Group travel
Group travel is a great opportunity for students to make friends from other states and cities. Unless your child’s group leader has chosen to be a private group, your child will be traveling with other students and teachers from the United States and Canada. It’s important to keep in mind that traveling with others requires thoughtfulness, a good attitude and flexibility with tour and departure dates.
back to top
Tour and departure date flexibility
EF is dedicated to making travel affordable for as many people as possible. That’s why we always offer the lowest prices. We combine groups with similar tour and departure dates, so whether you’re a group of six or 60, you benefit from the same low price.
Please keep in mind that your child’s exact tour and travel dates are not confirmed until 70 days prior to departure. Although we make our best effort to comply with the group leader’s first choice of tour, we occasionally have to offer the second or third choice. Also, based on the group leader’s requested tour date, we ask for a date range. This range is within two days of the originally requested date for tours departing October through April, and within four days for tours departing May through September. Talk to your child’s group leader about the tour and departure date choices that he or she requested.
back to top
Passports
Your child should apply for a passport as soon as he or she is enrolled on tour, as it can sometimes take 14 weeks to process. (Check with the State Department for current processing time.) U.S. citizens traveling abroad must bring a passport that is valid for at least six months after the tour’s return and has at least three blank pages. You can find out all you need to know about passports at the U.S. government
passport website.
Airlines will not permit your child to travel if the name on his or her ticket does not match his or her passport exactly. Ensure that the first, middle and last name on your child’s EF account matches the passport.
back to top
Visas
Your child may need a visa for the tour. Consult the destination countries' and layover countries' consulates for more information and specific requirements. For contact information, visit
embassy.org.
Because the visa application must be completed by the applicant, we depend on the traveler to take care of this step. For your convenience, American citizens can call Zierer Visa Service toll-free at 1-866-788-1100 or visit
zvs.com for assistance in obtaining the necessary tourist visas, which may require a fee. On the phone, mention that you are traveling with EF to receive a discount. Online, click on “Cruises/Tour Travelers". Your user name is “EF” and your password is “1234.”
back to top
Parental authorization forms
For tours going to Mexico, Costa Rica, or Brazil, children under the age of 18 require a
parental authorization form to be signed and notarized within 30 days of the tour departure date. EF will send you the form a few months prior to your departure date. Please ensure that your child brings the form on tour because it is required to get through customs in these countries.
back to top
Paying for your child's tour
Fundraising is a great way to help you and your child pay for the tour. Websites like
ChipIn.com or
Firstgiving.com make it easy for friends and family to help you fundraise. Your child can ask them to give a donation as a birthday or holiday present. It takes just minutes to set up an account, and friends and family can track the progress as your child collects donations. For other fundraising ideas, check out our
fundraising section.
back to top
Student rooming
Students under age 23 will share rooms with two or three other travelers of the same gender, either from their own group or from other groups with whom they are traveling. Each room will contain single beds or occasionally shared double beds, or a combination of the two. Hotel styles and room configurations vary among destinations, so students who share a room in one city may not do so in the next. Students under the age of 23 who wish to have twin rooms will be charged an additional fee.
Adult rooming
Adults (travelers 23 years or older at the time of the tour) will be roomed in twin rooms (with two single beds) with other adults of the same gender either from their own group or from other groups with whom they are traveling. Double accommodations (one large bed or two single beds pushed together) are also available. If any adults wish to have a single room, a single room supplement will be added to their account.
Should you have a family in your group wishing to room together, tell your group leader to note this on the rooming list that he or she will submit to EF. In some countries, hotels are not always able to accommodate such requests.
Rooming on night trains and ferries (if applicable)
Sleeping compartments on trains are very small and there are no single or double rooms. Adults and students will room in couchettes of up to six shelf-like beds that fold down from the wall. Bathrooms are located outside the compartments in the corridor. Single rooms are not available on overnight ferries, overnight trains or tours to Africa.
The deadline to submit rooming for all adults and non-standard student requests is 70 days prior to departure.
back to top
Hotels
A good night’s sleep is important, so your child can count on safe, clean and comfortable hotels with private baths. And rest assured, we inspect every hotel personally. Some common differences from North American hotels:
- Rooms and beds are usually smaller and have single and/or shared double beds.
- Rooms seldom have air conditioning or televisions.
- Not all European hotels have elevators.
