School Holiday Trip To Europe

Forget Disneyland, the most magical place on Earth is really a tie between Rovaniemi, Prague and Edinburgh during the Hogmanay Festival.

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. It’s an amazing opportunity for kids to gain a new perspective on the world, build independence and make lots of new friends.

Our trips are unstructured and collaborative, not rigid and overscheduled, so you can holiday your way. We take the fear and stress out of travel, so you can concentrate on making incredible memories with your kids.

  • 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.

  • Our trips are built around creating social connections and opportunities for growth, so kids with goals around social engagement and skill development may be able to claim some of the cost.

    Please contact us at info@boldgorilla.com.au to discuss NDIS funding in more detail.

  • 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.

How much does it cost?

The price is $4980 per person. Kids aged 4 and under are free. You can secure your spot with a $400 per person deposit and the balance is due by 1 September 2024.

Interested in a similar trip, but with Christmas markets instead of New Years Eve celebrations? Click here for the December version of this trip.

  • 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.

Use our flight search feature to find discount airfares from Australia to Edinburgh

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.

Days 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.

Most of these are nearly sold out already, so please let us know as soon as possible if you’re thinking about doing any of them.|

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!