Discover Europe’s hottest places on an extensive 29-day adventure from Barcelona, ending in Venice. Full of fun and flexibility, this adventure is perfect for independent travellers who want someone else to worry about all those transport and accommodation details. Instead, you can wander among medieval Krakow, stroll through classic Vienna, experience bohemian hospitality in an underground Prague bar and stroll the banks of the sparkling Danube in Budapest. Your local leader will take you on regular orientation walks and give you plenty of insider knowledge, but how you spend your days is largely up to you. See Europe your way with a group of likeminded adventurers to appreciate it with.
Barcelona, Spain – Venice, Italy
Visit Berlin, an exciting city with a complex history. Use your free time to see the remaining fragments of the infamous wall that once divided the city, but now unites it with murals and memorials.
Immerse yourself in the bohemian vibes of the Czech Republic, soak up the smooth sounds of jazz at a low-lit bar in Prague before stepping right into a fairytale in Cesky Krumlov.
With plenty of free time in classic Vienna and vibrant Budapest, whether you end up eating Sacher torte in a neighbourhood cafe or downing a couple of local brews in a ruin bar is totally up to you!
Three days in Amsterdam gives you time to see the varied sides of the city, from the sidewalk cafe culture to the leafy parks and master-filled museums.
Admire the panoramic landscapes and weaving coastline from Barcelona to France’s Provence region. With all transport arrangements taken care of, you can focus on soaking it all up.
This trip is made for travellers who value their independence but also want the benefit of a local leader and a group of like-minded travellers. The itinerary has a mix of included activities and free time when your leader will offer suggestions. Please budget spending money for optional activities you want to partake in.
As this is a combination of two smaller trips, your leader and the composition of your group may change in Berlin.
As accommodation on this trip is twin or multi-share, you will share a room with other travellers of the same gender. This trip is a great opportunity to get to know other like-minded people, so embrace it while you can. Also, hotels in Europe often don’t have double beds, but rather two single beds that can be pushed together/apart. Rooms can be rather small, especially compared to American or Australian standards, and in most cases bathroom facilities will be shared rather than ensuite. Please note that a single supplement is not available on this trip.
Summer temperatures can be very high in many of the regions visited (over 40°C), which can be uncomfortable. It’s important to use sun protection, wear layers to combat the heat, and drink plenty of water. Please keep in mind that many European hotel rooms are not equipped with air-conditioning. Please carefully consider the time of the year you wish to travel and your suitability to that season.
The primary means of transportation on this trip is by train. Trains are a fast way to cross long distances, allowing you to avoid traffic jams and arrive right into the city centre. They are comfortable and all have toilets; however, can sometimes be quite busy. Please note that you will have to carry your own luggage on and off the train, and also up or down few flights of stairs as unfortunately some of the stations may not have lifts. It’s recommended that you leave any wheelie bags/cases at home and bring a backpack instead, but please make sure it doesn’t exceed our weight and size recommendations listed in the ‘Packing’ section of the Essential Trip Information.
In many of the location we will be using different modes of local transport; trams, buses or metro; as this is often an adventure in itself, it may also bring some challenges – running up and down the stairs in metro stations or sharing a busy bus ride with local commuters. Please make sure you’ll prepare yourself for that!
If you have more time to explore the region you may want to check out our other trips in Europe, such as our ‘Europe Explorer’ (trip code ZMRFC), a 36-day trip taking in the highlights of Europe. It starts in Barcelona and ends in Rome, taking in France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia and Italy. This trip can also be booked in individual segments to suit the amount time you have available for your trip in Europe.
There are no meals included on this day.
It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance details and next of kin information at this time. If you are going to be late please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place. If you can’t arrange a flight that will arrive in time, you may wish to arrive a day early so you’re able to attend the meeting. We’ll be happy to book additional accommodation for you (subject to availability).
There are no meals included on this day.
If you wish to tour La Sagrada Familia during your Lonely Planet Experience, the best time to visit is today. It’s best to pre-book your tickets before the tour. Check tickets.sagradafamilia.org for updated information on availability.
There are no meals included on this day.
To avoid queuing at the ticket windows of the Louvre you can buy your ticket in advance. For more information go to louvre.fr.
Learn more about Urban Adventures in Amsterdam at urbanadventures.com/destination/Amsterdam-tours or through an Intrepid booking agent.
As this is a combination trip, the travellers in your group and your group leader are likely to change today. There will be a welcome meeting to discuss the next stage of your itinerary and to meet new travellers joining you. It’s important that you attend the meeting as your new leader will be collecting insurance details and next of kin information. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place.
If you would like to learn more about the history of World War II at the former Nazi concentration camp in Auschwitz, tomorrow is your best option to do so. Please note that tickets for the mandatory guided tour sell out well in advance so need to be pre-booked as early as possible. To do so, please visit the official museum website. You can also ask your leader to help you at the beginning of the trip, but there’s no guarantee that tickets will be available then. Transfers to and from Auschwitz can be booked at shorter notice.
There are no meals included on this day.
There are no meals included on this day.
There are no meals included on this day.
There are no meals included on this day.
Today’s accommodation is multishare. In the atmospheric hostel in Cesky Krumlov, we use quadruple, triple and some twin rooms as well as small apartment-like lodgings.
There are no meals included on this day.
There are no meals included on this day.
If you wish to visit the Schoenbrunn Palace today, be aware that the gardens are free to all visitors but there is a charge for entrance and tours of the palace. Avoid long queues by pre-booking your tickets at schoenbrunn.at.
There are no meals included on this day.
There are no meals included on this day.
There are no meals included on this day.
There are no meals included on this day.
