Meet up with your Contiki Crew before we hit the road and take a ferry past the White Cliffs of Dover. Next stop: the buzzing, freewheeling city of Amsterdam.

Check out Amsterdam’s eye-opening Red Light District, where the creative and wacky come together on narrow cobbled streets, 24/7.

Try out Amsterdam’s multi-ethnic cuisine. This cultural melting pot dishes up loads of affordable food.

With an optional evening canal cruise, you’ve got a chance to get to know the group, unwind with a few drinks and uncover Amsterdam at water level. Get some pointers on the city’s hot spots from your Tour Manager and head into town for a fun night out.

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Cruise out into the countryside and bike around like the laid back locals, past working windmills, to the world-famous cheese village of Edam. In an intro into Dutch culture, see how clogs are made and try some of the famous Dutch Edam at a cheese farm.

There’s free time this afternoon to experience Amsterdam’s coffee shops, museums and quirky, cool boutiques.  Wander along the canals and past gabled houses or experience Amsterdam’s multi-ethnic cuisine. This cultural melting pot dishes up loads of affordable food.

With an optional evening canal cruise, there’s a chance to get to know the group, unwind with a few drinks and uncover Amsterdam at water level as you drift past the city lights. Get some pointers on the city’s hot spots from your Tour Manager and head into town for a fun night out.

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Chill out while the coach follows the Rhine River, weaving through valleys dotted with castles and vineyards.

Next stop – the pretty, old-world village of St Goar, complete with fairy-tale castle and even a free standing cuckoo clock! Learn about local know-how and get savvy on the craft of beer steins.

Kick back with a glass of local wine and choose to find out more with the optional wine tasting in a candlelit underground cellar.

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Next stop: the jaw-droppingly beautiful alpine town of Lucerne

Get above the clouds on the world’s steepest cog railway with an optional excursion to Mt Pilatus. You can see massive mountain ranges with a bird’s-eye view over this spectacular region.

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With covered wooden bridges, cobbled lanes and quaint buildings, Lucerne’s centre is perfect to explore on foot. Also to stock up on lots of genuine Swiss chocolate! Your Tour Manager can give you pointers on where to pick up the best-priced watches Switzerland is so famous for.

This afternoon, choose an optional cruise on one of Europe’s most striking lakes, where stunning scenes of the Swiss Alps reflect back across the water.

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Today, wind through the alps and travel past the stony cliffs of Liechtenstein, into the capital, Vaduz, where you can grab some lunch and in enjoy it in the shadow of the Royal family’s 12th century Castle.

Then continue on through the Austria into the Tyrol, a region famous for adventure sports. Turn up the energy levels and plunge into some white-water rafting in an adrenalin-pumping optional activity on the river.

Pull into Innsbruck, a down-to-earth student city. Walk around the medieval streets of the easy going old-town, and check out Innsbruck’s landmark Golden Roof and Royal Palace. You pace will race when you see the totally impressive Olympic Ski jump.

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This morning, roll on to Venice. Take some time to practice your Italian phrases on the coach as we travel through the Brenner Pass.

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

Jump on our private boat and travel 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 Venice’s unique beauty and way of life.

Learn about local artistry with a traditional glass blowing demonstration – a craft Venice 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 awesome experience as you are punted through the waterways.

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Criss-cross the Apennine Mountains on the road to Rome.

Stylish Rome oozes energy and overflows with relics from another age. Our special access coach tour gets you right into the thriving atmosphere of this living timeline as your Tour Manager shows you the Colosseum and Piazza Venzia. Continue on foot to check out the Pantheon and Piazza Navona. Honour tradition at the Trevi Fountain and throw a coin in the fountain’s waters (it’s meant to improve your chances of returning to Rome!) or maybe hang out with your new friends at the Spanish Steps, sit back with a few slices of pizza and people watch.

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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 plenty of 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.

In your free time, 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.

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Next up: Umbria’s rustic hills and many vineyards. Travel past the iconic cypress trees of this olive-oil producing region, to the Renaissance city of Florence.

The scene-stealing Duomo cathedral rises above the city. 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 skilful demonstration of Florentine leather making and understand this region’s traditional art.

The city’s markets are a great place to hang out and bargain. Grab a gelato in your free time and enjoy the feel of this gorgeous city.

Tonight there’s a choice of a group dinner – an authentic Tuscan feast, where you’ll get to try regional dishes in the heart of Florence. Afterwards, head with the group to a local bar, order yourself a glass of Chianti wine and kick back Tuscan style.

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We stop by Pisa’s iconic Leaning Tower this morning, before sticking to the Italian coastline and crossing over into France.

Then we hit the rugged coast line of the stunning Cote d’Azur. Follow the beautiful sapphire waters to the palm trees and sun-soaked shores of Nice.

Tonight get a taste of the high life in Monaco, the glamourous principality packed into just 1.92km2 and home of the Formula 1. Indulge in a bit of glitz with the group by opting for a typically French 4-course meal just a few doors down from the Royal Palace. Get the inside story on the Royal family and their place of residence from your Tour Manager, then try your luck at a casino later on.

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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!

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Next stop on the Riviera and home to the French perfume industry is Fragonard Perfumery. Learn more 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 price.

Unwind on the coach, listen to your MP3 and take in the rustic beauty of Provence, known for its pretty landscapes of lavender, sunflowers and wild herbs.

A lunch stop in the Popes’ former seat of power, Avignon, means a real taste of the Provencal lifestyle and look into the town’s Roman heritage. Wander through the cobbled streets and learn about Avignon’s past as a spiritual superpower when you see the impressive Papal Palace.

Arrive at Chateau de Fontager and settle into your room for our overnight stay in this medieval French castle. Use your free time to chill out in the castle’s lovely grounds or position yourself poolside and soak up the sun.

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With down-time on the coach, chat with friends while travelling through the scenic wine producing regions of Burgundy and Chablis.

Tonight, the group kick-starts Paris with the “Tour of Illuminations”, which shows off the French capital’s transformation into the “City of Lights”. Lamp-lit bridges and cool little cafés give us a real taste of Paris’ romance. Your Tour Manager will fill you in on the world’s most-recognised monuments, like the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe.

After the tour, enjoy another angle on the city with our included cruise along the River Seine. The lights of Paris and its buildings are spectacular when seen from the water.

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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 or explore the endless galleries of the Louvre, where you can get up close to the famous Mona Lisa.

In your free time, try indulging in some delicious pastries and relax in one of Paris’ many green spaces.

Tonight is the last night with your friends, so make it special. Treat yourself to the full Parisian cabaret experience, complete with can-can girls, dinner and champagne. But don’t stop there – afterward hit the clubs and finish up your travels with a big Parisian night out.

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Catch the ferry from Calais back to England, where the tour ends and it’s time to say farewell to your new friends.

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