ef tours bad reviews

EF Tours Review: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Is EF Tours right for you?   

So your kid just came home from school with a gorgeous full color brochure about an upcoming trip to Europe with EF Tours that one of their teachers is leading.  He or she is super excited about all the cool things they get to do and is just begging you to let them go.  

It sounds great, but as a responsible parent, you want to know exactly what you’d be sending your child off to do, and how things would actually work on this trip.  

Well, lucky for you we took a 12 day visit to Europe with EF Tours, and have all the details to decide if taking an international trip with this company is right for you or your teenager.  

We’re going to start with the breakdown of how things work with EF and what to expect as a participant or a parent, and then move on to our specific experience with our tour.  

I always like to start my reviews by reminding you that I was not compensated in any way to write this post.  All opinions are my own, and all costs were paid out of our pocket for this experience.

What is EF Tours? 

EF Tours is a travel company that specializes in international tours for students.   

According to their website , EF Tours has been in operation since 1965 and offers trips for students and teachers designed to “provide immersive, life-changing education.”

Basically, EF Tours organizes international trips for students to a wide variety of destinations, promising “compelling itineraries” full of “experiential learning.”

They also promise to have the “lowest price on the market” for this type of travel.  

EF, as a company, offers may types of tours ranging from group trips for adults to organized gap years for high school graduates.  While these options are available, the bread and butter of the company is the basic high school student tour which is what we took.  

How do EF Tours work?

EF Tours have a pretty straightforward process during the sign up period, prior to departure and during your trip. 

Before we get into that, it must be said that EF Tours operate fully independently of the local school district, and are not endorsed or supported by them whatsoever.  

While this may seem like a school trip, it is not.  It is a trip run by a business who just happens to recruit participants through the school system.  Your local principals, school boards, etc. have zero control or influence on these trips.  The school is only involved in the process as far as whether they allow teachers to hand out information in schools or not. 

The EF in EF Tours stands for Education First.  According to their website, EF claims to “design tours to help educators teach, and so students can learn more—about tolerance, other perspectives, and themselves.”

The Sign Up Process

EF Tours are set up to be “hosted” by a local teacher who is then designated as the “group leader.”  Teachers are incentivized with free and reduced price travel to recruit students to join their tours.  

Tours are advertised by the group leader/teacher to students at their school and to their local community.  Interested students and parents are invited to attend informational meetings either in person or virtually where the group leader/teacher goes over the itinerary and any questions potential participants may have.  

Students and parents can then sign up directly through the EF Tours website, and submit all payments directly to the company.  

Trips are usually initially introduced about two years before the travel date so that participants can make smaller monthly payments to cover the cost of the trip.  Costs for these trips can range widely, depending on the destinations and length of the trip.  

EF has the group leader/teacher set up deadlines for signing up to go on the trip, sometimes including small discounts to encourage enrollment.  This tends to give a false sense of urgency to the sign up process. 

We found that participants can sign up just about any time before the trip departs.  We signed up about a year out from the trip, while another student who traveled with us signed up just a month or two before we left.  

Anyone was allowed to sign up for the trip.  We were encouraged to invite friends and family to join us on the tour, whether or not they were associated with our school or even local to our area.  

Adults did need to pass a background check in order to participate in the trip, since adult tour participants are traveling with minors.  

We were not given specific dates for our trip, but instead we were given a window of time during which the trip would occur.   Our dates were finally confirmed about two months before our departure.  

There are usually two or three optional excursions that can be added to any tour.  These usually include some special activity or visit to an additional landmark.  

Tour participants may also choose to upgrade the insurance for the tour. 

Before Your EF Tour

Once you’ve signed up for your EF Tour, you’ll be given access to a tour portal on the EF website where you can track your payments and what steps you need take next to participate in the trip.  They also provide a fundraising page, where friends and family can pay EF directly to offset the cost of your trip.  

Our group had a few in person meetings at a local restaurant prior to our trip where we discussed issues ranging from passports to packing for our trip to Europe , and got a chance to meet our fellow travelers.  This may or may not be true or all groups that are traveling with EF.  

Each participant in our tour was required to submit a copy of our passport to EF to insure that we had the proper documentation to travel.  

Information about our flights was not available until about a month before our departure, and information about our hotels was not available until we were about three weeks out from leaving.  

EF Tours uses a wide range of airlines, and travelers do not get to indicate a preference.  EF books all travelers in economy class seats for all transportation methods.  EF will book with whatever airline has space available for the lowest price for the group.  

As for hotels, travelers know very little about where they are staying ahead of time.  Per the website, tour participants are assured that “travelers can count on safe, clean and comfortable hotels with private bathrooms” but much beyond that the info is sparse.  

Students can expect to room with one to three other students, and possibly have to share beds.  Adults can expect to share a room with one other person.  For a fee, a single room can be requested for the tour. 

EF does indicate up front that hotels may have small rooms without air conditioning, television, or elevators, and that WiFi may not always be available.  

During an EF Tour

All transportation arrangements are made by EF Tours, including flights, buses, trains, etc.  They book all accommodations and attraction admissions for tour participants. 

Two meals a day are included in the cost of a trip with EF Tours.  Breakfast is provided each day at the hotel, usually continental style, but sometimes with hot offerings just depending on your hotel.  Dinners are are pre-arranged with a preset menu by EF at local restaurants.  EF will make accomodations for those with specific dietary needs, such as gluten free or dairy free meals.

While the teacher recruiting students is designated as your group leader, they don’t actually lead the tour once you start traveling.  EF provides a Tour Director to accompany your group through the entire trip.  

This Tour Director is supposed to handle just about everything on your tour, including all your pre-booked accommodations, meals, excursions, tickets, and transfers.  This person is there to direct the group and handle any problems with logistics you may encounter along the way.  

During the tour, your group will meet up with various local guides who will give you some sort of tour of the city or historic site that you’re visiting.  These tours are usually walking tours, but sometimes are bus tours, depending on the location.  

Tour participants are also given access to an EF Tours App, that just lists your daily itinerary for your trip.  

Our EF Tour Review

Our specific tour featured quite a daunting itinerary.  We toured Europe for 12 days, visiting sites in London, Paris, Florence, Rome, Pompeii and Capri, with no more than two nights in any destination.  

Our tour consisted of 26 travelers from our high school: three teachers, seven adults and 16 students.  We were combined with a group from upstate New York consisting of 14 travelers: one teacher, one adult, one child and 11 students.  There were a total of 40 people on our tour.  

What EF Tours Promised

Before our tour, the group leaded made sure every person who showed an interest in going on the trip got the glossy, full color brochure that outlined our itinerary and told us what to expect on the tour.  

The brochure promised that participants would be “surrounded by the people, the language, the food, and the way of life” of the destinations on our itinerary.  We were assured that our tour director would be “with us around the clock, handling local transportation, hotels, and meals while also providing their own insight into the local history and culture.”  

We would be spending time in three different countries, seeing some of the most beautiful and historic cities in Europe.

The brochure also claimed that students could earn educational credit while on tour, and that all tours feature “experiential learning activities.”

Our tour left some of these promises unfulfilled, but did give us a glimpse at some fantastic destinations in Europe and some amazing memories.  

Our hotels along the trip started out stellar but seemed to go downhill from there, unfortunately ending in truly unacceptable accommodations.  

Even though this wasn’t guaranteed, all of our accommodations had some sort of air conditioning, with some that functioned better than others, and all of them had WiFi.  

For the first four nights during our stays in London and Paris, we were sent to Hilton Hotels .  They both were on the higher end of what I expected based on the descriptions provided by EF Tours of what our hotels would be like.  

The rooms at these Hiltons were very new, immaculately clean and extremely comfortable.  They were both located about an hour outside of the city center, but that wasn’t too much of a problem.  

When we reached Italy, things changed a bit.  

For a quick overnight in Milan on our way to Florence, we stayed at and AS Hotel in Limbiate.  This hotel was a bit older than the Hiltons we’d stayed in, but it was clean, spacious, and comfortable.  

Between Florence and Rome, we spent the night at the Hotel Villa Ricci (not pictured).  This hotel was significantly older than the other three we had stayed at, but it was still clean and comfortable.  While the room wasn’t much to write home about, some members of our group lucked out and got spectacular balconies. 

Once we arrived in Rome, the Villa Aurelia was our home base for two nights.  We learned that this hotel had once housed men studying to join a monastery, which explained the doritory feel of the place.  Again, we found these rooms to be clean and pretty comfortable.  

On our way to Southern Italy, we spent the night in Sorrento at Sisters Hostel .  This was the only true hostel on our trip.  While they still stuck with four students to a room, several of the student rooms had enough beds to sleep up to 12 people. 

Though not quite as refined as the Hiltons, and a little slap-shot with the furniture, we found this place to be clean and welcoming.  While it wasn’t quite as comfortable as some of the other places we’d stayed, it was completely acceptable and had a spectacular view of the Gulf of Naples from the rooftop terrace. 

Things took a turn for the worse on our last night of the tour, when we stayed at Hotel La Pergola in Rome.  This place was truly one of the worst hotels I’ve ever had the misfortune to stay at (and as a travel blogger, I’ve stayed at a LOT of hotels).  

Things started off badly when we discovered that the lights in all the hallways were not on, and that we had to hunt around with our cell phone flashlights to find our way to our rooms.  I asked the front desk to remedy this, but it was never addressed, and we had to repeat the blind search for our rooms every time we went up.  

Upon arrival in my room, I found it to be extremely dirty.  There was a layer of dusty film all over my bathroom and my pillow had an unidentified crusty stain on it.  My daughter’s room had the same layer of dirt in the bathroom, plus a shoe print from where someone killed a bug on the wall.  I checked our beds for bedbugs and thankfully did not find any. 

The front desk did not seem to care and we were told no one was available to come clean the bathrooms.

But the worst experience in this hotel went to a dad on our trip, who’s single room contained only a sofa.   Not a sleeper sofa, but just a hard couch.  There were no linens or towels available to him whatsoever. 

When he asked for these items at the front desk, he was told that we should have called earlier to request them since they were all locked up in a cabinet by the time we arrived at the hotel.   He ended up sleeping on a towel laid out on the sofa with a travel neck pillow, that had been provided to him by his daughter from her room.

The front desk attendant seemed more than annoyed anytime someone from our group would approach them, and insisted that we all leave our keys at the front desk when leaving the hotel for dinner that night.    

We weren’t left with much recourse, since this was a group trip and we were on our last night, so we decided to just grin and bear it, and did our best to get some sleep.  

Overall, I’d say that the hotels provided were quite good, with the exception of Hotel La Pergola.  For ten of the eleven nights of our trip, we were provided with clean, safe accommodations that lived up to what the EF Tours website told us to expect.  

At the time of this publication, EF Tours has been notified of this unacceptable hotel and has yet to respond.  

Meals on the tour ran the gamut from weird to stellar, but overall were not to bad.  Breakfast and dinner every day were included in what we paid for our tour.  

All breakfasts were served at our hotels.  Sometimes they were just continental breakfasts with cold offerings, and sometimes we were given hot breakfasts with eggs, bacon, and such.  Sometimes it was quite obvious where our group was supposed to go, and sometimes it wasn’t. 

Overall, breakfasts were adequate throughout the trip.  

Lunches were not included in the initial price of our trip and were paid out of pocket each day.   

Lunches were always a gamble.   It all depended on where we were and what was going on whether or not we’d get to select a restaurant on our own or if the group would be directed to eat at somewhere specific, and if we’d have lots of great choices or really limited options.  

For example, on our first full day of the trip, we visited the Tower of London.  We told to make sure we ate lunch after our tour, before rejoining the group to get on the bus.  The only options available to us were food trucks along the river right next to the Tower complex.  

It was the worst during our travel days.  We were frequently told we could just grab a bite to eat at the train station or the airport, only to be left with minimal time and very limited options.  

But some days lunch was great.  During our time in Rome, lunch came with some free time to wander, so we were able to go out and select the restaurant of our choice.  

Some days our tour guide would set up a lunch option for us, having arranged a preset menu and price with a local restaurant.  Those options were usually something like a burger, pizza or a cold sandwich.  

I’m not sure if the lunch situations were like this because of our tour guide or because of EF itself.  Sometimes it seemed inevitable, like when we were stuck in an airport or train station.  Other times it seemed like our guide might be creating these situations by not fully informing us what was available near by.  

All dinners were set up at local restaurants before our arrival.  We did not get to select from a menu and were all served the same thing each night, with the exception of those who had special dietary needs.  Each meal came with water, but we were allowed to order additional drinks at our own expense if we choose to do so.  

