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Lost: Not a love story

7 Feb

by: Kelley Robinson

It’s true, our adorable friend was out in Munich by herself. In the rain. No phone, no map. Completely lost.

And instead of enjoying the night with friends, there I was, also a bit lost and looking for her. Not in the charming “oh, I’ll explore the city” kind of lost. It was more the “I’m in the worst part of town, no I don’t want any cocaine, hell I would KILL for an umbrella” kind of lost.

I was with Bus2alps at Oktoberfest, so I had a plan, was shown by my guide how to get home at night and had their phone number to contact them if I ran into trouble. Sam, the lost girl, on the other hand thought she could do the weekend on her own.

Getting lost in a city you’ve never been to before is no fun. Even with friends, trying to figure out how to get around or the best places to go can be a stress – eating up precious time and causing tension among the best of pals.

She had spent the last few hours on the Munich subway system, riding stop to stop hoping someone she recognized would jump on the train. It was a miracle a Bus2alps guide eventually found her on accident – helping even though she didn’t come with us.

I found my way back to our campsite but the resentment of being the only one concerned about our friend ruined the night.

Luckily our friend saw the light after her midnight in Munich experience, and only booked Bus2alps trips after that. And she was never lost again.

Traveling with friends who know the cities well is an unspoken added value to your trip – why waste your own time when what you are searching for is only a question away?

Hitting the big cities like Prague, Berlin, Amsterdam and Paris in a Northern Loop Spring Break is the best way to see Europe. The Eastern Loop’s Budapest, Krakow, Prague and Munich are so much easier with Bus2alps. You can even bus or fly in to most of these cities with Bus2alps.

Leave the complicated details to us. Travel in style and never lose your way.

Bus2alps Featured in the Odyssey

7 Feb

Bus2alps was featured in the Odyssey, and online Greek Life Publication. Check out the article here.

Europe’s gonna be DOMinated!

5 Feb

Get at me BRO! The biggest announcement of the semester is now hitting the airwaves. The Youtube sensation, Dom Mazzetti, will be bustin’ off a plane, muscle T and all, ready to join Bus2alps (and a whole lot of beautiful college girls) for a 2 week  traveling extravaganza! Dom is coming on the Northern Loop Spring Break on March 29th for the 10 day tour of Prague, Berlin, Amsterdam, and Paris. Then, after relaxing in Rome for a few days, he will be showing off his perfect body on the beaches of the Amalfi Coast. The creators of the Youtube phenomenon, Mike & Gian, are making their European debut to team up with the number one student travel company, Bus2alps, to see the world and discover what wild, hilarious escapades Dom Mazzetti gets himself into while here. Dom will be crushin’ brews, woo-ing college girls, and going HAM back in the homeland of Italy. Sure he may or may not have dropped out of school and moved home to pursue community college chicks, but now he’s getting the chance to go buck wild on a European Spring Break! Book these trips NOW to become a part of the Dom Squad because with this huge news release, the Northern Loop & Amalfi Coast are gonna sell out faster than Four Loko in the black market. Get ready for Bus2dom, baby. This Spring, you have the chance of a lifetime to travel with this guy:

Now that’s JUSTICE!

by Erin O’Conner

Wow, Interlaken is cool!

2 Feb

When I studied abroad in 2010, one of the last places I thought I would ever go would be Interlaken, Switzerland

.  First of all, I had never heard of Interlaken, and second, it seemed like there were so many more obvious places to go like the Amalfi Coast, Greece, Paris, Prague and Barcelona to just name a few.  I wanted to see as much as I could while I was here, but honestly Interlaken was just not on my radar.

A bunch of my friends were doing the Bus2alps Interlaken trip, and last minute I decided to join them…it was probably the coolest decision I ever made.  Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love Florence, but Interlaken has a feel that I don’t think you can get anywhere else in Europe.  I haven’t been anywhere else where you can jump 300 feet into a canyon, go night sledding in the Swiss Alps, and see some of the most naturally beautiful scenery all in one weekend.  Being a study abroad veteran, as well as an experienced traveler in Europe, I can say confidently that not making it to Interlaken during your semester abroad is a mistake.

For Bus2alps, traveling to Interlaken on the weekends is like going home.  After all, we are Bus 2 ALPS, and our headquarters are located right in the town of Interlaken.  Outdoor Interlaken is our sister company and all Bus2alps travelers get a discount on adventure activities.

