European Union Program
Travel Throughout Europe
Travel is an integral part of the European Union Program. As a group, the program travels to places like Luxembourg, The Hague, Geneva or Strasbourg to visit non-Brussels-based EU and UN institutions. During these visits, we learn from experts on the ground about how the EU operates and how it interacts with other international organizations. We also spend time having fun on the weekends in interesting places like Trier, Maastricht, Reims, Han-sur-Lesse, Leiden, or Kandersteg.
But that’s just the beginning. The highlight of the semester is our twelve-day trip to countries in Central and Eastern Europe. The destination of this trip varies from semester to semester, depending on events that are important for understanding the EU. For example, we visited Turkey during the semester that the EU decided to open membership negotiations with the country. We visited Bosnia-Herzegovina during the semester that the EU took over the peacekeeping operation there. We have frequently visited Cyprus, since the ongoing division of the island poses special problems for the EU and its relationship with Turkey. During these trips, we learn from local officials about their perspective on the developments in their countries. We take tours to learn about the history and culture of the places we visit. No two field trips are the same. Each group of European Union Program students has its own unique field trip experience, tailored to its semester.
However, in addition to the travel we do as a group, the European Union Program offers students many opportunities for personal travel. Several three-day weekends are built into the semester, as well as a week-long semester break. This allows students to hop a train, bus, or plane to anywhere.
It is easy to travel from Brussels! Brussels is in the heart of Western Europe, and it enjoys train and discounted airline flights to everywhere. Within a two-hour train ride, you can be in five different countries, where seven different languages are spoken! Within three hours of flight, you can be anywhere in the continent. Brussels is the ideal base for European travel and students at American University’s Brussels Center see the continent!
Previous Field Trip Destinations Included in the Program
- Luxembourg and Trier
- The Hague and Maastricht
- Geneva, Kandersteg and Strasbourg
- Saint Petersburg and Kaliningrad
- Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
- The island of Cyprus
- Bosnia-Herzegovina
- Croatia
- Serbia and Montenegro
- Vienna
- Budapest
- Berlin
Independently, Some Program Students Have Traveled To...
- Paris, and all over France
- Amsterdam, and all over the Netherlands
- London, and all over England, Scotland and Wales
- Berlin, Munich, and all over Germany
- Greece and the Greek Islands
- Rome, Florence, and all over Italy
- Madrid, Barcelona, and all over Spain
- Dublin and all over Ireland
- The Scandinavian Countries
- Portugal and the Canary Islands
- Prague and Budapest
- Vienna and Salzburg