European Panoramas
These trips offer sweeping views of multicountry regions while keeping costs down
By Elizabeth Armstrong
If you're dreaming of your first trip to Europe but aren't sure where to go, why not see it all? Many tour operators offer longer itineraries of two weeks or more that visit the top cities in multiple countries. Typically called panoramic tours, these trips take in the must-see sights and move at a brisk pace.
Panoramic tours appeal to first-time visitors to Europe who want to see a variety of locales. Often, they'll return to the places they liked best on later trips.
"This type of itinerary provides a good sampling of European destinations and gives a nice variety of experiences," says Troy Bringle, vice president of the tour division of Vacations To Go. The company represents more than two dozen major tour operators.
Multicountry tours typically keep you on the go. "A lot of these panoramics visit a number of cities, but they'll spend a couple of nights in a few places to avoid that rushed feeling," says Bringle. While sightseeing excursions are organized on an almost daily basis, tour operators will build in some free time so that guests can explore on their own.
"If someone is looking to relax, hang out and not feel hurried on vacation, a panoramic may not be for them," says Bringle. "But for a traveler who wants to see it all -- but has limited time and money -- it's a great way to go."
And at a time when the U.S. dollar isn't exactly holding its own against the British pound or the euro, a prepaid trip offers some peace of mind. Your accommodations, sightseeing, some meals, ground transportation and the services of a tour director are included in one price that you pay in advance, locking in the bulk of the cost of your vacation.
Below are three panoramic vacations. One is a classic European itinerary, one takes in the sights of Scandinavia and Russia, and one tours the British Isles. For information on these and other longer, multicountry itineraries, visit the tour department of Vacations To Go or call (800) 680-2858.
16 days, Globus
One of America's oldest tour companies, 80-year-old Globus designed this itinerary for travelers who want to see the best of traditional Europe.
You'll start with a two-night stay in London. A local guide escorts the group on a sightseeing tour to the capital's landmark sights: Big Ben and the parliament buildings, Westminster Abbey, the prime minister's residence on Downing Street and the queen's home, Buckingham Palace. If the timing is right, you may get a chance to witness the ceremony known as "changing the guard" at the palace; it takes place at 11:30 a.m. daily from May to July.
A visit to St. Paul's Cathedral is a highlight. The Christopher Wren-designed church has been the setting for many high-profile occasions, such as jubilee celebrations for Queen Victoria, the funeral of Winston Churchill, and the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, to Lady Diana Spencer.
The Eurostar train whisks you through the Channel Tunnel to Brussels, where you'll board a motorcoach to Amsterdam, your home for the next two nights. You'll cruise the city's famed canals past its tall, gabled buildings, and you'll stop at the Amsterdam Diamond Center to see how a humble-looking raw mineral is transformed into a brilliant gem.
In Germany, visit the magnificent, twin-spired Gothic cathedral of Cologne, and sail along the Rhine River past fairy-tale scenes of castles, cliffs and villages with half-timbered homes. After a night in the heart of the Rhineland, you'll travel through the storied Black Forest and stop at the Rhine Falls, at the Swiss border, for a photo op.
Lucerne hosts your group for the next night. A stroll through the old town leads to the "Lion of Lucerne," a compelling sculpture of a wounded and dying lion. It's dedicated to 42 members of the Swiss Guard who were slaughtered by rioting Parisians as they tried to protect the French king Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette.
On your way to Austria, you'll stop in the tiny principality of Liechtenstein, a novel addition to the collection of countries you'll be gathering on this vacation. Overnight in the Tyrolean city of Innsbruck. The next day, enter the canal-laced city of Venice in high style: aboard a private boat that lands at St. Mark's Square. Two nights in Venice allow time to hit some highlights, such as the Bridge of Sighs and the Doge's Palace. You'll also watch craftsmen practice the delicate art of glassblowing.
Next is Rome, where you'll stay two nights. Globus guests are treated to explorations of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and enormous St. Peter's Basilica, as well as the Colosseum and Roman Forum. Then it's on to the Renaissance city of Florence, where a walking tour takes in the cathedral known as Il Duomo. Its intricately detailed marble facade is a marvel, and its high, distinctive red dome dominates every photo of the city. You'll also enter the Galleria dell'Accademia to view Michelangelo's iconic "David" sculpture.
After a quick stop in Pisa to photograph its leaning tower, drive across the border to France for the last leg of the trip. Spend the night on the French Riviera in Nice -- you can join an optional excursion to glamorous Monte Carlo nearby. Then hop on the high-speed TGV train to Paris for the final two nights. Your local guide will show you the Arch of Triumph, the Champs-Elysees, Notre Dame and the Louvre, but to truly see it all, you'll ride the elevator to the second level of Paris' most recognizable structure, the Eiffel Tower, for a bird's-eye view of the City of Lights.
Rates: "European Tapestry" starts at $3,689 per person, based on double occupancy, plus airfare. Rates include daily breakfast, six dinners, hotel taxes, service charges and tips for baggage handling. Departures take place March 27 through Oct. 23, 2009.
18 days, Brendan
This itinerary from Brendan Worldwide Vacations showcases cosmopolitan castles, impressive cathedrals and royal palaces. You'll also visit places where some of the most significant events of 20th-century history took place.
