Express Western Europe Tour

Close your books and leave all of your stress behind! Today you will begin your European adventure 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.

Did you know…

• 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 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 tour across 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.

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.

The capital of Italy and previous “caput mundi” awaits us with its vast history. There are a lot of reasons to visit Rome, it is an exciting city that you will want to come back to. The gastronomy and lively atmosphere are only 2 of those enticing reasons.  We will start our exploration with the symbol of the city, the most visited landmark in Italy: the Colosseum, which, despite being half torn down, still oozes wonder. However, we won’t stop here, as we proceed to Venice Square with impressive Atlar of the Fatherland, the famous Trevi Fountain, we will follow the route until Panthenon, the Novona Square and finish the day with visit to the Spanish Square. Are you ready?

*Optional Activity:

• Rome Pack: Guided visit of Rome + Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums + Colosseum and Roman Walls: €55

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.

If you would prefer to explore by yourself and go and buy souvenirs, we will give you the freedom to do so. Here at Unitrips we want to make sure you have the best trip ever!

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.

After having some unforgettable days in the iconic Rome, we’ll head to the enchanting Florence, but first, we will make a stop in the Vatican. We will enjoy Florence, as it is the  cradle of Renaissance where we will spend the night and you can explore the university night ambience of Santa Croce.

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

Did you know…

• The Vatican is a sovereign country with 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 you can visit numerous fine arts by these creators in the historical center of the Uffizi, or if walking round an exhibition hall is not for you, you could walk up the hill where you can simply see the mesmerising arch of Brunelleschi which dominates the city.

*Optional Activity

• Trip to Pisa with lunch included.

After visiting the city, we will head to the unique and beautiful “City of Canals”, the city that had the honor of being one of the most powerful, rich and populated cities for many centuries, dominating the Mediterranean and the comerical routes of the west: Venice!

More to find out about Florence…

The best Florence artists

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!

Appreciate the Basilica of San Marco, whose Murano glasswork has obvious Byzantine influence, as do the multicoloured little houses of Burano!

*Optional Activity:

• Pack Venice: Includes visit Murano and Burano the two venician lakes

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, 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

It is time to say “arrivederci” to Italy! Another day.. another country, Germany! Today we will see the Mad King’s Castle castle.

The castle will remind you of Walt Disney story! From there, we will cross the part of Bavaria to reach Munich, its capital, famous por Oktoberfest… and Bayren! We’ll start the engines and prepare ourselvs to taste the typical beverage here: BEER!

Today on our tour around Western Europe we will wake up in Germany. We will spend our morning exploring the beautiful city of Munich. We will also give you the chance to join us on an optional activity or alternatively you can stay in Munich to rest and explore by yourselves.

Munich is not only a rich, modern and lively city… it has a lot of history as well. That’s why we will stop to visit its cathedral ad the Marien Platz which has the famous gothic-style town hall clock, which is made up of 43 bells and 32 life-sized figures that move to the rhythm of the daily chimes.

*Optional Activity

• Munich Pack: Panoramic stadium bus tour + BMW Factory + Englischer Garten + Guided visit to Munich’s old town

We’ll continue in Germany, board our Unibus which will take us towards the River Main, and the financial centre of Germany: Frankfurt. Today, we have quite a long journey ahead of us, so we advise you to get comfortable, relax, and enjoy the views of the rolling hills of southern Germany.

The fifth largest city in Germany, Frankfurt has an important history and economy. Similar to most of German cities, it was left destroyed after the Second World War and has since been reconstructed completely. Today, it’s an important economic and financial hub in Europe, sometimes known as “the financial capital of the European Union”. It is known for its impressive gothic St Bartholomew’s gothic Cathedral, which, throughout its life has become a symbol for national unity in Germany, and also for the botanical gardens and the medieval architecture of the famous “Römer” house.

Did you know…

• The city is headquarters of one of the largest architectural libraries in the world with more than 130,000 volumes, belonging to the Architectural Institute of Germany
• The city has a longer name than you’d think: the official name of Frankfurt is “Frankfurt am Main”, coming from the river Main that flows through the city
• The frankfurter sausage was born in this city under the name FrankfurterWürstchen around 1860 urter sausage was born in this city under the name FrankfurterWürstchen around 1860

Guten Morgen Deutschland! With a lot of energy, we will visit the centre of Cologne, the city famous for its waters and for the most gothic cathedral of all cathedrals! We will start our day looking at the incredible views the city has to offer from the other side of its famous bridge. We can add a lock to the hundreds of others on the bridge, have some lunch, as in the afternoon, the free city of Amsterdam awaits us!

In the afternoon we’ll arrive in Amsterdam, dump our bags, and go straight out to enjoy the famous Red Light District by night. The night is young and life is short, let’s go have fun!

Culture and liberal politics have made Amsterdam a world reference for liberal people all over the world, especially those who push for the legalization of soft drugs (marijuana and hashish) and the legalization of prostitution.

But Amsterdam is not just coffee shops and red light district, take a walk through the Van Gogh Museum, Rembrandt museum, the Moco or Rijksmuseum or visit the Anne Frank House, and if you fancy a beer, Heineken is your star choice!

