27 DAY European Explorer EEGSLL-8

Transcription

1 27 DAY European Explorer EEGSLL-8 This tour visits: France, Switzerland, Monaco, Italy, Greece, Austria, Germany, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Vatican City Starting and ending in London, this exclusive European Explorer trip travels from the snow-capped Swiss Alps and the sparkling Mediterranean, to the rolling hills of Tuscany and the waterways of Venice. #TravelEnvy, anyone? This ever-popular jaunt stays in varied multi-share accommodation and takes in the best of France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Netherlands, and a taste of Greece just to name a few. Let s go. Please note: this is a Gap Year trip and is only valid for travellers aged years of age. The Bucket List More Inclusions Paris 'City Lights' Tour Paris gourmet picnic beside the Eiffel Tower French Riviera perfumery experience Local guide in Florence Dutch cheese & clogs demonstration Bicycle tour of Amsterdam 3 nights flotilla sailing in Greece Canal dinner cruise in Amsterdam 25 breakfasts, 16 lunches, 15 dinners 2 nights in hotels, 11 nights in hostels, 2 nights in an Austrian Gasthof, 6 nights in bungalows, 2 nights on an overnight ferry, 3 nights on yachts in Greece 1 free night in London before trip English Channel crossings Modern air-conditioned coach with free Wi-Fi Awesome Trip Leader + Driver + Chef

2 Trip Itinerary Day 1 - London, England to Paris, France Leave London for dust as we jump across to Paris for a beauty smackdown. Brush up on your bonjours when you meet the rest of the group and wrap your lips around your first real French meal beside the Eiffel Tower. Dinner may leave you full but it's just an appetiser; see the City of Light at its best as you embark on a driving tour and play landmark bingo with the Eiffel Tower, Champs-Élysées and Arc de Triomphe. -Driving tour of Paris & gourmet picnic by the Eiffel Tower Day 2 - Paris A free day in Paris to partake in pastries, paintings and Centre Pompidou! Bike along the Seine on an optional tour or just flâner (stroll) around and drink it in. Check out L'eclair de Genie in le Marais (don't ask questions), get your obligatory Eiffel Tower #selfie then explore the world's largest grave at the Catacombs at your own pace. Tonight, experience the razzle dazzle of a cabaret show or hop on a boat down the river to crank the romance dial to 11. -Bike tour of Paris -Seine river cruise in Paris -Traditional cabaret show in Paris Day 3 - Paris to Swiss Alps, Switzerland Tear yourself away from that baguette the land of fondue awaits! Driving through the Swiss countryside is pure, scenic bliss. Thanks, nature. Get your comfort eating pants on for an included dinner. Day 4 - Swiss Alps Join the optional Jungfrau Experience, which takes you to the highest train station in Europe. Want more adventure? Up the adrenaline by sky diving out of a helicopter, then make time for some snow angels and hot chocolate. #HardLife.

3 -Scenic excursion to Jungfrau ('The Top of Europe') -Scenic helicopter ride in the Swiss Alps -Sky diving in the Swiss Alps Day 5 - Swiss Alps to French Riviera, France A scenic drive day transports us to the chic French Riviera, playground of the rich and famous. This beautiful stretch of Mediterranean coast in the south of France is undoubtedly one of Europe s most fashionable areas. After checking into our accommodation, we ll devour an included French dinner in a local restaurant. Bon appetit! Day 6 - French Riviera including Monaco visit Laze on the beach, swim in the Mediterranean Sea, or stroll the Promenade des Anglais in Nice during our free day in the French Riviera. This evening we ll make tracks to the glamorous principality of Monaco, where we ll see the Royal Palace and sections of the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix track. We ll also have time to visit Monaco s famous casinos. Warm James Bond s seat at the Grand Casino itself. -Guided tour of Monaco Day 7 - French Riviera to Florence, Italy Prep your shnozz this morning there are loads of fragrances to be sniffed as we take a tour of a local French Riviera perfumery, before our adventure continues on to Italy. This afternoon we make a short stop in Pisa for the chance to grab a snap of the Leaning Tower, before we head through the Tuscan countryside to Florence. This evening we ll relish an included group dinner, and then work it off with a night out in Florence s buzzing nightlife (if you wish). -Visit Pisa & the Leaning Tower

