Wednesday 31 March– The Netherlands – Andorra

• The special YPT Micronation Minivan, or the Vengabus as we will inevitably be calling it, drives from the Netherlands, via Antwerp, Paris and Toulouse to Andorra. Want to hop on along the way? Get in touch with us!
• Arrival in Andorra where the tour proper begins
• Meet your fellow travellers at the hotel before we head for welcome drinks and getting to know each other.
• Overnight in Andorra.

Thursday 1 April – Andorra La Vella

• Today we will spend the full day in the sixth-smallest country of Europe: Andorra. We will start with a short walking tour of Andorra la Vella, the highest capital city in Europe. Along the way we’ll see landmarks like the Dali Monument, Central Park, Casa de la Vall and fine examples of Romanesque granite architecture in the historical centre.
• When you’re in one of the smallest countries of the world, you can’t pass over the Miniature Museum! We will visit the museum in the Romanesque mountain village of Ordino, passing the medieval Sant Antoni de la Grella Bridge.
• After lunch we’ll explore the shady past of Andorra. For a long time Andorra was known as a smugglers paradise. As a matter of fact, alcohol and tobacco are still awfully cheap! We’ll take a look at the smugglers route that connects the country with Spain. Along the way we’ll experience the beautiful nature of the Pyrenees.
• Time to head for the local brewery for food and drinks!
• Overnight in Andorra.

Friday 2 April – Andorra – Llívia – Aix-en-Provence – La Turbie / Monaco

• Time to hit the road in our private minivan!
• Near Andorra lies the Spanish enclave of Llívia. This cartographic anomaly is completely surrounded by France. But don’t expect to see many Spanish flags – Llívia is fiercely Catalan and rumour has it that this is where the independence struggle for Catalonia started. We’ll pay a quick visit to this interesting place.
• We will continue our drive towards the Mediterranean Sea, stopping for lunch on the way.
• Along the way we’ll stop at Camp des Milles in Aix-en-Provence. a concentration camp for artists and intellectuals in Vichy France.
• We continue our drive along the French Riviera.
• Dinner and overnight in La Turbie (France), on the doorstep of our second microstate, Monaco.

Saturday 3 April – Monaco

• Two square kilometres of glitter and glamour: Monaco is a country for the rich ‘n’ famous.
• In the morning we’ll explore the famous sights of the country, including the Formula 1 track, Royal Palace, Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (where the Grimaldis are buried), Monte Carlo Casino, the botanical garden for an immense view of the country and – don’t tell anyone – a secret beach! (Feel free to bring your swimming gear.)
• Free afternoon: hit the casino, visit the world famous Oceanographic Museum or stare at all the expensive cars and yachts that cruise around.
• Dinner at one of the great restaurants of Monaco.
• Overnight in La Turbie, France.

Sunday 4 April – Monaco – Seborga – Cinque Terre

• Time to leave France behind and stay in Italy for a while. But wait, maybe not…
• First stop is Seborga and some theoreticals – what’s the difference between a microstate and a micronation? We will find out in Seborga, a village stating it was never officially included in the Italian unification and therefore claims its own independence. It even has its own flag, currency and royal family. But is this unique place truly a microstate? Let’s see for ourselves.
• Along the way we’ll have a stop for a proper Italian lunch.
• We continue our drive towards Cinque Terre. This is one of the most famous sights in Italy, and when we cruise down along the Ligurian coast, you can clearly see why! Colourful houses, right next to the sea.
• Along the way we’ll make a quick stop at Il Gigante, an impressive piece of art, right next to the sea.
• Upon arrival there’s free time to explore Cinque Terre – or go for a good glass of Italian wine with food.
• Overnight in Cinque Terre.

Monday 5 April – Cinque Terre – Rome

• Once again we hit the road with our minivan, driving onwards to Rome.
• At the town of Rosignano we will stop at a beautiful picturesque white beach alongside bright turquoise water. It looks just like the Caribbean – until you turn around and look at the chemicals factory behind you. Yes, if you fancy a seaside holiday full of mercury, cadmium and lead, Spiagge Bianche is the perfect Mediterranean beach for you!
• We’ll make a few short photo stops and have a lunch break in between.
• Arrival in Rome. We’ll head for pasta or pizza and some wine or beers.

