This past summer, a new group of students got the same opportunity to explore Europe.

The trip was not funded by the school or related to the school district, and the students had to raise their own money to experience the trip. Led by New Ulm High School teacher Robert Bute, took place over 10 days.

Bute has been leading this trip for many years and is already preparing for the next one, planned for 2027.

Throughout the trips, the number of students has varied, with the smallest group of travelers being 21 and the largest group being 52.

Photo by Brady Dennis Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, France on July 26, 2025.

Bute originally hoped to continue the trip every three years, but with the growing number of students, it allowed them to go every two years. During the first trip, the group contained about 18 students and adult chaperones. In more recent years, the group sizes have exceeded 50, which has then been capped at 52 to allow for the group to fit in a large European tour bus without needing to split up the group. When the trip first started and the numbers were smaller, it forced the students to pair up with other groups from different parts of the United States.

“This was fun, but it wasn’t always the best experience because we never knew what the other group chaperones and students’ expectations were for the trip,” Bute said. “Some groups like to see a lot of history and culture, while others want to shop, and some just like to explore on their own. Some chaperones are really strict, while others are more relaxed. We tend to be a little bit in the middle with safety being our top priority while allowing our students some freedom to explore.”

Throughout the eight trips that have been offered, there have been some changes. In the earlier years, the group walked a lot more or used trains to get to different destinations.

Now it is a private tour, and the group gets their own tour bus to get the group to and from most destinations. Between stops, students get to explore the cities and locations on their own, and this is where most make their favorite memories of the trip, because it allows them to have the freedom to explore and experience things on their own. Several students use this free time to shop for souvenirs or try new foods they have never had before.

In each major stop, there is a guided bus and a walking tour with plenty of free time for the students. The major stops consist of London, Westminster, Paris, Versailles, Milan, Florence, Rome and the Vatican.

Photo by Robert Bute New Ulm High School students from the classes 2025, 2026 and 2027 stand in front of Big Ben in London on July 23, 2025.

When first thinking about where the trip locations should be, it started with Bute and a fellow teacher Becky Gordon after Bute had returned from a military deployment that included providing security to US Air bases within Europe.

“I was able to experience the culture and people of Europe and found it easy to communicate and travel,” Bute said. “We really wanted our students to be able to experience this too. Becky was the one who organized our first trip, and I came along as a chaperone. She was unable to travel on future trips with growing family obligations. I just continued building off what she originally started, which was a trip to London, Paris, Versailles, Florence, Assisi and Rome.

“The trip has changed over time to include stops in Milan, Westminster, and now, in 2027, a trip to Canterbury in the United Kingdom. The core stops remain the same, but with a little different twist on restaurants, local entertainment, attractions, and tours. We’ve kept the core part of the tour the same, as it is popular with the students, and it makes it easier to plan. One popular change has been a walking food tour in Milan, Italy. We walk through the city and eat along the way with a local tour guide. It’s hard to beat.”

Traveling to new locations can bring interesting experiences and challenges.

“We’ve had students who have gotten sick, we’ve had a student fly home in the middle of the trip because of a family emergency,” Bute said. “We’ve had a few students get homesick. It is a demanding trip, so travelers do get tired. We travel about 14,500 miles from start to finish and average around 25,000 steps a day. We’ve had a lost passport and a trip to the U.S. Embassy for a new one.

“Before phones, we occasionally had students return late to meeting points because they got turned around. Phones have made communication and safety better. We’ve had former NUHS foreign exchange students meet us for lunch and sometimes join us on a local tour, which is always fun for our students. One group did the, ‘Zicke zacke, zicke zacke, hoi hoi hoi’ chant for our Italian waiters in Italy, who responded with their own Italian chant. We had one group of students help our Italian bus driver, Max, move a small car onto the sidewalk as it was parked illegally blocking the bus lane.”

Traveling to different countries allows for kids to learn the similarities and differences from country to country.

“I think the most important thing our students learn is that people are friendly and welcoming no matter where you travel,” Bute said. “They’ve learned that a smile is the universal language and it works the same wherever you go.”

Students also try new foods that they have never gotten the chance to experience before. One student on the trip, Carson Boe, found that European pasta was a lot different than what he was used to.

“Foods that stuck out to me were the differences in pastas in Italy compared to the US,” Boe states. “The noodles over there are much healthier in comparison to the ones in America, and they felt more filling when eating them.”

Boe also found it interesting that many people in Europe were able to speak English.

“I was surprised how many people in Europe speak English along with their own language, as compared to in America, most people just speak English,” Boe said. “Also, it was easy for people in Europe to tell that we were American and switch to English before we even started talking.”

Students can experience different cultures and gain a better understanding of the world around them. Bute also believes that this trip builds confidence in kids when it comes to traveling and has expressed interest in traveling more in the future.

When it comes to destinations, Bute doesn’t pick favorites.

“I really don’t have a favorite location, but I do love seeing the different cities at night,” he said. “The gardens at Versailles are amazing. I’ve always enjoyed the Seine River cruise in front of the Eiffel Tower at night, but it’s hard to compare anything to the experience of the Sistine Chapel. You can see pictures or read about these places online, but you can’t experience the smell of the Sistine Chapel or feel the excitement of a crowd before the lights come on at the Eiffel Tower, or smell the flowers at Versailles unless you go there in person.

“I think our students walk away with a greater understanding of how powerful it is to experience in person than seeing it on social media or a website. My greatest joy in this trip is watching our kids experience these things firsthand. It’s why I continue to do this trip.”

Boe’s favorite location on the trip was Paris.

“It had such a unique architectural style compared to all of the other places we visited and had so many different landmarks to see and things to do,” he said.