When will you all realise that if you book Explorica you get EF type hotels, restaurants, guides etc. EF was very upset when Explorica opened up because they were copied by tour directors who worked for them. Pay a little more money and get a three or four star service
Visit Fieldtripfactory.com it is a community based field trip. We take our Kindergarteners to Petco for a field trip. I have been using this site for several years. Take a look.
I just posted this as a reply to another thread, but this is something everyone involved with a student tour of any kind should know!!!
Some teachers rake in THOUSANDS in stipends on a per head basis from these companies for their work putting the trip together (stipend is built into the trip cost)...I have no problem with someone earning a free trip and perhaps a small stipend for their time and efort. But, often these RATS are raking in thousands of dollars PLUS their trip is free. They could not take as much and negotiate a lower price for the families that often struggle to pay for them...THESE PEOPLE ARE THE LOWEST FORM OF LIFE.
I know these things because I worked in the student travel business fro quite some time...I have seen stipends as high as $200.00 per head for a trip with 175 kids. YES....That rat got a $35,000 check while each of his students paid $200.00 more than they had to for the trip.
If anyone is reading this post that does this, you are a SCUMBAG, and may you rot in the deepest pit of hell!!!!!!
For the rest of you, especially parents...Speak to your school boards and your organizers...Make sure you are not being taken advantage of by those claiming to do you a service.
First, I think you have no idea what the term "fiduciary trust" means. There is, legally speaking, absolutely no "fiduciary trust" (in the sense that I have a legal obligation to provide the best financial outcome in a transaction or investment) involved in such arrangments. I'm an attorney, and I know what the phrase means. I suspect you do not and are just slinging it around as some epithet you picked up from a t.v. show.
Second, to claim that we are suffering a serious recession and massive bailouts, foreclosures, etc. because people are occasionally compensated for the hard work they do in putting together one of these tours is truly beyond asinine.
Wondering where K through 2nd grade teachers are going on field trips? Are there restrictions on where you can go? Are you allowed to go to Sesame Place? If so, what would stop you from going?
What could Sesame Place do to attract more field trips from PA schools?
PINCEMIN Justinehello, we are two students in international trade and we are going to perform a workplacement during two months in Epsom and in Maidenhead so we would like to know if the train station is not too far from your house and if it's possible for you to accomodate us during that period.
They've been showing ads for The Baby Borrowers on NBC...it'll be nice to see how they take kids of out of the house and try and do some things with them to break the monotony of being stuck in the house.
I just wanted to post an experience we had taking 8th graders to volunteer at schools in Costa Rica. None of the known tour groups 'Explorica' 'Interact' or E.F. would work with us because we did not want to do their set itinerary.
ACR Tours which is based in Costa Rica listen to what our Michigan grop wanted to do, made suggestions for activities, and coordinated all the ground transportation and lodging for us. The only drawback is they do not do airfare. They do have a link with Exito travel for airfare which was easy to do.
ACR will do as much or as little as you need them to do and will adjust the price accordingly. I have traveled with Explorica (to France and Spain 2006) and Interact (to Costa Rica 2003) on school trips with my daughter, and I have to say that the trip I planned with ACR for our 8th graders ran smoother than either of the other two trips.
Since this was my first ever time planning an out of the country trip, I have to give the credit to ACR Tours, as I was a complete novice.
In 1989, he was sentenced to six months probation after he pleaded no contest to charges he violated state consumer protection laws by defrauding customers of his travel agency.
My group, along with so many others, was one of the many who received their 'cancellation notice' 10 days before departure. J