New Years Eve Trip To Europe

Forget Disneyland - the most magical place on Earth is actually Rovaniemi in winter!

We're taking a group of families from all over Australia on the trip of a lifetime, all the way to the top of the world.

We'll stay in a castle in Scotland, visit some of the most beautiful cities in Europe, check out an ice hotel and attend one of the biggest New Year's Eve festivals in the world - Hogmanay!

This trip is all about fun, friends and adventure. Give your kids a new perspective on the world in a way that's safe, supportive and in line with your family’s budget, interests and need for downtime.

Make friends. Make memories.
But do it your own way, at your own pace.

  • Our trips offer all the freedom and flexibility of solo travel, without the worry.

    Explore on your own terms, knowing our trip leaders are always nearby to offer support.

  • Kids love traveling together, and parents can relax, knowing they’re happily entertained.

    With new friends to share the fun, every activity becomes an adventure.

  • Connect with other families when you’re ready and recharge whenever it feels right.

    It’s the perfect balance of friendship and personal space for kids and parents.

  • Our trips are designed around flexibility - light on schedules, big on options.

    You choose the activities that suit your family's budget, interests and need for downtime.

Trip details

  • The price is $4980 per person. Kids aged 4 and under are free. Airfares are not included, but are available for around $2500 per person return.

  • The ticket price includes accommodation at premium hotels for 14 nights, a sleeper cabin on the night train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi, flights from Edinburgh to Prague and flights from Prague to Helsinki.

    We can organise a package for you that includes flights to and from Australia for an additional cost. Please email us if you would like to discuss this option.

    You’ll travel around Europe with a group of families and a trip co-ordinator, who will make sure everything runs smoothly and all of the kids have lots of opportunities to bond and make friends. But this trip is a collaboration, not a rigid tour with set times and generic activities.

    The trip co-ordinator will also let you know what tours and sights are available in each area and will suggest activities for the group to do together.

  • This trip will start in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 29 December 2024 and end on 13 January 2025 in Rovaniemi, Finland

  • Our trips are designed specifically for families.

    We want kids to have the time of their lives and we want adults to have the kind of relaxing holiday that just isn’t possible if you’re stressed about entertaining the kids the whole time.

    You’ll travel with other families and a trip co-ordinator, who will suggest activities along the way, make sure everything runs smoothly and help the kids get to know each other.

    We also set up a private group chat for people who are going on the trip, so that everyone can get to know each other before it starts and share photos along the way.

  • If you have kids in your life and you’re keen to make amazing memories and show them the world - this is for you.

    Kids have more fun when they travel together and parents get to relax and enjoy their company, instead of constantly worrying about entertaining them.

    Most of the people who join our trips are homeschoolers, but families with school kids are very welcome too.

    Our trips are not the usual group tours. Everything is built around giving kids an opportunity to make friends, have amazing educational experiences and travel at their own pace.

    The day-to-day experience of our trips is also very different. We set up a private group chat to talk about options and get to know each other before we go. It’s perfect for a quick shout out to the group if you’re heading out to the market and want some company. If you want to spend time alone, that’s totally fine too.

  • As with all of our trips, you’re welcome to join in as much or as little as you like. It’s totally up to you.

    Everything is very flexible. We understand that some people love to be constantly on the go and surrounded by friends, and others need time to themselves and rest days to recharge.

    We just want everyone to have an amazing holiday, feel comfortable and have a memorable experience safe in the knowledge that they’re not alone if they need support.

FAQs

  • Very cold! That’s what makes it so much fun!

    Last time we were in Rovaniemi it was -25C, but -15 is more likely.

    In Prague it’s likely to be closer to 3 degrees during the day and zero at night and in Edinburgh it will be around 6 degrees during the day and zero at night.

    You don’t need special expensive gear - just plenty of layers. We’ll help you figure out what to pack and how to stay comfortable, no matter how cold it gets.

  • Rovaniemi is just below the Arctic Circle, so when we are there the sun will rise at 11am and set at 1:30pm.

    But this doesn’t mean you’ll be walking around in total darkness all day.

    One of the magical things about Lapland is the extremely long sunrises and sunsets, so for hours every day you’ll see soft pink and purple skies, which makes the landscape look pastel. coloured It’s unbelievably beautiful.

    The tour operators are all set up for the long nights, so most of the activities are designed to run at twilight or when it’s dark, plus in December there are Christmas lights everywhere.

    We think it’s the best time of year to visit and the kids will love the novelty of it

  • Prices in the countries we will be visiting are fairly similar to Australia.

    A meal at an inexpensive restaurant costs around $22 and a 3-course meal at a mid-range restaurant costs around $65.

