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Glimpse of Europe

Tour Itinerary


Day 01

Begin Your Tour | Arrive Into Frankfurt | Onto Rhineland | Visit Heidelberg


Welcome to your FAIRSKY TRAVEL HOUSE 'Glimpse of Europe' tour. Upon arrival in Frankfurt, after immigration and customs, your FAIRSKY TRAVEL HOUSE representative will greet you outside the exit gate. You will enjoy an exciting drive through the Rhineland area. Depending on you flight arrival, check into your hotel (check in after 1400 hours). Later drive to Heidelberg, situated in the Valley of the River Neckar, for an orientation tour and some free time. Return to your hotel after dinner. (D)

Day 02

Onto Switzerland | Visit Drubba | Visit The Rhine Falls | Walking Tour Of Zurich


Today, drive through the Black Forest region, visiting Drubba for a cuckoo clock demonstration. Time stands still at Drubba, the alpine nest of the Cuckoo Clock situated in the unique Höllental (Hell's Valley). Take time off to enjoy the crisp Black Forest air and the chirping of mountain birds. Move on to Schaffhausen, where the Rhine River thunders over the Rhine Falls, forming Europe's largest waterfall - an excellent photo opportunity. Drive to Zurich, Switzerland's fast paced cosmopolitan city, for a brief orientation tour strolling down Bahnhofstrasse - the fanciest shopping street, past St. Peter's Church and the Fraumünster with its impressive stained glass windows. Across the Limmat River, view the Grossmünster - a beautiful Romanesque Cathedral. Continue your drive savouring the picture perfect scenery. After dinner, check into your hotel. (B, D)

Day 03

Day At Leisure | Optional Excursion To The Trümmelbach Falls, Jungfraujoch With An Indian Lunch And An Interlaken City Tour


The day is free but do enjoy our optional excursion to the Jungfraujoch, the "Top of Europe", a wonderful world of glaciers and eternal ice. Stop at the Trummelbach Falls, the only glacier waterfalls in Europe, cascading through the mountain.

Reach the highest altitude railway station in Europe by a charming, red cogwheel train, via dramatic mountain scenery ! Walk on the Aletsch Glacier, at 22 kms - the longest ice stream in the Alps, visit the Ice Palace, and the Sphinx Observation Terrace, at 3571 m, the loftiest point of all, the Alpine view is simply stunning. What could be more tempting in this icy cold scenario, than a hot Indian lunch ! On to Interlaken, cradled cozily between the beautiful Lakes of Brienz and Thun, where even today you see horse-drawn carriages.

Enjoy souvenir shopping at Kirchhofer's Casino Gallery. Return to your hotel after dinner. (B, D

Day 04

Onto Mont Blanc, Chamonix Valley | Visit Geneva | Optional Cable Car Ride To Aiguille Du Midi And Mer De Glace In Chamonix Valley


This morning, after an early breakfast drive to Geneva, one of Switzerland's most privileged cities, said to have the second highest quality of living in the world ! An orientation tour of the city includes the Palais des Nations - the European Headquarters of the United Nations, and the Musée Ariana. Be awestruck by the great white plume of the world's tallest fountain in Europe - the magnificent Jet d'Eau and the beautiful flower clock situated in the Jardin Anglais.

Drive to the "Love at first sight" Chamonix valley and the majestic mountains of the Mont Blanc range. This is the third most visited natural site in the world. On arrival, check into your hotel (after 3.00 pm). We recommend you take the optional excursion tour (weather permitting) - a ride on the highest and most impressive cable car, the Aiguille du Midi, which lifts you to 3842 meters for an unforgettable view of the entire Mont Blanc range. Continue your optional excursion with a ride on the nostalgic red cog railway to Montenvers, the highest scenic train ride in the Alps directly upto the "Mer de Glace" (sea of ice) Glacier at 1913 meters and soak in the exhilarating views around you. Return to your hotel after dinner. (B, D).

Day 05

Drive To Paris | Optional Gala Evening In Paris


Today you awaken to the delights of Chamonix valley. After breakfast, drive to Paris, the romantic "City of Lights", through the beautiful mountain landscapes of the Swiss Alps. On arrival, after dinner, check into your hotel. Later this evening, don't miss our optional FAIRSKY TRAVEL HOUSE Gala Evening where you will experience the joie de vivre of 'Gaie Paris', which unfolds with the world famous Lido. Enjoy the captivating music, extraordinary sets, extravagant costumes and a fascinating display of lasers and lights. We stretch this magical evening with an Illumination Tour, driving past the spectacularly lit Paris landmarks. It's magic ! (B, D)

Day 06

Guided Panoramic City Tour | Visit Fragonard | Visit Grévin Wax Museum | Eiffel Tower | Optional Cruise On The River Seine


