Castles and Chateaux

Day 1 – Air

Depart the US for France.

Day 2 – Paris

Bonjour! Bienvenue en France! Your TSA Tours guide awaits to escort you on a Paris City Tour. Discover the magic of the City of Lights. Visit the 2nd level of the symbol of France, the Eiffel Tower; see the historic Latin Quarter, the world-famous Champs-Elysées and the Arc de Triomphe, then visit the home of Victor Hugo’s Quasimodo, the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Next explore the Louvre on a guided tour. Highlights of the collection at the world’s largest museum include da Vinci’s Mona Lisa , the Winged Victory of Samothrace, Liberté by Delacroix, and the Venus de Milo. Also be sure to see the spectacular Crown Jewels in the Galerie d’Apollon. Option: Enjoy a Bateau Mouche cruise on the romantic Seine. View the monuments of France from a unique perspective as you take in the brilliance of the lights of Paris after nightfall. There is no better way to see the famous sights of Paris and her beautiful skyline, boulevards and bridges. Sail past the Eiffel Tower, the Trocadero, the Grand Palais, the Petit Palais, the Palais du Tokyo, the Pont Alexandre III, the Pont Neuf, the oldest bridge in Paris, and the Petit Pont, the smallest bridge in the city. Glide between Ile de la Cite and the Ile St. Louis and be sure to make a wish as you pass under Pont Marie. It’s guaranteed to come true!

Day 3 – Paris

Visit the palace of Versailles, home of the Sun King, Louis XIV. Stroll through the opulent galleries and gardens to see the splendor in which royalty lived. Don’t miss the magnificent Hall of Mirrors where the Treaty of Versailles was signed, ending World War I. Then travel to Chartres to tour its glorious cathedral. One of the finest Gothic structures in existence, Chartres is also renowned for its luminous stained glass windows which cover over 25,000 square feet. The picturesque streets of old Chartres evoke the bustling activity of a medieval city of merchants and craftsmen.

Day 4 – Paris

Today is free for discovery with your advisors. You may wish to visit one of the 90 museums, stroll along the treelined boulevards, or climb the hills of Montmartre for a panoramic view from Sacré Coeur. Option: Dine in artistic Montmartre, nestled in the shadow of Sacre-Coeur and the Moulin Rouge.

Day 5 – Lucerne

Bid au revoir to Paris and travel by coach to the Swiss town of Lucerne. The old town, guarded by covered wooden bridges, abuts against the flank of an Alpine mountain. Take a walking tour with your courier to see the Kapellbrücke and Spreuerbrücke bridges and other highlights of this lovely resort on the River Reuss. Option: Travel to Switzerland on the TGV, France’s high-speed train.

Day 6 – Munich

En route to Munich, visit the principality of Liechtenstein, one of the smallest independent states in Europe. Be sure to have your passport stamped! Enjoy your evening in Munich, a lively, energetic center of commerce and industry as well as the capital of Bavaria.

Day 7 – Munich

Guten tag! On your Munich City Tour see the Marienplatz, the Flower Market, the 43-bell Glockenspiel, and Frauenkirche Cathedral, built in 1468. Also see Olympic Park, St. Peters church founded in 1050 AD and visit the BMW Museum. Then tour the infamous Dachau concentration camp, commemorative monuments and museum.

Day 8 – Munich

Tour two famous castles built by King Ludwig II, Linderhof and Neuschwanstein, the latter was the inspiration for Sleeping Beauty’s Castle in Disneyland. Also visit the health and sports resorts of Oberammergau, the site of the famous Passion Play held every ten years.

Day 9 – Depart

Jet home with many wonderful memories of Paris, Munich and all the lovely castles and châteaux you’ve seen along your journey!

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