SEPTEMBER 2012 Budapest, Slovakia, Krakow & Prague

A Grand Waltz

Budapest, Slovakia, Krakow & Prague

September 23 – October 3, 2012

 “Don’t bother looking at the view… I have already composed it.”

-Gustav Mahler-

 

View our Ways to Save $250 per person below!

 

Enjoy the sumptuous past of Eastern Europe. Discover her hidden treasures: glorious classical composers, soaring architecture and rich history. Journey with a small group of fellow travelers to places that few explore. By train, riverboat, trail and motorcoach, we’ll visit sleepy villages where time has magically stood still. Experience grand capitals, towering castles and stunning natural beauty all at Earthbound’s signature leisurely pace. Join a small group of like-minded travelers and discover the heart of Hungary, sleepy Slovakia, unforgettable Poland and the spiraling city of Prague!

 

JOURNEY OVERVIEW

3 Nights Budapest, Hungary
1 Night High Tatra Mountains, Slovakia
2 Nights Kraków, Poland
1 Night Olomouc, Moravia, Czech Republic
3 Nights Prague, Czech Republic
2 Nights Berlin post tour extension option!

 

JOURNEY HIGHLIGHTS

Three magical nights in Budapest ♦ A thorough exploration of Budapest with a private guide ♦ A river cruise on the Danube ♦ Discovering quaint villages♦ A glorious dinner concert in Krakow’s Jewish quarter ♦ A river float trip in the national park of Pieniny Dunajec on the Slovak- Polish frontier ♦ Two nights in Krakow’s perfectly preserved historic old town ♦ Walks with local guides in Krakow highlighting the castle district and old Jewish quarter ♦ A moving thought-provoking tour of Auschwitz ♦ Leisurely days of exploring Prague’s back alleys and historic monuments with a fascinating local guide ♦ A fun, small group of soon to be friends!

 

IT’S INCLUDED

• Fully guided by an expert Earthbound Expeditions guide
• All breakfasts and twelve additional multi-course meals
• Ten nights of accommodation in charming, centrally located hotels and inns
• Fascinating city-walking tours in Budapest, Krakow, Olomouc and Prague
• All entrances to museums, castles, cathedrals, palaces and river cruises as listed in your Earthbound Expeditions itinerary
• An evening dinner concert in Krakow and an additional classical concert in Prague
• All transportation from Budapest to Prague on an air-conditioned motor coach
• A relaxing river cruise on the Danube and a nostalgic train journey into Hungary
• Gratuities for your driver, local guides and Earthbound guide
• Alumni discounts applied toward future journeys
• Regional and city maps
• Fun introductory language lessons given en route by your guide
• A small fun group of soon to be friends!

 

TRIP FACTS

Length: 11 Days/10 Nights
Price: $3495 (16-26 participants)
Single Supplement: $695 (waived if you are willing to share)
Trip dates: September 23 – October 3
Post tour dates: October 3 – 5
*Based on an exchange rate of .76 Euro = $1 USD

 

WAYS TO SAVE! 

Pay by check: Pay your final balance by check or money order and save $75 per person. 

Alumni Discounts: All alumni of Earthbound Expeditions will receive $100 off the published journey price (private trips may be excluded). If Earthbound Expeditions has other discounts available, participants may choose the greatest available discount. 

Refer a Friend: Refer a friend and save an additional $75 for each person new to Earthbound who travels with you on an Earthbound Expedition. “Refer a Friend” discounts may be combined with other discounts.

 

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 “In order to compose, all you need to do is remember a tune that nobody else has thought of.”

-Robert Schumann-

 

YOUR JOURNEY BEGINS… 

DAY 0
Depart Home for Historic Budapest

 

DAY 1
Arrive in Historic Budapest
Isten hozta! Welcome to Budapest! Our historic journey through the treasures of Hungary, Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic begins appropriately enough in Budapest as we land at the Liszt International Airport. After checking into your centrally located hotel, meet your guide for a welcome orientation dinner fit for a Hungarian king.  Sleep in Budapest.

 

DAY 2
An insider’s Look at the Towns of Buda and Pest
This morning we’ll meet our local guide for a leisurely historic walking tour of the two cities of Buda and Pest. Our tour will take us from the imposing castle district of Buda to Hungary’s stately parliament building in Pest. Your afternoon will be free to further explore this East European gem, or reward yourself with a relaxing Turkish bath at one of Budapest’s famous bathhouses. Sleep in Budapest.

