teen travel

Teen Travel Webinar

Our recent Teen Travel webinar was a tremendous success! Thanks to the active participation and enthusiasm of each one of you, especially the wonderful Teen Travellers who joined to talk about their experience with us! We had an amazing time reminiscing about our trips and the fantastic times that we had, as you may have seen we shared a lot of laughter; we hope this provided you with more information you need about our one-of-a-kind program, to join us in the future! 

We appreciate the time and effort you dedicated to being a part of this event. The success of our webinar helps us show the importance and the shared interest in promoting positive and enriching travel experiences for teenagers.

We appreciate the commitment to staying informed and involved in discussions surrounding our Teen Travel programmes. If you have any further questions or feedback, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We are here to assist you in any way we can.

You’ve heard it first from our Teen Travellers 

There is nothing you need to change, it was amazing

Pietro, Italy

The tutors were so great

Yogev, Israel

‘I loved all the activities!

Karol, Poland

Once again, thank you for being an integral part of our webinar. We look forward to connecting with you in future events.

Explore the World with Learn & Experience: Our Teen Travel Information Webinar!

Are you ready for an exciting journey of exploration, learning, and adventure? Learn & Experience is thrilled to invite you to an exclusive online information webinar about our incredible Teen Travel Programs!

• 📅Date: Saturday, 2nd December, 2023
• ⏰ Time: 1900 GMT
• 📍Platform: Instagram Live (@learnandexperience247)

Our Teen Travel Programs are designed to empower teens with life-changing experiences, foster cultural understanding, and create memories that will last a lifetime. Whether it’s exploring ancient ruins, immersing in vibrant cultures, or undertaking thrilling outdoor adventures, our programs offer a perfect blend of education and fun.

What to Expect:

• 🌏 Destination Highlights: Discover the amazing locations our Teen Travel Programs will take your teens to.
• 🛤️ Program Details: Learn about the itineraries, activities, and unique experiences awaiting your teens.
• 🐴Horses Mouth: Hear past Teen Travellers and Leaders real-life accounts of their experiences.
• 🎓 Educational Focus: Understand how our programs balance adventure with educational enrichment.
• 🤔 FAQs: Get answers to all your questions and concerns about the Teen Travel Programs.
• 📢 Special Offers: Exclusive insights into any special promotions or discounts available for webinar participants.

How to Join:

1. Follow us on Instagram: @learnandexperience247
2. Set a reminder for the live session on Saturday, 2nd December at 7pm.
3. Tune in to our Instagram Live for an engaging and informative session.

Why Choose Learn & Experience?

At Learn & Experience, we believe in providing transformative experiences that go beyond the ordinary. Our Teen Travel Programs are carefully crafted to instill confidence, foster independence, and broaden perspectives. With a dedicated team of experienced leaders and a commitment to safety, we ensure that your teens have the best possible adventure.

Don’t miss this opportunity to embark on a journey of a lifetime with Learn & Experience. Join us for the Teen Travel Programs Information Webinar and take the first step toward creating unforgettable memories for your teens.

See you there!

Best Regards,

The Learn & Experience Team

Teen Travel UK Tour Group #2

Sunday 6th August

8 teens. 5 nationalities. 1 Dream Team.

What a day it’s been uniting all of our travellers in London! From dashing between tubes in London to long haul flights from all over the world it’s safe to say our team have had a big day! Sam and Cam welcomed all the children to their new mission for the next two weeks: exploring as much of the UK as possible.

The group started off with a rendezvous at King’s Cross’s iconic ‘Platform 9 3/4’ and were soon chatting like they were old friends catching up after a few years. After an adventure on the underground and a quick Power Nap for some we all ended up at our luxurious hostel in Camden. With the team finally complete we headed off to see the sights of Chinatown and find somewhere we could have a well deserved feast – we definitely weren’t disappointed! With full belly’s and plenty of leftovers our travellers headed back for a much needed rest and recharge ready for the adventures that awaited them next…

Monday 7th August

Wonders of Windermere.

A fun-filled morning in London, we were filled with a full breakfast consisting of continental to an English feast.
Lucky we did as we started our adventure on some of the greatest sights of London! We headed over to a few shops for some essentials and then to Buckingham palace! We were thrilled that there was even a Royal Escort when we got there! So all of the horses and guards paraded back into the palace. We then moved over to Big Ben, watched the clock strike and walked on.
We headed back over to Euston for some lunch from many delicious places, but not before collecting some essentials for our days forward.
We were then on our way to get our train! Chop choo, all aboard the train to Windermere!
When we arrived we had some decadent kebabs all round, yum yum.
We took a scenic taxi journey to get to our destination, through all the country rodes, up and down hills; to finally reach our wonderful yurts! We couldn’t believe the beautiful scenery behind us.
In the evening we all made fires to keep us warm and headed to bed. Ready for the next morning.
Over and out.
Ps the grasshopper is called Jim, he is a friend.

The yurts are a dream that satisfies a part of me I never knew I needed.

Max 2023

Tuesday 8th August

Day Trip to Edinburgh

After a refreshing sleep in our new home at the yurts, intrepid explorers woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed. To start off the day we filled our boots with a delightful continental breakfast picked out by the campers consisting of everything from cornflakes through to chocolatines. After filling their boots with food and a refreshing shower our travellers felt ready to take on the day! Todays mission: A day trip to Edinburgh.

We packed our bags and got ready for the train journey up north to good old Scotland to see the sights. Before we even arrived at any attractions the team saw a truly Scottish site – a group of men in kilts. Upon our arrival at Waverley station we set out on our first priority: finding some good lunch! After we all refuelled after the journey we split into two groups. One group would take on the hike up to the worlds famous Arthur’s seat while the other group went to explore the beautiful Holyrood palace!

Our team of adventures were lucky enough to have the Sun on our side which made the hike up to Arthur’s seat very pleasant, if it wasn’t for the wind the weather would’ve been almost too perfect! With breathtakingly scenic views to be seen at the top we felt that our mission had been very successful and headed back to meet with the rest of our friends who had an incredible time in the palace, exploring the pristine palace gardens as well as Mary Queen of Scots chamber where many of our teens claim they saw the original blood stains of David Rizzio that are still left on the floor of her supper room from all the way back in 1566.

