ef tours net worth

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

Friday 12th of April 2024

I have gone on 4 EF tours (England and Scotland), (London and Paris), Rome, and one called Bell'Italia, which was basically a road trip through Italy. The meals are always meh, and the hotels were usually ok to good. I'm surprised at your lackluster tour guide. We have ALWAYS fallen in love with all 4 tour guides!!! They are all friends for life now. I wish you could have had that experience. The kids just adored them all. I did find the more jam packed the itinerary is, the more stressful the trip can be, but on the other hand, you get to see it all.

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.

Saturday 13th of April 2024

@Louise Emery, I can't thank you enough for you review. My school is planning a trip to Rome, London, and Paris in June 2025. I've been honestly on the fence, and I still have time to cancel. I'm a teacher at the school, but not actually a chaperone. I have to pay the full cost for the trip, but I know I will likely still need to supervise the students during the day. I don't necessarily mind this, but I wonder if I'd be able to explore at night. What time did you typically get back to your hotel? I really hope we are not an hour away from the Rome, London, or Paris city centers. I would love to be able to go out for drinks on my own at night time once the students are in the hotels. Louise, do you think it might be better to plan my own trip to Rome, London, and/or Paris? I'm a single man with no kids hahah.

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

EF Tours Company Profile- Educational Student Travel

EF is a massive educational tour company offering global group travel to students of all ages. "EF" stands for "Education First," and EF's accreditation efforts live up to the marketing. And market domination does not mean impersonality -- EF delivers not-to-be-forgotten travel that can be tailored to you and your group.

EF's Been Around

EF has been in the tour biz since 1965 when Swedish founder Bertil Hult took a group of students to Britain for English study. Its closest competitor in the longevity department is CHA Tours, on the scene since 1969. Explorica was founded in 2000 by a former EF prexy and operates along the same lines as does EF but on a smaller scale.

EF Gets Around

EF travel options circle the globe, with educational tours to Europe ranking high on the popularity scale; guided travel can also be had to Africa, Asia (Japan and China) and the South Pacific, Australia and Latin America (Brazil, Caribbean, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Peru). EF travel arm EF America offers US and Canada trips .

EF Is Around

EF has offices in over 50 countries worldwide, meaning staff personally check out local hotels and restaurants before booking travelers, and staff help is not far away should a need or emergency arise. And bilingual tour directors can help handle most of what might come up during a trip abroad, like losing a passport. The company's central office overlooks Switzerland's Lake Lucerne; US headquarters are in Cambridge, Mass. (Contact info below.)

"EF Is People"

One EF employee says of educational travel, "The people side of it is what makes a difference." Many EF higher-ups, even the head honcho herself, started EF life as tour directors, and tour directors could be seen as the street-level lifeblood of any group travel company. EF's posse of hundreds get a decent amount of training and are likely to be local to your destination. And these tour directors do what they do because they love it. From the pavement up, EF really is built on a caring crew.

Applause-worthy Accreditation Efforts

EF puts the education in student travel by supplying high school accreditation (contingent on your school's okay) for trips. Earn a semester's worth of credit post-trip by reading and writing before you go, snapping photos and journaling while you're there and completing assignments, like answering essay questions, when you return. According to EF, about 100 hours of work equal a semester's credit through EF. Cost: $100 after 2006.

Safety First

Student safety is paramount -- one oft-heard EF tale has London-office staffers hoofing it around town to reassure travelers all was well within minutes of London's 2005 tube bombings. Tour directors receive emergency preparedness training, and a trip with EF showed me that hotels are safe and in quiet neighborhoods. Post 9/11, EF developed a " Peace of Mind " policy enabling penalty-free cancellation should traveler doubts of any kind arise pre-trip.

How to Get Started

Trips are instigated by teachers or interested adults, who become "group leaders" and sign up participants. Ask at your counseling office or call EF to learn whether a teacher at your school is planning a trip, or ask your favorite educator (how about TA's?) to consider planning some group student travel.

How Much it Costs

EF brass say they lead with their people and price the product in the market, and prices are indeed in line with other educational group travel companies. Expect to pay a one-time $95 "enrollment" fee. And read, read, read -- circumstances exist under which you can't get money back or may have to pay more (airport security fees may suddenly rise, for instance).

Evaluate, Evaluate

Each group leader is given the opportunity to evaluate his/her group's tour director and travel experience post-trip. These evaluations form the basis of quality control at EF; in fact, it's fair to say the company lives and breathes by evaluations, which help EF determine whether tour directors are excelling, which hotels are slipping and what travelers are looking for in general. Tour directors also assemble annually with honchos in EF's Lucerne HQ to give input and feedback from the road.

What's New

EF Educational Tours has two new tech trip helpers cooking for 2006, both aimed at integrating international experience, via student travel, and technology. If you're one of the many student travelers who'd rather carry earbuds than guidebooks, you'll find EF Educational Tours's new EF on iTunes, or TourCasts, handy personal trip guides via iPod.

And EF is also introducing iStory Tours, a partnership with Apple providing teachers and students on tour with an Apple tech expert who tags along to help the traveling gang create cool vids and multimedia presentations.

