An Easy Way to See Europe… with Arnie & Dana

(Globetrotters Arnie and Dana Greenberg, pictured above in a rickshaw during a recent visit to China)

It's now official. Next spring, travel columnist Arnie Greenberg and his wife Dana will be taking visitors from Canada and the US on two
distinctively different tours of Europe.

(Greenberg is also a retired history professor at Vanier College in Montreal and broadcaster with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation).

In both cases there's a cruise involved for part of the trip, allowing for less changing of hotels and traveling on dusty highways.

Based on requests from old clients, the tour, set for May 2--15, 2007, is Barcelona to Venice, with three nights in each of these two
cities and a cruise along the French Riviera, Italian west coast around Sicily and up the Dalmatian coast of Croatia, then on to Venice.

The second tour is May 18 -- June 1 to Greece and Turkey.

The first tour arrives in Barcelona on May 3 after an overnight flight from your home city.

Here is how Greenberg describes the new tours:

Barcelona to Vienna May 2 -- 15

Our central hotel will be The Grand Ronda. There's a city tour with a guide, my walking tour of old Barcelona, including Las Ramblas, the Picasso Museum, Palau de Musica, eating tapas in the old city, and lunch in Els Quatro Gats as an optional idea.

(A street artist paints a religious mural for all to see on Las Ramblas)

This was once the hangout of Picasso and his artistic cronies. It is pure Barcelona and that says a lot. This is one of the most
exciting cities in Europe.

Breakfast daily is at the hotel, and one night you will eat at restaurant
Julivert Meu, a typical Catalan eatery within walking distance of your hotel.

Embark on Royal Caribbean's Splendour of the Seas

After three nights sipping sangria, you embark on our Royal Caribbean Splendour of the Seas and head for the warm Cote D'Azur. There is a stop in the deep-water port of Villefranche, where you can see the Rothschild Mansion or tour the romantic city of Nice.

(The Splendour of the Seas)

Livorno is a stop near both Pisa and Florence, and if that's not enough, we stop within a few miles of Rome and you can select what you want to visit before we sail on.

(The Grand Canal of Venice -- like a viskon in someone's dream)

Our tour takes us into the sun around the far side of Sicily and then up the eastern side of the Adriatic, with a stop in popular Split on the Croatian coast. From there it's a short hop to Venice, where you will be whisked to the Hotel Russot, set in the middle of the lagoon park near the beginning of The Grand Canal. From St Mark's Square you will have a city tour, including the Doge's Palace, Bridge of Sighs, Guggenheim Museum and St Mark's Cathedral.

But there's more, and you'll spend the next day visiting the Rialto Bridge area as well as the Ghetto. There's even time
to ride a gondola or have a drink at Harry's Bar, a famous Venice locale.Guides are English-speaking. The food onboard is included and copious, and the places you choose to visit will be memorable.

(The Rialto Bridge)

The cost is only $3389 Canadian, plus air taxes and port charges. But you can use your air miles and save about a third of the cost. US citizens will also enjoy a 10% discount because of the exchange rate. The cost will then become under $2350 and no air tax.

On this trip only, if you REGISTER BEFORE October 5, you will get a $150 Cdn. discount per stateroom.

But that's not all.

Greek Odyssey May 18 -- June 1

If you'd rather go a little later, we are also offering a Greek Odyssey from May 18 -- June 1. This trip includes Athens, a four-day land tour with a guide and first-class hotels. Breakfast and dinners are included, as we see the Corinth Canal, Nauplio (Epidauros), Olympia and Delphi.

Then we return to Athens for a seven-day cruise to the Aegean islands and the exotic city of Istanbul. We will also make stops
in Myconos, Patmos, Kusadasi (Asia Minor) Rhodes, Crete and beautiful Santorini high above the Greek blue waters. Some say the lost city of Atlantic is in the waters below Santorini.

 

(The beautiful waters of Santorini)

 

This is a trip everyone should do at least once. It's like seeing another world where history once determined people's futures.
This allows you to stay in the same outside stateroom for the duration of the tour and there's full board, entertainment and time to relax on the ship.

Fly from Your Home City

You can fly from your home city, and if you want to use air miles, you may do so for a rebate of $800 Cdn plus the air taxes. You can go early or stay longer. We'll reserve the hotel for you. The cost of this tour is $3489 Cdn. which is a real bargain. Look at the
conversion rate to Canadian dollars, and you'll realize that this is a bargain. Transfers, entrance fees and guides are included.

We did this tour four years ago and have had such a demand that we wanted to offer it again. To quote a previous passenger, "This was the trip of a lifetime…"

With the cost of today's travel, you will agree that these tours are a bargain. For information about optional excursions or other details, write to us at ultours@gmail.com.

You can also visit www.ultimate-tours.com. We can be reached at (514) 484 8603 or toll free at (888) 387 7878 (during office hours)

Note: Ports of call charges are extra.

Tell the operator that you'd like information about Arnie's tours, and I will personally call you back.

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