Stuff You’ll Need
As a high school traveler or the parent of a high school traveler, it’s important to know what to expect throughout the planning and travel process. That’s what we are here to help with!
Whether it’s before, during, or after your trip, we’ll get you up to speed on everything you’ll need. Choosing your roommates, traveling with your passport, and making sure you have all the important forms for your trip, are just a few of the important things to know before you travel.
Don’t be left in the dark, make sure you know before you go! Take a look at these important documents and checklists you’ll need before travel.
Everything You Need Before Traveling
Payments, rooming lists, and travel documents are just a few of important items you’ll need to remember before travel. Here’s a complete list of tasks you will need to complete before going on your GradCity senior trip:
Make sure your final balance is paid by the final payment due date to ensure proper ticketing of your trip.
Check your listed roommates to see if they are accurate based on who you want to be in your room. If they are not accurate, contact your group organizer, as they submit the rooming lists to GradCity and can make changes to your group’s rooming list.
If you are planning on staying in a coed room, you must have a co-ed rooming form signed by all persons that will be staying in the room. This form must be received with the final rooming list that the group organizer submits, and if anyone in the room is under the age of 18 years old, then their parent/guardian must sign the form for them. Download the Co-ed Rooming Form here.
A passport is required for ALL international travel. If you are traveling internationally and do not have a passport, make sure you apply for your passport at least 60 days prior to travel, as the process can take time. You can apply for a passport at your local post office.
Whether traveling international or domestic, you should always carry a government issued photo ID, even if you are traveling with a passport as well.
When traveling internationally, if you are under the age of 18 at the time of travel, and are not traveling with BOTH of your legal guardians, you must have this form signed and notarized, and carry with you during travel. Download the Unaccompanied Minor Authorization Form here.
Anywhere from 5-14 days prior to travel, you will receive an email letting you know that your travel documents are ready to print for your trip, with instructions on how to print them. These documents should be printed and carried with you during your trip, as they will include confirmations for your flight*, hotel, airport transfers, and any optional packages that you may have purchased.
*Because you will be booked on group air space, you will not be able to check in for your flight ahead of time. Please simply bring your flight voucher to the airline’s ticket desk upon arrival at the airport to redeem for your boarding pass.
Everyone travels differently and determining what to bring depends upon the destination and length of your trip. Of course if you’re going to a beach destination, you’ll need a bathing suit, warm weather clothes, sunscreen, etc. If you are traveling on a flight, you will want to refer to the airline’s website prior to travel for their specific guidelines regarding checked bags and carry-on luggage.
* If your Spring Break or Grad Trip destination includes themed parties, you will receive an email that lets you know what the themes are. If you’re unsure, feel free to give us a call!
After you have reviewed the stuff you’ll need before your senior trip, you are ready to transition to what you’ll need during your trip.
Everything you’ll need while on your trip
If traveling internationally, do not forget your passport. You’ll also want to make sure your passport has not expired. The airline will not allow you to board the plane for an international flight without a valid passport.
If you plan to travel with any bank issued credit/debit cards, you’ll want to contact your bank prior to travel and notify them of your travel plans.
Always check with your cell phone provider to know what to expect if you plan on using your cell phone internationally. All providers have different policies and plans for international use that may not be the same as domestic. For iPhone and smartphone users, WiFi is available in most hotels, and there are a number of WiFi-enabled texting platforms that we recommend using when you are connected (such as WhatsApp), in order to avoid additional charges from your cellphone provider.
GradCity’s customer service does not stop once your trip is completed. We strive to provide the best service possible, so we’ll contact you to seek feedback about your trip.
We look forward to reviewing all of your feedback after your trip!
Partaking in the following post-trip procedures will help the GradCity team improve The Ultimate Travel Experience for future high school travelers.
You should receive a survey shortly after your trip. We continually look for ways to better our programs and value your input on what you enjoyed as well as any suggestions you have that might improve GradCity’s programs.
Share your best photos and feedback from your trip and see what others are posting. We are always looking for new photos and videos from our groups, and often hold social media contests as well.