2015 Spain Soccer Tour

The 2015 Spain trip itinerary has been finalized and is a great opportunity to visit and enjoy the sights of Spain, experience the culture and play soccer against local Spanish teams. I have previously had the pleasure of going on a soccer tour that was prepared by East-West Global Travel and they have put together a great tour for us.

This tour is also available for any parents who would like to participate. Parent involvement in the tour is encouraged.

Please take a few minutes to go through the 2015 Spain itinerary below and let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Simplified Organization Plan and Process

1. Zionsville Community School Board approval of plan. All trips must be approved by the school board. Presented to the board in August.
2. After board approval, there will be a trip meeting in August that will be lead by James Firth of East-West Global Travel to go over the details of the trip and to answer any question.
3. Commitment to the trip.
4. Creation of fund raising committee and fund raising activities.
5. Enjoy Spain!

Pertinent Trip Information

1. Trip dates: July 9-19, 2015
2. Cities: Madrid, Barcelona, Lloret de Mar, Segovia, Santa Susanna and Montserrat.
3. Three games against local teams and two training sessions.
4. Tour Camp Nou Stadium the 115,000 seat stadium that is home to FC Barcelona.
5. Approximate Cost: $3,800.00 (air fare is estimated at this time as flights can’t be priced out over a year an advance). Will have a firm cost for meeting in August.
6. No hostels. All hotel accommodations.

East-West Global Travel

P.O. Box 601 · Aurora, OH 44202 · 800/562-2350 · ewgt@windstream.net

Itinerary Outline for

ZIONSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL BOYS SOCCER

Training & Sightseeing/Madrid, Lloret de Mar and Barcelona, Spain

July 9-19, 2015.

July 9: Depart Indianapolis for overnight journey to Madrid, Spain. After connecting in a US gateway city, arrival in Madrid will be in the morning of the next day.

July 10: Upon arrival in Madrid, and after clearing Spanish Customs and Immigration, your group will be met by a local representative and a privately chartered bus. Your local representative and privately chartered bus will be on hand on a full time basis, insuring that your stay in the area goes smoothly. You will be transferred to your accommodations, a tourist class hotel located near the city center. Here the players will be accommodated in triple rooms, and any adults and boosters accompanying the group will be in double or single rooms, as needed. All rooms with have private bathroom and shower facilities. Two meals daily will be provided for all travelers, with breakfast buffets at the hotel and lunches or dinners provided at local restaurants or the hotel.

After checking in and unpacking, you will meet your local representative and have the chance to explore the city on your own for the remainder of the afternoon and evening.

July 11: After breakfast the group will have a tour of Madrid. While Madrid is a modern world capital in every sense of the word, it has preserved the look and feel of many of its historic neighborhoods and streets. You will see many of the landmarks that make the city so iconic, such as the Royal Palace of Madrid, the Royal Theatre with its restored 1850 Opera House, the 19th-century National Library building (founded in 1712) containing some of Spain's historical archives and more. After the tour, you will have some free time to catch some lunch at one of the many cafes around the Cibeles Palace and Fountain, which has become the monument symbol of the city.

This afternoon the team will transfer to a local club where you will have a training session with a local professional coach.

In the evening you might enjoy an excursion to one of the many unique restaurants in the city center for dinner. Since you will have access to the bus on a full time basis, the possibilities are endless.

July 12: This morning the group will have an excursion to Segovia, an ancient city with a history that dates back to Roman times. You will tour the city and also have time to see two of the most iconic sights here, the Alcazar and the Segovia Cathedral.

In the late afternoon you will transfer to a club where the Zionsville HS team will play a friendly match against a local team.

The remainder of the evening will be free.

July 13: This morning the group will check out of the hotel and transfer to the airport in Madrid. Here you will board a brief flight for Barcelona.

Upon arrival in Barcelona, your group will be met by another local representative and a privately chartered bus.

From the airport on the outskirts of the city, you will transfer to the nearby beach resort city of Lloret de Mar. Here the group will be accommodated in a tourist class hotel located within walking distance of the promenade and the beach. Players will be in double rooms, with breakfasts and dinners provided each day.

July 14: In the morning will be free to relax and perhaps explore the promenade and city of Lloret de Mar.

In the afternoon the Zionsville HS team will transfer to a local club to play a friendly match against a good quality team.

The remainder of the evening will be free.

July 15: After breakfast you will check out and board the bus for a leisurely trip along the Mediterranean coast, back towards Barcelona. Along the way you will stop in the town of Santa Susanna, where you will have a chance to walk around and have lunch on your own.

Later in the afternoon your group will transfer back to Barcelona, where you will arrive and check in to your tourist class hotel located near the city center.

In the evening there will be time to explore the city informally.

July 16: This morning the group will have a more formal city tour of Barcelona. The tour will include the Cathedral, the Gothic Quarter, Generalitat, the Town Hall, Las Ramblas, and the Olympic Village, among other sights. Following the tour there will be free time in the city for shopping, lunch and relaxing.

In the afternoon the team will transfer to a local club where you will have a training session with a professionally licensed coach from the Royal Spanish Football Federation (Real Federación Española de Fútbol, RFEF).

July 17: This morning your group will visit the famous Camp Nou Stadium, home of the professional team FC Barcelona. The stadium itself is a tourist attraction, with a capacity of 115,000 which makes it the largest in Europe. Your group will have a tour of this impressive place, which culminates in the FC Barcelona museum and team shop on the premises.

In the evening the Zionsville High School team will play a friendly match against a local team. Following the match there will be a barbecue dinner for both teams and families.

July 18: The last day of the tour will be free to plan as you wish. There are many possibilities, including an excursion to nearby Montserrat. Or you may prefer at day at the beach where you can play some beach soccer. For those who may wish to relax and enjoy the beautiful setting, that is always a good choice too.

July 19: After ten days of soccer, sightseeing and fun it will be time to return to the USA. Your bus will transport the group to the airport in Barcelona, where you board a connecting flight back to the USA, with arrival in Indianapolis in the evening of the same day.