“An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.” - Benjamin Disraeli

Dear International Living Reader,

We have a proposition that we think may be of particular interest to you. 

It’s an opportunity for you to take off on a unique journey of discovery … a rare chance to renew your spirit … and an unapologetic prospect to experience pure, unadulterated luxury in its most classic form.

Imagine yourself …

… sipping an exquisite Bordeaux in the historic stone caves of Paris’ Cellier St Paul …
… watching the creation of a work of art as the glassblower plies his centuries-old trade on the Venetian island of Murano …
… concealing a smile as you stroll through the Secret Room at Naples’ Archaeological Museum, wondering at the erotic lives the Pompeiians led …
… reclining on a lounger next to the outdoor pool nestled amidst cliffs falling sheer into the azure sea on the Amalfi coast …
… standing on the evocatively-named Umbilicus Urbi, the very spot from which all distances in the Roman Empire were measured …

Not to mention meeting a group of fascinating people with the kind of knowledge and experience that will keep you engaged from morning ‘til night. (And perhaps even provide the spark for a new interest, a new project, a new success.)

Be a Pioneer in the Revival
of a Centuries-Old Tradition

Old World travel with New World conveniences

What we’re talking about here is the revival of a tradition. One whose roots date back over 340 years, one that was once the exclusive domain of the privileged, the prestigious, and the nobility.

Things have changed since those early days. First, the tradition lay dormant for nearly 200 years. And second, it’s no longer reserved for the aristocracy.

So if your interest is piqued by the prospect of …

• traveling in the height of luxury…

• being exposed to some of the world’s greatest art and architecture…

• learning about the classical foundations that shaped our lives…

• rubbing shoulders with a cadre of like-minded, successful people just like you…

• meeting experts on international real estate, art, and architecture

• relishing some of the best food and wine the world has to offer…

• feeling renewed with ideas and energy and a drive to build on your accomplishments…

… then the Grand Tour may just be for you.

An Exclusive Invitation to a Path of Greater Knowledge and Fulfillment

Take the roads less traveled

That’s right, we’re inviting you to join us on the first offering of International Living’s Essential Grand Tour this coming November 10-21, 2007. 

The first, full-fledged Grand Tour of our brethren Oxford Club was such a success that we’re carrying on this noble tradition. Only this time, we’re keeping it a little shorter so that folks like yourself—who may not have unlimited free time—can make it.

It’s a lavish, gem-packed 12 days of pampering and exposure to an unequalled wealth of culture and history. And who knows—it may just be your path to greater knowledge, wealth, and fulfillment, just as it was for the original Grand Tourists back in the 17th and 18th centuries.

If you’re not familiar with the origins of the Grand Tour, they’re explained below. But rest assured, this is not something you’ll find advertised at your local travel agent—it’s exclusive, it’s by invitation only, and it’s based on a culture of class, sophistication, and splendor that has long been forgotten.

It will enrich, enchant, and endow your life with a one-of-a-kind experience you will carry with you every day forward. I’m even prepared to venture that it may change your life.

Grand Tour Origins

Hello, I’m Catherine Lapp, director of the Agora Grand Tour revival program, and editor of its newest publication, The Owl, dedicated to the people, places, and history of the Grand Tour destinations.

I’m a classicist by training—and passion—and spent years traveling through the Mediterranean and other parts of Europe as part of my PhD on the Greco-Roman civilization. What I find most intriguing are the ancient religions and mythology, and how ancient culture survives in today’s world.

I’m also an avid student of Italian Renaissance art and architecture (particularly the Venetian school), I’ve taught Latin and Greek (the ancient kind), and I’m fluent in French, English, and Italian.

You might think of me in some sense as a modern-day Grand Tourist. And so developing International Living’s Essential Grand Tour was, for me, a labor of love. My colleague, Leigh Fergus, editor of International Living’s The European, has this same passion for linking the past with the present. She’ll be with you the whole trip, sharing her thoughts and experience, as you rediscover the Europe of yesterday—and today.

