Trip Overview
Is this trip for you? BUZZING. PICTURESQUE. SHORT-BUT-SWEET.
Essential. Vital. The must-dos. The unmissables. Whatever you call those bits of Europe that you just HAVE to explore, you can rely on our fast-paced Essential Europe trip to properly school you in them. We’re talking Rome, Amsterdam, Venice, Paris... the big guns. But that isn’t all – this trip also swings by the likes of quaint little Heidelberg and lakeside stunner Lucerne. What a mix, right? Quick maths: take two weeks, turn them into something special.
YOUR #TOPDECKER TRAVEL MOMENTS
Trip Itinerary
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Amsterdam
2This is your day, your way. Check out the likes of the Dam Square, the Royal Palace and the National Monument. For the culture fiends – delve a bit deeper with a visit to the Anne Frank House (make sure you book in advance!) or the Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum. Or get yourself a set of wheels and explore Amsterdam's iconic canals, bridges and parks on an optional bike tour. This place is a foodie’s wet dream – so you’ll have no trouble finding some good eats for dinner. Then there’s an option to experience a show in the Red Light district. Or for a more local vibe – head to a canal-side wine bar or brewery.
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Optional extras
- Bike tour of Amsterdam: from €14
- Red Light District show: from €30
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Meals
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Amsterdam to Heidelberg, Germany
3Next up? A country where beer is officially considered an essential food group (right next to sausage and sauerkraut). Heidelberg is all about hilltop ruins, cobblestoned old quarters and fairytale bridges. Get your bearings on a stroll with your Trip Leader, then the rest of the afternoon is up to you. Take the cable car up to the Palace for some unbeliEVABLE views. Or find a local haunt to chow down on a head-sized pork knuckle – this is Germany after all.
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Included Today
- Orientation tour of Heidelberg
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Included Today
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Heidelberg to Munich
4Plug ‘Munich’ into the GPS – we’re rolling into the capital of Bavaria today. Kick things off with a walking tour then it’s the moment you’ve been waiting for: an appropriate occasion to wear lederhosen. Head to the 428-year-old Hofbräuhaus for a royal Happy Hour experience or find the Chinese beer garden (or any beer garden for that matter) for a stein-sesh with your trip mates. Prost!
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Included Today
- Walking tour of Munich
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Included Today
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Munich to Venice, Italy
5You know it as The Floating City, but this place is actually sinking (slowly). Check out the usual suspects on a walking tour with our Trip Leader – ticking off the likes of St Mark's Square, Doge’s Palace and Accademia Bridge. Then: an included gondola ride along the Grand Canal awaits! Dinner tonight is on you, what delicious carb-laden Italian meal have you been dying to try? Order two.
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Included Today
- Gondola ride down the Grand Canal
- Walking tour of Venice
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Optional extras
- Get a personalised trip T-shirt or hoodie: from €21
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Included Today
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Venice to Rome
6Hear that? It’s la bella Roma calling your name. Dump your stuff at the hotel and prepare for a walking tour to end all walking tours. Pass by the Pantheon, throw our two cents in the Trevi Fountain, sit on the Spanish Steps and check out the mighty Colosseum – getting the scoop on allllllll the ancient history as we go. You're in Disneyland for foodies, so you know dinner tonight is gonna’ be good.
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Included Today
- Walking tour of Rome
- Rome metro tickets
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Meals
- Breakfast
- Dinner
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Included Today
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Rome
7Time to live out your Eat. Pray. Love. fantasies – today is all about Vespas, espresso, two-cheeked kisses and pizza (the way it’s supposed to taste). There’s an optional guided tour of Vatican City on the cards, if that’s your thing. Or head up to Capitoline Hill for awesome views of the Roman Forum and Colosseum. Feeling something a bit more relaxed? Do as the locals do and indulge in a little dolce far niente (delicious idleness) at a local cafe or piazza. Tonight, shake out those fat pants for round two and hunt down a local restaurant for dinner. Thought you’d tried all the gelato flavours? Head to Fatamorgana – and think again.
