MAGICAL EUROPE

You’ve finally finished exams! It’s time for you to pack your bags, grab your coat and join us on this Christmas European Tour and leave the stress of exams behind!

We will spend the first night on the bus travelling through Spain until we finally arrive in Paris!

We will begin this Christmas European Tour in the “Ville Lumière“. Trust us, it won’t take you long to fall in love with this incredible city! Even though Paris is known as “the City of Love”, you certainly don’t need to be in love to enjoy it! On this trip you’ll have the chance to walk from the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe, then along the River of Seine until you reach Notre Dame, the Gothic cathedral with the most famous gargoyles in the world. Or what about getting lost amongst the thousands of paintings in the D’Orsay Museum, or even winking at the Mona Lisa in the Louvre museum? Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity, you won’t regret it!

Of course we can´t forget to visit the most emblematic monument in Paris, the Eiffel Tower. This tower is an incredible steel structure created in the 19th century, which since then has been keeping a watchful eye on the inhabitants of Paris and representing them on the world stage, as it is one of the most famous towers on the planet.

Did you know…

• The Eiffel Tower is 18cm taller in summer due to the expansion of the iron in the heat.
• Do you know why Paris is called the City of Light? It is because there were so many robberies in the past, that the mayor had candles put in all of the windows until they were replaced with gas lamps, the first city to be illuminated this way.
• There is a so-called “Paris Syndrome” that affects all of the Japanese people who visit and are disappointed when Paris, as a city, doesn´t live up to its reputation. There is even a 24-hour phone line for those who are affected.

Today we will continue our Christmas European Tour, this time towards Strasbourg, one of the most famous cities in the Alsace region. We will have some time to admire the German influence in this city that can be seen in the design of the buildings and the local cuisine. Why is there so much German influence here? Because this city belonged to Germany for many centuries.

On our way to this incredible city we will stop off in a village that looks like something from a fairytale: Reims. Here we will visit the famous gothic cathedral which has been classified as one of the most beautiful in the country. In 1991 it was even named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

After we have eaten lunch in this wonderful city we will hop back on the bus and make our way to Germany, more specifically Cologne. This city is famous for its incredible gothic cathedral which is said to house the remains of the three Kings.

After exploring the historical centre and trying some typical German cuisine, you will have the whole night to have fun and discover what Cologne is like when the sun goes down! Make sure you try the local beer!

Did you know…

• Luxembourg is one of the countries with one of the highest annual GDPs in the world. It is thus knows as a tax haven and almost half of the people who work there do not live in the country. They come from its neighboring countries: France, Germany or Belgium.
• The capital of Luxembourg is called Luxembourg city! It is currently home to the headquarters of various organisations involved in the European union and only has about 100,000 inhabitants.
• The Cathedral of Cologne is the tallest gothic building in the world. It is 157 metres tall and it was bombed 14 times, and despite this it still remained intact.
• The local beer in Cologne is called Kölsch and is practically the only beer that is sold in all of the bars.

There’s still so much to see and do in Cologne, so this morning we’ll get up early for a guided tour around the old town. We will also cross the famous Hohenzollern Bridge, from which we will be able to admire an incredible view of the entire city.

After eating lunch we will hop back on the bus and continue our tour towards Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. Amsterdam is known as the most liberal city in Europe… which is no surprise!

When we arrive at this incredible city we will visit the Red Light District, one of the most tourist-heavy areas in the city.

The Best Coffee Shops in Amsterdam.

It’s New Year’s Eve!!!

Today we will have the entire day to enjoy what Amsterdam has to offer, especially its architecture, which is said to be the most unique in the world! The houses here are extremely narrow and tall…you could say that they defy the laws of gravity!

Make sure you put on a comfy pair of shoes as in Amsterdam you have no other choice but to walk!

Amsterdam is the most liberal city in the world, in our opinion. It was the first city in the world to legalize same sex marriage, marijuana and prostitution.

Discover why Amsterdam is the most liberal city in the world.

However Amsterdam is not all about the coffee shops and the Red Light District, it is also famous for its maze of canals, in which you can get lost so easily. If you get fed up of the canals we also recommend visiting the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum or the house of Anne Frank. And if you fancy a beer there is only one option… Heineken (which is made here in Amsterdam).

