Traveling is something many people enjoy doing. Whether it is within one’s state, or across the world, there is always something new to see. With traveling comes new challenges, cultural emersion, and a new appreciation for life. However, traveling isn’t always affordable, particularly for young adults. As a result, companies like Education First Tours are ideal for someone who loves traveling but is on more of a budget.
EF Tours promotes traveling by offering stress-free, low cost and educational trips to young adults. The EF team plans every aspect of their tours, from flights to places their travelers eat. However, they also give enough flexibility to do things one might be interested in beyond the itinerary. Part of the reason EF trips are so inexpensive is because they are group tours which allow the tour planners to get cheaper rates on hotels and attractions. As long as someone is under twenty-nine years old (besides chaperoning), they can book with EF on their Ultimate Break Tours. EF is designed to bring people together from all around the world to share new experiences and culture.
The price of the tours is based on destination, length of trip, and the excursions that can be added. For example, the most expensive trip EF offers is the ‘Ultimate Earth’ tour. This trip is priced at $15,598. It is fifty-four days long and visits five continents and sixteen cities including, Rio, Dubai, Tokyo, Rome and more. The trip I chose was approximately $3,000. It was nine days long and visited Ireland, Wales, and England. This seems like a lot, but once you break down the costs of hotels, flights, meals, and the activities, it’s about $3,000 cheaper than it would be without the student and group discounts.
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Like most, trips with EF begin with a flight to the destination. Typically, the planners book flights through United Airlines to assure comfort and convenience. With the Ireland and London tour, after arriving in London, travelers instantly get on a flight to Dublin to begin the trip. Upon arrival, travelers meet with their trained Tour Director. Upon arrival at the destination, the main form of transportation is coaches and by foot. The mega-buses provide comfortable travel and more than enough space group for each party. Behind each seat there are tray tables and above there are racks to secure one’s belongings. Coaches are mainly utilized when getting from one city to another.
These are great modes of transportation because they allow people to see the landscape of a country and sights that aren’t on the itinerary. However, some of the EF trips don’t stay within a countries boundaries. Accordingly, other means of transportation are needed. When getting from Dublin to Holyhead, Wales, travelers will ride a Stena Adventurer. This super-ferry is easily comparable to a cruise ship. The ship has onboard cabins (up to four people per berth), shopping, cinemas, restaurants, bars, and ‘Teen Town’, for children to play while getting from one point to another. While within city limits, travelers explore by walking. Walking-tours allow full immersion into the cities and their people. This is an exceptional way to meet locals and share conversations or find places to go on local knowledge.
When on the Ireland and England tours, travelers began sight-seeing immediately beginning with Downtown Dublin. This included sights like St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Trinity University, the Book of Kells, Phoenix Park, St. Stephen’s Green, and Grafton Street. In some cases, EF allows volunteer work during trips. These include sorting food at a food bank, serving lunch at a homeless shelter, or teaching and playing with foster children. This rewarding opportunity is another way to connect with a country and its people. After Dublin, the next destination on the itinerary is the enchanting, fairy-tale country of Wales. The first sight travelers see in Beaumaris Castle. This castle was the last and largest castle to be built by King Edward I.
Building began in 1284, but due to lack of funds, it was not finished until 1295 following the uprising of Magod ap Llywelyn. After touring the castle and grabbing lunch by the Menai Strait, travelers board their coach and drive through Snowdonia National Park before arriving in England. Once in England, Stratford-upon-Avon is the first sight on the itinerary. This is home to the birthplace of William Shakespeare, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, Church of the Holy Trinity, and many little tea shops. From Stratford-upon-Avon, the next city is London. The London tour includes sights like Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, House of Parliament, Big Ben, Piccadilly Circus, and many more along the way.
When it comes to eating arrangements, EF takes care of two out of three meals a day. Every morning breakfast is provided at the hotel before starting the day. The breakfast is usually compiled of breads, fruits, meats, cheeses, and coffee or tea. The types of these foods depend on the region. For example, in London and Ireland, travelers would be offered teas, grilled tomatoes, fried toast, bangers and black pudding for breakfast. The second meal EF provides is usually dinner. The planners will pick places that provide both traditional meals and entertainment. In Dublin, travelers are scheduled to eat dinner at L. Mulligan Grocer and attend a River Dance show/lesson down the street. In London, traditional fish and chips are usually on the dinner menu. This leaves lunch to be decided by the travelers.
Between sights and traveling, the Tour Director will allow about two to three hours of ‘free time’ so travelers can enjoy places that aren’t on the itinerary and grab lunch. It is highly suggested that travelers stop and interact with locals to find the best places to eat in the area. ‘As someone who has been on five of these tours, the restaurants I always enjoy the most are the ones that are suggested to me by people I met on the streets,’ says Deidre Brady, educator, and world traveler. For those over the legal drinking age, there are plenty of pubs and breweries in these cities. Off St. James’s Gate in Dublin, travelers can tour the Guinness Brewery. It is said that the Guinness brewed in Dublin tastes better because the water used is sourced from the River Liffey. When travelers aren’t sight-seeing, enjoying a meal, or traveling from one place to another, their time is spent catching up on sleep at the hotels.
When it comes to sleeping accommodations, EF typically books highly rated hotels that are outside of the city. This is a plus because EF trips are very fast paced and travelers are awake for up to sixteen hours at a time. Being outside of the city allows travelers to get the rest necessary for the following day. However, hotel employees can always offer up places nearby to visit like beaches, shops, and restaurants.
‘Nothing enhances learning quite like the experience of traveling,’ says Brady. With Education First, travelers are promised a deeper level of understanding of the countries they travel at a fraction of the cost. This company allows people to see the world and experience a new culture in a way they couldn’t before. There is no better way for youth to travel than the Education First Tours.
