YOUR TRIP INCLUDES:
† Round-trip airfare from your desired Airport
*book without airfare (land only option)
† All airport taxes & fuel surcharges
† One way flights from Lourdes to Paris; Paris to Rome
† 14 nights at centrally located first class hotels as follows: (or similar)
~ 3 nights: Hotel Moderne or Chapelle et Parc, Lourdes
~ 3 nights: Concorde La Fayette or Novotel Tour Eiffel or Hotel Marriot Paris Rive Gauche, Paris
~ 3 nights: Le Meridien Visconti, Rome
~ 2 nights: Hotel Giotto, Assisi, Italy
~ 2 nights: Centro di Spiritualita St. Padre Pio, San Giovanni Rotondo
~ 1 nights: Hilton, Rome
† Transfers as per itinerary
† Breakfast and Dinner daily
† Wine and mineral water with dinners
† Assistance of a professional local Catholic guide(s)
† Sightseeing and admissions fees as per itinerary
† Catholic Priest available for Spiritual Direction
† Mass daily & Spiritual activities
† Luggage handling (1 piece per person)
† Flight bag & portfolio of all travel documents
*Special Clergy Discount
*Discount is offered to ordained clergy in the Roman Catholic Church: deacons, priests, or bishops belonging to the diaconate, the presbyterate, or the episcopate, respectively as well, as Catholic Sisters.
Not Included: Lunches. Travel Insurance optional (www.206tours.com/insurance), Supplemental Cancellation Protection @ $299 (www.206tours.com/cancellationprotection),Tips to your guide & driver. Items of a personal nature.
*Sample Day-by-Day Itinerary:
Day 1 - Depart USA
Depart USA for your overnight flight to Europe. Dinner and breakfast will be served on board.
Day 2 - Lourdes
Upon arrival in Europe you will connect with your flight to Toulouse, Pau or Lourdes airport. Upon arrival you will find your luggage and exit the baggage claim into the arrivals hall where you will be greeted by a tour guide and/or driver. You will be escorted to the vehicle which will then take you on your scenic drive to Lourdes. Upon arrival you will check in to your hotel and relax or explore before dinner. Following dinner you may choose to participate in the candlelight procession before retiring for the evening.
Days 3 & 4 - Lourdes
During the next two days in Lourdes you will have time to pray with your fellow pilgrims from around the world.
During your trip you will have an opportunity to: Attend Mass at the Grotto, watch a video presentation telling the story of Lourdes, and walk in the footsteps of St. Bernadette. See Boly Mill where St. Bernadette was born, and the "Cachot," an abandoned prison where Bernadette's impoverished family lived. Join your prayers with those of pilgrims from around the world as you pray for the sick, drink water from the miraculous spring or submerge yourself in the healing baths. Experience Christ's love as you walk the lifesized Stations of the Cross overlooking the holy Grotto. Kneel in the chapel built on the very rock of the Grotto, in obedience to the request of the "Immaculate Conception." Evenings are free for optional Blessed Sacrament Procession before dinner. Your role in the universal church will have new meaning as you join the candlelight procession and group rosary (candlelight procession & group rosary only occur April- October).
Day 5 - Lourdes - Paris
After an early breakfast we make our way to Lourdes or Pau Airport for our short flight to Paris. Upon arrival, you will be greeted by our tour guide and brought to your transportation. You will have free time for lunch and then depart for our tour of Paris. We will begin with holy Mass at the Shrine of the Miraculous Medal. View the incorrupt body of St. Catherine Labouret whose guardian angel led her to the chapel where the Blessed Virgin displayed a vision of the miraculous medal and later the green scapular. The Virgin promised bountiful graces for all who wore these. Next we depart on our sightseeing tour which includes the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower, L'Arc de Triomphe, the and Champs Elysees. Enjoy other sights on this mostly panoramic tour. We enjoy a lovely dinner before returning to our hotel for a restful overnight.
Day 6 - Excursion to Lisieux, St. Therese the Little Flower
After breakfast, we depart for Lisieux where we will enjoy a tour of the home of St. Therese whom Pope Pius X called "the greatest saint of modern times." Her extraordinary love for God and service to humanity comes alive as you visit the Basilica of Saint Therese, one of the biggest and most magnificent religious structures built in the 20th-century. While in Lisiuex we will celebrate Mass will be celebrated. We will stop at Les Buissonets, St. Therese's family home, there on display are relics, clothing, and personal objects belonging to the "little flower." Before leaving tour the ancient Cathedral of St. Peter and the Carmelite Convent. We return on to Paris for dinner and overnight.
