The tour is booked and the fundraising machine has sputtered into life.  Now that you know where you’re going, who’s coming and what you need to get there, your next move is to plan the perfect itinerary, offering your students an exceptional educational experience.

There are so many things to consider when selecting a student tour itinerary.  Here’s a brief overview that will serve to guide you, moving forward.

Identifying your logistical needs.

A lot depends on who’s in your group, how they relate to one another and what they’re up to.  If your group is active, you’ll be able to feature much more in the way of strenuous walking tours and perhaps outings with outdoor recreation, for example.

How your group of students relate to one another is an important consideration when assigning rooms with your tour provider.  You don’t want to put people in a room together who don’t get along.  Knowing your students well is your best defense against unfortunate personality conflicts, in this respect.

Under the rubric of “knowing your students”, you’ll also find key logistical considerations like dietary needs, including flood allergies.  Make sure your tour operator is aware of these, so they can make your accommodations provider aware.

Learning goals.

Educators have a clear vision of what they want their students to learn on their tour.  Discussing learning objectives with your operator will provide important information to craft the best itinerary possible with respect to your goals.

Everything on a student tour isn’t about strict programming.  Allowing your student opportunities to experience the culture of your destination (and the language, where appropriate) can provide a rich learning context they’ll benefit from for the rest of their lives.

Make sure your operator is aware of your vision in as much detail as possible and watch your dream itinerary unfold in expert hands.

The road less travelled.

While the beaten track will offer your students the chance to experience iconic sights and historical monuments, the road less travelled is often just as instructive, if not more so.

Consider offering students the chance to see something out of the ordinary.  Your tour operator can fill you in on offbeat locations at your destination that will dazzle your students, making them feel like they’re in on a secret no one else knows.

Making time to take time.

Remember to schedule down time and fun time, as well as educational content.  The more diverse your itinerary is, the more fun your students are going to have.

They’re young people.  While you need to provide them with rich learning experiences, you also want to build fun and rest into your itinerary.

Junior Tours – the itinerary builders.

At Junior Tours, we’ve been building memorable itineraries for student tours since 1967.  This brief overview of things to consider when selecting a student tour itinerary is just the start.

When you go with Junior, you go with the best.  Contact us for a quote and sample itinerary.  We’re the experts who put the world at your feet.

The tour is planned.  The students are excited.  But young people may have never had the opportunity to experience travel.  Packing is a whole new world to them.  Sometimes, your young charges need some good advice, when it comes to packing what they need on a student trip.

We’re offering these smart packing tips for student travel in 2017 as a service to educators and parents planning a student trip.  Feel free to print them off and offer them to your students as part of the total student travel experience.

What do I really need?

Experienced travellers know that smart packing is economical packing.  Pack what you really need.  We know that’s a tall order when you’re excited about going somewhere you’ve never been, but we can’t stress it enough.

Do you need those towering heels?  Probably not.  You’re going to be walking – a lot.  Towering heels may look snazzy, but they’re not very practical for travel.  Comfortable footwear is what you want.  One pair of dressier shoes and one pair of rugged walking shoes are probably enough, depending on the climate.

And that is key.  Take into consideration the climate of the place you’re travelling to and the season and pack accordingly.

Keep it versatile.

Because you’re packing economically, you need to think about how your clothes go together.  Choose items that mix and match well and are durable.

For example, jeans go with everything, but you’ll also need dress pants/a skirt for less casual occasions.  Remember to include items like sweaters, t-shirts and lightweight jackets that can be layered with other pieces.

Dark colors are always best for travel, because they’re much better at hiding spills (which are a common travel hazard).  Make sure that whatever you take coordinates well with other items you’re packing.

Lay out your clothing and see what goes best together, taking into consideration comfort and durability.  Those skinny jeans are awesome, but are they comfortable?  Be brutal!

And that brings us to choosing practicality over fashion.

Be practical.

