Going to France and Spain with 40 high school kids! Need advice!!
May 22nd, 2010, 10:53 AM
#21
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To all,
Please keep the ideas coming. I truly appreciate everyone's input for this trip! Bye the way, we are traveling by high speed train and we are going to see the following: Paris, biarritz, carcacionne (spelling?) toulousse, lourdes, san sebastian, barcelona and sitges? The only place we are staying two nights is Paris and Barcelona. Any other thoughts or comments about food, crime, etc. The kids will get to swim at the beach in Sitges, is this safe? Please advise.
Please keep the ideas coming. I truly appreciate everyone's input for this trip! Bye the way, we are traveling by high speed train and we are going to see the following: Paris, biarritz, carcacionne (spelling?) toulousse, lourdes, san sebastian, barcelona and sitges? The only place we are staying two nights is Paris and Barcelona. Any other thoughts or comments about food, crime, etc. The kids will get to swim at the beach in Sitges, is this safe? Please advise.
May 22nd, 2010, 11:09 AM
#22
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Has anyone been to Carcassonne? If so, where to eat and shopping. Also I am not familiar with Biarritz, St. jean de luz, would like some advice. In Lourdes, what are the sights to see there? Shopping?
I appreciate the flight attendants advice for Barcelona and will pass on to the tour leaders. Any other advice?
Thanks!
I appreciate the flight attendants advice for Barcelona and will pass on to the tour leaders. Any other advice?
Thanks!
May 22nd, 2010, 11:20 AM
#23
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"In Lourdes, what are the sights to see there?"
If you're lucky, the Virgin Mary Herself.
www.lourdes-infotourisme.com
Sitges has 15 beautiful beaches, all sandy, some for nudists, some for gays and some for both.
If you're lucky, the Virgin Mary Herself.
www.lourdes-infotourisme.com
Sitges has 15 beautiful beaches, all sandy, some for nudists, some for gays and some for both.
May 22nd, 2010, 01:59 PM
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I have never seen a dress code in any church in Spain or France or other countries in Europe, actually, except Italy. No, it isn't true that "people" don't wear shorts in Paris. that teacher is totally wrong. First, tons of tourists wear them, and believe me, not just Americans. In summer, lots of young tourists from everywhere wear them. Parisians going to work, etc., of course do not wear them and they don't wear them a lot at night, of course.
I wonder about that luggage standard -- 28 x 22? That's a very odd size, I wonder what it means. If it means the max suitcase is 28 inch in height (which is huge, I don't even own one that size), it wouldn't usually be 22 in width, but more like 18-20 inches. Well, maybe there are some 28 inchers that wide across as a maximum -- it would usually be about 12 inches deep, I think. It's too big, they can't take those, that's absurd.
I"ve been to Carcassonne, it's just a tourist site for the old city surrounded by fortifications. Interesting enough. There is a regular city that developed there, of course, which is of fairly good size (not huge, of course, but no small burg) so pinpointing some place you should eat if you are staying there overnight wouldn't make sense. It has a bus system, it isn't tiny. Just look around where you are staying, it doesn't matter that much. If you want snacks or lunch, just look around where you are at the time (I assume the old walled city). YOu can do shopping in the streets right around the old city, there are lots of souvenir and other shops in the streets right around it after you go in the gate.
I wonder about that luggage standard -- 28 x 22? That's a very odd size, I wonder what it means. If it means the max suitcase is 28 inch in height (which is huge, I don't even own one that size), it wouldn't usually be 22 in width, but more like 18-20 inches. Well, maybe there are some 28 inchers that wide across as a maximum -- it would usually be about 12 inches deep, I think. It's too big, they can't take those, that's absurd.
I"ve been to Carcassonne, it's just a tourist site for the old city surrounded by fortifications. Interesting enough. There is a regular city that developed there, of course, which is of fairly good size (not huge, of course, but no small burg) so pinpointing some place you should eat if you are staying there overnight wouldn't make sense. It has a bus system, it isn't tiny. Just look around where you are staying, it doesn't matter that much. If you want snacks or lunch, just look around where you are at the time (I assume the old walled city). YOu can do shopping in the streets right around the old city, there are lots of souvenir and other shops in the streets right around it after you go in the gate.
