17-Day European Whirl | Hotels | Start Amsterdam | W27/28

The adventure of a lifetime kicks off today. Meet up with your new Contiki family in London town before hitting the road to Amsterdam. Shortly before we find our ferry for France, we'll be taking in the English coastline beauty of the White Cliffs of Dover. They owe their gorgeousness to their composition of chalk - you're learning and we haven't even left the UK! Off the ferry we arrive in the port town of Calais - French soil! We travel north through Belgium before reaching...Amsterdam! Tonight, the famed-for-fun Amsterdam is ours to explore. First fill up on your included group dinner at a local restaurant, then you're free to explore or hit the local bars.

Amsterdam is cute as a button & sure to win your heart with its canals, obscure museums & a cafe culture like no other. There's loads for you to choose from. Check out the STRAAT museum for some art inspo. Head out on a canal cruise, or even grab dinner at a local seafront restaurant. Either way, you'll have damn good time.

Out of Amsterdam, onto the autobahn and on the fast-track to uber-cool Berlin. That's on today's agenda. On the world map of cool party vibes, Berlin has a gold star. We've got two nights to explore every inch of this amazing city, and we'll kick it off tonight with a delicious dinner that helps support refugees!

Get into the mood of exploration. Berlin has so much to offer the hungry traveller, from the obvious icons like Checkpoint Charlie to all the obscurities tucked away in the side streets. Luckily, we've got two walking tours to offer you. A historical walking tour in the morning to discover spots like Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag Building and an alternative walking tour in the evening to discover edgy Kreuzberg. Either way, it’s a day packed with stories, sights, and a real taste of Berlin.

Today we leave Berlin, making tracks for the darling of Europe, Prague.A drive from Berlin to Prague would not be complete without stopping in Dresden. Destroyed by World War II, the rebuilt town is now a symbol of resilience, soaked in the re-birthed beauty of the Opera house, the domed Frauenkirche, & the Royal Residence. On arrival in the compact & lovable city of Prague, we'll get out and go exploring, seeing castles and cathedrals and learning of Bohemian Kings and gothic history. Tonight, you could see yourself spending the evening indulging in traditional Czech cuisine while admiring the local folklore dancers as the sun goes down on the 'City of a Hundred Spires'.

With a full day to loiter, expect an entire photo album of Gothic architecture, market antiques & you cheers-ing local pivo; not to mention life! You can opt to join a food tour where you'll be shown some of the very best spots to eat.

We warned you about falling head over heels for Prague! Sorry team, you cannot live here forever. Unless....? Journeying out of the Czech Republic, we'll start our time in Germany with a sobering visit to the Dachau concentration camp memorial. You'll be able to spend some time here to learn and reflect, before we head on to the city of Munich. It would seem we were born in need of some delightful Bavarian culture, we just didn't know it until now. Munich may be famed for its Oktoberfest festivities, but the spirit of things kicks on year round. A trip to a traditional beer hall will get you very well acquainted with things, just after you've swooned at a Gothic clock complete with 32 dancing figures and 43 chiming bells.

'Auf Wiedersehen' Munich, we're off to tick more countries off our list. This morning we'll climb aboard our coach ready for a scenic roll through the Bavarian Alps, past fairytale castles and rambling vineyards, en route to Austria. Drive through Austria without getting out to say hello? Never! We'll pull into Innsbruck for lunch, a laid-back student city made famous by a medieval old town, an old Olympic Ski Jump & a Royal Palace.  Quick pitstop for dinner! We'll check out the charming little city of Trento, right in the heart of the oh-so-beautiful Adige Valley. Ah, Venice! Fresh pasta, lilting accents & romantic architecture - we've arrived in one of Italy's most famous cities. Tonight we'll relax here, knowing we have all day tomorrow to cruise canals & explore picturesque cobbled streets.

