FAQ's
If your question isn't on here, please contact us.
About your quotation
About your booking
Change in passenger number
Group passport
Passport validity
Visa Waiver Form
Compulsory US Entry Requirements/Procedures
Itinerary
Passenger numbers
Drivers
Use of the coach
About your quotation
- Although your quote gives me 1 free member of staff per 10 paying children (or 1 per 8 for trips involving more than one overnight stay), I would like to take more staff than this. What should I do?
If you make us aware of this at the time you enquire, we will be more than happy to adjust the price accordingly. - Does the price you will quote me include a rep or courier?
No. We arrange a full itinerary and provide you with emergency contact details for all visits/accommodation, our Transport Manager and Directors therfore we find a rep or courier is not required. However, if you would prefer to have a rep or courier with you for the duration, let us know and we can send you a price for this. We are also able to arrnange local guides for specific areas, e.g. Battlefields - just let us know. - Does the price you will quote me include admission fees?
We can include admission fees if requested but not normally as standard (except for a small number of attractions such as Disneyland). The itinerary that you will receive will make it clear which admission fees are included and which are not. - We have our own insurance. Will you give me a discount if I don’t take yours?
Normally, the price we quote will include insurance. However, if you do not wish to use our insurance please let us know when you enquire and we will adjust our price accordingly. We will also require you to sign a disclaimer to formally advise that our insurance is not required.
View our insurance policy here
About your booking
- How much do we need as a deposit for the trip?
- For day trips normally £10 per paying passenger (£20 for Disneyland Paris)
- For longer trips it will vary, but you will normally pay an initial deposit followed by the second deposit after 6 weeks. - We want to take a day trip in 6 weeks time (short notice). Is this OK?
4 weeks is our advised minimum as it takes that long to do the necessary administration - we are flexible about last-payment dates but we really need full payment at least 2 weeks before travel. - If we get 2 coach-loads can we have a discount?
A discount is normally applied for taking 80 paying passengers. Please enquire.
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Change in passenger number - We've got 49 passengers, can we take some more?
This depends on the time of year and how many more passengers. Please telephone the office for advice. - What happens if we don't get 44 passengers?
If your passenger numbers are different to what has been previously quoted you will need an updated quotation showing the new prices. It does get significantly more expensive below 25 paying passengers on all coach tours.
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Group passport
- Who organises the Collective (or Group) Passport?
The passport must be arranged directly by the Group leaders - What is the cost?
£39 - to be paid by us (we deduct £39 from your invoice) - How many people can go on a Collective (Group) Passport?
5-50 people (under 18 years only). - What happens if there are more than 50 children?
- Check if anyone has their own passport.
- If there are 60 or more passengers we pay for two group passports. - More information here:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Passports/Aboutcollectivegrouppassports
Passport validity
Does my passport need to be valid for 6 months when I travel?
Some countries will not let you enter if your passport has less than six months left to run. The rules vary by country. More details here
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'Visa Waiver Form’
- What is the Visa Waiver form?
The Visa Waiver Form (also known as the 'List of Travellers' form) is for school trips to countries in the European Union (EU) for pupils on the trip who are of non EU nationlity. The List of Travellers form allows the pupils to go on the trip without getting a visa. If the pupils on the trip are all from the UK or EU countires then the form isn't needed. Find out more on the British council web site http://www.britishcouncil.org/home-information-centre-list-of-travellers-scheme.htm - Compulsory US Entry Requirements/Procedures
Please be aware that as from the 12th January 2009 all passengers travelling or transiting to the US on the current visa waiver program will need to obtain an electronic travel authorisation prior to boarding an air or sea carrier to the US.
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Itinerary
- Can we go one way by Eurotunnel and the other way by Ferry?
- Yes.....but for day trips at a supplement of £7.50.
- Yes.......for longer trips at no extra cost. - Can we travel by North Sea Ferries?
We can provide quotations which include these sailings but they are normally more expensive than Dover-Calais. Please telephone the office for advice. - How long does it take to get to Aachen?
4.5 hours from Calais approx. - Can we leave at 00.10 and get back at 23.30 on our day trip.?
Normally a day trip duration is 21 hrs max as this is the limit of 2 drivers - What do you do when you get there?
Upon receipt of your booking form and deposit an experienced travel advisor will contact you and will prepare a full and detailed itinerary. You can include as much or as little as you like. - Do you recommend full or half board?
From experience we recommend full board (B&B + evening meal + packed lunch) as this is much easier for the Group Leader.
About our Coaches
- Do the coaches have toilets?
