West High School Spring Break 2015 GENERAL INFORMATION DATES: March 13-March 22, 2015* SPONSOR: Lou Gallo, Christy Jo Seals, and Caleb Clark COMPANY: Cultural Heritage Alliance (CHA) This corporation is one of the oldest companies in educational travel and we have used this same company for multiple tours. Website: http://www.cha-tours.com/ INCLUDED: Round trip airfare 3 and 4 Star Hotel Accommodations Continental Breakfast and Dinner (drinks not included) Admission into all scheduled events Comprehensive Sightseeing Full Time Tour Director ACCOMMODATIONS: We will be staying in 3 and 4 Star Hotels. Comfort in European hotels is not similar to American hotels. We can guarantee that each room will have a private bath. There will be 3 students or 2 adults to a room.
Gems of Italy Spring Break 2015 Page 2 INSURANCE: CHA can provide optional insurance at a separate cost. This is up to the individual parent/guardian and will be taken care of by the individual parent/guardian. West High School and the sponsors neither endorses nor criticizes this program. It is up to you. REQUIREMENTS: All students who desire to go will be considered. A student may be denied the privilege of this trip is he/she has a serious disciplinary file with the school. This will be at the discretion of the sponsors. Parents and other West High School affiliated adults are welcome to travel with the students. The adult cost is additional. This is CHA policy and adults are in double rooms with other adults, not with their teenager. There is an added fee if an adult would like a single room. Please remember that this trip is designed for teenagers, so the adults must agree to follow the tour guidelines during the trip. Student conduct is the responsibility of the sponsors even if a parent attends. TRIP REQUIREMENTS: All travelers are to remain with the group during all excursions except for free time. Only when deemed safe by the sponsors will students be allowed to sightsee on their own and only in groups of 2 or more. There will be bed checks and curfews. Students are expected to be on their best behavior. Anyone failing to uphold the rules will be disciplined and possibly sent home at parent/guardian expense. They may also be subject to Knox County discipline policies (i.e., zero tolerance). Any Questions? E-mail Lou Gallo at lou.gallo@knoxschools.org PLEASE NOTE: Dates may be subject to change. CHA pays for the sponsors in compensation for all of their time, effort, and responsibility incurred in organizing and conducting the trip. The cost of this travel is built in by the company. Often trips will be combined with other schools and when this occurs, there is the possibility of changes to the itinerary; however, it is usually a comparable trip. If any information becomes available we will let you know. CHA does not offer a refund if this happens.
Gems of Italy Spring Break 2015 Page 3 Daily Itinerary: Day 1: Departure from the USA Day 2: Rome Welcome to Rome where your CHA Tour Director is waiting at the airport to take you to your hotel. Later, get better acquainted with Italy s ancient capital on a CHA Walking Tour. Day 3: Rome-(Catacombs) You will discover the Eternal City s treasures with your expert local guide this morning. Start in Vatican City with visits to St. Peter s Basilica and the stunning Sistine Chapel where you admire Michelangelo s superbly painted ceiling. Then learn more about the ancient Roman civilization as you see the Circus Maximus, Capitoline Hill, the Arch of Constantine, and the sprawling ruins of the Roman Forum. Today s sightseeing highlight is a visit to the imposing Colosseum. On your free afternoon, enjoy free time or opt for a visit to the city s ancient catacombs. Day 4: Rome-Pompeii-Sorrento Today, follow the Highway of the Sun to Pompeii for an in-depth look at the ruins of this ancient Roman city buried for centuries by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. Afterwards, savor a scenic drive around the Bay of Naples en route to romantic Sorrento for your overnight stay. Day 5: Sorrento-Capri-(Blue Grotto)-Sorrento Take a short ferry ride to reach the magical island of Capri where guided sightseeing includes a visit to the beautiful Gardens of Augustus. Enjoy free time to savor the island s magnificent natural scenery, to stroll among the flower-decked villas, or to take an optional boat ride through the famed Blue Grotto (weather permitting). Return to Sorrento for free time. Day 6: Sorrento-Florence Journey northward through the rolling hills of Umbria to Florence in the heart of Tuscany where four of the greatest names in Italian art, from Michelangelo to Leonardo da Vinci, lived and worked. This evening, get better acquainted with Florence on an Evening Walking Tour. Day 7: Florence Your expert guide introduces you to Florence s Renaissance treasures on your morning sightseeing: Giotto s Bell Tower, the Baptistry s Gates of Paradise, the Piazza della Signoria, and the Church of Santa Croce where Machiavelli and Galileo are entombed. Included are visits to the Duomo and the Galleria dell Accademia where Michelangelo s David is housed. Later, observe craftsmen at work during a visit to a local Leather Factory. On your free time, visit the Uffizzi Gallery or stroll across the Ponte Vecchio. Day 8: Florence-San Gimignano-Venice Stop in the small Tuscan town of San Gimignano to see the town s famous tiny medieval towers before heading north to Venice, the Jewel of the Adriatic.
