France, Spain & Portugal Self-Launched: Paris to Lisbon in 15 Days

Land in Paris and check into a budget hostel or guesthouse in the 11th or 12th arrondissement (Generator Paris, St Christopher's Gare du Nord or a Montmartre guesthouse all work well and keep you near metro lines). The operator puts you in a 4* Mercure on the city fringe — you're trading the star rating for a central location and a much lower nightly rate. Spend the afternoon walking the Seine from Notre-Dame to the Louvre and get your bearings. In the evening, either ride the metro up to Montmartre and watch the sunset from the Sacré-Cœur steps, or book a budget Paris-by-night walking tour on GetYourGuide (~£15) instead of the operator's €40 panoramic bus tour.

🚌RER B from CDG to Gare du Nord (~£10) or Roissybus (~£13)

🛏Budget hostel or guesthouse, central Paris (~£32/night dorm or £55 double)

• →Walk the Seine: Notre-Dame, Pont Neuf, Louvre exterior
• →Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur sunset
• →Optional: GetYourGuide evening walking tour (~£15)

Do Paris yourself on a metro day pass (~£7). Start early at the Eiffel Tower — pre-book a 2nd-floor lift ticket directly with the tower (~£18) rather than joining a group, then walk the Champ de Mars. A self-guided free walking tour (pay-what-you-want, ~£10 tip) covers the same ground as the operator's 'panoramic city tour'. In the afternoon you can day-trip to Versailles by RER C (~£6 return plus ~£18 palace entry, booked direct) — this was an optional extra on the original tour. Book the Moulin Rouge separately if you want it (€160–190 official pricing); it's expensive and not necessary to enjoy Paris.

🚌Paris metro day pass (~£7); RER C to Versailles (~£6 return)

🛏Budget hostel or guesthouse, central Paris (~£32/night dorm or £55 double)

• →Eiffel Tower 2nd floor, pre-booked direct (~£18)
• →Pay-what-you-want walking tour (~£10)
• →Optional: Palace of Versailles (~£24 with transport)

Take the TGV from Paris Montparnasse to Saint-Pierre-des-Corps/Tours (about 1h10, book 2–4 weeks ahead on SNCF Connect for ~£25–40). Dump your bags at a hostel or budget hotel near the old town (Auberge de Jeunesse de Tours is a solid base). Spend the afternoon in the Vieux Tours with its half-timbered Place Plumereau — this is exactly where the operator's group stops for dinner and a stroll. Pre-book a Seine-style river cruise alternative here if you like, or simply walk the Loire banks at dusk. Note the operator includes the Eiffel Tower and Seine cruise on this day; do those back in Paris on Day 2 instead.

🚌TGV Paris Montparnasse → Tours (~£25–40, book ahead)

🛏Hostel or budget hotel, Tours old town (~£25 dorm or £50 double)

• →Place Plumereau and Vieux Tours walk
• →Loire riverbank evening stroll
• →Optional: Loire Valley château cycle day

This is a long travel day and the operator does it by coach — you'll do it by train. Morning TGV/Intercités from Tours to Bordeaux (~1h45, ~£20–35) gives you 3–4 hours to walk the UNESCO Port of the Moon quays, the Miroir d'Eau and the Cathedral of St Andrew. Then take a late-afternoon train Bordeaux → Lourdes via Dax or direct (~3h, ~£25–45). Check into a Lourdes pilgrim guesthouse (~£22–35) — Lourdes is full of cheap religious-run accommodation. If you're travelling between late March and October, the evening candlelight torchlight procession at the Sanctuary is free and unforgettable.

🚌Tours → Bordeaux TGV (~£25); Bordeaux → Lourdes train (~£35)

🛏Pilgrim guesthouse or budget hotel, Lourdes (~£30)

• →Bordeaux Port of the Moon and Miroir d'Eau
• →Cathédrale Saint-André
• →Lourdes Sanctuary torchlight procession (free, seasonal)

Hire a share of a car or use regional TER trains and buses: Lourdes → Carcassonne (~1h15 by train, ~£12) gives you a couple of hours inside the fairy-tale Cité walls — entry to the ramparts and Château Comtal is direct-booked (~£9). Continue by train to Foix (~30 min) to see the Château de Foix perched over town (~£6). From Foix, reach Andorra via L'Hospitalet-près-l'Andorre and onward bus or taxi-share (~£25–40) — Andorra has no rail, so this leg is bus or shared car. Overnight in Andorra la Vella in a budget hotel or aparthotel (~£35–45).

