Europe Highlights Christmas – Self-Launched Edition
10 days · Europe (Italy, Austria, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Switzerland)
Travel Chasers formerly Expat Explore charges £2,875
No-markup version: ~£1,150 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Travel Chasers (formerly Expat Explore)'s 10-day Christmas coach circuit: Rome → Venice → Innsbruck → Munich → Rhine Valley → Amsterdam → Ghent → Paris → Burgundy → Swiss Alps → Lake Como → Pisa/Florence → Rome. Instead of a 50-person coach and 3-4* hotels, you'll string together cheap flights, high-speed and regional trains, and Christmas-market towns using hostels and budget guesthouses. The route is squeezed — expect long travel days and early starts — but you'll hit the same festive highlights (Venetian canals, Munich's Marienplatz markets, Rhine wine tasting, Amsterdam Light Festival, Ghent, Montmartre, Beaune, the Alps, Lake Como, Pisa and Florence) for roughly half the price. All costs are approximate per-person estimates in GBP and assume a solo traveller sharing dorms or a twin where cheaper.
Day-by-day
Rome to Venice
Rome → Venice
Start early in Rome (the operator's own meeting point is a Rome hotel at 07:30 — you can do the same from any hostel near Termini). Take a high-speed Frecciarossa or Italo train from Roma Termini to Venezia Santa Lucia (3h 45m–4h, book on trenitalia.com or italotreno.com 2-3 months ahead for €30-50). Drop bags at a Mestre or Cannaregio hostel, then spend the afternoon wandering Venice: Rialto Bridge, St Mark's Square, the Grand Canal and the Christmas market stalls around Campo Santo Stefano. Skip the operator's gondola/water-taxi dinner package — either share a gondola (€80-90 per boat for up to 5, ~€18 each) or ride the vaporetto Line 1 for a cheap Grand Canal cruise (~€9.50 day pass). Book hostels via Hostelworld.
🚌High-speed train Rome Termini → Venezia S. Lucia, ~£30-45; vaporetto day pass ~£9
🛏Hostel in Venice Mestre or Cannaregio (dorm £18-25)
- →Self-walk Rialto Bridge & St Mark's Square
- →Grand Canal by vaporetto Line 1
- →Venetian Christmas markets (Campo Santo Stefano)
- →Optional shared gondola ride
Venice – Innsbruck – Munich
Venice → Innsbruck → Munich
Recreate the coach route by rail. Take a morning train Venezia Mestre → Verona → Brenner → Innsbruck (about 4h, €30-45 booked ahead), store bags at Innsbruck Hbf and walk the Old Town (Golden Roof, Hofgasse, Maria-Theresien-Strasse) plus the Christmas market in front of the Golden Roof. Then a regional train or ÖBB Railjet onward to Munich (1h 45m, ~€20-30). Check into a hostel near Hauptbahnhof and head to Marienplatz for the Christkindlmarkt and a cheap Bavarian dinner (a bratwurst and Glühwein at the market costs a fraction of the included restaurant meal).
🚌Regional/Railjet trains Venice → Innsbruck → Munich, ~£45-60 total
🛏Hostel near Munich Hauptbahnhof (dorm £22-32)
- →Innsbruck Old Town self-walk (Golden Roof, Maria-Theresien-Strasse)
- →Innsbruck Christmas market
- →Munich Marienplatz Christkindlmarkt
Munich to the Rhine Valley
Munich → Boppard / Rhine Valley
Long travel day — the operator drives it by coach; you'll do it by train. Book a Munich → Boppard or St Goar route via Frankfurt or Koblenz on bahn.de (4h 30m–5h 30m, €30-50 with a Sparpreis ticket). Stay in a budget guesthouse or hostel in Boppard, St Goar or Bacharach. In the afternoon take the KD Rhine ferry or a local train along the gorge to see the castles, and do a walk-in wine tasting at a Boppard or Bacharach winery (€10-15 for 4-5 Rieslings) rather than a coach-group tasting.