After a long and busy day we all headed back on the train to treat ourselves to one of the teams favourites – a Chinese takeaway! Laughs were shared and stories were told until our bellies were full and we were all ready to collapse into bed and rest up ready for what tomorrow would bring us…

Over and out!

Wednesday 9th & Thursday 10th August

Summer scrambles and kick back and relax

Morning morning from the Lake District.
We started our epic mornings in the best kinda way with a slap up breakfast, consisting of sausages, bacon and for some black pudding and a look into the beautiful countryside among us.
After this we set our sights ahead on a super scrambling session!! We hopped in our taxis, admired the scenery along the way until being led to the most magnificent ghyll and met our instructor for the mission ahead. We headed down into the river and were climbing across the great boulders, up the giant waterfalls and swimming in all the pools! We had an amazing afternoon and this made us incredibly tired, so we ended our day on an early dinner in the local pub! We had fish and chips galore, pies, pastas! You name it, we had it! We then headed back to out glorious yurts for an early night, ready for the next day.
We woke up the next morning to enjoy a very relaxing day, enjoying each others company, playing some games and having our last day in the yurts before moving on.

Today it was pancake day on teen travel! We had stacks upon stacks, filled with honey and chocolate spread for breakfast. We then sat around together and enjoyed some card games! Tensions were high when it came to kemps, but the teams kept it together and gave signals so their member knew when to shout KEMPS! After the morning, we enjoyed some grilled cheese sandwiches all round! Cooked by the very own chef Cam, we devoured about 15 of them as a group, which filled us for an active afternoon. We got the football out and enjoyed some games of penalty shootout, whoop whoop! Followed by several more card games. By the time it was evening we set up our fabulous BBQ station, we had chef Sam on the steaks and chef Cam on the pasta section. We all chipped in to create some delicious food, which we all enjoyed together under the sun.

After we had cleared away we finished up with toasting some marshmallows around the fire and telling stories. BUT the evening was not over; on our yurt sight we had wonderful-wood fired hot tubs which we lit up and enjoyed under the stars, to end our spectacular time in our yurts.
We now move onto our next stop Manchester!
Over and out.

Friday 11th August

Journey to Manchester!

Getting up early can always be difficult, but knowing that we were awaking to clean and leave the yurts it was particularly hard. With heavy hearts we emptied out the ash from our fires and BBQs and by 10am we were on the road again back to Windermere train station for the last time. When we arrived we bought some hot lunch from the local shop to fill us up ready for the journey ahead. After a few bumps in the road with delayed trains and one of our connections being cancelled our travellers improvised, adapted and overcame to finally arrive at our next destination – Salford (Manchester)!

After a quick walk to our Air BnB, we all got settled in to our home for the next couple of days and then headed out to explore! A trip to Salford shopping centre saw many different shops that are only found in the UK. Once our travellers had finished exploring and buying souvenirs we headed over to the local supermarket to buy ingredients for our decadent dinner of steak and chicken stir fry! We all ate until we were ready to pop and surprisingly enough we managed to finish both massive bowls cooked by our master chefs Cam and Sam.

After we’d had time to recover from our food comas we ended the day with a brilliant game of sardines that seemed to get harder and harder each round with our teens finding more and more creative ways to hide themselves. With so much happening in one day it’s safe to say we were all ready for bed. I’m sure everyone can agree that after 3 wonderful days in our Yurts, staying in our new house will feel like sleeping in a palace!

Over and out!

Saturday 12th August

Salford lads & Peak District

Well, well, well… the success of Salford was unbelievable. We conquered many missions, visited as much as possible and had the best time.
We started our full day in Manchester with a wonderful breakfast, some hot bacon and eggs, also many bagels and cereal…the best! This energy was much needed as we travelled far and wide to find, the one, the only Salford Lads Club!!!! Home to The History of Manchester and Salford, facts about how people from the 1900s lived and worked and of course the music room with so much information about Morrissey and The Smiths, which our group loved. (one of Golden Tickets!) We learnt so much new information from our amazing tour guide Leslie, so thank you for showing us around this amazing place.
We then ventured to Manchester Piccadilly, for some much needed lunch. We were met with various cuisines and most settled on the iconic Burger King!
After this we hopped on a train to Edale (in the Peak District National Park) for some much needed outdoor time. We collected a map from the visitors centre and we were off! We searched long and far for our green hiking path. Luckily our Teens were there as they managed to find it for us! We hiked over bridges, through fields, through farms and many pathways.
When we returned to Salford, Cam and Sam were treated by the Teens to a homemade carbonara and garlic bread and it was delicious! We were amazed how well they cooked everything.
We ended our evening with full bellies and a movie. Next stop Cardiff.

Over and out.

Sunday 14th & Monday 15th August

Cardiff & Brighton (Written by Max)

As we awoke in our massive Airbnb to the smell of pancakes Max’s sleep schedule failed to account for, we sprinted out of the house to catch our train! Arriving at the train station with minimal massive catastrophes on the way, we boarded a train to Brighton and half of us promptly fell right back into unconsciousness.
At the behest of certain members of the group, our glorious leaders ordered an Uber to take us to our new accommodations, failing to find it along the way several times, until we eventually found it sitting above a pub.
Our transcendent tutors escorted us to the pier, specifically the “Brighton Palace Pier” where we indulged in glorious amounts of sugar in the form of churros and crepes, before heading into the Fairground… well our enlightened adults did something, probably!
Riding on the one scary ride which some found scary, some found humorous, and some stood outside holding bags, and nearly all of us revelling in the delights of bumper cars (or “Dogems” as the British seem to call them).
Meeting back up with our magnificent masters, we treated ourselves to incredible fish and chips, before, full of food and incredibly exhausted, we trudged back to our accommodations. Everyone was way too tired to heed Max’s advice to play poker with the chips provided by the room.