 

DAY 3
Heroes Square & an Evening Danube Cruise
After a leisurely morning, we will travel beyond the banks of the Danube deeper into Pest to explore impressive Heroes Square with its mighty statue of the Angel Gabriel, glorious Fine Arts Museum and many architectural curiosities. Some may like to take a tour of the nearby Opera House, others may like to explore the local Bohemian districts and scout out a restaurant for the evening. You’ll have plenty of time for exploration before an evening cruise. Sleep in Budapest.

 

DAY 4
North to Slovakia’s Tatra Mountains via Banska Bystrica
Following breakfast, we depart Hungary for Slovakia. The scenery is striking as we make the drive from Budapest north to our overnight destination in the High Tatra Mountains in Slovakia. Our first stop in sleepy Slovakia is the ancient mining town of Banska Bystrica where we’ll have time to enjoy a typical Slovakian lunch.

Straddling Slovakia and southern Poland, the Tatra Mountains are Eastern Europe’s highest peaks. And by six o’clock we’ll arrive at our elegant, turn-of-the-century mountain lodge in the heart of the High Tatra Mountains. Sleep in High Tatra Mountains, Slovakia.

 

DAY 5
A River Float Trip & Historic Krakow
Weather permitting, we’ll set off for the Pieniny Dunajec River where skilled local guides will take you on a breathtaking float trip along the Polish-Slovak border. Should the weather prove too wet or cold, we’ll drive a breathtaking and little-traveled route through the mountain forests and stop for lunch in the town of Zakopane. After a hearty lunch, a stunning drive awaits as we depart for Krakow via countless peaceful villages. Sleep in Krakow.

 

DAY 6
Imperial Krakow
A true survivor of war, Krakow is a colossus of art and architecture and is Poland’s best-preserved city. This morning, we will join an engaging local guide for a walk back through time. We’ll visit Central Europe’s largest medieval market place at Rynek Glowny and continue to Wawel Castle where generations of Polish kings were crowned and buried.

This afternoon we’ll have a touching look at Krakow’s Jewish quarter and trace the life and heroic deeds of Oscar Schindler, who set up shop in this city during World War II. Through the centuries, Krakow’s Jewish population thrived. Tonight, we’ll set out for an evening of music and tradition, and take in a festive kosher feast in the heart of Krakow’s Jewish quarter. Sleep in Krakow.

 

DAY 7
An Excursion to Auschwitz and Sleepy Moravia
This morning we will make a pilgrimage to the concentration camp of Auschwitz in order to fully understand the origins of Poland’s suffering at the hands of the Nazis. In the afternoon we’ll drive due east to the province of Moravia, Czech Republic. The wine-loving Moravians considered themselves somewhat separate from their beer-producing Czech brothers in Bohemia. In the earlier part of this decade they even called upon the newly created Czech State to change its name to Czech-Moravia. Our destination, Olomouc, is rich in history, architectural beauty, and is a prominent university town. For dinner we’ll feast on some Moravian delicacies and sample some of her many wines. Sleep in Olomouc, Moravia – Czech Republic.

 

DAY 8
Olomouc to Prague!
Olomouc contains several large and richly decorated squares, the chief of which is adorned with the Holy Trinity Column which stands 115ft. high and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Olomouc is also famous for its collection of colorful mosaics, the most unusual being the glockenspiel which is strangely decorated with 1950-style communist motifs and figures. After lunch, depart for the city of Kafka and the city that Mozart loved best, Prague!

For the next three nights our home is Prague, the city considered by many to be the most beautiful in Europe. Sleep in Prague.

 

DAY 9
Prague’s Historic Heart
From its mythological inception to the present, benefactors have placed Prague on the cusp of the divine. The King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Karl IV refashioned Prague into a city of soaring cathedrals and lavish palaces. Our historic walking tour of Prague will start at its medieval center, the Old Town Square. We’ll cover some of Prague’s most interesting sights such as the Estates Opera house where Mozart conducted Cosi Fan Tutte. Our tour will continue to Prague’s stirring medieval Jewish quarter. We’ll take time to savor this culturally rich neighborhood and stop by the Old Synagogue, which has been a place of worship for over 700 years. Upon final victory, Hitler bizarrely envisioned that he would turn this neighborhood into a museum for an extinct Jewish race. After an orientation given by your guides, the afternoon is yours to further explore Prague. Sleep in Prague.

