11 Day Vienna, Salzburg and Prague trip itinerary.

We can't wait to show you how special our trip really is.  Here is the itinerary:


Thursday, October 12, 2017 
Depart Chicago O’Hare at 4:10 p.m.

Friday, October 13, 2017
Arrive at Vienna Airport at 8:45 a.m. the next morning, proceed through immigration and pick up your luggage. You will then be met  by your guide , and after a short orientation tour you will be transferred to your hotel. After checking into your hotel, you will have some free time to rest after the long flight.  About 6 p.m. head to the Grinzing suburb in the hills above the city center to sample some local foods in a typical local Heurigen with entertainment at the famous Mayer am Pfarrplatz.
Overnight--Hotel Wandl, Vienna


Saturday, October 14, 2017
On your morning sightseeing tour, visit the Hofburg Palace (Sisi’s apartments) - Hapsburg residence from  the thirteenth century to 1914 when the city was the seat of the mighty Austro-Hungarian Empire. As you drive through Vienna’s city center, see the most important and imposing buildings including the Belvedere Palace, Prater Amusement Park, and  the UN buildings. See the awe-inspiring St. Stephen’s Cathedral with its colorful ceramic roof tiles and walk through its interior. Free time for lunch on your own. In the afternoon you will visit the famous Vienna State Opera and the Mozart House. Evening and dinner on your own, time for optional concert. Overnight--Hotel Wandl


Sunday, October 15, 2017
Visit the Rococo-style summer palace and gardens of the Schonbrunn.  One of the most popular attractions in Vienna, the 1441-room palace was built by Emperor Leopold I in 1696 and modified 40 years later by Maria Theresa.  Forty rooms  and the magnificent gardens are open to the public.  It was in the Hall of Mirrors that the 6-year-old Mozart impressed the royal court and met the young Marie Antoinette.  Return to the city center where you are free to select your itinerary from the many museums in the Hofburg complex:  the Albertina, the Augustinian Church, the Ephesus Museum, the Kunsthistoriches Museum, the Spanish Riding School, the Natural History Museum, or perhaps a visit to Café Sperl, the coffee house frequented by Brahms and other famous people.  The evening is open to  one of the many concert venues, or treat yourself to a slice of Sachertorte at the famous Sacher Hotel. Dinner on your own.
Overnight, Hotel Wandl.

Monday, October 16, 2017
This morning enjoy an exclusive cultural experience with a guided visit to the Secession, a museum that features the work of Gustav Klimt, among others . After  lunch on your own continue your cultural insight with a visit to Belvedere Palace, which houses an impressive collection of Austrian art dating from the Middle Ages to the present day.  Prominent works by the French Impressionists and the outstanding collection of Viennese Biedermeier paintings are popular attractions at the Belvedere.  Overnight--Hotel Wandl

Tuesday, October 17,2017
We are leaving Vienna after breakfast and travel to Salzburg. We will do a coffee stop at the monastery in Melk and will reach Salzburg by lunch time. Check in at the Hotel and enjoy free time for lunch. In the afternoon we are on the trail of the Von Trapp family. Maybe you’ve also dreamed of following in the footsteps of Maria von Trapp. On your visit to Salzburg, seize the opportunity to visit the locations used for the filming of the “The Sound of Music”
In the evening,dinner on your own, perhaps at the well-known Stiftskeller.
Overnight--Holiday Inn Salzburg

Wednesday, October 18, 2017
After breakfast we dedicate the morning to Mozart.  The Mozart City Tour is one of Salzburg's "classic" tours and includes all of the city's major attractions as well as a good overview of the city's architecture and history. Retracing the history of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart you will learn interesting facts about the city's most famous son. Mozart's Birthplace in Getreidegasse, the Mozart Residence on Makart Square, and the Mozarteum are tour fixtures. Lunch on your own; try a typical inn famous for home-style Austrian cooking.  In the afternoon visit of the Hohensalzburg Fortress. The fortress is over 900 years old and was originally built to guarantee the safety of the archbishop, while also serving as barracks and a prison. Of particular interest are the fortress museum with magnificent gothic carvings, ornamental paintings and frescos, and decorative gold leaf – all of which attests to the wealth of the prince bishops. Dinner at the famous Stiegl Brauwelt  Salzburg’s oldest privately-owned brewery.
 Overnight--Holiday Inn Salzburg


Thursday, October 19, 2017
After breakfast we are leaving for Prague.
Program for this day to be advised
Lunch on the road –
Overnight--Hotel Lindner Prague Castle



Friday, October 20, 2017
After breakfast
Cross the Vltava River to take a half-day sightseeing tour of Hradcany Castle, home to Czech rulers for more than  a thousand years. This is the largest castle complex in the world and full of buildings of many types and ages. See St. Vitus Cathedral which begun in 1344, and  not completed until 1929. This elaborate French Gothic building boasts wonderful stained-glass windows and countless chapels and monuments. Visit the Old Royal Palace, St. George’s Basilica, Golden Lane, and the Daliborka Tower. The afternoon is at leisure. Enjoy a typical dinner with a folkloric show to introduce you to the food and customs of the Czech Republic.
Overnight--Hotel Lindner



