) Pubs sometimes have turkish style toilets.
Venice Tourist Board. The Tourist Office's headquarters are in a freestanding white building by the public gardens just off the Piazza San Marco. They sell walking maps, including the pocket-sized Touring Club Italiano's Centrocitt à Venezia 1:5000 map, which shows the historic center in great detail (also from bookstores).
Riviera del Brenta Tourist Board.
Excellent private site about Venice.
TRANSPORTATION
Public transportation on land and water--ACTV. Primer about local transportation. Fare listing.
I can't find bus route maps. You can buy bus tickets at ACTV offices and tobacco stores. There does seem to be a bus that runs from near our hotel to Venice, until around midnight. The VENEZIA-MARGHERA-ORIAGO-MIRA-DOLO- FIESSO-STRA-PADOVA line. There is a timetable in Italian here. The bus stop in Oriago is at the Vettore hotel, at Via Venezio 216, which is 1 mile from our hotel.
The public boats called vaporetti and motoscafi run almost constantly. The waterbus used most often is the No. 1, the local that stops 13 times between the Piazzale Roma and the Piazza San Marco. For convenience, "vaporetto" is often used as a generic synonym for "water bus," but technically there are three types of boat: the "vaporetto," a flat-decked boat used on routes such as No. 1 (Grand Canal) and No. 2; the "motoscafo" (used for routes that go into the Lagoon); and the "motonave" (a large double-decked vessel that looks like a ship and is used for commuter service to the Lido, Punta Sabioni, and Treporti). The ACTV offices (there is one at the Piazzale Roma--the bus parking lot) have route maps. These are covered, enclosed boats. If you can board at the end of a line, you may be able to sit at the bow, where standing isn't allowed. Boat No. 1, from the parking lot to San Marco to Lido, is slow and crowded. Water routes.
Water taxis can be expensive; prices differ and can be negotiable.
The city of Venice sets official rates for gondola rides, which start around €80 for 40 minutes. Additional 20-minute increments are €40. After 7 p.m., the base rate climbs to €100, with €50 for an additional 20 minutes. Up to six people can share a gondola. Decide what kind of trip you want, then find a gondola stand in the area nearest your destination. Someone raving about a gondola ride taken through a tour company.
Goldola Ferries Traghetto (plural: traghetti) means "ferry" in Italian. On Venice's Grand Canal, traghetti are the passenger boats that cross the canal at seven points between the railroad station and St. Mark's Basin. The boats are old gondolas that have been stripped of their brocaded chairs and other luxury trimmings. They are rowed by two oarsmen: one who stands behind the passengers like a traditional gondolier, the other closer to the bow. There are seven traghetti routes. The routes are clearly marked on any good street map of Venice (look for straight lines across the Grand Canal), and you'll often see yellow signs pointing toward the traghetto landings when you're walking through neighborhoods along the Grand Canal. €0.50/ride. Normally the boats run from early in the morning until 7 or 8 p.m. These are not flat bottomed boats.
GLOBUS ITINERARY
Saturday, May 24...Innsbruck to Venice,Italy
The spectacular Brenner Pass leads through the barrier of the Tyrolean Alps to Italy. Enter Venice in style by PRIVATE BOAT to ST MARK'S SQUARE in Venice. Admire the byzantine Basilica, the Clock Tower, lavish Doges’ Palace and the Bridge of Sighs. Watch skilled GLASSBLOWERS fashion their delicate objects, then time to explore or to join an optional gondola ride. (BB,D)
Optional Tour
Enjoy a serenaded ride in a traditional gondola (for 6 people), gliding through centuries-old canals, under famous arched bridges, and past lavish palaces and quaint piazzas. Approximate value: EUR €40 per person
Sunday, May 25...Venice to Rome
A scenic drive across the Apennine Mountains and through the vine- and olive-clad Tuscan hills, home of the popular Chianti wines, brings you to the Eternal City. (BB)
ITINERARY
Danieli Hotel. Take a pop in to see the grand property. A couple blocks east of St. Mark's Plaza on the waterfront. There's a restaurant/bar on the rooftop where they serve snacks from 3:30 to 6:30pm. Picture.
St. Mark's Basillica Ticket Reservations. Have booked 2 for 2pm and 3pmon 5/24/08. Still to book for 4pm.
Doge's Palace. A Museum card will get us in the palace, the clock tower, and the Correr Museum. To bypass the long lines at the palace, can buy at the Correr Museum. It was €12 in 2007. Or could order on-line for €23 and pickup at the group desk at the palace. Card does not have times on it. Can also get for €17 here (the card not the pass).
Galleria dell'Accademia. Across the Accademia bridge (the one nearest St. Mark's). Also at a water bus line. Last admission at 6:45pm. Venetian art from before the 1800s.
Entrance not included on any of the museum cards or passes. Long lines. Audioguide available. €7 to get in and €7 for a double headset. A booking time is required. Go through a link at the bottom of this page to book tickets. Right now, only 10:30, 12:30, and 1pm tickets are available for our date. Sent an email 4/22/08. May need to call. Reservations 041,5200345 (need country codes) Mon-Friday 9am to 6pm. Saturday 9am to 2pm. Can also book here. Also here (this place has you print a voucher you take with you; you don't know right away whether they can get your time).
