by FOMO Girl
If anyone is looking for a nice place to vacation offering original and quirky excitement, you will not want to miss booking with a La Tomatina Tours company for the Festival in Bunol, Spain. First of all, Spain has a lot to offer. It has a nice climate and is located near the Mediterranean Sea.

Engulf yourself in this wildly crazy and thrilling event that the La Tomatina Festival offers. If you are familiar with the language, it is the biggest tomato-throwing event of the year. It's messy yes, but is lots of fun. Crowds increase with whopping numbers year after year. People from all over the world make a journey to Bunol to join in for the thrill of a lifetime and the excitement.

It is still hard to believe this is a recognized event that thousands of visitors and locals flock to. It all began with a small group of kids who were in the town square watching a parade. Being a little mischievous, the spontaneous kids tried to join the parade of puppets and musicians to become a part of the exhibits as if they were participants. This caused a reaction for the actual parade participants who started throwing things. Eventually, this ruckus caused such a commotion the crowd got involved and grabbed vegetables from a vendor stand nearby hurling the tomatoes at everyone.

This has turned into a nationwide event where many flock to experience getting all juiced up and to join in on the roars of laughter. There is no mercy and no way to duck the vegetable being hurled. Think about jumping in a pool of salsa. There is no way to stay clean in these parts but the crowds find it most enjoyable and relaxing.

There are plenty of activities during the week that lead up to the main throwing event. There are extravagant fiestas. Firework displays can be viewed and is entertaining. There are a variety of parties and tables offering exquisite food from area establishments.

Bunol is easily accessible using public transportation. To get the most out of this great trip using a tour company gives you the ultimate in enjoyment before and after the festival. Busabout offers a La Tomatina tour that includes an entry ticket, round trip bus travel, a headband, a ticket to an exclusive party, and a t-shirt.

Stoke Travel also offer affordable La Tomatina trips. Inclusions in their trip include a hot daily breakfast, camping accommodations, games on the beach, and cocktail on the morning of the festivities.  Day trips are also offered and the transportation runs through the wee hours of the night.

It is definitely not too late to book a trip for this amazing adventure if you start travel plans now. The celebration will start the last week of August with the throwing frenzy being held on Wednesday. Have fun and take extra wipes and changing clothes because getting juicy can be expected.

If you're looking for more information on some other great European summer festivals, then get yourself over to the Festival and Events Travel specialists, FOMO Travel, to find heaps of cool information on plenty of must-do experiences.

By FOMO Girl
Those who are fascinated by traditions, love wine, and don't mind getting a little, or rather a lot, messy, may want to visit the town of Haro, Spain in late June for La Batalla del Vino.  Also known as the "wine battle", the La Batalla del Vino offers a truly one-of-a-kind experience, which both locals and visitors on exciting La Batalla del Vino tours partake in the rowdy merriment of dousing each other in wine at the top of a mountain, which was once the home of St. Peter, the 6th century patron saint of Haro.

The events of this lively festival start on 28 June each year, and then later that evening the preparations for the big battle, which is the high point of the entire celebration, begin. A huge party lights up the streets, town square and bars of Haro, with all townspeople, from the youngest to the oldest, out to enjoy the festivities.

Party-goers can partake in the dancing, singing and celebrating until dawn and then begin the journey to the mountain, located approximately 5 kilometers away from the town. It's usually necessary to reach the mountain on foot, as police may very well close the road off to cars, making it accessible to pedestrians alone.  

Firstly, a traditional mass is held in honor of St Peter, and then it's time for the real action to take place. Participants customarily dress entirely in white and tie red handkerchiefs around their necks, and bring a wide assortment of objects containing red wine, such as water guns, buckets, bottles and wine skins.  Literally everyone there becomes drenched in wine from head to toe, nobody is merely a bystander. Bands play music and the wine-soaked revelers dance along.

The fun is not over at this point however, the wine battle may have finished for another year, but a feast will be held later in the day.  As the purple-colored folks make their way back to Haro, the battle continues for several hours.  Others who prefer less messy activities may rather sit at tables in local cafes enjoying a drink or two.

The Europe freestyle tour group, Busabout, offers travelers who wish to partake in this unique event a package that provides transportation from San Sebastian or Pamplona on 28 June and return on 30 June. Travelers are given tent accommodation, two breakfast meal and a t-shirt for this amazing La Batallas Del Vino trip.  There will also take you to see the fireworks display and give you a bar crawl tour of the town.

