Madrid.  Please meet your tour leader in the lobby of the Madrid hotel on your tour voucher at 6pm.

Please contact Kumuka Worldwide for details of the meeting point for this tour.

Kumuka or your agent can assist you in booking pre tour accommodation at this hotel.

Alternatively visit our website and book online. www.kumuka.com

The pre-departure meeting is held to discuss the tour itinerary in more detail, meet your crew and fellow passengers. In addition the crew will check that all passengers have the necessary travel documents and insurance for the tour.

It is IMPORTANT that you attend this meeting.

Please advise KUMUKA or your AGENT if you CANNOT attend this meeting. All passengers MUST bring:

1. Passport.

2. Travel Voucher.

3. Travel Insurance Policy.

Please Note: This is tour is made up of 3 shorter tours. You may be joining up with new passengers in Rome for the tour through to Paris or to the final end point of London.

Madrid.  Please meet your tour leader in the lobby of the Madrid hotel on your tour voucher at 6pm. Your tour leader will brief you before you go out for your first group dinner. This will be a great chance to meet you new traveling companions and to try some traditional Spanish food. You will be taken on a city tour and after dinner, you will have free time to explore Madrid’s hectic and varied nightlife!.

Your room should be ready from 2pm. Rooms are on a twin share basis with single supplements available at time of booking tour. If you arrive before 2pm your luggage can be stored with hotel reception).

Madrid to Barcelona.  Our destination today is Barcelona. En-route we will drive through multicoloured sandstone canyons and have views across valleys and rivers. This is a day to sit back on the coach, relax, perhaps write a postcard or two and enjoy the marvellous scenery of this part of Iberia.

Upon arrival we will meet our local guide for an in-depth city tour, (included in the tour price). See the legacy that Barcelona’s famous architect, Gaudi, has left on the city; the famous Columbus monument, the busy pedestrian parts of Las Ramblas and the old town. After our tour we will drive to the hotel and check in.

Dinner is included this evening.

Barcelona - Coach Free Day.  Today is another day to make the most of this wonderful city.  Most of the group will probably head to the pristine beaches and try a swim in the refreshing waters of the Mediterranean Sea. If this isn't for you then perhaps take an optional walking tour to the sights associated with the great painter Picasso.

Feeling energetic?  Then hop on an optional tour to the mountain of Montserrat, which rises majestically to 4,051 feet (1,235 meters). The choice is yours, but however you spend your day we guarantee that you will love Barcelona!  Your tour leader will be able to assist you in organising any extra excursions.

Dinner is not included this evening.

Marseille - Coach Free Day.  What a city of contrasts and yours to explore today! Maybe spend some time on the beach topping up your tan or head for the "Panier" the old town and port.

For the more energetic climb to 162m above sea level to visit the church of the patron saint of sailors, Notre Dame de La Garde.  Stop for an amazing sea food lunch in this the seafood capital of Provence and try it's most famous dish, Bouillabaisse whilst absorbing the historical ambience that is Marseille.

Maybe visit the Jardin des Vestiges (Garden of Ruins) an interesting archaeological park in the very center of the city, (overlooked by the huge "Centre Bourse"), which has the ruins of the 1st-century docks and the 4th-century entrance to the fortified Greek town. If amazing views are your thing then visit the Notre Dame de la Garde a 19th Century Basilica. It offers an exceptional view of the city, the islands of the Frioul and the castle. Why not take the time to explore some of the pretty villages located nearby but whatever you decide there is something here for you!

Dinner this evening is not included.

Nice - Coach Free Day.  Enjoy your free day in Nice, perhaps go for a leisurely stroll along the Promenade des Anglais or visit the Matisse Museum. Or shop at the ultra chic Cours Saleya Flower Market and select that special gift.

Dinner is not included tonight but the choices available are endless with seafood a speciality of the region.

Florence.  Today we will start by driving up to the Piazzale Michelangelo where you will get an astonishing panoramic view over the scenic city of Florence. Your tour leader will then walk you down the hill into the center of Florence where we will meet a local guide for a walking tour. This is included in your tour cost and is a good chance to learn some local history.

The local guide will take you to the Piazza della Signoria - which is an outdoor sculpture gallery, which includes a replica of Michelangelo's statue of David.  They will then lead you down to the famous Ponte Vecchio Bridge and escort you up through the main streets to see the Duomo Cathedral.

The tour will end at Leonardo's Leather Works, a reputable leather workshop where you will receive a demonstration of how to pick quality leather from poor imitations - don't say that we didn't warn you! There are lots of leatherworks and jewellers shops, the latter especially on the Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge). It is always important to ensure that what you buy is genuine, as this cannot always be guaranteed when shopping in the market. After the leather demonstration we have free time to go and see the original David at Galleria dell Academia and the Uffizi Gallery, or simply to meander around the streets and piazzas of Florence.

