Mediterranean Charms

Day 1 – Madrid – Bus*

Close your books, forget about stress and enjoy this adventure through Mediterranean Europe with Unitrips! We offer you an extra day from Madrid in which you have two options: join in the evening to head to Barcelona, or join in the afternoon, where we offer you a visit to the city center of Madrid. Recharge your batteries, because a great trip with Unitrippers awaits you. Are you ready?

We will start the best of trips to Europe Easter Week with a city tour in the afternoon where we will see the most characteristic sites of the city such as Retiro Park, Puerta de Alcalá, Cibeles, Sol, Plaza Mayor, etc..

After an intense day enjoying the city, we will have free time for dinner and in the evening we will head back to Barcelona, spending the night in the bus.

*Transfers Extra:

Visit of Madrid (optional) + Travel Madrid-Barcelona by bus + Overnight in Barcelona.

Did you know that…

• Madrid is home to the oldest restaurant in the world! Casa Botín, founded in 1725, is recognized by the Guinness Book of Records.
• The Royal Palace has truly amazing dimensions. With an extension of 135,000 square meters, it is the largest royal palace in Western Europe and, therefore, one of the largest in the world.
• In the Puerta del Sol is the km O, the point from which one begins to measure the distances to all corners of Spain.
• In the Retiro Park 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.

Day 2 – Bus* – Barcelona

Good morning, we are in Barcelona!

We will have an intense day in the best of trips to Europe Easter visiting the Catalan capital where we will contemplate La Sagrada Familia, Paseo de Gracia, Ramblas, Gothic Quarter etc.. You will also have free time to visit the city at your leisure. At night we will go out to party in one of the trendiest clubs in the city.

Did you know that…

• Gaudi’s construction of the Sagrada Familia is eternal. In the mouth of the builder, it was said that God had all the time in the world to see it finished, so his works have existed all his life and do not have a completion date.
• Barcelona has a city under its feet, it is the sewer system, whose peculiar structure has given rise to film shootings of movies like Rec or El Maquinista.
• There are routes of the city that can be done from the literary point of view of the writer Carlos Ruiz Zafón.

Day 3 – Barcelona – Nice

After a full day getting to know Barcelona, it’s time to head to France. At this time, travelers who start directly in Barcelona will also join the tour.

Then in the best of Europe travel Easter, we will cross the border into France and tour the Côte d’Azur. In the middle of the day we will stop for lunch and get our strength to continue our way to Nice, one of the most famous cities in France located between the Mediterranean and the mountains.
After a long journey, we will arrive at our destination at sunset and have a panoramic tour in the bus, before arriving at our accommodation for check-in.
After settling into our accommodation, we will have free time to go for dinner, drinks, etc.

Did you know…

• Nice belonged to Italy. It was definitively incorporated into France in the 19th century.
• Every day at noon, you hear a pyrotechnic explosion. This is because in 1861, a retired colonel, tired of his wife being late for lunch, went to the town hall and asked the mayor to install a cannon to detonate it every day at 12:00 noon so that his wife could hear it and arrive on time. The colonel paid for the cannon and paid an employee to detonate it. From that time on every day a cannon was heard every day until the colonel moved and took the cannon with him. The citizens were angry when they did not hear this cannon and at the insistence of the colonel they installed it again since it helped the population to know what time it was. Currently the cannon has been replaced by a pyrotechnic rocket.

Day 4 – Nice – Liguria

Another new day in the best of travel to Europe Easter awaits us. After breakfast and check-out, we will put our bags on the bus and take a city tour. We will visit the most important monuments and areas of Nice and at the end we will head to a new destination: Monaco.

This small coastal state holds the record for population density in the world and seeing that its stadium is built on top of a skyscraper you will understand why. Here we will tour the legendary Formula 1 circuit, passing through its curves at full speed (as far as possible by bus).

After the panoramic tour we will head to our next point on the map: Italy
We will pass another new border and enter the Liguria area where we will spend the night, but not before making a stop for lunch on the way.

Did you know that…

• Monaco is the second smallest country in the world, with an area of only 2 square kilometers it is only bigger than the Vatican.
• Lavender is the blue flower of Provence. Its wide fields are many of them filled with this aromatic and lilac plant, and this is part of the reason why its coastline is called “the blue coast”.

Day 5 – Liguria – Florence

After breakfast, we will have two options: Those who want to do the extra activity of visiting Cinque Terre, will check-out to visit part of the natural park.