Correr Museum. Part of the Museum card. An overview of Venetian history and art. Far end of Square opposite basilica. Open until 5pm. Last entry at 4pm.
Rialto Bridge. Have to cross it!!
Jewish Ghetto. Catthom recommended it.
Self-guided grand canal cruise. In the RS Italy book and on audio tour. #1 boat from the train station to the plaza is 45 minutes. The #82 bus is 25 minutes (too short).
Rome
ACCOMMODATIONS, CLIMATE, AND TRANSPORTATION
Jolly Midas, Via Aurelia 800 (map). roma_midas@jollyhotels.it Tel.: +39 06 663961.
The hotel is supposed to have a free shuttle service.
Interactive map of Rome.
Bus and metro system. Public transportation is covered by the Roma Pass. The hotel's nearest bus stop is on Via Aurelia. The instructions for getting from the hotel to the Excelsior in center city are:
Depart Via Aurelia, 800, walk 150 metres (5 minutes) to stop STAZ. AURELIA
Take Line No 981 (C.NE CORNELIA (MA)) to 22 stops. Get off at stop BOCCEA/GALEOTTI (20 min).
Walk 250 metres to stop CORNELIA. Take Line No 490 (STAZ.NE TIBURTINA (MB))to 21 stops. Get off at stop S. PAOLO DEL BRASILE (15 min).
Walk 250 metres to Via Vittorio Veneto, 125.
(Seems to me we also could, at the Cornelia stop, pick up the Metro A and take it into the Spanish steps at the Spagni stop.)
There is a double decker public bus designed to see the sites--the 110.
This place, in the Villa Borghese, apparently has tandem bicycles and pedal-powered carts: Bici Pincio--2 locations in Villa Borghese, Viale di Villa Medici and Viale della Pineta. Phone(0039) 06 6784374, open: Daily 10:00- Sunset.
"Most bikes are rented in the middle of the street but I BIKE ROME takes reservation. They are located under the parking lot of the Villa Borghese at (06) 322 5240. For 5,000 lire an hour rent a bike with gears or a 'tandem'."
GLOBUS ITINERARY
Sunday May 25, Venice to Rome (map)
A scenic drive across the Apennine Mountains and through the vine- and olive-clad Tuscan hills, home of the popular Chianti wines, brings you to the Eternal City. (BB)
Monday May 26, Rome
Sightseeing with your Local Guide starts with a visit to the VATICAN MUSEUMS and SISTINE CHAPEL, world famous for Michelangelo’s ceiling paintings. Continue to monumental ST. PETER’S SQUARE and BASILICA. Cross the Tiber and visit the COLOSSEUM
and the ROMAN FORUM, where Roman Legions marched in triumph. Time for independent activities and optional excursion possibilities. (BB)
Tuesday May 27, Rome to Florence to Tuscany
An easy morning drive back north to Florence. (BB) Continued on Florence page.
Optional Excursions
Excursion to Tivoli with Dinner ...Leave Rome for a guided visit of the famous VILLA ADRIANA or the VILLA D'ESTE GARDENS and FOUNTAINS in Tivoli, followed by a typical country-style dinner with wine, spumante, and music. Approximate value: EUR €71 per person.
Tivoli is about an hour east of our hotel. Villa D'Este is a 1500 era garden and fountains, but closed on Mondays. The other, better known as Hadrian's Villa, is an ancient ruin, from near the time of Christ. Just more columns and floors and broken statues to see. "Due to the loss of all the upper parts of the buildings, it can be very hard to get an idea about how the villa appeared at the time of Hadrian. The visitor today can "see through" the villa, and easily get an impression of park-like open spaces, but this is misleading. What now appears as open spaces could have been a narrow passage, a dining room or a tall domed hall, but that is all but lost now."
Orientation Drive and Roman Dinner ...
Wander through the Eternal City, toss your coins into Trevi Fountain, then be spoiled with Italian specialties and wine at one of Rome's popular restaurants.
Approximate value: EUR €55 per person
Roman Highlights and Dinner ...A guided walking tour takes you to some of the most famous monuments. Admire the Spanish Steps, Via Condotti, Piazza Navona, Parliament, and Pantheon. Later this evening enjoy a four-course dinner at a popular Roman restaurant. Drinks included.
Approximate value: EUR €63 per person
ITINERARY
Sunday May 25. Venice to Rome is 5.5 hours; will be more with a stop for lunch. Probably won't get in until 3 to 4pm. It does not seem that the optional excursions will be available the first night, but there is a possibility is they are.
The Westin Excelsior is a legendary hotel. It is the “magnificent white palace on Via Veneto”, close to Piazza di Spagna (The Spanish Steps) and the Villa Borghese gardens. This hotel looks onto the famous street known as the “Dolce Vita.” We could have dinner at its Restaurant Doney. Or we could just stop in at the bar to see the building before eating somewhere a little cheaper.
