Highlights

What's Included

    Itineraries Bespoke Educational Senior Why BRACAP Sustainability Blog Request a Proposal Client Area
    Grand Capitals of Europe
    Multi-CountryBespoke & Tailor Made ToursSpainFranceItaly

    Grand Capitals of Europe

    Duration20 Days
    CountrySpain, France, Italy

    Twenty days, five long-stay hubs, three countries: Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, Alsace and Rome, with three to five nights in each. High-speed AVE and TGV connections replace most long coach transfers, and a resident Tour Leader accompanies your group from arrival to the farewell dinner in the Eternal City.

    Day by Day

    1

    Day 1

    Arrival & Welcome in Madrid

    The group lands in Madrid, where our local team is waiting in the arrivals hall for the meet and greet and the private transfer to the hotel. The remaining hours stay open for rest or for a first stroll along Gran Vía, with its theatres, terraces and rooftop views over the Spanish capital. Overnight in Madrid.

    2

    Day 2

    Cibeles, Prado & El Retiro

    Morning brings a panoramic tour with an official guide through the emblematic Madrid: the Cibeles Fountain, the Puerta de Alcalá, the tree-lined Paseo del Prado and El Retiro, the city's green lung. The afternoon is free for shopping or café terraces, while the evening opens optional plans such as the Habsburg quarter and Royal Palace, a tapas crawl or a flamenco tablao.

    3

    Day 3

    Milla de Oro & Plaza Mayor

    A free day follows the group's own rhythm: the luxury boutiques of the Milla de Oro, the galleries of the Museo del Prado, or an afternoon of cañas and patatas bravas on Plaza Mayor. Full-day options head out of the city to Toledo, to Segovia and its suckling-pig workshop, or to the monastery of El Escorial. Overnight in Madrid.

    4

    Day 4

    Madrid to Barcelona by AVE

    After breakfast and check-out, a private transfer reaches Atocha station for the AVE high-speed train to Barcelona. Two and a half hours cross the Castilian meseta and the Ebro valley in comfort, replacing a long day on the road. The afternoon belongs to the group: the Ciutadella Park and the photogenic Arc de Triomf. Overnight in Barcelona.

    5

    Day 5

    Passeig de Gràcia & the Waterfront

    A morning panoramic tour runs along Passeig de Gràcia, the most elegant avenue in Spain, where the dreamlike façades of Casa Batlló and La Pedrera show Antoni Gaudí at his boldest, and continues to the seafront and the Olympic Port. The afternoon is free for the Ramblas or the Boqueria market, with optional visits to the Sagrada Família, Park Güell or Montserrat.

    6

    Day 6

    El Born & La Boqueria

    Today Barcelona is lived through its senses. The streets of El Born, the seaside terraces and the small corners where local life still sets the tone fill a free day. An optional cooking class begins with guided shopping at the Boquería market and continues with a private chef, a step-by-step paella and a tasting with local wine. Overnight in Barcelona.

    7

    Day 7

    Penedès Vineyards & Sitges

    A second free day widens the map. High-speed rails reach Valencia in a single day, with the City of Arts and Sciences and its historic centre before the return. Closer to the city, the coastal town of Sitges leads to the Penedès region, where a traditional winery explains wine and cava and the day ends with a tasting among the vines. Overnight in Barcelona.

    8

    Day 8

    Barcelona to Paris by TGV

    A private transfer reaches Sants station for the TGV to Paris. The ride crosses the French border from a comfortable seat as the Mediterranean landscape turns into the green plains of southern France. On arrival, the local team handles the transfer to the hotel, and an optional evening panoramic tour and three-course bistro dinner open the city. Overnight in Paris.

    9

    Day 9

    Eiffel Tower & Champs-Élysées

    The Parisian chapter opens with a panoramic tour led by a local guide: the Eiffel Tower, the elegance of the Champs-Élysées and the weight of history at the Arc de Triomphe. The afternoon runs free along the banks of the Seine or across café terraces, while an optional walking tour of Montmartre and a Bateaux Mouches cruise close the evening on the water.

    10

    Day 10

    Louvre & Rue de Rivoli

    A free day in the most elegant capital in Europe: the halls of the Musée du Louvre, the shop windows of Rue de Rivoli, a macaron in a historic pâtisserie. For those who prefer open country, an optional excursion reaches the Loire Valley, with Chambord and its Leonardo staircase and the riverside Château de Chenonceau. Overnight in Paris.