You see, the classics, the Renaissance, and the old languages were also the focus of the original Grand Tour back in the 17th and 18th centuries. While there were definite “pleasure travel” aspects to it, it was first and foremost intended to be the culmination of a young English aristocrat’s education.

It grew out of the concept that knowledge comes from one’s surroundings, and that a change of place was necessary to further develop the mind once the current environment had been “used up.” As a result, travel through the cultural centers of Europe (with Paris, Venice, Florence, Rome, and Naples as the focal points) became a requirement for the completion of an elite schooling.

But it was more than an education as we might think of it today—it was rather a rite of passage that exposed the young English gentry to classical cultures, art, and customs … groomed them for their roles as the future nobility of England … and provided an opportunity to collect valuable and distinctive artifacts for their “rooms of curiosity” back home. Their tours lasted months, even years.

By the end of the 17th Century, the Continent was buzzing with the energy of fresh-faced Englishmen …

• learning etiquette in the salons of Paris …

• donning masks for the Venice carnival …

• savoring the treasures of the Bargello in Florence …

• marveling at the classical antiquities of Rome …

• enjoying a comic opera in Naples’ classic San Carlo Theater …

• absorbing the curiosities of Pompeii …

… and having a jolly good time while they were at it.

Treat Yourself to a Voyage
of Discovery…
and its Rich Rewards

This is precisely the spirit that we’ve based the International Living Essential Grand Tour on. Like the original version, we’ve included arguably the richest diversity of art and architecture known to the western world … in twelve gem-filled days.

And while the focus is on the classics and the Renaissance, we’ve naturally updated it to include everything of note that’s happened since then. Just picture yourself …

• drinking coffee in a Parisian café in the favorite chair of Picasso, or Lenin, or Hemingway…

• marveling at Masaccio’s magnificent frescoes in Florence’s Brancacci Chapel—considered the first masterworks of the Italian Renaissance—also the site of an assault on Michaelangelo by rival sculptor Torrigiano, who “crushed his nose like a biscuit”…

• invoking the memory of the convicted on the Bridge of Sighs—a name coined by Lord Byron in the 19th century—as they took their fateful journey (often their last) from the Doges Palace to the prison on the other side…

• standing under the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the history of architecture, the Pantheon in Rome…

• contemplating Sorrento’s 2,600-year-old history as you sip your cocktail amongst wood paintings and marble busts, gazing out over a spectacular panorama that includes Vesuvius, the Isle of Capri, and the sparkling sea below…

Consider too that you’ll do all of this in the company of local experts. I’ll be meeting you in New York to get you on your way. Your leader, friend, and general guide throughout the tour will be English native Leigh Fergus.

She has lived in France (in Fontainebleau, Paris, and Périgueux) almost continuously since 1984, working as a translator, language trainer, and editor, and she knows the country like the back of her hand. Fluent in French and Chinese, with basic German, Portuguese, and Spanish, she manages to get by in most of Europe, her playground. She’s traveled widely in Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, and Greece and, of course, the UK and Ireland. She's studied ancient French, medieval and Renaissance French art and architecture, and has a love of good food, wine, and traveling.

Our resident authority on Europe past and present, and editor of The European, IL’s weekly Eurocentric newsletter, Leigh will meet you in her spiritual home of Paris, and introduce you en route to other doyens who will entertain and educate you with captivating tales on subjects as diverse as art, real estate, and architecture.

It’s the kind of experience that could create a new interest in your life … remind you of the uncommon art of true luxury … make you the most engrossing mine of information in your social circle … stimulate new ideas … cement new friendships … and perhaps something else besides.

In short, it’s an opportunity waiting for you to knock, and it’s simply too good not to reach for the knocker.

“… of Bravoes and of Lovers …”

Paris … Venice … Florence … Rome … Naples … Pompeii … Amalfi … Sorrento …

It’s a veritable “Who’s Who” in the world of culture, art, architecture, history … and virtually every kind of travel. Monumental movements, world-changing discoveries, and stories of tragedy and ecstasy line their very streets.

