Play & Pause: Intro to Europe
London
London
Play & Pause: Intro to Europe
TRIP SNAPSHOT
14 days
8 countries
Visiting 8 countries: England, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Vatican City, Switzerland, France, Austria17 meals
Twin-share / double / single room
-13 nights in hotel-style accommodation (twin or double)Play & Pause
Play & Pause = the perfect mix of group activities and all-important YOU time.28 travellers (max)
Trip Leader
Driver
Coach
TRIP VIBE = the perfect mix of group activities and all-important YOU time.
Essential. Vital. The must-dos. The unmissables. Whatever you call those bits of Europe that you just HAVE to explore, you can rely on this fast-paced 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. And adds in plenty of free time to do your thing. What a mix, right? Quick maths: take two weeks, turn them into something special.
Map & itinerary
Day 1 - London
You. Us. The Big Smoke. Name a more iconic trio, we’ll wait. Welcome to the home of red buses, red telephone boxes and red undies (optional). First up: time to get to know the who’s who of the group at tonight’s included dinner. Cheers to 14 days of adventures with this mixed bunch. Let’s do this!
Your Inclusions
Accommodation
Ibis London Blackfriars or similar
Meals
- Dinner
Day 2 - London – Amsterdam
Rise and shine: this morning’s an early one, so pack your snacks and perfect your playlists. Today we’ll be making our way to the land of tulips, canals and windmills. You guessed it: Amsterdam. This evening – you do you. Go pose in a giant pair of clogs. Sample some poffertjes (baby pancakes, cute AND tasty). Or just relax and watch life go by on the waterways. Yep: you’re really here.
Your Inclusions
Accommodation
Best Western Amsterdam or similar
Meals
- Breakfast
Day 3 - Amsterdam
This 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. For dinner: try 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.
Your Inclusions
Accommodation
Best Western Amsterdam or similar
Meals
- Breakfast
Your Options
- Bike tour of Amsterdam: from €32
Day 4 - Amsterdam – Heidelberg
Next 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.
Your Inclusions
Accommodation
MEININGER Hotel Heidelberg Hauptbahnhof or similar
Activities
- Orientation walk of Heidelberg with Trip Leader
Meals
- Breakfast
Day 5 - Heidelberg – Austrian Alps
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. Stretch your legs and soak up the views before we regroup for another delish included dinner.
Your Inclusions
Accommodation
Hotel Tiroler Adler or similar
Meals
- Breakfast
- Dinner
Day 6 - Austrian Alps
Want a whole day to soak up this BEAUT region? We got you. Soak up some mind-blowing views with an optional tandem paragliding adventure. Get your heart pumping with a canyoning sesh through some dramatic alpine gorges. Or, if that’s not your thing, simply kick back and enjoy the serenity. Memories? Made.
Your Inclusions
Accommodation
Hotel Tiroler Adler or similar
Meals
- Breakfast
Your Options
- Canyoning in the Austrian Alps: prices available locally
- Tandem paragliding in the Austrian Alps: prices available locally
Day 7 - Austrian Alps – Venice
This morning, we’re making tracks to an Italian ICON. You know it as The Floating City, but this place is actually sinking (slowly). Check out Venice’s usual suspects on an orientation walk with your Trip Leader – ticking off the likes of St Mark's Square, Doge’s Palace and Accademia Bridge. This evening is yours for the taking. Our top pick? A classic gondola ride along the Grand Canal (obvs). Dinner tonight is on you, what delicious carb-laden Italian meal have you been dying to try? Order two.
Your Inclusions
Accommodation
Hotel Delfino Venezia Mestre or similar
Activities
- Orientation walk of Venice with Trip Leader
Meals
- Breakfast
Your Options
- Get a personalised trip t-shirt, hoodie or singlet: prices available locally
Day 8 - Venice – Rome
Hear that? It’s bella Roma calling your name. Dump your stuff at the hotel and prepare to get your bearings on an orientation walk. 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. You're in Disneyland for foodies so whatever you pick for dinner tonight is gonna be good – hit up your Trip Leader for some top recs.
