European Discovery: Self-Launched London to Amsterdam Loop
13 days · Western Europe (England, France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Netherlands)
Contiki charges £1,450
No-markup version: ~£1,300 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Contiki's 13-day European Discovery coach tour: London, Paris, Lucerne, Florence, Rome, Venice, Munich, the Rhine Valley and Amsterdam, linked by budget flights, trains, buses and ferries instead of a motorcoach. You stay in hostels and simple guesthouses, book your own Colosseum/Pilatus/canal tickets through GetYourGuide or Klook, and pay a fraction of the guided-group price. Costs are approximate, based on 2026 backpacker rates, assuming dorm beds or shared budget rooms and self-catering/supermarket food mixed with cheap local eats. Book trains early (Trenitalia, SBB, NS International, SNCF) for the best fares, and check FlixBus/BlaBlaCar as cheap fallbacks.
Day-by-day
London to Paris
London → Paris
Start early: take the Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord (book 2-3 months ahead for fares as low as £39-60 one way, roughly 2h20). Check into a hostel in the 10th/11th arrondissement. In the afternoon do a free self-led walk: Île de la Cité and Notre-Dame exterior (free), then the Latin Quarter. Skip the coach-day Dover/Somme stops — with the train you get more time in Paris.
🚌Eurostar London–Paris, ~£45-70 booked in advance
🛏Hostel dorm in central Paris (e.g. St Christopher's Canal or similar), ~£30-40/night
- →Self-led Île de la Cité & Notre-Dame exterior walk
- →Latin Quarter wander
Paris: Louvre, perfume and streets
Paris
Pre-book a timed Louvre entry ticket (€22 via the official site or GetYourGuide) and go early. In the afternoon take metro line 1 to the Champs-Élysées and visit a perfumery (Fragonard's free museum near Opéra is a solid budget equivalent of the tour's perfumery stop). Evening option: a Montmartre sunset walk (free), or a cabaret show if you want to splurge — book Moulin Rouge or Paradis Latin directly.
🚌Paris Métro carnet or Navigo Easy, ~£8/day
🛏Hostel dorm in central Paris, ~£30-40/night
- →Louvre timed entry (€22)
- →Fragonard perfume museum (free)
- →Montmartre sunset walk
Paris to Lucerne
Paris → Lucerne
Take a TGV Lyria from Paris Gare de Lyon to Basel (about 3h), then a direct SBB train on to Lucerne (1h). This is faster and cheaper than flying once you factor in transfers. Settle into a hostel or budget guesthouse, then walk the old town and Chapel Bridge in the evening.
🚌TGV Lyria Paris–Basel ~£35-55, SBB Basel–Luzern ~£20
🛏Budget hostel or guesthouse in Lucerne, ~£35-45/night
- →Lucerne old town evening walk
- →Chapel Bridge (free)
Swiss Alps: Mount Pilatus day
Lucerne / Mount Pilatus
Do the classic Golden Round Trip independently: boat from Luzern to Alpnachstad, cogwheel railway up Pilatus, cable car down to Kriens and bus back — around CHF 100-110 with a rail pass discount (check the Pilatus.ch site or Klook). Cheaper alternative: hike part of the way and take just one leg. Evening: supermarket picnic or a fondue at a budget-friendly tavern.
🚌Lake boat + cogwheel + cable car (Golden Round Trip) ~£95-105
🛏Budget hostel or guesthouse in Lucerne, ~£35-45/night
- →Mount Pilatus Golden Round Trip
- →Optional Lake Lucerne cruise
- →Chapel Bridge & Lion Monument
Lucerne to Florence
Lucerne → Florence
Long travel day: SBB train Lucerne–Milan (about 3h30), then Frecciarossa or Italo on to Florence (1h45). Book the Italian leg on Trenitalia or Italo early for €20-30 fares. Arrive late afternoon, walk to the Duomo exterior and Piazza della Signoria, and grab a cheap trattoria dinner or a lampredotto sandwich.
🚌SBB Lucerne–Milan ~£35-45; Italo/Frecciarossa Milan–Florence ~£20-30
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse near Santa Maria Novella, ~£28-38/night
- →Duomo exterior & Piazza della Signoria walk
- →Ponte Vecchio at sunset
Florence to Rome via Umbria
Florence → Rome
Instead of the private vineyard stop, book a small-group Umbrian winery day trip on GetYourGuide that drops you toward Rome (or do the simple version: Frecciarossa Florence–Rome, ~1h30, then an afternoon food-walk-style self tour of Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon and Piazza Navona). For a wine fix, do a Chianti tasting in Florence on day 5 or a €25 Umbrian wine tasting add-on. Check into a hostel near Termini.
🚌Frecciarossa Florence–Rome ~£25-35 (or small-group Umbria transfer tour ~£60)
🛏Hostel or budget B&B near Termini, ~£28-38/night
- →Umbrian vineyard lunch (optional add-on)
- →Trevi Fountain
- →Pantheon (€5 entry)
- →Piazza Navona
Rome: Colosseum and Roman Forum
Rome
Book a Colosseum + Roman Forum + Palatine Hill combined ticket (€18 direct, ~€35 with a small-group guide on GetYourGuide — worth it for the history). Afternoon: free wander through Trastevere, and a Testaccio food-market lunch. Optional evening food tour if you want the guide experience.