Note: If you wish to visit Michaelangelo's Statue of David at the Accademia: due to an increase in visitor numbers, we recommend that all passengers wishing to visit the statue pre-book tickets at least one month in advance. Passengers also wishing to visit the Uffizi Gallery should pre book tickets to avoid long queues. Tickets to both can be booked online at: www.weekendafirenze.com. As a guideline, the morning's activities will finish at approx noon. Any tickets should therefore be booked after 1.00pm and no later than 4.30pm. To see both, book a ticket for the Uffizi for around 2.30pm and the Academia for around 1.00pm. The estimated time of departure from Florence back to the hotel is 6.30pm.

Kumuka cannot be liable for any necessary changes to the tour schedule that may in turn affect your museum reservations.

Rome - Coach Free Day.  This morning you are free until the city tour to explore the fabulous sights of this Eternal City. You will need to use public transport to get into the city and your tour leader will provide you with information on using the metro system.

You can then make your way to the Colosseum where we will meet our local guide for a walking city tour, your tour leader will confirm the time to meet, (headsets cost 2 € each). This provides an ideal introduction to some of the oldest sights in Rome. Our local guide has extensive local knowledge and will share with you many fascinating insights to Rome's ancient history! This tour will end at approximately 12pm at Piazza Navona.

The afternoon is free to visit Piazza Navona, Vatican city and the Sistine Chapel where Michelangelo spent 4 years painting the magnificent frescos that have graced the walls and ceilings of the Pope’s private chapel since 1512. You may also like to visit St Peter’s Basilica, the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps.

Subject to numbers we can offer an afternoon guided tour of the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel for 20 € per person plus 15 € admission.

Kumuka wishes to inform their clients that Men visiting Vatican City and St Peter's Square must wear t-shirts and shirts with sleeves and long trousers, whilst Women should have their shoulders covered and wear a skirt that falls below the knee, this dress code is strictly enforced. 

Dinner is not included tonight so you will have plenty of time to continue exploring and perhaps try some traditional Roman gnocchi!

Rome To Venice.  We will be departing early for the drive to Venice. Depending on traffic, we should arrive late afternoon in a suburb of Venice called Mestre, on the main land.

As Venice is an island with tiny winding streets and canals between buildings, the only form of transport are gondolas and canal boats. It is, therefore, still somewhat inaccessible to coaches! We will stay in Mestre for two nights and use the waterbus to get over to Venice the following day.

Tonight, once the group has freshened up from the journey we will meet up and go for dinner.

Venice to Salzburg. Today we drive to Salzburg one of the prettiest cities in Europe surrounded by rolling green hills and over looked by the Hohensalzburg Fortress dominating the city's skyline. Birthplace of Mozart and the setting for the film 'Sound of Music".  A quick orientation tour will soon highlight the main attractions of this wonderfully romantic city.

Dinner is included tonight.

Oktoberfest tours - Venice to Munich.  Please note that for tours which coincide with Oktoberfest, today we drive to Munich,.  Dinner is included tonight, unless you prefer to head to the beer halls to start sampling the beer.

Salzburg To Vienna. Today we leave the spires of Salzburg behind and head for Vienna the capital city of Austria.

We will meet your new travelling companions in Vienna then leave the hotel for a group meal followed by a city tour.

Oktoberfest Tours - Munich To Vienna. Today we stop for a brief visit and an early lunch in Salzburg, the birthplace of musical prodigy Mozart, as well as the setting for the film “The Sound of Music”. See some of the locations used in the film such as the cemetery where the family hid or the park where Maria and the children sang “Do Re Mi”. Take a photo of the statue of Mozart in Motazrtplatz or maybe use your free time to visit the very place he was born. We will meet our new travelling companions in Vienna then leave the hotel for a group meal followed by a city orientation tour.  

Vienna to Budapest.  We have a relatively short drive today, so we will be in Budapest by lunchtime. Our local guide will meet us by the Danube River for a combined coach and walking tour of Budapest, including The Fishermen’s Bastion, Gellert Hill, Parliament House and Heroes Square.

We will check in to our hotel and then drive to a traditional Hungarian “Gypsy folk” show and dinner.  Become an honorary Hungarian for the night, as we listen to rousing music and watch the colourful performers sing and dance for us.

