Your thrilling adventure begins today. Meet up with your Contiki group and compare comments on London before heading to Amsterdam. We'll be admiring the English coastline grandeur of the White Cliffs of Dover shortly before boarding our ferry to Europe. They are beautiful because of their chalk composition; see, you're learning and we haven't even left the UK! We step off the ferry in the port town of Calais, France! We drive north through Belgium before arriving in... Amsterdam! After an included dinner and an optional nighttime canal tour, the fun-loving city of Amsterdam is yours to explore in all its red-lit glory tonight.

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Now it's time to put some sun on the itinerary and enjoy the beauty of canals, crooked buildings, obscure museums, and a café culture unlike any other. Before we even reach in Germany's famous Rhine Valley, you'll be enchanted by the gorgeous route of fantasy castles, vineyards, and valleys. This time-traveling town will be our wine tasting host for the evening.

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Did you drink too much grape juice last night? Not to fear, the promise of Munich should raise your spirits as we head south and swap wine culture for beer culture. Today, our eyes will be treated to a famous Gothic clock, a picturesque old town, and traditional Bavarian culture. You can walk through the side streets and then visit one of the city's many beer halls to taste a stein of beer or even a pig knuckle!

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Today we'll leave Munich and travel to Austria, stopping in gorgeous Innsbruck before arriving in our Tyrolean mountain lodgings for the night. In this picturesque alpine village, tonight is all about massive goosebumps.

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Wake up, wanderers, we have a hearty breakfast and an Italian floating city to attend to. Life is difficult! After seeing the Central Austrian Alps and the Brenner Pass on your way to Italy, you'll believe you've seen enough beauty for one day. Then we'll arrive in Venice, where your jaw will drop as we navigate hidden lanes, storybook bridges, and a private canal boat ride.

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Farewell, floating city, but Italy, we're not finished with you yet; the Eternal City of Rome is just around the corner. The afternoon will truly kick things up a level as we explore Italian landmarks in the country's capital of Rome while catching a look of it at night. Gelato, pizza, and old ruins - ideal!

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We're getting up early this morning to make the most of our opportunity to see this old city. Begin with a visit to Vatican City, the world's smallest country. Take an optional guided tour of the Vatican Museums, including the Sistine Chapel, while in Rome. Whether you're religious or not, the Vatican's Italian Renaissance church will send chills up your spine. This is also a good day to learn about the Colosseum and go exploring on your own. Back in Rome, we'll have time to explore the streets and learn about the wonderful old civilization that is just on our doorstep. You can take a guided tour of the famed Colosseum and walk in the footsteps of Emperors and Gladiators, or you can take epic pictures against a backdrop of pink azaleas outside the entrance. Visit the Trevi Fountain and make a wish with coins, or sip espresso in a cobblestone backstreet and absorb up Italian life as it passes by.

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We may be returning to the road, but Italy is not yet over. We have one more city to fantasise about... The dome of the Duomo Cathedral towers over the city, signalling that we have arrived in Florence. Take a time to appreciate the distinctive beauty of this lovely city, where culture and the good life can be found in every direction. On a guided walking tour, we'll become history geeks before learning the art of leather. Tonight, you can start your Tuscan love affair with an optional dinner of olives, cured meats, crostini, and wine.

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Say goodbye to Italy and hello to the land of velvety chocolate, cheese, and watches. Hello, Switzerland! Swans float beneath wooden bridges, snowcapped mountains tower majestically behind us, and chocolate tastes like heaven on earth. You're in the Swiss Alps, and you can't stop smiling. Eeek!!!

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It's been wonderful, but our time in Lucerne is coming to an end this morning. We're on our way to Paris! Out with the height, in with the bliss of inner-city Paris. We'll get back on our coach and head out of Switzerland and (again) into France. We'll arrive at the City of Lights after cruising through the lovely wine-producing region of Burgundy. On a romantic night-time trip, we'll fall in love with all Paris on a lamp-lit bridge, a sparkling Eiffel Tower and evening coffee haunts. Is it just us, or is there something in the air? After seeing the most famous landmarks, we'll round off our first night in Paris by climbing the Montparnasse Tower for the best panoramic views of the city.

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It's time to wander the gorgeous streets of Paris, swoon over haute couture you can't buy, marvel at Notre Dame Cathedral while balancing coffee and crêpes, and become artsy at the Louvre's various museums. Just don't overdo it; you'll want to get engaged with a ticket to a legendary cabaret show and dinner. With your last night in the city of lights approaching, make it one to remember.

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Rise and shine, and drink up your final dose of Paris this morning with a coffee and croissant, as we reflect on how much we've seen on this amazing adventure. It's ended for the time being, but these connections and memories will endure a lifetime.