You want as many of your students as possible to travel; and for that reason, you must be budget-conscious when building your tour itinerary.

But you’re also wary of fluffy, touristy, bare-bones trips. Who wants to go to the trouble of flying across an ocean if it’s just to see everything from a bus window?

Your student trip must balance quality and price. You want your students’ experience to be unforgettable. You want numerous hands-on, only-here educational opportunities on the itinerary. You want your students to be active participants in their travel experience. And you want the most bang for your buck.

So, when planning your educational student trip, think about these things that tip the balance.

Factors that influence Price:

• Destination: Will you be traveling domestically or to Europe?

• Length of trip: A day more (or a day less) on your itinerary has its cost.

• Hotel star rating: 2, 3 or 4 stars. What comfort level is your group expecting?

• Travel dates: Traveling in the low season is significantly cheaper than in the high season.

• The number of chaperones in your group: The cost of a chaperone is spread across the number of student travelers.

• The number of included activities: Consider the pace of your itinerary.

Factors that influence Quality:

• Type of tour activities: Guided visits or individual exploration of a site? Experiential activities or typical tourist sites? Structured itinerary or blocks of free time?

• Experience of tour guide: Is your tour guide a resident of your destination, or a college student doing this as a summer job?

• Customization to your educational goals/curriculum: How well does the itinerary reinforce and complement what you’ve been teaching in your classroom?

• Authentic experiences: Are you getting more than the typical, beaten-path itinerary? Do the tour guides know special places to take your group?

•  Group consolidation: Will you be combined with another school group in order to fill a tour bus, or do you prefer to travel with only your own group?

So, how do you tip the scale in your favor? Only you know what’s best for your group, but consider that there are many ways to offset the cost of your trip so that you can pile more “quality” onto your educational trip. Fundraising events are a way to lower your students’ out-of-pocket costs. With enough advance planning, your students may be able to take on summer jobs to help pay for their trip. They will also be able to make smaller payments over a longer period of time.

Make a list of your must-see sites, but also make a list of the less tangible experiences you hope your students will get out of the trip. Travel itself is a learning experience, and making such a list will help you get a better grasp of the value of your tour. Consider which parts of your tour will be the most memorable for your students.

So, what would your perfect tour look like?