Voyages to Antiquity: Exploring History’s Grandeur in France and Spain

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Overview
Highlights
- Delve into France’s medieval history at Avignon’s Papal Palace and on the narrow streets of fortified Carcassonne.
- Examine the exquisite interiors and lush gardens of the Alhambra, a magnificent Moorish palace.
- Contrast the proud cultures of several Spanish cities including Barcelona, Madrid and Seville.
What's this trip about?
Details
Travel Themes
Destinations
Activities
Trip includes
- 16 nights of accommodations
- 7 expert-led lectures
- 13 expert-led field trips
- 1 hands-on experience
- 1 performance
- An experienced Group Leader
- Customary gratuities throughout the program
- The Road Scholar Travel Protection Plan, 24-hour-a-day emergency assistance coverage
- Taxes
Itinerary

In Flight
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: Best Western Plus Hotel Massena Nice
Afternoon: At 5:00 PM, meet in the hotel lobby for the program orientation. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the program theme, the up-to-date Da...
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Accommodation: Aegean Odyssey
Breakfast: In the hotel dining room. On this program, breakfasts will be buffet-style with breads, cheeses, cold-cuts, yogurt, fruit, cereals, juice, milk, coffee and tea. Water will be served at ...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Aegean Odyssey
Breakfast: Aboard the ship, breakfast will be buffet-style with breads, cheeses, cold-cuts, yogurt, fruit, cereals, hot dishes, juice, milk, coffee and tea and served in the Terrace Café.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Aegean Odyssey
Breakfast: Aboard the ship.
Morning: At sea. In the morning, as the ship makes its way to Marseilles, you will pass close to the coast of Monte Carlo and then continue along the beau...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Aegean Odyssey
Activity note: Heavy walking for one or more hours over uneven terrain.
Breakfast: Aboard the ship.
Morning: Explore the Provençal countryside on this full-day field trip to A...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Aegean Odyssey
Breakfast: Aboard the ship.
Morning: From the port of Sete, it is an hour's drive through the quintessentially French Languedoc countryside to Carcassonne. Founded by the Romans, the...
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Accommodation: Aegean Odyssey
Breakfast: Aboard the ship.
Morning: This morning we explore Barcelona on an expert-led coach overview of the city which takes in some of Antoni Gaudí's most important works. We will see th...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Aegean Odyssey
Breakfast: Aboard the ship.
Morning: Enjoy the charm of Valencia's squares and hidden corners on a walk through this fascinating city. Admire its architecture from the charming Plaza...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Aegean Odyssey
Breakfast: Aboard the ship.
Morning: At sea. Treat yourself to one of many spa services offered by the ship. Or, simply relax poolside enjoying the late spring sunshine.
Lunch...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Aegean Odyssey
Breakfast: Aboard the ship.
Morning: Enjoy a coach ride through the Andalucían countryside from the port of Málaga to Granada. Here you will experience the majesty of the Alhambra, a...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Aegean Odyssey
Breakfast: Aboard the ship.
Morning: This morning discover Tangier, a city founded by Carthaginian colonists in the early 5th century BC. Visit its medina, or old town, filled with m...
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Aegean Odyssey
Breakfast: Aboard the ship.
Morning: At sea. This afternoon cruise the Guadalquivir River, the second longest river with its entire length in Spain.
Lunch: Aboard the ship.
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Accommodation: Meliá Sevilla
Activity note: The Barrio de Santa Cruz is largely cobbled.
Breakfast: Aboard the ship.
Morning: Disembark the ship and enjoy a guided visit of Seville, the capital and largest city o...
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Accommodation: Meliá Sevilla
Breakfast: In the hotel dining room.
Morning: Enjoy the rolling plains of the Andalucían countryside during this morning's transfer to Córdoba. Today's full-day field trip will include the Me...
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Accommodation: Meliá Galgos
Breakfast: In the hotel dining room.
Morning: Following check-out, we transfer to Seville's Santa Justa station to board a high-speed train to Madrid departing in the mid or late-morning. The...
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Accommodation: Meliá Galgos
Breakfast: In the hotel dining room.
Morning: Morning panoramic sightseeing visit of Madrid including Paseo de la Castallaña, Madrid's chic modern district, the Paseo del Prado, also known as...
Meals: Breakfast
In Flight
Breakfast: In the hotel dining room.
Morning: Transfer to Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD) for departures. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future.
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Your trip, your way, planned by an expert:
- You choose budget, destinations, activities, transport & lodging type
- Expert designs the itinerary for you, and once approved, takes care of logistics
Dates & Availability
- Select Custom Arrangements to get to and from Road Scholar-provided airfare for your program
Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Road Scholar.
The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.
Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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Tour Operator
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Logistics
Accommodation
Best Western Plus Hotel Massena Nice: 1 night Nice
The 4-star Hotel Massena Nice, a Best Western hotel, is short stroll to the Old Town including the Promenade des Anglais, Saleya Courts and the flower market.
Aegean Odyssey: 11 nights Ft. Lauderdale
The Aegean Odyssey offers boutique-style cruising at its best. In contrast to the massive vessels cruising to and from major ports, it is a midsized ship adapted for island and coastal cruising. The Aegean Odyssey can visit smaller, less crowded harbors and sail closer to the coast enabling you to really appreciate the magical views.
Meliá Sevilla: 2 nights Seville
Located in the heart of Seville opposite the Parque de Maria Luisa and Plaza España and very close to the University (Old Tobacco Factory), the Alcazar, the Barrio de Santa Cruz district, the Cathedral and the Archive of the Indies, the new Meliá Sevilla is the perfect choice for your business and leisure trips, thanks to its excellent location in the city centre, its fully equipped and comfortable facilities and the quality of its services.
Meliá Galgos: 2 nights , Madrid
Located in the chic Barrio Salamanca, close to the main Paseo de la Castellana, the Meliá Galgos is a recently renovated 4-star hotel. It is surrounded by a wide variety of restaurants, cafés and shops, and there are two metro stations nearby providing easy access to all areas of the city.
Classically elegant, but far from stuffy and formal, premium class MV Aegean Odyssey offers passengers every comfort at sea, with a relaxed, congenial atmosphere and the highest calibre of personal service. Carrying an average of 350 passengers, Aegean Odyssey’s ideal size is perfectly suited for coastal cruising to the small inlets of the Mediterranean that larger ships cannot reach. It also allows her to navigate rivers, such as Spain’s Guadalquivir River and Gironde River in Bordeaux for a unique combination of ocean and river cruising. Aegean Odyssey features generously-sized suites and staterooms, including a special level of accommodation entitled 'Balcony Class' in categories A through D, which offers spacious staterooms with charming balconies and additional amenities including priority sightseeing boarding. With tastefully understated interiors, Aegean Odyssey combines the best of traditional elegance with all the modern conveniences of a first-class ship.
Ship’s tonnage: 11,563 Length: 461 feet Beam: 67 feet Draft: 20,5 feet Cruising speed: 18 knots Passengers decks: 7 Stabilizers: 2 Passengers cabins: 216 Passengers - lower beds: 386 Ship’s registration: Panama
16 Breakfasts, 10 Lunches, 15 Dinners
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