How many students can I sign up for the trip?
Set a goal for yourself of how many students you want to enroll on your tour. It's always better to enroll more participants than you anticipate will travel to offset possible cancellations. Plus, the more students you bring, the more your students save.
Will my student group travel with others?
Groups of 35 or more travelers are automatically considered a private group. This allows you to have your own bus and tour director. Smaller groups can also pay a supplement to become a private group. If you have fewer than 35 people and do not wish to pay the private group supplement, your group will be consolidated with other groups. This allows your travelers to become friends with students from across the country.
What are the benefits of traveling with a large group?
When traveling with a large group, you are on a private tour, which allows more flexibility in your itinerary. You can also earn Global Rewards points for each paying participant traveling on your tour. The more participants, the greater the rewards.
Can I take parents, relatives or other teachers?
Group leaders often take other adults as chaperones on their tour. Although our tours are geared towards students, anyone is welcome to travel with you. We want travelers to be able to see and do as much as possible, so our tours are fast paced and include a lot of walking. If other teachers or adults (defined as someone aged 23 or over) wish to travel with you, they will need to pay an adult supplement. For more information on how an adult supplement is calculated, please ask your tour consultant.
How many chaperones can I bring?
To ensure you have a safe ratio of adults to students, we offer you one free spot on your trip for every 10 paying participants who are traveling. You can give these free spots to chaperones who join your trip at no cost. If you prefer to have fewer chaperones, we will reimburse you for your unused free spots.
How will students know I'm leading a tour?
Once you've picked your educational tour, then it's time to publicize it! Pick a date for an introductory meeting to generate excitement for your class trip. Display posters in your classroom and in your school. And enlist the help of charismatic students and fellow teachers to inform others.
Should I hold an information meeting?
Hold a meeting to pique student interest about your upcoming class trip. The earlier you can hold the meeting, the better. It gives students more time to raise money to help pay for their educational tour. You should also set an enrollment deadline, which allows you to gauge interest in your tour, helps you determine the cost and allows us to start booking your tour. Many teachers also set ongoing meetings while planning their tour to keep student and parents informed and generate enthusiasm for the trip and for fundraising efforts. Ask your tour consultant for our Planning and Recruitment guide for detailed meeting agendas and tips.
Where can students and parents get information about their tour?
Students and parents will receive most of their tour information directly from you—their group leader. Students and parents can also access information about your tour online. At your informational meeting, give everyone your tour number (you get it from your tour consultant) and direct them to
SmithsonianStudentTravel.com. On our homepage, your travelers can enter the tour number to "view your teacher’s tour." Then they will be directed to an interactive page with information specific to your tour including the Program Fee, what’s included on the tour, the tour itinerary, and more information on Smithsonian Student Travel. Once they are enrolled on your tour, they can also access their secure Tour Participant Site. They can also get answers from our dedicated customer service team at 1.888.333.9756.
How do I proceed if I have a student with a disability?
Please contact your tour consultant as soon as your student enrolls in order to provide us with the special provisions that he/she might need. It may be necessary to contact the airline directly.