6/17 Day 0 (Tue): Depart USA — Arrive in
Europe the day after we depart the US.
6/18 Day 1 (Wed): Stonehenge & to Bath —Stay
in Bath. Walkabout in Bath as evening
falls. Drive: 2-3 hours. Directions:
fairly easy. Walking: light-moderate. (1 night)
Rental
Car: Alamo, Confirmation # 10371371
South terminal, +44 1293 567790
Hotels: Aquae Sulis
http://www.smoothhound.co.uk/a01952.html, £99 (e-mailed on 3/15)
Orchard Lodge http://www.smoothhound.co.uk/a03108.html,
£75
6/19 Day 2 (Thu): Bath & Cotswold, to Warwick — Finish walking tour of
Bath. Drive through Costwald. Stay in Warwickshire. Drive: 3-4 hours. Directions: tricky. Walking: moderate. Print Cotswold drive
guide. (1 night)
Cotswold page:
http://www.digital-brilliance.com/hyperg/
Hotels: New
Inn, http://www.stratford-upon-avon.co.uk/newinn.htm, £70
Arden
Park Hotel, http://www.arden-park-hotel.activehotels.com/THE, £78
Penshurst Guest Hse,
http://www.smoothhound.co.uk/hotels/penshurs.html, £50
Penryn Guest Hst,
http://www.smoothhound.co.uk/a07241.html, £65
6/20 Day 3 (Fri): Warwick Castle, to London — Driving: 2-3 hours.
Directions: easy. Walking: light. Return
rental car. (2 Nights)
Hotels:
Master Robert, Hounslow,
http://www.masterrobert.activehotels.com/R4U, £77
(no breakfast)
Skylark,
http://www.skylark.activehotels.com/BED
6/21 Day 4 (Sat): London
— Take the tube into town. No drive.
Walking: moderate.
Use Big Bus tour. Try to view crown jewels early, or
after 4:30pm, then head to hotel. Take
the tube back out to hotel.
Big
Bus: http://www.bigbus.co.uk/
Print
a tube map
6/22 Day 5 (Sun): To Bruges — Fly to Brussels in early AM (8:25 from Heathrow),
and take rental car to Bruges (arrive ~noon). Park near train station
(or t’Zand?). Rent some bicycles and bike around in the afternoon &
PM. Drive: 1 hour. Directions: fairly easy. (2 nights)
Flight: BMI BD145; BMI Booking
Reference: X3SZSN. Fare
cost: £ 89.70
Car: VW Golf 1.9 A/C - Europcar
Reservation 98526143, $535
Hotel: Hotel Adornes via hotels-europe.com
(resv ID 129606) conf 3/17, (€125/night)
tel 0032 50 341336
fax 0032 50 342085
St.-Annarei 26
8000 Bruges
www.adornes.be
Breakfast, free bikes, free parking,
coupon for discount boat & museums
Follow the ringroad of
Bruges till the trafficlights number 7(DAMPOORT). That's the trafficsquare,
just behind the 4 windmills. You follow the Potterierei on the Lange Rei along
the canals and we are situated on your left hand side after 600m, on the corner
of Sint-Annarei and Carmersstraat. The FREE underground parking is at 200m, ask
for the key at the reception.
6/23 Day 6 (Mon): Bruges — Boat tour, hanging out, then dinner at café.
Walking: light.
Website:
http://www.brugge.be/
6/24 Day 7 (Tue): To Rhine Valley —
Head to Koblenz & drive Rhine River. Stop at Rheinfels
Castle. Driving: 4-5 hours. Directions: difficult. Walking: moderate. (1
night)
Best castles
(print this): http://www.ricksteves.com/news/0211/rhine.htm
Hotel: Castle Hotel Burg Gutenfels (Kaub)
http://rhinecastles.com/castle-gutenfels-rhine-germany/index.html
Listing at:
http://www.rhinecastles.com/
6/25 Day 8 (Wed): To the “Romantic Road”
— See some of the most quaint towns in Germany. Stay in Rothenburg, Germany's
cutest medieval town, and tour in the evening and morning. Walk the medieval
wall, tour the crime and punishment museum. Sleep in Rothenburg. Drive: 3-4
hours. Directions:hwys with lots of changes. Walking: light to moderate. (1
night)
Hotel:
Hotel Klosterstueble, http://www.klosterstueble.rothenburg.de/
Webpage:
http://www.rothenburg-online.de/
6/26 Day 9 (Thu): Drive the “Romantic
Road”; To Oberammergau — Head for
Nordlingen for lunch, and then drive south of Munich, and sleep in Oberammergau
(3 nights). Drive: 3-4 hours. Directions: easy. Walking: light .
