Did you know that the average European educational tour lasts 9 days? 

How long you plan to travel with your students is a decision that rests on several factors:

• School vacation dates and school board approval
• Destination
• Budget
• Educational goals

Let’s examine how each of these helps determine the length of your trip. 

Many teachers choose to travel during school holidays—spring break, winter holidays, etc. Sometimes they have a few days around Easter weekend or Thanksgiving to play with. If it’s not possible to take your group out of school for an educational tour, then you’ll need to plan around pre-set vacation dates on your school calendar. If you’re working with a week of school vacation, then a 9-day tour is a great option, as it often allows you a day of rest before returning to school! Your school board may also place limits on the length of your trip, so make sure to be aware of their guidelines.

Where you travel will also dictate a minimum number of travel days you need in your itinerary. If you’re planning a trip to a nearby destination, then it can be possible to schedule it for a long weekend. On the other hand, teachers who travel with their students to Europe, Costa Rica, China or other overseas destinations find they need at least a week and, more often than not, a few extra travel days tacked onto that. 

Budget, however, will also play a role in the length of your student trip. For each additional day on tour, your group will need lodging and meals. In fact, rearranging on-tour activities to shave a day off the front or end of a particular itinerary is one way in which our tour consultants help teachers build solid educational tours at prices their students can afford.

Now, let’s not skip over that part: building solid educational tours. It’s unlikely that you’re looking to take your students on a fly-by spree to check a few major monuments off their bucket lists, or on the flip side, that you want to sit on a beach with them for a week. When deciding the length of your trip, you’ll need to consider your educational objectives, your destination’s must-see attractions and lesser-known gems, as well as the travel pace you and your group can handle. Don’t forget to schedule time to partake in such educational experiences as wandering through a local market, allowing your group to relax and perhaps mingle with local students at a park, or simply sitting in a café and watching the world go by. A well-balanced itinerary may need to be stretched out by a day or two to encompass all of the experiences you want to offer your students.

The great thing about customized tours is that they can be designed around your educational objectives, your budget and the time your group has available for travel. When you get to your destination, you can dive right into the reasons you chose to show your students the world.

No matter the length of your trip, or the destination, your students are sure to see the world with new eyes after their educational tour. Bon voyage!