London to Athens: Self-Launched 17-Day Europe Rail & Ferry Adventure
17 days · Europe (England, France, Spain, Monaco, Italy, Greece)
Contiki charges £2,564
No-markup version: ~£1,555 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Contiki's 17-day London to Athens coach tour, rebuilt for independent travellers using hostels and budget guesthouses, overnight trains and ferries, and self-bookable activities instead of a guided group coach. You'll hit Paris, the Beaujolais wine country, Barcelona, the French Riviera and Monaco, Venice, Florence, Rome, Pompeii and Athens — same route, same highlights, but you plan it, book it and travel it on your own terms. Costs are rough backpacker estimates in GBP; book trains early (Eurostar, TGV, Frecciarossa) and ferries in advance for the best prices. Note: the Athens arrival is via an overnight ferry from Bari/Ancona — check seasonal schedules (Patras or Igoumenitsa then bus/train to Athens).
Day-by-day
London to Paris
London → Paris
Take the Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord (2h15, ~£45–70 if booked 2–3 months ahead; budget alternative: Flixbus ~£25 but 8–9 hours). Check into a hostel near Gare du Nord or Canal Saint-Martin. In the afternoon take a walk along the Seine, see the Eiffel Tower at dusk, and grab a cheap crêpe or sandwich for dinner.
🚌Eurostar London–Paris, ~£55 (book early)
🛏Hostel dorm in Canal Saint-Martin / Gare du Nord area (~£30/night)
- →Eurostar crossing
- →Seine riverside walk
- →Eiffel Tower at dusk (free from Trocadéro)
Paris
Paris
Free walking tour of central Paris in the morning (Sandemans/Discover Walks, tip-based ~£5–10). Optional: pre-book a Louvre timed ticket (~£18 via Louvre website or GetYourGuide) or visit Notre-Dame (free entry, book slot online). Wander the Champs-Élysées and Arc de Triomphe area. Evening: picnic on the Canal or cheap bistro dinner in the Latin Quarter.
🛏Hostel dorm (~£30/night)
- →Free walking tour
- →Louvre (optional, ~£18)
- →Notre-Dame
- →Latin Quarter
Paris to Beaune and Beaujolais
Paris → Beaune → Beaujolais
Take a TGV from Paris Gare de Lyon to Beaune (~£35–55, 2h). Spend a few hours in Beaune: see the Hospices de Beaune (ticket ~£12) and wander the old town. Then take a TER regional train or bus to Villefranche-sur-Saône / Belleville-sur-Saône (Beaujolais, ~1h, ~£10). Stay at a village guesthouse or gîte in the Beaujolais hills (~£28–35). Evening: buy a bottle from a local cave and eat at a village bistro.
🚌TGV Paris–Beaune ~£45, regional train Beaune–Beaujolais ~£10
🛏Beaujolais village gîte/guesthouse (~£32/night)
- →Hospices de Beaune
- →Beaujolais old town wander
- →Local wine cave visit
Beaujolais Wine Region
Beaujolais
Self-guided day in the vineyards. Rent a bike from a local hire shop (~£12/day) or take the village bus between wine villages. Book a cellar/tasting directly with a small domaine (many offer tastings ~£8–15, some free with purchase) — the Route des Vins map is widely available. Pack a picnic of bread, cheese and charcuterie (~£8). Optional sunrise yoga at your guesthouse lawn, or just a slow morning.
🛏Beaujolais village gîte/guesthouse (~£32/night)
- →Bike hire through vineyards (~£12)
- →Domaine wine tasting (~£12)
- →Picnic lunch
Beaujolais to Barcelona
Beaujolais → Barcelona
Long travel day. Regional train from Belleville/Villefranche to Lyon (~£8), then TGV Lyon–Barcelona (~£45–70, ~4h45) or a Flixbus/ALSA bus (~£25–40, 6–7h). Check into a hostel in the Gothic Quarter or El Raval (~£28/night). Evening orientation walk: Las Ramblas, Plaça Reial and a cheap tapas meal in the Gothic Quarter.
