Following up with the our ***** Trip Director, we found out that we weren't going to get off the waitlist in early October 2024 for a late November ***** trip. In late December 2024, I called Worldstrides customer service to see the status of my refund of almost $3000 on the full deposit of the program. They said the refund is scheduled to be processed to original payment form (Debit card) in January 2025. Today is January 15th and no refund has been sent or recorded on my debit card that was used to pay for the trip. I didn't feel great about this company at the beginning and now coming across all these reviews, I know World Strides has shady business practices such as keeping funds of their prospective customers for months for free. I feel bad for the customer service folks in the ****** that have to deal with customers that are upset with the company's poor business practices so I am going to go online and log this issue instead. I also wonder how many families from our school are in the same boat as us? Perhaps, they've kept over $30,000 interest fee deposits so far???? On January 19th, I see some of the charges refunded on my account. However, it was not the total. So a couple of days later when I still didn't see the rest of the charges returned, I called Worldstrides customer service again regarding the FULL refund. You may have guess what they said.... Worldstrides states that "for some reason, my bank didn't accept the 8th through 11th refund payments totally almost $1k, and so the system is sent a check instead." They also said "the check should arrive within 30 days." Really? Where are they mailing the check from? Mars?Wow. Here we are on January 28th, and no check has arrived in the mail. Another example of a poor business practice/policy of Worldstrides. read more

WorldStrides does a commendable job of bringing history to life for 8th-grade students. Our tour guide was well-organized, kept us on schedule, and provided alternatives when plans changed unexpectedly. We managed to see and do a lot in a short amount of time, which has its positives and negatives. On the positive side, the kids were able to see many sights! However, the downside was that they had very little opportunity for rest or downtime. Wake-up calls at 6 AM and returning to the hotel as late as 11 PM made it exhausting. On average, the kids got less than six hours of sleep each night. A few days in, they struggled to focus on speakers due to their exhaustion. One day, we were woken up at 5:00 AM and kept out until 11:30 PM, only to be up again at 6:00 AM for another sixteen-hour day. This was just too much! It is unhealthy! Additionally, we primarily ate fast food for five days, contributing to the lack of proper nutrition. WorldStrides seems to prioritize a schedule filled with activities at the expense of sleep and healthy meals. For instance, we were forced to sit in Times Square, New York City, for three hours with nothing to do, yet we only had 45 minutes at the 9/11 Memorial Museum. It felt bizarre. Our first stop upon arrival was the Pentagon City Mall Food Court. Unfortunately, that mall has a history of violence. We found ourselves caught in a large gang fight and had to be evacuated. This situation made local and national news. It's astounding that they would take us to such a known unsafe environment. I had to lead several children to safety while escaping the chaos amidst shouting police officers. Some individuals involved in the fight were armed. This could have turned out very differently. Please view this article; it highlights the situation WorldStrides put us in.https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/parents-and-county-officials-reflect-on-how-to-stop-juvenile-violence-following-fights-at-fashion-centre-at-pentagon-city/ar-AA1BXBWX?ocid=BingNewsSerp I can say with confidence that my younger children will NOT be attending any WorldStrides-led tours in the future. read more

What an incredible experience we had in Alaska! We were greeted immediately at the airport by our Course Leader, Kacie who was so gracious and patient. Coming all the way from Los Angeles with this being our very first Worldstrides trip with 24 people in tow is frazzling and nervewracking, and Kacie smoothly took over and guided us to the baggage claim, introduced us to our motorcoach driver, and away we went to Potter Marsh to stretch our legs, take a beautiful walk down the boardwalk, and observe some animals. Some activities my students, parents, teachers, and I (teacher leader) did was: 1. ride the Anchorage Railroad in a glass ceiling train 2. learn about the Iditarod Sled race and cuddle puppies at the Happy Trails Kennel 3. travel into Denali with a National Park guide, Zach, who was so incredibly knowledgable and great with kids 4. take nature walks/hikes to learn about the plants, animals, geology, climate, and people of Denali National Park 5. visited the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center that's dedicated to preserving Alaska's wildlife 6. hiked a beautiful trail to Exit Glacier and had glacial facials 7. rode a 6 hour boat tour to the Kenai Fjords National Park where we saw humpback whales AND SO MUCH MORE We were happy with our accommodations and the food. The kids, parents, and I had a great time and I can't wait to take another group of kids back to Alaska! read more