Enjoy a half day guided panoramic city tour of the famous monuments of Paris like the splendid Louvre with its Glass Pyramid, Garnier's Opera - the Place de la Concorde, the Champs Élysées - one of the most fashionable streets in the world ! See the Napoleanic Arc de Triomphe and Hotel des Invalides. Shop at Fragonard (closed on Sunday), offering an excellent selection of perfumes. Next, visit the famous Grévin Wax Museum, an exclusive for FAIRSKY TRAVEL HOUSE. It was created by Alfred Grévin in 1882 and was the forerunner of Madame Tussauds, who in fact trained here. Our very own Shahrukh Khan is the newest attraction that was unveiled in the summer of 2008. Take a photograph with him.

Later take in the dazzling overview of the city from the 1st level of the Eiffel Tower. You have the option of a cruise on the River Seine, sailing under old and beautiful bridges, admiring the many historic monuments as you glide by. True bliss ! Return to your hotel after dinner. (Note: Those not availing the optional tour will be picked up from a pre appointed venue for dinner) (B, D)

Day 07

Return Home With Happy Memories


Good times need never end ! Get ready for the airport and relive the high points of your FAIRSKY TRAVEL HOUSE 'Glimpse of Europe' tour. We are confident you will join us again, sometime soon…. (B either in the hotel or on the flight)

We value and welcome any suggestions you may wish to share with us.

Sightseeing


Heidelberg

Orientation tour

Black Forest

Drubba, Hollental (Hell's Valley)

Schaffhausen

Rhine Falls

Zurich

The Bahnhofstrasse, Peterskirche, Fraumunster and the Grossmunster

Jungfraujoch

Trummelbach Falls, Red Cogwheel train ride, Jungfraujoch, Alestch Glacier, Ice Palace, Sphinx Observation Terrace

Interlaken

City tour and shopping tour

Geneva

Palais des Nations, Musee Ariana, Jet d'Eau and the Jardin Anglais with the Flower Clock

Chamonix

Chamonix valley

PARIS

Louvre with its Glass Pyramid, Garnier's Opera, Place de la Concorde, Champs Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, Hotel des Invalides, Grevin Wax Museum, Eiffel Tower (1st Level)

Travller Tips


Tour Locations

Germany
Heidelberg, Black Forest
Switzerland
Rhine Falls, Zurich, Geneva
France
Chamonix, Paris

Hotels

Heidelberg
Starkenburger Hof or similar
Switzerland
Hotel Banklialp or similar
Chamonix
Alpina Hotel or similar
Paris
Mercure Orly or similar

 

Shopping

Black Forest
Drubba for Cuckoo Clocks
Interlaken
Kirchhofer's Casino Gallery
Paris
Fragonard for perfumes

 

Tips for Travellers

Come, discover the treasures of Europe on our Duniya Dekho Tours. Please find below a few of FAIRSKY TRAVEL HOUSE suggestions and advice, to make this holiday simply perfect.

Shop Till You Drop !
Europe is a treasure trove for savvy shoppers. See first hand where some of the world's most exclusive products are made. Perfume blending in France, Crystals in Swarovski, Glass blowing in Venice. Find great gifts and souvenirs at great prices.

Picture Postcard Sightseeing !
To fit in as much as we can of Europe's beauty, we carefully structure our sightseeing tours to suit the itinerary. They are panoramic tours, orientation tours or visits, to give you a proper overview of the city.

Note:
Panoramic city tour

This tour gives you a view of the sights / monuments as you drive past, from your coach, with a few photo stops.

Orientation city tour
Here you walk and see the sights at close quarters but from outside.

Visit
A visit means that you will enter the site / monument & spend time in the place.

Tour Manager
We request you to kindly co-operate with your Tour Manager and abide by his / her instructions, for a successful and a memorable tour.

Professional Guides
There's no substitute for a little local flavour, so we employ local guides who provide insights in specific cities, thereby complementing your Tour Manager.

Coaches
Since most of your travel will be by road, we have carefully chosen an airconditioned coach for your comfort. We request you to assist us in keeping the coach neat and clean, so that all of you can be comfortable during your holiday. Please do not eat in the coach, as there is a possibility of some leftovers spilling and soiling the coach.

We regret that, in the interest of fellow customers, smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages is not permitted on the coach. Frequent stops not only lighten the average 8 hour travelling time, but also enable you to use the rest rooms and enjoy a cup of coffee. Please note only one suitcase per person is allowed on the coach.

Hotels
Early check in and late check outs will not be permitted by the hotel.

Most hotels rooms in Europe are not air-conditioned and may have facilities like a mini-bar, pay television channels, telephones, etc. Please note that these facilities are not complimentary and have to be paid for, based on actual usage. Some hotels offer the facility of complimentary safe deposit lockers, which can be availed of.

