Launch Your Gap Year with Confidence

 Travel Training Programs & Gap Year Counseling

for Young Adults Ready to Explore the World

What We Do

Real Tools for the Adventure of a Lifetime

Join a Basecamp

Join us in great locations in Europe for inspired travel training & then launch your adventure with your new friends and your Eurail pass.

Gap Year Counseling

Work with a gap year expert to build a custom plan—We can help you find a program or create your own.

Buy the Gap Year Guide

Digital guides and travel prep courses to plan your year with confidence.

COMING SOON

Independent Travel

with a Solid Plan

Gap Year Basecamp helps young adults confidently design and launch meaningful travel experiences—without overwhelm, guesswork, or generic tours.


We provide expert tools, coaching, and real-world prep so students & parents feel clear, capable, and excited for what’s next.

SPAIN LAUNCHPAD


This is a NEW KIND OF EXPERIENCE for 18-23 year olds who want to kickstart their first big trip alongside a group of equally motivated peers.

We provide the home base, (in beautiful Seville, Spain) the travel training, the community and the rail pass. Then we launch you into Europe and you create the adventure!


YOU'LL LEARN HOW TO:

  • Travel Smart & Safe: Learn how to navigate hostels, trains, and cities with awareness, confidence, and independence.
  • Budget Like a Pro: Master the art of stretching your euros-eating well, finding affordable lodging, and avoiding scams.
  • Plan (and Pivot): Build a realistic itinerary, manage logistics, and adapt when plans change—because they will.
  • Connect Across Cultures: Practice meaningful communication, and the mindset of a respectful traveler.
  • Launch Yourself: Leave with a Eurail pass, new friends, and the skills to design your own European adventure.

Join us in January 2026

LEARN MORE

BRUSSELS LAUNCHPAD


Are you a little nervous to travel alone in Europe?


We provide the home base, the travel training, the community and the rail pass. Then we launch you into Europe and you create the adventure!


YOU'LL LEARN HOW TO:

  • Travel Smart & Safe: Learn how to navigate hostels, trains, and cities with awareness, confidence, and independence.
  • Budget Like a Pro: Master the art of stretching your euros-eating well, finding affordable lodging, and avoiding scams.
  • Plan (and Pivot): Build a realistic itinerary, manage logistics, and adapt when plans change—because they will.
  • Connect Across Cultures: Practice meaningful communication, and the mindset of a respectful traveler.
  • Launch Yourself: Leave with a Eurail pass, new friends, and the skills to design your own European adventure.


Join us in JUNE 2026

LEARN MORE



“My sole goal was to experience humankind & see where I might fit in. Vague, but vital to a well-lived life.

Mission accomplished. ”

Jackson

“My gap year cracked my life wide open.”

Bette

“I've over-achieved all my life. This year, my 'gap' year, was the first time that it felt truly meaningful.”

Maya

A GAP YEAR IS NOT A YEAR OFF...


It’s a year of calculated self exploration and personal achievement. We believe that a Gap Year experience is a fundamental part of a well rounded education. It’s a healthy reset after 12 years of desk learning, and studies show that students who take a gap year are more engaged and better prepared for their college studies or whatever comes next. In fact, many colleges now encourage their students to participate in a gap year and offer incentives.


Students with an understanding of the world, how it really works, and how they fit in will have a confidence and sense of purpose that positions them on the leading edge of potential jobs and opportunities. They will also have a sense of awe and wonder for this beautiful planet we all call home and how their life will impact it.


Nothing creates this confidence like a gap year.


Interested in planning a gap year? 

We know the ropes!

We want to know your needs so that we can provide the perfect gap experience. Let us know what you want and we’ll do our best to help. 

Take the Survey Now! Survey for Parents

The Basecamp Blog

By Ivey Patton October 1, 2024
Ready to Travel Europe This Summer? Here's How You Can Start Your Journey with Confidence and Friends!
By Ivey Patton September 24, 2024
How to Write a College Deferral Letter: A Guide for Students Taking a Gap Year with an example and sample letter and guidance around the process.
By Ivey Patton February 23, 2024
The gift of time...a gap year is an excellent alternative
By Ivey Patton June 23, 2023
It's time to stake your claim
Show More

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