Budapest to Prague. Two border crossings mean we will depart early for our drive to Prague. We will drive for about two hours to the Slovakian border, stopping in Hungary once to give you the chance to use your remaining Hungarian Forints. After transiting Slovakia we cross the border into the Czech Republic and stop a couple of times for a break before driving straight to our hotel and checking in.

Tonight your tour leader will take you into the center of Prague by public transport, for an orientation walking tour and a group meal.

After trying some Czech specialties you’ll have a free evening to see Prague by night. The city takes on a fairy tale quality as the sun goes down.

Prague To Berlin.  Leaving the spires of Prague behind us we will journey through some small Czech towns, which will take you back in time, to arrive at the German border.

A pleasant drive through former East Germany follows and in the late afternoon we will discover Berlin with a local guide on board our coach. We will see both the former East and West sections of the city, including the Brandenburg Gate, the rebuilt Reichstag (home of German Parliament), Museum Island, Check Point Charlie and the modern Potsdamer Platz.

Tonight dinner is included.

Berlin - Coach Free Day.  Due to European driving laws restricting our coach usage for 3 nights we have included an extra day in Berlin so that you can take advantage of the many attractions that this city, the energetic and hectic heart of modern Germany, has to offer. Visit the dynamic Sony Centre, or the smartest department store in Berlin, the KaDeWe, and marvel at the array of food in the over the top food hall. 

If that’s not enough, there is a huge selection of department stores, shoe shops, and multi level book and music stores to accommodate all tastes and needs. Wander through the world renowned Berlin Zoo, with its famous polar bear, Knut, (who was rejected by his mother and reared by a zoo keeper who lived in the enclosure with him for months). Walk along the curved walkway built inside the glass dome of the Reichtstadt building and marvel in the amazing architecture and the masses of building projects going on in the area.

Dinner tonight is not included.

Amsterdam - Coach Free Day. Today you have the day free to explore Amsterdam. You can visit Anne Frank’s house, Dam Square, the Red Light District, the Heineken experience or the many museums in Museum Plein including the Rijksmuseum and the Vincent Van Gogh Museum.

Take in the highlights by cruising the canals, or do as the locals do and hire a bike. If you want an alternative to the infamous Red Light District, try the area known as the Leidseplein.  Here you will find cafes, restaurants and many shops.

Tonight we will enjoy our final group meal of the tour.

Subject to numbers, this will be followed by an optional boat cruise along the canals of Amsterdam, and our last outing together as a group. Bring your cameras and prepare to sing, dance and let your hair down as we cruise the main waterways of this fabulous city. (30 € per person includes an open bar and music).

Tour Questionnaire - We would like to hear about your experiences on tour. One week after your tour ends you will automatically receive a feedback questionnaire via email. If we do not have your email address you can still complete a questionnaire by visiting www.kumuka.com/feedback

Email - If you have any specific comments about your tour then please write to us by email to operations@kumuka.com

All euro star tickets are non negotiable, transferable or refundable and are only available for the date and time of departure as per itinerary

Travel insurance is compulsory for all tours. All clients MUST be insured to cover personal accident, medical expenses, cancellation, curtailment and repatriation. It is also very important that your insurance policy is relevant to the Kumuka style of travel. Kumuka offers a specially negotiated insurance policy specifically tailored to adventure travel. As well as providing substantial cover for medical emergency, cancellation and curtailment, personal luggage, money and valuables and legal expenses, this insurance will also provide cover for the adventure activities you may choose to undertake whilst on tour. Please call us on the Kumuka freephone number 0800 068 8855 (UK only), or on 1300 667 277 in Australia, for further information.

No client will be allowed on tours without suitable insurance. If you have already arranged insurance elsewhere, please be aware that many of the optional activities such as bungy jumping or water rafting may not be covered on your policy. If you plan on doing any of these activities please purchase additional insurance.

At the start of your tour you will be asked to present your original policy document and complete an insurance information form. We recommend that you have a photocopy of this document, which you keep separate from the original.

Please note: you will not be permitted to join a Kumuka Tour without travel insurance.

Vaccinations:

No vaccinations are compulsory in Europe however you may need additional inoculations so please contact your G.P or a travel medical centre for further information.

We also recommend:

• A dental check-up prior to travelling.
• That you know your blood group in case of emergency.
• That if you have any pre-existing medical conditions which might affect you on tour, you make these known to your tour leader and your agent/Kumuka at the time of your booking.          

You can also visit www.kumuka.com for further details.

Medical Supplies:

Your tour leader has a well-equipped medical kit that by law must remain sealed and can only be used in an emergency. We advise that all passengers bring along their own personal first aid kit. Below is a list of some recommended items:

 Band Aids/Bandages, Laxatives, Upset stomach remedy, Anti-diarrhoea remedy, Panadol/Aspirin, Rehydration remedy, Antiseptic cream/powder, Sterile dressing, any relevant course of medication such as contraceptive pills.