From skiing and snowboarding, to extreme sledding if you are like me, Interlaken has everything.  There is the best sky diving in the world, as well as canyon jumping (one of two places in the world to do this), night sledding, chocolate tasting, paragliding, ice skating…there are so many activities to do that it is difficult to choose exactly how to spend your weekend.  …Not the worst problem to have.

Don’t make the mistake that I almost made, and miss out on this paradise on earth.  Waking up in the Swiss Alps is something that everyone should experience, and you guys are so close, it’s time to book your trip with Bus2alps February 15, 22 and March 1.  I can’t wait to see you there!

El Clasico: It’s not just a game

23 Jan

BCN vs. Madrid

Last Tuesday night the city of Barcelona packed into every bar, café and room that had a television in it to watch their team come from behind and beat Real Madrid 2-1. You may have been at one of those bars and you may have seen the mobs of people marching down Las Ramblas chanting the name of one of the cities unofficial patron saints, Lionel Messi, after the victory.

You were probably stricken by the amount of local support for a single sporting event but what needs to be considered is that when Barcelona and Real Madrid meet on the field it’s not only one of the biggest sporting rivalries in the world, fetching thousands of euros per ticket, it is also one of the few sporting events that transcend sports completely.

What make the meetings between these two teams so significant are the political origins of the rivalry dating back to the establishment of the Franco regime in 1936. Franco’s hard right wing nationalist stance called for complete cultural hegemony throughout the nation of Spain. Being the capital of the Catalan region and home to the proud gatekeepers of Catalan tradition, the city of Barcelona became a national beacon for cultural and political freedom and their soccer team was transformed into a political and cultural vehicle.

Once in power, Franco turned Madrid into the epicenter of his oppressive nationalist regime and, in effect, turned every match between Barcelona and Real Madrid into a virtual proxy war.

So this Wednesday night when you make it out to whatever packed bar or café you can get into to watch the game, remember what this game means to the people of Barcelona and the entire region of Catalonia. To many still, it’s more than a rivalry between two clubs, it is a struggle for independence and that’s what turns this soccer match into more than just a game but a cultural event.

Week in review

23 Jan

“Guuuurrrrrg-oOooh-LooOooL!” You hear that? That’s the sound of my belly cuz I’m hungry. I’m hungry for more delicious, authentic food and free trip giveaways! That was basically the theme this past week in Florence, Rome, and Barcelona…

In Florence, almost a hundred students joined the Bus2alps crew in a huge Welcome Dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in town, Osteria Del Gatto e la Volpe. Penne alla vodka, gnocchi, ravioli truffles, red and white wine, and a free trip to Prague were all on the menu. Congrats to Cody S. for winning the trip & also to everyone else who won free month gym memberships as well. Later on in the week, free coffee days were held at Astor Cafe and Mama’s Bakery, sponsored by Bus2alps of course.

Over in the Eternal City, the Bus2alps crew took a group to Tony’s restaurant in Trastevere to indulge in some fine Italian cuisine and talk about our travel plans for this semester. Post-dinner dessert shots were had at our favorite chocolate bar down the road and it was a big hit with our new Roman student friends. At the Drunken Ship, free trips were given away on both Monday and Friday night, leaving a few lucky students giddy with exuberance.

I smell sushi and soy sauce. The Barcelona crew teamed up with the De Lis group to host our official spring semester Welcome Party at the Shoko Beach Club. The free sushi made for a great night of getting to know our guests and the open bar led to a wild night of partying with them. We’ll continue to ring in the spring semester this Tuesday with the kick off of our weekly beer pong tournament at the George Payne Pub. Everyone will get the chance to drink some beer and heckle their opponents but only the winners will receive 50% off a Bus2alps trip.

With over a hundred students joining us in Interlaken this past weekend, we kicked off the semester with a bang. Five feet of fresh powder in the Jungfrau Region left skiers, snowboarders, and sledders grinning like school children. We had an absolute blast with everyone and we’re hungry for more great memories to be had in the weeks to come!

Week in review

16 Jan

Ahh, new beginnings. Here we are, starting off the Spring 2012 semester abroad with big things happening around Europe in the Bus2alps world. Students from all over the place have been arriving in their new home cities, settling in, seeing the sites, meeting new friends, and soaking it all in. What’s one of the most exciting parts of this semester? Traveling!

