ROME TO LONDON VISTAS (WINTER)
Overview
Starting in a magical city of monuments and pasta to die for, it’s easy to fall in love with Rome at any time of year – but roam even further and the magic just keeps coming. On this trip we’ll take in the charming streets of Florence, the fairytale landscape of Lucerne and the comfort of Contiki’s Chateau in Beaujolais. Finally, we’ll raise a glass to ‘la belle vie’ in Paris, city of dreams. Could you dream of a better adventure in Europe?
Included/Excluded
- Your accommodation, essential trip transport, and a good handful of meals are included in the cost (on most trips we offer breakfast every day, plus a hand-picked selection of authentic and tasty meals)
- A number of meal times are left open for you to explore a region and its foodie offerings in greater detail, so budgeting for your taste in non-catered meals is important.
- Travel insurance and visas
- Flights to and from your starting and ending points
- We offer Free Time Add-Ons, which are additional experiences
- Meals not mentioned
Day 1: Rome
Rome:
- Kicking off your adventure in Rome, you’ll meet up with the rest of your travel crew. Rise and shine, Rome awaits us! Our first day will be a whirlwind of Roman architecture and bucket list sights as we uncover all of Rome’s key features. There’s also the option to head back in time and discover Rome of the Emperors and Gladiators. (Free Time Add-Ons can change
depending on your departure. Don’t worry, your Trip Manager will fill you in on the deets!)
A conveniently located hostel
Additional Cost Applies:
- Emperors & Gladiators inc Colosseum
- Ancient Rome of the Emperors
- Rome Pasta Cooking Class & Dinner
Day 2: Rome to Sorrento
Rome:
- Full of gelato and memories, we’ll bid ‘ciao’ to Bella Roma and head south for Sorrento, with a special stop on the way.
Via Pompeii:
- Driving down the coast today, we have the option to check out the ruins of Pompeii, the fascinating Roman town that was destroyed by Vesuvius and then perfectly preserved in volcanic ash.
Sorrento:
- Soak up the sweeping views on route to gorgeous Sorrento, where sun-bleached pastel houses perch along cliffs, tumbling down to the Mediterranean sea. Here you’ll have the chance to treat yourself with a visit to La Sorgente, a nearby locally-owned family mozzarella farm, for an authentic Italian meal complete with fresh homemade mozzarella, rich olive oil and sunshine-coloured limoncello.
Hotel Albatross (or similar)
Included Meals: Breakfast
Additional Cost Applies:
- Guided Tour of Ancient Pompeii
- La Sorgente Dinner (MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience)
Day 3: Sorrento
Sorrento:
- It simply wouldn’t be a trip to Sorrento without a side note to…
Via Amalfi:
- After wandering the cobbled streets of Sorrento, we’ll take a scenic drive along the Amalfi coast, stopping off in Amalfi town to admire the castles and coastal views. Next up, you’ll have the unique opportunity to visit a Lemon Farm and learn all about how your fav limoncello is made.
Sorrento:
- Back in Sorrento, we’ll all tuck into an included dinner.
Hotel Albatross (or similar)
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Additional Cost Applies:
- Coastal Lemon Tour MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience
Day 4: Sorrento to Florence
Sorrento:
- See you, Sorrento! Thanks for making our Instagram feeds look like shoots for Italian Vogue!
Florence:
- Was that thunder?! Oh thank goodness, it was just your stomach… all that walking really gets the old appetite going. Good thing there’s a Tuscan evening ahead – a feast of local food from Central Italy with music. Opt in to this experience as a free time add on (trust us, you won’t regret it!). Eating pasta in Italy is as good as it sounds, but also keep your eye out for sumptuous Florentine steak, and more local specialities.
Hotel Mirage (or similar)
Included Meals: Breakfast
Additional Cost Applies:
- Tuscan Evening
Day 5: Florence to Milan
Florence:
- Woah, what’s that big thing in the sky?! It’s not a hot cross bun, is it… Oh wait, it’s just the Duomo! You know, the one with the famous red dome that sits above Florence? We’ll learn all about Duomo, plus the Basilica, Giotto’s Bell Tower, and more as locals show us around the city of Florence.
Milan:
- Arriving in super-chic Milan, get ready to feel your diva self. Strut your stuff downtown to see the famous Milan Duomo, Galleria and La Scala.
BB Sesto San Giovanni (or similar)
Included Meals: Breakfast
Included Experience:
- Florence Walking Tour
Day 6: Milan to Lucerne
Milan:
- Leaving Milan this morning we’ll be saying a final ‘ciao’ to Italy, but the dreamy destinations don’t stop coming as we cross the border over the Swiss Alps.
Lucerne:
- With magical views unfolding outside our windows we’ll find ourselves in Switzerland, pulling up in the fairytale town of Lucerne, famous for its wooden bridges, cobbled lanes and beautiful setting against the lake it’s named after. Here you’ll have the chance to ascend Mt Pilatus giving yourself a better look at the epic Swiss Alps reflected off the water. Our other recommendation for tonight? Swiss chocolate.
Ibis Budget Luzern City (or similar)
Included Meals: Breakfast
Additional Cost Applies:
- Mt. Pilatus
Day 7: Lucerne to Lyon
Lucerne:
- Though we left France in body, part of our spirit stayed behind. Today we leave Lucerne to go pick it up, venturing to the country’s second biggest city for 1-night of play before Paris.
Lyon:
- After rolling past the charming French countryside we grew very fond of, we’ll pull up at Lyon where a charming Old Town is calling our names. Lyon is the gastronomic capital of France, so we’ll head off in search of a quaint ‘bouchon’ to sample the local delicacies. Topped off with some beaujolais wine, but of course.
Ibis Lyon Sud Oullins (or similar)
Included Meals: Breakfast
Day 8: Lyon to Paris
Lyon:
- Rolling out of Lyon this morning we’re Paris-bound, swapping countryside for inner-city bliss.
Paris:
- Lamp-lit bridges, a sparkling Eiffel Tower, & evening coffee haunts, tonight we fall in love with everything Paris, made all the more romantic in winter months. After an included dinner in Montmartre, our Trip Manager will fill us in on the city’s secrets with a dreamy night-time tour of the ‘city of lights’, passing the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, the Champs-Élysées, and Notre Dame Cathedral. We’ll also take a trip up the Montparnasse Tower for the best views of the Eiffel Tower you’ll find anywhere in Paris.
B&B Hotel Paris Nord 18ème (or similar)
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Included Experience:
- Enjoy the View from the Montparnasse Tower
- Take a Tour of Paris
Day 9: Paris
Paris:
- Pastries, paintings, perfume – Paris is ours! First we’ll visit the glamorous Fragonard perfumery for a lesson in the olfactory arts, then the time is yours to explore cosy cafes, visit Notre Dame Cathedral, hunt for vintage treasures in Le Marais, or get arty in the galleries of the Louvre.
B&B Hotel Paris Nord 18ème (or similar)
Included Meals: Breakfast
Additional Cost Applies:
- Moulin Rouge Dinner & Show
Day 10: Paris to London
Paris:
- Soak up your last dose of Paris and feel the astonishment of how much you’ve seen during this awesome trip, not to mention how close you’ve grown to your Contiki pals.
Via Calais
Via Dover
London:
- What a journey! On arrival in London say a fond farewell to the group – the adventure has come to an end.
Included Meals: Breakfast