28 DAY Grand European EEGELL-8

Transcription

1 28 DAY Grand European EEGELL-8 This tour visits: France, Switzerland, Spain, Monaco, Italy, Vatican City, Slovenia, Croatia, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Netherlands Spend a month travelling the fabulous European continent; from West to East, North to South, you'll encounter Europe's greatest cities, witness the grandeur and majesty of the Alps as well as discover the stunning scenery and diversity throughout the Mediterranean. This is one tour of Europe that is certain to treat you to a grand old time!

2 The Bucket List More Inclusions Walking tour of Amsterdam Driving tour of Berlin Visit former concentration camp Mauthausen Pag Island getaway Walking tour of Venice Canal dinner cruise in Amsterdam Walking tour of Rome Visit Pisa & the famous Leaning Tower Walking tour of the restored city of Dresden Visit stunning Lake Bled Driving tour of Barcelona Walking tour of Prague Walking tour of Florence with local guide Visit to Pont du Gard Visit the town of Orvieto Visit a traditional French perfumery Vaporetto ride in Venice Dutch cheese & clogs demonstration Walking tour of Monaco Driving tour of Paris & gourmet picnic by the Eiffel Tower 27 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 12 dinners 18 nights in hostels, 1 night in a hotel, 6 nights in bungalows at European campsites & 2 nights in an Austrian Gasthof English Channel crossings Modern air-conditioned coach with free Wi-Fi Guided tours of all major cities Awesome Trip Leader + Driver + On-Site Chefs Trip Itinerary Day 1 - London, England to Paris, France All good things start with Paris. Meet the crew, grab some supplies and hit the road early in the morning as we jump across the English Channel to Paris. Pinch yourself and Instagram your first selfie over an EPIC gourmet picnic before we kick off the trip with a driving tour of Paris with your Trip Leader. Home to Coco Chanel, the Eiffel Tower and the Mona Lisa; Paris has more than earned its reputation as the European capital for all things culture, fashion and food. Now's your chance to find out why. -Driving tour of Paris & gourmet picnic by the Eiffel Tower Day 2 - Paris This morning: free time en Francais. From the Louvre and Musée d'orsay to the l'arc de Triomphe and Champs Elysées, you'll be sure to make a solid dent in your bucket list. Hop on an optional bike tour of Paris or roam the streets on your own and then end your day with an optional Seine River cruise or a #throwback bohemian cabaret show.

3 -Traditional cabaret show in Paris -Scenic river cruise on the Seine -Bike tour of Paris Day 3 - Paris to Swiss Alps, Switzerland Trade in Parisian streets for snowy peaks. Prepare for OMG views and later, chow down on Swiss cuisine and hit the bar for a nightcap. Day 4 - Swiss Alps Scenic hikes and jaw-dropping views are on today's agenda. Go low key with a mountain walk or hop on board the Jungfraubahn railway for an optional visit to the Jungfrau Mountain summit. Fairytale villages en route, sky-diving out of a helicopter upon arrival (if heights don't scare you). And if one hulking mountain isn't enough? Nearby Schilthorn is also waiting. Another local feast awaits your return, regardless of how you make your way back down. -Scenic excursion to Jungfrau ('The Top of Europe') -Skydiving in the Swiss Alps -Scenic helicopter ride in the Swiss Alps -Schilthorn cable car experience Day 5 - Swiss Alps to Avignon, France This afternoon welcomes you to Avignon, home to the magnificent Palais des Papes (aka one of the largest and most important medieval Gothic buildings in Europe). Tonight: hit up a local bistro or gather for a makeshift picnic. Either way, be sure to pair your meal with some local Rhône Valley wine, one of France's finest reds. Day 6 - Avignon to Barcelona, Spain First up, we check out the 2000-year-old Roman engineered aqueduct Pont du Gard on our way to Barcelona. Get hungry on a guided driving tour, ticking off the Columbus Monument, Montjuïc (site of the 1992 Olympics) and Gaudi's yet to be finished Sagrada Família. Round off the day with churros and tapas, and feed your cravings for Catalonian zest at tonight's included dinner. Later: let loose at an optional flamenco