We could do some sightseeing this evening. The Spanish Steps (restaurants nearby), the Barcaccia Fountain of Bernini, the Trevi Fountain, the Piazza Navona, the Parthenon, the outside of the Castel Sant'Angelo. (The Castel is closed on Mondays.) There are likely other attractions in that center city area. The Piazza Campo de' Fiori is a food and market area south of the Piazza Navona.
Monday May 26...It appears that Globus is taking us into the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Square and Basilica, and the Colosseum and Roman Forum. If that were the case, that would be a long and tiring day. Somehow, I suspect that we will only get a short time at each attraction, and in the order indicated.
I tend to be more interested in the Renaissance Art rather than the Ancient Art. But Monday the Borghese Gallery is closed. If we want more to see, we could go to the Pantheon. If we didn't get enough time at the Vatican attractions, we could return there. There are guided tours of the Vatican Museums. At those Museums, wheelchairs can be reserved in advance--fax 06.6988.5433--or upon request at the “Special Permits” window in the entrance hall.
There is a museum near the central train station called the Scuderie del Quirinale, open Sunday and Monday 10am to 8pm. Tickets timed on the hour from 10am to 6pm. € 10,00. Reduced price with the Roma Pass. Metro A (get off at Piazza della Repubblica); Metro B (get off at Cavour). Wheelchairs available. It is showing an exhibition of 19th century painting in Italy. Information and booking +39.06.39967500. Online sales. Audioguide available.
Largo di Torre Argentina is a square in that hosts four Republican Roman temples, and the remains of Pompey's Theater. The Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary is there. The volunteers at the shelter give daily tours of the ruins at 5:00 PM. Located at the intersection of the Via de Torre Argentina and Corso Vittioro Emaneule II.
There are Tiber River cruises, but the conventional wisdom is to avoid them because 1) the river is narrow compared to Thames or Seine; 2) boat rides are disorganized, no signs or directions; 3) the river is well below "street level" with high protective walls, so you will not really see anything except bridges; 4) walls are covered in graffiti; 5) garbage and debris all along the banks.
There are two types of multi-attraction tickets. In the book.
Jolly Midas, Via Aurelia 800 (map). roma_midas@jollyhotels.it Tel.: +39 06 663961.
The hotel is supposed to have a free shuttle service.
Interactive map of Rome.
Bus and metro system. Public transportation is covered by the Roma Pass. The hotel's nearest bus stop is on Via Aurelia. The instructions for getting from the hotel to the Excelsior in center city are:
(Seems to me we also could, at the Cornelia stop, pick up the Metro A and take it into the Spanish steps at the Spagni stop.)
There is a double decker public bus designed to see the sites--the 110.
This place, in the Villa Borghese, apparently has tandem bicycles and pedal-powered carts: Bici Pincio--2 locations in Villa Borghese, Viale di Villa Medici and Viale della Pineta. Phone(0039) 06 6784374, open: Daily 10:00- Sunset.
"Most bikes are rented in the middle of the street but I BIKE ROME takes reservation. They are located under the parking lot of the Villa Borghese at (06) 322 5240. For 5,000 lire an hour rent a bike with gears or a 'tandem'."
GLOBUS ITINERARY
Sunday May 25, Venice to Rome (map)
A scenic drive across the Apennine Mountains and through the vine- and olive-clad Tuscan hills, home of the popular Chianti wines, brings you to the Eternal City. (BB)
Monday May 26, Rome
Sightseeing with your Local Guide starts with a visit to the VATICAN MUSEUMS and SISTINE CHAPEL, world famous for Michelangelo’s ceiling paintings. Continue to monumental ST. PETER’S SQUARE and BASILICA. Cross the Tiber and visit the COLOSSEUM
and the ROMAN FORUM, where Roman Legions marched in triumph. Time for independent activities and optional excursion possibilities. (BB)
Tuesday May 27, Rome to Florence to Tuscany
An easy morning drive back north to Florence. (BB) Continued on Florence page.
Optional Excursions
Excursion to Tivoli with Dinner ...Leave Rome for a guided visit of the famous VILLA ADRIANA or the VILLA D'ESTE GARDENS and FOUNTAINS in Tivoli, followed by a typical country-style dinner with wine, spumante, and music. Approximate value: EUR €71 per person.
Tivoli is about an hour east of our hotel. Villa D'Este is a 1500 era garden and fountains, but closed on Mondays. The other, better known as Hadrian's Villa, is an ancient ruin, from near the time of Christ. Just more columns and floors and broken statues to see. "Due to the loss of all the upper parts of the buildings, it can be very hard to get an idea about how the villa appeared at the time of Hadrian. The visitor today can "see through" the villa, and easily get an impression of park-like open spaces, but this is misleading. What now appears as open spaces could have been a narrow passage, a dining room or a tall domed hall, but that is all but lost now."
Orientation Drive and Roman Dinner ...
Wander through the Eternal City, toss your coins into Trevi Fountain, then be spoiled with Italian specialties and wine at one of Rome's popular restaurants.
