Rome to London Trail — Self-Launched
8 days · Italy, Switzerland, France & England
Contiki charges £1,045
No-markup version: ~£905 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An 8-day self-launched version of Contiki's Rome-to-London Trail, covering Rome, Florence, the Swiss Alps around Interlaken, Geneva, the Beaujolais wine region, Burgundy, Paris and London. Instead of a 50-person coach and trip manager, you'll string together Italian Frecciarossa/Italo high-speed trains, Swiss regional rail, French TGV and the Eurostar — staying in hostels and budget guesthouses along the way. All the headline experiences (Florence walking tour, Alpine hikes and paragliding, Geneva's lakefront, Beaujolais wine tasting, a Paris night walk and the Eurostar to London) are booked yourself via GetYourGuide, Klook or the operator's own site, usually for less than the coach tour's optional extras. Costs below are rough backpacker estimates, not quotes — book rail early (especially Eurostar and TGV) to keep them down.
Day-by-day
Rome to Florence — Duomo, Arno & Tuscan dinner
Florence, Italy
Start early at Roma Termini and take a Frecciarossa or Italo high-speed train to Florence Santa Maria Novella (~1h 35m, book 2-4 weeks ahead on Trenitalia or Italo for £18-35; regional trains are ~£20 but slower). Drop bags at a hostel near Santa Maria Novella (Ostello Bello Firenze, Plus Florence and Emerald Palace are all solid budget picks, £22-32 dorm). Spend the afternoon on the Duomo square and wander down to the River Arno and Ponte Vecchio. In the evening join a pay-what-you-like or small-group Florence walking tour (GetYourGuide, ~£15-20) or a self-guided loop of the Oltrarno, then eat a cheap Tuscan dinner — ribollita and a carafe of Chianti in a trattoria off Piazza Santo Spirito, ~£15. Florence's Duomo dome climb (~£8 on the official Opera del Duomo site) is worth it if you arrive early enough.
🚌Frecciarossa/Italo train Roma Termini → Firenze S.M. Novella, ~1h 35m, £18-35 (book ahead)
🛏Hostel dorm in central Florence (Ostello Bello Firenze / Plus Florence or similar), £22-32
- →High-speed train Rome–Florence
- →Florence Duomo & Piazza del Duomo
- →River Arno & Ponte Vecchio walk
- →GetYourGuide Florence walking tour
- →Trattoria dinner in Oltrarno
Florence to Interlaken — into the Swiss Alps
Interlaken, Switzerland
Long travel day, so leave Florence by 7-8am. Cheapest reliable route is Florence → Milan (Italo/Frecciarossa, ~2h, £15-25), Milan → Spiez or Thun (~2h 15m, £20-35 booked ahead), then a regional BLS train into Interlaken West (~30-40m, £8-10). Budget roughly 7-8 hours door to door with changes. Check in at a hostel in Interlaken (Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof, Balmers or Adventure Hostel Interlaken are the usual budget names, £25-35 dorm) and walk the Höhematte meadow for your first look at the Jungfrau. Cook in the hostel kitchen or grab a supermarket meal — Swiss restaurants are brutal on a budget (£12-18 for a basic meal, £25+ for fondue). If you want the fondue experience anyway, the cheaper cafés in Interlaken do a set menu for around £30; otherwise hostel fondue nights are usually £12-15.
🚌Florence → Milan (high-speed, ~2h, £15-25) → Spiez/Thun (~2h 15m, £20-35) → Interlaken West (regional, ~35m, £8-10)
🛏Hostel dorm in Interlaken (Backpackers Villa Sonnenhof / Balmers or similar), £25-35
- →Scenic Swiss rail through the Alps
- →Höhematte meadow viewpoint
- →Optional fondue night in Interlaken
Swiss Alps — lakes, hikes & paragliding
Interlaken, Switzerland
Free day in the Alps. Join a free or £8-12 hostel yoga session on the lawn in the morning (most Interlaken hostels run these), then choose your adventure. Hiking is the cheapest option: the walk from Harder Kulm via the Harder railway is ~£28 return, or hike up to Harder Kulm from Interlaken for free in ~2.5 hours. Alternatives: take the train to Lauterbrunnen and hike the Staubbach waterfall valley (~£6-10 rail each way), or book paragliding over Interlaken with a local school via GetYourGuide/Klook (~£130-160 for a tandem flight, book a day or two ahead). For a cheaper mountain fix, the Schynige Platte or Niederhorn day trips run £35-50 with a Swiss Half Fare-style discount. Keep food cheap: supermarket picnic plus a hostel dinner, ~£15.
🚌Local BOB/BLS trains around Interlaken & Lauterbrunnen, £8-15
🛏Hostel dorm in Interlaken (same hostel), £25-35
- →Hostel yoga session
- →Harder Kulm hike or cable car
- →Lauterbrunnen valley walk
- →Optional tandem paragliding (GetYourGuide, ~£130-160)
- →Supermarket picnic lunch
Interlaken to Geneva to Beaujolais wine country
Beaujolais wine region, France
Train to Geneva (Interlaken → Bern → Geneva, ~2h 50m, £30-40 booked ahead), store bags at Gare Cornavin lockers, and walk down to the Jet d'Eau lakefront fountain — free and the best photo stop in the city. Grab a supermarket lunch by Lake Geneva. In the afternoon take the TER regional train from Geneva toward Lyon (via Bellegarde, ~2h, £15-22), then a local TER to Villefranche-sur-Saône or Belleville-sur-Saône in Beaujolais (~40m, £6-8). For the château-and-wine-tasting night, self-book a vineyard guesthouse (chambre d'hôtes) or a budget hotel in Villié-Morgon, Fleurie or Villefranche, £35-50. Book a tasting direct with a domaine in Morgon or Fleurie via their websites or the Beaujolais tourist office — expect £10-15 for a cellar tour and three or four tastings. Dinner: a bouchon-style Lyonnais meal or supermarket + guesthouse kitchen, ~£18.
