Fire & Ice – The Wonders of Sicily, Italy & Austria

Fire & Ice – The Wonders of Sicily, Italy & Austria

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Fire & Ice – The Wonders of Sicily, Italy & Austria

16 Days Starting and ending in Northern France

Visiting: France, Parma, Sorrento Peninsula, Pompeii, Sorrento, Sicily, Mount Etna, Stromboli, Free municipal consortium of Syracuse, Fiuggi, Rome, Austrian Tyrol, Grossglockner, Tyrol, Belgium

Tour operator:

Leger Holidays

Tour code:

ifi

Guide Type:

Fully Guided

Physical rating:

Low

Age range:

0-99

Special diets catered:

Vegetarians

Tour operated in:

English

Trip Styles:

Adventure Tours

Activities:

Sightseeing, Walking

Tour Overview

Embark on an unforgettable journey with the "Fire & Ice – The Wonders of Sicily, Italy & Austria" tour, where you'll explore Europe's most breathtaking natural and historical marvels. Begin your adventure in Italy, visiting the awe-inspiring Mount Vesuvius and the ancient ruins of Pompeii, before heading to Sicily to witness the majestic Mount Etna. Enjoy the charm of Taormina and the option to explore the enchanting Isle of Capri or the historic city of Syracuse. As you travel north, immerse yourself in the timeless beauty of Rome and the Tuscan countryside. Conclude your journey in Austria, where you'll marvel at the icy grandeur of the Grossglockner Glacier. With comfortable accommodations and expert guides, this cultural tour promises an enriching experience across two captivating countries.

Highlights

  • Join a journey of discovery capturing Europe's spectacular natural and ancient wonders.

  • Explore the haunting ruins of Pompeii and the mighty Mount Etna, Europe's largest active volcano.

  • Visit Austria's highest mountain, the icy Grossglockner glacier, with breathtaking alpine views.

  • Sail across the Bay of Naples to the enchanting Isle of Capri.

  • Experience the fiery explosions of the Stromboli volcano at night.

  • Discover the ancient Greek Grand Theatre in Syracuse.

  • Explore the beautiful Italian capital city of Rome, including the Colosseum and Trevi Fountain.

Places You'll See

Pompeii, Italy

Sorrento, Italy

St Peter's Basilica Over The Aelian Bridge, Rome, Italy

Sunset View Over Piazza Navona In Rome, Italy

Itinerary

Expand All

Day 1

Location: France

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: City-style hotels

Local departure by coach or Door-to-Door service, then to northern France for an overnight stay.

Day 2

Location: Parma

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: 3-star hotels

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

We depart our overnight hotel early this morning as we begin our journey towards Italy. During the day we will travel through Switzerland, bypassing places such as Basel and Lucerne before arriving at our hotel in the Parma area for an overnight stay.

Day 3

Location: Sorrento Peninsula

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Hotel Central Park

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

We continue our journey south bypassing Bologna, home of the famous Bolognese sauce and the Tuscan capital of Florence. We continue past the ‘eternal city’ of Rome and later Naples, Italy’s third largest city, before arriving at our hotel on the Sorrento Peninsula for a three-night stay.

Day 4 : Pompeii & Vesuvius

Location: Pompeii

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Hotel Central Park

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Today we visit the historic town of Pompeii at the foot of Mount Vesuvius on our included excursion. We begin our day with a visit to Pompeii, and the spectacular ruins of what was once a great Roman city. In 79AD the eruption of Mount Vesuvius buried the town of Pompeii in about 6/7 metres of stones and ash. Painstaking excavations, which are still ongoing, began in the 18th century and have uncovered a remarkable hidden city. Accompany your expert guide around the town, walking along roads with indents from the passing of chariot wheels and discovering the remains of homes, shops and public baths (entrance to the ruins is included). Later, we travel up Vesuvius to 3,000 feet, where you can continue on foot to the crater. Please note: this excursion is operated by a local coach.

Day 5 : Sorrento Or Isle Of Capri

Location: Sorrento

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Hotel Central Park

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

A free day in Sorrento today, or you can join our superb optional excursion as we sail across the Bay of Naples to the Isle of Capri. Visit the fabulous villa of Dr Axel Munthe (entrance extra), a Swedish doctor, whose bestselling book “Story of San Michele” tells of his time on Capri. Continue to Capri town, famous for its main square Piazza Umberto, which has a pretty white church and several open-air cafes where you can sit and watch the world drift by. Leading off the square are medieval looking alleyways and arcades full of shops selling handicrafts of the island, clothing, shoes, ceramics and jewellery made from coral and gold. There is so much to see and do on this tiny island paradise you will be sorry to leave. Please note: this excursion is operated by a local coach.