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Optional extras
- Guided tour of Vatican City: from €45
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Meals
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Rome to Florence
8Florence has more stories than Bilbo Baggins, more culture than a London hipster, AND it gave the world David (the massive marble naked guy FYI). We’ll get the lay of the land on an in-depth walking tour with a local guide. Then: it’s time tuck into some of that hearty Tuscan cuisine you’ve been dreaming about at tonight’s included dinner. Make room for another scoop (or two) of the good stuff and stroll around the Arno River at sunset. This is what you came for.
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Included Today
- Walking tour of Florence with a local guide
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Meals
- Breakfast
- Dinner
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Included Today
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Florence to Lucerne, Switzerland
9Order one more espresso in poor Italian (hey, you tried!) – we’re off to Lucerne after breakfast. Glue your schnoz to the coach window as we wind our way into the heart of the Swiss Alps – cue epic landscapes. Later, check out the lake, Lion Monument, Chapel Bridge, Glacier Gardens and Hofkirche on a walking tour. Then: the rest of the day is 100% up to you. See if you can find the lion in the wall. Or settle in for some alpine specialties and in-house brews at Rathaus Brauerei.
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Included Today
- Walking tour of Lucerne
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Included Today
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Lucerne to Paris, France
10The home of Coco Chanel, the Mona Lisa and world’s craziest roundabout – Paris deserves its rep as the European capital for all things culture, fashion and bloody good food. Get to know the City of Love with a driving tour – ticking off heavyweights like the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysées. Then: you’re free to explore this iconic city on your own.
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Included Today
- Driving tour of Paris
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Included Today
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Paris
11Don’t be alarmed, but this is your last day on tour. So make every second count. Create a solid dent in your bucket list with a visit to the Louvre (get your tix in advance!). Flash some plastic along the Champs Elysées. Or discover the hidden back-streets lined with quaint Parisian cafés and patisseries. Walking not your thing? Get a set of wheels with an optional bike tour. Or jump aboard an optional river cruise down the Seine. Tonight, dress to impress for an optional cabaret show. Or head up the Montparnasse observation tower to see why they call this place the City of Lights. Then, give this trip the sendoff it deserves at tonight’s included dinner – we’re not crying, you are.
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Meals
- Breakfast
- Dinner
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Optional extras
- Parisian cabaret show: from €80
- Seine river cruise in Paris: from €10
- Bike tour of Paris: from €30
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Meals
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Paris to London, England
12After breakfast it’s time to hit the road back to LDN. Swap those numbers and say your goodbyes. Who said the good times have to end? Pull up Skyscanner and keep the adventure going. We’re with you!
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Meals
- Breakfast
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Meals
What's included
Included Experiences
- Orientation tour of Heidelberg
- Walking tour of Munich
- Walking tour of Venice
- Gondola ride in Venice
- Walking tour of Rome
- Walking tour of Florence with local guide
- Walking tour of Lucerne
- Driving tour of Paris
Accommodation
-11 nights in hotels (twin or double)
Transport
Modern air-conditioned coach with free Wi-Fi, including powerpoints for charging electronics
Optional activities
-Bike tour of Amsterdam: from €14
-Red Light District show: from €30
-Guided tour of Vatican City: from €45
-Get a personalised trip T-shirt or hoodie: from €21
-Parisian cabaret show: from €80
-Seine river cruise in Paris: from €10
-Bike tour of Paris: from €30
Views & Reviews
Latest Reviews
Average rating based on 50 reviews
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Anonymous August 2019
Hotel rooms could have been better.
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Anonymous July 2019
I really loved but I think next time I would do one with 2 nights in each country. But a good trip iverall
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Anonymous July 2019
Quick covered most tour basics. Great locations for accommodation. Easy access to public transport.
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