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Southern France and Northern Italy
offered by supplier M07510 (view this supplier profile)
Key Information:
Tour Duration: 13
day(s)
Group Size: 8
- 16
people
Destination(s):
France
Italy
Specialty Categories:
Food & Wine
Cultural Journey
Season: May
Airfare Included: Yes
Tour Customizable: No
Minimum Per Person Price: 5899 US Dollar (USD)
Maximum Per Person Price: 5899 US Dollar (USD)
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This tour runs only once a year, and is scheduled for May 14 - 28, 2008. If you would like us to set up this itinerary for you to travel with your own group, we would be happy to do so. We can do all the reservations and trip planning for you and can customize the tour for you to meet your individual wishes and budget.
It is a small group luxury tour which covers the best of the best of a delightful corner of Provence and the French Riviera, along the coast to the Italian Riviera and up to the northern lake region of Italy. We visit quaint medieval villages and also the beautiful cities of Verona, Venice and Milan. We stay in quaint, elegant hotels with lake, Mediterranean and mountain vistas, we enjoy gourmet dinners, and we enjoy the flexibility that only a small group can offer.
Tour price includes:
- Roundtrip airfare from Boston or New York (airfare price can be deducted)
- 13 nights in charming, elegant hotels-- with magnificent mountain, Mediterannean or lake views
- All breakfasts, 11 gourmet dinners
- Visits to breathtaking mountain top villages in Provence, dating from pre-Roman times, returning at the end of the day for a swim in the pool of your beautiful hillside villa
- Accommodations in a charming hotel on the French and Italian Rivieras where your balcony overlooks the Mediterranean
- Visits, in France, to Nice, St. Jean Cap Ferrat, Villefranche, Eze, Saint Paul de Vence, Vence, Antibes, Biot.
- Visits, in Italy, to Torri del Benaco, Sirmione, Bardolino (Lake Garda), Santa Margherita, Portofino (Italian Riviera), Verona, Venice, Stresa (Lake Maggiore), Bellagio (Lake Como)
- Time to explore the art, history and ageless magic of Verona and Venice
- Sip a glass of wine at a waterfront trattoria on the magnificent lakes of Garda, Maggiore, and Como.
Your Itinerary
Day 1:
We arrive at the Nice airport and drive along the celebrated Promenade des Anglais as we head for our beautiful waterfront hotel in the neighboring village of Beaulieu-sur-mer. We can relax in our room, enjoying the spectacular Mediterranean vista from our balcony, or stroll the Beaulieu promenade along the picturesque harbor crowded with the yachts of the très riches.. A catered cocktail reception presented by our hotel hosts on the sea-view terrace is followed by dinner in the charming neighboring village of Villefranche.
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Day 2:
After breakfast on the terrace, we take a tour of the Rothschild estate on the elegant peninsula of Saint Jean Cap Ferrat. The Villa Ile-de-France was built by Beatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild in the early 1900s as the perfect "dream villa" of the Riviera, complete with a collection of masterpiece paintings, antiques dating to Marie-Antoinette, mosaic flooring and marble columns, tapistries from the 16th century, and acres of magnificent gardens.
We then take a scenic coastal drive to neighboring Monaco, where we have lunch in a charming brasserie, followed by a walking tour of the old town led by Isabelle, an authentic citizen of Monaco. After happy hour on our hotel terrace, we enjoy dinner at Daniel and Isabelle's favorite Beaulieu restaurant.
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Day 3:
This morning we drive into the mountains to visit the magical medieval village of Eze, perched at the top of a hill with a breathtaking panoramic vista of the surrounding mountains and the Mediterranean Sea. We can wander its narrow car-free streets, inspecting any of the hundreds of adorable boutiques cleverly nestled among ancient archways and alleys of the original medieval village. At the top of the mountain is a fascinating "Jardin Exotique", well worth a visit to take advantage of the spectacular views. After lunch on the patio of a charming restaurant we take a tour of the famous Fragonard parfumerie, where we are free to purchase all the Fragonard we can carry.
We then enjoy a beautiful drive through the hills to our lovely villa near St. Paul de Vence. After checking into our rooms we can enjoy the peaceful Provençal setting, take a swim in the pool, stroll the beautiful grounds and have a drink on the terrace overlooking the mountains.
