The Great Adventure: Rome to Amsterdam, Self-Launched
14 days · Western Europe (Italy, Switzerland, France, England, Netherlands)
Europamundo charges £2,125
No-markup version: ~£1,330 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Europamundo's 14-day coach circuit from Rome to Amsterdam, covering Rome, Florence, Venice, Innsbruck, Zurich, Lucerne, Grindelwald, Strasbourg, Paris, Rouen, Canterbury, London, Colchester, Volendam and Amsterdam. Instead of a 72-person coach with optional paid excursions, you'll string together trains, a cross-Channel ferry and city transport, staying in hostels and budget guesthouses and booking walks, museums and boat trips yourself. Costs below are realistic backpacker estimates for one person (shared dorm where possible) and exclude flights to/from Europe.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Rome
Rome, Italy
Land in Rome and take the Leonardo Express train (€14, ~32 min) or the Terracotta/regional bus (€7) from Fiumicino into Termini. Check into a hostel around Termini or Monti — the historic centre is walkable and buses run late. Spend the late afternoon wandering Monti's cobbled lanes before an evening on Via Cavour, which is lined with Italian, Indian and Chinese restaurants — exactly the neighbourhood the coach tour transfers you to on night one, only you can walk there.
🚌Leonardo Express train Fiumicino→Roma Termini ~£12
🛏Hostel dorm near Termini/Monti (~£24/night)
- →Leonardo Express into Rome
- →Evening walk in Monti
- →Dinner on Via Cavour
Imperial Rome and Trastevere
Rome, Italy
Do the classic Imperial Rome circuit on foot and by city bus: Colosseum exterior (book a timed ticket ~€18 if you want to go inside), Roman Forum viewpoints, Circus Maximus, then bus 81/118 across to the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. Late afternoon, walk over the river into Trastevere for aperitivo and dinner. A free walking tour (tip-based, ~£8-10 tip) covers the same ground as the operator's included panoramic tour. Optional upgrade: Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel self-booked online (~€20-25 with advance slot, versus €70 on tour).
🚌On foot + local ATAC bus ticket €1.50
🛏Hostel dorm near Termini/Monti (~£24/night)
- →Self-guided Imperial Rome walk
- →Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain
- →Trastevere evening
- →Optional Vatican Museums ticket ~£20
Rome to Florence
Florence, Italy
Book a Frecciarossa or Italo high-speed train Rome→Florence (1h35, from ~€25 if booked ahead; regional alternative ~€20 and 3h45). Drop bags at a hostel near Santa Maria Novella and do the classic Florence walk yourself: Duomo exterior (climb the dome only if you pre-book), Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio at golden hour, and up to Piazzale Michelangelo for sunset over the Arno. A small-group Duomo or Uffizi skip-the-line ticket can be booked via GetYourGuide from ~£20.
🚌High-speed train Rome→Florence ~£22
🛏Hostel dorm in Florence centre (~£28/night)
- →Duomo and Piazza della Signoria walk
- →Ponte Vecchio
- →Piazzale Michelangelo sunset
Florence to Venice
Venice, Italy
Train Florence→Venezia Santa Lucia (2h, from ~€20 booked ahead). Stay on the mainland at Mestre (~£25 dorm) or splash out for a hostel on Cannaregio. Take vaporetto line 1 or 2 down the Grand Canal (€9.50 single, or a 24h pass €25) as your 'boat crossing'. Wander St Mark's Square (free to enter the piazza; basilica entry from €3), then walk to the Rialto and the quiet Cannaregio canals. Skip the €40 gondola and instead take the traghetto gondola ferry across the Grand Canal for €2 — same boat, 1/20th of the price. Murano is a free vaporetto hop from Fondamente Nove if you want to see glass workshops.
🚌Train Florence→Venice ~£18; vaporetto 24h pass £21
🛏Hostel dorm in Mestre/Cannaregio (~£26/night)
- →Vaporetto Grand Canal ride
- →St Mark's Square and Basilica
- →Rialto and Cannaregio wander
- →Traghetto ferry crossing €2
Venice to Innsbruck to Zurich
Zurich, Switzerland
Long travel day, done cheaply: Railjet Venice→Innsbruck (3h45, from ~€25 with a Sparschiene ticket, scenic through the Dolomites and Brenner Pass), leave your bag at Innsbruck Hbf lockers (€3-4) and walk the medieval old town — the Golden Roof, Maria-Theresien-Strasse and the Nordkette views. Then the night or late-afternoon train Innsbruck→Zurich (3h30, from ~€35 booked ahead). Arrive Zurich and check into a hostel near Langstrasse or the Hauptbahnhof; Switzerland is expensive, so a self-catering hostel kitchen is your friend.
