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SPRING in VENICE and the ITALIAN LAKES
April 14 - 24, 2011

Travel Broker Tours invites you to join Rose Tomassini on an exciting new 10 Night tour program of Venice and the Italian Lakes - Sirmione, Como and Lugano at the most beautiful time of the year - SPRING!

We invite you to travel with us on this program. Limited to a maximum of 14 participants making it an intimate and personal experience. We stay in small hotels right in the historic centres of the towns we visit and include plenty of personal time to make it convenient for your own exploration. Escorted by Rose Tomassini for Travel Broker Tours.

Venice's Historic Centre - is made up of 118 islands, most of which began life as a micro-community, each with a parish church or two, and a square for public meetings. All connected by about 400 bridges making Venice the wonderful jewel that has to be lived in if even for only 2 days.

Lake Garda - the largest of the Italian lakes and described by Winston Churchill as "Madonna blue waters lapping at the feet of the Dolomites". The northern half of the lake is totally blocked by the Italian Alps and along with its great volume the shores create a giant solar battery that has given way to the cultivation of olives, lemon groves, palms and wonderful vineyards.

Lake Como's - beauty enraptured the children of the romantic era inspiring some of the best works of Verdi, Rossini, Bellini and Liszt. And it is still here! The Lake Como of the Shelleys and Wordsworths, the grand villas and lush gardens, the mountains and beloved irregular shore of wooded promontories. From the 14th century Como gained a major marketfor its textiles and has been a leading producer of silk since 1510 (Cadogan's "Italian Lakes").

Lake Lugano - zigzags with fjorded shores making a striking sight. Lake Lugano's extremities are Italian, but its heart is part of the Swiss canton of Ticino. The lake and the surrounding land are deep and steep making for a most interesting shoreline of ancient towns and villages tucked between wooded cliffs and mountain backdrops.

Our Program

  • 2 Nts Venice
  • 4 Nts Sirmione on Lake Garda
  • 4 Nts Como on Lake Como

Tour Escort

Rose Tomassini

Detailed Itinerary

WED April 13th, Depart HOME CITY
You depart on your international flight (not included in tour price) to Venice, Italy. As a full service travel agency, we are happy to assist you to arrange your flight and transfer details from your home city to join this tour.

Day 1: THURS April 14th, Arrive and transfer to VENICE, ITALY
Welcome to Italy! Our 22 room hotel is right on one Venice's canals. We meet at the hotel and settle in for our 2 night stay. As our passengers are arriving from different parts of Canada we are happy to assist with private transfers from the airport to our hotel on an individual basis. We are centrally located, so tomorrow after our tour you will have plenty of time for personal exploration. Later today, after you have settled in, we shall go together to discover more of the centre of Venice. We might stop for an 'aperitivo' before finding a charming little Venetian restaurant for dinner. Later, a stroll back to our hotel; or the Venetian 'vaporetto', water bus. Venice is magical at night !

Day 2: FRI April 15th, VENICE
After breakfast this morning we have a walking tour with one of our favourite guides who will show us the highlights of Venice - Piazza San Marco, the Bridge of Sighs, the Doge's Palace, St. Mark's Basilica and the market at the Rialto Bridge. In the afternoon you are free to further explore this magnificent city at your own pace. You can visit the galleries, take a gondola ride or take a ferry to either the island of Murano (for blown glass) or Burano for the famed hand made lace. You can ride the waterbus from one end of the Grand Canal to the other, relax and people watch in Piazza San Marco, shop, or just wander the alleys and canals searching for more photo ops.

