Europe by rail, London, Paris and Brussels

Duration: 10 days

Highlights: London, Windsor, Kew Gardens, Paris, Vaux le Vicomte, Brussels

A fantastic 10-day itinerary by luxury rail, encompassing the highlights of London, Paris and Brussels. 

 

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Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrival in London

After clearing customs at Heathrow Airport, you are met by your Guardian Angel and transferred by private vehicle to your hotel. After check in, the remainder of your day is at leisure to settle in to this historic city on the River Thames.

Overnight: The Milestone Hotel, London

 

Day 2 - London City Tour

An expert local guide and your chauffeur will be waiting to meet you for a full day sightseeing tour (8 hours) of London. You will visit the Tower of London, where the Beefeaters guard the dazzling Crown Jewels, and where you will gain excellent views of Tower Bridge from the Medieval Palace.  Proceed afterwards to St. Paul's Cathedral, rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of London in 1666.  

After lunch at leisure, continue to the South Bank of the Thames in London. Here, two of London's newest and most exciting exhibitions are located. The Old Bankside Powerstation is home to the Tate Modern Gallery. You will see many of the interesting works of contemporary art on display here. You will also visit the Sam Wanamaker's reconstruction of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre that stands alongside The Thames. Tour the exhibition dedicated to the Elizabethan stage and then visit the theatre itself.

Overnight: The Milestone Hotel, London

Meal Plan: B

 

Day 3 - London – Windsor – Kew Gardens – London

Travel west out of London with your driver, private vehicle and guide to visit Windsor Castle, which was one of Queen Elizabeth II's favourite residences. Subject to opening restrictions, you may see the State Apartments, St. George's Chapel and Queen Mary's Dolls' House. You will also gain excellent views of Eton College from the castle ramparts. 

Later today, head back towards London to visit the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew. The gardens today present an enjoyable mix of landscaped lawns, formal gardens, and greenhouses. The various greenhouses display plants from across the world in climate controlled environments, while Kew Gardens Gallery houses art and photographs illustrating botanical themes. Queen Charlotte's Cottage (open only in summer) is a pretty summerhouse lying alongside a lake. The Chinese Pagoda is arguably Kew's most recognizable structure. The Grass Garden has over 600 varieties of grasses.

Overnight: The Milestone Hotel, London

Meal Plan: B

 

Day 4 - London – Paris

This morning you will be transferred by private vehicle from your hotel to St Pancras train station. Your English Guardian Angel will assist you to check in for your Eurostar train through the Channel Tunnel to Paris. You will have reserved seats in standard premier class, and a light lunch will be served as you travel. Your French Guardian Angel will meet you on arrival at the Gare du Nord and assist you with your transfer by private vehicle to your hotel.

Spend a half-day in the company of your guide and discover the Marais, one of Paris's most historic and well-preserved districts. Once a favourite of Henri IV and Louis XIII, the bourgeois district fell to ruin after the Revolution in 1789, but began its revival in the 1960s, having escaped the mass redevelopment of the city during the mid-nineteenth century. Nowadays the Marais is a lively neighbourhood with plenty of bars, boutiques and Paris' Jewish community. Explore the district's narrow streets, dotted with splendid mansions and other examples of Medieval and Renaissance architecture. Stroll on the Place des Vosges, formerly called Place Royale before the Revolution. This square is lined with pink brick and covered arcades,and is a unique example of early seventeenth-century architecture. One of France's most famous writers, Victor Hugo, wrote a large part of "Les Misérables" whilst he lived here from 1832 to 1848.

Overnight: Le Meurice, Paris

Meal Plan: B

 

Day 5 - Vaux-le-Vicomte & Versailles

Head out to the south east of Paris to visit an architectural wonder of the 17th-century: the Château of Vaux-le-Vicomte, which was built for Nicolas Fouquet, Louis XIV's financial advisor. Amazed at the magnificence and jealous of the opulence of this magnificent castle, with French gardens designed by Le Nôtre, the Sun King took inspiration for the future construction of his Versailles Castle. Vaux-le-Vicomte is the innovative work of French Formal Garden and offers the perfect harmony between garden and architecture. 

Please note: Every Saturday evening from May through to October, Vaux le Vicomte can be visited by candlelight. Over 2,000 lit candles within the castle and its gardens create a romantic and magical atmosphere.