    A Coke costs $4, a bottle of water costs $2.71 and a loaf of bread costs $3.50.

  • Tipping is customary in restaurants in Edinburgh and Prague - usually around 10% if you’re satisfied with the service. Tips are not expected in Finland, even in restaurants.

  • The cities we are visiting are major tourists hubs, so most people speak some English. Most of the signs, menus and product descriptions are in multiple languages, including English.

  • Finland uses the Euro, Scotland uses the Pound and Czechia uses the Koruna.

Here’s what we have planned:

Days 1 - 4: Edinburgh

We’ll pick you up from the airport on day one and start our adventure with four nights in Scotland. We’ve rented an entire castle just outside of Edinburgh! We’ll have it all to ourselves - it’s the perfect place for the kids to get to know their new travel buddies.

Our time in Scotland coincides with Hogmanay, one of world’s biggest new year festivals. There are lots of kids activities, fireworks, an amazing torchlight procession and some really cool traditional celebrations.

Day 5: Edinburgh to Prague

We’ll say goodbye to Scotland on day five and fly to beautiful Prague.

The flight is only a couple of hours, so we’ll arrive in time for you to have Czech roast duck for dinner, or McDonalds if your kids are looking for something a bit more familiar.

Day 5 -9: Prague

We’ve never met anyone who’s been to Prague and isn’t in love with it. It’s such an amazing city.

We’re staying right in the centre of the beautiful Old Town for four nights, with its gorgeous old buildings, castles and clock towers. We might even get lucky and see some snow.

Day 9: Prague to Helsinki

We’ll head to the airport on day 9, for a 2-hour flight north to Helsinki.

We’re booked into our Helsinki hotel for three nights, but we’ll only sleep there for two, because we’re catching the night train to Rovaniemi late on the third night.

Day 9 - 11: Helsinki

There’s a really fun day trip on day 10 if you’re feeling adventurous - Estonia. Huge cruise ships cross the Gulf of Finland multiple times every day, and the trip takes just two hours. Estonia’s capital, Tallinn, is a super charming city with lots of things for kids to do.

Of course there’s plenty to do in Helsinki if you’d rather not catch a boat - the Science Centre, Icepark and Maritime Fortress are definite winners.

Day 11: Helsinki to Rovaniemi

Day 11 is a pretty special one! At 11pm we’ll leave our hotel rooms, head to the train station and jump on the Santa Claus Express!

We’ll spend the night in a sleeper cabin, tucked up in comfortable bunk beds, while we make our way up to the Arctic Circle. The journey takes about 12 hours.

The conductor will deliver breakfast to your cabin in the morning, so you can eat in bed while you look out at the beautiful snowy landscape.

Days 12 - 16: Rovaniemi

We’ll arrive at Rovaniemi on the morning of day 12, ready for something magical.

There are so many things to do - Santa’s Village, dog sledding, snowmobile rides, reindeer sleigh rides, ice floating in a survival suit, rides on an icebreaker ship, trips to frozen waterfalls and dinner at the ice restaurant, just to name a few. We’ve done most of them and would be happy to recommend operators or book tickets for you, but it’s important to book as early as possible. December is peak season and everything sells out many months in advance.

We’re staying in the centre of Rovaniemi for four nights, to be close to the restaurants and shops, but if you would rather stay at Santa Claus Village, spend a night the ice hotel or stay in a glass domed igloo to look for the Northern Lights, we can arrange that for an extra cost.

We’ll say goodbye to all our new friends on the morning of day 16 and each start our journey home. There are cheap direct flights from Rovaniemi to London, and it’s easy to go anywhere from there.

If you’re heading straight back to Australia, you’ll be home in time to have a rest and get everything ready for the start of the school year. Your kids will definitely have some amazing stories to tell on their first day back!

Here’s what people are saying

  • We are just rolling back into Adelaide after the most incredible two week trip to Uluru with Bold Gorilla. What an adventure!

    We were travelling just in our swags with temps hitting 0 degrees several nights and whilst we were prepared, Brook and Brenda checked in each day to see if we were warm enough, supplying us with extra blankets for the frostiest of nights.

    We were supplied with devices to help us connect in remote areas if we ran into any trouble and the BG team were always at the back of the convoy, looking out for everyone.

    It was the perfect balance of planned activities versus free time and free play for the kids. Of our own freedom, as well as connection whenever we wanted it.

    All the families on our trip were absolute legends. We met amazing characters in each town, some lovely, some cranky, some hilarious and all making up the colourful chapter that this trip will be in our family's story forevermore.