The worst dinners EF provided happened during the first few days of our trip.  During our entire time in London, we were not once served any traditional English food.  Our Tour Director said it was because “London is a melting pot of cultures,” but our group didn’t buy that.  

Our first group dinner in London was at a Korean restaurant where the group was served a hot stone bibimbap with chicken.  I’m normally a big fan of Korean food, but this wasn’t great. 

The next group dinner was at a Polish restaurant where the group was served a fried chicken patty and french fries.  

When it became apparent on the second night that we weren’t going to be getting any traditional English food, my daughter and I made arrangements to go get dinner on our own, and pay for it out of pocket.  Four other members of our group chose to join us.  

We simply got information from our Tour Guide when and where to meet up with the group after dinner and selected a nearby local pub so we could have a traditional English dining experience.  

Dinners seemed to improve when we got to France. During our first night there we had a lovely traditional French meal of chicken with mushroom sauce in the back room of a small picturesque cafe with a ton of ambiance.   On the second night we had a traditional Alsatian dish called Flammekueche, which was sort of like a pizza with a creamy sauce.  

In Italy, the dinners were quite good.  Of course we were served a lot of pasta, but we also had braised beef in tomato sauce, gnocchi, and pizza.  

According to the folks on our trip who had special dietary needs, the dinners were pretty good for the most part.  Although it did seem that everywhere we went in Italy, anyone who was gluten free or dairy free was served watermelon for dessert.  

Before we left on our trip, we were told by our group leader that we shouldn’t need more that $25 US dollars per person per day for lunches and snacks.  We found that that number was not quite accurate for us, especially if we ever wanted to stray from the planned meals that EF Tours had set up for us.  

We also found that we frequently needed to buy water to stay hydrated in the high temperatures of Italy during the summer, and at most of the locations we visited, water was marked up quite a bit.  

Overall, the meals on our trip were pretty good, but could definitely have been better.  

Our Itinerary

We knew going into this tour that our itinerary would be extremely hectic.  With no more than 48 hours in any location, we expected it to be jam packed.  It was kind of like a tasting menu, where you got a little bit of each destination.  

What we didn’t expect was the significant amount of wasted time and changes to our itinerary that happened on our tour.  

Things started off poorly when our tour guide was an hour late to meet us at baggage claim and then our bus was over another hour late to pick us up at the airport.  

While our tour guide was a very sweet, personable woman, she didn’t seem to understand how to manage the timing logistics for a group of 40 travelers.  

Our group was quite good about being on time to meet up locations with a couple of small exceptions that could not be helped.  No one wanted to be the person that made us late.  

Our tour guide didn’t seem to have this mentality.  She was frequently the last person downstairs at our hotels to meet our bus 15 to 20 minutes after the time she told us to meet her, and did not budget in adequate travel time to most of our destinations. 

For example, while we were driving across Italy, she had our driver stop at a large gas station for a bathroom stop.   She told us we only had five minutes to use the restroom and get back on the bus.  It’s completely impossible for 40 people to make use of just a handful of bathroom stalls in five minutes. 

We were late to our tours in London, Florence, and the Vatican.  We were late to our tour of the Colosseum in Rome.  We were late to our appointment at the Louvre.  We were so late to our tour of Pompeii.  This significantly hindered what we were able to see at our destinations, and made the whole tour seemed very rushed every day.  

Things like this happened over and over again throughout the trip.  This resulted in our group being habitually late to most of the tours we went on, and significantly cut into our time at some really important places.

The only times it seemed like we weren’t late was when we had to catch a flight, a train, or a ferry.  

There were also some pretty significant changes to our itinerary. 

Several items listed on our initial brochure were changed before the trip due to pandemic restrictions and travel challenges, which was fine.  We had ample notice and knew what to expect.    

But there were several instances where visits to certain locations were dropped off our itinerary completely, and visits to other non-advertised locations were added.  

Sometimes this was a good thing, but sometimes it was incredibly frustrating.  

In London, a walking tour of Piccadilly Circus, Covent Garden and Leicester Square was replaced with “free time” at the British Museum, which we really didn’t mind. 

But in Florence, visits to San Miniato al Monte and Piazzale Michelangelo were dropped off the itinerary with no explanation.  

On our way to Rome, our guide added a stop in Ovierto, a beautiful small town with picturesque views, wonderful dining and great little shops which we enjoyed immensely. 

But in Paris, a visit to Montmartre was abandoned, even though our dinner restaurant was within a mile of the historic location.  

The best unexpected addition to our trip in my opinion was the opportunity to see a musical in the West End of London.  Our guide was able to secure tickets (for an extra fee) for those who wanted them to a performance of Wicked during our free evening.  It was absolutely fantastic.  

But in the most frustrating example, during our time in Paris a visit to the Frogonard Perfume Museum was added to our itinerary.   No one asked to go there, and most of us seemed annoyed that we were stopping.  We were assured that the stop there would only last 30 minutes, but it ended up taking three times that, leaving us only an hour and a half to visit the Louvre before we had to be back on the bus to catch a flight to Italy.  

These added stops almost always involved additional costs as well, which we were not informed of before leaving for our trip.  This caused problems for a few kids on our trip who weren’t expecting these costs, and they unfortunately had to miss out on some of the better additions. 

There also seemed to be major sites in some of these cities that were not ever even an option to visit or see, due to our limited time in each city.   We didn’t go to Westminster Abbey or St. Paul’s Cathedral while we were in London, and there were too many things to count in Paris that we didn’t even glimpse.  While we were aware of this upfront before the tour, it really did feel like they didn’t allow enough time in any location to really see the cities we were in.  

Despite these frustrations, the itinerary did take us to some fantastic places and we had some absolutely unforgettable experiences.  We had a fantastic time seeing the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London.  We enjoyed a truly magical and unexpected sunset under the Eiffel Tower in Paris.  We got to listen to an orchestra perform in Piazza della Signoria in Florence.  We were able to marvel at the unparalleled artwork inside St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.  We saw the stunningly beautiful sites of Capri from a private boat tour.  Those memories are truly priceless.  

During our trip there were extra excursions offered in any city we stayed in more than one night. 

In London, the excursion was a visit to the London Eye, a giant ferris wheel type ride that gives riders a birds eye view of the city.  In Paris, it was a trip to Versaille to tour the palace and the gardens.  In Rome, it was a tiramisu cooking class.  

We choose not to participate in the excursion in London because I’m not the biggest fan of heights, and in Paris because my daughter wanted the opportunity to spend some extra free time in the city.  

I’m extremely glad we made those decisions.   

While the London Eye excursion seemed to go well for those who went on it, it was over priced.  EF Tours charged each participant $60.  Tickets can be purchased individually at the ticket booth for just $42 USD or for groups ahead of time for just $24 USD.  I’m not sure what EF added to the experience to warrant that upcharge.  

By skipping the London Eye, we were able to have a bit more time to explore and plenty of time to enjoy our pub dinner that we mentioned earlier since the London Eye excursion was timed to happen right before dinner.  

In Paris, those who went to Versaille told us the experience was underwhelming because of the limited time available inside the palace, and the lack of lunch options available to those who went.  

The Versailles excursion seemed overpriced as well.  EF Tours charged $114 USD to each participant.  Tickets to the entire estate are free for those under 18 years old and cost under $30 USD for anyone else, and that’s without a group discount.  Even if every single person had to buy a ticket,  I can’t imagine that the cost for a group tour and the transportation to get the group there cost an additional $84 USD per person.  

The tiramisu cooking class in Rome was not optional for our group for some reason.  I think our group leader made that choice when she set up our trip.  We paid an extra $85 USD above and beyond the base tour price to experience it.  While I could not find information about individual class pricing, I highly doubt that EF paid that much per person for us to spend an hour making tiramisu. 

I will say that the class was a fun experience at a great location, and we all enjoyed the desserts we made together.  

Overall, unless an excursion is of special interest to you, I wouldn’t recommend participating in them, simply because they seem overpriced.  Having extra free time to see the sites of your choice seemed to be the best option during our tour.  

Education on an EF Tour

EF Tours makes a big deal out of their tours being focused on education.  We were promised “experiential learning activities” during the trip.  They even claim you can earn credit for going on these tour.  

We found that there wasn’t that much education attached to our tour.  

The local tour guides who showed us the sights of each city were the most informative folks on this trip, with extensive knowledge of the history and culture at each stop, but we were forced to use amplifying devices called Whispers in order to hear the guides.  These Whispers often had glitches or were garbled, making it very hard to understand our guides.  

Other than the local tour guides and maybe the tiramisu class, I wouldn’t call just visiting these historic places an “experiential learning activity.”  

We also learned that our high school would not give any credit to students who participated in these trips, even though much was made of the educational credit during the pitch to get us to join the tour.  

This isn’t to say that we didn’t learn anything on our trip.  We did have some great cultural experiences while we traveled.  But learning seemed to take a back seat to just being in another country in most circumstances.  

Safety with EF Tours

As a parent considering an EF Tour for my teenager, I know safety was a big concern for me.  

When my husband and I decided to send our daughter, we felt like one of us should go with her since she was only 15 at the time we went on the trip, and had not traveled internationally like this before.  

For the most part, I felt quite safe during our trip.  

Before our trip, our group leader did make sure to advise us about pickpocketing and theft at major tourist sites in Europe, and advised us to be prepared.  She did make sure we were always wary of our passports and where we were keeping them during our travels.  

While on tour, there was only one time that I felt like our group was taken to an unsafe area.  That was during our terrible last night in Rome when we had to walk from our hotel to our dinner restaurant through some pretty sketchy areas of the city.  

Although student were allowed to go out on their own during our free time, they were asked to go in groups of three or four and were left in pretty safe areas to spend their free time.  

The biggest problem I saw with safety was when our Tour Guide would take off walking at a breakneck speed, frequently leaving half our group stuck at crosswalks or a few turns behind.  She usually did a count to make sure everyone was there when we were ready to leave, but she did leave people behind at least twice during our trip and have to go back and get them.  

Most of the time we had no idea where we were headed when we were walking to different locations.  We were never given the names of the restaurants or addresses of where they would be unless we specifically asked for them.  I think communicating with the group more about where we’re going could have avoided some sticky situations that a few of our travelers found themselves in when they were left behind.  

We also didn’t have a way to contact our Tour Guide directly.  Only a couple of people were given her contact information, which made communication confusing and difficult during our free time, especially when she got delayed during our free evening in Paris and our meeting time had to be pushed back significantly.

Curfews and group rules were left up to our group leader, who didn’t set many boundaries for our students.  

Since the legal drinking age in the areas we visited was 18, student who met this requirement were allowed to drink alcohol on our trip, but were asked to limit it to one drink with dinner.  By and large, our students respected this request and did not take advantage of the lowered drinking age to go and party it up.  

Trips like this EF Tour require students to be pretty mature when it comes to safety.  We had a wonderful group of kids who took their personal safety pretty seriously, and didn’t take unnecessary risks that would put them in jeopardy.  Had it been a different group of personalities, I’m not sure how it would have gone.  

EF Tours:  Our Final Verdict

Would I travel with EF Tours again?  That seems to be the question at hand here.  

My EF Tours experience definitely taught me a lot about group travel.  As someone who travels pretty frequently , I usually make most of my own travel arrangements, from flights to hotel reservations to activities.  It was quite nice not to have to worry about any of that.  It really did take a lot of pressure off to just let someone else do all that work. 

But relinquishing that control does require a certain amount of trust.  There were some areas that I would definitely trust EF to arrange again, and other areas where I really think they could do better.  

For this trip it really came down to adjusting expectations once we were traveling.  I really did expect there to be more education involved in what we did while on our tour.  I really did expect to spend some quality time at these major historic sites. 

Once I realized that time would be much more limited at every destination than I expected it to be, the trip went much more smoothly.  

I think our experience would have been better with a more seasoned Tour Guide.  Ours just didn’t seem quite ready to handle all the pressures and logistics that are required for managing a group of 40 people for 12 days.  

EF Tours is definitely a budget tour company, and for the price, you do get a good experience.  

Did EF Tours create the trip of my dreams?  Not by a long shot. 

Did they create a good experience for students who haven’t done a lot of international traveling?  I’d say yes.  

Do I regret going on an EF Tour?  Absolutely not.  I had some incredible experiences in some amazing locations with my only daughter, and I wouldn’t trade that for the world.  

Would I go on another EF Tour?  I think I would, but I would definitely choose a slower paced itinerary with more time in each destination.  

