Windmill, Vineyards & Paris 2010 (Amsterdam to Paris)

Day 1
(Sat.) Board your overnight transatlantic flight.

Day 2: Amsterdam, Holland (Embarkation). 
(Sun.) Welcome to Amsterdam! Holland’s capital is sophisticated and modern, with a rich and fascinating history. The works of famous Dutch masters can be seen in world-renowned museums such as the Rijksmuseum or the Van Gogh. This afternoon, board your river cruise vessel and meet your crew at a WELCOME RECEPTION. (D)

Day 3: Amsterdam. 
(Mon.) There is no better way to see the city than by CANAL BOAT, cruising through the elegant grachten lined with stately homes dating back to Amsterdam’s “Golden Age.” There is plenty of free time to explore on your own. Your Cruise Director will have suggestions of how to make the most of your stay. (B,L,D)

Day 4: Gouda–Dordrecht. Excursion to Kinderdijk. 
(Tue.) The Netherlands and cheese—a winning combination. Gouda, located at the confluence of the Ijssel and Gouwe Rivers, is famous not only for its cheese but also for the 70 stained-glass windows in ST. JOHN’S CHURCH. After visiting the town with a local expert, time to stroll through the little lanes or to have a cup of coffee alongside one of its canals. After lunch we cruise through the busy HARBOR of Rotterdam. Sitting between two branches of the Rhine, charming Dordrecht inspired many painters in the 17th and 18th centuries. Nearby is KINDERDIJK with its picturesque row of windmills. (B,L,D)

Day 5: Antwerp, Belgium. 
(Wed.) Antwerp is Belgium’s second-largest city and one of the world’s most important ancient seaports. Included sightseeing shows you its superb architecture, the GROTE MARKT with its beautiful city hall, and the Church of Our Lady. (B,L,D)

Day 6: Maastricht, Holland. 
(Thu.) Once prized for its strategic location at the confines of Belgium and Germany, Maastricht is now the bustling cosmopolitan capital of the province of Limburg. The town is quite distinct from the rest of the country with its bustling pedestrian precincts, squares with sprawling café terraces, almost Mediterranean atmosphere, Mosan-type stone houses, and its rolling hinterland. A university town since 1976, Maastricht has five faculties and boasts a student population of around 7,000. As we start sailing down the Maas River this afternoon, you might want to join an optional excursion across the border to Germany for a visit of Aachen, ancient seat of Charles the Great. (B,L,D)

Day 7: Arnhem. 
(Fri.). One of the major tragedies of World War II was the Battle of Arnhem, featured vividly in the AIRBORNE MUSEUM HARTENSTEIN and the inspiration for the movie A Bridge Too Far. A visit to the American War Cemetery near Nijmegen is available after lunch. Tonight, sail into Germany. (B,L,D)

Day 8: Cologne, Germany. 
(Sat.) Cologne is the capital of the Rhineland and one of Germany’s largest cities. The soaring twin steeples of the magnificent gothic cathedral dominate the river skyline, and the Germano-Roman Museum next to the cathedral is a must for history buffs! The Old Town abounds with taverns, cafés, and shops. Try a Kölsch, the favorite local beer, and shop for a bottle of 4711, the original “eau de cologne.” (B,L,D)

Day 9: Koblenz–Rhine Gorge–Rüdesheim. 
(Sun.) Situated at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle Rivers, 2,000-year-old Koblenz is the cultural and business center of the Middle Rhine region. The DEUTSCHES ECK, located on a tongue of land where the two rivers converge, holds an impressive equestrian statue of Wilhelm I. The dramatic RHINE GORGE is the most beautiful stretch of river. Pass the legendary rock of the Lorelei, where sweet songs of local beauties lured enchanted sailors to their doom. Rüdesheim is the perfect example of a Rhine Valley wine town and SIEGFRIED’S MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MUSEUM is a real surprise! Enjoy a SPECIAL TREAT, then there’s free time to explore the Drosselgasse and pick up some souvenirs. (B,L,D)

Day 10: Cochem. 
(Mon.) Today we sail up the Moselle River, which rises in the Vosges Mountains of northeastern France and enters Germany at Trier. Visit Cochem’s REICHSBURG CASTLE, which sits atop a conical hill covered in vines. From here the views of the little town nestled down below and of the river valley are splendid. Cruising the wide, peaceful curves of the river, it quickly becomes obvious that the Moselle is an important wine-growing region. Most notably, the Riesling grape is cultivated, producing a dry to sweet, floral white wine. (B,L,D)

Day 11: Bernkastel. 
(Tue.) In the middle of the Moselle region is the charming wine village of Bernkastel with its well-preserved half-timbered houses surrounding the beautiful MARKET PLACE. Wine growers in this area look after Germany’s largest expanse of vineyards, the most celebrated of the vintages being the Bernkasteler Doktor. Before dinner, visit a local WINE CELLAR and taste several of this region’s varietals. (B,L,D)