🚌ICE/regional train Munich → Boppard via Frankfurt or Koblenz, ~£30-50; local Rhine ferry/train ~£8
🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel in Boppard or Bacharach (dorm/private ~£25-35)
- →Rhine Gorge scenic ferry or train ride
- →Walk-in wine tasting in Boppard/Bacharach
- →Christmas Eve dinner at a local Weinstube
Rhine Valley to Amsterdam
Rhine Valley → Amsterdam
Morning train Boppard → Koblenz → Cologne → Amsterdam Centraal (4h-4h 30m, €30-45 on a Sparpreis ticket). The Riekermolen windmill and cheese/clog demo are easy DIY pay-as-you-go visits (Riekermolen is free to view, 20 min by tram/bike from the centre; the Zaanse Schans clog & cheese farms are free entry and 40 min by train, ~€15 return). In the evening, join the Amsterdam Light Festival — the official canal cruise is bookable via GetYourGuide/Blue Boat Company for ~£20-25, a much cheaper version of the included group cruise. Christmas dinner at a brown café or Indonesian rijsttafel (~£18-25).
🚌Train Boppard → Amsterdam, ~£30-45; tram/bike + Zaanse Schans return ~£15
🛏Hostel in Amsterdam city centre or near Sloterdijk (dorm £30-45 in Christmas week)
- →Riekermolen windmill / Zaanse Schans clog & cheese demo (free entry)
- →Amsterdam Light Festival canal cruise (GetYourGuide)
- →Amsterdam Christmas markets
Amsterdam – Ghent – Paris
Amsterdam → Ghent → Paris
Eurostar or the cheaper Amsterdam → Antwerp Intercity (2h, ~€25-35), then a 45-min local train to Ghent (€10). Store bags at Gent-Sint-Pieters and walk the medieval centre — Gravensteen castle, Graslei, Korenmarkt and the Christmas market. Lunch on a Ghent waffle or a cheap café lunch (~£8). Then take Ghent → Brussels → Paris by Intercity/TGV (2h 30m–3h, ~€40-60 booked ahead; a FlixBus takes 4h for €15-25 if you want to save). Check into a hostel in the 18e/Montmartre area or a St Christophers/Cauldron property, and finish with a cheap crêpe dinner in Montmartre.
🚌Amsterdam → Antwerp → Ghent → Brussels → Paris trains, ~£55-75 (bus alternative ~£25)
🛏Hostel in Paris (Montmartre or Canal Saint-Martin; dorm £28-40)
- →Ghent medieval centre self-walk (Gravensteen, Graslei, Korenmarkt)
- →Ghent Christmas market
- →Evening wander in Montmartre
Paris
Paris
Full freelance day in Paris. The operator's 'Paris Like Locals' and Montmartre excursions are easily self-booked: a free walking tour (FreeTour.com, tip ~£5-10) covers the Latin Quarter and Île de la Cité; the Louvre is €22 booked on louvre.fr (or free on the first Friday evening of the month). A macaron and pastry crawl through the Marais or Saint-Germain costs £10-15. Add a Montmartre sunset walk and Sacré-Cœur (free) instead of the paid cabaret — or book a Moulin Rouge show via GetYourGuide (~£110+) if it's a must. Metro carnets cost ~€17 for 10 rides or use the Navigo Easy ~£7 for a day of zones 1-2.
🚌Paris Metro Navigo Easy / carnets ~£7-10
🛏Hostel in Paris (dorm £28-40)
- →Free walking tour of Latin Quarter & Île de la Cité
- →Louvre entry (louvre.fr, €22)
- →Marais/St-Germain pastry & macaron crawl
- →Montmartre & Sacré-Cœur sunset
Paris – Burgundy – Swiss Alps
Paris → Beaune → Lauterbrunnen/Interlaken
Take a morning TGV Paris Gare de Lyon → Dijon → Beaune (1h 40m–2h, €25-45 booked ahead). Store bags and walk Beaune's old town, Hospices de Beaune (€13 entry, book on site) and the Saturday Christmas market. Do a walk-in cellar tasting at a Beaune négociant (Patriarche or Marché aux Vins, €15-25) instead of a coach wine stop. Then continue Beaune → Dijon → Basel/Bern → Interlaken Ost (3h 30m–4h, ~€45-70), and hop the local train 20 min up to Lauterbrunnen for a hostel in the valley — a much better Alps base than the operator's riverside hotel.
