Swiss-France

France & Switzerland Singles Tour

Itinerary

May 10 to 20, 2007

www.singlestravelservice.com

Thursday May 10th DEPART USA

Departure from US (You are welcome to use your air miles to fly to Zurich or join our charter group in Atlanta. We have limited discount air so be sure to book early. If you choose to make your own travel arrangements plan on arriving in Zurich by 10:00 AM Local Time)

Friday May 11th AM Arrival Zurich travel to Lausanne

After claiming bags, we will meet our local guides and take a private coach to the city center and enjoy a brief walking tour. Everyone will find that a guided walk through the old town is a worth-while trip full of discoveries. Come face to face with Zurich's past through a selection of buildings, history and anecdotes.

Next, we will continue by our private coach to Lausanne, stopping in Berne, the Swiss capital, where we will enjoy an included lunch in this medieval town amidst its scenic fountains, rose gardens and clock towers. After lunch, our private coach will take us on a panoramic tour featuring some of the city’s most popular sights. They include the historic Clock Tower with its fascinating figureplay, the city’s beautiful fountains and 15th century Cathedral, the Bearpits and the Rose Garden with its unique views over Switzerland’s captivating capital. Following lunch, before our arrival in Lausanne, we will enjoy a wine tasting welcome in the scenic region of Lavaux

Enjoy a view of the Alps across the lake in which, weather permitting, glistens their majestic reflection. The mediaeval town centre is full of small alleys and boutiques, cafés and restaurants. You can while away the hours in the vineyards or take advantage of other attractive excursions on offer. The cultural menu is extensive and many festivals are planned throughout the year – they offer the best occasion to find out just how much the French-speaking Swiss like to enjoy themselves.

Saturday May 12th

Today, enjoy a full day tour highlighted by a visit to watch Swiss Gruyere cheese making, as well as Swiss Chocolate making. First, situated in the very centre, near the alpine pastures and at the foot of the Château de Gruyeres, La Maison du Gruyère invites you to discover the king of cheeses: Le Gruyère AOC. Come and experience La Maison du Gruyère and delve into the secrets of the making of Le Gruyère. This region is the birthplace of the popular Swiss treat, Cheese Fondue.

Next, a visit to the historic Gruyere Castle. Gruyere stands in the midst of the green Alpine foothills The castle, one of the most magnificent in Switzerland, towers above the medieval town. The tour of the castle offers a walk through eight centuries of architecture, history and culture.

The Counts of Gruyère knew all too well where life could be lived well, and you will soon discover the same. Your stay here, however, also promises culinary highlights. Thanks to ingredients such as the Greyerzer and the Vacherin, Fribourg country is also the birthplace of the cheese fondue. La Gruyère, the wide countryside around the car-free little town with the 8-century-old castle, is a dream for hikers, bikers and discoverers.

Gruyères stands in the midst of the green Alpine foothills. The castle, one of the most magnificent in Switzerland, towers above the medieval townlet. The tour of the castle offers a walk through eight centuries of architecture, history and culture.

This afternoon, we will continue to the town of Broc, where we will enjoy a tour of a famed Swiss chocolate factory. Here we will learn the process by which the delectable treats are made, watch and then sample to our heart's delight. Enroute back to Lausanne, we will stop in Montreaux, the scenic town that each June, hosts the annual Swiss Jazz Music Fest. Free time will be ours to stroll and explore Montreaux at your leisure, a town set amidst beautiful mountains, lakes and steeped in history, culture & old world charm.

Returning to Lausanne, the evening is at leisure.

Sunday May 13th

Today we will enjoy a full day tour to one of the world's most famous mountains the breathtaking Matterhorn. Our day begins with a short drive on our private coach to the small town of Teasch. Here we will board a scenic train for a memorable ride through the Swiss Alps to the famed town of Zermatt.

The car-free resort Zermatt is located at an altitude of 4800 feet above sea-level in the south-west ofSwitzerland. This idyllic village in the Matter Valley in Canton Valais nestles amongst fabulous scenery in the midst of mountains and glaciers, and it offers visitors a fantastic panorama of 38 twelve thousand foot peaks.

Experience the fascination of the unique natural scenery at 3,089m above sea level. The GGB Gornergrat-Monte Rosa-Bahn transports you from Zermatt to the Gornergrat vantage platform in about 42 minutes. Experience the spectacular view of 29 four-thousand-meter-high mountains laden with snow and ice. The second longest ice stream of the Alps, the Gorner Glacier, is at your feet, and an extensive hiking area is waiting to be explored by you.

