Frequently Asked Questions
Can you cater for special diets e.g. vegetarian, gluten free?
Yes, we can. We will send you a participant list to complete before you travel in which you can indicate any dietary requirements your students may have. We will ensure students are placed with homestay hosts who can cater for their dietary requirements. There is often a small supplement charged for gluten free diets to cover increased cost to the homestay for suitable food products.
Can you book flights for school groups?
Yes, we can. We are ATOL licenced (ATOL 6387) and are able to book flights as well as in-country courses, visits and accommodation. A small travel arrangement fee would be applicable and this, plus the full payment for the flights, would be due at the time of booking. If we book flights for you, your package is fully ATOL protected (only if your group is based in the UK or is travelling from a UK airport). Our Group Booking Conditions explain all this in more detail – please get in touch for more information. N.B. we are not allowed under the current US administration to book international flights direct from the US to Cuba.
Can you include insurance for our school group?
We do not include insurance in our packages as most schools, in our experience, have an insurance policy which covers their group trips abroad. However, if you do require insurance, we would be happy to recommend a good insurance company.
Can you guarantee that all students are placed within walking distance of the language school?
We will certainly try our best but we cannot guarantee this as it depends on factors such as how far in advance the booking is confirmed, individual dietary requirements and allergies. Also, of course, on the availability of hosts living near the school. Walking distance can be from 5-30 minutes and in larger cities, students may have to take a bus or subway to school. We can include local travel passes if required.
Can you arrange transfers?
Yes, we can arrange return transfers by private coach for your group
Are there free places for leaders?
We provide one free place per 8-10 students
What is the process for selecting homestays?
- Potential hosts are initially invited to an in-depth interview to find out if they and their home would provide a suitable environment for students
- If our representative deems that they are potentially suitable, they would then ask them to complete a form and they would be given the terms and conditions, as well as the information about what the school would expect from homestay hosts.
- A visit to the hosts’ home is then arranged where our local housing officer would inspect the home to ensure it is suitable and meets our high standards and to ensure that there is a welcoming and safe environment.
- Hosts are then asked to sign a contract confirming that no members of their family have been found guilty of any criminal offence and that they agree to respect the terms and conditions of hosting younger people
- Homestays are inspected regularly by our local representative
- In the case of school groups, students will be allocated to homestays in pairs or sometimes a group of 3, taking any medical conditions/allergies/dietary requirements into consideration. The school will try to ensure that all students are placed in homestays close to each other where possible.