Program Directed by
Emma Smith
If you have questions or would like to talk further about this program, please get in touch!
Leadership
Travel programs with the Smithsonian Institution for grades 8–12
Challenge yourself academically at the world's most prestigious universities
Non-profit organization offering student travel scholarships
High school youth summit focused on public health, climate change, and equity
Campus-based climate change program for grades 9–12
From the mountain trails and summer snowfields of the Swiss Alps and the Italian Dolomites to the rich culture of Florence and Paris 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 Student Travel program, first led 73 years ago by founders George and Kitty Shumlin.
This itinerary represents our best projection of the group’s schedule. However, we may implement changes designed to improve the quality of the program.
Meet your fellow high school student travelers and one or more of your leaders in New York, and fly together to Geneva, Switzerland. To learn more about how we organize travel, click here.
Begin in a chalet in the idyllic Swiss village of Leysin, high on an Alpine mountainside. Spend five days getting to know your group and taking advantage of the stunning natural beauty of the Alps by hiking through alpine meadows, trekking atop glaciers, and canyoning in mountain streams. Take a day trip to the nearby city of Montreux to visit the medieval Chateau de Chillon and swim in Lake Geneva.
Join an Italian family in a small village not far from the sea and lakes, and get to know your host siblings. Learn about day to day life in the Italian countryside and taste local, home-cooked food. In the evening, reunite with your leaders and group in town and share stories about your days.
Next, travel to Florence and stay in a small hotel in the heart of the city. Visit the Duomo, Piazza della Signoria, Uffizi Gallery, Medici Chapel, and the Pitti Palace.
The July 6 departure visits Florence before the Daystay in Italy, then continues on to the Dolomites.
Travel by train and private bus to join local mountain guides for three days of spectacular trekking in the Dolomites of northern Italy, staying in a mountain rifugio.
On your way from the Dolomites to France’s capital, spend an evening enjoying Milan’s delicious restaurants and incredible Gothic architecture.
Board a train to Paris, “The City of Light,” to explore monuments, museums, markets, and cafés as we walk the streets and boulevards of the Left Bank, Île de la Cité, Montmartre, and other iconic neighborhoods.
Next, travel by train through Belgium to Holland. Take a five-day bicycle trip along rural bike paths, as you wind your way through sand dunes and past windmills and Dutch farms. Along the way, stop to swim in the North Sea, take paddleboarding or sailing lessons, and visit the picturesque towns of Noordwijk, Egmond, and Heemskerk.
Cap off your journey with three days in Amsterdam to explore its busy canals and streets, visit Anne Frank’s house, and see paintings by Rembrandt and van Gogh.
Fly from Amsterdam to New York with your group and a leader, then continue on to your final destination. To learn more about how we organize travel, click here.
This itinerary represents our best projection of the group’s schedule. However, we may implement changes designed to improve the quality of the program.
Meet your fellow high school student travelers and one or more of your leaders in New York, and fly together to Geneva, Switzerland. To learn more about how we organize travel, click here.
Begin in a chalet in the idyllic Swiss village of Leysin, high on an Alpine mountainside. Spend five days getting to know your group and taking advantage of the stunning natural beauty of the Alps by hiking through alpine meadows, trekking atop glaciers, and canyoning in mountain streams. Take a day trip to the nearby city of Montreux to visit the medieval Chateau de Chillon and swim in Lake Geneva.
Join an Italian family in a small village not far from the sea and lakes, and get to know your host siblings. Learn about day to day life in the Italian countryside and taste local, home-cooked food. In the evening, reunite with your leaders and group in town and share stories about your days.
Next, travel to Florence and stay in a small hotel in the heart of the city. Visit the Duomo, Piazza della Signoria, Uffizi Gallery, Medici Chapel, and the Pitti Palace.
The July 6 departure visits Florence before the Daystay in Italy, then continues on to the Dolomites.
Travel by train and private bus to join local mountain guides for three days of spectacular trekking in the Dolomites of northern Italy, staying in a mountain rifugio.
On your way from the Dolomites to France’s capital, spend an evening enjoying Milan’s delicious restaurants and incredible Gothic architecture.
Board a train to Paris, “The City of Light,” to explore monuments, museums, markets, and cafés as we walk the streets and boulevards of the Left Bank, Île de la Cité, Montmartre, and other iconic neighborhoods.
Next, travel by train through Belgium to Holland. Take a five-day bicycle trip along rural bike paths, as you wind your way through sand dunes and past windmills and Dutch farms. Along the way, stop to swim in the North Sea, take paddleboarding or sailing lessons, and visit the picturesque towns of Noordwijk, Egmond, and Heemskerk.
