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To book this trip, call 1-800-648-4856 or 972-233-3300

DATES

Nov 19-25, 2011 (Sat - Fri)

PRICE

$1929 + $370 tax = $2299 per person based on double occupancy
$2574 + $370 tax = $2949 per person based on single occupancy (maximum 3)
(Taxes and fuel surcharges are subject to change.)

PRICE INCLUDES:

• Roundtrip airfare from DFW to London
• 5 nights first class hotel accommodation with private facilities
• Hotel service charges and taxes
• 5-Breakfasts & 2 dinners
• Special 2 nights stay at Peckforton Castle
• Services of the Trafalgar Tour Director during stay
• Baggage handling for one bag per person
• Touring by luxury coach

PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE:

• All personal expenses i.e. telephone, laundry, etc.
• Optional excursions
• Gratuities to guide and drivers
• Meals other than specified
• Alcoholic beverages

Please read the full set of terms and conditions before booking this trip.

ITINERARY

Day 1
Depart USA for London, England

Day 2
Salisbury – Stonehenge - Bristol
After a morning arrival, we’ll be greeted by our tour director and escorted to our coach for the drive west toward the Bristol Channel, with a couple of exciting things to see on the way to our final destination, the first being what is generally considered England’s finest medieval cathedral, Salisbury Cathedral. Built all at once, with none of the subsequent additions of most other cathedrals, Salisbury has a very pleasing unity of appearance which we’ll see as we approach it. It has the tallest spire, at 404 feet, of all English cathedrals and the 6,500 tons of tower and spire have actually caused the support columns in the church to visibly buckle under the weight! The Cathedral houses the four remaining originals of the Magna Carta, signed in 1215 and boasts the oldest working clock in all of Europe, dating from 1386. Twenty minutes from here, to the north, lie the ancient monoliths at Stonehenge. Dating back some 5,000 years, these prehistoric monuments have intrigued, puzzled and fascinated through millennia and we’ll pay them a visit! Then, a drive of an hour and a half west brings us into Bristol. Tonight, at our hotel, please join our tour director and fellow travel companions for a welcome drink. It’s also a great way to make new friends! Overnight: Bristol

Day 3
Bath – Chester - Tarporley
Just a half hour to the southeast, back in the direction from whence we came, the elegant Georgian spa town of Bath, spectacularly situated and built on terraces up the steep slopes of the valley of the river Avon, awaits us! It’s the beginning of a new adventure as we take an orientation drive around Bath! Nothing could be more quintessentially Bath than the Circus - John Wood the Elder’s extraordinary 18th century vision for the city - three terraces of houses curving around a central circular space, fed by evocations of the grandeur of Imperial Rome but also evocative of London’s spacious squares and imposing terraces. It is a powerfully original concept in urban planning, as is the Crescent, also designed and built by Wood and his son, John the Younger! The Crescent is often chosen to be on postcards of the city. Thirty glorious houses, decorated with a facade of columns and built of pale-gold Bath stone, all on a grand scale and sure to take your breath away! Bath is spectacularly situated on the river Avon, which is crossed by one of the most admired bridges in the world, Pulteney Bridge, one of only four bridges in the world lined with shops and Robert Adam's graceful composition is one of the glories of English Palladianism. (Adam had, of course, visited both Florence and Venice where he would have seen the ancient Ponte Vecchio and the striking Ponte di Rialto). Bath itself is a museum to two periods of England's history, the Roman period and the Georgian period. Drive to Chester for an orientation tour to see the Cathedral, the Rows and the Roman City Walls enroute to Tarporley. Tonight we dine together.Overnight: Peckforton Castle (B,D)