Do you have any questions about EF Tours that I didn’t answer?  Feel free to ask me in the comments!!

EF Tours Review: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Thursday 14th of March 2024

Thank you so much for your insightful review! My daughter is headed to S. Korea in a few weeks and reading all these comments & your review...I'm just hoping for the best at this point. I wanted to ask about the tipping. Our group leader has requested $145 paid to her in cash, which I was completely caught off guard, considering the financial commitment of the trip itself, but reading this, it seems that it is quite normal. I contacted EF and the representative said that according to the tour itinerary, the total suggested guideline should be significantly less. Do you know what happens if there is a surplus or shortage with the tipping amount? I'm just wary about giving someone I don't even know (group leader) cash.

Louise Emery

Tuesday 2nd of April 2024

I really am not sure what would be done with a surplus. I would definitely ask the group leader about the discrepancy between their request and the recommendation of EF.

Melissa Levy

The parent in charge of the tour I’m about to go on is asking for $200 for tips from each parent going on the trip and $120 for each kid. Based on what I’ve read, this seems like a lot. What do you think?

I think it depends on where you're going and what you're doing. We paid somewhere in the neighborhood of $150 per person. We had a LOT of tours and there were many people to tip. My only concern is the different amount for parent vs student. I wonder why they are breaking it down that way.

Wednesday 21st of February 2024

Expectations make a difference!

Thanks for taking the time to go through all these details. My son did go on one of these trips in his junior year of HS and loved it. I can understand the concerns you mentioned and makes those points something to think about when scheduling a group tour. As an adult, I have been to Europe twice with groups (travel award from workd) I know EF Tours has groups for that as well, and have been apprehensive to just 'jump in". Trying to analyze what is the best option to finally get to the Grand Canyon. Thanks for your perspectives

1concerned Mama

Monday 29th of January 2024

Hi, daughter is going through EF summer of 2024 to Europe, she has been told by a teacher that students will have "free time" to walk around and do as they please. Do you know is this a Supervised free time? I am kind of weary about letting her go as it is, let alone being unsupervised in another country without me. I'm honestly leaning towards just canceling her trip after reading some of these comments.

I'm not sure how it will be handled on your trip, but on ours students were allowed to go out unsupervised. The teacher from our school asked that they stay in groups of at least 2. Most of our students chose to be in groups of 3 or 4, some with an adult and some without. We were given specific instructions on where and what time to meet up again. Most of the time, we only had a couple of hours. But my daughter and I did skip one of the optional excursions (the one to Versailles) which gave us an entire afternoon in Paris to ourselves. Our students handled this freedom quite responsibly, and we didn't have any issues. The only time we ever had someone not show up at our pick up spot, it was one of the adults on the trip who didn't plan accordingly. The group we were paired with from another school did not allow their students to do this. They all stayed together for their entire trip. I would get specifics from the the lead teacher organizing your trip as to how your group is going to handle this.

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EF Tours not a good company - Paris Forum

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EF Tours not a good company

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Tripadvisor staff removed this post at the original author's request.

I apologize that you had a difficult time reaching our Customer Service Department. We have been experiencing a higher than normal call volume, so the wait time may have been longer than you expected. We are available Monday through Thursday from 8AM – 7.30PM MST, and Friday from 9AM – 5PM MST, and can be reached during those hours at 1.800.665.5364.

In regards to your inquiry about the $95 Enrollment Fee; this application processing fee is always non-refundable. Since we are a group travel company, we are required to book space far in advance of your departure, therefore the $95 Enrollment Fee is required to lock in your spot on the tour. Once you travel with EF Educational Tours, the $95 Enrollment Fee will guarantee you a repeat traveler discount of $100 towards future tours. We do our best to make this information clear, and I do apologize for any misunderstanding.

Again, I apologize for your experience and encourage you to contact us with any additional questions.

Best Regards,

Katie from EF Tours

Thinking of sending my daughter on an EF tour, but they will not even come close to telling us where she might stay. I have read much negative information on this company, so I am becoming concerned. Do they keep kids safe? Are the rooms clean or dirty? What about the food?

Help is appreciated. Why would they hide the places the kids might stay?

It may be that hotels are not disclosed because they are still negotiating hotels/rates or perhaps they hold out for last minute rates.

I would never book a tour without hotels disclosed (so as to be able to check location, reviews), but most tour companies do have disclaimers including that hotels are not definite and another "similar" hotel may be substituted.

Regardless, EF Tours has a reputation for using poorly located (usually distant), lesser quality hotels, and there have been many complaints regarding all aspects of these tours.

It has also been reported that not only are these tours not necessarily a good value, but in most cases where people have taken the time to calculate the costs of the components, they are not.

You can find plenty of comments with a search of this forum and others, the web, etc.

Here's one

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187147-i14-k3689208-EF_Tours_student_trips_to_France-Paris_Ile_de_France.html

Ridgekeeper...I replied to your post on the New York forum, but will repeat a bit of it here.

I would recommend EF Tours to any of my friends whose children want to travel the world!

We had no choice on the EF Tours program, as it was selected by my daughter's teacher. They chose the whirlwind tour option - Rome , Florence , Paris , London , which was in an of itself a mistake - very little time in each location, lots of time lost in transit. But the main problem was the horrific accommodations - flea bag hotels located far, far away from the cities - the one for Paris was particularly disgusting. Dirty rooms, inedible food, hour or more by bus from the city. Every meal they had was terrible. The only exception was the place in Florence was centrally located and okay.

But for the price, a huge waste of money. You are at the mercy of your trip's organizers and chaperones, who may or may not have their act together. Also, the other travelers on EF Tours may not be great ambassadors for their country - my daughter told horror stories of the kids from two other schools who traveled with them, and as coincidence would have it, I was just at CDG airport in Paris this week, standing in line next to a group of EF Tours kids. Appalling behavior - loud, vulgar, rude, with the chaperone doing nothing. Just confirmed my already low opinion of EF Tours. Do yourself and your kids a favor: research the companies before they go, consider organizing an independent group, or go with a good organization which really has education, cultural awareness and language skills at the forefront, such as EIL.

I did not set up our tour, but learned ifnyou do the custom option it really was not a bad deal as you have more control over hotels etc....

EF Tours can be lots of fun for young adults and teenagers. Believe it or not, some young people really aren't so much interested in the travel experience as they are in having fun and making new friends.

As a parent, I surely wouldn't spend all that on kids not so interested in the travel experience but more on having fun and making new friends, which can be accomplished closer to home for much less money. EF Tours may presume that kids won't notice substandard lodging, food, tours, itineraries, etc. (and, even, hope they're too busy having fun with their new friends to notice).

I appreciate any cautionary tale, and this one is to be sure to check all components of any organized tour for value and all available reviews before making a decision.

Unfortunately there are also other companies that pander to teenagers and their parents for similar 'educational tours'.

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EF Educational Tours   Reviews

In the Tour Agency category

Visit this website

Company activity See all

Write a review

Reviews 4.4.

13,519 total

Most relevant

Group Leader since 2006

I've been working with EF Tours as a group leader since 2006. It's not a perfect company but I've been pleased with their product and believe that it's a good value. The support before and during the tour is exceptional. We had several webinars and zoom calls with our group coordinators and experienced group leaders. We were more than prepared to take our students to Europe.

Date of experience : 11 April 2024

Nice pace, stunning cities, off the beaten path

Great tour, very extensive, but EF was unable to deliver on some key sites that were promised (namely, Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basilica tour). They offered a replacement basilica tour, but it was not comparable to the Vatican. It was more relaxed and a slower pace than most EF tours, which the students and parents appreciated. Overall, the portions were very good, though a few nights were subpar. We visited numerous cities that most tourists never see (Bologna, Turin, Lucca).

The tour was organized very well. My daughter had a memorable experience. The pre trip process was quite easy to follow and the checklists very helpful. My only feedback would be to consider for longer trips traveling from a closer airport to the school location when available. Flights were scheduled for very early in the morning with a return that occurred very late and due to weather delays causing arrival times in the very early morning of the following day.

Date of experience : 05 April 2024

My daughter’s experience

My daughter’s experience, was a trip of a lifetime. She saw so many wonderful things Kissing the blarney stone, visiting Big Ben, witnessed the changing of the guards, got to vist the Kings castle, only outside, but did see the king looking out from his window. The only negative, her food was already selected and she did not get to pick off menu. She ate lamb stew 3 days consecutively. Once was enough! Overall, this trip was amazing

Date of experience : 09 April 2024

European Adventure

My son enjoyed the itinerary and travel hosts - from the tour director to local guides. He felt safe at all locations, and the hotel accommodations were comfortable. Despite having booked our trip 13 months prior to departure, the group of middle and high school children had a seven hour layover before flying overnight into Vienna. This was a complete waste of a school day, and other flights were available later in the day. We paid an additional fee for a Swiss Evening, which was to include a special fondue meal. A cheese fondue course was provided, but the rest of the meal was average. This was not worth $120 upgrade charge.

Date of experience : 25 March 2024

vegetarian food options were terrible

vegetarian food options were terrible. I felt like a rabbit, the whole trip. No time to actually enjoy the sights and the scenery because we were constantly worried about where we were going next and our meeting point time. Also our tour guide just kept walking without even bothering to check whether we were still with him. Very stressful and expensive trip.

My son's spring break to Costa Rica

My 13 year old son went on this tour to Costa Rica during his Spring break 2024 with his Teacher & 13 other kids. He had an amazing time & said he loved every minute of it. They hiked to a volcano,Waterfalls, Zipped lined through the jungle & much much more. It was a experience of a life time. EF tour's did a great job planning it & had everything from Departure to arrival intenerary right on the dot! Very happy & my son & I will continue to look into traveling with ER tour's.

Amazing experience!!

Ms. Parker and Ms. Montgomery-Rich (tour leaders) were amazing! They did an amazing job from the beginning organizing and leading the meetings until the end of the trip when the students arrived back in ATL. I felt safe and secure that my son was in good hands and my son had an amazing time/experience on his trip! His younger brother can’t wait to join his older brother on the EF tours trip next year!

Overall, we had a great experience. However, an evening cruise on the Seine was cancelled due to high water. I assume the cost of it was bundled into our fees however a substitution was not made. Other events that were anticipated also didn't pan out. For example, the Eiffel Tower was mostly a drive-by. The students didn't get close or even enter the nearby gardens from which viewing is best.

4 and a half stars!

Meals - timing could have been better, they were too close together sometimes. Tour guides - knowledgeable, friendly, fun Hotels - GREAT Things to see - just what was expected, so great Safety - felt very safe and was given lots of good safety tips Entertainment was fantastic! 4 ½ stars! Would definitely go again with EF Tours!

A great Tour Director makes the experience better!

We had a wonderful time on our recent trip to the UK and Ireland, and tour director Ben Greenfield helped enormously! He is knowledgeable, friendly, and excited to ensure we had a great time. When problems arose due to scheduling miscommunications or other issues, he got them ironed out quickly, often before our group even realized there had been an issue. Our bus drivers were also very good and professional. Hotels ran the gamut from perfectly serviceable places to sleep after a long day of sight-seeing, to beautiful historic places, to a couple that were fancier than any I've ever stayed in before. I can't think of anything I would have changed except for the trip to last longer!

Date of experience : 21 March 2024

Artist perspective

This tour gave my daughter a whole new perspective of art and the world in general. She was able to step out of her comfort zone and really embrace the culture. I got updates daily and sometimes hourly of how much fun she was having. This was a life changing experience for her and I highly recommend this for a senior trip for your child.

Date of experience : 06 April 2024

EF tours delivered more than I even…

EF tours delivered more than I even expected. Every question, every detail, every variable was attended to. my son had an incredible time. From the educational aspects to the downright fun, I would recommend any parent sending their child on an EF tour.

My 1st time away from my son was one of the best experiences of his life.

Mr. Wright was amazing with my son Stephen Garris. He made sure they were having fun and safe at the same time. Stephen came home exhausted but happy he was given this opportunity, once in a lifetime experience. I love how he kept parents updated on where they were, what was going on, and the posting of all the pictures he was posting. I know Stephen had an issue with being homesick but Mr. Wright made him feel a lot better. Mr. Wright was completely amazing.

Date of experience : 30 March 2024

Our group was supposed to fly out of…

Our group was supposed to fly out of and back into Asheville, NC. The day of travel we had to get the kids and their teacher to Charlotte; flights were out of and into Charlotte, NC. American Airlines is blaming EF Tours and EF Tours is blaming American Airlines and neither group seems to be taking responsibility. The time in Edinburgh was cut short because of this.

