Most of us loved playing with Lego as kids before life got complicated. But creating an amazing European holiday doesn’t have to be with Contiki’s Independent Insider trips.
Think of these trips as building blocks that you can mix and match to create a holiday that visits all the places on your bucket-list in a way that allows you to enjoy the best parts about travelling solo (e.g. heaps of free time, wake up whenever you want, etc) with the advantages of group travel – e.g. have a group of like-minded travellers to enjoy the experience with, have all your accommodation and transportation sorted, etc.
As with any Contiki Independent Insider trip, you get to decide where you want to go and how you want to spend your time.
You can travel solo from London to Berlin via the Netherlands and then start a trip from Berlin to Budapest with Contiki. Or you can design an epic trip using Independent Insider trips to take you all across Europe. Of course, once you’re on the trip, you can decide to do your own thing or sign up for optional Free Time Add-Ons – you’re totally in the driver’s seat!
But anyway, we’ve had a play around with different combos and these are just five of the possible itineraries that are possible by combing a couple of Independent Insider trips…
COMBO 1 – FOR CITY SLICKERS
LONDON TO BERLIN + BERLIN TO BUDAPEST
Book a 12-night trip from lively London to vibrant Berlin through Paris and Amsterdam, and then take on the 13-day itinerary from Berlin to Budapest via Prague and Krakow.
Each of these trips has a multitude of variations that you can choose from to customise your holiday. For example, you can start in London and finish in Amsterdam 10-days later, and then make your own way to Berlin to begin the next phase of your journey.
COMBO 2 – FOR FASHIONISTAS
LONDON TO PARIS + BARCELONA TO MILAN
Follow the fashion trail on this back-to-back combo trip that combines a trip from London to Paris, and another from Barcelona to Milan.
You’ll be able to spend at least three nights in each of these vibrant cities, giving you enough free time to hit the streets of these chic European capitals on your own or in a group by joining a London Bicycle Tour or a Barcelona Street Art tour as one of Contiki’s No Regrets Inclusions.
COMBO 3 – FOR CULTURE LOVERS
MADRID TO LISBON + BARCELONA TO MUNICH
Spend three nights each in Madrid, Porto, the Algarve region, and Lisbon on the Madrid to Lisbon trip, experiencing the Iberian Peninsula’s amazing food, people and culture. Then jump on a plane and fly to Barcelona to start your 13-day trip to Munich via Nice and Milan.
The dates and times of these two trips when done back-to-back line up perfectly so it’s possible to fly to Barcelona from Lisbon on the morning of the last day and get there in time to start the Barcelona to Munich trip which kicks off in the evening.
COMBO 4 – FOR SUN WORSHIPPERS
MEDITERRANEAN ESCAPE + GREEK ISLAND HOPPING
Plunge yourself into the Mediterranean on this sun-seeker’s itinerary that includes two trips back-to-back. You’ll start in Rome and visit the Amalfi Coast and Athens before starting a new trip in the Greek capital that will take you on a 10-day island hopping adventure to Mykonos, Santorini and Ios.
No Regrets Inclusions on this trip include Wine and Mozzarella Tasting on the Amalfi Coast and a Locally Guided Athens Sightseeing tour. As with any Contiki Independent Insider trip, there are tons of Free Time Add-Ons that you can tag onto your trip too, such as a Pasta making cooking class in Rome and a Boat cruise of Capri Island on the Amalfi.
COMBO 5 – FOR FESTIVAL-GOERS
BERLIN TO BUDAPEST + BARCELONA TO MUNICH
Venture east from Berlin to Budapest via Prague and Krakow getting a taste of Eastern Europe. Then fly to Spain and embark on the Barcelona to Munich trip via Nice and Milan.
If you can, time your visit to Budapest so you can experience the Sziget festival, as music, art, and performance takes over an island in Budapest. If you time your visit to Munich, you can take part in Oktoberfest as well – any excuse to wear knee-high socks and suspenders!
To find out more about Independent Insider, visit https://www.contiki.com/au/en/destinations/europe/independent-insider
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