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TO BOOK: email us to secure your place, and then post your desposit to us. Include all of the folowing information with the deposit, or print out and complete the form (printer-friendly version available here):
German Christmas Markets - Aachen & Trier start/finish Brussels (Gare du Midi)
Provisional schedule (incl. Eurostar timetable), subject to change.
Minimum number for a tour 14, maximum 18.
For information on our other group tours in 2008 click here.
Above: Aachen Cathedral
at Ravenna, Italy; this is abutted by a tall thin Gothic choir, built to house the tomb of the Frankish Emperor Charlemagne. Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle in French), an old spa town, was turned by Charlemagne into his capital city; he was crowned the first Holy Roman Emperor in 800 AD. Free time to explore the stunning inside of the Cathedral (& visit the Cathedral Treasury if you want) - followed by several hours to ‘do’ the fine Christmas Market that spreads over the two largest squares in the city, and enjoy the many cafés. At 17.00 and 18.00 our minibus will make two short trips from the centre to our nearby hotel. We have one night here, with a group evening meal in the hotel at 19.00 (included in the price).
Thursday 11th:
from Aachen to Trier - Trier walking tour & Christmas Market
We leave the hotel at 08.45 for a two-and-a-half hour drive south to Trier, across the Ardennes / Eiffel region
£ 230 ($485) per head for the on-ground arrangements in Belgium & Germany: transport by minibus, guiding (incl. two city walks), 2 nights accommodation in 2-star hotel in Aachen & 3-star hotel in Trier (sharing Double/Twin, with private shower & w.c. - Single supplement £40 / $80), 2 breakfasts, and a group meal on the first evening.
NOT INCLUDED: Eurostar (currently costs from £59 return from London or Ebbsfleet), other meals, private insurance.
For our Canterbury clients - getting to Ebbsfleet: we can arrange transport by shared car for £25 per head (return).
Above left: the huge hall of Emperor Constantine's palace (c. 300 AD!) looms above 18th century buildings in Trier's fine park
IMPORTANT NOTE RE. EUROSTAR BOOKINGS: our price does not include your Eurostar ticket. With prices starting from £59 return, these only open for booking (at www.eurostar.com or 08705 186 186) approximately 90 days before the date of your return leg - viz. around 13th September. Before you book you must wait for our confirmation that we have the required numbers for the tour - we will be in contact as soon as we know that, and certainly before Eurostar booking opens.
The deposit is £ 75 per person (payable by cheque to "Dr Thomson's Tours" - I regret that we do not take credit cards). Payment of the balance will be due 8 weeks prior to the date of the tour. All payments go into our Trustee Account - no funds are released to us until after completion of the tour (as per the consumer protection measures under the EU Package Travel Regulations 1992).
Cancellation conditions (our full Booking Conditions will be sent with your Confirmation - if you are not happy with them then you have the option to cancel without charge within 7 days): on cancellation we will refund your purchase as follows: up to 8 weeks prior to the tour: 100%, less £ 5 p.p. admin charge 4 to 8 weeks prior: 67% 2 to 4 weeks: 34% 1- 14 days: 20% on the day: no refund.
XMAS MARKETS - December 2008
Booking Form:
Name: .................................................. Telephone: ....................................
Address (+ postcode): .................................................................................
Booking for:
Number sharing double rooms
Number sharing twin rooms (2 beds)
Number requiring single rooms
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@ £ 230 p.p. }
@ £ 230 p.p. }
@ £ 270 p.p. }
grand
total
£ ..........
the other Roman remains, the walls, and Karl Marx’s birthplace (!), before taking the minibus for the short journey to our hotel, right by the Roman gateway. Check-in, then the remainder of the afternoon free for the Christmas Market, and an evening free for the fine restaurants.
Friday 12th:
Trier (free morning), & return to Brussels
Free morning for shopping, museums, and relaxation in Trier. We leave at 13.30 - it is a 4 hour drive back to Brussels, plus a break, arriving around 18.30 hrs - allowing a buffer of time for some food before check-in for the 21.02 Eurostar to St Pancras (arriving 22.04 GMT, or 21.48 at Ebbsfleet).
Option: extra nights in Brussels before or after the tour ?
We can book you rooms in the 2-star Ibis Grande Place or Ibis Gare du Midi for £48 p.p. per night incl. breakfast.
Wednesday 10th December 2008:
from Brussels to Aachen - Aachen tour, Cathedral, & Christmas Market
The tour starts at Brussels Gare du Midi at 10.00 local time. We will be meeting the 07.00 GMT Eurostar from London St Pancras (07.15 from Ebbsfleet) which arrives at 10.03 (09.03 GMT). It is a 2-hour drive east to Aachen where we arrive around 13.00 (after an early break for a snack lunch en route). In Aachen Dr Thomson will lead you on a short guided walk around the centre, looking at the Town Hall and the exterior of the amazing Cathedral. Built in the eight century, the heart of the Cathedral is octagonal, based on the Byzantine Emperor Justinian’s church
- rugged, forested, with fine distant views (if the weather is kind!); coffee break en route. Arriving in Trier around 12.00, Dr Thomson will lead us on an introductory walking tour, in two halves - 45 minutes before a lunch break looking at the huge Roman gateway, the Cathedral, and the surviving hall from the Emperor Constantine’s Palace from c. 300 AD!. Trier is the city with the most Roman reamins north of the Alps. A further 45 minutes after lunch covers
Deposit required now: £ 75 ($150) x no. places: ...........
Total (£ or US$ cheque enclosed*): £ ($) ...........
Outside the UK or US? BANK TRANSFER details available on request
Dr Thomson's Tours, Bethany, 37 The Crescent, Canterbury CT2 7AW
Trier Christmas Market
Above right: the old Roman gateway in Trier
December 2008