I went on a trip to Eastern Europe with my School and to be honest with you, I loved it but our tour guide was honestly not very nice halfway through the trip, then at the end of our trip, at the airport, she got into a screaming match with one of the workers because the worker started yelling at us and telling us we need to go somewhere else and not be in that line; and you know what, our tour guide gained my respect for that. She got into a huge argument and fought for a bunch of stupid highschool kids. I would highly recommend EF tours to anyone who is young or old and doesn't know how to plan out a vacation. Thank you EF Tours for a great experience and to my tour guide, I know we may not have been great friends but you stuck up for us in the end and that is all that matters and I highly respect you for that. Can not say enough good things about my trip! read more

Got back from peru just a few days ago. Our first group travel experience and yes Peru was amazing but the accommodations not so much. - Putting children at risk by having them bunk w/ behavioral special needs children - anyone w/ special needs should either stay with a parent or a special needs teacher/ helper, someone who is trained on what to do - What kind of tour leader recommends going to the mall? That is unacceptable - would you add that to your places on the itinerary for a trip to South America??? EF EDUCATIONAL Tours takes you to the mall! For 2hrs!!! Wow. Big education. - Not give us time to grab lunch at the "beach" where we could try the famous ceviche of lima, just to hurry to the mall for 2hrs of nothing, well to eat Japanese is wildly absurb - Dinners; 1 dinner was to par the rest was low income eating for $5k ??? Not worth it. - Hotels; inconsistent wifi, no heat, electricity went out the last day while trying to get ready for our flight - Seats not together on trains, planes or even w/ our personal group - Sitting us in the airport for 2hrs after a 10hr flight, waiting for another group to arrive but took the first group to the hotel right when they landed - Forcing us to the airport early to sit us there for 6hrs bc the other group is leaving much earlier, then expecting us to land after a 6hr airport wait to a 10hr flight & now stay waiting in that airport for our next flight for another 6hrs, THIS IS SOME SORT OF SCAM. Oh here is 30 soles. Wow. - Paid for a 9 day trip & received basically a 6.5 day trip, we were just thrown on someone else's trip to give extra money to their agent. That is criminal. - Only the largest group of travel being considered for all requests/ decisions - Maybe if you are only going to consider one group dont take the money of others just for yr own profit read more

We are months out from the tour and it's already a terrible experience. They also set up our online account so we were locked out and couldn't sign in for the paperwork and they threatened penalties for this. They are very aggressive about collecting money, and let you know that every step is an opportunity for EFtours to charge penalties or cancel the trip. They also flood us with marketing emails and mark every message as URGENT, even when their deadline for action is 3 months out. Also, they don't have separate log ins for parents and student travelers but they assign tasks to each, which is simply poor IT and administration. read more

High school trip to Belize and connecting flight was canceled due to AA computer outage. I called EF parent line and was told no one from the tour called it in. When speaking with the teacher she said she called and EF told her it was on her to figure out the flights. Totally unacceptable and they should have stepped in to rebook on another airline while they fought for a refund from AA. Horrible tour company and highly DO NOT recommend. They wash their hands when help is needed. read more

If I could give zero stars I would. Company has no morals at all. Let a 17 year get kicked from a tour she paid 5k for 58 days before tour so she can get zero dollars back and not a care at all that it is discrimination. No one gets back to you or helps in any way even the CEO. Now my daughter is out 5 k and didn't get to go to Japan and is just out of luck because this company doesn't care about people. read more