Throughout history they’ve enchanted their visitors, and still do. Consider for example the reflections of the irreverent and sometimes-cynical Mark Twain on the second stop of our tour:

“In a few minutes we swept gracefully out into the Grand Canal, and under the mellow moonlight the Venice of poetry and romance stood revealed. Right from the water’s edge rose long lines of stately palaces of marble; gondolas were gliding swiftly hither and thither and disappearing suddenly through unsuspected gates and alleys; ponderous stone bridges threw their shadows athwart the glittering waves. There was life and motion everywhere, and yet everywhere there was a hush, a stealthy sort of stillness, that was suggestive of secret enterprises of bravoes and of lovers; and clad half in moon beams and half in mysterious shadows, the grim old mansions of the Republic seemed to have an expression about them of having an eye out for just such enterprises as these at that same moment. Music came floating over the waters—Venice was complete.”

Your Own Story Waiting to be Told

There are still plenty of stories and discoveries waiting to be made today in these timeless and vital cities. And that’s where you come in.

As an Essential Grand Tourist, you’ll follow the trail of those young 18th century aristocrats, surrounded in luxury and comfort … be exposed to riches in art and culture that stand today as icons of man’s accomplishments … witness the classical knowledge that underpins our lives today … and savor a unique experience that will enrich your life well into the future.

Even if you’ve been to these places once, twice, several times, I’d wager you haven’t seen them in the kind of high-class style of International Living’s Essential Grand Tour.

And while it may not be the rite of passage that it was for those young men of 300 years ago, it will surely add a new dimension to your life. Then again, who knows, maybe it will be your rite of passage after all…

History Seeping up Through the Flagstones

First stop on the original Grand Tour was—and will be for us—Paris, the most visited city in the world. History of an incredible diversity was made in this city.

Here are a few of the lesser-known (but hardly insignificant) events the original Grand Tourist would have witnessed:

• the world’s first restaurant in 1765 (perhaps no surprise here)

• the world’s first manned balloon flight in 1783 (witnessed by Benjamin Franklin)

• the world’s first parachute jump in 1797 (made from a hot air balloon, no less)

Who knows what historic occasion—personal or otherwise—awaits you on International Living’s Essential Grand Tour as you stroll down Napoleon’s broad avenues … saunter over the flagstones near the Bastille with their tales of insurrection, execution, retribution … wander between the headstones in Cimetière du Père Lachaise with the spirits of Proust and Wilde, Chopin and Piaf, Seurat and Modigliani, and 12th-century lovers Abélard and Héloïse …

Or simply go where the mood takes you.

A High-Class Welcome in an Atmosphere “Where Luxury Agrees Perfectly with Discretion”

The Westminster Hotel, Paris, our first resting place

Perhaps your mood will find you sipping a “Duke’s martini” in front of the centerpiece Gothic fireplace of the Duke’s Bar at the Westminster Hotel. This is your first luxury accommodation of the tour.

Named after the Duke of Westminster who stayed here frequently in the 19th century, the hotel shares its prestigious address with the city’s most exclusive shops, and still counts the current Duke among its customers. It’s a fitting welcome for this journey of style and elegance.

But it’s not all.

First, we’ll be hosting a cocktail reception in IL’s Paris headquarters. Here you’ll meet Kathleen Peddicord, publisher of International Living … Bill Bonner, founding publisher of International Living and president and founder of Agora, our parent company … Lief Simon, International Living’s real estate guru … Maria Savage, our Europe Office Director … and of course Leigh Fergus, your tour leader and editor of our Eurocentric publication, The European.

• Agora president Bill Bonner is perhaps best known as an acclaimed financial author and the co-founder of International Living. But he’s also a keen student of classical history, a lover (if not a connoisseur) of noble French wines, and a master of the spoken and written word.

