From the mountain trails and summer snowfields of the Swiss Alps and the Italian Dolomites, to the rich culture of Florence and Paris, and on to the bike paths, cheese markets, and beaches of rural Holland, join us to experience Europe as an actively engaged traveler with a group of like-minded students. This is the original Putney program, first led 61 years ago by founders George and Kitty Shumlin.
- Dates:
- June 29, 2012 - August 1, 2012
- Eligibility:
- Students completing grades 9-12
- Focus:
- Cultural Exploration
- Typical Group:
- 14-18 Students, 2 Leaders
- Duration:
- 5 week(s)
Overview
Cultural Exploration Switzerland, Italy, France, and Holland immerses you in the rich cultures and diverse landscapes that have fascinated travelers for centuries. Our itinerary is a carefully structured balance of off-the-beaten track towns and villages, cosmopolitan cities like Florence, Paris, and Amsterdam, and natural wonders like the Swiss Alps and the Italian Dolomites.
During your bike trip in Holland, windmills will be a familiar sight.
Every day is full of active and fun ways to get to know the country you are in. Go canyoning in mountain streams or glacier hiking through dramatic ice-covered terrain. Ascend steep alpine slopes by téléferique to hike far above the tree line, past grazing cows, to fields of summer snow. Swim in Lake Geneva, and visit the medieval Castle of Chillon and the International Jazz festival in Montreux. In Italy, take in the Renaissance atmosphere of Florence—the Duomo, the Piazza della Signoria with Michelangelo’s David, the Uffizi Gallery, the Medici Chapel, and the Pitti Palace. Relax after a hike in the high meadows of the Dolomites, or learn to rock climb with professional guides. Discover Paris, the City of Light. Explore the Latin Quarter, Montmartre, and Île de la Cité, and visit museums, flea markets, theatres, restaurants, and cafés. Catch the finish of the Tour de France on the Champs Elysée. Ride along Holland’s rural bike paths past sand dunes, windmills and Dutch farms, and stop to explore small villages, or spend an afternoon swimming in the North Sea or sailing and windsurfing on inland lakes. Explore the picturesque canals and bustling outdoor markets of Amsterdam, visit Anne Frank’s house, and view paintings by Rembrandt and Van Gogh.
Mid-way through the program, a week-long homestay with an Italian family who has a child of similar age provides a rewarding taste of Italian life. Our carefully selected host families are always eager to practice their English, so you do not need to be able to speak Italian to communicate with them. Ride bikes through town with your Italian family, help prepare a pasta dinner, or head out for a hike with your host sibling. The group gets together for excursions a number of times during the week, and both leaders stay in town for the duration of the homestay.
Our accommodations in Europe are varied, ranging from comfortable Old World-style hotels to a simple dormitory in a mountain chalet. Residences are often run by wonderful families or individuals that play a role in setting the tone for our experience and who facilitate interaction with local people. Start out each day with a breakfast at our residence and then, for other meals, eat in restaurants or enjoy putting together picnics of delicious local foods. We travel primarily by train–the way most Europeans move from place to place. Occasionally, we use a chartered or public bus, or a subway for excursions or short transfers to and from rail stations.
“The homestay was an amazing experience! I had been to Italy before, but had never experienced the culture in the way that I did during the week with my host family. I was nervous beforehand, but it turned out to be the highlight of the program! My host brother Giacomo and his cousin Leonardo were great tour guides of Italian culture, and spending time with them allowed me to gain great insight into their lives.”
– Jared Dauman, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Chappaqua, NY
Highlights
- Try zip-lining, glacier walking, or rock climbing with professional guides.
- Contemplate world-renowned works of art in Paris, Florence, and Amsterdam.
- Savor Swiss chocolate, Italian gelato, French croissants, and Dutch cheeses.
- Delve into the life and culture of Italy by becoming part of an Italian family.
- Attend the Montreux Jazz Festival, and catch the Tour de France finish in Paris.