We know you want to look your best and put your best foot forward.  Just remember that you’re going to be very active for the duration of your trip.  That means sacrificing a little fashion in favor of practicality.

You may love your fashion items, but do those sneakers look like their going to stand up to all the walking you’ll be doing?  Are they going to stay looking clean after you’ve been tramping over a Civil War battlefield or through the streets of New York City?

Ask yourself.  Then give yourself an honest answer.

Junior Tours.

These basic smart packing tips for student travel in 2017 are offered in the interest of ensuring you have the best experience possible.  Packing economically for versatility and practicality is a reward in itself.

Remember – you’ll want to leave a little room for a few cherished souvenirs!

Junior Tours has been creating exceptional trips for students since 1967.  Contact us for a quote and sample itinerary.  Let us put the world at your feet!

Students in their senior year of high school are standing at the gateway to adulthood.  They’ve worked hard to get to this place and they’re gazing ever forward, into a future bright with promise.
What could be more appropriate to celebrate this shining moment than a senior trip?  There’s a big world out there and curious seniors are ready to explore before moving out into the world as adults.  Let’s review some of the top high school senior trip destinations in 2017.

Orlando, Florida.

Known as the City Beautiful and the Theme Park Capital of the World, Orlando, Florida is one our picks for top high school senior trip destinations in 2017.  This stunning city is the gateway to extraordinary theme parks and more of them then in any other destination on the planet.

With attractions like Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Florida, your group is bound have a ball here.  Budding marine biologists can learn more about their passion at the famous SeaWorld Orlando.  The courageous can get up close and personal with Florida’s fearsome alligators at Gatorworld.

In addition, Florida’s nearby wetlands are not be missed boasting a wealth of flora and fauna to fascinate students.

New York City.

A perennial favorite for people of all ages, New York City is one of the most celebrated cities on the planet.  Its unending fascination derives from history, art and even the political intrigue of the famed hotbed of skullduggery, Tammany Hall.

The Statue of Liberty and her flame of liberty, welcoming “those yearning to be free” is just the beginning of the New York City experience.  NYC’s distinct neighborhoods and boroughs are alive with the American story – of dreams realized on the shores of our great nation and lives intertwined to create the tapestry that is modern American life.

Atlanta, Georgia.

Today a thriving metropolis, students of African-American history will turn to Atlanta as the birthplace of internationally-renowned Civil Rights leader and symbol of non-violent protest, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site is 35 acres of Civil Rights history.  Students will enjoy an encounter of Dr. King that encompasses the home in which he was born and the Ebenezer Baptist Church, where he preached as a young pastor before beginning his historic journey.

Walk in the footsteps of this American legend in Atlanta and encounter the living legacy of a man who changed the face of our nation by challenging its institutions.

These are just a small selection of top high school senior trip destinations in 2017.  The world is a diverse place, filled with wonder for seniors to explore as they move toward their futures.

Junior Tours – the world at your feet.

Since 1967, Junior Tours has placed the world at the feet of students, offering them unique educational experiences, finely curated to educator learning objectives.

Founded by a teacher, Junior Tours supports educators by offering them itineraries that speak to their vision for students.  Contact us for a quotation and sample itinerary.

There’s no question that student travel presents outstanding educational opportunities.  Students learn in a whole new way when you take them out into a world full of possibilities. But before you get them out there, you need to find the right student travel company.  There are so many to choose from, with a variety of focuses and service levels.  Finding the right one is key to the quality of your student travel experience.

Here are 5 questions to ask before selecting a student travel company.

1. Will my kids be safe?

It’s normal for parents to worry about sending their children off into the great unknown.  It’s not that they don’t trust educators and chaperones.  But they’re not going to be there.  If it’s the first time they’ve sent a child on a student tour, they may be apprehensive.

That’s why it’s key you find a student travel company with clear guidelines concerning security and support.  Will your group get 24-hour support, on tour?   Does the company have policies governing student conduct, with their safety in mind?