Cap off your journey with three days in Amsterdam to explore its busy canals and streets, visit Anne Frank’s house, and see paintings by Rembrandt and van Gogh.
Fly from Amsterdam to New York with your group and a leader, then continue on to your final destination. To learn more about how we organize travel, click here.
Since its formation in the early 1990s, the European Union has provided a network for cross-cultural communication, understanding, and exchanges. Despite monetary and political unification, each country maintains the richness of its individual identity through traditions, languages, regional history, and cuisine. Join us to experience a fascinating cross-section of Europe as we explore the incredible cultural diversity and natural beauty of Switzerland, Italy, France, and Holland.
Italian is the national language in Italy, French is the national language in France, and Dutch is the national language in Holland. Switzerland has four national languages: French, German, Italian, and Romansh.
Summer weather in Europe is generally pleasant and warm. Average daytime temperatures range from 80–90°F (65–75°F in the mountains), while nighttime temperatures average 60–70°F (50–60°F in the mountains).
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 pasta, pizza, and rice dishes in Italy, and the famous cheeses and pastries of Holland. Enjoy fresh quiche, baguettes, and croissants in France, and sample raclette and fondue in Switzerland.
Since its formation in the early 1990s, the European Union has provided a network for cross-cultural communication, understanding, and exchanges. Despite monetary and political unification, each country maintains the richness of its individual identity through traditions, languages, regional history, and cuisine. Join us to experience a fascinating cross-section of Europe as we explore the incredible cultural diversity and natural beauty of Switzerland, Italy, France, and Holland.
Italian is the national language in Italy, French is the national language in France, and Dutch is the national language in Holland. Switzerland has four national languages: French, German, Italian, and Romansh.
Summer weather in Europe is generally pleasant and warm. Average daytime temperatures range from 80–90°F (65–75°F in the mountains), while nighttime temperatures average 60–70°F (50–60°F in the mountains).
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 pasta, pizza, and rice dishes in Italy, and the famous cheeses and pastries of Holland. Enjoy fresh quiche, baguettes, and croissants in France, and sample raclette and fondue in Switzerland.
Review specific program expectations here. For more general information:
To learn more about our Exploration programs click here.
Pursue an independent project and explore an aspect of local culture of particular interest to you—become an expert on van Gogh’s most famous pieces, create a book of family recipes learned during your homestay in Italy, or explore the effects of climate change on glaciers in Switzerland.
This is a physically active summer travel program. You will be walking in cities, hiking in the mountains, and biking in Holland. You do not need to be at peak fitness to participate, but it is important that you have a desire to be physically active, and that you are excited about trying all activities.
We stay in various types of accommodations throughout this program, including Old World-style hotels to mountain chalets, many of which are run by welcoming families Putney has known for years. Accommodations are simple and comfortable. Rooms are a mix of doubles, triples, and quads. Students have access to common and outside space at our accommodations for community meetings, working on projects, and socializing. Leaders stay together with students throughout the program.
We begin each day with a traditional breakfast at our residence. While we eat many of our lunches and dinners in restaurants, we also purchase supplies for healthy and delicious picnic lunches full of fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, breads, and cheeses.
This program visits several high-altitude destinations. On hikes in Switzerland and France, we climb up above 9,000 feet/2,743 meters, and in Italy we spend three nights above 7,000 feet/2,134 meters.
Review specific program expectations here. For more general information:
To learn more about our Exploration programs click here.
Pursue an independent project and explore an aspect of local culture of particular interest to you—become an expert on van Gogh’s most famous pieces, create a book of family recipes learned during your homestay in Italy, or explore the effects of climate change on glaciers in Switzerland.
This is a physically active summer travel program. You will be walking in cities, hiking in the mountains, and biking in Holland. You do not need to be at peak fitness to participate, but it is important that you have a desire to be physically active, and that you are excited about trying all activities.
We stay in various types of accommodations throughout this program, including Old World-style hotels to mountain chalets, many of which are run by welcoming families Putney has known for years. Accommodations are simple and comfortable. Rooms are a mix of doubles, triples, and quads. Students have access to common and outside space at our accommodations for community meetings, working on projects, and socializing. Leaders stay together with students throughout the program.
We begin each day with a traditional breakfast at our residence. While we eat many of our lunches and dinners in restaurants, we also purchase supplies for healthy and delicious picnic lunches full of fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, breads, and cheeses.
This program visits several high-altitude destinations. On hikes in Switzerland and France, we climb up above 9,000 feet/2,743 meters, and in Italy we spend three nights above 7,000 feet/2,134 meters.
If you have questions or would like to talk further about this program, please get in touch!
If you have questions or would like to talk further about this program, please get in touch!
Providing immersive summer travel programs for middle & high school students since 1951.