Day 3: SAT April 16th, SIRMIONE
After breakfast this morning we transfer to Sirmione. On route we will stop in Verona. This ancient city is so beautiful for many reasons; its history, the Adige River that winds through its centre, its romance as the home of Romeo and Juliet, its huge Piazza Erbe, its fine palazzo of rosso di Verona (the local pink-tinge limestone) built by the city's medieval rulers and of course its Roman arena. It is as vibrant today as it was in the 1st century AD. We continue on to our home for the next four nights at the tip of a four mile peninsula in beautiful Lake Garda. In order to enter the historic centre to reach our hotel we must cross the drawbridge through the crenellated fortifications of the moated fortress known as the Rocca Scaligera. We have chosen to have our welcome dinner here.

Day 4: SUN April 17th, SIRMIONE
After breakfast today we will tour the region on the eastern side of Lake Garda - the ancient Valpolicella Classico region which is enclosed by the river Adige on one side and by the foothills of the Lessini mountains (pre-Alps) on the other. It has always been an area famous for its wine and it offers visitors fascinating journeys into the past - with its ancient villages, stone-built mountain hamlets and the splendid villas built in the valleys. The Valpolicella wines are bright, fruity, medium weight, red wines with a dry finish and a pleasantly bitter cherrystone aftertaste. The Valpolicella Classico has the same qualities in an intensified form. Its greatest wine is Amarone, with its strong violet and almond bouquet and dry flavour, (resulting from late-picking and loft-drying Corvina). We will enjoy a wine tasting with a local producer. If time permits we will stop at one of our favourite villages 'Borghetto' on the Mincio River for a stroll and coffee or libation.

Day 5: MON April 18th, SIRMIONE
After breakfast today we will take you on a breathtaking drive up Lake Garda's western shore. It is very evident along this route that we are in the lower alps as we travel from the lush low land through natural vegetation, and oleanders, mimosa, wild roses, acacias and hibiscus with cultivated groves of lemons, olives and vineyards and right into tremendous rock promontories. The shoreline is amazing and due to the change in elevation offers some of the most beautiful lower alpine panoramas of the region. Our destination is the beautiful and ancient little town of Limone, so called because of its profusion of lemon trees. Due to its hideaway location it is not known to tourists and the locals are fascinated when we visit their little corner of the lake. Our coach will be returning the same route but we suggest that you join us to return to Sirmione by the comfortable hydrofoil - with several stops at the little villages on both shores.

Day 6: TUES April 19th, SIRMIONE
This is now the perfect time and place to have a free day in Sirmione itself. For any interest - history, exploration, shopping, spa treatments, or just being Italian for a day. We've had some time to get used to the myriad of little streets so you will feel comfortable with your own exploration. For ancient history lovers it is a very pleasant walk up through the town to the very tip of the peninsula to the remains of Catullo's Roman villa. The daily hydrofoil service crisscrosses the lake making a wonderful tour in its own right and we can give you the schedule allowing you to get off and explore several other of the villages as you go. Now this is a spa town so there are full spa facilities you can enjoy. We will be happy to obtain a list of options and treatments if you would like to book in advance.

Day 7: WED April 20th, COMO
After breakfast today we are off to discover more of the Italian Lakes as we travel the short distance to our next destination for four nights - Como on Lake Como. On route we will take time to visit the lovely old city of Bergamo. Although a significant settlement in Roman times, Bergamo shows its late-medieval and Renaissance history very well. Cobbled streets and piazzas with fountains, softly-hued stonework and surrounding cypress-clad hills make for a visual feast. We will have time to explore then carry onto Como. This lively little city on Lake Como's southern shore (of the left leg) is well know historically for science, silk and architecture. Our hotel is in the historic centre, almost unchanged since Roman times, opening up to the lake at Piazza Cavour. Shops, cafes, hotels and the steamer landing all share wonderful views of the deepest of the Italian lakes.

Day 8: THURS April 21st, COMO
After breakfast we will take the steamer of this beautiful lake to another of its favourite lakeside towns - Bellagio. Often referred to as 'Bella Bella Bellagio' it claims to be one of the most beautiful sites in Italy - spilling over the promontory in the very centre of Lake Como it is as charming as its setting; steep, stepped lanes of handsome old houses, ornate balconies spilling over with flowers and an endlessly fascinating waterfront. At the very middle of the lake it is just delightful to watch the waltz of the ferries gliding to and fro over the mountain-bound lake.

