TORONTO, Aug. 31, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Insight Vacations (www.insightvacations.com), the leader in premium and luxury escorted journeys, is encouraging Canadians to take advantage of the low Euro and embark on their dream European vacations with its new 2015-16 Europe Autumn, Winter & Spring program. As the loonie further appreciates against the Euro (trading at CAD$1 for €0.67 as of the morning of August 31, 2015), Europe will continue to be an attractive destination for Canadians as travellers take advantage of the dropping exchange rates that offer better value than ever before when converting. According to the July 2015 "European Tourism in 2015: Trends & Prospects Q2" report by the European Travel Commission, there is promising growth from Canada with many EU destinations witnessing visits and overnights from Canadians grow by double digit figures. Overall, the report notes that over 4.3 million Canadians travelled to Europe - marking a 13.1% cumulative growth. As the fall and winter vacations booking season approaches, clients travelling to the "old world" in the off-season can experience smaller crowds and prices up to 27 per cent less than during the summertime. In addition, travellers can further save by capitalizing on the Early Payment Discount pricing that allows couples to save up to 5% if they pay in full before October 29, 2015.
"Clients who may have thought that travelling to Europe would be expensive due to the exchange rate are realizing that our loonie now goes a little bit further across the continent," said Cris David, president, Insight Vacations Canada. "Our 30 itineraries featured in the 2015-16 Europe Autumn, Winter & Spring program, along with our authentic Signature Experiences highlight these wonderful changing of the seasons including Eastern Mediterranean and Morocco."
From gaining VIP access to the famed Bramante Staircase at the Vatican, to savouring local produce at the Viktualienmarkt in Munich, clients will take the trip of a lifetime with Insight Vacations. The following are three highlighted itineraries found in the 2015-16 Europe Autumn, Winter & Spring program.
Easy Pace Italy
This 11-day leisurely itinerary allows guests to effortlessly discover three of Italy's most appealing and profoundly cultural cities. Savour every part of Rome's rich heritage. Soak up the Renaissance atmosphere of Florence and look beyond the canals and gondolas to gain a deeper understanding of Venice. Starting in the "Eternal City", Rome, travellers are treated to a Signature Experience via a fast-tracked entrance to the Vatican Museums. With an expert historian, guests can admire the collection of priceless art gathered by Popes over the ages. The visit also includes behind-the-scenes access to parts of the Vatican denied to the general public, including the original Bramante Staircase - built to allow Pope Julius II to enter his private residence with ease while still in his carriage. Then guests enter the sublime Sistine Chapel, to gaze up and admire Michelangelo's famous painted ceiling. Next door, in St. Peter's Basilica, one of Michelangelo's early works, the Pietà, is on display and the splendid dome completed after his death will dazzle. From Rome, guests head to Florence to explore the birthplace of the Renaissance. Replicas of the Statue of David are everywhere in Florence, but guests won't be fooled! Insight travellers visit the Accademia Museum with a local historian to study Michelangelo's original 17ft marble masterpiece. From here, guests walk on to the multi-coloured marble cathedral, bell tower and baptistery, adorned by Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise. In Venice, travellers will truly experience the magic of "La Serenissima". Guests board a private gondola and cruise along the city's famous canals enjoying an introduction to this unique city of ornate palaces, bridges and gondolas.
Best of Spain & Portugal
Against a backdrop of snow-capped sierras and scorching plains, several civilizations have wrestled for control of the Iberian Peninsula. On the 16-day itinerary, guests will follow the fortunes of the Spanish, Portuguese and Moorish Kingdoms as evidenced in their grand castles, stupendous religious buildings and incredible works of art. In Madrid, art lovers will rejoice over their Signature Experience with a visit to one the greatest museums of art in the world, the Museo del Prado. Founded as a museum of paintings and sculpture in 1819, the museum features one of the world's finest collections of European art, dating from the 12th century to the early 19th century, based on the former Spanish Royal Collection. From Spain to Portugal, guests reach Porto situated on the River Douro and celebrated internationally as the Port wine capital. Travellers will see the Vila Nova de Gaia wine stores, which house the famous wines where guests experience a tasting of the Tawnys and vintages. Back in España, guests have a day of leisure on the sun-drenched Costa del Sol where they can relax by the blue Mediterranean waters or explore Malaga, the birth city of Picasso. In cosmopolitan Barcelona, architect aficionados will marvel at the stunning Basílica of Sagrada Família - a landmark that has the distinction of having taken longer to build than the Great Pyramids of Egypt and is still not complete!
