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Last week was so great, I can’t wait to see what happens this week

20 Feb

This past week, over 900 students were traveling with Bus2alps all around the continent to Venice Carnevale, Ireland, Interlaken, Vienna/Salzburg, Prague, and Stiges Carnival!

The clear blue skies, warmtemps, and fresh powder made for unbelievable conditions on the mountains for all of the skiers, snowboarders, and explorers in the Jungfrau Region. Goggle tans mean more street credit, and all the Interlaken guests from this past weekend have been getting mad’respect around town. Rumor has it that the dance party at Lucerna on Saturday night left lots of people happily stumbling onto the bus on Sunday morning, ready for a nice nap through the hills on their way home after an amazing weekend in Praha. Masks & costumes galore took over the parties in Venice & Stiges, and everyone in Ireland had yet another incredible time at the Cliffs of Moher & Guinness Storehouse among other places.

Over in Spain, Barcelona has been tearin’ it UP! Monday, the Bus2alps BCN crew hosted the Out Cold event at Dow Jones, giving away free canyon jumping, 50% off Interlaken Winter, skydiving, free ski/snowboarding, free night sledding, and rewarding any of those that signed up on the spot with a free Bus2alps T-shirt. Wednesday, people were raging in the dance pits as DJ Laidback Luke performed at Sutton. Lots of students were off traveling for the weekend with us, but got home in just enough time to celebrate Carnival in Sitges Sunday night! Things got crazy as the best costumes were rewarded with a free trip to Las Fallas in Valencia, one month from now.

Over in Florence, a massive chocolate festival took over the town, just in time for Valentine’s Day. And in Rome, Valentine’s Day was spent with a gathering of students at the Friends with Benefits Aperitivo event at Cafe Friends in Trastevere. Drinks, food, and new friends were made before going out for the night in search of some Valentine magic! A beer pong tournament was held Friday night at On the Rox along with a Cool Runnings event at La Botticelli for some free Interlaken activity giveaways! Free trips, chocolate, and love. It was a lovely week, and we’re all super excited for the next one coming up!

Interlaken with bus2alps.com

18 Feb

A picture from this weekend in Interlaken with bus2alps.com

Ask Dom: Bro Fight, Spring Break, Justice

15 Feb

Heading east in search of gold

15 Feb

Well guys, it’s February 15.  That means two things.  First, Valentine’s day is finally over.  Thank goodness.  Second, Spring Break is right around the corner and I know so many of you still haven’t decided what to do.  It’s hard to choose, but thankfully Bus2alps is here to swoop in and save the day.

The Eastern Loop with Bus2alps is by far the coolest way to spend your 10 day break. Hands down.  Budapest, Krakow, Prague, and Munich are four of the most underrated cities Europe has, and getting home and telling your friends you went to Budapest and Krakow for spring break is a whole lot cooler than saying you were in London.  Just my personal opinion.

One major factor for me in choosing the Eastern Loop is money.  Eastern Europe is cheap.  One Hungarian forint is equal to 0.004531 U.S. dollars.  In Euros, it’s 0.00344…in Budapest, you can eat for as little as 5 euro a day.  That’s unreal, and there is no where else in Europe where that is remotely possible- except maybe in Krakow.  One of our Bus2alps staff members was in Poland for Christmas and bought basically a new wardrobe for the equivalent of a hundred bucks.  We can do the same here in Florence right…haha.  Prague is incredibly cheap as well.  At the end of the Eastern Loop, you will have four currencies in your wallet.  How many of your friends can say that?!

Spend 10 days swimming in the thermal baths in Budapest, exploring the salt mines in Krakow, signing the John Lennon wall in Prague, and drinking at the dark beer festival in Munich.  Save your money and get more out of your break.  Head east, rather than west.    They will be 10 days you won’t forget, and you will spend them in the most fascinating places in Europe.

by Allison Baldwin

Bus2Alps in Prague

15 Feb

Travel tip of the week

14 Feb

Tips to Avoid Getting Scammed or Lost in Europe

Europe is a wonderland – some study abroad students see it as one massive playground and they’re ready for the thrills. You can travel to tons of different places, experience old cultural traditions and taste new dishes, all while learning a lot about yourself along the way.

The opportunity to travel this much at such a ripe age is absolutely incredible. Don’t let it get tainted by getting scammed or lost in a foreign city. It just might ruin your time there.

There are a number of things you can do to be overly prepared and cautious in your travels:

- Keep your hostel address and phone number on you at all times.
- Make sure you have enough credit on your phone before leaving your home city.
- Carry cash in multiple places on your body and belongings – not just one pocket.
- Make copies of your passport and credit cards.
- Listen to your gut in uncomfortable situations.

These are all important precautions to take, but one thing that can ensure your safety is traveling with experienced guides and in groups.

