Rome/Athens: May Meeting Minutes

Upcoming Meeting Dates: (MANDATORY)

THURSDAY, JUNE 7 @ 6PM IN THE ELKS BALLROOM

• WHY??? We know that is just next week, but we wanted to avoid meeting during finals week and give everyone complete freedom the first couple weeks of school. We still have a lot of information to cover 🙂

• What to bring to the meeting

  • Electrical items you are unsure about bringing (if needed)

  • Money you want to be exchanged for Euros (optional)

 

THURSDAY, JULY 5 @ 6PM IN THE ELKS BALLROOM

• This is the last group meeting before departure

• What to bring to the meeting

  • Passports- for all travelers

 

High School or College Credit Options:

• These students need to let me know as soon as possible if you are planning to earn high school credit, college credit, or do not want to earn credit. (My apologies if you told me, and I didn’t record it…) Go to weShare’s website AND EF’s SNHU Course Page to decide if you want to earn credit for your trip.

  • Evan G.

  • Adrianna H.

  • Kelly K.

  • Caroline S.

  • Ellie W.

  • Annie W.

• For the weShare program, I will give your information to Jenny and have you enrolled. Rubric & Teacher’s Guide (this is helpful for designing your project)

• For those doing the SNHU college course, you will need to register yourself online at EF’s SNHU Course Page no later than Monday, June 18.

• While we aren’t your instructors for either the weShare or the SNHU programs, we will gladly help you with your projects when we get back!

 

What Could Go Wrong Scenarios:

• Bottom Line: If you lose something important or something goes wrong, your first step is to tell one of the chaperones!

• Don’t break the rule of 3! You should only be alone in the bathroom!

• Be aware of your surroundings; petty thefts like pickpocketing are common in both Rome and Athens. If someone makes you uncomfortable, be loud and draw attention to yourself. (Mr. Matt will cover this in greater detail next week.)

• If you want an under clothing wallet, here’s a link to one on Amazon, but they are also available at Target in the travel section. There are also “pickpocket proof” purses. They are not required by any means- just showing options.

• Listen to your body! If you having issues (especially bathroom issues) tell your parent or one of the chaperones– we don’t want you to be uncomfortable!!! Travel and stress do weird things to your system!

• Carry a copy of your passport at all times. It is local law in both cities.

• Download a currency converter and a translator app.

Student Behavior Expectations:

• Students are expected to be on their best behavior at all times.

• Students must be in groups of at least 3 at all times. You are only alone in the bathroom.

• No students may consume alcohol at all while we are on tour, even if a parent is present.

• Students must stay in their rooms after room checks each night.

• Any behavior violations will result in a phone call home. Depending on the violation, students may be sent home early at the parents’ expense.

Adult Behavior Expectations:

• All adults on the trip are chaperones first and foremost. This is not a vacation.

• Adults will be assigned students to keep a close eye, but will always be doing head counts. (Our group is 36 travelers including all adults.)

• All activities are mandatory. Adults may not opt out of participating.

• Adults may consume alcohol in moderation at meal times or after lights out.

• Like students, if behavior gets out of hand, you can be sent home early at your own expense.

Electrical Needs:

• Both Rome and Athens use a Type C plug and run on 230v.

• Read Brad’s article for lots of detailed information

  • https://www.talbotyouthtravel.org/2018/05/15/electrical-requirements/

• If you have an item that you’re unsure of, bring it to the meeting next week.

Spending Money:

• EF recommends budgeting between the equivalent of $30-$60 USD per day, this would be about $200-$400 for the entire trip (excluding travel days)

  • It’s important to always have some €1 coins for restrooms. Free, public restrooms are unicorns in Europe.

• We will do a group order in June to exchange money locally so we all have some Euros in hand when we land. If you would like to participate in this, bring the funds to the next meeting. (Checks should be made out to Talbot Youth Travel.)

• As of 05/31/18, $1 USD = €.85 Euro (A currency conversion app is helpful.)

• Be sure to bring some US dollars for airport spending (snacks, incidentals, etc.)

• Contact your bank and let them know to expect international spending.

• Do NOT send your child with traveler’s checks, gift cards, or the debit card to your primary account.

• We highly recommend setting up a separate account as an added safety measure

• Capital One & Charles Schwab both offer low transaction fees. (We both use Capital One since it’s very easy to transfer funds between accounts with their mobile app.)

• Group leaders will hold funds or ATM cards for students if requested. We have locking bank bags that we will be stored in the hotel safe.

 

Emergency Forms:

• Missing Emergency Forms:

  • Adrianna Hutchison

  • Courtney Stevens

  • Olivia Thomas

  • Ellie Walters

• Adult chaperones are not required to complete the emergency form but are encouraged to do so.