Bottom Line

EF Tours stands out. I took a trip with EF in the spring of 2006 and spent seven easy days seeing several European cities and sights with a gang of Texas high school students and one extraordinary teacher, on her eighth trip with EF. I was exceedingly impressed with EF's global goings-on and extreme efficiency -- considering the numbers of students and companions the company jaunts around the world, almost nothing is left to chance. Remember to read before you go and your expectations should be exceeded. I'd travel with them again.

EF contact info:

EF Educational Tours: EF Center Boston - One Education Street, Cambridge, MA 02141-1883 Learn more: 1-800-637-8222 Enrolled travelers: 1-800-665-5364 Webmail Company website

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Reviews 4.4.

14,159 total

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They were very organized with times and…

They were very organized with times and schedules, to keep my child entertained and educated. Thank you

Date of experience : April 27, 2024

The trip of a lifetime!

We loved our experience with EF tours! Yorgos was the best guide we could have asked for. We learned so much about the culture and history of both Italy and Greece while on the tour. I would love to travel with EF again. The only recommendations I have would be that it would be nice to have the ability to pay some upgraded fees for upgraded amenities like perfered seating on flights or accommodations in hotels just to ensure that any older people traveling with a student can be more comfortable. EF did a wonderful job trying to assist and accommodate my elderly mother who was with us who had some mobility issues. They went above and beyond to make her feel comfortable. But we would have gladly paid a little extra to ensure her accommodations on flights and in other aspects of the trip to take that burden off of the EF tour guides. Overall we loved our experience and would highly recommend EF tours to anyone. Thank you so much for the trip of a lifetime that my family will always remember with ❤️

Date of experience : April 16, 2024

EF Tours Italy and Spain with local Dayton school

Many things would have improved this experience: 1. Publishing correct information utilizing the app 2. Giving participants a more detailed itinerary so that travelers could make better use of their time which was designated for independent exploring. 3. Addressing questions while on tour instead of providing a reason for not giving an answer. 4. Vetting hotels better. One did not meet their standards and an apology treat was given. 5. Taking into consideration a day’s activities and or travel plans to more properly address basic needs (sleep and eating schedules).

Date of experience : April 18, 2024

Reply from EF Educational Tours

Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We appreciate your suggestions for improvement and will take them into consideration to enhance the overall experience for future travelers. We apologize for any shortcomings during your trip and will strive to address these issues to ensure a more seamless and enjoyable experience for all participants.

What a great experience and I…

What a great experience and I appreciated the itinerary. I do however think that the flights could have been planned differently so that the layover wasn’t so long .

Date of experience : April 25, 2024

Choice of cities & food provided could be improved

Over all my child enjoyed the trip. She mentioned that it would have been better to spend 2 days in Florence and skip the city of Perugia. The hotels fed the kids pasta and tomato sauce for dinner every single night. This is unacceptable. Lunch on their own was the only decent meal and chance to try the local cuisine.

Date of experience : April 23, 2024

My daughter had amazing time going to…

My daughter had amazing time going to Spain 🇪🇸 she said that everything was so organized and was safe.

Date of experience : April 07, 2024

A trusted travel group

EF Tours can be trusted to provide the best travel experience possible.

The whole experience was amazing

The whole experience was amazing! Our TD was insightful and funny. I didn't want it to end. The only improvement would have been better flights home, but everything else was perfection.

Date of experience : March 28, 2024

Yes! We know how a great tour director can impact the travel experience. We're glad to hear your tour director was a great fit for the group! Thank you so much for sharing your kind words. We will share your comments with our team regarding flights. It is feedback like yours that help us learn where we can improve our tours. We hope to see you on another tour again soon!

Great experience

So happy my daughter was able to go on this trip! So many great experiences for a young adult to have. Highly recommend

Date of experience : April 26, 2024

Tour guide was amazing

Tour guide was amazing! But the first hotel was a complete disappointment. Wish there was more options for dinner

The tour was a bit too fast paced for…

The tour was a bit too fast paced for our daughter. She did LOVED their tour guide, Fran. Overall, she had a wonderful experience.

Great for first time travelers to a new country!

For a first time traveler over seas this is a great introduction into the culture and lifestyle of a new country. All transportation and lodging was outstanding. I very much appreciated the knowledge, courtesy and professionalism of our guide throughout the entire trip. Also, all local guides for day tours were outstanding. Thank you EF Educational Tours for a wonderful experience.

Date of experience : April 12, 2024

All the wonderful sites we saw, the hotels/food was amazing. Having an expert guide was extremely helpful and made the trip easy and safe.

A good company to go with for years now!

EF continues to be one of the leading educational tour companies and I see why. I appreciate how well they've organized my tours and their customer service. Thankfully, I haven't had many issues with emergencies but I have faith in how they would be attentive to our needs.

Date of experience : April 15, 2024

Great trip !