🚌Interlaken → Bern → Geneva (~2h 50m, £30-40), TER Geneva → Bellegarde → Villefranche-sur-Saône (~2h 40m, £20-28)
🛏Vineyard guesthouse or budget hotel in Beaujolais (Villié-Morgon/Fleurie or similar), £35-50
- →Geneva lakefront & Jet d'Eau
- →Scenic rail into France
- →Beaujolais domaine wine tasting (direct booking, £10-15)
Beaujolais — vineyard walks & countryside picnic
Beaujolais wine region, France
Slow day in the vines. Ask your host for the local sentiers des vignes walking routes — the Morgon–Fleurie ridge path is a beautiful 2-3 hour walk with viewpoints over the Saône valley, completely free. Buy bread, cheese, charcuterie and a bottle of local Morgon at the village shop or caveau (£12-15) and picnic in the gardens or on a hillside bench. In the afternoon, cycle between domaines if your guesthouse rents bikes (~£10-15/day) or do a second tasting — many small producers welcome drop-ins if you call ahead. Optional: a morning yoga or stretching session on your own, or the free Beaujolais wine route bus in some villages. Dinner at the guesthouse or village café, ~£15-20.
🚌On foot / bike hire in the vines (£10-15/day)
🛏Vineyard guesthouse or budget hotel in Beaujolais, £35-50
- →Morgon–Fleurie vineyard walk
- →French countryside picnic
- →Village caveau wine buying
- →Optional bike hire between domaines
Beaujolais via Burgundy to Paris
Paris, France
Take the TER to Mâcon or Lyon Part-Dieu, then a TGV to Paris Gare de Lyon (~2h from Mâcon-Loché, £25-45 booked ahead) — with a stop in Burgundy if you like: Beaune is worth 2-3 hours for its Hôtel-Dieu hospice and the free walk round the ramparts. Arrive Paris late afternoon and check into a hostel (Jo&Joe Paris Gentilly, Generator or St Christopher's Canal are all £30-40 dorm). At dusk do the classic free night walk: Trocadéro → Eiffel Tower → Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Élysées → Louvre courtyard → Notre-Dame. Metro booklets (carnet of 10 at ~£14, or use a Navigo Easy card) keep transport cheap. Late dinner from a Paris bakery/boulangerie or a cheap crêperie, £12-15.
🚌TER Beaujolais → Mâcon/Lyon, then TGV to Paris Gare de Lyon, £30-50 total
🛏Hostel dorm in Paris (Jo&Joe Gentilly / Generator or similar), £30-40
- →Optional Beaune stop in Burgundy
- →Self-guided night walk: Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Élysées, Louvre courtyard, Notre-Dame
Paris — perfume workshop, museums & Montmartre
Paris, France
Start with a visit to the Fragonard perfume museum in the Opéra district — free entry, and you can book a small-group perfume-creation workshop direct via Fragonard's own site or GetYourGuide for ~£30-40. Then spend the afternoon however you like: the Louvre (£17-19 timed ticket on the official site), Orsay, or just Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur on foot for free. If you fancy the cabaret, book a Moulin Rouge or Paradis Latin show direct — €90-150 is typical for Moulin Rouge, while smaller Left Bank cabarets run €40-60. Otherwise do the free Île de la Cité and Latin Quarter evening walk, with a cheap falafel on Rue des Rosiers or a €12-15 prix fixe dinner.
🚌Paris Metro (carnet/Navigo, ~£6-8)
🛏Hostel dorm in Paris (same hostel), £30-40
- →Fragonard perfume museum (free) & optional perfume workshop (~£30-40)
- →Louvre or Orsay (book online, ~£17-19)
- →Montmartre & Sacré-Cœur walk
- →Optional cabaret show (£35-130)
Paris to London by Eurostar
London, England
Book the Eurostar from Gare du Nord to St Pancras (2h 15m) as early as possible — £39-70 one-way if booked 1-3 months out, often £100+ last minute. Top tip: Eurostar booking opens around 6-9 months in advance, and Tuesdays/Wednesdays are cheapest. Cross the Channel in the morning, then arrive in London for the afternoon: walk from St Pancras to the British Museum (free), Covent Garden and the South Bank, or take the Tube to Westminster for Big Ben and the Thames path. A day Travelcard or contactless fares run £8-12. Finish with a pub dinner, ~£15-18. No visa needed for EU/UK/UK-visa holders on their own trips, but non-visa nationals should budget for a UK ETA (~£10-16) on top of the £7 ETIAS-style EU pre-registration if/when it applies — check your passport's requirements before booking.
🚌Eurostar Paris Gare du Nord → London St Pancras, 2h 15m, £39-70 booked ahead; London contactless travel £8-12
🛏Optional final night in a London hostel (YHA St Pancras / Wombat's City or similar), £30-40 if staying on
- →Eurostar Channel crossing
- →British Museum (free)
- →Westminster & South Bank stroll
- →Pub dinner
Self-launched vs. Contiki
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Contiki | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£905 | £1,045 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £140 per person (13%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Contiki-style trips? Check them out here.~£905
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 Rome to London Trail — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £905 per person for 8 days in Italy, Switzerland, France & England. 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 £1,045 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £905 — a saving of roughly £140 (13%) per person.
How long is the Italy, Switzerland, France & England trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through Italy, Switzerland, France & England.
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, budget, backpacker trip through Italy, Switzerland, France & England, 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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