• Lief Simon is International Living’s real estate investment guru. He spends most of his time traveling the globe looking for lucrative real estate opportunities, and has personally bought and sold in 16 countries. Examples of the returns that his property tips have given his subscribers are 160% in 18 months (Mexico), 120% in 12 months (Nicaragua), and 82% in 15 months (Romania).

• Kathleen Peddicord has been editor and publisher of International Living for 20 years. Having established IL’s headquarters (Agora Ireland Publishing) on the southeast coast of Ireland, she subsequently moved to Paris where she opened the IL’s French regional office. She has also opened regional offices in numerous other countries, among them Nicaragua, Mexico, and Panama.

• Maria Savage is a confirmed Europhile, having majored in European Studies in her Political Science degree and relocated to Paris to continue her obsession with the continent on a more intimate basis. From her Parisian base she has traveled extensively through France, Italy, England, Spain, Portugal, and Greece. She is IL’s European office director.

As you can imagine, there’s huge potential for a wide range of conversational subject matter with these folks at the reception. Who knows what you might learn from them … what tips they might give you about investing, real estate, travel, or whatever … or what new ventures and successes might spring from this encounter.

From there we’ll be heading to one of Paris’ gastronomic institutions, Brasserie Julien. A National Heritage site for its Art Nouveau décor, stepping inside takes you back to a time when top hats and veils were in vogue, and when restaurant owners were patrons of the arts. And we haven’t even mentioned the food yet, which—even by the exacting standards of this center of culinary excellence—is exceptional.

We change moods the next day with a visit underground … to the magnificent historic stone caves of the Cellier St Paul, where you’ll be treated to a private presentation on wine along with a wine and cheese tasting session.

Such is the diversity of Paris, oozing atmosphere at every turn, conjuring memories without even trying.

Lavish, Romantic, Hypnotic Welcomes Await You

“Atmosphere” is a theme you’ll notice we’ve made sure to carry through the rest of the tour.

• In Rome, for example, from the rooftop garden terrace of the sumptuous Bettoja Hotel Atlantico on the Esquilino, one of Rome’s seven hills, you’re surrounded by a layer-cake of history. Nearby stand the world-renowned Opera House and the Santa Maria Maggiore basilica, whose outline was allegedly laid out by a miraculous snowfall in 352 AD. Just a little farther away, still within walking distance, the iconic Coliseum, Roman Forum, and Trevi Fountain keep their millennia-old vigils.

• Amid the bucolic rolling hills of Tuscany, the ancient spa town of Montecatini Terme will be your home while you’re exploring the wonders of Florence. The Grand Hotel Tamerici and Principe is located in a shady park, and with its bronze statues, marble floors, and nineteenth century paintings, the Art Nouveau villa is cool and elegant. It’s the perfect companion to the exquisite countryside and the delicious Tuscan table of its Granduchi Restaurant.

• Centuries-old trees, luxuriant vegetation, and breathtaking vistas provide a stunning setting for the nineteenth-century Grand Hôtel Europa Palace in the peninsular town of Sorrento. This is your home for the Naples, Pompeii, and Amalfi coast portion of the trip. The spectacular coastline may be the area’s main attraction today, but it is also steeped in history, with Oscan ruins that date back to 600 BC.

These are amazing places, each with a distinct character of its own. But when it comes to atmosphere it’s hard to top Venice—Queen of the Adriatic, city of secrets and mysteries, a beguiling and bewitching mistress, and an easel of a thousand lights flickering fleetingly on its moonlit, storied waters.

It’s a hypnotic place. And in keeping with the mood, your accommodation here is a journey into Venice’s Byzantine past—the Hotel Ai Mori D’Oriente. Reminiscent of the Turkish merchants—called “mori”—who lived in this palace on their visits to this important port city, it’s at once exotic and romantic, the perfect combination for the enticing charms of Venice.

