Planning a school trip? How to bag the best student travel packages
School trips can be so rewarding, offering students a chance to learn outside the classroom, build their confidence and develop new friendships amongst their peers.
But these trips don’t just come together.
There is a lot of careful planning that goes into making these adventures possible, especially if you're planning on going abroad.
And while travel planning can be exciting, it can also be a challenging task. You need to plan the best itinerary for the best price and make it all as simple as possible.
So, if you’re considering taking your students away in the near future, let us help. Here is how to bag the best student travel packages and organise the greatest student getaway.
Understand what makes a complete package
When creating group travel packages, especially for school trips, it’s important that you understand what makes a complete package. This will help you to ensure you get the best deals and that you don't miss out on any important details.
With that in mind, we’ve put together a checklist of all the elements you need to consider for the full student travel package. These include:
Location - First and foremost, you need to choose the location and a rough idea of dates
Travel arrangements - How you’ll travel, whether that’s flights, bus, train, etc., as well as transfers and getting around when you're in your chosen location
Accommodation - Where everyone will stay
Tours and activities - What will you do there? For example, visiting attractions, educational organisations, activities, events, workshops, etc.
Food and beverages - Should you look for all-inclusive/full board options, packed lunches for days out, whether food will be included in the price and more
Getting the combination of all these things just right is so important, not just for planning the best trip, but for securing the most valuable student travel package.
Plan your trip well in advance
It’s a good idea to start planning the trip well in advance of your departure date to ensure you secure the best deals and availability.
For example, if this is an annual trip, you can start planning the next year’s trip as soon as you return from the current one.
If it’s something new, start planning as soon as the idea has come to fruition and been approved.
This allows for more flexibility and gives you time to address any unforeseen challenges. It also means you're more likely to bag the best discounts for early booking.
Define your budget early too
In order to make sure you stay within your budget and that you get the most for your money, you need to determine the budget for the trip as early as possible.
This will help to narrow down your options and ensure that you choose the best and most affordable package for all students.
This might require a little bit of research in the early stages, looking at the average cost of hotels, travel, tours, etc. and getting a figure in mind before you move forward. You should also run this by parents/students to make sure it is as affordable as possible.
Research and work with group travel agencies
When the time comes to book your trips, it’s crucial that you look for reputable group travel agencies that specialise in group travel, particularly school trips.
You can do this online, by checking out websites, reviews and testimonials to gauge the quality of their services.
By working with an agency, you’ll increase your chances of securing the best packages as they are likely to have existing relationships with key travel providers, hotel chains and tour providers.
But more than that, you’ll get the added bonus of flexibility, as well as a representative to talk to and the comfort of knowing a professional is handling your trip.
You have the option to use more than one provider if this helps you to get a better price. However, we suggest that wherever possible it’s a good idea to find a group travel agency that can help you put together the full package.
Customise your student package
When booking your school trip, a one-size-fits-all approach won’t often work. So once you've found an agency or website offering great student packages, it’s time to see if you can customise these further.
This will allow you to meet your group's specific needs and preferences and means you can do away with any unnecessary extras and additional costs.
This might include adjusting the itinerary, choosing different accommodation options or swapping out activities until you've created the student travel package that’s best for you.
If you find a provider that doesn't offer flexibility or the ability to customise packages, it might be better to look elsewhere.
Don’t just go for the tourist traps
Finally, when putting your student travel package together, be sure to choose a mixture of must-see places and activities, and those that are lesser-known or less frequented.
This can help to keep the costs down as tours and activities around some of the biggest tourist traps can quickly become very expensive.
So, when building your package, it’s a good idea to mix it up. Plus, this can offer a far more rewarding experience for students who may get to see and experience things that many won’t.
We understand that planning a school trip and bagging the best student travel packages requires careful planning and in most cases, help from the professionals.
So, to find out how BTG Travel Management can help create your next school trip, get in touch with our friendly team today.