May 22nd, 2010, 03:35 PM
#26
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Thanks for the advice. I was just wondering should how much money should one convert to euros before going. I don't use travelers checks anymore. Also is it better to use ATM's or credit cards. Please advise and thanks!
May 22nd, 2010, 04:02 PM
#27
You should check to see what fees your ATM card and your credit cards charge for foreign currency transactions. That will help determine whether you should get most of your money from ATMs or use credit cards. I always carry two of each on different accounts when I am alone in case one of the credit cards or ATM cards encounters a problem.
While most credit cards do charge a foreign transaction fee, some do not. Capital One and Schwab are two that I know of that do not. Schwab also has a debit card that does not charge any currency conversion fees, and that is what I use for my primary source of cash.
While most credit cards do charge a foreign transaction fee, some do not. Capital One and Schwab are two that I know of that do not. Schwab also has a debit card that does not charge any currency conversion fees, and that is what I use for my primary source of cash.
May 22nd, 2010, 04:29 PM
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Cripes, I used to do this, but that was back when I was in my 20s and had loads of stamina. All I can say is load up on the valium.
And put together a strict packing list. Have them all get together with their bags packed before you leave and WEIGH THE BAGS. We did this back in the 70s and 80s, even, before there were issues with big bags. Be very specific about what they can and cannot bring, and limit the electronic devices so they get the idea that this is an educational trip, not one for listening to the IPod while someone is trying to explain Chambord to them.
And put together a strict packing list. Have them all get together with their bags packed before you leave and WEIGH THE BAGS. We did this back in the 70s and 80s, even, before there were issues with big bags. Be very specific about what they can and cannot bring, and limit the electronic devices so they get the idea that this is an educational trip, not one for listening to the IPod while someone is trying to explain Chambord to them.
May 22nd, 2010, 05:30 PM
#29
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Much of the good advice above is as valid for "adults" as it is for "kids". So, having gone with a group to Greece at age 17 and still travelling a half-century later, my best advice is to expect your charges to act like adults. Inspire them to rise to the occasion -- it could be the most lasting memory they will acquire.
To return to an eary part of the query, each person can make a photocopy, in colour, of the main page of his or her passport to carry around the city as a form of i.d. while the originals remain stashed safely at your hotel.
Student i.d. might also be helpful if they have to pay for some admissions; being a student is a distinct social status in France and Spain, often accompanied by discounts.
They can also research the unending threads on this forum and others like it regarding money and how to change it. Another responsibility that encourages maturity, especially if you insist they find out for themselves rather than depending on chaperones. Some of them will probably have to work it out with their parents if they don't own their own ATM cards, another good conversation-starter.
Bon voyage. I envy you seeing these great places through young eyes. (And, respectfully, do set an example by looking up how to spell the names of the places you are visiting...)
To return to an eary part of the query, each person can make a photocopy, in colour, of the main page of his or her passport to carry around the city as a form of i.d. while the originals remain stashed safely at your hotel.
Student i.d. might also be helpful if they have to pay for some admissions; being a student is a distinct social status in France and Spain, often accompanied by discounts.
They can also research the unending threads on this forum and others like it regarding money and how to change it. Another responsibility that encourages maturity, especially if you insist they find out for themselves rather than depending on chaperones. Some of them will probably have to work it out with their parents if they don't own their own ATM cards, another good conversation-starter.
Bon voyage. I envy you seeing these great places through young eyes. (And, respectfully, do set an example by looking up how to spell the names of the places you are visiting...)
May 22nd, 2010, 05:52 PM
#30
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excellent ideas Nikki and southam! I will utilize all those. I will get the spelling right on the places I visit, and yes I am excited to see the students faces when they see Paris for the first time, including my son's.
May 22nd, 2010, 08:13 PM
#31
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Food should not be a problem in Paris. French bistro will be tempting to teens as it not haute French. There are also places that will have crepres, chocolates, bread, chesse and the Parisian macarons.
In Spain many tapas places are for families and the variety has to appeal to them. And you can always find restaurants that prepare a simple roasted chicken with french fries.
In Spain many tapas places are for families and the variety has to appeal to them. And you can always find restaurants that prepare a simple roasted chicken with french fries.