July 9, 2026 Complaint Case No. 124308 EF Escalation Unit RE: 2026 Adriatic Odyssey Tour Account No. 7372326 I am submitting this formal complaint regarding the EF Tours trip from Houston, Texas, to Italy and Greece, in which my son and I participated from June 29 through July 7, 2026, returning on July 8, 2026. While we understood this was an educational tour rather than a vacation, the trip was poorly organized, physically exhausting, and lacked appropriate care for students and parents. The EF Tour Director, Antonia/Tonya, was consistently dismissive and showed little empathy toward participants, parent chaperones, and the school liaison. I have traveled abroad extensively for work and pleasure for many years - and never have I ever experienced such an unorganized, dysfunctional trip. Days 1-5: Rome and Florence, Italy Upon arrival in Rome after approximately 15 hours of travel, our group met Tonya and was immediately taken on a guided walking tour instead of being allowed to go to the hotel, freshen up, or change into weather-appropriate clothing. Although we expected walking, the distances were excessive, often ranging from 4 to 6 miles between destinations. We were previously told that participants with health concerns or difficulty managing the heat could briefly remain on the air-conditioned bus to recover, but that option was not made available. For the first several days, the group walked for long periods in temperatures exceeding 98 degrees Fahrenheit with limited breaks, shade, or opportunities to rest indoors. Reasonable adjustments that would have helped participants recover and continue to travel safely were not considered. As a result, the experience felt unnecessarily strenuous, risky and unsafe. Several parents, including me, nearly fainted and had to repeatedly request either a return to the hotel or medical attention - all of which were self-paid (taxis, ice packs, pain relievers, etc.). The daily schedule often involved 8-9 hours of walking and touring after morning drop-oƯ. Tonya appeared accustomed to this level of physical activity, but many students and parents were not, and their health limitations were not adequately considered. The lack of planning also extended to meals, snacks, and hotel locations. Many meals were not suitable for young students, snacks were not provided on the bus, and several hotels were located far away from accessible food options. As someone with diabetes, I found the lack of reasonable food access and flexibility especially concerning. Also, upon reaching Florence, a thunderstorm ensued. Ms. Tanya instructed everyone on board the bus to disembark immediately. We had no cover, no umbrellas and no way of avoiding the weather. She said that things like that are very hard to predict and that "we would be fine after the weather passes". There were natives that saw our plight and they descended on us like vultures, to sell parents and students umbrellas and ponchos. Some parents, including myself, had to purchase raincoats and umbrellas for the kids that were almost out of money. During this ordeal, she never uttered one word of comfort and did not deviate from the travel plan. Why was the bus driver allowed to drop us off in such torrential weather? Days 6-10: Athens Our time in Athens was equally disappointing. Although the temperatures were lower, the excessive walking, limited food options, and overall conditions continued to negatively affect the group. Ms. Tanya became increasingly dismissive when participants questioned or disagreed with her directives. I also reported to Tanya and to the hotel where we stayed for two nights - that I had bites on my legs, thighs, and arms that were significant enough to leave blood on the bed sheets, and I was told this was a "common occurrence this time of year". No first aid or any type of care was provided. After that, I stayed awake as long as possible and sprayed my linens each night. Ms. Tanya's response to this concern was indifferent, which reflected a broader pattern of EF Tours failing to respond appropriately to participants' concerns. The students were visibly exhausted and frustrated 9 out of the 11 days we traveled. They had very little downtime, limited opportunities to shop or rest, and several said they were ready to go home by Day 2. This was especially concerning for unaccompanied minors, who depended on parent chaperones and school representatives to advocate for them. Overall, the trip did not meet the standard expected of an educational tour. Ms. Tanya exhibited complete indifference to our pleas. The itinerary, accommodations, meal planning, and leadership created unnecessary stress and hardship for both students and parents. Many families made significant financial sacrifices for this experience, expecting it to be memorable and meaningful. On the last day, several adults ultimately organized and paid for a separate beach outing along the Mediterranean Sea to help the students cheer up. read more

