Switzerland, Italy, France, & Holland
Cities to Peaks in Western Europe
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.
- Highlights
• View iconic artwork in Paris, Florence, and Amsterdam
• Cycle along Amsterdam’s canals and the Dutch coast
• Savor Swiss chocolate, French baguettes, and Italian pasta
Itinerary
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.