Traveler Testimonials

Testimonials

I asked students and adults who have traveled with me to post their thoughts.  I am going to include them all here.  If you are a parent considering letting your child travel with me to Europe you may find the testimonials of past travelers interesting reading!

If you are a past traveler, please include your first name, whether you were a student or adult,  and what trip/year you traveled!  Thanks for your contribution!

Home Sweet Home!

I just want to say that the group left early this morning and should be landing in Atlanta within the next few hours.   Thank you for entrusting your children to my care, I hope they had a wonderful time!  We have been so busy the last few nights and I couldn't get online last night to update you!

Yesterday was our last day in Paris and we had a wonderful time.  I took the group up to Montmartre and everyone enjoyed the stunning views of Paris in the lovely sunshine! Below are the girls on the steps of Sacre Coeur.

                                                On the bridge by Notre Dame cathedral!

                                           Carson looked like a pro on the Parisian metro!

                                                               On the Seine river cruise!


          I'll be in touch soon- I am anxiously awaiting word that they are in Atlanta, as you are!

We Love Amsterdam!

Hello from Beautiful Amsterdam! We are all sitting here recovering after a long day, waiting for dinner at Wagamama on the other side of the square. We had A wonderful tour on the bus this morning, and then we had a cruise on the canal. We really enjoyed that, it gave us a nice sense of the city and how beautiful it is. 

We have learned that there are approximately 1 million bicycles in Amsterdam and we have nearly collided with several hundred of them!!  Cameron actually was hit by a bicycle which gave us all a scare!! His pants were ripped and there was a little blood but he is a trooper and already laughing about it! (We both were shaking for a while though!! Lots of hugs!!)  He just told me "Well, at least I'm not dead!"

After the tours we broke up in groups as most of the kids wanted to go shopping and others of us wanted to go see museums. So we sent the kids off armed  with maps and directions on how to meet us here, and off they went.  Brittney, Carson, Jayne, Carol, Cam and I went to the Riksmuseum and then the Van Gogh museum. 

Countdown to Holland, France and England!

One Week!  The Countdown Begins.....


In one week the latest "Grand Adventure" begins.  A group of 15 of us will be headed to Amsterdam and Paris next Monday.  After the 8 day trip Sophie and her friend Michelle and Cameron and I will take the Eurostar to London and then the train to Diss to spend three weeks at Willow Corner Cottage. Bliss!! I am always so excited to be back in Europe for a month and just as excited to share my passion for travel and art and history with students and friends.  Of course the biggest treat for me is seeing my family. It is getting harder and harder to be so far away from them.

Last night I spent about an hour exploring the Anne Frank Museum site.  It is exceptionally well done and fun to navigate.  It's very informational and I strongly recommend it.  If you are interested in history and WWII or the Holocaust, you will love reading "The Diary of Anne Frank."   I visited Amsterdam in the 1980's and am looking forward to seeing the Anne Frank house again and sharing it with Sophie and Cameron.  Cameron has been exploring the site and learning a lot.

If you are interested in traveling with me next summer, we are going to Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Paris!   Click here for information, itinerary and costs.  Remember that you can sign up for monthly payments.  This is a trip which will cover a wide range of destinations and history- you will experience everything from a gondola ride in Venice, Italy to a concentration camp in Germany.  If you are interested in traveling please contact me or sign up as soon as possible. Please feel free to share the link with friends and family. An EF trip is always exceptional value for money and is truly one where Education is put First!

                                            This is one of my favorite fountains in Paris!


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AMSTERDAM, DELFT, BRUSSELS, PARIS

In June I will be leading my 9th tour to Europe with students and adults!  We will be flying to the Netherlands (Holland) and spend several days exploring the Anne Frank House and Van Gogh Museum before traveling to Delft, Brussels, then on to spend several days in Paris.  The great thing about this trip is that there will be free time in Amsterdam and Paris.  Students will accompany me during all free time in Amsterdam to sights not included in the city tour.  We will probably see the Van Gogh museum, the Rijksmuseum and explore the beautiful canals.  In Paris we will explore the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame cathedral, and have a comfortable coach city tour.  There will also be time to visit that special place in Paris that you may have always dreamed of visiting!

Please note that this is a student tour, but adults are welcome to join us for our grand adventure.  This is an excellent tour for the money!   Included in the price is round trip airfare, hotel with bathroom, all breakfasts and dinners, entry fees and tours.  You could never book your own trip to Europe for this price.

