EF Gap Semester in Europe (The Pathfinder)

Name: EF Gap Semester in Europe (The Pathfinder)
Brand: EF Gap Year
SKU: 406358
Rating: 4.5 (2 reviews)

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4.50 Rating

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Location

Multiple Locations +7

England
- London
France
- Normandy
- Paris
Spain
- Barcelona
Portugal
- Lisbon
Germany
- Berlin
- Munich
Switzerland
Italy
- Florence
- Rome

Length

4 - 12 weeks

Program Tags

Adventure Travel After College Arts College Credit Cultural Immersion Hands-On Learning Post-High School

Merit-based funding, Payment plans, 529 Plan eligibility

Health & Safety

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Program Details

Activities

City Exploring

Timeframe

Fall Spring Year Round

Housing

Hostel Hotel

Age Min.

Age Max

Pricing

Starting Price

19500

Price Details

Flights & transportation: Round-trip flights and local transfers to each stop in your itinerary

Room & board: Your accommodations and some of your meals on the trip

Activities & workshops: Guided excursions and hands-on workshops with local experts

EF Global Support Network: One-on-one mentorship and 24/7 travel support before and during your program

Guided learning: Program leadership and direction by full-time EF Field Director and Student Life Coordinator

What's Included

Accommodation Activities Airfare Domestic Airfare Airport Transfers Some Meals Tour Guide Transportation

Last Updated: May 14, 2024

Last Reviewed: Jul 10, 2024

Wish List

1 traveler is looking at this program

About Program

Explore Europe, ignite your passions, and discover your path forward. The Pathfinder is perfect for hands-on learners looking to dip their toes into different things to figure out what might be next for them in life. Travel to seven countries and immerse yourself in their cultures, diving into subjects like environmental science, food, fashion, and more. You’ll return home with confidence in your direction and a passport packed with stamps.
Start this 10-week program in England for an orientation wherein you get to explore the city, get to know your cohort, and learn about global business and healthcare. Then, visit Normandy and Paris to see history come alive and discover France's rich art, architecture, and fashion scene. From there, visit Spain and Portugal to learn about sports culture and art/architecture. Head to Germany to jump into urban sustainability and history before romping through the mountains of Switzerland. End your program in Florence and Rome, Italy.

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Video and Photos

EF Gap students in Paris with their Tour Director

EF Gap students in front of the Eiffel Tower

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Program Highlights

Learn about business, academia, healthcare, and history in London.
Visit France to learn about world history, art, and fashion; see Normandy, the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, and other iconic attractions.
Explore Spain and Portugal to get to know their sports culture, art, and architecture.
Experience life in the picturesque and dreamy Swiss Alps.
Visit Italy and devour all the most incredible Italian food your heart desires.

Program Reviews

4.50 Rating

based on 2 reviews

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Rating Spread Gap Year

5 rating 50%
4 rating 50%
3 rating 0%
2 rating 0%
1 rating 0%

Housing 4
Support 4
Fun 5
Value 5
Safety 3.5

Showing 1 - 2 of 2 reviews

The TLDR of my review is it was ultimately worth it because of the experience I had and how much I grew. It opened me up to the possibilities that I hadn't realized were within my grasp.

However, the financial cost was somewhat unexpected as we were encouraged to pay for multiple activities in addition to the trip. I hope in future programs they will be more transparent with this in the future.

While I was with a host family in France, my initial first experience with the family was disheartening to say the least. With my second host family, I really was able to enjoy myself. I was not the only student who had a negative initial experience with the host family.

As for my internship, I was so grateful for what I got. I still keep in contact with my boss and made some great memories while in Stockholm. This is not necessarily something that I thing EF needs to do, but I wish that I had been told that there were so many career opportunities while in Stockholm because I feel some regret after for not having taken advantage of that while there.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?

Consider studying some of the languages you will be exposed to ahead of time because you will inevitably need it. Plus, you will build a really strong base for building skills in that language. Additionally, try to be mindful of what is socially acceptable. For example, using crass language or being loud is generally not appropriate in most situations.

Pros

Résumé building
Experience in other languages
Exposure to foreign social practices

Cons

Negative initial host family experience
Expensive extracurriculars
Groups were too large

I traveled Europe because I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. While I was in Europe I found myself and who I wanted to become. I shed my ego and my worries and became someone who wanted to embrace change and help others along this crazy journey we call life. EF gave me that opportunity and also gave me the opportunity to make friends for life. I will be forever grateful for being naive because I am now the person I am to today because of it. I will always be grateful to EF, for ever.

What was your funniest moment?

Dublin Ireland, St. Patrick’s day

Pros

Friends
Memories
Different perspectives

Cons

Got stuck in Europe and extra day because of poor flight scheduling
That’s about it

Questions & Answers

About EF Gap Year

Since 1965, EF has sent millions of people around the world to have life-changing experiences. EF’s global reach spans more than 100 countries in 6 continents. We understand the world because our 52,000 staff members live and work in more than half of it. “Opening the world through education” is EF's mission. We bring that to life with our gap year...