We had a issue with my wife getting on the group flight. The embassy ( Mexico) gave her a passport with her maiden name. So EF and I had to go through hoops to get her a new flight. My grandaughter made it well. After all the tear jerking. The EF crew came through got her a flight to the destination and my wife had a dream vacation with my grandaughter. They said the group , the guide and bus driver all were in connection to make the best of everyone’s trip. Great experience . Wish I would’ve went :/

The trip was awesome

The trip was awesome. My 15 year old loved it and I got to experience the trip as a chaperone and had so much fun! Everything was planned so we only needed to show up!! Gema our tour guide was amazing!

I asked my son if he had fun

I asked my son if he had fun. He really enjoyed his trip. He also talk about how Japan was clean and how Japanese were very polite. I am happy that he learned something

The support staff was amazing

The support staff was amazing. Our tour director Lavinia, our bus drivers and our site tour leaders were all great, friendly and knowledgeable.

My granddaughter had a wonderful time

My granddaughter had a wonderful time. She enjoyed the guide and stated he was funny and she liked that about him. She was please with all of the aspects except some of the food. She likes certain things and did not find a lot that she liked. I am please at how helpful and nice most of the people were.

Date of experience : April 24, 2024

Gerardo was amazing

Gerardo was amazing! He had so much knowledge and was very funny. I loved that we didn’t just sit in a resort and we got to see the country and experience the people who lived there.

Date of experience : March 26, 2024

EF High school Tours -worth the money?

<p>11th grade son has the opportunty to travel to Rome with Latin class thru EF Tours during Holy Week. This trip only developed in the last month. We need to make payment by 10/31.</p>

<p>I’m a planner and research crazed person. I also don’t have the cash laying around. Ideal circumstances would have been a year notice. </p>

<p>When son first learned of trip the price for 8 days was to be around $2,000. The actual price is close to $3,000 (plus passport which he doesn’t have). Extended family memebers offered him financial assistance and help finding a job. I have several issues with that – Past experience with other family members left us with a hefty bill in the past. A job for a non-driver who has many other responsibilities = more stress for me. The effect this will have on our families FA at private day school. So many reasons to just say no. But, I can’t seem to bring myself to shut the door on this yet. I will be attending a meeting tonight with the EF rep.</p>

<p>Son wants to go of course, but he is not pushing anything. Our finances have always been very open. Our family has some large medical expenses. He knows it isn’t a matter of giving up a family vacation or something simple to afford this.</p>

<p>The EF tour group will only include my son’s small school. Max if all eligible go is 25 kids. The teacher is great and has contacts that would get them some tours of the beaten path of Vatican City/Coleseum/etc. </p>

<p>Anyone have experience with EF?</p>

<p>Anyone have opinions?</p>

<p>How much can you get out of essentially 6 days besides a good vacation?</p>

<p>Any questions I should be sure to ask tonight?</p>

<p>My D went on an EF tour to London and France when she was in HS. She had a wonderful time and it was a great experience. EF puts together excellent trip with a lot packed into each day. This experience made her more worldly and excited about study abroad in college.</p>

<p>However, I wouldn’t call this a once in a lifetime experience. If the cost is prohibitive, I’d save those $$ for other things.</p>

<p>My D2 went on a EF Tour with middle school to Germany last year. She had a blast and everything went very smoothly. I thought the cost was reasonable- but we had more than 9 months to plan.</p>

<p>My understanding if EF puts together excellent trips. (they are the recommended International tour coordinator for Girl Scouts. GS does not recommend vendors lightly). Airfare to Europe has jumped quite a bit in the past year, as carriers have drastically cut capacity. Despite the Euro-zone economic crisis, the Euro has remained stubbornly high, which another reason the costs are higher than originally expected. </p>

<p>It does sound like money is a big issue for you, so I would pass until there’s a better time.</p>

<p>Money is certainly an issue. We aren’t in the poor house and could swing it with longer notice. It is the short notice and the short period of the trip that complicates it all. </p>

<p>The jump in price was due to airfare jump. The school limiting the trip to spring break week (aka Holy Week) is also a factor. </p>

<p>Welcome more opinions. The more info I can gather, the better I feel no matter which decision we come to.</p>

<p>My kids had a few opportunities in HS to travel abroad but we decided to wait until they could do a study abroad in college for the same cost and much more time. I’m glad we did. Both are very well traveled young adults. We did do a trip to China with our youngest son to visit his older sister who was then living in China and the cost of that trip for all three of us was probably $4,000.</p>

<p>My daughter went on an EF tour to Italy and loved it. But – what’s not to love – she was with friends touring Italy! They do pack a lot into the days. Some of the kids got carsick during the long bus rides. The kids are stuffed four or more to a room into not-the-nicest hotels but if they’re with friends, it’s all part of the adventure. The meals that were provided by EF did not sound very good – my daughter is a vegetarian and there wasn’t much for her to eat. (I think EF provided dinners but the kids purchased their own lunches during free times.) Anyway, she loved it and had a lot of fun, but as much for the social aspects as for anything else.</p>

<p>Son went on an EF tour to England and France with a small group from his HS last spring and really enjoyed it. Only you can decide whether the finances work for your family, but it was a great experience for our son. No complaints about EF. I know the teacher that organized the group has used them for several years because he is always pleased with the tours.</p>

