Our days are full of planned activities, but they are not regimented. You’ll have many choices as to what you do and where you go each day, and we will adapt to the unique rhythms of life in each country we visit. As on all of our trips, you’ll not be allowed to leave the hotel on your own once the group has returned from the day’s activities and settled in, or allowed to venture out without a counselor. It is only under rare circumstances, however, that a counselor will NOT be available to accompany you in the event you need/would like to leave the hotel for something that’s not on the itinerary.
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Backpacking for Teens I
Trip Details
Dates 6/25 - 7/7, 7/7 - 7/19
Sessions I, II
Duration 13 days
Grades 11 - 12
Tuition $3,185 + Airfare
Cities Amsterdam, Munich, Venice, Swiss Alps
Group Flight Details
Start Newark to Amsterdam
End Venice to Newark
- How much free time do the participants get on their trip?
- Do I need to buy flights or does TFT buy them for me? Where does the group depart from?
Travel for Teens organizes chaperoned group flights for every trip. You do not have to go on the group flight with us, although there are several advantages to doing so: the group flight is chaperoned by TFT staff, a lot of group bonding happens on the trip over, and we get great group flight prices. Parents are responsible for arranging for participants to get to the group flight airport. Travel for Teens staff are at the airport, greet arriving participants as they walk to baggage claim, and escort them to where the rest of the group has assembled.
Our group flight for the Backpacking for Teens I trip departs from Newark, NJ and arrives in Amsterdam. At the end of the trip, the group flies back to Newark out of Venice, Italy. Please contact us for details regarding flight cost.
- Do I have to bring a backpack?
Yes – please pack your belongings in a large travel backpack as opposed to a duffel bag or rolling suitcase. This is for ease of travel, as we will be using trains and busses (and our feet) to get around.
- How will we travel from city to city?
In the backpacking spirit, we’ll be catching trains from Amsterdam all the way to Venice. You’ll learn how to use your RailPass and how to use public transportation systems in general in Europe. Pack light!
- What's the food like in the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and Italy?
The food in each of these four European countries is unique and delicious! Vegetarians will have no issues eating well on the trip. Breakfasts, in the European style, are generally light and consist of toast, pastries, cereal, and fruit. Lunches will generally be sandwiches or something similar, and dinners will be more substantial meals in restaurants or local eateries.
- Who are the counselors on the trip?
The Trip Leader for every trip is a seasoned teen travel professional with extensive TFT experience. Trip Leaders often live or have lived and worked in the destination country. Extensive knowledge of the language and culture of the destination is crucial. Our Senior Counselors are experienced, responsible and fun-loving, so our participants enjoy sharing experiences with them. At Travel for Teens we pride ourselves on our rigorous staff application process and the professionalism of our full time and summer staff.
It is the job of the counselors to keep the fun clean and happening, the learning and the laughter in good balance, and to oversee the safety of the participants. Minimum ratios are one staff member to every seven participants. Trips may also include one or two Junior Counselors, who are college students with a history of TFT travel, and one or more Counselors in Training (CIT’s) with limited responsibility. CIT’s are not counted in staff-participant ratios.
- Where do we stay on the Backpacking for Teens I trip?
All of the accommodations on the Backpacking for Teens I trip are safe, clean, and comfortable. In Amsterdam we stay in a great 3-star hotel steps from the Vondelpark. In Munich we are in a centrally located, clean hotel, while in Switzerland we will stay in a traditional Swiss chalet in the breathtaking Swiss Alps. In Venice we enjoy a perfect location and a great hotel with many rooms opening right onto a beautiful piazza.
Trip Highlights
- Go on an authentic euro-backpacking trip and learn how to get around Europe with a railpass
- Bike along the canals and cobblestones of Amsterdam, where you'll see Anne Frank's house and the world famous Van Gogh Museum
- Take in Bavarian culture in Munich and come face to face with WWII history at Dachau
- Go hiking and biking in the breathtaking Swiss Alps
- Navigate the romantic waterways of Venice and visit the last authentic gondola workshop in the city
Trip Map
