Student youth groups need help too! Advice useful to a group leader planning student youth group travel is scarce on the net. The group scoop is going to remedy the situation here. We interviewed some of the top professionals at Groople to get the low down on things a group leader of a school youth group needs to know.
Student Youth Group Travel within the United States
To start, when planning your student group trip in the United States make sure the hotel you find accepts youth groups. Many hotels, especially in big cities like New York do not accept youth groups especially below high school age. Using a resource like Groople when planning a student youth group to a big city is handy, they already know which hotels do and do not cater to students.
Budget is always a great concern to student group travel planners. In big cities it is a good idea to book rooms in a nearby suburb as the difference in price from the city center is significant. The United States is famous for easy highway travel, take advantage of it. Hire a bus to take you into the city. If you have a bus with you already, make sure you negotiate a free parking space for the bus at your hotel. You’ll likely want to save money by grouping the students in groups of three or four to a room. Make sure the hotel knows your plans and has the ability to accommodate such a request. Many hotels can provide your student group with a free breakfast.
Student Youth Group Travel Outside of the United States
International travel comes with its own set of concerns like currency exchange, foreign languages, driving on another side of the road, and different types of power outlets. The group leader of a student youth group trip should also have a prime concern with accommodation location. Making sure the group’s accommodation is either near points of interest or near mass transit is important. Taking a bus in many locales may just not be practical.
So for practicality sake, most student youth groups are advised to stay in city centers. Now price and budget become a major concern. Not only price and budget, but proximity to attractions and transit too. This is the way taking a student group on an international trip becomes a puzzle. Make sure you take the time to put the puzzle together before leaving. Don’t just have an idea of what you’re going to do, know what you’re going to do. A travel professional might be a good idea as they will take the travel puzzle and solve it for you.
Another important piece of advise for international student youth group travel is look for discounts! Unlike the US, Europe and many countries around the world offer student discounts on everything from train fare and accommodations to entertainment. Consider having your group obtain International Student Identity Cards. These cards are perhaps the surest way to prove student status and receive all the great student discounts available.
Ready, set, learn! (and travel!)
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