There is no better way to see this liberal, magnificent city than during a celebration, especially one as big as NYE. In fact, Amsterdam is one of the most popular cities in Europe to spend NYE because there is SO much to do here! However there is one thing you have to see, the amazing fireworks show that welcomes in the New Year.

*Optional Activity

• Boat ride on the canals of Amsterdam

Happy New Year Unitrippers!

Since Amsterdam is the city that never stop surprising we will stay here for another day, to give you the chance to enjoy eveything it has to offer, the beautiful buildings, the bridges, the fun bars and the lively and modern atmosphere… all of which attract many tourists from all over the world.

If you are a beer fan make sure you join us on our visit to the Heineken Museum. Or alternatively go and visit the house of Anne Frank, one of the most famous stories of Jewish incarceration at the hands of the Nazi´s during World War II.

*Optional Activities

• Trip to the Heineken Museum 
• Entry into Anne Frank´s House 

Today on our incredible Christmas European Tour you will have the chance to either explore the city by yourself or you can come with us on a day trip to the old dutch windmill village, Zaanse Schans. Here you will get the chance to admire the emblematic wooden windmills, learn how they make the famous dutch shoes that are made of wood and also learn (and more importantly taste!) everything you need to know about dutch cheese!

In the afternoon we will hop back on the bus and head towards Brussels, the capital of Belgium. Welcome to the country known for its waffles and french fries! Brussels is also the headquarters of the different institutions of the EU and the birthplace of many famous comics (like the Smurfs!)

Tonight you must visit the famous beerhouse… Delirium which appears in the Guinness Book of World Records for being one of the bars with the biggest range of beers on its menu in the world! And even better Belgian beer is known worldwide for being very tasty!

*Optional Activity:

• Excursion to the old dutch windmill village, Zaanse Schans.

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 best to find lots of them.
• There is a fountain for 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.
• Discover what more there is to do in this city with our guide a 2 day visit to Brussels

Today, on this Christmas European tour, you can choose what you want to do! One of your options will be to stay in Brussels and explore OR you can hop back on the bus to come and explore two of the most incredible Flemish cities in Europe… Burges and Ghent. We will begin this trip by visiting the beautiful University City of Ghent and we will top that off by visiting Bruges, the most visited city in Belgium, later in the afternoon.

*Optional Activity

• Trip to Bruges and Ghent 

Did you know…

• During the Middle Ages, Burges experienced its peak of ecomonic splendor, which is illustrated in its gothic architecture.
• Contrary to popular belief, Bruges did not get its name from the word “Bruja” which means witch, it came from the Flemish word “Brugge” which means bridge.
• Explore everything that you can do in Bruges in a day

Today on our Christmas European Tour we will get back on our Unitrips bus and head back towards the “City of Light”, but before we get there we will stop at the Atomium to take some pictures. This huge metal structure was constructed for the Universal Exposition in 1958. Since then it has become a symbol of the captial of Belgium.

We will arrive in Paris in the afternoon, giving us enough time to properly explore this incredible city! Make to most out of this opportunity and visit everything that you didn’t have time to see the last time we were here. For example go to the catacombs, go up the Eiffel Tower or the Arc de Triunfo…. In Paris there is always something to do!

Why not take advantage of the fact that you have the whole day free to explore Paris? Go to Disneyland Paris and say hello to Mickey Mouse or go to the Palace of Versailles, which is located on the outskirts of the city. Inside this historically famous building you can admire the majestic rooms through which King Louis XIV once walked and go into the Hall of Mirrors where the Treaty of Versailles, which ended World War One, was signed.

This evening we have a surprise for you! You will have the chance to do a panoramic tour of Paris at night in our bus, visiting all of the most important parts of this incredible capital. The Eiffel Tower, the Champs Elysees, Moulin Rouge… Seeing the entire city lit up at night is a completely different experience to seeing it in the day… you won’t want to miss it!!

*Optional Activity

• Paris by Night 

The must-see tourist attractions in Paris

We will finish our trip by having one last croissant in Paris.

The time has now arrived to return home… but don’t worry because we still have the entire morning to enjoy this city. Try the famous parisian crepes or stroll through the Latin neighborhood, where you will find numerous souvenir shops and traditional coffee shops.