European Discoverer End Paris With 3-Day Aegean Cruise Moderate B

European Discoverer End Paris With 3-Day Aegean Cruise Moderate B

29 Days Starting in Amsterdam and ending in Paris

Visiting: Amsterdam, Rhineland-Palatinate, Lucerne, Venice, Opatija, Plitvice Lakes National Park, Dubrovnik, Kotor, Tirana, Kalabaka, Athens, Mykonos, Kuşadası, Patmos, Crete, Fira, Rome, Florence, Pisa, Monte Carlo, Nice, Barcelona, Pamplona, Biarritz, Bordeaux, Tours, Paris

Tour operator:

Costsaver

Trip Styles:

Cruise

From:
$7156

NB: Prices correct on 01-Jun-2024 but subject to change.

This tour is no longer available, please see similar tours below or send an enquiry

Tour Overview

This A to Z of Europe reveals a feast of flavors, culture and history. Tick off the sights, from medieval monuments, myths, legends and ancient history to the glittering capitals of Paris, Athens and Rome. You'll come full circle on this extravaganza across the continent - 12 countries on one bucket-list trip. Live it up a three-day cruise to the Greek Isles on board a Celestyal Cruise.

Highlights

  • View the Champs-Élysées, Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower on a sightseeing tour

  • Visit this seaside resort

  • View the ancient city walls and Plaza del Castillo

  • See La Sagrada Família Cathedral with a Local Specialist

  • Drive through Provence

  • Visit the Principality

  • Visit the Square of Miracles to see the Leaning Tower

  • Visit the Renaissance city

  • Visit St. Peter's Basilica and see the ancient sites with your Local Specialist

  • Visit the ancient Acropolis with a Local Specialist

Show all

Itinerary

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Day 1 : Amsterdam

Location: Amsterdam

Accommodation: Ibis Schiphol

Home to bikes, clogs, cheese, canals and windmills, it can only be the Netherlands! Enjoy a day at leisure before meeting your Travel Director and other travelers this afternoon. See the famous gabled 17th-century façades on your orientation. There's time to enjoy a Choice Optional Experience this evening to further immerse yourself into Dutch culture.

Day 2 : Amsterdam Orientation And Free Time

Location: Amsterdam

Accommodation: Ibis Schiphol

Meals Included: Breakfast

It won’t take long to fall in love with the Dutch capital! Explore its history, culture and art. Your orientation tour will take you past gabled houses, countless canals and greenspaces. Explore more blockbuster sites on your own later or opt to join a Choice Experience to Volendam where the Dutch traditions of cheese and clog making take center stage. Later, consider an optional Dutch dinner in a historic gable home.

Day 3 : Amsterdam – Rhine Cruise – Rhineland

Location: Amsterdam, Rhineland-Palatinate

Accommodation: NH Bingen

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

You won't want to blink as you head east into the lush landscapes of Germany. Lined with medieval villages, steep vineyards and storybook castles, the Rhine Valley has enchanted painters and writers for centuries. See it in all its glory on your leisurely river cruise winding your way through Rhineland landscapes before dinner.

Day 4 : Rhineland – Lucerne Region

Location: Rhineland-Palatinate, Lucerne

Accommodation: City Brunnen

Meals Included: Breakfast

Slice through the heart of Switzerland bound for Lucerne on your very own 'Grand Tour' of Europe. Take a step back in time and join your Travel Director for a stroll of the Old Town including the medieval Chapel Bridge which has spanned the Reuss river since the 14th century. There won’t be a dry eye in the house when you visit the wounded Lion Monument, hewn from rock to commemorate the brave Swiss Guards who lost their lives defending King Louis XVI during the French Revolution. This afternoon, you have time to explore the city your way, or top the day off kicking up your heels with a fondue lunch and folklore show.

Day 5 : Lucerne Orientation And Free Time

Location: Lucerne

Accommodation: City Brunnen

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Mountain heights, lakes and green landscapes, Lucerne is a mix of quintessential Switzerland. Explore it your way today with our Choice Experiences. Head to the countryside for a horse-drawn carriage ride to a local working farm. Or, embrace the great outdoors and epic views from the top of Mount Pilatus, ascending to the summit by the world’s steepest cog-wheel train. Then, descend by cable car before taking a scenic lake cruise. It doesn’t get much better than this!