🚌TGV Paris → Beaune ~£25-45; Beaune → Basel → Interlaken → Lauterbrunnen ~£45-65; Swiss half-fare considerations
🛏Hostel in Lauterbrunnen or Interlaken (dorm £30-42)
- →Beaune old town & Hospices de Beaune (€13)
- →Walk-in Burgundy wine tasting (€15-25)
- →Beaune Christmas market
Swiss Alps
Lauterbrunnen / Jungfrau region
The Jungfraujoch 'Top of Europe' trip is the big splurge — do it independently: buy a Jungfraubahn ticket from Lauterbrunnen (approx. CHF 190-230 / £170-205 return, or book via GetYourGuide; the Swiss Half Fare Card or Berner Oberland Pass can cut this). Alternatively, ride the cheaper cable car to Grütschalp or Mürren for sweeping valley views at a fraction of the cost (~£30-40). In the afternoon explore Lauterbrunnen's frozen waterfalls and Wengen, or do the easy winter walk to Stechelberg. Fondue dinner at a valley restaurant runs £18-25 instead of an optional excursion.
🚌Jungfraubahn or Mürren cable car ~£30-205 depending on choice; local trains ~£10
🛏Hostel in Lauterbrunnen or Interlaken (dorm £30-42)
- →Jungfraujoch or Mürren/Grütschalp cable car
- →Lauterbrunnen valley walk
- →Swiss fondue dinner
Swiss Alps to Lake Como
Interlaken → Lake Como → Montecatini/Tuscany
Morning train Interlaken Ost → Spiez → Brig → Domodossola → Milan → Como San Giovanni (5h–5h 30m, ~€50-70 booked ahead on sbb.ch or trenitalia). Hop off at Como for a couple of hours — walk the lakeside, take the funicular to Brunate (~€6) and grab a cheap lakeside pizza lunch (~£10). Continue by regional train Como → Florence/Montecatini Terme (3h 30m, ~€25-40) and check into a budget guesthouse in Montecatini or Lucca. This replaces the operator's resort with a simple Tuscan pensione but puts you in the same place.
🚌Interlaken → Como → Montecatini regional trains, ~£75-100
🛏Budget guesthouse/pensione in Montecatini Terme or Lucca (~£25-35)
- →Lake Como waterfront walk
- →Brunate funicular (~€6)
- →Lakeside lunch in Como
Montecatini – Pisa – Florence – Rome
Montecatini → Pisa → Florence → Rome
Early regional train Montecatini → Pisa Centrale (1h, €5-8), walk 20 min to the Leaning Tower and Piazza dei Miracoli (free to see; €20 to climb, book online). Continue Pisa → Florence by regionale (1h, €10). Join a free walking tour of Florence (tip £5-10) covering the Duomo exterior, Ponte Vecchio and Piazza della Signoria — or book a skip-the-line Uffizi via GetYourGuide (~£25). Grab a panino from All'Antico Vinaio (~£6) instead of the farewell lunch excursion, then take the Frecciarossa Florence → Rome Termini (1h 30m, €25-45 booked ahead), arriving late afternoon — the same end point as the tour's 19:30 Rome hotel drop-off.
🚌Regional trains Montecatini → Pisa → Florence ~£15; high-speed Florence → Rome ~£25-45
🛏Hostel in Rome Termini/Monti (dorm £20-30) — or onward travel
- →Leaning Tower of Pisa (Piazza dei Miracoli, free to view)
- →Florence free walking tour / Uffizi (GetYourGuide)
- →Street-food panino in Florence
Self-launched vs. Travel Chasers formerly Expat Explore
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Travel Chasers formerly Expat Explore | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,150 | £2,875 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,725 per person (60%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Travel Chasers formerly Expat Explore-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,150
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 Europe Highlights Christmas – Self-Launched Edition cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,150 per person for 10 days in Europe (Italy, Austria, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Switzerland). 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 Travel Chasers formerly Expat Explore?+
Yes — Travel Chasers formerly Expat Explore charges around £2,875 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,150 — a saving of roughly £1,725 (60%) per person.
How long is the Europe (Italy, Austria, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Switzerland) trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 day-by-day stops through Europe (Italy, Austria, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Switzerland).
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 festivals, culture, city-breaks trip through Europe (Italy, Austria, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Switzerland), 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?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
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