🚌Lourdes → Carcassonne train (~£12); Carcassonne → Foix (~£5); Foix/L'Hospitalet → Andorra by bus/shared taxi (~£30)

🛏Budget hotel/aparthotel, Andorra la Vella (~£40)

• →Carcassonne Cité and Château Comtal (~£9)
• →Château de Foix (~£6)
• →Optional: Caldea thermal spa, Andorra (~£35)

Bus from Andorra la Vella to Barcelona (Directbus/ALSA, ~3h, ~£28) — you can break the journey to visit Montserrat, though it's easiest as a separate day trip from Barcelona. Check into a hostel in Eixample or Gràcia (Casa Gracia, St Christopher's, Generator) ~£28–38 dorm. In the late afternoon, walk the Gothic Quarter and the Boqueria. If you've booked Montserrat for today, ride the Aeri or the Cremallera rack railway up from Monistrol de Montserrat (~£22 return plus ~£8 by FGC train) — the rack train ride the operator includes is exactly this.

🚌Andorra → Barcelona bus (~£28)

🛏Hostel, Eixample or Gràcia, Barcelona (~£32 dorm)

• →Gothic Quarter and Barcelona Cathedral walk
• →Boqueria market
• →Optional: Montserrat rack railway and abbey (~£35 with transport)

Book Sagrada Família entry directly on the official site (~£22) with a timed slot, and walk Passeig de Gràcia for Casa Batlló and La Pedrera (exteriors free, interiors ~£25 if you want them). Self-guided free walking tours cover the same ground as the operator's panoramic tour (~£10 tip). In the evening head down to Maremagnum at Port Vell — the waterfront dining and leisure complex the operator transfers you to — and walk out to the Columbus Monument. Metro T-casual 10-ride card ~£10 covers the day.

🚌Barcelona metro T-casual (~£10)

🛏Hostel, Eixample or Gràcia, Barcelona (~£32 dorm)

• →Sagrada Família, pre-booked (~£22)
• →Passeig de Gràcia modernist route
• →Maremagnum, Port Vell and Columbus Monument

Take a regional train or bus down the coast: Barcelona → Peníscola via Vinaròs (~2h15, ~£16), with 2–3 hours to wander the Templar castle and walled old town on its rock spit (castle entry ~£4). Continue Peníscola/Vinaròs → Valencia by train (~1h45, ~£14). Stay in Ruzafa or the Carmen district in a hostel or budget hotel (~£25–40). Valencia's City of Arts and Sciences is best seen at dusk — the gardens and exterior are free, and you can walk or cycle the Turia riverbed park. Eat a proper paella in Ruzafa rather than the operator's set group dinner (~£12–16).

🚌Barcelona → Peníscola train (~£16); Peníscola/Vinaròs → Valencia train (~£14)

🛏Hostel or budget hotel, Ruzafa/Carmen, Valencia (~£30)

• →Peníscola walled town and Templar castle (~£4)
• →City of Arts and Sciences and Turia park
• →Ruzafa tapas and paella

Long day, and the operator does it in one coach push. Your version: an early Valencia → Alicante train (~2h, ~£16) for the Castle of Santa Bárbara and the Explanada promenade, then Alicante → Granada by ALSA bus or train via the inland route, stopping at Guadix if timings allow (~5–6h total, ~£30). Guadix's cave-house barrio and cathedral are a quick, worthwhile wander. Arrive Granada in the evening and check into a hostel in the Albaicín or near the cathedral (~£25–38 dorm). Book your Alhambra ticket NOW — it sells out weeks ahead.

🚌Valencia → Alicante train (~£16); Alicante → Granada bus (~£30)

🛏Hostel, Albaicín or central Granada (~£30)

• →Castle of Santa Bárbara, Alicante
• →Guadix cave houses and historic quarter
• →Evening stroll in the Albaicín

Your timed Alhambra and Generalife Gardens ticket is the day's centrepiece — book the official 'Alhambra General' ticket directly on the Alhambra website (€19, ~£16) the moment your dates are fixed; the Nasrid Palaces slot is the one that disappears first. Spend the rest of the morning in the Generalife gardens and the Alcazaba. Afternoon: the Albaicín's whitewashed lanes and the San Nicolás viewpoint for the classic Alhambra panorama. In the evening, catch a raw flamenco show in a Sacromonte cave or a tablao — the operator's optional Zambra Gitana is €40, but cave-house shows start around €20–25 booked direct.

