If you're planning a school trip but have no idea how to choose the destination, good news -- we're here to help! It can be a stressful and nerve racking task to choose a destination for a large group of students. Trying to make everyone happy while meeting practical considerations can be a tricky balancing act. Fortunately, we have a few recommendations that should make choosing your next student travel destination a breeze.
The first factor to consider when choosing a destination is your budget. Deciding on a budget can really help you hone in on the destinations that are realistic for an affordable student trip.
What is the length of your trip? Whether your trip will take place during a break (like spring break) or over a long weekend, it should be fairly easy to figure out just how many days you can devote to your trip. Deciding this will be essential in answering the next question.
Once you have determined your budget and length of your trip, the next thing to consider is the distance you can travel. Based on your budget, would you be able to fly? If you are limited to a tour bus, how far can you go without expending too much time en route? If you can only take a bus and only have time for two full days of travel, then you have a radius that narrows down your student travel destination options.
Already, you've been able to narrow down your choices considerably - you're on the right track! The next thing to consider is accessibility. Of the destinations that meet your distance and budget constraints, which ones have a sufficient amount of lodging? Which destinations are easier to navigate with a tour bus? Or if you decide to fly, what transportation is available once you reach your destination? And most importantly, which destinations will be safe for students in your age group? These are practical considerations that could really make or break your school trip.
After you've answered all of the above questions there's just one thing left to consider - the available educational and recreational experiences that will be appropriate for the students on your trip. Most people jump to this step right away! But if you're starting from scratch when choosing a school trip destination, you'll have fewer headaches if you let practical considerations like time and budget develop your options before you get your heart set on specific attractions and/or destinations.
That being said, a school trip will only be successful if you are able to balance educational and recreational experiences in a way that is appropriate for your travel purpose. Some trips are intended to be primarily educational. That's great! But if students are forced to listen to museum tours all day, they may end up snoozing instead of listening. Bored students are also more difficult to manage. So do your best to choose a destination with enough recreational opportunities to keep students interested in the educational experiences. Other trips that are primarily recreational (such as senior trips) still need to be balanced with enough educational opportunities to make the trip worthwhile.
Once you've walked through this process, your student travel destination should be an obvious choice. You can be confident knowing that you've chosen a destination that is practically feasible as well as educational and entertaining. If you're struggling to find the answers to any of these questions, we're always here to help! You may not be able to easily determine which destinations are within your specified budget, or which destinations have appropriate lodging, but we have the knowledge and experience to get you the answers you need. Contact us for more info!
