Europe with Sarah: Travel Adviser - STA Travel Online

Sarah did a 7 day Alps and Matadors Tour with Topdeck - Visiting three countries and stopping in London, Paris, Lauterbrunnen, Avignon and Barcelona.

This was a wicked way to see so much in a short space of time. The group atmosphere is amazing and you make so many new friends and have the time of your life.

Transportation and accommodation is all included and many meals are as well. I loved getting some insiders knowledge of all the sights from our great tour leader, and there certainly were sights a'plenty to see! Definitely a must do option, especially if you're a newbie to Europe.

Highlights:

Too many to name really! Barcelona was my favourite city; Sangria and Paella is included for dinner! We stayed in a great location right by the beautiful beach and the city.

Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland was another high point. The Topdeck camp is nestled between two mountains and a waterfall; it looks like something out of a photography book! You also get the choice to go up the amazing Jungfrau mountain to the highest point in Europe - awesome.

In general the great group vibe was just awesome; you don't get that if you're travelling alone or in a pair.

Lowlights:

Having to say goodbye to everyone on the last day. I wish I could have continued on my tour for a lot longer!

Some of the days have long drives, but it's still made fun with games and Ipods on the bus.

The elevators at our hotel in Paris weren't always working, and we had a firealarm at 5am in Barcelona. But somehow these mishaps were all part of the fun!

Tips:

Don't overpack too much. You probably don't need those 2 pairs of heels and 5 going out dresses that I thought would be essential.

Take a multi-country adaptor as some countries in Europe have slightly different plugs systems.

Get a comfy pair of walking shoes, you will be doing a lot of Europe on foot!

Sarah recommends this trip for:

Singles, groups of friends, couples, travellers on a budget. It's a great way to meet people and have most of your costs prepaid.

Total holiday cost:

7 day Tour cost - $1260 + $230 food fund
Extra shopping, food and drinks - approx. 20 Euros per day
Return flights to London - $2300

Score out of 10

9/10....A totally awesome trip, it just would have been great to have more time!

Check out Sarah's pics in the photo albums section of this blog!

Want to know more about Sarah's trip? Email her at [email protected]