Days 1-2: London to Vevey and Lake Garda
We leave St Pancras International on the morning Eurostar for Paris and travel on to Vevey on Lake Geneva for our overnight stay. On Day 2 we travel through the Swiss Alps by rail to Desenzano where we transfer by coach to Sirmione and the 3* Hotel Mavino. (Day 2-B)
Day 3: Lake Garda cruise
Today we enjoy an included cruise from Sirmione to Salò, on the western shores of the lake. You have some time here to explore the typically Italian town and enjoy lunch at a lakeside restaurant. Sights include the cathedral and the beautiful “Palazzo della Magnifica Patria”. We return to Sirmione in the late afternoon passing many picturesque towns. (B)
Day 4: Venice
Our optional excursion today sees us travelling to Venice by coach to explore this magical city on a guided tour. The rest of the day is free for you to enjoy the canals, cafés and wealth of museums, or simply wander through the narrow, winding streets and busy piazzas before we return to Sirmione. (B)
Day 5: Free time in Sirmione
Today is free for you to explore Sirmione and the surrounding area. Relax at the lakeside or visit Verona, the setting for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Alternatively you could explore some of the many cultural offerings of Sirmione. (B)
Day 6: To Germany over the Brenner Pass
After transferring to the station we travel north by train along the stunning Brenner Pass into Austria and onto Germany. We arrive in Garmisch- Partenkirchen, a classic town in the Bavarian Alps, dominated by the Zugspitze, the highest mountain in Germany. We check into the comfortable 3* Superior Hotel Garmischer Hof or the 4* Hotel Riessersee. (B,D)
Day 7: Oberammergau Passion Play
Your morning is free to relax or explore Garmisch before the afternoon brings what is undoubtedly the highlight of our tour, the world famous Passion Play. We transfer to the village of Oberammergau, the setting for the Passion Play for the last 376 years, where we enjoy lunch before the five hour epic performance begins. Dinner is served during the interval in a local restaurant. In the evening we are transferred back to our hotel in Garmisch. (B,L,D)
Days 8-9: Bavaria to Brussels and home
On Day 8 we board the train to travel to Brussels where we check in to the 4* Crowne Plaza Le Palace, situated a short walk from the Grand Place. On Day 9 we join the Eurostar for our journey to St Pancras International. (Day 8-B; Day 9-B)
Your hotels
The 3* Hotel de Famille in Vevey is adjacent to the railway station and a short walk from Lake Geneva. The 3* Hotel Mavino is located in Sirmione’s Old Town centre and is reached on foot over a stone drawbridge.
In Garmisch-Partenkirchen we stay at the 3* Superior Hotel Garmischer Hof or the 4* Hotel Riessersee, both of which offer a taste of traditional Bavarian hospitality.
The 4* Crowne Plaza Le Palace in Brussels is an art-nouveau style building and is situated close to all the shops and a few stops away from the magnificent Grand Place. All of the en suite rooms in our hotels have a television, hairdryer and minibar.
B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner
These meals, where shown, are included in the price of your holiday.
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