Begin with two nights in the Danish capital of Copenhagen, where a sightseeing tour takes in two elegant palaces. Amalienborg Palace consists of four matching manor houses originally built by four noble families -- they were granted an exemption from taxes if they built their homes to look exactly alike. Today, it's the winter residence for Denmark's royal family. Christiansborg Palace, rebuilt for the third time in 1928 due to fires, houses the parliament and prime minister's offices.
You'll also visit the waterfront to see the "Little Mermaid" statue, which pays tribute to Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 tale of a mermaid who saves the life of a shipwrecked prince. The bronze sculpture has had a rough time since being erected in 1913: She's been painted red, decapitated and even blasted off her stone mount and into the harbor, but she still retains her demure charm.
Next is a night in Stockholm, a city built on 14 islands at the edge of the Baltic Sea. The old town, known as Gamla Stan, is one of Europe's most picturesque quarters, a maze of medieval lanes, little squares and beautiful 17th- and 18th-century buildings.
Board a ship for an overnight cruise to Helsinki, where sightseeing includes the striking, modern Finlandia Hall, used for concerts and exhibitions. Roam through Market Square, where booths sell food, flowers, handicrafts and souvenirs.
The next day, drive to the Russian border. Travelers entering Russia must have visas, and guests are responsible for obtaining these. You'll spend time in the country's two greatest cities, St. Petersburg for two nights and Moscow for three.
Nevsky Prospect, St. Isaac's Cathedral and the Peter and Paul Fortress are highlighted in St. Petersburg, but the real treat is an opportunity to tour the splendid Hermitage, which houses one of the world's largest art collections. In Moscow, stroll the immense Red Square, anchored at one end by St. Basil's Cathedral with its fanciful, colorful onion domes. For an additional fee, you can attend a performance of the famed Moscow State Circus.
Cross into Belarus for an overnight at the capital, Minsk. Next is Warsaw, whose city center looks like it came straight out of an Old World painting. It's actually only a few decades old, painstakingly reconstructed after the original was wiped out during World War II.
Brendan guests also see the site of the Warsaw Ghetto, where in 1943 some 750 Jewish resistance fighters bravely held the Nazis at bay for nearly a month. In the end, more than 56,000 Jews were captured, 7,000 were shot, and the rest were deported to concentration camps.
The trip concludes in Berlin, the once-divided city that is now one of Europe's most vibrant capitals, with no less than 300 nightclubs and several thousand bars and restaurants. See the colonnaded Brandenburg Gate, which has become a symbol of Berlin, and the Reichstag, the parliament building topped by a glass dome.
Rates: "Scandinavia, Russia and Independent States" starts at $4,525 per person, based on double occupancy, plus airfare. Rates include daily breakfast, three lunches, seven dinners, hotel taxes, service charges and tips for baggage handling. Departures take place April 30 through Oct. 8, 2009.
16 days, Trafalgar Tours
Hop around the British Isles on this round-trip itinerary from London. A two-night stay in the capital city includes a half-day sightseeing tour as well as free time to stroll about on your own. Then it's off to the Salisbury Plain for a peak at the mysterious monoliths of Stonehenge, and later the elegant Georgian streets and Roman baths of Bath.
Cross into Wales and spend the night in Cardiff, where you'll view the castle that's seen 2,000 years of history -- it started as a Roman garrison. In southern Wales, visit the birthplace of Henry VII at Pembroke Castle, then board a ferry for Ireland.
A night in Waterford kicks off your time in the Emerald Isle, and you'll visit the well-known crystal factory here. Drive along the coast through quaint fishing villages, and then get ready to pucker up at Blarney Castle -- if you kiss the Blarney Stone, they say you'll be rewarded with the gift of gab.
A drive along the Ring of Kerry reveals a scenic landscape of rugged cliffs and sparkling ocean. Keep the camera ready for Adare, too. Its whitewashed cottages with thatched roofs have helped earn this hamlet the title of "prettiest village in Ireland."
Guests spend two nights in lively Dublin -- plenty of time to see St. Patrick's Cathedral, the medieval manuscript known as the Book of Kells and the city's fine Georgian architecture.
Then travel back to England for a look at Chester, one of the country's best-preserved walled cities. Next, see the pastoral vistas that inspired William Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter in the Lake District. Just across the border in Scotland is Gretna Green -- young runaway couples from England used to elope here, taking advantage of Scotland's more relaxed marriage laws.
Spend two nights in Edinburgh, where you'll tour the impressive castle and roam the New Town, home to the city's main shopping streets, galleries and parks. Drive through the Scottish borderlands to view the crumbling remains of medieval Jedburgh Abbey, and stop to inspect a section of Hadrian's Wall at Heddon.
Your last days in England are spent at the cathedrals at York and Coventry, William Shakespeare's home in Stratford-Upon-Avon, Winston Churchill's grave at Bladon and the university at Oxford. The trip comes to an end in London, where the night is free for you to try one of the city's many acclaimed restaurants.
Rates: "Wonders of Britain and Ireland" starts at $3,050 per person, based on double occupancy, plus airfare. Rates include daily breakfast, five dinners, hotel taxes, service charges and tips for baggage handling. Departures take place March 21 through Oct. 15, 2009.