Plot: In a game show called "Pig In A Poke," the Griswold family -- Clark, Ellen, Rusty, and Audrey -- accidentally wins a trip to Europe, winning against a family that had previously never been defeated on this game show, which is hosted by Kent Winkdale. Just before the trip, Clark makes an erotic videotape of Ellen, promising to erase the tape later. Clark likes the game show's itinerary of what they are scheduled to do in Europe, but Ellen and the kids don't feel the same way. They begin their trip to Europe in London, England, where they stay in a ratty hotel. Clark has problems learning how to drive European cars, which have the steering wheel on the right side instead of the left. In London, the Griswolds see things like Big Ben, Parliament, and Buckingham Palace repeatedly because Clark cannot figure out how to exit a circular "roundabout" intersection. Audrey misses her boyfriend Jack so much that she wants to go back to Chicago. Clark is oblivious to how his family feels as he takes the family to see places such as Stonehenge, which Clark accidentally knocks down by backing a rented car into it. The trip to Europe then moves from London to Paris, France, where Clark has a Frenchman use the camcorder to tape the Griswolds near a water fountain, but the Frenchman steals the camera, with a videotape inside of it. In Paris, the Griswolds visit the Eiffel tower. The hotel room they check into in Paris is better than the one they had in London. The Griswolds visit the Musée du Louvre, then Audrey gets a letter from Jack, saying that Jack has been seeing Audrey's best friend Debbie while Audrey is in Europe. The next stop for the Griswolds is Germany, to visit their long-lost relatives Fritz and Helga, but they end up at the wrong house and mistake this house's residents for their relatives. Nevertheless, they have a nice visit. Next, the Griswolds visit a festival where Clark joins in on some German dancing that he has no idea how to do. Not surprisingly, the dancing ends with a fistfight. The Griswolds get on a train to Rome, Italy, but on the way there, they get off the train to go to the traveler's-check office, but they are greeted by a pair of men who they don't know are robbing the place. After getting $3,000 from the place, the Griswolds get a car from the same two men, who have placed the clerk in the trunk of the car. The Griswolds make their way into Rome, where they buy new clothes and Ellen sees a picture of herself on a billboard -- the thief who stole their video camera has been selling copies of the erotic tape of Ellen, which Clark forgot to erase, and Ellen is livid. The two thieves who robbed the traveler's-check office show up in Rome, and one of them, who has fallen for Ellen, kidnaps her. Audrey sees them leaving, and Audrey and Clark set off to rescue Ellen.
Alternative Plot: After winning a European vacation on a game show, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) convinces his reluctant family to accompany him. His wife, Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo), is excited, but daughter Audrey (Dana Hill) is reluctant to leave her boyfriend behind, while teen son Rusty (Jason Lively) dreams of meeting girls. After arriving in London, the clan encounters one disaster after another as they travel through France, Germany and Italy, while Clark's attempts to cheer everyone up make things worse.
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