This document provides information and guidance for group leaders taking students on an international tour. It outlines logistical details to prepare like arranging transportation, checking passports, and safety procedures. It also describes what is not included in the tour package like meals and spending money. Forms to prepare are listed such as sign out sheets, medical forms, and permission slips. An itinerary is provided that describes activities in cities in Spain over 8 days. Guidance is given for group leader responsibilities like supervising students, handling curfews and room checks, and addressing possible issues that may arise.

1. On Tour
What You Need
To Know
Pam Farmer, Group Leader
Susan McGann, Group Leader

2. • Arrange bus to airport
• Check passports
• Be early
• Check in
• Count students before
entering security
• Stress no jokes about
bombs
Departure: You are on
your way!

4. Everyone
should
always be
with a
buddy
Everyone
should
always carry
a hotel card
with them

11. Hand out hotel cards as
soon as you arrive at
each hotel!
Collect tips before
you leave the USA!

12. What Is Not Included
$ Beverages
$ Free time activities
$ Spending money
$ Gratuities
$ Optional excursions
$ Lunch
$ Snacks

13. Forms You’ll Want to Prepare
 Sign out sheets
 Rooming Lists
 Health Forms
 Permission slips
 Alcohol permission slips ( if applicable)
 Business cards

15. Day 2: Madrid- Visit the capital of Spain and some of Pam, Elizah, Hannah and
Joe’s favorite haunts like historic places, French fry bars and cave bars where
we will sing Karaoke and eat tapas.
Day 3: Madrid– guided sightseeing tour, Reina Sophia Art Museum which
houses the famous Guernica by Pablo Picasso.
Optional: Flamenco evening.
Day 4: Travel to Burgos by way of Segovia. See the Alcazar where Columbus
asked Isabella for the money to travel to America. Also see an original Roman
aqueduct. Moving on to Burgos we will visit the cathedral and see some
artifacts from El Cid, the greatest Spanish warrior and also see where Isabella
and Ferdinand welcomed back Columbus from his trip to the New World.
Day 5: Bilbao- sightseeing tour and tapas Basque style with a visit to the
Guggenheim Museum. This is a modern and contemporary art museum.
Day 6 : Excursion to San Sebastian. A seaside town in the very north of Spain.
The queens of Spain summer here. Just beautiful.
Day 7: Visit Pamplona on the way to Barcelona. This is the sight of the
famous running of the bulls. Arrive in Barcelona and enjoy the city by night.
Day 8: Guided sight seeing tour of Barcelona. Walking tour of Gaudi’s sights.

16. SIGNOUTSHEET

17. ROOMLIST

18. To Drink or Not To Drink?
• We recommend that chaperones
not drink on duty
• Check with your school to see their
alcohol policy
• Your alcohol permission form may
not be adequate to protect you
in a court of law

19. Bed Check 101:
“Why is Mary in Jimmy’s
room?”• Make sure that there are at least one, but hopefully two,
chaperones on duty each evening
• Leave the sign-out sheet at the hotel desk
• On duty chaperones should maintain a visible presence
• Don’t give students any more than two hours of free time
• Be firm about curfew
• Set limits and stick to them
• Check their rooms at curfew and talk to them to make
sure they are sober
• Don’t go to your room until there is quiet on all floors
• Don’t be shocked if night time is a pain in the neck
• Praise them on the bus in the morning if all went well
• Remember that you are working and not on vacation

20. Possible Stressful Situations
What if:
Hold on to the
passports if you
don’t want to
spend a day in
the embassy!!!!
• One of your travelers gets pick pocketed
• You lose a student
• Someone’s passport is expired when you get to the airport
• Someone has to stay behind because they are sick
• There is an emergency situation at home or abroad
• Something is broken in the hotel
• A traveler is late for the bus
• If you get sick
• Luggage gets lost
• A student misbehaves
• Homesick student
• A passport is stolen
• An ATM card does not work

23. On Tour Group Leader Etiquette
• Meet with the other group leaders the first afternoon on
the trip with the TD.
• Come to a common understanding of the different groups
and their rules.
• WATCH YOUR KIDS! They are your responsibility not
anyone else’s.
• Make sure IPod buds are out of their heads and that they
are not talking when the TD is talking on the bus.
• You are the leader so be a leader. You set the tone and the
kids follow your lead.

24. Remember to be
flexible, fair and
fun!