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 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.

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 Four: London to Bruges

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

Known as the Venice of the North, Bruges is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. This afternoon you begin your explanations in the most appropriate way by boat around the city's atmospheric canals.

Dinner and overnight in or near Bruges.

Day Five: Bruges to Amsterdam

Leaving after breakfast, we drive north through Belgium and across the border into the Netherlands. A stop is made in the lovely city of Delft, famous around the world for its traditional blue and white glazed pottery. You will see the city's most famous product made and painted at one of its potteries.

On to Amsterdam, arriving late afternoon. Time to explore the narrow streets and canals of this most liberal and tolerant city. To introduce you to its delights, this evening we have arranged a Guided Canal Boat Tour which not only reveals the distinctive architecture of the city but also takes you out into the harbour upon which the financial success of the city was originally built. Settled as a small fishing village in the late 12th century, Amsterdam became one of the most important ports in the world during the Dutch Golden Age, a result of its innovative developments in trade.

Dinner and overnight in Amsterdam.

Day Six: Amsterdam Sightseeing

Start your day with a visit to the city's major gallery, the Rijksmuseum. The Rijksmueum lies at the gateway to Amsterdam's museum district. It is the country's main art museum filled with many old masters such as Rembrandt, Vermeer, Steen etc. Groups serious about their art may also wish to visit the nearby The Van Gogh Museum which holds about 200 paintings by the great artist, including The Potato Eaters and The Yellow House in Arles, or the renowned Stedelijk Museum with an art collection from the nineteenth century to the present, including drawings by Picasso, Matisse and paintings by Manet, Monet, Bonnard, Ensor, Cézanne and Mondriaan.

This afternoon we visit the world famous Anne Frank House, located west of the city centre which draws over two million visitors annually. The museum was inspired by the young Jewish diarist who kept a journal from July 1942 to August 1944 describing her ordeal hidden in a concealed room where her family hid during the German occupation of the city.

Dinner and overnight in Amsterdam.

Day Seven: Amsterdam and home

Time today for some last minute shopping in the pedestrianised shopping streets around the Damrak and Dam Square before an afternoon departure to Amsterdam International 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
• Bruges Canal Tour
• Delft Pottery
• Amsterdam Canal Tour
• Rijksmuseum
• Stedilijk Museum or Van Gogh Musuem
• Anne Frank House

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 the Low Countries. 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.