4 Day 8 - Florence Florence has more stories than Bilbo Baggins, more culture than you can poke a stick at and over 1,800 restaurants. Get schooled on the Medici family, stroll the Ponte Vecchio and learn about leather (new handbag, anyone?) on a walking tour. Use the afternoon to find a famous guy named David, shop the markets and hunt down the best aperitivo spreads. -Walking tour of Florence with local guide Day 9 - Florence to Rome Romeward bound, we make a stop in Orvieto for the chance to grab a wild boar sandwich. Then we hightail it to the Eternal City for a rendezvous with ancient architecture s biggest players. Make like Caesar (the emperor, not the salad) and work up a colossus hunger as you pass by the Pantheon, throw your two cents in the Trevi Fountain and sit on the Spanish Steps. -Walking tour of Rome -Visit the town of Orvieto Day 10 - Rome including Vatican City visit Create the ultimate Roman Holiday in one day with a whirlwind of espresso, two-cheek kisses and pizza the way it's supposed to taste. Pop in on the pope with an optional tour of the Vatican City to see how Michelangelo messed around and created the High Renaissance, then play eye spy with two-and-a-half millennia worth of history. Shop til you drop on Via Condotti, head to Capitoline Hill for awesome views of the Roman Forum and Colosseum or just kick back in Piazza Navona for some dolce far niente (delicious idleness). -Guided tour of Vatican City Day 11 - Rome to Sailing in Greece via Overnight Ferry We depart Rome and drive to Italy s east coast today, taking in some gorgeous Italian scenery on the way. Once there, we board an overnight ferry bound for Greece. Take advantage of the restaurants, bars and communal areas onboard, plus private en-suite cabin accommodation to ensure a good night s sleep.

5 Day 12 - Sailing in Greece After disembarking we have a short drive along the rugged Greek coastline to meet up with our flotilla of sailing yachts. After a demonstration from our flotilla leader and skipper we head off into the wild blue yonder sailing, sunbathing and swimming in the Ionian Sea awaits! In the evening we moor and visit an authentic Greek taverna for dinner, where the food is delicious and the atmosphere even better. Day 13 - Sailing in Greece A full day of sailing in Greece with our Topdeck buddies it speaks for itself! Relax and forget your troubles as we sail around the Ionian Sea, taking plenty of chances to stop and have a dip. Day 14 - Sailing in Greece After waking under the Greek sun we enjoy the final day of our Greek sailing adventure. As the afternoon wears on, we return to our starting point, then this evening we head for an included Greek dinner at a local restaurant. Savour every moment we spend one final night sleeping on our yachts. Day 15 - Sailing in Greece to Venice, Italy via Overnight Ferry Today we bid a reluctant farewell to the sailing portion of our adventure. Take the time to relax and top up those tans along the Greek coastline before catching another overnight ferry back to Italy. Day 16 - Greece to Venice, Italy Upon our arrival in the Italian port of Ancona, we head north towards one of Italy s gems Venice. Tonight, settle into our resort and savour a

6 delicious meal cooked by our Topdeck chef. -Walking tour of Verona -Personalised Topdeck group shirts and hoodies Day 17 - Venice A free day to explore extraordinary Venice a maze of canals, bridges, squares and incredible artworks. An included walking tour with your Trip Leader will unveil some of the city s amazing architecture, including the striking St Mark s Basilica in St Mark s Square, while a vaporetto ride on the Grand Canal will enable you to view the sites from the water. Want to amp up the wow-factor? An optional gondola ride is the perfect way to see the city. -Walking tour of Venice -Vaporetto ride in Venice -Gondola ride in Venice Day 18 - Venice to Austrian Alps, Austria Today we drive from the coast to the mountains on our way to the stunning Alpine region of Tyrol. At our traditional Gasthof, an included barbeque dinner awaits (which usually tastes better when washed down with a traditional Austrian schnapps, just sayin ). Day 19 - Austrian Alps A free day in the stunning Austrian Alps! We have the opportunity to partake in some adrenaline-fuelled optional activities today amid amazing Alpine terrain options include canyon jumping, paragliding, or even skydiving (weather and conditions permitting).

