Jet off to the trip of a lifetime awaiting you in Europe!

Check-in to your hotel after 2pm and the remainder of the day is free to relax before meeting your fellow travellers at 6pm. After dinner take a short walk to explore nearby Covent Garden.

Meet up with your fellow travellers and Contiki Crew, as you start your 21 day adventure. Your Tour Manager knows all the ins and outs of where you’re going and your tour’s own Contiki Cook will make sure you get big portions of tasty meals, made from fresh, local produce.

Then we hit the road and take a ferry past the White Cliffs of Dover. We travel via World War 1 battle fields in the Valley of the Somme to Paris.

If you’re adventurous, get right into French culture when you arrive at the campsite. Your Contiki Cook will prepare authentic escargots (snails) for the group. It’s a perfect opportunity to try out this national delicacy.

You’ll also get to toast the start of your tour together in style with our special “Taste of France” welcome. Your Crew will serve champagne and local cheeses before we kick star Paris with the “Tour of Illuminations”, where the French capital transforms into the ‘City of Lights’. Lamp-lit bridges and cool little cafes give us a real taste of Paris’ romance. Your Tour Manager will fill you in on the world’s most recognised monuments, like the Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower.

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This town is loaded with possibilities. Discover its many bistros, museums, tree-lined avenues and diverse quartiers (neighbourhoods).

Get a feel for French flair by window shopping on the Left Bank, step into the Notre Dame cathedral or explore the endless galleries of the Louvre and get up close to the famous Mona Lisa. Try indulging in some delicious pastries and relax in one of Paris’ many green spaces.

Time in Paris includes a trip out to France’s most well-known chateau: Versailles, once home to the Sun King, Louis 14th and hot spot of the French Revolution. Check out the impressive exterior of this extravagant palace. Then there’s an opportunity to explore the former royal family’s luxurious living quarters.

Treat yourself to a real Parisian night out, starting with an optional dinner in an atmospheric restaruant, where you can get to know your group. Then sign up for an authentic cabaret experience, complete with can-can girls and champagne.

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Today’s journey takes us to the softly undulating hills of the Beaujolais region. This evening we visit Contiki’s own Château de Cruix nestled in the vineyards of this wine region to sample this world famous wine.

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Today, it’s on to Pont du Gard in Southern France. It’s a stunning bridge with 2000 year old arches spanning across the river. This imposing Roman Aqueduct is an impressive feat of ancient engineering

We keep heading south through the rugged and dramatic scenery of the Pyrénées mountains, over the border, into Barcelona.

A sizzling, festive capital any night of the week, Barcelona is all about. In Spain fiesta time starts late, so settle in at one of Barcelona’s many outdoor squares to enjoy a glass of sangria and nibble on tapas (plate sized snacks), before a fun night out exploring the city’s nightlife with your new friends.

• Breakfast
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First stop: Mont Juic. The hilltop has full-blown vistas of the city and it’s where we stop to check out the 1992 Olympic Games complex. Afterward get a look into the wild imagination of famous Spanish architect, Gaudi, with his art nouveau masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia cathedral. Your Tour Manager walks you through the cobbled lanes of Barcelona’s oldest district, the Gothic Quarter.

Then there’s free time to discover more of Barcelona’s creative core. Pick up some quirky buys in the side streets or hit the big label shops on Plaça de Catalunya. Take in all of Barcelona’s buzzing street life on the tree-lined La Rambla – a boulevard packed with street performers, artists, shops and stalls.

Other ideas for your afternoon off include hanging out in the colourful gardens of Parc Guell or kicking back with the locals on the beach and taking a swim in the Mediterranean sea. There’s plenty of delicious local seafood to try like Spain’s signature dish, paella.

Tonight’s optional dinner and show is a perfect way to finish off your time in this hot city and a chance to get into the local flavours with a Flamenco dance performance and some sangria. Afterward, get the low down on Barcelona’s hottest spots and maybe hit the pumping clubs of Port Olympico, by the water.

• Breakfast

We return to France today and travel through the beautiful Provence region to Arles. Wander through the streets as the Romans once did in this historic town, before continuing to the glamorous French Riviera.

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We return to France today and travel through the beautiful Provence region to Arles. Wander through the streets as the Romans once did in this historic town, before continuing to the glamorous French Riviera.

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Next stop on the Riviera and home to the French perfume industry is Fragonard Perfumery. Learn about how perfume is made and some of its more surprising ingredients. It’s also a chance to pick up a bottle or 2 at great prices.

