Travel Blog

We have decided to publish a step-by-step series of tips and expert advice to get you started on planning an educational tour – the school travel guide. Part 1 is, not surprisingly, choosing a destination and travel dates.

If you are the teacher who wants to open your student’s eyes to the world and are getting started on planning your tour, you probably have a rough idea of your destination. If you can’t decide between a number of countries, just think about the subject or topic you want to focus on. If you have a definite list of educational objectives for your tour that might be satisfied by a variety of locations, you can also ask your school tour consultant to suggest the best destinations to cover them.

Then, pick a time frame. Consider aspects such as

The seasons in the country of destination

This includes not only the weather, but also the tourist season in your destination. For example, if you are thinking about a WWI tour to the Western Front or Gallipoli during the April Holidays, remember that it will be high season due to Anzac Day Celebrations. This can be one of the factors that influence your final costing.

The Australian school holidays

Most school tours booked with us depart during the April or September school holidays, which is shoulder season in most destinations. July will probably be more expensive, and January might be a bit cheaper.

How many school days you can take off

Are you working with set school holidays or are your dates flexible? If you can depart a couple of days before beginning of school holidays or return after beginning of the new term, you may not only have more time, but will probably also find cheaper flights.

The financial situation of your student’s families

Consider that your student’s parents need enough notice to save up for the trip, so we would recommend you give them at least 6 months to spread the payments.

In the next part, we will cover step 2: Notice of Intention to Plan an Overseas School Excursion. For more information, feel free to download our FREE 23-page Ultimate Guide to Planning a Successful Overseas School Tour.