7 -Skydiving in the Austrian Alps -Tandem paragliding in the Austrian Alps -Bike ride in the Austrian Alps -Canoeing in the Austrian Alps -Mountain side dinner Day 20 - Austrian Alps to Munich, Germany We leave Austria today for Germany and the southern region of Bavaria. We are heading for Munich, where a walking tour with your trusty Trip Leader will get you acquainted with the main sights including Marienplatz (Mary's Square), the Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall) and the huge Frauenkirche (Cathedral of Our Lady). You ll also have time to uncover the pretzels, pork knuckles and the famous beer halls that make this place so great. -Walking tour of Munich Day 21 - Munich to Prague, Czech Republic Today we move on to Czech Republic and its beautiful capital Prague. A walking tour will allow you to take in the memorable Charles Bridge, Hradcany Castle, the Tyn Church and Wenceslas Square, and tonight: an included dinner and the chance to sample Prague s famous nightlife. -Walking tour of Prague Day 22 - Prague Channel your inner bohemian and seek out the John Lennon memorial wall to start your free day. Soak up some more Czech history at the National or Communist Museum or get a taste of the quirky local culture at a marionette puppet opera (you gotta see it to believe it). Snap a selfie at Prague s own Eiffel Tower, visit a miniatures museum and eat roast pork from one of the street vendors lining Old Town Square. Day 23 - Prague to Berlin, Germany Get acquainted with 800 year-old Dresden a city virtually destroyed in WWII and then rebuilt and ogle the Frauenkirche before making

8 your beard all the more ironic in Berlin. Prep yourself for currywurst and more hipsters per capita than anywhere else. We'll drive you around to see (what's left of) the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag building before making your food baby sing with a hearty German meal. -Walking tour of Dresden -Driving tour of Berlin Day 24 - Berlin Join the optional Third Reich walking tour for an insight into what the city was like under Nazi rule during WWII, go on a museum crawl (covering everything from the Ramones to DDR) or head to the zoo. More culture awaits on Museum Island, with creative types and memorable meals available in the Prenzlauer Berg and Kreuzberg neighbourhoods. -Third Reich walking tour -Street art & nightlife tour of Berlin Day 25 - Berlin to Amsterdam, Netherlands Amster-DAM it's going to be a good day! Start dreaming of cheese, clogs and cheeky cafe stops as we roll through tulip and windmill dotted fields to Amsterdam. Get your bearings on a walking tour of the vibrant capital and see the Dam Square, Royal Palace and National Monument. -Walking tour of Amsterdam -Dutch cheese & clogs demonstration Breakfast Lunch Day 26 - Amsterdam Get on your bike and ride! Do as the locals do and join the 881,000 bicycles on an optional city bike tour to soak up the wintery canal vistas before retreating with hot chocolate, poffertjes and stroopwafels. In your own time, see how many of the city's 51 museums that you can tick off. Must-dos: Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House.

9 -Bike tour of Amsterdam Day 27 - Amsterdam to London, England Today we say farewell, as it's back across to ol' Blighty to start planning your next adventure. Facebook friends? Accommodation Club trips host our most eclectic types of accommodation. While hostels make up the majority of your overnighters you could also stay in hotels (free upgrade yeah!) 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 Club trips will vary. For hostels (remember, the most common) you will have multi-share rooms and share with between 3 and 5 others while in hotels there will be twin or triple-shares (and the odd quad-room). Bungalows can be up to 4 people to a room. Please note: When staying on a Club trip, multi-share accommodation is single-sex and therefore couples should not expect to share a room. While sailing in Greece There are sailing and swim stops during the day and each evening you dock in a different village, where you can go ashore for dinner in a local taverna. Two of the three dinners are included. You are also provided with a 'sailing pack' per boat, which includes food for breakfasts and lunches that you make yourselves on the boats. You will sleep on-board the boats, so please remember to bring a sleeping sheet or sleeping bag as no linen is provided. 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. 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.

10 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 Paris cabaret Seine River cruise - 8 Paris bike tour - 26 Switzerland - Swiss Alps - Lauterbrunnen Jungfrau Excursion - CHF Skydiving - CHF 390 plus 30 deposit Helicopter ride - CHF 100 plus 20 deposit Italy - Rome Vatican tour - 40 Italy - Venice Personalised group shirts and hoodies between 19 and 30 Gondola ride - 20 Austria - Kirchdorf - Tyrol Canyoning half-day deposit Tandem Paragliding deposit Skydiving deposit Group photo - 10 Mountain biking half-day - 12 Mountain biking full-day - 16 Germany - Berlin Third Reich walking tour - 10 Berlin Alternative Tour and Nightlife Tour - 18 Meals Food Fund On this trip there is a compulsory Food Fund, which is shown separately on each trip page. This is paid at the time of booking. Unlike other companies, in addition to the listed breakfasts and dinners, Topdeck also includes many lunches on travelling days during your trip. Included meals Accompanying you on this trip will be a Topdeck On-Road Chef who is responsible for organising the included meals. Breakfast is included every day (except on the first morning). You will be provided freshly cooked evening meals and lunches as per your Trip Itinerary. All cutlery and eating utensils are supplied. Occasionally, some of the included meals may be in local restaurants or accommodation places. 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 Topdeck Trip Consultant when you book. But 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

11 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. 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.