Welcome Comets!

It's official - a group of students from Grand Ledge High School has joined our tour group. Here's a quick run-through of some key tour info, so everyone is on the same page:

The Blog: Bookmark this site, and check it weekly for updates and new info. All valid e-mails submitted to EF will be alerted any time the blog is updated. Use the links under Tour Related Info for more information. Check the archives and use the search bar at the top of the page to find answers to your questions.

Tentative departure date: July 11 (This is 95% locked in - it will be set in stone 99 days prior to departure)

Passports: get these ASAP, if you haven't already. 15-year-olds should wait if they'll turn 16 prior to Feb. 1, because 16-year-olds get an adult (10-year) passport. Be certain that the name on your passport matches the name on the EF Invoice exactly. This is a requirement for departure.

Meetings: held monthly in Mr. Van Hof's room during PRIDE (that's a wacky DeWitt High School class, Comets). All meeting content will be posted on the blog. The meetings focus on answereing any pressing questions and on one city we'll be visiting, so Grand Ledge kids might want to search the archives for info on Rome, Vatican City, Pisa and Florence. The January meeting will focus on Genoa and Assisi

Parent Meetings: Two whole-group parent and student meetings will be held. One in March/April, one in May/June. These will probably be in the evening at DeWitt High School.

Billing: EF handles all billing. I can answer any question you have, but you might find your answers at the EF Tours website

Finances: The U.S. dollar is weakening vs the Euro, so you might want to increase your planned spending cash a bit. Use the currency converter at the bottom of the page to see what your dollars will turn into overseas. Some small changes in the tour price may still happen, but are not likely. All prices will be locked in 99 days before departure.

Dec. 19 meeting re-cap

Thanks to all who came to the PRIDE meeting today - hopefully you found some of the info useful. If you missed the meeting, we discussed hotels, spending money, Florence and the departure date.

As promised, here are some links to useful sites - look to the left to find more links in the Tour Related Info section.

Currency:

I've put a currency conversion calculator on this page. Scroll all the way to the bottom to find it.

The rules for purchasing or exchanging foreign currency vary from bank-to-bank, so you'll have to have you parents look a little into this. I know that MSU Federal Credit Union will sell foreign currency with a few days notice, but there is a fee.

Generally speaking, the easiest approach for overseas spending is to use an ATM card that is linked to a checking account - I'll make this the main topic of an upcoming meeting, because there is a lot to know about this.

The cruise:
I think that this is the cruise company that will take us from Genoa to Barcelona. More to follow on this.

Passports:
Be sure that you get your application for a passport taken care of ASAP. You will need to bring this to a meeting in March.

Videos:
This is an ok tourist-created video that gives some pretty good views of what we'll see in Florence.

Packing Checklist Site

This site was rated one of the top ten in Time Magazine this year. It allows you to create a personalized travel packing list. It also has links to other helpful sites, can send travel related email tips, and the lists are printable. Enjoy.

Next Meeting

Our next travel meeting will be Wednesday, December 19 during PRIDE. We will discuss Florence and any other topics travelers bring up.