Student Tours Blog

Everyone says it rains all the time in Seattle but that was the furthest thing from our minds when we landed at SeaTac Airport. It was a dream come true for me and my students. Months of planning and fund raising were finally paying off and seeing the Space Needle from the air was so exciting! We had no idea just how thrilling our Seattle travel tours would end up being.

When we first heard about Fantastic Tours’ cheap student travel, we weren’t sure if we could pull it off. Times are tough and money is tight, but the student travel deals and student travel discounts available through Fantastic Tours actually made it possible. Instead of just reading about places like Pike Place Market, Pioneer Square, and the Pacific Science Center, we were able to use deals on student travel to actually be there!

Museums, Munchies, And Flying Fish?!!?

Open markets have been part of human history since the very beginning, and Pike Place Market is a delightful reminder of the hawkers, performers, and artisans that have offered their wares, sung their songs, and flung fish through the air throughout human history. Our student travel adventure included Seattle travel tours of underground Seattle, the Smith Tower Observation Deck, and the Burke Museum.

Without all these student travel deals, we would never have been able to do this. The students (and I!) were thrilled at every turn. We explored the Waterfront and saw amazing works of art for free. We used our student travel discounts to see the Seattle Aquarium and several other attractions, leaving us enough pocket money to buy gifts for family and friend back home who helped make our student travel adventure happen.

Endangered Species And Playful Science

The Woodland Park Zoo was a real treat with exhibits as natural and spacious as any I’ve ever seen. Their efforts at boosting populations of endangered species has several of my students discussing career changes! The docents were informative and entertaining. The Golden Lion Tamarins were a major hit and their successful reintroduction into the wilds of Brazil are a testament to the skilled care these animals receive.

The Pacific Science Center is a playful jewel in the Seattle skyline, featuring whimsical art, interactive science exhibits, and live performances of every kind. We were able to enjoy deals on student travel to the Pacific Science Center and their IMAX presentation. The support of Boeing was obvious when we used our student travel discounts to visit the Museum of Flight. It was an amazing collection and an enjoyable tour.

Art, Industry, And Science

If it actually ever rained on our Seattle travel tours, we didn’t notice. We were given so many student travel discounts that I don’t think we ever stopped walking, talking, and learning the entire time. Seattle is a city dedicated to art, science, conservation, education, and creative expression.

Our student travel to Seattle was amazing. The student travel deals made it possible and Fantastic Tours made is successful.

– A teacher from Idaho

Tags: cheap student travel, deals on student travel, San Francisco travel tours, student travel, student travel deals, student travel discounts

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Every year, I anxiously await the week that I take my advanced history classes on student travel tours to Philadelphia. The trip is the highlight of the class for all my students and many parents tell me that their children specifically sign up for advanced history just to go on the trip. Although I’ve been taking students on travel tours for close to 15 years, the trip has been made easier since I discovered the amazing staff at Fantastic Tours and Travel. Here are some of the many places they’ve helps us uncover on our Philadelphia travel tours.

Ride The Ducks

Without a doubt, one of the favorite Philadelphia travel tours is the Ride the Ducks tour. The trip is so much fun, students don’t even know that they’re learning about history as they go. The tour takes us past historical sights such as the Betsy Ross House, Benjamin Franklin’s grave and the Liberty Bell. Our tour guides help history come alive and my students love playing with their new ‘Wacky Quackers,’ a duck bill shaped noisemaker. Once the land part of the tour is over, the bus rolls right into the Delaware River at the historic Penn’s Landing and becomes a boat. It’s definitely a once in a lifetime experience made possible because of the great deals on student travel tours we get from Fantastic Tours.

Visit Amish Country On Student Travel Tours

My students are amazed when we go back in time and visit the Amish Country. We visit a recreation of an Amish village and my students leave with an appreciation of what life was like before the invention of electricity, television, cell phones and computers. After visiting the recreation village, we stop for a traditional Amish dinner. Everyone crowds around a long table and we share dishes such as chicken pot pie, buttered brown noodles, fried chicken and desserts like apple dumplings and shoo fly pies.

