A Dozen Student Travel Suggestions

Our seasoned student group travelers have provided the following suggestions. Some may or may not apply to your situation. After your trip has been completed, we would appreciate any additional information that you discovered while traveling.

1. Involve your administration. Most school trips must be approved by the School Board. Before decisions or commitments are made, request travel permission. Some schools have prepared a booklet for each student prior to the trip which includes a letter from either or both the superintendent and principal.
   


2. Form a trip committee to help with the details. This committee can be responsible for some or all of the following:
   
   a. An information sheet outlining the itinerary.
   b. Fund raising plans.
   c. Chaperones needed. Consider including a doctor or nurse.
   d. A trip (only) treasurer.
   e. Loading or equipment manager.
   


3. Send home an information sheet for each student outlining your trip plans, costs, and requirements. Some schools prohibit travel to students who have low grade averages. Other schools have prepared forms which indicate a student’s travel commitment. This form is your insurance that all parents/guardians are aware that your group is planning to travel. You may wish to include a payment plan sheet with this form.
   


4. Travel to foreign countries has unique issues. Proof of citizenship is mandatory for any person who crosses the border. Proof includes an original birth certificate, or an official copy of a birth certificate with a raised seal, or a valid passport, AND a photo ID. Exchange students who are not American citizens will need a VISA in most cases. The best advice is to call the consulate of the country from which you are visiting and ask for specific requirements.
   


5. Travel with medical forms which include parents’ home, work, and cell phone numbers. Phone numbers for school administrators and local radio stations should also be included. Keep all of the forms in a notebook (one per bus), or assign a parent to coordinate “medical items.” Prescribed medication can be the responsibility of the nurse or a designated chaperone. MEDICAL FORMS SHOULD BE NOTARIZED. To make it very convenient for the parents, a notary could be invited to one of the parent meetings to notarize the medical forms en masse.
   


6. Prepare a list of information for students. The list may include expected conduct, room list assignments, suggested clothing for certain events on the trip (performance uniforms, evenings at the theater, walking shoes for sightseeing, clothes appropriate to the weather of your destination, etc.), or personal items to bring (alarm clocks, sunscreen, swimsuits, hair dryers, etc.). Discourage students from carrying large amounts of cash. Inform parents how many meals and attractions will be included so that they can evaluate how much money their child will need.
   


7. Cancellation within 30 days of departure is subject to full forfeiture. Be certain that parents understand the consequences of last minute changes. These cancellations force your organization to deal with unexpected costs and additional responsibilities.
   


8. Discourage part-time participants. Students who arrive late and/or leave early require extra planning on your part. The coordination of rendezvous points for participants who wish to join the group for only certain activities is an additional task that requires your attention. Oftentimes, part-timers become a financial burden because of empty bus seats, etc.
   


9. Most motorcoaches are VCR-equipped. Some are DVD-equipped. Please call the office for verification. With this in mind, prepare a list of suitable films or assign a parent to perform this task.
   


10. Instruct parents to listen to specific radio stations the day of your return. You or a parent can then phone the radio station one to two hours from home to announce the arrival time. Alternately, you could use a call chain or internet email chain.
    


11. Develop a plan for checking-out of the hotel. Instruct students to remain in their rooms until an assigned chaperone has inspected the room for damage and/or personal items left behind. Be sure to check the entire room, around the beds, inside the dresser drawers, behind the chairs, and in the closet and bathtub area for forgotten items. Once the inspection has been completed, students may turn in their room key(s) and board the motorcoach.
    


12. Provide parents with full itinerary details. Make sure families have trip information. Once the final payment has been received, a day-to-day itinerary with names and phone numbers is provided so parents will have a sense of where the group will be at all times.