Day 7 - Excursion to Nevers, the body of St. Bernadette
After breakfast, we depart for Nevers by way of the picturesque Loire Valley. After taking the veil in 1867, St. Bernadette lived for 12 years as a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of Nevers. At least three times during her short lifetime, she received the last Sacraments. In addition to asthma, she was gradually struck by other illnesses, among them was tuberculosis of the lung and a tubercular tumor in her right knee. St. Bernadette eventually died at the age of 35. See St. Bernadette's incorrupt body at the convent of St. Gildard, miraculously preserved since her death in 1879. We return to Paris for dinner and overnight.
Day 8 - Paris - Rome
After breakfast, we transfer to Paris Airport for our short flight to Rome. Upon arrival in Rome Airport you will find your luggage and exit the baggage claim into the arrivals hall where you will be greeted by your tour escort and/or driver. After a warm welcome to Italy, you will be escorted to your transportation to your hotel. Enjoy a free afternoon for rest, relaxation, or exploration. Your tour escort can suggest sights or walks for you to enjoy.
Day
9 - Christian Rome
This morning we awake in "The Eternal City", one of the centers of Western civilization! After a filling breakfast we depart on our sightseeing tour which will offer insight into the most significant Catholic sites in Rome. We will have an opportunity to see the Basilica of St. Mary Major, one of the oldest shrines dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, which contains a relic from the Manger of the infant Jesus. We will see the Holy Stairs and visit the Basilica of St. John the Lateran, which was the residence of the popes prior to returning to Rome in 1377. We also explore St. Paul Outside the Walls, which houses the remains of St. Paul under its main altar. We will see the Appian Way, the oldest road from Roman times, as well as the famous Domino Quo Vadis Chapel, the ancient Baths of Caracalla, Arch of Drusus and the Tomb of Celilia Metella. Our day ends with a special visit to one of the catacombs, such as St. Callixtus, where the early Christians hid themselves to escape persecution for their devout faith. Time permitting we will also visit the Trevi Fountain to take part in the tradition of throwing 3 coins into the fountain in hopes of returning to Rome. After a day filled with faith and beauty we enjoy a tasty dinner before retiring for the night.
Day 10 - Rome (Papal Audience and Vatican Museum Tour)
After an early breakfast we depart for Vatican City, the spiritual capital for all Catholics around the world. Vatican City is it's own citystate nestle within Rome, and it even has it's own currency and postage! Today is truly a day which will live in our hearts for many years to come. We make our way to St. Peter's Basilica where we will attend the Papal Audience given by His Holiness the Pope (pending papal schedule). Following the audience we will visit the Vatican Museums, an astonishing series of galleries which contain the most impressive spiritual and art treasures. You will see aweinspiring relics and works of art donated throughout centuries as tributes of faith. We will visit the Tapestry Gallery, the Raphael Rooms and the breathtaking Sistine Chapel where we will see Michelangelo's masterpiece the Last Judgment. We continue our exploration of the Vatican as we enter the largest church in Christendom - St. Peter's Basilica. Built on the site where St. Peter was martyred. St. Peter's is unsurpassed in beauty; a monument to the long history of the Catholic Church, to which pilgrims from around the world flock. You will have time to marvel at the Pieta and Bernini's amazing bronze canopy. We will also visit the tomb of Saint John Paul II located in the Vatican. After a day exploring the home of our Catholic faith, we gather together to dine and reminisce about our day with our fellow pilgrims. We return to our hotel to settle in for a restful sleep on our last night in Rome.
Day 11 - Rome - Siena - Assisi
After breakfast we depart "The Eternal City" and head
north to Siena, the birthplace of Saints Catherine and Bernardine and one of Italy’s loveliest medieval cities. Here we will stroll the Piazza Del Campo, one of Italy’s finest squares and visit the Cathedral and the Basilica of St. Francis, containing the miraculous consecrated hosts that remained intact since 1730. View the incorrupt head of St. Catherine at the Basilica of St. Dominic. We continue on to Assisi for dinner and overnight.