Day 6

Location: Sicily

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Hotel Kennedy

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

We leave our hotel and travel south to the ‘foot’ of Italy and take a ferry across to Sicily where we stay for the next five nights.

Day 7 : Mount Etna & Taormina

Location: Mount Etna

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Hotel Kennedy

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Today we take an unforgettable drive up Mount Etna, the highest volcano in Europe. Standing at 3350 meters (10,991ft) Etna is one of the most active volcanoes in the world and is in an almost constant state of eruption. Although it can occasionally be very destructive, it is not generally regarded as being a dangerous volcano. Thousands of people live on its slopes and in the surrounding areas where the fertile volcanic soil support extensive agriculture. Our coach takes us within 1900 metres and if the weather is good why not enhance your experience of Etna with a visit to its summit (at own cost, payable locally). A 15-minute gondola ride takes you to 2504 metres and offers some fantastic views of the landscape, which has been characterised by countless lava flows. For the more adventurous, we then join the special modernised ‘Busses’ which, driven by expert drivers, take you on a 20-minute journey to an altitude of 3000 metres. There will be some free time at the summit to photograph the impressive central and southeast craters before we commence our descent. Later in the day we travel to Taormina for free time where you can explore the sights or perhaps visit some of the many shops along the car free main street ‘Corso Umberto’.

Day 8 : Free Time

Location: Sicily

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Hotel Kennedy

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Enjoy a free day to relax in resort.

Day 9 : Free Time Or Stromboli

Location: Stromboli

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Hotel Kennedy

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Another memorable optional excursion today as we leave the hotel and take a boat to the tiny island of Panarea. We arrive at the port and then either walk or perhaps take a local taxi (own cost) into the village centre. We spend free time on this enchanting island surrounded by typical Aeolian white houses and clear blue seas. Perhaps meander through the town centre, have a meal in one of the restaurants, or enjoy a swim at Zimmari Beach. This evening we board a boat and travel out to Stromboli and anchor off shore to view the mighty volcano at night. This is the best time to see the mountains fiery explosions, a truly breathtaking sight. We return by sea to Milazzo and then return to our hotel late this evening.

*Please note: customers travelling on the optional excursion to Stromboli will receive a packed lunch instead of dinner on this day.

Day 10 : Free Time Or Syracuse

Location: Free municipal consortium of Syracuse

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Hotel Kennedy

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

A further day at leisure today or why not join our optional excursion to Syracuse, once the most powerful of all Mediterranean cities and the home of the famous natural Philosopher, Archimedes. Accompanied by our guide, we are introduced to the delights of this lovely town. We see the Grand Theatre whose cavea is one of the largest ever built by the ancient Greeks. Entrance to the Archaeological area is also included.

Day 11

Location: Fiuggi

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: 3-star hotels

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

We say goodbye to Sicily as we travel back to the foot of Italy and head north to Fiuggi and onto our overnight hotel.

Day 12 : Rome

Location: Rome

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: 3-star hotels

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

We leave our hotel this morning as we head north towards our overnight hotel in Tuscany. En route we visit the beautiful Italian capital city of Rome. A lovely place to explore on foot. To make the most of your visit, why not join our optional guided sightseeing tour? The sightseeing tour will introduce you to the city’s wonderful sights, including the mighty Colosseum (entrance not included) and the Trevi Fountain. Although Rome is a relatively compact city, we would remind you that this is a walking tour, not suitable for anyone with mobility difficulties and we would recommend you wear suitable shoes for the day.

Day 13

Location: Austrian Tyrol

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: 3-star hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

We continue our journey north as we head towards the Austrian Tyrol. We pass the beautiful border town of Vipiteno, the ancient city of the wealthy Fugger family. We continue our journey across the magnificent Brenner Pass and to our hotel where we stay for two nights.

Day 14 : Grossglockner Glacier

Location: Grossglockner

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: 3-star hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Our included excursion takes us along the Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse and up the Grossglockner, which at 3,789 metres, is Austria’s highest mountain. We view the icy world of the massive Grossglockner Glacier from the magnificently situated Franz-Josefs-Heights panorama viewing platform.

Day 15

Location: Tyrol

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: City-style hotels

Meals Included: Breakfast

To Belgium for an overnight stay.

Day 16

Location: Belgium

Meals Included: Breakfast

Return home.

What's Included

  • Meals
    15 breakfasts, 0 lunches, 13 dinners

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation is provided as detailed in the itinerary.

  • Additional Services

    Travel from a wide range of convenient joining points across the UK is included within your coach holiday price; some carry a supplement.

  • Airport Transfers at Destination

    This trip includes coach travel from/to a local UK joining point.

