Relax and take in the view as we travel through some of the most inspiring and contrasting scenery in Europe. Experience the wonder of Italy with Rome, the 'Eternal City' as it's highlight, and the majestic rolling Tuscan countryside as the encore. Gaze upon the panoramic view from the Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence whilst anticipating the delights of the French Riviera. Visit Interlaken with it's dramatic views towards the snow capped Jungfrau, the most memorable mountain scenery in Switzerland. This is a tour that will inspire you to return again and again to the timeless wonders of Europe. 

Rome - Coach Free Day.  This morning you are free until the city tour to explore the fabulous sights of this Eternal City. You will need to use public transport to get into the city and your tour leader will provide you with information on using the metro system.

You can then make your way to the Colosseum where we will meet our local guide for a walking city tour, your tour leader will confirm the time to meet, (headsets cost 2 € each). This provides an ideal introduction to some of the oldest sights in Rome. Our local guide has extensive local knowledge and will share with you many fascinating insights to Rome's ancient history! This tour will end at approximately 12pm at Piazza Navona.

The afternoon is free to visit Piazza Navona, Vatican city and the Sistine Chapel where Michelangelo spent 4 years painting the magnificent frescos that have graced the walls and ceilings of the Pope’s private chapel since 1512. You may also like to visit St Peter’s Basilica, the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps.

Subject to numbers we can offer an afternoon guided tour of the Vatican museum and Sistine chapel for 20 € per person plus 15 € admission.

Kumuka wishes to inform their clients that Men visiting Vatican City and St Peter's Square must wear t-shirts and shirts with sleeves and long trousers, whilst Women should have their shoulders covered and wear a skirt that falls below the knee, this dress code is strictly enforced.

Dinner is not included tonight so you will have plenty of time to continue exploring and perhaps try some traditional Roman gnocchi!

Rome to Florence/ Prato. We start the day with a visit beautiful town of Orvieto, a charming medieval town perched on the hilltop. To visit the town you will need to take the funicular up from the coach park (cost approx 2 € return).

Depending on whether we are travelling during high or low season will determine our destination tonight. Your tour leader will confirm this when your tour commences. Some tours will be staying in the town of Prato, which is approximately 20km from Florence. Other tours will be staying on the outskirts of Florence.

Dinner will either be included this evening or tomorrow evening depending on hotel location.

Florence to Nice. We begin our day with a visit to Pisa in the early morning. Here you can visit the Campo dei Miracoli (Square of Miracles) and get the perfect photo of you holding up the famous leaning tower. We drive along the coast of the Italian Riviera and through seemingly endless tunnels towards the Italian/French border.

We continue on to the French town of Eze, to visit the famous Fragonard factory where they make French perfume in the traditional manner. Stock up on your travel perfumes, aftershaves, creams, shampoos, lotions and potions, all at warehouse prices. Following our visit here, we drive to our hotel in Nice, which will be our base for two nights.

On arrival in Nice in the late afternoon we will check into the hotel. A quick change and return to the coach is required to allow us maximum time in Monaco. Tonight is a perfect opportunity to dress up and rub elbows with the rich and famous, and those who are pretending to be, as we are heading to the sovereign state of Monaco!

The coach will drive along the famous Moyenne Corniche, with its stunning cliff top views over the dramatic coastline. Dinner will be in the prestigious capital of Monaco Ville just around the corner from the Palace and Prince Albert’s current home.

Following dinner, we will drive on the Formula 1 Grand Prix racetrack before you are dropped off for free time to check out the various casinos and bars that Monte Carlo has to offer. You might want to visit the jaw dropping Grand Casino, designed by Charles Garnier in the 1800s. This is the same place James Bond ordered his first martini, shaken not stirred!  There is a 10 € admission fee, but it’s well worth it to visit the monument that offers both gambling and fine artwork.

The coach will then be returning to Nice, or if you’re winning at the casino you may wish to continue and catch a taxi back to Nice, costing approximately 60 - 70 €.

 Alternatively, depending on scheduling, we might have to take the trip into Monaco on day 7, allowing you a free night in Nice on arrival.

Nice to Interlaken.  Departing Nice early we head away from the French Riviera towards the French border with Italy and then drive through numerous tunnels and connecting bridges up to the Gotthard Tunnels, an engineering marvel. 

