Day 1: Early hours of the morning departure (approx. 5.00am) from North Wales and travel to Dover for the 2.25pm ferry crossing to Calais. Upon arrival we continue to our overnight hotel, the 4-star Hôtel Mercure Lille Aeroport (dinner, bed & breakfast).
Day 2: We continue our journey through Belgium into Germany for a further overnight stop at the 4-star Leonardo Hotel Karlsruhe (dinner, bed & breakfast).
Day 3: Depart after breakfast and travel through Bavaria and Austria to arrive in lovely Lake Molveno and the excellent 4-star Hotel Alle Dolomiti on the shores of the lake for a 5-night stay. Dinner is served this evening, which includes a welcome drink.
Day 4: Free in Lake Molveno
Enjoy a free day to explore the town, relax by the lake or take a swim in the hotel pool with the mountains as your backdrop. Your included Dolomiti card gives you free travel on local buses, entrance to museums and reductions on attractions. Why not take the stunning cable car ride up to the panoramic terrace 1350 metres above the lake!
Day 5: Riva del Garda & Lake Garda
Take the beautiful journey south through the ancient Tenno Valley passing medieval villages and lush pastures, to the amazing Riva del Garda on Italy’s largest lake. Browse the many shops and eateries, enjoy a gelato by the lake or take a boat ride to nearby Limone for a water’s eye view of the stunning shores.
Day 6: The Italian Dolomites
The Italian Dolomites are a breath-taking mountain range of dramatic peaks, and no visit would be complete without a scenic drive through the stunning scenery, passing medieval villages and lush pastures. We start our day in the historic town of Trento, with time to explore the ancient streets and squares, and admire the cathedral and castle. Thursdays are usually market day in Trento. We then board the local ‘Castles Train’ from Trento to Male for a unique view of the picture-perfect scenery and towns known for their dramatic medieval castles.
Day 7: Bolzano
Travel to the capital of the South Tyrol today. Beautiful Bolzano shows its Austrian history in the architecture, scenery and even the language. Enjoy time to see the cathedral, pretty piazzas and perhaps visit the museum which is home to the 5,300-year-old body of ‘Otzi the Iceman’ found in 1991 in the local mountains.
Day 8: We depart Lake Molveno after breakfast and journey north into Germany and our overnight hotel, the 3-star Mercure Hotel Saarbrücken Süd (dinner, bed & breakfast).
Day 9: We make the return journey to Calais for the 2.20pm ferry crossing to Dover. On our arrival, we complete the journey home to North Wales.