    Highlights for us were - the cuttlefish, campfires, Uluru, Kata Tjuta, Tom's Mine and the great crew.

    We are absolutely buzzing. Huge thanks to the BG team for creating such a wonderful opportunity for us as a family to be together in this way.

    Lissie T

  • My daughters (9 and 7) and I recently returned from the Uluru convoy.

    The trip far exceeded my expectations on every level - the organisers, the people, the itinerary, the planned activities and the pre trip planning.

    Brooke the business owner picked the most wonderful itinerary and group activities clearly based on her experience as a parent, her love of travel and adventure and the relationships she has built with business owners over the years.

    My girls loved every minute of the convoy and shined each day as they absorbed the beautiful scenery, chatted and played with their new friends and learnt so so many new things.

    The frequency and type of activities that Brooke arranged for the group were perfect including attending a kangaroo sanctuary and touring a live opal mine.

    All activities were optional and you could dip in and out of the group as you wished but always knew you were in the competent and kind hands of Brooke and James which I found incredibly reassuring as a sole parent travelling with two children.

    As a result of this exceptional experience, and Brooke and her team, my girls and I have found a new love for travel and adventure. Thank you so much Bold Gorilla. We are now planning our next trip with you. It was a life changer for us!

    Nicola C

  • I’ve never seen my son be so social! He took a couple of days to come out of his shell, but after that we couldn’t pry him away from his new friends. He is usually too anxious to talk to anyone or make friends. It was great for his confidence and I can’t wait to take him on another trip.

    Juliet F

  • This is our 2nd time travelling with Bold Gorilla. We recently travelled with Bold Gorilla on the Uluru convoy and had the most amazing time.

    We went from swimming with giant cuttlefish, noodling for opals, to seeing the beauty of Uluru all in one big adventure.

    It was so nice to experience the trip as a group and Brook and Brenda went out of their way to ensure we were looked after. Not only did they pack extra camping chairs and mattresses for us upon hearing that our car was full to the brim, Brook also lent us her hot water bottles and other supplies that we hadn't thought to bring.

    Would definitely recommend travelling with Bold Gorilla and can't wait for our next adventure.

    Laura C

  • The Uluru trip offered by Brook and her team exceeded our expectations. Brook and Brenda looked after the group ensuring our need for information and support were provided with a smile and care.

    The trip was well planned. Safety was provided by the support trucks and all families had a communication device.

    Nothing was too much for the team.

    We all enjoyed the group campfires and the opportunity to connect with other families.

    Really recommend these tours - not too much structure but just right for a relaxing journey through remote parts of SA and NT.

    Jacqui H

  • The trip was amazing and everyone made us all feel welcome and helped me out with both my son and his assistance dog when I was struggling with my knee injury.

    Just be aware with injuries it may be a little difficult to get out of barge and back on at the island as had to climb over side. But everyone was willing to help me and our dog off.

    Bel C

  • Thanks for the memories my family & I take away from our experience on the Uluru convoy which has left us feeling so grateful to Brook, Brenda & the team, who were absolutely amazing, they all went above and beyond to do their absolute best to ensure things went as smoothly as possible for everyone, sometimes in trying circumstances beyond their control in a large group....

    I can't recommend dealing with this company highly enough & will most definitely seek to join them on future adventures & will happily recommend them to others.

    Belinda R

  • My family have enjoyed three trips with Bold Gorilla: two within Australia and one overseas. All three were wonderful experiences.

    Bold Gorilla trips strike a great balance between structure and flexibility. Even though you are travelling with the support and companionship of a group you don't have the pressure and stress that is often a part of group travel.

    Jennifer R

  • Amazing experiences organised, I am blown away with the quality of them.

    Louise C

  • The experience with Bold Gorilla was awesome.

    My son and I travelled to Japan with them, my son made some great friends and we had such a good experience. It was so good to have the experience of the tour organiser to guide us on all things Japanese - how to catch PT, where to eat, activities to do etc.

    Have already booked my next two trips with them.

    Note- while you're with a group, it's still very self-directed and free meaning you can make the trip your own, while being in the safety of the group.

    Shashi H

  • Uluru convoy was brilliant. Brooke & James could not have been more helpful. We felt safe & supported & had an awesome time.

    Tracey M

  • This is our second trip to Private Island with Bold Gorilla and it won't be the last :-) Although the trips are unstructured, pesky logistical details were taken care of before I could even think about them myself. Myself and my son had a ball, felt secure and part of a special group of travelers that just click together. I recommend Bold Gorilla to anyone who will listen. Great memories and great learning opportunities for my homeschooler.

    Ivana O