Overview
A month-long grand tour by rail. It begins with four days in Paris — the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, a Seine cruise at night, a bike tour and Versailles — and moves on to the Alps: Tignes for summer skiing on the glacier, lake activities and water slides, Geneva for the United Nations and a fondue dinner, and Interlaken for whitewater rafting and a forest ropes course.
The second half is Italy from north to south. After the Duomo rooftop in Milan comes the Cinque Terre's coastal path, Venice by gondola, Florence with Michelangelo's David, a cooking class and a canyon day of ziplining and paddleboarding, the Amalfi Coast with Capri's grottos and a beach day in Positano, and finally Rome — the Colosseum, the Vatican, a toga party and a day at Pompeii.
Groups are small, up to 24 teens in grades 9–11, travelling by train and metro with leaders the whole way. Each teen carries their own backpack. Some teens join only for the first two weeks (the 14-day France & Switzerland trip) and fly home from Milan while the group continues.
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, the Duomo and its rooftop terrace, and a farewell dinner for the teens leaving after two weeks.
- Days 14–16 Cinque Terre, Italy — Hiking the coastal path between the five cliffside villages, a beach day, and evening group activities by the sea.
- Days 17–18 Venice, Italy — The canals on foot and by gondola, Piazza San Marco and the Doge's Palace, and a Murano glass-blowing demonstration.
- Days 19–21 Florence, Italy — The Duomo, David at the Accademia, the leather markets, an Italian cooking class, and a Tuscan canyon day of ziplining and stand-up paddleboarding.
- Days 22–24 Amalfi Coast, Italy — Based in Sorrento: a boat to Capri with a swim by the grottos and the funicular up to town, and a beach day in Positano.
- Days 25–27 Rome, Italy — The Colosseum, the Pantheon, St Peter's and the Sistine Chapel, the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain, a toga party — and a day trip to Pompeii.
- Day 28 Rome, Italy — Goodbyes and flights home from Rome.
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 at the edge of the slopes in Tignes; a 4-star hotel in central Geneva; a central Interlaken hotel; central Milan hotels near the main station; a hotel well placed for the Cinque Terre villages; a Venice hotel a few minutes from Piazza San Marco; a hotel in the centre of Florence; a hotel in central Sorrento; and hotels in central Rome near the main sights. 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 23, Jun 28–Jul 25, Jun 30–Jul 27, Jul 2–29. 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 Rome; the leaders help with check-in and stay at the airport until flights in the set window have left. (There's also a chaperoned group flight back to New York, mainly used by American participants.)
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$400 off the tuition for early enrolment, so the 28-day trip costs US$11,299 instead of US$11,699. 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.
Are there shorter versions?
Yes, two. The 14-day France & Switzerland trip is the first two weeks of this one and ends in Milan. The 16-day Italy trip covers much the same Italian route (Cinque Terre, Venice, Florence, the Amalfi Coast and Rome) on its own departure dates, starting in Milan.
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.