Fabulous and Attentive EF Tour Guide

Our daughter told us that the EF Tour Guide stayed with the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake group the whole time, while making sure they all had a fabulous time touring Budapest, Vienna, and Prague! Thank you very much for all of your attention to detail! It was truly appreciated!

Costa Rica and Panama

Costa Rica and Panama We did the Costa Rica and Panama EF tours trip and it was EXCEPTIONAL! The trip was very well planned out with LOTS of physical activities! Everything had a time and place but nothing felt rushed. We enjoyed seeing so many different areas of Costa Rica including Volcanos and Rainforests! We did ziplining, kayaking, whitewater rafting, hiking, took a boat ride on Gaton Lake which feeds the Panama Canal and got to watch a boat cross the Panama Canal! Our guide was "Carlos". He was a native of Costa Rica so he was extremely knowledgeable as well as approachable and personal. He taught us so much and we really enjoyed spending time with him! My husband asked MANY questions and he answered them all, excited to share the information with us!! We will absolutely be doing another EF trip including Costa Rica and Panama again!!!

My students loved their experience!

My students loved their experience. One student described it as a "rich" history with first-hand experiences. It is easy to teach from a book, but travel is how students grasp the world's concepts and ideas and become global citizens.

Trip to Japan 2024

My daughter just returned from a week long trip to Japan. She loved it! The trip was well organized. Everything went smoothly. The tour guide was amazing and the accommodations were great. Lots of variety with the activities that were well balanced with well known attractions and experiences that let the visitors immerse in the Japanese culture. This trip was an experience of a lifetime. She felt safe at all times and had an amazing time.

Date of experience : 10 April 2024

EF tours made traveling a breeze

My son traveled to Costa Rica in April 2024 and it was an amazing experience. He felt the tour guide was very friendly and informative and made it easy to just enjoy the trip. There were no boring moments on this tour my son got to experience exciting adventures each day that will last a lifetime. He mentioned that he felt totally safe in Costa Rica. There was no panhandling or pick pockets. He really could just relax.

Date of experience : 28 March 2024

EF Educational Tours   Reviews

In the Tour Agency category

Visit this website

Company activity See all

Write a review

Reviews 4.4.

13,519 total

Most relevant

Group Leader since 2006

I've been working with EF Tours as a group leader since 2006. It's not a perfect company but I've been pleased with their product and believe that it's a good value. The support before and during the tour is exceptional. We had several webinars and zoom calls with our group coordinators and experienced group leaders. We were more than prepared to take our students to Europe.

Date of experience : 11 April 2024

Nice pace, stunning cities, off the beaten path

Great tour, very extensive, but EF was unable to deliver on some key sites that were promised (namely, Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basilica tour). They offered a replacement basilica tour, but it was not comparable to the Vatican. It was more relaxed and a slower pace than most EF tours, which the students and parents appreciated. Overall, the portions were very good, though a few nights were subpar. We visited numerous cities that most tourists never see (Bologna, Turin, Lucca).

The tour was organized very well. My daughter had a memorable experience. The pre trip process was quite easy to follow and the checklists very helpful. My only feedback would be to consider for longer trips traveling from a closer airport to the school location when available. Flights were scheduled for very early in the morning with a return that occurred very late and due to weather delays causing arrival times in the very early morning of the following day.

Date of experience : 05 April 2024

My daughter’s experience

My daughter’s experience, was a trip of a lifetime. She saw so many wonderful things Kissing the blarney stone, visiting Big Ben, witnessed the changing of the guards, got to vist the Kings castle, only outside, but did see the king looking out from his window. The only negative, her food was already selected and she did not get to pick off menu. She ate lamb stew 3 days consecutively. Once was enough! Overall, this trip was amazing

Date of experience : 09 April 2024

European Adventure

My son enjoyed the itinerary and travel hosts - from the tour director to local guides. He felt safe at all locations, and the hotel accommodations were comfortable. Despite having booked our trip 13 months prior to departure, the group of middle and high school children had a seven hour layover before flying overnight into Vienna. This was a complete waste of a school day, and other flights were available later in the day. We paid an additional fee for a Swiss Evening, which was to include a special fondue meal. A cheese fondue course was provided, but the rest of the meal was average. This was not worth $120 upgrade charge.

Date of experience : 25 March 2024

vegetarian food options were terrible

vegetarian food options were terrible. I felt like a rabbit, the whole trip. No time to actually enjoy the sights and the scenery because we were constantly worried about where we were going next and our meeting point time. Also our tour guide just kept walking without even bothering to check whether we were still with him. Very stressful and expensive trip.

My son's spring break to Costa Rica

My 13 year old son went on this tour to Costa Rica during his Spring break 2024 with his Teacher & 13 other kids. He had an amazing time & said he loved every minute of it. They hiked to a volcano,Waterfalls, Zipped lined through the jungle & much much more. It was a experience of a life time. EF tour's did a great job planning it & had everything from Departure to arrival intenerary right on the dot! Very happy & my son & I will continue to look into traveling with ER tour's.

Amazing experience!!

Ms. Parker and Ms. Montgomery-Rich (tour leaders) were amazing! They did an amazing job from the beginning organizing and leading the meetings until the end of the trip when the students arrived back in ATL. I felt safe and secure that my son was in good hands and my son had an amazing time/experience on his trip! His younger brother can’t wait to join his older brother on the EF tours trip next year!

Overall, we had a great experience. However, an evening cruise on the Seine was cancelled due to high water. I assume the cost of it was bundled into our fees however a substitution was not made. Other events that were anticipated also didn't pan out. For example, the Eiffel Tower was mostly a drive-by. The students didn't get close or even enter the nearby gardens from which viewing is best.

4 and a half stars!

Meals - timing could have been better, they were too close together sometimes. Tour guides - knowledgeable, friendly, fun Hotels - GREAT Things to see - just what was expected, so great Safety - felt very safe and was given lots of good safety tips Entertainment was fantastic! 4 ½ stars! Would definitely go again with EF Tours!

A great Tour Director makes the experience better!

We had a wonderful time on our recent trip to the UK and Ireland, and tour director Ben Greenfield helped enormously! He is knowledgeable, friendly, and excited to ensure we had a great time. When problems arose due to scheduling miscommunications or other issues, he got them ironed out quickly, often before our group even realized there had been an issue. Our bus drivers were also very good and professional. Hotels ran the gamut from perfectly serviceable places to sleep after a long day of sight-seeing, to beautiful historic places, to a couple that were fancier than any I've ever stayed in before. I can't think of anything I would have changed except for the trip to last longer!

Date of experience : 21 March 2024

Artist perspective

This tour gave my daughter a whole new perspective of art and the world in general. She was able to step out of her comfort zone and really embrace the culture. I got updates daily and sometimes hourly of how much fun she was having. This was a life changing experience for her and I highly recommend this for a senior trip for your child.

Date of experience : 06 April 2024

EF tours delivered more than I even…

EF tours delivered more than I even expected. Every question, every detail, every variable was attended to. my son had an incredible time. From the educational aspects to the downright fun, I would recommend any parent sending their child on an EF tour.

My 1st time away from my son was one of the best experiences of his life.

Mr. Wright was amazing with my son Stephen Garris. He made sure they were having fun and safe at the same time. Stephen came home exhausted but happy he was given this opportunity, once in a lifetime experience. I love how he kept parents updated on where they were, what was going on, and the posting of all the pictures he was posting. I know Stephen had an issue with being homesick but Mr. Wright made him feel a lot better. Mr. Wright was completely amazing.

Date of experience : 30 March 2024

Our group was supposed to fly out of…

Our group was supposed to fly out of and back into Asheville, NC. The day of travel we had to get the kids and their teacher to Charlotte; flights were out of and into Charlotte, NC. American Airlines is blaming EF Tours and EF Tours is blaming American Airlines and neither group seems to be taking responsibility. The time in Edinburgh was cut short because of this.

Fabulous and Attentive EF Tour Guide

Our daughter told us that the EF Tour Guide stayed with the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake group the whole time, while making sure they all had a fabulous time touring Budapest, Vienna, and Prague! Thank you very much for all of your attention to detail! It was truly appreciated!

Costa Rica and Panama

Costa Rica and Panama We did the Costa Rica and Panama EF tours trip and it was EXCEPTIONAL! The trip was very well planned out with LOTS of physical activities! Everything had a time and place but nothing felt rushed. We enjoyed seeing so many different areas of Costa Rica including Volcanos and Rainforests! We did ziplining, kayaking, whitewater rafting, hiking, took a boat ride on Gaton Lake which feeds the Panama Canal and got to watch a boat cross the Panama Canal! Our guide was "Carlos". He was a native of Costa Rica so he was extremely knowledgeable as well as approachable and personal. He taught us so much and we really enjoyed spending time with him! My husband asked MANY questions and he answered them all, excited to share the information with us!! We will absolutely be doing another EF trip including Costa Rica and Panama again!!!

My students loved their experience!

My students loved their experience. One student described it as a "rich" history with first-hand experiences. It is easy to teach from a book, but travel is how students grasp the world's concepts and ideas and become global citizens.

Trip to Japan 2024

My daughter just returned from a week long trip to Japan. She loved it! The trip was well organized. Everything went smoothly. The tour guide was amazing and the accommodations were great. Lots of variety with the activities that were well balanced with well known attractions and experiences that let the visitors immerse in the Japanese culture. This trip was an experience of a lifetime. She felt safe at all times and had an amazing time.

Date of experience : 10 April 2024

EF tours made traveling a breeze

My son traveled to Costa Rica in April 2024 and it was an amazing experience. He felt the tour guide was very friendly and informative and made it easy to just enjoy the trip. There were no boring moments on this tour my son got to experience exciting adventures each day that will last a lifetime. He mentioned that he felt totally safe in Costa Rica. There was no panhandling or pick pockets. He really could just relax.

Date of experience : 28 March 2024

Suggested companies

Ef education first, explorica us, passports travel.

EF Educational Tours   Reviews

In the Tour Agency category

Visit this website

Company activity See all

Write a review

Reviews 4.4.

13,519 total

Most relevant

Group Leader since 2006

I've been working with EF Tours as a group leader since 2006. It's not a perfect company but I've been pleased with their product and believe that it's a good value. The support before and during the tour is exceptional. We had several webinars and zoom calls with our group coordinators and experienced group leaders. We were more than prepared to take our students to Europe.

Date of experience : 11 April 2024

Nice pace, stunning cities, off the beaten path

Great tour, very extensive, but EF was unable to deliver on some key sites that were promised (namely, Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basilica tour). They offered a replacement basilica tour, but it was not comparable to the Vatican. It was more relaxed and a slower pace than most EF tours, which the students and parents appreciated. Overall, the portions were very good, though a few nights were subpar. We visited numerous cities that most tourists never see (Bologna, Turin, Lucca).

The tour was organized very well. My daughter had a memorable experience. The pre trip process was quite easy to follow and the checklists very helpful. My only feedback would be to consider for longer trips traveling from a closer airport to the school location when available. Flights were scheduled for very early in the morning with a return that occurred very late and due to weather delays causing arrival times in the very early morning of the following day.

Date of experience : 05 April 2024

My daughter’s experience

My daughter’s experience, was a trip of a lifetime. She saw so many wonderful things Kissing the blarney stone, visiting Big Ben, witnessed the changing of the guards, got to vist the Kings castle, only outside, but did see the king looking out from his window. The only negative, her food was already selected and she did not get to pick off menu. She ate lamb stew 3 days consecutively. Once was enough! Overall, this trip was amazing

Date of experience : 09 April 2024

European Adventure

My son enjoyed the itinerary and travel hosts - from the tour director to local guides. He felt safe at all locations, and the hotel accommodations were comfortable. Despite having booked our trip 13 months prior to departure, the group of middle and high school children had a seven hour layover before flying overnight into Vienna. This was a complete waste of a school day, and other flights were available later in the day. We paid an additional fee for a Swiss Evening, which was to include a special fondue meal. A cheese fondue course was provided, but the rest of the meal was average. This was not worth $120 upgrade charge.

Date of experience : 25 March 2024

vegetarian food options were terrible

vegetarian food options were terrible. I felt like a rabbit, the whole trip. No time to actually enjoy the sights and the scenery because we were constantly worried about where we were going next and our meeting point time. Also our tour guide just kept walking without even bothering to check whether we were still with him. Very stressful and expensive trip.

