Some students love St. John’s because of the friends they have made, others, the memories they make. They’ll do anything to achieve both, attend parties, sporting events or even travel the world.

Many students rave about the excitement of doing the latter. St. John’s “Discover the World” program allows students to travel around the world and most importantly, meet new friends and make memories that can last a lifetime.

“It was an experience of a lifetime,” junior Gabrielle Fonrouge, who spent a semester abroad said. “Nothing in the world could take that experience away from me and I would do it ten times over.”

While students are studying in foreign countries through the university, they often desire to take weekend trips across other parts of Europe. Now, there’s an affordable service that can make that happen.

Bus2alps is a company that allows students to travel around cities in Europe for a low and affordable price. Founded in 2003, Bus2alps has been the gateway travel company that has enthused the curiosity of the traveling student and has served more than 18,000 students.

Offering tours to cities such as Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam, Florence and Barcelona, students have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the cultures they want to learn about most.

Imagine St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin, carnival in Venice, or skiing the Swiss Alps. All of these things are possible through a vacation with Bus2alps. With the option of weekend or vacation packages, students can also discover popular underground parties in cities that will give you a true sense of the European nightlife.

Offering trips for as little as $15, Bus2alps tries to make a student’s study abroad experience more enjoyable. I’ve spoken to numerous students about their experience during Discover the World and the most common words were “amazing”, “speechless” and the “time of my life.” But the company thinks there is always room for improvement.

“Bus2alps trips include round-trip transportation (with the of our fly in trips), accommodation at top hostels at each destination, walking tours, a Bus2alps trip leader, a Bus2alps Informational City Guide and additional inclusions and exclusive Bus2alps discounts specific to each destination,” the website, www.bus2alps.com, states.

Bus2alps also gives students the freedom to venture away from the tour and see the sights individually.

“Just because you are traveling on your own does not mean you should feel discouraged from joining one of our trips,” the website said. “In fact, it is an excellent way to meet other students not only from the city you are studying abroad in, but from other European cities as well.  Many independent travelers have walked away from Bus2alps trips with new friends.”

However, the opportunity isn’t simply limited to students who are already studying in Europe.

“We’re also encouraging students who don’t study abroad as well.” spokesperson Viola Lutz said.

Lutz has found that certain destinations draw better than others.

“The Amalfi Coast is one of the more popular trips for students,” she said. “But there is also a general interest in Oktoberfest in Germany.”

There are discounts for groups of 10 or more and there are discounts for students who book their trips through campus representatives.

The St. John’s representative is Ashley Sheppard, and her number is 323-540-6724. Additional information can be found at www.bus2alps.com.