Alumni Spotlight: Brianna’s European Discovery Grad Trip with Aggie Adventures and Contiki

Our Aggie Adventures team sat down with recent UC Davis graduate, Brianna Beltran ‘25, to discuss her Grad Trip experience spanning 7 European countries in 12 days. From falling in love with Switzerland to getting a taste of local life in Rome, Brianna shared insights that future Aggie graduates won’t want to miss!

1. What made you want to go on the Grad Trip?

It was the destination. There were multiple countries we would visit in the span of two weeks, so that was pretty exciting for me, especially because I haven’t traveled outside of the country as much. Also, it being advertised as an alumni trip, which I was excited to go with other UC Davis students as well.  

2. Did you have a good time?

Yeah! Especially for it being my first solo trip, I felt very welcomed and the tour guide was super nice. It was just a great group of people and no one was really left out. Everyone was super friendly, I feel like you made friends right away. It was really nice.

3. Was your reason for going on the trip exceeded?

It did because at first I was scared. I didn’t know what I was getting into. The hotels were really nice, the food was amazing, the add-ons were incredible… it was just a really great experience.

3a. Was there a specific add-on that you really liked? Like, something that you kind of chose day of that you were really happy with?

Hmm… I actually liked a lot of them. Let's see, that’s a hard one. 

They would have dinners in each country that were add-ons, [say] like a tour of the food in Rome. So, we walked around the streets of Rome, away from the touristy locations and we would go to smaller restaurants and shops and would try different food [from around the city]. That was a really nice experience because we got to see locals, and there were children playing in the fountains and families together. It was really sweet to get away from the tourists, and see what it’s actually like to live in Italy.

4. Who is this trip best for?

Honestly, it’s great for everyone. If you're really into history or learning about different cultures, it's great because our tour guide would give a brief overview of each country. He’d share historical details and also important cultural aspects, like what are the norms of each country.

It’s also for foodies [since] you go and try different food, and I wouldn’t say you have to be super social, because even introverts were able to make friends and have their own friend groups. Like, I was pretty introverted but I still made friends and got to have fun and explore different countries.

5. What would you tell a senior who is thinking about going?

I would definitely advise them to go, even if they’re a bit scared or skeptical. You’re in safe hands! Even though it may be a little scary being in a foreign country, it’s something I wouldn’t want to miss out on. It really is incredible and gives you different perspectives of the world.

You make a lot of friends from other countries. I still keep in contact with my friends from Australia and South Africa, and you get different cultural perspectives so it’s a great trip.

6. Was the price worth the value of the trip?

Yeah, I'd say so, because we didn't stay in hostels, we stayed in hotels, and the hotels were nice.