Day 6 : Lucerne – Venice (Mestre)

Location: Lucerne, Venice

Accommodation: Hotel San Giuliano

Meals Included: Breakfast

Touch the sky when you follow the St. Gotthard highway, winding past mountain scenery and into Italy, arriving into 'Queen of the Adriatic', Venice! The best way to see the sights? From the water, of course. Your private water taxi along the Grand Canal will have you tick off the Palazzi, Rialto and St Mark's Square. Later, an optional Gondola ride could take you through the iconic narrow waterways, just like you've seen in the movies. That's Venice for you.

Day 7 : Venice Orientation And Free Time

Location: Venice

Accommodation: Hotel San Giuliano

Meals Included: Breakfast

Cobbled lanes, artisan shops, little trattorias, 400 canals - Venice is the ultimate explorers’ playground. Cruise the local way, arriving by private launch to St Mark's Square. All the main attractions are within walking distance of the Piazza so you'll have easy access to view the famous Byzantine Basilica of St. Mark. Wander the lanes before visiting a glassblowing workshop on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. Watch talented master craftsmen at work, as they make the beautiful glass creations that are characteristic of Venice. This afternoon, see the city your way taking an optional cruise across the lagoon to colorful Burano Island.

Day 8 : Venice – Opatija - Plitvice

Location: Venice, Opatija, Plitvice Lakes National Park

Accommodation: Big House Plitvicka Jezera

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Farewell Italy, hello next leg of our adventure - Croatia! Get your first taste in Opatija, this coastal town dotted with Habsburg-era villas that will make an impact as you stroll the historic promenade, perhaps stopping for an ice cream along the coastline or for people watching. Later, arrive in Plitvice, home to the epic waterfalls you'll explore tomorrow.

Day 9 : Plitvice Lakes – Dubrovnik

Location: Plitvice Lakes National Park, Dubrovnik

Accommodation: Villas Plat

Meals Included: Breakfast

Find yourself in paradise on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience in UNESCO-listed Plitvice Lakes National Park. Team up with a Local Specialist to learn about the Park’s conservation of its native species on easy trails and boardwalks through the blue-green beauty of interconnecting lakes. Duck your head into cool caves and gaze up at waterfalls before you continue your Europe Value tour to Dubrovnik.

Day 10 : Dubrovnik Sightseeing And Free Time

Location: Dubrovnik

Accommodation: Villas Plat

Meals Included: Breakfast

Rector's Palace, check! Onofrio's Fountain and the city walls, check! It's one iconic highlight after another in Dubrovnik on this morning’s Locally Guided sightseeing tour, with courtyards and limestone streets throwing you back to the city's Golden Age. There's no better way to enjoy this coastline than on tonight’s optional sunset dinner cruise to a secluded bay with the city illuminated in the background. Cheers!

Day 11 : Dubrovnik – Kotor - Tirana

Location: Dubrovnik, Kotor, Tirana

Accommodation: Hotel Doro City

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Make a quick stop in Montenegro's medieval Kotor before pulling into colorful Tirana, Albania. The best way to dig into its history? Explore the previously communist-dominated capital including highlights like Skanderbeg Square and the Palace of Culture. Wander up the main boulevard and see the Prime Ministry building, the Presidential office and the Pyramid Building.

Day 12 : Tirana Orientation

Location: Tirana

Accommodation: Hotel Doro City

Meals Included: Breakfast

It’s one blockbuster sight after the next as you explore through the city’s colorful architecture, a blend of Ottoman, Fascist and Soviet styles. Take in the Skanderbeg Statue – a national hero, and snap photos of the Et’hem Bey Mosque. Stroll through Blloku neighborhood where members of the communist party once lived.

Day 13 : Tirana - Kalambaka

Location: Tirana, Kalabaka

Accommodation: Amalia Hotel Kalambaka.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Cross into Greece through the scenic Plains of Thessaly to Kalambaka. This afternoon, choose to join an optional tour of the gravity defying Meteora monasteries that cling impressively to immense rounded rock towers. Rebuilt after it was burned by the Nazis in WWII, Meteora holds a magnificent old Byzantine church as well as several museums – one devoted to old schoolbooks and another to mushrooms. So, why not tick off a few more unique sights off your bucket list?

