If you are a parent, teacher or educator, you no doubt will have encountered a few hiccups while planning an educational travel trip. The very best advice is to enlist the help of an expert school travel organiser, but, as a starting point, you should also consider the following factors in your plans.
Flight Delays
Months of planning can be undone by a single day of bad weather or an inspection revealing faulty mechanisms on an aircraft. There really is now way to know exactly when this will happen, but you can better prepare for it by scheduling the earliest flights of the day possible. Keep an eye out for your flight number on the carrier’s website and get in touch with them immediately after finding out your flight has been delayed.
Lost/Damaged Luggage
Chances are pretty low that your group will lose luggage on the trip, but the risk of it happening is still there. You can prepare for this by having everyone immediately check their luggage as they arrive, and then contacting airport officials if they find their baggage has been lost or damaged. If they cannot find your luggage right away, leave your contact details and stay in touch with them – this will reduce time spent pointing fingers with everyone going nowhere. Encourage those travelling to split their essentials into two bags as well. Reimbursement may be well and good, but that won’t help much if students have nothing to wear when they arrive.
Public Transportation
An educational travel trip can be so much more valuable for students if a little research is carried out beforehand. Learn as much as you can about your destination and take note of any bus routes, train routes, taxi companies or other more exotic local public transportation means. Make sure to find out if these public transports accept cash as well, since some only accept cards or passes that you need to buy before getting on board.
Jet Lag
Educational travel can be tiring if you and your wards are wide-awake during the night and burned out during the day. You can prepare for this by having everyone involved start adjusting their sleep schedules according to the time zone of your intended destination. Doing this a week before the trip itself should help everyone get used to the time zone differences. Staying well hydrated and getting in better physical shape will also help. These practices will ensure everyone has an extra reservoir of energy to pull from while on their new adventure.
Crime
Getting valuables stolen is not a good experience, and a group of students marching merrily together can be tempting for would-be thieves. The best way to avoid getting in trouble is to do some research on where everyone will go. Travel along main avenues instead of planning shortcuts through out-of-the-way paths. Conversely, you will want to travel together and have everyone watch out for each other – especially in crowded areas.
Keep these simple tips in mind and you’ll have a much easier time in the planning and enjoyment of educational travel tours for your students.
