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Based on extensive knowledge and our many years of travel through Europe we can offer the best European tour available. It will be an excellent and treasured experience.
London and the countryside home of Oak Hall
As a fitting start of our tour, we will welcome you at Otford Manor, the home of Oak Hall, for the first three nights. This a great opportunity to get to know those who will be sharing this exciting adventure with you.
From here we will have the opportunity to explore Kent, ‘the Garden of England’, and London, with its wealth of famous landmarks.
In the evenings on our tour we meet together for a helpful Bible talk.
Venice and the Veneto
We head out from the UK to our first stop - Venice, Europe’s masterpiece. We cruise across the lagoon to visit this unique city where there are no roads, only canals. Visit the Bridge of Sighs or St. Mark’s Square, explore the backstreets or relax on a gondola ride. Throughout our time in Italy we stay in three-star hotels.
Sights and sounds of Rome
Rome, the capital of Italy, boasts a stunning array of sights to match its celebrated past – from the well-preserved Colosseum and the triumphal arches to the intriguing Catacombs, from the elaborate Vatican City to the beautiful Trevi Fountain.
Tuscany and the Italian Lakes
The highlights of Tuscany are the world-famous Leaning Tower of Pisa and the architectural magnificence of Florence. After visiting these sights, we enjoy relaxing in the magnificent Alpine region of Lake Maggiore, famed for its temperate climate and breathtaking beauty.
Picture postcard country of Switzerland
Cuckoo clocks, yodelling, chocolate and cheese are just a few of the images associated with the picture postcard country of Switzerland. We stay in the heart of the stunning mountains, surrounded by a land of lakes and alpine meadows.
The beautiful Austrian Alps
With rushing streams and small villages nestling at the foot of mighty mountains, the Austrian Tirol is a land of beautiful scenery. We stay in a friendly three-star hotel in the heart of this wonderful region and explore its highlights.
Ancient towns and amazing natural displays
As you enter through the town gate of Rattenberg, you can imagine yourself back in the Middle Ages. In the quaint, cobbled streets the picturesque cafés serve superb coffee and irresistible apfelstrudel with cream.
At the spectacular Krimml Waterfalls, the water bounces off the rocks, crashing from a height of 380m. We also explore Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart and the setting for ‘The Sound of Music’. You can even visit the places where the film was made, such as the castle that was used as the Von Trapp family home.
A fairy-tale castle in Bavaria
Bavaria, in Germany, is a beautiful region of picturesque towns and stunning castles. Arguably the most impressive is the Neuschwanstein castle, built by King Ludwig II. The drive up through the hills is a beautiful one as you start to catch glimpses of the fairy-tale castle rising above the trees.
The chic city of Paris
Paris, the cosmopolitan capital of France, has so much to explore! The amazing range of sights includes the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Louvre and Champs Elysées. Sit and sip coffee at a Parisian pavement café and watch the world go by, or take a cruise on the River Seine.
The final two nights will be back at Otford Manor, the home of Oak Hall - an opportunity to explore the beautiful surrounding countryside and reflect on all we've seen together.
Excellent value
The cost includes a day travelcard for London and Paris, transport into Venice and Rome from the hotels, as well as transport to Siena, Pisa, Florence, Salzburg, Krimml and Neuschwanstein castle on excursion days.
Please find below the provisional itinerary for the tour
Monday 03 September
Arrive at Otford Manor between 16:00 – 17:00
Tuesday 04 September
We will spend the day exploring the beautiful countryside around Otford Manor. We will walk down to the attractive village of Otford, with its listed buildings and central duck pond. Here you may like to enjoy a Kentish tea of scones, jam and cream. Walk by the river Darenth to the Roman villa at Eynsford (entrance fee payable locally). Here, one of the early church groups met in about 400 AD.
Wednesday 05 Sept.
Today we have the chance to travel into London with its wealth of famous landmarks (the cost of a day travelcard for the train and underground is included).
Thursday 06 Sept.
After leaving England we will be travelling through France and Switzerland overnight on our way to Italy.
Friday 07 Sept.
We arrive at our hotel in the popular Venice seaside resort of Lido di Jesolo, which will be our base for two nights.
Saturday 08 Sept.
We travel across the lagoon and right into the heart of Venice, to see some of the famous sights in the city.
Sunday 09 Sept.
Today we will be travelling south to Italy’s capital city - Rome. We enter the region of Lazio, also known as the cradle of Roman civilisation. Our hotel is in the coastal town of Fregene. We spend three nights here.
Monday 10 Sept.
We travel into Rome, where you have the chance to explore all the important sights that the city has to offer. The Oak Hall team will provide you with information on the city so that you can explore the areas of interest at your own pace.
Tuesday 11 Sept.
We journey back into Rome for an opportunity to experience more of this ancient city.
Wednesday 12 Sept.
We journey on to the Tuscany Region, stopping off en-route to visit the Catacombs outside the city walls of Rome. We stay in the town of Poggibonsi, close to Siena, which is our base for 3 nights while we explore the many sights in this area.
Thursday 13 Sept.
We take a short journey to Siena, a town boasting rose-coloured medieval buildings, a maze of narrow streets, lively piazzas, quiet chapels and beautiful fountains. We also travel into the beautiful countryside to enjoy the typical unspoilt culture of San Gimignano.
Friday 14 Sept.
Today we have a fascinating day spent exploring the Renaissance city of Florence.
Saturday 15 Sept.
We journey north to Lake Maggiore, visiting the city of Pisa en-route with its world-renowned leaning tower.
Sunday 16 Sept.
We spend two days in the beautiful region of Lake Maggiore. You might choose to take a relaxed boat cruise to the famed Borromean Islands.
Monday 17 Sept.
Today you might choose to stay and enjoy the lakeside town. In the afternoon we will depart from Lake Maggiore and head to Switzerland for the next stop on our tour.
Tuesday 18 Sept.
There are a number of walking paths leading from our accommodation, allowing us to explore the surrounding area.
Wednesday 19 Sept.
Free day – you might choose to take the cable car down to Lake Wallensee and cruise across to the village of Quinten (cost payable locally).
Thursday 20 Sept.
The Oak Hall coach will collect us and take us to Austria for the next part of our tour.
Friday 21 Sept.
Today takes us to the beautiful scenery of Lake Achensee.
Saturday 22 Sept.
We journey to the spectacular Krimml waterfalls and the medieval town of Rattenberg.
Sunday 23 Sept.
Free day – you may wish to visit the spa pools at the neighbouring village of Fugen (cost payable locally).
Monday 24 Sept.
We travel to Salzburg – the city of Mozart and the Sound of Music.
Tuesday 25 Sept.
Our excursion today takes us to the impressive Neuschwanstein Castle, in the German region of Bavaria.
Wednesday 26 Sept.
Free day – you may wish to take a steam train ride along the valley (cost payable locally).
Thursday 27 Sept.
We leave Austria and head into France, stopping overnight at a hotel on the outskirts of Strasbourg.
Friday 28 Sept.
The Oak Hall coach will drop us off in Paris on its way back to the UK.
Saturday 29 Sept.
We head into Paris to explore this amazing city (travelcard cost included).
Sunday 30 Sept.
In the morning there is the option of visiting an English speaking church in central Paris. In the afternoon we will return to the UK.
Monday 01 Oct.
There are a number of interesting places you can visit by train from Otford, such as the cathedral city of Canterbury.
Tuesday 02 Oct.
The tour finishes after lunch.
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