Another travel company that is proud to offer its customers the ability to attend the La Batalla Del Vino Festival is Stoke Travel. Their buses leave San Sebastian and Barcelona for Haro on 28 June and return on 30 June also.  The Stoke Travel La Batalla Del Vino Tour covers twin share tent accommodations, including mattresses, delicious hot breakfasts, a BBQ dinner, campsite party, and the usual Stoke Travel Fun Guides.

Anyone who plans to attend this messy but exciting celebration should wear white, as this is the tradition, but nothing that is valuable or irreplaceable since it will end up stained dreadfully. Taking a change of clothes and an old towel for after the battle is also a good idea as it can be rather uncomfortable in the cool morning air if you’re saturated with wine. Something to squirt or pour wine from and some plastic garbage bags for wet clothing or to protect vehicle seats if driving are also recommended.

FOMO Travel have plenty of information on heaps of other festivals in Spain, including this fabulous wine fight known as La Batalla Del Vino.

By FOMO Girl
Valencia is a great city to visit any time of year. It has all the things you would expect from a city break, like vibrant culture, museums, bars, restaurants and great nightlife. However, the most massive party in Valencia takes place in March, with the Las Fallas Festival. Las Fallas is a huge fiesta of fireworks, crazy sculpture and non-stop partying.

The Las Fallas Festival is a noisy one. The streets are filled with fireworks, flames, parades, performances and people. The population more than doubles during the festival as revellers travel from other areas of Spain to enjoy the festivities. Many people also visit from other countries, so be sure to make a reservation in advance as the city fills up quickly.

There are two main features of the Las Fallas festival - fireworks and sculpture. The fireworks are renowned as the loudest in Spain. I have heard they even banned pregnant women from the vicinity. They take place at regular intervals throughout the celebrations with a scheduled display every afternoon. The final evening has a huge fireworks party with a massive display at midnight.

The sculptures are what give the festival its name. They are incredible creations usually built around a satirical theme. The “Fallas” are placed around the city before and during the festival period and there are a few days where you can wonder around to view them all, with some of them several stories high. In previous years, there have been effigies of actors from popular Spanish soap operas and politicians. Even former US President George Bush was made one year.

The culmination of the event is the torching of these sculptures, when months of work is burned down in just a few hours. The final evening really is a pyrotechnic extravaganza with these fires and the fireworks and endless dancing in the streets. After four days of continuous celebrations, you might think people would be running out of steam, but no way, as the last night is massive.

Las Fallas in Valencia is one of the biggest, noisiest festivals in Spain. You can travel to it independently but a guided tour will enhance the experience as your guide can help you get right into the action.  An organised tour is a great way to make the most of a trip to the loudest festival in the Valencian calendar. There are some really great travel companies offering great deals to suit all budgets. Busabout is one of these great tour operators with trips to Las Fallas.  Tours will usually include accommodation, some meals, a city tour and a guided tour of the main festival sites.

Festivals travel is more and more popular these days as you get to see new places and take part in their cultural highlights.  Visiting a city during a festival is a great way to get to know the people and culture. It is a unique opportunity to celebrate with strangers and immerse yourself in their way of life. This gives a totally different, deeper perspective than just wandering around museums or eating their food, but of course, you can do that as well.

FOMO Travel are the festival and events specialists and they have extensive information on the Las Fallas Festival, as well as information on the tour options available.

By FOMO Girl
Busabout are youth travel tour operators, which offer "freestyle" travel adventures through Europe to a predominately younger customer base, with the majority of their passengers in the 18-35 year old range. Established in 1998, this company's main goal is to provide a convenient mode of transportation throughout the most exciting cities in Europe, with the traveler ultimately being free to choose how long he or she stays in each location and what to see when there.

The Busabout Hop-On Hop-Off system does not offer a guided tour to specific attractions, but rather provides a bus service that runs from May to October, every other day. Travelers can simply book their travel days on which they wish to use the bus service one day ahead and need only board in one location and get off at the next preferred stop on their chosen itinerary and only visit those places that interest them. A guide is available on each bus trip to answer any questions travelers may have.

Each "Loop" offered by Busabout includes a specific set of stops, namely the main cities in most European countries popular with tourists such as France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Italy, and Spain. Trips are grouped into North, South, and West Loops that can be taken singularly or in combination with each other. It's also possible to embark upon some of Busabout's other special adventure tours from these cities.

Travelers must stay at each compulsory destination for a minimum of one night before they continue on their journey and two nights or more at each optional stop. They give customers the freedom to stay any odd number of nights at required stops and any even number of nights at those that are optional. If someone decides to stay on longer in a particular city, they can do so and just re-schedule his or her seat on the bus.