What to Expect
This is a physically active program. While you don’t need to be an athlete, you should be prepared to be on the move for most of each day–walking in cities, hiking in the mountains, biking in Holland. You should come to the program with an open mind, excited about new experiences, and willing to challenge yourself to step out of your comfort zone to make the most of your time in Europe.
At Putney we take pride in our reputation for careful, thorough planning and attention to detail. The descriptions of our programs are based on our experiences in previous summers and our plans for this summer. It is inevitable that some things described here will not happen exactly as presented. To get the most out of the Putney experience, participants need to be flexible in responding to unforeseen situations, and creative in taking advantage of unexpected opportunities. We expect Putney participants to share responsibility for the success of their experience.
Fees
Tuition: $9,190
Itinerary
This program begins and ends at Newark International Airport in Newark, New Jersey.
Departure • Join your group for five and a half weeks of cultural exploration and adventure travel in Europe. Gather at Newark Liberty International Airport to meet your program leaders and depart as a group for Switzerland.
Switzerland • Begin in a chalet in an idyllic Swiss village, high on an Alpine mountainside. Here we spend five days getting to know one another and taking advantage the stunning natural beauty of the Alps by hiking in meadows, walking atop glaciers, and canyoning in mountain streams. We also spend a day in the nearby city of Montreux during the world-renowned Montreux Jazz Festival.
“I had a blast on my Putney program! We did so many fun things, and I learned a lot and have changed as a person. While my favorite places that we visited were the Dolomites and Paris, climbing a mountain in Switzerland gave me the greatest sense of accomplishment. We also went canyoning in Switzerland, which was incredibly fun and challenging. I had never done anything like it! Thank you for giving me this opportunity!”
– Leah Henry, Berkeley High School, Berkeley, CA
Florence • From Switzerland, travel by train to Florence and stay in a small hotel in the heart of the city for four days. Visit the Duomo, the Piazza della Signoria, the Uffizi Gallery, the Medici Chapel, and the Pitti Palace.
Homestay in Italy • After Florence, we move to a small medieval walled fortress village just twenty minutes from the beautiful Adriatic Sea. Stay with local families for a week and have the opportunity to experience Italian life as it is really lived. Both leaders stay in town during the homestay, and the group gets together for excursions throughout the week.
The Dolomites • After bidding arrivederci to our host families, we travel by private bus and funicular to join local mountain guides for three days of spectacular trekking in the Dolomites of northern Italy, staying in a mountain rifugio.
The group hikes to their rifugio in the majestic Dolomite Mountains of Italy.
Paris • An overnight train takes us to Paris, the City of Light, for six days of exploring the monuments, museums, markets, and cafés as we walk the streets and boulevards of the Left Bank, Île de la Cité, Montmartre, and other neighborhoods.
Holland • We then travel by train through Belgium to Holland. Take a six-day bicycle trip along rural bike paths, through sand dunes and past windmills and Dutch farms. Along the way, stop to swim at North Sea beaches, sail or windsurf on inland lakes, and visit Noordwijk, Haarlem, and Heemskerk. Holland is flat and biking distances are moderate.
Amsterdam • The trip ends with two days in Amsterdam to explore its busy canals and streets, visit Anne Frank’s house, and see paintings by Rembrandt and Van Gogh.
Return • August 3. On the last morning of the program, we head to Amsterdam International Airport and depart as a group for Newark International Airport, accompanied by one of the program leaders.
This itinerary represents our best projection of the group’s schedule. However, we may implement changes designed to improve the quality of the program.
Destination
Background • Since its formation in the early 1990s, the European Union has provided a network for cross-cultural communication, understanding, and exchange. Composed of 27 member states, it now includes approximately 500 million citizens, speaking 23 official languages. Despite monetary and political unification, each country maintains the richness of its individual identity through its customs, traditions, languages, regional history, and cuisine. Join us to experience a fascinating cross-section of Europe, by exploring the incredible cultural diversity and natural beauty of Switzerland, Italy, France, and Holland.
