Spectacular Europe End Venice — Self-Launched (London to Mestre)
16 days · Western Europe (London, Paris, Lyon, Zurich, Milan, Rome, Florence, Venice)
Europamundo charges £2,520
No-markup version: ~£1,345 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Europamundo's 16-day "Spectacular Europe End Venice" group tour, rebuilt for independent travellers using hostels and budget hotels, self-booked walking tours and city passes, and public transport (Eurostar, TGV, Swiss SBB trains, Italian Frecciarossa) instead of a tour coach. Same route — London, Paris, Beaune/Lyon, Geneva, Zurich, Grindelwald/Lucerne, Bellinzona, Como, Milan, Pisa, Rome, Florence, Venice — at roughly a third of the operator price. All costs are approximate per person in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive London — Earl's Court base
London, UK
Land in London and check into a hostel or budget hotel around Earl's Court or King's Cross (well connected by Tube). Spend the evening orienting yourself on the South Bank — walk from Westminster Bridge along the Thames to the London Eye. Grab dinner at a cheap chain or a Borough/West End food market.
🚌Tube from Heathrow/Paddington to accommodation (~£5-6 Oyster fare)
🛏Hostel or budget hotel, Earl's Court / King's Cross (e.g. YHA London Earl's Court, Clink78)
- →Check in and get an Oyster/contactless card
- →Evening walk: Westminster Bridge → South Bank → Tate Modern
Central London sightseeing
London, UK
Walk the classic Westminster loop: Parliament and Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Horse Guards, Trafalgar Square, then through Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Chinatown and Soho. In the afternoon cross to the City for St Paul's and the Tower of London area. Free 'Sandemans' walking tour of the Royal sights is a good morning substitute for the operator's guided city tour (tips only).
🚌Walking + Tube/Oyster day cap (~£8.90)
🛏Hostel or budget hotel, Earl's Court / King's Cross
- →Free (tip-based) walking tour of Westminster and the Royal sights
- →Westminster, Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Soho, Chinatown
- →Optional: Windsor Castle day trip (train from Waterloo/Paddington, ~£20 return + £30 entry)
Museums & East London
London, UK
Use London's free museums: British Museum (book free timed slot), National Gallery or Tate Modern. Afternoon in Shoreditch and Spitalfields for street art and the markets, or Greenwich via the DLR. Evening: cheap eats in Chinatown or Brick Lane.
🚌Tube/DLR, Oyster day cap (~£8.90)
🛏Hostel or budget hotel, Earl's Court / King's Cross
- →British Museum (free)
- →Tate Modern / National Gallery (free)
- →Optional: Greenwich and the Cutty Sark
London → Paris via Calais and Amiens
Paris, France
The operator drives London–Calais–Amiens–Paris. As an independent traveller, take a morning Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord (~2h20, book 2-3 months ahead for £40-70 one way). If you want to mirror the Amiens stop, take an early Eurostar to Lille, regional train to Amiens (cathedral + Jules Verne House), then a direct train on to Paris Nord. Check into a hostel in the Marais, Montmartre or Canal Saint-Martin.
🚌Eurostar ~£40-70; Amiens detour regional train ~£15
🛏Hostel in Marais / Montmartre / Canal Saint-Martin (e.g. St Christopher's Gare du Nord)
- →Eurostar London → Paris (or via Lille/Amiens)
- →Amiens Cathedral and Jules Verne House (optional stop)
- →Evening stroll along the Seine
Paris — panoramic city tour
Paris, France
Do the operator's included panoramic city tour independently: a free (tip-based) walking tour from Place Saint-Michel covers Notre-Dame, the Louvre exterior and Pont Neuf; the Tootbus/Big Bus loop covers Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Élysées, Opéra and Alexander III Bridge if you prefer wheels. Afternoon in Montmartre for Sacré-Cœur. Skip the Moulin Rouge (€160) unless you're set on it — cheaper cabaret alternatives exist in the Latin Quarter.
🚌Metro/RER, carnet or Navigo Easy (~£8/day)
🛏Hostel in Marais / Montmartre
- →Free walking tour of central Paris
- →Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur
- →Optional: hop-on-hop-off bus (~£35)
- →Optional: Palace of Versailles (RER C, ~£20 all-in)
Paris — Eiffel Tower & Seine cruise
Paris, France
Book Eiffel Tower 2nd-floor tickets online in advance (€18-20). In the late afternoon take a one-hour Seine river cruise from Pont Neuf or the Eiffel Tower pier (€15-18, cheaper than the operator package). Finish with a picnic on the Champ de Mars or a crêpe in the Latin Quarter.