Over and out.

Tuesday 15th August

Old Sarum (Written by Pietro)

Happy Ferragosto to everybody!

At first the group woke up to a revitalizing british sea air in sunny old Brighton. While having breakfast they fiddled with the poker chips and ate some tasty english cereals.
After getting ready they briskly headed to the Brighton station . On the way they could admire the beauty of the stunning coastline that this land presents. It was so captivating that everybody decided to spend half an hour on the beach and some travellers also had the guts to proceed into the cold british waters.
Then we all got the train and after a few hours we found ourselves in Salisbury, a very cosy town with a majestic gothic cathedral which dominated the land.
After advancing between the narrow english roads we found shelter in a cosy hostel in the countryside near Stonehenge.
We got into one of the many rooms and had a very fun evening singing songs and playing stunning games.
Cam presented a top notch performance of “I will survive” and Pietro rapped Zingarello by Ghali. After that we were able to convince Yogev to sing the Israeli national anthem. When it started to get late we listened to the interesting story telling confered by Max. Then all the travellers fell asleep and some people say that I snored very loudly but I don’t want to believe them.

Over and out.

Wednesday 16th & Thursday 17th August

Stonehenge & Educating Oxford!

We woke up in the Stonehenge hostel and had a delicious breakfast on the floor. We then waited for a taxi to go to Stonehenge. We walked through the museum and took the bus that brought to one of the seven wonders of the world. We were able to enjoy our time thanks to the great weather and we spent much time touching the ground feeling the stonehenge energy. After a quick trip to the gift shop and ice cream for some, we headed back to the hostel to check out and waited for yet another taxi. We went to the train station vibing to Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift, got lunch for the road and hopped in our train to Oxford !!!!! Travellers killed time with some intense chess games and intense naps. Arrived in Oxford, we were absolutely stunned by our mind-boggling house. Cam and Sam went to the shops to buy stuff for our world food night !!!!!Wooooo!! Every traveller made a traditional meal from their country. The italians fed us some delicious mini pizzas, James made the infamous american Burger, Sam and Cam made some great toad in the hole with gravy, Roan baked a fabulous egg tart and everyone was impressed with Yogev’s cooking skills: he made chicken shawarma with only one hand!!! But the best dish by far was Lily’s exquisite crepes that were unfortunately massacred by James who dipped them in gravy. After this legendary meal, we decided to watch a not so legendary movie but it was still fun. After this long eventful day the travellers were absolutely knackered and went sleep. The End.

PS: Cam is a Master chef we love and worship her and everything she cooks.

Friday 18th August

London & Churchill

Our day started with a delicious breakfast of everything we had including all the cereal one could need, loaded scrambled eggs with ham and cheese; a delicious way to start the day! We got our stuff together and headed to London, for our final last day as a whole group.
We made it to the train where we had many fun chats and lots of naps! When we got to London we quickly took a bus and checked in to our hotel rooms! After this we sped over to the Churchill War Rooms as a final stop before home time.
We saw lots of interesting things and learnt loads of new facts about the places where Churchill was based during the war. He had many of his own security living in his base, cooks and cleaners and he also loved his bath as a very specific 94F!
The group really enjoyed this final venture, as one.
After our lovely afternoon we headed back to our hotel, where Cam and Sam ordered us all a lovely curry which we all enjoyed together, before heading to bed for some much-needed sleep for the busy airport day ahead!
On a final note, Cam and Sam would like everyone, especially the group to know how much we appreciated them. They have been amazing throughout these 2 weeks, with the travel itself, the laughs and friendships that were made. These are things that make our trips authentic and the best they can be. We just want you to know we are happy to have met each and every one of you and maybe see you again some time.
For a final time.
Over and out.

Teens need to travel without parents!

As teenagers grow and mature, they begin to develop their own interests, goals, and desires. One of the most exciting and transformative experiences that they can have is traveling without their parents. Here are some of the benefits of teenage travel without parents:

1. Independence and Responsibility: Teenagers who travel without their parents have the opportunity to be responsible for their own decisions and actions. They learn to navigate new environments and to make their own choices, which can build confidence and self-assurance. This can help them prepare for adulthood and life outside of the family home.
2. Cultural Exposure: Traveling to different parts of the world exposes teenagers to diverse cultures, languages, and ways of life. It provides a chance to see the world outside their own community and gain a broader perspective on the world. This exposure can increase empathy, tolerance, and respect for people from different backgrounds.
3. Personal Growth: Teenagers who travel without their parents are often challenged to step outside of their comfort zones. They may encounter new languages, foods, customs, and social norms. These challenges can help them develop problem-solving skills and adaptability. They also provide a chance for self-reflection and personal growth.
4. Social Skills: Traveling without parents provides a great opportunity for teenagers to develop social skills. They may meet new people and make new friends, which can help them improve their communication, teamwork, and leadership abilities.
5. Adventure: Finally, traveling without parents is often seen as an adventure for teenagers. It provides a chance to break away from routine, explore new places, and have fun. It can be an experience that they remember for the rest of their lives.

Of course, it’s important for teenagers to travel safely and responsibly…

One way to achieve this is through supervised but independent travel in groups. Here are some of the benefits of L&E Teen Travel:

1. Promotes teamwork and social skills: Group travel requires collaboration and communication skills, and it’s an opportunity to make new friends from different backgrounds. Teenagers can learn to work together, compromise, and support each other.
2. Provides safe and structured environment: With adult supervision and planned activities, group travel provides a safe and structured environment for teenagers to explore new places. It also reduces the risks associated with solo travel.
3. Understanding the value if money and budget: We all love the Bank of Mum and Dad but we can become a little bit reliant and not really appreciate how much things cost. With L&E Teen Travel there will be a daily budget so Teens are able to plan accordingly within the parameters.

Overall, supervised but independent travel in groups can be a transformative experience for teenagers, helping them develop essential life skills and broaden their horizons.

To find more about our Teen Travel Tours click below

How do I know if my teenager is ready for Teen Travel?