Please ensure that there is no damage to your hotel room during your stay, as the same would be charged to you directly by the hotel.

While checking into the hotel, wait in the lobby or coach as advised by the Tour Manager. Crowding the reception would only delay the check-in process.

Some hotels have designated areas reserved for group dining and the same must be adhered to.

Rooms
We will try our best to provide you with adjacent rooms that have been requested for at the time of booking. The same will be subject to availability at the time of checkin. There is no guarantee for adjacent rooms and interconnecting rooms. However, wherever possible the tour manager and the hotel will endeavour to provide adjacent rooms.

We recommend a maximum of three persons in one room. Triple rooms are usually no larger than twin rooms, and the third bed is often a rollaway bed or cot. It is more comfortable to get a separate bed for an accompanying minor.

Optionals
Every FAIRSKY TRAVEL HOUSE tour comes with a few optional exclusives, just for you. The price of the optional tours includes the cost of transportation to and from the sightseeing place; the services of a local representative; administrative and communication charges for booking and our professional charges in addition to entrance fees. Reservations and payments for optional tours can be made in India prior to departure. You can also pay on arrival on Day One of your tour, in Euros only, to the FAIRSKY TRAVEL HOUSE Tour Manager. No credit card or Traveller's Cheques payments will be accepted.

What do you mean by "HONEST PRICES"?
We at FAIRSKY TRAVEL HOUSE have always believed that if we offer a package it must represent the best value in the market. Our 250 years of experience has also taught us that the guest is the king; therefore, we realize that our esteemed travellers should be able to make a choice and not be dictated to. To meet this important requirement we allow you to build your itinerary to suit your needs. This allows you to add an exciting and sometimes exclusive optional to your tour, but does not force you to take an optional which is pre planned in the itinerary. More importantly, because we are transparent with our prices you can decide how your money is spent.

For example in all-inclusive tours, clients are sometimes forced to participate in all the sightseeing.

In our tours it is really very simple as we let you the client decide what you wish to add according to your tastes and budget. For example, if there are 5 mountains that you can visit in an itinerary, you could take as many as five mountains or none at all. A family of four would have to pay almost Euro 2000 for five mountains. It?s important that you feel empowered to pick and choose your optional rather than be forced to pay a huge all inclusive price even if you do not want to go on the optional.

Stopover Packages
Check out our exciting pre and post tour packages with terrific value at attractive prices. We also feature several exciting add-ons you can choose from, according to your budget and taste.

Complimentary Travel Kit
A travel bag per family is a complimentary gift with a FAIRSKY TRAVEL HOUSE Tour.

Your Personal Tour Expenses
You need to carry money for your shopping and personal expenses like tips, mineral water (although tap water is safe for drinking), tea / coffee, soft drinks, telephone calls, laundry, mini-bars, pay channels on T.V., toilets etc. and meals not included in your itinerary.

Tipping is a way of life in Europe. As a guideline it is mandatory that you tip Euro 2 per person per day to the coach driver and local guides.

Punctuality
Your itinerary and sightseeing are carefully scheduled keeping in mind driving times etc. Hence, punctuality is essential and could impact the entire group leading them to missing certain elements if not adhered to. Please do understand that punctuality is solely in your interest to ensure that you have the full benefit of all services included in the package.

It is possible that if the group is delayed for some reason, the free time given at certain sightseeing places could be curtailed.

When free time is given during the tour, please return to the specified place at the allotted time and keep in mind your fellow traveller ! There will be no refund for missed sightseeing.

Tipping
Tipping in Europe unlike in many parts of the world is something that is expected of anyone providing you a service, for example: Coach Driver, Porters, etc. Since your coach driver spends a large part of the day driving you safely, unloads and loads your luggage onto the coach, it is customary to tip a nominal amount of EURO 2 per person per day for the duration of the tour. Please do note that the coach driver plays a very important role in making your tour a memorable one.

Airline Information
Passengers Meeting Point

Passengers joining the tour directly should report at the arrival hall as per the FAIRSKY TRAVEL HOUSE flight or meet in the hotel booked for the group.

Ticketing
Once on tour, as per airline regulations, no change of date, sector or extension of air tickets is permitted. Any changes must be pre-planned and processed at the time of booking the tour in India.

Class of Travel
Passengers can upgrade to Business / First Class by paying the difference in the airfare at the time of booking the tour.

Taxes
The tour price does not include airport & government taxes applicable for the tour.

Ticket Add-Ons / Extensions
We recommend you travel with the group. If you already have a ticket, then a discounted tour price is given for such cases. It is your responsibility to meet up with the rest of the group at the airport / hotel at the appointed time. Please ensure you advise your flight details and date of arrival at the time of booking the tour. Should you be arriving earlier than the group, please advise your contact numbers overseas to enable us get in touch with you in case of any change.