🚌Metro (~£8)
🛏Hostel in Marais / Montmartre
- →Eiffel Tower 2nd floor (book online)
- →Seine river cruise ~1 hour
- →Champ de Mars picnic
Paris → Beaune → Lyon
Lyon, France
High-speed TGV Paris Gare de Lyon to Lyon Part-Dieu (~2h, from €25 if booked early). If you want the Burgundy stop, break the journey at Beaune — old town and Hôtel-Dieu — before a short regional train on to Lyon. In Lyon, walk Vieux Lyon and take the funicular/cable car up to Notre-Dame de Fourvière for the view the tour includes.
🚌TGV Paris–Lyon from €25-50; Beaune legs ~£15
🛏Hostel in Presqu'île / Vieux Lyon (e.g. Ho36 or similar)
- →TGV to Lyon with optional Beaune stop
- →Vieux Lyon traboules walk
- →Funicular to Notre-Dame de Fourvière
Lyon → Geneva → Zurich
Zurich, Switzerland
Regional train Lyon to Geneva (~2h, ~€30). Spend a few hours around Lake Geneva, the Jet d'Eau, the English Garden and the Palace of Nations (UN quarter), then take the Swiss SBB train up past Lake Neuchâtel to Zurich (~2h50). Swiss accommodation is the priciest stretch — book a hostel dorm or a budget hotel near Zurich HB well ahead.
🚌Train Lyon–Geneva ~£25; Geneva–Zurich ~£45
🛏Hostel or budget hotel near Zurich HB (e.g. Zurich Youth Hostel, Ibis Budget)
- →Lake Geneva and Jet d'Eau
- →Palace of Nations and Old Town Geneva
- →Lake Neuchâtel views from the train
Zurich city, lake cruise & Rapperswil
Zurich, Switzerland
Self-guided old-town walk (Bahnhofstrasse, Grossmünster, Niederdorf). In the afternoon take the regular Lake Zurich boat (ZSG) to Rapperswil — medieval castle and rose gardens — and back on the ferry (~2h each way, covered by a Zurich day pass). The operator's guided city tour and lake cruise are easily reproduced with a map and a boat ticket.
🚌Zurich 24h transport/boat pass (~£20)
🛏Hostel or budget hotel near Zurich HB
- →Zurich Old Town self-guided walk
- →Lake Zurich boat to Rapperswil and back
- →Rapperswil medieval castle
Grindelwald & Lucerne day trip
Grindelwald / Lucerne, Switzerland
Early train Zurich → Interlaken → Grindelwald (~2h45). Ride the cable car up to First or Männlichen for the suspended clifftop walk and glacier views (Swiss Half-Fare card helps — ~CHF 60 return with discount). Then continue to Lucerne for the Chapel Bridge and Lion Monument before returning to Zurich. This is a long but very doable day on a Swiss Travel Pass.
🚌Swiss Travel Pass ~£40/day (or Half-Fare card) plus cable car ~£45
🛏Hostel or budget hotel near Zurich HB
- →Grindelwald First cable car and cliff walk
- →Mountain lunch
- →Lucerne Chapel Bridge and Lion Monument
- →Alternative: Mount Titlis day trip (book via GetYourGuide, ~£140)
Zurich → Bellinzona → Como → Milan
Milan, Italy
Train Zurich to Bellinzona (~2h) through the Gotthard route. Visit the three UNESCO castles (Castelgrande, Montebello, Sasso Corbaro; combined ticket ~CHF 15). Continue by regional train to Como for the cathedral and lakeside promenade, then a short Trenord train into Milan. Evening at the Duomo and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele.
🚌Train Zurich–Bellinzona ~£35; Bellinzona–Como–Milan ~£25
🛏Hostel or budget hotel near Milan Centrale
- →Bellinzona's three castles (UNESCO)
- →Como Cathedral and lakefront
- →Milan Duomo and Piazza del Duomo
Milan → Pisa → Rome
Rome, Italy
Frecciarossa high-speed train Milan → Pisa (~3h) or direct to Rome changing at Pisa. At Pisa, walk or take the local 'LAM Rossa' bus to Piazza dei Miracoli for the Leaning Tower (climb only if pre-booked). Then regional train Pisa → Rome (~3h). Book Rome accommodation near Termini for the next two days.