Day 12: Trier–Remich, Luxembourg. 
(Wed.) The venerable Episcopal city of Trier is the oldest in Germany and, some claim, even older than Rome! A house on the marketplace bears the inscription, “Trier was standing 1,300 years before Rome.” The famous PORTA NIGRA is the only surviving fortified gate from the original Roman settlement and it still gives access to the town center. Trier’s most famous son was socialist revolutionary Karl Marx. This afternoon, cruise to Remich in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. (B,L,D)

Day 13: Remich (Disembarkation)–Paris, France. 
(Thu.) After breakfast, transfer to Metz to board the HIGH-SPEED TGV TRAIN for a swift and comfortable journey to Paris. (B)

Day 14: Paris. 
(Fri.) Paris’ famous sights are living history: your included city sightseeing shows you magnificent Notre Dame Cathedral, the unique Louvre Museum with its glass pyramid as a contrast to its ancient architecture, the commemorative Arc de Triomphe, Opéra, Madeleine, Champs Elysées, and the Eiffel Tower, a structural miracle of its age. The city is well known for its colorful nightlife including some of the world’s most famous cabarets. (B)

Day 15: Paris. 
(Sat.) Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (B)

• Paris: Guided sightseeing
• Paris-Metz or Metz-Paris: By high-speed TGV train
• Trier: Guided sightseeing, Porta Nigra
• Bernkastel: Guided walk, local marketplace; visit a wine cellar
• Cochem: Visit Reichsburg Castle
• Rhine Gorge: Cruise through the gorge
• Rüdesheim: Visit Siegfried’s Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum
• Cologne: Guided sightseeing
• Arnhem: Guided sightseeing; visit Airborne Museum Hartenstein
• Dordrecht: Excursion to Kinderdijk
• Amsterdam: Canal cruise

Experience France, Luxembourg, Germany, Belgium, and Holland on this fantastic river cruise vacation. See the city’s major highlights on a guided tour of Paris and travel between Paris and Metz via TGV high-speed train. Also enjoy guided sightseeing in Trier and Cologne, a canal cruise in Amsterdam, and take pictures of the windmills at famous Kinderdijk. Visit Reichsburg Castle in Cochem and enjoy a wine cellar visit in Bernkastel. Guided sightseeing in Arnhem includes a visit to the Airborne Museum Hartenstein, and you can sample the area’s famous Riesling wines in the pretty wine village of Rüdesheim.

• Buffet breakfast (B) in Paris
• Superb dining with all meals on board daily featuring full breakfast (B), lunch (L), and dinner (D), including a welcome reception, welcome dinner, and Captain’s dinner
• Quality wines from Europe’s most famous wine regions with every dinner
• One sitting with open seating arrangements
• Deluxe cruise in an outside stateroom with hotel-style beds
• Services of a professional Cruise Director
• Onboard lectures, activities & nightly piano music
• Sightseeing with Local Guides
• Headsets for all guided shore excursions
• Inside visits as shown in UPPERCASE in the tour description, including admission charges, where applicable

Paris: Le Meridien Montparnasse (SF) or Hilton Arc de Triomphe (SF)
Cruising: Category E in a deluxe outside stateroom on Indigo Deck of the Avalon Affinity

Extra nights per person in Amsterdam:
in single room $539, in twin room $308

Extra nights per person in Paris:
in single room $440, in twin room $259

• Departure on July 31, 2010 is offered as an exclusive Wine River Cruise, including special lectures and tastings, available at no additional cost.
• In the event of water level problems on stretches of any river, it may be necessary to operate part of the itinerary by motorcoach.
• In the rare event that the high-speed TGV train is unavailable, alternative arrangements will be made.
• Included visits and special features are subject to change. If a change becomes necessary, a substitute will be offered.
• Please call for single accommodation price. Triples not available.
• Port charges of $154 are not included in the prices shown above.
• Please ask your Vacations To Go travel counselor for more information.

* The prices shown are U.S. dollars per person, based on double occupancy, and subject to availability. Prices quoted for land/cruise arrangements are subject to increase without notice. Once we have received your deposit, land/cruise prices are guaranteed. Whenever air-inclusive prices are displayed, these prices do not include government taxes and fees, which are additional. Air prices are subject to increase and are guaranteed only from the time that full payment is received. Air-inclusive prices include air from a major U.S. gateway; air from other U.S. airports is available at an additional cost. Sorry, we are unable to offer air from countries other than the U.S. However, for those international customers who are able to arrange their own transportation to the origination city, we are able to offer the land/cruise portion of the package, at the price quoted.