A Time to Remember: Rome to Paris (Self-Launched Edition)
10 days · Italy, Austria, Switzerland & France
Europamundo charges £1,320
No-markup version: ~£1,180 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Europamundo's 10-day coach circuit from Rome and Vatican City to Paris via Florence, Venice, Innsbruck, Zurich, Grindelwald, Lucerne and Strasbourg. Instead of a 72-seat coach and 4-star hotels on city outskirts, this version runs on high-speed Italian trains, OBB Railjet/Rail Europe services, Swiss regional trains and a TGV — with hostels and simple guesthouses in the heart of each city. You book the same headline experiences (Colosseum, Vatican Museums, Florence's Duomo, Murano, Grindelwald First, Eiffel Tower, Seine cruise) yourself via GetYourGuide, Klook or official sites for a fraction of the group-tour price. Expect busy travel days but far more free time and flexibility than a fixed coach schedule.
Day-by-day
Arrive Rome — Ancient heart on foot
Rome
Land at Fiumicino or Ciampino and take the Leonardo Express train to Termini (~£12, 32 min) or a regional bus (~£5). Check into a hostel or guesthouse near Termini/Monti. Head straight out on foot: Piazza Venezia, Via Cavour (the tour's evening stroll), the Pantheon (free exterior, ~£5 entry elsewhere) and a first look at the Colloseum exterior at golden hour. Grab a plate of cacio e pepe in Monti, where trattorias are far cheaper than the tourist strip. Book your major tickets online tonight for the next two days — Rome's entry slots sell out fast.
🚌Leonardo Express train Fiumicino–Termini ~£12, or Terravision/SIT bus ~£5
🛏Hostel or guesthouse near Termini/Monti (dorm £20-28, private £45-60)
- →Leonardo Express transfer
- →Via Cavour & Monti evening walk
- →Colosseum exterior at sunset
- →Dinner in Monti
Imperial Rome & Vatican Museums
Rome / Vatican City
Morning: self-booked Colosseum + Roman Forum + Palatine Hill combined ticket with an audio guide or small-group entry via GetYourGuide (~£30-38; book the official Parco Colosseo site for ~£18 entry plus audio). Walk it yourself — the site is well signposted and there's no need for a coach transfer. Afternoon: Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, booked direct at museivaticani.va (~£22) or via Klook with timed skip-the-line (~£30). Dress code: shoulders and knees covered. Evening: cross the river to Trastevere for aperitivo and a cheap trattoria dinner — exactly where the tour drops its group, but you can stay as late as you like.
🚌Metro B Line to Colosseo and Ottaviano (~£1.30/ticket); walking between sites
🛏Hostel or guesthouse near Termini/Monti
- →Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill
- →Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel
- →St Peter's Basilica
- →Trastevere aperitivo and dinner
High-speed train to Florence — Duomo & Ponte Vecchio
Florence
Book a Frecciarossa or Italo high-speed train Rome Termini–Firenze S.M. Novella (~£25-35 if booked ahead, 1h 35m). Drop bags and do the historic centre on foot: Piazza della Signoria, the Duomo exterior (climb Brunelleschi's Dome ~£28 with reservation, or Giotto's Campanile), and Ponte Vecchio. Get a sandwich at All'Antico Vinaio (~£7) and eat in Piazza Santa Croce. Late afternoon, climb or bus to Piazzale Michelangelo (~£1.80 bus, or 25-min walk) for the classic sunset skyline. Stay in a hostel near Santa Maria Novella rather than the tour's out-of-town 4-stars.
🚌High-speed train Rome–Florence ~£25-35 booked in advance; city buses ~£1.80
🛏Hostel or simple guesthouse near Santa Maria Novella (dorm £22-30, private £50-65)
- →Frecciarossa/Italo high-speed train
- →Florence Duomo & Baptistery
- →Ponte Vecchio & Piazza della Signoria
- →Piazzale Michelangelo sunset
Florence to Venice — canals, St Mark's & Murano
Venice
Regional or Frecciarossa train Firenze S.M. Novella–Venezia Santa Lucia (~£25-35, 2h 10m direct). Walk out of the station straight onto the Grand Canal — no canal transfer needed, just take vaporetto Line 1 or 2 (~£8 single 75-min ticket, or a 24-hour pass ~£22) to your hostel in Cannaregio or Santa Croce. Visit St Mark's Square and Basilica (free entry with timed booking, ~£3 reservation, or skip-the-line via GetYourGuide ~£12), then hop the vaporetto to Murano for a free glass workshop demonstration — the same Murano factory stop the coach tour makes, but self-guided and on your own timing. Evening cicchetti crawl in Cannaregio (~£15).
🚌Train Florence–Venice ~£25-35; vaporetto 24h pass ~£22
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Cannaregio/Santa Croce (dorm £25-35, private £55-70)
- →Train to Venice
- →St Mark's Square & Basilica
- →Vaporetto to Murano glass workshops
- →Cannaregio cicchetti crawl
Venice to Innsbruck to Zurich
Innsbruck / Zurich
Early OBB Railjet or EC train Venice Santa Lucia–Innsbruck Hbf (~£30-45, 4h 40m via the spectacular Brenner Pass). Store bags at the station (~£4) and walk Innsbruck's old town: the Golden Roof, Maria-Theresien-Strasse and a cheap Tyrolean lunch (~£10). Mid-afternoon, continue by Railjet Innsbruck–Zurich HB (~£30-45, 3h 30m). This is a long travel day — exactly the route the coach takes, but on trains with wifi and a restaurant car. Check into a hostel or Ibis Budget near Zurich HB; if you're on a budget, eat at a Coop or Migros takeaway rather than a restaurant.
