Runway to Rail: Paris - Barcelona and Amsterdam

Paris is regarded as one of the most dynamic cities in Europe, and for good reason. The city assaults the senses, demanding to be seen, heard, touched, tasted, and smelled. Gaze at impressive monuments and savor its gourmet cheeses, chocolates, wines, and seafood. Paris is relatively small as capitals go, with many of its major sights and museums within walking distance of each other. A world of discovery awaits in every hidden corner and at all the famous sites, there is so much to explore.

Visit the Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame Cathedral, Jardin des Tuileries, Latin Quarter, Avenue des Champs Elysees, Musee d'Orsay, Place de la Concorde, Sacre Coeur, and so much more!

Barcelona, the old Roman Barcino, is Spain's second city, always on the biting edge of fashion, architecture, food, style, music and good times. Walk its narrow streets and wonderful plazas, or along the Ramblas, stretching from Plaza de Cataluna to the Harbor, encompassing the magic of the city: stalls full of books, birds and flowers. The city's most powerful monuments open a window onto its history: the intricately carved edifices that comprise the medieval Gothic Quarter; the curvilinear modernism (Catalan Art Nouveau) that inspired Gaudi's Sagrada Familia; and the seminal surrealist works of Picasso and Miró, found in museums that peg Barcelona as a crucial incubator for 20th-century art. The recent restoration of the port area began with the development of a harbor for the Olympic Games of 1992. New modern squares, designed by leading artists such as Miro and Barcelo have created a new style alongside Gaudi's modernist buildings. Now the city is ready to show every visitor how it has been transformed into one of the most moderns and active cities in Europe.

Explore The Sagrada Familia, Picasso Museum, La Rambla, Barri Gotic, Park Guell, modernist buildings, Montjuic Hill, Barceloneta and so much more!

Easygoing, liberal Amsterdam is 'different.' Its citizens, bubbling along happily in their multiracial melting pot, are not so easily poured into the restrictive molds of trade and industry. More important, you can enjoy Amsterdam, its culture, history, and beauty, without stretching the limits of your credit cards. Few skyscrapers mar the clarity of the sky, and the populace mostly walks or bikes from place to place. The historic center recalls Amsterdam's Golden Age as the command post of a vast trading network and colonial empire, when wealthy merchants constructed gabled residences along neatly laid-out canals.

Visit Dam Square, Anne Frank House, Bloemenmarkt, Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Canal Belt, Jordaan, Red Light District and so much more!