| Day 1: We meet at your town of departure to board our bus to O’Hare Airport for our early evening departure on our major international airline for our flight to Zurich. We will be served dinner and can watch a movie during our overnight flight. (In-flight meals)
Day 2: Upon arrival in Zurich, we are met by our Tour Manager who will be with us for the duration of our time in Switzerland. We will proceed to the Rail Travel Center at the airport, and take a quick train ride to Basel which will be our home for the next five nights. After our arrival in Basel we will transfer to our hotel and check in. We will have time to freshen up before we head out for a bite of lunch, after which we will have a reception at the famous Christmas shop “Johann Wanner”, where the endless selection of hand-made ornaments dazzles the eye. We will have time to stroll through the famous Christmas market before returning to our hotel for dinner this evening. (D)
Day 3: This morning we discover France, after breakfast at the hotel we will depart on a full day excursion to France. We will enjoy a guided walking tour through Colmar, a picturesque medieval town; we will stop at the Unterlinden Museum to view the magnificent Issenheim altarpiece. We will have time for lunch on our own before packing up and starting the journey back to Basel. Enroute back we will stop for a wine and “Kougelhopf” tasting which is a must when in this area of the world. We arrive back at our hotel in time to freshen up before we enjoy dinner at the hotel. (B, D)
Day 4: Today we stay in Basel, after breakfast we will have a guided walking tour of Basel’s Old Town. We will have time to have lunch on our own in some of the fine small restaurants in the city. In mid-afternoon we will take a short walk to the Basel Paper Mill and tour through the superbly restored medieval Gallician Mill houses. We will watch craftsmen at work and see how Christmas sheet paper is produced. The remainder of the afternoon is free so that you can wander the many shops of Basel. Dinner will be served in the hotel this evening. (B, D)
Day 5: Today we discover Germany, after breakfast at the hotel we will depart for the Black Forest for a full day excursion. The first stop will be at the “Glasblaserhof” where glass craftsmen can be watched at work, we will have time to shop at their gift store so that you may purchase some of the craftsmen’s fine work. We will also visit the “Clock Museum” in Furtwangen. This museum is over a 150 years of age and has one of the finest collections of Cuckoo clocks and musical clocks in the world. We will then go to the village of Titisee, and have time for lunch before you stroll through the village and walk along the shore of the glacier lake. On the way back we will stroll through Freiburg, which is dominated by its Gothic cathedral, and of course you do not want to miss the colorful Christmas market. Later we will head back to our hotel in Basel for dinner and a relaxing evening. (B, D)
Day 6: Today is a Free Day in Basel, after breakfast you will be free to wander the city on your own. You will be given a Basel Card, which will entitle you to free admission at the museums, at the Basel Zoo, ferry boat rides, discounts at various shops in Basel and reduced fares on the taxi and some boat trips. Return to the hotel this evening for dinner. (B, D)
Day 7: Today you will need to put on your warm clothes and layer as we are off to the top of Europe. We will depart Basel and travel via coach to Lauterbrunen having some coffee and croissants enroute. We will then take the unique rack railway via Kleine Scheidegg to the Jungfraujoch. This is the highest railway station in Europe; the railway runs almost entirely within a tunnel built into the Eiger and Monch mountains. We will have ample free time here to enjoy the magnificent views from the Top of Europe; we will have an included lunch while we are on “top of the world”. After our day here we will descend to the town of Grindelwald for our coach drive back to Basel for the night. (B, L, D)
Day 8: Today we will visit the beautiful Swiss cities of Zurich and Lucerne; we will depart by coach and have some coffee and croissants during the drive to Zurich. We will have a fully guided tour of this magnificent city, considered by many to be the banking capital of the world. We will enjoy a lovely lunch at a restaurant on the lake. After lunch we will drive to Lucerne to experience a guided tour of this city of places, churches and squares. We will then return to our hotel in Basel, where we have our “farewell dinner” and of course we must begin to pack for our trip home. (B, L, D)
Day 9: After breakfast we need to check out and bid farewell to Basel, we will take the train back to Zurich Airport and our flight back to Chicago. (B, in-flight meals)
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| Air Transportation |
| We will use a major international airline for our round trip Chicago to Zurich. Flights from other cities can be arranged at a possible additional cost. |
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| Hotels |
Basel:
Hotel Merian am Rhein
7 nights |
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| Travel Insurance |
| The cost of this trip includes full third-party insurance which covers trip cancellation, trip delay, baggage loss, medical coverage and coverage against financial default of all suppliers including the airlines used. The medical coverage also covers pre-existing medical conditions. |
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B = Breakfast
L = Lunch
D = Dinner
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Tour Inclusions:
- 7 Nights Accommodations
- Baggage Handling of 1 Bag per Person
- 16 Meals (7 Breakfasts, 2 lunches, 7 Dinners)
- First Class Rail Tickets for Zurich Airport / Basel roundtrip transfer
- Deluxe Motorcoach while on tour
- Visits to the Christmas markets in Switzerland / France and Germany
- Visit to the “Top of Europe” as we take the cog railway to the Jungfraujoch
- Guided tours of Basel, Zurich, and Lucerne
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