Vienna, Prague and Budapest

Day 1 London - Prague Titan’s VIP door-to-door travel service collects you from home, for your journey to London Heathrow or Gatwick Airport and your direct, scheduled British Airways flight to Prague. Our coach transfers us the short distance to the Hotel Ambassador (4T), where we stay for the next three nights. Dinner is included this evening. Day 2 Prague Our morning tour will confirm, if you are not already convinced, that Prague is one of Europe’s most attractive capitals. The afternoon is at leisure for further shopping and sightseeing such as the National Theatre and Wenceslas Square named after the Good King of the 19th century carol. Day 3 Prague Today you are at leisure to make your own explorations. Prague is renowned for its magnificent Baroque and Romanesque architecture. Situated on the banks of the River Vltava, the wonderful views across the water, spanned by ancient bridges, contribute to its alluring reputation. The city has a fine cultural tradition going back centuries - Haydn, Beethoven, Liszt and Mozart all spent time in Prague; and it was here that Figaro was first acclaimed and Don Giovanni received its first performance. Day 4 Prague - Vienna After breakfast, we journey through a landscape of endless rolling vistas of fields, interrupted by areas of dense forest, to Vienna and the Lindner Hotel am Belvedere (4T), where dinner is included. Day 5 Vienna Today we depart for a sightseeing tour of Vienna, Austria’s cultured capital, renowned for its leisurely lifestyle and fine buildings. Our tour includes views of the lavish, terraced gardens of Prince Eugene’s Belvedere Palace, the State Opera, the Hofburg residence of Emperor Franz Joseph, which sprawls across an area of 47 acres, and the Parliament buildings. This afternoon is free to make your own discoveries of the Austrian Parliament building and to explore the wide choice of shopping opportunities. Day 6 Vienna This morning we visit Schönbrunn Palace, a building of architectural splendour, commissioned by Emperor Leopold I for his son Josef I as a summer residence. The palace records a number of notable events; for example, Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France, spent her childhood there, and it is said that Mozart astonished the court with his musical performance at the tender age of six. Decorated in the Rococo style of the 18th century, the apartments are adorned with frescoes, crystal chandeliers, priceless tapestries, and furniture. In the courtyard stands the Wagenburg Museum, in which numerous coaches and sleighs from the Imperial era are displayed. We return to the city centre, where the remainder of the day is free to further explore this fascinating and historic city. Day 7 Vienna - Bratislava - Budapest After breakfast, we board our coach for the journey to Bratislava, for free time in Slovakia’s capital. It has many fine buildings to see; its Baroque and Rococo palaces are as elegant as any in Vienna. Late afternoon, we arrive in the beautiful city of Budapest. Divided by the River Danube, which separates the plains of Pest from the hilly area of Buda, the city is always lively and has long been a haven for writers, artists and musicians. In Buda, Gellert Hill affords a wonderful view of the city, river and mountains. On the Pest side are the Parliament buildings and the National Museum, which contain many remarkable treasures including the oldest skull yet found in Europe and Liszt’s gold baton. Dinner is included tonight at our hotel, the Mamaison Hotel Andrassy (4T). Day 8 Budapest After breakfast, we are joined by a local guide for a tour which will include many of Budapest’s fascinating sights and an explanation of the city’s history. We visit the Fisherman’s Bastion, Matthias Church and the Royal Castle on the Buda side, before crossing the Danube at the Margarete Bridge. In Pest, we will see St Stephen’s Basilica, the Parliament buildings, City Park and Heroes’ Square. The afternoon is at leisure to explore further. Day 9 Budapest Today you are free to make your own way around Budapest. You may wish to visit the market hall, bustling with local traders, or perhaps relax with a coffee in Vörösmarty Square and watch the world go by. The city takes on a different perspective once dusk has fallen; and this evening, we have arranged a wonderful cruise along the River Danube, regarded locally as the main thoroughfare. The Matthias Church, the splendour of the Parliament buildings and the Royal Palace all accentuate the magnificence of this historically-rich city. Day 10 Budapest - London Today, we board our coach for the journey to Budapest Airport for your direct, scheduled British Airways flight to London Heathrow or Gatwick Airport. On arrival you will be met and guided to your Titan vehicle, for the journey home.