Summer 2009 Paris Trip Education First Tours

Welcome to the Paris 2009 Trip This trip is not affiliated with the Yelm Community Schools The trip is booked through Education First Student Travel The Group Leader is Erin Baar the Art Specialist at Ridgeline Middle School. Our Co-Facilitator is Sarah Mulkey the Language Arts teacher at Ridgeline Middle School.

When are we traveling? Our first choice is Monday, June 22 nd, 2009 and returning June 30 th, 2009 for eight days in Paris, France. EF tours requires we are flexible by a window of 4 days on either side; meaning we could leave as early as June 18 or as late as June 26 th. The exact tour dates are finalized 70 days prior to trip, April 13 th, 2009.

Where are we going? Paris in Depth is the first choice trip. –Our second choice is Paris City Stay –Third choice is Paris with London The reason why we must choose three trips

Paris in Depth Itinerary Day 1 - Fly overnight to France Day 2 - Paris Arrive in Paris Day 3 - Paris Take a guided tour of Paris: Place de la Concorde Champs-Élysées Arc de Triomphe Les Invalides Conciergerie Take a guided tour of Versailles: State Apartments Hall of Mirrors Gardens Day 4 - Paris Visit the Louvre Take a walking tour of Paris: Latin Quarter Sorbonne University Boulevard St. Michel Shakespeare & Company Bookstore Day 4 - continued Visit Notre Dame Cathedral Visit the Eiffel Tower Participate in a tarte flambée lesson Day 5 - Paris Trip to Giverny Monet’s gardens Day 6 - Paris Visit the Musée d'Orsay Day 7 - Paris Enjoy a free day in Paris Visit the artist quarters and/or the Picasso museum Enjoy a farewell dinner Day 8 - Depart for Home /DBD/E/PIX.pdf

Other two possible trips Extension of London –2 days in London in addition to Paris in Depth –1 EF walking tour of London –Eurostar high-speed train across the chunnel Paris City Stay Six days in Paris –Will not have time to Visit Giverny, Musee d’Orsay, Artist Quarters or Picasso Museum

Cost of the Trip The cost of Paris in Depth is –Student $2,719 –Adult $2,993 –Prices are held until Sept. 30 th Program fee includes: Round-trip airfare 6 overnight stays in hotels with private bathrooms (8 with extension) Complete European breakfast and dinner daily Full-time bilingual EF Tour Director 2 sightseeing tours led by licensed local guides: Paris Versailles 1 EF walking tour: Paris 6 visits to special attractions: Versailles Notre Dame Cathedral Louvre Eiffel Tower Musée d’Orsay Giverny (seasonal) Experiential learning: Prepare tarte flambée 1 carnet (10 Métro tickets) Whisper headsets

Payment Options Two Options –You can pay $95 (non-refundable) to hold spot. Then you have two choices Within thirty days pay $450. Then pay as you like with the final payment completed by March 15, 2009 (99 days before the tour). –Second Option is AutoPay Still pay $95 to hold spot. Set up AutoPay on eftours.com Once per month payment of $390 for students or $427 adults. Payments until 35 day before the tour. Your credit card will be charged on the last Wednesday of every month. For more information about AutoPay you may speak to one of our customer service representatives at eftours.com/autopay

Departure Fee Departure fee may change up till 99 days prior to departure. This is not controlled by EF, but rather by airline companies. Usually the price will only go up by $20, however, in very rare circumstances $

Spending Money Travelers should carry spending money for lunches, soft drinks, optional museum visits, postcards, souvenirs and gifts. Suggested daily spending allowance would be $ Do not bring travelers’ checks since they can be difficult to cash. Use a Visa/Debit card or EF Travel Visa Card All travelers should check with their banks to ensure that their cards will work abroad. Carry about 50 Euros on hand

Tipping $6 per person per day for the tour director $3 per person per day for the coach driver Tipping is included in price for all meals

Hotels Hotel rooms all have private bathrooms. Students will share rooms with 2-3 other tour participants of the same gender. Adults (over 23) will share a room with one other person of the same gender. For specific room requests, such as single rooms there is an additional fee added to your account.