Your Inclusions
Accommodation
B&B Hotel Roma San Lorenzo Termini or similar
Activities
- Orientation walk of Rome with Trip Leader
Meals
- Breakfast
Day 9 - Rome
Time 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. Not your thing? Fill up on delish pasta and wine during an optional guided food tour around Insta-worthy Trastevere or opt for a tour of the Colosseum, Palatine Hill AND Roman Forum instead. 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? Think again.
Your Inclusions
Accommodation
B&B Hotel Roma San Lorenzo Termini or similar
Meals
- Breakfast
Your Options
- Guided tour of Vatican City: from €80
- Tour of Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum: from €70
- Food and wine tour of Rome: from €79
Day 10 - Rome – Florence
Florence 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, feat. a bonus leather-making demo (a real craft here). 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.
Your Inclusions
Accommodation
B&B Hotel Firenze City Center or similar
Activities
- Walking tour of Florence with local guide
Meals
- Breakfast
- Dinner
Day 11 - Florence – Lucerne
Order 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.
Your Inclusions
Accommodation
Ibis Styles Luzern City or similar
Activities
- Walking tour of Lucerne with Trip Leader
Meals
- Breakfast
Day 12 - Lucerne – Paris
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, 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, get an alternate view with an optional river cruise down the Seine. And for dinner? The choice is yours, but your Trip Leader’s got all the hot tips – just ask. Bon appétit!
Your Inclusions
Accommodation
Ibis Paris Alésia Montparnasse or similar
Activities
- Paris highlights drive
Meals
- Breakfast
Your Options
- Seine River cruise: from €15
Day 13 - Paris
Don’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 backstreets lined with quaint Parisian cafés and patisseries. Walking not your thing? Get a set of wheels with an optional bike tour. Then, give this trip the send off it deserves at tonight’s included dinner – we’re not crying, you are. After, there’s a chance to go all-out with an optional evening at the cabaret. Think: bright lights, OTT costumes and death-defying acrobatics.
Your Inclusions
Accommodation
Ibis Paris Alésia Montparnasse or similar
Meals
- Breakfast
- Dinner
Your Options
- Parisian cabaret show: prices available locally
- Bike tour of Paris: from €36
Day 14 - Paris – London
After 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? Check out our other Play & Pause trips and keep the adventure going. We’re with you!
Your Inclusions
Meals
- Breakfast
THINGS WE THINK YOU’LL LOVE
Experience a gondola ride in Venice. A classic bucket-list experience you gotta tick off when in Venice! Glide through canals with the gang to see this beaut Italian city from a different POV.
Read the reviews
Verified customer feedback powered byFeefo
Aleisha Gi September 2024
The tour was just amazing! So many sites to see. Very fast paced but we were expecting that. Do as much optional activities as you can! Our Topdeck leader Chloe and driver Catalin were the best duo to lead us through Europe!
Taylor Wa July 2024
Amy July 2024
Well organised, stress free, ticked off all major highlights and was so much fun!!
Anonymous July 2024
Great way to see some great destinations in such a small amount of time. Great trip leader who was very informative and the bus driver was smooth and had a fun personality.
Because the nature of the trip gave limited time in each destination, it would have been better to stay in hotels closer to the main areas of the cities to avoid wasting time catching public transport in and out.
Julie.N June 2024
Really enjoyed our trip leader Lottie who was very knowledgeable and fun and our lovely driver Brian.
Felt really safe and met some great people on the tour.
Adam Co June 2024
Our tour leader was amazing really good at giving us history of the locations we visited.
Anonymous June 2024
A great, albeit fast paced, way to see samples of Europe. Great trip and fun optional extra activities. Tour leader Chloe and driver Jaka were awesome!
Anonymous May 2024
The tour was fantastic, chloe our trip leader went above and beyond to make the trip a very memorable one!
Thank you top deck for this amazing experience
Chelsea Ba May 2024
I didn't realise how go, go, go it was going to be, but I enjoyed it all the same.
I met some great people, and our tour leader was amazing!
Anonymous May 2024
Bianca Ot May 2024
The trip was a fantastic intro to Europe! Fast paced but if we weren't down with a cold it would have been easier. We got super lucky with the weather, only one day somewhat miserable, the day we spent in Florence was raining the whole time. April - May is the perfect time to go, not yet crazy busy or super hot/cold. Highlights: bike ride in Amsterdam (optional extra), river Seine cruise in Paris...
