1. 800. 973.1177
LIFESTYLE TRAVEL
Students plan magic carpet rides to Europe [by Randy Mink] With the end of the school year clearly in sight, many students are dreaming of the ultimate recess - summer in Europe.
Visions of playing in the Swiss Alps, Greek
In Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark,
HOME STAYS
isles and great capitals have young people
USAC offers stints at the Copenhagen
For high school travelers open to the challenge
already making plans for the trip of a
Business School, one of the largest business
of immersing themselves in another culture,
lifetime. The chance to go trotting off to
schools in Europe. Spanish and Basque
the Experiment in International Living offers
Europe, footloose and fancy free, may never
studies, along with international business
summer programs centered on homestays of
come again.
courses, highlight USAC’s program at the
one to three weeks.
University of the Basque Country in the
Experimenters become a “son” or “daughter”
Some globe-trotters will mix work and play
northern seaside city of San Sebastian,
on foreign study or job programs, enhancing
Spain, 12 miles from the French border.
in a local family, sharing the activities of daily
Chicago-based IES Abroad, founded in 1950
excursions and conducts discussions about
their resumes while earning academic credit or cash.
life. An American group leader organizes
as the Institute of European Studies, offers
the cross-cultural experiences. The typical
Here are some horizon-expanding options for
an intensive, six-week French language
group numbers eight to 15 students.
students smitten with wanderlust.
course in Arles, France. Situated close to the Mediterranean in the Provence region,
CLASS ACTS
the town is known for its ancient Roman
It’s not uncommon to hear young scholars
amphitheater and association with artists
swear they’ve picked up more foreign
like Van Gogh, Gaugin, Cezanne and Picasso.
language skills during a summer abroad
IES
than a full year at home. Some marvel that
students
they even start dreaming in the tongue of
in Arles
their host country.
stay in a hotel
But many programs offer subjects taught
or with
in English, targeting students in business,
families
history and other fields. Courses range from global marketing to interior design. Young Americans who were captivated by televised scenes of this year’s Winter Olympics can get intimately acquainted with Turin, Italy, during five-week sessions sponsored by University Studies Abroad Consortium, a group with headquarters at the University of Nevada, Reno. At the University of Turin, students take courses in international business, political science, architecture and Italian. The fee for each session is $3,540, plus airfare.
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and go on field trips to Aix-en-Provence, Antibes, Avignon and Marseilles. The program fee is about $5,500, plus airfare.
The five-week Poland program ($5,300 from New York) begins in Warsaw, with discussions on the country’s transition to capitalism, and continues with a twoweek homestay in Torun, a lively university city where students take Polish language classes. Other activities include a service project and caring for farm animals. Visits are made to Krakow, the Baltic Sea port Gdansk, the Tatra Mountains and the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp. The Experiment program in central and northern England revolves around making a film about British youth culture, with workshops on film production. YOU’RE HIRED
German language, Jewish studies and
Full-time college students 18 years and older
European politics and economics highlight
can get to know Britain from the inside out
the IES session in Berlin. The IES Vienna
and defray the cost of their European trip
Center, housed in an 18th century palace,
through a jobs program sponsored by British
hosts music performance and music history
Universities North America Club.
majors. In London and Dublin, students may tackle a business, political or theater
For a $290 fee, students receive a Blue
internship.
Card that allows them to work in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland for up
continued on back
1.800.973. 1177
LIFESTYLE TRAVEL
to six
ID CARD
Contiki Holidays, (800) 266-8454;
months.
Besides a passport, the most valuable
www.contiki.com.
BUNAC
document for young vagabonds is the
offices in
International Student Identity Card. It’s good
Experiment in International Living, (800) 345-
London
for discounts on air, train and ferry fares,
2929; www.usexperiment.org.
and
museum admissions, theater tickets and
Edinburgh
accommodations in dozens of countries
IES Abroad, (800) 995-2300;
provide
around the world. Stores and restaurants
www.iesabroad.org.
job leads,
also give cardholders a break.
plus help with housing and setting up a bank account.
RailEurope, (888) 438-7245; The ISIC provides basic travel insurance and
www.raileurope.com.
is available for $25 from STA Travel, the In 2005, 80 percent of participants waited
largest student travel agency. STA’s student
STA Travel, (800) 351-3212;
until they arrived in Britain to look for work,
airfares to Europe and elsewhere, specially
www.statravel.com.
the vast majority landing a job within seven
negotiated with major airlines, undercut
University Studies Abroad Consortium, (866)
days and half within three days. Most short-
regular rates by hundreds of dollars.
404-8722; usac.unr.edu.
and shops, but office work also is available
MAKING TRACKS
Randy Mink is a freelance travel writer.
and pays a bit more (about $400 a week).
Europe’s dense train network offers
term jobs are in restaurants, pubs, hotels
travelers the most efficient way of getting HIP TOURS
from point A to point B but also provides an
London-based Contiki Holidays, the world’s
easy way to socialize with locals and meet
largest tour operator for young adults,
fellow vagabonds.
offers a variety of multicountry motor-coach rambles. Blending guided sightseeing with
For those who plan to cover a lot of ground
free time, trips range from six to 48 days.
by rail, multicountry passes may be the way
Tour members, half of whom sign up solo,
to go. Eurailpass Youth, for travelers 26 and
hail Europe, New Zealand and Australia as
under, provides unlimited second-class
well as North America.
train travel in 18 countries. Cost is $395 for 15 consecutive days, $510 for 21 days, $634
Accommodations on Contiki’s line of
for one month, $897 two months and $1,108
“budget” tours include a few hotels, but most
three months.
overnights feature either Contiki Village twinshare cabins at established campgrounds or
The Eurailpass Youth Flexi ($465) allows any
such Contiki-owned properties as a resort on
10 days of travel within a two-month period.
the Greek island of Mykonos and a chateau
The 15-day Flexi is $612.
in France’s Beaujolais wine region. The more expensive “superior” tours use only hotels.
Youth versions of many single- and twocountry train passes also are available.
Contiki’s 20-night “European Experience,” a
Passes are sold by travel agencies and
budget tour priced at $2,109 from London,
RailEurope.
visits Paris, Beaujolais wine country, the French Riviera and Monaco before spending
IF YOU GO
five days in Italy’s tourist meccas - Pisa, Florence, Rome and Venice. The final week
For information on student travel abroad,
spotlights the Austrian and Swiss Alps,
contact the following organizations:
Munich, Heidelberg, the Rhine Valley and
British Universities North America Club,
Amsterdam.
(800) 462-8622; www.bunac.org.
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