Approximate value: EUR €55 per person
Roman Highlights and Dinner ...A guided walking tour takes you to some of the most famous monuments. Admire the Spanish Steps, Via Condotti, Piazza Navona, Parliament, and Pantheon. Later this evening enjoy a four-course dinner at a popular Roman restaurant. Drinks included.
Approximate value: EUR €63 per person
ITINERARY
Sunday May 25. Venice to Rome is 5.5 hours; will be more with a stop for lunch. Probably won't get in until 3 to 4pm. It does not seem that the optional excursions will be available the first night, but there is a possibility is they are.
The Westin Excelsior is a legendary hotel. It is the “magnificent white palace on Via Veneto”, close to Piazza di Spagna (The Spanish Steps) and the Villa Borghese gardens. This hotel looks onto the famous street known as the “Dolce Vita.” We could have dinner at its Restaurant Doney. Or we could just stop in at the bar to see the building before eating somewhere a little cheaper.
We could do some sightseeing this evening. The Spanish Steps (restaurants nearby), the Barcaccia Fountain of Bernini, the Trevi Fountain, the Piazza Navona, the Parthenon, the outside of the Castel Sant'Angelo. (The Castel is closed on Mondays.) There are likely other attractions in that center city area. The Piazza Campo de' Fiori is a food and market area south of the Piazza Navona.
Monday May 26...It appears that Globus is taking us into the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Square and Basilica, and the Colosseum and Roman Forum. If that were the case, that would be a long and tiring day. Somehow, I suspect that we will only get a short time at each attraction, and in the order indicated.
I tend to be more interested in the Renaissance Art rather than the Ancient Art. But Monday the Borghese Gallery is closed. If we want more to see, we could go to the Pantheon. If we didn't get enough time at the Vatican attractions, we could return there. There are guided tours of the Vatican Museums. At those Museums, wheelchairs can be reserved in advance--fax 06.6988.5433--or upon request at the “Special Permits” window in the entrance hall.
There is a museum near the central train station called the Scuderie del Quirinale, open Sunday and Monday 10am to 8pm. Tickets timed on the hour from 10am to 6pm. € 10,00. Reduced price with the Roma Pass. Metro A (get off at Piazza della Repubblica); Metro B (get off at Cavour). Wheelchairs available. It is showing an exhibition of 19th century painting in Italy. Information and booking +39.06.39967500. Online sales. Audioguide available.
Largo di Torre Argentina is a square in that hosts four Republican Roman temples, and the remains of Pompey's Theater. The Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary is there. The volunteers at the shelter give daily tours of the ruins at 5:00 PM. Located at the intersection of the Via de Torre Argentina and Corso Vittioro Emaneule II.
There are Tiber River cruises, but the conventional wisdom is to avoid them because 1) the river is narrow compared to Thames or Seine; 2) boat rides are disorganized, no signs or directions; 3) the river is well below "street level" with high protective walls, so you will not really see anything except bridges; 4) walls are covered in graffiti; 5) garbage and debris all along the banks.
There are two types of multi-attraction tickets. In the book.
Florence and Pisa
ACCOMMODATIONS
Francia e Quirinale at Montecatini. Montecatini Terme is a spa town.
Montecatini is 50 minutes by train from Florence (map). Trains every half hour. $28 US for two 2nd class tickets. Train station (map). This car service can take 1-4 people from the Florence Train Station to Montecatini for E70. The Consortium Taxi Montecatini Terme, Largo Vivaldi, 11 - 51010 Massa e Cozzile(PT); Cell. +39 334 3360302; +39 339 2442483.
Might could also pick up a taxi in Florence. I sent an email 5/6 to the hotel asking for info about how to get there from Florence.
May temperatures range from 52 to 74, with about 3 inches of rain.
GLOBUS ITINERARY
Tuesday May 27, Rome to Florence to Tuscany...An easy morning drive back north to Florence. Follow your Local Guide to visit the the ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS with Michelangelo’s celebrated David, the magnificent CATHEDRAL, Giotto’s Bell Tower, the Baptistry’s heavy bronze “Gate of Paradise,” and SIGNORIA SQUARE. Later, take a moment to check out the enticing shops with Florentine leather goods and gold jewelry. (BB,D)
3 hours from Rome to Florence.
Wednesday May 28, Tuscany to Pisa to Nice, France....Focus on Pisa this morning for pictures of its amazing Leaning Tower. Then follow the Mediterranean coast past a string of Italian and French Riviera resorts to Nice. An optional outing is available to Monte Carlo.(BB)
45 minutes from Montecatini to Pisa and 4 hours from Pisa to Nice.
Optional Tours
None in Florence or Pisa.
ITINERARY
On Tuesday and Wednesday, we will go with Globus to see:
Accademia Gallery. This is a small gallery with the David.
Cathedral. Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore. The Duomo. It is notable for its dome designed by Brunelleschi, its exterior facing of marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white.
Giotto's Bell Tower is next to the Duomo. The Battistero di San Giovanni, with its famous doors, is in the same location.
Piazza della Signora, a plaza near the Uffizi.