My son's spring break to Costa Rica

My 13 year old son went on this tour to Costa Rica during his Spring break 2024 with his Teacher & 13 other kids. He had an amazing time & said he loved every minute of it. They hiked to a volcano,Waterfalls, Zipped lined through the jungle & much much more. It was a experience of a life time. EF tour's did a great job planning it & had everything from Departure to arrival intenerary right on the dot! Very happy & my son & I will continue to look into traveling with ER tour's.

Amazing experience!!

Ms. Parker and Ms. Montgomery-Rich (tour leaders) were amazing! They did an amazing job from the beginning organizing and leading the meetings until the end of the trip when the students arrived back in ATL. I felt safe and secure that my son was in good hands and my son had an amazing time/experience on his trip! His younger brother can’t wait to join his older brother on the EF tours trip next year!

Overall, we had a great experience. However, an evening cruise on the Seine was cancelled due to high water. I assume the cost of it was bundled into our fees however a substitution was not made. Other events that were anticipated also didn't pan out. For example, the Eiffel Tower was mostly a drive-by. The students didn't get close or even enter the nearby gardens from which viewing is best.

4 and a half stars!

Meals - timing could have been better, they were too close together sometimes. Tour guides - knowledgeable, friendly, fun Hotels - GREAT Things to see - just what was expected, so great Safety - felt very safe and was given lots of good safety tips Entertainment was fantastic! 4 ½ stars! Would definitely go again with EF Tours!

A great Tour Director makes the experience better!

We had a wonderful time on our recent trip to the UK and Ireland, and tour director Ben Greenfield helped enormously! He is knowledgeable, friendly, and excited to ensure we had a great time. When problems arose due to scheduling miscommunications or other issues, he got them ironed out quickly, often before our group even realized there had been an issue. Our bus drivers were also very good and professional. Hotels ran the gamut from perfectly serviceable places to sleep after a long day of sight-seeing, to beautiful historic places, to a couple that were fancier than any I've ever stayed in before. I can't think of anything I would have changed except for the trip to last longer!

Date of experience : 21 March 2024

Artist perspective

This tour gave my daughter a whole new perspective of art and the world in general. She was able to step out of her comfort zone and really embrace the culture. I got updates daily and sometimes hourly of how much fun she was having. This was a life changing experience for her and I highly recommend this for a senior trip for your child.

Date of experience : 06 April 2024

EF tours delivered more than I even…

EF tours delivered more than I even expected. Every question, every detail, every variable was attended to. my son had an incredible time. From the educational aspects to the downright fun, I would recommend any parent sending their child on an EF tour.

My 1st time away from my son was one of the best experiences of his life.

Mr. Wright was amazing with my son Stephen Garris. He made sure they were having fun and safe at the same time. Stephen came home exhausted but happy he was given this opportunity, once in a lifetime experience. I love how he kept parents updated on where they were, what was going on, and the posting of all the pictures he was posting. I know Stephen had an issue with being homesick but Mr. Wright made him feel a lot better. Mr. Wright was completely amazing.

Date of experience : 30 March 2024

Our group was supposed to fly out of…

Our group was supposed to fly out of and back into Asheville, NC. The day of travel we had to get the kids and their teacher to Charlotte; flights were out of and into Charlotte, NC. American Airlines is blaming EF Tours and EF Tours is blaming American Airlines and neither group seems to be taking responsibility. The time in Edinburgh was cut short because of this.

Fabulous and Attentive EF Tour Guide

Our daughter told us that the EF Tour Guide stayed with the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake group the whole time, while making sure they all had a fabulous time touring Budapest, Vienna, and Prague! Thank you very much for all of your attention to detail! It was truly appreciated!

Costa Rica and Panama

Costa Rica and Panama We did the Costa Rica and Panama EF tours trip and it was EXCEPTIONAL! The trip was very well planned out with LOTS of physical activities! Everything had a time and place but nothing felt rushed. We enjoyed seeing so many different areas of Costa Rica including Volcanos and Rainforests! We did ziplining, kayaking, whitewater rafting, hiking, took a boat ride on Gaton Lake which feeds the Panama Canal and got to watch a boat cross the Panama Canal! Our guide was "Carlos". He was a native of Costa Rica so he was extremely knowledgeable as well as approachable and personal. He taught us so much and we really enjoyed spending time with him! My husband asked MANY questions and he answered them all, excited to share the information with us!! We will absolutely be doing another EF trip including Costa Rica and Panama again!!!

My students loved their experience!

My students loved their experience. One student described it as a "rich" history with first-hand experiences. It is easy to teach from a book, but travel is how students grasp the world's concepts and ideas and become global citizens.

Trip to Japan 2024

My daughter just returned from a week long trip to Japan. She loved it! The trip was well organized. Everything went smoothly. The tour guide was amazing and the accommodations were great. Lots of variety with the activities that were well balanced with well known attractions and experiences that let the visitors immerse in the Japanese culture. This trip was an experience of a lifetime. She felt safe at all times and had an amazing time.

Date of experience : 10 April 2024

EF tours made traveling a breeze

My son traveled to Costa Rica in April 2024 and it was an amazing experience. He felt the tour guide was very friendly and informative and made it easy to just enjoy the trip. There were no boring moments on this tour my son got to experience exciting adventures each day that will last a lifetime. He mentioned that he felt totally safe in Costa Rica. There was no panhandling or pick pockets. He really could just relax.

Date of experience : 28 March 2024

EF Educational Tours

Review Highlights

“ My two sons, ages 10 and 13, and I learned so much about Costa Rica and had so much fun!!! ” in 9 reviews

“ I just returned as a chaperone on the EF trip to Barcelona and Madrid. ” in 5 reviews

“ I was a chaperone for a high school senior trip to London, Paris and Barcelona. ” in 12 reviews

Location & Hours

Suggest an edit

2 Education Cir

Cambridge, MA 02141

East Cambridge

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About the Business

Established in 1965. It was 1960 and Swedish student Bertil Hult had spent years struggling with dyslexia. Unsure of his future, he moved to London for work. After only a few short months, he was fluent in English--a feat he never thought possible. That discovery inspired Bertil to launch EF Education First in 1965--a company built on experiential learning, cultural immersion and authentic connections. This experience is at the core of our educational philosophy. …

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Overall rating

222 reviews

I just can't get over how many corners EFtours cuts. They take you to CHEAP hotels and serve you CHEAP meals at restaurants rated 3 stars. This is alright for kids, but for adults that have any expectations, it's severely disappointing. It's been brought up countless times by other people and beaten like a dead horse, yet EFtours KEEPS DOING THE SAME THING. Please.... PLEASE change your business model! I'm tired of going to hotels that have roaches. I'm tired of going to hotels that claim that they have a gym/sauna and don't. I'm tired of going to hotels that have front doors that won't lock. I'm tired of going to hotels without working WIFI. I'm tired of going to dinner and getting served CHEAP no-topping cheese pizza and no drink options other than water. Diet anything or even tea would be great, but EF takes the free route with water. You'll pay $4000+ and they'll milk that for profits... that's all it is. On a positive note, our main tour guide was AWESOME.

BEST TRIP EVER! Our school group just got back from a 10 day tour in Europe: Germany (Frankfurt, Rothenberg, Rodenberg, Dachau, Munich and Heidelberg; Innsbruck, Austria; Venice and Verona Italy; Lucerne, Switzerland; and Colmar, France. It was a trip of a lifetime! We had the best tour guide, "Silke" from East Berlin. She was amazing! She had every detail of our trip organized. From bathroom breaks to tour itinerary times. She made us feel safe throughout the whole trip. She gave us a history lesson for every sight, plus her personal experience which was very informative. Also as great, was our bus driver, Michal. He was the best driver ever. We felt very safe and he was accommodating to everyone. The bus, by the way was a luxury bus, and very comfortable! Silke and Michal became part of our "family" for the entire 10 day tour. It was sad to leave them! Our hotels were basic but very clean and safe (in a safe area also) and had a charm of their own that matched the region we stayed in. The food that was included in the trip was also good. We had a very pleasant experience. I feel so blessed to go on this trip that I got to share with my daughter and school group. I would highly recommend EF Tours! I can't imagine going on a trip like this without them. I would have no clue where to go. Don't hesitate to book with EF Tours!

Grace Christian School with our EF Tour leader, Silke!

Giving one star because it won't let me give zero. Terrible customer support throughout the enrollment process and even worse during the refund process. Do NOT ever use this company ever. My refund has been stuck in their process for weeks and after calling the bank and calling them multiple times they finally send and email saying the refund will be electronically processed. But then calling to follow up they say a check has to be issued because the of something on their end. So they lied in an email then didn't deliver. Still waiting for that check but I won't hold my breath. Avoid at all costs; or it'll cost you.

I meant to give no stars. My money was withdrawn electronically. Now that I want a refund, somehow they are not able to. They sent one check. It got lost in the mail. The next was mailed out. I didn't receive it. They put a stop payment on that one also. I have been requesting my money back since February. It was easy for them to take it. Make it easy to give it back. NEXT STEP IS AN ATTORNEY!!!!!!

Our a high schooler just got back from the EF tour in Costa Rica. He had an amazing time. He learned so much, loved the experience and can't wait to go on another trip. He said all the meals were really good too. He said every hotel they stayed at was very clean and he felt safe. He said the locals and tour guides were fun to talk to. He already misses being there. They visited areas you probably wouldn't go to if you were going on a resort vacation. He said the only negative on the trip was the snorkeling trip. He said the reef they explored had died and there weren't many fish left in the area. He said it was sad, and made him think more about the environment, so it wasn't a total loss. The confidence and life skills he gained on this trip were worth the price we paid. Things to consider if you're planning on sending your child on a tour. There are cancellation fees if you cancel the trip. You maybe driving your kid to the airport in the weee early hours of the morning. They are going on an educational tour and won't be staying in resort areas. A/C and Wfi is sometimes not available. The terms and conditions when you sign up outline everything you need to know about going on a trip and any cancellation fees. Read the terms and conditions and understand them before you sign up and pay. Your children will be sharing rooms and beds with other students. We upgraded our child to a private room since he didn't want to room with others. Whenever we had a question, we used their online chat. There was one time they required a phone call to fix and issue, but they gave us a call and were able to fix what we needed. The portal was great and gave us emails to remind us of what we needed to do to be ready for the trip. If his school hosts another trip, we will definitely sign up!

One of the waterfalls they visited

EF is a horrible company! Do not recommend traveling with them! Their customer service( if you can call it that) are literally useless individuals.

This trip is insanely rushed even under the Plus package which is supposed to be for "anyone that just values their me time, Plus combines an immersive itinerary with more space to unwind." We got trapped in London due to weather and the adjustments to travel and accommodation were unlivable and would have had me in a hospital the next day. I am a disabled person who travels often. It is against the law to not provide appropriate accommodations and options for the disabled as I mentioned to my tour guide and he only suggested to book my own accommodations and request a reimbursement - again, illegal to not offer me an option. EF refused to rebook our trains at different times even though it was totally possible and booked small cars for everyone to drive 6+ hours to Paris to try and make it in time for New Year's (they did not). Half of us bought our own train tickets and are now fighting for reimbursements. Again, I am disabled, so I could physically not travel via a long car ride. The accommodations for that extra night in London were an unsecure, dirty, and nonhandicapped accessible hostel when we all paid for hotel accommodations. Over half of us were forced to book our own accommodations as well because EF refused to separate us when we are all adults and could find our way to meeting point in the morning. The hostel had blood and hair in the sheets, trash in the hallways, it smelled like urine, co-ed shared bathrooms with naked strangers, homeless people scattering the bottom floor, no security so anyone can walk in and have access to our belongings, and had giant steps to enter which is a large challenge for a handicapped person (and everyone else who at this point were only running on two hours of sleep). PLUS: Those of us who did make it to the NYE party got stranded because Irakalis' (our tour guide's) bus never showed up and all the other guides just left us. We were left, intoxicated, and wandering the Paris metro we didn't know on our first night by ourselves because no cars/taxis/ubers would show up. EF DOES NOT have a 24/7 helpline that actually helps you at all in case of an emergency like this and our host was heartless and treated us like spoiled Americans who were actually now broke because we all spent way outside of our budget to be safe. You use these travel companies to save you time, stress and pay in advance. We all agreed we didn't save on any of these items and were definitely weighed down by stress and the financial position this company put us in when we were across the world by ourselves. Even before the unusual circumstances, this was not the trip I signed up for and was very stressful, rushed and did not match this description. Use 30under30experiences or Contiki instead.

