High School Trip to Europe vs Family Trip to Europe

[TraceyDisney2008]

My daughter went to the 65th anniversary with school, marched in the parade met with vets and still says they were the greatest memories she has had and will remember how people treated her. Send your children and save for your other vacations. The things they will learn will be worth the sacrifice.

 

[Pigeon]

I've never done much traveling and haven't made it to Europe.

We spend a fortune on extracurriculars for the the kids, and we go without a lot of extras for ourselves in saving for their college educations. We do these things cheerfully because we happen to think that's what you sign on for when you have kids.

Having said that, I will be damned before I will pay to send the kids on international trips with school and/or friends. If we could swing a family trip, lovely, but in no way do I think the school trips take priority over anything.

And you can make the once in a lifetime argument over just about any trip and I find it uncompelling.

 

[Jillpie]

Jillpie - No matter how my kids get to Europe (with me or without me), the African safari will happen eventually. It is my BIGGEST bucket list item and I want to share that trip with them more than any other experience. You know how costly a safari can be. I've been researching, setting a budget, making a savings plan. That is another reason why all 4 of us going on the D-Day trip is out. If I'm going to spend $12,000 on a family vacation, it's going to be an African safari!

Thanks everyone! You all bring up some good points and shared some things I hadn't thought of. Your input has given me a lot to think about.

When you finally pull the plug on the safari, please remember to contact me, I have lots of really helpful tips for you. We didn't have a whole lot of good "Dis" information out there, and we were left with alot of questions unanswered. I can help with that! It truly was a trip of a lifetime. Absolutely amazing. It is worth every last penny saved (we were lucky to have gone on my DH's company, it was a 10 yr anniversary reward, that he very much earned) but still, I can appreciate the big cost. Trust me, it'll be worth it.

 

[disykat]

If it was a trip that my child had "earned" the right to go on through participation in a sport, a music group, an academic competition etc. I'd be all for trying to help them go.

If it's just a trip kids can choose to go on, I'd choose a family trip instead.

We took our family of 4 to Washington DC and New York for a trip in middle school for less than the cost of one of them going on the Spring Break trip that they could have signed on for.

I do think experiences with their friends are important, but they can get those through their extra curricular activities, not just signing up because mom and dad have the money to send them.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Ok high school parents I need some input. I am just starting to form our vacation budget for the next few years. Before DS16 and DD14 graduate from college I wanted to take 2 major family trips: to Europe and to Africa for a safari. I figure I have 6 years to save and I'd better get cracking!

Now DS's high school just got invited to represent our state at the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day Invasion in Normandy, France. The school is planning an 8 day trip for this June. They will participate in the D-Day Parade & festivities, visit Paris, tour museums, have a guide, etc. Of course he wants to go! It would be extra special because DS's great grandfather landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day, was one of 4 in his group to survive and helped liberate France.

DD has asked if she can go on a school trip to Europe in a couple of years just like her brother. So I am thinking maybe we should just send them on the school trips and forget about the family trip. I would love to do both kinds of trips but I can't afford 2 school trips and a family trip.

In your experience:
- what are the pros and cons of a school trip to Europe
- what are the pros and cons of a family trip to Europe

Oldest DD went on trips to DC and other places in HS. She got chosen to go to the OBAMA inauguration. They were great and fun for her of course. She went to China in college.

Youngest dd had an opportunity to go to France last yr in 10th but declined. She wants to go to France in college.

So there is my background.

This is a tough one. While it is an honor to be chosen to go on the D-Day thing and fun for him to the max, going with family will be memorable as well.

We have not done any overseas trips yet as a family. We will be taking those trips eventually. Maybe with the kids or not. We will see.

So bottom line, I say let the kids go on their trips in HS. Then plan to take them overseas after HS.

 

[mhsjax]

I've never done much traveling and haven't made it to Europe.