Gems of Italy Spring Break 2015 Page 4 Day 9: Venice Guided sightseeing of Venice this morning reveals the Bridge of Sighs, the 14th-century Doges Palace, and bustling St. Mark s Square, where you visit the beautiful Byzantine Basilica. A visit to a Venetian Glass Factory reveals how the city s famous blown glass is made. The afternoon is yours to take a gondola ride through the city s famed canals. Day 10: Venice-Milan-Departure Drive to the Milan airport where you board your return flight Overnights: Rome (2), Sorrento (2), Florence (2), Venice (2) Included Visits: St. Peter s Basilica Sistine Chapel Colosseum Pompeii Gardens of Augustus Florence s Duomo Galleria dell Accademia Florentine Leather Factory St. Mark s Basilica Venetian Glass Factory
Gems of Italy Spring Break 2015 Page 5 Tour Quote for: "Gems of Italy" (10 days) departing from Knoxville, TN on 03/13/2015: Base Tour Cost $2,839 Registration Fee $95 Airport Taxes & Fees $759* Weekend Surcharge $70 Total for Students: $3,763 Total for Adults: (includes $380 Adult Fee required for those 22 years and older) $4,143 2015 Early Bird Discount: Deduct $100 from the above prices when you enroll by 5/30/2014. EXTRA CHARGES Possible Optional Excursions (Capri) 100 Padding*** 50-150 Gratuities 75-100 Additional Services: Optional Insurance $109 Double Room Fee $160 Single Room Fee $464 This tour price quote was created on3/31/2014 and is subject to verification by calling a CHA Tour Counselor at 1-800-323-4466. COST BREAKDOWN AND PAYMENT SCHEDULE PAYMENT SCHEDULE Deposit due ASAP $495 check payable to CHA Educational Tours Escrow Account give check to Lou Gallo **** Tour Enrollment and Release (Front and Back) ASAP Final CHA Payment approx. Nov. 15 Remaining Balance (110 Days before departure) (through CHA--http://www.cha-tours.com/) Optional Excursions Winter 2014/Spring 2015 Padding early March at our trip meeting Gratuities in Europe You will pay everything through CHA except for Padding and Gratuities **These are estimates and are subject to change. This is something we do not have control over. ***This figure reflects costs for substitute teachers, balancing rooms, customizing our trip, and other unforeseen costs (i.e., increased taxes, first aid kits and equipment, etc.). We will know and give you most of the actual costs at our spring meeting. In the event that we have estimated too low, costs will be kept to a minimum and you may be asked to pay a bit extra to enhance the quality of the trip. ****Do not pay this online as I want to be sure that we have enough students to go on the trip. If we re unable to go, I will return your check. You can pay in full anytime and standard CHA cancellation policies will still apply.
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Gems of Italy Spring Break 2015 Page 7 Give this form and check for $495 to Gallo and he will submit it to CHA
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