4 show. -Visit Pont du Gard -Driving tour of Barcelona -Flamenco show in Barcelona Day 7 - Barcelona Who needs the snooze button when you got a whole day in a city packed to the rafters with art nouveau, alluring accents and most importantly, tapas. Hit the side streets and alleyways of Las Ramblas, take in the eccentric work of artist Antoni Gaudí at Parc Güell or give in to your inner football fanatic and kneel to the sporting gods at Camp Nou. Day 8 - Barcelona to French Riviera, France Get that selfie stick out as we roll on north along the coast to rub shoulders with the rich and famous at the world's most lavish waterfront property, aka the French Riviera. Swap your patatas bravas for hearty French cooking and get ready for tomorrow's adventures. -Visit a traditional French perfumery Day 9 - French Riviera including Monaco visit Bring your paparazzi posse to the beach or let loose among the designer boutiques in Nice's Old Town. Later: Roll with the jet set as we hit up Monaco for a guided tour and the chance to see how the 1% live (hint: it involves Ferraris and bathing in caviar). Feeling lucky? Hit the tables at the Monte Carlo Casino and make it rain (or not). -Walking tour of Monaco Day 10 - French Riviera to Florence, Italy You'll only have a few minutes to swap your 'bonjour' to a 'buongiorno' this morning and it's on to the renaissance romance of Florence. Take THAT shot at the Leaning Tower of Pisa before trucking on to the Tuscan hills outside Florence to eat, sleep, repeat in the foodie capital of the world.

5 -Visit Pisa & the famous Leaning Tower Day 11 - Florence Florence has more stories than Bilbo Baggins, more culture than a Shoreditch hipster, over 1800 restaurants and it gave the world gelato. Get schooled on the Medici family, stroll the Ponte Vecchio (the only bridge not bombed in WWII) and get an in-depth tour of the city with a local guide. Then: use the afternoon to meet a guy named David doing his best Blue Steel in the Accademia Gallery. You could do worse than hunting down a Florentine steak for dinner tonight. -Walking tour of Florence with local guide Day 12 - Florence to Rome 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. Then step back to 753 BC in one of the world's oldest open-air museums on an in-depth walking tour and give that bucket list a workout. Make like Caesar and work up a colossal hunger as you pass by the Pantheon, throw your two cents in the Trevi Fountain, sit on the Spanish Steps and visit ancient history's version of the Hunger Games set at the Colosseum. -Visit to Orvieto -Walking tour of Rome Day 13 - Rome Create the ultimate Roman Holiday in one day with a whirlwind of Vespas, espresso, two-cheek kisses and pizza the way it's supposed to taste. 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). Day 14 - Rome to Venice including Vatican City visit Say buongiorno to Venice from across the lagoon as we check into our accommodation, have an Eat Pray Love-worthy relationship with an irresistible Italian (meal) and get pumped for living out your own version of The Italian Job tomorrow.

6 -Guided tour of Vatican City Day 15 - Venice You know it as the floating city, but this place is actually sinking (slowly). Check out St. Mark's Square, Accademia Bridge and a who's who of Venice's usual suspects on a guided walking tour then jump on a vaporetto and explore the Grand Canal. Also on the schedule: an optional gondola ride through the maze of marble bridges and gelato shops we call Venice. Throw away your map in the afternoon and try to find the world's most epic little bookshop; Libreria Acqua Alta, or just go on a mission to find the perfect gelato. -Walking tour of Venice -Vaporetto ride in Venice -Gondola ride in Venice Day 16 - Venice to Pag Island, Croatia via Postjana Caves, Slovenia Check out Postojna Caves and cast your eye out for stalagmites on the way to one of Croatia's coolest today. Set your watch to island time. -Visit to the world-famous Postojna Cave -Entry to the world-famous Postojna Cave Day 17 - Pag Island Two whole days to relax and chill out in the sun. The water is warm, the food is awesome. Then later on, well, let's just say this island knows how to party.