For dinner we drive to the charming village of Vence, and are treated to a special Provençal feast in a tiny restaurant complete with open hearth and mouth-watering regional specialties.
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Day 4:
In the morning we explore St-Paul-de-Vence, one of the most celebrated "villages perchés", nestled high on the side of a steep mountain, originally built to avoid attack from the Saracens. In the 1920s this picturesque medieval village was discovered by artists Bonnard, Modigliani and other Impressionists and since then has been a favorite of both visiting artists and those selling original artwork. The narrow, twisting streets, free from cars, are crammed with beautiful shops selling all types of art, crafts, and interesting treasures at all price ranges. We almost bought an original watercolor for $20! We will have the afternoon free to explore the shops, old streets, cafés, and if you wish, a 12th century Gothic church or the cemetery where Chagall is buried and from which you can enjoy some splendid panoramic views. Just outside the town walls is a tiny but magnificent art museum known for its sculpture garden. We return to our villa for a swim and an aperitif before dinner in a charming inn where we dine under the stars.
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Day 5:
Today we return to the coast to see a different part of the French Riviera. In Antibes, originally the ancient Greek trading post of Antipolis, we visit the Château Grimaldi and its Musée Picasso and have lunch in the old port neighborhood next to the market. We then take a spectacular drive around the Cap d'Antibes, drinking in views of cliffs, sea, and inviting coves crowded with yachts and millionaires' mansions. Next we climb back into the hills to the picturesque village of Mougins before returning to St. Paul de Vence for a gourmet dinner.
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Day 6:
On this day we savor the breathtaking scenery as we drive along the mountainous seacoast past Monaco and Menton and onto the Italian Riviera, arriving at our destination of Santa Margherita. You will fall in love with this beautiful little seaside resort with its promenade along the harbor, its manicured parks filled with exquisitely designed flower gardens, and its many appealing sidewalk cafés overlooking the fishing boats and peaceful waters. We check into our lovely hotel where every room has a sea view. After a picnic on the harbor, we take a boat ride to neighboring Portofino, known for its colorful medieval houses and spectacular scenic vistas. After dinner at our hotel we can stroll the boardwalk along the picturesque Santa Margherita harbor.
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Day 7:
We drive north through the steep hills of Lombardia to beautiful Lake Garda, where our lakefront hotel is surrounded by narrow streets with quaint shops and restaurants and a medieval fortress we can visit. In nearby Bardolino we tour an impressive winery and sample the vintages of Suave and Valpolicella. We enjoy a gourmet dinner in our hotel overlooking the lake.
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Day 8:
We enjoy a boat ride to the picturesque village of Sirmione, where we visit a fascinating Roman villa complete with heated swimming pool. We return by boat to our hotel for an elegant dinner of Northern Italian regional specialties.
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Day 9:
This morning we drive to Verona where our entertaining Italian guide leads us on a fascinating walking tour of the Roman ruins of Verona, including a visit to Juliet's famous balcony. We then take a train ride to Venice, where we are free to explore the city for the next two days and nights. From our hotel not far from St. Mark's Square and no cars to bother us, we can see the sights either by walking up and down the narrow boutique-filled alleys or riding on the water vaporettos. With over 200 palaces on the Grand Canal alone, 107 churches, and an unparalleled number of celebrated works of art, Venice is a truly indescribable city.
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Day 10:
We spend the day exploring Venice. A gondola ride makes our visit unforgettable. In the evening we feast on Venician delicacies at a neighborhood restaurant.
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Day 11:
We return to Verona by train and then drive to Lake Maggiore, where our waterfront hotel in Stresa becomes our home for the next three days.
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Day 12:
Today we take a scenic drive to nearby Lake Como. We visit a magnificent historic estate, the Villa Carlotta, famous for its breathtaking flower gardens. A boat ride takes us to Bellagio, an enchanting town full of history, ancient streets with quaint shops, churches, restaurants, and beautiful villas. We return to Stresa for a gourmet northern Italian dinner.
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Day 13:
Today we visit the city of Milan, where we see the magnificent cathedral and Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper. We return to Stresa for our farewell dinner.
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Day 14:
After breakfast we drive to the Milan airport for the return flight home.
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Notes:
Airfare is included in the tour price.
Single supplement TBD.
Also see tour packages in:
Europe
France
Italy
Food & Wine
Cultural Journey
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