We spend a fortune on extracurriculars for the the kids, and we go without a lot of extras for ourselves in saving for their college educations. We do these things cheerfully because we happen to think that's what you sign on for when you have kids.

Having said that, I will be damned before I will pay to send the kids on international trips with school and/or friends. If we could swing a family trip, lovely, but in no way do I think the school trips take priority over anything.

And you can make the once in a lifetime argument over just about any trip and I find it uncompelling.

THese are my thoughts as well. I am so tired of shelling out money for school stuff and we give up a lot for our kids. ( extracurricular as well). I think family trips trump school trips. We did the same for Washington DC. I want to see my kids experience these things with the family, not school. Luckily for us, my kids feel the same way, they love to travel with us. I guess we are still fun parent.

 

[Nancyg56]

You both have good points and that is why I am torn. The school trip is expensive. I think we could do a whole family trip for less than 2 school trips. But, they may enjoy it more if they travel with their schoolmates. Then DH & I could go our own trip once they are both on their own. Then again the family memories from such a trip would be priceless. Arggggg!

I think it is a personal decision, but I can share what DH and I did. We sent them. I know that as a family we made changes in our travel plans, but there were two special trips that DD and DS participates in that I would never have asked them to miss.

It was our opinion that we would have opportunities as a family to vacation together, and we did, but those trips would never take place again, and if it was important to them we would make it happen.

Funny thing though. I always was one of those chaperon Moms, and it was annoying that once teh kids were in HS, chaperons were always in the surplus because the trips were better. I never got to go on those trips. Well, on the England trip, any parent could go, but my on really wanted to go without me, Dh thought it was nuts, but I stayed home. Imagine my surprise when my 17 YO son came home and told me he wished I had bee there because all of the sights he saw, we had talked about and he knew I would have enjoyed them.

I never begrudged those trips, my children gained so much from them. But the decisions worked for us, and they may not for other families. I do not think that there is a wrong decision.

 

[luvsJack]

I've never done much traveling and haven't made it to Europe.

We spend a fortune on extracurriculars for the the kids, and we go without a lot of extras for ourselves in saving for their college educations. We do these things cheerfully because we happen to think that's what you sign on for when you have kids.

Having said that, I will be damned before I will pay to send the kids on international trips with school and/or friends. If we could swing a family trip, lovely, but in no way do I think the school trips take priority over anything.

And you can make the once in a lifetime argument over just about any trip and I find it uncompelling.

If that is the choice you make for your family and it works, great.

But, here is the thing FOR US--and this may be very different for the OP. DD is a singer. She loves to perform and its where her heart is. When the choir travels to DC, they will perform at one of the beautiful, old cathedrals in that city, they will perform for Congress and be a part of several other things related to choir. That is something we can not do for dd on a family trip.

When they travel to Europe, they will perform in places that truly make it a once in a lifetime event. For a singer, to perform in these places is truly a wonderful event.

We have found that there are very few family trips that are honestly and truly "once in a lifetime", besides anywhere we choose to travel to will be there in a year or between school trips or whatever.


The OP's child has a chance to be a part of something that will not come again. IMHO, and if it was my child; she/he would be going if there was any way possible. The OP, of course, has to make that decision on her own.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

First, allow me to give my perspective as a former kid who went on both family and school sponsored trips to Europe:

Family trips are great. I'm totally in favor of family trips to Europe because, "Why the heck should the kids get to have all the fun!" If my kid's going to Europe then darn it, I want to go too; with or without them. I went to England and Germany with my parents at age 12, and around the Med at age 16. Both were great trips and I learned a lot. Mind you, my parents have now been to Europe umpteen times without me since I went away to college and seem to have had a great time.