Never Again with EF Tours: Our Disastrous Senior Trip to Greece What was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime senior trip turned into a stressful, disappointing ordeal that I wouldn't wish on any family. We traveled with EF Tours -- 58 of us in total -- for a 10-day trip to Greece. While there were a few bright spots, the overall experience was unacceptable, and I feel compelled to share what really happened. It Started Well... in Athens We spent the first two days in Athens, and I have to say, it was wonderful. The city is beautiful, the food was incredible, and our group had a great time exploring the sights. Spirits were high, and we were all excited for the next leg of the trip: a four-day cruise to visit three Greek islands. Then Everything Fell Apart From the moment we stepped on the cruise ship, it was clear something was wrong. The ship EF Tours booked for us was run down and in awful condition. The carpets were threadbare, the rooms were dirty, and the hallways looked like they hadn't been painted in a decade. Worse yet, our rooms reeked -- mine smelled of cigarette smoke, and my grandkids' room smelled strongly of marijuana. We hadn't even been on the ship for two hours before the engine blew out, and chaos broke loose. We were told to put on life jackets. No one seemed to know what to do. The captain tried to speak over the intercom, but the system was so bad we couldn't hear him -- not that it mattered, since music was blasting over the speakers. When I asked the bartender to turn down the music so we could hear emergency instructions, he told me no. The ship eventually turned back toward Athens, a process that took over a full day. Needless to say, we missed all the island stops that were supposed to be a highlight of the trip. EF Tours' Poor Planning & Subpar Accommodations To their credit, our tour guides scrambled to salvage the rest of the trip after the cruise failed. They arranged last-minute activities and really did their best. That part was appreciated, and they were the one bright spot in the entire EF Tours experience. But even after the cruise disaster, EF continued to disappoint. Some of the hotels they put us in were run-down, dirty, and far below the quality we were promised. This was supposed to be a special, celebratory trip -- but it felt like a cheap patchwork operation. A Refund That Doesn't Make It Right EF Tours gave us a refund for four days. But the truth is, we lost much more than that: not just the time, but the experiences, the memories, and the confidence that we were in good hands. Final Thoughts: Think Twice Before Booking with EF Tours If you're a parent, teacher, or school administrator considering EF Tours, I strongly encourage you to look elsewhere. While travel always comes with a few bumps, this trip crossed the line into negligence and poor judgment -- especially when it comes to student safety. EF Tours talks a big game about educational travel, but in our case, they delivered a stressful, disappointing mess that I wouldn't wish on another group. Never again. no stars read more

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Customer services is the worse. Will not refund a credit card that should have not been charged

My son's school invited him to join EF Tours in Japan. It was the worst experience! Chaperones/adult travelers were out drinking and "skinny dipping" at night. My son's request to access disability services at airport security was denied by his chaperone, who then proceeded to leave him behind and go through security without waiting for or supervising students. He became lost in a Japanese airport, experienced physical distress signs such as racing heart and shortness of breath, and after posting HELP I'M LOST in the group chat set up by group leader only received a sarcastic comment and "lol" in response. I had to make international phone call to find an English speaking assistant at the airport to help him! In a separate incident an adult traveler in his group used the word "retard" when he asked for quiet so that he could hear and process the instructions on a bus trip. I brought my concerns to the teacher/group leader who only replied that she cannot recommend that he travel again with her. That's one thing we certainly agree on!!! I'd never trust this company with my child's safety again. read more

I had a very disappointing experience with EF Educational Tours customer service. I contacted the company two months before the deadline they imposed to request flexibility regarding my situation. Reaching out well in advance, I expected at least a conversation or some level of understanding. Instead, the response I received was rigid and dismissive. There was no empathy, no attempt to offer alternatives, and no outreach to help resolve the issue. I was simply told that I could reach out again after the tour if I still needed assistance -- which defeats the entire purpose of contacting them proactively. For a company that works with families and students on expensive international travel experiences, I expected a much higher level of customer care. If flexibility and responsive customer service are important to you, you may want to think carefully before booking with EF. Based on my experience, their policies appear to take priority over people, even when customers reach out well in advance to try to resolve an issue. read more

My granddaughter and I are due to travel to Italy/Spain end of July. We have been paying for trip for over 1.5yrs. In the beginning I requested she and I be roomed together in all hotels. At the last minute they tell me we will be separated. For SAFETY reasons I am NOT ok with this. I requested once again for the change but NOW all of a sudden they are telling me to correct the issue is $720.00 more. I tried reaching out to EF tours 2xs was given excuses only and said there is nothing they can do without the $720. I requested a supervisor but they refused to let me speak to one saying the only way to do so is via email and it may take up to 5 days for someone to respond. So I requested a FULL refund but they said no to that as well. I filed a BBB complaint and wrote an email as well to the address they gave me but have not heard anything as of this date. I also added a post on FB. I feel people have a right to know in advance. What was suppose to be a wonderful trip is turning out to be a horrible nightmare and we have yet to leave. read more