Cinque Terre are 5 villages in pure Mediterranean architecture perched on beautiful cliffs. There are houses of all colors, which are located between green mountains and end in the bluest sea you have ever seen!!!. A place where pollution has hardly made a dent. There are few cars and the way to go from one village to another is walking or in a spectacular little train that passes flush with the sea.

Those who do not want to do this activity will have the day free after breakfast.

*Optional activity:

• Excursion to Cinque Terre

At the end of the optional activity, the bus will pick up the rest of the group to go to Pisa, the city with one of the most famous towers in the world, the Tower of Pisa! Here we will spend the afternoon and have time for dinner.

We will then continue our journey through Mediterranean Europe to Florence, which we will visit the next day.

In Florence you can visit many works of art of these authors in the Uffizi museum, or if you do not feel like being in a museum, you can stroll through the hills from where you can always see the mythical dome of Brunelleschi, which dominates the whole city. Here you can enjoy its university party in the Santa Croce area.

Did you know that…

• These are five small villages on the Italian coast composed of ten kilometers of rocky coastline enclosed by two promontories, Punta di Mesco and Punta di Montenero.
• They were declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1997.
• It is made up of Monterosso Al Mare, Vernazza, Manarola, Riomaggiore and Corniglia.
• It is a natural park whose blue sea will not leave you indifferent.
• The highlight of Pisa is its leaning tower. Millions of tourists come every year exclusively for it and the typical photo “holding it”.
• The Tower of Pisa is considered, together with the cathedral of which it is part, one of the jewels of Romanesque art, so that the government has requested on several occasions, aid to prevent its collapse.

Do you want to know more? 

Do you think you know everything about the tower of Pisa?

Pisa has more than just the tower… discover its secrets here. 

Day 6 – Florence – Venice

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

Today on our great tour of Europe you can visit many works of art of these authors in the Uffizi museum, or if you do not feel like being in a museum, you can stroll through the hills of Florence. From there you can see the mythical dome of Brunelleschi, which dominates the whole city.

After admiring this small city with more than 3000 years of history, we will continue our route through Europe and head to another jewel of Italian architecture: Venice.

Venice had the honor of being one of the most powerful, rich and populated cities for many centuries, dominating the Mediterranean and eastern trade routes, and its art reflects the Byzantine and Asian influence that Marco Polo told us about.

Want to know more? 

Art in Florence – The Geniuses of This City

Did you know that…

• The city of Florence became the capital of Italy between 1865 and 1871.
• The only bridge in the city to survive the Nazi bombings during World War II was the Ponte Vecchio, something similar happened with Big Ben in London. This bridge was the only one that managed to survive the famous flood of Florence in 1966.
• Pisa has one of the oldest universities in the world, the papal seal marks the date 1343!
• The Fontana del Porcellino is famous in Florence for an old popular legend that says that touching the snout of the wild boar brings luck, and you can make a wish by dropping a coin from its snout. If it passes through the grids and falls directly into the fountain, the wish will be granted. If not, bad luck.

Day 7 – Venice – Tuscany

In the morning of the best travel to Europe Easter, after breakfast, we will continue to fall in love with this city that could well be a museum of extraordinary dimensions. Venice is one of the most photographed places in the world, and we can not be less, take out your camera because bridges, vaporetti and gondolas are waiting to be immortalized.

We will enjoy the Byzantine influenced art that characterizes the Basilica of San Marco, you can admire the Grand Canal from the Rialto Bridge but if you really want to enjoy this city get lost in its narrow streets and be surprised when you turn every corner.

After an intense day visiting Venice, we will head to the Tuscany area where we will spend the night.

Did you know that…

• The last bridge built in Venice was designed by a Spanish architect: Calatrava.
• Every now and then in Venice a phenomenon called “Acqua Alta” occurs. It causes a sharp rise in the water level in the Venice lagoon, usually lasting about 3 – 4 hours. Depending on the intensity with which it occurs, it can flood, with half a meter of water, most of the historic center.
• No cars, not even bicycles, are allowed in Venice because it is forbidden, and you will even be fined. The only way to move around the city is on foot or by water.
• Although walking around Venice, we have the impression that there are many canals, there are only two, the Grand Canal and the Giudecca Canal. The rest of the small canals that flow between the narrow streets are called rivers.

Day 8 – Tuscany – Rome

After breakfast and check-out we will leave for Rome. Upon arrival, we will go directly to the Vatican where we will have two options: To have free time or to enter the famous Vatican Museums for those who have paid the Rome Pack.

After having free time for lunch, with the whole group we will visit the city of Rome.
Rome is undoubtedly the city that demands more time from its tourists, considering the great amount of monuments it has… So make the most of your time in this ancient European capital, where our tour leaders will guide you to the most famous places.

