Bella Italia 2021

Close your books and forget about all of your stress! Today you will begin the route around Italy with other young people from all over the world! We will begin our tour in Madrid, the capital of Spain.

Today you will have the chance to join us on a tour around Madrid, visiting the most emblematic monuments and areas of the city. From Retiro Park we will head to The Gate of Alcala, Cibeles, Sol and Plaza Mayor.

After an intense day enjoying this incredible city, you will have some free time to have dinner before we get o our Unibus and head to Barcelona!

Did you know…

• In Madrid you will be able to dine in the oldest restaurant in the world!! Casa Botín was founded in 1725, as appears in the World´s Guinness Book of Records.
• The Royal Palace is extremely impressive. It is about 135,000 metres squared and due to the latter measurement is it known as the largest palace in Western Europe.
• In Sol, you will be able to located a km 0 point, this point marks the very centre of Madrid.
• In Retiro Park there is a statue of Satan himself, one of the few representations of the devil in the world and the only one in Spain. It is the Monument of the Fallen Angel and is exactly 666 meters above sea level.

After spending the night on the bus travelling across Spain, we will arrive at our next destination of this route through Italy, Barcelona, in the early hours of the morning. The good news is you will have the whole day to discover this incredible city. Make sure you explore all of the main sites of the city which have earn´t this city the title of the most touristic capital of the world. From the Sagrada Familia to Passeig de Gracia, to strolling down the legendary Ramblas and the gothic quarter with its impressive cathedral, you will not be disappointed.

Towards the end of the day we will hop on the ferry and voyage through the Mediterranean sea in order to start this magical trip around Italy. We will spend the night in an elegant cruise, with all kinds of services at your disposal, all of which will make the journey very enjoyable: a club, videogames room, restaurants, 24h cafes,  pool, gym, health center, casino… So order that gin tonic, and take in that warm mediterranean breeze, this Italy trip has officially begun!

Did you know that…

•  The construction of Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia is endless. The builder stated that “God had all the time on the planet to see it completed”. The cathedral is so big and complex that no one knows when and IF it will be finished someday.
• There is a Statue of Liberty in Barcelona, in fact it’s one of only three originals. The most famous one is in New York, other in Paris and in Barcelona you can find it close to Arch of Triumph, in the Arus Library.
• Passeig de Gracia is an avenue that hosts the main masterpieces of Gaudí, the idol of architecture of XX. century. Get amazed by his famous houses Pedrera and Battló.

After a whole day enjoying the Mediterranean breeze, we will arrive at Civitavecchia where our Eurobus will be await us to take us to the former Caput Mundi, Rome to truly begin our route around Italy.We will arrive later on in the evening, therefore we will head straight to bed so we can get lots of rest in preparation for tomorrow!

Rome is known as the “Eternal City”, and you will understand why once we arrive. Time appears to have ceased here hundreds of years back due to the large number of remaining monuments and rests of imposing buildings, which turns strolling through the narrow streets of Rome into a trip back in time to the capital’s golden age.

Italy’s famous capital, otherwise known as the old “Caput Mundi” (Leader of the world) and all of its history await us. There are so many reasons to visit Rome, things that make you fall in love with it and oblige you to return! A few of these reasons are obviously the incredible food and the lively atmosphere that you will find in every corner of the city.

Rome, without a doubt, is a city that occupies a lot of time from the tourists that come to visit it… considering the large number of monuments and sites it is home to, this is no surprise! Today on this route through Italy you will have the chance to see some of these famous sites, most importantly you will be able to visit the most popular monument in Italy: the Colosseum. The latter, despite being half demolished, continues to radiate historical charm. Later you will be able to visit the Roman Forums, otherwise known as the commercial, religious, political and judicial centre of the ancient city of Rome.

*Optional Activity

• Rome Pack: Round trip transport + guided tour of Rome + Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums + Colossuem and Roman Forums

Did you know…

• In the Cathedral of St. Pedro, you will see various stars on the marble floor, directly in the middle of the aisle to the alter. These stars represent the diversity of the different catholic temples in the world.
• The Bocca Della Veritá is located in Sta. Maria, the most famous sewer entrance in the world. According to the legend if you put your hand in the mouth and you tell a lie, you will be bitten.