Highlights of Europe
This 17-day itinerary to the best of Europe will journey through varied landscapes, magnificent scenery, history galore, and a treasure-trove of art and architecture including Brussels, Rome and Florence. Guests travel into Germany to view the spires of Cologne Cathedral before continuing along the Rhine, via Bonn, to Boppard. They then join a cruise, passing medieval hilltop castles and steep leafy vineyards to the village of St. Goar, near the legendary Loreley Rock, and continue on to Heidelberg to see the clifftop castle. In Salzburg, the city of Mozart and the "Sound of Music", 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the iconic musical. With a Local Expert, guests will visit the formal gardens of Mirabell Palace, which includes the fountains and statues where the "Do, Re, Mi" scene in the film was created and later guests cross Residence Square with its fountain where Maria sings "I have confidence" was filmed. From there, guests cross the Italian border and descend to the romantic city of Venice where after a fruitful day of experiencing the magic of "La Serenissima", guests recharge Hotel Carlton, a Signature Hotel on the Grand Canal, occupying an old convent building in the greenest part of the city centre. The journey through the Alps includes a thrilling cable car ride in Lucerne with incredible views, to the summit of a Swiss mountain followed by a delicious mug of hot chocolate. To cap off a whirlwind tour of Europe, guests bid au revoir in Paris by enjoying a "Diner de Célébration" served with wine in a Parisian bistro that oozes at the seams with French ambience.
For more information, please visit www.insightvacations.com, contact an Insight Specialist at 1-800-387-8490 or contact your local sales manager.
About the TreadRight Foundation
Created as a joint initiative between The Travel Corporation's family of brands, the TreadRight Foundation is a not-for-profit working to ensure the environment and communities we visit remain vibrant for generations to come. To date, TreadRight has supported more than 35 sustainable tourism projects worldwide. The Foundation's guiding principle is to encourage sustainable tourism development through conservation, leadership and support for communities. Foundation priorities are set by the Steering Committee, which includes sustainability leaders like Céline Cousteau and Costas Christ.
TreadRight's past project partners include WWF, Conservation International and The National Trust in the UK. Current initiatives include sponsoring the National Geographic Society's inaugural "World Legacy Awards," and inspiring wildlife advocates like Terri Irwin.
To learn more about our past and current work at TreadRight, please visit us at treadright.org.
About Insight Vacations
For more than 35 years, Insight Vacations (www.insightvacations.com) has been designing the world's finest escorted travel itineraries. Insight offers 113 journeys to more countries across Europe than any other operator and provides the same legendary service across North America, Peru, India, Bhutan, Morocco, Egypt and Israel.
Insight guests enjoy The Art of Touring in Style with business-class legroom aboard customized luxury coaches, intimate groups of just 40 travellers and the services of an experienced Tour Director who acts as 'travelling concierge.' Each expertly planned itinerary includes a range of Signature Events for a unique and authentic look into the history and culture of each destination. Throughout their trip, guests will stay in handpicked hotels that are centrally or scenically located and have the perfect balance of guided and independent exploration.
For more information, visit us at http://www.insightvacations.com, on social media at http://www.facebook.com/InsightVacations, http://twitter.com/InsightVacation, and join the conversation using the hashtag #InsightMoments.
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*Terms & Conditions: For new bookings only. Applies only to tours featuring the 'Early Payment Discount' in the price panel on premium tours - see the new 2015/16 Europe, Autumn, Winter and Spring brochure. The 5% per couple savings is off land only. The 'Early Payment Discount' does not apply to Egypt Gold, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Jordan tours, cruises, rail, mini and City Break tours. The 'Early Payment Discount' is based on availability and may be withdrawn at any time.
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