Spring Break to Dublin, London & Amsterdam

Transcription

1 Spring Break to Dublin, London & Amsterdam What s Included Airport transfers All private bus transportation and ferry transports Accommodation Breakfast Bus2alps Trip Leader Bus2alps Destination Guide Sandeman s New Dublin, New London & New Amsterdam Walking Tours Welcome dinner Exclusive discounts and parties Accommodation with your friends at top rated hostel Guinness Storehouse tour What s Not Included, Optional Costs Lunches and some dinners Museum entrance Additional tips Optional activities Optional day trips Pub Crawls Open London Bus & Ferry Pass L Open Paris Bus Pass What to bring Passport Proof of age Insurance Documents Camera Weather appropriate clothing Comfortable shoes Extra money Currency: Euro & Pound

2 Where We Stay Accommodation: St. Christopher s Inn The St. Christopher s Inn chain of hostels is one of the most reknowned in Europe, being consistently rated amongst the top hostel chains for cleanliness, style, atmosphere and fun. The St. Christopher s Inn chain does a fantastic job of providing and treating you to an awardwinning, local feel. All St. Christopher s Inn hostels are equipped with their famous Belushi Bar and Restaurant, which provide for cheap eating and nightlife alternatives. Though the general idea may seem to be carried across each of the chain s hostels, each provide a culturally unique experience consistent with the local atmosphere. Hostelworld Rating: 85% - top rated hostel Amenities: Included Breakfast, Wi-Fi, common area, activities booking, Belushi s Bar and Restaurant Room Sizes: varies by hostel Location: London Bridge Accommodation: Generator Hotel Accommodation: Flying Pig Hostels One of the most popular, and well-known group of hostels in Europe, Flying Pig fits the eccentric atmosphere that Amsterdam is known for. The Flying Pig provides travelers with a unique experience and social setting for the perfect feel, and jump-off to take on Amsterdam. Both Flying Pig Hostels are well located, with the Flying Pig Downtown located near the easily accessible main train station, and the Flying Pig Uptown branch residing near the happening Leidseplein, a short distance from the main museums and the Heinken Experience. Flying Pig was awarded the 2009 Hostelworld Best Hostel in Netherlands. Hostelworld Rating: 87% (Downtown), 80% (Uptown) Room sizes: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 Beds Amenities: Included Breakfast, WiFi, common area, smoking room, activities booking, inline skating rentals Location: Amsterdam Generator is brand new and located right on Smithfield Square in central Dublin, next door to the Old Jameson Distillery and within walking distance of the famous Temple Bar. Generator offers state of the art facilities, modern rooms and fun atmosphere to come home to after exploring the city of Dublin. Hostelworld overall rating: 90% Amenities: Included breakfast, Wifi, internet, ensuite rooms, luggage storage, security lockers, café, bar, common room, elevator. Room Sizes: 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 Location: Smithfield Square, Dublin 7, Dublin, Ireland * These are our primary accommodations; there may be some weekends where we use alternate accommodations of equal quality.

3 Detailed Itinerary Day 1 (Thursday) Day 2 (Friday) Overnight flight departing from the USA to Dublin (DUB). Your trip leader will meet you in the Arrivals Hall of the Dublin Airport (Dublin). Plan flights accordingly. We will then transfer from the airport by private bus transfer to our accommodation in the Dublin. City Center. Upon arrival we will immediately check into our accommodation. After breakfast on Friday morning, we take a private tour of the city with Sandeman s New Dublin Walking Tours. Our 3 hour tour will cover Dublin s Castle, Medieval Walls, Viking remains, famous churches, Ha Penny Bridge and other highlights. The tour ends at the Guinness Storehouse where we will take a tour of the brewery (included) and have a pint at the Gravity Bar, overlooking the city. Friday night is the time to enjoy a few pints with the Irish locals. You are free to soak up Dublin s world renowned nightlife at various bars, clubs and restaurants recommend by your trip leader. Day 3 (Saturday) Day 4 (Sunday) Day 5 (Monday) Saturday is St. Patrick s Day, the greatest day in all of the Irish land. This day is welcomed with lots of street parties, celebration, and of course fun. In the morning there will be the parade to commemorate the day. We will bring those interested in checking out the parade down after breakfast. After the parade, the Irish take the pubs and the streets immediately. We will head to one of the many great pubs to celebrate this glorious day with the locals. If you choose your own plan for the day, you will have little issue finding a suitable pub to sing, dance, and party! Sunday we depart Dublin. Check out from our accommodation is at 11:00*. We will depart Dublin at 11:00 after check out on Sunday. Travel to London will be by bus and ferry. We will travel to the coastline by bus where we will load the ferry, with our bus and cross to Wales. Once in Wales we will re-board our bus and finish the trip to England. We will arrive in London in the evening. After breakfast, we depart on the Sandeman s New London Walking Tour. The tour takes us to the Theater District, Leicester Square, Covent Garden, Piccadilly, Buckingham Palace, Green Park and Oxford Street. We start the night with a Welcome to Europe group dinner and then continue on to some of London s top pubs and nightclubs. Meet your trip leader in the lobby of our accommodation at 18:30. * All departure/arrival times are subject to change due to weather and seasonal availiabiity. You will be informed 24 hours prior about any changes. ** Drive times are all estimated and are subject to change due to road conditions and traffic.

