FAQs

Find our most commonly asked questions and their answers below.

Planning a tour

  • We work with teachers on a one-on-one basis to design a study tour that links directly to the key learning outcomes of the relevant syllabus areas. This ensures a program with a solid academic base designed to enhance a student’s understanding of and passion for certain subject areas. As a result, they may improve their learning in the classroom. On a more general level, students can become more independent and improve their social skills and confidence. They can learn about being global citizens and open their eyes to more than just their corner of the world. For many, it sparks a lifelong interest in travel and other cultures.

  • We generally require a minimum of 20 paying participants on a tour. Any less and the tour price becomes quite high and group discounts may no longer apply.

    While we have taken group sizes of up to 80 participants before, we recommend keeping the group to one coach which is usually 50 people (inclusive of teachers and Tour Manager).

  • As all of our tours are fully customised, you will need to request a quote in order to have a cost. The price will depend on the itinerary, inclusions, number of paying participants, number of funded teacher places and other factors.

  • Your school will have a required ratio for overseas excursions. The standard ratio is usually 1 teacher for every 8-10 students.

  • Generally, our standard tour costing includes everything except lunch each day and spending money. We can add or remove any travel services on request.

  • It is a school decision about whether parents and/or school community members will be invited to join the tour. If your school needs to obtain permission from an external body (eg DET) for the tour to proceed, it is advisable to check with them about any restrictions concerning adding non-students to the tour.

  • As this is your tour and the teachers are responsible for the care and behaviour of the participants on the tour, it is completely a school decision as to who is invited along. Most schools will tend to stick to the senior years, especially if the program is particularly academic and linked to the senior syllabus. So for us, there is no age limit. You design the tour and who you allow to travel with the group.

  • We recommend beginning to plan your tour 12-18 months prior to your planned departure. However, some schools prefer to plan tours up to 2 years prior to travel.

  • All of our tours are fully bespoke. Most schools we work with vary existing itineraries in order to meet their specific requirements. Some examples of variations include:

    • Visiting specific battlefields and memorials on the Western Front with which the school community has a connection.

    • Adding extra nights in key locations which are studied in depth in school programs (e.g. The City of Rome in Ancient History, Paris or London as a World City).

    • Adding extra nights in key locations to broaden the subject area coverage or for reasons of faith (e.g. attend mass in Rome, visit a branch of the school’s religious order).

    • Extend an itinerary to broaden the appeal of the tour (e.g. visiting the ‘art cities’ of northern Italy after undertaking an ancient history tour).

    • Visiting ‘sister schools’ with which the school has an established relationship.

    • Undertaking community service activities.

  • Generally we recommend that most of the available time on student tours is fairly tightly programmed as our tours focus on academic content and experience. However, we recognise that everyone needs some downtime on tour and that academic content needs to be balanced with some “lighter” activities. Most of our tour itineraries therefore incorporate a limited time (1-2 hours) on most days when students can either rest at the hotel or enjoy some shopping or free exploration in a designated, safe area. However, it is ultimately the school’s decision as to how much non-programmed time is included.

  • Once you have established that there are a reasonable number of students/others seriously interested in the tour based on your estimated/quoted numbers, we recommend holding an information evening. An Academy Travel representative will visit your school to conduct the meeting, using a PowerPoint presentation to outline the tour’s proposed itinerary, provide an overview of travel logistics including accommodation, meals, weather etc and give a comprehensive summary of the tour’s inclusions. Generally, a booking QR code/URL will be provided at the evening to register for the tour and a booking deadline is communicated.

  • We understand that schools may have their own paperwork to complete and procedures to follow to screen and approve students wanting to travel on tours. We can certainly work with any internal school process, but we do require that all tour participants (students and teachers) complete an Academy Travel booking form. This is important as it allows participants to agree to our booking terms and conditions and provides us with the essential information we require to service each tour participant.

