{"id":1063,"date":"2025-07-30T15:20:09","date_gmt":"2025-07-30T13:20:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/intern-abroad\/?p=1063"},"modified":"2026-03-06T17:00:31","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T16:00:31","slug":"my-internship-at-a-geotourism-company-on-the-island-of-ischia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/intern-abroad\/2025\/07\/30\/my-internship-at-a-geotourism-company-on-the-island-of-ischia\/","title":{"rendered":"My Internship at a Geotourism Company on the Island of Ischia"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"twoclick_social_bookmarks_post_1063 social_share_privacy clearfix 1.6.4 locale-en_US sprite-en_US\"><\/div><div class=\"twoclick-js\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\njQuery(document).ready(function($){if($('.twoclick_social_bookmarks_post_1063')){$('.twoclick_social_bookmarks_post_1063').socialSharePrivacy({\"txt_help\":\"Wenn Sie diese Felder durch einen Klick aktivieren, werden Informationen an Facebook, Twitter, Flattr, Xing, t3n, LinkedIn, Pinterest oder Google eventuell ins Ausland \\u00fcbertragen und unter Umst\\u00e4nden auch dort gespeichert. N\\u00e4heres erfahren Sie durch einen Klick auf das <em>i<\\\/em>.\",\"settings_perma\":\"Dauerhaft aktivieren und Daten\\u00fcber-tragung zustimmen:\",\"info_link\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.heise.de\\\/ct\\\/artikel\\\/2-Klicks-fuer-mehr-Datenschutz-1333879.html\",\"uri\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\\\/intern-abroad\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/30\\\/my-internship-at-a-geotourism-company-on-the-island-of-ischia\\\/\",\"post_id\":1063,\"post_title_referrer_track\":\"My+Internship+at+a+Geotourism+Company+on+the+Island+of+Ischia\",\"display_infobox\":\"on\"});}});\n\/* ]]> *\/<\/script><\/div><ul>\n<li>Applied Geography B.Sc.<\/li>\n<li>Italy, Ischia<\/li>\n<li>Eurogeopark<\/li>\n<li>04\/2025 &#8211; 06\/2025<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h4><strong>Application \/ Search for an Internship<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>In February, I was faced with the task of finding an internship for my bachelor&#8217;s degree. I wanted to do something exciting and varied \u2013 preferably nothing that took place solely in an office. So I searched the internet and came across an advertisement for a \u2018GEO internship on the island of Ischia\u2019 from the company Eurogeopark. My interest was immediately piqued: a green island in the Mediterranean, just off the coast of Naples, geological hiking tours on volcanic, geological and botanical topics \u2013 and all of this for three months in Italy. I was immediately convinced. I applied directly via the email address provided with the required documents and received confirmation of the internship starting on 1 April on the same day. However, before I could get started, I had a few things to organize: the university had to recognize the internship abroad, I applied to Erasmus+ for financial support, looked for accommodation and planned my journey.<\/p>\n<p>In the end, I decided to travel by train. A few days before I was due to start, I packed my things and travelled via Zurich \u2013 with an overnight stay \u2013 to Naples, from where I took the ferry to my destination island: Ischia.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Accommodation &amp; Living Expenses<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Eurogeopark did not provide me with accommodation, so I initially looked for a flat myself \u2013 which proved difficult. Three months is too long for holiday flats, but too short for regular rental contracts. Finally, I turned to my boss, who put me in touch with someone locally. I found a great flat in Ischia Porto, only about a 20-minute walk from the harbor and center of the city.<\/p>\n<p>The flat was large \u2013 almost too large for one person \u2013 but it was perfect for entertaining guests. It had two bedrooms, a bathroom, a dining\/living room, a kitchen, a balcony and was equipped with everything I needed: stove, oven, pots, dishes, washing machine, WiFi, etc. I paid \u20ac17 per day, which was quite cheap compared to the offers on the internet. At the end of my stay, I had to pay about \u20ac70 for utilities (gas, electricity, etc.).<\/p>\n<p>The location was very convenient: two supermarkets were about ten minutes away, and mini markets for fruit, vegetables and everyday items were also nearby. I received \u20ac235 per month from my internship provider as salary and for the bus ticket. I would definitely recommend the monthly ticket (\u20ac33.90) \u2013 the bus system is well developed and takes you almost everywhere on the island. Alternatively, you can rent a scooter or an (e-)bike, but you should bear in mind the chaotic traffic and narrow streets.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Everyday life\/Internship<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Eurogeopark offers geological and botanical tours in the form of hikes and minibus tours on Ischia. The focus is less on cultural content and more on scientific topics such as volcanism and geology. There were a total of five full-day tours, two short tours and three minibus tours, which were offered daily or weekly. The aim of the internship was for us \u2013 three interns \u2013 to be able to lead the tours independently. At the beginning, we therefore walked each tour twice together with the employed geologist Yvonne in order to familiarize ourselves with the content, routes and procedures. After that, the three of us led our first tours to gain confidence. We had access to a comprehensive internal file with background information on each tour. From about the third week onwards, a fixed three-week rhythm of home office, short tours and day tours established itself. The tours usually started at 10:00 a.m., and we were supposed to be at the meeting point at around 9:30 a.m. Depending on the tour, the day ended around 3:00 or 4:00 p.m. Afterwards, I took care of organisational tasks from home.<\/p>\n<p>Saturdays were work days \u2013 but without guided tours. Instead, we distributed brochures in hotels, restaurants and bars to draw attention to the offer.