Teal An October 2023
Very fast paced but a great way to see a lot of Europe!
Anonymous October 2023
There was one hotel and it was probably the worst hotel I've ever been to. Some of the music on the bus was wildly inappropiate. Other than that, everything was perfect.
Jaime Al September 2023
Such an excellent way to see Europe, gives you a great idea of what to see and where you want to go back. It was very fast paced trip so having Alex as our trip leader was great as he was giving us information about the locations before we arrived. Our driver Sergiu was incredible navigating through the cities and also had an incredible amount of information to give us as well! Definitely...
Jennifer Wi September 2023
Loved this tour!! So many incredible places to explore. Had the best trip leader and driver and made many new memories and friends…loved exploring the cities through the walking tours but would have loved to spend a bit more time in some of the places
Rebecca Th September 2023
Jessica Si September 2023
Fast paced introduction to Europe, provides a great highlight and taster of each place which you can go back to later. All places visited were so beautiful
Lucas Pu September 2023
Great trip and good itinerary
Chelsea Ru September 2023
Haylee M August 2023
This tour was an amazing experience & I would recommend it to anyone. It was short but sweet. Next time I will book a longer one purely because it was so much fun and I didn’t want it to end. Kat our trip leader was a huge part in what made the trip so great & memorable - she is the most fun, energetic & kind person, plus very informative & professional. She honestly felt like a friend which was...
Vic August 2023
Melissa Ro August 2023
Kat D was our tour guide and she was great, she had never been on this tour before but had been to some of the locations so she knew a fair bit. Very friendly, very organised, got everything sorted for us, found restaurants and transport options, she was amazing.
Don was our driver and he did his best with the amount of traffic jams and car accidents we endured and also our aircon broke on the...
Anonymous July 2023
Not great value considering the cost of the trip.
Coach should be in better condition (AC did not work for 2 very hot days, USB charging ports did not work at multiple seats on the coach considering long travel times of up to 8 hours on some days), hotels could be closer to town and better quality (some hotels were lacking basic facilities such as AC, fridge and kettle in room), bus should be...
Anonymous July 2023
We absolutely loved the trip! Although it was very fast pace we really enjoyed the itinerary and the countries involved.
Anonymous July 2023
The trip is fantastic. We knew it was going to be fast and leave us with unfinished business in most places. This did not take away from the trip at all! it was a fantastic introduction to Europe.
Between Munich and Venice our bus driver said he would take us the scenic route, which our tour guide had never done before. This lead to one of my highlights, having lunch at a lake surrounded by the...
morgan sm July 2023
Kate Fo May 2023
BEST EXPERIENCE EVER!!!! Tim is an incredible tour guide - natural talent. He is so much fun, knowledgeable and caring towards everyone! I was very impressed with his organisation of everything! Aliter (apologies for wrong spelling) excellent driver - I felt so safe the whole time! Please pass on the biggest thank you to them both for making it a trip of a lifetime - would 14/10 recommend!!! Kate
Anonymous May 2023
Mitchell Hi May 2023
Great trip. Well organized, I liked how they gave us optional things to do so we are able to do our own thing as well.
Anonymous May 2023
I got to experience so much in a short amount of time. Trip well worth it.
Anonymous October 2022
See my above comment under customer experience about trusting hotels to review themselves properly
Andrew Ca August 2022
Sicily and mike were unreal
Anonymous November 2018
Too much time on a coach driving. Not enough time in cities, and most hotels where awful, only 2 were decent out of the 10 we stayed in. Included activities where mediocre. Even some of the paid ones were lack lustre.
Anonymous November 2018
Becky K September 2018
Our trip leader was incredible, you could tell she was genuinely passionate about travel and she provided us with so much history while we were touring each city, we never felt like we missed out. We had excellent banter with the coach drivers (and it's a coach, not a bus, before you get that wrong one too many times!) and always felt safe and looked after. We had insider knowledge of the best...
