[Viking's Individualized Summary] [Viking Generic Summary]
10hrs 25mins subjective AIRLINE travel-time
| Leave Gainesville [2 hrs+ drive-time] | 2:45PM |
| Dinner at Texas Roadhouse Orlando | 5:00PM |
| Arrive MCO Parking Orlando Airport Parking | 5:50PM |
| Lufthansa Flight 465 to Frankfurt (FRA) wheels up | 9:20PM |
| Arrive Frankfurt Airport | 10:55AM |
| 1 hr 40 min layover: may be good time to hit ATM for Euros [1 Euro=~$1.07] | |
| Lufthansa Flight 1034 to Paris (CDG) wheels up | 12:35PM |
| Arrive Paris | 1:45PM |
| Pullman Paris Eifel Tower Hotel [MAP] [Restaurant Map] | |
Welcome to the first day of your journey. Your pre-extension package includes a complimentary transfer to your hotel*, details of which are included in your final documents sent approximately 3 weeks before departure. Take some time today to explore your hotel and new surroundings.
*Airport meet and greet transfers included when air is purchased from Viking Cruises.
[4 hrs, Morning]
See the major sights of the romantic “City of Light” with a knowledgeable local guide. You will begin along the famed Champs-Élysées, viewing the Arc de Triomphe, commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 to commemorate his triumphs. Pass many of Paris’s classic highlights including the Palais Garnier opera house; the celebrated Louvre museum and its I.M. Pei-designed glass pyramid entrance; and the Paris Town Hall. Stop at the magnificent Notre Dame Cathedral to admire its Gothic spires and striking facade. Continue into the Latin Quarter, then drive by St. Germain des Près, Luxembourg Gardens, Musée d’Orsay, Place de la Concorde and the beautiful and recently restored Grand Palais and Petit Palais. See the Les Invalides complex of military buildings, which houses Napoleon’s Tomb and the École Militaire (Military School). You’ll cap off your excursion with an iconic view of the Eiffel Tower from Champ de Mars.
[5 hrs, Afternoon]
Enjoy a day at the former home of French kings, the awe-inspiring Château de Versailles. The palace and sprawling gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, began as a small hunting lodge. Over the years it was enlarged by each of its three resident kings—most famously, Louis XIV, the “Sun King.” A local guide will accompany you to the château, where you’ll marvel at the extravagance and excess of French royalty. You will see the state apartments of the king, the Hercules Drawing Room with its magnificent painted ceiling, and the famed Hall of Mirrors, the glittering corridor of chandeliers and glass where the Treaty of Versailles was signed to end World War I. You’ll learn about the court life of the 18th century and also see the queen’s apartments and the chamber of Marie Antoinette. Later, there’ll be time to explore the vast, elaborate gardens.
Welcome to the first day of your cruise. Today is embarkation day, which means after your transfer to the ship, you’ll have time to relax or explore this port on your own.
[6.5 hrs, Afternoon]
Take a walk through one of Europe’s most intimate and compact cities and pay homage to the World War II fallen. In Luxembourg City’s Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site perched atop a gorge cliff, you will stroll with your guide through fairy-tale streets past charming houses, the Place d’Armes, the Monument of the Millennium and the Grand Ducal Palace. Pause at the pedestrian promenade, heralded as “Europe’s most beautiful balcony,” to admire views of the fortress ramparts and sweeping vistas across the river canyon. Just outside the city center, stop at the American Cemetery. More than 5,000 US soldiers are buried in this hallowed field; many gave their lives during the Battle of the Bulge, which was fought near here during the winter of 1945. While here, you can pay your respects at the grave of General George S. Patton, prominently located between two American flags.
[4 hrs, Morning]
Take a tour of Trier, Germany’s oldest city, a principal center of the Moselle Valley and a once-mighty outpost of the Holy Roman Empire. Vestiges of Rome’s power are everywhere here, seamlessly mingling with a vibrant and active modern city. You will pass the Roman amphitheater, once able to hold 20,000 spectators. Admire the massive Roman baths, which include the largest baths north of the Alps. You will also see the remarkably preserved Roman city gates, the Porta Nigra, so named for the dark color of their stone. This UNESCO World Heritage Site once served as the formidable entrance to the city. Marvel at the edifice-like Cathedral of Trier, built under the direction of Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, and the Liebfrauenkirche, the Church of Our Lady, one of the earliest Gothic churches in Germany. You will have free time to explore or browse some shops before returning to your ship.
[3 hrs, Afternoon]
Explore one of the most picturesque towns on the Moselle, ascending to its hilltop castle for a fantastic panorama. You will begin your excursion with a short drive up to the lofty perch of the 1,000-year-old Reichsburg Castle, conquered by Louis XIV in the Nine Years’ War and later purchased and restored in a splendid Gothic Revival style by a Berlin businessman. Return to the town below for a walking tour among impressive landmarks. You will see its medieval town gate and pass various churches, including the 15th-century St. Martin’s. In the market square, admire the bay window of the baroque Town Hall and see the 17th-century Capuchin Monastery, once a haven for friars and today a lively cultural center. After, explore on your own. You might want to taste some of the town’s award-winning mustard from a local 200-year-old mustard mill, the last of its kind in Europe.