Hersheypark

After two days of educational student travel tours, we take the third day to relax and have some fun. Hersheypark is just the place. My students can let loose and go on roller coasters, like the Storm Runner or the Wild Mouse. Some of the most popular water rides include the Tidal Force and the Coastline Plunge - Vortex. Other popular rides include the Monorail, the Ferris Wheel and the Frontier Flyers. But Hersheypark isn’t just about the rides. Students can enjoy meals with life-sized Hershey characters and live entertainment throughout the park. New for this year is a great meal deal, meaning students can enjoy two snacks, two meals and a souvenir cup at a discounted price. It’s something we never would have discovered if it weren’t for our student travel planners at Fantastic Tours. It’s just another way they help make sure our budget stretches.

I’m so thankful to Fantastic Tours for getting us such a great deal on student travel. It means I can take my students on Philadelphia travel tours year after year.

– An 8th Grade History Teacher

Tags: cheap student travel, student travel, travel tours

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I’m a leader of a boy scout group and every year, we plan a trip to Baltimore to celebrate the boys earning their merit badges. The boys set a group goal at the beginning of every year and in May we take our trip. The boys have never missed a goal and everyone works together to make sure the student travel is deserved. Our latest trip was made possible by the cheap student travel tours provided by Fantastic Tours & Travel. We just returned and I’m delighted to share it with you.

Visiting The National Aquarium

The National Aquarium is the perfect start to our student travel tours in Baltimore. My scouts love the dolphin show and the newest exhibit, Jellies Invasion. The aquarium is home to more than 660 different species of animals and over 16,500 different creatures. Some of the animals include sharks, amphibians, lizards, turtles and even birds. The aquarium even has a special scout program, which I learned about from Fantastic Tours. My scouts get to attend a special question and answer program with dolphin trainers before exploring the aquarium and earning a special patch to add to their additional merit badges.

Exploring Camden Yards And Attending An Orioles Game

Baseball is America’s pastime and my scouts jump at the opportunity to check out a live, professional baseball game. Before the game, we tour the sky box and locker rooms in a special, behind the scenes tour of Camden Yards. Before the game, we head over to the Hard Rock Café for dinner. After we’ve had our fill of dinner and rock ‘n roll souvenirs, our go back to Camden Yards to cheer for the home team. It’s a fun-filled day and an amazing opportunity for my scouts.

Enjoying Six Flags America On Our Student Travel Tours

We spend the last day of our student travel tours at Six Flags America. My scouts get their fill of rides such as Superman: Ride of Steel, Coyote Creek Crazy Cars, Skull Mountain and Pirate’s Flight. The park has something for everyone, so my less-adventurous scouts can have just as much fun as the dare-devils. My scouts can take a break from the rides with shows such as the Treasure of Pirate Cove and Mr. Six Dance Party. Of course, no day at an amusement park would be complete without food! My scouts can choose from a number of local and national foods, such as Papa John’s pizza, Subway, funnel cakes, cheesesteaks and even ethnic fare such as Chinese and Mexican. We leave the park full and exhausted after a day of fun put together by the student travel planners at Fantastic Tours.

I anticipate going on this trip for many years to come, mostly because of the cheap student travel provided by our friends at Fantastic Tours. I’m thankful to have found them and can’t wait until next year’s student travel tours of Baltimore.

Tags: cheap student travel, student travel, travel tours

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Many educators think that cheap student travel is just a myth and give up any hope of taking students on an extended field trip. But that doesn’t have to be the case. I’ve been taking groups of middle school students to New York City for the past few years and always book our student travel with Fantastic Tours and Travel.

Fantastic Tours is a full-service travel agency that focuses on providing clients with cheap student travel. Their tours are fully customizable, which makes it easy to change our sightseeing focus year after year. Throughout the years, I’ve accumulated a list of the most popular student travel sights in New York City - I hope you find them useful.

