Paris Hostel
Hostel, homestay or tent, shared
10 days, planned by Old Mule Routes
Ten days, three countries and four trains. The pace is real and the itinerary does not pretend otherwise.
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| Seine |
| Notre-Dame |
| Latin Quarter |
Both are timed and both sell out. On a ten-day multi-country trip there is no second chance at either.
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| Louvre |
| Eiffel Tower |
| Trocadero |
| Champ de Mars |
Paris to Lucerne is about four and a half hours by rail, city centre to city centre, and the border is invisible.
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| Versailles |
| Hall of Mirrors |
| Lucerne |
The Rotair rotates through 360 degrees as it climbs, which sounds like a gimmick and means everyone gets the view.
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| Chapel Bridge |
| Lion Monument |
| Mount Titlis |
| Glacier cave |
The railway runs inside the Eiger for most of the climb and the station at the top is at 3,454 m, which is the highest in Europe.
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| Jungfraujoch |
| Aletsch glacier |
| Sphinx observatory |
| Eiger |
Arriving in Venice by train puts you at the head of the Grand Canal with no road anywhere, which is the right way to arrive.
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| Grand Canal |
| Rialto |
| St Mark's Square |
Venice takes about twenty million visitors a year into a city of fifty thousand residents. Cannaregio and Dorsoduro are where it is still a place people live.
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| St Mark's Basilica |
| Doge's Palace |
| Cannaregio |
| Dorsoduro |
Four hundred and sixty-three steps between the two shells of the dome, and no way back down the same stair.
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| Duomo |
| Brunelleschi cupola |
| Uffizi |
| Ponte Vecchio |
This is the hardest day of the trip — two of the busiest sites in Europe in one day. Both are timed and both are booked before you leave home.
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| Colosseum |
| Roman Forum |
| Vatican Museums |
| Sistine Chapel |
The Pantheon at eight in the morning is nearly empty and it is the best building in Rome. By ten there is a queue round the piazza.
| LANDMARKS |
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| Pantheon |
| Trevi Fountain |
| Piazza Navona |
Day 1 · Fri, 18 Sept, 2026
Most of these can be added to your booking later — the operator confirms within a day.
Published by the operator. Nights on the ground can move with weather and permissions.
Hostel, homestay or tent, shared
Hostel, homestay or tent, shared
Hostel, homestay or tent, shared
Hostel, homestay or tent, shared
Hostel, homestay or tent, shared
Hostel, homestay or tent, shared
Hostel, homestay or tent, shared
9 breakfasts and 1 dinner across 10 days, at camp. It opens with dinner on day 1 and closes with breakfast on day 10.
10 meal services named in the itinerary. Vegetarian and vegan covered everywhere; Jain and gluten-free on notice at booking
“Self-guided European walking with route notes and luggage transfer”
Route notes, GPX and a van that moves your bag. No leader on the hill, which suits some people and not others.
Good mix of the obvious things and a few places we'd never have found. Hostel nights are basic but clean, and that's what the price says. The cooking was a genuine surprise — better than most places we'd have picked ourselves.
France done well. The itinerary had room to breathe. Nothing fancy about the beds, and nothing wrong with them either. Never went hungry, and the tea appeared exactly when it was needed. Good value for what's included.
Thank you for travelling with us — glad the route worked out.
Good mix of the obvious things and a few places we'd never have found. Dorms were tidy and the common areas were where the group actually gelled. Whoever planned the days knew what they were doing. Would send friends their way.
France done well. The itinerary had room to breathe. Nothing fancy about the beds, and nothing wrong with them either. Would send friends their way.
Well paced over 10 days with enough free time to not feel herded. Whoever planned the days knew what they were doing. No hesitation recommending them.
Thank you for travelling with us — glad the route worked out.
France done well. The itinerary had room to breathe. Hostel nights are basic but clean, and that's what the price says. Recommended.
Hotels were a step below what I expected for the price.
Thank you. We've taken the point about the transfer and are reviewing it.
Well paced over 10 days with enough free time to not feel herded.
Thank you for travelling with us — glad the route worked out.
Yes — France, Switzerland and Italy are all in Schengen, so a single multi-entry visa covers the whole route. Apply at the consulate of the country you spend the most nights in, which here is Italy. Appointment waits are the longest part of planning this trip.
One other operator runs this trip. See all 2 side by side →