Buongiorno! Venice is ours for a full and glorious Italian day. We'll start exploring The Floating City by jumping aboard our own private motoscafo and cruising the canals en route to the historical heart of the city. Next, you have the option to discover Venice with a traditional gondola ride, or even a delish dinner with the best Venetian dishes.

Farewell floating city, but Italy, we're not done with you yet, our next destination the Eternal City of Rome is just around the corner. All roads lead to Rome as we uncover Italian icons in the country's capital and get a glimpse of its glory by night. Gelato, pizza and ancient monuments - perfetto!

This morning we're up and out early to make the most of our chance to explore this ancient city. You can opt to take a tour of the famous Colosseum and walk in the footsteps of Emperors and Gladiators in a guided tour, or snap epic selfies against a background of pink azaleas by the entrance. Visit the Trevi Fountain and throw coins to make a wish, sip espresso in a cobbled backstreet and soak up Italian life as it dances by. Oh, and Roman food tour? You won't wanna miss out on that.

We may be hitting the road again, but we're not done with Italy just yet. We have one more city to lust over…The dome of Duomo Cathedral sits above the city making certain we know we have arrived in Florence. Take a moment to take in the unique beauty of this beautiful city where culture and la dolce vita is evident in every direction you look at. Tonight you can choose to begin your Tuscan love affair at a Free Time Add-On dinner - think antipasti & wine.

Hopefully by now you are head to toe in fresh leather, you've eaten your body weight in antipasto, and you're feeling fresh as a daisy and ready to farewell Florence.  No trip around Europe is complete without seeing the world's most famous #AwkwardLean, the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Once you've got that perfect snap of you holding the thing up like you're Arnold Schwarzenegger, we'll be on the fast-track to the Italian Riviera.  Hello beautiful! The 'Five Lands' or Cinque Terre is completely beautiful and will take your breath away with their stunning colours, washing hanging out windows and picture perfect setting. Perched on a cliff and overlooking the Ligurian Sea this is 100% bucket list worthy destination, use the included day pass to explore this colourful heaven, stopping for an Aperol Spritz on the way too, all in the name of culture of course! Feeling all lovey dovey from our day in the Cinque Terre, we’ll rest our heads in Parma for the night – ready for more magic on the morrow.

Parma, it’s been short and sweet but we must move on. Next stop, the Swiss Alps!  Swans float under wooden bridges, snow-capped mountains stand regally behind us & chocolate tastes like heaven on earth. You're in the Swiss Alps & you cannot wipe the smile off your face.

It's been sweet, but our time in the Swiss Alps is up this morning. We're Paris-bound! Out with the altitude, in with the inner-city Parisian bliss. We'll jump back onto our coach to cross the border out of Switzerland and (back) into France. After coasting through the pretty wine producing region of Burgundy, we'll arrive in the City of Lights. Lamp-lit bridges, a sparkling Eiffel Tower, & evening coffee haunts, this evening we'll fall in love with everything Paris on a dreamy night-time tour. Is it just us, or is love in the air? Once we've seen the most famous landmarks, we'll celebrate our first night in the city with dinner.

Pastries, paintings, perfume - Paris is yours! We'll kick off with a tour of the city, then take you to the glamorous Fragonard perfumery. Next, you're free to roam tree-lined quartiers, wander Le Marais for food, shop up a storm on the Champs Elysee, or get arty in the galleries of the Louvre. It's our last night together - make it count with can-can girls & a Cabaret show with dinner.

Soak up your last dose of Paris and feel the astonishment of how much you've seen. And how close you've grown to your loved-up Contiki collective. Jump on the coach for your free transfer to CDG this morning, or just kick back and enjoy the ride back to London. Either way, there’s plenty of time to start dreaming up the next epic reunion - because adventures this good deserve a sequel! For those not leaving us until London, we'll travel south to Calais. This afternoon we will once again cross the English channel to make our way back to London town! This concludes our whirl around Europe - what a journey! Say a fond farewell to the group as you wrap up your trip on arrival to London.