Today on our route around Italy we will wake up early and head towards the Vatican.

After putting Florence in the GPS, which we will visit tomorrow, we will stop off at the Vatican. Take note, Florence is an extremely lively city and has great night life, so make sure you experience a real university party whilst you are here!

We will spend the night near Florence, the birthplace of the renaissance.

Did you know that…

• The Vatican is a sovereign country with nothing more than 0,44 km2, and is the smallest country in the world. It only has borders with Italy, which completely surrounds it. It hosts the Basilica of San Pedro, which is the world’s largest church.
• The Vatican Bank is the only bank in the world that allows users to select Latin as a language on an ATM to carry out its operations.

“Buongiorno Principessa” said Benigni, an actor from the city of Florence, in the film “Life is Beautiful”.

Today on our trip around Italy you will have the chance to admire numerous incredible works of art  in the Museum of the Uffizi. If walking round an exhibition hall is not for you, you can take a stunning walk up the famous hills where you can get to the fantastic viewpoint of the fanciful arch of Brunelleschi which dominates the city.

We will also have an optional activity for those who want to visit 5 Terre and the most famous tower, that attracts visitors from all over the world due to its unusual inclination: The Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Are you ready to go to the beach? Grab your swimsuit, towel and sunscreen, it’s time to enjoy the Italian coast! 5 little towns with colorful houses, hanging from the cliffs. A place where pollution almost hasn’t made a dent. There are very few cars and the way to travel between towns is either by foot or by a spectacular little train that runs along the seafront.

*Optional Activity:

• 5 Terre & Pisa

Did you know…

• 5 terre is composed of five small towns allong 10km of the rocky the Italian coast, enclosed by two promotories; Punta di Mesco y Punta di Montenero.
• It was declared World  Heritage Site by Unesco in  1997.
• It is a natural park, and its blue sea waters will leave you asonished.
• The most famous attraction of the city is the leaning tower, that brings thousands of tourists every year that want to take the iconic picture “holding” the leaning tower.
• The tower is considered one of the jewels of Romanesque art, therefore the government has requested in various occasions, help to avoid the tower being knocked down.

Do you want to know more about Florence?

Facts about Florence you won’t forget

After admiring this enchanting city that has almost 3000 years of history, we will continue with our route around Italy, this time heading to another Italian gem: Venice.

Venice had the honor of being crowned one of the most powerful, rich and populated cities over a period of many years in the past. It dominated trading routes in both the mediterranean and the East. What’s more the art that was fostered here is one of a kind which can clearly be exemplified in the works of Marco Polo.

Fall in love with this city! Venice is one of the most photographed places in the world. Don’t waste time, grab your camera and find your inner photographer; bridges, Vaporettos and Gondolas are all waiting to be snapped!

Make sure you take some time on this route around Italy to enjoy the Byzantine influenced art which is best exemplifed in the architecture of the Basillica of San Marco. You should also stroll down the canal, starting from the Rialto Bridge. You could also just get lost in the narrow streets and see where you end up!

*Optional Activity:

• Venice Pack: Trip to Murano and Burano (the two islands located in the ventiain lagoon)

Did you know that…

• The only way to get around the city is on foot or by water. It is illegal to drive a car or ride a bicycle in this district
• Walking around Venice could give you the feeling that there are numerous channels, whereas there are in fact just two: the Grand Canal and the Giudecca Canal. The other little waterways that course through the restricted lanes are considered rivers

All good things must come to an end…

Now you can say that you know Bella Italia and you can take the fond memories of this unforgettable trip and all of the people you have met back home with you!

We hope to see you again soon on another Euro-Adventure or route around Italy!

The program could suffer unforeseen changes due to weather conditions, traffic… or the ability of the group to respect meeting times.

The suggested programme doesn’t include optional/extra activities. You will have opportunity to book some of them in the reservation form, while the others will be proposed by the tour leader along the tour.