Badar and His Family Exploring the Wonders of Europe with Thrillophilia
Our 15-day-long trip to Europe was absolutely amazing. We never thought that we could be so comfortable and happy on another continent along with a team of travellers with different cultures and languages. We never felt alienated or distinguished, our batch was so good and fun!
Our tour leader Micheal was a very knowledgeable and learned person, who made our tour more informative and interesting. He shared the history of each place we visited and the backstory of the world-famous architectural wonders like the Eiffel Tower, St. Stephen's Cathedral, and the Pantheon.
We were mesmerised to witness the old charm of Europe, the beautiful lakes and villages, and the modern cities that make this continent the land of exploration!
But the preparation it took to visit this place was long…
The backstory
We contacted Thrillophilia to arrange this trip for us. We started from scratch- no visa, no tickets, and no idea whatsoever how to book them.
Their team helped us through and through, from counselling us about the place and what to expect, to booking our visa appointments and our flight tickets. Since accommodation was already a part of their package all we had to do was choose the hotel we liked. There was a WhatsApp group through which we were getting all the updates, plus they were emailing us about the next procedures and the confirmation letter as well.
It was a very smooth and easy process, even the payment was done online without any hassle.
Now, the reason for us to visit Europe specifically was that we simply wanted to visit Rome and Paris - to be precise. The itinerary included a small part in Austria as well, and to our surprise that was a wonderful addition! On top of that, Thrillophilia’s guides are known to be quite compatible, supportive and knowledgeable, so we knew that we were going to have a good time exploring this part of the world!
The Picture
Upon reaching London, our first stop in Europe, we met a group of 45 people who grew to be like an extended family! There were other kids with whom my daughter made friends. Wherever we went, we went together by the coach bus provided by Thrillophilia. Even in attraction spots, our group huddled together to listen to what our guide Micheal was saying. She would point at a marble statue and start elaborating on its significance, while all others would gape in awe at her and the statue.
The kids, on the other hand, were notorious. They were neither interested in knowing the history nor witnessing the statues. All they wanted to do was play hide and seek in the museums and lock and key in the parks.
Our trip started with a visit to Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Madame Tussauds and others. London is a stunning destination, no doubt.
Next, we went to Paris and then to the famous Eiffel Tower. We also went on a Seine River Cruise where we were served champagne and dinner as well. The whole world is aware of the amazing bakeries Paris hosts, so on the cruise dinner, we ordered French dishes and desserts mainly, to try out their local cuisine. It was beyond anything I or my wife ever imagined. The dough was delicious and so were the cream-fills.
Since it was a long tour, our itinerary was quite detailed, taking us to the off-beat places as well. On the way from Paris to Austria we took a few stops to either explore another attraction or to just relax and gaze at the horizon far away. Europe is a beautiful place to be honest, who would say they have such a bloody history and a ruthless past?
In Austria, we went to the Swarovski Crystal Museum which blew my wife’s mind. After visiting the place her eyes and the necklace she bought there both glowed bright for some time, and then me and my daughter got used to it and stopped paying attention. We were a bit disheartened that there was nothing in our budget that we both could buy for ourselves, therefore…
Finally, The City of Seven Hills
From Austria, we went to Rome, the most awaited place for me on our itinerary. Roman history and myths have always fascinated me.
And this trip proved to be worth it!
We went to all the places that I had read about, the Colosseum, the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museums, and the Roman Forum. Hands down, the trip to the Vatican City was too good. You can never gauge the splendour and the brilliance of these architectural masterpieces until you visit them in reality.
I even explore some places on my own in my leisure time, like the Capitoline Museums and the Baths of Caracalla.
Sometimes my wife accompanied me, sometimes she just wished to relax. And my daughter ran the farthest whenever I pronounced something of history, she was only interested in football.
I used to think it was just a matter of time before she would realise the importance of these things later on…and now…I doubt. But she was almost 8 and she was flunking her classes and topping in sports. Perhaps a different future awaited her, so I decided to take the next trip to Spain, as she is a die-hard Madrid supporter (the football team).
Rome was the last stop on this journey, so I had the bandwidth to think about the next trip destination on the way back home. It was a long flight, and I had time.
So I took out my diary and wrote,
“Trip 2024 - Spain”
And started listing down the places to visit there, so that it becomes easier to curate this next trip with Thrillophilia again!
Read More: Thrillophilia Europe Reviews