>limited number of locations, for a leisurely experience

>maximum number of locations, to cover as much of Europe as possible in the allotted time (along the lines of the "10 countries in 20 days" dash)

>special interests
if you would like a tour with a focus on your own special interests, for example art, architecture, history, family heritage etc., we will happily put something together for you. Such tours can also be combined with some sightseeing, shopping etc. along the way.

To give you an idea, the following is a brief outline of a tour we have been asked to undertake by a number of clients from Paris, through the delights of France, Switzerland and Italy, finishing in Rome.
Another example you might wish to look at is our only pre-arranged tour, a circular meander through some of the most interesting cultural and historical aspects of Portugal and Spain. Just go to Iberia.htm or click on the Spain/Portugal link above for details.

11-day tour Paris - Rome
Day 1:
Paris
A walking tour of the major sights of this most romantic of cities.

Day 2:
Versailles & Chartres
Heading towards the Loire Valley today, we visit the Sun King's 17th-century Chateau de Versailles this morning and, a little later in the day, the Cathedrale de Notre Dame in Chartres.

Day 3:
Loire Valley
Today we meander through the Loire Valley, renowned as one of the most beautiful regions of France, and visit one of the magnificent chateaux to be found there.

Day 4:
Beaune
Leaving the Loire Valley this morning, we drive through some scenic French countryside as far as Beaune. The attraction of Beaune is two-fold - firstly, the 15th-century Hotel-Dieu des Hospices de Beaune, one of France's great architectural highlights and, secondly, the fact that the town's main purpose in life is to produce, age and sell fine wines and it is one of the best spots in France for wine-tasting.

Day 5:
Montreux & Lake Geneva
From Beaune, we cross into Switzerland this morning and continue as far as Montreux, on the shores of Lake Geneva. The remainder of the day is spent in Montreux, where you can stroll along the lakeshore, take a pleasure boat trip on the lake itself, or visit the medieval Chateau de Chillon, which occupies a rocky islet at the lake's edge.

Day 6:
Switzerland's Valais region & the Alps to Verona
Today we pass through the stunning mountain scenery of Switzerland's Valais region, across the Alps and northern Italy as far as Verona. Considered one of Italy's most beautiful cities, Verona was the setting for Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet'. The town's well-preserved, 1st-century Roman Arena is the third-largest Roman amphitheatre in existence and nowadays presents a summer season of open-air opera and drama every year.

Day 7:
Venice
This morning we drive the short distance to Venice and spend the remainder of the day exploring the sights.

Day 8:
Venice - Florence
After a further morning soaking up the atmosphere and sights of Venice, we set off in the afternoon for Florence.

Day 9:
Florence
Today is spent taking in the cultural delights of Florence, the city known as the cradle of the Renaissance.

Day 10:
Rome
A further drive south this morning through the wonderful scenery and wine-producing regions of Tuscany and Umbria brings us to Rome. The remainder of the day will be spent absorbing some of the sights and atmosphere of the present-day Italian capital and one-time capital of the Roman Empire.

Day 11:
Rome & the Vatican
The final day of this tour allows further exploration of Rome and the Vatican.

Cost of this tour: GB£4725 (for the tour, not per person).

As with all our tours, this itinerary can be adjusted to suit your particular wishes - more time in Paris or Switzerland perhaps; pass by Florence if art and culture is of little interest to you; take a different route entirely between Paris and Rome, should you prefer; or do it backwards, Rome to Paris. The choice is yours.

Prices
Unfortunately, we have to take money off you for our tours. We do, however, try to extend the principle of flexibility into this aspect of your holiday.
Our prices are for the tour, not per person, and cover all costs associated with car and driver, including the driver's meals and accommodation. The price does not, however, include your own meals, accommodation and entrance to local attractions and there are very good reasons for us adopting this system.

Firstly, you have the opportunity to choose your preferred type of accommodation, from motels, through bed and breakfast accommodation and guest houses, hotels of varying star-ratings and on up to luxury country house hotels. We will arrange accommodation of your preferred choice for you and you simply pay each establishment as you check out during the tour. Secondly, this also means that we will not require payment of accommodation charges in advance.

Similar advantages apply in the case of meals. You get to choose when, where and what you want to eat and drink as the tour progresses and you simply pay as you go.

Again, where local attractions are concerned, you are able to choose which of these you want to visit from day to day during the tour. We will, of course, pre-book those which require it in order for you to be assured of getting in on the day.
An additional point in this respect is that we prefer not to act as guide around local attractions. Our tours being tailor-made, we find ourselves visiting such a multiplicity of places that we cannot possibly accumulate in-depth knowledge of them all and we feel the specialist local guides will provide you with a more informative and enjoyable experience.

Our prices do not include travel to/from the points where your tour with us begins and ends.

Entertainment
We will book theatre, opera, sports tickets etc. for any entertainment you wish to include in your tour, where pre-booking is necessary or advisable.

One-way tours
We do not insist on tours finishing where they began. If your tour begins in Paris and finishes in Rome, for example, we will meet you at the Paris airport of arrival and take you at the end of the tour to Rome airport for your flight home.

Private tours
All our tours are private, with only one party on any one tour. You will not, therefore, find yourself sharing the car with strangers.

UK toursUK Tours
We do include the UK in our European tours, however we also have a separate website dedicated exclusively to tours of the UK. For details of UK tours, visit our dedicated UK tours site at:

www.luxuryuktours.com

Republic of Ireland tours
Tours of the Republic of Ireland can be taken as a separate entity, or as part of a tour of the UK and/or Europe.