Here's how to keep costs down on your school sports tour.
We all know the huge benefits that school sports tours offer children.
But one of the main hurdles when it comes to getting students signed up is the cost.
We’ve already put together a guide to justifying the tour itself to parents.
But there are also a few ways to keep costs down and make your tour more accessible to more students.
Make it multisport!
This is particularly worth considering for sports with small squad sizes, such as netball and cricket.
Quite simply, if you have a really small group, the cost per person will usually be higher. If you can make your group a bit bigger (i.e. by opening the tour up to other sports) you will bring the cost per head down.
We have a whole section of our website dedicated to multisports tours.
Choose your transport wisely!
The two main choices for transport are coach and air.
Of course, coach travel is going to be your cheaper option for travelling to Europe.
Plus, being a door-to-door option, it is generally less hassle.
You can also use the coach in-resort for transfers to training sessions, fixtures and activities.
If your journey will include a ferry crossing, you can save some money here just by choosing your travel days wisely.
Friday, being the busiest day for ferry crossings, tends to be the most expensive – if you can travel on a Monday or Tuesday, they do tend to be a bit cheaper.
If you prefer to fly, or are travelling to a more exotic destination, there are also ways to reduce the cost of air travel.
Firstly, try to travel on a Thursday or Friday, as they’re often the cheapest days to fly.
And, of course, try to avoid bank holidays!
Travel off-peak!
If you can avoid the busiest tourist period for your destination, you can save a lot of money.
And, of course, fewer tourists also tends to make for a more relaxed trip!
With that in mind, long-haul destinations, such as the Caribbean, tend to be cheaper between April and October.
And European destinations are usually cheaper between October and March. Ferry crossings are generally cheaper between September and March.
Skip the hotel and stay in a hostel!
Youth hostel accommodation is likely to be much less expensive than a hotel.
Plus, they’re ideal for groups and tend to have a relaxed, friendly atmosphere that the pupils love.
We select the accommodation we offer very carefully, so please don’t hesitate to ask your Tour Adviser for more information on the accommodation options available in your chosen destination.
Plan your meals!
It tends to be much cheaper to pre-book evening meals at your accommodation, rather than eating out.
And you could also consider pre-booking your lunch.
We’re usually able to arrange packed lunches, which will almost always work out much cheaper than heading to a local café or restaurant, especially if you’re in an area popular with tourists.
Choose your activities carefully!
Activities can really bump the cost of your tour up, especially if you want to visit world-famous attractions or theme parks.
However, there are normally several cheap or even free options available.
Please contact your Tour Adviser for more information on what activities would suit your budget in your chosen destination.
Important note about comparing quotes
Please make sure that you are comparing like for like when comparing quotes.
Some tour companies will quote you their base price, with information on things like surcharges for on-peak travel buried somewhere in the small print.
Here at Halsbury, our quote will include all payable charges, so what we quote is what you will pay unless you make any changes to your tour (i.e. change numbers of passengers, mode of transport, dates, etc.).
And, of course, if in doubt, please feel free to send any other quotes you have to your Tour Adviser.
They’ll be pleased to let you know if we can beat them!
Ready to start planning your school sports tour?
Please don't hesitate to contact us for further information or to request a tailor-made quote.