Race across Europe
You’ll need
- Pens or pencils
- A4 paper
- A device with access to the internet (at least one per team)
- A map of Europe, one per team
- Challenge worksheet, one per team
- Timer
- Example route
- Whiteboard or flipchart
Before you begin
- Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Additional help to carry out your risk assessment, including examples can be found here. Don’t forget to make sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely.
- Make sure you’ll have enough adult helpers. You may need some parents and carers to help if you’re short on helpers.
Planning and setting up the activity
- Ensure that you have suitable internet access for each team of Explorers.
- Complete some of your own research on the routes you are asking the Explorers to plan, so you are aware of what they may encounter.
- Create some hints and tips ready for the young people who are struggling.
Introduction and briefing
- Split everyone into small teams of 3 or 4 people.
- Complete a short introduction and briefing, this should take up to 10 minutes.
- You and your team must travel across Europe using only public transport. You need to arrive safely, on time, and within budget.
- Explain to everyone that real travel involves delays, planning, and backup options.
- The goal of the activity is not just speed — it is safe and realistic travel.
Teams must:
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- Use public transport only
- Stay within a realistic budget
- Include at least:
- 2 transport types
- 2 places of interest
- 1 meal stop/rest break
Teams should consider
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- Risks to the their travel plans
- What delays they could expect
- How to deal with missed connections
- How the aim to travel safely
- No flights unless specifically allowed
- No taxis/Uber except emergencies
Planning The Trip
- Allocate a route from the selection – this can be either random draw or specific routes given to groups depending on the experience in the group. Set the team up with the crib sheet for reference. You can find the Crib Sheet at the top of this activity.
- Give everyone 25 - 30 minutes to plan their trip.
- Make sure that the teams start on the right tracks and then check in throughout the session to ensure they have the support required
Presentation
- Each team should give a short five minute presentation on their route, modes of transport, risks, attractions they visited and why it was reliable. Encourage the group to give justification of their choices and to keep it realistic.
- You could choose one of these scenarios to ask the group during their presentation if required to see how they would react to an unplanned event
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- Your train is cancelled
- You missed your connection
- A rail strike affects one country
- You lose mobile signal
- Night travel only available
- Some other debrief questions that could be used
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- What was harder than expected?
- Why are connection times important?
- What risks surprised you?
- Would you rather prioritise speed, comfort, or cost?
- How does travel planning build independence?
- Accommodation bookings
- Currency conversions
- Carbon footprint conversions
- Visa/ passport restrictions
- Overnight travel
Safety
All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.
You must run your activities in line with the Safeguarding Code of Conduct for Adults (Yellow Card) and report any concerns to the UK HQ Safeguarding Team.
- Online safety
Supervise young people when they’re online and give them advice about staying safe. Take a look at our online safety or bullying guidance. The NSPCC offers more advice and guidance, too. If you want to know more about specific social networks and games, Childnet has information and safety tips for apps. You can also report anything that’s worried you online to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command. As always, if you’ve got concerns about a young person’s welfare, including their online experiences, follow the Yellow Card to make a report.
- To make it easier have the first leg of the journey completed or a list of travel sites to use for more information.
- To make it harder add in more conditions on travel or link to a number of different cities for specific event dates or make a tighter budget.
Make it accessible
All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.