As you relax in the reading room overlooking the canal, maybe you’ll even cast yourself back in time to the days of Marco Polo, when Venice was the hub of the Silk Route, a haven for traders and visitors of all complexions, and—perhaps not that different from today—a bubbling brew of intrigue, industry, and intimacy …

There’s more to come too. We’ve lined up a number of special guests—authorities in their own right—who will regale you over cocktails, dinner, and other get-togethers with insights on art, architecture, and Europe in general. We’ll reveal their names when you join the tour—afterall, aren’t you entitled to some surprises beyond the initial info offering? There is one thing we will tell you about them, however, and it’s a guarantee—they’ll keep you engaged for hours.

In addition to our special guests, local tour guides will provide you with the kind of inside info that you won’t find elsewhere. It will bring the art and historic sites to life in a way you haven’t experienced before.

Human Stories, Layers of History, and Your
Gateway to Enrichment

See medieval artwork in Paris

Of course many of the places you’ll be exploring can speak pretty well for themselves:

• the flamboyant Gothic Musée de Cluny in Paris’ Latin Quarter with its Roman Baths and enigmatic medieval art …

• the Piazzetta dei Leoncini, known for the columns of Venice’s two patrons, St Mark and St Todaro, that, in addition to serving as the official gateway to Venice, also played host to gambling and executions …

• Piazza della Signoria, dating back to the original Roman settlement of Florentia, and containing—amongst many compelling attractions—a copy of Michaelangelo’s David, and a plaque commemorating the site of Girolamo Savonarola’s Bonfire of the Vanities in 1497 and his hanging and burning in 1498 …

• Naple’s ancient decumanus (main east-west street) Via dei Tribunali

• … Pompeii’s lupanare (brothel) with its explicit frescoes advertising the services available inside, and the city’s ubiquitous representations of Priapus, ancient god of sex and fertility …

• … the Eternal City’s most prominent monument, the Coliseum, which permitted entry to all classes including slaves (but excluding gravediggers, actors, and former gladiators), issued tickets in the form of pottery shards, and facilitated dispersion of the entire amphitheater in minutes through its 80 vomitoria (a design still pervasive in large stadia today)

There’s more—lots more—but if I told you about it all it’d be giving it all away, and I’m sure you wouldn’t want us to do that. A little mystery—quality mystery, that is, in the same class as the attractions we’ve already mentioned—can only enhance the experience.
 
So we’ll leave it at that … except for one last thing.

A Special Personal Gift

It would be a travesty if the rich experiences of a trip like this were simply to be consigned to memory. So we’re doing something about that.

Each tour member will receive a leather-bound journal to record your encounters, perceptions, and musings as you wend your way through these incredible locations.

Just think—years from now you’ll be able to pull it out and relive the flavors of that neighborhood bistrôt in the Latin Quarter with its chalkboard menu … recount the feeling of gliding below the Rialto Bridge on a moonlit night under power of a gondola’s oar … admire once again the efforts of the white-gloved traffic policeman directing the chaos around Piazza Venezia below the imposing monument to Victor Emmanuel II … remember the fantastic scale and grandeur of the Duomo, Florence’s signature edifice and the world’s third largest cathedral … and a host of other irreplaceable memories and fond recollections.

And who knows? Maybe your enthusiastic scribbles might find their way into The Owl, or The European, or your local newspaper. At a minimum, they’ll allow you and your loved ones to recall the magical moments of a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

We hope that you use it on this trip, but if you don’t, it’s no matter. Just think of it as our way of saying “Thanks for coming.”

Claim Your Space—and Your Irreplaceable Memories—Before Someone Else Does

You may well be wondering what such a luxurious itinerary might set you back, and how we can put on such a sumptuous trip without making a sizable dent in your bank account.

We can’t give away our secrets, but the good news is that it’s affordable … but not cheap.

It costs $8, 495 per person based on double occupancy (with a single supplement of $995).

But when you take advantage of our “Early-Bird” Discount and sign on before September 10, 2007 you’ll save a full $500.