7 Day 18 - Pag Island Day 18: Pag Island Eat, sleep, party, repeat. Day 19 - Pag Island to Ljubljana, Slovenia Shoot one last longing look at Pag before arriving in Ljubljana (lyoob-lya-nah) - capital of Slovenia. Tonight, band together with your fellow #Topdeckers and see the city come alive on an optional nightlife tour. Optional activities -Nightlife tour of Ljubljana Day 20 - Ljubljana to Austrian Alps, Austria Lake Bled is one of those names that keeps popping up in all those lists of amazing places; find out why as we climb the Austrian Alps to the Sound of Music. -Visit to stunning Lake Bled Day 21 - Austrian Alps The snow-capped hills (Alps, really) are alive with the sound of carving. The mountains have shaped virtually all aspects of life here. (Also: Toblerone.) Skydive. Tandem paraglide. Go canyoning. Repeat. Or just sit and stare at the storybook landscape like a lovesick puppy. Kirchdorf does that to people. You haven't really been there without a few sneaky selfies, right? Say edelweiss! -Canyoning -Tandem paragliding in the Austrian Alps -Skydiving in the Austrian Alps -Bike tour in the Austrian Alps -Mountain side dinner in the Austrian Alps

8 Day 22 - Austrian Alps to Prague, Czech Republic Begin the day with a sobering visit to the former concentration camp Mauthausen, then set the sat nav for the gothic city. Guinness World Record-setting (and Disney-inspiring) castle spires are Prague's way of welcoming weary travellers. Fuel up on trdelník (pastry deliciousness) before a walking tour amongst the spires and cobblestone streets. Suss out the castle deemed worthy by Guinness World Records as being the largest ancient castle in the world, cross medieval Charles Bridge and watch 'Death' toll the hour on an astronomical clock that's over 600 years old. -Visit former concentration camp Mauthausen -Walking tour of Prague Day 23 - Prague Another free day for the win. Channel your inner bohemian and seek out the John Lennon wall, then 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, eat roast pork from one of the street vendors lining Old Town Square and drink beer. Really. Good. Beer. -Local beer tasting in Prague Day 24 - 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 your beard all the more ironic in Berlin. Prep yourself for currywurst, pilsner 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 the restored city of Dresden -Driving tour of Berlin Day 25 - Berlin Shake off last night with a wander around the German capital. Optional: Third Reich walking tour and local insight into what the city was like

9 under Nazi rule during World War II. Hackescher Markt is a hit for lunch. Tonight: hit the hotspots on an optional street art and nightlife tour of Berlin -Third Reich walking tour -Street art & nightlife tour of Berlin Day 26 - Berlin to Amsterdam, Netherlands Cheese lovers, rejoice. Your next stop is a local Dutch farm to see how cheddar (and clogs) gets made. Next: Amsterdam, mayo-dipped fries and red lights. Get your bearings on a walking tour of the vibrant capital and see the Dam Square, Royal Palace and National Monument. Then: explore all that this notoriously liberal city has to offer. -Dutch cheese & clogs demonstration -Walking tour of Amsterdam Day 27 - Amsterdam Culture fiends, delve deeper with a visit to the Anne Frank House, Van Gogh or Rijksmuseum. Still thirsty for more? Check out the Heineken Experience for an interactive visit and tasting at the brewery. -Canal dinner cruise in Amsterdam -Bike tour of Amsterdam Day 28 - Amsterdam to London, England After all the Amster-damage has been done and dusted, it's time to hit the road and make tracks to ol' Blighty. Soak up all the happy group vibes you can possibly handle - this is your last coach ride with the gang. #sadface. Accommodation

10 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!) 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). Bungalows can be up to 4 people to a room. Please note: When staying on a Hostel Plus trip, multi-share accommodation is single-sex. Meals Your included meals are detailed in the 'More Inclusions' section of this document. Breakfasts are included every day (except on the first morning). Included meals will be a combination of those prepared by Topdeck On-Site Chefs, local restaurants and places in which we stay. 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. Get it for iphone Get it for Android Passenger safety

11 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.