Continuing up the length of Switzerland have your cameras at the ready to photograph the spectacular Brunnig Pass and the amazing Swiss scenery desending through the mountains to Interlaken our home for the next three nights.

After checking into the hotel your last group dinner is included tonight, a traditional Swiss meal.

Interlaken - Coach Free Day. Picturesque landscapes in the stunning Swiss mountains provide a backdrop to various adventure pursuits today. For a full day trip we recommend you enjoy an exciting ride aboard Europe’s oldest cog railway, the world’s highest, to the peak of the Jungfrau. Soaring to 3454 metres (11,333 feet) snow, ice and breathtaking scenery is guaranteed! 

This inimitable train journey begins in Interlaken, and meanders upwards through small Swiss villages that are dotted along the train tracks, passing cows with giant bells and flower filled meadows. The climax of this excursion is the journey through the inside of the Eiger Mountain from Kleine Scheideg to the Jungfraujoch. Once you reach the purpose built visitor center perched on the top of the Swiss alps, you can ride the space age lift, blasting you up to the highest point of the visitor center.

Take in the Sphinx observation terrace and later walk through the impressive Ice Palace (caves that run right through the center of a glacier). Throw a snowball and make snow angels on the open plateau of snow and ice. Weather permitting, (seasonal and extra cost) you might be able to ski on a bunny hill ride or toboggan down the glacial slopes.

After a few hours of fun, we will board the train back down the valley. On our return, we will stop off at the beautiful town of Lauterbrunnen or weather permitting, return to Interlaken and take part in a tandem paraglide/hang glide with an experienced pilot. You can even get the photos to prove you did it! An exhilarating bungee jump is also available for the true adrenaline junkie. Alternatively, you can spend your last day hiking, biking or rafting. If it all sounds like too much hard work then simply relax in the scenic countryside around Interlaken and visit the crystal clear lakes.

Dinner is not included this evening.

Your tour will end upon arrival at St Pancras International Station, London.

Please contact Kumuka or your agent if you would like to book post tour accommodation in London at the below hotel.  Alternatively you can book at www.kumuka.com

HOLIDAY INN KINGS CROSS

1 Kings Cross Road

London WC1X 9HX

Tel. +44 2078333900

Fax. +44 2079176163

Underground: King’s Cross (Northern/Victoria/Hammersmith & City/Circle/Metropolitan lines)

All euro star tickets are non negotiable, transferable or refundable and are only available for the date and time of departure as per itinerary

Your passport is a valuable document and you should exercise extreme care in keeping it safe. We recommend that you keep your passport on you at all times, preferably in a money belt that is worn under your clothing. We advise that you take copies of relevant pages in your passport and any visas that you may purchase in case of loss or damage. Your tour leader will require your passport details at the pre-departure meeting. Again, we recommend that you have a photocopy of all passport details, kept separate. Your passport must be valid for six months after the END of your tour, and must have one blank page for each country to be visited.

Vaccinations:

No vaccinations are compulsory in Europe however you may need additional inoculations so please contact your G.P or a travel medical centre for further information.

We also recommend:

• A dental check-up prior to travelling.
• That you know your blood group in case of emergency.
• That if you have any pre-existing medical conditions which might affect you on tour, you make these known to your tour leader and your agent/Kumuka at the time of your booking.          

You can also visit www.kumuka.com for further details.

Medical Supplies:

Your tour leader has a well-equipped medical kit that by law must remain sealed and can only be used in an emergency. We advise that all passengers bring along their own personal first aid kit. Below is a list of some recommended items:

Band Aids/Bandages, Laxatives, Upset stomach remedy, Anti-diarrhoea remedy, Panadol/Aspirin, Rehydration remedy, Antiseptic cream/powder, Sterile dressing, any relevant course of medication such as contraceptive pills.

A complete Travellers Medical Pack can be purchased for approximately US$25 at most Vaccination Centres, Chemists and outdoor travel shops.

We recommend an average of €40-50 per day. This of course depends on your own spending habits, the number of optional excursions you wish to take and the amount of additional snacks, souvenirs and drinks you wish to buy along the way. Be aware that some countries are more expensive than others and that if you are travelling through several your expenses will vary enormously. Similarly there will be some days when you spend nothing at all and others when you exceed your budget.