Day 14 : Athens

Location: Kalabaka, Athens

Accommodation: Zafolia, Dorian Inn, President Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast

Welcome to Athens! The Greek capital was once the center of the world and for several days it will be yours. The best way to start your time in Greece? Tailor your night with a Choice Experience at a taverna evening and kick up your heels with dancing and drinks. Opa!

Day 15 : Embark Piraeus – Mykonos

Location: Athens, Mykonos

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

All aboard! It's time to take to the high seas and set sail for stylish Mykonos. Put the 'oh' into opa and get lost in its cobbled lanes, lined by whitewashed houses and tumbling cerise bougainvillea. Feast on gyros or shop up a storm before boarding your cruise for the next leg of your journey.

Day 16 : Mykonos - Kusadasi – Patmos

Location: Mykonos, Kuşadası, Patmos

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Arrive on Turkish shores in time to enjoy an included visit to the 10th-century remains of Ephesus. Walk down the pillar lined Curetes Street towards the Library of Celsus and view what remains of the Temple of Artemis, one of the World's Seven Ancient Wonders. Your next stop is Patmos, most famously the location where the disciple John wrote the Book of Revelation in the New Testament.

Day 17 : Patmos - Crete- Santorini

Location: Patmos, Crete, Fira

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Start your morning on Crete, Greece’s largest island, and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean. Home to myths and legends, including Zeus' birthplace and the Minotaur, you may choose to embark on an epic tour to the capital city of Heraklion and absorb the rich history of Europe’s first advanced civilization with a visit to King Minos' Palace in Knossos. Alternatively drive deep into the beautiful countryside and experience the true flavor of Cretan lifestyle.

Day 18 : Athens – Rome

Location: Athens, Rome

Accommodation: Ergife Palace

Meals Included: Breakfast

This morning, lace up your walking shoes and go in search of the artistry, architecture and archaeological treasures that have made Athens a popular stop for history lovers. Then we fly from Athens to Rome - you’ll instantly see why there's so much to love in the land of dolce vita. Whether you’re a foodie or just like to take in the local vibe, choose to tick off the city’s quintessential Italian piazzas and fountains with a Local Specialist. Throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain, see the Pantheon and get local exploring hidden corners of the Eternal City.

Day 19 : Rome Sightseeing And Free Time

Location: Rome

Accommodation: Ergife Palace

Meals Included: Breakfast

With so much to see and do, you could explore Rome for an eternity without getting bored. Join a Choice Experience to Michelangelo’s famous Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums and stand in St. Peter’s Square. Visit St. Peter’s Basilica and view Michelangelo’s greatest work, the Pietà. Cross the Tiber next, to view the mighty Colosseum and the countless blockbusters from the Roman Empire. Later, explore on your own or embrace the Italian way of la dolce vita with an evening of Italian dishes and Roman music.

Day 20 : Rome - Florence

Location: Rome, Florence

Accommodation: Miro

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Ahh, Florence. Birthplace of the Renaissance and a city that has inspired poets, authors and artists for centuries. Start your time here learning about centuries old leathercraft at Peruzzi Leatherwork Demonstration. The best way to sample all the local cuisine? Head into the Tuscan Hills for dinner on an unforgettable Choice Experience. Pappardelle pasta, Florentine steak, Panzanella salad and crostini. Is your belly rumbling yet?

Day 21 : Florence – Pisa - Monte Carlo - Nice

Location: Florence, Pisa, Monte Carlo, Nice

Accommodation: Holiday Inn Express Nice Grand Arenas

Meals Included: Breakfast

If you’ve always dreamed of visiting that famous leaning tower, we’ll take you to snap a few strategic photos featuring you and the extraordinary Leaning Tower of Pisa. Admire Pisa's Romanesque Square of Miracles in all its striped marble glory. Next, head west to the shores of Monaco. Keep your eyes peeled as you drive along its glitzy boulevards before arriving in the glamorous French Riviera.