🚌Rome metro/bus day ticket €7 (~£6)
🛏Hostel or budget B&B near Termini, ~£28-38/night
- →Colosseum, Forum & Palatine Hill entry
- →Trastevere walk
- →Testaccio market lunch
Rome to Venice
Rome → Venice
Frecciarossa Rome–Venice Santa Lucia, about 4h (book early for €30-45). On arrival, take the vaporetto (€9.50 single, or a 24h pass €25) — the same canal views as the tour's private motorboat, for a tenth of the price. Evening: San Marco at dusk and cicchetti bar-hopping in Cannaregio (€1.50-3 per bite).
🚌Frecciarossa Rome–Venice ~£30-45; vaporetto ~£9
🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Mestre or Cannaregio, ~£35-45/night
- →Vaporetto canal ride
- →San Marco Square at dusk
- →Cannaregio cicchetti crawl
Venice to Munich
Venice → Munich
Take the scenic ÖBB Railjet/EuroCity Venice–Munich via the Brenner Pass (about 6h30, from €29.90 booked early on oebb.at) — one of Europe's great train journeys. Arrive Munich early evening, check into a hostel near the Hauptbahnhof, and hit a beer hall for a pretzel-and-Weisswurst dinner. Optional: swap for a cheap Ryanair/Volotea flight if time is short.
🚌ÖBB train Venice–Munich via Brenner, from ~£30
🛏Hostel dorm in Munich, ~£30-40/night
- →Brenner Pass alpine train ride
- →Munich beer hall evening
Munich to the Rhine Valley via Dachau
Munich → Sankt Goar
Morning: Dachau Memorial (free entry; get the S2 train from Hauptbahnhof, ~€6 return — audio guide €5). After lunch, take an ICE train Munich–Koblenz (about 4h; book on bahn.de early for €30-50), then a local train to Sankt Goar on the Rhine. Check into a riverside guesthouse and do a self-guided wine tasting at a local Weinstube (€12-20 for 4-5 pours).
🚌MVV S-Bahn to Dachau ~£5; ICE Munich–Koblenz ~£35-50; local to Sankt Goar ~£6
🛏Riverside guesthouse in Sankt Goar, ~£35-45/night
- →Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial (free)
- →Rhine Valley wine tasting
- →Burg Rheinfels castle ruins (€8)
Rhine Valley to Amsterdam with Dutch countryside
Sankt Goar → Amsterdam
Take the KD Rhine cruise or a regional train along the river to Koblenz (castle views the tour gets from the coach). Then ICE Koblenz–Amsterdam Centraal (about 4h30 via Cologne; from €39.90 on bahn.de or NS International). Once in Amsterdam, rent a bike (€12-15/day) and cycle to Edam/Volendam — windmills and a cheese farm en route — recreating the tour's countryside cycling day independently. Or simply cycle the Amsterdam canals plus a free ferry to Amsterdam-Noord.
🚌Rhine regional train ~£8; ICE Koblenz–Amsterdam from ~£40; bike rental ~£12
🛏Hostel in Amsterdam-Noord or Oost, ~£35-45/night
- →Rhine riverbank train/cruise
- →Bike ride to Edam & Volendam
- →Cheese farm visit
- →Amsterdam canal cycle
Amsterdam: art, canals and street art
Amsterdam
Morning: STRAAT Museum in Amsterdam-Noord (€17.50, free ferry from Centraal). Afternoon: a canal cruise (€18-22 on GetYourGuide, or a cheaper hop-on water taxi). Evening: either a Jordaan food walk or the Anne Frank House if you booked tickets 6 weeks ahead (mandatory online booking, €16).
🚌GVB day ticket €9 (~£8); free ferry to Noord
🛏Hostel in Amsterdam-Noord or Oost, ~£35-45/night
- →STRAAT Museum (€17.50)
- →Amsterdam canal cruise
- →Jordaan neighbourhood walk
Amsterdam to London
Amsterdam → London
Take the Eurostar direct from Amsterdam Centraal to London St Pancras (about 4h10; book early for €45-70 — get the direct service rather than the Brussels change if you can). Alternatively fly from Schiphol. Trip ends at St Pancras.
🚌Eurostar Amsterdam–London ~£40-65
🛏—
- →Last morning canal-side coffee
- →Eurostar back to London
Self-launched vs. Contiki
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Contiki | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,300 | £1,450 |
| Duration | 13 days | 13 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £150 per person (10%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Contiki-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,300
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 European Discovery: Self-Launched London to Amsterdam Loop cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,300 per person for 13 days in Western Europe (England, France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Netherlands). 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 £1,450 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,300 — a saving of roughly £150 (10%) per person.
How long is the Western Europe (England, France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Netherlands) trip?+
This itinerary runs 13 days, covering 13 day-by-day stops through Western Europe (England, France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Netherlands).
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 city-breaks, culture, budget trip through Western Europe (England, France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Netherlands), 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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