Washington, D.C. Group Trip Inclusions

December 10, 2018

Our student educational tours to Washington, D.C. change lives. We accomplish this by strategic and custom planning with teachers, highly skilled and well-trained tour directors, and an all-inclusive private trip approach. So what are some of the typical inclusions you’ll find on one of our American Heritage trips?

Round Trip Airfare

If a group is close enough to D.C., New York, or Boston (just a few examples) they might opt in for an overnight or early morning motorcoach ride. Other groups, like those living in more Western states, will end up flying to their destination. Included in the trip cost is their round-trip airfare. There are no extra fees to pay unless the traveler wants to check their bag. We recommend packing light and bringing just a carry-on at no additional charge.

Hotel

Our groups stay at high-quality hotels, close to town. In New York City for example, we like to stay in the heart of Manhattan. Close-in hotels allow groups to spend more time at the sights and less time on the bus. Student travelers will almost always have three roommates while adults if allowed to travel, will room in twos. The brand-name hotels we choose are safe, clean, and comfy.

Nighttime Security

Most of our student groups are provided with their own private nighttime security guard. The professional guard is hired to watch only the single group we assign them to. Each night they keep a written log of any activity or noise they notice during the night, and if any issues or emergencies come up, they notify our guide immediately, who then reaches out to the group leader.

Private Transportation

The best way for student groups to experience an American Heritage trip is on a private 56 passenger deluxe motorcoach – your moving classroom while in D.C. We hire safe, knowledgeable, and well-trained drivers from reputable companies. The motor coaches are clean, well-maintained, and almost always have a bathroom, power outlets, wifi, and more. Sometimes group leaders approve to combine groups, but for the most part the motorcoach is private and just for your group.

Activities

Check your itinerary because it includes all of the activities we visit. No surprises. Tickets, tips, and any fees are covered in the cost of your trip. That’s something our educational partners love. If there is an optional activity that costs extra, like a Broadway Show, this would be noted on your itinerary (if applicable). Check with your group leader or Global Travel representative to learn more.

Meals

Our trips typically include all-meals while touring. Breakfast is usually at the hotel, lunch is often a casual experience with a good bit of variety for the students, and dinner is often a good quality, family-style, sit-down meal. The only extra cost a traveler might have regarding food would be anything they want to eat in the airports while traveling to and from their destination, and snacks while touring during the day or when they get back to the hotel in the evening. We think a late night slice of pizza in New York City is the best!

Tour Director

Group leaders love having a Global Travel Alliance tour director with the group from the moment they land until the moment they take off. Guides are CPR certified and are destination and group movement experts. Not only are they with the group to provide masterful trip logistics, but they also know a ton about the destination and can provide as much educational content as the group leader wants. The guide takes care of everything – including handling the cash, tickets, tips, vouchers, and paying for meals.

Unless the group leader has chosen to combine with another school or group, our guides are reserved for only the group their assigned. They stay in the same hotel with the group too and therefore take care of everything at the hotel like check-in, check-out, breakfast, and meeting with the security guard(s) each night. The only thing group leaders need to do is check in their students before bed.

Most often we assign one guide per motorcoach. We take special pride in hiring the best tour director(s) for each trip, no matter the size of the group. Much of our staff is made up of former classroom educators who are full of energy and love spending time with students. Our guides often say the most challenging part of the job is saying goodbye to the group at the end of their trip!

Your trip might have other inclusions not listed here so be sure to read the list on your meeting flyer, enrollment form, or online account. Talk to your group leader if you have questions or reach out to your Global Travel Alliance educational program specialist – we create trips and handle all the details so everyone can have a safe, educational, stress-free experience.