13 to 17 and everything in-between!

L&E Teen Travel is for 13 to 17 year olds.  However, we all know that there are many different types of 13 to 17 year olds!  This is a trip that we think every teen should experience and we want to make sure they are equipped with all the skills they need to set off on their own (not completely on their own!).  If your child has previously attended camps then this is a good start.  They have spent time away from you being independent and making their own decisions.  As they get older, teenagers will naturally want more independence.  This is a great first step to travelling without their parents but in the care of experts.  Let’s be honest, no one knows your child better than you… but if you need advice or want to talk to one of our experts then you can schedule a call with one of our experts.

Speaking the language

The common language that will be spoken is English so will your teenager be able to communicate effectively in the group?  We try to limit each nationality to ensure we are all speaking English.  Therefore your child may not be with someone who speaks their mother tongue (if not English!).  If your teenager is looking to improve their spoken English then we can think of no better immersive experience!  

What type of skills will they need?

Teen Travel is about learning new things such as budget management and how to organise an itinerary.  Each member will bring their own individual skills that will help the group.  One of the most important things the teens will have to figure out early on in the trip is what they each bring to the table.  Is there an A+ maths student in the group – they can take the lead with the expenses, does someone enjoy writing – they can assist others in writing the daily blog.  No matter what skills each teenager has, they will all have to work together as a group.  Each person’s skillset to make sure they get the most out of the trip.  

What happens if my teen gets upset or homesick?

This trip could potentially be the most exciting and challenging thing your teen has ever done.  Our Travel Mentors are fully aware of this.  They will be monitoring each child throughout the trip to ensure they are happy and getting the most out of the trip.  If any teen is upset for whatever reason the Travel Mentors are there to listen and to help them.  We can safely say that 9 times out of 10 it is simply tiredness that makes someone upset.  This is easily fixed by a good nights sleep or an additional rest day.  The Travel Mentors will manage the itinerary.  If it looks like the teens are travelling too often (changing locations every day) then they will step in before anything is planned and offer some sound advice.  

Want to know more?

We can offer advice to you and your teen.  So please get in touch with us if you have any questions about Teen Travel.  You can schedule a call with one of our experts who can talk you through the trip or email teentravel@learnandexperience.com with any questions you may have.

Teen Travel really is an adventure of a lifetime – take the first step, get in touch!  

Sierra’s L&E Journey

“I quickly realised how inclusive the camp was”

Over the past 10 years we have had hundreds of children come to spend their summers with us and with each child comes a story, this is Sierra’s story.  Sierra is from Kentucky in the USA and first came to L&E at the age of 14 in 2014.  Her grandmother Denise made the trip up north to drop Sierra off at camp as she lives in London and Sierra spends her summers there.  After being bullied and picked on at school Denise wanted her granddaughter to grow up knowing that she didn’t need to “conform” and feel the need to try and “fit in”.  Sierra describes how nervous she was about coming to camp as she thought she would be an outsider being the only American.  She very quickly realised how inclusive the camp was and how her nationality or background didn’t matter.  Sierra later described the best part of L&E was the way in which she was able to interact with everyone regardless of age, gender or background.

“learn the art of travel in a safe and supportive environment”

The following year, as well as coming back to camp for 2 weeks Sierra, along with 5 other teenagers from across Europe booked onto the Teen Travel UK trip.  Teen Travel is a unique programme for 15 & 16 year olds which allows teenagers to learn the art of travel in a safe and supportive environment.  Sierra describes Teen Travel as “helping her with real life problems” and although she learns a lot from her parents about how to budget and organise transportation it isn’t the same as “experiencing it for yourself”.  Living and travelling with others is all about compromise and Sierra found this to be a big part of the trip.  Knowing that what one person wanted wasn’t the only thing that mattered and it was the whole group that needed to agree – “teamwork makes the dreamwork!”  Furthermore, being accountable and learning valuable practical skills translated into Sierra having the ability to navigate the international journey to camp each year.

“the L&E experience has been a game changer for Sierra”

Speaking about the overall effects L&E had on Sierra, she expressed that the experiences she gained from the multiple programmes she attended prepared her for college largely due to being exposed to people from different cultural and religious backgrounds.  Without these experiences she felt that her transition to college would have been “difficult”.

We asked Denise to try and sum up how she felt L&E had effected her granddaughter…“the L&E experience has been a game changer for Sierra.  She owns and rocks her self-confidence with ease and grace.  That confidence is no longer predicated on the “if they like me”; it is now firmly rooted in the “I will be fine if they don’t”.  Her view of the world and its infinite possibility is tremendously expansive.  She clearly understands that living life is about the journey, as the destination is just a marker at a point in time and ever changing.”

“an absolute pleasure playing a part in Sierra’s journey”

Sierra is currently undertaking an undergraduate course at the University of Kentucky in Animal Science and Technology and her goal is to become a veterinarian, and if you ask her grandmother she will describe this as her “destiny”.

It has been an absolute pleasure playing a part in Sierra’s journey and we wish her all the very best for the future and hope to see her back at L&E one day…perhaps wearing an orange polo shirt!

Full Testimonial from Sierra’s Grandmother

Sierra’s summer experiences with L&E made a tremendous impact on her self-esteem and sense of being.  Meeting, mixing, and bonding with young people from all over the world helped her to establish a real sense of belonging and an understanding of the privilege and responsibility that comes with being a citizen of the world.

L&E creates a microcosm that consistently exemplifies what real community is.  In this space, the young people are able flourish without judgement or ridicule or constraining social norms.  Kind consideration for one another is the underlying vibe or mantra.

With this as a foundation for her summer experiences, Sierra has been able to fully explore what being the best version of self looks like, feels like, and sounds like.  Her experiences with the extra activity (horse riding) helped her “find” her true passion.  The encouragement from the instructors and the opportunities she had to bond with the horses simply sealed her destiny.  Sierra will work with animals – full stop.