<p>3K is tuition for a semester of public university. He will feel sad and left out the weeks leading up to the trip, during and maybe a few weeks after. But it will not damage his psyche in anyway. He will not be the only one not going.</p>

<p>My S1 also did an EF tour in h.s. to Spain. The EF tours are fine…but the issue is whether or not you can afford it…it’s really an expensive thing and My S went only for one week. The price is usually dependent on the amount of kids going…more kids, less money per kid.</p>

<p>We arranged to pay half and my S1 paid the other half from his summer jobs and tutoring money. It was an opportunity for him to go with his best h.s. buddies and to cement his love of Spanish, which he is continuing to study in college and also wants to go back for a semester abroad program.</p>

<p>I’m not sure any of us can tell you what would be right for your S and your family situation. For us, it worked out better when we asked him to pay for half, this way he took a bit of the ownership and responsibility.</p>

<p>When S2 comes along with an opportunity, we will treat it more or less the same by arranging to have him pay half, if that’s what he wants to use his money for.</p>

<p>I went on a 10 day (really was only 8 b/c of travel days) tour of Rome, Pompeii, and Capri with EF tours this summer. My group (from philly) was paired up with other groups so we had ~25 people. If you have any questions I’ll be willing to answer.</p>

<p>Batllo – I don’t know where you live, but $3,000 is the COA/semester for our Community College. Our state directional colleges are just under $10K COA for a semester.</p>

<p>ArKhAik – Thanks for the offer! I may pm you after the meeting when I hear more details.</p>

<p>My co-worker just informed me her son’s senior class trip to Disney World is $1,800 for 5 nights. That gives me some perspective. Makes Italy look like a bargain to me.</p>

<p>chocchip – My son is willing to get a job, however, I’m reluctant to have him do that since 1. he must rely on me for transportation and 2. I need to commit by 10/31. Not exactly enough time to secure a job. </p>

<p>I really appreciate all your responses. You all have helped me determine that EF is a good group.</p>

<p>How badly does he want to go on the trip? That may determine your course of action. My S had money in his bank account already saved up from part time jobs and a tutoring business he had for three years in h.s.</p>

<p>If he really wants to go, then perhaps there would be a way for him to pay you back, if you are able to lay out the money, or he can start to save now to go on a future trip either in h.s. or in college or even with the family!</p>

<p>You say he’s a junior, you might want to ask if there is another type of trip next year that he could save for now.</p>

<p>Btw: We all make choices and no one choice is the best. I’m sure your S will do what’s best for your family’s situation.</p>

<p>Another point of reference - we almost booked a 7 night Caribbean cruise last July for our Girl Scout troop for ~$1500pp, which included R/T airfare to Tampa, $350 allowance for shore trips, and an outside cabin, however 4 per cabin. (in the end we couldn’t agree on dates that would work for everyone, so it didn’t happen). </p>

<p>I think you are also paying a premium for Holy Week. It will be a zoo in Italy at that time. Have they said how much will be open that week? It’s a religious country, so there might be holiday hours at some places.</p>

<p>I would not want to travel during Holy Week . Everything is at peak prices , and you will waste alot of time in the Vatican due to peak crowds .</p>

<p>Longhaul, you said you were on FA at the private school. Is there any assistance offered for trips like this? Our private does give assistance to the trips they offer, not guaranteed, but families can apply for some help.</p>

<p>A few years back our school offered a trip to Rome etc during holy week (our school break also) for middle school Latin students. I don’t think it was EF. The trip packed so much into the days, it seemed too much to be age appropriate when these kids would have enjoyed some down time at a pool rather than another museum. We opted not to send our D on that trip, she was not the only one who didn’t go. I remember they needed to change order of some of the stops because of attraction closings because of holy week.</p>

<p>Our school has about 6 trips per year geared to various age groups and niches. Some kids do something every year with an endless supply of money. Some never attend. Our older daughter did a 2+ week trip to China when she was studying Manderin, and it wasn’t just sight seeing, it was service and staying at a school and homestay also. That I would consider a once in a lifetime event, a trip which is just touring could happen at another time when finances are better.</p>

<p>When D was a senior she did an EF to Spain in April. She paid for the whole thing, drained her savings to do it because all her friends were going. I think it was about $2700 for a week. We had just paid for her to study abroad her junior summer to Costa Rica through LPI, about $3200, but for a whole month. Much more for your money and she had some good college essay experiences. I would not encourage EF tours for students, unless they truly have no way to travel any other time. The trips are just a long distance field trip.</p>

<p>Meeting went fine but I didn’t learn much more than I already knew from the EF site and letter from teacher. I won’t make the decision on peer pressure, but he truly is the only one from his class not signed up. Trip sounds like a blast. I love and trust the teacher chaperons who are going. But still don’t think it is in our family’s best interest. I have another week to think on it.</p>

