canals, vineyards & paris - solos tour 2016

WELCOME TO FRANCE Explore the best of France with a solo’s tour to one of the most stunning cities of the world — Paris! Then enjoy a scenic cruise along the Marne Canal to Epernay, home to many of the top Champagne houses. You will discover incredible architecture and historical monuments, relish in the French cuisine and be immersed in the wonderful atmosphere that makes France such a popular destination. You will start your adventure with four amazing nights in Paris, staying in the lively Latin Quarter where you will have your own room with private ensuite of course. A full day guided tour will take you and your fellow solo travellers to explore one of the world’s largest museums, the Louvre. Here you will come face to face with some of the most famous artworks including Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.You will then see the Eiffel Tower in all its glory, while enjoying a delicious group lunch. No trip to Paris is complete without a scenic river cruise where you will soak up 2,000 years of Parisian history. You’ll wonder around the main boulevards, Place de la République, the Opera, Place de la Madeleine and Place Vendôme. You’ll discover some of Paris’ most loved architecture and hidden delights as well as walk along the prettiest covered walkways in the city. Your love of Paris is sure to grow as we set off on a tour of Paris’ more famous squares and monuments. You will have the opportunity to marvel at the Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, Champ-Eylsees, Sacre Coeur and have your photo taken in front of the Nortre Dame. Our tour of Paris provides you the opportunity to explore the city at your own pace, or join us in one of the many incredible activities on offer. Learn the art of creating decedent Parisian desserts and pastries in a cooking class with a professional chef, take to the streets and graze on the regional delights on a gourmet French food walking tour or be entertained watching the fabulous cabaret show, Moulin Rouge. For those craving open spaces, we have you covered with three optional escapes out of the city. Discover the beautiful French countryside with a trip to Normandy, spend a day touring the quaint village of Giverny before exploring Versailles or spend a leisurely full day in the one place at the historical city of Versailles. Our second part of the tour will see us leave land to climb aboard our barge to take to the French canals for seven days of adventure. The ship offers all the creature comforts of a hotel including your own private cabin with ensuite and a friendly crew to accommodate all your needs. The scenery will be awe-inspiring as we sail towards Meaux where you have the opportunity to explore the charming town and uncover its history including a visit to Meaux Cathedral, the Gallo-Roman ramparts and the magnificent Bossuet Gardens. To top your day off, you will even have the chance to taste the local cheese, hailed as the “King of Cheeses”.What is a trip to France without experiencing one of the country’s most famous exports, Champagne? We will sail past the heart of the Seine-et-Marne countryside and take in the views of the region’s Champagne vines as we cruise through the scenic towns of Champigny and Drachy. Disembark and you will have the opportunity to wander the historic town of Château Thierry and enjoy a cultural visit to the Jean de la Fontaine Museum. Our river cruise continues to the town of Dormans where you can enjoy a guided tour of Reims, the unofficial capital of the Champagne wine-growing region. Our last full day on the waters will see us travelling to Epernay where we will journey along the famous Champagne route to discover the birthplace of the decedent drink, Hautvilliers. To cap your day off, enjoy a tasting of bubbles in one of the major Champagne houses of Epernay. Every good tour has to come to an end and ours does with an intimate Gala evening aboard the cruise vessel, before returning back to Paris via a private coach the following day, or continuing your travels to the south of France. This tour of France provides solo travelers many unforgettable moments and incredible experiences. Throughout your journey you will discover just why Paris is one of the most loved cities of the world as well as delight in the beautiful landscapes and French delicacies - especially the cheese and Champagne! What more could you ask for?

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11 DAY SOLO TOUR MAY 2016

DETAILED ITINERARYFABULOUS FRANCEDay 1 [15th May 2016]: ARRIVE PARISArrive at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport where you will meet your tour coordinators and be escorted to your hotel located in the lively Latin Quarter. We will have the opportunity to mingle with your fellow solo travellers on tour over a welcome drink, before enjoying dinner.