Webpage:
http://uk.romantischestrasse.de/
Hotel:
http://www.hotel-wolf.de/estart00.htm (€92-110)
Or in
Reutte: http://www.maxihotel.com/en/default_e.htm
6/27 Day 10 (Fri): Castle Day — It's a
45-minute drive and a half-hour walk to "Mad King" Ludwig's
Neuschwanstein Castle - arrive early! Tickets must be purchased at the
ticket center at the village of Hohenschwangau (webpage:
http://www.hohenschwangau.de). Then stop at Wies Church for a bit to see
some fine Rococco architecture. Drive: ~2 hours. Walking: moderate to
strenuous.
6/28 Day 11 (Sat): Bavaria — A day to
relax, or some slack for poor weather. Perhaps pop over to
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and take a cable car for a view of the Alps. Find a
luge! If you’re getting anxious to move on, go to Verona to stay in Hotel
Trieste (http://www.hotel-trieste.it/) (3.5 hours away, ~1 hour from Venice).
6/29 Day 12 (Sun): To Venice — Go
through Verona. After dinner, take an orientation walk to magical, moonlit St.
Mark's Square. Sleep in Venice (2 nights). Drive: 5 hours. Check into
hotel and do a Grand Canal tour. Walking: light.
Hotel: Locanda Gafforo,
http://www.gaffaro.com/main_en.htm (€134) confirmed 3/17
Davide Giangaspero
Code: 28-22246
Password: crog8tub
Cancel without penalty before
28-06-2003 (04 PM)
Dorsoduro, 3589
30123 VENICE - Italy
Ph. 00390412750897
Fax 00390412750375
ACTV's lines (Venetian public
transport company):
n.82
(every
10 - 12 minuts).Get off at Piazzale Roma.
http://www.actv.it/eng/home.php
6/30 Day 13 (Mon): Venice — Tour St.
Mark's Basilica, the Doge's Palace,
explore the alleys, cruise the canals, and "crawl" the pubs. No
drive, too much water. Walking: light to strenuous (your choice). Palazzo
Mocenigo (?) closed Monday. Avoid crowds at Doges by buying tickets at Correr
Museum (SE corner of St Mark's square). Visit Doges between 1700 & 17:30
(last call). Doges opens at 0900.
7/1 Day 14 (Tue): Drive to Lyon — Drive: 6.5 hours. Directions: fairly
easy.
Hotels: Hotel Campanile, 17 Place Carnot
Hotel Du Theatre, 10 Rue De Savoie
All about $50/night
7/2 Day 15 (Wed): Lyon — No real plans.
7/3 Day 16 (Thu): Lyon — No real
plans.
7/4 Day 17 (Fri): To Paris — Drive into
Paris. Sleep in Paris (4 nights). drive: 6 hours.
Hotel: Hotel du Muguet (5th, near Eiffel), http://www.hotelmuguet.com
11, rue Chevert - 75007 Paris
T: +33 1 47 05 05 93 - F: +33
1 45 50 25 37
e-mailed from Catherine at
hotel; confirmed on 3/17
cancellation: 48 hours
via www.france-hotel-guide.com; for future
communications, quote name "Bauer Blaine" and reference number
"27415".
There is also
a nice up-and-coming 2-star hotel in the 7th arr. of Paris called Hotel La
Serre. Possibly Trocadero la Tour (16th Arr).
7/5 Day 18 (Sat): Paris — Visit the
Louvre with a local guide. Your Paris Museum Pass will help you pop painlessly
into such sights as the Orsay and Louvre Museums. No drive. Walking:
moderate to strenuous (your choice).
Museum
Pass: http://www.intermusees.com/wwwie/index.html
Other
websites: http://www.timeout.com/paris/
http://jack-travel.com
http://tinyurl.com/5xu4
http://www.frommers.com/destinations/paris/0062010001.html
7/6 Day 19 (Sun): Versailles — Need
to figure out transportation
7/7 Day 20 (Mon): Paris — Think about a
night boat ride.
7/8 Day 21 (Tue): Paris —
7/9 Day 22 (Wed): Back to London — Mess around in London or visit Windsor
Castle. Stay at hotel near Gatwick.
Car:
Alamo Confirmation # 10371887, +44 208 750 2800
Hotels:
Turret, http://www.s-h-systems.co.uk/hotels/theturretgh.html
Train:
http://www.gatwickexpress.co.uk/
7/10 Day 23 (Thu): Home — Fly back
home.