  • If the number of participants in a tour is significantly less than budgeted, or if there is a significant change in exchange rates, Academy Travel reserves the right to amend the advertised price. If this occurs you will be given the option of cancelling your booking and obtaining a full refund. If an Academy Travel tour is forced to cancel you will get a full refund of all monies paid. Unlike other tour companies, we do not increase the price at the time of final invoice.

  • Occasionally circumstances beyond the control of Academy Travel make it necessary to change airline, hotel or to make slight amendments to daily itineraries. We will inform you of any changes as soon as they occur.

TRAVEL & LOGISTICS

  • Airlines are selected based on scheduling, fares and safety. Our preferred international airlines include Etihad Airways, Emirates, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and United Airlines. International flights are released 11 months prior to departure, so it is not always possible to confirm your international flights when your tour is booked in. For flights within Europe or the USA we use respected low-cost and local airlines.

  • The majority of transportation included is by private coach, including airport transfers and inter-city travel. Academy Travel selects local coach companies with good safety records and well maintained vehicles. The drivers meet all local licensing, driving times and rest period requirements.

    We tend to avoid the use of long distance trains in order to minimise risk and maximise time in each destination. The cost differentiation is minimal given the availability of low cost airfares.

    Often in cities the public transport system is an efficient means of moving the group around. The Tour Manager will provide tickets for any public transport required and ensure the safe and efficient movement of the group on and off transport.

  • Hotels range from Superior 2* to 4*. Our main priorities when choosing hotels are safety, location and functionality. All hotel rooms have ensuite bathrooms (no shared facilities). Hotels are inspected by Academy Travel staff or our ground operators.

  • Students are accommodated in twin or triple rooms with single beds, according to the composition of the group and the available rooms at hotels. Teachers/adults will be accommodated in single rooms unless specified or requested.

  • Rooming is decided by the organising teachers and may change from hotel to hotel according to the composition of the available rooms. Where possible, properties will allocate rooms for the group in close proximity, however this cannot be guaranteed.

  • Generally, all breakfasts and dinners are included. Breakfasts are served in hotels or local cafes, while included evening meals are taken in the hotel or local restaurants. Soft drinks (1 per person) and water are included with the evening meal.

  • Definitely! We have lots of experience dealing with students who are vegetarians, gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free etc. Any special dietary requirements must be advised at time of booking to ensure they are catered for on flights and throughout the tour.

  • We will provide what information and documents are necessary for visa applications and will also assist with providing a timeline and reminders to affected students and their families. However, visa applications for students aged under 18 must be made by the parents/guardians of the student (and generally a consular appointment/interview is also required), so the ultimate responsibility for the acquisition of the Visa remains with the parents/guardians.

  • With the school’s explicit written permission, participants may undertake additional travel before or after a tour. Separate booking, deposit and payment conditions will apply to additional travel and will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis. Any changes to the group flights will cost the individual a change fee, any price differential in flight prices, plus any additional airport taxes.

  • Wherever possible, we are happy to welcome additional participants on the tour. Final confirmation of an additional participant’s position on the tour will depend on flight and accommodation availability, but we will endeavour to facilitate additions up until final documentation is issued.

Payments & Cancellations

  • All payments will be collected by the school and passed onto Academy Travel as per the schedule set out in our Tour Offer.

  • A non-refundable deposit of $500 per student is required to confirm their place on the tour. 

    At 6 months prior to departure, an instalment payment of $1000 per student will be invoiced to the school for payment.

    Final payment for the remainder of the tour price will be due 70 days prior to departure.

  • The school can determine its own payment schedule with the student’s families at any interval they so choose and does not need to mirror what is due to Academy Travel. 

  • According to our Booking Terms and Conditions, if a student cancels more than 180 days before a tour departs, they will forfeit their $500 deposit unless there is another student who can take their place where this deposit will be transferred to the new participant. 

    The following penalties apply for cancellations made within 181 days of departure:

    • 180 – 71 days before departure: Forfeit of all deposits plus any instalment payment made

    • 70 – 31 days before departure: 50% of the total amount due for the tour

    • 30 days or less before departure: 100% of total amount due for tour*

     *You may also be liable to pay any cancellation charges imposed by third parties for flights and additional accommodation and services.