If you wish, spend some time at the base in Zermatt, to explore at your own pace, this scenic town. Visit if you wish, the scenic Ricola Herbal Gardens, where the candies by the same name are made. Visitors are asked to touch, smell and taste the herbs and identify them. Now was that thyme or peppermint? The Ricola Herbal Garden contains the answers.

Enroute back to Lausanne, we stop for an included raclette dinner at Château de Villa, Sierre. The “manor house” comprises the main building that was erected in around 1673-74, the pretty stair tower, the east wing, which dates from the fifteen-thirties and the south wing, dating from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The Château is now administered by a Foundation set up in 1951. It now houses a restaurant which promotes local specialties and wines from Canton Valais. A wine-tasting cellar, newly established in the Château’s south wing, allows visitors the opportunity to try out all the best wines of the region.

Monday May 14th

This morning we will enjoy a morning sightseeing tour of Lausanne. One of the highlights is the visit to the Museum of the Olympic Games, chronicling the history of the Olympics in colorful historical exhibits.

Through exhibitions of works of art, documents, films and precious objects ranging from ancient Greece to modern times, the museum pays tribute to what Baron de Coubertin called the Olympic idea: the marriage of sport, art and culture. Enjoy 3400 square meters of permanent and temporary exhibitions – unique, lively and interactive. A shop, a cafeteria and a sculpture garden with a panoramic view of the lake and the Alps.

The Olympic Museum is the world's largest centre of information on the Olympic Games. Through exhibitions of works of art, documents, films and precious objects ranging from ancient Greece to modern times, the museum pays tribute to what Baron de Coubertin called the Olympic idea: the marriage of sport, art and culture. Enjoy 3400 square meters of permanent and temporary exhibitions – unique, lively and interactive. A shop, a cafeteria and a sculpture garden with a panoramic view of the lake and the Alps.

Our tour of Lausanne also will offer us the chance to walk around Ouchy, the lakeside resort where the Olympic museum is located and some of the famous hotels and restaurants. Coach drives uphill to the city centre and the old town. Get off your coach at Place de la Palud and walk through the 13th century streets. You can see the Cathedral of Notre Dame (inside visit possible on open days), from where you will have a beautiful view of the city of Lausanne. Continue to Palais de la Rumine, Italian style building, and constructed in 1906. Carry on to Chateau St. Maire, with its typical 14th century architecture.

Following our tour, we will head to the train station where we will board the TGV bullet train bound for Paris. Upon arrival, we will be transferred to our hotel, the 4 star Marriott Rive Gauche, located in the historic and hopping Latin quarter, near the Montparnasse..

Located on the left bank of the river Seine, the Paris Rive Gauche Hotel and Conference Center enjoys a unique location next to the Latin quarter and Saint-Germain-des-Pres, the capital's historic cradle of intellectual life. Important business sites such as Montparnasse commercial district or the convention center of Paris-Nord Villepinte are easily accessible using the frequent public transportation surrounding the hotel. Our professional team is dedicated to providing you a personalized service throughout your stay in our 782 room establishment. Enjoy Wi-Fi Internet access in public areas and relax in our 18th floor exercise room with a breathtaking view over Paris. Our two restaurants and the Nelli's Bar provide a range of food and beverage offerings with different atmospheres you can choose from.

After check in and time to settle in and enjoy dinner at our leisure, we will be picked up and transferred to the banks of the scenic Seine River for our sunset/night lights cruise, where we will sail along the river, with views of the monuments of the city all lit up on the night, including the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum. An essential part of your stay in Paris, a cruise along the Seine is not to be missed! As you glide along the water, find yourself face to face with Paris’s splendid museums and monuments. Following our cruise, we will be returned to our hotel where we are free to explore the hopping Latin quarter, Montparnasse district and the rest of Paris at leisure.

Tuesday May 15th

This morning, we will enjoy a 1/2 guided sightseeing tour of Paris, including visits to the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Eiffel Tower, with admission to the observation deck on the 2nd level of the tower. This tour will also give you the unique opportunity to discover Paris, its history and other major landmarks: including Vendome Square, Concorde Square, Champs Elysées, Trocadéro Square, Invalides, Pont Neuf, Bastille Square and the new Opera, Luxembourg Gardens

This afternoon is at leisure to explore the city at your own pace. This evening, also at leisure, to try out, if you wish, one of the famed shows, such as the Moulen Rouge, or the Lido.