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Paris/Rome, June 2025. Our guide was Luisa, and she was awesome. She moved at a faster pace than I would have liked, but got us where we needed to go and gave good suggestions on things to do during our free time. Paris: Villa Eugenie Hotel had several issues. Small rooms. A/C didn't work (although there's a thermostat on the wall that does nothing), and the windows don't have screens. That made the rooms hot....all the time. Bathroom had a mildew smell that wouldn't go away. Loud, busy street right below the windows. Breakfast is ok, but limited options and the same thing every day. Location is not great...it's a solid hour from the city center by Taxi/Uber (Paris has horrible traffic) and about the same by Metro. Our airport transfer got messed up...never got a straight answer as to why. We were standing outside ready to go at 3:45am as instructed. No bus. At 4:15am, we had to order taxis to get our group of 28 to the airport. Taxi ride was $97 (about 86 euros) that I had to front with a credit card. Guide reimbursed later that same day, but that's a BIG problem. Sent us on a "bus tour" of Paris in a bus that didn't have a microphone. So our local guide wasn't able to talk about any of the landmarks we passed. Total waste of time and her services when all we get is a summary after we arrived at a park at the end of the tour. Eiffel Tower visit got messed up. Worldstrides didn't purchase our tickets ahead of time, so we had to wait in line for 30-40 minutes to purchase them. By the time we got there (around 8:30pm), they were sold out of the tickets that go to the top. So we were only able to go to the middle, and then only had about 15 minutes before we had to head back down. Ultimately, we didn't get what we paid for on the tour and there was no refunds or other compensation. Then it's an hour ride back to the hotel on public transit. We ended up taking an Uber at our own expense, since it was after 11:00pm and everyone was exhausted. Dinners were average at best. Tough beef (pot roast) and small portions. I expected much better from French food. One restaurant had another group ahead of us that were late to their reservation, but took them anyway and made us wait 30 minutes past our time to be seated. Seated us outside in the sun, with most of the seating uncovered by the umbrellas/awning. Rome: Significant upgrade at the Hotel Albani. A/C worked, and much better options at breakfast, including an espresso/cappuccino machine. Better location, about a block from the bus stop. Dinner restaurants were decent, although portion sizes were a bit small. One restaurant double booked us with another large group (also a Worldstrides tour) and we ended up having to walk to another place several blocks away. Transportation was a HUGE problem. We had to walk everywhere and use city buses. It was an absolute disaster. It's hot, we're walking everywhere, and trying to fit 28 people on an already crowded city bus. Nearly every adult chaperone on our trip missed some time from the tour since they were physically unable to continue with the physical demands. Multiple students had to be treated for blisters and other skin issues due to the heat and lack of transportation. Our guide tried to get a private bus for us, but was denied by Worldstrides. I understand they don't control the weather, but you have to make adjustments based on conditions and the abilities of the group. For example...we ride the bus (standing room only) to the Vatican, tour the Vatican (2 hours), then walk to St. Peter's in 90+ degree heat, tour St. Peter's, and then walk a mile and some change for dinner. Then public transit, which is generally standing room. Way too much time to spend on our feet in this type of weather and uneven terrain. The transportation issues became such a distraction that it became almost impossible to enjoy anything on the tour. I also got some sort of cold/flu on this trip, probably from the dirty and crowded public transit. Kids began to ask about forgoing some activities to rest up at the hotel, but that's not allowed - "everyone has to do everything on the tour." Our group leader got in some trouble with Worldstrides for letting a family (2 parents and a high schooler) leave early one day, since they were dealing with some health and fatigue issues. Bottom line, I will NEVER use a Worldstrides tour again, even if it were free. This tour was over $5,000/person, and all they give us is a bus pass and the cheapest food/hotels they can find. Our group leader contacted Worldstrides about halfway through the tour, requesting private transport, especially given the weather forecast in Rome. But they didn't even bother to respond, let alone do anything about it. Worldstrides - you need to do better than this. read more

I traveled with a group of students to an extended experience in China - Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu, and Shanghai. The agenda was full and the execution was smooth. We had a nice balance of tourist activities (Wild Goose Pagoda, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, panda exhibit, Great Wall, TerraCotta Warriors, acrobatics show, silk-making and jade factories, etc) and all accommodations were great - hotels, restaurants, and transportation. Would have liked to visit an art museum or local library to get a better flavor of the culture. LOVED the martial arts school visit. A key factor to our immensely enjoyable and educational experience was our in-country guide, Kevin. He went above and beyond to decrease our wait time in lines at the train station and airport, and even retrieved lost items from other cities. He was informative, compassionate, helpful and always available. Everyone loved him. We have wonderful memories because of his extra efforts. read more

My biggest complaint is the customer service support from this company. Make absolute sure you are committed to going otherwise you don't get refunds and when you set a payment plan they are compromising when errors occur. It was clear when I set up my first payment and they gave me the run around to fix the error. My son enjoyed the trip but it was rush around to see the sites. Do heavy research before committing! read more

so I purchased insurance with them in case my child was unable to go and unfortunately, my child was unable to go so I have been since May trying to get my money back. They told me it would take 12 weeks. which I should I have been August 7 then when I didn't receive my money, I called. And they said they were going to expedite my payment and it would take one to two weeks which should have been August 21 and still I have not received my money. and now saying I have to wait another week and if I haven't received it by the 29th call again.. this has been a really bad experience and I feel like I've just been given the runaround. if I could I would give them a zero... read more

