UK Connection

Day One: London

On arrival at your London Airport, you will be met by your UK Connection Representative and transferred to your London accommodation. Depending upon arrival times there may be time for a self-guided, walking orientation tour of the area around your accommodation (see Accommodation Choices) followed by dinner at a choice of centrally located restaurants.

Day Two: London Sightseeing

A full day Guided Sightseeing Tour by Coach.

Your tour of England's capital city will take you past many of London's most famous monuments - the Houses of Parliament with Big Ben, Downing Street, Trafalgar Square with the statue of Lord Nelson, Pall Mall and much more. Extended stops are made at: the magnificent Gothic Westminster Abbey which has been the site of every coronation since 1066; Buckingham Palace and Changing of the Guard to witness the Queen's Foot Guard in their red tunics and bearskins marching to the accompaniment of a military band; you will enjoy a walk around bustling Covent Garden the former fruit market now a piazza lined with shops, street entertainers; City of London to earn about the Great Fire of 1666 the Bank of England and the home of the Lord Mayor, The Mansion House and on to Sir Christopher Wren's masterpiece, St Paul's Cathedral.

Dinner this evening in a central London restaurant or at your accommodation.

Day Three: Royal Palaces

Today we leave the city to explore some of the most famous royal residences around the capital.

We start our day at Hampton Court Palace on the banks of the River Thames surrounded by parkland, dating back nearly 500 years. Henry VIII rebuilt and extended the buildings and all the subsequent royals stayed here, until it was used to imprison Charles I during the Civil War. You will see the state apartments, containing a large part of the Queen´s art collection, and also visit the spectacular formal gardens, set in over 60 acres. From here it is a short drive to Windsor and its Castle, the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world and still home to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Your visit includes Queen Mary´s Dolls´ House, and St George´s Chapel. The town of Windsor itself has many interesting buildings dating from the 17th century. The Old King´s Head, is said to be where William Shakespeare wrote "The Merry Wives of Windsor" and just before Windsor Bridge is Sir Christopher Wren´s House. Across the bridge lies famous Eton College founded in 1440, during the reign of Henry VI. You will also visit Runnymede Island where King John was forced to seal the Magna Carta in June 1215.

Tonight, after dinner, you have a seat for one of London's top a West End plays such as The Lion King, Oliver, or Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dream Coat.

Day Four: London to Paris

Your coach will collect you this morning after breakfast for the 2 hours drive to Folkestone, departure point of the Eurotunnel train to carry you under the English Channel to France. Onward drive to Paris, arriving mid afternoon.

This evening you will enjoy a leisurely cruise down the River Seine by boat, viewing the city's most notable buildings including the Notre Dame Cathedral, Louvre Museum, and of course the Eiffel Tower.

Dinner tonight in a central Parisian restaurant.

NB You have total flexibility on the excursions and entrances you include in your London stay. See London Tours for further suggestions and ideas. We will be pleased to quote for any 'tailor-made' tour.

Day Five: Paris Sightseeing

This morning you will enjoy a half day Guided Sightseeing Tour of the city to include most of the city's beautiful sights with extended stops made at Notre Dame Cathedral, Luxenbourg Gardens, and the fashionable and trendy area around the Pompidou centre and Les Halles Market.

This afternoon you visit one of the city's major galleries; EITHER the world famous Louvre with its unsurpassed collection of Grand Masters including the Mona Lisa, the Venus di Milo and the Winged Victory of Samothrace. OR, the beautiful Musee d'Orsay. Built in 1900 as a railway station serving Western France, The Musee D'Orsay is now one of the most popular museums in Paris, housing a large collection of important impressionist and post-impressionist paintings by artists such as Monet, Renoir, Cezanne and Van Gogh.

This evening you have dinner and explore the atmospheric streets of Montmartre, the Artist's Quarter, and visit the beautiful white marble Basilica of Sacre Coeur with panoramic views over the city.

Day Six: Versailles and Giverny

Today we leave Paris for the short drive west, first to the magnificent Palace of Versailles.

The Palace of Versailles began as a modest hunting lodge, enlarges and enrobed by The Sun King, Louis XIV who tured it into the great Chateau we know today. Your Guided Tour will include visits to the sumptuous Royal Apartments and the superb hall of Mirrors, before time to explore the formal gardens.

From here we drive further north to visit the Gardens of Giverny, immortalised in the work of the great French impressionist painter, Monet.

Dinner this evening back in Paris.

Day Seven: Paris and home

No visit to Paris is complete without a trip to the top of the most evocative structure in all Europe, the Eiffel Tower. Designed and built by Gustave Eiffel for the Great Exhibition of 1889, at 300 meters (320.75 m including antenna), and 7,000 tons, it was for many years the world's tallest building.

Time after your visit today for some last minute shopping on Les Grand Boulevards before an afternoon departure to Charles de Gaulle Airport and your return flight home.

Highlights:

• Buckingham Palace and the Changing of the Guards
• St James Park and Whitehall
• London Sightseeing Tour
• Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament
• Hampton Court Palace
• Windsor Castle
• A West End Show
• London Shopping
• River Seine Boat Trip
• The Eiffel Tower
• Paris Sightseeing Tour
• Musee d'Orsay or the Louvre
• The Palace of Versailles
• Monet's Garden in Giverny

Your Programme Includes:

• 7 days Travel by Executive Coach
• 6 nights Full Board accommodation (see Accommodation Choices) with continental breakfast, packed lunch and evening meal.
• Students in multi-bedded rooms. Adults in twins.
• Excursions and entrances as set out in the Itinerary.

And what is extra?

• Single rooms. Prices vary with accommodation and will be quoted on request.
• Drinks with meals other than breakfast. NB a drink is provided in packed lunches and tap water will be provided with evening meals.
• Any excursions or entrances not included in the itinerary.
• Tips to Drivers and Guide/Couriers.
• Personal spending money.

Accommodation choices

HOSTELS AND STUDENT RESIDENCES
The cheapest option, our hostels are chosen for their safety and cleanliness and to offer simple, no-frills accommodation. They vary in design and style but basically offer multi-bedded, single gender dormitories for students almost invariably in bunk beds for between 4 and 12 students. Adults are usually accommodated in separate twins and triple rooms. Single rooms are limited and strictly subject to availability. Some hostels offer rooms with en-suite WC's and/or showers but not all. In others there are always sufficient shared single-gender communal facilities. Meals are served, usually self-service or buffet style in their own dining rooms. Packed lunches are provided every day. Most hostels have space in the evening suitable for study purposes.

HOTELS
We work with a range of Tourist Class 2 and 3 Star standard hotels in many parts of London and Paris. They invariably offer simple, clean rooms for 2-4 students, all rooms with private bathrooms and TV. Adults are accommodated in Twin Rooms with limited singles available at a supplement. All Hotels provide a continental breakfast but many do not provide evening meals, which are therefore booked in private restaurants. Packed lunches, provided by the hotel or a professional service, are collected from the hotel every morning. Study space is often limited and may only be available at a charge, quoted on request.

CITY LOCATIONS
All Hostels and Hotels offered in both London and Paris are located within walking distance of an underground station. Central accommodations in both categories book extremely early, especially in High Season. If you would like to secure centrally located accommodation, you must book with deposits as early as possible, ideally at least 6 months in advance.