The Most Valuable Thing You'll Pack: Time

In educational travel, every moment matters.

Your time overseas is precious. We believe it’s for exploring, not commuting. It’s for discovering, not waiting in lines. It’s for the magical aha moments that you’ll remember forever. When you’ve been planning and looking forward to a life-changing experience for months, there isn't a minute to waste.

See how time is spent on an ACIS tour and compare to a Budget tour provider. 

Starting with Flights

We prioritize the best routings available and fly direct when possible. They prioritize saving money and if that means multiple connections with long layovers, so be it.

For example, how would you rather get to Venice?

DALLAS VENICE CHICAGO MILAN

11 hours vs 18 hours to get to the same place is a big difference.
You can do a lot with 7 extra touring hours!

Hotels Where You Want to Be

We use 3- and 4-star hotels located minutes (sometimes steps) from the sights you came to see. Budget companies? Hello suburbs, typically an hour or more outside the city. 

Sample ACIS Hotels
You can't overstate the importance of centrally located hotels—it gives you more hours in the day!"

MARK P. GROUP LEADER

Let's Take a Close Look at a Typical Day

Your time on tour is valuable.

There’s so much to see and do! Compare a typical ACIS day in Paris to the same day with a budget tour company. See how the ACIS differences add up to an extra 6 (yes, 6!) touring hours in just one day.

7:00 AM

Rise and Shine Sunrise Student with Backpack
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Get up, get ready and head downstairs for a delicious breakfast.
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Hustle up, with an extra 1 to 2 roommates, the showers need to be quick.

8:30 AM

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Board your bus for the commute into the city.
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Set off on foot for the Louvre.
Map of Paris

9:00 AM

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Still on the bus, Parisian traffic is no joke!
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Early arrival at the Louvre means fewer crowds.
Bus
9 AM Graphic
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Timed entrance reservations mean less waiting and more exploring.

10:00 AM

Mona Lisa Painting Group Picture in Louvre
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Mona Lisa ✔, Venus de Milo ✔ and plenty of time to explore and find the masterpieces that speak to you.
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Climb off the bus, stretch and get in line.
Statue in Louvre Interior of Louvre

10:30 AM

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Still exploring!
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At long last, in the Louvre.
Group Picture in Louvre

12:00 PM

Escargot Circle
Group Picture in Notre Dame
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All that art worked up an appetite, time for lunch and the iconic Notre Dame.
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Navigating the museum crowds to see the quick hits...but...starving.
Green Macaron

2:00 PM

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Now that you’ve seen art, it’s time to create it. With sketchbook in hand, an expert guide will help you discover Île de la Cité—it’s a guided tour and art lesson all in one!
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Finally time to grab lunch and squeeze in some free time.
2 PM Graphic Paris Sketch
Pink Macaron

5:00 PM

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Uh oh, strict EU regulations on bus drivers mean your afternoon is cut short and dinner starts now, the early-bird special it is.
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Free time is important—strike a final pose next to The Thinker, pick up a few more souvenirs, find your favorite bridge over the Seine, or freshen up at the hotel before dinner.
5 PM Graphic Thinker Statue Student Souvenir
Yellow Macaron

7:00 PM

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Set off by Métro (it’s included, of course) for dinner at a local restaurant in charming Montmartre.
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With dinner already finished, it’s back on the bus to head to the ‘burbs.
Bus

9:00 PM

Eiffel Tower Sparkle 9 PM Graphic
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Board a Seine cruise boat and prepare for your jaw to drop as you watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle—there’s no feeling like it!
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Playing cards in the hotel lobby is not how you want to experience the City of Light at night.

10:00 PM

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Snack attack strikes, hope the hotel vending machine has something edible.
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Snack attack strikes, plus who doesn’t like a late-night gelato? Stroll back to your hotel cone in hand.
10 PM Graphic
Bonne Nuit Zzz

7:30 AM

8:30 AM

9:00 AM

10:00 AM

10:30 AM

12:00 PM

2:00 PM

5:00 PM

7:00 PM

9:00 PM

10:00 PM

More Hours in Your Day

With 2 extra hours in the morning where we’re exploring while they’re commuting and waiting in line, plus a whopping 4 extra hours in the evening—they end at 7 and we keep on going to 11—you’ve just benefitted from 6 more touring hours on just one day of an ACIS tour versus a budget provider.

Over 5-6 touring days, that means an extra 30+ hours for you to explore!

Here are some ways you could enjoy those gained touring hours in a number of destinations.

DEPARTURES

  • France
  • Spain
  • England
  • Italy
  • Costa Rica

Exceptional experiences, not ordinary tours.

With ACIS you’ll have engaging cultural connections, interactions that support local communities, authentic cuisine, the best tour managers in the industry, and simply MORE included for your money—these are the reasons that saved time on tour is so valuable. These are the moments you’ll never forget.

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