A good school travel proposal should make you curious about what your students could discover. Perhaps they will examine a scientific idea in a new setting or compare how two cities tell their histories. The next question is just as interesting: which provider can turn that idea into an experience that suits your group?
The answer becomes clearer when you look beyond the photographs and compare the details. Learning activities, pace, costs and the people involved all shape the journey.
Use this guide to give providers the same brief, ask useful questions and build a comparison your school can discuss with confidence.
Give every provider the same starting point
Before requesting proposals, agree on two or three learning priorities. “Explore engineering through observation and a practical activity” is more useful than “include a prestigious campus.” A history group might want students to compare how different museums interpret the same event. A language group might want supported opportunities to communicate in everyday settings.
Add the practical boundaries: student ages, approximate group size, travel window, Canadian departure airport and an initial budget range. Explain whether the school is exploring possibilities or has permission to develop a proposal. Describe accessibility requirements through the appropriate private channel rather than distributing personal student information with the general brief.
Ask your administration which approvals and provider documents are necessary. Requirements vary between school systems. For example, the Durham District School Board’s excursion procedure distinguishes approval and supervision requirements by trip type. It is a local example, not a national rule. Your own school’s process should shape the comparison from the beginning.
Find out who you would be contracting with
A trading name, a program brand and the business accepting payment may not be identical. Request the legal business name, contact information and details of the company issuing the contract. Ask whether another business supplies particular services and whom the school would approach about a change or complaint.
Check relevant registration or licensing through the responsible authority rather than relying on a logo. Consumer Protection BC provides a licence search that includes travel businesses. Ontario’s travel regulator, TICO, also publishes consumer travel guidance. The applicable framework depends on the transaction and jurisdiction; one registration is not evidence that every form of protection applies everywhere.
Keep the results with your comparison notes, including the date checked and any evidence still needed. Apply the same approach to every provider, including Majole, so your recommendation rests on the arrangement being offered rather than a familiar brand name.
Read the itinerary as a description of activities
Look closely at what students will do. A campus “visit” could be a walk through publicly accessible grounds, a booked student-led tour, an information session or a taught workshop. These are different experiences. Ask which one is included, who delivers it and whether it is confirmed.
Hypothetical example: two proposals both list a science centre. One includes general admission and free exploration; the other includes an additional facilitated activity. Either might fit the group, but they should not be compared as though they offer the same instruction.
Check the pace too. Count travel days separately from days at the destination, and hotel nights separately from overnight flights. Review long transfers, early starts, opportunities to eat and reasonable rest. A crowded itinerary can leave little time for students to observe, discuss or ask questions.
Mark the status of the activities that matter most to your group: confirmed, requested, proposed or optional. Ask what would happen if access were unavailable. An appropriate alternative should preserve the learning purpose where possible, rather than simply fill the time.
Compare the complete experience and cost
Request an itemized description of inclusions and exclusions. Check airfare, baggage, accommodation, meals, transfers, local transport, admission, workshops and guiding. Identify insurance and personal expenses separately instead of assuming they are covered.
Ask which currency the quotation uses, how long it is valid and what assumptions it makes about group size. Clarify taxes, mandatory charges and possible adjustments. Compare the total expected commitment before looking at deposit size or monthly payments.
Cancellation terms deserve time at the school meeting. Ask who may cancel, what charges could apply, how substitutions work and whether a supplier change affects the agreement. Keep the quotation and terms together so families are not trying to interpret a price without its conditions. Our separate guide to booking information is a starting point for the questions to discuss; the written terms for the actual trip remain important.
Establish the boundary between travel support and school supervision
Ask providers to describe the people involved before, during and after travel. Who designs the itinerary? Who makes reservations? Who meets the group? Does the same person remain with you throughout, or do local guides join particular activities?
Then ask what remains with the school. Responsibilities for student conduct, permissions, headcounts, rooming and individual support should be agreed explicitly. Guiding a visit and supervising a student group are distinct roles, so it helps to understand how they work together.
Discuss ordinary situations as well as emergencies. What happens when a student feels unwell, a visit closes or a connection is missed? Who makes decisions, who contacts families and who provides backup if the main contact is unavailable? Request written contact and escalation arrangements appropriate to the trip.
The Government of Canada’s Travel Advice and Advisories provide destination information to review alongside the school’s assessment. A provider’s confidence should complement that work, not replace it.
Use a comparison checklist that exposes unknowns
Keep the worksheet simple enough to use. Make one copy per provider and attach the relevant proposal. Record evidence and open questions instead of awarding an overall impression score too early.
| Area to compare | Evidence to request | What to record |
|---|---|---|
| Educational fit | Activities connected to your learning aims | Strong fit, partial fit or clarification needed |
| Activity access | Exact visit format and confirmation status | Included, optional or still proposed |
| Price | Currency, inclusions, exclusions and conditions | Comparable total and unresolved costs |
| People and roles | Named functions and responsibilities | School duties and provider duties |
| Support | Written contact and escalation arrangements | Routine, urgent and backup routes |
| Individual needs | A private process to assess suitability | Requests requiring confirmation |
| Commercial terms | Contract, payment and change conditions | Items for school or professional review |
Add the date and person responsible for each follow-up. “Needs clarification” is a useful finding. It prevents silence from becoming an assumed inclusion.
Ask these questions before making a recommendation
Bring the outstanding questions to a conversation with the provider:
- Which parts of this itinerary are confirmed, and which depend on availability?
- What precisely will students do during each university or specialist visit?
- What would the school and families pay beyond the quoted price?
- Which responsibilities remain with school staff throughout the journey?
- How will individual requirements be assessed before a commitment?
- What written process applies if the itinerary or group size changes?
- Which evidence can we give our administration to support its review?
Ask for important answers in writing. If the proposal is revised, identify the current version and withdraw the superseded copy from the decision process.
Make the choice with the people who will deliver the trip
Invite participating educators and the relevant school decision-makers to review the same materials. Give learning fit, practical suitability and unresolved questions as much attention as price. A strong recommendation explains why the proposal suits this group and what still needs to happen before commitment.
Families should receive accurate information at the stage your school authorizes. Avoid describing an exploratory plan as fully approved or a proposed institutional visit as guaranteed. Clear expectations at this point make later conversations considerably easier.
Have a learning goal in mind? Explore Majole's Custom Group Programs and bring your shortlist of priorities and questions to the conversation. Whether your starting point is science, history or language, a clear brief helps the discussion focus on the experience your students could have.