A complete Travellers Medical Pack can be purchased for approximately US$25 at most Vaccination Centres, Chemists and outdoor travel shops.

Europe, like the rest of the world, is no stranger to theft. You must exercise extreme care with wallets, cameras and other valuables especially in towns or busy tourist areas. We advise that you make copies of your passport, credit cards, airline tickets and your insurance policy and that you keep a careful note of both used and unused traveller’s cheque numbers. At times when you are unable to store your valuables in safety deposit boxes in hotels we recommend that you carry some sort of money belt or hidden pouch for safekeeping of valuable items.

We recommend an average of €40-50 per day. This of course depends on your own spending habits, the number of optional excursions you wish to take and the amount of additional snacks, souvenirs and drinks you wish to buy along the way. Be aware that some countries are more expensive than others and that if you are travelling through several your expenses will vary enormously. Similarly there will be some days when you spend nothing at all and others when you exceed your budget.

• We advise that you carry a mixture of cash, credit/debit cards and travellers cheques with you on your trip and that these are in Euros.
• We suggest that you record your travellers cheque numbers and keep these records separate from your cheques.
• American Express and Thomas Cook Travellers Cheques (with the exception of Spain and Portugal) are most widely accepted. 
• Credit cards are accepted virtually everywhere in Europe. They can also be used to obtain money from ATMs. You should make sure you know your PIN number.
• ATM cards can be used widely in Europe. Again, you will need your PIN. Your bank will provide you with more details.
• Euro cheques are now valid for all EU countries except the UK, Switzerland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. The Euro has come into effect as a cash currency from 2002.

Kumuka cannot be held liable for any left luggage whilst on tour and due to high admin and postage costs no left items will be returned.

We suggest that you take into account the time of year you will be travelling, and pack accordingly to the season. Quick drying clothes are recommended, and at many hotels there are laundry facilities. Your tour leader will advise where this is possible.

Personal Effects:

Camera, Spare passport photos, Water bottle, Money belt, Sewing kit, Sunhat/ Sunglasses, Music CDs/Ipod, Books, Wet Ones, Soap to wash clothes, Writing materials, Swiss Army knife, Calculator, Personal toiletries, including tampons, contraceptives, Insect Repellent, Sunscreen.

English will be widely spoken in the major tourist attractions of the main cities. Take the time before your trip to read up on the country you will be visiting and perhaps learn a few words of the language. Your effort will always be welcomed and will make your trip all the more enjoyable.

Vegetarians or those with special dietary needs can also be catered for however in some countries the type of food may be limited and repetitive. Please let the Reservations team know your special requirements as soon as possible so that we can do all possible to assist your needs, but please note that special meals may incur an extra cost which is payable at the restaurant.

The level of food provided on our European coach tours is aimed at a 'group environment' and specific allergies cannot be catered to generally due to the number and variety of countries visited within Europe, although our Tour Leaders will always do their best to cater for such needs where possible.

We provide hearty meals but the variety of food will differ, as you will be visiting a number of different countries. We try to ensure that you get the most experience from your Kumuka Europe coach trip and one of the ways to do this is by trying the local cuisine. Dinners are generally 3 course with drinks extra.

All our tours begin with a pre-departure meeting when you meet your tour leader, driver and fellow travellers. If you wish to spend a few additional days in your start city before the departure of your tour, then we can arrange accommodation for you. On the last day of the tour we usually arrive at our final destination in the late afternoon, when the tour ends. If you would like to book accommodation for that night or even stay additional nights, we will be more than happy to arrange this for you as well. All our accommodation is carefully chosen, conveniently located, clean and comfortable. (All rates per person per night and subject to availability).Please be aware that accommodation availability can fill very quickly especially during high season and recommend that you book this as soon as possible. It will NOT be possible to confirm any pre tour accommodation made 2 weeks or less prior to your arrival.

Under no circumstances are any illegal drugs allowed on any part of the trip. Anyone discovered in possession of any such drugs, will be asked to leave the tour immediately without question or refund.

KUMUKA WORLDWIDE

UK OFFICE

40 Earls Court Road, London W8 6EJ
Tel: 020 7937 8855 Fax: 020 7937 6664
Email: sales@kumuka.com
www.kumuka.com

AUSTRALIAN OFFICE

Level 5 , 387 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: 02 9279 0491 Fax: 02 9279 0492
Email: sales@kumuka.com.au
www.kumuka.com.au