*Optional Activities

• Boat trip on the Amsterdam Canals
• Visit to Anne Frank’s  Museum* (skip the line)
• Heineken Experience
• Zaanse Schans

Did you know…

• The facade of numerous houses that populate Amsterdam lean forwards. The explanation for this is that its architects built them feeling that, given their narrowness, the best way to get furniture into the house is through the top story windows. Therefore every house has a hook on its rooftop and furniture can be hoisted to prevent the it from crashing into the facade
• Amsterdam is the most liberal city in the world, so we think. It was the first city in the world to legalize same sex marriage, marijuana and prostitution
• Most men and women are tall in Amsterdam. Men measure an average of 184 cm and women 170 cm

More info regarding the coffee shops:

The Best Coffee Shops in Amsterdam

Today on our tour of western  Europe we will visit another BENELUX country, after the NE, we will take on the BE of Belgium, otherwise known as the heart of the EU.

Upon our arrival in Brussels, you will have to decide what to do!

You can stay in Brussels and rest, enjoy the many parks it has to offer or stroll down the many avenues full of shops and resturants. Alternatively you can hop back on the Unitrips bus and come with us to the north of Belgium. We will be travelling to Bruges and Ghent, the 2 Flemish cities, par exellence. We will begin the day in beautiful university city of Ghent and will we finish by putting the cherry on top of the cake with a visit to Bruges. Bruges is the most visited city in Belgium, after the captial. We will also stop at the Atomium to take lots of photos!

You will we amazed how well these two medieval cities have been preserved over the years, the northern European architectual style remains completely intact.

*Optional Activity:

• Trip to Bruges – Ghent – Atomium

Brussels, despite being a modern and relitavely small city, is the capital of Belgium and the whole of Europe. This decision was made due to its central position and the fact it was one of the few countries that belonged to the union of countries that formed the nucleus of todays European Union.

Brussels is also home to the head offices of many international organisations such as the CEE and the European Parliament.

Therefore it is easier to spot a diplomat on the street than it is to see a plane in the sky!

Tonight on our tour of Western Europe, prepare youself to enjoy one of the most beautiful squares in Europe… thhat is even more beautiful after a few Beligum beers.

Did you know…

• The famous Manneken Pis statue in Brussels, also known as meón child, is not the original. There have been silent replacements of the statue due to it being damaged and stolen by vandals repeatedly.
• The three typical delights of Brussels are: fries, waffles and beer
• There are  many types of beer in Brussels, and the Delirium bar is one of the most picturesque, collecting them all
• There is a wellspring of hot water, cold water and sparkling water in the middle of the city, located at the Gare Central
• Some of its universities follow the Flemish method of education, while others remain French
• During the Middle Ages, Bruges encountered its most prominent financial height which is reflected in its Gothic design. The city started its decay when its port was blocked by sandbars
• Contrary to the popular belief that relates the name of the city to a story about witches, “Brugge” has its roots in the Old Dutch word for “bridge”.
• It belongs to Flanders, cuturaly much richer region than Wallonia (the southern part of Belgium).

We’ll say our goodbyes to the amazing Brussels!

It’s time to Set our GPS in the direction of where we’ve all been waiting for… Paris!! After  breakfast we will head towards “The City of Lights”. It’s known for being the cosmopolitan capital of France and also it’s one of the most populated and visited cities of Europe. The city of Love

*Optional Activity

•  París by night

Did you know…

• The Eiffel Tower is 18 cm higher in summer, given the expansion of iron.
• Why Paris is called City of Light? Its because many burglaries used to take place, so the mayor ordered putting candles in all windows, until gas lamps were installed on the streets.
• A problem called “Paris Syndrome“ affects many Japanese who arrive to the city with very high expectations which are not fulfilled during their visit so they suffer great disappointment. There is even a phone line available 24 hours a day for victims of the syndrome.

We’ll wake up in Paris and after having eaten a croissant, we’ll begin our route in Paris, we only need to choose where to start! You don’t have to be in love to enjoy Paris. We’ll visit the most characteristic places in Paris, we’ll walk along the Senne river until we get to the Notre Dame, the most famous gothic cathedral in the world, covered with gargoyles. We’ll make our way towards the Louvre and snap a photo with the famous pyramids and continue onto the Place de la Concorde.

Today will be your last day in Paris, and we’ve given you time to see any places you still have left to tick off on the list. Of course we’ll give you some tips on what to do 🙂

Now is the time to go to the Louvre and enjoy its endless exhibitions, or at least wink at the Mona Lisa.Perhaps if you prefer modern architecture you’ll prefer the futuristic skyscrapers of La Defense.

Prefer something more exotic and multicultural? There’s a very interesting area called Belleville where the Lord Malaussene used to live

If you want to see a bit of Italy in Paris don’t hesitate to visit the gardens of Luxembourg, which were owned by Maria dei Medici, and on the way appreciate the Pantheon, the Sorbonne (the top university in France) and stroll through the Latin Quarter and its thousands of pubs.

Make the most of your last day of the trip… because at night we will take the bus back to Madrid. (around 16 hours on the bus).

We will cross the border n the morning, bright and early, and arrive  in the north of Spain. You’ll get to Spain through the windows as we drive across the country and end up where it all began: Madrid.

We hope you had an amazing tmie travelling with Unitrips and have made friends and memories that you will never forget.