Anonymous August 2018
Prior to going on this trip, I was under the impression that I would get to 'thoroughly' see/explore each country. This wasn't properly specified before purchasing so there was a huge FOMO factor during my trip. For instance, we would literally only spend 1/2 a day in one country!
A really wonderful experience for those who thrive in a fast-paced environment, however, if you would much prefer to...
Gerbrandt v July 2018
Anonymous July 2018
I felt the tour was very fast paced and there wasn’t a lot of time to see or do many things nor was the guide forthcoming with information or enabling us to make the most of our time in places
Corinne W July 2018
Anonymous July 2018
Certain hotels were very bad and uncomfortable to live in. They made me sick staying there due to poor ventilation, there was one window in the room which didn't even open fully. No air-conditioning or fan.
Hannah July 2018
Amazing way to see the essentials! We started in Amsterdam, and ended in Paris, and saw amazing cities and sights along the way!! Highly recommend this tour!
Madison M July 2018
A little too much driving but comes with the shortness of the trip
Anonymous July 2018
I think it's good for people who dont want to plan stuff as its planned for you.
I dont think accommodation was great! We also had to pay for transportation home to hotel on none optional activities but transportation in to the activity was covered......
Also told us we would have a ride on the bus after picnic back to hotel but then left us (group of girls ) in Paris at night on our own...
Anonymous February 2018
Not enough time in each location. Too many bus stops.
Anonymous January 2018
Anonymous January 2018
Anonymous January 2018
Hubo dos sitios que se vitaron de forma muy breve, ya que el arribo fue por la noche, deberían de iniciar los viajes más temprano, a fin de aprovechar más tiempo estos destinos.
Mohd An January 2018
Everyone was so supportive and cheerful
Anonymous January 2018
Solid value - cheapest way to see so many countries in such a short time frame
Anonymous January 2018
Tour guide Kaitlyn was awesome! Places we went to and activities we're good. Travel times between each destination we're very long and I think this should be mentioned before people book this trip.
Pay in instalments that suit YOU up to 60 days before departure.
Make changes to your trip up to 60 days before departure, with ZERO amendment fees.
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FAQs
This tour sells out quickly. To avoid missing out, be sure to book this optional tour through the Your Options section of the Topdeck Travel app at least a week before your trip.
You will need British Pound Sterling (GBP), Euro (EUR) and Swiss Franc (CHF).
Absolutely! It’s a requirement that all Topdeckers have comprehensive travel insurance to cover the likes of cancellation, personal injury and medical expenses. You’ll be barred from travelling with us without it. It’s also super important you read the fine print of the policy you’re taking out, so you know exactly what activities you are covered for (looking at you, adrenalin junkies!) and what your excess limits are in cases of emergency – before, during and after your trip. As a rule, you should book your travel insurance at the time of booking your trip.
Obtaining the correct visas for your trip is your own responsibility. Not having correct visas could mean missing out on part (or all) of your trip. Ask your travel agent or check with the appropriate embassies before you depart, remembering that visa requirements can change at short notice.
Please note: For most countries where visas are required, it's NOT possible to obtain a visa while on the trip. Some visas take 3-4 weeks to obtain – so get on it early!
Tipping customs vary by country but can be expected for certain services. Your Trip Leader will advise you on when and how much is appropriate to tip. In true Topdeck style, your Topdeck Crew will not ask for a tip at the end of your trip – as per our ‘No Tipping Policy’.
The main differences are the group size, accommodation style, and the balance between jam-packed adventure and free time.
Our Get Social trips offer a high-energy, social vibe, with a bigger group of up to 48 Topdeckers to tick off those bucket list sites with. Accommodation is mostly hostels – usually single-sex and multi-share dorms – where you can hang out with your fellow travellers. Expect heaps of adventure, non-stop fun and life-long friendships. You in?
Our Play & Pause trips are the perfect balance of thrill and chill, activity and downtime, with a smaller group of up to 28 Topdeckers. You’ll stay in private accommodation – mostly twin-share with en suite, and sometimes quad-share. Travelling as a couple? The room’s all yours. And if you’re going it alone, we’ll pair you with another solo traveller. Expect bucket list experiences with more free time and opportunities to recharge.
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