Be guided through the city of Paris on this wonderful half-day tour. Discover the famed Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysées, Invalides, Opéra, Place Vendôme, Place Concorde, Louvre, Orsay Museum Notre-Dame Cathedral, Latin Quarter, Iles de la Cité & St Louis, Panthéon, and Montmartre.

The entrance fare to the 3rd floor of the Eiffel Tower is included.

Wednesday May 16th

Today is a full day at leisure. Maybe a visit to the Louvre, a walk down the Champs Elysses or a walk to the top of the Arc De Triomphe. Looking for something a bit unique? How about a tour of the famed catacombs underneath Paris. Tonight, how about another famed Parisian show?

Thursday May 17th

Today, we say goodbye to Paris, as we head on our private coach to the Normandy region for our final 3 nights. Our 1st stop is the scenic gardens of Claude Monet at his Giverney estate. Here, you can explore at your leisure, the sights that were the inspiration for the famed French impressionist artist, including the water lillies floating in the back yard pond and the bridges that span those ponds. Tour the house he once lived in and learn about his intriguing life.

Claude Monet, the painter who founded the Impressionist school lived in Giverny for 43 years. His house and his garden, the village of Giverny and its surroundings, were his subject matter and they still attract half a million visitors each year from all over the world, as well as painters, charmed by the unique light of the Seine Valley. And this little spot in Normandy has much more to offer. Its history dates back to the paleolithic period, and the area abounds in archeological sites, prestigious castles, mysterious mills, wonderful gardens and rich museums.

Our next stop is the historic coastline highlighted by the WW II D Day beaches and memorials, as well as its museum. D Day Beaches and memorials tour.

The Caen Memorial was born out of the desire to create a place for reflecting on wars on the basis of the experience of the memorable events that took place in Caen and the region during the summer of 1944. Far from concentrating solely on commemoration, the Memorial, a museum for Peace, presents the stakes involved in the Second World War, and the course and significance of the war. Broadening the perspective, the Memorial covers the second half of the century, and shows how the end of World War II did not signal the end of violence, of all types of violence.

Visit in just a few hours the most remarkable and moving sites around Omaha Beach. You will have the opportunity during this tour of walking on this famous beach. It was in this sector that the Allies suffered the heaviest casualties of D-Day, earning the beach the nickname of “Bloody Omaha”. As well as this, you will see the impressive site of the German gun battery at Pointe du Hoc, where the Rangers famously scaled the 100-foot cliffs to destroy the battery that should have been in place. You will also experience the American Cemetery where the young soldiers who died for their country and for the freedom of Western Europe are buried at Colleville-sur-Mer overlooking the eastern end of Omaha Beach itself. Finally, you will find the sobering German Cemetery of La Cambe a stark contrast to the American Cemetery; where over 21 000 German soldiers are laid to rest.

Friday May 18th

Today enjoy a full day tour to Monte St. Michel.

Drive on the Normandy highway through the green pastures, laden with apple trees and patterned with thatch-roofed farmhouses. Mont St. Michel is a monestary built at the top of a rocky islet overlooking the sea, right at the border of Britteny and Normandy. The statue of Archangel Saint Michel towers 560 feet above the sea. The bay around the Mont is absolutely flat and thus the rising tides are said to sometimes match the speed and appearance of a galloping horse. Visit of the medieval Monastery built on top of the mount known through centuries as the marvel of the Occident and stroll through the town offering quaint streets for shopping, dining and sightseeing.

Mont Saint Michel is a monastery built at the top of a rocky islet that overlooks the sea, right at the border between Brittany and Normandy. The statue of Archangel Saint Michael towers 560 feet above the English Channel.The bay around the Mont is absolutely flat and the rising tide is said to sometimes match the speed of a galloping horseFollowing our tour, we will return to Deauville for the evening at leisure

This evening, if you have a taste to gamble, how about visiting the chic casino in Deauville or one of 2 horse racing parks

Saturday May 19th

Our final day is a full day at leisure, to explore this scenic region . Enjoy several optional excursions to explore the scenic countryside by foot, coach, jeep or bicycle. How about a visit to an apple cider farm? If you wish to stay in Deauville, there are many sights worth seeing, including scenic gardens and villas worth a stroll, or try a horseback ride along the beach or how about rent a bicycle at our hotel for a leisurely stroll through this seaside town.. If you are a golfer, try one of two championship courses located at our resort.

This evening, if you have a taste to gamble, how about visiting the chic casino in Deauville or one of 2 horse racing parks

Sunday May 20th Departure

This morning we check out and take our private coach for the short 2 hour ride back to Paris for our late morning return flight nonstop back to the US, arriving mid afternoon for easy connections back to your local airport.