§ Overnight: ‘Hotel St Pierre’, Latin Quarter § Standard style room with ensuite.

Day 2 [16th May 2016]: PARIS (B) (L) *Chartered Minibus* Rise early and enjoy a continental breakfast before experiencing a tour of one of the world’s largest museums, the Louvre. Beginning under the Great Pyramid, your guide will take you inside this incredible monument, where you will discover the modern pyramid, the Egyptian department and some of the museum’s most famous works such as Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Arriving at the Eiffel Tower, we will skip all the lengthy queues and enjoy a delicious lunch and a few drinks, while marvelling at the incredible views. Next, we will board the Seine River Cruise to soak up 2,000 years of Parisian history as we sail the city’s waterways. § Overnight: ‘Hotel St Pierre’, Latin Quarter

§ Standard style room with ensuite.

Day 3 [17th May 2016]: PARIS (B) *Chartered Minibus* After a continental breakfast, we will be setting off on a full day exploring this incredible city. We will tour Paris’ most famous squares and monuments, including the Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, Champ-Elysees, Notre Dame and Scare Coeur. The day will be filled with breathtaking architecture, cultural experiences and Parisian delights.


Day 4 [18th May 2016]: PARIS (B)Start your morning with a continental breakfast at the hotel before enjoying a full day at your leisure. Relax at the hotel and explore the city at your own pace, or join us in one of the many optional activities on offer:

§ Paris cooking class: Learn the art of creating decedent Parisian desserts and pastries with a 3 hour cooking class. A professional chef will teach you all you need to know at a private city apartment.

§ Gourmet French food walking tour: take to the streets to discover the incredible French cuisine with your guide. You will sample regional savoury and sweet delights as we tour the many markets along the way.


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§ Moulin Rouge: Sit back and be entertained watching the fabulous cabaret show, Moulin Rouge with the option to make a night of it enjoying the show, dinner and champagne.

§ Escape to the countryside: Take the opportunity to escape the bustling city for green land Normandy. We will discover the famous village of Giverny along the way, where you will be amazed by the beautiful French countryside and have the chance to visit Monet’s home and explore its colourful gardens.

§ Explore Giverny and Versailles: Spend a full day touring the quaint village of Giverny and the historical city of Versailles which was once a small medieval village, but today is so much more.

§ A day at Versailles: Relax and enjoy a leisurely day at Versailles where you will have a guided tour of the town including the contemporary architecture, beautiful restaurants, tranquil green spaces, theatrical performances and the must see Palace of Versailles.


Day 5 [19th May 2016]: PARIS TO BARGE RAYMONDE (B) (D) Following a continental breakfast, we will take a private coach to the Barge dock where our canal journey begins in the afternoon. We will be welcomed aboard the luxury vessel “MS Raymonde” by the friendly crew with a refreshing cocktail followed by a relaxing evening with your fellow travellers.

Enjoy dinner on board before retiring to your own private cabin with ensuite.

Day 6 [20th May 2016]: PARIS TO LAGNY-SUR-MARNE (B) (L) (D)As all the wonders of Paris can’t possibly be seen in just a couple of days, so today you embrace another opportunity to explore the major sites of the city. Experience the Parisian city’s atmosphere as you take in the incredible attractions including Place de la République, the main boulevards, the Opera, Place de la Madeleine and Place Vendôme. We will wander along the prettiest covered walkways in Paris before returning to the vessel and setting sail to Langy-sur-Marne.

Enjoy dinner aboard the cruise ship before we arrive to our destination later in the evening.

§ Retire to your own private cabin with ensuite.

Day 7 [21st May2016]: LAGNY-SUR-MARNE TO MEAUX TO SAINT-JEAN-LES-DEUX-JUMEAUX (B) (L) (D)Wake at your leisure and take in the scenery as we set sail to Meaux where we arrive in the afternoon. Here, you can visit this charming town and explore the sights from the Meaux Cathedral to the Bishops’ Palace before passing the Gallo-Roman ramparts and the magnificent Bossuet Garden, traditionally believed to be an early work of Le Nôtre. Discover the Brie de


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Meaux Exhibition Room before savoring the incredible flavours of the local made cheese, hailed as the “King of Cheeses”.We will make our way back on board at Saint-Jean-Les-Deux-Jumeaux where we will enjoy dinner and settle in for the evening.


