The Most In-Demand School Trips – Our Data Reveals All

Voyager’s Most Asked For Destinations Ranked

At Voyager School Travel, we’re best known for our immersive language programmes. But our classic educational tours remain just as important - and the last academic year revealed some interesting shifts in where schools are choosing to travel.

We analysed every school tour enquiry from the 2024/25 academic year to uncover the most popular destinations and how they compare with the year before. From Paris’s continued dominance to a surprising surge in science-focused trips, here’s what the data tells us about school travel trends.

The study compares demand for teacher-led educational tours and so excludes Voyager’s own language programmes in France, Spain and Germany.

The Top Three School Trip Destinations

Paris, Barcelona and Berlin have held their positions for another year. In fact, the top three destinations remain unchanged since before the pandemic.

1. Paris and Disneyland Paris continue to outshine every other destination, receiving twice as many enquiries than Barcelona in second place.
2. Barcelona keeps its spot at number two, proving it’s still the go-to for Spanish culture. (Barca is also blessed with multiple flights from UK regional airports.)
3. Berlin secures third place, with its unique mix of history and German language subjects covered.

For language teachers, it’s no surprise that Paris, Barcelona and Berlin dominate. These destinations remain the most popular for schools wanting students to practise their French, Spanish or German skills in a real-world context, one of the biggest advantages of travelling abroad.

Italy School Trips Are Back On The Map

One of the most striking shifts is Italy’s resurgence. Rome has climbed from 7th to 4th place, overtaking Madrid, while Sorrento and Naples have entered the top 10 for the first time.

With their classical heritage, art, and geography links, these Italian destinations appeal across subjects — offering strong curriculum justification and excellent value for school groups.

Spanish Cities (Apart From Barcelona) Lose Ground

Outside of Barcelona, however, Spanish cities are losing ground. Madrid has slipped from 4th to 6th, while Valencia has dropped five places to 11th after a period of growth (with last autumn’s floods in the region perhaps affecting teachers’ preferences).

Are Spanish teachers turning away from big, tourist-heavy cities and instead favouring smaller, more authentic regions where students can immerse themselves in daily life and language? 

A Boom In STEM Trips

One of the clearest growth areas has been science-based school tours.

• Geneva/CERN is now a top 10 destination, rising from 13th to 9th.
• Euro Space Camp has climbed two places further up the top 20.

With schools under pressure to justify trips on educational grounds, STEM-focused tours offer a clear and defensible value to parents, governors and SLT.

Classics Trips Make A Comeback

After several quiet years, Classics tours to Greece and Italy are enjoying a revival. Athens school trips jumped seven places to 16th, and Rome educational tours continue to climb the rankings to be our fourth most enquired about tour. Teachers are clearly looking for inspiring destinations that bring history and the ancient world alive.

Voyager’s Top 20 School Tour Destinations 2024/25 Academic Year

Analysis of enquiries for teacher-led tours – excluding demand for Voyager’s own language programmes in France, Spain and Germany.

Rank	Tour Destination	Rank	Tour Destination
1	➝ Paris (no change)	11	▼ Valencia (down 5)
2	➝ Barcelona (no change)	12	▼ Krakow & Auschwitz (down 2)
3	➝ Berlin (no change)	13	▲ Ypres (up 3)
4	▲ Rome (up 3)	14	▼ Reykjavík (down 2)
5	▲ Cologne & Rhine (up 3)	15	▲ Washington DC (up 3)
6	▼ Madrid  (down 2)	16	▲ Athens (up 3)
7	▼ New York  (down 2)	17	▼ Amsterdam (down 2)
8	▲ Opal Coast  (up 1) *	18	▲ Euro Space Camp (up 2)
9	▲ Geneva / CERN  (up 3)	19	▲ Strasbourg (up 3)
10	▲ Sorrento & Naples  (up 3)	20	▼ Black Forest (down 3)

 

* Interest in teacher-led tours of the Opal Coast, excluding our language programmes based at Voyager’s own Opal Coast centre

Top Ten School Tour Destinations – The Winners and Losers

Final Word

From trying out French language in Paris to exploring the ruins of ancient civilisations in Athens or unlocking the secrets of modern science at CERN, the latest figures show that schools are choosing trips that combine cultural exposure with clear educational value.

Where will you take your students next year?

• Get a quote today and start planning your school trip that takes learning beyond the classroom
• Find out more about our top three destinations and see why teachers choose us for school trips to Paris, Barcelona and Berlin each year.