Day 22 : French Riviera Free Time

Location: Nice

Accommodation: Holiday Inn Express Nice Grand Arenas

Meals Included: Breakfast

Oh là là! A full free day on the French Riviera. There’s no shame in spending the day sprawled out on a sun lounger with a cocktail. If you can pull yourself away from the sun, you’ll want to join a Choice Experience traveling along the mountains of the Middle Croniche to Saint-Paul-de-Vence home of the famed perfumery – Fragonard. Life is rather idyllic in this walled hill-town and, like some of its famous residents, you’ll want to linger here a little longer, but the sun-kissed promenades of Nice beckon. You never know who you might spot seated in those sleek Ferraris and private yachts!

Day 23 : French Riviera - Barcelona

Location: Nice, Barcelona

Accommodation: Hesperia Sant Just

Meals Included: Breakfast

The Mediterranean coastline stretches ahead. Keep your cameras at the ready as you drive along elegant boulevards and attempt to capture the sophistication that seems to ooze from every corner. Take a scenic right into Spain, pulling into in the eclectic city of Barcelona.

Day 24 : Barcelona Free Time

Location: Barcelona

Accommodation: Hesperia Sant Just

Meals Included: Breakfast

Ahh, Barcelona. Get right to it with locally guided tour through the lanes of the Gothic Quarter, and past the façades of Spanish Art Nouveau architect Antoni Gaudí. Later, tailor your Barcelona experience with a visit to the Montserrat monastery to see the beloved Black Madonna. Tonight, end your day on a high note, choose toto see the whirling skirts and fiery passion of a flamenco show with dinner – a foot-tapping extravaganza is not to be missed!

Day 25 : Barcelona - Pamplona Sightseeing

Location: Barcelona, Pamplona

Accommodation: Ibis Styles Noain

Meals Included: Breakfast

Tick off more landscapes winding your way through Catalonia’s vineyards to Pamplona. Fall for the city’s top sights as your Travel Director shows off Gaudí's ornate La Sagrada Família and the Plaça de Catalunya. Kick back and let the street performers entertain you while artists and shoppers fill the lively La Rambla with energy. Then see it all from above from the top of Montjuïc. The capital of Catalunya lights up at night, so resist the urge to retire early and hit the town with your new friends. Hungry for more? choose to join an optional dinner of Tapas and Sangria.

Day 26 : Pamplona - Biarritz - Bordeaux

Location: Pamplona, Biarritz, Bordeaux

Accommodation: Ibis Center Meriadeck

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

The beach is back on the agenda today, so get your hat and sunglasses ready for a trip to the glamorous seaside town of Biarritz on the Atlantic coast. Take your cue from the European royals who have been visiting this resort town since the 1800s and find your new favorite spot on a wicker chair in the sun. After a good dose of sun and sea, it’s back into the rolling countryside of Les Landes en route to Bordeaux.

Day 27 : Bordeaux - Tours - Paris

Location: Bordeaux, Tours, Paris

Accommodation: Novotel Pont de Sèvres

Meals Included: Breakfast

Wind your way through the French countryside to Tours, the gateway to the Loire Valley. In its car-free center you’ll discover a medieval heart, reflected in its timber-framed houses and Renaissance mansions. Your next stop is Paris, the French capital that doesn’t hold back and doesn’t expect you to either. Take a walk through its grand past, dynamic present and exciting future, from the maze of streets that once nurtured great artists in Montmartre to the Eiffel Tower. You could choose to join a cruise on the Seine, admiring the illuminated skyline at night.

Day 28 : Paris Sightseeing And Free Time

Location: Paris

Accommodation: Novotel Pont de Sèvres

Meals Included: Breakfast

The Parisians know a thing or two about food, fashion and fun, and the City of Light will always deliver. Dive right in, capturing your picture by the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe and shopping on the Champs Élysées. Maybe join a Local Specialist to feel like you’ve stepped in the movie Amelie exploring Montmartre's winding streets of galleries and world-famous Artist’s Square. Or, see the city from Montparnasse’s Panoramic Observation Deck and stroll past the Latin Quarter’s bistros, boutiques and hidden squares. Tonight, the colorful Can-Can dancers entice you with their bold outfits in a Choice Experience cabaret show.

Day 29 : Depart Paris

Location: Paris

All good things must come to an end. This morning, after breakfast, say farewell to your fellow travelers.

