• Basic hotels/hostels (8 nts). Please note some accommodation is on a multishare basis and has shared facilities.

• Train, coach, local bus, metro, walking

Days 1-2 Paris

A stroll along the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe is a Parisian experience not to be missed. Visit the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, Sacre Coeur and the Louvre - there's a bounty of iconic places to see in this beautiful city. Grab a baguette and find a seat to watch the passing parade or head into the Catacombs for a very spooky walk.

Days 3-4 Bruges

With its picturesque waterways, cobbled lanes, delicious waffles and dazzling array of beers, this Venice of the North beckons. Consider a tour of the De Halve Maan Brewery to learn the story behind the famous beer or head further afield to the battlefields of Waterloo. Sample pralines from a local chocolatier, shop for Flemish lace or just hang out in the city square and watch the world go by.

Days 5-6 Amsterdam

Hire a bike and take to the streets of a city that once inspired Rembrandt and Van Gogh and continues to enchant visitors with its canals, bridges and parks. Pick out some fresh blooms at the Bloemenmarkt, visit the wartime hiding place of Anne Frank to see the attic in which she wrote her diary, or head to the Rijksmuseum to marvel at The Night Watch and other artistic masterpieces.

Days 7-9 Berlin

Discover why artists, designers and musicians continue to make the pilgrimage to a city as famous for its progressive arts scene as for its tumultuous history. Delve into the city's provocative past on a walking tour, wander the lush pathways of the Tiergarten and visit the crumbling remains of the Berlin Wall. Make the most of the electric nightlife and perhaps celebrate the journey's end in one of the city's hip clubs.