And you may be eligible for additional discounts as well…

If you're a World Club or Publisher’s Roundtable Member of International Living you can save an additional $350, whenever you sign on. IL Lifetime Members save $150.

 We make no apologies for the cost—you will, afterall

• travel in the lap of luxury throughout …

• stay in some of the finest hotels Europe has to offer …

• eat food fit for royalty …

• sip the wines of France and Italy’s leading vineyards …

• be waited on hand and foot from morning ‘til night …

• get an insight into the depths and diversity of our western heritage …

• build up your wealth of knowledge to propel your life to the next level of fulfillment …

• and travel with like-minded people who could become lifelong friends.

It’s hard, if not impossible, to put a price on all of this. On reflection, $8,495 is about as low a price as we could make it without cheapening and diluting its phenomenal value. Here’s what’s included in the price:

• Air fare from New York to Paris, from Paris to Venice, and from Rome back to New York via Paris

• Transfers to and from all the airports in Paris, Venice, and Rome

• 10 nights’ accommodation in four-star luxury hotels

• All in-country transportation and sightseeing activities as outlined in the schedule

• Historical tours in each destination, including admission fees as per schedule

• All breakfasts and some lunches and dinners as outlined in the schedule

• Guidance and attention throughout the trip from our local guides and tour coordinators

• All taxes and service charges

… and a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

At this price, I expect this inaugural International Living Essential Grand Tour to sell out quickly.

Don’t risk missing out on such a rare opportunity—book today by clicking on the Register Now link below, calling us on 1-866-381-8446, or emailing us at events@internationalliving.com.

I look forward to meeting you in New York to see you off and hearing about your eventful and life-changing adventure.

Sincerely,

Catherine Lapp
Director, International Living’s Essential Grand Tour

P.S: From Henry Miller to Charles Dickens, from Van Gogh to Goethe, Europe’s leading cities have drawn the wealthy and talented alike to drink at their nourishing fountains. It’s here that you’ll discover the roots of today’s society … the foundations of today’s infrastructure … the gems of millennia of art … the origins of modern philosophy … and a story of your own waiting to be written. Embark on a personal Renaissance, on a luxurious excursion designed to satisfy your every whim for comfort, your penchant for the best food and wine the world has to offer, and your yen for knowledge and fulfillment. Who knows, maybe you’ll discover a “new you” to launch your life’s next journey. Sign up for International Living’s Essential Grand Tour today before all the seats are filled—click below to register online, call us at 1-866-381-8446 , or email us at events@internationalliving.com.

Or contact us now:
Email: events@internationalliving.com
Phone:1-866-381-8446 (Toll free in the US and Canada)

THE ESSENTIAL GRAND TOUR 2007
PARIS AND ITALY

Your Daily Schedule at a Glance

Meal Key:
(B) – Full Buffet Breakfast / (L) – Served Lunch / (D) – Served Dinner
(C) Cocktail Reception / (CB) Coffee Break w/snack in afternoon only

Saturday, November 10, 2007

New York - Paris

Depart New York JFK airport via Air France on overnight flight to Paris. Air France flight #23 departs at 4:55 p.m.

Sunday November 11, 2007

Paris

• Arrive in Paris early morning. Meet your guide at the airport.

• Panoramic motor coach tour of Paris, stopping at a Brasserie for breakfast (coffee and croissant). Take a walking tour in the area of the Opera with your guide—your luggage will be dropped off at the hotel.

• Westminster Hotel—check in at 2:00pm. The rest of the afternoon will be free to relax.

• Evening: Transfer at 7:00pm to International Living’s Office for a welcome cocktail—featuring Bill Bonner, Kathleen Peddicord, Lief Simon, Leigh Fergus, and Maria Savage. Dinner at Brasserie Julien, transfer to the Hotel Westminster.