See all photos from Selena S. for EF Educational Tours

Our family has used EF tours via my kid's schools twice and never really had any major issues with them. I love that they offer interest free payment plans for the trips and they have detailed itineraries from start to finish so you don't have to plan anything on your own! Plane tickets, hotel stay, transportation, breakfast and dinner are all included . Tour guides that have been assigned were all awesome. My only issue would be the hotel and food selections on some days that they selected could be so much better given the price paid.

Beware. If you argue with the EF Rep regarding your tour and how you were given wrong information from the very beginning, they will tell you it was in the terms and conditions. (I signed on to this trip because I was given information directly from one of EF reps and figured they know all about the T&C and what a better way to find out then accidentally miss something.) That turned out to be very wrong. If you ask repeatedly to speak with a supervisor, they will tell you you can't because "they are qualified to help you" and refuse to get a supervisor. If you tell that EF rep you asked specifically about your issue before you signed on, they will tell you they can't find record of your inquiry and basically imply that you are a liar. If you do those things you will get hung up on by the EF rep. I wish I came here first before booking this trip. Never again.

Good: Leadership summit has very friendly staff. Amazing tour director. They did take phone calls and email and respond reasonably fast but sometimes not helpful. Bad: They want two teens to a bed, hide this in fine print on page 16. We were able to get them to waive this our trip but be ware when signing up. Promised vegan diet support then did not deliver one every meal, like continental breakfast with no vegan option and dinners with no vegan protein. Heck, some dinners had no proteins at all. How cheap! Never local food served to us so missed significant part of the cultural experience. BTW, they don't provide lunch so that is hidden extra cost but does help give a chance for real and good local food. Instead of direct flight to Belgium, they had flight to London with connecting flight to Belgium. Because layover window was unrealistic, missed connecting flight so basically lost a day of the program. Spent almost emote first day in hotel instead of touring. They should have had a backup plan for London given how tight connecting flights were. All hotels were 30 minutes from city. Some had dirty bedding. Hotels by the airport? Really? Like we are travelers with cancelled flights every day. Sad. On paper, decent tour agenda but then some points of interest we got only 5 minutes.

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EF Educational Tours   Reviews

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Reviews 4.4.

13,519 total

Most recent

The company provides all of the…

The company provides all of the materials needed to kick off the excitement and enthusiasm for the students. They are also very responsive to trip leaders' needs. It makes it easy to plan a great trip for students and families.

Date of experience : 19 February 2024

Reply from EF Educational Tours

Thank you for your positive feedback! We’re delighted to hear that our comprehensive materials and responsive support have made trip planning a breeze for you. Here’s to many more memorable adventures with students and families!

Liz has been great

Liz has been great. She helps with everything I need.

We're so glad you love your travel team! Thanks for sharing, Stefanie.

Barbara has been very helpful and direct.Her assistance has been invaluable, especially for us as teachers and principals, who, quite frankly, have very limited extra time to get this process moving. This trip would not be happening without her support, correspondence and communication with me, my principal and our families. Kudos.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience and the praise of your travel team! As educators with busy schedules, we deeply appreciate your dedication and aim to make each step of the process as easy as possible. Thanks to your efforts, this trip is becoming a reality for students and families.

Great way to share the joy of travelling

I felt pretty prepared to go out and advetrise for our upcoming trip to Portugal and Spain. The coordinator that I worked with Megan walked me through everything and went above and beyond as we worked hard to get two more people to sign up for the trip so that we could have a chaperone join us. I am truly grateful to have the opportunity to do this trip with students and parents at our school. Everyone is very excited to travel in 2025.

Date of experience : 05 February 2024

Thank you for sharing your positive experience! It’s wonderful to hear that your efforts resulted in additional sign-ups, allowing for a chaperone to join. We look forward to creating memorable experiences for both students and parents during your 2025 adventure!

EF puts together an amazing tour for…

EF puts together an amazing tour for its student and truly provides an incredible educational experience for them. They provide excellent support to group leaders through their tour consultants and the tour directors on site. I appreciate the opportunities I've had to travel as a chaperone on EF Tours as well as my journey this year to being a Group Leader!

Date of experience : 06 February 2024

Thank you for sharing your positive experience with EF Tours! We’re thrilled to hear that our tours have left a lasting impact on both students and group leaders. Safe travels, and we look forward to more enriching journeys in the future!

EF has given me the confidence and support to take students on life-changing adventures! My tour consultant is so wonderful and supportive. I wouldn't travel with students with any other company.

Date of experience : 12 February 2024

We are thrilled to be able to travel with you and your students! Our team is here to help make travel as easy as possible so you can focus on the fun parts. If you ever have any questions, please feel free to reach out - we are happy to help!

Horrible Company!!

I have now been waiting for 8 weeks for a refund. No one at this place has any information. If you ask to speak to someone in charge, they say there isn't anyone. If you ask to speak to the legal department, they give you an address. They absolutely refuse to return my money. This company is completely ridiculous!

Tina, we regret to hear you've had a less than excellent experience with us. Our team is available to help answer questions Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm.

Excellent help and service

My experience so far with EF Tours has been great! Excellent communication with the person helping me set up meetings and sending out emails. They've been very supportive and have encouraged me tailor messages to my school community. Things have gone well so far and I look forward to working with them as we continue to planning of our summer 2026 trip to Belize!

Amazing! We are here to help make travel as easy as possible so Group Leaders and students can enjoy the fun parts. We're excited to travel with you! Thanks for sharing and for being part of the EF Tours family.

My rep, Hailey Darrow did a good job of checking in with me. Giving me good suggestions before my meeting.

Date of experience : 09 February 2024

We love to hear it! Thanks for sharing, Lorrin!

VERY BAD AND HORRIBLE COMPANY

VERY BAD AND HORRIBLE COMPANY. I WISH I CAN GIVE 0 STARS

Date of experience : 20 September 2023

Thank you for taking the time to share your review. We would love to help address your questions and concerns. Please either follow up on here with your feedback or give us a call at 800-665-5364.

My tour consultant

My tour consultant, Madeline Anderson, is prompt in responding to my queries. She offers great suggestions and has lots of good ideas. As for my interest Meeting, She sent materials and PowerPoint presentations that were very useful.

Date of experience : 07 February 2024

Thank you for sharing your positive experience with Madeline, your tour consultant . We’re delighted to hear that Madeline has been prompt and helpful in addressing your queries. We’re glad that the materials and PowerPoint presentations she provided were useful for your interest meeting. Thank you for being part of the EF Tours family - we look forward to traveling with you!

First time overseas trip

Being in the very beginning stages of planning our first ever overseas trip, I have been extremely impressed with the EF Tours system… the website and especially our Team representative. Allie had been extremely patient to answer all of our questions and even to do a bit of hand-holding while we figure out the details on our end. She has worked hard to represent us and to provide the best experience for our school. Enthusiasm is definitely growing as we are seeing students sign up for the trip we’re planning.

Date of experience : 08 February 2024

Thank you for sharing your experience with EF Tours. We are thrilled to hear that you are impressed with our process and that Allie has been patient and helpful in answering all of your questions. We are proud of our team and the hard work they put in to ensure that our customers have the best possible experience. We hope that you have a wonderful time on your tour and that it is an experience that you will never forget. If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We are always here to help.

Very clear directions

Very clear directions, easy to get ahold of, guided me clearly through everything so far

Date of experience : 02 February 2024

We’re here to help every step of the way! Our commitment to clear communication and accessibility ensures that you receive concise directions, and our team is readily available for any assistance you need. From planning to execution, we’re dedicated to making your experience seamless and enjoyable. Thank you for sharing and for being part of the EF Tours family.

As an educator

As an educator, the value of curated experiences are almost priceless. Students have an amazing chance to experience the everyday life and history of so many places. What the cost includes is also astonishing because so much is taken care of for your whole trip.

We’re thrilled that your students have had an amazing trip with us! Our dedicated team works hard to ensure a seamless experience, from enrollment to itinerary changes. Creating lasting memories and fostering cultural understanding is what EF Tours is all about! Thank you for sharing.

Great customer service

Great customer service. Comprehensive layout of program,

Date of experience : 29 January 2024

Amazing! Thank you for sharing. We look forward to traveling with you!

over promise and under deliver

Didn't ask which email to use, so my personal email was plastered all over the school. Initial recruitment did not go as planned and was left to fend for myself. Overexaggerated the demand for a trip.

We apologize for the oversight regarding your email. Your feedback is valuable, and we’ll ensure better communication moving forward. We appreciate your honesty about the initial recruitment experience, and we’ll take this as an opportunity to improve. Rest assured, we’ll continue to work closely with you to meet your needs and expectations. Thank you for sharing your insights, and we’re committed to making your partnership with EF Educational Tours a positive one.

Working with EF feels like family

Working with EF feels like family. We have a trusted partnership with shared responsibilities to achieve success. I will continue to recommend other teachers work with EF for tours!

We truly appreciate your partnership and the sense of family that comes with working together. Our shared commitment to success is what makes travel for students so rewarding. Thank you for being part of the EF Tours family!

My experience with EF Tours was safe, loaded with content, and fun

My experience with EF Tours was absolutely fantastic! Their commitment to safety was evident throughout the trip, which made my students feel secure and well-cared for. The tour guides were not only knowledgeable but also incredibly positive and enthusiastic, which added a lot to the overall experience. My fellow group leaders and I were most impressed with how EF balanced educational content with fun activities, ensuring that our students and adults on the trip had a great time while still learning a lot. Our journey was filled with memorable moments and experiences that our students and adult travelers will be able to cherish forever. I would highly recommend EF Tours to anyone looking for a safe, educational, and enjoyable travel experience!

Date of experience : 15 June 2023

Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful experience with EF Tours! We truly appreciate your feedback and are thrilled to hear that your trip was absolutely fantastic. Safety is our top priority, and we’re delighted that you noticed our commitment to it throughout the journey. Ensuring that our students feel secure and well-cared for is essential, and we’re glad we could provide that peace of mind. Balancing educational content with fun activities is something we take pride in. Learning doesn’t have to be dull; it can be an exciting adventure! We’re thrilled that our approach resonated with your group, allowing everyone to have a great time while still gaining valuable insights. Memorable moments are what make travel truly special. Whether it’s exploring historical sites, connecting with locals, or sharing laughs with fellow travelers, these experiences stay with us forever. We’re honored to have been part of those cherished memories. Once again, thank you for recommending EF Tours. We look forward to welcoming you and your group back for more incredible journeys in the future! Safe travels and happy adventures!

EF Tours is giving me the run around

EF Tours is giving me the run around. Unfortunately, I had to cancel my son's trip, due to severe health issues that he is having and he now cannot travel. I cancelled the trip on November 14, 2023. I was told I would recieve my refund in 4-6 weeks. When I did not, I contacted them again. I was told, after 7 weeks of waiting, "So sorry. For some your refund was never processed. You should get it now in 1-2 weeks." 2 weeks went by and nothing. Contacted them again. This time I was told, "So sorry, we are updating our billing system and it is holding up the refunds. You will receive your refund the week of January 21, 2024. That week came and went. Still no refund. Contacted them AGAIN! Once again, I am told, "We are so sorry. We are updating to a faster system, ironically, to process returns faster. You will recieve a check in the mail beginning to middle of next week." Guess what?!?! STILL NO CHECK!!!! With having to deal with my son's medical issues right now and missing a lot of work, I really do not need to be dealing with this right now too.

Date of experience : 14 November 2023

We are sorry to hear you have not had an excellent experience. We understand the importance of receiving a refund in a timely manner and regret to hear the transition of financial systems delayed the process. Thank you for sharing your experience - your feedback will be shared with our team.

Be very cautious on their "2 week 100%…

Be very cautious on their "2 week 100% fully refundable deposit. " We cancelled to book with another tour. They keep making excuses on why months later they haven't been able to provide my refund. Maybe they are keeping the money to keep up with the large lawsuit they lost. Wish I would have known about what a terrible company this was before I trusted their "guarantee." Stay away from EF Tours. There are many more reputable companies.

Date of experience : 30 November 2023

We are sorry to hear you've not had an excellent experience. Our team works quickly to refund all monies owed to travelers through the applicable cancellation policy. It may take up to 4-6 weeks to receive a refund either electronically or via mail. If you have not seen your refund within the allotted timeframe, please reach out to Traveler Support at 800-665-5364 and they will be happy to help.

EF Tours Canada   Reviews

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Reviews 4.4.

3,328 total

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Once in a lifetime

Ena was great - friendly, organized, punctual, easy going, knowledgeable and kind. Paulo the bus driver was phenomenal and his driving skills are off the charts. Tours were amazing, guides were knowledgeable and helpful. The villas were amazing but hotels were kinda terrible. Hotel locations were mostly ok. Was an exceptional experience and the trip of a lifetime.