Please see the exact itinerary for details and price.  Contact me with any questions or to meet to discuss details.  If you think you will be going, or want to send your child(ren) please consider signing up as soon as possible.

artbrit@gmail.com

http://www.eftours.com/preview-tour.aspx?pt=GA-1184705&utm_source=RecCenter&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=SharedLink

Friday- on the train to the French Riviera! I finally have a few minutes to write.  We literally haven't had a minute to write in 2 days!   I will try and catch up what has been happening.  Our trip over went well.  We were exhausted but were fine when we finally landed after 3 plane trips and a layover in Frankfurt. It was afternoon US time when we finally landed in Paris, about 22 hours after we left home. It would be another 7 hours  before we could sleep. We had a 6:45am wake up call yesterday morning, had breakfast and were on the bus by 8am.  We started our bus tour of Paris, and were able to see the Eiffel Tower, Champs Élysées,  Invalides...where Napoleon is buried, and lots more, including the Quartier Latin,  Trocadero,  and lots more!

 I just asked everyone for a few impressions of the tour yesterday and what they liked.   Here's their answers..... Marissa- Opera House, the Parliament building Jayne- a lot of musicians on the streets  Codie- fashion,  variety of cultures and religions,  Codie learned a lot and is very excited to here and wants to run away to Paris Brittany-liked the gardens at Versailles Cameron liked the artist's square The absolute BEST part of yesterday?  Marissa- seeing the Eiffel Tower and seeing the twinkling lights come on!  Codie- seeing Sacre Coeur cathedral.  Cameron- Eiffel Tower AND seeing the artist square.   Brittany says the gardens at Versailles were her favorite.  Cameron said to tell Dad "allo"!!  Jayne says if anyone for Northside is reading this we are having a wonderful time and the kids are all behaving wonderfully!

 Yesterday afternoon Jayne and Peter and Brittany went to Versailles. I took Codie and Marissa and Cameron to Les Halles for lunch. Then we went to Sacre Coeur and saw the artists, had drinks and snacks and dodged a huge rainstorm.  Last night we went on a river cruise along the Seine and then stood in line to see the Eiffel Tower. It was FREEZiNG. My feet were numb.   Saturday On the bus on the way back from Monaco on the Cote d'Azur, or French Riviera.  Last night after we got to the Hotel Busby we went to dinner on the Promenade des Anglais.   The beach was right there so we skipped stones in the water for a little bit then went to the Brasserie where the Germany- Greece was on.  Germany pounded Greece 4-1 and are through to the quarter-finals.  After dinner we went back to the hotel and slept wonderfully!

 This morning we drove to Monaco which is absolutely stunning. I keep hearing "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" playing in my head!   Jayne and Cameron and I wandered around, had lunch, and got a few souvenirs. Cameron got a straw hat.  Marissa, Peter, Brittany and Codie went exploring and seemed to have a great time.   We have just finished up visiting the Fragonard factory where we learned about how perfume is made and were able to test some fragrances.  We will be having free time this evening then leaving for Italy in the morning which will be a long bus ride.  The kids have learned to speak a few words of French and it's fun listening to them trying to say please and thank you!

 Tomorrow we are taking the bus to Pisa- hello Italia!! Then on to Florence. Italy vs. England tomorrow night!!!!!  

Rick Steves' Travel Philosophy

Travel is freedom... one of the last great sources of legal adventure. Travel is intensified living, with maximum thrills per minute. It's recess, and we need it. Experiencing the real Europe requires catching it by surprise, going casual... Through the Back Door.

Affording travel is a matter of priorities. (Make do with the old sofa.) You can travel simply, safely, and comfortably anywhere in Europe for $100 a day plus transportation costs. In many ways, spending more money only builds a thicker wall between you and what you came to see. Europe is a cultural carnival, and time after time, you'll find that its best acts are free and the best seats are the cheap ones.

A tight budget forces you to travel close to the ground, meeting and communicating with the people. Never sacrifice sleep, nutrition, safety, or cleanliness in the name of budget. Simply enjoy the local-style alternatives to expensive hotels and restaurants.

Extroverts have more fun. If your trip is low on magic moments, kick yourself and make things happen. If you don't enjoy a place, maybe you don't know enough about it. Seek the truth. Recognize tourist traps. Give a culture the benefit of your open mind. See things as different but not better or worse. Any culture has much to share.

Of course, travel, like the world, is a series of hills and valleys. Be fanatically positive and militantly optimistic. If something's not to your liking, change your liking. Travel is addicting. It can make you a happier American, as well as a citizen of the world.

Our Earth is home to nearly 6 billion equally important people. It's humbling to travel and find that people don't envy Americans. Europeans like us, but with all due respect, they wouldn't trade passports.

Globetrotting destroys ethnocentricity. It helps you understand and appreciate different cultures. Travel changes people. It broadens perspectives and teaches new ways to measure quality of life. Many travelers toss aside their hometown blinders. Their prized souvenirs are the strands of different cultures they decide to knit into their own character. The world is a cultural yarn shop. Back Door Travelers are weaving the ultimate tapestry.

Join in!

–Rick Steves

Used with permission from Rick Steves, www.ricksteves.com

England, Ireland, Wales 2008