🚌Regional train ~£8 + TGV or bus to Barcelona ~£55
🛏Hostel dorm, Gothic Quarter/El Raval (~£28/night)
- →TGV/bus through the Pyrenees
- →Gothic Quarter evening walk
- →Tapas dinner
Barcelona
Barcelona
Free walking tour of the Gothic Quarter in the morning (tip-based). Walk up Montjuïc for views (free), or book Sagrada Família tickets online (~£22) if you want the headline sight. Afternoon: swim at Barceloneta beach. Evening: flamenco show at a small tablao (~£20–25 booked direct or via GetYourGuide) instead of the dinner show.
🛏Hostel dorm (~£28/night)
- →Free walking tour
- →Montjuïc hill walk
- →Barceloneta beach
- →Flamenco tablao (optional ~£22)
Barcelona to French Riviera via Arles
Barcelona → Arles → Nice
Take a train (renfe or SNCF, ~£35–50) from Barcelona to Arles or Nîmes (via Montpellier, ~4h30). Stop in Arles: see the Roman Arena (ticket ~£9) and wander the Van Gogh streets. Then continue by regional train to Nice (~2h, ~£22). Check into a hostel or budget hotel near the beach or Vieux Nice (~£30/night).
🚌Barcelona–Arles train ~£45, Arles–Nice regional train ~£22
🛏Hostel/budget hotel, Nice (~£30/night)
- →Arles Roman Arena (~£9)
- →Arles old town
- →Arrival in Nice
French Riviera and Monaco
Nice / Monaco
Rent a bike along the Promenade des Anglais, or take the coastal train to Monaco (20 min, ~£4 each way). In Monaco walk the Formula 1 circuit streets, see the Royal Palace exterior and Monte Carlo Casino (entry to gaming rooms has a small fee). Return to Nice for a cheap €1.50 bus-ride day out. Evening: socca and a glass of rosé in Vieux Nice.
🚌TER train Nice–Monaco ~£4 each way
🛏Hostel/budget hotel, Nice (~£30/night)
- →Promenade des Anglais bike ride
- →Monaco Grand Prix circuit walk
- →Monte Carlo Casino exterior
- →Vieux Nice evening
Nice to Venice via Eze and Verona
Nice → Eze → Verona → Venice
Morning: bus (line 82/112, ~£2) up to the village of Eze and the Fragonard perfumery (free factory tour). Then a long train day: Nice–Ventimiglia–Genoa–Milan/Venice (~£40–55 with regional/Intercity tickets booked in advance) or cheaper via Flixbus. Break the journey in Verona to see Juliet's House courtyard (free) and the Roman Arena exterior. Arrive Venice Mestre; hostel ~£28/night.
🚌Regional trains Nice–Venice ~£50 (or Flixbus ~£30)
🛏Hostel in Venice Mestre (~£28/night)
- →Eze village and Fragonard perfumery
- →Verona Juliet's House and Arena
- →Arrival in Venice
Venice
Venice
Take the vaporetto (24h ACTV pass ~£18) or walk in from Mestre. Instead of a private boat, use the public vaporetto along the Grand Canal or the cheap traghetto gondola crossings (~£2). Wander Cannaregio, the Rialto Market (free) and St Mark's Square. Optional gondola ride split with a few others (~£15 each). Pre-book a small-group cicchetti food tour (~£30–40 via GetYourGuide) if you want the food-tour experience.
🛏Hostel in Venice Mestre (~£28/night)
- →Vaporetto Grand Canal
- →Rialto Market
- →St Mark's Square
- →Cicchetti trail (optional)
Venice to Florence via Pisa
Venice → Pisa → Florence
Train to Florence via Pisa (~£30–40). Stop at Pisa and walk from the station to Piazza dei Miracoli to see the Leaning Tower (free outside; climb ~£18 optional). Continue to Florence (~1h, ~£8), check into a hostel near Santa Maria Novella (~£28/night). Evening: sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo (free).
🚌Regional/Intercity trains Venice–Pisa–Florence ~£40
🛏Hostel, Florence (~£28/night)
- →Leaning Tower of Pisa
- →Piazzale Michelangelo sunset
Florence
Florence
Free walking tour of the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria. Book Uffizi or Accademia (David) tickets online if you want them (~£22–30). Cheap lunch at Mercato Centrale (~£8). Optional Tuscan countryside: bus to Fiesole for views, or a small-group Chianti wine evening booked via GetYourGuide (~£40).
