zAAA Vacations® - Romancing the Rails

AAA Complimentary Inclusion: Enjoy a free extra night in Venice before your tour at the Hotel L'Orologio. What better way to begin your Italian holiday than discovering firsthand the magic of Venice’s famed waterways? That’s exactly what you’ll do upon arrival! AAA Engaging Experience: Our private water taxi takes you directly from the airport to your hotel set on a canal near St. Mark’s Square. Tonight’s dinner features fine wine and a lovely Venetian setting. Meals D

Your guided walking tour begins with the grandeur of the Piazza San Marco. Stroll in this handsome lively plaza and admire the ornate cupolas and marble embellishments of St. Mark’s Basilica. AAA Engaging Experience: Continue with a guided tour of the Doge’s Palace, a Gothic-Renaissance fantasy of white and pink marble that dates to the height of the Venetian Republic, a city-state that endured for more than 1,000 years. AAA Engaging Experience: As you climb the ancient stairway to the stone footbridge that crosses the canal to the palace prisons, you’ll hear moving stories behind this infamous Bridge of Sighs. Meals B

This entire day is yours to enjoy as you wish. Meals B

AAA Engaging Experience: With our signature hotel-to-hotel luggage service, you can simply sit back and enjoy the passing scenery and comfort of today’s first-class journey aboard the high-speed Italo train. Upon arrival in Florence, our resident guide will take you on a narrated stroll to your city central accommodations at Hotel Balestri on the banks of the River Arno. Meals B

This morning’s walking tour reveals the Renaissance splendor of Florence from the famous Piazza della Signora and Church of Santa Croce, the final resting place of Galileo and Michelangelo. Continue to Cathedral Square and gaze in awe upon the Duomo, covered in a decorative mix of pink, white and green marble. Crowning this handsome cathedral is Brunelleschi’s magnificent cupola, a work of artistic and engineering genius. AAA Engaging Experience: Finish your sightseeing at the Galleria dell’Accademia, home to masterpieces like Michelangelo’s David. The balance of your afternoon is free to enjoy as you wish.  Meals B

Travel by first class rail to Naples where our guide will show you the highlights of his hometown including the Opera House and imposing 13th-century Angevin Castle, one of the city’s most striking landmarks. AAA Engaging Experience: A scenic drive along the Amalfi Coast brings you to the lovely Imperial Hotel Tramontano overlooking the Bay of Naples. Discover Sorrento’s historic churches and lovely villa gardens on a guided walking tour. Meals B

This day is yours to explore and wander at your own pace, a delightful opportunity to soak up the ambience of this stylish and historic resort town.  Meals B

Our expert guide is on hand to illuminate ancient history and moving tragedy as you explore the fabled ruins of Pompeii, the ancient city destroyed by the cataclysmic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD. Continue to the Eternal City and settle in to your inviting room at the Hotel dei Mellini in the heart of the Eternal City. Meals B

Your full-day sightseeing tour reveals the ancient glory of Rome including the Pantheon and Roman Forum. AAA Engaging Experience: We’ll also take you inside the ancient Colosseum and through St. Peter’s Square to tour the Vatican Museums, home to the Sistine Chapel and one of the world’s greatest art collections. AAA Engaging Experience: Tonight’s farewell dinner features fine Italian wine and the cozy ambience of La Dispensa di Ripetta, a favorite with local residents.  Meals B+D

You’ll be escorted to the airport today for your homeward flight.  Meals B