• Paper form (attached) or online (All data is secure)

• http://www.talbotyouthtravel.org/med-form/ password: TYT2018

• After we return, any medical paperwork we have will be shredded; any digital materials will be deleted

Group Pairing:

• We have been paired with a group of 6 from Louisiana.

  • 2 adult chaperones

  • 4 students (2 Male, 2 Female, ages 13-14)

• We have reached out to the other group via email with no response yet, but we’ll call before the next meeting.

On-tour Roommates:

• Rooms are typically 4 students of the same gender, but some hotels may differ.

• The students from the other group may end up room sharing with our group; it just depends on the hotel.

 

Medications/Personal Hygiene:

• All medications (prescription or OTC) must be in their original containers.

• Mrs. Burkhardt & Mrs. Strother will carry medications at parent’s request.

• We have a supply of all OTC meds listed on the emergency form, as well as first-aid kits.

  • We will also have melatonin (It wasn’t on the form, but we’ll have it.)

  • Extra Dramamine is always helpful. We have run out on every trip!

• . The stress of travel can do strange things to your body, and you should be prepared.

  • Tell your child to let a group leader or chaperone know if they are having “bathroom issues” (going too much or not enough). It is very normal.

  • Ladies–it is a wise idea to bring your preferred period supplies too!

 

Dietary Restrictions: (For both adult and student travelers)

• If you have food allergies or have voluntary food restrictions (vegetarian, vegan, etc.), please make sure it is noted on your emergency form.

• It is your responsibility to contact airlines with any food restrictions.

  • American Airlines- Special Meals page

  • Delta Airlines- Special Meals page

• For picky eaters of all ages, our rule of thumb is that you must try at least one bite; you don’t have to like it- just try it. (Excluding dietary restrictions of course!)

 

Cell Phones/Contact with home on tour:

• Be sure to contact your carrier to set up a plan.

• Details for the major carriers are on our website

• For ‘pay by the day’ international plans, you will not be charged if the traveler’s phone is turned off.

• Do not expect to get a call from your child every day on tour.

• The group leaders will post group pictures to Talbot Youth Travel Facebook page at least once daily while on tour.

• You will also be able to live track our current location on our website by going to http://track.talbotyouthtravel.org

 

Packing:

• Roll your clothing to make it fit! There are plenty of tutorials on YouTube, but this one is pretty good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuD-ZZydsVg Mrs. Burkhardt has this down to a science and can help if you need practice.

• Carry-on only on the way there. You may check a bag on the way home.

• We recommend purchasing a collapsible duffel similar to this one to use as your checked bag.

  • Fill the duffel with dirty laundry. Pack all your souvenirs in your carry-on to ensure they don’t get lost.

• Both airlines use the same size restrictions.

  • Carry-on bags: 1 personal item & 1 bag (22 in x 14 in x 9 in)

• You are also allowed a personal item (a backpack or purse)

• All liquids must fit in a single quart size bag, each bottle is 3 oz. or less. Make sure this bag is easily accessible in your carry-on.

  • We will make sure to stop at a store the 1st or 2nd day to get additional toiletries.

• Make sure you have appropriate clothes for our visit to the Vatican.

  • Shoulders and knees covered

  • Vatican Dress Code

 

Other Discussion Topics:

• Airport arrival times and location will be covered at the next meeting after we’ve had a chance to scope out the airport for the best spot.

• Do not pet street animals in Rome or Pompeii. It is safe to pet street animals in Athens as long as they are collared and have the “City of Athens – Vaccinated – Sterilised” tag. The city has “adopted” them. You can read about the city’s awesome program here. https://www.cityofathens.gr/en/stray-animals-0

  • Even though it is deemed safe, still use common sense! Stay clear of mean animals, don’t ever feed them, and wash your hands or use hand sanitizer after touching them.

• Sleep on the flights! They are very long and we will hit the ground running when we land. (Don’t be embarrassed to use a sleep mask on the plane!)

• EF bags- you can use these as your backpacks, but it is not required. Please use the luggage tag to help us identify one another’s luggage. (We’ll also use special ribbons to help out bags stand out.)

• Carpooling– We are working on a way for families to easily arrange to carpool. It will be ready by the meeting next week.

Updated Tips Chart:

• We will update when we receive the payment from the Running Fest.

• We will handle organizing all of the tips.

• We typically have students deliver the tip to the tour guides, drivers, etc.

• Because we’re “extra” we also include a card and a small gift along with the tip; usually it is a can of Old Bay for the local guides and drivers and something a little more for our tour director. If you have an idea to make that more special, please let us know!

• All tips must be paid by the July 5 meeting.