Inspired Travel - Specialist group tours

Inspired Travel is a family run business that prides itself on providing professional, friendly and flexible planning for group leaders; we aim to take the strain of the hassle of administration that we know can be a time consuming part of any trip for a group leader.

Inspired Travel works exclusively in the School Market sector and provides both Winter Sports holidays to European destinations and Educational Tours across the curriculum.

As former teachers well versed in the organization and leading of school trips, we have very many years of experience across Europe as we create bespoke tours and holidays for our groups. No group is the same and we are passionate about providing a service that fulfills the needs and preferences of our group leaders. Many of them return year on year, recommend us to colleagues and introduce new schools as they themselves move for new opportunities. Each of our groups is as individual to us as it is to the school.

What are the benefits of taking an overseas school trip?

• ► Overseas travel is a fantastic way to bring the curriculum to life
• ► Seeing and putting into practice what is learnt in the classroom is invaluable
• ► Making memories that last a lifetime
• ► Building social and personal skills they never knew they had

We are frequently asked advice regarding the planning of a trip; below are some of the most frequently asked questions and our responses; we hope it gives more insight into Inspired Travel.

What factors should be taken into account when planning a school trip?

The most important consideration is time... time to decide, promote, administer and for students (or rather their parents) to pay. If you give time to the planning it makes the rest so much easier and ultimately successful.

School trips – winter sports or Educational tours can be organised to many destinations. it is important to take into account how accessible the destination is, budget, method of transport – coach or plane or train – the seasons and weather, numbers and duration.

It is important to know the focus of your trip and to strike a balance between fun and learning, no matter what type of trip you are planning. In our experience the two go together – students are having so much fun, they don’t realise how much they are learning.

How much of the planning is handled by Inspired Travel?

We have knowledgeable staff who know our destinations and their suitability for a group, given the requirements and preferences of the school. From the initial enquiry and quote stage we will work with Party Leaders suggesting where appropriate resorts or activities and visits that will enhance their trip.

Once the outline is in place we will provide letter templates and power-point presentations to promote the trip and are happy to meet with leaders in schools at any time. We attend parent meetings in support of Party Leaders.

After promotion of the trip and the collection of deposits, we recommend collection of names as on passports, DoB and passport numbers so that flight reservations can be made without delay, as appropriate. Upon receipt of the deposit, the Party Leader will have a payment schedule. We liaise with the Party Leader throughout the process from inception to return.

Is there an optimum duration for a trip?

Put simply, No. It will depend upon the focus of your trip, the destination that you select and the itinerary that you want to fit in. The further afield that you travel, the longer the trip is likely to be. Coach travel will be of a longer duration than flights that are more direct and if a very full and detailed itinerary is required, it will also play its part.

Whilst we will offer a popular itinerary as the basis for quotation – unless the Party Leader already has requested specific elements – the itineraries are entirely flexible and can be cross-curricular.

Generally speaking Winter Sports holidays are 8-9 days for coach travel and 8 days by air. Educational tours vary between 3-5 days in Europe with some near continent trips possible over 1-2 days depending upon the location of the school.

What can Inspired Travel offer to put in place a safe and risk free trip?

We take this very seriously, as you would expect. We have in place a robust Safety Management System that is constantly reviewed and updated. This covers all health and safety concerns for suppliers including, travel, accommodation, and in resort suppliers. For Winter Sports trips this includes ski hire and ski schools. For educational tours this includes visits and excursions. We include comprehensive insurance for each trip – unless the school policy is preferred – and in the case of Winter Sports, helmets are standard for all party members. We also include travel disruption cover together with inspection trips for party leaders so that they can pre-check the destination.

What support do you offer teachers whilst away with their group?

24/7 contact with a fast and efficient response to any problem that arises. Winter Sports groups with have their own dedicated representative who will also have a vehicle to support the group.

A recent comment from a school on a Winter Sports holiday to Austria sums us up:

"Many thanks for another fantastic trip. As always, a professional, friendly and high quality service by Inspired Travel. Your understanding towards our school and care for our pupils and staff has resulted in us all having the times of our lives!"