Majestic Paris & London

Your journey begins on an overnight flight

If you purchased airline tickets through YMT Vacations, a friendly representative will welcome you at the airport and transport you to the hotel. Centrally-located, you’ll be within walking distance of several great cafes and restaurants. The afternoon is yours to enjoy, so why not take a stroll through the bustling streets of Paris? This evening, enjoy a delicious three-course welcome feast at the hotel (included). (D)

Start your day with a tour of Paris, the world- famous City of Light! Take in the sights as your motor coach ventures past Bercy, home to France’s Finance Ministry and Bercy Village, an entertainment district with shops and restaurants in former wine warehouses. You’ll also see the F. Mitterrand National Library, the Bastille, and the Marais, a fashion district filled with boutiques, galleries, and bars. View the Latin Quarter, chic St. Germain, and the iconic Louvre Pyramid, as well as the Opéra Garnier, the Champs-Elysées, and the Arc de Triomphe. Plus, no trip to Paris would be complete without seeing Trocadéro, and the famous Eiffel Tower. Enjoy admission to Fragonard, Place Vendôme, and the Place de la Concorde. The evening is yours to relax and enjoy the city at your own pace. (B)

Your last full day in Paris starts with a visit to the Château de Fontainebleau, one of France’s largest royal châteaux. The medieval palace served as a residence for many of France’s most influential monarchs from Louis VII to Napoleon III, and it is now a national museum and UNESCO World Heritage site. Next, transfer to Barbizon, a village nestled on the edge of Fontainebleau forest. Here you’ll take a welcome tour and have leisure time to explore this village between two castles. The day continues to the Château de Vaux- le-Vicomte. Built between 1658 and 1661, this baroque French château was an influential work of architecture in mid-17th-century Europe. The collaboration between the architect Louis Le Vau, the landscape architect André le Nôtre, and the painter-decorator Charles Le Brun marked the beginning of the “”Louis XIV style”” combining architecture, interior design, and landscape design. (B)

Take a trip through one of history’s most expensive and ambitious construction projects; the Channel Tunnel. It took 6 years and $21 billion to complete, and train passengers travel an average of 150 feet beneath the choppy waters of the English Channel. The rail journey from Paris to London takes 2 ½ hours. Continue to Windsor Castle, the stunning British residence that has housed English queens and kings since the time of Henry I. Home to Britain’s reigning monarch for over 1,000 years, Windsor is the largest and longest-occupied palace in Europe. With grounds and a castle covering 13 stunning acres, its Georgian, Victorian, and Gothic architectural features make it one of the most beautiful palaces in all of Europe. Enjoy a self-guided tour followed by lunch and shopping in the historic neighboring town, also called Windsor, the quintessential British market town. (B)

Savor a delicious breakfast before stepping out into London for a city tour of one of history’s most influential capitals. See Big Ben and Piccadilly Circus, and take illuminating tours of the world-famous coronation site of Westminster Abbey, as well as the Tower of London. The Tower is now known for housing the crown jewels, but on this tour, you’ll also learn about the imposing fortess’s gruesome history as an execution site. It was Henry VIII’s preferred final stop for several of his doomed wives. Stop for photos at Buckingham Palace, and then cross the street for a private high tea at the historic Palace Hotel overlooking the Royal Mews. The refined afternoon nibbles will include delicate sandwiches, pastries, and cakes, as well as coffee and perfectly prepared cups of fine English tea. (B, High Tea)

Take a panoramic walking tour of Oxford, a city known around the world as the home of Britain’s oldest and most prestigious university. Enjoy lunch on your own and free time in the town, which is full of historic pubs where many of Britain’s sharpest minds bloomed. Return to London and sit down for a farewell dinner (included). (B, D)