Your Accommodation
Hotel Aequa (3-star), 7 nights half board.
This delightful hotel is in the heart of the little cliff-top town of Vico Equense and enjoys wonderful views over the Bay of Naples towards Vesuvius. Facilities include a bar, solarium, swimming pool (open 1 May – 1 October) and restaurant where dinner is included each evening.
Your Itinerary
DAY 1 UK/NAPLES
We fly to Naples and transfer to the pretty town of Vico Equense on the sorrento peninsula for seven nights half board accommodation.
DAY 2 POZZUOLI, SOLFATARA & CUMAE
This will be a day of amazing contrasts as we take in Roman remains in Pozzuoli; the earliest Greek settlement in Western Europe at Cumae; and the strange, unearthly landscape of Solfatara. The amphitheatre at Pozzuoli seated 20,000 spectators in its heyday. Although in ruins, we’ll find an enormous maze of extraordinarily well-preserved tunnels and caverns underground where wild animals would have been kept, waiting to be released into the arena.
We continue to Solfatara, a volcanic crater resembling a moonscape, where we hear the constant sound of bubbling and hissing; it is not surprising that the Romans thought this was one of the entrances to hell. Cumae is a magical place, high above the sea and surrounded by oak trees. Little remains of the Greek temples that once stood here, but the cave of the Sibyl is remarkably intact. According to Virgil, this is where Aeneas received instructions to descend to the underworld. We also visit the ruined temple to Jupiter, from where the views are superb.
DAY 3 POMPEII
The sheer scale of Pompeii is staggering. Once home to 20,000 people, the last few moments of the lives of its citizens were frozen for all time by the thick layer of volcanic ash and pumice that descended on the city so quickly in AD 79. We take the Circumvesuviana railway this morning and spend the day exploring this fascinating insight into Roman life in 1st-century Italy. We will see brilliant mosaics, beautifully frescoed villas, roman baths and the amphitheatre, where 5,000 spectators gathered to witness gladiatorial combat.
DAY 4 THE ISLAND OF CAPRI
Today we take the ferry to this enchanting island. Captivated by Capri’s beauty, the Roman Emperor Tiberius built a number of palaces here including the magnificent Villa Jovis, which we will visit. Although mostly in ruins today, the remains hint at its past importance. There will also be some free time for independent exploration. Away from the main streets are quiet shady back lanes lined with whitewashed old buildings embellished with domes and arches and splashed with bright flowers. Close to the village of Anacapri is the Villa San Michele, the former home of celebrated doctor and philanthropist Axel Munthe. Surrounded by fragrant gardens, the house has been left much as it was on his death, full of the curios and antiquities he collected.
DAY 5 OPLONTIS & HERCULANEUM
We visit the splendid Villa Poppaea at Oplontis, thought to have been the home of Nero’s second wife. One of the most spectacular archaeological sites ever uncovered, this fabulous villa complex boasts a profusion of excellently preserved Roman wall paintings. We continue to Herculaneum – although small in comparison to Pompeii, it was actually better preserved, protected by the volcanic mud that buried the city. Now painstakingly excavated, we will find excellent mosaics and luxurious buildings.
DAY 6 AMALFI DRIVE & PAESTUM
Our tour takes us along the Amalfi Coast, one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in the world, passing the breathtakingly beautiful resorts of Positano and Ravello. On reaching Paestum we are greeted by the magnificent sight of three massive Doric temples, standing in a peaceful setting surrounded by the ruins of their city. Still extraordinarily intact 2,500 years after they were built, the Temple of Ceres is the smallest; the Temple of Neptune the best preserved, still with gables at either end; and the Temple of Hera is the oldest and largest of the three, with 50 tapering outer columns. A fascinating museum displays many of the findings, including sculptures and tomb paintings.
DAY 7 VESUVIUS & NAPLES
Towering almost 1,300 metres above the bay of Naples, Vesuvius is mainland Europe’s only active volcano and its immense destructive power will have become evident at the archaeological sites we have already seen. Today we take the rewarding walk to the summit, from where the views over the bay of Naples are magnificent. We descend into the city to visit the amazing museum of National antiquities.
DAY 8 NAPLES/UK
We return to Naples for the homeward flight.
Please note: the order of excursions on this holiday may change depending on your departure date.