The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

The Statue of Liberty just can’t be missed. Students are amazed at its size and the Ellis Island Museum seems to really help them grasp the history behind the island. Before we go on our trip, I ask my students to do a little family research. Then we use Ellis Island’s website to find out information about my student’s ancestors and many of them are shocked to discover what names they may have had if not for the famous name changing.

The United Nations

A student travel trip to New York City wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the United Nations. Students can learn about this international organization and even see unique artifacts from many of its member countries. The tours are guided by the ‘United Nations Ambassadors to the public’ and these guides are a wealth of knowledge about the inner-workings of this important organization. After visiting the UN on our student travel field trip, I’ve noticed my students have a greater sense of the world as a whole and less of an ‘us vs them’ mentality.

Broadway Shows

It may seem cost-prohibitive to see a Broadway show while in New York City (especially if the show is a popular one), but not if the student travel is planned by Fantastic Tours. The people at Fantastic Tours have years of experience planning cheap student travel and know all the tricks and tips to get us in to a show.

Enjoy The Early Show - Live

Another favorite activity is the ‘Party on the Plaza.’ Students can mug for the camera and try to get themselves on CBS’ the Early Show. They can meet famous CBS news anchors Harry Smith, Julie Chen, Maggie Rodriguez, Dave Price and Erica Hill and get a first hand account of what working for a major American network might be like.

Customizing a cheap student travel field trip with Fantastic Tours means you’ll be able to plan highly educational activities like visiting Ellis Island and the United Nations with fun outings to a Broadway play and the CBS Early Show. There’s no reason not to book a trip your students will remember for a lifetime.

- A Middle School Teacher From New Jersey

Tags: cheap student travel, student travel

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It’s a tradition in my small town - high school seniors go on Orlando travel tours together before all going their separate ways. It’s the ‘one last hurrah’ that they look forward to from kindergarten and many students save up money from babysitting, chores and part-time jobs so that they can load up on student travel souvenirs to take home for younger brothers and sisters.

Parents are initially concerned with the cost of the trip. That concern is soon alleviated when I outline the cost of student travel from Fantastic Tours & Travel. We’ve worked with Fantastic Tours & Travel for a number of years and I know I can count on the people there to help me plan unforgettable Orlando travel tours.

Orlando Travel Tours Start With A Splash

After spending time in close bus quarters, our Orlando travel tours always start with a much needed splash. Before checking into the hotel, we visit the Blizzard Beach Water Parks. My students love rushing down the park’s Slush Gusher, a 90 foot tall waterslide, and racing each other down the Toboggan Racers waterslides. When it’s time to relax, the students take to the Cross Country Creek, while our chaperones relax at the Melt-Away Bay. My students are always amazed by the chair lift that takes us up the park’s Mount Gushmore and was inspired by a freak snowstorm that hit Florida and quickly melted away. Although the snow left, the snow-inspired theme stuck and always proves to be a hit on our Orlando travel tours.

Visiting Mickey With Student Travel Discounts

No trip to Orlando is complete without a visit with Mickey Mouse and the rest of the Disney gang. Students with younger brothers and sisters love getting their photos taken with some of the famous characters. But the fun on our Orlando travel tours doesn’t end with a photo of Mickey Mouse. Students can visit Main Street USA, Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Mickey’s Toonland Fair and the Liberty Square. Cinderella’s Castle provides us with a convenient check in spot before we watch the daily parade together.

Enjoying The Attractions At Universal Studios

The third day of our trip means a day to Universal Studios. Students can experience attractions like Shrek 4D and Terminator II in 3D, as well as Hulk roller coaster. Although it’s not open yet, my students are already looking forward to the Harry Potter exhibit and the people at Fantastic Tours helped us specifically choose dates for our Orlando travel tours to ensure the exhibit would be opened.

