European Tours
Few places welcome group travel like Europe. Its walkable cities, rich history, and distinct cultures sitting side by side make every day of a tour feel different from the last. From the cathedrals of Spain to the cafés of Paris, your group will experience the character of each destination firsthand.
52+ years of custom educational travel · Trusted by school groups in all 50 states · SYTA, IATAN, ARC, and NTA accredited
European trip dates require more lead time than domestic travel, but the curriculum connections, student interest, and school approval process that govern them rarely move on the same timeline. Passports expire, dietary restrictions cross language barriers, and the roster rarely looks the same on departure day as it did at booking. Permission slips, medical forms, and international travel documentation come in from every family at a different pace. The group size changes, the chaperone count changes, and the teacher coordinating all of it still has five classes to teach.
We work with the itinerary as your plans firm up, handle passports, documentation, and payments with families directly, and keep the international logistics moving in the background. Teachers stay focused on the students.
How It Works
Custom sounds like more work. With us, it’s less.
1
Discovery Call
Tell us about your group, your rough dates, and how many are traveling. A short conversation to get started.
2
Custom proposal
We send a full proposal with itinerary, venues, and transparent pricing.
3
Revisions
Change anything. Swap a site, adjust a day, shift the budget. We revise until it fits.
4
Enrollment
We handle student signups, payments, and parent communication so you don’t have to.
5
Support on the trip
Your planner and a 24/7 emergency line are with your group the entire trip.
CUSTOM ITINERARY
What a European tour looks like:
the trip that makes an impact
The Experience
European tours gives a group an experience worth the year’s preparation. The cities are real, the history is immediate, and every country crossed adds a layer that no classroom can replicate. Students get to measure themselves against a world that operates differently than the one they know at home, and most come back with a sharper sense of where they fit in it. Teachers leave with observations and conversations that shape what the group thinks about and talks about for the rest of the year.
The days between the landmarks matter just as much. Groups get time together that isn’t structured, which is where a lot of a year’s connections get made. For some students it’s a first flight or a first time outside the country. Groups come home closer, with a better sense of what they’re capable of and a clearer idea of what they want to see next.
Custom tours since 1974
Why Do a European Tour with ET Tours?
No two of our trips look quite the same, because we start with you. Tell us what you’re hoping your group takes away from Europe, and we’ll shape the trip around that, right down to the dates that work for your calendar.
When you work with Educational Tours, you have access to our entire team. Every member of our staff is familiar with the groups we serve, so whether your question concerns your itinerary, your flights, or a payment, you’ll reach someone equipped to assist you directly. Your trip is never confined to a single agent, it’s managed by the full team behind it.
For families, that means an international trip run by people who have done this for decades. We’ve been planning group travel for over 50 years, we’re accredited by SYTA, IATAN, ARC, and NTA, and every detail from flights to accommodations is vetted before your group ever leaves the country. Our custom
pricing is transparent, with no upsells and no surprises, and payment plans are available so cost never has to be the reason anyone stays home.
The Difference Custom European Tours Make
Each itinerary is built around the group traveling on it. A group studying World War II might build their trip around Normandy and Berlin, while a group focused on art history might center theirs on Florence and Paris. Custom does not mean starting from a blank page. We bring the destinations, venues, and routing we have worked out over decades of European trips, and you tell us what to keep, what to cut, and what to add until the itinerary fits your group.
A Few of Our Favorite European Countries to Visit
London & Paris
Explore a thousand years of British history at Westminster, the Tower of London, and the Churchill War Rooms, then ride the Eurostar into Paris for the Louvre, Notre-Dame, and the Palace of Versailles just outside the city.
Italy
Walk through ancient Rome at the Colosseum and the Forum, look up at the Sistine Chapel ceiling in the Vatican, and trace the Renaissance to its beginning in Florence at the Uffizi and the Duomo before ending in Venice.
Spain
Stand in front of Velázquez and Goya at the Prado in Madrid, tour the Gaudí architecture that shapes Barcelona from the Sagrada Família outward, and explore the Moorish palaces and cathedrals that record centuries of Spanish history.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
FAQs
Do students need a passport?
Yes. Every traveler needs a valid passport, and most European countries require it to remain valid for at least three months beyond the date your group returns home. Because processing can take several months during busy periods, we recommend families start the application as soon as a trip is confirmed rather than waiting for a deposit deadline.
Are there other entry requirements for Europe?
Americans do not need a visa for a trip of this length. Travelers entering Europe go through the EU’s Entry and Exit System, which records a photo, fingerprints, and passport details at the border. The EU is also introducing ETIAS, an online travel authorization similar to the ESTA program the United States uses, which will add a short application step before departure. We keep every group current on these requirements well ahead of your trip.
Are flights included in the price?
Yes. Our quoted price covers round trip international airfare, so the number you see is the cost of the trip rather than a starting point you build on. Ground transportation, hotels, meals, guides, and admissions are all included as well.
Can the itinerary be built around what our students are studying?
That’s how we work. Every itinerary is designed for the group traveling on it, so the cities, sites, and pacing all follow what your group wants out of the trip rather than a fixed package we sell to everyone.
How many chaperones travel with the group?
That’s up to you. Chaperone spots are built into the per student price, and most of our groups travel with one chaperone for every seven to ten participants. Schools are never asked to fund chaperone travel separately.
Who is with the group in Europe?
Your own chaperones travel with the group throughout, and licensed local guides lead your visits at major sites. Our office in Utah is available for the full length of the trip, and group leaders carry direct phone numbers for the staff who planned it.
How do families pay?
Families register and pay Educational Tours directly, either online or by mail, so group leaders never collect or hold trip funds. Payments follow a deposit schedule set well ahead of departure, and we track every account and keep group leaders current on who has paid.
What happens if a student has to cancel?
Cancellation requests are handled in writing, and the refund depends on how far out the cancellation falls and what has already been paid to airlines, hotels, and venues on that traveler’s behalf. The full policy is printed in every trip brochure and available on our terms and conditions page.
Is travel insurance available?
Travel insurance is not included in the trip price, and we strongly encourage every traveler to purchase it independently. Our office can point families toward options once a trip is booked.
What happens if a flight is delayed or canceled?
We book directly with the airlines, so when a schedule changes we work the problem from our end rather than routing it through a third party. Our staff is reachable around the clock while your group is traveling, and we handle rebooking and any adjustments to the itinerary that follow.
How far ahead should we start planning?
Most European trips come together nine to twelve months out. That timeline gives families room to secure passports and spread payments across a deposit schedule, and it gives us the best airfare and hotel availability for your dates.
Safety & Support
Every group travels on vetted transportation and stays in accommodations selected for location, security, and proximity to the itinerary. While your group is on the road, emergency support is available around the clock, staffed by our own people rather than an outside answering service, and group leaders carry direct numbers for the staff who planned the trip. From enrollment onward we keep travelers informed directly, so everyone always knows the schedule and who to call. We are accredited by SYTA, IATAN, ARC, and NTA. Full details, insurance information, and our incident protocol are on our Safety page.
Request a custom proposal
Tell us what you teach and where you want to go, we’ll handle everything else.