If you’re longing to spend quality time with your grandchild, how about Grandtravel? This Washington, DC based travel company specializes in luxury vacations exclusively for grandparents and grandchildren. Imagine strolling the gardens of Monet’s Giverney, riding the London Eye, kneading dough together in a French bakery or experiencing the high-speed rails of the English Channel Chunnel (try to say that three times!).
London highlights include a “behind-the-scenery” tour of the Theatre Royal Drury; hands-on instruction in theatrical make-up and costume at the Theater Museum; and tours of London’s Westminster Abbey, Globe Theatre and Windsor Castle. In Paris, enjoy a Bateau Mouche cruise on the Seine, Nôtre Dame Cathedral and the Musée d’Orsay, and the artist colony of Montmartre.
Food is a big part of the fun, whether dining atop the Eiffel Tower, at London’s Vasco & Pietro’s or the theatre-themed Papageno. Enjoy lunch at such restos as Les Noces de Jeannette in Paris. There is plenty of free time for shopping and exploration on your own, too.
This year’s trip departs July 19, 2008 and the cost is $7,960 per person (double) or $7,495 (triple). Accommodations are at London’s deluxe Kempinski Courthouse, the former Magistrate’s Courthouse where Charles Dickens worked as a news reporter; and Paris’ Hotel du Louvre, where the four facades all face a famous Parisian landmark.
No grandkids yet for me, but I’ll keep it in mind!
London Eye
Photo by Sue Frause