Saturday, October 21, 2017
This morning take a leisurely walking tour to discover some of the lovely buildings in the old part of the city. Start at the Old Town Square to view the Old Town Hall with its intricate Astronomical Clock, which dates from 1410 and where a parade of apostles takes place on the hour. Walk through the Jewish Quarter to see the early
Gothic Old-New Synagogue dating from 1270 and the Jewish town hall with an interesting 16th century clock. Pass St. Nicholas Church, one of the finest baroque buildings in Prague. At the end of your tour you will visit the Strahov Monastery, one of the oldest monasteries of the Premonstratensian Order in the world. In the evening, you have the option to enjoy a theater performance at the Black Light Theatre. Overnight--Hotel Lindner



Sunday, October 22, 2017
Travel by motor coach to Vienna, which will take you through the pleasant countryside of Bohemia and South Moravia. Stop for a visit to the Sternberk Castle, one of the best preserved Gothic castles in Bohemia. Cross the border into Austria and on arrival in Vienna head to your hotel and settle in. Tonight enjoy your farewell dinner in Vienna at the Griechenbeisl – one of Mark Twain’s favorite places in Vienna.
Overnight--Hotel Falkensteiner, Wien Margareten, Vienna

Monday, October 23, 2017
After breakfast, take a transfer to Vienna Airport for your departure flight. After check-in, you’ll
have time to shop at the duty-free stores before boarding your flight for the journey home. Arrive at O’Hare Chicago ; go through customs, immigration, gather bags, and transfer to bus for final journey to Springfield.


Please call Planet Travel at 217-241-0180 to book or for more information.

It's here. Hot off the press. Our eight page Vienna, Salzburg and Prague brochure.

Listing our full itinerary, sign up form, and more, please click below to see our eight page brochure. 

This is a very special, one of kind trip, to three great Central European cities.  Hosted by an Austrian-based tour company, you cannot book this trip with any other travel site. Please check it out.



View our eight page Vienna, Salzburg, and Prague pdf brochure by clicking this link.

Next stop Vienna, Salzburg and Prague

With the help of our colleague Matt Nachtwey, we are headed to Vienna, Salzburg and Prague in October. 

We close to finalizing details with our Austrian based tour company.  This is a very good thing.  We love to work with a local company.  They know the destination better than anyone else.  They add a very important insight to the trip.   

Hotels have been set for Vienna and Salzburg, however we are still looking at Prague hotels.

Tentative departure date is October 18, 2017.

Sachertorte, Mozart, and arguably the world's best crystal. 

More details soon.

Next Stop Chicago Michigan Avenue Shopping Without All the Hassle

We are headed to Chicago for an overnight shopping trip on one of America's Great Streets, Michigan Avenue, June 2017. If you were born to shop, this is the trip for you.
 
The Magnificent Mile boasts more than 460 retailers, including popular brands; major department stores; international luxury labels and designers; and three vertical shopping centers, each with incentives and premier savings.

Discover unique merchandise and interactive experiences at more than 50 flagship stores—plus top-down renovations and new openings all the time.


Our trip plans include:

• Roundtrip charter bus travel from Springfield, Illinois.
• Overnight accomidations at a Michigan Avenue Hotel.
• Lunch on both round trip legs.
• Return stop at the Fashion Outlets of Chicago.
• Optional side trips including a dinner cruise on Lake Michigan.

Here is a link to the Michigan Mile Shopping Trip web site.

Here is a link to the Fashion Outlets Mall of Chicago.


More information to follow. 

Hidden Gems on 72. An Illinois Roadtrip.

Join us as we discover three hidden gems, all within an hour's drive of Springfield, and all located on Interstate 72. It is an active day that includes, sightseeing, lunch and unique shopping on April 26, 2017,

Here is what is included:  Chartered bus service, lunch including any menu entree, non alcoholic beverage of your choice, tour of the Allerton Gardens with a volunteer, guide, a chance to shop the square in Monticello, and a stop at Downtown Decatur to visit this award winning downtown revitalization, shopping at various boutique stores, as well as the Talbot's outlet. Return to Springfield that evening.

Cost $50.00 per person.  Space is limited.  Call our office to make your reservation.
 
After leaving the IECU parking lot via private charter bus, our first stop is the Allerton Park gardens located near Monticello, Illinois. We will be met by a volunteer guide to tour the formal gardens and sculpture walk.

Musicians Garden at Allerton Park

The Sun Singer at Allerton Park

Chinese Maze Garden at Allerton Park

Lunch is at the Three Ravens Pub located in Monticello.  You can choose any entree on the menu, a beverage, and dessert. Three Ravens is located on the Monticello square, a national historic district.  It is rated the number one restaurant in Monticello by the Trip Adviser web site.  Here is a link to the restaurant's web page. 

