HERE'S OUR PLAN
Day 1 – Madrid – Zaragoza – Barcelona
We will leave Madrid in the morning, passing through the ancient kingdom of Aragon and its Roman capital “Caesar Augusta”, today called Zaragoza. We will continue to the city of Barcelona, passing through the desert area of Monegros. We will arrive in Barcelona in the afternoon/evening for a first ride.
Day 2 – Barcelona – Ferry
Today, in this backpacker Eurotrip, you will enjoy the day in Barcelona, enjoy its corners that have made it the world’s tourist capital: from La Sagrada Familia, to Passeig de Gracia, through the mythical Ramblas and the Gothic Quarter with its impressive cathedral.
In the evening, we will continue our backpacking trip to Europe and go to the port to board a ferry. We will spend the night 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!
Did you know…
- Gaudi’s famous Sagrada Familia still does not have a concrete completion date. The project is so large and complex that it is still unknown when it will be finished.
- In Barcelona There is a statue of Liberty, specifically one of the three original ones. You can see it in the Arús Library, near the Arc de Triomphe. The other two are in New York and Paris.
- The avenue that gathers the main works of the Master Gaudí are in the Passeig de Gracia, and are of the twentieth century. Let yourself be fascinated by the famous houses of La Pedrera and Battló.
Day 3 – Ferry – Rome
IMPORTANT: The brekfast on the ferry is NOT included.
After a whole day enjoying the Mediterranean breeze, we will arrive at Civitavecchia where our Eurobus will be await us to take us to the former Caput Mundi, Rome to truly begin our backpacking trip around Europe. It is a sprawling cosmopolitan city full of culture, history, art and architecture with a very Mediterranean cuisine based on seasonal products, as well as stores for everyone.
Day 4 – Rome
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 imposing buildings, which males strolling through the narrow streets of Rome like 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, Backpacking through Europe, 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.
*Optional Activity:
- Rome Pack: Round trip transport + guided tour of Rome + Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums + Colossuem
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.
Day 5 – Rome – Florence
Today, on our backpacking trip around Europe, 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!
Did you know…
- 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.
Day 6 – Florence – Cinque Terre and Pisa*
“Buongiorno Principessa” said Benigni, an actor from the city of Florence, in the film “Life is Beautiful”.
On our backpacking trip around Europe today you will have the chance to admire numerous incredible works of art in the Museum of the 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 acitivity for those who want to see the beautiful towns of 5 Terre and the famous 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:
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 is composed by Monterosso Al Mare, Vernazza, Manarola, Riomaggiore y Corniglia.
- 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.
Day 7 – Florence– Venice
After admiring this ting city that has almost 3000 years of history, we will continue with our backpacking trip 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.
Day 8 – Venice
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: Access ticket, 2 train tickets, guided tour of the city, visit to the Master of Murano Glass, gondola ride along the canals of Venice.
Did you know…
- The last bridge built in Venice was designed by a Spanish architect: Calatrava.
- From time to time in Venice there is a phenomenon called “Acqua Alta”. It causes a sharp rise in the water level in the lagoon of Venice, which usually lasts 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.
- 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.
Day 9 – Venice – Vienna
It´s time to leave Italy and continue this backpacking trip around Europe. We will cross the border to get to Austria, where we will visit its incredible capital. We will arrive at the end of the day and we´ll have time to rest in this country full of towns in the mountains with an imperial history and Baroque architecture. Vienna is waiting for us!
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 1955. 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.
Day 10 – Vienna
Guten morgen!
Today, on our backpacking trip around 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.
*Optional Activity:
- Bus Tour of Vienna: Ringstrasse and Schonbrunn (with local professional guide)
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).
Day 11 – Vienna – Budapest
Today on our backpacking trip around Europe we will wake up in Vienna, then after a delicious breakfast we will set off towards another country, Hungary. We will arrive in the capital, Budapest, to take a walk, are you ready? There still so much left to explore with its panoramic views and it is known as one of th most surprising cities in all of Europe.
Day 12 – Budapest
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.
Day 13 – Budapest
Enjoy your last day of the best economic travel to Europe visiting places that you had left to see. Now you can say that you know half of Europe and you will have memories of the most beautiful corners of the old continent, with your new friends from half the world.
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