Getting The Most Out Of The Last Day

The last day of our Orlando travel tours are spent at the MGM Studios. Students line up to take part of the American Idol Experience that puts them right in the spotlight. Lucky students can audition for the chance to perform in front of a live audience in front of judges, strangers and of course, their classmates! We even recently had a winner who was invited to perform in front of the real American Idol judges, which was a dream come true for my student.

Fantastic Travel & Tours always helps me pull together an amazing student travel package. I feel so lucky to work with them and know I can count on them to help me give my students Orlando travel tours they’ll remember for a long time.

Tags: orlando travel tours, student travel

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Chicago travel tours

In my years as an educator, I’ve learned that Chicago is an excellent place for student travel. Its two airports and Midwestern location make Chicago travel tours accessible and affordable to anyone around the country. I’ve been booking my student travel tours with Fantastic Tours for the past few years and the people there always help me plan a fun and exciting trip for my students. There are so many different things to do on our Chicago travel tours that we’re able to plan a trip that fulfills educational requirements for history, American government, science and even home economics.

Visiting The Willis Tower Skydeck

No Chicago travel tours are complete without a trip to the Willis Tower. The tower was renamed in 2009 and is the tallest observatory in Chicago. Even the most difficult to impress student is amazed at the view and marvels over being able to see Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin and Illinois from the Skydeck. Aside from the view, students are able to take in a history lesson on the city with the interactive exhibits that run along the inside of the Skydeck and get a virtual tour of the city’s landmarks. On my first trip, our planners at Fantastic Tours suggested that we visit the Skydeck first to get students excited about the places we would visit during the remainder of the trip. It was great advice and we’ve followed it ever since.

Continuing Chicago Travel Tours With A Visit To Museum Campus

The Museum Campus consists of the Adler Planetarium, Shedd Aquarium and the Field Museum. On this day, we break up into a couple different groups and allow the students to choose which of the museums they want to visit on our Chicago travel tours. With the flexible schedule, my students can choose to spend all day in the planetarium, aquarium or museum or break up their visit between the different museums. At the Field Museum, students can visit artifacts from early American, Asia and Africa and also learn about plants and nature. Students interested in sea creatures can see more than million different animals at the Shedd Aquarium, including penguins, whales, dolphins, otters and even sharks. At the Adler Planetarium, students enjoy learning about the solar system up close and personal. Although some students initially grumble a bit about spending time touring these ‘educational’ attractions, this day actually turns out to be a favorite of many.

Chicago Student Travel Food Tasting Tour

I never tell my students this, but my favorite parts of the trip are the food tasting Chicago travel tours. On this part of our student travel trip, we get to sample the food Chicago is famous for. We eat our way through Chicago-style pizza, delis, gourmet shops and the fudge and chocolate shops. We all leave these Chicago travel tours well-fed and happy.

When I was planning my first Chicago travel tours so many years ago, I never dreamed they would become a yearly event. I’m thankful to the wonderful people at Fantastic Tours who continue to help me plan a cheap student travel tour year after year.

Tags: chicago travel tours, student travel

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Many educators may not think of Atlanta when it comes time to plan an educational student travel trip, but the city is a wealth of beautiful historic buildings, CNN headquarters, the Centennial Olympic Park, the Jimmy Carter Library, Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site and the company headquarters of Coca-Cola. Whether you have the luxury of visiting this amazing historic city for a couple days or need to leave after a short visit, you’ll find a number of educational destinations for your student travel.

Booking our student travel through Fantastic Tours means we have the freedom to choose the destinations we want to focus on. In the past, I’ve split my students into a couple groups - students interested in current events and journalism visit the CNN Headquarters, athletes to the Centennial Olympic Park and students interested in history to the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site. All were interesting in their own ways and really should not be missed.

