Summer Wonders

Close your books and leave all of your stress behind! Today you will begin your Summer Circuit in Europe with Unitrips. We will begin our trip in Madrid, the capital of Spain.

We will begin our optional visit of this incredible spanish capital in the afternoon. During this visit we will see all of the main sites of the city such as Retiro Park, Alcala Gates, Cibeles, Sol and the Plaza Mayor, etc…

Following an intense day enjoying this city we will have some free time to eat dinner and in the evening we will hop on our bus and head towards Barcelona.

• The oldest restaurant in the world is located in Madrid! Casa Botín, founded in 1725, is recognised in the Guiness World Book of Records.
• The Royal Palace has some striking features. With a length of 135,000 square metres, is has become the biggest Royal Palace in Western Europe, and therefore one of the biggest in the world.
• Km O can be found in Puerta del Sol, the central point to all four corners of Spain.
• In Retiro Park, you can find the statue of Satan, one of the few representations of the devil in the world and the only one in Spain. It´s a Monument of the Fallen Angel and is exactly 666 metres above sea level.

After spending the night on the bus travelling across Spain, we will arrive at our next destination, 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 are the reason why this city has the title of the most touristic captial 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 on a beautiful 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 tour has officially begun!

Did you know…

• 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 ever be finished.
• 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, another 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. Be amazed by his famous houses Pedrera and Battló.

After a whole day enjoying the Mediterranean breeze, we will arrive at Civitavecchia and our Eurobus will take us to the former Caput Mundi to begin our Summer circuit in Europe. It is an extensive cosmopolitan city full of culture, history, art and architecture with a very Mediterranean cuisine based on fresh products. as well as having all kinds of shops to explore.

¿Qué ver en Roma en 3 días?

Rome is known as the “Eternal City”, and you will understand why once we arrive. Time appears to have stopped here hundreds of years back due to the large number of remaining monuments and remains of grand 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 make you want to come back! 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´s 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, depsite 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 Summer circuit in Europe we will wake up early and head towards the Vatican.

After putting Florence in the SatNav, which we will visit tomorrow, we will stop off at the Vatican. Take note, Florence is an extremely lively city and has a 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…

• The Vatican is a sovereign country covering no 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 mythical 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 barely exists. 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 hills; Punta di Mesco y Punta di Montenero.
• It was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in  1997.
• It is a natural park, and its blue sea waters will take your breath away.
• The most famous attraction of the city is the leaning tower, which attracts 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 help on various occasions to avoid the tower being knocked down.

After admiring this ting city that has almost 3000 years of history, we will continue with our tour around Europe, this time heading to anohter 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 oreint. 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 to enjoy the Byzantine influenced art which is best exemplifed in the architecture of the Basillica of San Marco. You should also take a 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…

• 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 canals, however 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 borders. From Italy we will pass through Slovenia, a country that used to belong to Yugoslavia. We will travel through little villages full of traditional 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 find the incredible Postjana caves 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´ll be able to enjoy its young atmosphere.

*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 World War II 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…

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 on a hill that dominates the city.

Did you know…

• 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 mayor 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 we will have breakfast in Slovenia and dinner in Austria!

Did you know…

• Vienna was the cultural capital of the 19th century. the Hapsburgs financed all kinds of artists, and this is why today its somewhere you have to visit in your lifetime.
• Vienna managed to gain independence from Russian occupation and become a neutral country in 55. This is why nowadays it is a much richer and more developed country than its neighbours.
• Make sure you take a look at the traffic lights, you´ll notice something very curious.

Guten morgen!

Today, on our Summer circuit in Europe, we will have to wake up early to make the most 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 nineteenth 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.

Fancy something to eat? Well you have to try the very unoriginal Schnitzel and the Sacher-Torte cake, the most famous chocolate cake in the world (according to Austrians)

*Optional Activity

• Tour Viena en bus opcional por Ringstasse y Schonbrunn (con guía local profesional)

3 countries in one day today!

After leaving stunning Vienna, and driving only 50 km, we’ll arrive at our next stop on our Summer circuit in 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 show off to your friends by saying that you had breakfast in Vienna, lunch in Bratislava and dinner in Budapest.

More info!

Bratislava’s top 10 places

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  ’89 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 held here and the nightlife provided by the famous Ruins Bars. 

Feeling chilly? 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 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´ll carry with you for the rest of your lives, shared with your new friends from all over the world!