Before going to L&E she was being bullied and picked on at school.  The decision to send her to L&E was purely predicated on the fact that we did not want her to grow up feeling like she needed to conform or “be like” just so she could “fit it”.

When we arrived day-1 of her first year; I was helping her unpack and group of girls popped around the corner asking her name and where she was from.  Sierra froze and said nothing, so I did all the introductions.  I remember thinking “come on Sie get out there” and then I just left the room.  Within 5 minutes, she and the entire group came bouncing down the stairs and she was on her way.

As it turns out, her experiences with L&E have been gateway experiences.  Every summer when she returned from camp, she was more confident and secure and capable with a very grounded sense ofwho she is and what she wants from life.

As a part of teem travel, her self-awareness expanded even more.  Teen travel is a truly unique experience because it deems them fully accountable for what happens next.  It becomes a good experience only if they work to make if a good experience – as a team they plan, organise, budget, etc.  The fact that they are responsible for every single aspect of the allows them to make very adult decisions being fully accountable for the outcome.  The practical skills learned as a part of Teen Travel meant that we were more confident in her ability to navigate the international journey to camp every year.

The L&E experience has been a game changer for Sierra.  She owns and rocks her self-confidence with ease and grace.  That confidence is no longer predicated on the “if they like me”; it is now firmly rooted in the “I will be fine if they don’t”.  Her view of the world and its infinite possibility is tremendously expansive.  She clearly understands that living life is about the journey, as the destination is just a marker at a point in time and ever changing.

I can never in 1,000 years thank the L&E team enough.

Denise BB, October 2018

Full Interview with Sierra

1: How did you feel about coming to camp before you arrived?

When I first found out I was going to L&E I was excited because I knew it was going to be a great experience but when I arrived there I became very nervous and overwhelmed by the amount of people that were there. Since I was from America and many of the people there were from Europe, I thought that I would be an outcast.

2: How did you feel after camp was finished?

After my 2 weeks of being at camp was over I was very sad. I had so much fun meeting people, participating in activities and games and going horseback riding. When my time at camp was over that’s when I realized how close I had become with the campers and tutors, it felt like I was leaving my second family. 

3: What’s the best thing about camp?

The best part of L&E would have to be how involved the camp is. Most camps I have been to, you would find a small group of people you connected with and stay with them the entire time. With this camp all the activities and games were made to have everyone involved. Here I was able to interact with all people of different age groups and ethnicities and still have fun.

4: What did you learn on Teen Travel?

Teen Travel taught me how to live with others and how to compromise. I’m used to living with family members but had never stayed with people I had just met. I noticed how many times everyone had disagreements over what we wanted to do and what we felt we should spend our money on. Being in these situations made me realize that what I wanted wasn’t the only thing that mattered and that it is important to learn how to work well with others. Teamwork makes the dream work.

5: What would you say to someone who was thinking about doing TT but was undecided?

I would tell them that they should give it a try because it will help them with real life problems. Where I’m from my school never taught me how to budget and find my own transportation and accommodations. The little bit that I did know about these things came from what my parents told me but it’s not the same as experiencing it for yourself. Along with learning all these things you also get the chance to adventure out, meet new people, travel to new places and have fun while doing it. 

6: Any other thoughts about L&E?

I believe L&E is a great place for everyone. I was a very introverted person and L&E helped me step out of my comfort zone and get used to meeting and being around a lot of different people. 

7: What effect did L&E have on you?

In my opinion I believe that L&E has prepared me for college. If it wasn’t for the camp and teen travel I would not have been exposed to being around and living with multiple people from different cultural backgrounds and religions. Without L&E I feel like my transition into college would have been very difficult.

Teen Travel: UK Tour (26/06-9/07)

Our first trip of the summer has begun and we have a wonderful group. 10 teens from 7 different countries met in London and have started their journey around the UK.

This is an authentic travel experience…the teens are in control of nearly every element of their trip. They will learn to budget, communicate, delegate, compromise and much more.

The teens will take it turns to document their trip. As you can manage this is full immersive experience so their priority isn’t to be writing blogs but they will endeavour to update us every 2-3 days…

Day 1 – 3: London to Cardiff to Glasgow

Berkeley, USA…

The Castle and the Cooking

“On our first morning in Cardiff, we explored the city, visiting important sites like Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Castle, and Bute Park. When we got back, we made homeade garlic bread, and spaghetti with a vegetarian sauce.

The next day, having mostly recovered from jet lag, I was chosen to be in charge of serving dinner. I elected to serve a Welsh classic, leek and potato soup, and rarebit. Ironically, in the land of leeks, we found every ingredient except for the leeks. This sent us on a wild goose chase through Cardiff, where we met Tom Jones, and ended our pursuit at the Cardiff Market.

Preparing the soup was a different beast. After a long time chopping leeks, potatoes, and onions, my crew and I set to work washing our mess and stirring the vegetables in butter. We followed the recipe perfectly, until we found out our blender was broken. Nevertheless, with a masher and some determination, we managed to create a wonderful, Welsh dining experience.“

Julia F, USA…

“While in Wales, we decided to make cookies. Though our airbnb did not have any of the necessary tools to make cookies (ex. bowls, whisks, spatulas, mixers, vanilla, etc.). I learned to problem solve, which ended up being me using a pot as a bowl and slowly stirring my concoction with a table spoon.

After booking our “pods” in scotland, we discovered they did not have any bedding. Although some of us might have gotten lost in a build a bear, others in the group were determined that we have comfortable sleeping accommodations. They went hunting from camping store to camping store and scored us all our necessary sleeping bags and pillows. They haggled for 15% off, and we scored some sleeping bags and comfy pillows (even though ava lost her sleeping bag like 4 times).”

Charlotte, France…

“Our train to Glasgow was cancelled so we decided to sit down and kill some time at a lounge in the train station by playing card games.
We all learned some new card games by watching and listening eachother.
We finally got two trains, one from Liverpool to Wigan and the other one from Wigan to Glasgow, both of them where pretty full but we managed to all finally have a seat.”

