Your Holiday Itinerary

15-Day Break

• Dec 21 – We break up our journey with an overnight stay in northern France.
• Dec 22 – We arrive at our hotel in the beautiful Lake Como region. B
• Dec 23 – Pisa (included). We visit Pisa en route to Montecatini for an overnight stay. The famous Leaning Tower is actually the cathedral’s bell tower or Campanile; our guided tour (optional) explores the Tower’s immediate location – the Piazza dei Miracoli. B,D
• Christmas Eve – We continue to the Sorrento peninsula area where we stay for eight nights. B,D
• Christmas Day – Sorrento (included). Happy Christmas! After breakfast we drive through valleys, mountains and terraces lined with orange and lemon trees, olive groves and vineyards, all descending to the sea. Free time in the town of Sorrento to enjoy the Christmas atmosphere. In the evening, a gala dinner is included at your hotel. B,D
• Boxing Day – Isle of Capri (optional). Sail across the Bay of Naples to magnificent Capri, a popular home to the rich and famous. Explore the island’s spectacular clifftop panoramas, with views of Vesuvius. B,D
• Dec 27 – Amfali Coast (included). The ‘Amalfi Drive’ is said to be the most spectacular road in Europe. From Sorrento, the winding cliff-top road offers panoramic views at every bend. We halt at Amalfi, which gives its name to this whole beautiful coast. From Amalfi we also visit Ravello which nestles in the hillside above the sea. B, D
• Dec 28 – Pompeii and Vesuvius (optional). Discover the history and life of the great Roman city of Pompeii, buried in the eruption of 79 AD. We also drive to the top of Mount Vesuvius which commands spectacular views. Walk the final thousand metres to the summit to view inside the crater (local charge of approx 6.50 Euros). B, D
• Dec 29 – Naples (included). Visit the third largest city in Italy after Rome and Milan. Set on a huge bay, itself created by violent volcanic action in the past, the city dates from the time of the Greeks and has a fine heritage from Roman times and from the kings and queens of the Middle Ages. B, D
• Dec 30 – Rome (optional). On arrival, there’s time at leisure to savour the special ambience of what was the heart of the Roman Empire. A great place to explore, our guided sightseeing tour by coach/on foot is a fantastic way to introduce the spectacular sights, including the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain and of course the Colosseum (entrance extra, approx 14 Euros per person). B, D
• New Year’s Eve – Eve Herculaneum (optional). When Vesuvius erupted in AD 79 the town of Herculaneum to the west of Pompeii vanished under a sea of mud. Pompeii’s buildings were destroyed by the weight of ash; Herculaneum escaped the bombardment and the mud preserved many buildings intact and probably nobody perished in the town. A great insight into the life of Roman Italy. Return to our hotel for our New Year’s Eve Dinner. B, D
• New Year’s Day – We leave Sorrento and travel north to the Lake Garda area for an overnight stay. B, D
• Jan 2 – Innsbruck (included). Head north into Austria, as we visit the ‘Capital of the Austrian Tirol’, Innsbruck, before spending a night amongst the delightful wintry scenery of the Tirol. B, D
• Jan 3 – During our journey home we spend a night in Belgium. B
• Jan 4 – Journey to Calais then return home. B

B=Breakfast L=Lunch D=Dinner