Trip Itinerary

Please note this itinerary is copyrighted.

Key: IF = In Flight Meals, B= Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner 

Day 1: Friday, October 6, 2017: Departure to Frankfurt, Germany
Our journey to explore the sites and heroes of the Reformation begins with flights from Indianapolis to Frankfurt. Group flights will be arranged, but we can also assist with individual flights from other airports. Pre-tour nights can also be arranged. (IF)

Day 2: Saturday, October 7, 2017: Worms, Mainz Area
On arrival in Frankfurt, we will meet our guide and coach driver and depart for Worms.  En route we will stop for lunch at a local winery.  In Worms, we will see the site of the plaque commemorating the Worms Debates (Diet of Worms), now a park, and the Reformation Monument. We can ponder Luther’s quote, “Hier stehe ich und kann nicht anders! Gott helfe mir, Amen!”   Our guide will also share about another Reformer, William Tyndale, who finished his printing of the English Bible in Worms, escaping persecution in England.  Then we continue on to Mainz where a local guide will introduce us to the city and take us on a tour of the Gutenberg Museum.  We will overnight in Mainz.  (L/D)

Day 3: Sunday, October 8, 2017: Eisenach, Erfurt
We head in a northerly direction this morning towards Eisenach.  It was in 1521, while fleeing from the wrath of the Pope, Luther took refuge in the Wartburg Castle after a fake kidnapping staged by his friend and protector, Frederick the Wise. We will tour Wartburg Castle and see where Luther finished translating the New Testament into German in just eleven weeks.  After the tour we will visit the Bach House in Eisenach. We will end the day in Erfurt, our home for the next two nights.  Dinner is at our hotel this evening.  (B/D)

Day 4: Monday, October 9, 2017: Erfurt
Our local guide will take us on a tour including St. Mary’s Cathedral, St. Severin’s Church and the famous Merchant’s Bridge. We will end at the Augustinian Monastery where Luther became a monk on July 17, 1505. We will be able to see his monastic quarters, including one cell furnished to look as it would have when he lived there. At the end of the tour, we will have a group worship service in the chapel (subject to availability).  Our afternoon is free to explore on our own or visit Buchenwald Concentration Camp. This evening we will dine in the “Luther Cellar” restaurant with a traditional meal from his time. (B/D)

Day 5: Tuesday, October 10, 2017: Wittenberg
After breakfast, we will drive to Wittenberg and have free time for lunch.  In the afternoon our local guide will take us to where Martin Luther nailed his famous 95 Theses to the door of the Schlosskirche (Castle Church) in 1517. Although the original door was destroyed in a fire, the replica has all 95 Theses in bronze, which is magnificent. Next we will tour the Lutherhalle (Luther House) Museum, where Luther lived for 35 years. It was here that he had his pivotal “Tower Experience” while reading Romans 1:17. We will also visit St. Mary’s Church and see the Luther Oak. This evening we can join the English-language worship service with the Wittenberg English Ministry. (B/D)

Day 6: Wednesday, October 11, 2017: Berlin, Rome
After  a leisurely breakfast, we will drive to the Berlin airport for a flight to Rome.  On arrival in Rome, our Italian tour director will welcome us to Italy and escort us to our waiting motor coach. We will begin our time in Rome with a bus orientation tour on the way to our centrally-located hotel. After dinner at our hotel, we will take a walk to the Trevi Fountain area of Rome and enjoy some gelato.  (B/D) 

Day 7: Thursday, October 12, 2017: Rome
This morning we will visit the Vatican City and St. Peter’s Basilica, home of the Roman Catholic Church and the largest building in Christianity. Our tour includes a visit to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. This afternoon we will visit the Basilica of St John Lateran where Martin Luther is said to have climbed the steps of the Scala Sancta on his knees.  Dinner tonight is in a Roman restaurant.  (B/D)

Day 8: Friday, October 13, 2017: Rome
Many of the sites we will see today were very familiar to the Apostle Paul. We will begin with a visit to the Arch of Constantine and an inside tour of the Colosseum. We will tour the Forum, Palatine Hill and the Mamertine Prison, where Paul was imprisoned. In the afternoon, we will tour St. Peter in Chains Basilica, see Michelangelo’s Moses and the San Clemente Basilica. Our final dinner is in our hotel. (B/D)

Day 9: Saturday, October 14, 2017: Return
We will  transfer from our hotel to the airport for our morning flights. (B/IF)

Our hotels are chosen for their quality, amenities and proximity to areas of interest. Whenever possible, we choose hotels in town centers, so that you are able to go off and explore in your free time. It may be necessary for us to substitute hotels for others of equal quality. You will be fully informed of any changes that affect you. Enjoy your stay!