Food Allergies/Medications If you have a food allergy please let Ms. Baar know prior to March 15, 2009 Food Preferences-Vegetarians should Ms. Baar remind during the tour prior to order meals in the morning. Medications must be packed in clearly labeled pharmaceutical container. Be sure to pack enough for the entire trip, plus a few extra days. Have the scientific name available in case of emergency Fill out medical information sheet for Ms. Baar

Optional Insurance EF's $115 All-Inclusive Insurance Plan includes: 24-hour Emergency Assistance Round-the-clock handling of claims and assistance from English-speaking insurance representatives during your child’s tour. In the event of an emergency, EFEKTA representatives are available at , 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Tour Cancellation and Interruption Insurance A refund of the Program Fee if your child needs to cancel from or interrupt the tour due to reasons of serious injury or illness requiring hospitalization, financial hardship due to unexpected job loss, jury duty, military call to active duty or severe damage to home. The Tour Cancellation and Interruption Insurance is $60 for all tours and can be purchased until 75 days prior to departure.

Medical and Accident Insurance Coverage of up to $35,000 for hospital bills, doctors’ fees and medical transportation for illnesses or injury while on tour, as well as travel and accommodation expenses for a family member to be with your child while hospitalized in the event of a life-threatening illness.

Baggage and Property Insurance Coverage for baggage, cash, airline tickets, travel documents and valuable property in cases of theft or delay, including emergency on-tour cash reimbursement of up to $300 within 24 hours of a theft. The price of Baggage and Property Insurance is $45 for all tours. (Purchase by one day prior to departure.)

Special Travel Requests Please let Ms. Baar know about special travel requests before February 14 th, 2009 This includes stay-ahead/stay-behind, flying from an alternate domestic gateway and one’s own flight arrangements. Log into participant website for our tour and request special travel online. Do not finalize any plans or purchase airline tickets until the tour dates have been confirmed (around 70 days prior to departure) April 13, 2009.

Passports/Travel Documents Passports All travelers require a passport valid for at least six months after the end of the tour. You can apply at the post office or at travel.state.gov.travel.state.gov On your Group Status Report, check that we have spelled the first and last names of each traveler as they appear (or will appear) on their passports. Name changes may be impossible, and even if possible, will incur charges of at least $100 and up to the fee of the new published fare ticket. If a participant tries to use a ticket with an incorrect name, he or she will not be allowed to board the plane.

Passport/Travel Doc. Cont. Request a photocopy of each participant’s passport to verify that each has been signed by its owner. Due to new regulations, passports can take up to 14 weeks to process. Always check with the State Department for current processing time. We have passport applications here. Non-U.S. citizens Participants who are not U.S. citizens should contact the consulates of the countries they will be visiting (or transferring through) about any visa requirements. Visit embassy.org for more detailed information.embassy.org

Rules and Expectations All scheduled activities are obligatory. A participant unable to attend due to a physical ailment must inform his or her group leader, who should notify the EF Tour Director. If students wish to visit friends or relatives in a destination country, the group leader must be informed before the tour begins. Upon request, EF will provide a special form to be completed by parents, giving authorization for such visits. Give the form to the EF Tour Director upon arrival. Visitors or group members of the opposite sex are not permitted in students’ rooms. The group leader and EF tour director may establish a curfew. Students are expected to respect the nightly curfew for their own safety and security. Room checks will be conducted each night.

Smoking is not allowed on buses, during meals, in hotel rooms or in any other shared, enclosed space. Obviously, no smoking by any students period. Hitchhiking and the driving or renting of any motor vehicle are strictly forbidden for all travelers. The consumption of any alcoholic beverage is strictly forbidden for any student.

Shoplifting, possession of illegal drugs and all other illegal activities will not be tolerated and are punishable by immediate dismissal from the tour. All costs to return home are at the participant’s expense. Should the local authorities be involved, participants will be subject to the laws of the country they are visiting. Participants are required to pay for any phone calls or incidental personal expenses incurred at hotels. These will be payable the evening before departure at each hotel. Compensation for damage done to hotel rooms or to buses is the responsibility of the participants. Participants not conforming to any of these regulations risk disciplinary action and possible dismissal from the tour, returning home at their own expense. This decision is reached in consultation with group leaders, the EF Tour Director, and the student’s parents.