Italy FAQ
Will we be walking?
YES!!!!!!!!! We are touring Italy, so there will be a large amount of walking for 7 days. Italy is hilly and roads/sidewalks are not always perfectly even. We may encounter cobblestones or other types of pavers, so be aware that we will be walking a great deal around the cities and into the hills.
Once we are off the bus, we will travel together. We may not see the bus again until the end of the day for the trip to the hotel.
Who can go?
Levey current 6th - 8th Graders and incoming Levey 6th graders in Fall 2024 (so, our current 8th graders can travel with us even though they will be in 9th grade next year.)
Up to 2 parents/guardians (we would like to have at least 50% students traveling)
Under 30 travelers in Levey Group - We will merge with another school traveling from anywhere in the USA. Students and parents count toward the 30 travelers.
30+ travelers in Levey Group will turn our tour into a Private Tour and it will just be our group traveling together. Students and parents count toward the 30 travelers.
When are we going?
Either April 1-9, 2025 or April 2-10, 2025. We will know 2-3 months before departure.
Generally fly out at night to allow students to sleep on the plane.
We will use a commercial airline
Cost/Payments
June 4th - 5th - Those enrolled during this window will receive a $200 discount. Cost for student $4249 and parent $4979.
Enrollment periods outside of this window will be at full cost. Cost for student $4449 and parent $5179.
$95 enrollment fee is per traveler. Each traveler enrolls individually. System knows by birthdate if you are a middle schooler or adult.
3 options to pay, Full payment, auto payment and manual payment.
Full payment - pay full amount now.
Auto plan charges credit card or takes out of bank account each month. Auto payment plan takes out the last payment a month before tour.
Manual payment (blue link below auto payment) will allow for varied payments through the year. There is a $75 fee and a couple other requirements, but if you need an option that doesn’t charge every month you may want to look into it. If on the manual payment plan, then payment is due 110 days before departure.
There is no other discount for 30+ travelers, since the price is based on us combining with another group if we have less than 30 travelers.
Who is rooming together?
Students will room with students of the same gender. Depending on the hotel:
Rooms with 2 twin beds - 2 students in the room
Rooms with 2 double/queen beds - 3-4 students in the room
Adults will room with one other adult of the same gender.
Families can opt to have a family room
No upcharge - 2 parents and 1 child or 1 parent and 2 children
Upcharge - 1 parent and 1 child
Adults can opt for a single room for an Upcharge.
Will there be fundraising with the school for Levey students?
We have a number of fundraisers planned for students to earn money toward their trip.
Levey sponsored fundraisers are for funds that benefit the Levey students participating in the fundraiser.
Funds from the fundraiser will be directly deposited into the students participating in the fundraisers EF Tours fundraising page or another method of payment directly to EF Tours.
Funds will be applied for confirmed Levey students
No funds will be paid directly to the student or parent/guardian
If a student does not travel, then the funds are distributed to the other traveling students, put in a fund to benefit the trip program or used on the trip for the benefit of the student travelers.
Parents and students are expected to be involved in certain mandatory activities.
Parents will help to chair fundraising committees and work with Group Leader/chaperones to submit grants, create community partnerships and solicit donations.
Fundraising page on EF Tours. Each student will have their own “Go Fund Me” type page on EF Tours. All funds that are submitted through this page will go directly to the intended student. There is no % fee to use the page.
Independent fundraising. Students are encouraged to create their own fundraisers to earn money for the trip. Lemonade stand, chores for their family for trip money, summer job, etc.
Chaperones
There will be 1 chaperone for every 6-9 travelers.
Background check for tour guides/chaperones/EF Tour People?
Chaperones are Levey Teachers, so they have already had a background check.
Tour Guides and EF Tour People that work with students will have had a background check
Credit cards and debit cards overseas
Most major credit card companies work well overseas. (Visa, Master Card, American Express, etc.)
It is recommended that you contact your credit/debit card company before traveling and again the day before or of to ensure that they know that the card will be used overseas. This is, also, a must if the card will be used in the USA and overseas in the same time frame. Otherwise they may tag it as stolen.
Cell Phone Service
Check with your carrier about availability of service overseas. They may have a policy about free service while in Europe, only free texting or an additional charge for international service.