Get an up-close look at the 430-foot slate cliff walls of Lorelei Rock, a source of local legends. Sankt Goar proudly calls itself the “Lorelei Town,” for on the riverbank sits a bronze statue of the beautiful maiden Lorelei. She perches there on the narrowest gorge on the Rhine, where the river is up to 80 feet deep. The legend says that when the rocks in the Rhine Valley glowed in the evening sun, or when the rugged cliffs were reflected by the moonlight in the swirling waters of the river, a slight figure could be heard echoing through the rocky landscape. It belonged to the enchanting maiden Lorelei, who set the hearts of men beating fast. Lured by her beauty, sailors would sink and never be found. You will drive with your guide to the top of Lorelei Rock for magnificent views of the Rhine and its surrounding villages.
[4 hrs, Morning]
Take a guided tour of a city that boasts over 2,000 years of history. You will walk with your guide into the picturesque streets of the Old Town, stopping to explore St. Stephen’s Cathedral. This soaring landmark of the city is more than 1,000 years old. Marvel at its six magnificent towers and step inside, if services allow, to admire the breathtaking stained-glass windows painted by French artist Marc Chagall. Continue past medieval houses and storefronts to the Gutenberg Museum, dedicated to the inventor of movable type and book printing. Founded in the year 1900, 500 years after the birth of Johannes Gutenberg, the museum features a fascinating and enlightening exhibit that covers the history of the printed word. During your visit, you can browse its many beautiful books and fascinating printing technologies, including a replica of Gutenberg’s workshop, which was actually in Strasbourg.
[3 hrs, Morning]
Enjoy a fascinating stroll through Speyer, home to the largest of the three Romanesque imperial cathedrals. It is believed that the Protestants earned their name here in 1529. When Emperor Charles V tried to take away rights of the newly formed evangelical citizens’ group, princes and cities’ representatives met to draft and sign a letter, the “Protestation at Speyer”; thus, the Protestant branch of Christianity received its name. In 1689, Louis XIV’s troops plundered Speyer and left it in ruins. Over many decades, it was artfully rebuilt. During your walk, you will marvel at the red sandstone cathedral where eight emperors are entombed. Completed in 1061 and reconstructed after Louis XIV’s invasion, its six towers dominate the skyline. You will also pass the Jewish courtyard, around which one of the most important synagogues in the Middle Ages once stood, and Speyer’s Altpörtel, or Old Gate, the last remains of the town’s fortifications.
The largest port on the Upper Rhine, Strasbourg is the cultural center of France's Alsace region. Thanks to its location at the border of France and Germany, it boasts a convivial mix of cultural influences. The well preserved Old Town is enclosed on all sides by the little Ill River, with sites so compact that it is easy to explore the "island" on foot. And there is plenty to explore: cobblestone streets lined with wooden houses and intersected by picturesque canals. Indulging in Alsatian café culture is central to any visit here; enjoy coffee and cake amidst lovely half-timbered houses.
[10.5 hrs, Morning]
Immerse yourself for a day among the splendid vistas and rich culture of alpine Switzerland. Meet your guide and take a scenic drive to the charming village of Brienz. Here, you will stop at a wood carving school to see how this traditional craft lives on. After time to visit with an artisan, continue to Grindelwald to board a cogwheel train to Kleine Scheidegg, a breathtaking mountain pass with stunning mountain views. You will have lunch in this magnificent setting and have time to explore before descending back to Grindelwald. Continue to Interlaken, beautifully set between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz and surrounded by soaring peaks. Once hailed as a spa town to cure the ailments of 19th-century Europeans, today it is an inviting and relaxed pocket of Switzerland luring mountaineers and hikers eager to conquer the nearby summits. After time to explore, you will return to your ship.
Bus to Renaissance Zurich Tower Hotel [MAP]
[Nearby Restaurants] [Hotel Area Map] [1 Swiss Franc = ~$1 ($0.99)]
Overlooking Lake Zürich and spanning the banks of the Limmat River, Switzerland’s largest city is often cited as one of Europe’s most livable. It is the country’s financial heart, but its residents also embrace their natural surroundings, from soaring alpine peaks to the lake’s shimmering waters. Zürich is home to a lively and impressive arts culture. The avant-garde Dada movement was born here in 1916 and two of its most important churches boast stained-glass windows by Marc Chagall and Augusto Giacometti. More masterworks reside in the city’s renowned Kunsthaus, including an enormous water lily painting by Monet.
| Hotel Check-out | 06:00 |
| Arrive Zurich Airport | 06:35 |
| Lufthansa Flight 1185 to Frankfurt (FRA) wheels up | 9:35AM |
| Arrive FRA | 10:40AM |
| 3 hr 10 min layover | |
| Lufthansa Flight 464 to Orlando (MCO) wheels up | 1:50PM |
| Arrive Orlando | 5:50PM |
| Note: 5:50PM Orlando time is 11:50PM Zurich time. 14hrs 25mins subjective AIRLINE travel time. | |
| Dinner at Cracker Barrel, Orlando | |
| Home/Gainesville ~10PM | |
