Autumn Tours 2010

Places are still available on a number of our autumn tours taking place this autumn. Some are new tours taking place for the first time this autumn, others are longer-established in the roster of Martin Randall Travel tours. However, what all have in common are an inspiring, companionable lecturer, a meticulously planned and innovative itinerary, award-winning customer care and great value for money.

The South Downs (6–10 September 2010) NEW
Neolithic, Roman, Norman, Elizabethan, Regency and beyond: the Downland of West Sussex contains a wealth of fine building appropriate for the unspoilt countryside, from Fishbourne Roman Villa to Goodwood, Chichester Cathedral to Arundel Castle. Great houses are a particular feature, including a private opening of Petworth House, one of England’s finest 17th century houses, with contemporary art a diverting sub-theme. Price: £1,190 per person includes accommodation in the Millstream Hotel at Bosham, private coach throughout, one lunch and three dinners, admission to houses, gardens and sites.

Châteaux & Gardens of Ile de France (11—16 September 2010)
A lecturer in European garden history and fine and decorative arts leads this tour exploring the patterns and interaction of history and design in architecture and gardens. Participants travel first-class by train to Paris and stay within the Jean Jacques Rousseau park and in a hotel a stone’s throw from Versailles palace. Price £1,760 per person includes rail travel, hotel accommodation, breakfasts and 4 dinners, all admissions, the services of the lecturer.

Iran: The North West (13—24 September 2010) NEW
A journey through lesser-known Iran, west and north of Tehran, to Tabriz and beyond. With a topography as varied as it is vast, time on the road is as much a part of this tour as the sites. It boasts dramatic and changing landscapes, from volcanic mountains to the Caspian sea and much fine architecture: mosques, mausoleums, an Armenian church, sacred coronation sites. Price £3,180 per person includes air travel, private coach for all other journeys, hotel accommodation, breakfasts, lunch and dinners, all tips for restaurants, guides and drivers, the services of the lecturer.

Ancient Egypt (11—22 October 2010)
A comprehensive introduction to Pharaonic Egypt, visiting the principal sites from Giza to Abu Simbel. It is a full and busy tour to Egypt but it avoids rush and allows time to contemplate and absorb. The group stays in three hotels (two of them 5-star), which makes much better use of time than a ship. Price £3,380 per person includes air travel, hotel accommodation, all dinners and five lunches, all admission to museums and sites, all state and airport taxes, the cost of the Egyptian visa, services of the lecturer.

Wexford (18—22 October 2010)
The Wexford Opera Festival is renowned for rare operas performed by international casts of international standards. Our tour attends Smetana’s Hubicka (The Kiss), Mercadante’s Virginia, and a contemporary opera The Golden Ticket, by Peter Ash and Donald Sturrock, all performed in the remarkable state of the art Opera House, recently opened in 2008. Participants stay in a quiet riverside hotel a short drive from the centre of Wexford. Price £1,670 per person includes tickets to 3 operas and a recital, travel by private coach from Dublin and for excursions, hotel accommodation, breakfasts, one lunch and three dinners.

The Lucerne Piano Festival (24—28 November 2010) NEW
Accompanied by critic Geoffrey Norris, Britain’s most interesting writer on piano performance, this small-group tour attends five concerts with five of the world’s most outstanding pianists: Emanuel Ax, Evgeny Kissin, András Schiff, Grigory Sokolov and Andreas Staier; also conductor Bernard Haitink. In a magnificent setting of lake, rivers and mountains, the picturesque city of Lucerne combines a wonderful range of historic architecture with vitality and modernity. Price £2,110 includes tickets for 5 concerts costing c. £480, air travel, private coach, breakfasts, 1 lunch and 3 dinners, all admissions to museums, all tips for guides, waiters and drivers, all taxes, the services of the lecturer.