2. Is the itinerary flexible?

A quality student travel company tailors your tour to your group’s interests and learning objectives.  Cookie cutter models are rarely satisfying for anyone.

Choose a student travel company that’s biddable and flexible concerning your itinerary, to ensure that your students get the learning experience you envision.

3. How’s the hotel?

It’s key you ensure that your student travel company selects accommodations which are both secure and comfortable.  A good company should enjoy relationships with high quality, reputable vendors.  You should also be able to work with your tour company to select accommodations that put parents at ease.

Look for a tour company that works with centrally-located facilities with excellent reputations.  The quality of vendors and their relationships to your tour company tell a story.

4. What’s included (or not)?

Be sure to discuss pricing with your student tour company to ensure that what you see is what you get.  Are there hidden costs?  Are taxes included?  Are there optional “add-ons” and what do they cost?

Pay special attention to ticketing for attractions like museums and historical sites.  These can make a huge difference to the ultimate cost of your tour.  If students will be required to pay for tickets over-and-above the cost of the tour, you need to know in advance.

5. Lots of bus time?

You’re taking your students on a tour to provide an educational experience they’ll remember all their lives.  Make sure they’re not going to be sitting on a bus for large portions of it.

A quality student tour company will carefully plan your itinerary to give you the maximum educational bang for your buck and reduce time spent moving from place to place on a bus.

These are 5 questions to ask before selecting a student travel company.  Junior Tours is a family-owned business that’s being taking students places since 1967.  Contact us for a quote and sample itinerary.  Let’s talk about your student travel vision.

The history of the USA, with its epic battles and struggles for freedom, is vivid and right here, under our feet.  Putting your students into the very heart of history is a way to connect them with the past and teach them the lessons it has for them, both today and for the future.

Here, we talk about 5 places that will bring your history class to life, confronting your students with the living lessons of a vibrant history.

1. Williamsburg, Virginia.

This colonial city invites your students into the very heart of the American colonial experience.  With an interactive learning experience embodied in a faithfully reconstructed village, they’ll walk into the world of their forefathers.

Only miles away is Jamestown, where the Virginia Company of London sent an expedition to establish a settlement in the area – the first in the USA.   In 1607 this became the state of Virginia’s first capital.

2. New Orleans, Louisiana.

The vibrant history of the Crescent City is full of secrets and intrigue.  Its place on the banks of the Mississippi River made it an early trading hub for the southern states, encompassing the slave trade.

It’s also here in New Orleans that the Civil Rights movement effectively began when Homer Plessy attempted to board a “whites only” streetcar, provoking a landmark case considered pivotal in the history of the Civil Rights movement – Plessy vs. Ferguson.

3. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The city of brotherly love is where the dream of America was well and truly established, when the Founding Fathers set their hands to the seminal Declaration of Independence.

Here students can see the famous handiwork of Betsy Ross’s flag and the Liberty Bell, which first rang out the good news of America’s birth and freedom to its sons and daughters.  This rich site of American history will inspire your students and fill them with pride.

4. Washington, DC.

Nexus of the tremendous international power of the USA, Washington, DC is the seat of our nation’s government.  It’s here that Abraham Lincoln is memorialized in the eponymous monument and the nation’s business is done in the halls of the House of Congress, Senate and the White House.

The capital’s Smithsonian Museum preserves the legacy of the USA, from the gowns of the First Ladies of the USA, to the cultural treasures of our diverse nation.

5. Atlanta, Georgia.

In beautiful Atlanta, Georgia students can walk in the footsteps of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., experiencing him as a child growing up with the realities of Jim Crow and becoming a Civil Rights figure who would shake America to its foundations, transforming it forever.

See his childhood home and the Ebenezer Baptist Church, from where he launched his long and arduous battle for equality, with non-violent mass protests and marches.

Bring history to life with Junior Tours.

This list of 5 places that will bring your history class to life is just a sample of where Junior Tours can take you.  Contact us and let us lead your students through American history.