Tower of Pisa. The city's Piazza dei Miracoli (Square of Miracles) houses the Duomo (the Cathedral), the Baptistry, the Tower, and the Camposanto (the monumental cemetery).
On Tuesday, we might go by ourselves:
A page with various museums.
Uffizi Gallery. Open until 18.50. €6.50. The Uffizi is one of the most famous museums of paintings and sculpture in the world. Its collection of Primitive and Renaissance paintings comprises several universally acclaimed masterpieces of all time, including works by Giotto, Simone Martini, Piero della Francesca, Fra Angelico, Filippo Lippi, Botticelli, Mantegna, Correggio, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo and Caravaggio. German, Dutch and Flemish masters are also well represented with important works by Dürer, Rembrandt and Rubens. Tel: 055 294883, Booking charge: € 4,00.
The Uffizi is near the river, near the Ponte Vecchio, a pedestrian bridge over the Arno River. The museum's entrance is right off the Piazza della Signora.
Museum of the Medici Chapels. Address: Piazza Madonna degli Aldobrandini, 6. The Museum is incorporated in the vast complex of the basilica of San Lorenzo which, being the parish church of the Medici family, was particularly richly decorated. It is here that members of the family were buried from the mid-15th century onwards. The Museum is especially famous for the New Sacristy which Michelangelo designed for the tombs of Lorenzo and Giuliano de' Medici, creating one of the masterpieces of architecture and sculpture of the Italian Renaissance. The Chapel of the Princes was begun in the early 17th century to become the mausoleum of the Medici grand-dukes. This grandiose octagonal chapel, with its immense dome, is entirely faced with polychrome marble and pietre dure.
There are audiotours. I ordered 2 tickets for 1pm through the official ticket site on 5/6. Reference # is 938489399. The site said I would receive confirmation of payment along with my voucher by e-mail in two working days. Come to the ticket office with your voucher and some identification no more than 15 minutes prior to the time of entry.
Santa Maria Novella is just across from the main railway station, which shares its name. Chronologically, it is the first great basilica in Florence. (more info.) In its pharmacy, the monks run a perfumerie.
The church of Santa Trinita is famous for its Sassetti Chapel, containing notable frescoes by Domenico Ghirlandaio. It is located near the river, near the 1st bridge to the NW of the Ponte Vecchio.
Official site for buying on-line tickets for various museums. The official site is out of tickets for the Uffizi. Another site. (which on 5/9 had 24 tickets for 2:45) Another site. Another site.
A Florence Art Guide.
Transportation in Florence
City bus services (orange buses) are run by ATAF and LI-NEA. Ordinary and season tickets can be purchased from authorized sales points (bars, tobacconists, newsagents’) and from the ATAF booth in Piazza Stazione. Tickets must be validated in the machines on the bus. Tickets (validity 70 minutes) may be purchased directly from the driver for € 2,00 (no change given).
Information: ‘ProntoAtaf’ tel 800 424500 (free call - from in Italy only) - http://www.ataf.net/ ATAF booth - Piazza Stazione (under the bus shelter)
Look for the "Florence Sightseeing bus", a red London-style double-decker bus that travels the streets of Florence just for tourists.
ATAF Bus route maps.
Nice
ACCOMMODATIONS
Holiday Inn, 20 Blvd Victor Hugo. (map) V's Priority Club number is 692034371.
GLOBUS ITINERARY
Wednesday May 28, Tuscany to Pisa to Nice, France...Focus on Pisa this morning for pictures of its amazing Leaning Tower. Then follow the Mediterranean coast past a string of Italian and French Riviera resorts to Nice. An optional outing is available to Monte Carlo. (BB)
Not sure when we will get into Nice. 4 hours from Pisa to Nice.
Thursday May 29, Nice to Paris....Transfer to the railway station and board the high-speed “TGV” TRAIN to Paris. You may wish to try out one of Paris’ fine restaurants. (BB)
Optional outing
Monte Carlo by Night with Dinner
Take a scenic drive along the Riviera followed by a delicious French dinner and wine. See the Cathedral and the Palace of Prince Albert in the principality of Monaco. Afterwards time to gamble or relax on a terrace, enjoying the elegant atmosphere. Note: Some gambling areas may be subject to an admission fee, identification required. Minimum age limit to enter the CASINO is 18 years old." Approximate value: EUR €61 per person. The Euro is the currency in Monaco.
Details about Nice
Nice is a major tourist center and resort. There is a boardwalk along the Mediterranean called the Promenade des Anglais 5 blocks south of our hotel. The beaches of Nice consist entirely of large flat stones ("gallets").
There is a Victorian hotel, the Hotel Negresco, to the west along the boardwalk. Its gourmet restaurant, Le Chantecler, is over the top expensive.
Taxis are said to be hard to hail and not honest.
Holiday Inn, 20 Blvd Victor Hugo. (map) V's Priority Club number is 692034371.
GLOBUS ITINERARY
Wednesday May 28, Tuscany to Pisa to Nice, France...Focus on Pisa this morning for pictures of its amazing Leaning Tower. Then follow the Mediterranean coast past a string of Italian and French Riviera resorts to Nice. An optional outing is available to Monte Carlo. (BB)
Not sure when we will get into Nice. 4 hours from Pisa to Nice.
