Now your trip’s booked, there are a few things you need to know before you go.
You’ll definitely want to check the following as soon as possible after you’ve booked, to make sure everyone’s ready to go:
- Travel documents and entry requirements
- Medical requirements
- Mobile roaming
- Local laws and customs
Travel Documents
Passports
When it comes to travelling abroad, obviously one of the key things to check is that everyone has a valid passport.
Pro tip: make two photocopies of everyone’s passport – one to carry with you and another to leave at school. In the very unlikely event that a passport is lost or stolen, you’ll be really glad you did this.
Remember, some countries do require a certain period of validity on passports after your proposed date of exit from the country. You can find the most up-to-date foreign travel advice here.
If travelling to the EU/Schengen Area, we recommend (although it’s not a requirement) that you have at least 6 months’ validity left on your passport on the day you travel.
This allows for:
- Travelling in Europe for up to 3 months
- The requirement of most European countries to have at least 3 months left on your passport on the day you leave
And remember, your passport must be less than 10 years old on the day you return to the UK. This doesn’t apply if you’re travelling to Ireland by the way (in this case you’ll just need to make sure your passport’s valid for the duration of your stay).
If you’ve got anyone in your group with a passport from a country other than the UK, they’ll need to check entry requirements with the relevant embassy (this is their responsibility, not yours).
A word on group passports
Group (or collective) passports can still be arranged but the number of European countries that still accept them is now very limited.
For the most up-to-date info on which countries do accept them (as well as how much they’ll cost, how long they take to arrange and other useful info), you’ll need to check the foreign travel advice.
And remember, if you’re travelling through any countries on the way to your destination, you’ll also need to check that they’ll accept your group passport.
Honestly, we tend to advise against arranging a group passport.
That’s because, in our experience, they often cause administrative and operational difficulties at the border, so they can cause you more hassle.
If you do decide to arrange a group passport, please let us know as soon as possible.
Visas
Once you’ve checked foreign travel advice (or have enquired with the appropriate embassy for non-UK passport holders), you might find you need to arrange a visa.
Visas can take a while to arrange so it’s really important that a) everyone checks whether they’ll need one as soon as they know they’re going on the trip and b) that if they do need one they apply as soon as possible.
If they need any documentation from us to support their application, they’ll need to ask you as Group Leader to liaise with us to arrange this (for GDPR and privacy reasons, we can’t deal directly with parents).
British citizens travelling to the USA, don’t need a visa (at the time of writing) but do need an in-date ESTA.
And a similar scheme is due to be introduced in the EU in 2025 (we’ve gone into more detail on this in our blog).
Health
EHIC/GHIC
If you’re travelling within the European Economic Area and Switzerland, you’ll all need to have in-date GHIC cards – which are available for free through the NHS website to anyone who’s resident in the United Kingdom.
If you’ve already got an EHIC, you can carry on using this until it expires, when you’ll need to apply for the GHIC.
Please just remember that this isn’t a replacement for travel insurance, which you must have in place (check out our travel insurance page for more info).
Vaccinations
If you’re travelling to a more exotic location, you may need vaccinations before you travel. You’ll need to contact your GP, practice nurse, pharmacist or travel health clinic at least 8 weeks before you travel to check what vaccinations you may need (if any).
Further travel health advice can be found on the Travel Health Pro website.
Pre-existing medical conditions
When it comes to the medical needs of everyone on the trip, you must have all the necessary details, to ensure that they remain safe.
And it’s important to make sure your insurance provider has the details of any pre-existing medical conditions, so you’re properly covered.
Travelling with medication
It’s also worth checking that everyone who will need to bring medicine with them is able to do so (some medicines that are available over the counter in the UK are restricted in other countries). More information can be found on the Travel Health Pro website.
Anyone who needs to carry medication with them should visit their GP around 4-6 weeks before the trip to check whether their medication contains a controlled substance.
They’ll also need to check the FCDO website (and possibly also with the relevant embassy).
All medicine and medical equipment must be carried in their original, correctly labelled packages and should be carried in hand luggage (but do double-check this with your airline), along with a copy of the prescription.
It’s a good idea to pack a spare supply of the medication in hold luggage, also with a copy of the prescription (so if either the hand luggage or hold luggage goes missing, they’ll still have access to their medication).
And if anyone will be travelling with oxygen or injectable medicines such as insulin, the airline should be contacted in advance to advise them of this.
It would also be useful for those who are travelling with medication to take a letter from their GP (as well as a copy of the prescription) stating the details of the medication, including its generic name (and not just the brand name). This could help at customs and if the traveller does require medical assistance on the trip.
The NHS offers lots of useful information on what to do before your trip if you will need to carry medication.
Local Laws and Customs
No-one wants to cause offence when they travel to a foreign country. So, it’s well worth reading up on the local laws and customs before you travel.
It can be a great exercise for students too – they can research the local laws and customs and you could discuss these with them to help them gain a deeper insight into the culture.
As ever, the FCDO offers excellent guidance on the local laws and customs in the country you’re visiting.
Taking photos
Taking photographs or making videos, can be misunderstood by the authorities in some countries.
Generally, military bases, government buildings and train stations are the type of buildings around which taking photos can cause an issue but, again, more information can be found on the FCDO website.
And if you’re taking pictures of the locals, it’s always best to ask whether they’re happy to be photographed – most will be happy to oblige.
Just being aware of these things in advance will mean you and your group are fully prepared for your trip, helping it to run smoothly.
And remember, if you have any questions at any point, please don’t hesitate to contact us – we’re always very pleased to help.