Date of experience : April 01, 2024

Experience Portugal

We did the Experience Portugal. We had some difficulties with flights being changed close to leaving day and some long delays that were frustrating. EF Tours did their best to make the layovers more enjoyable and provide students with opportunities. We were provided with a walking tour of Amsterdam on our 10.5 hour delay which ended up being an amazing opportunity. In Portugal the tour director and bus driver where both amazing, hotels were all nice with good locations and food. All local guides were good. The tour allows you to see the country north to south and you are not on the bus very long each day. Portugal is a very beautiful country, which is rich in history and culture.

Date of experience : April 11, 2024

My daughter said that she enjoyed…

My daughter said that she enjoyed everything, it was a lot of travelling done in a short period of time but it was well managed. She was happy with all of the places that the tours stopped at and the tour guides did a very job in explaining the history of each place. The only negative aspect of the trip was that she found the found portions for supper were too small and that there weren't choices. After all the walking during the day, she felt the food portions should have been bigger.

Very organized and felt assured that issues would be resolved quickly.

My daughter had a wonderful experience in Japan. She enjoyed all the tours and the local tour guide was an absolute treasure. She only wished there was more downtime to shop. :). Money thoroughly well spent. Outside of EF Tours, my daughter also had a chance to take language and culture classes with her group for months before her travels which really helped her feel comfortable and made us feel she was safer. The organizers had informative meetings and communications with the families leading up to the trip and provided the itinerary and hotel information to follow from afar.

Date of experience : March 29, 2024

Shaneka is an amazing tour guide who…

Shaneka is an amazing tour guide who was able to find activities that kept our students interested while also listening to their interests. I would’ve like to had our trip include time to go on the Plains of Abraham, visit the Citadel in Quebec City plus the War Museum in Ottawa.

Incredible tour!

The tour was well planned, engaging, and fun! Our tour director, Anthony, kept all of the students engaged, made sure they were well cared for and safe, and was always flexible to what they wanted to see and experience. Definitely a very special and memorable experience for all of us!

Date of experience : April 09, 2024

Great experience!

Tour guide Sophie was phenomenal as well as the bus driver. The sights amazing! Enjoyed the full experience and adjustments were made as needed sometimes due to weather. Only down side was the food, sometimes not many options but random stops for snacks or alternative options helped that as well. My daughter enjoyed her experience. Thank you for keeping them safe with this experience.

Date of experience : March 27, 2024

Mother Margaret Mary tour

Our tour guide was amazing and paid attention to the interests of our group to make the experience that much better. I would suggest maybe less of the super busy tourist spots? There must be some worthwhile sites that are not main tourist sites. The Osaka hotel was particularly bad. There was no air conditioning, the bed sheets were dirty and the food was awful. I would recommend you remove the hotel from your list.

Date of experience : April 05, 2024

Our tour guide Tracy levee valance was…

Our tour guide Tracy levee valance was absolutely fantastic! She made our entire trip easy, educational and so much fun! We all felt like we came away with an incredible experience and a friend. The only suggestion I would make would be time the lunches and travel a little more efficiently so we would be eating very close to our tour or destination in order to save extra time for free time.

Date of experience : April 10, 2024

Great tour guides-punctual & friendly

Great tour guides-punctual & friendly! Our son thoroughly enjoyed his trip to Portugal! Well organized & would send my other children on other EF tours in the near future!😎

The tour guide Antonio was fantastic…

The tour guide Antonio was fantastic and full of knowledge. The teachers and students had an amazing, safe time. We are grateful our daughter had this epic experience seeing the world and historic sites.

Tour was amazing

Tour was amazing. Meals were small even for those who have small appetites. Our tour guide was essential for difficult encounters such as bus drivers and hotel staff. However this often translated negatively to the group travelling and chaperones.

Date of experience : March 03, 2024

Enrolling my child in an EF language course was a breeze, thanks to their attentive advisor. Every detail was taken care of, making me feel completely at ease as a parent. Highly recommend EF for a smooth and supportive learning experience

Date of experience : October 11, 2023

Our trip was wonderful

Our trip was wonderful. Tour Guides were great. Hotels were lovely. The only disappointing moments were things out of EF's control - like the weather. And even then, new activities to replace excursions we couldn't do (due to the weather) were great as well. Would definitely take another EF Tour.

Ef tour experience

Ef guides, bus driver and local experts were awesome! Food was spectacular and of local cuisine. Itinerary was good but less free time and maybe more time to tour other sites.

Stranded in Amsterdam

Your app never worked properly, had to use web. Excursions were cancelled. The meals on the flight were better than the meals provided by tour. The flight from Amsterdam to Canada was canceled and left my daughter and 40 students stranded. WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED! It was the teacher that found flights for these kids and got them home. Isn't that what you were paid to do? I understand some things were beyond your control, however, I could have arranged this trip for half the cost. I would never recommend your company to anyone.

Date of experience : April 07, 2024

it was well organized and…

it was well organized and efficient-there was 1 hotel that should be taken off the list for stay in italy and the meals always should be hot and good and should have great restaurant 5 star for the price students pay for this trip and the meals should be what students would eat at any given day not the same food each day. some excurions can be changed to serve better and not be all in 1 day

Our tour guide was great and…

Our tour guide was great and knowledgeable. Able to balance tour and free time as well which was both enjoyed by the students. I would suggest better options for dinner. Even though the restaurants knew about dietary restrictions in advance they didn’t seem to care or want to make modifications. I think changing up the eating places and possible having more variety would be really helpful.

Date of experience : April 04, 2024

Flights were horrible

Flights were horrible. The times and connections these kids had were less than desired. Kids spent over 16hrs ones direction. Kids in the group didn’t have flights booked and the group was separated on both legs of the trip. Very poor planning. Cancelation policy was false advertising. We even called to confirm the policy and it was denied when needed after purchasing the cancellation insurance. Some of the hotels were terrible. (Delfi specifically) The tour guide was excellent, and made the trip memorable.

Trip was amazing

Trip was amazing, tour guide, Estelle was so knowledgeable and accommodating. Everything went off as planned. Only room for improvement was flights, had to overnight on the way home because we took the milk run. Other than that it was all a fantastic experience and I would highly recommend taking any tour with EF!!

Get to know EF

Travelers share their own ef tour reviews.

We’ve got a lot to say about student travel. It’s why we’ve been bringing travelers on tour for over 55 years. But it helps to hear from other people. People like you, who’ve been through the whole experience. Before planning your trip, read these EF Explore America reviews to get a feeling for what it’s like to travel with us.

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We know travel can be nerve wracking. Whether you’re leading a group, going yourself, or sending a child, safety is your first priority. In these EF reviews, past travelers reflect on the safety and security of their experiences.

Our approach to safety

EF did everything they could do

I have traveled with EF Tours internationally several times. This was my first domestic trip with EF Explore America and considering everything we were dealing with, all the closings due to Coronavirus, all the staff at EF did everything they could to ensure we had a great trip and we all made it home safely.

The thing that struck us is the level of detail

Safe and secure

Her school chose to go with EF Tours because of its reputation, attention to every last detail, and (most importantly) security as its number one priority. I highly recommend this company to anyone looking for a safe and secure, no-hassle, very reasonably priced experience.

Never once was I worried

I was invited to be an adult chaperone on our school’s spring break trip to Italy. At first, I was very anxious to travel abroad since I was new to the whole thing, but from start to finish, our trip was thorough, smooth, and well organized. Our tour leader was fantastic and great with the students. EF/our tour leader was very considerate of another adult on our trip with a severe nut allergy and made sure that her meals were always safe for her to consume. Every location that we visited was amazing and our tour guide was very patient with the varying needs and interests of our group. Never once was I worried for our safety.

Grateful to be part of the EF Family

I find solace, as well as pride, in the extraordinary care that EF is providing for them. These are some crazy times, but I have never been more proud of EF and grateful to be part of the EF FAMILY. You all are doing an amazing job under such trying and unprecedented circumstances.

I am so glad that we were traveling with EF

The response to the virus and rerouting us home early was bar none. While we were sightseeing in London, EF was busy providing transportation, hotel lodging, and flights home. I am so glad that we were traveling with EF and not on our own during this crisis. Again, I cannot say enough about the overall positive experience and thank you for getting us home safely!

EF was incredible

On Wednesday, March 11, 2020, my daughter was traveling in Germany with EF and her school program when the travel restrictions due to COVID-19 were announced. I felt completely powerless and uncertain how a route home could be achieved for my daughter, her entire group, and the multitude of other student groups traveling over Spring Break. Over the course of the next few days, I spoke with numerous employees at EF. Every single time, I was able to speak to a person who was concerned and engaged about the situation. They expressed understanding for my fears, assured me to the best of their ability (even when they had no new information to share), and emailed parents announcements as to the various flights being scheduled. That attention and kindness in and of itself was astonishing, knowing that they must have thousands of anxious parents calling and were likely working ceaselessly to get everyone home. What was even more astonishing was the professionalism in making sure at every leg of the journey—Munich, London, Toronto, and finally Dallas—was that the students were safely cared for, had very good lodgings, transportation to and from the airports, hot meals, and EF still educated them and made the most of the unplanned stops! EF was incredible. I will confidently book with EF knowing that they truly have the infrastructure to handle a crisis, that they care deeply for the students, and that they remain committed to sharing the wonder of travel.

I didn't have to constantly worry

The way that EF takes care of every detail makes the trip enjoyable for students and adults. As a chaperone, I didn't have to constantly worry about my students and their safety or their experience. There was constant feedback from the students about their enjoyment which made the trip more pleasurable for me as well.

How does seeing more of the world affect students? In these EF reviews, customers comment on the impact they’ve seen or experienced as a direct result from going on tour.

Our educational philosophy

Challenges them to step outside their comfort zones

Traveling with my students is just more than taking a summer “vacation” with the students. An educational travel experience helps students to put into practice the concepts they’ve learned in the classroom. It also challenges them to step outside their comfort zones and helps them develop skills, habits, and mindsets closely associated with future success. I have noticed that stepping out of their comfort zones is the most beneficial aspect they get out of our travel program. Rooming with kids they normally don’t room with. Flying on an airplane. Visiting cities and states that they would never get a chance to visit. These are the experiences that I enjoy offering to the kids.

EF plans itineraries with that education piece first and foremost

It’s fun watching that confidence being built

The first milestone on any trip is watching students and adults who have never flown during their first take off. We live in Mississippi, so we take a small plane to a larger airport. I usually film the new flyers. By the time we get to the first stop they’re strutting through the airport like seasoned travelers. It’s fun watching that confidence being built as they learn to navigate through new experiences.

I see the world through a new lens

Meeting larger than life people and having indescribable experiences was just a small part of this lasting experience. The experiences, although laden with horrific aspects of our nation's history, left me inspired, energized. These museums were created to memorialize the incredible people and accomplishments of the Civil Rights movement. These were markers of great pride and success. We met ordinary people who accomplished extraordinary things in one of the darkest hours in all of humanity. The museums are meant to inspire, to challenge visitors to see what has been accomplished and know and understand that we, too, can accomplish extraordinary things if we are willing to get off the sidelines and work together. I can say that I left this experience a better educator, a better father, and a better human. I see the world through a new lens and understand the true depth of the human spirit.

It's so important to change the mindset of students

I truly enjoy seeing my students experience different cultures during our travel time. For example, I had a student last trip that only ate burgers and fries. Once we experienced our French cooking class, he started to eat all the French foods we had. This was an awesome moment for me because he realized that he could experience other cultures through food. It’s so important to change the mindset of students by having them experience other cultures and understand that we are all the same with different experiences.

An inspiring feeling

I love traveling with my students because I get to know each one of them better and I get to see them at their best. As a history teacher, it’s an amazing feeling to see my students light up and get excited about “that thing we talked about in class." Not only do they get a rich educational experience but watching them transform from scared teenagers who have never left home into young adults who are eager to take on more travel is an inspiring feeling. I can easily say that after each trip, the students that traveled with me have been the ones that I have grown closest to and the ones who began to succeed more in my classes. On my last EF tour to England and France, there were too many memorable moments to count. I think one of my favorites was watching one student run circles in the craters left on Pointe du Hoc in Normandy and falling over. I also loved when the shortest, most shy of my AP European History students helped us get a table and order food for lunch in Saint-Malo because she spoke the best French. Finally, I always make my students keep a travel journal that they usually roll their eyes at, but are entertained by my own journal readings on the bus. While they may roll their eyes at having to write in their journal at first and certainly at sharing their entries, by the end of the trip, most of them want to share and take it home as their best souvenir. Listening to their journal entries is always a highlight on my EF trips.