Day 4
Tarporley – Liverpool - Tarporley
Here we are waking up in a castle and feeling like characters in a movie! (Actually, during the 1970s and 1980s, a number of films and TV programs were shot here including Doctor Who and Robin Hood, starring Uma Thurman). We’re just less than an hour to the west and north, from the great city whose very name conjures up images of a glorious maritime history, a superstar musical heritage, two of the English Premiership’s biggest football (soccer) teams and not one but two majestically different Cathedrals - Liverpool. It’s a city now bulging with fabulous new shops, restaurants, hotels and trendy wine bars, as well as a world-class cultural palette, boasting more museums and art galleries anywhere outside of London. Not forgetting its inhabitants, of course, who are famously friendly and will welcome us with great pride! On our orientation drive tour we’ll get an overview and be amazed by the impressive results that the rather huge sums of money that have been spent on the city have produced. Sizeable chunks of well-proportioned brick houses and handsome streets still survive amidst the modern, sharp-edged glitter and brooding above it all is the 330-foot tower of the Anglican Liverpool Cathedral, which unlike its older brother cathedral is one of the very few built specifically as an Anglican building, rather than Roman Catholic. This is a modern building, constructed using modern techniques, designed by men familiar with modern engineering and architectural precepts but also entirely within the tradition of English cathedral building. It is majestic and powerful. We’ll also get a look, at the other end of Hope Street, at the Roman Catholic Liverpool Cathedral, which was also at first intended to be a majestic and astonishing building, like a mighty domed Byzantine basilica but the original idea never got off the ground. The pioneering modern design we see today, something resembling a large funnel, includes the famous Lantern Tower with its crowning pinnacles helping the cathedral stand out against the Liverpool skyline. They are over 52 feet high and incorporate diagonal struts to strengthen them against the wind. The two cathedrals could not be more different, one rooted in centuries of worship and reverence, the other conceived by men who felt it was time to dispense with the past and together they make a great sight! No visit to Liverpool would be complete without seeing the Liverpool Docks, whose development began in the early eighteenth century because the tides and currents of the River Mersey severely curtailed trade. With seven and a half miles of docks, Liverpool established itself as one of the biggest ports in the world. However, as new cargo handling methods developed in the late 1950's, Liverpool lost out to modern container ports throughout the country and so, today, the Docks have taken on a very different role. Redevelopment and restoration in the early eighties have established the Albert Dock as one of Britain's largest tourist attractions, a place to experience Liverpool’s maritime history! Free time before we return to Peckforton Castle affords the opportunity for shopping, exploring and savoring the sights! Overnight: Peckforton Castle (EB,D)

Day 5
Tarporley - Stratford - London
As hard as it may be to bid farewell to our castle home, we’re on our way to London, our final destination of the tour and about half way there, we’ll make an important stop in Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare's birthplace and steeped in culture and history. Set in the beautiful rural Warwickshire countryside, on the banks of the river Avon, Stratford is one of the most important tourist destinations in the UK, in large part because of the places we’ll see today. Shakespeare’s birthplace is Stratford's most cherished historic place and when we enter we’ll see the acclaimed exhibition of the poet's life, William Shakespeare: His Life and Background and then continue our tour through the house which is furnished in period style and contains many historic manuscripts and books. Finally, we’ll see the celebration garden. Descendants of the dramatist lived here in this house until the nineteenth century and it has been a place of pilgrimage for over 250 years. Next on the itinerary is the exquisitely picturesque house that was the second favorite Shakespearian property, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage. Before marrying Shakespeare in 1582, Anne lived here in what is considered one of England's most famous buildings. Part of it dates from the mid-fifteenth century. >From here, London is just two hours to the southeast and we’ll spend our final two nights in the great English capital! Overnight: London (B) (EB,D)

Day 6
London
After a hearty English breakfast, we’ll start the day in one of the world’s most exciting cities with a guided sightseeing tour. We’ll see Westminster Abbey (most famous of all English abbeys and the final resting place of English monarchs, poets, composers and other important personages), the Houses of Parliament resplendent on the River Thames and dominated by their famous clock tower Big Ben and one of the most famous Squares in the World ,Trafalgar Square, dominated by Admiral Nelson’s column and named after the naval battle of 1805. Nelsons 170-foot tall column is surrounded by four bronze lions, on granite plinths, and fountains and statues, including one of Charles I on horseback, dating from the 17th century. Next, we’re off to see the official residence of the Queen, Buckingham Palace and watch a changing of the guard if the timing is right! We’ll have an entrance to the Tower of London, one of the most well-preserved historical buildings in the world. The rest of the day is at leisure but with so many things to see in London, perhaps we might like to visit a few on our own.. It might just put us in the mood for our farewell banquet dinner.Overnight: London (EB)

Day 7
London - USA
This morning, it’s farewell to the UK, as - after our last English breakfast, of course - we board our motor coach for the group transfer to Heathrow Airport and our return flight home to the USA. Have a safe journey!

FLIGHT ITINERARY

Destination	Depart	Arrive
Dallas-London	4:45PM	7:50AM
London-Dallas	12:15PM	4:45PM

HOTELS

All hotel rooms are rated superior tourist class or higher and have private baths. Please remember that hotel check-in time is 3:00PM, thus rooms may not be ready immediately upon arrival in each city. Hotel names and addresses will be provided in final tour documents.

ABBREVIATED TERMS AND CONDITIONS

This tour requires a valid passport

Sharon Carr Travel is not responsible for weather-related or mechanical delays.

A deposit of $950 per person is due with booking. Final payment is due Aug 15, 2011.

If cancelled before Aug 15, $550 fee. If cancelled on or after Aug 15, trip is non refundable.

Insurance information will be given with confirmation.

Prices represent a 5% discount for payment by check or money order. Rates are 5% higher if using a credit card and require an authorized signature. We accept MasterCard, Visa, American Express, & Discover.

Legal first and last names (NO NICKNAMES) must be given as shown on your passport.

Name changes are $200 per name change and may be made up to 90 days prior to departure.

Please read the full set of terms and conditions before booking this trip.