Thursday May 29, Nice to Paris....Transfer to the railway station and board the high-speed “TGV” TRAIN to Paris. You may wish to try out one of Paris’ fine restaurants. (BB)
Optional outing
Monte Carlo by Night with Dinner
Take a scenic drive along the Riviera followed by a delicious French dinner and wine. See the Cathedral and the Palace of Prince Albert in the principality of Monaco. Afterwards time to gamble or relax on a terrace, enjoying the elegant atmosphere. Note: Some gambling areas may be subject to an admission fee, identification required. Minimum age limit to enter the CASINO is 18 years old." Approximate value: EUR €61 per person. The Euro is the currency in Monaco.
Details about Nice
Nice is a major tourist center and resort. There is a boardwalk along the Mediterranean called the Promenade des Anglais 5 blocks south of our hotel. The beaches of Nice consist entirely of large flat stones ("gallets").
There is a Victorian hotel, the Hotel Negresco, to the west along the boardwalk. Its gourmet restaurant, Le Chantecler, is over the top expensive.
Taxis are said to be hard to hail and not honest.
Paris
ACCOMMODATIONS
Pullman Paris Rive Gauche, 8-12 rue Louis Armand (map)
Underground stations (underground map):
Line 8, Station BALARD
Line 12, Station PTE DE VERSAILLE
Line RER C, Station BLD VICTOR,
Rapid transit site.
There is a public double decker, hop-on, hop-off sightseeing bus for 29 Euro for the day (Open Tour). There is a public important-sights, loop bus, but the internet site doesn't give the price.
There is a multiple transport type card for zones 1-3 (Paris Visite) for 14 Euros for 2 days, 19 Euros for 3 days. It also provides discounts on some entrance fees, such as for a one-hour cruise on the Seine.
GLOBUS ITINERARY
Thursday May 29, Nice to Paris...We will get breakfast. We will be taking the high-speed “TGV” train from Nice to Paris. It's a six hour trip. Guessing we will get into Paris around 1530.
Friday May 30, Paris...We will get breakfast. With a local guide, we will be shown (but not enter) the Opéra, Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Arc de Triomphe, and Champs-Elysées. We will take the elevator to the second floor of the Eiffel Tower.
Saturday May 31, Paris to London We are taking the chunnel train to get to London in the late afternoon. It's a 2.5 hour train ride, so figure we need to have to be at our hotel for transfer to the train station around 1400.
Optional Tours
Guessing the Dinner Party would be available for the first night, and the other 4 for the 2nd day.
Dinner Party and Illumination Drive...A perfect introduction to Paris! After a full-course dinner with choices of typical French dishes, drinks included, your Tour Director will show you the City of Lights. Approximate value: EUR €67 per person
Moulin Rouge...An exciting evening at the world-renowned Parisian cabaret. Dinner with half a bottle of wine is served during the show. A glass of champagne completes your evening in style. Approximate value: EUR €162 per person
La Nouvelle Eve...No visit to Paris is complete without a night out at the cabaret! A whirling international dinner show (unlimited wine) at Pigalle's one and only LA NOUVELLE EVE. Approximate value: EUR €121 per person
Louvre...Let your guide bring to life the most celebrated treasures of the impressive LOUVRE MUSEUM including the famous "Mona Lisa," the masterpiece of Leonardo Da Vinci. Approximate value: EUR €45 per person
Versailles...A short journey from Paris with your local guide to the lavish 17th-century baroque palace built by Sun King Louis XIV, with its magnificent STATE APARTMENTS, Hall of Mirrors, and the Royal Chapel. Time to stroll through parts of the elegant 250-acre GARDENS. Approximate value: EUR €58 per person.
ITINERARY
A Paris Guide.
We can spend Friday morning with the tour group, and consider some of the following for our free time.
Rodin Museum. Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) lived and worked in the Rococo Hôtel Biron (built in 1728) which now houses a unique museum where you can fully comprehend the genius of the sculptor. It is in the Hotel's courtyard that you will find "The Thinker". In the 7th arrondissement. Open 9:30am-5:45pm. Garden closes at 6.45 p.m. Last entry at 5.15 p.m.
79 Rue de Varenne, 75007 Paris, Telephone: 01 44 18 61 10. Metro (line 13): Varenne, Invalides or Saint-François-Xavier; RER (line C): Invalides; Bus: 69, 82, 87, 92. 6 Euro to enter; 4 Euro for audioguide. It has a cafeteria. Free loan of wheelchairs.
Museum d'Orsay. (official site) French art from 1848 to 1914, including Delacroix, Degas, Manet, Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, Cezanne, and Matisse.
1, rue de Bellechasse - Tel: 01 40 49 48 14. Open 9:00am-6:00pm (Thurs. until 9:45pm). 8Euro, except 5.5Euro after 4:15 (6pm Thursday). A ticket for the Orsay and the Rodin the same day is 12 Euro. Metro: Line 12, Solferino.