May 22nd, 2010, 08:32 PM
#32
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Why are you taking this group? If it's school or club related, many groups have their own rules regarding alcohol, kids on their own, etc. I traveled in high school as a student ambassador and we had strict rules regarding alcohol. It was very clear ahead of time, and all students and parents signed an agreement, that any student caught drinking or causing problems would be sent home immediately at the parents expense. Smoking was also not allowed even though some of the students were 18 and allowed to smoke in the US and in the country we were visiting.
There was a policy that you had to be in groups of at least four students, with at least one being male, that was followed at times. If we were in a larger city, our leaders (4 adults and 40 students) said that we had to follow the 4+ rule but to make it fair each group had to have at least 1 male and 1 female. In smaller areas they had no problems with being in pairs, no gender specifics.
We generally had two students to a room and anytime someone of the opposite gender was in the room the door had to be propped open. On those three trips I always had great adult leaders and they simply said "we're not your parents and we'll treat you like responsible adults as long as you don't give us any reason not to". Overall, the students responded well to that attitude and didn't push the rules.
It was made very clear in the pre-trip meetings that we were to be on time or the meeting times would be pushed up to accommodate those who refused to be prompt. The rest of the group would suffer and lose free time, but so be it. Due to peer pressure, everyone was pretty much early or exactly on time.
Are you having any pre-trip meetings with the students? That's a good time to go over luggage size (a standard 24-26" roller, and a messenger bag generally work really well), "dress code" requirements, any packing suggestions/requirements/no-no's. We also went through some history fo the places we were going, language basics (please, thank you, yes, no, help, bathroom, etc) and anything that the students should be aware of.
Good luck and have fun! It'll be a challenge but it'll be a good time.
There was a policy that you had to be in groups of at least four students, with at least one being male, that was followed at times. If we were in a larger city, our leaders (4 adults and 40 students) said that we had to follow the 4+ rule but to make it fair each group had to have at least 1 male and 1 female. In smaller areas they had no problems with being in pairs, no gender specifics.
We generally had two students to a room and anytime someone of the opposite gender was in the room the door had to be propped open. On those three trips I always had great adult leaders and they simply said "we're not your parents and we'll treat you like responsible adults as long as you don't give us any reason not to". Overall, the students responded well to that attitude and didn't push the rules.
It was made very clear in the pre-trip meetings that we were to be on time or the meeting times would be pushed up to accommodate those who refused to be prompt. The rest of the group would suffer and lose free time, but so be it. Due to peer pressure, everyone was pretty much early or exactly on time.
Are you having any pre-trip meetings with the students? That's a good time to go over luggage size (a standard 24-26" roller, and a messenger bag generally work really well), "dress code" requirements, any packing suggestions/requirements/no-no's. We also went through some history fo the places we were going, language basics (please, thank you, yes, no, help, bathroom, etc) and anything that the students should be aware of.
Good luck and have fun! It'll be a challenge but it'll be a good time.
May 23rd, 2010, 05:13 AM
#33
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Thanks for the food suggestions. We have had several meetings with the kids, so the forbidden rules have been set in stone. Thanks for the tips, the only issue now that I have read about today is about PICKPOCKETS in Europe, any advice on that issue?
May 23rd, 2010, 07:46 AM
#34
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Right. Good advice above and all worthwhile. I live in Paris so here we go.
#1 Make a spreadsheet of each kid's Passport number, place of issue, date of issue and date of expiration then take a COLOR photocopy of each passport (signature page and photo page) and scan it onto your hard drive. Put these on a separate thumbdrive and secure the thumbdrive using it for no other documents. If a kid loses or has a passport stolen the US embassy can use the document from the thumbdrive for easier replacement. Password protect the thumbdrive.
This also gives you a picture, ht/wt and other critical information should, God Forbid, something tragic happens. Not likely but best to be protected.
Get the identifying vests and make this a part of the daily apparel: call Magellan's and see if they won't negotiate a deal for their lower cost vests. http://www.magellans.com/store/Cloth...arMV954B?Args=
If not vests then hats. If not hats then bright lime green wrist bands with 2 replacements for each kid.
http://www.pdcorp.com/en-us/crowd-co...ristbands.html
50 kids in a single museum is tantamount to a riot but it will be a fantastic experience for them.