Day 4 – 6: Glasgow to Edinburgh

Charlotte, France…

“After a chill morning, we went to Go Ape in Aberfoyle. We started with the explanations and safety instructions. To start we did a first long zip line to join the different courses. we did 6 different courses including a long zip line 426 meters long and 45 meters high to finish. We were all separated into several groups of three. The different courses had lots of different activities as tarzan jump, small zip lines or crossing on wooden logs. It was great fun ! After this, we went to a pub. Most of us tried Irn-Bru for the first time a very sweet scottish drink. We all took different food as pizza, scampi… During lunch we made some plans for the night and secured our accommodation in Edinburgh.”

Ronny, Italy…

On June 30th we were in Trassachs Holiday Park staying in pods. In the evening there was the brilliant idea of ​​having a bbq. We had a lot of fun that evening…we laughed and sang! In short we had a lot of fun then we made a fire where we also cooked marshmallows.

Jessica, Thailand & Marta, Spain…

We woke up around 8-10am and started to pack up and get ready for the day. After we had breakfast, we broke up into groups of three and started planning how to get to Edinburgh.

We ended up with having to get a taxi from the pods to a small town called Aberfoyle, and then a bus from Aberfoyle to Sterling. Then, we had to walk to the train station to catch the train to Edinburgh.

When we got to Edinburgh, we walked around 15 minutes to get some lunch at Nandos. We all had delicious meals and spent some time talking and laughing. Luckily, our accommodation was around 5 minutes away from Nandos, so we quickly walked to it and just spent some time chilling out in the apartments.

To end the day, we all went to an arcade, which was also just around 5 minutes away form the apartments. We had lots of fun playing games, and spent some time bowling in groups. Marta and Charlotte were the bowling winners!

After some fun in the arcade, we all went to the nearest supermarket to get some breakfast for the next morning.

Day 7 – 10: Edinburgh to Hogwarts to Brighton

Julia M, USA…

On the third of July we traveled an hour by train to see the castle that Harry Potter was filmed at for someone in the groups golden ticket. The castle was beautiful and there was so much to see. Some of us even dressed up in medieval outfits and wandered the grounds. While part of the group explored the “Hogwarts” halls others found fluffy hills to roll down again and again. We all joined together again to roll down a hill as a nice bonding activity. Later that day we found a cute pizza restaurant and enjoyed a delicious dinner. That night we walked through the streets of Scotland following a ghost tour and even got access into the underground streets where many years ago families had lived during very hard times.

Derek, Canada…

We left the accommodation at 12:00 and directly went to Arthur’s seat to roll down it. After a lot of walking and waiting we finally got up to the top which is when we realized we couldn’t roll down Arthur’s seat and went back down by walking.
After that we went back to town and visited camera obscura which was lots of fun even though it made us a bit dizzy.

Charlotte, France…

After a really chill morning, we took the bus for Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh. We walked to the top of it, it was really windy up there ! We took lots of pictures, the view was so worth it !! Down the hill we had ice cream, then headed to a chinese restaurant where we had lunch, it was really great.
After, we went to Victoria street, Jessica’s golden ticket ! Some of us went to a Harry Potter shop and others just admired this beautiful street. We explored a bit the rest of the city but everything was getting closed. However, we found Camera Obscura an illusion museum , where 21st Century tech meets classic illusions and historic science. It was great fun. When we left to get the bus we came across a man and his owl, Hazel the owl. Julia and Berkley took it on their hand for a few minutes.
We finally took the bus to go back to our accomodation. Arrived there some of us stayed to chill at the accomodation and the others went to the cinema to watch the new minion movie.

Jessica, Thailand…

We all decided to go to Alnwick castle, Ronny’s golden ticket. We travelled from Edinburgh to Alnmouth on the train, and took a taxi from the train station to the castle.

When we got to the castle, we all split up and had a wonder around. We learned about how the castle came to be, and who used to live in it. Did you know that some scenes in Harry Potter was filmed there? It was really cool to see where Harry and his friends learned how to fly their broomsticks.

When we finished visiting Alnwick castle, we headed back to Edinburgh and had dinner at a pizza restaurant. After dinner, we went on a ghost tour around Edinburgh, and a few of us got jump scared 👻. It was a fantastic way to learn about some of Edinburgh’s history.

At the end of the day, we were all really tired so we headed back to our accommodation and went straight to bed.

Marta, Spain…

We woke up early to catch the train. We traveled from Edinburgh to Brighton by train, making a stop in London.

When we arrived to Brighton, we had to find the accommodation were we would stay for two nights. When we were there we chose rooms.

We were starving so we went to eat fish and chips for dinner. We found a restaurant that was number one on TripAdvisor. Then we went to the beach and we went back to the accommodation.

Day 11 – 14: Brighton – London

Berkeley, USA…

On Wednesday, we were moving fairly slowly. We had things to take care of by the end of the day, but we started our day with small groups of teens going for walks in Brighton. We were situated by the beach, so it was a nice area to walk around. After an unstructured start to our day, we went to a taperia for lunch.

Following a nice lunch, we went to the North Lanes in Brighton. It was an area full of shops, mainly clothing stores. However, you could also find the occasional café, record shop, or haberdashery.

After shopping, we convened to find a place to stay. It was our last day in the AirBnB, so we needed a new place to stay. We tried AirBnBs, hostels, and even looked at hotels, but we didn’t find a good option. The best option we found was to book another AirBnB in Brighton, which was a successful venture.

Having found an accommodation for the rest of our stay, we went back to the AirBnB, where a meal of rice and vegetables was made.

Why is travel good for teenagers?

Our teen travel expert, Julie explains 5 different factors why travel is so good for teens and how L&E Teen Travel trips give young people the life skills for future journeys…

Experiencing other cultures

In this day in age it is vastly important for young adults to be in touch with a global world and they can do this by discovering other cultures and customs.  Learning about other cultures helps foster understanding and helps us recognise and respect that there is more than one way of ‘being’.  Travel is the best way to experience a different perspective and to also recognise how much we all have in common.

