England & France 9 Day Soccer Tour Itinerary
Today we depart on our soccer adventure to England. The next 9 days will offer an amazing opportunity to travel the world, compete internationally in soccer, and learn about English Football. Sit back, get some rest and enjoy the in-flight service. Tomorrow we arrive in London, England!
Upon our arrival we are welcomed by our English tour guide and take part in a tour to some of London’s greatest sites. Your tour will include visits to Windsor Castle, Europe’s longest occupied palace, and Westminster Abbey, the location for the royal family’s coronation and burial. Next we will visit the Palace of Westminster and view Big Ben. Later this afternoon our team will take part in a training session as we prepare for our upcoming friendly games.
Today’s modern game of soccer originated in Great Britain and the first rules of the game were drawn up by a group of representatives from different clubs at Trinity College in Cambridge. As subsequent rules of play were formed The Football Association was formed in 1863 at the Freemasons’ Tavern on Great Queen Street in London, and it was at this location that the first set of rules were adopted for the game. We continue our touring with a visit to one of the world’s largest stadiums and the home of the FA Cup Final, Wembley Stadium. After our tour of Wembley Stadium, we return to our hotel for a pre-game meal and time to rest before heading out to our scheduled friendly soccer match. After our match we will have a post match party with time to interact and become better friends with the team we just played.
Game One vs. TBD
Today we begin our day with a visit to Stamford Bridge, home of England’s second most successful club, Chelsea FC. Opened in 1877, Stamford Bridge began as the site for the London Athletic Club until acquired by two brothers in 1904. One year later, Chelsea FC was founded by Joseph and Gus Mears and has won seven FA Cups in its history. Next we will visit Buckingham Palace, the primary office and home for Great Britain’s monarchy in London. View the historic and famous changing of the guards before seeing the royal family’s carriages and garage at the Royal Mews. Visit the famous St. Paul’s Cathedral sitting on London’s highest point, Ludgate Hill. Take in the amazing London skyline from this point before our visit to the London Eye and Trafalgar Square. This afternoon we take part in a training session led by a local professional English coach giving both the players and coaches a chance to learn how training is done in England.
Our final day of touring begins with a guided tour of Emirates Stadium, home of Arsenal FC. Beginning as a group of workers from the Woolwich Arsenal Armament Factory, Arsenal FC has become the most successful soccer club in history. Next visit Soccer Scene, the official sports retailer of the Professional Football Association. After our tour we return to our hotel for a pre-game meal and time to rest before heading out to our scheduled friendly soccer match. After our match we will have a post match party with time to interact and become better friends with the team we just played.
Game Two vs. TBD
This morning we depart London and travel by 2nd class Euro star train to Paris, France. Upon arrival in Paris we meet our French tour guide and enjoy a tour of Paris to include a view of the Arc de Triomphe, built to commemorate Napoleon’s victories, a walk along the Avenue des Champs Elysees a visit to the Notre Dame Cathedral which was the scene of Napoleon’s coronation and where we can climb the south tower to look for the hunchback! This evening we’ll visit the Eiffel Tower and enjoy a view of the city.
This morning enjoy a visit to the magnificent Versailles Palace, the chateau of Louis XIV. Next we enjoy a visit to the Paris Saint-Germain soccer stadium and imagine playing alongside Zlatan Ibrahimović or David Luiz. After our tour we return to our hotel for a pre-game meal and time to rest before heading out to our scheduled friendly soccer match. After our match we will have a post match party with time to interact and become better friends with the team we just played.
Game Three vs. TBD
This morning enjoy a morning tour of the Louvre Museum. The Louvre Museum is one of the world’s largest museums and the most visited museum in the world housing more than 35,000 objects from prehistory to the 21st century. This afternoon we climb the hill and visit Montmartre which offers a wonderful view of the city of Paris and the Eiffel Tower. We’ll step inside the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris and then enjoy the remainder of our afternoon free to shop for some souvenirs.
We say good bye to France and transfer to the Paris airport to begin our journey home.