Mom might be hesitant on giving the thumbs up for a Morocco trip, but you can reassure her that you’re going to be in a group the whole time with experienced Bus2alps leaders and local Moroccan guides. They will look out for you and take you to the safest, best places… That will go a long way!

Come to Morocco, Budapest, Greece, Krakow, and any other major European city with Bus2alps and know that you will always have someone looking out for you, leading you to the local gems, staying out of the bad areas, and being available 24/7 in case something happens.

So tie up those laces and hit the playground, all of Europe awaits.

Week in review

13 Feb

With 400 students joining the Bus2alps team, everyone in Venice put on their masks and partied hard for Carnevale in the snow! And speaking of snow, students this past weekend got the special treat of czeching out Prague in the snow. The whimsical architecture and Prague castle made the city seem even more like a fairytale when it was covered in beautiful white stuff. 200 students joined us in Interlaken this past weekend as well, and clear blue skies for skydiving, skiing & snowboarding, canyon jumping, and walks by the lakes made for amazing photo opts.

This past week in Barcelona was filled with beer pong, techno, mountains and cava. Bashar N and Brendon L won the beer pong tournament this past Tuesday. The winners both received 50% off the weekend trip of their choice, a t-shirt, and a pitcher of beer from our friends at the George Payne. The party continued as the city celebrated the arrival of the Nervo twins at their concert Wednesday night at Bling. Those who recovered snapped some great pictures at Montserrat on Saturday for the Bus2alps day trip and ended their week on a high note, tasting cava at the Freixenet Winery.

The Bus2alps Florence team put on their beanies, ski goggles, and party pants for the Out Cold event at Astor last Wednesday night. With Irish coffee, hot cocoa & Baileys, and coffee with Kahlua, students gathered in the bar to escape the cold temps outside and warm up with some delicious booze drinks while getting pumped for Interlaken, Switzerland trips! Fee night sledding, free rentals, free canyon jumping, free skydiving, and 50% off a Bus2alps Interlaken trip were all given away that night.

In Rome, a group of students from different schools in the city gathered for a homemade Roman cuisine cooking class, organized by the Bus2alps team. 3 courses were prepared by everyone in the class from scratch with local, organic ingredients and a hilarious chef before of course, feasting on our creations. With snow still lingering around the city, the monuments and sites are truly spectacular. With Valentine’s Day coming up, the romantic Eternal City is gearing up for some apertivo specials and giveaways with the Bus2alps crew.

Bus2Alps.com Interlaken

10 Feb

The beautiful hostels of Europe

9 Feb

There used to be a time when the word “hostel” left images of backpackers wandering down dark, gloomy hallways and sleeping in squeaky beds from the 1920s. Those days, my friends, are long gone. The quality of hostels around Europe has dramatically increased as many top accommodations across the map have set the bar very high. Two of these amazing hostels lay in the heart of Eastern Europe’s fairytale city of rich history, amusing architecture, and unique nightlife: Prague.

First, the Mosaic House ( http://www.mosaichouse.com/ ) has recently been named the best of 670 hotels in Prague by the Prague Post newspaper. Located in the city center near the National Theater and just a short walk from Prague’s famous Charles Bridge, Mosaic House is close to all the historical hot-spots, including the Prague Castle and the Old Town Square. The hostel also boasts a Belushi’s Restaurant, one of the town’s more popular hang out spots for good food, refreshing Czech beer & cocktails, international sports and live music.

Not only is Mosaic House friendly to the wallet, it’s also friendly to the environment. Mosaic features some of the most sophisticated green technology in the hospitality industry, being the first hotel in the Czech Republic to use 100% renewable-source electricity, 100% biogas, and a water recycling unit with heat recuperation technology.

A few minutes down the road, you’ll find another top-rated hostel in Prague, the Czech Inn ( http://www.czech-inn.com/ ) with it’s state of the art facilities, ultra-modern design, and relaxed atmosphere. The Czech Inn has bigger, comfier beds, helpful staff and a constant calendar of international event nights, inviting guests from all over the world to gather in the hostel’s posh bar and lounge area to share their stories of travel. Free wifi, internet terminals, massive rain-head showers, and an all-you-can-eat breakfast with eggs, meats, fruits, veggies, breads, cheeses, cereals, and freshly squeezed juices are just a few of the added highlights of the Inn.

The Mosaic House and the Czech Inn, both rich in style and excellence, set the standard for top-quality accommodations in the travel industry. For this reason, Bus2alps is proud to call them our business partners. Every time we guide our guests to a weekend getaway, we make sure to take them to the best of the best, and that is why we’ll continue to have everyone rest their heads in these two great hostels of Prague.

Firenze Frenzy #1 – Bus2alps.com

8 Feb

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