European Discovery Trip Provides Samples of Countries Abroad By Chris Brodkin

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Traveling to Europe is not new -- even the Griswalds murmured "Oui, oui" in the '80s. Yet it seems that international diversity among young adults is high on their "new experiences" list.

Evidence of this is the skyrocketing of study abroad programs. Students who don't have the time or inclination to study for a full year in Europe but still want a taste of European life and culture can find happiness with the AESU European Discovery Tour of Northern and Southern Europe.

The AESU tour includes visiting 11 countries in 21 days, and can be very exhausting -- especially if you want to experience authentic European life in each society. Many of the little towns, located hundreds of miles apart, are visited by bus. Therefore, this particular tour is geared for people with abundant energy and people who are acclimated for long trips on mass transportation.

When people travel to Europe with AESU, the usual traveling worries disappear. The company takes care of all traveling needs: air fares, hotels, most meals, travel taxes and convenient transportation to each European destination.

Each tour stresses international diversity. Our tour guide, Verena Sutter, briefed the group on cultural differences they may face. She explained that Europe is set in its ways, and it is not our responsibility to Americanize these countries. Rather, the travelers should adapt to the European way of life. Sutter encouraged the group to experiment exotic foods and speak each country's particular language.

On the European Discovery tour, the first destination sets the precedent for the rest of the trip. In Amsterdam, travelers snap pictures of beautiful windmills and tulips across the countryside. Canoeing and bicycling are some of the many day activities offered to AESU travelers. Expanding educational horizons, the group learns how Edam cheese and wooden shoes are made. Visits to the city's largest diamond cutting factory, the Anne Frank house or the van Gogh Museum are also made. Later, the tour group takes a boat ride through Amsterdam's maze of canals. With the onset of evening, hungry sightseers choose to dine at the Dutch Windmill Diner in The Red Light District. Consisting of bars, clubs and prostitutes posing in large bay windows waiting to earn some money, this neighborhood makes Amsterdam famous. The coffee houses, where a customer can buy and smoke hashish legally, are also popular hang-outs.

On the following afternoon, the group journeys to the city of Brussels, Belgium -- a Common Market headquarters. After a wonderful day of sightseeing, we arrive at the hotel just in time for an authentic dinner made up of pork loin, potatoes and, of course, brussel sprouts. Stuffed from dinner, the group walks to the Grand Place -- a medieval square with soaring buildings. The rowdy are set free to explore the nightlife of Brussels only after taking in the view of the Mennekin-Pis.

Next stop, Germany -- the land of Volkswagens, sausages and beer. The first must-see sight is in Cologne where the world's largest gothic cathedral is located. Cruising down the Rhine provides the group with the viewing pleasure of many old, beautifully intricate castles on its banks. By evening, the merry band of travelers arrive at the hotel in Heidelberg for a Bratwurst, sauerkraut and beer. The following morning, the group climbs to the ruins of the Palatine Elector's Castle which casts sensational views of German landscapes. From there, the trip moves into the Black Forest's town of Titisee.

The same day's trip brings students to yet another country, Switzerland, where the transportation demands a brief boarder crossing (Non-European Community countries possess boarder crossing while European Community countries do not require them). Upon entering Switzerland and its 22 nations (provinces), the bus stops at the largest waterfalls in Europe -- the Rhine Falls. A boat floats up the river right next to the falls for a breathtaking view. Day six of the vacation starts with a refreshing hike of the Swiss countryside. The scenery is replete with grassy pastures and edelweiss. After a brief lunch, the group travels to the city of Lucerne. Lucerne provides travelers with stereotypical Swiss commodities: Rolex watches, cuckoo clocks, famous Swiss chocolate and cheese fondue. The day ends with another fun-filled night in Switzerland.

The tour group encounters their fifth country the following day, Liechtenstein. In this small principality, travelers are allowed free time to shop before going into Bavaria. Mad King Ludwig's Castle, a beautiful castle built in the late 1800s during the Baroque period, fulfilled our sight-seeing quotient.

From Bavaria, the travelers head back into Germany to the city of Munich. That night the group dines at the famous Hofbrauhaus where they are served four pint beer steins, eat tremendous dishes of German cuisine, and listen to oom-pa-pa bands.

For the rest of the 21 day tour of Europe, the AESU group visits Austria, Italy, Vatican City, France, Monte Carlo-Riviera and England.

INsider magazine appreciates AESU's contribution to this article. For information regarding AESU travel opportunities please call: 1-800-638-7640 x4.