Mainz, Germany
October 7-8, 2017
Best Western Mainz
Wallstraße 56
55122 Mainz

Erfurt, Germany
October 8-10, 2017
Best Western Plus Hotel Excelsior
Bahnhofstraße 35
99084 Erfurt

Wittenberg, Germany
October 10-11, 2017
Luther Hotel
Neustraße 7-10
06886 Wittenberg

Rome, Italy
October 11-14, 2017
Hotel Mediterraneo
Via Cavour, 15
00184 Roma

Group flights have been arranged on United (UA) and Alitalia (AZ). You are welcome to arrange your own flights once this is a guaranteed departure. We can also assist with alternative flights. The Alitalia flight from Berlin to Rome is included in the tour price.

What’s included in the tour price of $4,175?

Price based on a minimum of 15 participants. Land only price $2,899.

Your Tour Includes

•   Transportation: via deluxe air-conditioned coaches
•   Round-trip group air from Indianapolis, including taxes and fees ($1,276)
•   One-way group air from Berlin to Rome
•   Accommodations (double-occupancy) in superior 3-star and moderate 4-star hotels
•   Meals as indicated in the itinerary
•   Professional tour escort throughout the tour
•   Local step-on guides for city tours and major attractions
•   Entrance fees included as per itinerary
•   All transfers, as a group
•   Insurance during the tour (pre-tour coverage upgrade available)
•   Baggage handling (1 piece of baggage per guest)
•   All taxes and tips except as indicated below

Your Tour Does Not Include

•   Single supplement ($240)
•   Meals and beverages not identified in itinerary
•   Items of a personal nature, such as passports and visas. Passports must be valid for months beyond return date.
•   Pre-tour cancellation insurance (details sent with reservation form)
•   Gratuities for tour manager, and driver

Payment Schedule

•   Deposit of $600 will secure your place on the tour. Please make your check payable to “Christian Theological Seminary” and send to Dr. Leah Gunning Francis, 1000 W 42nd St, Indianapolis, IN 46208
•   Final invoices will be sent in July 2017
•   Final payment is due by August 1, 2017
•   Reservations will be accepted after August 1, 2017, subject to availability

Insurance

We offer all of our travelers FREE travel insurance on group tours, which is valid throughout the tour. This insurance is through RoamRight, a division of Arch Insurance Company. You have the option to upgrade to the Total Travel Protection Plan to receive full coverage. The price depends on the total land and air cost of the tour.

Included Insurance
The Travel Protection Plan covers you while you are on tour (not before). It includes medical and evacuation coverage, missed travel connections, trip delay, baggage delays, and lost luggage.

Included Travel Protection Description of Coverage

Upgraded Insurance from $141 (land) or $203 (land and air)
You can upgrade to the Total Travel Protection plan, by adding Trip Cancellation coverage. This is valid from the time of purchase until the tour begins. E-mail us to add the upgraded insurance, or request the upgrade when you sign-up for the tour.

Click for pre-tour cancellation insurance quote (additional cost) Total Travel Protection Description of Coverage

Cancellations

Regardless of reason, cancellations are costly. To offset these costs the following fees will apply, plus any non-recoverable expenses to our suppliers:
From time of deposit to until 100 days before departure: $100
From 99-15 days prior to departure: $350 plus any non refundable deposits
14 days or less prior to departure: No refund– Cancellation charges also apply to additional accommodation reserved prior to and after the tour.
– Cancellations must be received in writing by 5:00 p.m. central time on the last business day of the applicable time period.
– For flight changes or cancellations, revision fees and/or airline cancellation charges will apply.
– Roommates canceling can result in a single supplement charge for the roommate. The Participant who cancels will be responsible for that charge if a substitute roommate cannot be found.
– Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance is strongly recommended.
Reformation Tours cannot assume responsibility for any additional costs or fees relating to the issuance and/or cancellation of air tickets or other arrangements not made through Reformation Tours.

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