Trip Region: Europe
Country(ies): France, Andorra, Spain
Partners Trek? No
Cost: $2820
Airfare Estimate: $1600
Structure:   •   Lodging:   •   Nightlife: 7   •   Activity: 7

Wine, castles, boats, baguettes, beaches, and bougie. That’s right, we’ll be the first up against the wall when the proletariat rises up. If you want to enjoy Michelin star rated restaurants, dress like Gigi Hadid and George Clooney for dinner, hike in the very instagram-able Pyrenees mountains and turn up in your Kim Jong Un romphim afterwards, then this trip is for you.

We will begin our bonding experience in Bordeaux, France focusing on being more cultured than the average wolverine. Bordeaux has much to offer in the way of wine, food, history and history of wine. Once we’re done stumbling through the streets of Bordeaux, we’ll head further south and climb a sand dune, eat some oysters, wander through some fairytale castles and drink wine on a boat. After that, we’ll go to the bougie country of Andorra and burn off all those calories hiking in Pyrenees. NBD. Then, our journey will get wild in Barcelona – and then to Ibiza if you so choose. We recommend you finish the trip off on the beaches of Barca with a tan, or at least a sunburn, and definitely a hangover. Don’t leave disappointed or you’ll go in the chokee.

Your trek leaders met last year on an MTrek to Chile, Argentina, and Brazil, and bonded while stuck on a bus, in the Andes for 24 hours. 24 hours? Yep. 24 hours.  Don’t ask. Or do. Victoria wasn’t on “the bus” with the group, but she spent her MTrek getting poisoned at a pig roast in Bali. That doesn’t sound great either. But this group is friends forever, and that’s key if you actually want to have any fun on MTrek.

 

Day 1 — Friday, Aug 17

Ready, set, go! Today is reserved for travel from Ann Arbor. You can depart anytime after 5pm after orientation activities are over.

Day 2 — Saturday, Aug 18

Welcome Meeting at hotel starts at 6pm local time. This evening we will enjoy dinner at a world renowned Michelin restaurant. Prepare to drink wine older than you are and enjoy a meal complete with a dollop of caviar on wild turbot. Dress nicely, this evening will be bougie AF.

Day 3 — Sunday, Aug 19

Down a few Royale with Cheeses to soak up that hangover because you have to look presentable to take in all the culture in Bordeaux. The culture and history is only matched by its reputation for wine. We’ll walk around for a bit, just biding our time until it's acceptable to drink adult grape juice and visit Cité du vin and educate ourselves on wine. In a month you won’t remember a damn thing you learned, but you can lie to your ignorant MBA1 friends about the tannins you’re tasting in that filthy sangria at Dom's.

Day 4 — Monday, Aug 20

Today is the day of aphrodisiacs, speedos, and pasties! We’ll head to the coast where we will spend the day at the Bay of Archahon and visit the famous vineyards of the Medoc region. We will enjoy Archahon’s world renowned oysters and have a picnic with wine and cheese. This trip is also active - you can’t gain that MBA1 15 already! Get ready to burn off those empty wine calories by climbing Pyla’s Sand Dune and taking in the beautiful views of France’s Atlantic coast.

Day 5 — Tuesday, Aug 21

Today we’re visiting...DEAD PEOPLE...I mean the Chartreuse Cemetery. Yay? This may not be for all of you, but this is a must for our fearless leader, Greg, so humor him. Or just don’t come. This is where all the important persons in politics, art, and blah blah blah have been laid to rest. Apparently, it’s a UNESCO World Culture Heritage Site - we’re trying to be worldly and cultured. Once we’ve exhausted ourselves trying to please Greg’s proclivity towards cemeteries, we’ll partake in an hands-on French cooking class with wine to match.

Day 6 — Wednesday, Aug 22

Like riding a bus? You’re right, F that. Been there done that - we were all stuck on a bus last mtrek for 24 hours - so, train it is! THREE WHOLE HOURS ON A TRAIN! Is it possible to get too close as an M-Trek? Let’s find out. We will be checking out the stunning french countryside, but we’ll also be taking bets on how many Stellas Greg consumes throughout the entire train ride. Winner gets all our notes from the core courses. We’ll arrive buzzed and you’ll wonder if you’re seeing 53 watchtowers on the biggest medieval construction in Europe or 26.5 because you’re weak AF and seeing double.

Day 7 — Thursday, Aug 23

Hey, ma, if you could see me now, arms spread wide on the starboard bow. Today, we’re on a boat! We’ll spend the day cruisin’ the waters of Southern France, enjoying a guided wine tasting tour, and having cake by the ocean..not really, on a river, but whatever. We’ll visit another winery before heading back to our hotel for dinner and a night playing never have I ever. Uh oh.

Day 8 — Friday, Aug 24

Dilly Dilly! We ain't doing anything besides travelling. As Albert Einstein said, “the best hangover cure is a sweaty, bumpy one way trip to Andorra,” a country that no one knows about and everyone forgets about. Andorra is known for being a tax haven for the wealthy, remember this after graduation - you didn't hear this from us, or your business law professor.

Day 9 — Saturday, Aug 25

OK, without googling it, what would one do with the Pyrenees? Would you A: sniff them B: caress them or C: hike them? It’s C you filthy kids! They are beautiful mountains and her eyes are at the peaks. Which we won’t be hiking. Instead we will don our sexiest “anDora the Explorer” attires and let our map guide us through her valleys.

Day 10 — Sunday, Aug 26

Yaaaas. Today we’re going to Barcelona and yet another winery. But sparkling wine this time. After, we’ll explore Barcelona and its nightlife. Ya know, we sat around for a while and tried to think of what themed nights we wanted to do. 90s night? Pshh, as if. Onesies? Like can we not be basic. Romper night? I just went from six to midnight! Dudes, show how secure you are with your masculinity by rocking your amazon ordered romphim and chicks, just wear one of the nine you already own. Rock that revealing jumpsuit as we wine taste our way to Barcelona and end our night standing out hard at some night clubs.

Day 11 — Monday, Aug 27

The Bota box is gone, as is our desire to write anything creative. We’ll have a walking tour in the morning, but after that, just do your own thing. Kelsey will be strolling around Barca, Greg will be waltzing up and down La Rambla in a cool pair of crocs, Jaz will be drinking sangria on the beach texting Rohan, Victoria will be relentlessly saying “yaaassss” in her hotel room, and Mike might be taking his clothes off at the beach. We honestly don’t care.

Day 12 — Tuesday, Aug 28

Sadly, today is when our trip ends - unless you decide to go to IBIZA... We check out from hotel by 11am.