What better way to begin the Christmas season than to see the Christmas Markets in Germany. Then travel into the famous Champagne region of France for a bit of bubbly and, then on to Paris. We will take you to the Normandy Beaches and I can promise you will be moved beyond words. Join us for this very special Trafalgar tour.
Sharon Carr

To book this trip, call 1-800-648-4856 or 972-233-3300

Nov. 24-30, 2008

PRICE INCLUDES:

• Roundtrip air transportation from DFW to Frankfurt and Paris to DFW
• Roundtrip transfers
• 5 nights hotel accommodations
• Breakfast each morning and one dinner
• Full day at the Normandy Beaches
• Services of a Trafalgar tour guide throughout
• Baggage handling of one checked bag per person
• All taxes for above inclusions

PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE:

• Meals other than specified above
• Items of a personal nature
• Passport fees
• Baggage fees
• Any departure taxes

Please read the full set of terms and conditions before booking this trip.

Day 1
DFW to GERMANY
Departure from USA for Germany

Day 2
Arrival in Frankfurt - Heidelberg
Upon arrival in the morning at Frankfurt’s Rhein-Main International Airport, our group will be greeted and transferred to our comfortable motor coach for the 60-mile ride south through the Rhine Valley to one of the world’s most spectacularly beautiful university cities, Heidelberg. We’ll receive an orientation tour, and spend the night. We’ll get a great view of Heidelberg Castle – one of Germany’s most important cultural monuments. The view is breathtaking! Heidelberg was one of the few German cities not leveled by air raids during World War II and still boasts original buildings from the Middle Ages and Renaissance as the residence of the Palatinate Electors from the 13th to the 18th centuries. Heidelberg experienced an eventful history. During this period in 1386, the oldest university in Germany and the third university established in the Holy Roman Empire, was founded. We’ll see Heidelberg University, this doctoral center for arts and sciences consistently ranked as one of the finest universities in Europe. Dinner tonight is included. Why not consider joining your fellow travelers for a welcome drink with our tour director?
Overnight: Heidelberg

Day 3
Heidelberg
After a buffet breakfast, enjoy a free day in Heidelberg. Consider a climb to the Castle Courtyard and marvel at one of the world’s most romantic collections of medieval, Renaissance, and baroque ruins. It’s surrounded by spectacular views of the now-familiar Altstadt (Old City) below and the hills opposite the Neckar River! Or, take a walk along the Hauptstrasse and stop for a glass of one of the wonderful local beers. A visit to the Studentenkarzer und Kurpfilzisches Museum, housed in a baroque palace and boasting a large and important collection of sculpture and paintings from six centuries, is always a rewarding experience. Heidelberg is a fascinating mixture of tradition and modernity and, though it is a center of learning, it also has a vibrant atmosphere. There are lively inns in the narrow streets, musical venues, bars and nightlife. Get out and enjoy it!
Overnight: Heidelberg

Day 4
Heidelberg - Épernay - Paris
After an early buffet breakfast and checkout, we begin a journey west that will see us in Paris by day’s end! After traversing the Rhine and Mosel valleys and the mountains in between, we’ll cross into France and drive straight into the heart of Champagne! Our tour director has planned a special treat: a stop in Épernay, amid rolling hills and vineyards where millions of bottles of champagne in underground cellars wait to be popped! We’ll visit one of these wine cellars and taste some of that famous celebratory wine. Next is Paris, where we’ll spend our final three nights.
Overnight: Paris

Day 5
Paris
After a buffet breakfast, we’re off with our English-speaking guide for a half day of sightseeing in Paris! See the Arc de Triomphe, the brainchild of Napoleon Bonaparte who wanted to build a monument to his army at the same time Parisians were examining ways to improve the five-way intersection at the start of the Champs Elysées. Today it is a symbol of Paris. The Tour de France climaxes here and the Bastille Day celebrations are centered here every July. The Champs Elysées itself was designed as part of a triumphal way out from the Tuileries and planted with elms a century before Napoléon planned his Arc early in the 19th century. To one side lies the Seine, to the other the grand houses of the 18th century, many of which are now offices. We’ll experience the noisy bustle of Place de la Concorde with its grandly colonnaded perimeter and the largest square in Europe. Center stage is the pink granite Luxor obelisk, 3,300 years old, brought from Egypt as a gift in 1831. We’ll also see Notre Dame Cathedral, perhaps the finest example of French Gothic architecture in the world as well as one of Paris’s most enduring institutions – the Museé du Louvre, originally built to defend Paris against the Vikings. This Renaissance palace became a museum in 1793 and today it houses one of the world’s most impressive art collections. The Eiffel Tower, the spectacular, lace-like iron structure that has become the embodiment of Paris, is a must-see and we’ll get a good view of it! With the rest of the afternoon at your leisure, consider a visit to the northern part of the city and Montmartre, the city’s highest hill topped by the large, white Sacré Coeur Basilica. It’s always filled with artists and street musicians. The area has a rich artistic history from the most famous cabaret in the world the Moulin Rouge, to the cobblestone bohemian streets, to the white basilica of Sacré Coeur itself. Our coach will be available in the evening for further excursions through the City of Lights!
Overnight: Paris

Day 6
Paris – Caen – Normandy Beaches - Paris
After buffet breakfast, a full day of explorations in Normandy awaits us. Our coach sets a west northwesterly course toward the English Channel and Caen, a city left devastated after months of fighting in 1944. Nonetheless, as we’ll see on our orientation tour of Caen, the city that nine hundred years ago was the favored residence of William the Conqueror, remains impressive. Its central feature is a ring of ramparts that no longer have a castle to protect. There are the scattered spires and buttresses of two abbeys and eight old churches. Roads and roundabouts fill the wide spaces where prewar houses once stood. Nearby lie the beaches chosen by President Eisenhower for the Normandy landing of World War II. Instead of flatlands preferred by the English and the Canadians, the wide Omaha and Utah beaches ended in steep cliffs causing many more casualties for the American troops. Over 2,000 Americans died on bloody Omaha Beach alone. We’ll also pay a visit to the impressive American cemetery at Colleville Saint Laurent overlooking part of Omaha Beach, high upon the cliff with a beautiful view of the English Channel. It is an awe-inspiring experience, and a very moving way to spend our last day in France.
Overnight: Paris

Day 7
Paris - USA
This morning it’s au revoir Paris, as after our final Parisian breakfast we board our motor coach for the group transfer to Charles de Gaulle Airport, and our flight home to the USA. Have a safe journey!

The tour director will provide several optional tours for your enjoyment. You will book these tours with your director upon arrival. Sharon Carr Travel does not always have access to the tour selection before departure. Remember these tours are optional and are not included in the price. Some tours require a minimum number.

*********A VALID PASSPORT IS REQUIRED FOR THIS TOUR AND MUST BE VALID 6 MONTHS AFTER YOU RETURN FROM THIS TOUR************

Sharon Carr Travel is not responsible for weather-related or mechanical delays.

A deposit of $900 per person is due with booking. Final payment is due no later than Aug. 20, 2008.

If cancelled before July 15, 2008 , a $500 per person fee will be assessed. If cancelled before Aug.20, 2008, $900 person fee will be assessed. If cancelled on or after final payment, package is totally non-refundable.

Insurance information will be given with confirmation.

Legal first and last names (NO NICKNAMES) must be given as shown on your passport. Name changes are $200 per name change and may be made up to 70 days prior to departure.