Why ACIS?

The 2012 group in Rome

I often get asked by other teachers to recommend an educational tour company. I always recommend ACIS. I also get asked by my participants why I chose ACIS to handle our travel arrangements. The first think I tell them is that, after working with ACIS for eight years, I truely believe that they are the best in the educational travel business.

I usually begin planning a trip about 18 to 20 months before the planned departure date. In that length of time, we have the attention and dedication of an experienced and helpful tour consultant to deal with all of our questions and concerns. Our regular tour counsultant, Patty, is always ready with helpful advice, and has gone out of her way to make sure that our tours are unforgettable. Last summer, she went through the trouble of reversing the order of our trip in order to help us avoid the Olympic crush in London, and to ensure that we did not lose any of the cities on our original itinerary. She was even able to accomodate our hope to stay in our favorite Swiss mountain town, Engelberg, as a break from the rush of the big cities.

Posing with our tour manager, Thomas, at Neuschwanstein

Once we are on the road, ACIS matches us up with some of the best tour managers on the continent. We have never been disappointed with an ACIS tour manager. They know each of the cities we visit intimately. They are always ready with free time recommendations to help our participants get the most out of their visits. I have always been impressed with how professional and friendly they can be, even while they are dealing with all of the craziness and responsibility of traveling with a large group.

ACIS always seems to have people in each of the cities we visit. It's not uncommon to recieve a visit at dinner time somewhere on the trip from an ACIS representative. Their first concern is always our satisfaction with the tour. Last summer, we had the good fortune to have dinner with the president of ACIS, Peter Jones. He shared his experienced traveling with us, including his stint working at a Taco Bell in Orange County in the early '70s.

Dinner in the Latin Quarter of Paris

Our tours with ACIS have always managed to balance free time with guided tours and activities. Hotels close to the city centers and public transportation allow us to make the most of our time in each city. European cities really come to life in the evening and night hours, when all the tourists head to their hotels outside of town. Being closer gives us the opportunity to enjoy more time experiencing each destination, and less time sitting in our hotel rooms. ACIS also make a point of planning our meals in restaurants in each city, allowing us to sample the local cuisine. My favorite meal on tour was our trip to an alpenhut in the mountains of Switzerland to enjoy a traditional Swiss meal. The 40 minute hike back down the mountain to town helped to burn off the calories.

40 minutes back to town through the Swiss countryside

The most important reason is that ACIS trips are always fun and forever memorable. Their motto is "Travel changes lives." It really does.

Evening in Paris

 

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do you choose students to go on these trips?

    I choose students with whom I have had contact in either my AP European History classes, class council, or in one of the on-campus clubs I advise. I look for students who are willing to try new things, or are interested in truly experiencing a different culture. For example, if you have to eat the same thing every day, and are opposed to trying new foods, this probably isn’t the trip for you. I also look for students I respect and trust. We are guests in Europe. I want to make sure we are good guests.

Do you hold a meeting for parents who are interested in sending their students on this trip?

    Due to the difficulty involved in finding a space large enough to accommodate all of the parents of the students I invite, I do not hold an informational meeting. That is one of the reasons I have this blog. I usually don’t hold a meeting until the autumn or winter before we leave. This meeting covers all of the information students and parents need to know before they travel (passports, currency exchange, luggage, etc.). If you would like more information please feel free to e-mail me at eurotripper@me.com.

What is the drinking age in Europe, and how do you handle “the alcohol question”?

    The legal drinking age on the continent is 16 for beer and wine, and 18 for spirits. In Great Britain, the drinking age is 18 for beer and wine and 21 for spirits. However, this does not mean that tour participants are allowed to go completely wild all over Europe. Public drunkenness is frowned upon by European custom, and by law. ACIS policy is to allow tour participants under the age of 18 to enjoy a glass of wine or beer with dinner so long as they have written consent from a parent to do so. This is also my policy. Those who are foolish enough to wake with a hangover will be dragged all over town on foot by me. I walk very fast. ;-)

What are some of the ways that previous tour participants have raised the money to pay for the trip?

    Many of my previous tour participants have actually worked for the money to pay for their tours. Yes, that’s right... they got jobs. They discovered that the excitement of the tour provided the motivation to find a job so that they could split the cost with their parents (usually 50/50). The job provided them with the opportunity to learn how to balance school, work, and a social life before they headed off to college. A few of them even used this experience as the inspiration for their college essays.

Are there any unexpected benefits to these tours?

    The most astounding benefit that reported by parents of past participants is a profoundly different outlook and attitude that marked their sons and daughters when they returned. The parents felt as if the experience of surviving in a different culture and successfully navigating the cities of Europe (in groups of 3 or more) gave their sons and daughters a new sense of confidence and, in some cases, a new sense of purpose in life. In fact, many of my former participants decided to pursue a study abroad program in college based upon their experiences on our tour.

What is included in the full cost of the tour?

    This question can best be answered by visiting the ACIS website. They have a section of their website dedicated to students and parents that provides the answers to many frequently asked questions about their tours and programs.