🚌Railjet Venice–Innsbruck ~£30-45; Railjet Innsbruck–Zurich ~£30-45 (buy as one through fare where possible)
🛏Hostel or budget hotel near Zurich HB (dorm £30-40, private £65-85)
- →Brenner Pass Railjet journey
- →Innsbruck old town & Golden Roof
- →Continue by rail to Zurich
Grindelwald First, cliff walk & Lucerne
Zurich / Grindelwald / Lucerne
Take an early IR/IC train Zurich HB–Interlaken Ost then the Berner Oberland-Bahn to Grindelwald (~£30-38 return with a Supersaver ticket, ~2h 45m each way). Ride the Grindelwald First gondola (~£55 return, or covered by a Swiss Travel Pass) up to 2,166m and walk the First Cliff Walk suspension bridge with Eiger and glacier views — the same experience the tour includes, minus the group. Pack a supermarket picnic (~£8) instead of the mountain restaurant lunch. Optional: paragliding (~£150) or a hike to Bachalpsee (~1h). On the way back, break in Lucerne for the Chapel Bridge and Lion Monument before the last train to Zurich. Alternatively swap in Mount Titlis via Engelberg (~£70).
🚌Supersaver train Zurich–Grindelwald ~£30-38 return; Lucerne leg ~£15; gondola ~£55
🛏Hostel or budget hotel near Zurich HB
- →Zurich–Grindelwald rail journey
- →Grindelwald First gondola & First Cliff Walk
- →Bachalpsee hike (optional)
- →Lucerne Chapel Bridge & Lion Monument
Zurich to Strasbourg to Paris
Strasbourg / Paris
Train Zurich HB–Basel SBB (~£18, 55min) then a TGV/TER to Strasbourg (~£18-25, 1h 20m); alternatively book a through Zurich–Strasbourg TGV from ~£25. Leave bags at the station (~£5) and spend 3-4 hours in Strasbourg: the cathedral, Petite France and a tarte flambée lunch (~£9). Mid-afternoon TGV Strasbourg–Paris Gare de l'Est (~£25-40 if booked ahead, 1h 50m). Direct TGV Zurich–Paris also runs (~£40-60, 4h). Check into a hostel in the 10th, 11th or 18th for good transport and lower prices, and buy a Navigo Easy card (~£2) for metro top-ups.
🚌Trains Zurich–Strasbourg ~£25; TGV Strasbourg–Paris ~£25-40 booked ahead
🛏Hostel or budget hotel in 10th/11th/18th arrondissement (dorm £28-38, private £60-80)
- →Zurich–Basel–Strasbourg rail
- →Strasbourg Cathedral & Petite France
- →TGV to Paris
Paris highlights & Montmartre
Paris
Free walking tour of central Paris (tip-based, ~£5-8 in tips) covers Notre-Dame, the Louvre exterior, Pont Neuf and the Seine — the same ground as the coach's panoramic tour, on foot. Then metro to Montmartre: Sacré-Cœur (free entry), Place du Tertre and the vineyard lane. Optional afternoon: Versailles by RER C (~£4 each way, palace ticket ~£18; gardens mostly free) — a half-day rather than the tour's rushed stop. Dinner: a £12-15 menu du jour in the 11th or a picnic on the Canal Saint-Martin.
🚌Metro/RER singles ~£2 each; Navigo Easy card
🛏Hostel or budget hotel in 10th/11th/18th
- →Tip-based free walking tour
- →Montmartre & Sacré-Cœur
- →Versailles by RER (optional)
- →Canal Saint-Martin evening
Eiffel Tower & Seine cruise
Paris
Book Eiffel Tower second-floor tickets direct at toureiffel.paris (~£18-20; lifts to the summit ~£28) or via GetYourGuide with a host (~£35). Choose an early slot to beat queues. Afterwards, a one-hour Seine cruise with Bateaux Parisiens or Vedettes du Pont Neuf (~£14-16; book online for the cheapest fare) — the same cruise line the coach tour uses. Spend the afternoon at a museum of your choice (Musée d'Orsay ~£14, or free entry to many municipal museums) and finish with a crepe in the Latin Quarter.
🚌Metro singles ~£2
🛏Hostel or budget hotel in 10th/11th/18th
- →Eiffel Tower second floor
- →Seine river cruise
- →Musée d'Orsay or Louvre (optional)
- →Latin Quarter evening
Depart Paris
Paris
Breakfast at a boulangerie (~£4) and a final walk along the Seine or through the Marais. Take RER B to Charles de Gaulle (~£10.50, 40 min) or Roissybus/Orlybus (~£7) for your flight. If your flight is later, leave bags at the hostel or a station locker (~£5) and do one last neighbourhood.
🚌RER B to CDG ~£10.50, or Orlybus ~£7
🛏—
- →Bakery breakfast
- →Marais or Seine walk
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. Europamundo
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Europamundo | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,180 | £1,320 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £140 per person (11%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Europamundo-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,180
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 A Time to Remember: Rome to Paris (Self-Launched Edition) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,180 per person for 10 days in Italy, Austria, Switzerland & France. 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 Europamundo?+
Yes — Europamundo charges around £1,320 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,180 — a saving of roughly £140 (11%) per person.
How long is the Italy, Austria, Switzerland & France trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 day-by-day stops through Italy, Austria, Switzerland & France.
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, city-breaks, foodie trip through Italy, Austria, Switzerland & France, 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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