Fairfax County Public Schools Global Investigators A private tour designed by Fairfax County, in collaboration with EF Customized Tours Open to all FCPS 7 th and 8 th grade students Confirmed departure date: Monday, June 23, 2014 Day 1 Monday, June 23, 2014 Board your overnight flight to London! Day 2 Tuesday, June 24, 2014 Arrive in London Sound drums and trumpets and to London all -(Shakespeare, King Henry VI part II). Ranging from the North Sea in the east to the playing fields of Eton in the west, London covers an area of some 620 square miles and is home to over 8 million people. Prepare to observe the stunning architecture, vibrant street life and royal majesty of this bustling metropolis. Walking Tour of London (time permitting) Stroll through the heart of London on your Tour Director-led walking tour of the city, which begins along the banks of the River Thames. As you walk along the ancient embankment, note that these shadowy waters gave the city its name, which derives from Llyn-Dyn, Celtic for city of the lake. Walk along the Strand and see the spot from which all distances to London are measured. Enter Trafalgar Square, where you re sure to meet the world s most famous pigeons, and pause at Nelson s column, a symbol of Britain s once unrivaled naval power. Continue on to Leicester Square and end your walk at chic Covent Garden, where street performers (or buskers ) amuse the lively crowds. (The exact walking route may vary, depending on your hotel location and the day s other activities.) Fish and Chips Dinner Tonight you will dine on one of England s most famous meals. Originally made popular in the 19th century by Dickens reference to a fried fish warehouse in Oliver Twist, the first fish and chips dinners were served with bread and butter and a cup of tea, all for just nine pence. Overnight in Paris Day 3 Wednesday, June 25, 2014 Guided Sightseeing of London A local guide leads you on a panoramic tour of London. Begin in Grosvenor Square; site of the U.S. embassy and the house where Eisenhower once lived, this area is sometimes called Little America. Continue to Hyde Park Corner, located at the southeast corner of Hyde Park, one of London s largest parks. At bustling Piccadilly Circus, the intersection of five busy streets, check out the bright lights and big city displays, before heading to Trafalgar Square, site of Nelson s Column, built to commemorate his 1805 victory in the Battle of Trafalgar. Pass Speaker s Corner, where anyone with something to say is invited to speak his mind. Snap a photo of the Houses of Parliament and continue along London s South Bank for views of the famous Tower of London and London Bridge. Stroll across the Millennium Bridge for an orientation of St. Paul s Cathedral, the magnificent 17th-century Baroque church designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Finally, witness a London tradition: the Changing of the Guard. (Subject to scheduling)
Experience the Cabinet War Rooms and Churchill Museum Walk through the underground rooms used by Winston Churchill during World War II. Since air raids were expected in London, Churchill needed to continue his war efforts in safety. The rooms were constructed in 1938 and designed to protect the War Cabinet from a new threat: aerial bombardment. The underground facility included a hospital, a canteen, a shooting range and Churchill s bedroom, with a direct line to the White House in Washington, D.C. See the very rooms from which the war was directed, including the Cabinet Room, where the War Cabinet met to strategize, and the Map Room, where the original maps still line the walls. Thames River Cruise and the London Eye This afternoon, view the famous sights of London from a cruise down the River Thames. Drifting under some of the city's landmark bridges, you will pass by the Houses of Parliament and the South Bank arts complex. As you approach the Tower of London, enjoy spectacular views of the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral before getting the perfect shot of Tower Bridge. You will then have a ride on the London Eye. Built to celebrate the millennium, the world s largest Ferris wheel offers you the chance to take it all in at once. Overnight in London Day 4 Thursday, June 26, 2014 Travel to Dover and Board Ferry to France Transfer to Dover, where you ll board a ferry to cross the English Channel. Look back at the famous White Cliffs of Dover as you leave the British shore-they are the site of the cliff scene in Shakespeare s King Lear. Four hundred years later, Churchill used a vast network of secret tunnels hidden within the rock to hide Allied troops during WWII. Transfer to Normandy Transfer to Normandy, where many of the scenes that turned the course of World War II took place. Despite its connection with major military events, Normandy is also a