Yourheart-pounding adventure kicks off today. Meet up with your Contiki posse & share notes on London town before hitting the road to Amsterdam. Shortly before we find our ferry for Europe, 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 via Belgium before reaching ... Amsterdam! Cross off another country off your list as you cruise through Belgium on your way to Amsterdam. Tonight, the famed for fun Amsterdam is ours to explore. An undisguised Red Light District & plenty of bars are there for the curious. (D) Stay: Corendon Village Amsterdam (or similar)
"More city hangs" you'll all scream in unison as we motor out of Berlin, high on life & still wanting more. Since you asked so nicely, let us present you with Prague, the darling of Europe. 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 rebirthed beauty of an 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 Bohemia Kings and gothic history. The night is yours to amble around the Old Town Square and find a few haunts to let the hours slip away in. (B) Stay: Ibis Praha Mala Strana (or similar)
We warned you about falling head over heels for Prague! Sorry team, you cannot live here forever. Unless....?After departing Prague and journeying out of the Czech Republic, we traipse into Germany and have a change of mood with a sobering visit to the Dachau concentration camp memorial.
Vibes will be lifted a little later when we arrive in 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. (B)
Wake-up sleeping beauties! Venice is yours for the entirety of this glorious Italian day. We'll be jumping aboard our own private boat and hitting the canals en route to the historical heart of the city. A guided walking tour and a gondola ride are up for grabs, or you can always choose to get lost on your own and see where the maze takes you.
Or why not choose to take a guided cruise out to the UNESCO heritage site of Burano? At this picture-perfect fisherman’s island decorated with gorgeous technicolour houses, you’ll visit a local family restaurant and indulge in the best seafood feast you’ve ever experienced. A guided walking tour and a gondola ride are up for grabs, or you can always choose to get lost on your own and see where the maze takes you. (B)
Cast your eyes on Rome one last time before we hit the road on the hunt for Tuscany. Which, if we're completely honest, means going on hunt for antipasto and unimaginably good vino. Saying goodbye to Rome doesn't feel to bad now, does it?A working winery in a 16th Century villa - ladies and gentlemen we presume we have your attention! Here in our ever so elegant stop off we will learn about the region's wines and check out the old cellar and vats of the winery.
And we guess you should try a bit of Chianti & eat some antipasti...since we're in the neighbourhood. Florence, the capital of Tuscany, is more proof that Italy has so many great places packed into one small region. Potter along the River Arno, be totally Tuscan with another drop of Chianti wine, and take in the beauty of the city and its protruding Duomo Cathedral. We have all day tomorrow to let the explorations continue. (B)
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