Why are the trips so expensive? How can we make them more affordable?
The prices of our trips are all inclusive meaning they cover airfare, busses, hotel stays, site tours, local guides, breakfast, and dinner, etc. You can at least rest assured that the only other money you'll need to spend is lunch ($20/day), souvenirs, and tipping international tour guides ($100). We hate that it costs so much which is why we do the following:
Plan trips years in advance. This allows our travelers to set up monthly payment plans and chip away at the cost little by little. It doesn't reduce the overall cost, but it means you're not paying everything upfront.
Fundraise. We do a coffee cake fundraiser every winter. What you sell goes directly in your pocket. We've seen avid fundraisers cover their whole cost by doing this for several years in a row. The average student defrays about $500 off the cost of their trip.
Exploring other sources of funding. EF offers scholarships for travel that we encourage our students to pursuing. We can't promising any other sources of funding, but we do keep our eyes open for other ways to help our students.
How do I enroll?
You can enroll by calling EF's customer service number (800-665-5364) and telling them the tour number (see home page) you want to be on OR you can use the enrollment links on the homepage.
I was put on a waiting list! Am I on the tour?
You will be briefly put on a waiting list no matter what tour you enroll in while we verify you are a BLA student and you are an eligible traveler. If there is room on the tour, then you will be moved over to enrolled status usually by the end of the week. You can check the homepage to see if a tour is open.
Something is wrong with my account!
Call EF's customer service (800-665-5364) and let us know what's going on. We want you to be happy.
I really want to room with my best friend on tour!
We do our best to honor requests for roommates on tour. That said, situations may arised on tour that require flexibility. If you must be with one specific person, you can call EF's customer service number (800-665-5364) and request a special rooming situation for a fee.
I have food allergies/dietary restrictions. Will I be able to eat on tour?
EF has always been able to accommodate food allergy or dietary restrictions as long as we know them in advance. It's one of the reasons we love them. However, picky eaters should note that part of the reason for travel is to try new things and we encourage you to do so. And trust us, we've seen the pickiest eaters embrace the culture and try things you'd never touch back home. And we can definitely send a picture of that to your parents ;)
I have a foreign passport. Do I need to do anything special?
You may have to. Let us know if you have a non-US passport as it may require a special visa process. We're happy to help you figure out what that is and point you in the right direction.
Mom/Dad want to come on tour! Can they?
Current BPS policy is no parents on tour. We love you, but we're not allowed to take you with us.
Do travelers get free time on tour?
Yes, typically free time occurs at lunch time in between sights. We allow students to go off in groups to get lunch and do some souvenir shopping. The adults are always nearby and available. Students are not allowed to wander off alone.
I'm a little nervous because I don't really know anyone on tour. What should I do?
First off, we're super proud of you. You are so brave to be traveling and advocating for yourself. This is exactly what we love to see. Always let us know if you have concerns. We do our best to plan some small meet and greets of travelers before we go so that we can get to know you better and you can get to know each other better. When we know the situation, we can always step in to help.