Cancelation policies are rigid. There is only one food option and hotels are bad quality. For what you pay you could get a way better experience for your money. We paid about 10k. I got way better hotels and food for that when I went to Greece and Paris for the same amount of time read more

Hi there, my name is Rebecca.. My family and I (15 year old daughter, 77 year old father, and myself, 46) just came home from tour number 262139OTK. We had traveled with my daughter's school, had two teacher chaperones and two tour guides from EF tours.   I want it to be known that we had a horrible experience with this tour!! Anything from bedbugs in one of the hotels, to being left in the middle of London with no ride, to being cursed at by one of the EF tour guides. (And yes, I have proof, of all of these issues) Our small group left us at the Tower of London.. When I texted and called our leaders to find out where to go to meet everyone, they sent a pin to a food court.. the bus was not there.. When I called, she said they had moved the bus and sent a new pin.. she then told me that the bus was leaving, and we could either take an Uber and meet them at the London Eye, or take an Uber to the hotel.. that Uber ride cost us almost $200 US Dollars!!.. by the way, as we got closer to the main road, where the new pin lead us, our bus literally pulled away from the curb and drove passed us!.. That for one, is considered a liability for your insurance, because had one of us gotten hurt, or in a car accident in our Uber (that would have fallen all on your shoulders as a company).. Then being cursed at by an EF Tour guide, as we were going through the security at the station for The Eurostar, my dad and I were both randomly picked to be searched.. When we cleared the security, the EF Tour guide yelled "run Becky!".. I said I couldn't run.. she then yelled (in front of my daughter) "for F*#% sake Becky, hurry up!".. I then informed her that 2 years ago, we were in a car accident, and broke my back.. I medically can not run.. She said she was sorry, then sent a group message apologizing for the way that she spoke, and continued to apologize for the next 4 days!.. I have sent a few emails to supervisors (because that's the only way to report issues I guess)... I've gotten one quite robotic response, and then dead silence.. I highly recommend that people do NOT use EF Tours.. because it's not worth the hassle, the money, or lack of response or empathy on their part!! read more

We are incredibly disappointed in EF Tours. Our sons recently went on their $5,000+ "11-day tour" of Ireland, England, Wales & Scotland. It was disorganized, low quality, and frankly, a letdown. Meals and hotels were sub-par, tour guides seemed more focused on frequent bathroom breaks than showing the real beauty and culture of the UK and Ireland. After an 8-hour bus ride from Wales to Scotland, they had to pay extra for a simple boat ride at a scenic stop--which should've been included. EF Tours gave a poor impression of truly beautiful countries. We expected so much more for the price. Not recommended. We've contacted management for a partial refund and hope they'll take accountability. If you're planning a student tour, think twice. read more

Very misleading refund policy. They said 'cancel by this date to lose only $300' - a price we were willing to pay for flexibiility. Turns out that they actually withold $600, adding on an extra $195 for some insurance that we got 'free' for booking early. Some might call this misleading, others might have different words for it. read more

The tour company set up an excellent tour. Stops, places, hotels, agenda all very well thought out and studied. Our group saw- a lot and did a lot. This was the great part. The bad part and so unfortunate, was that the tour guide was a hostile, mean spirited person. She treated adults like children, was way too overbearing and a dictator. Mamma bear was much more of a bear than a human. She started the tour threatening everyone on timelines, basically told me what tours I could and could not do. She did everything she could do to make it a structured, rushed, rule bound, and miserable. Her nervousness was going to be felt by all. Relax on vacation, no way. She even followed people to bars and/ or evening events. Asking questions on what they were eating, spying and doing everything she could to spy for an unknown control. The trip was nice. No problem with pricing. It was the tour guide who made it miserable. Very mean person. If she could she would have given demerits and punishments. Never again will I tour with this company, It was their loss. I have seen many tours I would like to hop on. But with a dictatorship guide who thrives on taking the fun out of everything. Never again. I will not go again with EF. I do not need a trip spoiler. read more

