Play & Pause: Intro to Europe

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. Accommodation: Best Western Amsterdam or similar

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. Accommodation: Best Western Amsterdam or similar

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. Accommodation: MEININGER Hotel Heidelberg Hauptbahnhof or similar

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. Accommodation: Hotel Tiroler Adler or similar

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. Accommodation: Hotel Tiroler Adler or similar

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. Accommodation: Hotel Delfino Venezia Mestre or similar

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. Accommodation: B&B Hotel Roma San Lorenzo Termini or similar

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. Accommodation: B&B Hotel Roma San Lorenzo Termini or similar

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. Accommodation: B&B Hotel Firenze City Center or similar

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. Accommodation: Ibis Styles Luzern City or similar

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! Accommodation: Ibis Paris Alésia Montparnasse or similar

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. Accommodation: Ibis Paris Alésia Montparnasse or similar

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!