The best of Europe done differently

Seeking a new twist on a destination or a highlight that you think you've 'done'? Yearning for new, uncrowded, green spaces or simply aspiring to be more active this year? For over a decade we've been exploring the tracks and trails of Europe - and that's exactly where we'll take you.

This list of unique, active holidays takes in some of the continent’s classic highlights, but now brings you an in-depth and hardly ever seen insight into those European highlights and their backyard. So, hop on your bike or lace up your boots and get ready to explore. 

Get even more opportunities to experience the best of Europe, in a very different way.
 

Paris Eiffel Tower

What more rewarding way than to arrive at France’s most iconic building, the Eiffel Tower, by bike? 
Pedal on a combination of dedicated cycle ways along canals and rivers, sleepy country lanes and urban cycle friendly roads on a relaxed bicycle ride where you can focus entirely on the changing scenery & flavours as you make your way from Holland, through Belgium and finally to Paris in France. 
The cycling route is ideal for those who revel in city experiences. Combine time at the museums and world famous buildings of Amsterdam and Paris with visits to Gouda, famous for its cheese, Antwerp, and the medieval architecture of Ghent.

Avoid flights, take the ferry or train to Amsterdam and return by train from Paris. 
> Cycle Amsterdam to Paris, or vice versa
 

Santorini & the Greek waters

Santorini, celebrated for its whitewashed villages, distinctive blue domes, narrow streets, and incredible viewpoints is world famous. Few travellers however make it beyond the highlights of Oia and Fira. 
Opting for a walking holiday on the Greek island, either combined with the island of Crete or Naxos, will take you beyond those places. Allow yourself extra time to absorb the stunning ocean vistas and soak in the legends and many stories of the places you visit. Walk via Ancient Thira, where you'll encounter ruins of temples, houses and other community buildings from the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine period, and make your way to the highest point on the island at Pyrgos. 
The walking opportunities on Santorini are numerous, through volcanic landscapes and along spectacular cliffs along a series of mule tracks.
> Discover beyond the European Highlight of Santorini on foot
 

Chamonix: adventure capital of Europe

With incredible mountain scenery as a backdrop, it’s no wonder that Chamonix in the French Alps has grown to become adventure capital of Europe. Mountain lovers of all trades come to appreciate this European highlight their way, whether it’s skiing, trail running, paragliding, canyoning, mountain biking or even more extreme, Chamonix has it. 
Using all the facilities of Chamonix as a starting point, head away from it all on a hiking holiday to Zermatt, around Mont Blanc or to the summit of Mont Blanc. Brimming with incredible vistas from high mountain passes, lush valleys and highway sized glaciers, alpine scenery does not get much better than this. Stay in a mixture of comfortable alpine huts, gîtes and hotels, so that you can experience traditional European mountain culture and the camaraderie of fellow hikers.
> Choose Chamonix as your starting point to explore the European Alps
 

Seashore of the Canary Islands

It is with a reason that the seashore of the Canary Islands is so popular with British and European holidaymakers. But take a moment to cast aside your associations with overcrowded beaches and night time disturbances, there’s a whole other side (quite literally) of the Canary Islands waiting to be discovered. 
On a walking holiday of La Gomera or La Palma you’ll enjoy an ever-changing landscape of sandy beaches and jagged sea cliffs, towering rock pinnacles and vertical lava pipes, steep forested gorges and serpentine ridgelines.
Hike through cactus-strewn valleys, banana plantations, stands of majestic Canarian pine and dripping cloud forests of ancient laurel; see rock towers, lava caves and surreal volcanic moonscapes and witness the snow-capped peak of Spain’s highest point, Mount Teide from La Gomera’s peak of Roque de los Muchachos (2462m).
> Take a walking holiday on La Gomera or La Palma

For other active holidays including the highlights of the UK or Europe, please contact our friendly team of travel experts with your queries and they'll be pleased to assist you in your trip planning.