GRANDTRAVEL OFFERS TWO FESTIVE FIVE-NIGHT HOLIDAY TOURS TO NEW YORK AND LONDON DURING CHRISTMAS VACATIONS THAT ARE CHOCK FULL OF ACTIVITIES
Grandtravel, a multi-generational travel expert for nearly 20 years, has introduced two five-night, activity-packed Christmas week itineraries to New York City, December 26-31, and London, December 19-24 and December 26-31. Mega candy and toy stores, ice-skating, ballets, holiday concerts, circus and theatrical productions, museums and popular restaurants are sure to excite both grandparents and grandchildren. Departure dates were chosen so everyone could be home to spend the holidays with their families.
The Big Apple transforms into a winter wonderland during the holiday season, and Grandtravel’s New York City program captures the warmth and romance of the city during Christmastime. After a first-night dinner at the 1840s-style Ye Waverly Inn, the group gets a peek of what’s to come during an evening tour that includes the South Street Seaport, the famous Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and the Observation Deck at the Empire State Building. In keeping with New York holiday traditions, travelers go ice-skating in the shadow of the colossal Christmas tree, see the Rockettes kick up their heels at Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular and visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral, a Gothic-style architectural gem.
Eyes light up at the colorful and oversize decor of Manhattan’s flagship candy and toy stores -- at Dylan’s Candy Bar, the 21 colors of M&Ms and three-foot-tall lollipops are sure to impress, as is a ride on the 60-foot-tall indoor Ferris wheel at the new Toys “R” Us in Times Square.
At the cobble-stoned South Street Seaport district dating from the 1600s, visitors explore the Pier 17 shopping pavilion, fish market and South Street Seaport Museum’s “Street of Ships.” On other days, midtown’s restored Grand Central Terminal historic train depot and United Nations are featured. A large dose of culture is added to the mix with visits to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Cloisters, a branch of the Met showcasing the art and architecture of medieval Europe. A baseball exhibit at the American Folk Art Museum will score a home run, as will a stop at the New York City Fire Museum, built in a 1904 SoHo firehouse.
The restaurant choices provide a representation of New York’s incredible diversity of dining venues: lunch at the Delegates’ Dining Room at the United Nations, a decadent Sunday brunch at The Plaza, and dinners at retro 1950s-theme Ellen’s Stardust Diner with its singing waitstaff, Central Park’s Tavern on the Green and The View revolving rooftop lounge at the Marriott Marquis. One night is spent at the Empire State Building’s 86th-floor observatory for a bird’s eye view of a hushed, illuminated Manhattan, another viewing acrobats tumble through the air at a Circus Oz show. The Nutcracker Ballet and the Broadway show, Wicked, round out other evenings.
Grandtravel’s London itinerary showcases the enchanting city’s Christmas traditions, beginning with an open-top, double-decker bus tour through the fashionable shopping areas of Regent and Oxford streets, dressed elegantly with Christmas lights and decorations, and Trafalgar Square, to view the famous Christmas tree, a gift from Norway to England.
In Britain it is customary to partake in afternoon tea service, and travelers will experience the classic snack of pastries and herbal teas while treated to a Dickens performance. The 900-year-old Westminster Abbey, Tower of London, St. Paul’s Cathedral and British Museum, displaying histories of world cultures are all included on the itinerary. Free time is allotted at Covent Garden -- London’s vibrant entertainment center, with street performers, restaurants and pubs, and clothing boutiques -- for strolling and shopping, or lunching on such English favorites as bangers-and-mash or shepherd’s pie. There is also time to shop at Hamley’s Toy Store and Harrods.
An afternoon of ice-skating at Somerset House is followed by a tour of the Courtauld Institute Gallery’s collection, one of the most important art and sculpture collections in Britain. Evenings encompass lavish dinners followed by tickets to The Nutcracker at the Royal Opera House, a concert at Royal Albert Hall and top musicals.
Prices per person, double occupancy, for the New York package are $3,990; triple, $3,870; quadruple, $3,650; for London, $3,850, $3,560 and $2,950, respectively. Prices cover accommodations with private bath; most meals; transportation; admission to all scheduled attractions and events; enroute activities program for children; the services of a professional tour guide and a Grandtravel escort throughout; and all service charges and hotel taxes.
Grandparents can request a “Birthday Travel List” magnet, a year-by-year guide of age-appropriate vacation suggestions similar to the traditional anniversary gift list. Reservations can be obtained from Grandtravel, phone (800) 247-7651; web site .