Day 12 -Assisi
Visit the tomb of St Francis. Explore the quaint hilltop birthplace of St Francis that still retains something of the atmosphere of the early 1200s, the period when St Francis began his ministry. Contained within the huge 13th-century Basilica are many of the saint's possessions and a series of frescoes depicting his life. You may kneel before the crucifix from which Jesus spoke to St Francis, asking him to rebuild His church. It was in St Mary of the Angels Basilica where St Francis spent most of his life. Here we visit the Chapel, Portiuncola, the rose bush, and the cave where the saint retired for prayer. Stroll the medieval streets of the compact little town. After stopping at an outdoor cafe with a view of an ancient Roman temple, we go to the Church of St Clare to see the saint's incorrupt body. The foundress of the Order of Poor Clares followed the teachings of St Francis by living a life of poverty and humility. We will visit these two saints' tombs before dinner and retiring for the evening.
Day 13 - Assisi - Loreto - Lanciano - San Giovanni Rotondo
We will have breakfast at our hotel before we drive toward the Adriatic coast to the great Marian shrine of Loreto to visit the Holy House of Nazareth and the beautiful Madonna of Loreto. More than 50 popes have made a pilgrimage to the house transported by angels to this hill in central Italy in 1294. Tradition has it that this is the house in which Mary first prayed the Magnificat, in which Jesus grew to manhood, and in which the Holy Family lived. After free time for lunch we make our way to Lanciano where we will see the Eucharistic Miracle and celebrate Mass. Continue to San Giovanni Rotonodo, the hometown of St. Padre Pio, for dinner and overnight.
Day 14 - San Giovanni Rotondo - Monte Sant'Angelo
After celebrating Mass at the tomb of St. Padre Pio, we tour the sanctuary, see the old church and the crucifix from which he received the stigmata in 1918. You will see the confessional where St. Padre Pio spent innumerable hours with a multitude of pilgrims, directing them on their journey toward God. Enjoy a breathtaking view of the Cargano Peninsula and a visit to the Grotto of Michael the Archangel. Six different popes, St Francis and at least four other saints have knelt in prayer at this grotto, seeking the protection of St Michael. A panoramic view of the ocean and the surrounding countryside awaits you at this most celebrated shrine of early Christianity, a shrine consecrated by St Michael himself in 490. Return to San Giovanni for devotions, reflection, and a restful overnight.
Day 15 - San Giovanni Rotondo- Montecassino - Rome
After breakfast, we head north to visit the Abbey of Montecassino, a beautiful town founded by St. Benedict in 529. After visiting the Abbey and celebrating Mass we will continue to Rome where we will enjoy our final dinner and overnight.
Day 16 - Rome - USA
We bid farewell to our new friends and to a pilgrimage which will be in our memories and heart for a long time to come. We depart from Rome Airport for our return flight to the USA. We fondly say, Arrivederci Italia!
Additional Information & Travel Tips:
What to Know Before You Go to France
What to Know Before You Go to Italy
Any questions? Call 800-206-TOUR (8687) or Email Us
Why travel with 206 Tours? Click here to read letters from our clients
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Would you like to arrive earlier or stay later?
Let us know at time of registration, we will reschedule your airline reservations pending availability at no additional fee. Let us know if you need assistance with pre or post stay at hotel.
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Private Room (Single Supplement) |
$1,299 |
Land with Inter-European Flights
(no international airfare or arrival/departure transfers are included) |
Please contact us for an affordable quote |
Business Class Trans-Atlantic (One-Way) |
$1,750 |
First Class available |
upon request |
Children's discounts for children under 12 |
upon request |
Clergy Discount |
20% |
![St. Therese](http://www.pilgrimages.com/sistersofsaintjoseph/basilica-of-Saint-Therese1.jpg)
Basilica of St. Therese,
Lisieux, France |
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![](http://www.pilgrimages.com/sistersofsaintjoseph/saint-therese-lisieux-france1.jpg)
Saint Therese,
Lisieux, France |
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![Sistine Chapel](../images/italy/rome/sistine-chapel-rome-italy2a.jpg)
Sistine Chapel,
Rome, Italy
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![Michelangelo's Pieta, St. Peters Basilica](../images/italy/rome/michelangelo-pieta-st-peters-basilica-rome-italy1b.jpg)
Michelangelo's Pieta, St. Peters Basilica,
Rome, Italy |
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