In your free time live a bit of the lifestyle with a visit to the local markets. Try out the region’s produce like lavender honey, aioli (garlic mayonnaise) and mouth-watering rosé wine.

Window shop the chic boutiques or choose a beach and catch some sun among all the bronzed bodies!

Tonight get a taste of the high life in Monaco, the glamorous principality packed into just 1.92km2 and home to the Formula 1. Get the inside story on the royal family and their place of residence from your Tour Manager. Try your luck at a casino later on.

Today we leave France and enter Italy! We skim past the seaside city of Genoa and stop in Verona, home of Romeo and Juliet, before arriving in mainland Venice.

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Known as the “floating city” Venice is packed with character, crammed with hidden lanes and linked by a network of canals.

The group travels on our private boat through the waters of the lagoon to visit the city’s historical heart. The limestone Bridge of Sighs, the gothic arches of Doges’ Palace and the expanse of St Mark’s Square (pigeons and all!) show off Venice’s unique beauty and way of life.

Learn about local artistry with a traditional glass blowing demonstration – a craft the city has been famous for since the 13th century.

Take some time to explore the floating city and lose yourself in the backstreets. There’s an optional walking tour where you can discover the labyrinth of interweaving lanes, waterways, palaces, piazzi and markets with our Local Guide. You’ll see historic monuments, hidden treasures and the Rialto market – a local favourite for food shopping.

Maybe grab a table on St Mark’s Square and eat some delicious Italian food al fresco.

Cap off the day with an optional gondola ride with your friends. Take a bottle of prosecco (Italian champagne) and toast this unforgettable experience as you are punted through the waterways.

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We travel to Pisa, home of the famous Leaning Tower. From here it’s a short journey to the most spectacular of Renaissance cities, Florence.

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Get the inside track on Florence’s cultural beginnings from our local guide as the group explores streets crammed with artworks from masters like Michelangelo. Then take a look into a skillful demonstration of Florentine leather making and understand this region’s traditional art.

With bargains and bustle, the city’s markets are a great place to hang out and people watch. Grab a gelato and enjoy this gorgeous city.

Tonight, there’s a choice of a group dinner – an authentic Tuscan feast. Try regional dishes in the fantastic Tuscan country setting. Then keep it moving with a night out and get your groove on at Florence’s biggest club.

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All roads lead to Rome where our included sightseeing tour is the perfect introduction to the Eternal City. Do as the Romans do and stroll past the Trevi Fountain, the amazing Pantheon and Piazza Navona.

• Breakfast

This morning, make the most of our Local Guide’s inside knowledge and uncover the remains of an ancient empire with a fantastic optional tour of the Roman Forum and Colosseum.

Then check-out the smallest country in the world and home to the Pope, the Vatican City. You’ve got time to take a closer look at St Peter’s Basilica or Michelangelo’s masterpiece, the Sistine Chapel.

Take off into the city and absorb the atmosphere, as vespas flash past timeworn monuments that are surrounded by fountains, pizzerias, cafes and bars. Before you hit the shops, let your Tour Manager point you in the right direction with some tips on the best buys.

Use your free time and live the local lifestyle by indulging in a long lunch on a paved piazza or knock back a shot of espresso at the bar, like the Romans do.

After leaving Rome we head south to Naples to board our complimentary motor boat to the island of Capri. After exploring the island we rejoin our boat and set sail to Sorrento, situated on Italy’s stunning Amalfi coast.

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Today is your chance to explore the ancient ruins of Pompeii with a local guide. Later we take in the beautiful scenery of southern Italy as we travel east to board our overnight ferry to Greece.

• Overnight Cruise

• Breakfast

Today we travel through the Peloponnese and across the Corinth Canal to Athens.

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Step back in time in Europe’s oldest city to the birthplace of democracy. Get the run down on the Parthenon and the Acropolis from our Local Guide, as you wander around the marble columns perched above the city sprawl.

Then we check out the first modern Olympic Stadium from the 1896 games.

Wrap up the day on the shady slopes beneath the Acropolis and finish up your trip with an optional dinner in the rustic district of Plaka, where traditional tavernas spill out onto the pavements. Tonight’s festive atmosphere is perfect for toasting your travels with your group and Tour Manager.

Later, head out to Athens’ up-and-coming district of Psiri, buzzing with trendy bars and clubs.

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The tour ends after breakfast and it’s time to say farewell to your new friends.

• Breakfast