Day 8 [22nd May 2016]: SAINT-JEAN-LES-DEUX-JUMEAUX TO CHÂTEAU THIERRY (B) (L) (D)Enjoy a relaxing breakfast as we set sail passing through the scenic towns of Champigny and Drachy. We will travel through the heart of the Seine-et-Marne countryside and take in the views of its famous Champagne vines. Our arrival into Château Thierry will be in the afternoon, where you will have the opportunity to enjoy a cultural visit to the Jean de la Fontaine Museum. Continue your exploration of the town passing the historic castle walls and the Hotel Dieu, where Jean de la Fontaine once lived before making your way back to the barge for an evening with your fellow travelers.


Day 9 [23rd May 2016]: CHÂTEAU THIERRY TO DORMANS (B) (L) (D)Today we depart Château Thierry and arrive at the historical town of Dormans. Relax on board the vessel or join us for a guided tour of Reims, the unofficial capital of the Champagne wine-growing region. We will take in the sights of the historical center and its impressive Gothic cathedral before returning back to the barge for an evening on board.


Day 10 [24th May 2016]: DORMANS TO EPERNY (B) (L) (D)While enjoying breakfast we set sail towards prosperous Epernay, home to many of the top Champagne houses of the region. It wouldn’t be a tour of France without a trip along the famous Champagne route where we will discover the village of Hautvilliers, the birthplace of Champagne. During this optional excursion, we will take you to visit one of the major Champagne houses where you can enjoy a decadent tasting of bubbles.

We will help you back on board where you can continue delighting in the flavours of France with a full glass during our Gala evening.

§ You will sleep well in your own private cabin.

Day 11 [25th May 2016]: EPERNAY TO PARIS (B)Our river barge journey will come to an end today in Epernay after a farewell buffet breakfast on board. We will disembark before transferring to a private coach, where you will either continue your journey back to Paris and transfer to the airport for your flight home, or onto the Two’s a Crowd South of France Tour Extension. You can also stay on in Paris for a few days…it’s completely up to you.

ITALY INTERLUDE

I T A L Y

16 DAY SOLO TOUR JUNE 2016


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YOUR TOUR INCLUDESn Arrival transfer in Parisn Meals as indicated in the itinerary. breakfast (B), lunch (L), dinner (D)n 4 nights in Paris at Hotel St Pierre (Latin Quarter) with breakfast dailyn 7 days aboard MS Raymonde Canal Barge - privately chartered for the

exclusive use of Two’s a Crowd in your own cabin with ensuiten All meals on board the MS Raymonde plus water, wine, beer, fruit juices during

the meals and coffee after both lunch and dinner for meals eaten on the boatn Drinks from the bar, except for champagne or wines from our special listn Tour of Château Thierry and the Jean de la Fontaine Museumn Reims Hautvillers, birthplace of Champagne - guided tourn Guided visit of Meaux and cheese tasting sessionn Assistance from our onboard multi-lingual host/hostessn Transfer by coach from Epernay to Paris Day 7n Two’s a Crowd Tour Host accompanies group throughoutn Free WIFI onboard the bargen Free use of on-board bicyclesn Free use of Samsung tablet on-boardn Welcome cocktail - gala dinnern All port feesn Comprehensive Travel Insurance with CHI Australia (Underwritten by Allianz).

Additional premium will apply based on age or pre-existing conditions. Please refer to the CHI PDS for policy terms and conditions.

n All tips while on Paris day tours (16th & 17th May)n Transfer from Epernay to Paris (25th May) if not

continuing on with the South France extension tour.

