Travel For Teens: Italy, Spain and France

Traveling with TFT absolutely changed my life. When I left, I had never set foot outside of the United States; when I returned, I'd added three new countries (and their public transit systems) to my list! The trip gave me a taste of a few cultures so different from my own in the best way possible. Really, TFT opened my eyes to all the world has to offer. It was a whirlwind of once-in-a-lifetime experiences: climbing the Duomo in Florence, cooking lessons and flamenco shows in Barcelona, wandering centuries-old streets in Rome, and tasting authentic French pastries in Paris. I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to explore Europe with Travel For Teens—if you get the chance, take it!

The Italy, Spain, and France trip was my first experience traveling without my family. I was so nervous going into the trip, I had no idea what to expect. But I can say now that the trip was one of the best trips of my life. My counselors were so kind and supportive through every step of the process. I made life long friend ships with the other campers on the trip, it has been three years since the trip and we still visit each other at college when we can. On our trip we experienced all the major cities had to offer, and more! It was an amazing first trip experience that I will never forgot and gave me the confidence to begin traveling more on my own.

Ultimate Europe was a life changing experience for me and one I will never forget. I visited 7 countries in 30 days and formed close friendships with people I still keep in touch with and visit today. I highly recommend this trip in particular, because it offered a great mix of active, tourist, historical, and art related activities. The wide range of activities kept the trip interesting and fun, and I never felt as if we were doing the same types of activities throughout the trip. For instance, we hiked in Cinque Terre, visited the Eiffel Tower in Paris, visited the Van Gough museum in Amsterdam, and took the train to do a tour of Dachau in Germany. I also relished learning how to use the public transportation systems abroad and believe it helped me develop a stronger sense of direction. One of the reasons I chose TFT was because in comparison to other competitors who tend to use large buses to transport everyone, we primarily used public transportation, which afforded me an incredible opportunity to experience each place as if I were a local, observing the people who boarded the trains. TFT also stands out from competitors because it embraces flexibility and fosters independence, allowing participants to sometimes choose between activities based on personal interests. Overall, Ultimate Europe was an unbelievable trip that instilled in me a passion for traveling.