#2 You'll need adapters for all of those electronics!!!! Hotels will run out and you'll be stuck using one adapter for fifty iPods and other items.
#3. Coordinate to ship the brunt of the kids' luggage to the first hotel via DHL at least ten days and not less than one full week before they fly.
Assure the first and last hotel will process the shipment in your absence and that the kids actually pack their clothes in the luggage prior to shipping. You'll need to coordinate a DHL pickup plus boxes/tape and labels at the last hotel the night before you fly home as well. Trust me it's cheaper than the costs of extra or overweight luggage, forgotten luggage at the airport and the time spent flying through customs at Paris CDG and the return US Domestic Airport is worth it.
Do the shipment as a single shipment from a single location in the States and have the shipment returned as a single shipment to a single location. This means only one tracking number. Doing otherwise means you must keep track of 52 or more tracking numbers.
www.dhl.com
#4 Have the kids bring one carryon with two day's change of clothes, medicines and a small personal hygiene kit. Include a face cloth and a towel for cleaning up at airports and train stations. Have each kid pack a small roll of toilet paper (found in camping section of Walmart) for the plane. I've got almost half a million miles on LH and have yet to see a coach section of any international flight have enough toilet paper.
Contact the airline and request that each kid receives two pillows. Again, makes life easier for sleeping.
Have the kids wear slip on shoes (no sandals or flip flops) through the Airport. I've watched more than one young lady take a header from a flip flop caught in the escalator.
Call your departure Airport and ask them if you can coordinate for the group to go through a separate security processing and screening. It slows everybody down when you do onesy twosy through security. They may very well be willing to work with you on this.
Also, my son flew with his swim team and one of the boys made a joke about a bomb and the resultant situation was not good at all. Tell the kids this is not a laughing matter and the TSA Agents take every threat seriously.
#5 Be sure the kids have all prescription medicines in hand before you depart for the airport. Nothing worse than trying to get Ritalin without a prescription in Paris.
Scan a copy of each prescription so it is readable with the Pharmacy contact information. Place this in a secure place on your laptop.
6. Download the "RATP" Paris Metro application into your iTouch and get to know the Paris rail system. Just enter RATP into the iTunes store and it will come up. If kids are allowed to bring their iTouch or iPhone have them do so as well.
7. Go to Eurorail website and learn the rail system departing Paris. Paris St Lazare is one of the main rail stations and it can be unnerving during a mob Friday getting out of town.
8. Your saving grace will be the Monoprix market chain over here. Get all forgotten personal hygiene, underwear, batteries and the liters upon liters of water and other items in Monoprix.
9. Be sure your hotels understand you are bringing 50 kids. Also try and coordinate thru the hotel concierge for
9a) a restaurant that will feed your brood all at one setting at the same time. Makes life really easy.
9b) Cash conversion at a lower rate. More and more European cafes and markets are not accepting the US MC or AMEX. Be advised of that. You can use ATM's, just do so safely.
9c) Kids and Sponsors all on one floor next to each other with Sponsor rooms by the stair well door and elevator. No balconies either as these are quite tempting.
10. Have each parent sign and give you a legal document wherein you are authorized to seek medical treatment, emergent and non emergent. Contact the US Embassy websites for Spain and France to learn how to coordinate medical care. Bookmark that site.
11. Someone will get the "running poo's" from drinking the tap water. Have each kid pack a box of Imodium, if it lasts for more than two days seek medical attention.
12. There are 1, 3 and 5 day passes you can buy on the METRO/RER/SNCF and Bus that work fantastic. Each kid gets a ticket and must write their name on the folder. Makes getting around that much easier.
13. Behavior is everything. Nothing screams American more than tacky clothing or raucous behavior, even though you see the Russians and others wearing some interesting Moscow fashions. Good manners and patience is everything over here.
14. There is a product over here called Dash 2en1 for laundry. Little dissolvable sachets that eliminate the mess of powders and liquids. Buy them for the loads of laundry you will face.
15. Set up SKYPE on your laptop, load each parent's contact information (001-then area code and number) and do a test call of each parent's home, business and cell number plus email prior to leaving the states. Learn how to use SKYPE to SMS the parents cell phone. In an emergency SKYPE is your best friend internationally.
