Play & Pause: Central Europe Highlights

Shake a leg – we’re hitting the road early to jump across the English Channel. The home of Coco Chanel, the Mona Lisa and world’s craziest roundabout – Paris deserves its rep as the European capital for all things culture, haute couture and drool-worthy food. Get to know the City of Lights better with a driving tour. And for dinner? The choice is yours, but your Trip Leader’s got all the hot tips – just ask. Bon appétit!

Yep, you’re finally here – so, this is your day to do whatever YOU want. Create a solid dent in your bucket list with a visit to the Louvre (book your tickets in advance!) and the Musée d'Orsay. Snap a pic of the Arc de Triomphe. Wander the Champs Elysées. Or discover the hidden gems down romantic backstreets on your own. Walking not your thing? Stretch out those legs on an optional bike tour. Later, jump aboard an optional river cruise down the Seine or dress to impress for an optional cabaret show.

From cityscapes to landscapes, today we’re off to the Swiss Alps! Warm up those vocal cords, we’ll be busting out some bangers on the ride into the mountains. Cue the fairytale villages of your imagination – the oh-so-quaint Engelberg is where we'll be spending the night. Tonight, we’ll get stuck into a group dinner before heading to the hotel bar or relaxing in the fresh alpine air. You do you: that’s what it’s all about.

Another free day to do some serious exploring. Hiking. Biking. Thrill-seeking. Cheese-eating (unless you’re lactose intolerant). You could take the revolving gondola to the top of Mt Titlis for all the epic views (without the effort), then head back down in search of the world's best hot chocolate. Or sit back and enjoy a cold beer back at the hotel. Your Trip Leader’s got all the recs, but how you spend today is 110% up to you.

Buy that mini-fondue set for mum. Down your coffee. And wave goodbye to Switzerland – we’re off to the land of the long boot. Get your creative juices flowing for THAT photo at Pisa, then make your food baby sing as we roll into the birthplace of gelato: Florence. Tonight, is your chance to tuck into some of that hearty Tuscan cuisine you’ve been dreaming about – plus a scoop (or two) of the good stuff. Challenge: decide on your favourite flavour in two days. We bet you can’t.

Florence has more stories than Bilbo Baggins, more culture than a London hipster AND it gave the world David (the statue, not your 9th grade boyfriend). We’ll get the lay of the land on an in-depth walking tour with a local guide, feat. a bonus leather-making demo (a real craft here). Then: take your new-found knowledge and hit the streets solo. Uffizi Gallery. Ponte Vecchio. Piazza della Signoria. The Duomo. You can’t see it all, but you sure as hell can try! We’ve got an included group dinner on the cards tonight – so go easy on gelato. Or don’t.

Southward and downward with a pit stop at the hilltop town of Orvieto to see the grand cathedral and dig into a wild boar panini. Trust us, it’s good. Then: bella Roma awaits! Dump your stuff at the hotel and prepare for a walking tour to end all walking tours. We’ll pass by the Pantheon, throw our two cents in the Trevi Fountain, (don’t) sit on the Spanish Steps and check out the mighty Colosseum – getting the scoop on allllllll the ancient history as we go. Tonight, you're in Disneyland for foodies. Go get it.

Time to live out your Lizzie McGuire Movie 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. Thought you’d tried all the gelato flavours? Head to Fatamorgana – and think again.

Today, we’ll say ciao to Rome and ciao to Venice. Italians – confusing, right? After checking in at the hotel, it’s time to see what all the fuss is about. Acquaint yourself with the who's who of Venice's usual suspects on a walking tour – ticking off the likes of St Mark's Square, Doges Palace and Accademia Bridge. And then – this beautiful floating (sinking) city is yours for the taking. Our suggestion? Enjoy a spritz overlooking one of Venice’s fuchsia-pink sunsets. This is your moment.

Centuries old architecture. Inventive cuisine. And a bucket-load of culture. Venice is just begging to be explored. After an included gondola ride along the Grand Canal, you’ve got the whole day to do just that. Need suggestions? Insider tip: spend some time seeking out the epic Libreria Acqua Alta bookshop or head off the tourist trail with a trip to Guidecca Island. Go wandering. Chat to the locals. Get lost in the maze of canals and piazzas. That’s what makes the memories.

Order one last coffee in poor Italian (hey, you tried!) and prepare yourself for some I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E scenery 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. Then: take your pick from canyoning, tandem paragliding, skydiving and mountain biking optional activities. Or just kick back and enjoy serenity. Swap stories of today’s thrills (and spills) over an included dinner with the group.

Ready to tick off our sixth country in two weeks? But first: a sobering visit to former concentration camp Mauthausen. Learn all about the atrocities that occurred here during WWII before we make tracks to the Republic of Czech (think: check). Our Trip Leader will help us get acquainted with this picture-perfect city – complete with a quirky clock tower – and point out all the must-dos for our free day tomorrow. Tonight? Time to hunt down some sma~ený sýr (fried cheese) for dinner before hitting the town to sample some of the local beer. It’d be rude not to.

That’s right folks – it’s your day, your way! Seek out the John Lennon wall. Soak up some history at the Communist Museum. Take the funicular up Petrin Hill for allll the views. Or grab a delish roast pork roll at one of the street vendors lining Old Town Square. Fancy yourself as a bit of a hops connoisseur? Don’t miss the beer tasting optional this afternoon. 11 different Czech beers + tapas = good times all around. And then? Wander the cobbled streets, catch a smooooth jazz performance on Charles Bridge, or kick back at your digs and let it all sink in.

From one beer capital to the next. Get acquainted with 800 year-old Dresden – a city virtually destroyed in WWII and then rebuilt – before we make tracks to Berlin. Prep yourself for currywurst and more hipsters per capita than anywhere else. We'll drive you around to see the main sights including (what's left of) the Berlin Wall, Museum Island, the Holocaust Memorial and Alexanderplatz. Then: a group dinner at Berlin’s version of the Hofbräuhaus. Prost!

A city exploding with culture, history and bloody good food – you’ve got 24 hrs to make the most of it. Our advice? Opt in for a historic walking tour that’s, you know – not boring. Get a local insight into what the city was like under Nazi rule and tick off the likes of the Reichstag, Checkpoint Charlie and Brandenburg Gate. Or put that elastic waistband to the test on the ultimate Berlin food tour. We’re talking kebabs, pastries, more currywurst, pierogi and local Pilsner. Tonight, see if this city’s nightlife really lives up to the hype. Or just relax on a sunny terrace with a bevvie or two – Germany is the OG of beer gardens, after all.

Onwards! We’ve got our GPS set for Amsterdam today. 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. This place is a foodie’s wet dream, so you’ll have no trouble finding somewhere to settle in for dinner. Get a taste for traditional Dutch pancakes (sweet/savoury/both at once) or head to the Foodhallen for alllll the world snacks. And later? Chill canalside at a local bar or brewery – Brouwerij 't IJ is the place to be for ultimate windmill vibes.

This is our last full day. So, don’t hang about – get on your bike! Check out Amsterdam's iconic canals, bridges and parks on an optional bike tour. Or 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 and Rijksmuseum. Whatever you get up to, make sure you’re back in time to toast the final night of our Euro trip at tonight’s included dinner.

Today we say goodbye. But who said all good things must come to an end? There’s plenty of time to plan the next adventure on the coach back to ol’ Blighty.