Paris sightseeingn All entrance feesn Private minibusn English speaking guiden Lunch at Eiffel Towern Guided tour of Louvren Seine River Cruise

TOUR EXCLUDES:n Drinks from the barge wine list, champagne

from the onboard bar, or drinks ordered during excursions or transfers

n Meals, other than specifiedn Fees and admissions other than listed as included.n Activities, other than specifiedn Gratuities to barge staff & guidesn International airfares/taxes

TOUR PRICING $7476 PER PERSON PLUS AIRFARES TOUR DATES: 15TH MAY - 25TH MAY 2016

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FABULOUS FRANCE 11 DAY SOLO TOUR MAY 2016


Participation in this tour requires a good level of fitness and you should be in general good health. The tours frequently include walking for extended periods often over uneven ground and/or uphill. Factors such as bumpy roads, dust, traffic, stairs, humidity, delays and unfamiliar customs and cultures also add to the physical toll. Keep in mind you will sometimes need to carry your own bags.

Altitude sickness: You may also be affected by altitude sickness. Parts of our trip go above 2800 metres where it is common for travellers to experience some adverse health effects due to the altitude - regardless of your age, gender and fitness. It even happened to Sir Edmund Hillary!

Before your trip: Some pre-existing medical conditions are known to severely worsen at high altitude and be difficult to adequately treat on the ground, leading to more serious consequences. It is imperative that you discuss your pre-existing medical condition/s with your doctor. We understand certain medications are reported to aid acclimatising to high altitude. Please discuss these options with your doctor.

During your trip: While our tour guides have basic first aid training and are aware of the closest medical facilities, it is very important that you are aware of the cause and effects of travelling at altitude, monitor your health and seek assistance accordingly.

Please read the following document carefully and, during your trip, utilise the table on the back daily to record your own perspective of your general health and any symptoms you may experience:

For more information please see www.twosacrowd.com.au/altitude

Diving in the Galapagos: Due to our guide’s internal safety policy, our leaders are specifically prohibited from recommending or assisting with booking this activity.

FITNESS AND HEALTH WHILE TRAVELLING IN SOUTH AMERICA

Terms & Conditions: • Prices are per person and based on sole use rooms throughout • Prices are correct as at 10 July 2015 and are subject to change until paid in full • Refer to our website www.twosacrowd.com.au for full terms and conditions. ©2015 Travel Passion Pty Ltd | ABN 32 140 754 856 trading as Two’s a Crowd.

Two’s a Crowd and the disk logo are registered trademarks of Travel Passion Pty Ltd.

NEED MORE INFORMATION? CONTACT THE TEAM: Phone: 1300 55 45 01 (AUS) or 0800 895 145 (NZ) Email: [email protected]

ABOUT TWO’S A CROWD: Two’s a Crowd is owned and operated by Noonan’s Travel (Licence No. 32931) which has been providing travel services since 1978. Two’s a Crowd was born out of our recognition of the growing number of people travelling solo whose needs are not well served.

Our commitment is to make solo travel more enjoyable and affordable.

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17 Sep 2015 &

*Additional travel insurance premium may apply based on age or pre-existing conditions.

ITALY INTERLUDE 16 DAY SOLO TOUR JUNE 2016

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ABOUT THE MS RAYMONDE The MS Raymonde is a spacious river barge which sails the canals and waterways of France. Her charming interior and comfortable staterooms make her an ideal vessel to gently explore the French countryside at a very leisurely pace.The MS Raymonde has just 12 cabins. Each cabin has a window and is equipped with private en-suite facilities, television, radio, telephone (for internal calls only), safe and independent air-conditioning.Common areas of the ship include a spacious lounge with bar, restaurant with large windows, sun deck with lounge chairs and parasols, barbecue deck, Jacuzzi at the front of the ship, and free WiFi throughout. The Raymonde also provides bicycles which passengers may use during land excursions. A crew of 5 will look after us throughout. This is a rare opportunity to see France up close but far away from the crowds.


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canals, vineyards & paris - solos tour 2016

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