Fun but also able to learn a lot

I really had an amazing time exploring Washington D.C. and I really love how we were able to be young adults and go out on our own and explore but still being managed by adults. I love that I was able to have fun but also able to learn a lot and learn new things. The trip was amazing!!

Educational, fun, and life-changing

This trip was very educational, fun, and life-changing. I learned so much about each country that I went to and my Tour Director gave me a very thorough tour of each place I visited. I went to many popular tourist spots as well as many places that were historic and not as popular for tourists but still very interesting and fun to learn about. It was just such an amazing experience and I encourage everyone to take the chance and go on this trip because you will not be disappointed. It was so nice to have the whole trip planned out for me and I didn’t have to worry about finding something to do because our Tour Director gave me tons of suggestions about shops to look in, restaurants to try, and some popular tourist spots around our location. I made a lot of new friends that I still keep in contact with on a regular basis and we are trying to plan another trip in the future. I felt like a part of the public and it was just so peaceful and fun. All five hotels were in a good area and were clean, nice, and the staff were very friendly and helpful. Our tour bus was clean, comfortable, and our driver was extremely friendly. The days were very well thought out and our Tour Director gave us the schedule each day so we knew everything that was happening throughout the day. Overall, this trip was a trip of a lifetime and I can’t wait to plan my next trip with EF!

There’s a lot of planning that goes into any travel excursion. In these EF Explore America reviews, customers talk about working with the EF team, whether it was during the months leading up to their trip or once arriving at their destination.

Meet our support team

Thanks to everyone who helped with this crisis

We haven’t lacked a single thing which we might have needed from EF since [the COVID-19] travel ban was announced. We were contacted shortly after the announcement, we received our flight information for our evacuation much sooner than we expected, and our Tour Director, Gavin, was there to help in any and every way up until we entered the security checkpoint at the airport. He even told us that he would wait there until our flight took off, just in case someone had a problem. I can’t think of a single thing that EF could have done better under these circumstances, and my travelers seem to agree with me. Thanks to everyone who helped with this crisis!

Genuinely care about my students, my community, my family

Every single time I go and do one of these experiences where I’m in contact with people from the company, I feel this deep resonance in caring about the experience of students, and making sure that those students are really experiencing everything that the world has to offer. The personal relationships that I’ve managed to build with people at this company—who genuinely care about my students, my community, my family—is inspiring to me. It means a lot to know that there are people working every single day who want what I want for my students and my community. And they’ve shown that to me. I’ve had conversations with my Tour Consultant, I’ve had conversations with the Regional Director that has worked with me, and they will remember students by name that I have mentioned. And that just means a lot to me as a teacher. When a company like EF can show that they care about my kids as much as I care about them, I know I’m working with the right people.

They think of everything and nothing is too much trouble

Can't wait to plan our next trip

I can't say enough good things about EF and its staff. They clearly have my student's best interest in mind when planning their tours. This first tour with them has been fabulous. Arianna and Devon made the process seamless. EF staff genuinely cares about introducing as many students as possible to travel. The value and lessons learned you won't find in textbooks. I can't wait to plan our next trip!

They helped with everything

Very personable, professional, and empathetic people. They helped with everything. Isabel was so patient and helpful with the process of funding our trip. Amanda is an amazing tour guide. She knows her information and is enthusiastic about her work. She's open to suggestions and is devoted to making the tour an educational and thought-provoking experience.

EF will take care of you

Support through it all

I have made a couple of hospital visits with students on tour, changed tour dates due to soccer championships, and, on my last trip, I had to get two of my travelers back home immediately due to a death in the family. EF had a representative in front of me making flight arrangements within 15 minutes—and that was in the heart of Paris during peak tourist season. I knew that although the coronavirus was going to change everything, we would be taken care of by a team of professionals. Knowing that EF had my back allowed me to be a source of stability and reassurance for students and parents on my 2020 tour. 

Plans change. World events are unpredictable. Before making a commitment to taking a trip with us, read EF reviews from travelers who’ve encountered the unexpected before or during their tour.

Learn about all our policies

EF did it in a day!

Just today my Japan trip was rerouted to Belize for 72 people. EF did it in a day! This proved the commitment to safety and support of all the GLs, families, and students. I have been traveling with EF since 2006. I have always been impressed (that's why I am still with them), but their handling of the recent COVID-19 has been fantastic! I will keep traveling with my students with EF forever! They have worked quickly and mindfully while rebooking our group. They have been supportive every step of the way. Thank you for giving us options and for really standing behind your word.

Fully trust everyone on staff

Program is organized, flexible, and the pacing is great for students. There is enough to see and do to keep them going and it is great for adult chaperones too. Representatives from EF are quick to act and work with our tour guide to solve any issues that come up. I fully trust everyone on staff to take care of our students and ensure they have a great experience.

Contingency plans for everyone

A month before our departure, mainstream news was just getting a hold of the information regarding the virus outbreak. It was very shortly thereafter we heard from EF with options for travelers should they be very concerned about traveling. The travel advisories, at this time, were all only at a Level 2 for the countries we planned to visit, and those had been issued months before due to possible terrorism and protest issues, not due to the virus. Yet, here was EF giving my travelers options to ease their nerves—recognizing that for many, this was a once in a lifetime experience that might be greatly marred by their fear. My group was so impressed to be offered these choices, recognizing that, had they made these plans on their own, they would have few choices beyond travel or lose all the money paid out. EF went so far as to allow customers a chance to change their plans up to a week before their departure. I was so impressed with the amount of communication and calls I received from the company in this time. All of it reassuring me, and therefore my travelers, that EF was our watchdog—that they had our backs, and they had contingency plans for everyone.   

Share your story

If you’ve traveled with us before, write your own EF Explore America review. Hearing from people who’ve been there and done that is a big help for those considering traveling with EF.

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Reviews 4.4.

3,328 total

Most relevant

Once in a lifetime

Ena was great - friendly, organized, punctual, easy going, knowledgeable and kind. Paulo the bus driver was phenomenal and his driving skills are off the charts. Tours were amazing, guides were knowledgeable and helpful. The villas were amazing but hotels were kinda terrible. Hotel locations were mostly ok. Was an exceptional experience and the trip of a lifetime.

Date of experience : April 01, 2024

Experience Portugal

We did the Experience Portugal. We had some difficulties with flights being changed close to leaving day and some long delays that were frustrating. EF Tours did their best to make the layovers more enjoyable and provide students with opportunities. We were provided with a walking tour of Amsterdam on our 10.5 hour delay which ended up being an amazing opportunity. In Portugal the tour director and bus driver where both amazing, hotels were all nice with good locations and food. All local guides were good. The tour allows you to see the country north to south and you are not on the bus very long each day. Portugal is a very beautiful country, which is rich in history and culture.

Date of experience : April 11, 2024

My daughter said that she enjoyed…

My daughter said that she enjoyed everything, it was a lot of travelling done in a short period of time but it was well managed. She was happy with all of the places that the tours stopped at and the tour guides did a very job in explaining the history of each place. The only negative aspect of the trip was that she found the found portions for supper were too small and that there weren't choices. After all the walking during the day, she felt the food portions should have been bigger.

Very organized and felt assured that issues would be resolved quickly.

My daughter had a wonderful experience in Japan. She enjoyed all the tours and the local tour guide was an absolute treasure. She only wished there was more downtime to shop. :). Money thoroughly well spent. Outside of EF Tours, my daughter also had a chance to take language and culture classes with her group for months before her travels which really helped her feel comfortable and made us feel she was safer. The organizers had informative meetings and communications with the families leading up to the trip and provided the itinerary and hotel information to follow from afar.

Date of experience : March 29, 2024

Shaneka is an amazing tour guide who…

Shaneka is an amazing tour guide who was able to find activities that kept our students interested while also listening to their interests. I would’ve like to had our trip include time to go on the Plains of Abraham, visit the Citadel in Quebec City plus the War Museum in Ottawa.

Incredible tour!

The tour was well planned, engaging, and fun! Our tour director, Anthony, kept all of the students engaged, made sure they were well cared for and safe, and was always flexible to what they wanted to see and experience. Definitely a very special and memorable experience for all of us!

Date of experience : April 09, 2024

Great experience!

Tour guide Sophie was phenomenal as well as the bus driver. The sights amazing! Enjoyed the full experience and adjustments were made as needed sometimes due to weather. Only down side was the food, sometimes not many options but random stops for snacks or alternative options helped that as well. My daughter enjoyed her experience. Thank you for keeping them safe with this experience.

Date of experience : March 27, 2024

Mother Margaret Mary tour

Our tour guide was amazing and paid attention to the interests of our group to make the experience that much better. I would suggest maybe less of the super busy tourist spots? There must be some worthwhile sites that are not main tourist sites. The Osaka hotel was particularly bad. There was no air conditioning, the bed sheets were dirty and the food was awful. I would recommend you remove the hotel from your list.

Date of experience : April 05, 2024

Our tour guide Tracy levee valance was…

Our tour guide Tracy levee valance was absolutely fantastic! She made our entire trip easy, educational and so much fun! We all felt like we came away with an incredible experience and a friend. The only suggestion I would make would be time the lunches and travel a little more efficiently so we would be eating very close to our tour or destination in order to save extra time for free time.

Date of experience : April 10, 2024

Great tour guides-punctual & friendly

Great tour guides-punctual & friendly! Our son thoroughly enjoyed his trip to Portugal! Well organized & would send my other children on other EF tours in the near future!😎

The tour guide Antonio was fantastic…

The tour guide Antonio was fantastic and full of knowledge. The teachers and students had an amazing, safe time. We are grateful our daughter had this epic experience seeing the world and historic sites.

Tour was amazing

Tour was amazing. Meals were small even for those who have small appetites. Our tour guide was essential for difficult encounters such as bus drivers and hotel staff. However this often translated negatively to the group travelling and chaperones.

Date of experience : March 03, 2024

Enrolling my child in an EF language course was a breeze, thanks to their attentive advisor. Every detail was taken care of, making me feel completely at ease as a parent. Highly recommend EF for a smooth and supportive learning experience

Date of experience : October 11, 2023

Our trip was wonderful

Our trip was wonderful. Tour Guides were great. Hotels were lovely. The only disappointing moments were things out of EF's control - like the weather. And even then, new activities to replace excursions we couldn't do (due to the weather) were great as well. Would definitely take another EF Tour.

Ef tour experience

Ef guides, bus driver and local experts were awesome! Food was spectacular and of local cuisine. Itinerary was good but less free time and maybe more time to tour other sites.

Stranded in Amsterdam

Your app never worked properly, had to use web. Excursions were cancelled. The meals on the flight were better than the meals provided by tour. The flight from Amsterdam to Canada was canceled and left my daughter and 40 students stranded. WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED! It was the teacher that found flights for these kids and got them home. Isn't that what you were paid to do? I understand some things were beyond your control, however, I could have arranged this trip for half the cost. I would never recommend your company to anyone.

Date of experience : April 07, 2024

it was well organized and…

it was well organized and efficient-there was 1 hotel that should be taken off the list for stay in italy and the meals always should be hot and good and should have great restaurant 5 star for the price students pay for this trip and the meals should be what students would eat at any given day not the same food each day. some excurions can be changed to serve better and not be all in 1 day

Our tour guide was great and…

Our tour guide was great and knowledgeable. Able to balance tour and free time as well which was both enjoyed by the students. I would suggest better options for dinner. Even though the restaurants knew about dietary restrictions in advance they didn’t seem to care or want to make modifications. I think changing up the eating places and possible having more variety would be really helpful.

Date of experience : April 04, 2024

Flights were horrible

Flights were horrible. The times and connections these kids had were less than desired. Kids spent over 16hrs ones direction. Kids in the group didn’t have flights booked and the group was separated on both legs of the trip. Very poor planning. Cancelation policy was false advertising. We even called to confirm the policy and it was denied when needed after purchasing the cancellation insurance. Some of the hotels were terrible. (Delfi specifically) The tour guide was excellent, and made the trip memorable.

Trip was amazing

Trip was amazing, tour guide, Estelle was so knowledgeable and accommodating. Everything went off as planned. Only room for improvement was flights, had to overnight on the way home because we took the milk run. Other than that it was all a fantastic experience and I would highly recommend taking any tour with EF!!