A TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS Blue-Roads | Europe

When it comes to quaint medieval villages, atmospheric Christmas markets and traditional crafts and cuisine, there’s nowhere quite like Alsace. On this tour of the region’s most magical Christmas sights, we’ll stay in charming – the perfect base from which to explore all that this heart-stealing area of has to offer. Expect delicious meals, twinkling lights and an abundance of Christmas cheer.

TOUR CODE:

BEHTABB-0 Thank You for Choosing Blue-Roads

Thank you for choosing to travel with Back-Roads Touring. We can’t wait for you to join us on the mini-coach!

About Your Tour Notes THE BLUE-ROADS DIFFERENCE Learn traditional French recipes at a hands-on cooking class in Ostheim These tour notes contain everything you need to know Browse the stalls of the Alsace before your tour departs – including where to meet, region's most enchanting Christmas what to bring with you and what you can expect to do markets on each day of your itinerary. You can also print this Discover the beautiful 'Magic of document out, use it as a checklist and bring it with you Lights' illuminations in on tour.

TOUR CURRENCIES Please Note: We recommend that you refresh this document one week before your tour + France - EUR departs to ensure you have the most up-to-date + Switzerland - CHF accommodation list and itinerary information available. Your Itinerary

DAY 1 | BASEL - - EGUISHEIM

After meeting the group in a festively decorated Basel, we’ll hit the road to France: where our five-day exploration of the Christmas traditions of Alsace will begin. Our first fairytale destination will be Ungersheim. This fascinating village is home to Alsace Ecomuseum – France's largest open- air museum – and will be filled with beautiful trees and wreaths at this magical time of year. This storybook village is France’s largest open-air museum, and it will be filled with beautiful trees and wreaths at this special time of year. While we’re here, we’ll meet a local craftsman – who’ll reveal the secrets behind the perfect Christmas decorations at an included workshop. Then: it’s onwards to our hotel in Eguisheim, where a delicious welcome dinner awaits us. What a start to the trip! Accommodation: La Ferme du Pape (or similar)

MEALS: Dinner

DAY 2 | EGUISHEIM - OSTHEIM - EGUISHEIM

Today we’ll set our sights on the quaint village of Ostheim – where we’ll roll up our sleeves for a traditional French Christmas cooking class. Using fresh seasonal produce, a local chef will show us how to recreate some delectable dishes – and when we’re done, we’ll have the chance to eat our creations for lunch. Later on, the afternoon will be yours to spend exploring the medieval village of Eguisheim (and its enchanting Christmas market) as you please. Enjoy a cup of mulled wine, stock up on gifts to take home or simply browse the stalls – what you do this evening is up to you! Accommodation: La Ferme du Pape (or similar)

MEALS: Breakfast Lunch DAY 3 | EGUISHEIM - RIBEAUVILLÉ - - EGUISHEIM

On this morning’s agenda: a stop at the ‘strolling fiddlers’ town’ of Ribeauvillé, where we'll embark on a guided tour of the town's medieval Christmas market. With three castles and scores of Christmas trees bedecked with coats of arms and banners (not to mention troubadours, storytellers and fire jugglers), this unique market is like something out of a fairytale! After taking some time to explore, we’ll switch our focus to another Christmas market in Riquewihr, where we’ll have some free time to wander through the quaint narrow streets and past half-timbered houses, moving from hut to fascinating hut. And then? We’ll come back together to visit a local wine cellar, where we’ll have the opportunity to indulge in a wine tasting session. À votre santé! Accommodation: La Ferme du Pape (or similar)

MEALS: Breakfast Lunch

DAY 4 | EGUISHEIM - STRASBOURG - COLMAR - EGUISHEIM

First today: we’ll hit the road to Strasbourg, where we’ll step off the tourist trail on an included visit to the Cave des Hospices wine cellars. After a tasting and guided tour led by a local wine producer, we’ll have time to take a look around the city before we climb back aboard the mini- coach and move on to lovely Colmar – where we’ll discover the town’s mesmerising coloured illuminations (known as the ‘Magic of Lights’). Later on, we’ll take our seats in St Matthieu Church for a heartwarming Christmas concert. With Christmas hymns ringing in our ears, we’ll return to Eguisheim for one last group dinner. Accommodation: La Ferme du Pape (or similar)