4 Detailed Itinerary Day 6 (Tuesday) Spend Tuesday morning enjoying London s The Original Tour. This 24 hour ferry and bus ticket allows you to see all of London s sights including Trafalgar Square, Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Westminister Abbey, Houses of Parliament, St Pauls Cathedral, Tower Bridge, London Eye, Harrod s, The Thames River and Greenwich. It is a hop on/hop off ticket with buses every 10 minutes with a entertaining local guide to point out historical details. Tuesday night you are free to organize your own dinner plans. Your trip leader will organize a bar/club meeting place for later in the evening. Day 7 (Wednesday) Wednesday morning we depart London for Amsterdam at 9:00* via the high speed train. We will arrive in Amsterdam at approximately 13:00* and check into our accommodation. After checking in we depart on the Sandeman s New Amsterdam Walking Tour. The walking tour lasts around 3 hours and covers much of the city including the Red Light District, Anne Frank s House, East Indies Trading Company, Amsterdam s famous coffee shops and the canals. The night is free to explore the various bars, clubs and shows of Amsterdam. Amsterdam has two bustling pub crawls that take in Amsterdam s Red Light District Bars and those surrounding the busy Leidseplein. Day 8 (Thursday) Day 9 (Friday) Day 10 (Saturday) Thursday is a free day for you to explore Amsterdam. Amsterdam is rich with museums, boasting the largest volume in Europe. Bus2alps recommends making time to see the Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank House, Vondelpark, Sex Museum, and Heineken Experience. There are also varous bike and canal tours for a quicker way to see the city. There will be a Farewell to Europe pub crawl to explore some of Amsterdam s provocative nightlife. Friday morning we check out of our accommodation at 9:00* and transfer to the airport. Estimated travel time to the airport is 1 hour**. Plan flights accordingly. Flights from Amsterdam (AMS) arrive back in the USA. * All departure/arrival times are subject to change due to weather and seasonal availiabiity. You will be informed 24 hours prior about any changes. ** Drive times are all estimated and are subject to change due to road conditions and traffic.

5 Additional Information Included Activities New London Walking Tour: Learn all about one of Europe s most notable and the world s most notable empirial nation in a funny and insightful way. New Dublin Walking Tour: From some of the world s greatest writers to dramatic and sometimes tragic events through the centuries, Dublin s main export has been stories and guides are famous for bringing the past to life through their passionate delivery of the history of this vibrant city. Dublin Castle, Medieval Walls, Viking Remains, Norman Dublin, Georgian Dublin, Christ Church Cathedral, Adam and Eve Church, The National Library and more. New Amsterdam Walking Tour: There is more to this city than just coffee shops and red lights! New Europe weaves you through the cobblestone roads and along the beautiful canals of Amsterdam providing great insight to the unique culture of this city. Welcome Dinner: Get to know your fellow travelers for the next week with a night out to once of London s great restaurants. Optional Activities Amsterdam Pub Crawls: There are two bumping Pub Crawls exploring Amsterdam s intriguing nightlife. The first starts at Amsterdam s happening square, Leidseplein, and explore the surrounding bars and clubs. The second shows what night in the Red Light District is like. Tours and Museums: London, Dublin, and Amsterdam are home to some of Europe s largest and most important museums. Consult your trip leader or information guide for details on how to join any optional tours and day trips. Museum, gallery and day trip prices vary. Museum entrance typically cost 5-15 Euro, whereas guided day tours vary between 20 and 40 Euro. Dublin Open Tour: Your all-day hop on and hop off bus ticket brings you the most comprehensive way to see Dublin. London Open Tour: Your 24 hr ticket for the hop on and hop off bus and ferry goes to all the central London sights. You will see Trafalgar Square, Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Westminister Abbey, Houses of Parliament, St Pauls Cathedral, Tower Bridge, London Eye, and Harrod s. Included is the ferry to Greenwich, site of the Prime Meridian.