  • Fully Guided

    The tour is fully guided.

  • International Travel

    International travel is included.

  • Transport

    Transport is provided by a comfortable, air-conditioned motorcoach.

  • Excursions

    Excursions to Pompeii, Vesuvius, and the Grossglockner Glacier are included.

What's Not Included

  • Insurance

    Travel insurance is not included.

  • Optional Excursions

    Optional excursions such as the Isle of Capri, Stromboli, and Syracuse are not included and must be booked in advance.

  • Entrance Fees

    Entrance fees to certain attractions, such as the Colosseum in Rome, are not included.

  • Personal Expenses

    Personal expenses such as souvenirs, additional meals, and drinks are not included.

Accommodation

You will spend three nights on the Neapolitan Riviera in a 3-star minimum hotel such as the Hotel Central Park in Massa Lubrense. On Sicily, you will stay for five nights in a minimum 3-star hotel such as the Hotel Kennedy in Sant Alessio in Siculo. In the Austrian Tyrol, you will spend two nights in a minimum 3-star hotel. Overnight stays in Parma area, Fiuggi, Tuscany, France, and Belgium may be in city-style hotels.

Mode of Transport

Travel from a wide range of convenient joining points across the UK is included within your coach holiday price. The trip includes comfortable, air-conditioned motorcoach travel from/to a local UK joining point, with some points carrying a supplement.

Check out our Q&As

  • What type of accommodation can I expect during the tour?

    You will stay in a minimum 3-star hotel throughout the tour. In the Neapolitan Riviera, you will spend three nights at a hotel such as the Hotel Central Park in Massa Lubrense. In Sicily, you will stay for five nights at a hotel like the Hotel Kennedy in Sant Alessio in Siculo. In the Austrian Tyrol, you will spend two nights in a 3-star hotel. Overnight stays in the Parma area, Fiuggi, Tuscany, France, and Belgium may be in city-style hotels.

  • Are there any optional excursions available during the tour?

    Yes, there are several optional excursions available. On Day 5, you can join an excursion to the Isle of Capri. On Day 9, there is an optional excursion to Stromboli, and on Day 10, you can opt for an excursion to Syracuse. These excursions are highly recommended and must be booked in advance.

  • What is included in the excursion to Mount Etna?

    The excursion to Mount Etna includes a drive up to the volcano, where the coach takes you within 1900 meters. You can enhance your experience by visiting the summit, which involves a gondola ride to 2504 meters and a bus journey to an altitude of 3000 meters. There will be free time at the summit to photograph the craters before descending.

  • Is there a guided tour available in Rome?

    Yes, there is an optional guided sightseeing tour available in Rome. This tour will introduce you to the city's wonderful sights, including the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain. It is a walking tour, so suitable footwear is recommended.

  • What can I expect during the visit to Pompeii?

    During the visit to Pompeii, you will explore the spectacular ruins of the ancient Roman city buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD. An expert guide will accompany you around the town, where you can see the remains of homes, shops, and public baths. Entrance to the ruins is included.

  • How long has the tour company been trading?

    40 years

  • Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?

    Sole use of your own room on all Single Traveller holidays: means you still get your privacy and time out from the group.

  • Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?

    Yes

  • Battlefield Tours - Will it be possible to visit a particular cemetery whilst on the tour?

    Please contact us and we will check to see whether you can visit a particular cemetery on any of our Battlefield Tours, if we are not able to fit it into our itinerary then you could take some time out of the tour and do this independently by taxi or public transport.

  • What policies are in place for Covid-19?

    Please contact us for latest Covid-19 policies

Reviews of this operator

Gary White (Google Reviewer)  

Just got back from a...

27-May-2024

Just got back from a holiday with leger holidays to callea spain which my wife done as a surprise for my 60th and wedding anniversary together my wife and i had a great time the coach journey there was excellent regular stops for toilet breaks and a stretch. Our two drivers Geoff and katrina were brilliant serving regular drinks and making the trip pleasant all the people on the coach were pleasant the hotel in spain was so nice the best we've stayed in lovely staff lovely bar the guy at the bar was great really friendly nice room. Overall our journey there and our return journey was brill the only thing that was not good at all was the ibis hotel on the return journey the room was horrible not a nice breakfast not polite French staff. Not really interested in trying to speak some english if i was leger should try and use a different hotel. Once again a big thank you to Geoff and katrina well done guys for making our holiday lovely. Hope to see you on another holiday soon

Will (Google Reviewer)  

I went on the 4...

