Essential Europe

Join 881,000 bikes and get your cycle on with an optional bike tour of Amsterdam's iconic canals, bridges and parks. And for the culture fiends? Delve deeper with a visit to the Anne Frank House (make sure to book in advance!) or the Van Gogh or Rijksmuseum.

Picture the definition of pretty and you've got Heidelberg. We're talking hilltop castle ruins, cobblestoned old quarters and a fairytale 18th-century bridge over the River Neckar. We’ll feast German-style before taste-testing a few steins from the local beer houses.

Time to get to know the city where beer is officially considered a food. Hello, Munich! After a walking tour, we’ll slide on the lederhosen for a royal Happy Hour experience (none of that craft beer nonsense here) at the 428-year-old Hofbräuhaus. Did you know that the recipes here were passed down from Wilhelm V, the Duke of Bavaria? You do now!

You know it as The Floating City, but this place is actually sinking (slowly). Today we’ll check out a who's who of Venice's usual suspects on a guided walking tour (ticking off the likes of St Mark's Square and Accademia Bridge) before rounding things off with a traditional gondola ride. Need suggestions for this afternoon? Insider tip: spend some time seeking out the epic Libreria Acqua Alta bookshop (or just go on a mission to find the perfect gelato).

Time to give that bucket list a workout – we’re off to Rome! Did someone say walking tour? We’ll pass by the Pantheon, throw our two cents in the Trevi Fountain, sit on the Spanish Steps and check out the mighty Colosseum before the day is done. Tonight, you're in Disneyland for foodies. Have fun!

Create the ultimate Roman Holiday in one day with a whirlwind of Vespas, espresso, two-cheek kisses and pizza the way it's supposed to taste. Count your blessings on an optional tour of Vatican City, then play ‘I-spy’ with two-and-a-half millennia worth of history. Want more? You could always shop till you drop on Via Condotti, head to Capitoline Hill for awesome views of the Roman Forum and Colosseum or just kick back in Piazza Navona for some dolce far niente (delicious idleness).

Make your food baby sing as we roll into the land of hearty Tuscan cuisine and birthplace of gelato: Florence. Whip around Santa Maria del Fiore before tucking into amore on a plate. The evening is yours to stroll along the the Arno River and watch the sunset.

Prepare for more #epicviews as we make the scenic journey to the lakeside town of Lucerne. After we’ve checked out the famous Lion Monument, Chapel Bridge, Glacier Gardens and Hofkirche on a guided tour, the rest of the evening will be yours.

Next stop: Paris! That’s right, you’ve made it. The home of Coco Chanel, the Pompidou Centre and the Mona Lisa, Paris more than deserves its reputation as the European capital for all things culture, fashion and food-related. Are you ready for this?

First up: a driving tour and a gourmet picnic by the Eiffel Tower. Then: free time en Français. From the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay to the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysées, you'll be sure to make a solid dent in your bucket list. Later on, it’s up to you: stretch those legs on an optional bike tour of Paris or simply roam the streets on your own. End your day with an optional Seine River cruise or a #throwback cabaret show.

Pack some macarons and hit the road – or just, you know, keep travelling forever.