The Tuscan countryside invites exploration.
Population • Our first stop is a village in the Swiss Alps, home to approximately 4,000 people during the summer, but whose population nearly triples in the winter during ski season. In Italy, our time is split between the beautiful Renaissance city of Florence (population ~ 400,000), and a medieval walled fortress town on the Adriatic coast (population ~ 33,000). Paris, the “City of Lights” is home to nearly 2.5 million of the country’s 65 million people. While biking through the Dutch countryside, we stop to explore a number of small towns along the way. We end in Amsterdam, Holland’s dynamic capital city of 1.3 million.
Language • If you have studied French, Italian or Dutch, you will have lots of opportunities to practice! Throughout Europe, and particularly in Holland, many people are able to communicate in English. Homestays in Italy are with families who are at least conversant in English.
“Eric gained an ever-growing appreciation for other cultures and ways of life, the experience of bonding and traveling with a small group, independence, and a desire to learn a foreign language. He has taken Latin for five years and came home asking for the Rosetta Stone in French!”
– Andrea and Mark Kaplan, Scarsdale, NY
Climate • Summer in Europe is pleasant and warm. Afternoon temperatures range from the low 80s to the mid 90s, though it is cooler in the mountains, where it can be quite chilly at night.
Cuisine • Europe is a cornucopia of diverse culinary styles and regional specialties; reflections of the history, climate, customs and geography of each place. Delve into homemade pastas, pizzas and gelatos in Italy and the famous cheeses and pastries of Holland. Enjoy fresh baguettes and croissants in France and sample raclette and chocolate fondue in Switzerland.
Sample some of the hundreds of flavors of handmade gelato in Florence.
Currency • In 2002, France, Italy, and Holland converted to the Euro (€) from the French Franc, the Italian Lira and the Dutch Guilder, respectively. Switzerland is not part of the European Union and maintains its own currency- the Swiss Franc (CHF). An ATM card is the best way to access cash in Europe. ATM machines are readily available in all four countries.
Voltage • When traveling in Europe, don’t forget to bring a voltage converter and plug adapters. All four countries we travel to use 230V/50Hz current, although each uses a different type of plug. Switzerland uses type J plugs (three round pins in a triangular formation), France and Holland both use type C plugs (two round pins), and Italy uses type C and type L plugs (three round pins in a row).
The Cultural Exploration Switzerland, Italy, France, Holland program is directed by Karen Phillips. If you have questions, are interested in receiving more detailed information, or would like to talk further about the program, please get in touch!
Karen Phillips
Karen Phillips: St. Lawrence University, B.A., French. Karen caught the travel bug in high school while on a music tour through Europe, and later studied abroad in Switzerland, France, and Senegal. She has led Putney’s Language Learning and Community Service programs in France and Senegal, and coordinates programs in Europe, Africa, the West Indies, and Indonesia. Her interests include rock climbing, painting, singing, and adventure racing.
How To Apply
Step 1: Log On.
If you are new to Putney Student Travel, visit our Online Application.
If you are a Putney Student Travel alumni family, use your existing account information to Log In.
Step 2: Hold A Space In The Program.
You can hold a space in a program by completing the Online Application Form and providing the $700 Application Deposit by Mastercard, Visa, or Discover Card through our secure online system or by sending a check to our office. Our admissions staff is also available to take credit card information over the phone. We will hold a space in a program for a reasonable time, pending completion of the full application process. See Step 3.
After March 15, to hold a space in a program an application must be accompanied by full payment made by check or wire transfer and the signed Agreement Form.
Step 3: Complete the Application Process.
Before we can make a final admissions decision, an application must be complete. In addition to the Application Form and Application Deposit described above, a complete application includes:
- Applicant Statement
- Two Teacher References
- Signed Agreement Form
These documents are available as part of our Online Application. We review a completed application within a few days, and notify families of our admissions decision by e-mail.
For a full description of eligibility, admissions policies, and terms of payment, please visit our Terms & Conditions.
