Gap Year

European Explorer Program with Irish Gap Year

Name: European Explorer Program with Irish Gap Year
Brand: Irish Gap Year
SKU: 247293
Rating: 4.95 (19 reviews)

Hosted by

Irish Gap Year

4.95 (19 reviews)

Good for

Adventure travelers

Students

Photographers

European Explorer Program with Irish Gap Year

Irish Gap Year

4.95 · 19 reviews

Community Choice Award Winner

Location

Multiple Locations +4

Austria
- Salzburg
Germany
- Berlin
Italy
- Venice
Czech Republic
- Prague

Length

2 - 4 weeks

Program Tags

Adventure Travel

Merit-based funding, Payment plans, 529 Plan eligibility

Health & Safety

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Program Details

Activities

Backpacking City Exploring Sightseeing

Timeframe

Spring

Housing

Guesthouse Hostel Lodge

Primary Language

English

Age Min.

Age Max

Pricing

Starting Price

8000

What's Included

Accommodation Activities Airport Transfers Some Meals Park Fees Transportation Wifi

What's Not Included

Airfare Some Meals

What's Not Included (Extra)

Half of the meals on the European Explorer are included in the programs fees. Approximately half of the dinners (15 dinners) are not included in the program fees.

Last Updated: Jul 16, 2025

Last Reviewed: May 07, 2026

Wish List

33 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

The European Explorer Program is a structured, three-week, group expedition that resembles the classic European back-packing adventure of old. The Program combines a hands-on study of European history, culture and current events with small group travel on the world famous Inter-Rail train system.

From Amsterdam to Berlin to Salzburg and the Austrian Alps to Venice, Lake Garda and the plains of Northern Italy, the Irish Gap Year team will guide you on this journey through some of Europe's most iconic places. Of course (in true Irish Gap Year fashion) we'll be going far off the beaten track and exploring some of the lesser known, quirky hidden gems of each region.

Program Themes:
~ European Cultural Exploration
~ Independence Building
~ Train Travel
~ Backpacking
~ Self-Discovery
~ Light Outdoor Adventuring

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS SUMMARY

This fast-paced program offers a mix of structured activities and free time to explore multiple European cities, fostering independence and cultural immersion.

AI-generated summary from verified community reviews Read reviews →

Video and Photos

Diversity & Inclusion 💙

BIPOC Support

We welcome students from all walks of life and backrounds and have hosted many BIPOC students on our programs.

LGBTQIA+ Support

We welcome students from all walks of life and backrounds and have hosted many LGBTQIA+ students over the years. Ireland and Europe in general are quite progressive with regards to LGBTQIA+ policy, lifestyle and support. Irish Gap Year provides support to our LGBTQIA+ students to help them feel secure and safe during their time with us.

Impact 🌎

Sustainability

Irish Gap Year is a Carbon Negative Company, meaning we remove more C02 from the amosphere through our ecological volunteering than we create as an organization (including student flights to Europe).

Irish Gap Year Director, Ryan Allen is the Chair of the Gap Year Association's Sustainability Commitee and created the Association's Climate Action Plan in 2023.

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Program Highlights

Tubing in Munich's Isar River in the heart of the city
Visit Austria's highest peak, Kitzenhorn and explore the glacier park
Fresh Italian Cuisine!

Program Reviews

4.95 Rating

based on 19 reviews

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Rating Spread Gap Year

5 rating 94.74%
4 rating 5.26%
3 rating 0%
2 rating 0%
1 rating 0%

Housing 4.45
Support 4.9
Fun 4.9
Value 4.65
Safety 4.85

Good for Adventure travelers, Students, Photographers

Showing 17 - 19 of 19 reviews

Although this was their first time running this specific program, I think IGY did a pretty good job on it. My goals going into this program were to see new cities, see what it's like to live in hostels and ride trains through Europe, and make new friends. These goals were achieved. I personally would have liked some more hikes/naturey activities because we are pretty much in cities the whole time. I think the program was well structured and the leaders were good. Keep in mind that on this program you get very limited alone time, which was important to me as an introvert.

Pros

Getting from place to place is taken care of so you don't have to worry about it
You get a taste of each city

Cons

Not all meals are paid for
The cities can get a little old by the end

This program offers a wide range of opportunities to experience the culture and environment of multiple european nations including Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, and Italy. The leaders for this program are great at adapting to different needs, staying organized, and they are extremely kind and easy going. There are many opportunities to travel on your own while being in safe, interesting cities and other students to explore with. The large group dynamic also adds to the safety and fun of the program.

Pros

Free Time
Exploring
Safe Travel

Cons

Lots of Travel
Fast Paced
Adapting to train travel

The European Explorer Program is phenomenal at teaching kids how to travel on their own! They give a great opportunity to meet new people from all over the USA and Canada, and so many fun experiences to share with other people your age. You don’t have to worry about the stress of traveling across different countries and balance out the city and nature aspects of each country. The european explorer program offers so many opportunities to learn about the cultures of each country and enjoy independent freedom away from the leaders as well. The leaders are great at treating you equally and respecting your time exploring the different cities with the comfort of knowing you have people to rely on.

Pros

Exploration of cities
free time
choice of what to do during the day

Cons

not much alone time
adapting to changing train rides

Questions & Answers

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

What is your favorite travel memory?

My favorite travel memory has to be a trip that I took in my twenties with my now-husband. We spent a month cycling around France with nothing but a backpack, our bikes, and a two-man tent. Eating smelly camembert cheese on a crusty baguette and having no plans or agendas. We just followed an old paper map and cycled a little every day until we decided to stop and pitch the tent.

We have since brought our children back to the places we visited, but a bit more planning had to go into that trip!

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

Yes, I have definitely changed since working with Irish Gap Year, having taken a break in my career when our children were small, it was a nervous time starting back at work. Irish Gap Year helped make the transition back to work simple and I felt encouraged all the way. My confidence has grown immensely over the years.

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What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

We stay in touch with a lot of our students and I guess just hearing from them all from time to time and hearing how their lives are going is so great.

Also, I give the students some cooking lessons to teach them a few basic home-cooked meals that they can do when they go to college or for their family, I love it when the once reluctant chefs send me photos months after their return of the dishes that they are still creating.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

I would definitely choose the Irish Arts and Culture program. Having studied art in college and later working as a ceramicist and then an Art technician in a college it would be a dream of mine to immerse myself for 12 weeks in all the fantastic workshops and cultural trips of the Arts and Culture program.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

I feel our company is unique because we are a small, really close team and we all truly care about the job at hand and the well-being of our students. As a team, we are all really good friends and that shows through in the students who regularly comment on how close we all are.

I am always proud of the staff of Irish Gap Year, everyone gives 100% but the proudest days are when we are saying goodbye to tearful students who have loved their time with IGY and we know that we have delivered a great program and given some kids from America memories to cherish.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

I believe the biggest factor in a company being successful is having a great team. I feel that everyone in Irish Gap Year truly loves what they do. Loving your job and always striving to do your best will inevitably make a company more successful and make the experience for the students one to remember for the rest of their lives.

Niall Coombes

Program Leader

Kate Mullins

Program Leader

About Irish Gap Year

Irish Gap Year operates semester length and short gap year programs in Ireland, Scandinavia and Europe. Being based on the northwest coast of Ireland in County Donegal has instilled in us a love of adventure, untouched nature, unique culture, rich artistic heritage and travel - All of which are foundational to our gap year programs. Our programs...