<\/p>\n<p>Working from home, we took care of social media channels (e.g. Instagram, Facebook, GetYourGuide, TripAdvisor), created posts about events, planned posts and promoted the channels. I also wrote hotel descriptions for tourists. If we didn&#8217;t finish everything on Saturday, we distributed more brochures during the week. Depending on what was needed, we also helped maintain the hiking trails \u2013 for example, by clearing overgrown paths.<\/p>\n<p>At the end, each of us was given our own topic for a blog post. My topic was mapping the vegetation along the trail, which I did while working from home. This allowed me to significantly expand my botanical knowledge.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Language<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>It was not necessary to speak Italian for the internship, as the guided tours and internal communication within the company were conducted in German. Even when it came to organizational matters, such as in hotels or with transfer drivers, I usually got by fine with German or English. Nevertheless, it was nice to use simple Italian phrases from time to time in everyday life \u2013 especially when making small purchases or in caf\u00e9s.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Support &amp; Contact Persons<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>I did not need to seek direct support from Erasmus+ or the university during the internship, as everything worked well in terms of organization. I was also lucky with my accommodation: if there were any minor problems, I could always contact my landlady. She was very friendly and helpful, which made it much easier for me to settle in and get through everyday life on the island.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Free Time\/Tips<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>In Italy, a 6-day working week is still common, so I had Sundays off. I usually spent this day with the other two interns exploring the island or the surrounding area. We already knew some a lot places from the guided tours, but on our days off we discovered things like thermal baths with natural thermal water or visited sights such as the Castello Aragonese. A day trip to the neighbouring island of Procida is highly recommended \u2013 there you will find classic Italian idyll with colourful houses and narrow streets. For those interested in geology, trips to Pozzuoli (Solfatara) or Vesuvius are worthwhile. Sometimes, however, I simply stayed on Ischia, relaxed on the beach with a book, went swimming or strolled through the narrow streets. A personal highlight was Pelara Bay: secluded, surrounded by volcanic nature and with fantastically clear water \u2013 perfect for unwinding.<\/p>\n<p>As I had no direct contact with the university or other student groups, I didn&#8217;t meet many new people. I spent most of my time with the two other interns and friends who visited me. The atmosphere at the company was more businesslike than friendly, so I didn&#8217;t develop any close relationships outside of work. There were many festivals during my stay. The traditional Easter festival with the \u2018angel run\u2019 on Easter Sunday and the colourful broom festival were particularly enjoyable. These events offered a great opportunity to get to know the local culture better.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>The internship on Ischia was a formative experience abroad that taught me a lot, both professionally and personally. I was able to take on responsibility in many areas, independently led tours, prepared content and learned to react flexibly to new situations. I particularly enjoyed working with the guests. Living abroad also worked out very well for me: I quickly found my feet on Ischia, felt safe and comfortable, and really enjoyed island life with its nature, culture and cuisine. Although I gained valuable insights during my time at Eurogeopark, there were certain structural and interpersonal aspects that raised concerns and somewhat affected my overall impression of the organization. A lot of challenges made it difficult to fully view the company as a reliable internship provider. However, this does not detract from the overall enriching experience of having lived and worked abroad \u2013 an opportunity I would definitely seize again.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Applied Geography B.Sc. Italy, Ischia Eurogeopark 04\/2025 &#8211; 06\/2025 Application \/ Search for an Internship In February, I was faced with the task of finding an internship for my bachelor&#8217;s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6201,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"c2c_always_allow_admin_comments":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,218,220,177,219,28],"tags":[221,118,132,223,222],"class_list":["post-1063","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-allgemein","category-applied-geography","category-bachelor","category-internship","category-ischia","category-italy","tag-applied-geography","tag-bachelor","tag-internship","tag-ischia","tag-italy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/intern-abroad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1063","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/intern-abroad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/intern-abroad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/intern-abroad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6201"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/intern-abroad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1063"}],"version-history":[{"count":25,"href":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/intern-abroad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1063\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1378,"href":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/intern-abroad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1063\/revisions\/1378"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/intern-abroad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1063"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/intern-abroad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1063"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.rwth-aachen.de\/intern-abroad\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1063"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}