<p>I’m a senior in high school and I went on a EF tour this spring to Spain and I enjoyed it. I know most parents are iffy about letting their child go and the cost of the tour, but I felt that I really experienced the culture. I learned a lot traveling by becoming more independent and learning how to take care of myself and not rely on my parents. Going away on a trip without your parent is eye opening and fun with your friends. I think that it was worth the price because you never know if a chance like this will ever pop up and you can write about what you experienced on a college essay. For the price R/T ticket, breakfast, dinner, hotels (usually range from 3-5 stars), and tours are included in the price. Best of Luck!</p>

<p>I would echo simpkin’s post #7 upthread. Our D had same experience–3 or 4 to a room, marginal food, etc. and loved every minute of it. </p>

<p>Logically, we could have gone as a family of four, used H’s airline and hotel miles for less than the cost…and the hotels would have been better and flight times better.</p>

<p>But D saw and did many things, loved the travel with friends and the independence…and when she went abroad for a semester in college, she did not hesitate in the least to explore Europe more. </p>

<p>Other than cost, EF was a quality outfit to work with. But it is a hefty bill. Tough decision either way…</p>

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EF Go Ahead Tours Review 2024: Are their guided tours worth it?

EF Go Ahead Tours is a world-leading guided tour company offering a comprehensive travel package with local guides and authentic travel experiences. You've likely heard of them before, but are they really worth it? What do they offer, and how do they stack up to other guided tours?

Guided tours are a great way to travel, make new friends, and enjoy new experiences without the hassle of planning the logistics of the trip. 

While guided tour companies boast of convenience, they tend to fall short when it comes to flexibility and customization. Hence, many travelers resort to planning their trips by themselves using helpful apps like  Pilot .

But, if you still prefer a guided tour with some level of flexibility, EF Go Ahead Tours is definitely a choice to consider. 

EF Go Ahead Tours is one of the world's largest tour companies that host small group tours with unique, authentic experiences. A great benefit of joining an EF Go Ahead Tour is that they allow travelers the benefits of hosting a free private tour with larger groups. 

However, are the experiences they're offering for you? What are the pros and cons? Here's our review of EF Go Ahead Tours! 

What is EF Go Ahead Tours?

EF Go Ahead Tours  is a brand under the EF Tours group that offers both guided and fully customizable tours to destinations worldwide. It caters to young and older travelers, admitting anyone from age six and above (under-age travelers accompanied by adults). The number of travelers in each group is capped at 14-38, and small group tours only admit 10-22 people. 

EF Go Ahead Tours aims to provide you with meaningful tours with flexibility and personalization. It also promotes responsible travel by supporting local communities and adopting sustainable practices.

EF Go Ahead Tours mobile app helps you easily manage your bookings and view tour details. It is available for both Android and iOS devices. 

What does EF Go Ahead Tours offer?

• Tour directors and local guides:  A tour director is assigned for each group to be in charge of all logistics of the trip. They will accompany you throughout, sharing insider knowledge and background information about places you visit.
• Accommodation:  3-4 star hotels that provide comfortable amenities while being located in close proximity to the city. 
• Meals:  Breakfast and some other meals are included in the pricing. Primarily, they focus on local food and beverage specialties. They will arrange meals meeting your dietary requirements if necessary.
• Transportation:  Transport between airport and hotels and other transportation required during the trip are included in the package. While flights are not included, you can get EF Go Ahead Tours to arrange them for you at an additional cost. 

How does EF Go Ahead Tours work?

You can browse for tours by  Destination  or  Travel Styles  on the website. Travel styles are further categorized as  Trip Type, Interests, Seasonal and Special Events , and  With Your Own Group . 

For example, all the related tours will appear if we pick Adventure Tours under travel styles. You can filter the results further by destination, dates, duration, price, and travel style. 

Check out its details, trip highlights, prices, reviews, etc. There's a list of FAQs below related to the trip and other similar tours for you to compare and choose from. 

What destinations does EF Go Ahead Tours cover?

EF Go Ahead Tours covers many of the popular destinations worldwide. Here's a list of where EF Go Ahead Tours covers:

• Europe:  Ireland, Italy, Greece, Iceland, England, France, and Germany 
• The Americas:  United States, Canada, Costa Rica, Peru, Ecuador, and Belize 
• Africa & Middle East:  Egypt, Kenya, Israel, South Africa, Turkey, and United Arab Emirates
• Australia & Asia:  Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, India, and Thailand

Benefits of EF Go Ahead Tours

• Worry-free guarantee

If you cancel the booking within 60 days from the reservation date, you are entitled to a full refund. EF Go Ahead Tours also allows you to change the date of tour or destination up until your final payment day. It helps you book with confidence knowing there's ample time to make changes. 

In addition to covering many destinations worldwide, the tour company also offers a diverse range of tours. Group trips for solo travelers provide ample privacy while facilitating socialization. In addition, there are cruise tours, rail tours, food & wine tours, battlefield tours, winter tours, and many more!

• Fewer people 

The worrisome factor about large group tours is they can seem too crowded and noisy to have a quality experience. There's also less opportunity to get to know other travelers better. In this case, small group tours offer a more intimate travel experience. Guides can give individual attention and advice easily. Overall, it makes the trip more enjoyable and memorable. 