16. Be sure to coordinate with the airline for your entire brood to sit together in the rear near the bathrooms where the flight attendants can both serve them together and help monitor behavior. Intersperse Sponsors and assure each Sponsor has an aisle row.
Hope this helps!
JL
#1 Make a spreadsheet of each kid's Passport number, place of issue, date of issue and date of expiration then take a COLOR photocopy of each passport (signature page and photo page) and scan it onto your hard drive. Put these on a separate thumbdrive and secure the thumbdrive using it for no other documents. If a kid loses or has a passport stolen the US embassy can use the document from the thumbdrive for easier replacement. Password protect the thumbdrive.
This also gives you a picture, ht/wt and other critical information should, God Forbid, something tragic happens. Not likely but best to be protected.
Get the identifying vests and make this a part of the daily apparel: call Magellan's and see if they won't negotiate a deal for their lower cost vests. http://www.magellans.com/store/Cloth...arMV954B?Args=
If not vests then hats. If not hats then bright lime green wrist bands with 2 replacements for each kid.
http://www.pdcorp.com/en-us/crowd-co...ristbands.html
50 kids in a single museum is tantamount to a riot but it will be a fantastic experience for them.
#2 You'll need adapters for all of those electronics!!!! Hotels will run out and you'll be stuck using one adapter for fifty iPods and other items.
#3. Coordinate to ship the brunt of the kids' luggage to the first hotel via DHL at least ten days and not less than one full week before they fly.
Assure the first and last hotel will process the shipment in your absence and that the kids actually pack their clothes in the luggage prior to shipping. You'll need to coordinate a DHL pickup plus boxes/tape and labels at the last hotel the night before you fly home as well. Trust me it's cheaper than the costs of extra or overweight luggage, forgotten luggage at the airport and the time spent flying through customs at Paris CDG and the return US Domestic Airport is worth it.
Do the shipment as a single shipment from a single location in the States and have the shipment returned as a single shipment to a single location. This means only one tracking number. Doing otherwise means you must keep track of 52 or more tracking numbers.
www.dhl.com
#4 Have the kids bring one carryon with two day's change of clothes, medicines and a small personal hygiene kit. Include a face cloth and a towel for cleaning up at airports and train stations. Have each kid pack a small roll of toilet paper (found in camping section of Walmart) for the plane. I've got almost half a million miles on LH and have yet to see a coach section of any international flight have enough toilet paper.
Contact the airline and request that each kid receives two pillows. Again, makes life easier for sleeping.
Have the kids wear slip on shoes (no sandals or flip flops) through the Airport. I've watched more than one young lady take a header from a flip flop caught in the escalator.
Call your departure Airport and ask them if you can coordinate for the group to go through a separate security processing and screening. It slows everybody down when you do onesy twosy through security. They may very well be willing to work with you on this.
Also, my son flew with his swim team and one of the boys made a joke about a bomb and the resultant situation was not good at all. Tell the kids this is not a laughing matter and the TSA Agents take every threat seriously.
#5 Be sure the kids have all prescription medicines in hand before you depart for the airport. Nothing worse than trying to get Ritalin without a prescription in Paris.
Scan a copy of each prescription so it is readable with the Pharmacy contact information. Place this in a secure place on your laptop.
6. Download the "RATP" Paris Metro application into your iTouch and get to know the Paris rail system. Just enter RATP into the iTunes store and it will come up. If kids are allowed to bring their iTouch or iPhone have them do so as well.
7. Go to Eurorail website and learn the rail system departing Paris. Paris St Lazare is one of the main rail stations and it can be unnerving during a mob Friday getting out of town.
8. Your saving grace will be the Monoprix market chain over here. Get all forgotten personal hygiene, underwear, batteries and the liters upon liters of water and other items in Monoprix.
9. Be sure your hotels understand you are bringing 50 kids. Also try and coordinate thru the hotel concierge for
9a) a restaurant that will feed your brood all at one setting at the same time. Makes life really easy.
9b) Cash conversion at a lower rate. More and more European cafes and markets are not accepting the US MC or AMEX. Be advised of that. You can use ATM's, just do so safely.
