22 DAY Euro City Trail EEEZLL-9

Transcription

1 22 DAY Euro City Trail EEEZLL-9 This tour visits: United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Italy, Vatican City, Germany, Netherlands Forget dashing through Europe on a whistlestop tour on this laid-back adventure, you ll have plenty of time to get your bearings and soak up the sights. And did we mention you ll tick off the likes of buzzing London, romantic Paris, the towering Swiss Alps and historic Rome along the way? Sounds like a plan to us. Let s go! The Bucket List More Inclusions Canal dinner cruise in Amsterdam Local guide in Florence Driving tour of Paris Gourmet picnic by the Eiffel Tower Vaporetto ride in Venice Hop-on-hop-off sightseeing tour of London Walking and food tour of London 21 breakfasts (B), 3 lunches (L), 9 dinners (D) 14 nights in hostels, 7 nights in bungalows at European campsites English Channel crossings Modern air-conditioned coach with free Wi-Fi Guided tours of all major cities Awesome Trip Leader and Driver

2 Trip Itinerary Day 1 - London, United Kingdom You re in London, baby! Practise your finest cockney accent and say hello to your new china plates (that s mates to you and me). We ll kick things off with a walking tour of the capital s must-sees stopping off at some jolly marvellous eateries along the way. Get excited there s a whole lot more awesomeness to look forward to in the days to come! -Walking and food tour of London Day 2 - London Rise and shine, Topdeckers today we ll be rolling through London in style. How, you ask? Why, on a classic hop-on-hop-off sightseeing expedish, of course. How simply spiffing! Later, take some time to do the city your way. Pub, anyone? -Hop-on-hop-off sightseeing tour of London Day 3 - London to Paris, France Bonjour, Paris! Who s up for a driving tour AND a gourmet picnic by the Eiffel Tower? Don t forget to make your friends back home jealous with pics of the delicious food (cue multiple uses of the smirky face emoji). -Driving tour of Paris and gourmet picnic by the Eiffel Tower Day 4 - Paris It s your first free day in the City of Love, so hop to it! If you re in the mood for an optional extra-frenchy cabaret show, bike tour or river cruise, let us know we'll sort it out for you. -Traditional cabaret show -Seine river cruise

3 -Bike tour of Paris Day 5 - Paris Another laissez-faire day to spend pleasing yourself. Browse through bookshops in Le Marais, sip on espresso in a chic café, or hit the Champs-Élysées and shop till you drop. Or, just eat macaroons till you swoon. Either way, you can t lose. Day 6 - Paris to Swiss Alps, Switzerland Out of the land of brie and on to the land of fondue! Brace yourselves, because the Swiss Alps pack enough amazing scenery to leave you permanently slack-jawed. Trust us beautiful doesn t even cover it! -Lunch Day 7 - Swiss Alps Hold onto your footwear today we ve got optionals to knock your socks off! Choose from skydiving, a helicopter ride, a trip down the river or a jaunt to the top of the Jungfrau mountain. Just wow. -Lunch -Scenic excursion to Jungfrau ('The Top of Europe') -Skydiving in the Swiss Alps -Helicopter ride in the Swiss Alps -Float down the Aare River Day 8 - Swiss Alps to Florence, Italy Florence has more stories than Bilbo Baggins, more culture than a Shoreditch hipster, over 1,800 restaurants, and it gave the world gelato. What are you waiting for? Get exploring! -Lunch