MEALS: Breakfast Dinner

DAY 5 | EGUISHEIM - ORSCHWILLER - BASEL

This morning we’ll bid farewell to Eguisheim and make tracks to Orschwiller, where we’ll visit the 12th-century Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle – taking the time to wander the courtyard, spiral staircase, beautifully refined rooms and artillery platform for a unique glimpse into the fortress’ history. Before we return to Basel, we’ve one more stop to make: a local brewery, where we’ll toast the end of our adventure with a beer tasting session. Then: time to go our separate ways.

MEALS: Breakfast Tour Information

Meals Blue-Roads Travel App INCLUDED MEALS

Breakfast (B) is included daily. Why not check in for your tour using the Back- Some of your lunches and dinners are also Roads app? included, either in hotels or local restaurants. This handy tool allows you to view your These are indicated by (L) and (D) in the bookings, check your itinerary, see tour maps itinerary. and more – making it the perfect travel Please note that drinks will not always be companion for your Back-Roads trip. included. How to Download the Back-Roads app We will do our best to accommodate any specific dietary requirements you may have. 1. Launch the App Store or Google Play on Please ensure to make these clear to us your device before your tour begins so we can 2. Search ‘Back-Roads’ and click ‘OK’ communicate them to our hotels, restaurants 3. Select the Back-Roads app in the search and suppliers. results 4. Click the download/install button 5. The app should be installed in your device’s applications page

Other Information

Finances

CHANGING MONEY SPENDING MONEY CASH: Foreign money can be changed at Naturally, everyone’s spending varies. Many of banks, airports, railway and tube stations, and your meals are included in the price of your at major hotels (though at a less favourable tour, so this just leaves a few meals and your rate) personal spending to budget for. CREDIT CARDS: Visa and MasterCard are widely Tips for the Tour Leader and Driver are not accepted. American Express is only accepted in included. Tipping is entirely at your some larger establishments discretion; however, if you feel you have CASH MACHINES: ATMS are widely available received exceptional service, it is recommended that you tip £1-2/€ per day for Drivers and £4-5/€ per day for Tour Leaders.

Insurance Passports and Visas

You will need to take out full travel insurance We advise you either to carry a photocopy of before travelling with Back-Roads Touring. your passport (and visa, if applicable) with you Please ensure that you have adequate medical, while abroad, or to ensure that you leave a personal effects and cancellation cover. copy with relatives back at home. We recommend that you carry your insurance This will enable the local embassy or high details with you at all times. You may be asked commission to arrange a replacement if the to provide details of your medical insurance or original should be lost or stolen. a payment guarantee in some countries before If you do take copies with you on your trip, medical assistance can be provided. please ensure that you keep these separate Your insurance company may not assist you from your original documents. with your claim if the instructions given in the It is your responsibility to obtain any visas policy have not been followed. necessary to enable you to travel in Europe or Asia. Contact your local consular office for more information. Transport

We travel in premium mini-coaches equipped with comfortable seats, air conditioning and large windows for enjoying the view. With far more flexibility than a standard-size coach, we’re able to take the scenic route – winding through beautiful countryside to the heart of tiny villages and coastal towns. What to Bring

Suggested Packing List Wondering what to take with you on tour? Our packing list can be used as a guide. Please Note: What you pack will depend on the countries you’re visiting and the time of year you plan to travel. The following is a suggested clothing list only, based on our experience:

Sun hat Sunglasses Shorts/skirts Long-sleeved tops Short-sleeved tops Trousers Light jacket Waterproof jacket and Warm jacket umbrella Walking shoes/comfortable shoes Smart casual evening Sleepwear Swimwear and towel wear

Other things to pack:

Multi-use travel adapter Camera Batteries Phone Personal medication Sunscreen Paracetamol or aspirin

OPTIONALS TO CONSIDER:

Motion sickness tablets Anti-diarrhoea tablets Sewing kit Lip balm

That's it!

We look forward to seeing you on tour.