Travel Tips

The key thing to remember is group travel takes a bit of patience, especially if you are traveling with a large group. Sometimes it takes longer to get through stops, meals, and activities. It is hard to always meet the interests of every traveler, so group travel is sometimes a little “taste” of everything there is to offer.

Talk with your child prior to departure about budgeting their money. Your trip might be several days long, and it is important to keep in mind that they may be responsible for meals yet to come while on the tour. We don’t want anyone to go hungry because they spent all their money at the first few stops. Using envelopes and splitting their money for the week is a suggestion we might offer. Avoid sending along big bills ($50’s and $100’s). This makes for a target to steal from and also can be confusing when needing to get change back. Debit/Credit cards are fine but be sure they know how to use them (pin numbers, etc.), and if they have a balance, talk to them about recording what they spend as they go. If using cards, having some cash along is highly recommended.

Phones are a necessity today, especially since it might be also your camera, but encourage your student to put them away when learning and seeing the sites. We like to have our students live in the moment and “be present.”

Make sure your students also have their phone settings set in a safe mode when it comes to locations and privacy. You being able to reach them is important, but we don’t need strangers having any access to their location. Plan to leave other unnecessary valuables at home like video games, laptops, and tablets.

Please be sure to notify Legacy of any special needs that may affect their trip (i.e. walking/mobility) or any food allergies/intolerances. Several meals may be included in your tour, so Legacy will need to make sure that restaurants/venues are notified and prepared.

Bring along a refillable water bottle and plan to stay hydrated, especially in the hot summer months. Make sure to dress appropriately for both the weather and for the places you may be visiting. Click here for some good packing tips.

Depending on your tour, you may visit many venues/museums that have tight security. Keep the pocket knives at home along with any other items that may cause a red flag as you enter these buildings. Your tour guide will advise on what is allowed before entering certain venues.

Does your family have any personal connections to the places on your itinerary? (i.e. A family member buried at Arlington, a name on the Vietnam Wall)

Legacy Student Travel strongly encourages the purchase of travel protection for your tour. We never plan for anything unexpected to happen (i.e. illness, injury, death in the family), but things can happen. Familiarize yourself with our cancellation/refund policies and note that even in the face of an unexpected emergency, refunds will not be given after a certain point. Having a travel protection policy is your best defense. Looking for a quote on travel protection? Click here for a company we suggest you might work with.