4 Day 9 - Florence Get schooled on the Medici family and stroll the Ponte Vecchio (the only bridge not bombed in WWII) on an in-depth tour with a local guide. Then, the city is yours to roam as you please. -Local guide in Florence Day 10 - Florence You ve got one more day to spend gorging on pizza, pasta and all things stuffed with carbs. Sounds like a challenge to us. Oh and there s even a spot of optional wine tasting on the agenda. We ll cheers to that! -Wine tasting in Florence Day 11 - Florence to Rome Prepare for the walking tour to end all walking tours! Pass by the Pantheon, throw your two cents in the Trevi Fountain, sit on the Spanish Steps and visit the mighty Colosseum, where gladiators once risked life and limb. -Walking tour of Rome Day 12 - Rome including Vatican City visit Want more? How about an optional tour of the Vatican? Rise and shine early and we ll whisk you away to the home of the Pope, jaw-dropping artworks and fine-looking architecture. -Guided tour of Vatican City Day 13 - Rome One more day in Rome? Don t mind if we do! What you do today is up to you, but we recommend heading to Capitoline Hill for some awesome views of the Roman Forum and Colosseum. Feeling lazy? Just kick back in Piazza Navona. We won t judge.

5 Day 14 - Rome to Venice You know it as the floating city, but Venice is actually sinking (slowly). Today we ll check out a who's who of the city s usual suspects (including St Mark's Square and Accademia Bridge) on a guided walking tour. -Walking tour of Venice -Get a personalised trip T-shirt or hoodie Day 15 - Venice Today we ll jump on a vaporetto and explore the Grand Canal in style. Want even more waterways action? You can also take an optional gondola ride and be serenaded by your very own gondolier. Cheesy photos encouraged. -Vaporetto ride in Venice -Gondola ride in Venice Day 16 - Venice to Munich, Germany Onwards to Munich, the city where beer is officially considered a food. Slide on your lederhosen and get ready for a royal Happy Hour experience at the 429-year-old Hofbräuhaus (the recipes here were passed down from Wilhelm V, the Duke of Bavaria). -Walking tour of Rome -Visit Pisa and the famous Leaning Tower Day 17 - Munich Did you know? Munich is basically the friendliest city there ever was. No, really. Munich likes you is the city motto. Thanks Munich! Anyone for an optional segway tour through the city s welcoming streets? That ll be a yes!

6 -Segway tour of Munich Day 18 - Munich to Cologne Ready to go Gothic? Cologne s got the goods. Take a look around on a walking tour, then climb the 509 spiralling stone steps for 360-degree views at the UNESCO World Heritage listed Kölner Dom. There are also over 30 museums to check out and one of them is dedicated to chocolate. Just sayin! -Walking tour of Cologne Day 19 - Cologne to Amsterdam, Netherlands Welcome to the most liberal city in Europe! Get your bearings on a walking tour of the vibrant capital and see the Dam Square, Royal Palace and National Monument. Then: learn how gouda and clogs are made before exploring all that this notoriously liberal city has to offer. -Walking tour of Amsterdam -Dutch cheese and clogs demonstration Day 20 - Amsterdam Explore this crazy city and make it your own today. Wanna roll in style? An optional bike tour s got your name on it! Culture fiends, delve deeper with a visit to the Anne Frank House, Van Gogh Museum or Rijksmuseum. -Bike tour of Amsterdam Day 21 - Amsterdam On our last day in the Dam, there s a farewell canal dinner cruise to get emosh over. *Don t cry*

7 Day 22 - Amsterdam to London Hang up your clogs it s back to London today. You ve got one more coach ride with the crew before we vamoose, so swap those numbers! Accommodation Hostel Plus trips host our most eclectic types of accommodation. While modern hostels make up the majority of your overnighters you could also stay in hotels (free upgrade yeah!), Austrian Gasthofs, canvas cabins, ferry cabins or bungalows. The More Inclusions section details what type of accommodation will be used for overnight stops on your trip. The number of people to a room on Hostel Plus trips will vary. For hostels you will have multi-share rooms and usually share with between 3 and 5 others (although in some circumstances you will share with more than 5) while in hotels there will be twin or triple-shares (and the odd quad-room). The number of people sharing in bungalows, canvas cabins, ferry cabins and Austrian Gasthofs can vary. Please note: When staying on a Hostel Plus trip, multi-share accommodation is single-sex. You will also need to bring your own towels with you as these are not provided by all of our hostels. Optional Activities On all trips we have arranged extra activities that we think will enhance your travel experience, but you have a choice as to whether or not you will participate. These are not included in the cost of your trip. They are usually organised on a group participation basis and should be taken into consideration when budgeting your spending money. None of the Optional Activities on your trip are operated by Topdeck, nor do they form part of your contract with Topdeck for your trip. Topdeck arranges the activity as an agent of the local supplier. Should you participate in any Optional Activities your contract will be with the local supplier and their conditions will apply. Please note: while we make every effort to keep these prices as accurate and up-to-date as possible, they are subject to change and in rare circumstances the actual price may vary slightly to what is published here. France - Paris Traditional cabaret show in Paris: TBC Seine river cruise in Paris: TBC Italy - Rome Guided tour of the Vatican City: TBC Switzerland - Swiss Alps Scenic excursion to Jungfrau ('The Top of Europe'): TBC

