Overview
Features
Excursions
Overview (Return to top)
The legendary beauty of the Italian lakes is combined with the glorious landscapes of the French Alps on this remarkable holiday. With their magnificent natural beauty, picturesque towns and villages, superb climate, and wonderful cuisine, these two spectacular destinations have welcomed enchanted visitors for generations. The Italian lakes are rich in variety and ever-changing scenery, and their timeless beauty has inspired poets, artists, and composers for centuries. The dramatic French Alps provide breathtaking views of snow-capped mountains and glacial lakes, and the medieval villages, picturesque châteaux, and charming towns are sure to delight.
Lake Garda, Italy
Magnificent, impressive, and breathtaking! The shimmering blue waters of Lake Garda, Italy’s largest lake, provide a delightful contrast to the grandeur of the Alps. Nestled in the foothills of the Dolomites, the lake enjoys a Mediterranean climate where orchards of olive and lemon trees fringe the region and the vineyards of Bardolino and Valpolicella are nearby. Complete with quaint cobbled streets and pastel-colored houses, Peschiera, Sirmione, Desenzano, Bardolino, and Garda are some of the magical towns offering you a memorable stay on the southern shores of Lake Garda.
Chamonix, French Alps
Stylish Chamonix is one of Europe’s most celebrated resorts, attracting visitors year-round thanks to its superb location at the foot of Mont Blanc, Europe’s highest mountain. Hemmed in by the dramatic peaks of the French Alps and located just a stone’s throw from the borders of Italy and Switzerland in southeastern France, Chamonix has much to offer. Enjoy the magnificent vistas and breathtaking scenery that are presented at every turn in this friendly resort town that is surrounded by outstanding natural beauty. The resort itself has a great range of activities for all ages, and its lovely flower-lined streets offer a wealth of shops, numerous cafes, tempting restaurants, and lively nightspots for you to discover.
Priced from $1,499 plus air
GoNext
For reservations or additional information, contact:
Jan Breitman [jbreitman@alumni.iastate.edu]
Iowa State University Alumni Association
Phone: (515) 294-6526 direct or (877) ISU-ALUM toll-free
Fax: (515) 294-9402
Features (Return to top)
Land program includes:
• Seven nights first-class accommodations on Lake Garda, Italy and in Chamonix, France
• Continental buffet breakfast daily
• Scenic transfer between Lake Garda and Chamonix via Milan
• Luggage handling with related tipping
• Local taxes
• Attentive service from an experienced Go Next program manager and professional tour guides throughout
• Comprehensive pre-departure information
Airfare program includes:
• Round-trip transatlantic air transportation
• Round-trip transfers between the airports and hotels via deluxe motorcoach, as well as related luggage handling and tipping
• Taxes and airline fuel surcharges
Excursions (Return to top)
Lake Garda:
Optional: Treasures of Lake Garda
Visit some of the most beguiling villages on Lake Garda. Walk along cobbled streets, visit town squares, and snap pictures of the pretty pastel houses that hug the shoreline. Sample local wines near Bardolino, the town that gave its name to the well-known red wine. Complete your day with a boat ride on the lake, and enjoy the vista of deep blue waters against a backdrop of emerald green slopes lined with colorful olive and lemon groves with snowcapped peaks in the distance.
Optional: Magical Venice
Revel in this magic city of canals, bridges, opulent palaces, and elegant piazzas. Travel by boat to the heart of Venice to begin a walking tour through the lovely highlights of this romantic city. Visit St. Mark’s Square, the most famous part of Venice offering remarkable sights: St. Mark’s Basilica, the ornate Doge’s Palace, the Campanile, and the famous Bridge of Sighs.
Included: Scenic transfer via Milan
Amazing scenery is revealed as you travel through the heart of northern Italy, an area of stunning landscapes dotted with traditional villages, ancient towns, and picturesque castles. Stop in Milan for a short visit to this city that is Italy’s commercial and fashion capital and also home to countless historic attractions, including the famous La Scala opera house and the world’s largest Gothic cathedral, which is dramatically crowned with 135 spires.
Chamonix:
Optional: Alpine Splendor -- Zermatt
Cross the Swiss border to visit this classic mountain village nestled at the foot of the majestic Matterhorn. Enjoy narrow chalet-lined streets, window boxes bursting with flowers, shops, restaurants, fresh mountain air, and a traffic free environment. Step out of time and perhaps take a ride in horse and buggy in Hinterdorf, the most historic part of town. Weather permitting, you may choose to ride the optional Gornergrat Railway up to a height of 10,275 feet, where fantastic views of the Matterhorn and the Monta Rosa await.
Optional: Montreux, Castle Chillon and Mont Blanc Express Train
A scenic drive takes you to the town of Montreux on the eastern shore of Lake Geneva. Sumptuous palaces and Edwardian hotels make this town reminiscent of the French Riviera, and the famous palm-lined promenade and charming Old Town promise enchantment. A short distance away stands one of the most beautiful castles in Switzerland, Castle Chillon. Perched on a rocky island that juts out of Lake Geneva, this castle is stunning from the outside and fascinating on the inside. Then it’s on to Gruyéros for a taste of Swiss cheese and a glimpse at how it’s made. Return to Chamonix via the Mont Blanc Express, a train that ascends to breathtaking heights and magnificent views.
Excursions are an additional cost and subject to change.