• Flexibility 

If you like to travel with friends but don't have the liberty to plan, get EF Go Ahead Tours to plan one for you. You can explain your requirements and get a whole new itinerary done or choose one they offer. Invite your friends and/or family, choose your travel dates, and enjoy. There's also the option of organizing faith-based tours!

Drawbacks of EF Go Ahead Tours

• Increase the number of tours 

While there's a variety of tours, different trip options under each category are quite limited compared to other guided tour companies like  G Adventures  or  Contiki . For example, there's only one tour option for India. They can also add more countries to their list of destinations. 

• Improve refund and cancellation issues

Customers had faced refund and cancellation issues for scheduled or booked tours during the pandemic. There were complaints of EF Go Ahead Tours not refunding the money as per its cancellation policy. But, it's a common problem that many tour companies dealt with their customers following the Covid outbreak. We hope they are resolved now. 

EF Go Ahead Tours vs. EF Ultimate Break

The most significant similarity between EF Go Ahead Tours and EF Ultimate Break is that they are managed by EF Education First Tours. This means that you'll most likely be getting a similar refund, cancellation, and customer service policies between the two tours.

EF Go Ahead Tours identifies itself as the 'older sibling' of EF Ultimate Break. Ultimate Break Tours is geared towards college students and folks aged 18-29, while Go Ahead Tours admits anyone 6 and above. So, the tours offered also tend to be different from each other. 

EF Go Ahead Tours has a wide variety of tours catering to all age ranges. It also provides both private and group tours. EF Ultimate Break only offers group tours and are tailored to suit youth's preferences. 

Read our  review of EF Ultimate Break  to learn more!

Is EF Go Ahead Tours worth it?

Yes! We came across great GoAheadTours reviews online about the unique and immersive experience EF Go Ahead Tours offers. Go Ahead tours are a great way to travel if you prefer to join a guided tour.

Like  Flash Pack , it's an excellent choice for older travelers looking for trips that involve activities beyond partying and drinking. Overall, the tours are ideal for anyone, really. 

Our Rating: 4.5/5

• Variety of tours
• Smaller groups 
• A limited number of tours 
• Refund and cancellation issues

Plan your own adventure!

Guided tours are great, but being able to plan your trip is even better! You get to choose your own stay, tailor your travel itinerary, and maximize your time so that none gets wasted.

Traditionally, planning a trip requires lots of coordination and effort, especially when traveling with friends. Let Pilot solve that problem and help you easily plan your next adventure!

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Make the most of every trip.

You won’t want to plan trips any other way!

The trip planner that puts everything in one place, making planning your trip easier, quicker, and more fun.

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Have a dream destination in mind? Whether you want to follow your appetite to Tuscany or go wild in America’s greatest national parks, our guided tour packages will get you there.

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Answer six questions and we’ll narrow down our 175+ tours to just a few that are made for you.

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Group travel made easy

We offer 200+ immersive, guided tours around the world. Wherever you choose to go, you’ll enjoy lots of advantages that make traveling with us different.

That’s all it takes to secure a spot on one of our group tours when you sign up for AutoPay . Plus, you can pay in interest-free, monthly installments.

While you’re deciding what to take, we’ll be busy arranging your hotels, meals, tickets, and more tour essentials. That’s what going guided is all about .

Take off on your big adventure— but why stop there? Every trip you book with us earns rewards that you can use to keep expanding your horizons.

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Tips for planning tours & travel with us.

Here at Go Ahead, we make it easy to plan a tour. All you have to do is decide which of our travel packages excites you most, and when you’d like to travel. (A springtime escape to  Europe , anyone?) If you can’t decide, we’ll help you narrow down our vacation packages and find the perfect trip.

From there, we’ll take care of the rest. For travelers who book flights with us, our in-house team of travel experts will get to work finding flights with our trusted airline partners. And as you count down to tour, we’ll be busy booking clean, stylish, comfy hotels, planning meals at locally loved restaurants, and securing tickets to top museums, cultural sites, and, if it applies to your tour, special events.

Having our team of travel experts take care of every last logistical detail is one of  10 benefits of a guided tour versus independent travel .

When browsing our 175-plus vacation packages, here are a few things to keep in mind to help you find the just-right tours for travel to the places you’ve been dreaming of visiting.