The Ravens Pub on the square in Monticello

 You will have an opportunity to shop the many small local stores located on and near the square.

Boutique shop on the square in Monticello. 

Boutique shop on the square in Monticello.

Boutique shop on the square in Monticello.

Finally our third hidden gem, Downtown Decatur.  Yes Downtown Decatur. And yes that is the smell of soybeans in the air.  The newly renovated Downtown is Decatur’s pride and joy! Take a ride on the free trolley with fourteen convenient stops that take you to boutiques, specialty shops, restaurants, theaters, Central Park, and more! Historic Merchant Street is home to numerous locally-owned shops and restaurants. The stores on Main, Prairie, and Water Streets offer everything from apparel and home decor to toys and gourmet novelties. The newly developed West Main Village, on West Main Street, offers a variety of quaint shops.

Yes that really is a Talbot's outlet located in Downtown Decatur.

Boutique shop in Downtown Decatur

Boutique shop in Downtown Decatur

Welcome.  We are up and going.  Excited about you joining us for several adventures in 2017 and 2018. We have planned four trips in the next few months.   We will be posting trip details regularly.

Our first trip is planned for April 26, 2017.  We will day tripping to Allerton Park located near Monticello, Illinois. 

First a little background about our destination:

Allerton Park was built as the private estate of Robert Henry Allerton. Named “The Farms,” the estate was the center of the 12,000-acre Illinois agricultural enterprise assembled during the late 1800s by Robert’s father Samuel. The family wealth extended well beyond Illinois as Samuel Allerton amassed more than 80,000 acres of farmland across the Midwest. The elder Allerton was a founding principal of the First National Bank of Chicago, and held prominent leadership positions in five major stockyards, including the Union Stockyards of Chicago.

Although he oversaw his father’s interests in the Central Illinois farms, Robert Allerton’s passion was art. Educated in Europe, he travelled extensively in winter, and became an avid art collector, philanthropist and artist who viewed the landscape as his canvas. Allerton believed that through nature, art could surround and embrace every human. This belief in the artistic power of nature led to his lifelong commitment to stewardship of the land and its natural elements. With the help of John Gregg, his protégé and, later, adopted son, Robert spent decades shaping the Illinois farmland to create ever-evolving landscapes that captured the natural beauty of the woodland and prairie, and formal gardens which served as an outdoor gallery for the sculpture he collected during his travels around the world.

Befitting a splendid Georgian manor house, the Formal Gardens feature extensive plantings and over 100 ornaments and sculptures to discover.

“He created a picture in the garden. Yes, he painted with vegetation instead of oil and canvas.” Robert Allerton was an artist of plants, an artist appreciated by none more than John Gregg Allerton, his adopted son, as revealed in Robert Allerton: The Private Man and The Public Gifts, written by Martha Burgin and Maureen Holtz.

Allerton’s brilliance can be seen in the careful placement of each flower, the deliberate turn of every path, and the guided movement of color throughout his 14 formal gardens. As you stroll through his inspired creation, you are transported from daily life into a place where cultural artifacts enhance Mother Nature’s best.

Allerton’s intention of restful inner reflection will fill your mind, replacing discord with the harmony of natural and manmade beauty.

Allerton painted with flowers, sculpted with espaliered apple trees, and composed with quiet footsteps leading from his main house, through his masterpiece of refined landscape and out into the unrestrained exquisiteness of nature.

One of the Seven Wonders of Illinois, The Park consists of over 1,500 acres, including the Sangamon River, floodplains, lowland and upland forests, a meadow, a 30-acre demonstration prairie and over 14 miles of hiking trails.

Allerton Park has long been recognized as one of Illinois’ most significant natural areas. It is located in the Grand Prairie Natural Division (Schwegman, et al. 1973) and contains outstanding examples of old-growth floodplain and upland forest. It supports populations of the state endangered eastern massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus), state threatened Kirtland’s watersnake (Clonophis kirtlandii), black-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus erythropthalmus) and Mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus).

Allerton Park is one of only three areas in central Illinois with over 500 acres of contiguous forest. Large forested tracts are important breeding areas for many neotropical migrant birds whose populations have declined dramatically as forest fragmentation has created smaller and more isolated woodlots.
The high diversity of natural communities and native species, especially forest trees and wildflowers, and the park’s location along an unmodified reach of the Sangamon River also contribute to the high natural quality of the site. A portion of the site has been recognized as a National Natural Landmark by the U. S. Park Service.

Allerton natural areas comprise 95% of the Park. They constitute one of the most valuable forests in Illinois.

Our plans are to leave the credit union offices at 8:30 that morning and travel to Allerton Park via private coach.  At  10:00 we will explore the formal gardens, art work and other attractions at the park.  We will be met by a volunteer guide to help us with our visit. 

We will then travel to Monticello and enjoy lunch at a local restaurant.  You will have an opportunity to shop the many small local stores located on and near the square.

We will return to credit union offices at appoximately 5:00 p.m.

Pricing and reservations will be available on or about January 23, 2017