One of the great benefits of London is its proximity to mainland Europe, making it an ideal base from which to visit a wide number of destinations with relative ease. And with budget airlines along with the Channel Tunnel offering affordable prices for travelling to cities across the continent, it is little surprise that so many people choose to make the short hop to explore Europe’s delights.
Below, we’ve picked out five of the best tours available from London to Europe, based on pricing and a look at previous customer reviews. We hope it serves as a source of inspiration for your future travels.

European Horizon (10 Days)
FROM €1,067 PER PERSON
Spend a week and a half exploring some of Europe’s finest cities and sites and indulging in quintessential activities unique to each destination on this action-packed tour. Restricted to 18 to 35-year-olds, you’re sure to meet like-minded travellers as you traverse beautiful landscapes via a combination of coach, bus and ferry. Among the highlights will be sipping on local German beer, white-water rafting, cruising Venice’s legendary canals and admiring the stunning Swiss Alps. The tour price includes all accommodation, meals and transport, plus an expert guide.

Europe Jewel (14 Days)
FROM €1,459 PER PERSON
For an extended tour of Europe, this two-week adventure could be for you. Taking in a total of 16 destinations, you’ll travel by a mix of coach and bus across Europe’s scenic terrains, stopping off for magical experiences including indulging in the thermal spas of Budapest and taking walking tours of some of the continent’s most beautiful cities such as Prague, Florence and Vienna. Ages 10 and above are welcome, so this could be a great option for families too. The tour price includes all accommodation, an expert guide, meals and transport.

European Whirl (12 days)
FROM €2,265 PER PERSON
This fantastic 12-day adventure across mainland Europe is available through Global Coach Tours, a leading comparison site for multi-country European tours. The trip starts with a high-speed Eurostar train journey from London to Brussels, before continuing by luxury coach to Amsterdam and then on through various enchanting destinations across Germany, Austria, Italy and finally a final stop-off in Paris. Highlights include a cruise past vine-clad hills and crumbling medieval castles on the Rhine River, a visit to a traditional glassblowing workshop in Venice, and a scenic drive across the Alps into Switzerland. Included for all guests along the way are 11 hot buffet breakfasts and 5 dinners, audio headsets, VIP entry to a number of famous sites and landmarks, and plenty of free time to maximise your experience. No surprise that Global Coach Tours pride themselves on going the extra mile for their customers. And as an added bonus, there’s no credit card or extra bookings fees with them either.

European Tour Exploring Spain and Portugal (7 days)
FROM €503 PER PERSON
With their distinct cultures and languages, Spain and Portugal may be neighbours but they offer very different experiences. This 7-day adventure allows you to experience the best of both. Starting in Madrid, you’ll tour through some of the country’s most fascinating cities including Barcelona, Seville, and Valencia, before heading across the border to the Portuguese capital of Lisbon. After a full day and overnight stay there, you’ll return into Spain to visit the historic city of Toledo for the penultimate leg of you trip. The tour comes to a close back in Madrid. Accommodation in 3-star hotels and all meals are included in the tour price.

Holland, Germany and Belgium Christmas Markets Tour (3 days)
FROM €320 PER PERSON
Christmas markets are a time-honoured favourite and some of the very best can be found in Germany, Holland, and Belgium. This two-night guided tour will take you across all three countries where you’ll get to explore some of their most enchanting markets. After a London coach pick-up you’ll be driven down to Dover to catch a ferry to Calais. Once ensconced on the other side of the channel, you’ll journey across to Valkenburg in Holland where you’ll check into a comfortable hotel. After exploring the town’s Christmas markets you can enjoy watching the magical light parade or perhaps visit Santa’s Village. On the second day of the trip, after breakfast you’ll begin your journey to Boppard, Germany where you’ll have some free time before boarding a Rhine Cruise. In the afternoon, you’ll travel on to Aachen to explore its numerous Christmas markets. On the third day, after breakfast you’ll commence your return journey to London, stopping to enjoy a lunch in the Belgian medieval city of Brugge, home to yet another stunning Christmas market to round off your trip.