We have worked with many companies and realized, that for us to fully execute, we need the best possible partner who can handle all aspects of the tour. We rely on ESS to facilitate the best tour for our families, players, teams and truly give us the professionalism to match Albion SC. We found this high level of professionalism in our partner at ESS and look forward to building this international pathway for our players and teams.
Our tour with ESS changed the culture of our program by bringing our guys closer together as they experienced Spain together. The tour was fantastically organized, the games were of high level, and the overall level of professionalism and personal touch ESS put on the trip was unparalleled. There is no way we would ever use a different tour company after this experience and we are looking forward to our next tour with ESS.
Pacific Northwest Soccer Club has had the opportunity to send a number of our teams on trips with European Soccer Solutions. Without exception, all of these experiences have been fantastic. The logistics of an overseas trip can be complicated, and ESS handles everything in a professional and organized manner. One aspect of ESS that distinguishes them from other tour companies is that they offer the players and their families memorable opportunities beyond the games themselves – excursions to historical sites, side trips to picturesque beaches or rivers, and other team bonding experiences. And ESS offers all of this at a very reasonable price point! Our club has seen the benefit of international tournaments through exposing our players to different soccer cultures, and we are grateful to partner with ESS to make this available to them.
My first trip with ESS was with 45 parents and players. That’s quite a group. There were some that were hesitant to join but when ESS spoke at the organizational meeting they were sold. After that, they each said it was either the very best or top 2 trips that they had ever taken.
They know exactly what hotels to utilize. Great location, quality digs, great breakfast and terrific staff. For me location is key and each time it was perfect for dining, exploring and close to everything. Their gem on the Med is a must.
We took a U14 girls team to the Donosti Cup. Before the trip we were a top 15 team in Washington state. We played a terrific game versus Atletico Madrid’s girls team. They had some incredible technique, and we were able to win the knock stage game in a shootout. We went on to the final and played in Anoeta Stadium. The same immaculate grass where Messi and Ronaldo regularly play. It was a surreal experience and we ended up with the Championship.
I worked with ESS to organize a trip to the Donosti Cup in 2016 for a team of 17 eighteen-year-old young men and their families (in total, the group was 54 people) from the Seattle area. Our itinerary started in Toledo, traveled to San Sebastián, Alquezar, and ended in Palafrugell (a small fishing village an hour or so outside of Barcelona). ESS did an absolutely amazing job coordinating and working to accommodate our group size and all of the moving pieces which naturally comes with managing that many people.
The locations ESS uses are absolutely beautiful, smaller and less crowded, and perfect for groups. Canyoning in Alquezar was without question one of the greatest excursions I’ve ever been on. The guys still light up when they talk about that portion of the trip. (If you have spent anytime around 18-year-olds, you know their endorsements are extremely rare.)
The trip was seven months ago and I still think about it every day. I’ve had many of the older players and their families tell me on many occasion that the trip was not only amazing but it changed their lives in a positive and meaningful way. They see the world and themselves differently now. The trip made such an impression -that I am actually working with ESS again to take a group of 60-plus folks over for the 2017 Donosti Cup.
Several summers ago we sent two of our girls teams to the “Donosti Cup” with the help of ESS. It was a fantastic experience for both our teams. One of our teams won the tournament and got to play the final in the Anoeta Stadium in San Sebastián. ESS set up the entire trip and our group of over 60 players and parents had the experience of a lifetime seeing Toledo, San Sebastián, Alquezar, and Barcelona.
Have you ever truly been on vacation? If you cooked meals, brought your kids, or had to organize anything once you hit the ground the answer is no. I celebrated my 50th birthday with an outstanding tour hosted by European Soccer Solutions (“ESS”). It was truly the first real vacation of my life which says a lot as I have been on some pretty amazing trips. We could have used a US travel agent to book a trip to Spain for us but there is no way they could deliver anything close to what we experienced with ESS.
The tour guides at ESS live locally in Spain and have so many connections. They took us to their favorite hotels, restaurants, clubs, and scenic locations. We were greeted by the locals everywhere we went and in many instances we actually felt like family. It was an incredible cultural experience. Once we hit the ground there were no decisions to be made. They had all of our transportation planned, our hotels planned, our restaurants planned, and our amazing excursions planned. Many of the meals were included in the price so we never had to pay a bill.
We ate at world class restaurants, went canyoning, experienced amazing beaches, and had the time of our life. We are able to truly experience our vacation and concentrate on relaxing and enjoying it instead of stressing on all the travel details. The guides were flexible when changes needed to be made and ensured all of our needs were taken care of. I was traveling with 8 girls so you can only imagine that we kept them busy. From San Sebastián, Barcelona, Costa Brava and Alquezar we covered a lot of territory.
A trip none of us will ever forget and we can’t wait to book again with ESS. I could not recommend them more whether for a soccer trip, birthday trip, anniversary trip, girls trip, guys trip, family trip – they can do it all!!! You have not been on a real vacation until you have been on a custom trip with ESS.
The stage Todd arranged for our son in Spain was off the charts. Not only was he able to arrange team training with a professional and well respected club, he was able to properly match the US Development Academy ability level of our son to the ability level of the team. Moreover, Todd set up individual training with a well respected and successful UEFA Pro coach to augment the team training. Clearly this four day program was not for the faint of heart as it was extremely challenging, but it goes without saying that we are coming back to Spain to do this on a regular basis and Todd will be our first phone call.