This afternoon visit Versailles. Situated to the west of Paris, Versailles is the location of the vast palace that was constructed in the seventeenth century for Louis XIV, the 'Sun King'. Housing up to 4,000 people, the palace was the glory of his reign and the epicentre of political power in France at the time. It became the model for grand houses all over Europe.

During your half-day tour, explore the complex network of rooms and apartments that make up this grand palace, including the Gallery of Palace History, Apartments of Mesdames (the six daughters of Louis XV) before touring the opulent Grand Apartments - a collection of seven prestigious and lavishly decorated rooms, all named after Roman Gods, which served as a parade apartment for the King’s official acts. Your tour culminates in the magnificent Hall of Mirrors. Afterwards, take a stroll in the formal ornamental gardens and see the Grand Canal that stretches into the distance across the park.

Overnight: Le Meurice, Paris

Meal Plan: B

 

Day 6 - Louvre & Musée D'Orsay

Originally the Royal residence of the Kings of France, the sprawling Louvre Palace contains one of the most important art collections in the Western world, spanning from remotest antiquity to the mid-nineteenth century. Your half-day tour takes you to some of the most famous exhibits such as the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. The contemporary main entrance to the museum, a glass pyramid designed by architect I. M. Pei, caused much controversy when first built, but now is emblematic of the museum and much-admired.

After lunch continue to the famous Musée D'Orsay, housed in a converted railway station, this collection's main attraction is the Impressionists: Renoir, Sisley, Pissarro and Monet are all well-represented. The Post-Impressionist collection includes works by Van Gogh and Cézanne. 

Time permitting you might like to visit the famous Latin Quarter. This area of Paris was made famous by the writers and intellectuals who held court here in the first half of the 20th century. Take a stroll around the back streets to see the lovely old houses which were once the home of artists. You will see the Sorbonne, Paris’s world-famous university founded in 1253 and also the Panthéon and its crypt.

Overnight: Le Meurice, Paris

Meal Plan: B

 

Day 7 - Paris - Brussels

Today you will be met at your hotel and privately transferred with your Guardian Angel to the Paris railway station. Here you will be shown to your pre-reserved 1st class seating on the high-speed Thalys train and your luggage will be handled on board for you. Upon arrival at the Brussels railway station you will be met from the door of the train and your luggage will be handled for you.  

The balance of the day will be yours to settle in or start exploring Brussels on your own.

Overnight: Hotel Amigo, Brussels

Meal Plan: B

 

Day 8 - Brussels Tour

Today your local English-speaking guide and driver will meet you at your hotel for a 4-hour sightseeing tour of the city. Enjoy a walking tour of the old town, which will start with a visit to the Grand-Place, the magnificent square at the heart of the old quarter, considered to be one of Europe's most ornate market squares. Close to the Grand-Place is Brussels' most famous resident, the Manneken Pis, a bronze statue of a small boy watering the fountain. Your tour will then take you further afield to the Atomium, from the top of which you will enjoy a panoramic view of Brussels.

Overnight: Hotel Amigo, Brussels

Meal Plan: B

 

Day 9 - Brussels Tour

Continue your discovery of the Belgian capital city and learn about Art Nouveau as you visit one of the four houses of Victor Horta, a creative genius and the leading Belgium Art Nouveau architect. The Horta house and workshop were built between 1898 and 1901 on two lots in a fashionable district of the town.

Also visit the gardens of the Van Buuren Museum, a little jewel is the heart of Brussels. There is great harmony of style and time between the J Buyssens's garden and the Art Deco house. The actual garden is made of 3 different gardens: the Picturesque Garden, The Labyrinth and The Garden of the Heart ". The Picturesque Garden was designed by a landscape architect, in the twenties, and represents the geometrical ideas of the Art Deco.

Alternatively, opt for a full-day excursion to Ghent & Bruges. Ghent is the principal seat of the county of Flanders and its medieval quarters and splendid castle are redolent of history. Bruges, a beautiful medieval city of canals, is often called the "Venice of the North".

Overnight: Hotel Amigo, Brussels

Meal Plan: B

 

Day 10 - Departure Brussels

Meet your driver and Guardian Angel and transfer in the comfort of your private luxury vehicle to Brussels airport where you are assisted with check-in.

Meal Plan: B

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