High School Study Abroad in Budapest, Hungary

This past summer (summer 2023), I went on the Budapest, Krakow, Vienna and Prague trip. This trip somehow exceeded the sky-high bar that was set by my last trip. We did a lot of fun activities, like legal graffiti in Vienna, cooking classes, bike tours, caving, and even a ghost tour! What really made the trip spectacular, though, were the counselors, Shan and Greg. They were very aware of group dynamics and receptive to campers’ feelings and concerns, listened to the desires and wishes of the campers, and worked their hardest to make the trip enjoyable for everyone.

Travel for Teens had provided a summer of a lifetime over the past two years. This past summer, I went to Budapest, Krakow, Vienna, and Prague and it was unforgettable. We had amazing counselors and kids from across the United States, and everyone became friends instantly. Our itinerary was perfect, with there being a great balance of fun activities like tours, bike rides, and boats throughout the places we visited coupled with time to relax, eat, and walk around to explore. We spent a perfect amount of time in each city and got to drive in the European countryside multiple times, seeing some small towns and great views. The places we stayed were clean, and the restaurants we ate at were delicious. Everything about the trip was unforgettable and I'm already excited to take another trip next year. Thank you TFT!

This trip was amazing. All the places were so different and beautiful in its own. Do not hesitate to book this trip because Eastern Europe is amazing. The length was perfect and I definitely want to do another TFT trio next year because I had such a great time. Loved this trip!

I have been on four TFT trips now, and my passion for the company and what TFT has to offer would not have been possible had I not gathered the courage to travel overseas alone for the first time. My expectations for this trip were exceeded beyond imagination; these three cities are each highlights of Eastern Europe and each offer their own unique culture that I was lucky enough to explore. Aside from the delicious trdelníks in Prague (a must have dessert if you’re there), I met friends on this trip and made connections with people I still keep in touch with to this day, almost 5 summers later. This program is extra special to me as it is what got me hooked on TFT, and it was the perfect introduction to the experience of being a traveler, not a tourist.

During my exchange the AFS weekends were amazing. I actually met some of my best friends from exchange on these. I think I defiantly have a broader perspective on how I look at things now. And going on AFS has opened up my eyes to the whole world.

My AFS exchange experience was amazing, influential, eye-opening, challenging in a good kind of way and introduced me to a culture and country that resonated as "home" to me. From the moment I flew into NYC and met the other students, I was supported and knew that AFS staff was taking care of us and preparing us for our unique, amazing, educational, challenging exchange experiences. The AFS volunteers and staff met us at the airport in Budapest and brought me and all the other students to our Arrival Orientation. We stayed at a hostel in Budapest and had amazing city views (even though we didn't do any city tours). Instead, they had us busy with getting to know each other, basic Hungarian lessons, cultural values and traditions and other important info (like school life, typical Hungarian family life etc.). In country, my host family was so wonderful and sweet. I bonded with my host grandmother, who spoke no English, over baking/cooking and helping to get everything ready for our weekly Sunday meals as a family. My host mother also spoke very little English and I had zero Hungarian, so we helped each other by writing on post-it notes the names of things (in Hungarian and English) and labeling everything in the kitchen. It really helped me and I could help her out more with setting the table, putting dishes away, etc. I went to school with my host sister and struggled, but still had a great experience. Sometimes, I had embarrassing or stressful moment, like when the mathematics teacher called on me, out the the 40 kids in class, to answer an question - and all I could said was "4" in Hungarian. (Hint: the answer was definitely NOT 4). So, one of my classmates told the teacher that he called on the exchange student and the teacher felt very bad and apologized for putting me on the spot. Some classes were easy though, like English. I definitely got an A in English class and a B in French. :) My local chapter organized cultural trips around the city with other exchange students, to learn more about local history and traditions. My host family brought me on family trips and showed me the country. (Side note: Hungary is very small country and my host family loved to do day-trips by car. However, AFS isn't a travel program and students shouldn't expect/assume that they will travel or go on trips. It all depends on your family, just like your family in the USA.) They also organized Hungarian-language lessons for me and other exchange students in my city (both AFS and Rotary). So, I learned Hungarian slowly. No matter what, AFS was always there to support and help us with anything. AFS-Hungary did super cool orientations throughout the year/semester, which was chance to meet up with other AFSers placed across the country and share about our experiences, challenges, joys, frustrations, and accomplishments. It was also a chance to do talent shows, play games, and just spend time together. When my AFS program was over, it was heartbreaking and super hard to leave my host family. I loved then, my city, and Hungary so much that I chose a college in the US that had a study abroad program to the local university to my city in Hungary. So, I was lucky enough to return and spend another 3 semesters with my host sister as my classmate, enjoying Sunday meals with my host family, and build up my Hungarian language skills! That shows how much my host family, my city and Hungary became a part of me. AFS exchange programs aren't easy and aren't a vacation. But, it helped me to figure out what I want, where I want my life to go, and helped me to gain a new language, family, country, culture and home! I recommend AFS with all my heart and give it a billion stars!!

This is the first trip I have taken both to Eastern Europe and with TFT, and it was wonderful! I got a good sense of the local culture and everywhere we went and stayed was very nice. The counselors were very nice and accommodating and overall it was a wonderful experience that I would recommend to anybody.