COX & KINGS LAUNCHES 2015 EUROPE BROCHURE WITH SAVINGS ACROSS TOURS, NEW RIVER CRUISES AND EXPANDED TAILOR-MADE SUGGESTIONS

Cox & Kings' European travel collection has been growing in passenger numbers over the past few years and the programme continues to expand for 2015. 2014 has seen tailor-made bookings increase by a further 10% and its newly launched brochure for 2015 builds on this trend with new suggestions for private travel across the continent. The lead-in tour, a 7-day escorted Northern Cyprus tour, is priced from £895 per person.

Cox & Kings' Europe Product Manager, Michael Fleetwood, says: “Cox & Kings' European programme continues to diversify every year and I'm delighted that once again, Europe is the company's bestselling region. We have worked hard to negotiate better prices and I am pleased to be able to offer savings across the range for 2015. We are developing our collection across the region with additional tailor-made suggestions and new river cruises.”

RUSSIA: Cox & Kings' programme of tours to Russia has been extended to include the new Volga Dream II river cruiser, which begins operating in June 2015. The ship is the first newly built passenger vessel in Russia since 1990 and brings a new level of comfort and luxury to the waterway. The 6-night cruise reveals the enchanting towns of northern Russia and delves deeper into the countryside. Cox & Kings offers a 13-day escorted trip priced from £3,130 per person, including the 6-night full board cruise and three nights in both Moscow and St Petersburg. 

Bookings to Russia have been picking up again in the last few weeks and the company's Classic Russia escorted tour for 2015 features improved hotels, both centrally located and has a saving of £150 compared to 2014. The 8-day comprehensive tour, staying in 5-star hotels in both Moscow and St Petersburg, is priced from £1,195 per person. A 3-night short break at the Angleterre Hotel in St Petersburg is from £555 per person.

ROMANIA: There has continued to be a steady growth in passenger numbers on Cox & Kings' escorted tour to Romania. With a £400 price saving on the 2015 tour, compared to 2014, it is predicted that numbers will continue to increase. The 9-day Timeless Romania tour is now priced from £995 per person. For departures from 29 August – 12 September, concert tickets at the bi-annual George Enescu festival in Bucharest are also included. A new extension has also been introduced to stay in Viscri village in one of the Prince of Wales' 18th-century Saxon house, which he purchased in 2006. This 3-night pre-tour is from £440 per person.

ITALY: Tailor-made bookings to Italy have grown by 60% in 2014 compared to 2013, with particular growth to Puglia and Sicily. Puglia & Basilicata was introduced in 2014 andis an 8-day tour to some of Italy's most remote coastline and rural countryside, in the heel of Italy. Priced from £995 in 2015, this is a saving of £700 on the 2014 tour price. Classic Tuscany is a 7-day tour, with half-board throughout, of the highlights of this much loved region including Florence, Sienna, Pisa and Lucca as well as wine, cheese and olive oil tastings and a cooking class, and is priced from £1,095 per person, a saving of £500 from the 2014 tour price.

GREECE: Cox & Kings' escorted tour to Greece, which launched in 2012, has continued to grow in passenger numbers with a 90% increase in 2014 compared to 2013. The 7-day Classical Greece tour is now priced from £995 and incorporates the sites of Olympia, Delphi, Mycenae and Epidaurus as well as magnificent scenery and the man-made marvels of the Corinth Canal and Byzantine monasteries of Meteora. The 8-day Highlights of Crete tour has seen numbers more than double in 2014 and is priced from £995 per person for 2015, a saving of £300 compared to 2014. This tour explores the magnificent scenic and cultural highlights of Crete, including the Palace of Knossos, said to be the site of the mythical Minotaur's labyrinth.

NEW: RIVER CRUISING: Cox & Kings has expanded its range of river cruises in Europe to include the Douro, Rhine and Danube rivers, as well as the Volga in Russia. A 7-night Douro river cruise is from £2,710 per person, a 7-night Rhine river cruise is from £2,395 per person and the 7-night Danube river cruise is from £2,395 per person. All include flights and full board accommodation with excursions.

NEW: ARCTIC: New in the 2015 brochure are pages on Greenland and the Arctic. An easy add-on to an Iceland holiday, Greenland is one of the most sparsely populated parts of the world. With very few roads, and over 84% of the island covered by glacier, most transport is by small boat or helicopter. A 2-night stay on Ilulissat, including flights from Reykjavik, is from £1,295 per person.A cruise around Spitsbergen is an ideal way to explore the Arctic, with daily excursions on zodiac boats, shore landings and onboard lectures. A 9-day trip, including a 7-night cruise with full board and flights, is priced from £3,435 per person.

Please see www.coxandkings.co.uk/europe for the full programme to Europe. All quoted prices include international flights from London, transfers, excursions and accommodation with breakfast daily unless otherwise specified.

For more information or images, or to request a copy of the brochure, please contact Katie Parsons on 020 7873 5006 or email katie.parsons@coxandkings.co.uk  

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Cox & Kings is the world's longest established travel company. Its history stretches back more than 250 years to 1758 when Richard Cox was appointed regimental agent to the Footguards (later the Grenadier Guards). The company's fortunes grew hand in hand with the British empire and by the early 20th century the company was acting as agent and banker throughout the armed forces and as a shipping agent. In 1922 Cox & Co merged with the Henry S King bank, which had strong connections with India. The bank became part of Lloyds and the shipping agency grew separately, evolving into the modern travel company.

Today, built on the high quality service and attention to detail established by Richard Cox in the 18th century, the company continues to flourish as an independent tour operator, with operations in London, the US, Japan, Australia and throughout India. Cox & Kings organises escorted small-group tours and private tailor-made travel in the Indian Subcontinent, Latin America, the Middle East, the Far East, Africa, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific, and the Caribbean.