50 30

Sandra's 50th · Bray's 30th

The

GRAND TOUR

in gold and pearl

October 16 to 29, 2027

14 days · 4 stops · 2 birthdays

About $5,250 all in

$3,050 for the trip, plus your flight and spending

Respond Explore the trip ↓

From the two of us

We're turning 50 and 30 a week apart, and we want to celebrate with a trip through Europe: Amsterdam, Paris, Lucerne and a villa in Tuscany. It would mean a lot to have you with us.

Love, Sandra and Bray

WhenOct 16 to 292027 · 10 workdays off
Where4 stopsAmsterdam, Paris, Lucerne, Tuscany
All inAbout $5,250$3,050 trip + flight + spending
Answer byJan 15Nothing to pay to answer

Answering isn't paying. Saying you're in just tells us who to plan for. A $500 deposit comes in January, with the refund rules, before we book.

Nothing is booked yet. The hotels, the villa and the prices below are our plan and today's quotes. We book in January once we know who's coming.

Who's invited

The whole family

Sixteen of us, plus Camila. The more of us who come, the lower the price for everyone.

A gold mark means they're in. Only yeses show here. Maybes and no's stay between you and us.

Two birthdays, one week apart

A dinner for each of us

Le Procope at night, red and gilt rooms behind its tall windows

Paris · Thursday, Oct 21

50

Sandra turns 50. We're planning dinner in a private room at Le Procope, the oldest café in Paris, open since 1686.

The villa's dining room, one long table under chandeliers

Tuscany · Thursday, Oct 28

30

Bray turns 30. A private chef cooks dinner at the villa, and we all eat at one long table.

The trip

Four stops, one at a time

Tap a stop to see each day. Dark tags are in the trip price, gold tags are optional extras, and everything else is free time.

Sat 16Fly overnight from Tampa or Orlando. You book your own flight.
An Amsterdam canal in autumn, gold leaves over the water
I

Amsterdam

Oct 17 to 19

A private canal boat at sunset, Rembrandt and Van Gogh, and the Jordaan's canal streets.

See the 2 daysClose
Sun, Oct 17Day 2
A boat on an Amsterdam canal at sunset

Land, rest, then a canal boat at sunset

Check in, nap off the flight, then a private boat through the canals, just us.

  • Canal boat included
  • Easy day
Mon, Oct 18Day 3
A Rembrandt group portrait at the Rijksmuseum Gold autumn trees over a canal in the Jordaan

Rembrandt, Van Gogh and the Jordaan

A free day. Most of us will do the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, then wander the Jordaan.

  • Free day
  • Museum tickets about $30 each
The Eiffel Tower over the Seine at sunset
II

Paris

Oct 19 to 22

The Eurostar in, the Seine at night, the Louvre or Champagne, and Sandra's 50th.

See the 3 daysClose
Tue, Oct 19Day 4
A Eurostar train at the platform A lit boat on the Seine at night

Eurostar to Paris, then the Seine at night

A fast train into Paris, then a cruise down the Seine after dark with a champagne toast.

  • Train and cruise included
  • About 3½ hours by train
Wed, Oct 20Day 5

Pick your day

The Louvre pyramid at sunsetThe Louvre and OrsayTickets about $55 for both
Champagne bottles resting in a chalk cellarChampagne in Reims+$200 train, cellars, lunch
  • Free day
  • Champagne +$200
Sandra's 50th
Thu, Oct 21Day 6
Le Procope at night

Paris, then dinner at Le Procope

A free day in Paris, then all of us at dinner in a private room at the oldest café in the city.

  • Birthday dinner included
  • Free day
Lucerne's Chapel Bridge and water tower at blue hour
III

Lucerne

Oct 22 to 24

A train into the Alps, fondue in the old town, and the Rigi for anyone who wants a mountain.

See the 2 daysClose
Fri, Oct 22Day 7
A red Swiss train along a lake Bread dipped into a pot of cheese fondue

Train to the Alps, fondue night

A train ride into Switzerland, past lakes and mountains, then fondue in Lucerne's old town.

  • Train and fondue included
  • About 4½ hours, one change
Sat, Oct 23Day 8

Pick your day

Green mountainside over Lake LucerneUp the Rigi+$140 boat and cogwheel train
Lucerne's old town along the riverThe old town and the lakeFree, all on foot
  • Free day
  • Rigi +$140
Vineyard rows on a Tuscan hillside in autumn
IV

Tuscany

Oct 24 to 29

Our own villa in the vineyards, Siena and Florence with a driver, a day you pick, and Bray's 30th.

See the 5 daysClose
Sun, Oct 24Day 9
A mountain road through autumn larches The villa among vineyards, from above

Over the Alps to the villa

Our own coach takes us and the bags through the mountains and down into Tuscany, with stops along the way. It's the longest day of the trip.

  • Private coach included
  • Most of the day, 8 to 9 hours
Mon, Oct 25Day 10
Siena's Piazza del Campo and its tower Freshly picked green olives

Siena and an olive mill

A driver takes us to Siena, then to a working olive mill for a tasting. The harvest starts around now.