Tuesday 6 April – Rome – Vatican

• Time for our next microstate: the smallest country in the world! Did you ever walk around an entire country? No? Today is the day!
• After the 45 minute walk we’ll head to the dark side of the Vatican, a tour of the Vatican Necropolis
• This afternoon you can explore more of the Vatican or other famous sights in Rome. If you’ve been here before, you can join us for optional visits to Villa Torlonia (former bunker of Mussolini), Chiese di Santa Maria dell’Orazione e Morte (church with famous fresco’s and a chamber made of human bones) or the Pyramid of Cestius.
• Late in the afternoon we will be paying a visit to the only country in the world with no territory – the Sovereign Military Order of Malta – a place for country collectors that you do not want to miss!
• We say goodbye to Group A and welcome Group B! This can be done with a great Italian welcome and goodbye meal.
• Overnight in Rome.

Wednesday 7 April – Rome – Orvieto – Montepulciano – San Marino

• Today we’ll drive north through the amazing scenery of Tuscany. Along the way we’ll make a few stops for photos.
• Our first stop is the historical town of Orvieto. Below this city lies a complex of 440 caves that has served different purposes throughout history: you’ll find wine cellars, refrigerator cells and WWII bomb shelters. We’ll have a tour through one of the caves.
• For lunch we’ll stop at the picturesque town of Montepulciano. A typical mountain village in the middle of Tuscany.
• We’ll leave Tuscany and slowly reach our final destination for the day, the microstate of San Marino. Infamous for its soccer team and Eurovision artists, but famous for being the oldest constitutional republic in the world.
• Upon arrival we’ll head straight for dinner and drinks.
• Overnight in San Marino.

Thursday 8 April – San Marino

• We will spend the whole day exploring the republic of San Marino, the third smallest country in Europe. After breakfast we will start with a walking tour through the country.
• Along the way we will visit famous sights as Cava dei Balestrieri, the Basilica di San Marino, Palazzo Publico and Guaita, Falese and Montale – the three famous towers guarding Monte Titano.
• After the walk we take the cable car downhill, before we head for lunch.
• In the afternoon we’ll have an optional San Marino wine tasting.
• After the tasting we head for a true San Marino dinner.
• Overnight in San Marino.

Friday 9 April – San Marino – Predappio – Feldkirch

• It’s going to be a long day of driving. An hour after leaving San Marino we’ll make a stop in Predappio.
• This town has been (in)famous for being the hometown of Benito Mussolini. We will visit his family tomb and his birthplace. Weirdly enough, they have been turned into tourist attractions, with dubious ultra-right ‘souvenir’ shops where various images of fascist leaders are on display.
• We’ll continue our way north for another 6 hours. After a quick lunch stop we will reach Switzerland.
• Before that however we will pay a visit to Campione d’Italia, an Italian exclave surrounded by Swiss territory. Home to Europe’s largest casino up to 2018, this exclave is another must for those like us obsessed with georgraphic anomalies.
• Overnight in Feldkirch, Austria.

Saturday 10 April – Liechtenstein – Feldkirch

• Welcome to Liechtenstein! This microstate is wedged between Austria and Switzerland in the middle of the Alps. Today we’ll have a full day to explore this country.
• We’ll start the day with a visit to the National Museum to learn more about the history of this tiny country.
• Next we’ll explore the capital Vaduz. While Vaduz isn’t great on tourist attractions we’ll check out the Vaduz Castle and Old Rhine Bridge.
• After lunch we’ll go for an easy hike around the Alps. Here you’ll have grand vistas of the entire Principality.
• Our final farewell dinner in Liechtenstein, expect proper celebrations at the end of our Microstate adventure!
• Overnight in Feldkirch, Austria.

Sunday 11 April – Feldkirch – The Netherlands

• End of tour.
• The YPT Microstate Minivan drives back north, towards Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Cologne and finally the Netherlands. If you want to join us for another day, let us know!

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