In Rome, the Bus2alps crew has been out and about all week, meeting new students and helping them get acclimated in the Eternal City that they can now call home. We held a welcome event at club Gilda this past Friday night, giving away free trips to the Amalfi Coast, Interlaken, and Venice Carnevale. Three lucky winners were announced over the microphone by the DJ and the crowd went wild. Everyone then danced the night away (J.Lo style).

Over in Florence, the Bus2alps crew gave away a free Interlaken trip to Mike B. on the Bell Tower Pub Crawl. Pub crawl with new friends? And a free trip to the Swiss Alps? Mike B. is having the best week ever.

In Barcelona, the Bus2alps crew started the spring semester off right. Thursday night we teamed up with our friends at the Dow Jones Bar to throw a raucous welcome party filled with new faces, cheap drinks and free trips to the Amalfi Coast, Interlaken and the French Riviera. Come Saturday we were ready for our welcome bike tour. We cruised around the city with over 70 of our newest friends and gave away free trips to Montserrat and Greece along with discounted trips to Interlaken and the French Riviera before hitting Ryan’s bar for some post tour drinks.

Save the skips for trips!

13 Jan

by Lauren Foley

You’re finally abroad! It’s time to embrace all that is Europe and with that all that is travel. Your dream trip to Greece or Paris awaits you…but only if you plan smart. Don’t get stuck missing out because you have skipped too many classes. Regardless of what your schedule is most programs allow you to miss a certain number of classes and after the allotted number is used grade reductions will be made.

You are abroad. You will go out to the wee hours of the morning. You will wake up hung over. Suck it up and don’t ever skip class for these reasons. That’s what Starbucks is for. When you are riding camels in Morocco, chilling around the Eiffel Tower, or island hopping in Greece you will be happy you used your allotted skips for trips and not nursing a hangover. Ciao.

No matter how much they struggled, they never would have missed a class they didn't have to

Greece – Spring’s playground

12 Jan

 

By: Alli Baldwin

As you are about to embark on a semester in Europe, I am sure you are trying to decide what cities you most want to visit. It’s tricky. You don’t want to miss Prague, yet you are trying to squeeze in the Amalfi Coast and Munich. There is London, Paris, and Amsterdam, but you really can’t live in Europe for four months without seeing the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland. So many cities, it almost seems as if four months is not enough time! Two years ago, I faced a similar problem. I was having the hardest time figuring out where to go next, but there was one place that I knew I for sure did not want to miss: Greece.

Feta cheese, olive oil and Mama Mia are a few of the obvious reasons that I want to get to Greece this spring. Island hopping in the Adriatic Sea while downing some traditional ouzo is how I plan on spending March, and I am excited for you guys to join me.
Just 58 days remain until the first Bus2alps Greece trip for the spring. Florence is a wee bit chilly right now and relaxing on a boat in the sun sounds perfect. We had a blast last fall in Corfu, but I think this spring will be even better. We have a sweet island lineup starting at the Pink Palace in Corfu, hitting up the oldest city in Europe, Athens, and finally ending up on the gorgeous island of Santorini (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants anyone?).

We have a long weekend trip over Easter weekend that hits up Corfu for 5 days, a Greece getaway for 7 days that is going to Corfu followed by Athens- which has my personal favorite walking tour in Europe, and an island hopping trip that adds the stunning island of Santorini for 10 days of bliss. At this point, missing out on Greece does not seem to be a logical option, and with so many trips- it will be easy enough to find one that works with your schedule.

Olive oil, beaches, and beautiful people, I want to swim across the Adriatic Sea right now. 58 days and several trips that will sell out, it only makes sense that you book your Greek vacation as soon as possible.

Join us in Greece here.

Big sale on flights to Dublin

12 Jan

Aer Lingus has slashed prices on many of their flights to Dublin. Aer Lingus wants you to “get the year off to a flying start” with flights as low as 39 euro from many of Europe’s major cities. You must book your flight by January 20th to get in on the sale action. The sale is on flights departing and arriving in Dublin between January 9th and March 12.

If you are hunting for that cheap flight for the Bus2alps February 16th Ireland trip, you should be riding with Aer Lingus.

Below are the sale details from several of the major cities in Europe. In addition you can view all flights on the Aer Lingus website.

Italy
Amsterdam
United Kingdom
France
Germany
Spain
Switzerland
Rest of Europe

If you do not find your country on here, go to the main page and change the country of origin.

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