Can buy tickets at the museum's kiosk Tuesday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, access through the front square of the museum, near entrance A. Also the museum ticket office Tuesday to Sunday, 9.30am to 5pm, Thursdays until 8.45pm. Can also buy online and immediately print out here. (Small admin fee.)
Paris Museum Pass. 2 days for 30 Euro. Multiple sites, including Orsay, Rodin, Notre Dame, and Versaille. No queing. Can buy at all participating attractions (list printed off).
Rue Cler, one of the city's outdoor markets. I have a walking tour.
Notre Dame...The cathedral is on Ile de la Cite (City Island) in the Seine. It is open free of charge from 8:00 am to 6:45 pm (7:15 pm Saturdays/Sundays). Free guided tours for an hour in English Wednesday 2 pm; Thursday 2 pm; Saturday 2:30 pm. There are audioguides available from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm for 5 Euro. The cathedral's towers are open for visits. Access from outside the cathedral, at the foot of the North Tower (rue du Cloître). 387 steps. 10 am at 6:30 pm (last access 45 minutes before closing). At 9:15pm on Thursday, for an hour, there is a free projection show in the nave of the cathedral.
Mémorial de la Déportation is a memorial to the 200,000 people deported from Vichy France to the Nazi concentration camps during the Second World War. The site of a former morgue, it is in on the eastern tip of the Ile de la Cite, underground behind Notre Dame.
Seine river ride. 1 hour sightseeing tours (enclosed boat) leaving from Eiffel Tower (10am to 10:30 pm every 30 minutes) or Notre Dame (11, 12.05, 1400, 1510, 1620, 1730, 1840, 2040). 11 Euro. Lunch cruise from Eiffel Tower. More distance than sightseeing trip. 12:30 to 14:30. 52 to 72 Euro, depending on where you sit on the boat. Can book online for lunch up to 48 hours in advance. Menu looks nice. These are big boats; 120 to 580 people.
There is also a water taxi, costing 11 Euro for one day, 13 Euro for two days.
Montemarte Hill.
Montmartre is a hill 130 metres high, in the north of Paris in the 18th arrondissement, a part of the Right Bank, primarily known for the white-domed Basilica of the Sacré Cœur on its summit and as a nightclub district. According to Rick, street art and crafts and lots of cafes.
One of the optional cabaret shows is a probability. There are cabaret shows besides those offered by Globus, such as the Lido.
We are going to pass seeing the Louvre collection (can buy Louvre tickets at certain metro stations (list)) or go to Versaille (videos and slideshows).
Pullman Paris Rive Gauche, 8-12 rue Louis Armand (map)
Underground stations (underground map):
Line 8, Station BALARD
Line 12, Station PTE DE VERSAILLE
Line RER C, Station BLD VICTOR,
Rapid transit site.
There is a public double decker, hop-on, hop-off sightseeing bus for 29 Euro for the day (Open Tour). There is a public important-sights, loop bus, but the internet site doesn't give the price.
There is a multiple transport type card for zones 1-3 (Paris Visite) for 14 Euros for 2 days, 19 Euros for 3 days. It also provides discounts on some entrance fees, such as for a one-hour cruise on the Seine.
GLOBUS ITINERARY
Thursday May 29, Nice to Paris...We will get breakfast. We will be taking the high-speed “TGV” train from Nice to Paris. It's a six hour trip. Guessing we will get into Paris around 1530.
Friday May 30, Paris...We will get breakfast. With a local guide, we will be shown (but not enter) the Opéra, Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Arc de Triomphe, and Champs-Elysées. We will take the elevator to the second floor of the Eiffel Tower.
Saturday May 31, Paris to London We are taking the chunnel train to get to London in the late afternoon. It's a 2.5 hour train ride, so figure we need to have to be at our hotel for transfer to the train station around 1400.
Optional Tours
Guessing the Dinner Party would be available for the first night, and the other 4 for the 2nd day.
Dinner Party and Illumination Drive...A perfect introduction to Paris! After a full-course dinner with choices of typical French dishes, drinks included, your Tour Director will show you the City of Lights. Approximate value: EUR €67 per person
Moulin Rouge...An exciting evening at the world-renowned Parisian cabaret. Dinner with half a bottle of wine is served during the show. A glass of champagne completes your evening in style. Approximate value: EUR €162 per person
La Nouvelle Eve...No visit to Paris is complete without a night out at the cabaret! A whirling international dinner show (unlimited wine) at Pigalle's one and only LA NOUVELLE EVE. Approximate value: EUR €121 per person
Louvre...Let your guide bring to life the most celebrated treasures of the impressive LOUVRE MUSEUM including the famous "Mona Lisa," the masterpiece of Leonardo Da Vinci. Approximate value: EUR €45 per person
Versailles...A short journey from Paris with your local guide to the lavish 17th-century baroque palace built by Sun King Louis XIV, with its magnificent STATE APARTMENTS, Hall of Mirrors, and the Royal Chapel. Time to stroll through parts of the elegant 250-acre GARDENS. Approximate value: EUR €58 per person.
ITINERARY
A Paris Guide.
We can spend Friday morning with the tour group, and consider some of the following for our free time.