  • Driver and tasting included
Tue, Oct 26Day 11
Florence and the Duomo with hills behind

Florence

A driver takes us into the city for the day: the Duomo, the Uffizi, the Ponte Vecchio and lunch at the market.

  • Driver included
  • Guided Uffizi +$50
Wed, Oct 27Day 12

Pick your day

A truffle sliced openTruffle hunt and lunch+$185
Montalcino's fortress among cypress treesBrunello and a castle lunch+$200
Cypress trees in morning fog in the Val d'OrciaThe Val d'Orcia+$130
Hands rolling out fresh pastaCooking class at the villa+$140

Or stay at the villa and do nothing at all.

Bray's 30th
Thu, Oct 28Day 13
A long table under the villa's pergola

A slow day, then a chef at the villa

Sleep in, walk the vineyards, then a private chef cooks our last dinner and we all sit at one long table.

  • Birthday dinner included
Fri 29A driver takes us to Florence airport, and we fly home. You book your own flight.

Where we'll stay

Three hotels and a villa

These are our picks, not booked yet. Couples share a room.

In the cities

Central and walkable, and every hotel has a lift. Each city has an upgrade if you want one.

The lounge at Motel One Waterlooplein

Amsterdam · 2 nights

Motel One Waterlooplein

By the Amstel, a short walk to the canals.

Upgrade: Banks Mansion on the Herengracht, breakfast and drinks included. +$370
The flower-covered front of the Vendôme Saint-Germain

Paris · 3 nights

Vendôme Saint-Germain

In the Latin Quarter, near the Seine.

Upgrade: Duc de Saint-Simon, a quiet hotel with a garden courtyard. +$330
A bright double room at Hotel Central Luzern

Lucerne · 2 nights

Hotel Central

Steps from the lake and the train station.

Upgrade: Art Deco Montana, above the lake with its own funicular. +$140

In Tuscany

Out in the countryside, so we get around with the coach and a driver. Several bedrooms are on the ground floor.

Borgo San Polino from above, stone houses among vineyards and cypress
A long table under the pergola A terrace table looking over the hills One of the stone farmhouses A bedroom with terracotta floors

Borgo San Polino, all to ourselves

Three restored stone farmhouses on a private hilltop on the Brolio wine estate. Nine bedrooms, each with its own bathroom.

What it costs

About $5,250 all in

Per person, if all 16 of us come. These are today's quotes, so the final number may move a little.

The tripHotels, the villa, trains, the coach, drivers, both birthday dinners and the group outings$3,050
Your flightYou book it. A bit less from Orlandoabout $1,200
Meals and museum ticketsEverything not listed as includedabout $1,000
All in$5,250

How paying works

The more of us, the less it costs

12 of us

$3,500

14 of us

$3,250

16 of us

$3,050

The villa, the coach and the drivers cost the same however many of us come.

Included

  • 12 nights: three hotels and the villa
  • The Eurostar and the train to Lucerne
  • The private coach over the Alps
  • Drivers in Tuscany and to the airport
  • Both birthday dinners
  • Canal boat, Seine cruise, fondue, olive mill

Not included

  • Your flight
  • Other meals
  • Museum tickets
  • Optional extras and upgrades
  • Travel insurance, if you want it

Questions

Good to know

Does saying I'm in commit me?

It tells us to plan for you. Nothing is paid until the deposit in January, and we'll send the refund rules before then. You can change your answer anytime.

Is anything booked yet?

Not yet. We book in January once we know who's coming. The prices are today's quotes, so they may move a little.

How much time off do I need?

Ten workdays: Monday, Oct 18 to Friday, Oct 29. We leave on a Saturday and fly home the last Friday.

Do we do everything together?

The travel days, the outings and both birthday dinners are together. Every other day has free time, and you can pick an extra or just wander.

Can I come for part of it?

We're planning it as one trip, start to finish, so we're all together the whole time.

Is it easy on the grandparents?

Every city hotel has a lift, the villa has ground-floor bedrooms, a coach carries the bags over the Alps, and a driver takes us around Tuscany. The longest day is the coach ride, most of a day with stops.

What about kids?

Camila is coming. She stays in her parents' room at no charge, so she only needs her flight and whatever she does there. Most museums are free for her.

I'm traveling solo. What changes?

A room of your own costs about $650 to $800 more for the three cities. At the villa every bedroom is the same.

Who books the flights?

You do, once we know who's in. Fares for these dates open in early December, and we'll send the best options from Tampa and Orlando.

What about my passport?

It needs to be valid until at least February 2028 and issued within the last 10 years. Check yours now, since renewals take weeks.

Do I need a visa?

Not with a US passport. Europe plans to start an online travel authorization called ETIAS, about €20, and if it's running by then everyone will need one. We'll remind you.

What's the weather like?

Fall weather: highs in the 50s in Amsterdam and Lucerne, around 60 in Paris, and around 70 in Tuscany. Bring layers and a rain jacket.

What if fewer people come?

The price per person goes up a little, as the chart above shows. That's why we're asking everyone early.

Tell us

Are you in?

It takes a minute, nothing to pay, and you can change your answer later. Please answer by January 15 so we can book the villa.

I'm in Maybe, tell me more I can't make it

Questions? Text Bray or Sandra.