🚌Railjet Venice→Innsbruck ~£22; train Innsbruck→Zurich ~£32
🛏Hostel dorm in Zurich (~£38/night)
- →Innsbruck old town and Golden Roof
- →Scenic Alpine rail journey
Zurich to Lucerne and Grindelwald
Grindelwald / Zurich, Switzerland
Train Zurich→Lucerne (45 min, ~CHF 12 with a saver ticket), walk the Chapel Bridge and lakefront for a couple of hours, then train on to Interlaken/Grindelwald (2h15, ~CHF 35-40). In Grindelwald take the Grindelwald-First gondola (CHF 68 return) for the cliff walk suspension bridge and the Bachalpsee trail, or the cheaper Männlichen gondola from Wengen if you're tight on cash. The Swiss Half Fare Card (CHF 120) pays for itself if you're doing multiple mountain lifts — worth pricing up. Pack a supermarket lunch rather than the operator's included mountain lunch. Return to Zurich for the night.
🚌Trains Zurich→Lucerne→Grindelwald return ~£60; gondola ~£48
🛏Hostel dorm in Zurich (~£38/night)
- →Lucerne Chapel Bridge and lakefront
- →Grindelwald-First gondola and cliff walk
- →Bachalpsee hike
Zurich to Strasbourg to Paris
Paris, France
Train Zurich→Strasbourg (1h45, from ~€25 on TER/ICE with advance booking), then Strasbourg→Paris Gare de l'Est (1h50, from ~€25 on TGV). Break the journey to explore Strasbourg's Petite France and the cathedral — all walkable from the station in 2-3 hours. Arrive Paris in the evening, check into a hostel in the 10th/11th or around Montmartre and grab a cheap dinner from a boulangerie or a €12 plat du jour.
🚌Train Zurich→Strasbourg ~£22; Strasbourg→Paris ~£25
🛏Hostel dorm in Paris (~£34/night)
- →Strasbourg Petite France and cathedral
- →Arrival wander in Paris
Paris
Paris, France
Do the panoramic circuit on the 69 or 42 city bus for the price of a €2.15 ticket instead of a coach tour, or join a tip-based free walking tour from Notre-Dame. Walk the Seine, Île de la Cité, Louvre courtyard, Tuileries and Champs-Élysées. Book the Eiffel Tower 2nd floor online in advance (~€19) — or just view it from Trocadéro for free. Versailles is a 40-minute RER C ride (~€4 each way) plus a €21 palace ticket; cheaper again if you only do the gardens. In the evening, Montmartre and Sacré-Coeur at sunset beats any €40 night bus tour.
🚌Metro/RER carnet ~£8
🛏Hostel dorm in Paris (~£34/night)
- →Free walking tour (tip ~£8)
- →Eiffel Tower 2nd floor ticket ~£16
- →Montmartre and Sacré-Coeur sunset
Paris to Rouen
Rouen, France
Morning at the Eiffel Tower or the Seine if you haven't ticked them off, then train Paris Saint-Lazare→Rouen Rive Droite (1h20, from ~€15 on Intercités). Rouen is compact and gorgeous: the Gros-Horloge, the cathedral Monet painted, and the Joan of Arc sites are all within 20 minutes' walk. Check into a budget hotel or hostel near the old town. A Seine boat cruise in Paris can be self-booked (Bateaux Parisiens/Vedettes du Pont Neuf from ~€15) if you want the water experience at a fraction of the coach-tour add-on.
🚌Train Paris→Rouen ~£14
🛏Budget hotel/hostel in Rouen centre (~£30/night)
- →Rouen old town walk
- →Gros-Horloge and cathedral
- →Optional Seine cruise in Paris ~£13
Rouen to Canterbury to London
London, England
The DIY version of the coach-plus-ferry leg: train Rouen→Paris (1h20) or Rouen→Dieppe, then a FlixBus/BlaBlaCar Bus to Calais or Paris→London via the Eurostar (from ~£40 booked well ahead, 2h15). Cheapest backpacker route is FlixBus Rouen/Paris→Calais (~£12), P&O or DFDS ferry foot passenger Calais→Dover (~£20-25), then a National Express coach Dover→London Victoria (~£10). Break in Canterbury (30 min by train from Dover, ~£7) to see the cathedral and the medieval lanes. Settle into a hostel in King's Cross or Wapping.