Our executive coaches will have toilets on board, however if used often these can become very unpleasant. (It is not permitted for the driver to empty his toilet anywhere other than at licensed toilet 'dropping points' which are very scarce. We therefore build in plenty of comfort stops into the journey so that passengers can use the facilities. - Do all your coaches have seatbelts?
Yes, all coaches (for school groups) must have seatbelts by law. NB: they are usually lapbelts and not 3 point belts that are usually found in cars. - What are the drinks facilities on the coach?
There are usually tea/coffee making facilities but these will be for staff only (we recommend that children do not use the hot drinks facility for safety reasons) Some coach companies will sell cans of soft drink, but this must be arranged in advance. - Is there a first aid kit on the coach?
Yes there is, but we suggest you take your own as well (your LEA/school regulations will probably require that you take your own). - How many TV screens will our coach have?
Usually there is just one TV monitor. It depends on the vehicle allocated. - Will there be a microphone on the coach?
Yes. If it is essential please tell us so that we can advise the coach company allocated. - Do you have any coaches with trailers?
Yes a few, but we need at least 3 months notice to arrange this as they are in great demand and a supplement may also be payable. - Where can I find more information about your coaches?
You can find more information in the Transport section of this website.
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Passenger numbers
- Does the 49 seats include the drivers seat?
No - there are 49 seats for passengers, excluding the driver. - We have 50 passengers, can one of them sit in the courier seat?
The courier seat is only for drivers or official couriers/guides and not for passengers. If the courier seat is specificially requested we will have to check with the coach company. - We've got 49 passengers, can we take some more?
It depends on the time of year and how many more passengers (and whether its possible to change the coach allocation) With plenty of notice we can usually find 51 seater vehicles. - We have 137 passengers, how many coaches will we have?
It depends on the vehicles available on the day(s) of your trip. It could be 2 x 71 seaters (ie DDs) or 3 x 49 seaters. We will normally confirm coach sizes closer to your departure date.
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Drivers
- Will the driver speak French/German/Spanish/Polish?
This is very unlikely. - We don't want to spend 9 hours in Aachen (or Köln) on our day trip.
Having 2 drivers will normally mean that you still have to spend 9 hours in resort. Groups from Kent and East Sussex can do a trip within 21 hours (with 2 drivers and no 9 hours rest break) so you would only have apprximately 5 hours in resort.
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Use of the coach - When and where will we have stops on the journey?
The time and location of the stops will depend on the prevailing traffic conditions on the day. - Can we use the coach to drive around Paris to the different visits?
The coach can drop you off at one of the allocated drop off points, but it will have to park in one of the official coach parks. Permits are now also required to access certain parts of Paris which restricts where a coach can collect your group. Your travel advisor will arrange your itinerary around these restrictions. Once your group is in Paris you will normally need to use the Metro or Walk. - Can we use the coach in the evenings?
This is dependant upon the drivers hours and itinerary. On the first night, this will not normally be possible because the driver has been driving all day. On other nights it is usually OK to use the coach, provided we are informed in advance and this is shown on the itinerary. The driver must also have his 11 hour break over-night so if the coach is used until very late in the evening, the coach can not be used until late morning the following day. - Can we eat on the coach?
It depends on the driver as some prefer that food is not consumed on their vehicle. When pupils do eat on the coach please make sure that all rubbish is put in the rubbish bags. - Can we leave things on the coach?
Yes, but at your own risk - no valuables! You cannot go back to the coach to get things if the driver is on a statutory rest break. - Can I have the coach company's telephone number?
No - if they have a problem or the coach is delayed then please call the 24hr Emergency numbers that are in the Final Information Pack as we have all the out-of-hours numbers for coach companies & drivers.
About Health and Safety
- Have your drivers been Police and Criminal Records Bureau checked?
Normally Yes. We ask all Coach Operators to take all reasonable precautions to ensure that drivers allocated to school tours are "child-friendly" and have been appropriately vetted. - Does your company have a Safety Management System?
Yes and we publish our Safety Management System for the benefit of Group Leaders, Teachers, Parents and LEA's. - How often does your company conduct inspections of Hotels or Coach companies?
Our Safety Management System gives details of all aspects of the frequency and scope of vetting of the Hotels and Coach Companies we use. - Do you provide Risk Assessments for all the places on our itinerary to be visited?
We have a great many Risk Assessments for most of the places that you are due to visit. There is no substitute for Teachers and Group Leaders conducting their own risk assessments in the light of the special needs of pupils and passengers that they are taking however. - what is an E111 / European Health Insurance Card?
The EHIC (previously known as the E111) is the certificate that entitles you to treatment that becomes necessary during your visit to the EEA or Switzerland. We recommend that all your students obtain a European Health Insurance Card before travelling. You can apply here: https://www.ehic.org.uk/Internet/home.do
