Get Social: Europe Express

There’s more here than over-priced handbags and unoriginal poses under the Eiffel Tower. And to prove it, we’ve given you a full 24 hrs to discover the REAL Paris. Our suggestion? Spend your free day ticking off those bucket-list items on an optional bike tour. Then: explore the backstreets. Hunt down the best patisseries in town (ask your Trip Leader for recommendations). Or uncover the city’s secret underworld at the Catacombes de Paris. Want an alternate view? Put your name down for a Seine River cruise. Or head up Montparnasse Tower for allll the views. Tonight, there’s an optional cabaret on the cards – Paris is all about the can-can, not the can’t-can’t, and this show’s here to prove it.

Disclaimer: today is a bit of a drive. But you already guessed that, right? Strap in. Get to know your trip mates better. And bust out some bangers as the most jaw-dropping scenery wizzes past the window. They don’t have views like this back home. Proud owner of the ‘Top of Europe’, rushing waterfalls and one of the largest nature conservations in Switzerland – tonight we're bunking down in the mind-blowing Swiss Alps. Tonight: sit back in the fresh alpine air with an ice-cold bevvie, or head into town and soak up the valley vibes. Yep, this is what you came for.

This place is Disneyland for outdoor enthusiasts. And you’ve got a full free day to experience every second to the fullest. Hiking. White-water rafting. Mountain biking. Skydiving. Helicopter-ing. It’s all here. But if you identify as a thrill-dodger, there’s plenty to get excited about too. Jump aboard the Jungfraubahn railway and get all the summit views (minus the effort). Or slip on your Birks and go chasing waterfalls. Fact: TLC were wrong. Haven’t had cheese fondue yet? This is the place.

Take one more longing glance at the Alps – but don’t look back in anger cos we’re rolling into Italy later today. Welcome to Venice, Topdeckers! You know it as the Floating City, but this place is actually sinking (slowly). So, we won’t waste a second. 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: the rest is up to you. What delicious carb-laden Italian meal have you been dreaming about? Order two.

You wanted the freedom to do your own spontaneous-this-is-what-I-came-here-for thing. So here’s a free day we prepared earlier. Need some suggestions? Float past the famous Rialto Bridge on an optional gondola ride. Spend your time seeking out the epic Libreria Acqua Alta bookshop. Or forget all the above and spend the day hunting down the perfect gelato. Get lost. Find yourself. Then, grab a spritz overlooking one of Venice’s fuchsia-pink sunsets. Later, score a cheap meal at Osteria Al Portego or fill up on more gelato (no judgement here).

Order one last coffee in poor Italian (hey, you tried!). Next up? A country where beer is officially considered an essential food group (right next to sausage and sauerkraut). 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!

First up today: a sobering visit to former concentration camp Dachau. Learn all about the atrocities that occurred here during WWII before we make tracks to fairytale Heidelberg. This place is all about hilltop ruins, cobblestone streets and Nobel Prize winners (they’re a brainy bunch here). 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.

Quick maths – we’ve only got two days left. But the adventure sure as hell isn’t over yet! Plug ‘The Dam’ into the GPS – we’re making tracks to the Venice of the North. Once we arrive, it’s time to hit the cobblestones and explore. Check out the likes of Dam Square, the Royal Palace and the National Monument. And this evening: head to Brouwerij 't IJ microbrewery – a bar next to a windmill, serving up craft beers and cheese-laden tapas. Or drop into Proeflokaal Arendsnest for a selection of over 100 Dutch beers (decisions are tough here – Geminis and Librans, just ask the bartender for recs).

This is our last full day. FFS don’t hang about – join the locals and get on your bike! Check out Amsterdam's iconic canals, bridges and parks on an optional bike tour. History buffs should pay a visit to the Anne Frank House (don’t forget to book in advance!). And for the culture fiends – the Van Gogh Musuem and Rijksmuseum. Or get lost amongst the backstreets of the different districts – each one’s got a unique vibe and plenty to explore. Just make sure you’re back in time to toast the final night of our express adventure at tonight’s included dinner.

Amster-DAMN that was good. But now it’s time to head back across the Channel to ol’ Blighty. Blast the Trip Song one last time. And get planning – that reunion trip won’t book itself! Where to next?