9c) Kids and Sponsors all on one floor next to each other with Sponsor rooms by the stair well door and elevator. No balconies either as these are quite tempting.
10. Have each parent sign and give you a legal document wherein you are authorized to seek medical treatment, emergent and non emergent. Contact the US Embassy websites for Spain and France to learn how to coordinate medical care. Bookmark that site.
11. Someone will get the "running poo's" from drinking the tap water. Have each kid pack a box of Imodium, if it lasts for more than two days seek medical attention.
12. There are 1, 3 and 5 day passes you can buy on the METRO/RER/SNCF and Bus that work fantastic. Each kid gets a ticket and must write their name on the folder. Makes getting around that much easier.
13. Behavior is everything. Nothing screams American more than tacky clothing or raucous behavior, even though you see the Russians and others wearing some interesting Moscow fashions. Good manners and patience is everything over here.
14. There is a product over here called Dash 2en1 for laundry. Little dissolvable sachets that eliminate the mess of powders and liquids. Buy them for the loads of laundry you will face.
15. Set up SKYPE on your laptop, load each parent's contact information (001-then area code and number) and do a test call of each parent's home, business and cell number plus email prior to leaving the states. Learn how to use SKYPE to SMS the parents cell phone. In an emergency SKYPE is your best friend internationally.
16. Be sure to coordinate with the airline for your entire brood to sit together in the rear near the bathrooms where the flight attendants can both serve them together and help monitor behavior. Intersperse Sponsors and assure each Sponsor has an aisle row.
Hope this helps!
JL
May 23rd, 2010, 07:58 AM
#35
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http://www.allcam.biz/catalog/images...adapter_eu.jpg
The best type of travel adapter for France and Spain (order online much cheaper than airports)
Great little SIM phones from Bic/Orange.fr you can buy in Airport Vending machines:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/14825...ay_gadget.html
The best type of travel adapter for France and Spain (order online much cheaper than airports)
Great little SIM phones from Bic/Orange.fr you can buy in Airport Vending machines:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/14825...ay_gadget.html
May 23rd, 2010, 10:08 AM
#36
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I'm going to completely disagree with larsenjames on a couple points. However, he has excellent points on reminding the students not to make bomb jokes and making sure you have medical authorization in hand from all parents.
Don't ship the luggage, just check it. One bag checked per student and take a day or two worth of clothes and any medications in their daypacks. Do not go buy 50 adapters, each student gets and takes their own. If you're not taking a laptop already, just keep a photocopy of each students passport. When we traveled one of the adults kept all of the passports and we each kept a photocopy of our own. If you're not taking a laptop, you (one of the adults, not you specifically) should have a cellphone to call parents in case of emergency.
Don't bother asking for extra pillows, they're kids and will be fine. The airline would most likely ignore any requests like that anyway. Don't worry about your airline seats. If the students are old enough to go then they're old enough to sit where they're told and to behave without an adult sitting next to them. In one of our pre-trip meetings we did discuss etiquette such as don't get up and down constantly, don't hit/kick the seat in front of you, keep music down so your neighbor can't hear it, etc.
We never took group time for laundry, even on 3 week trips. It was up to the students to do their own laundry in the sinks or to find ways to deal with it during free time. Suggest walking shoes for the flights but if they want to wear flip flops, why not? Don't bother with matching jackets, hats or wristbands. It's not worth it and the students will hate it.
We were assigned to groups of either 3 or 4 students and anytime we got together as a group we had to make eye contact (not just see the back of someones head) with the others in our group. It was a very quick way to make sure everyone was there and accounted for without the leaders counting 1-40 and then trying to figure out who is missing when they only had 39. It worked great going through airport security. We split up between different lines at the same security area and met up on the other side, made sure we had everyone and moved on.
The one adult keeping the passports kept that controlled as a pickpocket concern. We were told that it was up to us if we wanted to wear a money belt or not but were told not to keep all cash/credit cards in one place and not to put it in a back pocket. I remember being told that backpacks weren't exactly safe either but we also traveled as a large blob of 44 people. Generally don't put anything in a backpack that you're not willing to lose. This is why I prefer a messenger bag when traveling but to each their own.