Vacationers have the liberty to stay wherever they wish. Many travelers choose to stay in various hostels, some of which are recommended by Busabout and even offer pick-up or drop-off service at them. These accommodations can be booked through the company's website and are all of a certain standard, clean, comfortable, and convenient.

At the start of a customer’s journey, Busabout gives every traveler a helpful travel guide with a comprehensive list of interesting places to see, things to do, and great places to eat in each destination city. These may include cultural or historical points of interest, walking tours, rafting, nightclubs, and much more. The on-board guides can also tell people more about these places and activities and make reservations for those who are interested.

Busabout has expanded its service in recent years to include more traditional tours, which they call Busabout Adventures and Busabout Eastern Europe Treks.  Busabout Adventures trips include activities like Sailing in Croatia and island hopping around the Greek Islands.  Busabout Eastern Europe Treks include iconic cities, stunning scenery and vibrant cultures throughout countries like Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey. 

Busabout is also one of the big European Festivals Tour Operators and they have some great trips for all the major festivals like the Munich Oktoberfest and the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, as well as some lesser known festivals like Las Fallas in Valencia.

Most people who travel with Busabout are younger friends, singles, and couples who enjoy the opportunity to meet new people who share a common purpose of wanting to explore another part of the world and with whom they can possibly make plans with while there. There are usually many Australians traveling on this network since they are more familiar with what this company is all about, but travelers of any nationality and age are certainly welcome.

People who have traveled with Busabout youth travel tour operators have plenty of positive things to say about their experience with them. They appreciate not only the freedom of choice this form of transport offers but also the friendly and helpful guides, useful printed information which provides lots of good ideas of the best things to see and do, frequent food and washroom stops, and even appropriate movie selections which are played while enroute to the destination cities.

FOMO Travel has heaps of advice on Busabout on their website.  They also have plenty of information on Busabout deals and special offers.

By FOMO GIrl
Party tours are the new "in" thing among teens in Europe. It's like a rite of passage every teenager goes through before moving on to the "20s" and life as an adult. London, Berlin and Paris are now old-hat for youngsters looking for a summer holiday destination with a sizzling night-life and clubs where the party never stops. The new holiday capitals of Europe are islands with brilliant weather and warm waters.

The beautiful beaches and endless rows of night clubs and bars on these islands are filled with a crush of bodies from all over the continent and beyond. Think about Spanish hotspots like San Antonio on the Island of Ibiza, or Magaluf on Mallorca. Playa de las Americas on Tenerife is another of Spain's sparkling gems that attracts hordes looking for a good time.

It's no surprise that Greece has a few sizzlers like Malia on Crete, Kavos on Corfu, and Laganas on Zante.

Other great spots with a happening nightlife in Greece include Faliraki on Rhodes, and Kardamena on Kos. Sunny Beach in Bulgaria is quickly turning into a clubbing paradise, and so is Ayia Napa in Cyprus.

It's hard to say what makes a handful of islands and cities so special that they attract hundreds of thousands of teens and twentys during the summer like migrating birds. It's not just the geography or climate, because virtually identical places nearby are ignored by this new migratory species of party animals. It's like a giant meetup that everyone has been invited to for the summer, and that's where all the action is going to be.

As a matter of fact, it's such a big deal now that travel and tourism companies now offer specially designed group tours. For example, Thomson Holidays has a program called 2wentys holidays. It combines great group deals with the hottest summer destinations for teens who are intent on partying non-stop for at least a week.

Club 18-30 is a similar offering from Thomas Cook. This division alone sends more than 100,000 young men and women to the aforementioned top party hotspots in Europe. The stunning thing is that the average age of these Club 18-30 travelers is 19, which says a lot about what these tours offer.

Another smaller operation is run by a UK based company called Mainstage Travel, who run Takeover Holidays.  They run operations in Magaluf, Zante, Ayia Napa and Malia where they pretty much do a "takeover" of the place!

Sun, sand and sea are necessary ingredients. But it's the irresistible appeal of unlimited booze and no-limits fun with complete strangers that makes tour programs like 2wentys and Club 18-30 such a big deal. The simple fact is that teenagers and young twentys want a holiday where they can cut loose, and there's no better place for it than a foreign island where there are no rules, parents or teachers.

The travel representatives on these party tours are seasoned pros who know exactly where to go and how to get all-night parties started. Everyone's a teenager and there's no one around to tell them what to do (or not). That's what these tour companies do - they bring all the bodies together in the right place where there's plenty of booze and clubs. Somebody kicks it off, and then the fun never stops.

The teen and early twentys are easily the biggest sufferers of travel FOMO on the planet. FOMO Travel has a dedicated section of its website to Party Tours.  There you will find heaps of cool information on some of the great party tour operators across the globe.