EF is scam. DON'T SEND YOUR KIDS EVER IF YOU ARE CONCERNED FOR THEIR SAFETY. I HAVE NOTICED THEY HAVE 5-6 POSITIVE REVIEWS WITH NOT MUCH DETAILS (looks like paid / fake ones) RIGHT AFTER THEY HAVE ONE NEGATIVE ONE. SO THATS RED FLAG. . I would not recommend anyone Spain trip they organize. I made them aware when I booked year ago that I'm a vegetarian and my kids don't eat pork but the tour director had no idea and after I told her she made zero efforts to accommodate. Plus the hotel the put you in is middle of nowhere . So you can walk to anywhere to get yourself anything. She literally have no zero interest to accommodate anyone Plus the sights they showed was walking around them , so we can't go inside the beautiful places and literally just go around and shop . I don't know if $4000-$5000 was worth this trip at all Also my son got sick and I have to pay out of pocket to get him doctor and medicine. Although I have travel plan through EF. Tour director has not even once mentioned that she can help provide any assistance . ALSO WHEN I CONTACTED EF TOURS, they are just repeating that it's the director I should talk to . They are not responsible for anything. I have screenshots of chats as well. What if it's serious, and I'm not with my kid, I don't think they have any plan for that. Update: EF said that my needs regarding diet was heard, sorry but still it's not. Not a single tour director called me and updated me. Also she never came or called or texted to know (not even once) how my son is doing. I had to find doctor myself and get medicine. So stop lying . I ordered food for myself yesterday as I need to eat. I can't live on fruits for 5 days. I better get all my money back for breakfast and dinners as well. I'm pretty sure all parents should be concerned about this . What's if kids are alone on the trip and they get seriously ill. I don't think EF can be TRUSTED at all. I was already planning to go on Belize trip next year and signing up my little brother as well. Now I have seen first hand how they handle situations NEVER IN MY LIFETIME, I'll trust them. Also would warn all parents at school whe I go back , so they are aware HOW EF DOESNT CARE AFTER THEY TAKE THE MONEY AND GET YOU SIGNED UP. read more

ABSOLUTELY DO NOT BOOK WITH THIS COMPANY! Read complaints on Better Business Bureau to understand why they're a scam, provide low quality hotels, food, and tour guides, switch up and delete parts of itinerary after you've booked but don't tell you until your tour has already started. Then they refuse to refund you appropriately. Spent significant money on trip for portions of it to be changed once tour started and they refuse to refund. Possibly one of worst tour directors who literally yelled at tour group on numerous occasions. 2 star hotels at best but cost of tour and itinerary were for 4 star hotels. Food was terrible and almost always cold. Aggressive members of tour group yelled at other tour members yet nothing was done to protect the tour member who was verbally assaulted. Tried to reconcile with them to get partial refund and after 10+ hours spent trying to reach an amicable solution, they refused and continued to lie about aspects of the tour which I have documented proof they're lying. Save yourself money, time, and aggravation and DO NOT BOOK WITH THIS SCAM OF A COMPANY! read more

Awful! Deeply Disappointed by Your Lack of Accountability I'm honestly disgusted by the lack of accountability your company has shown. You knowingly booked a hotel in Belgium that our tour guide had explicitly asked you not to use due to its dirty and unsanitary conditions -- and yet you did it anyway. Then, when I raised my concern, I was told to "talk to the tour guide," as if they have any control over where we stay. That response was both dismissive and insulting. The decision was yours, not theirs, and it shows a complete disregard for the wellbeing of the students and families who trusted you. read more

Our EF tour was 8 days of fast and furious sightseeing. Our EF tour guide was the saving grace for the trip. He provided lots of insight at each location, both historical and current. The local guides were all knowledgeable of their locale and our Paris guide in particular was outstanding. The reason for the okay rating is due to accommodations provided. In all cities our accommodations were at least 30 minutes from where we were in the city with little or no surrounding business, no cafe's, coffee shops, restaurants or retailers. Two nights were spent in a room barely bigger than a large walk in closet with extremely uncomfortable twin beds. I'm sure hotels like this are much cheaper but my tour price wasn't cheap. read more

Had a just fair experience with our first kid, then tried to do it again with our 2nd and had a nightmare. Grabbed our money, when we tried to cancel well within the timeline, they stalled, pointed us elsewhere, etc and finally gave us back pennies on the dollar for something that didn't even have a booked confirmation. Wouldn't ever do it again! Should have read all of the other terrible reviews first. read more