Don't ship the luggage, just check it. One bag checked per student and take a day or two worth of clothes and any medications in their daypacks. Do not go buy 50 adapters, each student gets and takes their own. If you're not taking a laptop already, just keep a photocopy of each students passport. When we traveled one of the adults kept all of the passports and we each kept a photocopy of our own. If you're not taking a laptop, you (one of the adults, not you specifically) should have a cellphone to call parents in case of emergency.
Don't bother asking for extra pillows, they're kids and will be fine. The airline would most likely ignore any requests like that anyway. Don't worry about your airline seats. If the students are old enough to go then they're old enough to sit where they're told and to behave without an adult sitting next to them. In one of our pre-trip meetings we did discuss etiquette such as don't get up and down constantly, don't hit/kick the seat in front of you, keep music down so your neighbor can't hear it, etc.
We never took group time for laundry, even on 3 week trips. It was up to the students to do their own laundry in the sinks or to find ways to deal with it during free time. Suggest walking shoes for the flights but if they want to wear flip flops, why not? Don't bother with matching jackets, hats or wristbands. It's not worth it and the students will hate it.
We were assigned to groups of either 3 or 4 students and anytime we got together as a group we had to make eye contact (not just see the back of someones head) with the others in our group. It was a very quick way to make sure everyone was there and accounted for without the leaders counting 1-40 and then trying to figure out who is missing when they only had 39. It worked great going through airport security. We split up between different lines at the same security area and met up on the other side, made sure we had everyone and moved on.
The one adult keeping the passports kept that controlled as a pickpocket concern. We were told that it was up to us if we wanted to wear a money belt or not but were told not to keep all cash/credit cards in one place and not to put it in a back pocket. I remember being told that backpacks weren't exactly safe either but we also traveled as a large blob of 44 people. Generally don't put anything in a backpack that you're not willing to lose. This is why I prefer a messenger bag when traveling but to each their own.
May 23rd, 2010, 11:27 AM
#37
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Wow what a wealth of info you have here. I did not realize how many brave I mean lucky folks traveled with student groups...
Did you say you will be in Madrid? Auduchamp said "In Spain many tapas places are for families and the variety has to appeal to them. And you can always find restaurants that prepare a simple roasted chicken with french fries." For sure Adu is again right on.
Inexpenive places. Just don't expect them to look like they do in the states. Try Casa Mingo http://www.casamingo.es/
Did you say you will be in Madrid? Auduchamp said "In Spain many tapas places are for families and the variety has to appeal to them. And you can always find restaurants that prepare a simple roasted chicken with french fries." For sure Adu is again right on.
Inexpenive places. Just don't expect them to look like they do in the states. Try Casa Mingo http://www.casamingo.es/
May 23rd, 2010, 11:59 AM
#38
Shipping their things ahead? That will cost more than a couple of airfares, and kids old enough to go should be old enough to schlepp their own stuff. Few hotels would relish receiving 50+ extra suitcases for a group that isn't even there yet?
Matching vests/hats? Maybe if they were 6-7 years old.
Extra pillows (?) -- and all sitting together on the flight in a block of rows near the toilets? My goodness, no. Have some pity for the rest of the folks on the flight
Matching vests/hats? Maybe if they were 6-7 years old.
Extra pillows (?) -- and all sitting together on the flight in a block of rows near the toilets? My goodness, no. Have some pity for the rest of the folks on the flight
May 23rd, 2010, 12:01 PM
#39
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Could you please post your itinerary so that others might evade the army as it works it's way across France and Spain?
Other than that, good luck!, or Zorte on! (in the language of the Basque speakers).
Other than that, good luck!, or Zorte on! (in the language of the Basque speakers).
May 27th, 2010, 03:53 PM
#40
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Hi, Robert,
I have been back east and have now returned, and now for our itinerary!
Beginning June 28th, Paris, Biaritz, St. Jean de Luz, Carcasionne, Toulouse, Andorra, Lourdes, San Sebastian, and Barcelona! Thanks for the encouragement. Any other advise?
I have been back east and have now returned, and now for our itinerary!
Beginning June 28th, Paris, Biaritz, St. Jean de Luz, Carcasionne, Toulouse, Andorra, Lourdes, San Sebastian, and Barcelona! Thanks for the encouragement. Any other advise?