Rodin Museum. Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) lived and worked in the Rococo Hôtel Biron (built in 1728) which now houses a unique museum where you can fully comprehend the genius of the sculptor. It is in the Hotel's courtyard that you will find "The Thinker". In the 7th arrondissement. Open 9:30am-5:45pm. Garden closes at 6.45 p.m. Last entry at 5.15 p.m.
79 Rue de Varenne, 75007 Paris, Telephone: 01 44 18 61 10. Metro (line 13): Varenne, Invalides or Saint-François-Xavier; RER (line C): Invalides; Bus: 69, 82, 87, 92. 6 Euro to enter; 4 Euro for audioguide. It has a cafeteria. Free loan of wheelchairs.
Museum d'Orsay. (official site) French art from 1848 to 1914, including Delacroix, Degas, Manet, Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, Cezanne, and Matisse.
1, rue de Bellechasse - Tel: 01 40 49 48 14. Open 9:00am-6:00pm (Thurs. until 9:45pm). 8Euro, except 5.5Euro after 4:15 (6pm Thursday). A ticket for the Orsay and the Rodin the same day is 12 Euro. Metro: Line 12, Solferino.
Can buy tickets at the museum's kiosk Tuesday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, access through the front square of the museum, near entrance A. Also the museum ticket office Tuesday to Sunday, 9.30am to 5pm, Thursdays until 8.45pm. Can also buy online and immediately print out here. (Small admin fee.)
Paris Museum Pass. 2 days for 30 Euro. Multiple sites, including Orsay, Rodin, Notre Dame, and Versaille. No queing. Can buy at all participating attractions (list printed off).
Rue Cler, one of the city's outdoor markets. I have a walking tour.
Notre Dame...The cathedral is on Ile de la Cite (City Island) in the Seine. It is open free of charge from 8:00 am to 6:45 pm (7:15 pm Saturdays/Sundays). Free guided tours for an hour in English Wednesday 2 pm; Thursday 2 pm; Saturday 2:30 pm. There are audioguides available from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm for 5 Euro. The cathedral's towers are open for visits. Access from outside the cathedral, at the foot of the North Tower (rue du Cloître). 387 steps. 10 am at 6:30 pm (last access 45 minutes before closing). At 9:15pm on Thursday, for an hour, there is a free projection show in the nave of the cathedral.
Mémorial de la Déportation is a memorial to the 200,000 people deported from Vichy France to the Nazi concentration camps during the Second World War. The site of a former morgue, it is in on the eastern tip of the Ile de la Cite, underground behind Notre Dame.
Seine river ride. 1 hour sightseeing tours (enclosed boat) leaving from Eiffel Tower (10am to 10:30 pm every 30 minutes) or Notre Dame (11, 12.05, 1400, 1510, 1620, 1730, 1840, 2040). 11 Euro. Lunch cruise from Eiffel Tower. More distance than sightseeing trip. 12:30 to 14:30. 52 to 72 Euro, depending on where you sit on the boat. Can book online for lunch up to 48 hours in advance. Menu looks nice. These are big boats; 120 to 580 people.
There is also a water taxi, costing 11 Euro for one day, 13 Euro for two days.
Montemarte Hill.
One of the optional cabaret shows is a probability. There are cabaret shows besides those offered by Globus, such as the Lido.
We are going to pass seeing the Louvre collection (can buy Louvre tickets at certain metro stations (list)) or go to Versaille (videos and slideshows).
Hotel Phone Numbers
May 17-19
Novotel London West
UK
44 2087 411555
May 19-21
Novotel Amsterdam
Netherlands
31 2054 11123
May 21-22
Queens Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe, Germany
497 213 7270
May 22-23
Royal Lozern
Lucerne, Switzerland
41 4141 94646
May 23-24
Maximilian
Innsbruck, Austria
435 125 9967
May 24-25
Il Burchielle
Oriago, Italy
39 0414 29555
May 25-27
Jolly Midas
Rome, Italy
39 0066 63961
May 27-28
Francia E Quirinale
Montecantini Terme, Italy
39 0572 70271
May 28-29
Holiday Inn
Nice, France
33 4970 32222
May 29-31
Pullman Paris Rive Gauche
33 1406 03030
May 31-June 1
Novotel London West
UK
44 2087 411555
Novotel London West
UK
44 2087 411555
May 19-21
Novotel Amsterdam
Netherlands
31 2054 11123
May 21-22
Queens Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe, Germany
497 213 7270
May 22-23
Royal Lozern
Lucerne, Switzerland
41 4141 94646
May 23-24
Maximilian
Innsbruck, Austria
435 125 9967
May 24-25
Il Burchielle
Oriago, Italy
39 0414 29555
May 25-27
Jolly Midas
Rome, Italy
39 0066 63961
May 27-28
Francia E Quirinale
Montecantini Terme, Italy
39 0572 70271
May 28-29
Holiday Inn
Nice, France
33 4970 32222
May 29-31
Pullman Paris Rive Gauche
33 1406 03030
May 31-June 1
Novotel London West
UK
44 2087 411555
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