EF tours is an awful company and very misleading. I have now paid for three separate trips with them. The first was a trip for my then senior to Greece and Italy. The hotels that they booked them at were dirty, the meals were awful and the the trip was very disorganized. The second trip was for my junior to Paris/London. The tour guide from EF was hostile and rude. Their teacher had to demand that they treat the kids with more respect and decency. This last trip is a complete mess. They booked them to Italy on flights with over 20 hours of travel time each way! they have a lay over before they even leave the US in an airport for 4 hours, then fly to have another layover in a different country before they fly to their final destination. This trip to Italy is costing us over $4000.00. They changed the dates for the trip and notified us one month before departure. The fact that we purchased insurance did not matter if these new dates conflicted. We were told that it was not possible to do anything. The communication has been absolutely horrible. After a long conversation with a representative we were told that they would speak to management and get back to us the following day, No one returned a call as promised. The second call we made resulted in being told that managers do not speak with customers you can only email them, Then it will take 3 to 5 days for the "manager" to get back to you. it actually took 12 days for a response and the response was completely unprofessional. So after Dirty hotels, rude tour guides, low quality meals, awful customer service from management as well as a dishonest insurance policy We are calling it quits. I am a business owner and I completely understand that things can't always go perfectly. I have never written a negative review, but this needs to be shared! I will never recommend this company to anyone and feel very deceived. read more

My son really enjoyed his trip to Japan. However, I do have some issues with EF Tours not making sure an adult is present at all times. We were told our children would always be with an adult. That was not the case. Thankfully Japan is a safe country but that doesn't take away from the fact that teenagers were allowed to be unsupervised in a foreign country. I would not sign up for another EF Tours trip after our experience. Thankfully my son knows how to navigate an airport because on their flight back the group got split up at the check point and he barely made it on the plane. The other half of the group missed their flight. read more

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

EF Educational Tours - One of the waterfalls they visited - Historical Tours Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Disaster. All seemed good. Remote destination, Child became sick called us at 3 AM Throwing up/fever/panic , No teachers around or phones or answering phone . No one at hotel to call emergency , Rooms locked. 4 boys couldn't get out. Even the EF Tours Emergency line couldn't get to staff. We were going crazy trying to find EMS closest was an hr away. Think twice before sending your child. Also, never checked if child took medication as discussed prior to trip, never noticed child wearing same clothes (12yo boy/ honor roll). I'm all about adventure w some oversight. Customer service not helpful. Do yourself a favor. Take a family trip. read more

This company is engaged in extortion. We signed up for a class trip that had to be canceled due to lack of participants. I am now getting charged $580 for a trip that was canceled outside of my control. Sure, I can take my $580 And invest in a future trip that costs more money that my child is not interested in, Customer Service is horrible absolutely no option of getting a refund shame! read more

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

EF Educational Tours - Historical Tours Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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

Flights. Book your own. EF doesn't care because they are trying to book the cheapest flights but charge you so much more. As an example my sister is from Ontario and doesn't get a direct flight to Toronto m. I'm living in GA and they flew me to Toronto and then to Atlanta??? They could care less about the inconvenience b/c they are making more profit off the customer. Summary book your own flights. Cheaper and you can make sure it is convenient for you. read more

Do not use this group and encourage your educators to avoid. They pack as many kids into a room as possible leaving them to figure out who is sleeping on the floor. I spoke with their support center last night and they assured me that they would try to resolve. It was 7PM my time but 1AM where my son was staying. They said it was unlikely they could do anything at that hour (which I understood) but would get a message out to their trip leader so it could be resolved in the morning. To be clear, I offered to pay the cost to change/upgrade rooming, I was not asking for anything for free I called 13 hours later, now 8AM my time and 2 PM local time. This time I was told there that there was nothing they could do and that it was on me to reach out to the teacher. I was told that the person I spoke to the prior evening would be advised she was wrong. I ultimately resolved this with NO help from EF and at my own cost. At the end of the day, this is a for profit company providing a poor product with no support. I almost never post a negative review BUT in this case, I wish I had paid attention to the various reviews. My son did a prior trip arranged directly by the school and teachers. It was so much better. read more