If travelling in advance or extending your stay after the main tour, there are chances that you may not be booked on the same airline on which the group is travelling. Also as the flight arrival / departure schedules may be different from the group flights, you will be required to make your own transfer arrangements from the airport to the hotel or vice versa. In case you desire to have transfers provided, we can arrange the same for you at an additional cost. In case you are returning on a later date after the tour ends, you will have to personally re-confirm air tickets 72 hours prior to your departure flight.

Things To Carry On Tour
Warm clothing, 2 sweaters / pullovers, shawl, warm socks, casual clothing, 1 warm jacket, stockings, gloves, thermal wear, jeans, T-shirts, shirts, trousers, Punjabi dresses and formal wear for shows like the Lido.

Essential / Personal Items
Toiletries, medicines with doctor's prescription, sun glasses, walking shoes, torch, umbrella, universal electric plug pin, video or camera, film rolls or video cassettes, batteries, international roaming cellular phone and charger if necessary.

Medicines if required, with prescriptions, with a drug generic name listed, as the brand name would differ from country to country.

Please carry a multi-plug adaptor, as sockets vary in different countries

Baggage Information
Please carry one piece of luggage per person of 20 Kgs only and 5 kgs for checkin hand baggage. Use a strolley bag, as you have to carry your own bags in most places, since porterage is not included. Ensure that your hand baggage includes necessary documents like your passport, insurance policy, service vouchers, emergency contact numbers, toiletries, sweater / shawl, camera / video (batteries to be removed and kept in the check-in baggage), one set of clothes, valuables (not in check-in baggage), film rolls and medicines with prescriptions if required during the day. Please ensure, in keeping with the airline security norms, that metal objects, liquids and gels are packed in your check-in baggage. Please be alert while loading and unloading your luggage on the coach, at airports, railway stations and while walking in a crowd, as there is a danger of being robbed and also a danger of being pick pocketed.

Note:
Please note that the airline rules regarding handbags keeps changing and hence the above is subject to change.

Travel Documents
You should carry your FAIRSKY TRAVEL HOUSE tour brochure, service vouchers, air tickets, passport, passport-sized photographs, overseas travel insurance policy, emergency numbers, etc, with you.

Please carry a photocopy of all the documents listed above including valid visa pages, which are to be kept separately from the original. Example: photocopy in your suitcase and the original passport in the pouch provided to you.

Travel Insurance
Normal Insurance for the duration of the tour is done through FAIRSKY TRAVEL HOUSE and is included in your tour price. However, senior citizens above the age of 59 are required to submit an ECG and Fasting Blood Sugar Report, and a form to be filled by an MD Doctor (which is not more than 30 days old).

Subsequently there will be an additional supplement on the policy depending on the medical reports and tour duration.

The Policy can be extended for passengers staying back, if informed at the time of booking by paying the necessary difference in the insurance premium.

Time Difference

Country

Time Diff

Hours behind India GMT

 

 

Mar-Oct

Nov-Feb

U.K

+0

4.30

5.30

EUROPE

+1

3.30

4.30

*During Summer Season. Daylight Saving Time (DST) also referred to as Summer time, is the adjustment of time to local clocks taking advantage of available natural light in summer. In Europe, DST begins on the first Sunday of April and reverts to standard time on the last Sunday of October.

The best time to receive phone calls from India is 1000 hrs IST.

Currency In Europe

Country

Currency

Currency Code

In INR *

Europe

Euro

EURO

67.50

U.K

Pound Sterling

GBP

85.10

Swiss

Swiss Francs

SFR

42.90

*As on August 22, 2008

Figures are subject to change.
Euro (EUR) currency is valid in: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and The Vatican.

Swiss Francs, Great Britain Pounds, Euros are required during the tour.

If you are carrying Travelers Cheques, please keep the purchase receipt in a safe place, away from the original Travelers Cheques.

Passport is required as identification to encash your traveler's cheques.

Most credit cards and US Dollar traveller's cheques are accepted widely.

The Weather - Check Out The Temperature !

Barometer - Average maximum temperature in Celsius

City

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

DEC

London

6

7

10

13

17

20

22

21

19

14

10

7

Paris

6

7

12

16

20

23

25

24

21

16

10

7

Frankfurt

3

5

11

16

20

23

25

24

21

14

8

4

Zurich

2

5

10

15

19

23

25

24

20

14

7

3

Rome

11

13

15

19

23

28

30

30

26

22

16

13

For further details, please look up our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) section

The information contained herein is accurate at the time of going to print, but is subject to change. FAIRSKY TRAVEL HOUSE accepts no responsibility or liability for changes / omissions and any loss or inconvenience caused.