European Odyssey

This morning: 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.

Next stop: the otherworldly Swiss Alps! The oh-so-quaint village of Engelberg is where we'll be spending the night. Upon arrival, we’ll get stuck into an included dinner before heading to the bar for a nightcap. Cheers!

Rise and shine – you’ve got some serious exploring to do! Take the option to hop on the revolving gondola to the top of Mt Titlis (and test your pano photo skills), then head back down in search of the world's best hot chocolate. #hardlife

Hand back the skis and yodel your way down the mountains into the land of the long boot. Stop for THAT photo at Pisa, then 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.

Florence has more stories than Bilbo Baggins, more culture than a London hipster, AND it gave the world gelato. Get schooled on the Medici family, stroll the Ponte Vecchio and get an in-depth tour of the city with a local guide. We’ve also got a wine tasting and al fresco dinner on the cards tonight. Sorted!

Southward and downward with a pit stop at the hilltop town of Orvieto (where we’ll see the grand cathedral and dig into a wild boar panini). Then: 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 on a walking tour. 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. Later on, why not 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)?

This morning: count your blessings on an optional tour of Vatican City. Then: say ciao to Venice. Yep, you’re really here!

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).

Prepare yourself – there’s gonna be some amazing scenery playing outside the coach windows today as we make our way to the Austrian Alps. So much more than schnitzel, strudel and The Sound of Music, this thrill-seekers’ paradise should have been sponsored by GoPro. Today’s optional extras? We’re glad you asked. Take your pick from canyoning, tandem paragliding, skydiving and a bike tour.

First: a visit to former concentration camp Mauthausen. Then: we’re off to postcard-perfect Prague. We’ll get acquainted with this awesome place on a walking tour before sitting down to dinner as a group.

It’s your day, your way! Get Insta-happy and seek out the John Lennon wall, soak up some history at the National or Communist Museum or get a taste of the quirky local culture at a marionette puppet opera (you gotta see it to believe it). Snap a selfie at Prague's own Eiffel Tower, visit a miniatures museum, eat roast pork from one of the street vendors lining Old Town Square and wash it all down with a beer. As in, a really good beer. Prague, we love you.

Get acquainted with 800 year-old Dresden – a city virtually destroyed in WWII and then rebuilt – and check out the Frauenkirche before we make tracks to Berlin. Prep yourself for currywurst, absinthe and more hipsters per capita than anywhere else. We'll drive you around to see (what's left of) the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag building.

Today, why not step out on an optional Third Reich walking tour for a local insight into what the city was like under Nazi rule? Kreuzberg is a hit for lunch – or you could always have a picnic at the historic Tempelhof airport-turned-public park. Tonight: explore the city after dark on an optional alternative street art and nightlife tour.

Start dreaming of cheese, clogs and canals as we roll through tulip and windmill-dotted fields to Amsterdam. After learning how cheese and clogs are made, we’ll get our bearings on a walking tour. We’re talking the Dam Square, the Royal Palace and the National Monument – so get your cameras at the ready! For the perfect end to the perfect day, give in to temptation and grab a cone of hot chips with mayo. Mmm.

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. Whatever you get up to, make sure you’re back in time to toast the final night of our European adventure on a dinner cruise along the canal.

All good things must come to an end. Today we say goodbye. Time to start planning your next adventure! Facebook friends, anyone?