Understanding how to budget money…

By giving teenagers financial responsibility they will learn the true cost of things and not be so frivolous with their spending.  They may make some mistakes, but it is better to learn the hard way when the amounts are small and the repercussions are light.  By creating things like spreadsheets the teens will be able to track incomings and outgoings which will help them manage their spending to make sure they have enough money for the whole trip!

The ability to communicate effectively in a group…

The art of verbal communication is such a vital skill, from asking for directions to job interviews. Teenagers will need to learn to speak for themselves and have the confidence to do so.  When thrust into a group of strangers it is sometimes difficult to get your point across, but when there is a common goal that is fun, teenagers are more inclined to try and exercise their creative muscles.

The importance of good time management…

Learning how to manage your time effectively whilst still being a teenager will set you up for adult life where being late or delaying deadlines are not acceptable. Whilst travelling, time management is key as turning up to a large train station with 5 minutes to spare will not give you enough time to find your platform, go to the toilet and get much needed snacks for the journey!  This skill is also a sure way to keep stress levels down.

Understand the process of building an itinerary…

This is one of the most difficult tasks as it will require all the other skills we have mentioned.  Not only will the teenager have to communicate effectively they will also have to have a good grasp of the financial aspects of the trip and most importantly how to best schedule everything.  This is no easy task!  Even in small groups there will be differences in opinion about where to go, how to get there and how much it should cost.  The teens who are able to learn how to compromise, problem solve and manage conflict will have more success in planning a trip.

Want to know more?

We can offer advice to you and your teen.  So please get in touch with us if you have any questions about Teen Travel.  You can schedule a call with one of our experts who can talk you through the trip or email teentravel@learnandexperience.com with any questions you may have.

Teen Travel really is an adventure of a lifetime – take the first step, get in touch!  

Covid-19 Update

World Camps & Teen Travel programs postponed until 2022

It is with disappointment that I have to announce the postponement of our World Camps and Teen Travel programs for the remainder of 2021.

We have been monitoring the situation very closely to give ourselves every opportunity to reopen for 2021.  However, it has become apparent that this will not be possible.  We have taken into consideration considerable relevant advice and have made this decision based on the health and safety of all children and staff and also the global effort to combat Covid-19.

With international travel still very difficult we have decided not to compromise our ethos and values in the short term and therefore, are focussed on coming back stronger in 2022.

We are very excited about the future and are so grateful for the continued support of all our loyal friends and families. It has meant so much to us that we have had so much communication and love hearing everyone’s news. It has been a difficult time for everyone but please be assured that we are planning on offering more programs than ever in 2022 and look forward to sharing these opportunities for your children.

For all those families who have a credit with us this will carried over to our 2022 programs and any discrepancy in price will be discounted. Programs can be switched between World Camps and Teen Travel Tours.

As you will be aware we have been offering lots of different online experiences and events over the past year and will continue to do so.  This service is for no financial gain but we wanted to offer our families something meaningful during this difficult time.  

I wish you all my warmest wishes and hope that you are safe and healthy.

With my Best Wishes,

Sam Ridgway & The L&E Team

(This has been sent as an email to our full mailing list. Please check your junk mail if you have not received it)

Please feel free to email me directly with any questions you may have: sam@learnandexperience.com

2020 L&E Programmes Announced

Learn & Experience inspire & nurture Young Global Leaders (8-16) with our award winning World Camps, Teen Travel & YGL programmes.

“Bringing The World’s Youth Together Since 2009”

Message from Sam Ridgway, Director…

I am delighted to announce the 2020 L&E Programme…

2019 has been an amazing year with so much happening.  We have been incredibly proud of all programmes and are so heartened to hear the wonderful feedback we’ve had.

10 years of L&E has allowed us to evolve to become the unique and trusted provider that we are today.   We have a few changes that we are very excited to tell you about.

L&E World Camps, Young Global Leaders and Teen Travel can be combined in 2020 for a 2, 4 or 6 week summer of a lifetime.

L&E World Camps

Our famous World Camp for 8 -15 year olds will again be offering 2 weeks & a 4 week block.  The camp will continue to have the same emphasis of bringing together children from around the world immersed with Native English speakers as well as experiencing true British Culture  (We will continue to limit the amount of any one nationality to keep the camps balanced). 

English is spoken exclusively conversationally and the L&E World Camp environment will create it’s special magic by offering Adventure, Sport & Creative activities alongside our L&E Extras plus our incredible Evening Activities programme and weekend excursions.

The L&E Extra Programme (12 hour specialist coaching) will continue to be available (1 week maximum each):

• Football School
• Tennis Academy
• Horse Riding
• Young Global Leaders & Life Skills (13-15)
• Performing Arts
• English Language Course

Click for more info about L&E World Camps

Future Plan

L&E Camps have always had an emphasis on cultural understanding and developing personal skills however, we have now decided to emphasise the “Young Global Leaders” aspect.  The YGL & Life Skills Course (see below) will be available for 13-15 year olds but there will still be a YGL focus for the rest of the camp.

As our long term aim is to have L&E World Camps in multiple countries around the world we have decided to keep to one venue in the UK for 2020.  It will mean we will be able keep the quality of provision very high with all our experienced staff in one place.  We are delighted to announce our long term partnership with Aysgarth School will continue and look forward to releasing more details about our new camp in British Columbia, Canada for 2021.

Dates and Locations 2020

Aysgarth School, N. Yorks:

• 5th July – 18th July, 2020 (2 weeks)
• 19th July – 1st August, 2020 (2 weeks)
• 5th July – 1st August, 2020 (4 weeks)

New Locations for 2021

British Columbia, Canada (Coming 2021)

L&E Teen Travel

For 2020 we are excited to offer our Teen Travel programmes to 13 -16 years olds both in Spring and Summer.   There will be 3 styles of trip; Intrepid, Voyager & Adventurer visiting UK, Europe and North America.

L&E Teen Travel gives young people the life skills for their future journey.

The focus is to prepare and inspire young people for any travelling they do in the future. It’s a chance for them to step out into the world and learn life changing and practical skills with the freedom of feeling safe with our experienced guides.

