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Every hotel that groups stay in is required to meet EF’s rigorous standards for quality, safety, and cleanliness. (We have an entire team dedicated to ensuring that!) However, it’s important to remember that international hotels designed for student travel may feel a little different than what your child may be familiar with in North America—but that’s just part of the adventure when exploring new places.
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Rooming, hotels, & meals
While your child will spend most of their time learning about new places and making their own discoveries, we understand that it’s easier to picture their entire tour experience when you have an idea of where they'll be rooming and what they'll eat along the way.
We’ve personally inspected every (yes, every!) hotel
All hotels are required to meet EF’s rigorous standards for quality, safety, and cleanliness
Every room will have a private bathroom
Rooms will have multiple single and/or shared double beds
Some hotels may not have an elevator, so travelers should plan to pack what they can carry
See where your child might stay
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The rundown on roommates
3–4 students (aged 19 or younger) are automatically placed in rooms together based on the gender identified on their passport, and their rooms may contain single beds, double beds that are shared by two students or a combination of the two. While EF will take care of reserving hotel rooms, your child’s teacher will organize all roommate requests.
Your child's group may be combined with another school requesting similar dates and destination for their tour, offering a chance to meet new friends. This could also mean sharing a room with students from a different school. It’s also important to remember that travelers will simply shower and sleep in their hotel rooms—they can expect to be up and out early to start exploring and will return to rest well after dinner.
There are opportunities for families to submit special rooming requests after you enroll your child. We will accommodate travelers who identify as a different gender than what’s on their passport or prefer alternative arrangements based on their sexual orientation.
“But what will we eat?”
On your teacher’s tour page, you can see exactly what meals are included on your child’s tour before you sign them up. As a general guide, most tours (especially in Europe!) include daily breakfast and dinner, unless specified otherwise.
Ease into each morning with breakfast at your hotel
Travelers will usually start the day by conveniently enjoying breakfast right at their hotels. This typically includes cereal, bread, jam, juice, eggs, protein, coffee, and tea.
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Discover your new favorite food during free time at lunch
Unless included on your child’s tour, lunches are an amazing opportunity for students to break into small groups each day and make culinary discoveries on their own. Your child’s Tour Director will give them all the inside scoop on local delicacies to try in the immediate area, as well as options that taste like home.
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Bond over your day at dinner
During included dinners, travelers will sit down as a group and enjoy a mix of familiar dishes and local specialties from a set menu, either in their hotel or at a restaurant handpicked by EF. Travelers should expect to enjoy the same meal as their peers (except for those with food allergies or dietary restrictions), so it’s important to remember that these dishes are designed for many different tastebuds.
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Health & Dietary Needs
On tour
For a smooth and worry-free trip, travelers should inform their Group Leader of any dietary needs or health concerns that could impact their experience to ensure they are aware. Travelers should also communicate this information to EF’s Traveler Support Team so it can be shared with the Tour Director to ensure the best possible support on tour. While we strive to accommodate dietary restrictions during included meals, travelers with strict food requirements should bring snacks that meet their needs.
On the flight
Please note that travelers should contact their airline directly a few days before departure to arrange any dietary accommodations as EF does not have the ability to make these requests.