Top School Trip Travel Tips

Summer is here and the trip that seemed so far away last October is suddenly within reach! There are always some last-minute must dos before you take off. Here are our top travel tips before your summer school trip.

1. Sign up for flight notifications

Whatever your airline, find out your flight number and get text or email notifications to your phone. You don’t want to miss out on critical, real time updates.

2. Clear your camera

The phrase “iPhone Storage Full” is up there with “Where Did My Group Go?” and “We Missed the Train” on the list of things you don’t want to hear when traveling. Avoid the sadness of not being able to take pictures by backing up any photos prior to the trip and deleting them off your phone. Your nephew’s 6th birthday party will be safe and sound while you capture that Mediterranean sunset. You can also get a photo app like google photos or amazon to automatically back-up your pictures when you connect to wifi. This way you never lose any of your great snaps.

3. Download the ACIS app

We’ve dedicated a whole post to the features of the ACIS app, but just to name a few:

• Centralized flight and hotel information for every stop of the journey
• Downloadable maps that don’t require any WIFI overseas
• In depth descriptions of important cultural sites
• A journal and photo section to keep organized

4. Pull out all the stuff you want to bring – and then take away half

Simplicity is key: The less you bring, the less you have to lug around, and the more space you have, the more souvenirs you can bring home!

5. Pick sensible footwear

Not only will you be doing an insane amount of walking, chances are you won’t always find yourself on a smooth surface. The historic towns of Europe are lined with cobblestone streets, beautiful to behold but treacherous to the modern high heel. Save yourself a twisted ankle and make sturdy, comfortable walking shoes your #1 packing item. That goes for sandals too – feel free to bring a pair for downtime or dinners out, but don’t rely on them for daytime touring.

(5.5. If you bought new shoes for the trip, start breaking them in now!)

6. It’s summer! Now remember your sweaters

Going on a summer trip combines all the beauty of travel with the warmth of the sun, but don’t be fooled into leaving layers behind! Many churches, including St. Peter’s in Rome, require shoulder covering to enter, so you will want to bring something with sleeves to thrown on. Plus, you may find yourself in air conditioned museums and restaurants.

7. Stay Current 

Make a list of the countries you will be visiting and see what types of electrical voltage are typically used there. You may need to purchase an electrical converter for items such as hairdryers, phone chargers, tablets, and kindles.

8. Download your entertainment for the plane

Wherever you’re going, it’s a long flight! Download your playlists, Netflix, ebooks and puzzles so you’re ready when they announce that there are still 5 hours remaining in the air.

9. Plan a hashtag

Keep everyone’s photos together on social media with a trip hashtag for your group! And don’t forget to tag #acis in your photos: you just might be featured on the ACIS social media pages!

10. Nail down some key foreign language phrases

Will you be traveling to a country whose primary language is not English? Be sure to have a few key phrases ready for any languages you may encounter. Knowing at least the following makes a world of difference:

“Yes, No, Please, Thank You, Pardon me”
“Where is the bathroom?”
“Could I please order…”
“I’m sorry, I do not speak [language]”

Do you have have any great school trip travel tips you’d like to share with us? Let us know.

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