Outstanding balances Travelers who have opted out of EF’s
monthly payment plan and who have outstanding balances and late fees may be subject to EF’s cancellation policy. At 95 days prior to departure, EF reserves the right to cancel any traveler with an outstanding tour balance. To avoid cancellation, travelers should contact EF’s customer service department at 1-800-665-5364 to arrange for immediate payment.
InsuranceThe deadline for travelers to purchase
insurance is 75 days prior to departure. Travelers and group leaders can enroll in our insurance programs online 24-hours a day or call 1-800-665-5364.
Confirmed tour and departure dateAfter receiving tour and departure date confirmation from EF around 70 days prior to departure, go through the updated day-by-day itinerary with your tour consultant and match up the days of your trip with the actual dates you’ll be on tour. At this point you should also re-confirm all special travel requests (if applicable) based on your final tour departure date. Hold your final informational meeting with your travelers and pass along all information confirmed about your tour.
Preparing for Departure packetAround 70 days prior to departure, you will receive your Preparing for Departure Packet, which includes all the information you’ll need to prepare your students for their upcoming travels. Your packet includes student backpacks, as well as information on tipping, optional excursions and rooming requests.
Optional excursionsYour travelers can purchase
optional excursions online or by calling EF’s customer service department at 1-800-665-5364. The deadline to sign up for optional excursions is 50 days prior to a departure, but most can be purchased on tour at a slightly higher rate. Ask your tour consultant if the optionals on your tour need to be pre-booked. You earn one Global Point for each optional excursion pre-booked by your travelers. In addition, for every six paying travelers who pre-book, you earn one free place on the excursion. Optional excursions are based on a minimum of 20 paying travelers. If necessary, we will combine you with other tour groups to achieve this minimum. If your tour includes a cruise, there will be shore excursions offered by the cruise line. Please ask your tour consultant for more information.
Tour directors may offer special excursions (i.e., a gondola ride in Venice) while on tour. These excursions can only be purchased while on tour with cash.
Professional development creditAsk your tour consultant for information about how you can earn
professional development credit by traveling with us.
Confirmed tour and departure dateOnce you receive your tour and departure date confirmation from your tour consultant, as well as your final meeting packet, you should hold a final informational meeting with your students. Pass along to your travelers the confirmed tour information that you received from your tour consultant. Be sure to touch on the following:
- In-depth itinerary, confirming all sights and places you will visit
- Cost of confirmed tour
- Optional excursions (enrollment deadline is 50 days prior to departure)
- Special travel (if applicable)
- Cruise excursions (if applicable)
InsuranceEnsure that everyone who wants the
All-Inclusive Insurance Plan is signed up by 75 days prior to departure. If it’s already later than 75 days prior to departure, let them know they can still sign up for Medical and Accident Insurance and Baggage and Property Insurance up until the day before departure. Travelers should call EF’s customer service department for more information.
RoomingMake sure that you talk to your travelers about rooming upgrades before you depart. You can collect rooming requests at your final meeting. The deadline to submit rooming for all adults and non-standard student requests is 70 days prior to departure.
- Student rooming: Rooming arrangements for students are determined on tour, and students do not need to request roommates prior to departure. Students under age 20 will automatically room with two or three other travelers of the same gender in rooms that contain single or shared double beds. Keep in mind that students may share rooms with other students in the tour group who are not from their own school. Students who prefer a twin room may pay a fee prior to departure in order to upgrade.
- Adult rooming: Adults age 20 and older will automatically share twin rooms with other adults of the same gender unless they upgrade in advance. Adults may share rooms with adults in the tour group who are not from their own school. Adults may pay an additional fee to upgrade to a single room. Adults should submit a roommate request prior to the tour in order to share a room with a family member or another adult of their choosing. As group leader, you are responsible for submitting to your tour consultant a rooming form, available in My Tours.
- Rooming on night trains and ferries (if applicable): Explain to your travelers that sleeping compartments on trains are very small and there are no single or double rooms. Adults and students will room in couchettes of up to six shelf-like beds that fold down from the wall. In addition, couchettes may not be exclusive to EF travelers and may be co-ed. Ferry accommodations will vary depending on the tour. Generally, adults and students will room in cabins of up to four beds. Single rooms are not available on overnight ferries, overnight trains or tours to Africa.
What to expect abroadNow is the time to prepare your students for what they can expect when traveling abroad. To help you advise your students and to anticipate traveler questions, we have created the Preparing for Departure Packet. Travelers should also carefully read their Traveler’s Handbook.
TippingWhile all non-discretionary gratuities are included in the EF Program Fee, it’s customary to tip the tour director and coach driver as a token of appreciation at the end of the tour. We recommend $6 per person per day for the tour director, and $3 per person per day for the coach driver. Many group leaders also tip local guides for half-day sightseeing tours. On a full-day excursion, giving a small tip of $1 to $2 to both the professional local guide and the day’s driver is typical. If your tour includes a cruise, tipping is $10 per person per day for the cruise staff in addition to the above-mentioned tour director tips. Collect all tip money during your final meeting. We recommend using local currency for tipping. We suggest you deposit the tip money into your bank account and withdraw it in local currency at the end of the tour, then present it to your tour director and bus driver in tip envelopes provided by EF.
Spending moneyWe recommend telling students that they should plan on approximately $30-$60 per day for spending money, depending on where your group is going. This should cover lunches, soft drinks, postcards and stamps, as well as some extra museum entrances during free time, on-tour special excursions organized by your tour director and a few souvenirs. We advise buying optional excursions pre-tour and discussing with your tour director which extra activities you’d like to fit in during free time. Your tour director can give you a good indication of the cost for such activities. Remember, these guidelines do not include gratuities or optional excursions purchased on tour, and many people elect to bring more. If travelers plan to use their debit or credit cards abroad, they should notify their bank about their travel plans. We also recommend checking specific regional guidelines.
Emergency Contact InformationHave students fill out the Emergency Contact Information chart, available in
My Tours, so that you can make copies to hand out at your final meeting. The chart is used to notify parents of travelers in case of an emergency or change of schedule on tour.
Parental consent formsYou’ll find two forms in
My Tours that you can choose to distribute to and collect from your travelers’ parents. The first is a checklist that will allow you to have your travelers’ passport and medical information on file. Parents sign this form to agree to EF’s tour guidelines. The second is an authorization form that gives permission for travelers of drinking age in the countries you visit to consume an occasional beer or glass of wine with dinner. We leave it to your discretion as to whether or not you’d like to permit occasional alcohol consumption. For tours going to Mexico, children under the age of 18 require a parental authorization form to be signed and notarized within 30 days of the tour departure date. Forms will be sent to travelers prior to departure. Please ensure that your travelers bring these forms on tour as they are required to get through customs in these countries.
High school creditHand out the student high school credit packets to those who are interested in earning
high school credit with EF on tour. We recommend that students enroll as soon as possible. However, students must sign up for related coursework by 14 days prior to departure.