(C,D)

Overnight in Paris—Westminster Hotel

Monday, November 12, 2007

Paris – Venice

• Morning: Transfer to The Latin Quarter for a guided visit of the Musée Cluny

• Visit to the Cellier St. Paul, a historical wine cave in Paris for an exclusive presentation on wine with wine and cheese tasting afterward.

• Walking guided tour of the Place des Vosges, one of the most beautiful squares of Paris, the charming narrow streets, and the many boutiques and restaurants.

• Late afternoon transfer to the airport for flight to Venice and water-ferry transfer to Hotel

(B)

Overnight in Venice—Hotel Ai Mori D’Oriente

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Venice

• Morning: Guided tour of the Piazza San Marco, Basilica, Doges Palace

• Afternoon: Take the vaporetto to the island of Murano, a glassmaker paradise since 1291. Watch the glass-workers creating the most amazing pieces of Murano glass before your eyes. Visit the glass museum. Indulge in the many shops. Stroll along the canals and the century-old colorful houses.

• Free evening

(B,L)

Overnight in Venice at your hotel Ai Mori D’Oriente

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Venice – Florence

• Free morning: Visit the Ponte di Rialto with its shops and nearby food markets … one of the many churches decorated by the Italian masters of the Renaissance (Santa Maria dei Frari and the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, Santa Maria della Salute, etc.) … the Accademia Galleries and their impressive collection of Venetian paintings from Bellini to Tintoretto and Veronese … and be sure to enjoy a gondola ride.

• 1:00 PM: Board the motor coach to Motecatini Terme.

• Dinner at hotel

(B,D)

Overnight in Montecatini—Grand Hotel Tamerici & Principe

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Florence

• Morning: Tour the city with your local guide: Piazza del Duomo (Campanile and Baptistry), Piazza della Signoria (Loggia dei Lanzi), Orsanmichele, Santa Croce (Galileo’s Tomb).

• Lunch on your own

• Afternoon: Guided tour of the Accademy

• Dinner and overnight at the hotel

(B,D)

Overnight in Montecatini—Grand Hotel Tamerici & Principe

Friday, November 16, 2007

Florence – Sorrento

• Morning: Guided tour of Florence including the Bargello Museum and its superb collection of Renaissance sculpture (Michelangelo, Cellini, etc.). Quick snack on your own.

• Afternoon: Departure with your coach to Sorrento

(B,D)

Dinner and Overnight in Sorrento— Grand Hotel Europa Palace

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Naples

• After breakfast enjoy a full day tour of Naples and Pompei: walk through the streets of Naples … stroll down the millennia-old Via dei Tribunali, visit the majestic cathedral, discover the ancient city under the modern town … walk along the Gulf of Naples, with view on the Castel dell’Ovo and the Archaeological Museum with its world renowned collection of mosaics, frescoes, marble and bronze statues from Pompeii and other sites buried by Vesuvius in AD 79.

• Lunch in Pompei

• After lunch tour of the excavations of Pompei with local guide.

(B,L,D)

Dinner and overnight in Sorrento—Grand Hotel Europa Palace

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Amalfi coast

• Drive along the Amalfi coast, with its stunning views of the sea, cliffs and isolated villages, and enjoy for a couple of hours the scenic town of Amalfi, with its imposing Duomo tucked in between mountains and the sea.

• Dinner and overnight at your hotel in Sorrento

(B,D)

Dinner and overnight in Sorrento—Grand Hotel Europa Palace

Monday, November 19, 2007

Naples – Rome

• After breakfast, board the motor coach for a drive to Rome.

• Lunch in Rome

• Afternoon: Guided tour of Ancient Rome including the Coliseum, Roman Forum, Imperial Forum, Piazza Venezia, and the Campidoglio.

• Evening free in Rome

(B,L)

Overnight in Rome—Hotel Atlantico 

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Rome

• Morning: Guided tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peters Basilica and square.

• Afternoon continue your tour through the famous Piazza: Piazza Navona, Trevi fountain, Pantheon etc.

