5 weeks in Europe for under $2000 per person
Bruce_Mccrea@LANSING.CC.MI.US
Mon, 1 Feb 1999 14:22:02 -0500
With all the excitement among the Scouts and leaders coming back from the
World Jamboree, I think it is important to emphasize that international
Scout trips can be done on the unit level. In fact, international trips
are usually much cheaper when done on the unit level and unit level trips
can offer opportunities that are not even available on World Jamboree
trips.
We are currently in the process of planning a 5 week trip to Europe for 11
Scouts and 2 leaders from my troop. We will visit Austria, Hungary,
Slovakia, Germany, Denmark, and The Netherlands. We will spend a week in
summer camp in central Slovakia with a Slovakian troop and 10 days camping
as part of a Danish troop at the Blue Summer National Camp of the Danish
Guide and Scout Association. By keeping our numbers in the patrol to
patrol and a half size range, we will be able to take advantage of
opportunities like home stays with Scout families and borrowing tents from
host troops. and the small size of our group will enable us to get to know
the Scouts in the countries we will visit. The small size of our group
will also enable us to take advantage of many low cost options that are not
available to large groups and will keep the total cost of our trip,
including airfare, transportation, food, admissions, lodging, and jamboree
fee, under $2000 per person.
I encourage other troops to consider similar trips. Our tentative
itineray is below.
Bruce McCrea
Scoutmaster, Troop 180
Chief Okemos Council, Michigan
Troop 180 home page = http://www.msu.edu/~rasche/scout/trp180/180home.htm
Suggestions for Traveling Overseas with Boy Scouts =
http://www.msu.edu/user/rasche/scout/trp180/travel.htm
TROOP 180 1999 EUROPE TRIP - TENTATIVE ITINERARY
Wednesday, June 30 - Depart from Detroit Metro Airport at 6:35 PM on
British Airways flight 202 (on a 747) (7 hour 25 minute flight)
Thursday, July 1 - Arrive at London Heathrow Airport at 7:00 AM local time.
Depart from London Heathrow Airport at 8:50 AM on British Airways flight
700 (on a 757) Arrive at Vienna Airport at 12:00 noon local time (2 hour
10 minute flight) Explore Vienna with Scouts and leaders from a local
Scout Group. Stay in their group Scout house.
Sunday, July 4 - Take the train from Vienna to Budapest. (10:07 AM -1:03
PM) Stay with host families from a Budapest troop and explore Budapest and
the surrounding area with their Scouts.
Wednesday, July 7 - Take the train from Budapest to Bratislava (10:30 AM -
1:10 PM) Travel on to central Slovakia. Spend the next week in summer camp
with a Slovakian troop, visiting some mountains and other natural wonders
of Slovakia
Tuesday, July 13 - Travel from central Slovakia to Bratislava. Take the
overnight train from Bratislava to Dresden and on to Berlin. (9:40 PM -
7:02 AM Bratislava to Dresden, Germany (in couchettes) and 7:16 AM - 9:26
AM Dresden to Berlin Zoo) Our arrangements in Berlin will be coordinated
by a BSA troop located in Berlin.
Friday, July 16 - Take the train from Berlin to our host troop in southern
Denmark, changing trains at Hamburg, Germany, and again at Tinglev,
Denmark. (1:29 PM - 3:57 PM Berlin Zoo to Hamburg, 4:37 PM - 6:51 PM
Hamburg to Tinglev, and then to the community of our host troop where we
will stay with host families.)
Tuesday, July 20, to Thursday, July 29 - Participate in the Blue Summer
National Camp of the Danish Guide and Scout Association at Stevninghus
Scout Camp. We will camp as part of our host Danish troop. Over 21,000
Scouts are already registered.
Thursday, July 29 - Return to host families
Friday, July 30 - Take the train to Cologne, Germany (11:01 AM - 11:12 AM
Tinglev to Padborg, 11:17 AM - 1:21 PM Padborg to Hamburg, and 1:53 PM -
5:50 PM Hamburg to Cologne) We will be hosted by a German Scout troop in
Cologne
Monday morning, August 2 - Take the train from Cologne to Amsterdam (10:16
AM - 12:54 PM). We will stay in a Scout house in the Amsterdam area, and
see some of the sights of the area.
Wednesday, August 4 - Depart from Amsterdan (Schiphol Airport) at 10:15 AM
on British Airways flight 427 (on a 757) Arrive at London Heathrow
Aiirport 10:30 AM (1 hour 15 minute flight) Depart from London Heathrow
Airport 12:35 PM, August 4, on British Airways flight 203 (on a 747)
Arrive Detroit Metro Airport 3:45 PM (8 hour 10 minute flight)