Travel Extras
We know that picking your dream destination is the biggest part of making your perfect holiday come true. But there are a number of other decisions that have to be made such as where to park at the airport and who to change your money with, to name but a few. So to really get every aspect of your holiday sorted we have set up a one stop travel shop and useful links section for you to organise all your travel needs, leaving you to concentrate on having a memorable and relaxing holiday with Page & Moy.
Holiday Extras - save up to 60%
You can benefit from access to Holiday Extras, a separate company that can organize a whole range of services from airport hotels and secure airport parking to VIP liunges in airports, and more, at 23 airports across the UK.
To book go to http://www.holidayextras.co.uk/pageandmoy.html.
If you find the same parking facility or hotel for less within seven days of booking, tell Holiday Extras and they will match the price or refund the difference. Conditions apply.
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Airport Lounges from Lounge Pass
Start your holiday off refreshed and relaxed by taking advantage of our VIP airport lounge offer, available at a number of airports, both here and abroad. From as little as £15 each, you’ll enjoy a peaceful and tranquil environment, where you can enjoy complimentary drinks and snacks, read the papers, check your email or simply relax and watch TV until your flight is called.
For details, please click here.
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Casual Clothing from Lands’ End
Lands' End offer an extensive range of high quality casual and tailored clothes for men and women. Choose from their selection of jackets, knitted tops, trousers, dresses, skirts and more.
For details, please visit www.landsend.co.uk
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Photography from Jessops
Jessops is the UK's leading specialist photographic retailer. With great on-line savings on hundreds of products, including digital cameras, camcorders, lenses, batteries and much more, plus free delivery on mainland UK orders over £75, Jessops has all your photographic needs covered.
For details, please visit www.jessops.com
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Travel Accessories from Travel with Care
Travel With Care offers a comprehensive range of travel accessories, with everything you need for your holiday. From First Aid, DVT Prevention and Healthcare to money belts, wallets, waterproofs, toiletries, alarm clocks, and much, much more.
For details, please visit www.travelwithcare.com
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Getting you there - European Holidays
Fly direct from your local airport Giving you choice is one of our main priorities, so when it comes to flights, instead of offering just Heathrow or Gatwick as departure airports, whenever possible we offer to fly you direct from your nearest airport to your holiday destination either free or for a supplement of just £29 per person.
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Choice of 20 airports
You have the choice to fly direct to your holiday destination from up to 20 regional airports throughout the UK for a supplement of no more than £29 per person return.
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Regional connecting flights to London from only £69
If you can’t fly direct to your destination from your local airport (see individual holiday details), usually you will have the choice of taking a regional connecting flight to Heathrow or Gatwick from as little as £69 per person return. If your connecting flight and your flight from Gatwick or Heathrow is with British Airways or British Midland, your luggage will automatically be checked through to your final destination, so there’s no need to collect or check your luggage in twice.
Fly from:
Aberdeen, Belfast, Durham Tees Valley, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Jersey, Leeds/Bradford, Manchester, Newcastle, Newquay
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Make your own way and save up to £150 per person
You may want more flexibility to make your own travel arrangements to combine your trip with visits to friends and relatives or travel from an airport which we do not offer. If so, why not take advantage of our make your own way option. We offer a reduction of £150 off many of our holidays to allow you to make your own arrangements, if that is what you want. Details of where this option is available are shown on each holiday.
Please remember that these arrangements do not include flights or transfers and you will need to make your own travel arrangements at the beginning and end of your holiday.
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Getting you there - Worldwide Holidays
To get your holiday off to a great start, we offer a range of transfer options with our compliments.
You can choose from the following options:
1. Experience door-to-door travel with Page & Moy (2009 departures only)
If you live within a 250-mile drive of your departure airport, we will arrange for a taxi to pick you up from your door and take you to the airport, and drop you home on your return, with our compliments.
2. FREE Connecting flights
If you live further than 250 miles from the airport, or if you prefer, you can opt to transfer to the main departure airport by a connecting flight from an airport closer to home (subject to availability).
3. FREE National Express coach travel
Alternatively, why not choose coach travel on the extensive national express network, with over 1,200 collection points nationwide. What’s more, we’ll pay for your ticket!
4. FREE airport car parking (2009 departures only)
If you would prefer the flexibility of travelling independently to the airport, we are pleased to offer
the option of free parking at your departure airport.
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