After visiting the city, we will go to our accommodation where we will check-in and have free time to rest.

*Optional Activity:

• Rome Pack: Sistine Chapel + Musei Vaticani + Colosseum + Roman Forum + Transfers.

Did you know that…

• The Vatican State is a sovereign country with only 0.44 km2. It is the smallest country in the world, which is bordered by a country, Italy, that completely surrounds it. Not only that, but the Vatican is home to St. Peter’s Basilica, which is the largest church in the world.
• The only bank in the world that allows users at ATMs to select Latin as their language is located in the Vatican Bank.

Places to fall in love in Rome

Day 9 – Rome – Ferry

Today in the best of travel to Europe Easter, we expect an intense day enjoying the Italian capital.
Rome is known as the “Eternal City” and everything has its explanation. In this city time seems to have stopped centuries ago due to the multitude of monuments and remains of imposing buildings. This makes walking through its streets becomes a journey back in time, to the era of maximum splendor of the capital.

For those who paid the Rome Pack, you can visit the Roman Colosseum and Roman Forums while the rest take pictures from outside and visit the many alternatives that the city has.

The capital of Italy and ancient “caput mundi” awaits us with its thousands of years of history. There are plenty of reasons to visit Rome, be captivated by the city and wish to return to it, as the gastronomy and its lively atmosphere are some of them. Before going to bed, stroll through its streets and savor the Italian cuisine in a typical Roman “osteria” or have an ice cream…

After an intense day, we will head to Civitavecchia to catch our ship to Barcelona.

Did you know that…

• Rome has a very romantic park to stroll through: it is the Villa Borghese, which, if you look at it from a plane, you can see its heart-shaped construction.
• In Rome there is the Bocca Della Verità, in Sta. Maria in Cosmedin, the most famous manhole in the world. According to legend, whoever puts his hand in the mouth and tells a lie, it will bite him.

Day 10 – Ferry – Barcelona – Bus*.

The best of trips to Europe Easter is coming to an end but first we will enjoy a cruise. We will spend the trip on an elegant ship with all the necessary facilities to make the trip very enjoyable: disco, video game room, restaurants, 24h cafeterias, swimming pool, gym, health center, casino… So have a gin and tonic, and let yourself be caressed by the Mediterranean breeze!

We will arrive in the evening in Barcelona where we will say goodbye to the people who joined the tour at this point.
people who have paid the extra back to Madrid will head back to the capital of Spain.

*Transfers Extra:

Travel Barcelona – Madrid by bus

Day 11 – Bus* – Madrid*.

We will arrive in Madrid early in the morning so you won’t miss the day. We will say goodbye to our travel companions and return home having spent an incredible Easter Week on this circuit discovering the charms of the Mediterranean.

Included:

• Viaje en cómodo bus privado a los destinos mencionados en el programa
• 11 días y 10 noches de viaje
• Alojamiento en los mejores hoteles, hostels y casas de bungalow de toda Europa:
• 1 Noche en autobús* (Madrid-Barcelona)
• 1 Noche en Barcelona*
• 1 Noche en Niza
• 1 Noche en Liguria
• 1 Noche en Florencia (o alrededores)
• 1 Noche en Venecia
• 1 Noche en la Toscana
• 1 Noche en Roma
• 1 Noche en Barco (Roma-Barcelona)
• 1 Noche en autobús* (Barcelona-Madrid)
• 7 Desayunos*
• Habitaciones múltiples (doble o single bajo petición)
• Todos los gastos de transporte, parking y peajes
• Group leader durante todo el viaje
• Asistencia a lo largo del viaje
• Paseos guiadas por las ciudades mencionadas con tour leader
• Y más sorpresas….

Not included:

• Everything not mentioned in “What’s Included”.
• Flight tickets
• Transportation to the point of departure
• Travel or cancellation insurance
• Entrance fees to monuments, parks, attractions
• Visa or administrative fees
• Entrance fees to monuments
• Subway/taxi tickets… in the cities
• Optional activities

Actividades Opcionales, extras:

• Extra night supplement in Madrid + Train Madrid – Barcelona
• Return to Madrid
• Excursion to Cinque Terre
• Rome Pack: Sistine Chapel + Vatican Museums + Colosseum + Roman Forum + Transfers
• Venice Pack: Access ticket, 2 train tickets, guided tour of the city, visit to the Master of Murano Glass, gondola ride along the canals of Venice.
• And much more…

(You will be able to book your extras once you have booked your trip, through an App to which we will give you access).

Each optional activity requires a minimum of 40 participants

.