region of scenic beauty with elegant landscapes and patchwork fields as well as the majesty of its two major towns-caen and Rouen. Overnight in Normandy Region Day 5 Friday, June 27, 2014 Guided Sightseeing of Normandy At daybreak on June 6, 1944, the Allies D-Day landings took place, sparking the largest sea-borne invasion in military history and one of the bravest acts of World War II. As you walk on the same shores that witnessed so much courage and sacrifice over half a century ago, you can still see shelled out craters on the rocky cliffs alongside the occasional remains of German bunkers. Explore the American Cemetery Observe the final resting place of 9,386 American military dead, most of whom gave their lives during the landings and ensuing operations of World War II. The site also includes a memorial commemorating the soldiers and a chapel bearing the poignant words: These endured all and gave all that justice among nations might prevail and that mankind might enjoy freedom and inherit peace. Explore Arromanches and the Musée du Debarquement Explore the seaside town of Arromanches, home to a superb museum with models graphically displaying and explaining the importance of June 1944 and the D-Day landings. The museum also offers the chance to see actual tanks and artillery pieces used during World War II. See La Pointe du Hoc The Pointe du Hoc was vital position on the Atlantic Wall because it contains guns capable of firing on Omaha and Utah Beaches. It was one of the strongholds in the German fortifications. Colonel Rudder s Rangers battled the
German observation-post on the edge of the Point and the monument commemorates their courage on the morning of June 6th. Explore the D-Day Museum The Musée D Day Omaha is contained in an old authentic hangar. The exhibit includes landing craft and a steel observation cupola from a bunker at Cherbourg. The museum is located between Vierville-sur-Mer and Pointe du Hoc. Transfer to Paris Welcome to Paris, cosmopolitan City of Light. Over the centuries, Paris has grown to become the undisputed center of France, and one of the world s most important cities both culturally and politically. Equally famed for its high fashion, awe-inspiring museums and elegant cuisine, Paris has also been a center of theater, literature and philosophy throughout the ages. Seine River Cruise This evening, take a narrated river cruise along the Seine. As your boat glides from one graceful bridge to the next, sit back and gaze at the illuminated landmarks of Paris as they pan into view. Overnight in Paris Day 6 Saturday, June 28, 2014 Fly to Berlin Fly to historic Berlin, once again the German capital. For many years the city was defined by the wall that separated its residents. Since the monumental events that ended Communist rule in the East, Berlin has once again emerged as a treasure of arts and architecture with a vibrant heart. Guided Sightseeing of Berlin (time permitting) Ride past the Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche (left unrestored as a reminder of the ravages of war) and down the glittery Kurfürstendamm, Berlin s liveliest street. Pass the Rathaus Schöneberg, where 1,500,000 West Berliners flocked to hear President Kennedy s famous Ich bin ein Berliner speech in 1963. On your way to the Eastern sector, pass the Reichstag, former seat of the parliaments of the German Empire and the Weimar Republic. Arrive at the Brandenburg Gate, once the symbol of the undeclared Cold War, and now the symbol of a reunited Berlin. It was at this gate that the famous images of East and West Berliners dancing atop the crumbling Berlin Wall were filmed and broadcast around the world. As you see where the Berlin Wall actually stood, imagine the bleak watchtowers and piercing spotlights that guarded the border until November 1989. Journey down Unter den Linden, once considered one of the world s most elegant boulevards. Experience the Checkpoint Charlie Museum (time permitting) On the site where Checkpoint Charlie once guarded the border between East and West Germany, you ll visit a museum devoted to the era of the Berlin Wall. Inspect the escape cars once used to cross the border. See if you can find the secret compartment where escapees hid. Then view a photo exhibit that evocatively portrays the 30- year separation of East and West Germany, reunified in 1989. Overnight in Berlin Day 7 Sunday, June 29, 2014 Explore the DDR Museum Experience for yourself what it was like to live in East Berlin in one of the most interactive museums in the world. You will be encouraged to handle the exhibits - watch TV in an authentic East German living room, open drawers and closets, and look behind doors. You can even take a simulated ride in a Trabant, the most common vehicle in East Germany at the time. Sit down, turn on the ignition, and press the gas.
