Anyone that has ever traveled to Europe with high school students knows that there are three kinds of itineraries. There is the printed itinerary of “included” sights like the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Forum in Rome. There are “optional” excursions such as spending a day in Pompeii, Capri, or touring Versailles. The third list, however, represents places to visit during “free time” that often become some of the most popular experiences, producing the best trip memories for teens. This includes places like Skansen in Stockholm, Berlin’s Check Point Charlie museum, or one of the less-visited basilicas in Rome such as St Peter in Chains.
What Students Need to see in Educational Travel
A high school principal once said that no student should ever travel to Europe without seeing Paris. He was correct, of course. Paris is one European microcosm of Western Civilization that brings together the diverse treasures of the Louvre, Versailles – the blue print for every subsequent royal palace in Europe, the birth of the Medieval Gothic at St Denis, and the avant-garde mentalities of Montmarte. It is the home of Notre Dame Cathedral and the Latin Quarter, peppered with cafes and bars.
Student tour groups, however, have been replacing a visit to the Louvre with a few hours in the Musee d’Orsay. The collections resonate with American and Canadian students more than gawking at the Code of Hammurabi or the full dress uniform of Napoleon III. Even the smile on the Mona Lisa is interpreted as an expression of sadistic humor projected onto students who look for the exit signs after viewing the masterpiece, missing one of the world’s greatest repositories of art and historical artifacts.
While in Paris, a worthwhile day excursion is Chartres Cathedral, although some students will prefer to find the burial spot of Jim Morrison or stare at the bridge where Princess Diana tragically lost her life. Night life usually means the Bateaux-Mouches or the less expensive Bateaux sightseeing along the River Seine.
Short Excursions during Free Time Periods
Cruises are immensely popular with students whether on the Danube in Vienna and Budapest or along the Rhine River in Germany. Rhine cruises are usually part of the included itinerary. Others may not be, such as a canal cruise in Amsterdam, a Hamburg harbor cruise, or a Stockholm cruise to the fringes of the Baltic Sea. In Northern Germany, a Helgoland cruise is an all day affair taking students to the battered but quaint communities in the North Sea.
Finding affordable sights not included in the tour price simply entail pre-departure research and planning. It could be as simple as booking a ghost tour at the Edinburgh Castle or tackling a few more logistical preparations to spend an afternoon in Ostia, the old port city that served Ancient Rome and can give Pompeii a run for the money. Amusement parks like Vienna’s Prater or Copenhagen’s Tivoli Gardens may not appear on printed, planned itineraries, but they make after-dinner free time enjoyable and controllable. In London, a walking tour like the evening Jack the Ripper walk is highly popular with students.
Benefits of Free Time Excursions
Often, the free sights of a European city can be as educational and exciting as visiting a museum. Every large city has outdoor markets and, during the December season, Christmas markets. Free is always good but even better when American students can experience part of a culture that may be completely unknown to them. Planning optional excursions, especially if the tour itinerary allows for lengthy free time periods, provides structure and additional educational experiences that are frequently cost-effective or free. Optional excursions that are already built into the tour, such as spending a day in Capri for example, should be encouraged. This still allows, however, planning other on-site opportunities students can elect to participate in.
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