Mediterranean Journey

Welcome to London. After checking into your hotel, the afternoon is free to enjoy a city that is famous for its pomp and pageantry. Perhaps relax with a walk along the Serpentine in Hyde Park or window shop in the elegant boutiques of Knightsbridge? Alternatively, you may want to stroll along the Thames to the iconic Tower Bridge and Tower of London. Stay: Thistle Marble Arch, London

Meet your Travel Director and after a warm welcome, transfer to London's St. Pancras Station to board the high-speed Eurostar. Your comfortable rail journey takes you via the Channel Tunnel to Paris where you can spend the afternoon as you please. During your time in Paris, see the impressive Eiffel Tower, the magnificent Notre-Dame Cathedral and the imposing facades of the Louvre. Discover the banks of the River Seine with its many romantic bridges, see the obelisk in the center of the Place de la Concorde and drive along the Champs Elysées to the Arc de Triomphe.

Later, join your Travel Director at a local restaurant in the heart of Paris for a fabulous Welcome Dinner. (B/DW) Stay: Marriott Rive Gauche, Paris

Your exploration of Paris today begins with an Insight Choice. Choose to explore community life in the picturesque Montorgueil district. Alternatively, join a Local Expert, an avid foodie, as you head into areas where Parisians go about their daily lives to explore small shops and sample local treats and delicacies. With the afternoon free, there are countless opportunities to enjoy the lively atmosphere of this glittering city. (B)

Head southwards towards Châteaux Country. Take a scenic drive along the Loire Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The region is known as the Jardins de France for the beautifully maintained gardens created on vast estates as outdoor living areas. Visit the majestic Chenonceau Castle, an elegant French château spanning the River Cher.

Continue on to the bustling in-land port of Bordeaux with its unique 18th century character. (B) Stay: Novotel Gare St Jean, Bordeaux

Join a Local Expert for a guided tour of France's best 18th century architecture. The facades of the quaysides, the Grand Théâtre, Triangle d'Or and magnificent Esplanade des Quinconces all contributed to Bordeaux earning inclusion on UNESCO's World Heritage list.

Next, continue to picturesque San Sebastián where you will have the chance to dine with the locals in the evening. In small groups, wander through the Old Town for a progressive dinner, as you enjoy the gastronomic Basque tradition of pintxos. Similar to tapas, enjoy a variety of snack-sized treats to make your meal and be sure to try some of the local Txakoli wine. (B/D) Stay: Barceló Costa Vasca, San Sebastián

Continue through the mountains and gorges of the north and emerge from the tunnel in the Sierra de Guadarrama onto the plateau of New Castile and Spain's elegant capital of Madrid.

In the evening, why not see the city lit up it all its glory, with a drive along the grand avenues and past the spectacular fountains? (B) Stay: Riu Plaza España, Madrid

Join your Local Expert for a sightseeing tour of the Old Town as well as, along the elegant Paseo de la Castellana and past the fountain in the Plaza de Cibeles. Enjoy sightseeing with your Local Expert, as they guide you through the most historic neighborhoods in the Spanish capital. Your drive continues through the Old Quarter to discover the origins of the city. Visit the Reina Sofía Museum with an art historian to see Picasso's Guernica. (B)

Cross the Castilian plain, past Zaragoza, and continue to the vibrant port of Barcelona.

In the evening, why not try delicious local Catalan cuisine and as night descends, view the city from the heights of Montjuic, with lights sparkling below from the mountains to sea. (B) Stay: Hilton, Barcelona

Join your Local Expert to explore the heart of the Gothic Quarter. See the cathedral and walk through the Roman gate to tour the narrow lanes and old squares. Travel by the Ramblas and along the Passeig de Gràcia. Continue through the Eixample district to see Gaudi's extraordinary masterpiece, the mesmerizing Sagrada Família. (B)

Journey around the Mediterranean Sea to the elegant French Riviera. Arrive in Nice and glory in the unforgettable moment you see the Bay of Angels. Stroll along the Promenade des Anglais and take in the atmosphere of the Côte d'Azur of one of Europe's popular, cosmopolitan playgrounds. (B/D)

Spend the morning at your leisure to relax on the beach or stroll through the Old Town.

Later, explore Monaco where you are driven along part of the Grand Prix circuit, before walking with your Travel Director through Monaco-ville the oldest district of the Principality of Monaco. See the Royal Palace where the Grimaldi family live, the yacht-filled harbor and visit the cathedral, housing the tombs of the late Prince Rainier and Princess Grace. (B)

Cross into Italy and follow the arc of the Italian Riviera before arriving in Pisa. In the Square of Miracles, stop to see the incredible Leaning Tower of Pisa with a Local Expert, from which Galileo is said to have conducted experiments on velocity and gravity. Also see the splendid 11th-century cathedral and baptistery, decorated with mosaics and designs in solid marble. Continue through Tuscany to the captivating city of Florence. (B)

Walk with your Local Expert to the marble-clad cathedral and baptistery, where Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise have been recreated in all their glory. The next stop is Piazza della Signoria, still the political heart of Florence and an open-air gallery of Renaissance masterpieces. Spend time gazing at statues such as Neptune and David along the front of the Palazzo Vecchio. The area around Santa Croce Basilica is famous for the quality of its luxury goods of gold and leather and there's free time to shop or continue exploring. (B) Stay: NH Firenze, Florence

Relax and enjoy the grand landscapes of the Chianti hills and Umbria, before passing the Apennine Mountains to arrive at the Eternal City, filled with classic antiquities, medieval buildings, Renaissance palaces and Baroque churches.

In the evening, what better way to toast the culmination of your Mediterranean journey, than with delicious Italian cuisine and wine. (B/DW) Stay: Radisson Blu GHR, Rome

A Local Expert introduces the grandeur of the city, starting with the Vatican State, the richest community on the world. Visit the Vatican Museums, full of priceless treasures collected by the Popes. Once inside the Sistine Chapel, admire Michelangelo's famous ceiling. Next door, visit St. Peter's Basilica to admire Michelangelo's emotive 'Pieta' and see Bernini's intricately carved Papal Altar. The afternoon is yours to shop in the trendy boutiques or relax at a sidewalk cafe before an exclusive after-hours visit to the Basilica of Saint Praxedes. (B)

The day is yours to enjoy Rome at your own pace. Perhaps take an optional experience to the ill-fated town of Pompeii, frozen in time when it was engulfed by an eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. Alternatively, spend some time in the boutiques of the Via del Corso, the Via Nazionale or the elegant designer stores near the Spanish Steps? As night falls, why not sip on prosecco at a sidewalk cafe in Piazza Navona - the Living Room of Rome - and enjoy life's pageantry pass by? (B)

Bid farewell to the glories of Italy. (B)