• Your travel style.  Are you into wildlife, adventure, or food and wine? Do you want to take a deep dive into a particular destination or religion?  Want to experience a special event, or explore with a small group? We offer escorted tours designed around these  travel styles  and others so that travelers can have the experience that suits them best.
• Where you want to go.  Whether you’ve long dreamed of exploring America’s national parks, Scotland’s pristine landscapes, or Thailand’s golden temples, you can do it on our guided tours. Some of our itineraries are designed to offer travelers a deeper dive into a single country. Others take travelers to multiple countries in a single trip (think Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, or Portugal, Spain, and Morocco).
• When you want to go.  Sure, there’s nothing like Paris in the springtime. But maybe seeing the City of Light against a backdrop of fiery fall foliage is more what you have in mind. We’ll make that happen. We offer dozens of departures per tour, and in the case of some trips, we offer departures all year round. And, we make tours available for booking up to two years in advance. Having more time to pay, and more departure dates to choose from, are among the  eight benefits of booking a trip years in advance .
• Special or seasonal events.  Have you always wanted to see cherry blossoms blooming in Japan? Or sip hot, mulled wine while wandering around a European Christmas market ? Perhaps witnessing the Great Migration is at the top of your travel wish list. Events like these, and others, only happen during certain times of year, so be sure to check out tour packages for travel that occur at the same time.
• Duration.  Our tours range from six days to 22 days. Want to enjoy a quick break? Consider our shorter tours, which we offer in destinations such as Iceland, Spain, and Amsterdam. Have more time to spare? A 10-day trip to Scandinavia , or a 22-day tour of Australia and New Zealand , could be just the ticket.
• Who you want to travel with.  Many of our group trips are designed for groups of 15 to 38 travelers. (Think: more opportunities to make new friends.) If you prefer a more intimate experience, consider one of our Small Group Tours, which are designed for groups of 10 to 22 travelers. Want to explore solely with your friends or family? We happily craft Private Tours and Customized Tours for groups of seven travelers or more.

For help narrowing our trips down to the perfect tour, try our  Tour Match Quiz  →

Our trips are bookable directly through our website. (Putting $99 down with AutoPay , our interest-free payment plan, is all it takes to secure your spot on tour.) If you have questions or can’t decide which tour is right for you, you can call us at 1-800-590-1161 . We’re here to help.

We offer more than 175 tour packages. They include:

• Guided group tours.  These trips are designed for groups of 15 to 38 travelers and include Multi-Country Tours , single-country tours, and City Stay Tours , which give travelers an opportunity to explore a particular city in depth.
• Small Group Tours.  A more intimate tour experience with a group size of just 10 to 22 travelers. Small group travel styles include Food & Wine Tours, Adventure Tours, and Safari & Wildlife Tours.  
• Special Event Tours.  Typically capped at 35 or 38 travelers, these trips are designed to capture the magic of special and/or seasonal events, such as Oktoberfest, Oberammergau, New Year’s Eve, St. Patrick’s Day, Sakura (cherry blossom) season, fall foliage, Christmas markets of Europe, Halloween, and more. Find the perfect tour for you by browsing our Special Event tours .
• Private and Customized Tours.  Have a particular interest you want to explore? We happily plan Private and Customized Tours for groups of seven or more travelers. 

The price of our trip packages includes:

• A specially trained Tour Director, who will accompany your group on tour, from the moment you touch down in your destination to the time you take off again for home
• Sightseeing tours with expert local guides
• Skip-the-line admission to all museums, cultural sites, and special events that are included in your itinerary
• Overnight stays in clean, stylish, well-located hotels that our own staffers have stayed in and vetted 
• Transportation in your destination via private, luxury coach (depending on which tour you book, you may also travel by train, ferry, or airplane on tour )
• Daily breakfast at your hotel (a relaxed, convenient way to fuel up for a full day of exploring)
•  Some lunches and dinners at local restaurants or hotels 
• Free time to explore local restaurants, historical sites—anything that piques your interest—at your own pace 
• Airport transfers for travelers who book flights with us

See the latest from our travelers @goaheadtours

The world’s leader in experiential travel

Bienvenido. Wamkelekile. Welcome to EF World Journeys, a family of travel brands by EF Education First.

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We connect cultures, communities, and people through guided, group travel.

Epic trips. Zero stress. Travel for 18–35s.

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PGA Tour players learn how much loyalty is worth in new equity program

Players who stayed loyal to the PGA Tour amid lucrative recruitment by Saudi-funded LIV Golf are starting to find out how much that loyalty could be worth.

The PGA Tour on Wednesday began contacting the 193 players eligible for the $930 million from a “Player Equity Program” under the new PGA Tour Enterprises .

The bulk of that money — $750 million — went to 36 players based on their career performance, the last five years and how they fared in a recent program that measured their star power.

How much they received was not immediately known. Emails were going out Wednesday afternoon and Thursday informing players of what they would get. One person who saw a list of how the equity shares were doled out said the names had been redacted. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because many details of the program were not made public.

The Telegraph reported Tiger Woods was to receive $100 million in equity and Rory McIlroy could get $50 million, without saying how it came up with those numbers.

Commissioner Jay Monahan outlined the first-of-its-kind equity ownership program in a Feb. 7 memo to players, a week after Strategic Sports Group became a minority investor in the new commercial PGA Tour Enterprises.

The private equity group, a consortium of professional sports owners led by the Fenway Sports Group, made an initial investment of $1.5 billion that could be worth $3 billion. The tour is still negotiating with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia — the financial muscle behind the rival LIV Golf league — as an investor.

Any deal with PIF would most certainly increase the value of the equity shares.

Another person with knowledge of the Player Equity Program, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the private nature of the dealings, said the equity money is not part of the SSG investment. That money was geared toward growth capital.

Golf.com received a series of informational videos on the Player Equity Program that was sent to players and reported only 50% of the equity would vest after four years, 25% more after six years and the rest of it after eight years.

