Use a school travel company or do it yourself?

As a seasoned party leader you might be tempted to book things yourself, but taking sole responsibility for every element of your trip could leave your group exposed if things don't go to plan. Whether you're a veteran or a newbie, read on to understand these crucial considerations before embarking on a DIY school trip.

Use a school trip specialist to benefit from financial and refund protection  

When planning for a school trip abroad, it's crucial to ensure your group's safety and financial security. Voyager School Travel offers comprehensive package options that provide both financial and refund protection, ensuring a worry-free experience for teachers and students alike. 

The key is to arrange your school trip as a package

By booking your school trip as a package through an ABTA member such as Voyager School Travel, your group benefits from extra financial and legal protection.

• We are legally obliged to deliver the school package you paid for and, if something does go wrong, the onus is on us to put it right. This includes offering an alternative trip or full refund if we can't provide the trip we promised.
• By booking with a financially-bonded travel operator, parents can trust their trip deposits are secure from day one - an invaluable benefit considering many school trips are booked a year in advance and are more vulnerable to suppliers going out of business.

This is not the case if a school organises different elements - such as flights, activities and accommodation - in multiple transactions. 

What constitutes a package?

For your school trip abroad to qualify as a package and receive refund protection, we arrange multiple elements of your journey. This may include transportation, accommodation, guided tours, and meals. The more components we handle, the greater your protection in case of itinerary changes.

DIY versus using a school travel specialist

Even if you have a clear view of where you want to go and exactly what you want to do, putting together a DIY trip can be more of a headache compared to using an educational travel specialist.

• By having one single supplier to make and be responsible for, all the arrangements and just one single invoice to pay, is certainly easier than organising each element yourself. Leaving you more time to make sure your students' get the most learning from your trip.
• As a member of the School Travel Forum (STF) we can guarantee that all accommodation, transport and itineraries are fit for school groups, meaning you don't have to do the research.
• Because we hold the Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge you can be sure about the quality and safety of our trips, reducing your risk assessment burden.

We'll get your group home

While you are away, our multi-lingual team provide 24/7 emergency support so if there is a problem, you are not on your own. Wherever possible, our groups travel with Pegasus, our very own specialist coach company which means that you can be sure of a punctual and reliable service. On more than one occassion, we've used our coach fleet to bring home a school group left grounded in Europe.

Ready to plan your school trip abroad?

Contact us with your learning objectives and our travel team will use their expertise to recommend a workable itinerary with plenty of school group-friendly options to help you make the most out of your trip this summer.

More on this topic

• How to choose the right travel partner: three essential checks
• Safety, insurance & risk assessment resources to support your risk assessment
• The difference between ABTA and ATOL and how your school trip is protected
• Our commitment to you - we won't let you down