Smithsonian Student Travel | France & Switzerland
Highlights
- Visit CERN, the renowned particle physics research facility
- Kayak at sunset on Lake Geneva, surrounded by soaring Alps
- Take a cooking class and meet chocolate makers in Switzerland
- Experience the cafe-lined streets and renowned art museums of Paris
- Hike along an ancient trade route through a spectacular Swiss valley
Itinerary
This itinerary represents our plan for the program. However, we may implement changes if we identify opportunities to improve the experience, to take advantage of unexpected events, or to accommodate local schedule changes.
Departure • Travel Day • Meet your student travel group and one of your trip leaders in New York, and fly together to Paris, France.
Paris, France • 4 days • Begin with an in-depth orientation in the cultural capital of Paris. Then delve into the art and history of this legendary city, which has drawn painters, writers, architects, philosophers, and culinary greats over the centuries. Stay in a renovated maison particulier in the heart of Le Marais, a historic neighborhood within walking distance of the Ȋle de la Cité, the Latin Quarter, and the city center. Meet with art historians to examine the works of world-renowned artists in the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, the Musée Rodin, and the contemporary collections at the Centre Pompidou. Investigate the past with a world-renowned historian on an excursion to the Chartres Cathedral and a visit to the Musée de l’Armée within the gold-domed Les Invalides, site of Napoleon’s tomb. Wander through the Jardin du Luxembourg, where Parisians come to stroll and relax; visit the Grand Mosque of Paris; and enjoy a Moroccan feast. Descend into the underbelly of Paris during a visit to the famous catacombs, or enjoy a sunset view of the Eiffel Tour during a boat trip on the Seine River.
Lyon, France • 3 days • Travel to Lyon, France’s third largest city—a renowned capital of gastronomy. Delve into Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse, a historic indoor food market where vendors sell truffles, fine cheeses, and all manner of epicurean delights. Join a local chef for a French cooking class, and learn to prepare quenelles (fish dumplings), Lyonnaise potatoes, and praline tart. Learn about the history and cultural significance of regional dishes such as these. Stroll through Lyon’s historic center with an art historian, and develop a deeper understanding of the city’s development. Then ride a bike through Lyon’s charming streets, discovering the city’s secrets.
Geneva, Switzerland • 3 days • Next, cross the border into Switzerland and arrive in the lakeside city of Geneva. Visit the United Nations Office, and learn about the UN’s efforts to address environmental challenges and encourage sustainable development. Immerse yourself in the world of physics with a guided visit to the new Science Gateway of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), home of the Large Hadron Collider particle accelerator and birthplace of the World Wide Web. Meet with researchers there to discuss their cutting-edge work in physics, biotechnology, astronomy, and climate science. Learn about the history and cultural impact of chocolate during a workshop with an award-winning chocolatier, and head out for a sunset kayak on Lake Geneva.
Martigny, Switzerland • 3 days • End your adventure in Martigny, a small mountain town at the crossroads of Switzerland, France, and Italy surrounded by lakes, lofty peaks, glaciers, and forests. Visit the Roman Amphitheater, and learn about the importance of this mountain outpost to ancient Rome. Travel with a local guide to the nearby Great St. Bernard Pass, one of the highest mountain passes in Switzerland. Explore the stunning Alpine landscapes, learn about the pass’s significance for trade and transportation over the centuries, and imagine the challenges that past travelers endured. Travel by narrow-gauge railway to a mountain village, and continue by cable car and by foot to a spectacular alpine lake. Look across the French border to Mont-Blanc, and discuss climate change and the role of glaciers on alpine ecosystems. Return to Geneva, and enjoy a final meal with your group to celebrate your adventures together.
Return • Travel Day • Fly from Geneva to New York with your group and a trip leader, then continue on to your final destination.
Smithsonian Student Travel Experts
A Smithsonian Student Travel Expert will join the group for four or five days of the itinerary. A professional in their field, they will tie in their knowledge and experiences with the themes of the program and share their insights and passion for the region during talks and informal conversations throughout their time with the students. Meet next summer’s expert below.
Dr. Kate Lakin-Schultz is a Master Lecturer and the Overall Coordinator of the French Language Program at Boston University. Dr. Lakin-Schultz holds a Ph.D. in French and Francophone Literature and Civilization from the University of Virginia and teaches at all levels of French language at BU as well as freshman writing courses. She specializes in Francophone African literature and culture and seeks to share the diversity of the Francophone world in her teaching, focusing primarily on the relationship between West Africa and France in her more advanced courses. She frequently presents on campus and at national conferences on best teaching practices, the effective use of teaching technologies, and integrating culture in the language classroom. Dr. Lakin-Schultz has spent several summers in Lyon with the University of Virginia study abroad program and looks forward to exploring the city again and sharing what she loves about it with students on the Smithsonian Student Travel program. The city has so much to offer historically, culturally, architecturally, and gastronomically and she always recommends prioritizing a stop in Lyon when traveling in France. One of her favorite things are its famous rivers, the Saône et the Rhône, that beautifully join at the southernmost point of the Lyon peninsula or “presqu’île.”
What to Expect
Physical Activity • This is a physically active summer travel program. You can expect to kayak, hike, and walk significant distances through the city streets of Paris, Geneva, and in the Alps over the course of the program. You do not need to be at peak fitness to participate, but it is important that you have a desire to be physically active, and that you are excited about trying all activities.
Accommodations • The group stays in small family hotels in Lyon and in Switzerland, and in a renovated mansion hostel in Paris.
Climate • Daytime temperatures can be high in the cities visited on this program (between 80–95°F / 26–35°C) , but will be cooler in Martigny (between 65–70°F / 18–21°C).
Meals • The group eats a typical continental breakfast in their accommodations, dinner in a variety of restaurants, and often takes picnics at midday in a park or in the countryside.
Cuisine • France and Switzerland are known for their cuisine, and students on this program will have the opportunity to eat regional products straight off the farm and out of the markets, as well as to savor the creative cooking of innovative chefs. A strong appetite and an adventurous culinary spirit will help!
Enroll in two programs & save $1,000!
$800 tuition discount + no second application fee