- Shower pressure tends to be much weaker and, in some countries, the showerhead may be a detachable, hand-held device, directly above the toilet or sink. Few hotels have shower curtains.
back to top
Meals
Breakfast typically includes cereal, bread or rolls, jam, juice, coffee and tea. Lunch is the chance for your child to make culinary discoveries of his or her own and the tour director can provide recommendations. Included dinners will either be familiar dishes or local specialties. Students will be expected to pay for soft drinks and other beverages at dinner. Table water is always provided free of charge; bottled water is provided only in those countries where deemed necessary by locals (e.g. Egypt). Your child should expect food and portion size to be different than what he or she is accustomed to at home.
back to top
Tour pace
Students should bring comfortable footwear. Many sightseeing tours are on foot, so you will do a lot of walking. In addition, the use of public transportation often involves a lot of stairs and walking to and from the train platforms.
back to top
Punctuality
No matter where your child travels, there is a tremendous amount to see and do – and a limited time in which to cover it! For that reason, most EF itineraries are packed with activities. It is crucial that everyone makes punctuality a priority; for wake up calls, sightseeing tours, meeting times etc. It takes just one person showing up late to throw off a whole day’s schedule.
back to top
Transportation
Flights may consist of multiple legs and, if your child is in a large group, everyone may not travel on the same itinerary.
On most EF tours, your child will travel by motorcoach from one destination to the next as well as on EF-included sightseeing tours and excursions. However, some itineraries include internal flights or travel by train, cruise ship or ferry.
To travel to local activities or free-time options, groups will find it easy to use public transportation and may not have access to the motorcoach. Public transportation is more commonly used abroad than it is in many parts of North America. Your EF Tour Director will help you learn the maps and routes.
back to top
Special travel requests
If your child would like to visit friends or family abroad before or after the tour, or fly in or out of a different U.S. gateway than the tour group, your child must submit a Special Travel Request by 110 days prior to departure. EF will then do our best to accommodate your child’s request. Your child should not finalize any plans (or purchase airline tickets) until the tour and date have been confirmed (around 70 days prior to departure). Once the tour and dates have been confirmed, travelers should re-confirm special travel.
Please note that special travel requests are booked separately from the group itinerary and therefore travelers may fly on an alternate round trip itinerary. To submit a Special Travel Request, log in to
My Tours and select "Special Travel" on the
Forms and Resources page.
back to top
Insurance
We recommend that all travelers sign up for
EF's All-Inclusive Insurance. This plan is specifically designed to meet the needs of students traveling with EF. This insurance covers your child in the event of on-tour medical expenses, baggage delays, tour cancellation and emergency tour interruption, if a student must leave a tour prematurely.
back to top
Money abroad
We recommend that your child brings the equivalent of $50 in the currency of the initial destination for expenses upon arrival. Your child should also be familiar with the
exchange rates for US dollars to the local currency of the destinations of the tour. Your child should not bring traveler’s checks since they are difficult to cash. ATMs are the most convenient way for cash withdrawals since they accept a wide number of bank and credit cards. Check with your bank to make sure your child’s card will work abroad.
Students need to keep money in a safe place at all times. Travel pouches that you
wear under your clothes are always recommended. Also, advise your child not to save
a lot of coins. Though they do make good souvenirs, they cannot be exchanged back
into US dollars (exchange offices and banks will only change paper money).
back to top
EF Visa Travel Card
EF makes it easy for your child to manage money on tour with the
EF Travel Card, a prepaid, reloadable Visa® that cardholders can use everywhere Visa® is accepted. The card is ideal for students, because it is prepaid so spending is limited to the amount of money parents load onto the card.
back to top
Spending money
Your child can plan on using $40 to $60 per day for spending money. The guidelines below are divided by region. The lower amount covers enough for lunches, soft drinks, postcards and stamps, while the higher amount covers some museum entrances during free time and souvenirs. These recommendations do not cover optional excursions or gratuities.
Europe
$45-65
Australia, New Zealand, Africa
$50-75
Costa Rica
$20-30
Japan
$50-75
China and Asia
$30-40
Mexico, Central/South America
$30-40
back to top
Tipping
It is customary to tip the tour director and coach driver as a token of appreciation at the end of the tour. We suggest that each student tip the tour director $6 per day on tour and $3 per day for the bus driver. If the tour includes a cruise, we recommend $10 per person per day for the cruise staff in addition to the tour director. Many groups also tip local guides for sightseeing tours.
back to top
Packing
Students will be carrying their own luggage, so your child should pack light. We recommend one suitcase and one small carry-on per person. Students will be responsible for
taking luggage on and off buses and into hotels, so make
sure your child can easily carry his or her luggage up stairs. See our
packing list for specific suggestions.
back to top