Summer Wonders 2021

Close your books and forget about all of your stress! Today you will begin the adventure of a lifetime with this summer circuit around Europe 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 at the beginning of this European summer trip enjoying this incredible city, you will have some free time to have dinner before we get on 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 theonly 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 on this summer circuit in Europe, 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 earned 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 oder to start this magical trip around Western Europe. 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 trip around Europe in summer 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 were our Eurobus will be await us to take us to the former Caput Mundi, Rome. 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 – another day on this summer circuit in Europe!

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 on this summer circuit in Europe. 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 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 trip around Europe in summer 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 summer circuit in Europe you will have the chance to admire numerous incredible works of art  in the Museum ofthe 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.

After admiring this enchanting city that has almost 3000 years of history, we will continue with our summer circuit in Europe 2021, 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 on this summer circuit in Europe! 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 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 Venetian 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

Today we will leave Italy behind and continue on our summer circuit in Europe, crossing not 1 but 2 different boaders. From Italy we will pass through Slovenia, a country that used to belong to Yugoslavia. We will travel through little villages full of tradition and fascinating architecture. On this route, as we are crossing the mountains between Trieste and Ljubljana, you will be able to admire the incredible views from the windows of the bus. What´s more you will be able to findthe incredible caves of Postjana here, caves that have been formed over millions of years thanks to the Karstic phenomenon, stalagmites and stalactites which have been slowly growing throughout history.

Curiously, Ljubljana is the city with the largest density of students… and by spending the night here, you will enjoy its young ambience.

*Optional Activity:

• Caves of Postojna: Trip to the caves in an old mine train

Ljubjana is a rich and prosperous city, that was able to rise from the ashes of the second world war and Balcanic conflicts and now can be considered  an elegant European capital, with a very unique style that combines the influences of its geographical neighbours. From mediterranean architecture, through to gothic, germanic  or Balcanic style…

On this summer circuit in Europe you can get lost in the old town, on the Prezeren square, walk across the same bridge three times and visit Saint Nicolas´ cathedral. If you have energy, you can also climb up to the castle which is an a hill that dominates the city.

Did you know that…

• People greet each other by shaking hands even among friends.
• In Slovenia, all plates of food in restaurants are thought to be shared.
• The capital of Slovenia was created thanks to a legend related to a dragon that was terrorising the city, and the funder of the town battled against the dragon and freed all of its citizens.

More info about Slovenia:

Thins to know before going to Slovenia

After stopping in Ljubljana, we will travel  through Slovenia and the Alps on our way to another country Austria and its stunning capital: Vienna.

Today on this summer circuit in Europe we will have breakfast in Slovenia and dinner in Austria!

Guten morgen!

Today, on our tour around Europe, we will have to wake up early to take an advantage of the day, because Vienna has a lot to offer.

You will have a chance to choose whether to join the optional bus tour around Vienna or to go walking around the centre.

On the bus tour, you will visit all the main tourist spots in Vienna, from Prater and its oldest ferris wheel in Europe, across the Danube to Ringstrasse, admiring some beautiful monuments from the XIX century.

You will also see a Russian soldier or two and the incredible Belvedere palace (which, today, houses the Klimt museum)… and you will have the opportunity to feel like Princess Sissi in the gardens of the Schonbrunn palace.

*Optional Activity:

• Bus Tour of Berlin: Ringstrasse and Schonbrunn (with local professional guide)

And what about  lunch? Well, you should try Schnitzel and Sachertorte… the most famous chocolate cake in the world (Austrians say so :)).

Did you know that…

• Vienna was the cultural capital of Europe in the XIX. century. Hapsburgs financed all kind of artists, that’s why Vienna is one of the places you must visit before you die
• Vienna was lucky to leave the Russian hegemony in the 1955 and turn into a neutral country. Therefore, Austria is nowadays much more developed and rich country than it’s neighbours.
• Watch the traffic lights of the city and you will find out something very curious ?

More information:

The most famous Austrians

3 countries in one day today on this summer circuit in Europe!

After leaving stunning Vienna, and driving only 50 km, we’ll arrive at our next stop on our tour around Europe, the modern capital: Bratislava. We will walk around the old town discovering the any bronze statues that are located here,  these statues make this city very likeable to the traveller’s eyes. But we aren’t stopping there. You will have a chance to blow your own trumpet saying that you had breakfast in Vienna, lunch in Bratislava and dinner in Budapest.

More info!

Bratislava’s top 10 places

Today on this summer circuit in Europe It’s time to explore the city which was born by unification of two sections: ‘Buda’ on the west side of the river Danube and ‘Pest’ on the east side.

Since 2989 Hungary and it’s capital have been known for impressive development and every year they receive more and more tourists, youngsters in particular are attracted by the festivals that are held here and the nightlife provided by the famous Ruins Bars. 

Are you cold-blooded? Then don’t forget your swimsuit as you will have the chance to enjoy the best thermal baths in Europe, either at Szechenyi or at Gellert

Did you know that…

• Wizz-Air, the second Low Cost flight company of Europe is Hungarian….that’s why it’s so easy to find cheap flights to Budapest.
• The first of the Ruin Bars to open in Budapest is Szimpla Kert.

Make sure you have fun today as it is the last day of our tour and our summer circuit in Europe! So go and explore and see everything you want to as you will not get another opportunity! Now you can proudly say that you know half of Europe and you will have memories that you will carry with you for the rest of your lives, shared with your new friends from all over the world!