About Culture Quest: FAQs

For group leaders

What are the programs you offer?
Traditional coach tours, language immersion, homestays, international volunteer service, performance/choir tours, special interest itineraries (i.e. art, history and architecture tours). All programs are custom designed.
What countries do you travel to?
The majority of our groups travel to western Europe, but we also design programs in eastern Europe and Russia, Scandinavia including Iceland, the continental United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Peru.
What is the difference between Culture Quest and those big educational travel companies I'm always hearing about?
Culture Quest Tours is a specialist in tailored educational travel programs for teachers and students. The major benefit in working with Culture Quest over other organizations is that all of our programs are custom-designed for each group. This means you will travel in a private (and usually smaller) group of your own students (we don't combine ad hoc school groups) and have substantial flexibility both in planning your itinerary and while traveling on tour which you won't have on a standard, published tour. We believe our travel philosophy provides an overall better travel and learning experience.
So if you are a customized operator, aren't you more expensive than those other companies?
Not necessarily. The price is determined by many factors including the category of hotel, whether or not you include a full-time tour director, season of travel and the quantity of sightseeing included in the itinerary. Generally speaking, a customized Culture Quest quote based on a smaller group of 15 paying participants will be slightly higher than standardized tours published in our competitors' brochures since they are basing their prices on a minimum of 40 paying participants filling a coach. But when your group size reaches 20-25 paying, you'll find we offer very competitive pricing. If you have a particular group budget in mind, we can make recommendations to you on how we can achieve this budget on a private, customized tour.
Well, what are the general costs of a tour?
Again, there are many factors that affect the final cost of a travel program including the season of travel, the size of the group, the standard of accommodation and the number of meals, entrance fees and other services included in the program, so there is no average cost, per se. However, using two recent Culture Quest programs as a guideline, prices can range as follows:

$1429 for a 6-night art history tour of Florence, based on 20 paying plus 2 free, traveling in low season from New York.

$2739 for a 14-night literary tour of England and Scotland, based on 10 paying plus 1 free, traveling in peak season from Cleveland.
How many free places do you offer?
Again that depends on your requirements and the group's budget. We can offer one free for every 6, 8, 10 paying and so on. Generally speaking, with a group of 15 paying we offer 1 or 2 frees, with 20 paying, we offer 2 or 3 and so on to make the price affordable.
How many students do I need to operate a tour? We require a minimum of 10 full paying participants.
What if I can't get that many students?
We suggest you design your program in conjunction with another local school, church or organization. Prices will be the same for students and adults as we do not charge adult supplements like some other companies.
How long does it take for you produce a quote?
That depends on the complexity of the program requested. Generally on a traditional coach tour we can provide you with an answer in 3-5 days. Language programs and other detailed, special-interest programs many take 1-3 weeks from the date the quote request is received.
Do you have any other incentives for teachers?
In addition to free trips, we offer cash stipends for every student not counted toward a free trip, a 15% discount off the quoted tour fee for colleagues and family members, and an annual winter weekend getaway in Europe with teachers who enroll 30 students by the early bird deadline.
Can I transfer the bonus points I earned with other companies to Culture Quest?
No, unfortunately it is not our policy to honor any rewards earned through other companies.
How much advance planning to I need to get started?
The lead time depends upon the level of intricacy of the travel program. For instance, a traditional coach tour can easily be arranged in 3-4 months provided that flights are available at the time of booking. (Please note that flights from the US often fill up well in advance - sometimes as much as 6 to 8 months prior to the departure date - for periods of peak travel such as Easter week.) You should begin recruiting your students for this type of program at least 4 to 6 months prior to the departure date. For travel programs requiring more specialized components such as performance venues, guest lectures and practical workshops, the research and coordination time may take 9 to 12 months or more. You should begin recruiting your students 6 to 12 months prior to your departure date.
What happens if my group drops below the minimum number quoted?
The price will increase. Your students will have the option of paying the increased price or dropping certain services from the tour (i.e. meals) to absorb the cost.
Who will be on hand locally to assist me?
Many groups choose to include a full-time, bilingual tour director who oversees all aspects of the tour from the group's arrival at the airport until the conclusion of the tour. Groups who choose to travel independently are monitored regularly by Culture Quest's London operations team and may receive 24-hour emergency assistance by contacting London directly. Independent groups are also given local emergency contacts stationed throughout the tour. For instance, groups traveling to France and Italy are given the names of local agencies in Paris and Rome. Likewise, groups traveling to other international destinations such as Mexico or Peru are also monitored regularly by Culture Quest's travel partners in those countries.
We have had lots of problems with hotels in the past, what kinds of hotels do you use?
We use tourist, superior tourist and first class hotels as rated by local country standards. The hotels are centrally located (within 0.5 miles of city center or the major attractions) and have been site inspected for safety and cleanliness by our London staff. To give you an idea of an equivalent US standard of hotel, these would be Comfort Inns, Best Westerns, Holiday Inns and so forth. Our hotels are usually smaller, individually-run properties or part of small European chains rather than large-scale, American-style tourist hotels.
We have had big problems with food in the past, how do your meals compare?
Many of our competitors include American fast food or the local equivalent in their programs to achieve their low, low prices. We typically budget about $15/dinner depending on the country, which is what you would pay in the US for a dinner with appetizer and desert in a good quality, family-style restaurant.
What kind of insurances does Culture Quest provide?
Medical: All participants traveling outside the United States are automatically covered under Culture Quest's international medical insurance policy which offers up to $50,000 in coverage per incident for medical and dental expenses resulting from accidental injury or sickness; up to $25,000 in coverage for emergency medical evacuation to home and/or hospital; and up to $7,500 in coverage for repatriation of remains.

Liability: Culture Quest carries a total of $1,000,000 in Professional Liability Insurance. Schools, school districts and their employees are covered as additional insureds under the policy's group indemnification attachment.

Payment Protection: In addition to its separate escrow sub-accounts, Culture Quest offers payment protection through its optional Trip Cancellation Insurance. In the unlikely event that services are not delivered as promised, a full reimbursement of the program fee will be made.
How do you keep deposits?
All group deposits are maintained in separate escrow accounts titled under the group's name in our bank (Commonweath Bank) in Philadelphia. Each month a balance statement is issued for each escrow account, and group leaders may request to see copies of their statement to monitor funds.
Can academic credit be arranged?
Culture Quest does not directly arrange academic credit but will provide all necessary documentation to professors who wish to do so through their college or university.
How can my travelers pay for their tours?
You will have a payment schedule unique to your group. Culture Quest accepts certified checks, money orders, or personal checks. Unfortunately we cannot at this time accept credit cards. If you are already signed up for a Culture Quest tour, please go to our Personal Travel Center for specific information about your group's trip.
What kind of hotels do you use?
Culture Quest provides only the best in hotel accommodations. We place our groups in centrally-located, first-class, superior tourist and tourist-class hotels, all with private bath facilities. Ask us for a sample list of hotels.

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