11-Day Italy, Switzerland and France Tour from Paris with Airport Transfers

You must provide flight details at least 15 days before tour departure date to guarantee airport pick-up and drop-off. We will not be able to arrange airport transfers to those providing flight arrival details any closer to 15 days before tour departure date, and no refund will be given for this service.

Pick-up can be arranged between 7:00am and 10:00pm from the Charles de Gaulle and Paris Orly International Airports. Please meet your driver at the arrival hall.

This is a shared transfer and your pick-up / drop-off may be combined with fellow travelers.

We'll begin our Paris adventure with a drive along the famous Champs Elysees to the Place de la Concorde, which played a key role in one of darkest chapters of the French Revolution. You'll also get to see the iconic Arc de Triomphe. Next we'll head to L'Hotel National des Invalides, which houses Napoleon's tomb and a number of other monuments relating the military history of France.

Next we'll travel by coach through the Parisian suburbs to the splendid Palace of Versailles, residence of the royal family until the start of the revolution in 1789. We'll return to Paris in the evening. After dinner you may want to avail yourself of the optional cruise along the river Seine.

The second day of our Paris experience begins with a visit to the Louvre, the grande dame of art museums (admission fee not included). Here you will set your eyes upon some of the highest-valued masterpieces of the Western world, including the Venus de Milo, Winged Victory of Samothrace, and the Mona Lisa.

After lunch we'll head to Boulevard Haussmann, a shopper's paradise in the heart of Paris, where you will be free to shop till you drop. Accommodations for the evening will either be in Paris or a neighboring city. Before you leave this captivating city don't miss the world-famous cabaret shows at Lido and Moulin Rouge (own expense).

We will depart for Switzerland in the morning, first passing through Basel - situated at the intersection of France, Germany, and Switzerland - before arriving in Lucerne, where we will stay the night.

After breakfast, we'll head south to the design and couture-conscious city of Milan. On our tour of the city you will see Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the oldest shopping arcade in the world; the legendary opera house La Scala; the storied Sforza Castle; and the ostentatious Gothic of Milan Cathedral.

Accommodations for the evening will be in Venice or a neighboring city.

After breakfast, we'll take you through this fascinating city of ornate palaces, lyrical waterways, captivating churches and impressive architecture. In San Marco Square you'll see the Basilica di San Marco, one of the best examples of Byzantine architecture, and the Bridge of Sighs connecting the old prison to the interrogation rooms in Doge's Palace.

Afterwards, you'll get a chance to see some traditional Venetian craft work at a demonstration by Murano glassblowers.

An optional shared gondola ride on the Grand Canal will put the finishing touch on a glorious day in Venice.

Accommodations in the evening will either be in Rome or a neighboring city.

After breakfast we'll head directly to St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, originally built by Constantine the Great in 324 AD, then reconstructed between 1506 and 1615 under the direction of several famous architects including Bramante, Raphael and Michelangelo. You may also join the optional Sistine Chapel tour to view Michelangelo's famous frescoes.

Next you'll see the famous Trevi Fountain, the lavish Baroque showpiece where people flock to throw coins into the water - an action which is said to ensure that you’ll return to the city again one day. After lunch, take a step even further back in time as you visit Italy’s unrivaled Roman relics. An optional guided tour of the Colosseum, built in AD 72, comes highly recommended. History comes to life as you imagine yourself witnessing gladiatorial combat inside the spectacular amphitheatre. You may also choose to walk at your leisure around the outside to admire the facade of this ancient wonder.

After the Colosseum, get up close to the nearby Arch of Constantine, which dates back to the fourth century AD, then spend some further free time enjoying Rome, sampling the rich and creamy delights of gelato. After some free time you can either visit Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels and the Martyrs near Piazza della Repubblica, or head directly to the nearby Mitsukoshi Department store for some serious shopping.

Your voyage of cultural discovery continues as you get to know Florence, the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and home to some fabulous architecture and fine art. Begin the day by taking in a wonderful panoramic overview of the city from Piazzale Michelangelo, which boasts glorious vistas over the red roofs, Arno River and ancient city walls out towards the surrounding countryside.

Next you can see a demonstration of the traditional craft of leather working at close quarters in a local workshop, and you’ll also have the opportunity to purchase some of the high-quality leather items for which the city is famous. From here you’ll enjoy a guided walk around Florence’s many highlights, including the Ponte Vecchio over the Arno, the Piazza del Duomo and Campanile Tower. You’ll pass the Uffizi Gallery, which contains one of the most notable art collections in Florence. You’ll have free time to see the city further, to shop or to watch the world go by from a street side cafe, before travelling on to your next destination, Pisa.

Here you are free to wander, but be sure to have your camera ready to get a shot of the iconic Leaning Tower, the famous bell tower in the ‘Square of Miracles’, which also contains the centuries-old Cathedral and Baptistery, after that we are transferring towards a city nearby Genoa in the late evening for stay.

Please note we will not stay in Genoa and we will not visit the city Genoa.

A breath-taking drive along one of Europe’s most famous stretches of Mediterranean coastline awaits as you say arrivederci to Italy and head for Monaco.

This small principality, enclaved in François chicane’s beautiful, home to the famous Formula 1 Grand Prix. A walking sightseeing tour here takes you to the grand Prince’s Palace, where you’ll have some free time to soak up the refined atmosphere, before continuing on to view the 1920s Courthouse, the Cliffside Oceanographic Museum, and the Cathedral, where Grace Kelly is buried.

We then travel a little further to visit the famous Fragonard Perfume Factory. Here you’ll be taken on a fascinating guided tour around this working factory. Next it’s Nice, where you’ll stop for lunch to sample some excellent local cuisine and warm-hearted hospitality. Your journey continues to Cannes, where many a movie star has enjoyed the sweet smell of success. Be sure to take the opportunity to snap some photos of the Palais des Festival, home to the city’s annual international film festival, before transferring to overnight in a city nearby Avignon.

Please note we will not stay in Avignon and we will not visit the city Avignon.

Take a well-earned rest today as you sit back and enjoy great views of the changing rural charms of the French countryside on the journey north to Paris, where the tour finish.

Airport drop-off service is available from 7:00am to 10:00pm. We recommend that you book a flight departing after 11:00am.