Coordinating a trip for 10-15 students

Planning a trip for a group, especially minors, is much different than planning a personal vacation.

You would be best to work with a travel agent or organization that would help to plan it although you would be able to run it.

Additionally, if you are the teacher, you would need to check with your school in regards to legal liability, insurance, permissions, etc.

Here's a thread on this forum regarding the same subject:

Taking High School Kids to Europe

We just did this in June 2008...a group of 20 persons 14 of them being high school freshmen. The 6 adults were indeed tired when we arrived home. The 14 kids had the time of their lives.

We did all of the planning, all of the reserving, all of the itinerary - everything. We had an incredible trip and riding the trains was a big part of that. Yes, a coach bus may have been cheaper, but many of these kids had never even seen a real passenger train - much less rely on public transportation 100%.

One of our leaders created a blog to keep the parents informed on day to day activities. That was a great idea...

http://cakeurope2008.blogspot.com/

We hit the big cities of Paris, Munich, Rome, Venice and ended up in tiny little Muerren high in the Swiss Alps. Of all the famous places, landmarks, and priceless treasures we saw, Muerren was their absolute favorite. The area is so immensely beautiful that it captured their interest immediately.

We traveled for 2 weeks arriving in Paris, flew from Paris to Munich on Air Berlin, flew from Munich to Rome on Air Dolomiti, trained from Rome to Venice, trained from Venice to Milan and on to Interlaken then to Muerren in one whirlwind afternoon of travel. The kids all had their Swiss Passes and we rode the trains, gondolas, buses, boats everywhere. We then trained to Zurich for our last night before flying home from Zurich Airport.

Yes, it can be done - but it's a heck of a lot of work!

I won't swear passenger vans aren't available for hire, but consider: driving in different languages, on different side(s) of the road, very different styles of driving (don't under-estimate that stress!) -- and the cost of petrol (gasoline) over this side of the Pond will make you think it's still a bargain in the US. If you plan train tix ahead of time there are usually good bargains to be had, especially for groups and in particular for students (who get concessionary rates on all sorts of things over here). Not to mention the hassle of where you'd ever park vans and how much you'd pay to do so. Personally I think you'll have far fewer worries by using trains and public transport, better cost-benefit ratio, and a lot more fun for everyone. If you really want a vehicle, I'd hire a bus with driver and really free yourselves from the hassle.

In regards to hosteling....one of the teachers at the high school I worked at took students abroad this past summer and they hosteled in the Alps. One thing I remember her talking about is that it wasn't always possible to get everyone in the same room, so at times the kids could end up with older college students in a room. Exciting for them, very scary at times for the adults! Something to look into if you stay at a hostel. Ask if you can get rooms together or not. I know that's not necessarily the hostel way.

I'm a high school teacher at an international school in Bratislava. We have traveled with students to Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Turkey. We have traveled both by van and by train. Our are recent trip to Poland it was cheaper to rent a van for 42 students then to take the train plus it is easier than worrying about getting 42 students on and off multiple trains.

We stayed in a hostel in Poland and it worked great. We have also stayed in hotels and campground bungalows.

It is a great idea and I plan to travel with my US students when I return to the US to teach.

Email me if you have more questions- I learned a lot from the first couple of trips and would be happy to share (e.g. some ideas for activities for keeping students happy and what works well with students and what doesn't).

Ann

A few thoughts...

All of my students are English language learners (e.g. non-native speakers of English). They are also have a wide range of abilities in English.... My suggestions are based off my experience with this group.

Here are my suggestions.

1. Be careful about taking guided tours. Given my student's limited English proficiency it was hard for them to understand the tour guide and take anything away from the experience. We would have been better off having the teachers act as tour guides for several reasons: we know the students and can adjust the information and language level as needed and we can hold the students accountable for actually learning something at the sites if we know what information is being presented. The tour guides give the same presentation to students as they do to adults --- that often doesn't work.

2. Plan some fun teenage activities even if they seem like something you can do in the US. Allow the kids to shop or go to an arcade - it gives them a chance to play.

3. They are going to want to eat at McDonalds/Pizza Hut/etc. but I plan at least one meal from the region we are in. I can't fight that battle every meal nor do I want to.

4. Alcohol is easy for students to get here - especially if they look anywhere near 18. Plan accordingly.

5. Make the students walk as much as possible. Tired students = good students.

6. Prepare the students for what they are going to see - history lessons, videos, anything to help them put the sights into context. Don't rely on the tour guides to do this for you. Make connections to what they are studying in school or something from their culture.

7. Our policy which works with our students is to allow them to explore the city on their own in the evenings with a 10p.m. curfew at the hostel. It works with our kids but it might not with every group. Cities are safe here. Alternatives include movie night at the hostel, arcades, etc.

8. Have fun.

To Tim, Ann, Josh, and all teachers who travel with students...BLESS YOU ALL.

Josh - Have you thought about contacting EF Tours? My wife and daughter went with her middle school teacher last May.

Ann--Thanks for the great tips!

Josh,

I have done this.
I would only recommend EF tours if you can afford the "custom" tour option, not the standard.

I did not drive at ALL (LOL!)

My trip cost $2,500 a few years ago, about 14 days. London, Paris and Switzerland.

IMHO stick to the cities, don't do the "around the country side"

Hostels filled up quickly. We wound up at a "hotel" that was kind of a hostal in Paris.

The only thing I used a TA for was the plane tickets.

I would be glad to give you any specific hints on questions.

My number one is figure it will take LONGER then you expect to do the sights. With teens there is a 'shopping' pad that I don't have on my own. Also add a pad. I did the budget and then did a 10% "emergency" fund. Wound up giving most of it back, but better safe the sorry.

On the budget, budget high for airfare. I have worked with several Girl Scout groups doing this and they send me budgets with $500 airfares because they found a "deal" in January and assumed they would find the same thing in May/June... (not likely!)

Good luck, you can do it!

Sharon took the words right out of my mouth! In 1967 I visited my first foreign country with a school group. It was only Canada but was the first time my school had taken a group out of the United States. One of the girls met up with a Canadian guy at Expo '67 and went riding around Montreal on a motorcycle until about 2:00 a.m. Our teachers were both worried sick and furious. The next year one of those same teachers took a group to the Bahamas and continued to take student groups all over Europe until she retired. She later told me she missed it because each time she went she got the see things through the students eyes. So bless you all and keep the girls away from Canadians with motorcycles.