I would stay far away from this company and I regret that we didn't read more reviews before booking this trip through our kids school. This trip cost our family 5-star prices with 1-2 star accommodations. We did a land only trip, as we booked our own flights. Land only was $1700/day for our family of 4 and the hotel they put you up in was $85 per day. My husband and I both own businesses and understand that businesses must make a profit, but their profit must be 75-80% because all in our trip couldn't have cost them more than $300 per day for the family. The food was terrible. We all had to buy our kids second dinner because the dinner provided was not edible for them. For the almost $20k we paid we could have taken our family on an amazing trip. Maybe if you are sending your kid solo it could be worth it because they have a chaperone but if you're traveling with your children do yourself a favor and have a much better vacation for less money. read more

So...considering a trip for your student thru EF Tours (Education First)? Please read and consider this before spending thousands of dollars to send your child into the abyss of transportation, communication, support, and guidance failures. We just spent 5 lovely days in New York City with forty-one (41) 6th, 7th, and 8th grade theatre students and 9 adult sponsors/chaperones/travelers. We had an uneventful trip TO NYC, were met at the airport by our 24-hour on-site tour guide, who WONDERFULLY led us through a week of theatrical and cultural activities, diverse meal options (with only a few allergic snafus that were eventually handled). Then, it was time to head home via United Airlines. We originally had a 6pm-ish departure time from Newark with a connecting flight in Chicago (although there were several direct flights available from Newark to Houston that day). Upon arrival at Newark, we found that the flight was delayed 2 hours, which would negatively impact the connecting flight in Chicago. We boarded @ 8:30-ish and then sat on the runway for over an hour and were then forced to deplane as the delay was then interfering with the pilot flying scheduling. (We were never told what caused the actual flight delays.) Suffice it to say, these kinds of scheduling problems are typical of airline flight. At the end of the day, however, we needed to have an option to house these children and adults for their safety as travel plans continued, rather than having to herd this many kids, who tended to scatter like angry ants every 3 to 4 minutes. Enter EF Tours (NOT) who advertised guaranteed safety and security as their 1st priority for all travelers at all times. EF Tours were contacted REPEATEDLY by our leadership team, and NO RESOLUTION was ever offered by EF Tours. We encouraged our parents waiting anxiously at home for their children to contact EF Tours' 24x7 customer support number to voice their concerns and were hearing a greeting that says "we are currently closed for business. Call at 8am." We were then approaching hour 12 of delays, now in Chicago's O'Hare airport, with these children sleeping in chairs or on the floor with no way in the foreseeable future to get home, many in tears or otherwise traumatized by the absurd events of the day. Our adult travelers policed the area while the children rested, as there was no security provided nor a single EF representative around or responsive to our needs, except to say our kids should "tough it out." United kindly provided meal vouchers for breakfast and lunch Sunday. United CREATED a flight for just our group leaving @ 7:30 am, connecting to a flight in Dallas landing in Houston @ 1:45 pm Sunday afternoon--OR we could have waited for a flight out possibly Monday...OR Tuesday. EF Tours sat idly by, doing what appeared to be NOTHING to assist this very large group of young travelers who are ending an otherwise wonderful week with nightmarish abandon by their trusted touring company. We landed in Houston @ 1:45 pm Sunday. Buyer beware. read more

I'd also say DO NOT DO OR ARRANGE a trip without the protection plan + insurance and reading all fine print!! The leaders should do much better with explaining the details instead of just trying to lock in parents!! My daughters and their dad were set to travel To China with their Mandarin School here in houston. Lots of important and pertinent information was left out in the initial meeting . Opt for the higher insurance plan (READ ALL FINE PRINT BEFORE BOOKING ) ESPECIALLY if you are on fence about going only way to assure you will get some money back. DO NOT TAKE THE BASIC YOU WILL LOSE right away OVER 500$ of your money FOR EACH PERSON AS EACH TRAVELER HAS THEIR OWN UNIQUE NUMBER ASSIGNED TO THEM ! WHEN YOU CANCEL EACH UNIQUE NUMBER MUST PAY 190.00 insurance 300$ cancellation and 95$ non refundable deposit that was made To set the trip up !!! I believe the company is making sooo much more money off cancellations on daily bases compared to those that are traveling !! I'm just Glad I canceled before I lost way more money than over the 2300.00!! The picture below is based off 1 traveler ..... was a total of 3 travelers !! Hope this helps Someone!! They keep the insurance price so what is it really for ?!?!? read more