8 Skydiving in the Swiss Alps: TBC Helicopter ride in the Swiss Alps: TBC Munich - Germany Segway tour of Munich: TBC Amsterdam - Netherlands Bike tour of Amsterdam: TBC Meals Your included meals are detailed in the 'More Inclusions' section of this document. Breakfasts are included every day (except on the first morning). They are usually 'continental breakfasts', which are typical in most European countries. A typical breakfast may consist of cereals with milk or yoghurt, bread, croissants, cold meats, cheese and a range of spreads, with fruit juice, tea or coffee to drink. It is rare to get a hot breakfast in continental Europe, though on some occasions there may be some hot food available as well. Included meals will be a combination of those prepared by Topdeck On-Site Chefs, local restaurants and places in which we stay. Included evening meals are in local restaurants or accommodations, and are either two or three courses. In most cases table water is provided with the meals, and if you wish to purchase additional drinks you can do so at your own expense. If you have any dietary requirements we will make every effort to cater to your specific needs as long as you advise your travel agent or Customer Service Consultant when you book, or make note of this in the Topdeck app when you check in (refer below). However, please be aware that although we will do everything in our power to arrange it, we cannot guarantee that every restaurant we use will be able to cater to all dietary needs, particularly in Eastern Europe. We also cannot cater for tastes or dislikes, as most of our included evening meals feature a set menu. No Tip Necessary Your Topdeck crew never expect tips themselves and will not ask for any; that s not what friends do! We also know how much tipping can cost you. So go ahead, spoil yourself with the money you will save by travelling with Topdeck (just don t forget Mum s souvenir). Topdeck Travel App Our travel app has landed! With a range of awesome features including a Currency Converter, Budget Tracker, Check-In tool and Social Timeline you can plan your trip like a pro. Think of it like your very own Topdeck Trip Leader, always on call with the latest info, weather, maps and city guides to give you the trip of a lifetime, all in the palm of your hand. Please note: The Topdeck Travel App should only be downloaded once you have booked onto your trip. You will not be able to log in unless you have a Topdeck Booking Reference Number.

9 Get it for iphone Get it for Android Passenger safety One of the best parts of travelling is experiencing the nightlife and entertainment each city has to offer. However, amidst the fun and excitement, it s important to be aware of your surroundings and personal safety as well. Before you hit the road with us, it s important to be aware of the following: When you re on a night out, remember to avoid walking alone, particularly through deserted areas like beaches and back streets. Always stick together, take a taxi where possible, and keep a note of your accommodation details so you can find your way back to your fellow Topdeckers if you become separated. In some countries, alcoholic measures can be considerably larger than what you may be used to. Try to keep track of what you re drinking, and if you see one of your trip mates looking a little worse for wear, take them back to your accommodation. Be cautious when accepting drinks from strangers and never leave your drink unattended. It s also important to be aware that what you might consider harmless flirting may be interpreted differently in some countries. Be yourself and have fun, but don t be naïve, and be mindful of the signals you are sending out so that you don t find yourself in an uncomfortable situation.