No place on earth is more romantic than Venice - and the most romantic way of getting there is aboard the fabulous Orient Express.

For those travelers who wish to be pampered we again, offer this fantastic journey in the grand manner which provides luxury accommodations, superb meals and impeccable service. This gracious journey is an unforgettable one, unrivaled, delicious and truly great travel experience in the cosseted style of a more leisured age.

Day 1

Home town to London

We will arrange for you to fly as requested from your home town to London, there are non stop flights from Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, New York and San Francisco, and other cities.

Day 2

London

Arrival in London's Heathrow or Gatwick airport according to the flight you have selected, you will be met and transferred to The Montaque Hotel in the heart of London's West End, where we stay three nights. Following a light lunch in an elegant setting, we make a sight-seeing tour of London's West End, we see Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament and visit Westminster Abbey, and our welcome dinner is at the delightful Lindsay House Restaurant, in Soho, within easy walking distance of our hotel.

Day 3

London

In the morning we tour the City financial district with St. Paul's Cathedral and some stunning new office and insurance high-rise buildings, we visit the Tower of London, with the dramatically arranged display of the Crown Jewels. Luncheon will be at a riverside pub, and the afternoon is free for your individual sightseeing, museum visits, shopping or strolling around London. Evening is on your own.

Day 4

London

In the morning we drive to the Burlington Arcade and then stroll through this enchanting row of small, elegant luxury shops and across Piccadilly to Fortnum and Mason's, grocer by appointment to Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II, and fascinating both for the sumptuous display of exotic foods as for the attendants in tailcoats, we continue our walk through the St. James area where many of London's grand gentlemen's clubs are located, we then rejoin our coach at the Duke of York steps leading to St. James Park. We drive to Chelsea, a fine residential part of London with houses of many artists and writers; we have lunch there in a restaurant. The remainder of the day is free to follow your own pursuits; this evening dinner will be in a lively restaurant with a gay clientele.

Day 5

The Orient Express

After breakfast we transfer from our hotel to Victoria Station, where we board the gleaming carriages of the British Pullman train, your steward will show you to your reserved seat, sit back and enjoy a three course lunch with wine and a glass of champagne. en route to the port of Folkestone, from where the crossing to France is made by the Seacat Catamaran ferryboat. In Boulogne we board the Venice Simplon-Orient Express blue and gold carriages, throughout your journey you will be attended by your own personal Steward. After you have settled into you compartment, why not sip a pre-diner cocktail before making your way to one of the magnificent restaurant cars. Here you will be served a delicious four-course dinner, prepared by skilled French chefs. After dinner you may want to linger in the bar car, listening to the sound of the baby grand piano. When you are ready to retire to your compartment, which has now been transformed into a cozy bedroom. Since 1883, the Orient Express has embodied all that is most glamorous in train travel; and in the late 1970s many of the splendid and ornate sleeping and dining cars of the late 1920s we refurbished, their lovely marquetry painstakingly repaired and upholstery replaced, thus enabling us to make this historic journey in style of a bygone age.

Day 6

The Alps

You awake to the magnificent scenery of the Swiss Alps as breakfast is served in your compartment at a time to suit you. Spend the morning in the Bar Car chatting to fellow guests over coffee. Enjoy a leisurely three course lunch served in another of the beautiful restaurant cars. While away the afternoon with a visit to the on board boutique to purchase souvenirs, or relax in your compartment and admire passing scenery as the train travels through the Italian Dolomites. Later, afternoon tea is served in your compartment as you travel through the Brenner Pass. All to soon it is time to disembark as the train crosses the Venetian Lagoon and pulls into Sana Lucia Station and emerge to see the amazing bustle on the Grand Canal before us. We transfer by motor launch to the Hotel Monaco and the Grand Canal. This elegant hotel, one of the most renowned in Venice, has for decades been appreciated by its fastidious guests; it faces the Salute church and is a few steps from the centre of animation Venice - the Piazza San Marcos, which Napoleon called the finest drawing room in Europe.

Day 7

Venice

This morning our guided walking tour will take us to the Piazza San Marco and its surrounding buildings, to introduce us to Venetian history in the cathedral and the Doges Palace; in the afternoon we stroll through the fascinating Dorsoduro district with its small churches, the gaunt Frari church and, nearby, the Scuola di San Rocco with its incredible display of Tintorette masterpieces. On Sunday we set out early to walk through the Rialto fruit and vegetable and fish market, then to see the Tiepolo frescoes in the former Labia Palace and close by the old Ghetto. In the afternoon we tour the academia gallery, to see some of the masterpieces, including Giorgione's enigmatic The Tempest

Day 8

San Giorgio Maggiore

We enjoy some of the less frequented sights of this remarkable city. We travel by boat around the Giudecca island, and go ashore at the island of San Giorgio Maggiore to visit the church and stroll in the cloisters and gardens, and then cross the lagoon to the world famous Lido, a low lying long island which separates the lagoon from the Adriatic Sea, and where we have luncheon on the beach of the Hotel Excelsior and spend the afternoon swimming or relaxing.

Day 9

Departure

After breakfast we transfer by motor launch from the hotel across the lagoon to the airport on the mainland, and depart for our flight to Rome for connecting flights to our preferred destinations.

Included services:

* Transportation by car, coach, boats and train as per itinerary.

* Hotels: Twin bedroom with private bath at first class hotels.

* Orient Express: Twin berth compartment with toilet along the corridor.

* Meals: Full breakfast at hotels and continental breakfast on the Orient Express

* Lunch and dinner throughout the tour (unless indicated) with wine at welcome dinner

* Sightseeing: By private car, people carrier, and train.

Not Included:

* Air travel to London and back from Venice.

* Excess baggage

* If applicable: personal items such as laundry, telephone calls, beverages other than those provided with meals, tips to guides and to train staff.

* Meals and drinks not mentioned in the itinerary

* Items & expenses of a personal nature

* Optional touring

* Travel insurance

* Drinks and meals not mentioned in the program, tips, costs not stated as included

* Other costs not stated as included

* Baggage: Free baggage allowance on aircraft Is two checked bags plus one small carry on bag.

* Documents: Tour members require a valid passport; there are at present no visa or health requirements.

* Cancellation and refunds: If cancellation is received in writing more than 90 days prior to departure, refund is made less a $400 handling fee. Thereafter the refund is subject to review by Mantrav International, the tour operator