Tour CNN Headquarters

CNN has become one of America’s premier sources of television news and has expanded its offerings to include full service news reporting on its website, Twitter and Facebook. Student travel groups visiting CNN Headquarters can take a professionally guided tour that ends with a virtual presentation by current CNN anchors and reporters. Students will learn about the many challenges these reporters faced throughout their years at CNN. The tour wraps up at the Turner Store, where students and chaperones can buy souvenirs and memorabilia from the Turner family of networks, including Cartoon Network, TBS, HBO and TNT.

Visit the Centennial Olympic Park

Before the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, the area that is now the Centennial Olympic Park was a run-down part of Atlanta. That all changed with the renovation of the 21 acre park. Now the area is a welcome green space among the concrete and tall buildings of Atlanta. Student travel groups can marvel at the Fountain of Rings, which contain the five Olympic Rings and can even ice skate November through January. The park’s background is steeped with Olympic history and my student athletes are amazed at the Olympic symbols that are located throughout the park.

Explore the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site

The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site is another can’t miss student travel destination.
The site is part of the National Parks Service and students can take a guided tour led by a national park ranger. This is an instance where Fantastic Tours and Travel’s ‘chaperones travel free’ program comes in handy since the tour of MLK’s birth place is strictly limited to 15 people per tour. We also visit the first integrated fire station in Atlanta, the crypt of Dr. and Mrs. Martin Luther King, Jr. and watch some historic films in the park’s movie theater. Students are left with a grand sense of history and what our country would be like without the efforts of MLK and the civil rights movement.

These are just a few of the many historic student travel destinations that Fantastic Tours has helped us book. Because they’re able to provide such great deals on student travel, I can take my students to Atlanta again and again. Thanks Fantastic Tours!

- A High School Teacher from Georgia

Tags: student travel

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I’ve taught American history for years and quickly learned that nothing brings a lesson to life like a little student travel. Students are under pressure from every angle, meaning I’m constantly competing for their attention. That’s why, when it’s time for our chapter on early American history and the Revolutionary War, we turn to Fantastic Tours’ educational tour of Boston and their amazing deals on student travel.

The Freedom Trail

We start our day with a visit to the Freedom Trail. There students can see downtown Boston’s oldest standing building, Paul Revere’s house which was built around 1680. Students will also visit Boston Latin, America’s oldest public school and a number of other historical sights.

Students can also hear ‘first hand’ historical accounts as we walk along the Freedom Trail. Historical figures such as Hannah Adams, the first professional female writer in America, James Otis, who coined the famous phrase ‘taxation without representation is tyranny,’ and Henry Knox, the senior officer of the Continential Army until he became the first Secretary of War in 1789, tell students all about life in early America.

We end our walk along the freedom trail with a tour of the USS Constitution, otherwise known as Old Ironsides. Students can marvel over the durability of this warship that’s over 200 years old and still in commission with the U.S. Navy.

The Salem Witch Museum And The Witch Dungeon Museum

Other Boston student travel favorites are the Salem Witch Museum and the Witch Dungeon Museum. The Salem witch trials are a fascinating period of American history and this portion of our educational student travel gives students an insight into what life was like in Salem, Massachusetts back in 1692.

Once we’re back in the classroom, my students and I act out the trial of Bridget Bishop, one of the most famous of the Salem witch tours, using information from the two museums. I’ve found that students enjoy this exercise so much more after actually seeing the re-enactment of Sarah Good’s trial that uses the actual court transcript.

Can’t Miss Sporting Events

Although the main focus of our student travel is educational, we always leave room in our trip for a trip to Fenway Park or TD Banknorth Garden to see where the Red Sox or Celtics play. The people at Fantastic Tours always seem to have inside knowledge and let me know when I can take my students to a game for the best prices. The opportunity to see a professional sporting event is a once in a lifetime experience for many of my students and it’s one of my favorite parts of our trip (though don’t tell them that!).

Whether we’re taking a three day tour, or just a single day trip, the people at Fantastic Tours know how to help me get the best deals on student travel. This enables me to provide my students with an amazing, educational experience they’ll remember for years to come.

- A Satisfied Fantastic Tours Customer

Tags: student travel

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