Introduction

"After having walked for a long time and only having found sand, rocks and snow, the little prince found a road.

And roads lead to men."

The European Union is growing: by May 2004 we will be 25 nations!

Each country has its culture, its history and its geography: the adhesion of ten new countries means ten worlds to discover!

Would you like to be able to visit the 10 countries that from the 1^st of May onwards will be part of the European Union?

It may be an unforgettable experience, but its success will greatly depend on how you plan your trip.

Task

The challenge we propose to you is the following: have an adventure in the new Europe, discover new realities and make a travel guide for one of the new countries of the EU. Having in mind what a tourist trip is like, think of a destination, imagine a route, make your guide and… don’t forget to prepare the trip!

Process/ Guidelines

Choose the destination country:

In order to choose the country you would like to visit the most, you should try to get to know a little bit about all the new countries that will be part of the European Union in May 2004: trace them in the map and, surfing the Web find (consulting the available information in the resources section) all the information you need to make decisions about this kind of trips.

Define a route:

For the country you have chosen find out what the capital and main cities are, investigate the most interesting aspects and places you may visit there and record that information on your travel guide.

For a better approach on the country you want to visit we recommend that you answer the challenge in the virtual site:

EUROPA - Enlargement
 

Being in contact with a new country is always an opportunity to learn new things, namely about the culture and the language. Although the English language is quite common in all the European countries you might learn some words in the language of the country you are visiting: carry with you some words or expressions of common use in the official language of that country!

Don’t forget that before a trip it is also important to have information about aspects such as the currency, gastronomy, local habits as well as about the climate and natural conditions you may find in the destination country.

Write your travel guide:

After having defined the route and chosen some places to visit (mandatory stops), imagine you have to convince a friend to go with you in this trip: write him a postcard (an illustrated message) of the places you find more interesting.

Resources

• Europe Maps

Physic Map:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/mediatheque/multimedia/select/maps/p-009412-00-5h.jpg
 

• Political Map and Rivers  (the candidate countries are in blue and purple)
   http://europa.eu.int/comm/mediatheque/multimedia/select/maps/p-009412-00-2h.jpg
   
• EUROPA - Enlargement
  http://europa.eu.int/comm/enlargement/index_en.html
   
• Candidate countries - Resources
  http://www.minerva.uevora.pt/netdays03/links.htm
   

Conclusion

Now that you have finished your travel guide you are ready to pack and... travel!

Do you want to make sure you are really ready for this adventure?

Test your knowledge by doing the following online activities and… Have a Nice Trip!

• European Candidate Countries
   

• New flags in the European Union - memory game
   

• New european capitals - matching game
   

• The Europe Quiz : 37 questions

Evaluation

The knowledge you have gained from each of these countries will be a great help throughout all the journey and you will be more aware and available for communicating with people from other countries. And don’t forget: the next time you have an opportunity to travel, search the Internet and do your travel guide!