An end-of-year school trip begins long before the airport: it begins the day a teacher opens a quote and has to decide whom to trust. And two quotes with similar prices can hide two very different trips.
Short answer: to compare school trip quotes, ask what is confirmed and what is not, who looks after you before and during the trip, how realistic each day's programme is and what happens if something changes. Here are ten questions to do it with the same rules for every agency.
1. What is confirmed and what is just a promise?
Are the flights confirmed, or only pre-booked, with the price still able to change?
A nice price on an unconfirmed seat is a price that can still move. Ask them to tell you, in writing, which flights are issued and which are not.
Do the hotels have names? Do you know where you will sleep?
"3-star hotel in a central area" is not a hotel. Knowing the name and the area lets you check the location, the reviews and the distance to the activities.
What does the price include and what will you pay separately?
Tickets, meals, taxes, guides, insurance: the difference between two quotes is sometimes not in the total but in what is left out of it.
2. Who is with you when something goes wrong?
Do you have a 24-hour helpline during the trip, or only during office hours?
Unexpected events do not keep office hours. It is better to know in advance whom you will call at ten o'clock at night.
Do you have a sales contact assigned to you?
One thing is the person who sells you the trip. It is worth knowing whether you have someone specific on your side before the trip, or whether you will speak to someone different every time.
Do you have an operations contact assigned to you?
Another thing is the person who organises it. It is worth knowing whether there, too, you will have someone specific, before and during the trip, or whether you will speak to someone different every time.
3. Can this programme really be lived?
Have you been given the timetable of each day's activities?
A programme without times is a wish list. With times you can see whether there is room to breathe.
Do you have the kilometres and routes for each day, and the time you will spend travelling? Are they realistic, counting the breaks?
A day with three visits can be wonderful or exhausting, depending on how many hours of coach travel separate them. Maps tell you what the brochure does not.
Has the size of your group been taken into account?
With 10, 15, 20 or 80 people, it is a different trip. The time needed for meals, breakfasts, checking out of rooms and moving from place to place changes. A good programme is designed for your group, not for any group.
4. What if plans change?
What happens if the number of students changes or someone cancels?
Ask how it affects the price per student and what the payment terms and dates are. Clear answers now avoid surprises in spring.
How to use these questions
Ask every agency the same questions and compare the answers in writing, not just the final price. A good trip shows in the details that someone took the time to answer.
Want to compare with us? Request your quote from Valua Travel and ask us these ten questions. You can also compare two destinations with the trip comparator on the home page.
Header photo: a group of students walking towards the coaches. Photo: Pexels (illustrative stock image).