Overview
Paris first, for four full days: the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, a night-time boat on the Seine, a bike tour through the quieter neighbourhoods, dinner in Montmartre and a guided visit to the palace and gardens of Versailles. Then the train climbs into the French Alps to Tignes, a former Olympic venue, where teens can ski or snowboard on the glacier in midsummer, paddle on the lake and launch themselves off water slides into it.
In Switzerland the group visits the United Nations in Geneva and eats its share of chocolate and fondue, then spends three days in Interlaken, the country's adventure capital, with whitewater rafting and a ropes course in the forest. The trip finishes with a farewell night in Milan before everyone flies home.
Groups are small — up to 24 teens in grades 9–11 — and the group travels by train and metro, with every teen carrying their own backpack. These are the first two weeks of the 28-day France, Switzerland & Italy trip, so the group may include teens who carry on to Italy.
What's included
The itinerary
- Day 1 Flight to Paris — The official start: the group flies overnight from New York. Teens joining from Europe meet the group in Paris the next day.
- Days 2–5 Paris, France — The Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, dinner in Montmartre, a night cruise on the Seine, the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, a bike tour through the back streets, the Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe, a guided visit to Versailles, and crêpes in the Latin Quarter.
- Days 6–8 Tignes, France — An Olympic ski resort in the Alps: summer skiing or snowboarding on the glacier (weather permitting, intermediate level needed), kayaking or paddleboarding on the lake, water slides that end in a jump into the lake, and a mountain hike.
- Day 9 Geneva, Switzerland — A tour of the United Nations (closed at weekends), the Jet d'Eau fountain on the lake, Swiss chocolate and a fondue dinner.
- Days 10–12 Interlaken, Switzerland — Whitewater rafting, a forest ropes course with bridges, Tarzan swings and ziplines, and dinner high above the town's rooftops.
- Day 13 Milan, Italy — Train to Milan for a final evening together.
- Day 14 Milan, Italy — Goodbyes and flights home from Milan.
Where teens stay
Hotels the whole way, with rooms shared with other teens in the group: a Paris hotel in the city's north-west or near the Gare du Nord; a cosy hotel right at the edge of the slopes in Tignes; a 4-star hotel in central Geneva; a hotel in the centre of Interlaken, within walking distance of everything; and a central Milan hotel. The exact hotel at each stop is confirmed before departure.
Meals
Breakfast (a buffet at the hotel) and dinner are included every day — dinners are either with the whole group or in smaller groups at a restaurant the teens choose. Lunch is not included: teens eat in small groups at local cafés and bistros, so plan for it in their spending money. Vegetarian, kosher-style, gluten-free and lactose-free diets and most allergies can be catered for if you tell us in advance.
More photos
Frequently asked questions
Which departure is right for my child?
Groups are put together by US school grade, so each departure has teens of a similar age. Grades 9–11 (roughly ages 14–17): Jun 26–Jul 9, Jun 28–Jul 11, Jun 30–Jul 13, Jul 2–15. The grade is the one your child is in during the 2026–27 school year — we'll help you match it to your school system. Dates are the operator's official start and end dates.
How do flights work if we live in Europe?
The official dates count from the group's overnight flight out of New York, so the trip itself begins in Paris on day 2. Families in Europe usually book their own flight to Paris and the staff meet their child at the airport and handle the transfer — as long as the flight lands within the operator's arrival window, so please check with us before booking anything non-refundable. At the end, teens fly home from Milan; the leaders help with check-in and stay at the airport until flights in the set window have left. The rest of the group continues to Italy at that point, so there's no group flight back to New York from Milan.
What exactly is included in the price?
Accommodation, breakfast and dinner every day, all the activities in the itinerary, airport transfers for flights within the set time windows, rail and metro passes and local transport, tips and local taxes. Not included: flights to and from the trip, lunches and snacks, spending money, laundry (done along the way at wash-and-fold services or laundromats), the operator's application fee, and travel insurance — optional, but we strongly recommend it.
Is there a discount for enrolling early?
Yes — at the moment the operator takes US$300 off the tuition for early enrolment, so the 14-day trip costs US$6,499 instead of US$6,799. It's a limited-time offer and the operator can end it at any point, so ask us whether it still applies before you decide. The price shown on this page is the full tuition.
What does “backpack style” mean?
The group gets around Europe by train, metro and local bus rather than a private coach, the way students travel — rail and metro passes are included. It also means luggage is a large travel backpack instead of a suitcase, and each teen carries their own: onto trains, up stairs and along cobbled streets, sometimes for a fair distance. Pack light — a week's worth of clothes is enough, as laundry is done along the way.
Can my child really ski in July?
Yes — Tignes has a glacier that stays open for skiing and snowboarding in summer. Two caveats: it depends on the weather on the day, and it's only for teens who already ski or ride at an intermediate level or better. The lake activities, the water slides and the mountain hike are there for everyone, so nobody sits out the Alps days.
What's the difference between the 14-day and 28-day versions?
The first thirteen days are the same. On the 28-day trip the group then continues through Italy for two more weeks — the Cinque Terre, Venice, Florence, the Amalfi Coast and Rome. Teens on the 14-day trip have a farewell dinner in Milan and fly home from there the next day.
Who else will be in the group?
Mostly American teens — on most programs around 85% of participants come from the US, and the operator tries to limit how many teens from any one other country join each group. For an international teen that means a genuinely English-speaking group, which is a big part of the appeal.
How good does my child's English need to be?
At least a confident beginner level — the operator recommends A2 or above, since everything on the trip happens in English. Your child can ask for an English-speaking roommate, and one-to-one English conversation time with a staff member can be arranged daily or a few times a week.
Can my child come on their own?
Yes, and many do. The first days are built around icebreakers and getting-to-know-you activities, roommates are assigned and rotated, and the staff actively help everyone settle into the group.
Are phones allowed?
Yes. Teens can bring their phone, so you can call or message them directly. The operator also runs a communication centre that's staffed every day of the summer, with someone on call around the clock for emergencies.