EF Educational Tours - Breakdown of JUST 1 traveler of 749$ I'm Only getting refund 164$ you see that right . What is the insurance really for!! - Historical Tours Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Just say no to EF travel. Expensive for a less than 1 star trip. Hotels are generally 1hour outside City Centers, food rarely reflects the Culture and is not fit for Human Consumption. Groups are hurried out so the next EF group can get in. The company flys economy so seat assignments are at check in. Leaving minors sitting alone on 8 hour flights. The company is not helpful when dealing with medical emergencies during the trip. My first EF trip was in 1999 and I swore I'd never travel with them again. After warning the group leader NOT to choose EF, I went with them. EF quality wise is worse in 2024 than 1999. Less than 1 . Insulting. read more

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Giving one star is being extremely generous. This company is extremely money hungry and has the worst customer service ever, they have made this process extremely frustrating, receiving a refund is pretty impossible with all the fees and excuses they provide just to keep all of your money. This company doesn't seem to truly value their customers or the children. If I had seen these reviews and heard the horror stories beforehand, I would've avoided them like the plague. Like most, I heard about the company through school. My sister was scheduled to travel with them, however, we had to cancel suddenly. I was told I wouldn't receive a refund due to the amount of the cancellation fee, which when I looked into it, the fee amounted to 1,859.50! Please do yourself a favor and completely avoid the company altogether. read more

One stars is one too many for these grifters. I purchased an Azores trip for my daughter. The teacher had to withdraw. EF Tours made NO attempt to contact me, they just kept withdrawing my money as if nothing happened. I found out through other teachers. There were no other trips my daughter was interested in (this was environmental science, the others were mostly sightseeing/history), but EF Tours seems to think I should have rebooked her on another one. In spite of being unable to deliver the product I paid for, they kept the $95 application fee, the $190 for a protection plan which apparently doesn't include teachers quitting (I should have lied and said we had a family emergency), and a $300 "cancellation" fee even though they are the ones who effectively cancelled my trip. Any other company would recognize they did not provide the service I paid for and provided a full refund. These grifters are not worth your time, do not book with them. read more

Flight was canceled. While i understand that happens. They have sent no communication. We have no idea if the $4000 trip is even happening

Where do I start? Our tour guide Julian was highly unprofessional and treated us poorly while on trip, because I reviewed our trip on Facebook. One of the tour directors and the traveler, were sharing my posts to him and gossiping about me to the tour director. The adult male traveler was also making inappropriate sexual comments to the minors during the trip. He was also reported by another traveler for these comments. His wife assaulted me in the breakfast area in front of everyone by squeezing my hand and pushing me. Julian was nowhere to be found to rectify the situation. When the tour guide found out about it, he did nothing about it, even after I told him that I was assaulted by another traveler physically. He was more concerned about my Facebook opinions, which he said, he didn't like. He was very difficult to communicate with the whole trip. One time he told two females who requested a bathroom stop, to go urinate behind the bush in the the side of the roa. Consistently, taking the travelers to the paid bathrooms instead of giving free options. During free time, he would meet his female friends for lunch and totally isolate himself from the group. He also would drink alcohol with the travelers who were gossiping about me at night in the lobby. The tour guide wasn't knowledgeable about most facts and most of the time he told us to go and shop. He made us pay 17 euros/person for the palace in cash even when I asked if we can go on our own. He said we can't go on our own. Same thing he said about Dachau concentration camp, but then retreated after I questioned why it is 30 euros per person and said we can go on our own. This was a low effort, terrible experience. If you expect that you will immerse yourself in the cultural experience and will be constantly guided through, you will be highly disappointed. read more

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

When departing to come home, our bus had an issue. We were told to take a taxi to the airport and would be reimbursed. I am getting no help from EF Tours for that reimbursement. Additionally, I had a claim for an issue with my baggage and they were no help. I spent 3 hours today making calls and made zero progress. No one wanted to help and no one has helped. read more