DAY 1 - After joining your holiday coach, travel to Dover for the short sea crossing to France and then continue onto your overnight stop near Troyes in central France. BB
DAY 2 - After breakfast, continue southwards through France. Journey on into the French Alps for your 5-night stay in
Saint-Gervais-Les-Bains at 4* Sowell Mont Blanc Hotel.
The hotel offers an
'all-inclusive' package featuring
- Self-service buffet dinner with choice of menu
- Afternoon snack each day
- Packed lunch daily from the breakfast buffet on excursion days OR light buffet lunch
- Unlimited drinks from 10.00 - 22.00 daily (selected beer, wine, soft drinks & tea/coffee)
- Additional selected alcoholic drinks & spirits 12.00 - 13.30 and 18.30-22.00 daily
DAY 3 - 6 - At leisure in
Saint-Gervais-Les-Bains with three included excursions and a day at leisure in resort.
Saint-Gervais offers a true mountain escape with its sensational backdrop of Mont-Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps. It is approx. 15 min walk from the hotel into the centre of the village (uphill on the way back!). The village offers a wide variety of convivial cafes, bars and restaurants. There is an urban gondola lift (Le Valléen) which takes you down to Le Fayet (and railway station) in the valley. Other lifts may not be operational in early June - please ask at the hotel.
INCLUDED EXCURSIONSChamonix & The Glacier TrainHead to the chic mountain resort of
Chamonix where you will find plenty of life, cafés, restaurants and shops in a wonderful setting surrounded by Alpine peaks including the impressive Aiguille du Midi (3,842m peak) and of course Mont-Blanc (4,810m). Enjoy free time to explore before boarding the
Train du Montenvers, the picturesque 5km long cog railway opened in 1909, which takes you up to 1913m to view the
Mer de Glace (Sea of Ice), the largest glacier in France (7km long and 200m deep). There is the opportunity to walk into the Ice Cave, a magical gallery sculpted each year directly into the glacier (NB access is via a gondola cable car and several 100 steps there and back. It requires a good level of fitness. It is NOT suitable for those with mobility issues). Before the return train descent, you may like to visit the
Glaciorium, an exhibition dedicated to glaciology - evolution of glaciers, how they form and their history and future.
Annecy - Venice of the AlpsThis lovely lakeside town really is the jewel of the Haute-Savoie. Surrounded by sublime scenery of snow-capped mountains,
Annecy's old town is blessed with charming canals, traffic-free cobblestone streets, medieval arches, immaculate parks and lakeside promenade - all waiting to be explored. A
guided walking tour will give you an insight into the history of this popular summer resort and a
circular cruise on Lake Annecy is also included. Tuesday is market day where you can browse the stalls of local produce in the heart of the old town (open until approx. 1pm).
Lake Geneva - Evian-Les-Bains & YvoireOff to beautiful Lake Geneva (staying on the French side) to the fashionable spa town of
Evian-Les-Bains, popular with 19th century European society and now famous worldwide for its mineral water. There is a lovely lakeside promenade as well as a casino and the art nouveau pump room. From Evian, travel to
Yvoire, a charming medieval lakeside village little changed over the centuries. Enjoy a stroll exploring the attractive streets with beautifully decorated hoses and gardens, boutiques and cafes. Relax on a gentle circular cruise from Yvoire's pretty port before heading back to Saint-Gervais
DAY 7 - Today it's au revoir to the Alps of the Haute-Savoie as you travel north to the final overnight stop near Reims in central France. BB
DAY 8 - After breakfast, continue on to the coast for the return Channel crossing and the journey home.
CANCELLATION SCALE:Before 90 days - Loss of deposit.
89 days to 8 days - 70% loss
7 days to departure day - 100% loss
Please note that the final balance is due earlier than usual at 90 days before travel for this tour.