🛏Hostel, Florence (~£28/night)
- →Free walking tour
- →Mercato Centrale lunch
- →Uffizi/Accademia (optional)
- →Fiesole walk (optional)
Florence to Rome via Umbria
Florence → Umbria → Rome
Train to Orvieto or Perugia (~£10–15) for an Umbrian countryside stop — a farm lunch or agriturismo in the hills (~£20) replaces the tour's organic farm visit. Continue by regional train to Rome Termini (~£15). Evening orientation walk: Trevi Fountain, Pantheon exterior and Piazza Navona, all free.
🚌Regional trains Florence–Umbria–Rome ~£30
🛏Hostel/budget guesthouse, Rome Termini area (~£30/night)
- →Umbrian countryside lunch
- →Trevi Fountain
- →Pantheon
- →Piazza Navona
Rome
Rome
Book a Colosseum + Roman Forum ticket in advance (~£18 direct from Coopculture, or ~£30 with a guided small group via GetYourGuide). Optional Vatican Museums entry (~£18) — book early. Lunch near Trastevere (~£8). Afternoon: wander Trastevere and the Jewish Ghetto, or ride a city bus to the Appian Way.
🛏Hostel/budget guesthouse, Rome (~£30/night)
- →Colosseum and Roman Forum (~£18)
- →Vatican Museums (optional ~£18)
- →Trastevere walk
Rome to Pompeii and overnight ferry
Rome → Pompeii → Bari
Train from Rome to Naples (~£15, 1h10), then Circumvesuviana local train to Pompeii (~£3.50, 30 min). Pompeii entry ~£16 (or book a small-group guided tour via GetYourGuide ~£30–40). Return to Naples, then take an evening train or bus to Bari (~£15–25) or Ancona to catch the overnight ferry to Greece (book in advance, ~£45–70 deck seat or dorm).
🚌Trains Rome–Naples–Pompeii ~£20, Naples–Bari ~£20
🛏Overnight ferry to Greece (deck seat/dorm ~£55)
- →Pompeii archaeological site
- →Naples optional stop
Ferry to Patras and on to Athens
Adriatic crossing → Athens
Ferry arrives in Patras or Igoumenitsa in the morning. From Patras, take the KTEL bus to Athens (~£18, 2h45) — the route crosses the Corinth Canal, so you'll see it from the bus bridge. Check into Hotel Athens Center Square or a Monastiraki hostel (~£28/night). Evening: souvlaki and a walk around Plaka.
🚌KTEL bus Patras–Athens ~£18 (or train)
🛏Budget hotel/hostel, Monastiraki or Plaka, Athens (~£28/night)
- →Corinth Canal (from the bus)
- →Plaka evening walk
Athens
Athens
Book an Acropolis + Parthenon ticket online (~£12 official, or ~£25 for a small-group guided tour via GetYourGuide). Visit the Acropolis Museum (~£8) and walk to the Panathenaic Stadium (1896 Olympic Stadium, ~£4). Finish with a free walking tour of central Athens or a rooftop view over the city. Trip wraps at your own pace.
- →Acropolis and Parthenon (~£12)
- →Acropolis Museum
- →Panathenaic Stadium
- →Free walking tour
Self-launched vs. Contiki
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Contiki | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,555 | £2,564 |
| Duration | 17 days | 17 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,009 per person (39%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Contiki-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,555
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does London to Athens: Self-Launched 17-Day Europe Rail & Ferry Adventure cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,555 per person for 17 days in Europe (England, France, Spain, Monaco, Italy, Greece). This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Contiki?+
Yes — Contiki charges around £2,564 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,555 — a saving of roughly £1,009 (39%) per person.
How long is the Europe (England, France, Spain, Monaco, Italy, Greece) trip?+
This itinerary runs 17 days, covering 17 day-by-day stops through Europe (England, France, Spain, Monaco, Italy, Greece).
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, adventure, backpacker trip through Europe (England, France, Spain, Monaco, Italy, Greece), self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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