🚌Bus/ferry/train combination ~£50
🛏Hostel dorm in London (~£32/night)
- →Canterbury cathedral and old town
- →Ferry crossing Dover
- →Evening at Tower Bridge
London
London, England
Walk the classic route: Westminster and Parliament, across to the South Bank for the Thames and the London Eye, then up to Buckingham Palace for the Changing of the Guard (free — check timings). Free walking tours run from Covent Garden for a tip. The British Museum is free (book a free timed slot online) and the Tate Modern and National Gallery are free too. Evening in Leicester Square, Chinatown and Soho — dinner in Chinatown is £10-12 and the buzz costs nothing. Windsor Castle can be done by train from Waterloo (~£12 return) plus £30 entry, or view the town and Eton for free.
🚌Oyster/contactless travel ~£9
🛏Hostel dorm in London (~£32/night)
- →Westminster and South Bank walk
- →British Museum (free)
- →Chinatown and Soho evening
- →Free walking tour (tip ~£8)
London to Colchester to the overnight ferry
Hoek van Holland, Netherlands
Day trip out to Colchester (Greater Anglia train from Liverpool Street, 50 min, ~£14 return) for the castle and Roman walls, or stay in London and do the British Museum and Camden Market in the morning. Late afternoon head to Harwich: train from Liverpool Street via Manningtree (~£18) in time for the Stena Line overnight ferry Harwich→Hoek van Holland, departing around 23:00 and arriving early morning. Book a reclining seat or a shared cabin (~£45-60) — it's the same crossing the coach tour uses, just booked directly.
🚌Train London→Harwich ~£18; Stena Line ferry to Hoek van Holland ~£50
🛏Stena Line ferry cabin/seat (~£50)
- →Colchester castle and Roman walls
- →Camden Market
- →Overnight North Sea crossing
Hoek van Holland to Volendam to Amsterdam
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Arrive Hoek van Holland early, take the metro/train to Amsterdam Centraal (~€12). Drop bags at a hostel in West or around the Jordaan. Then take bus 316 or the EBS Volendam Express (€6-7, 30 min) north to the fishing village for smoked fish, harbour photos and a walk along the dike — the tour's only Dutch village stop, done independently. Back in Amsterdam, join a free walking tour or hire a bike (€12/day) to see the Jordaan, Museumplein and the canals. A canal cruise booked directly or via GetYourGuide is €16-20 — versus the €50 coach-and-boat combo offered on tour.
🚌Train/metro Hoek→Amsterdam ~£11; bus to Volendam ~£6; bike hire £11
🛏Hostel dorm in Amsterdam (~£34/night)
- →Volendam harbour and dike walk
- →Bike ride Jordaan and Museumplein
- →Canal cruise ~£15
Amsterdam
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Final day: pick two of the free or cheap museums (Van Gogh €22, Rijksmuseum €25, or the free Begijnhof and Nine Streets wander), grab a stroopwafel and a coffee on a canal, and sort your onward transport — Schiphol is 20 minutes and ~€5.50 by train. If you want a windmill and diamond-cutting history without the coach tour, Zaanse Schans is a 40-minute train ride (~€9 return) and the village itself is free to wander.
🚌Local transport ~£6; Schiphol train £5
🛏Hostel dorm in Amsterdam (~£34/night)
- →Nine Streets and Begijnhof wander
- →Optional Zaanse Schans windmills ~£8 transport
- →Airport transfer
Self-launched vs. Europamundo
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Europamundo | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,330 | £2,125 |
| Duration | 14 days | 14 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £795 per person (37%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Europamundo-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,330
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 The Great Adventure: Rome to Amsterdam, Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,330 per person for 14 days in Western Europe (Italy, Switzerland, France, England, Netherlands). 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 £2,125 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,330 — a saving of roughly £795 (37%) per person.
How long is the Western Europe (Italy, Switzerland, France, England, Netherlands) trip?+
This itinerary runs 14 days, covering 14 day-by-day stops through Western Europe (Italy, Switzerland, France, England, Netherlands).
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, budget trip through Western Europe (Italy, Switzerland, France, England, Netherlands), 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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