    11

    Day 11

    Galeries Lafayette & Versailles

    The last day in the French capital leaves room for last-minute shopping at the Galeries Lafayette and a walk through the Tuileries Garden. An optional excursion travels to Versailles for the Grand Royal Apartments, the Hall of Mirrors and the gardens, with timed entry that avoids the queues. The evening returns to the boulevards. Overnight in Paris.

    12

    Day 12

    Paris to Strasbourg & Petite France

    A private transfer reaches the station for the TGV to Strasbourg, one hour and forty-five minutes across the heart of France to the Alsatian capital. After check-in, a guided walk explores Petite France, where sixteenth-century half-timbered houses lean over the canals of the river Ill. The evening belongs to the old quarter, where the Alsatian winstubs set their own unhurried tone. Overnight in Strasbourg.

    13

    Day 13

    Strasbourg Cathedral & Black Forest

    A free day keeps the pace of Strasbourg: the Gothic cathedral, the historic squares and the refined local pastry shops. An optional excursion crosses into Germany for the Black Forest, climbing Mount Feldberg for panoramic views over valleys and fir woods, then resting by Lake Titisee, where handmade cuckoo clocks fill the shop fronts. Overnight in Strasbourg.

    14

    Day 14

    Alsace Wine Route & Colmar

    The whole day follows the Alsace Wine Route, a landscape of endless vineyards dotted with perfectly preserved medieval villages. Colmar, known as Little Venice for its canals and its coloured half-timbered houses, gives way to Eguisheim, a village of old traditions and refined wines. Countryside calm and the most photogenic corners of the journey fill the afternoon. Overnight in Strasbourg.

    15

    Day 15

    Strasbourg to Rome & Via del Corso

    A private transfer runs from the hotel to the airport for the flight south to Italy, a leg that is not included and is booked separately. In Rome our local team is waiting for the meet and greet and the transfer to the hotel. The rest of the day makes a first contact with the Eternal City, near Via del Corso or over an aperitivo in a lively square. Overnight in Rome.

    16

    Day 16

    Colosseum & Fontana di Trevi

    A panoramic tour with an expert local guide opens the Roman days, following the traces of imperial splendour from the Colosseum and the Imperial Forums to the Fontana di Trevi, where a coin tossed over the shoulder promises a return. The afternoon stays free, with an optional visit to the Vatican Museums, the Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel.

    17

    Day 17

    Pincio Terraces & Roman Churches

    A free day opens the quieter side of the Italian capital, from the terraces of the Pincio to the churches that hide Caravaggio canvases. A long optional excursion heads south to the excavations of Pompeii with an official guide, then crosses by ferry to the island of Capri, its bougainvillea paths and its panoramic views. Overnight in Rome.

    18

    Day 18

    Renaissance Rome & Florence

    The morning stays free for the last purchases along the Roman golden mile or for hidden treasures such as Michelangelo's Moses. An optional day trip runs north on the high-speed train, ninety minutes to Florence, where a local guide leads the historic centre: the Duomo of Santa Maria del Fiore, the Ponte Vecchio over the Arno and Piazza della Signoria. Overnight in Rome.

    19

    Day 19

    Trastevere & Farewell Dinner

    The last full day in Italy belongs to the lanes of Trastevere, to Italian leather and to an espresso on a terrace while the city goes by. At night the group gathers for the farewell dinner in a traditional Roman restaurant, where authentic pasta, local hospitality and a round of toasts close a journey through Spain, France and Italy. Overnight in Rome.

    20

    Day 20

    Departure from Rome

    Breakfast closes the programme in the Eternal City. The morning leaves time for a final walk through the neighbourhood or a last espresso before the private departure transfer at the agreed time. Our team accompanies the group to the terminal, where our services end after twenty days across three countries and five cities.

    Highlights

    Cibeles Fountain & Retiro Park
    High-speed AVE to Barcelona
    Passeig de Gràcia modernism
    TGV crossing into France
    Eiffel Tower & Champs-Élysées
    Petite France canal quarter
    Colmar & Eguisheim vineyards
    Colosseum & Fontana di Trevi

    What's Included

    • Accommodation

      19 nights in tourist or first-class hotels, city taxes included

    • Transport

      AVE and TGV tickets; Strasbourg–Rome flight excluded

    • Guide

      Official Spanish-speaking guides in four cities

    • Meals

      Daily breakfast plus farewell dinner in Rome

    • Entrance Fees

      Panoramic sightseeing only; entrances via optional excursions

    • Support

      Tour Leader, meet and greet, private transfers

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