🚌Local buses and walking (~£3)

🛏Hostel, Albaicín or central Granada (~£30)

• →Alhambra, Nasrid Palaces and Generalife, pre-booked (~£16)
• →Albaicín and San Nicolás viewpoint
• →Flamenco in Sacromonte (~£22)

Another long multi-stop day. Easiest independent route: an early ALSA bus Granada → Málaga (~1h45, ~£12) with a coastal detour stop at Nerja for the Balcón de Europa and cliffs, then Málaga's historic centre and Alcazaba, then Málaga → Ronda by bus (~2h, ~£12) for the dramatic Puente Nuevo gorge, then Ronda → Seville by train or bus (~2h30, ~£15). It's a lot; if it feels rushed, split it and overnight in Ronda (~£30 guesthouse) instead. Check into a Seville hostel in the Santa Cruz or Triana district (~£28–40).

🚌Granada → Málaga bus (~£12); Málaga → Ronda bus (~£12); Ronda → Seville train/bus (~£15)

🛏Hostel, Santa Cruz or Triana, Seville (~£32)

• →Nerja Balcón de Europa and cliffs
• →Málaga Alcazaba and historic centre
• →Ronda Puente Nuevo gorge

Book Seville Cathedral and the Giralda tower directly (~£11), plus the Real Alcázar if you want it (~£12) — both timed tickets sell out, so reserve online a few days ahead. Self-guided walk through Santa Cruz's alleys, then cross the river into Triana for ceramics and tapas. In the afternoon you can take a cheap 1-hour Guadalquivir river boat ride from Torre del Oro (~£7) instead of the operator's included boat ride. Evening: a proper flamenco show at a tablao in Triana or the Casa de la Memoria (~£20–25 booked direct, versus the operator's €40 Patio Sevillano option).

🚌Walking and local buses (~£4)

🛏Hostel, Santa Cruz or Triana, Seville (~£32)

• →Seville Cathedral and Giralda, pre-booked (~£11)
• →Santa Cruz and Triana neighbourhoods
• →Guadalquivir boat ride (~£7)
• →Flamenco tablao (~£22)

Cross into Portugal. Bus or train Seville → Mérida (~2h30, ~£15) for the superb Roman Theatre and Amphitheatre — entry ~£12 direct, and it's one of the best-preserved Roman sites in Iberia. Then Mérida → Évora by bus (~3h, ~£20), where you can stop off for the Temple of Diana, the cathedral and the bone-chilling Chapel of Bones (~£5). Finally Évora → Lisbon by bus or train (~2h, ~£14). Check into a Lisbon hostel in Baixa, Alfama or Bairro Alto (~£25–38 dorm).

🚌Seville → Mérida bus (~£15); Mérida → Évora bus (~£20); Évora → Lisbon bus/train (~£14)

🛏Hostel, Baixa or Alfama, Lisbon (~£30)

• →Mérida Roman Theatre and Amphitheatre (~£12)
• →Évora Temple of Diana and Chapel of Bones (~£5)

Ride tram 28 or the metro to Belém and see the Jerónimos Monastery, Belém Tower and the Monument to the Discoveries — the neighbourhood the operator tours with a guide, easily done independently. Book entry tickets direct (~£12 combined). The operator's optional Sintra/Cascais/Estoril excursion is €40; you can do it yourself far cheaper by taking the CP train from Rossio to Sintra (~£4 return), seeing Quinta da Regaleira or Pena Palace (book direct, ~£12–18), then bus or train on to Cascais and the westernmost point at Cabo da Roca. Evening: drinks in Bairro Alto and a fado bar in Alfama (~£10 cover).

🚌Lisbon metro/tram day pass (~£7); Rossio → Sintra train (~£4 return)

🛏Hostel, Baixa or Alfama, Lisbon (~£30)

• →Belém: Jerónimos, Belém Tower (~£12)
• →Optional DIY Sintra: Pena Palace or Quinta da Regaleira (~£15)
• →Bairro Alto and Alfama fado evening

Final morning. Grab breakfast at a pastelaria (pastéis de nata and coffee, ~£4) and either climb to the Miradouro da Senhora do Monte or take tram 15 back out to Belém if you missed anything. Metro or Aerobus to Humberto Delgado Airport (~£2 metro, ~£4 bus). If your flight is later, a half-day trip to the seaside town of Cascais by train (~£4) is an easy filler before departure.

🚌Lisbon metro or Aerobus to airport (~£2–4)

🛏—

• →Miradouro viewpoints
• →Pastéis de nata breakfast
• →Optional: Cascais half-day by train