  • We regret that refunds will not be given for any unused portions of the tour, such as meals, entry fees or accommodation.

PRE-DEPARTURE & DEPARTURE DAY

  • Around 4-5 weeks prior to the tour’s departure, an Academy Travel representative will visit your school to conduct a pre-departure meeting. Generally, this event is attended by all travellers and parents/guardians. At this meeting, travel documents are distributed to all participants along with itinerary booklets and a comprehensive pre-departure booklet which provides information about preparing for the trip. The Academy Travel representative is then also able to answer any questions that travellers/parents may have. Many schools also use this meeting as an opportunity to speak to students/parents about behavioural expectations, medical and safety issues etc and often distribute school-based material.

  • On the day of departure, we advise all tour participants to meet at the departure airport at least 3 hours prior to the scheduled flight departure time. An Academy Travel representative is also in attendance to assist with the check-in process (ex-Sydney only). Travellers are reminded about restrictions in what can be taken in carry-on baggage and are helped with any questions they may have. The Academy Travel representative then assists the group move together to the Customs and screening area.

Safety Measures

  • Academy Travel issues comprehensive travel insurance policies.

  • If your school has its own travel insurance policy for travelling students and teachers, we will not include the cost of insurance from the tour price and leave the insurance in the school’s hands.

  • We understand that the completion of risk management requirements can be stressful and time-consuming, so we assist with documentation wherever possible. We will also work with teachers to provide any other requested documents where possible.

  • Academy Travel closely monitors travel advice provided by the Australian Government.

    Should the level of warning for an entire proposed destination country be changed to one of the two highest levels (‘Reconsider your need to travel’ or ‘Do not travel’) Academy Travel will, on the request of the school, cancel all arrangements and refund all monies paid by the school or participants.

    Should the level of warning for specific region or city on the itinerary for the tour be changed to one of the two highest levels (‘Reconsider your need to travel’ or ‘Do not travel’) Academy Travel will, on the request of the school, modify the itinerary to avoid visiting these places at no cost to the school or to tour participants.

  • The first action is for all travellers to follow the advice of local authorities. The Academy Travel Tour Manager will then liaise with our office, teachers on tour and the school to determine the best and safest course of action. If an incident occurs prior to the group arriving in a specific city/site, the tour itinerary will be adjusted accordingly in conjunction with the school, teachers and our office.

Roles on Tour

  • Academy Travel has links with academic experts to provide content to groups on tour through site visits or lectures. Availability of specific experts can be requested by schools, however only confirmed 4-6 weeks prior to departure dependent on availability.

    Each site visit will include a local guide or academic expert to provide content. Orientation walks will be provided by the Tour Manager.

  • Teachers are primarily responsible for the pastoral care of their students, behavioural issues on tour, ensuring any school guidelines for overseas excursions are met and providing input to the academic content of the tour (where applicable). The main organising teacher will also liaise closely with the Tour Manager to ensure that the tour runs smoothly.

  • We work with a variety of Tour Managers and seek to match the needs of each particular group with the different skills of our Tour Managers. We use professional European-based tour managers, former and current History, Drama and Visual Arts teachers, and Australian-based, experienced Tour Managers.

  • An experienced Tour Manager will be with the group from arrival to departure. It is their role to manage the logistics of the tour – ensuring that the tour runs smoothly, that all services are delivered as promised and to deal with any emergencies or re-scheduling that occurs on tour. The Tour Manger will also work closely with teachers to meet the pastoral care and behavioural expectations of the school, but the organising teachers retain the main responsibility for these areas.

  • This is a decision by the organising teachers and usually there are two schools of thought. Some teachers choose to collect and look after all passports on arrival in the destination and only distribute when necessary. These teachers would rather take on this responsibility than have the worry about replacing a lost passport. The other thought is that these tours are also supposed to assist these young adults into being more independent and looking after their own passports is part of that process.