🚌Frecciarossa Milan–Pisa ~£35; Pisa–Rome regional ~£20
🛏Hostel or budget hotel near Rome Termini (e.g. The Yellow, Alessandro Palace)
- →Leaning Tower and Piazza dei Miracoli, Pisa
- →Optional: climb the Leaning Tower (pre-book online, ~£20)
- →Evening in Rome near Termini / Monti
Imperial Rome and the Vatican
Rome, Italy
Reproduce the operator's three-hour Imperial Rome tour with a GetYourGuide/Viator Colosseum + Roman Forum + Palatine Hill skip-the-line ticket (~£25-35) — the Colosseum exterior and Arch of Constantine, Imperial Forums, Circus Maximus, Caracalla Baths and Castel Sant'Angelo are all walkable or a short metro ride apart. Afternoon: Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel with a pre-booked timed entry (~£35-50) or the free-to-enter St Peter's Basilica (queue early).
🚌Metro/bus (~£4-6)
🛏Hostel or budget hotel near Rome Termini
- →Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill (skip-the-line ticket)
- →Circus Maximus and Baths of Caracalla
- →Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel
- →Optional: Baroque Rome free walking tour (Trevi, Pantheon, Piazza Navona)
Rome → Florence
Florence, Italy
Frecciarossa or Italo Rome → Florence Santa Maria Novella (~1h30, from €20). Join a free walking tour of the historic centre covering the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria, then hike or bus up to Piazzale Michelangelo for sunset over the Arno. Pre-book the Uffizi or Accademia (David) if you want them.
🚌High-speed train Rome–Florence ~£20-35
🛏Hostel or budget hotel near Santa Maria Novella
- →Free walking tour of Florence historic centre
- →Ponte Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria
- →Piazzale Michelangelo at sunset
- →Optional: Uffizi or Accademia Gallery (~£20)
Florence → Venice and St Mark's
Venice, Italy
Frecciarossa Florence → Venezia Mestre (~2h15). The tour ends at Mestre, and base yourself there or on the island (Mestre is far cheaper). Take the frequent bus/tram across the Ponte della Libertà to Venice, then a vaporetto down the Giudecca Canal to St Mark's Square. Book a free St Mark's Square walking tour, and visit a Murano glass workshop via a public vaporetto to Murano (demonstrations are free at many fornaci). Optional shared gondola ride (~£30-35 per person) can be booked via GetYourGuide.
🚌Frecciarossa Florence–Venice ~£25-35; vaporetto day pass ~£20
🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Mestre or Cannaregio
- →Vaporetto down the Giudecca Canal
- →St Mark's Square and Basilica
- →Murano glass workshop visit
- →Optional: shared gondola ride
Departure from Venice / Mestre
Venice, Italy
Last espresso and a wander through Cannaregio or the Rialto market before departing from Venezia Mestre or Marco Polo airport. Trains from Mestre run to Venice Santa Lucia, Treviso, Trieste and the rest of Italy for onward travel.
🚌Airport bus/train from Mestre (~£8)
🛏—
- →Morning in Cannaregio or Rialto market
- →Onward transport from Venezia Mestre
Self-launched vs. Europamundo
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Europamundo | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,345 | £2,520 |
| Duration | 16 days | 16 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,175 per person (47%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Europamundo-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,345
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 Spectacular Europe End Venice — Self-Launched (London to Mestre) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,345 per person for 16 days in Western Europe (London, Paris, Lyon, Zurich, Milan, Rome, Florence, Venice). 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 £2,520 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,345 — a saving of roughly £1,175 (47%) per person.
How long is the Western Europe (London, Paris, Lyon, Zurich, Milan, Rome, Florence, Venice) trip?+
This itinerary runs 16 days, covering 16 day-by-day stops through Western Europe (London, Paris, Lyon, Zurich, Milan, Rome, Florence, Venice).
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, slow-travel trip through Western Europe (London, Paris, Lyon, Zurich, Milan, Rome, Florence, Venice), 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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