Play & Pause: Intro to Europe 2023

You. Us. The Big Smoke. Name a more iconic trio, we’ll wait. Welcome to the home of red buses, red telephone boxes and red undies (optional). First up: time to get to know the who’s who of the group at tonight’s included dinner. Cheers to 13 days of adventures with this mixed bunch. Let’s do this!

Rise and shine: this morning’s an early one, so pack your snacks and perfect your playlists. Today we’ll be making our way to the land of tulips, canals and windmills. You guessed it: Amsterdam. This evening – you do you. Go pose in a giant pair of clogs. Sample some poffertjes (baby pancakes, cute AND tasty). Or just relax and watch life go by on the waterways. Yep: you’re really here.

This is your day, your way. Check out the likes of the Dam Square, the Royal Palace and the National Monument. For the culture fiends – delve a bit deeper with a visit to the Anne Frank House (make sure you book in advance!) or the Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum. Or get yourself a set of wheels and explore Amsterdam's iconic canals, bridges and parks on an optional bike tour. For dinner: try traditional Dutch pancakes (sweet/savoury/both at once) or head to the Foodhallen for alllll the world snacks. And later? Chill canalside at a local bar or brewery – Brouwerij 't IJ is the place to be for ultimate windmill vibes.

Next up? A country where beer is officially considered an essential food group (right next to sausage and sauerkraut). Heidelberg is all about hilltop ruins, cobblestoned old quarters and fairytale bridges. Get your bearings on a stroll with your Trip Leader, then the rest of the afternoon is up to you. Take the cable car up to the Palace for some unbeliEVABLE views. Or find a local haunt to chow down on a head-sized pork knuckle – this is Germany after all.

Plug ‘Munich’ into the GPS – we’re rolling into the capital of Bavaria today. Kick things off with a walking tour then it’s the moment you’ve been waiting for: an appropriate occasion to wear lederhosen. Head to the 428-year-old Hofbräuhaus for a royal Happy Hour experience or find the Chinese beer garden (or any beer garden for that matter) for a stein-sesh with your trip mates. Prost! Finally: dinner’s sorted tonight so sit back and soak it all up.

You know it as The Floating City, but this place is actually sinking (slowly). Check out the usual suspects on a walking tour with our Trip Leader – ticking off the likes of St Mark's Square, Doge’s Palace and Accademia Bridge. Then: an included gondola ride along the Grand Canal awaits! Dinner tonight is on you, what delicious carb-laden Italian meal have you been dying to try? Order two.

Hear that? It’s bella Roma calling your name. Dump your stuff at the hotel and prepare for a walking tour to end all walking tours. Pass by the Pantheon, throw our two cents in the Trevi Fountain, (don’t) sit on the Spanish Steps and check out the mighty Colosseum – getting the scoop on allllllll the ancient history as we go. You're in Disneyland for foodies so whatever you pick for dinner tonight is gonna be good – hit up your Trip Leader for some top recs.

Time to live out your Eat. Pray. Love. fantasies – today is all about Vespas, espresso, two-cheeked kisses and pizza (the way it’s supposed to taste). There’s an optional guided tour of Vatican City on the cards, if that’s your thing. Or head up to Capitoline Hill for awesome views of the Roman Forum and Colosseum. Feeling something a bit more relaxed? Do as the locals do and indulge in a little dolce far niente (delicious idleness) at a local cafe or piazza. Tonight, shake out those fat pants for round two and hunt down a local restaurant for dinner. Thought you’d tried all the gelato flavours? Head to Fatamorgana – and think again.

Florence has more stories than Bilbo Baggins, more culture than a London hipster, AND it gave the world David (the massive marble naked guy FYI). We’ll get the lay of the land on an in-depth walking tour with a local guide, feat. a bonus leather-making demo (a real craft here). Then: it’s time tuck into some of that hearty Tuscan cuisine you’ve been dreaming about at tonight’s included dinner. Make room for another scoop (or two) of the good stuff and stroll around the Arno River at sunset. This is what you came for.

Order one more espresso in poor Italian (hey, you tried!) – we’re off to Lucerne after breakfast. Glue your schnoz to the coach window as we wind our way into the heart of the Swiss Alps – cue epic landscapes. Later, check out the lake, Lion Monument, Chapel Bridge, Glacier Gardens and Hofkirche on a walking tour. Then: the rest of the day is 100% up to you. See if you can find the lion in the wall. Or settle in for some alpine specialties and in-house brews at Rathaus Brauerei.

The home of Coco Chanel, the Mona Lisa and world’s craziest roundabout – Paris deserves its rep as the European capital for all things culture, fashion and bloody good food. Get to know the City of Love with a driving tour – ticking off heavyweights like the Louvre, Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysées. Then: you’re free to explore this iconic city on your own. Tonight, dress to impress for an optional cabaret show. Or quiz your Trip Leader on the best place to try snails. Choices, choices...

Don’t be alarmed, but this is your last day on tour. So make every second count. Create a solid dent in your bucket list with a visit to the Louvre (get your tix in advance!). Flash some plastic along the Champs Elysées. Or discover the hidden backstreets lined with quaint Parisian cafés and patisseries. Walking not your thing? Get a set of wheels with an optional bike tour. Or jump aboard an optional river cruise down the Seine. Then, give this trip the send off it deserves at tonight’s included dinner – we’re not crying, you are.

After breakfast it’s time to hit the road back to LDN. Swap those numbers and say your goodbyes. Who said the good times have to end? Check out our other Play & Pause trips and keep the adventure going. We’re with you!