All that being said, school trips and the like where your kids go off somewhere educational without you, are invaluable. I only once went to Europe without my parents as a minor, however, it was a great experience. It wasn't the cathedrals and the castles and the ethic food; that I could get from touring with my parents. It was almost getting pick-pocketed in Madrid. It was searching for a working ATM in a medieval town on a Sunday because my best friend ran out of money. It was going to a club without our chaperons (yes there was drinking, yes it was legal and yes we were responsible). It was navigating foreign buses and subways with directions in another language. It was having the afternoon off of tour group duties and actually being able to choose where we went on our own (BF and I went to the modern art museum). It was learning to deal with life away from my parents; and I personally believe that's the most important thing you can give to your kids before they pack up for college.

Second, a safari trip to Africa sound more than awesome. Start saving now!

 

[mjkacmom]

If that is the choice you make for your family and it works, great.

But, here is the thing FOR US--and this may be very different for the OP. DD is a singer. She loves to perform and its where her heart is. When the choir travels to DC, they will perform at one of the beautiful, old cathedrals in that city, they will perform for Congress and be a part of several other things related to choir. That is something we can not do for dd on a family trip.

When they travel to Europe, they will perform in places that truly make it a once in a lifetime event. For a singer, to perform in these places is truly a wonderful event.

We have found that there are very few family trips that are honestly and truly "once in a lifetime", besides anywhere we choose to travel to will be there in a year or between school trips or whatever.


The OP's child has a chance to be a part of something that will not come again. IMHO, and if it was my child; she/he would be going if there was any way possible. The OP, of course, has to make that decision on her own.

Dd17 and ds15 performed at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center last year. There is no way they would have that experience on a family vacation! Lucky for us, NYC is a day trip, and DC was just one night.

 

[luvsJack]

Dd17 and ds15 performed at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center last year. There is no way they would have that experience on a family vacation! Lucky for us, NYC is a day trip, and DC was just one night.

Yes, you are lucky! DC or NYC is at least a week long trip for us. NYC is another trip the director is considering.

 

[MrsDuck]

I've kinda done both. My mom teaches and always led a spring break trip to Europe. She and my dad and I would all go but we also took some of my mom's students.

The downside to school trips is 1. the schedules are VERY regimented and you don't get a ton of time to see the things that interest you, if they aren't on the schedule. My mom also had problems with supervision/letting kids go out, etc.

The upside of school trips are that it is a blast to go with your friends and you do get to see a lot (it's a whirlwind though).

We've also done family trips to Europe without students and I preferred those to the student trips.

 

[WhateverLolaWants]

I went to Europe with a high school trip, though mine was over 2 weeks long. I think going on school trips is a good thing for all kids to experience, but 8 days in Europe with at least 2 of those days being for travel seems like a waste of time and money. I think your son can experience much more while going with the family.

I will say, my trip was in summer of 2002 and our trip had a lot of people drop out due to 9/11 - including anyone I considered a good friend and would want to experience Europe with. My mom ended up going (apron strings x1000) and I was really glad she did go and in fact I remember having conversations about how my dad and sister would have enjoyed all the things we were doing. Looking back, I wish we could have done a family trip to Europe.

 

[jdb in AZ]

Dd17 and ds15 performed at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center last year. There is no way they would have that experience on a family vacation! Lucky for us, NYC is a day trip, and DC was just one night.

DD was selected to play French Horn in a national high school honors band at Carnegie Hall. You can bet mom, dad, and grandma all were there to watch her perform!

 

[DebD4T]

DD#1 (college freshman) actually had the opportunity to travel abroad all 4 years of high school. Her school participates in a foreign exchange program with high schools in France, Spain and Italy.

Due to her extra curricular activities, it never seemed to work out until Senior year. She chose France because she had already been to Italy(DH's family live there) and the Spain high school opted out last year.

Because it is an exchange program, we had a French student come stay with us for 2 weeks (poor girl, it was last year during the hurricaine!!) (We live in Staten Island) and DD#1 went to France and stayed with the French student this past spring.

She was there for 16 days and the cost was $1500. That is including airfare, hotel for 2 nights in Paris and food while in Paris.

She had such a wonderful time and made so many friends in France that she still keeps in touch with.