Travel is the best form of education. As Francis Bacon has said “Travel, in the younger sort, is a part of education; in the elder, a part of experience.”

Travel is the means through which man is able to liberate himself from the trivial anxieties of this world. Which oppress him to no end. It enables him to transcend through his mechanical existence and be exposed to the wonders, excitement and novelties of this world.

Geography is considered a very dull and uninspiring subject if it is read sitting in class rooms and just going through various books. The Great Ganga may be thought of a snake line running along the map. The Taj Mahal may be taken as a monument just like many others without actually visiting it. The dull subject of Geography will definitely become interesting and absorbing once these places of interest are visited by the students.

History is very boring for students because they think of it as a story of dead kings and their period of kingdom and which is not going to pay student of today anything. However, if students are taken frequently to the sites of glories and defeats, architectural master - pieces constructed during periods of these great dead monarchs, the subject of History becomes more interesting and exciting than any other subject.

Traveling takes students to the sphere of practical knowledge. They come down to reality from the realm of dreams and imagination. While traveling, students learn to adjust to the changed conditions of living and foot-habits and the environment also. Different and varied difficulties encountered during traveling make the students readily adjustable. As such, tourism gives far more valuable lessons to students than the lessons of text books.

There was a time when crossing the seas to acquire higher education was considered highly sacrilegious. Foreign travel was not encouraged. It was this kind of ostrich mentality which brought about the worst type of intellectual stagnation and caused an ignominious fall in the country. Traveling abroad is also the effective method to learn a new language and understand the different culture is to live and more among the people whom we want to know.

Tourism provides an experience of the world and calls into action and practical use of various qualities of mind and intellect developed by education. Tact, engaging personality, firmness and lively conversation are some of the products of traveling across length and breadth of country and the world.

Traveling must be made a part of the education system at each level of studies. Students will not only become more educated about their country’s all walks of life and culture but will be liberal in outlook. They will have maturity of judgment and clear in their understanding of people and their minds. Tourism is the quickest and the best if not the cheapest method of learning new things.

Living in countries geographically smaller and surrounded by different countries with different languages, history, religions, and societal norms allows European teens the benefits of both learning and applying their foreign language lessons, understanding humanity on a deeper level, and forming well-rounded opinions about society, culture and more.

Applying Foreign Language Skills

Most American high school students are required to learn a foreign language before graduating. Many will learn Spanish, depending on where they reside in the country, while others will learn French if living near the Canadian border. However, there are many foreign languages that are taught in schools that students don’t have the opportunity to apply in real world situations such as German, Italian, and Russian. A trip to a foreign country where these languages are spoken in day to day life provides the opportunity to practice and truly appreciate the language they learned while in an American classroom.

Expanding Their Horizons

Education travel is also important for American teens in order for them to form a well-rounded view of the world, the country and towns in which they live, and to build up more tolerance of different people and cultures. Many teens never leave their hometown during their childhood. Traveling around the country and around the world would give them a more diverse life experience, changing the way that they think and view the world in addition to opening new opportunities for them later in life.

Inspiring Historical Education

History is commonly a subject considered boring and unimportant by many American teenagers. However, many students have yet to enjoy a truly rich historical education as they learn most of their history from textbooks in a classroom. They have no experience. Education travel gives students the historical experience of actually seeing, smelling and touching the places where important events occurred and inspiring people stood. How much more profound of a lesson would the Holocaust be if a student traveled to Germany and visited a real concentration camp? How would that shape their view of history and politics for the future of their own country?

Additionally, if your family can trace its roots back to various European countries, a visit to the country, city and/or village your family left in pursuit of the promise of a better life in America would be some of the best kind of education travel a teen could experience. Knowing and appreciating where you come from and what you have because of those who came before you is a vital lesson for every person, young and old.