Participate in a Panel Discussion on the Cold War Attend an eye-opening and informative panel discussion on life during the tumultuous Cold War period. Learn the history of the deadly blockade erected through East and West Berlin known as the Berlin Wall and hear accounts of daily life living on either side of the Iron Curtain. Visit the Jewish Museum Today you will visit the Jewish Museum Berlin and learn the history of the Jewish-German culture. Featuring exhibitions and an extensive virtual library, the museum offers a powerful insight into the lives and history of German Jews. Overnight in Berlin Day 8 Monday, June 30, 2014 Transfer to Munich via Nuremberg At the Documentation Centre, walk through the 1300 square metre permanent exhibition Fascination and Terror and explore the causes, framework, and consequences of the National Socialist reign. Focusing on topics directly related to Nuremberg, it is comprised of 19 areas organized chronologically, including the buildings of the Nazi Party Rally Grounds and the Nuremberg trials. Arrive in Munich Welcome to Munich! This center of culture boasts over 45 museums, 10 university buildings and two opera houses. The city is also home to the Olympic center with full facilities and more than the occasional beer-hall. Overnight in Munich Day 9 Tuesday, July 1, 2014 Guided Sightseeing of Munich Your guided tour takes you past the Olympic Stadium, the headquarters of BMW, and the fashionable Schwabing district. You ll also pass the Residenz (once home to the Wittelsbach dukes of Bavaria), the Deutsches Museum, the university, and the Alte Pinakothek. Your tour concludes at Marienplatz, Munich s medieval heart, where you ll see the city s famed Glockenspiel. Munich derives from the city s German name, München (little monk), so named because the original settlement bordered a monastery. Excursion to Dachau Once merely another sleepy German village, Dachau has since 1933 gained notoriety as Germany s first Nazi concentration camp. Today, the old administration building houses a museum documenting the rise of Hitler and the horrors of camp life. Commemorative chapels and memorials have also been built on the site, which stands as eternal memorial to those who endured life here until liberation by Allied forces. Overnight in Munich Day 10 Wednesday, July 2, 2014 Excursion to Neuschwanstein Travel to Mad King Ludwig s fairy-tale castle of Neuschwanstein, the real-life model for the Disney World castles. Ponder the young king s mysterious death as you learn the story of one of Europe s most eccentric rulers. King Ludwig so preferred dreams over reality that his servants could address him only from behind a screen. In fact, the original plans for the castle were drawn up by a theater set designer, not an architect. Overnight in Munich
Day 11 Thursday, July 3, 2014 Transfer to the Airport for Your Return flight Your tour director assists with your transfer to the airport, where you ll check in for your return flight home. Itinerary is subject to change For complete financial and registration details, please refer to the FCPS ISTP website at www.fcps.edu/is/travel and EF Education at www.eftours.com/bc
Tour Highlights and Details Total Program Cost: $4,150** **This cost is based on students who enroll on the tour by June 30 th, 2013. The cost includes the following items specified below. Please refer to the booking conditions for more information at www.eftours.com/bc To enroll please go to: www.fcps.edu/is/travel (Please note space is limited) Overnight stays: London* (2) Normandy Region (1) Paris* (1) Berlin* (2) Munich* (3) * Denotes Central Location. EF defines Central Location to be within 30 minutes of the city center via public transportation. Sightseeing tours led by an expert, licensed local guide of the following: London Normandy Berlin Munich Entrances included to the following sites: The Churchill War Rooms London Eye Thames River Cruise Arromanches & Musée du Debarquement Normandy Beaches Pointe du Hoc American Cemetery at Colleville Omaha D-Day Museum Seine Cruise Checkpoint Charlie Museum DDR Museum Jewish Museum Berlin Panel Discussion Documentation Center in Nuremberg Dachau Neuschwanstein Castle
Included in the Total Cost: Non-refundable $95 deposit Round-trip airfare Accommodations in clean, safe hotels with private bathrooms A Tour Director available 24 hours-a-day from when you arrive until you depart (unless otherwise noted) Breakfast and dinner daily Sightseeing tours and excursions led by licensed local guides as specified Airport transfers and transportation between destination cities Transportation to all included activities Entrances fees and tickets as specified EF walking tours and Tour Director-led sightseeing as specified Customary gratuities (for your Tour Director, bus driver and local guides) Cruises, trains or ferries as specified Support from EF representatives abroad 24-hour worldwide emergency service Insurance coverage Not included in the Total Cost: Beverages and lunches Any applicable baggage-handling fees imposed by the airlines (see eftours.com/baggage for details) Passport, visa and reciprocity fees