• Tonight enjoy a Farewell dinner with entertainment

(B,D)

Overnight in Rome—Hotel Atlantico

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Motor coach to Rome airport and flight to U.S, via Paris.

Air France flight #8 arrives New York/JFK at 9:00pm.

*Schedule subject to change.

Note: You will be emailed a detailed schedule prior to the tour. You will also receive a printed schedule and other materials at the airport, prior to your departure.

PRICING AND WHAT’S INCLUDED

Price Per Person, Based On Double Occupancy: 8,495

Single Supplement: $995

Early Bird & Membership Discounts

Register by September 10, 2007 and take $500 off.

If you’re a World Club or Publisher’s Roundtable Member of International Living save an additional $350, whenever you sign on. IL Lifetime Members save $150.

Please note: We invite you to take advantage of the greatest membership discount for which you are eligible, based on your membership status. These membership discounts are good no matter when you sign on. But only one membership discount applies.

Price includes:

Hotels:
1 night in Paris, 2 nights in Venice, 2 nights Florence, 3 nights in Sorrento,
2 nights Rome
 
Four Star luxury Hotels:
Paris: Westmister Hotel
Venice: Hotel Ai Mori D’Oriente 
Florence (Montecatini): Grand Hotel Tamerici & Principe 
Sorrento: Grand Hotel Europa Palace 
Rome: Hotel Atlantico 

Meals:

• Buffet-style breakfast at hotel November 12 – 21

• Continental breakfast of coffee and croissant at local Brasserie on November 11

• One dinner and one lunch in Paris highlighting the local cuisine

• Two lunches in Venice, two dinners in Florence, one dinner en route to Sorrento, one lunch near Pompeii, two dinners in Sorrento, one lunch in Rome, farewell dinner with entertainment in Rome

Transportation/Sightseeing Activities:

Air flights:
New York – Paris
Paris – Venice
Rome – Paris – New York

Ground transportation and transfers in luxury, air-conditioned motor coaches, with assistance per itinerary, including English-speaking local guides for sightseeing.

Miscellaneous:

• All local taxes and fees and admittance fees per itinerary

• Luggage tags and tote bags

• Leather bound personal journal

Price does not include:

• Items of a personal nature and excess baggage

• Gratuities for step-on-guides, local escorts, and drivers

Please Note: This price is only guaranteed for the first 25 places reserved

Registration and Payment Details:

We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, money orders, and wire transfers.

Travel Assistance and Travel Insurance:

To protect your travel investment, we strongly recommend that you purchase travel insurance. Travel insurance protects you from all the unexpected events that can disrupt or cancel your travel plans.

For all your travel needs not included in the tour (including flights to/from New York and insurance requirements), please contact your travel agency of choice. You may want to consider one of the many companies that specialize in online reservations and travel assistance, like: www.orbitz.com, www.travelocity.com, or www.expedia.com.

We are happy to recommend Value Holidays, the company who are helping coordinate the logistics of this tour.

Value Holidays
10224 North Port Washington Road, Mequon, WI 53092 USA
Phone: 1-800-558-6850
Fax: 262-241-6379
Email: marianne@valhol.com

Cancellation Policy: Cancellations received before September 7, 2007, will receive a full refund, less a $500 penalty per person. From September 7, 2007 the tour fee is non-refundable. If you are unable to attend, please call, fax, or e-mail our offices immediately to avoid any unnecessary charges. If you cancel due to medical reasons that are covered by your purchased travel-insurance policy, we will advise the insurance company that your travel and tour fees are non-refundable.

Disclaimer: International Living and any of its agents and speakers do not provide any individual, personalized investment advice. This tour provides only information to the general public, and at no time should any person acting as an agent or speaker at the conference be relied upon as rendering personalized investment advice.

By registering for this event you'll automatically receive our FREE Events e-letter and the free Owl newsletter. (You can unsubscribe to these at any time).

Or contact us now:
Email: events@internationalliving.com
Phone:1-866-381-8446 (Toll free in the US and Canada)