EF College Break: A great way for students to travel

Oh, I hope this doesn't sound too promotional... but I really love this agency!

Let's start this way: I've worked hard for years, and I've been able to save a good amount of money. I've always been afraid to spend it, even on things that I've needed, like cars or rent. However, I came to a realization after looking back on my current job that takes over my life: I need a vacation. I've seen films, read "The DaVinci Code", and did research online. I didn't have a plan for this summer, so I figured why not go on a vacation? The one thing I've wanted to see - the Colosseum - is still in existence, so why not see it? I'd never really considered going to Europe anytime soon, but I finally felt comfortable with the idea of paying for an amazing trip.

I also realized that I've never gone out of the country, let alone hardly out of the state. I had no idea how to book a trip, through whom, and all of those other details. I am petrified of losing money or getting swindled, so I decided to ask my friend about a group that she spoke about and worked for in college, EF College Break. As a campus manager for the company, she would promote certain trips and offer discounts. I never thought to take advantage of those offers at the time because they were a pretty sizeable chunk of change to me, but they did seem pretty legit. She also had taken various trips with the group and said that it was great for first-timers.

I admit that I checked out other organizations first before asking her about it, and I was disappointed by the prices or daunted by the idea of planning a trip myself in a place I've never been to before. So I looked at the EF website and liked what I saw: a trip to London, Paris, and Rome for 12 days! Those were my tops three cities that I wanted to see, and while the price was still quite a bit, I was excited by the sights I would be seeing (including not just the Colosseum, but also the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Stonehenge, St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican, and more!). There are options that add more fees to the cost, including more private rooming situations, extra excursions to additional attractions, booking a trip less than 90 days before the date, and choosing where to fly from, but I am happy that experienced people would be planning the trip for me. Additionally, the planners make the trips especially for people under 25 (those over 25 have to pay an additional fee...), and you are traveling in a group with other students... You can even create a group on Facebook so you can meet them ahead of time! Plus, travel insurance is only $125, and that covers medical issues and losing all of your stuff.

Some potential cons other than the fees are that there are only a few different sets of dates to choose from, and you have to check and see if the things that you want to visit are not closed for the holidays or anything. Within 90 days of the trip, refunds are out of the question. For my 12-day trip, I paid $3,400. However, I'm satisfied that I don't have to worry about anything while I enjoy myself.