Click for more info about L&E Teen Travel

1. Teen Travel Intrepid

Teen Travel Intrepid Trips are like no other… Teens are in charge of their own experience. Exploring in groups of 5-10 with other teens from across the World.  They will be accompanied by L&E Travel Mentors but THEY are in control of:

• their own Budget
• their own Itinerary
• their own Accommodation
• their own Transport
• their own Food

2. Teen Travel Voyager

Teen Travel Voyager will be a scheduled trip where most elements are pre-planned.  There will still be a focus on allowing teens to think for themselves and make decisions on their itinerary but with a more structured timetable.

3. Teen Travel Adventurer

Teen Travel Adventurer is an adventure activity focussed travel experience with the same ethos as our Voyager programme.

Teen Travel 2020

• European Voyager (10 day): 6th – 15th April

• Canadian Adventurer: 4th – 18th April

• European Voyager (14 days): 19th July – 1st August

• UK Intrepid: 1st August – 15th August

• UK Voyager: 1st August – 15th August

*Other dates may be available upon enquiry

L&E Young Global Leaders

L&E World Camps and Teen Travel are designed to develop Young Leaders.  However, we have a few specialist programmes that go a little deeper into what it means to be a Young Global Leader and how we can improve our skills and understanding

YGL & Life Skills Course at L&E World Camps

The YGL & Life Skills Course is for 13-15 year olds and is offered as a 1 week programme part of a 2 week World Camp.

There is a focus on leadership and teamwork as well as recognising vital life skills including:

The course will also include our amazing overnight Wilderness Experience.

YGL Spark Series

• Social Responsibility
• Passion
• Authenticity
• Resilience
• Knowledge

YGL Spark is a series of speaker & workshop events, which will be held at community venues around the world. The aim is to celebrate and connect the very best thinkers, doers and innovators from the world to share their journey and inspire a new audience. YGL Spark is an opportunity for young people to take to the stage and talk about the issues that matter to them.

L&E will be hosting the YGL Spark Series in different cities around the world.  We will be announcing the 2020 & 2021 schedule very soon. Participating cities so far:

• Helsinki
• Hong Kong
• Washington
• Oslo
• Edinburgh
• Vancouver

If you are interested in the YGL Spark Series coming to your city then please be in touch.

YGL School Workshops

L&E is proud to provide classroom workshops for schools (ages 8-16). Focusing on critical thinking, communication, self-awareness, and empathy building.  Our workshops are presented by our charismatic and professional staff who make our workshops entertaining, engaging and fun while catering to different learning styles.

Click for more info about L&E Young Global Leaders

EARLY BOOKING DISCOUNT

We are offering our loyal customer Early Booking Discounts across all our programmes. 

• 8% Discount if 40% Deposit paid (Coupon: 2020EARLYDEP)

• 15% Discount for Full Payment (Coupon: 2020EARLYFULL)

This will be available until 31st October, 2019. 

Payment will be due upon registration online. Full Refunds will be available up to 1st June, 2020.

*Bank Transfers can be accepted if you contact info@learnexperience.co.uk for an invoice.

*Children who attend a school within the United Kingdom can apply for a 30-100% Scholarship.  We have limited places for British children

There will be no more discounts available after 1st November.

Due to the fact that we now have only one venue we expect fill places very quickly.   We will be offering a strict first-come-first-serve policy so we highly recommend you take advantage of this fantastic offer.

BOOK NOW & RECEIVE A DISCOUNT

Be in touch…

If you have any questions about our programmes then please don’t hesitate to be in touch…

Warm Wishes,

Sam Ridgway (Director) & The L&E Team

Spring ’19 Newsletter

• Visit to Amsterdam

• New L&E World Camp & Teen Travel Films

• Congratulations to Julie & Hayley

• Limited Availability for Summer 2019

• New Teen Travel Tour for 2020

It ‘s been a busy couple of months with the L&E Office a hive of activity.  Here are a few of the highlights…

Visit to Amsterdam

In April we were invited by a lovely parent to give a presentation at her children’s school De School van HIP in Laren near Amsterdam.  We had an absolute ball and also took the opportunity to make some plans for our Teen Travel Euro Tour in the summer which will be stopping off in Amsterdam.  Thank you, Yvonne for hosting us and to all those who took the time to hear us speak.

New L&E Films

We’ve had a lot of fun over the past few months interviewing campers, teen travellers, parents and staff to help others understand what L&E World Camps & Teen Travel are all about.  They are the best part of 10 minutes long so get a cup of tea and a couple of biscuits and enjoy…

L&E World Camps – what children, parents and staff say!

What is L&E Teen Travel? (in their own words)

Congratulations to Julie & Hayley

Julie and Hayley are very special members of the L&E team and have been involved with us since 2014. They got married on 20th April in an incredibly emotional ceremony with many members of the L&E staff in attendance. It was a magical day and we are all so delighted for them both. Wishing them many years of happiness together.

In honour of their special day L&E produced a music video to celebrate the small (though not insignificant!) part that L&E plays their lives…

Hayley & Julie’s Summer Story

Limited Availability Summer 2019

Summer is fast approaching and all our programmes are filling up nicely.  We have no places left on our Teen Travel UK Tours and have only a few places on our Block 1 World Camp North.  All other programmes still have places but will no doubt fill up very soon so don’t delay if you are still interested.

World Camps

• North UK: 7th – 20th July (A few place available):
• North UK: 21st July – 3rd August (Limited Availability)
• South UK: 28th July – 10th August (Limited Availability)

Teen Travel

• UK Tour: 30th June – 13th July (No Availability)
• Euro Tour: 21st July – 3rd August (Limited Availability)

Young Global Leaders Course

• North UK: 13th – 20th July (Limited Availability)
• South UK: 3rd -10th August (Limited Availability)

New Teen Travel Tour for 2020

We’re delighted to announce our new Teen Travel programme in British Columbia, Canada. For more details email: info@learnexperience.co.uk

British Columbia Adventure

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