Day 9: FRI April 22nd, COMO
Today we are taking a quick train ride to show you Lugano on Lake Lugano. Although very Italian, Lugano is in Switzerland ! Warm, palmy Lugano is an arty resort city piled between Monte Bré and Monte San Salvatore, a lovely setting that has been compared to Rio de Janeiro. It's enough to explore its higgly-piggly streets and alleys that lead down to the waterfront to search out a lovely caf for lunch. For art lovers there will be time for a visit to Villa Favorita, the home of Heinrich von Thyssen-Bornemisza's fabulous collection of the Old Masters and his collection of European and American modern art, with a special emphasis on the Luminists and Hudson River School. We return to Como late in the afternoon.

Day 10: SAT April 23rd, COMO
Today is a free day to relax and enjoy the beauty and atmosphere of Como at your own pace. We've seen a tremendous amount of gorgeous scenery, stunning architecture, historic towns along with time to meet the people who live in this gorgeous region, let alone sample wonderful food and wine. This is a day to relax and take it all in. For those who just have to see more we can take the funicular up to the mountain village of Brunate with famous views across the lake and Alps as far as Monte Rosa. We will meet up for a farewell dinner this evening to enjoy new friends and memories of this wonderful tour.

Day 11: SUN April 24th, COMO - HOMEWARD BOUND
After breakfast our program is complete. Como is just a 45 minute transfer from Milan airport and we are pleased to assist with making your connection to the airport or rail station, or any other travel arrangements you would like to add on.

Pricing:

$3,269.00 CAD Per Person
(Based on double occupancy sharing a twin/double room)

  • Price includes LAND TOUR indicated in tour itinerary
  • International Airfares are not included in tour price, though we are happy to assist in booking them for you to join up with this tour
  • A $500.00 CAD Deposit required upon booking
  • Final payment due on February 11th, 2010
  • Single supplement available at $550.00 CAD

Tour Inclusions:

  • Hotel Accommodation: 10 Nights accommodation with private bath facilities.
  • Meals: Breakfast Daily and 2 Dinners and 1 Wine tasting.
  • Transportation & Sightseeing: All transportation and sightseeing tours as mentioned in the itinerary.
  • Fully Escorted: Rose Tomassini of Travel Broker Tours will travel with the group throughout the entire tour.
  • Taxes: Local taxes on all included ground transportation, hotel accommodation and meals.

Tour Exclusions:

  • International flights and airport transfers in Venice, Italy and return from Milan, Italy are not included in the above pricing but can be arranged with Travel Broker Tours, A division of The Travel Broker and Cruise Centre.
  • Personal Insurances (travel, baggage, cancellation, etc.)
  • Passport & Visa Fees and Immunizations.
  • All alcoholic beverages and bar beverages (soft drinks, juice, sparkling water, etc.)
  • Personal Charges (excess baggage fees, laundry, souvenirs, personal hotel charges, etc.)
  • All optional excursions or deviations from the itinerary.
  • Any item not mentioned in the itinerary or in the inclusions above.
  • Tips or gratuities to your tour escorts, restaurant servers and chambermaids.

Deposits and Final Payments:

  • Deposits: At time of booking CA$500.00 per person + insurance premium if applicable.
  • Final Payment: Final payment by February 11, 2011. Payments may be made by personal cheque, Visa or Mastercard

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Return International flights are not included in the above tour but can be arranged with Travel Broker Tours.

For more information or to register for this tour please contact Debbie Lloyd at:

Travel Broker Tours
A division of The Travel Broker & Cruise Centre
1758 Bath Road Kingston, ON Canada
Telephone: 613-389-7914 or 1-800-387-7678
Email: deblloyd@thetravelbroker.ca