05-Jan-2024

I went on the 4 countries trip and swiss glacier express and overall it was a great trip. The coach I was on was silver service, it was tidy had nice seats and other accessories such as charging points and headsets which was very handy. The drivers Alex and Dave were fantastic, very kind, funny and respectful throughout the whole trip and a pleasure to talk to. The excursions were very pleasant and all ran very smoothly. The hotels were decent and offered a good service. I overall very much recommend leger holidays.

Sally Matson  

Excellent customer service

10-Jan-2023

Booked our ‘Christmas in Austria & Scenic Trains of the Tyrol’ through George on the customer Helpline. Nothing was too much trouble, everything clearly & patiently explained. He even had permission to log in on his day off to finalise the sale! A charming and helpful young person and a credit to the company.

Euan Donald (Google Reviewer)  

Been on two tours now...

10-Oct-2023

Been on two tours now the “D Day beaches” and “ All Quiet on the Western Front” tour of the Somme and Ypres. Both four days in total, two travelling and two on the site of the various battles. This is outstanding value for money, picked up from Carlisle , Cumbria and literally looked after all the way through the tours. The coaches are great and the accommodation spot on . The guides are very knowledgeable ( Mark Hope brilliant guy)and the bus drivers professional . Absolutely fantastic .

Remon Wanis (Google Reviewer)  

We have been working with...

05-Aug-2024

We have been working with them for nearly a year now as Sussex Airports Taxis, and they offer the best customer service ever. All their customers are always happy when they return from their holidays. We look forward to continuing our partnership for many more years to come.

William Olley (Google Reviewer)  

I recently went on a...

21-Aug-2024

I recently went on a coach holiday with this company. Everything was on time but there can be traffic hold ups with jams and roadworks! The coach was comfortable and the driver stopped for rest periods. The hotel was a 3 star close to a spectacular beach and was adequate. The catering was excellent! I went on the excursions included in the package and visited some lovely places.

Gordon Price (Google Reviewer)  

just returned from Italian holiday....

21-Jul-2024

just returned from Italian holiday. It was great spoilt a little by the high temperature even Ledger can't control that. The only real thing to spoil the trip was one of the hotels. The Krystall hotel in Diano Marina was terrible the room was dire with cracks in shower bogged up shower fittings noe control for AC end so on. The food was very poor, limited choice luke warm food on cold plates. After 4 evening meals (3 or four courses) we were only able to remember 2 we enjoyed. Breakfast was poor no bread except for hard rolls. No fresh fruit if you liked cake for breakfast you were good. If this is a 3 star hotel Italian standards have fallen which I don't think they have. Ledger brochure states "some of Europes most fascinating unique hotels" for Luxuria trips. This hotel should be removed from your list at once. The holiday was other wise good I cannot praise your coach crew too to much they were excellent. A highlight of the trip was the return trip through the swiss alps. It was superb and deserves mention in your holiday iteniary description.

Hilary Jackson (Google Reviewer)  

I recently went on a...

12-Jun-2024

I recently went on a 4 night tour to Scarborough. Driver was great hotel superb. My criticism is too many destinations crammed into day excursion. Example visit to Flamborough head stop for 1 hour it was teeming nobody got off coach but even if fine pointless. Then on to Bridlington coach Park 1.5 ml from centre. Most people are hard pressed to get to center & back in 1.5 hours pointless. Incidentally if Leger paid a permit they could alight us in the resort. Very bad logistics. On to Whitby with a decent stop should have taken us there & bypassed the other stops. I will not go with them again. I will source a better holiday with excursions to one place only.

Suzanne Maylin (Google Reviewer)  

Having returned from a fabulous...

24-Sep-2024

Having returned from a fabulous tour of Austria with excellent tour guides/ drivers, it's disappointing to say the least that I'm left chasing a return for an excursion that was cancelled. I called Leger 5 days ago and am still waiting in a call back. Leger if you want to retain customers you need step up on service. Good training , good service costs very little, and once embedded in a company produces more income. I don't suppose anyone from Leger will respond to this, but who knows

aled blackshaw (Google Reviewer)  

just returned from a solos...

25-Mar-2024

just returned from a solos break to valkenburg and rhine valley i enjoyed the break overall although both journeys were considerably longer than expected due to several picks ups. I could have done without the 3 countries meeting point excursion to be honest and the lunch on rhine cruise was very basic. The drivers/couriers were efficient and good humoured and provided free lunch vouchers on the ferry which were much appreciated. I probably would book another break with leger but to somewhere a lot closer to home.

Book with Confidence

  • Low Deposit

    Leger Holidays requires a minimum deposit of 20% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 75 days before departure.

  • Cancellation Policy

    We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of leger holidays charges.

    Up to 56 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.

    At 55 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.

    At 42 days before tour starts: Forfeit 75% of booking price.

    At 21 days before tour starts: Forfeit 90% of booking price.

    At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.

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