Want to see Europe’s most iconic locations this summer? History and culture by day, then heading out at night with plenty of time the next morning to nurse your sore head and swap stories with your new BFFs?
You need European Whirl, where you get plenty of discovery… with just the right amount of debauchery. 10 countries. 18 days. From the nightlife of Berlin and Prague, through rural Austria, Italy, and finishing up in Paris for sophistication à la snails.
You’ll soak up natural beauty in the Swiss Alps and the sprawling French countryside. Whether you’re tower swinging in the Dam or leisurely floating on a motoscafo in Venice, your bucket list won’t know what ticked it.
From big cities to natural beauty spots
The trip covers all of Europe’s big hitters, with time to explore the main attractions during the day…and to hit the town at night.
You’ll meet your fellow adventurers in London and then head to Amsterdam – gazing doe-eyed at the White Cliffs of Dover and Belgium along the way. You’ll get to explore the Dutch capital by boat before heading to Berlin for some serious club night vibes, matched only by Prague… which so happens to be your next port of call. After clinking steins at Munich’s beer hall (or experiencing Oktoberfest), it’s off to Austrian Tyrol for a change of scenery but hardly a change of pace.
You’ll swap filthy house beats for the beat of your own heart (and ears) as you paraglide over the jaw-dropping mountain scenery. Afterwards, you’ll hit Venice for a gondola cruise, feast on history in Rome and feast on Tuscan cuisine in Florence. The penultimate stop is Contiki’s 16th century French château, where you can read Flaubert by the pool or wreak havoc at the on-site underground nightclub (La Cave). The final stop is Paris, where you’ll say your heartfelt au revoirs over plate after plate of escargot.
Told you it was a whirl.
Image source:Contiki
Unforgettable accommodation
Stay in some of Europe’s snazziest hostels, ideally located for staggering back to in the early hours – schnitzel in hand. Each accommodation is more than just a bed. You’ll get WiFi, great vibes, plus the occasional bar (and fabric steamer).
Also, get packing your silk PJs because you’ll sleep like an A-Lister in not one but two locales on this trip. Special Stays at Contiki’s Gasthof (guest house) in the Austrian Tyrol and 16th century Château in rural France are oh so included.
Image source:Contiki
Stories you couldn’t make up
No good story ever begins with someone eating salad… as the old adage goes. That’s the philosophy on this trip. After all, you can work hard for more money but you’ll never regain your youth.
Whether you’re flinging your hips round like a hula hooper on stilts in one of Prague’s multi-storey nightclubs, or you’re chugging on a cog train to the top of the world (not a euphemism), you’ll leave this trip with enough stories to fill a thousand notebooks.
Image source:Contiki
A dose of history
But travel is about broadening your mind as well as your list of Insta followers. On this trip, you’ll immerse yourself in the harrowing yet fascinating history of Berlin and Amsterdam. There’s also Prague’s castles, the Vatican City, the Colosseum and Notre-Dame cathedral. Bad on GPS and even worse on maps? Fear not, there are guided walking tours aplenty on this trip. Just bring your camera and thinking cap.
Image source:Contiki
