European Expedition Program

Name: European Expedition Program
Brand: Irish Gap Year
SKU: 266649
Rating: 4.5 (18 reviews)

Read 18 reviews

4.50 Rating

Leave a Review

Location

Multiple Locations +8

Italy
- Rome
Croatia
- Dubrovnik
Netherlands
- Amsterdam
Norway
- Bergen
Austria
- Salzburg
Slovenia
Czech Republic
- Prague
Germany
- Berlin

Length

4 - 12 weeks

Program Tags

Adventure Travel Cultural Immersion Hands-On Learning

Merit-based funding, Payment plans, 529 Plan eligibility

Health & Safety

Learn More

View Other Details

Program Details

Activities

Backpacking City Exploring Hiking

Timeframe

Fall

Housing

Guesthouse Hostel Hotel

Primary Language

English

Age Min.

Age Max

Pricing

Starting Price

26500

Price Details

Our programs are priced in Euro.
Program fees include all travel withing Europe, all accommodation, all breakfasts, most lunches and 5 group dinners weekly.

What's Included

Accommodation Activities Domestic Airfare Airport Transfers Equipment Some Meals Park Fees SIM cards Tour Guide Transportation Travel Insurance Visa Wifi

What's Included (Extra)

Irish Gap Year provides 7 breakfasts and 5 dinners weekly, allowing students 2 ‘free-dinners’ weekly.
Entry fees for parks, sites, museums and activities.

Fully insured and certified activity and transport providers.

What's Not Included

Airfare Some Equipment Some Meals

What's Not Included (Extra)

International flights to Dublin and from Rome.
Individual travel insurance.
Some dinners and lunches.
General spending money.

Last Updated: Dec 15, 2023

Last Reviewed: Nov 20, 2024

Wish List

36 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Our European Expedition Program is an epic and enlightening journey across Europe by train and sea that will broaden your horizons through exposure to the continent’s deep cultural and historical roots infused with an exhilarating mix of outdoor adventure in some of the world’s most iconic locations. You will travel from Northern Norway to the Adriatic Sea with many amazing points between on this journey of a lifetime!

The program is designed to build students travel IQ, cultural knowledge, confidence and independence through the four cornerstones of Experiential Learning, Outdoor Adventure, Cultural Exchange and Immersive Travel.

If you are looking for a structured, group program that combines adventure with culture, history and travel to Europe’s most iconic cities this is the program for you!

Visit Site

Apply Now

Video and Photos

Diversity & Inclusion 💙

BIPOC Support

We welcome students from all walks of life and backrounds and have hosted many BIPOC students on our programs.

LGBTQIA+ Support

We welcome students from all walks of life and backrounds and have hosted many LGBTQIA+ students over the years. Ireland and Europe in general are quite progressive with regards to LGBTQIA+ policy, lifestyle and support. Irish Gap Year provides support to our LGBTQIA+ students to help them feel secure and safe during their time with us.

Impact 🌎

Sustainability

Irish Gap Year is a Carbon Negative Company, meaning we remove more C02 from the amosphere through our ecological volunteering than we create as an organization (including student flights to Europe).

Irish Gap Year Director, Ryan Allen is the Chair of the Gap Year Association's Sustainability Commitee and created the Association's Climate Action Plan in 2023.

Learn More

Program Highlights

Inter-Rail through Europe’s favourite cities Amsterdam, Berlin, Munich, Prague, Dubrovnik, Copenhagen, Oslo, Florence and Venice – A classic rite of passage for any young traveler to Europe.
Kayak and hike in Norway's fjords, staying in hikers cabins under the Northern Lights
Live on a boat in the Adriatic Sea while exploring the history and culture of the Dalmatian Islands
Enjoy a broad and diverse range of amazing European and Scandinavian cuisine
Thrift-Shop your way through Amsterdam, Berlin, Oslo, Copenhagen and many other funky European cities!

Program Reviews

4.50 Rating

based on 18 reviews

Leave a Review

Rating Spread Gap Year

5 rating 50%
4 rating 50%
3 rating 0%
2 rating 0%
1 rating 0%

Housing 4.05
Support 4.55
Fun 4.35
Value 4.45
Safety 4.8

Good for Adventure travelers, Students, Photographers

Showing 17 - 18 of 18 reviews

Super great way to see Europe! You get to learn about train travel and hostel living with a super supportive community of people. From gorgeous hikes and beautiful oceans to historic cities full of history, this program is suited for all types of travelers! You also receive plenty of free time to explore the cities yourself. With loads of different destinations stretching across Europe, you really get a chance to witness the cultural and social differences that occur across country lines, and see what makes each one so unique.

Pros

hikes
beaches
history

The Irish Gap Year European Expedition is certainly a major highlight of my gap year experience. It had the perfect blend of traveling and social activities, both of which I was intending to engage in during my year. One of the best aspects of the program were not even the places themselves, it was the scenic journeys by train that got us from place to place. Almost all of the tours and activities the group participated in were interactive and engaging. The European Expedition program is certainly one I would recommend to any future gap year student.

Pros

Boat charter on the Dalmatian Coast
Great group of people
Well organized

Questions & Answers

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Philip Corrigan

Program

European Expedition Program

Job Title

Program Leader

Phillip was born and raised in Dublin City but was drawn to the west coast because of his love of the great outdoors. He has a Bachelor's degree in Multimedia from Dublin City University and is a videographer and photographer by trade. He loves working with our students teaching them video, and photography and helping them communicate through mixed media.

His passions are hiking, cycling, ocean swimming, and being creative. When he is not jumping in the ocean or taking photographs he can be found writing and performing music and busking in cities throughout Ireland outside of program time.

Philip Corrigan, European Expedition Program, Irish Gap Year

What is your favorite travel memory?

My favorite travel memory is exploring Morocco and discovering new music, landscapes, food, and cultures. Every day of the trip held a completely different adventure and it was never predictable.

I also enjoyed the freedom and excitement of traveling between Indonesian islands on a scooter for a summer.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

I have definitely grown as a person working with the team and students at Irish Gap Year. I have a better understanding of group dynamics and pay attention to the different ways that each student learns and expresses themselves.

I have also learned a lot from my co-workers as we all have different passions and skills to bring to the table.

View Entire Interview

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

I have heard many stories of how the Adventure and Leadership program and the Arts and Culture program prepared students for college. One student told me how they feel better equipped to move out of their parents' house to study and move in with people their own age. They felt much more confident with the day-to-day runnings of living independently.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

I would do the European Expedition program as it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience with a great mix of travel, culture, history, and outdoor adventure.

Traveling by rail, road, yacht, and ferry from the north of Europe to the south all while building confidence and friendships would make for an unforgettable trip.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

Irish Gap Year puts in a big effort to ensure that each student has the best experience possible and genuinely cares about their well-being. Before, during, and after the program, a great relationship is developed between the team and the students building trust, communication, and having many unique experiences and adventures.

I was especially proud of the team for dealing with the obstacles of Covid 19 so effectively, being flexible, organized, and keeping a sense of humor whenever a spanner got thrown in the works.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

Good communication is key for a successful company. There is a great culture of respect between staff and students in Irish Gap Year, which encourages people to let their opinions be known and always feel listened to.

This keeps morale high and, most importantly, ensures everyone is having a great time.

About Irish Gap Year

Irish Gap Year operates semester length and short gap year programs in Ireland, Scandinavia and Europe. Being based on the northwest coast of Ireland in County Donegal has instilled in us a love of adventure, untouched nature, unique culture, rich artistic heritage and travel - All of which are foundational to our gap year programs. Our programs...