 

DAY 10
Prague’s Jewish Quarter’s Quaint Back Alleys
We start the day with a stroll to Prague’s most famous landmark, Charles Bridge, after which we’ll visit the historic castle district. The afternoon and evening is yours to explore this city’s charming streets. Perhaps you’ll want to take in a Bohemian market or simply wander the wondrously preserved historic old town. For those staying on, your guides will be available this afternoon for any post-tour planning assistance you may require. Sleep in Prague.

 

DAY 11
Tour Over after Breakfast. Post-tour Extension to Berlin Begins!
Return to the USA, spend a few more leisurely days in Prague or join us and make your way to the exciting new capital of Berlin!

 

Post-Tour to Berlin 

BERLIN POST-TOUR EXTENSION

$795.00 Per Person Double Occupancy
$155.00 Single Supplement

 

IT’S INCLUDED

• Transportation to Berlin from Prague by intercity express train. (Groups of ten or more may travel to Berlin by way of private motor coach and stop for lunch in Dresden)
  
• All breakfasts, one lunch and one dinner
  
• Two nights of accommodation in a cozy, centrally located three-star hotel in Berlin
  
• A full day city walking tour of Berlin, metro pass and city maps

 

POST-TOUR BEGINS… 

 

DAY 11
Prague to Berlin via Dresden by Intercity Express Train
Today we’ll cruise through Bohemia and make our way north, meandering along the banks of the beautiful Elbe River. Our journey will take us past quaint villages, medieval castles and historic Dresden, only now being restored from the destruction left by the Second World War. You can expect to arrive in Berlin in the late afternoon.

Perhaps there has never been a city that has changed so much in so little time. The Reichstag is acting as the seat of the German government for the first time in over sixty years, and the German parliament proudly sits in its newly restored chambers. Tonight we’ll have a feast fit for a Prussian king. Sleep in Berlin.

 

DAY 12
A Full Day of Discovery in Historic East and West Berlin
Included today is a fascinating full day walking tour that focuses on Berlin’s promising future, notorious Nazi sights and the imperial past. Today, you will visit the poignant museum of Check-Point Charlie, the Berlin Wall, the newly re-opened Reichstag, Unter den Linden and the Brandenburg Gate. Past tour members have called their day in Berlin a highlight. Sleep in Berlin.

 

DAY 13
Post-tour Extension Over After Breakfast
For those staying on, your guide will be available for a post-tour consultation. Some may wish to stay on another day and visit Potsdam. Bon Voyage!

 

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW…

Deposit and Payment schedule: A $500 deposit per person is required to reserve your journey. Please refer to our Terms and Conditions for our refund policy. A separate deposit may be requested for the air portion of your journey. 

Not Included: Airline surcharges, taxes, baggage fees, alcoholic beverages with meals, meals not mentioned, room/mini-bar service, gratuities for hotel staff, travel insurance, items of a personal nature and activities not listed.

Pricing: In the event that there are fewer than the minimum number of participants listed on the itinerary, a small group comfort charge will be offered to ensure the journey departs as scheduled. Former guests have greatly appreciated the benefits of traveling with a smaller group. Earthbound staff or hosts are not included in the number of tour participants. Please refer to the detailed itinerary for pricing information specific to each journey.

Currency Fluctuations: The exchange rate on which the trip is based is listed on the itinerary under “Trip Facts” and was obtained through www.xe.com. Although no changes in the price of your trip are expected, Earthbound reserves the right to add a currency supplement or offer a refund due to unexpected currency fluctuations of plus or minus 5%. Seventy-five days prior to departure, rates will be reviewed, and if necessary updated. Fluctuations greater then 5% will be noted in the final balance letter and invoice. Example: If the dollar falls against the Euro at a rate of 7%, a 2% surcharge will be added. In this case, Earthbound will absorb the initial 5% loss in the dollar. If the dollar gains against the Euro by 7%, a 2% reduction in price will be offered. NOTE: This policy pertains to euro zone countries (Russia, Western and Eastern Europe) only.

Dress: In general, our guests feel most comfortable when dressed in a “casually smart” (not formal) way. We are often asked about jeans, and Europeans of all ages do indeed wear them. None of the places we visit or dine require that women wear dresses or that men wear suit jackets or ties or any other special clothing. You’ll dine in casually elegant bistros that are not at all stuffy.

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