What's Included

  • Travel Director

    An expert Travel Director and professional Driver

  • Meals

    Many meals and daily breakfasts included

  • City orientation tours

  • Audio headsets

    Audio headsets are provided throughout your holiday to enhance your included sightseeing experiences

  • Transport

    Luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries

  • Choice Optional Experiences

    Extensive variety of Choice Optional Experiences

  • Aegean Cruise

    Three-night Aegean Cruise

  • Mini cruise

    Overnight mini cruise - Ancona to Patras and Patras to Ancona

  • Hotel Variability

    On occasion, hotels of similar standard and location may be utilized.

What's Not Included

  • Insurance

  • International Travel

  • Optional

Accommodation

Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted

Check out our Q&As

  • Will there be an escort accompanying this tour?

    Yes

  • What type of accommodation can I expect?

    You can expect to stay in cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted, ensuring a comfortable and restful night's sleep. On occasion, hotels of similar standard and location may be utilized.

  • What is the maximum group size?

    The maximum group size is 45 people.

  • Are airport transfers included in this tour?

    Complimentary arrival and departure transfer by shuttle coach is included on the arrival and departure day of your guided holiday. If your flight times do not coincide with the shuttle coach transfer timings you may choose to book and purchase a transfer.

  • Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?

    Yes, an expert Travel Director and professional Driver will guide and assist you throughout your journey.

  • Is there any free time to explore places during the tour?

    As detailed in a itinerary.

  • What kind of transport will be used?

    You will travel in comfort in a luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries.

  • Who will be my travelling companions on the tour?

    The beauty and joy of taking a guided vacation with Costsaver is that you get to meet, travel and make friends with people from all over the world.

  • How long has the tour company been trading?

    Costsaver is part of The Travel Corporation, which has been in business for over 100 years.

  • What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?

    Costsaver is proud to be a founding partner of the TreadRight Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation started in 2008. To date the charity has donated over US$2 million to assist underprivileged communities and support sustainable tourism initiatives around the globe.

Reviews of this operator

Trusted Customer  

ONE OF MY BEST TRAVEL EXPERIENCES IN MY LIFE!

12-Jan-2023

Travel Director Alberto and Driver Victor were providing excellent services and amazing travel experiences. Since I came back I strongly recommended to all my contacts how impressed I am with your Professional Team.

Feefo Trusted Reviews
Trusted Customer  

Definitely recommend

14-Dec-2022

Trip was planned well and the experience was great. Would definitely recommend and do another

Feefo Trusted Reviews
Trusted Customer  

Best trip ever!

20-Jan-2023

Our trip was absolutely outstanding, organized and just plain fun. Agnes is a wonderful tour-guide, knowledgeable and we never had to worry about anything. And Frank, our bus driver, always had a smile and gave us the smoothest bus ride ever! And I've been on buses around the world... If we ever go again (hopefully), Costsaver would be my first and only choice and hopefully we will get "team" Agnes and Frank again.

Feefo Trusted Reviews
Trusted Customer  

Best Travel Experience

05-Jan-2023

We have traveled to Europe many times but this time Spain was different. It was fantastic trip, our tour director was professional and informative.

Feefo Trusted Reviews
Trusted Customer  

No hesitation recommending Costsaver

17-Jan-2023

I had the time of my life. It was an incredible experience.

Feefo Trusted Reviews
Trusted Customer  

Why I chose Costsaver

15-Jan-2023

1. The visited places were interesting. 2. A real value for money. 3. Super knowledgeable and friendly tour director 4. Secure and safe. 5. Comfortable bus. 6. Efficient hotel check-in experience. 7. Highly experienced driver. 8. Excellent coordination with hotels.

Feefo Trusted Reviews

1 Dates & Availability

Instant Booking Available

Friday - Friday

Aug 09, 2024 - Sep 06, 2024
$7546
Instant Booking Available

Friday - Friday

Aug 23, 2024 - Sep 20, 2024
$7596
Instant Booking Available

Friday - Friday

Sep 27, 2024 - Oct 25, 2024
$7156

Book with Confidence

  • Low Deposit

    Costsaver requires a minimum deposit of 350 USD per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 90 days before departure.

  • Cancellation Policy

    We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of costsaver charges.

    Up to 91 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.

    At 90 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.

    At 29 days before tour starts: Forfeit 80% of booking price.

    At 1 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.