It also reported how the 36 players from the top tier were judged on “career points,” such as how long they were full members, victories, how often they reached the Tour Championship and extra points for significant victories.

Jason Gore, the tour’s chief player officer, said in one of the videos, “It’s really about making sure that our players know the PGA Tour is the best place to compete and showing them how much the Tour appreciates them being loyal.”

Emails also were sent to 64 players who would share $75 million in aggregate equity based on the past three years, and $30 million to 57 players who are PGA Tour members. Also, $75 million in equity shares was set aside for 36 past players instrumental in building the tour.

The program has an additional $600 million in equity grants that are recurring for future PGA Tour players. Those would be awarded in amounts of $100 million annually started in 2025.

Players only get equity shares from one of the four tiers now, although everyone would be eligible for the recurring grants.

Even with equity ownership geared toward making the PGA Tour better, the concern was players questioning who got how much and whether they received their fair share.

LIV Golf lured away seven major champions dating to 2018 since it launched in 2022, all with guaranteed contracts and most of them believed to have topped $100 million.

McIlroy, playing this week in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, was asked how much would make players feel validated for their decision to stay with the PGA Tour.

“I think the one thing we’ve learned in golf over the last two years is there’s never enough,” McIlroy replied.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

What Taylor Swift's new album means for her $1 billion fortune

• Taylor Swift's new album, " The Tortured Poets Department ," is almost guaranteed to be a bestseller. 
• But no matter how well it does, it won't be the way Swift earns most of her money this year.
• The remaining leg of her Eras Tour is expected to add much more to Swift's billion-dollar fortune.

Taylor Swift released her new album, " The Tortured Poets Department ," at midnight, and, in what should be no surprise to anyone on this planet in the year 2024, it caused a scene.

Her album garnered millions of streams within hours. There's almost no doubt it'll top the Billboard chart like the 13 Swift albums before it.

But no matter how many platinum certifications it collects or streams it racks up on Spotify, "The Tortured Poets Department" won't be Swift's biggest money-maker this year.

The remaining leg of her Eras Tour — kicking off in Paris next month and running through December — is instead expected to be what contributes most to her fortune, which Bloomberg estimated to be $1.1 billion last year.

"Live music is the engine of the global music business," Clayton Durant, an adjunct professor at NYU Steinhardt's Music Business Program who's the founder of CAD Management, told Business Insider. "Her tour is probably going to earn 10 to 15 times more than her streaming."

Swift's Eras Tour brought in more than $1 billion in ticket sales last year over its 66 dates. By the end of this year, she's set to have played another 86. Swift's cut is unknown, but based on industry standards, she'll surely earn nine figures in 2024 from ticket sales.

Concerts don't only bring in money from ticket sales.

Pollstar estimates that Swifties spend an average of $40 a head on merch at her concerts — that adds up to about $175 million in gross merch sales last year. Swift's camp keeps the majority of that.

Bloomberg estimated that between box office and merchandise, Swift pocketed $225 million, pre-tax, from her first 57 Eras Tour dates. Career earnings from ticket sales and merchandise account for 34% of her total net worth, while earnings from music streaming and sales account for 18%, Bloomberg estimates.

Related stories

Swift isn't alone in making money on the road.

In 2021, the last year Billboard made a list of music's top earners, seven out of the 10 top money makers earned more than half of their income from touring.

But the music industry didn't always function this way. Before the advent of streaming, musicians made most of their fortune selling CDs, cassette tapes, and vinyl records .

"Physical music sales made up the bulk of artists' revenue pre-streaming, and that revenue was what enabled artists to tour. These days, the equation has flipped," Tatiana Cirisano, a senior music-industry analyst at MIDiA, told BI over email.

Streaming made listening to recorded music much cheaper. For less than the price of one CD — or for free, illegally or with ads — people could get all the songs they wanted.

"The moment Napster hit, it changed the paradigm, and it really honestly diluted the value of music," Durant said.

To be sure, Swift is still making tens of millions, if not more, on streaming and record sales each year — more than almost any other artist on the planet.

Streaming services such as Spotify pay out artists on a pro-rata model: There's a pot, made up of subscription and ad revenue, paid out to artists each year. Those with the biggest share of the platform's total streams get the biggest piece of it.

But "if you're an individual artist, you have to have a pretty massive audience to be able to earn a meaningful share of that revenue — which is paid out to you after your label gets its cut," Cirisano said.

Last year, Swift was the most streamed artist on both Apple and Spotify. One of every 78 songs streamed in the US last year was a Swift song, according to the music-data firm Luminate. She'll probably rank at or near the top again, between " The Tortured Poets Department " and a streaming lift from the second leg of her Eras Tour.

Swift is also set to earn more than most artists from physical music sales. Last year, she was responsible for one out of every 15 vinyl records sold, according to Luminate. Cirisano said Swift's rabid followers saw physical records as "a symbol of fandom" and a way to support Swift.

That said, without Eras, Swift would just be a poor centimillionaire.

Watch: Artsy CMO, Everette Taylor, tells Insider that the online art marketplace is more inclusive, and lucrative

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