• We advise that you carry a mixture of cash mainly Euros and credit/debit cards with you on your trip. 
• Credit cards are accepted virtually everywhere in Europe. They can also be used to obtain money from ATMs. You should make sure you know your PIN number.
• ATM cards can be used widely in Europe. Again, you will need your PIN. Your bank will provide you with more details.
• Euro cheques are now valid for all EU countries except the UK, Switzerland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. The Euro has come into effect as a cash currency from 2002
• Travellers cheques are difficult to cash and always have a transaction fee applied..

How much should I take?

• Because of limited luggage space on coaches and Eurostar, we must limit each passenger to ONE main suitcase or frameless backpack the size should be no more than 75cm x 45cm x 25cm and one day bag.
• Your main bag must not weigh more than 20 kg’s.
• A frameless or internally framed backpack is the best way to carry your belongings since it is easy to lift on and off vehicles.
• A small daypack is practical for keeping general items (e.g. camera, books, wallets etc.) at hand when your main pack is out of reach. It is also handy for day trips and excursions. We also recommend that you keep your passport, credit cards Travellers Cheques etc. on you at all times, preferably in a money belt worn under your clothes.

TRAVEL TIP: You might be tempted to buy a few souvenirs here and there, so leave a little room for those extra purchases!

Please use your discretion and be sensitive to cultural differences in the countries that you visit, in particular visits to religious buildings and when taking photographs. Your Tour Leader will advise you of any specific customs to observe.

For detailed information see www.timezoneconverter.com

Please remember, we are guests in the countries through which we travel and we may sometimes inadvertently cause offence by taking photographs without first asking permission.

It is absolutely forbidden by law to take photos at any borders, as they are all active military installations.

We have put a lot of thought and effort into locating the most appropriate type of accommodation for each tour. It will always be clean, comfortable and of a very high standard. All accommodation is in superior tourist class hotel. We guarantee accommodation in a twin room for every passenger on mainland European departures.

In Europe tipping is a way of life and very much expected. For many tipping is a means of supplementing their wage and is a normal part of payment for goods and services. Be sure to keep small denomination notes or coins on you to avoid embarrassment. Sales and service taxes are imposed in some restaurants and bars.

Whilst on tour you will probably want to stay in touch with family and friends. There are several ways of doing this:

Mobile Phone – Before departing your home country check with your phone supplier to see if it compatible with the mobile phone networks in the countries that you are traveling to, and how much will it cost to use abroad.

Email – Internet Cafes are very cheap and popular, and you are sure to come across several during your tour. If you haven’t done so already, set up a free Google Mail, Hotmail, or Yahoo email account which you can then access from any computer. Internet Cafes will charge a nominal fee for using their computers. Within Europe some hotels charge a wifi connection fee and we cannot guarantee a wifi connection at all hotels we use.

Twitter – A method of communication that is rapidly gaining in popularity on the Internet especially amongst travelers. Twitter allows you to send short messages and update your friends and family with where you are on tour and what you are doing. Create your free account at http://twitter.com. Visit Kumuka’s page on Twitter at http://twitter.com/kumuka

Facebook – Very popular website that allows you to upload stories, get in touch with fellow travellers before and after your Kumuka tour, upload photos and videos to share with other travellers, your family and friends. To create a free account, go to www.facebook.com and then become a fan of Kumuka’s Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/pages/Kumuka-Worldwide/26617121087?ref=ts

Postcards – The good ol’ fashioned postcard. But you will probably get home before the postcard does!

Under no circumstances are any illegal drugs allowed on any part of the trip. Anyone discovered in possession of any such drugs, will be asked to leave the tour immediately without question or refund.

KUMUKA WORLDWIDE

UK OFFICE

Hillswood Business Park 3000
Hillswood Drive Chertsey KT16 0RS
Tel: +4420 7937 8855 Fax: +442075043782

Email: sales@kumuka.com
www.kumuka.com

AUSTRALIAN OFFICE

Level 5, 387 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: 02 9279 0491 Fax: 02 9279 0492
Email: sales@kumuka.com.au
www.kumuka.com.au