PARENTS BEWARE! They allow grown adults not affiliated with the school or the students go on these trips with MINORS! And they do not care when a group leader has a medical emergency. World strides does not care about the health and safety of the participants of their trips. My brother, the group leader, had to cancel last minute due to medical reasons. They are refusing to refund me the cost of the trip because of their standard cancellation policy or offer any type of exception. The only reason I was going on the trip was because I was the family member of the group leader. I am not affiliated with the junior high school in any way. I am not an educator. I do not have a child going on the trip. Now instead of taking care of my brother who is getting worked up for a heart condition. I am on the phone for hours dealing with this company and trying to get an exception for the money that I lost by not being able to go on the trip. I am also flabbergasted that this company would think it's appropriate to send a grown adult on this trip with minor children when they have no affiliation to the school or the minor children going on the trip. The only affiliation I had was to the group leader who is no longer going on the trip. I think it is extremely inappropriate that this company think it's ok to send a grown adult on a trip with minors when they have no longer have any type of affiliation with the school or the students. This company does not care about the health or safety of the minor students or the group leaders of these trips. Ane, Eric, Yvonna, and everyone else affiliated with this company should be ashamed of themselves. read more

Our group flew in from Seattle to DC and the other group that joined us flew from Portland into DC, each group flew into a seperate airport in DC and then drove 2 1/2 hours to Williamsburg, VA after a 5-hour flight. Day 1 in 97-degree weather was non-stop. And another very long day because after touring all day including a ghost tour we drove back to DC for 2 1/2 hours. I was so disappointed that our guide didn't make additional stops or stop in the shade for us. We were outside for the entire day. The chaperones had to request breaks. You could look at the kids and see how miserable they were. We really could have missed a few things to make it a better experience for them. In spite of having them drink water all day and resting when they could, Day 1 made Day 2 miserable. Food was extremely limited on what was available. Hamburgers, chicken nuggets, pizza. Some places had excellent food others not so much. The Mall food with limited choices was not great. Most kids, including this chaperone, paid for my own food so I could get something healthier. Marshall was our guide and was great to the kids but honestly walked too fast for about 1/2 our group. He did a good job about getting us in the shade but at one point told the kids they didn't need their water bottles. I don't think so!!! Most of the kids I talked to said they didn't have very much fun. It was too hot and non-stop. It would have been nice to have had a couple of afternoons or early evenings off to go to the swimming pool to relax. I would not recommend this company again. It too long to get information to us about our airlines. There was no thought to seat assignments. My husband and I were not seated together, believe me after 37 years of marriage we will live, but it was a disappointment the couldn't even coordinate that. Darla read more

They took amazing care of our kids. The put together a great package that allowed the kids to see so much the a short period of time. They showed them places they may not have been able to see otherwise. read more

WorldStrides - Just one of many photos my grandson took on the trip. - Travel Services Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

I went through and read a number of reviews that were left for this company, and while those experiences were awfully different than mine, I can't help to think that the guides were simply doing the best with the situation that they were presented with. My experience, and my daughter's experience was excellent. The tour guides were very knowledgeable and always kind to offer whatever additional information they could at each location. The days were absolutely packed, and while there was certainly a desire to spend more time at each location, they wanted to show as much as they could in the time they had, but keep it within reason. You could spend 3 straight weeks in DC or NY and not see it all. I think they really do the best they can to cater to the attention span of a 13-14 yr old, while still trying to make each stop meaningful. Please understand...these trips aren't made for the adults...they are for the kids...and the kids have pretty short attention spans, so they gotta keep it moving. This trip should hopefully inspire the kids to want to go back again to see certain things in more depth, or possibly just research certain things to learn more in-depth about certain things. read more

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Deeply Disappointed - Our Child Deserved Better I rarely leave reviews, but our experience with WorldStrides left us so frustrated and heartbroken that I feel it's necessary to speak up -- especially for other families considering them. We entrusted WorldStrides to organize our child's middle school trip -- a trip that was planned more than a year in advance, and one we paid a full, premium price for. This wasn't some discount experience -- every family paid the same amount, expecting the same level of care, attention, and experience for our children. What we got instead was a glaring example of inequity and poor planning. Our child was placed in Group B, and it became painfully clear that Group B was treated as an afterthought compared to Group A: * Flights: Group A enjoyed direct flights both ways. Group B had layovers in both directions, making their travel longer and much more exhausting. * Flight Times: Group A flew out in the evening and got proper rest. Group B had late-night flights, leaving our children sleep-deprived from the start. * Arrival & Start Times: Group A arrived early, had time to settle in, and started their itinerary refreshed. Group B arrived much later and was rushed directly into activities straight from the airport -- no time to rest, no time to adjust. * Attractions: Because of the timing difference, Group A got to visit an extra attraction. Group B missed it completely. Same price, less experience. * Food Cards: Even basic things like meal planning were mismanaged. Group B had issues with food cards, adding more stress and inconvenience. Our child came home exhausted and disappointed, and honestly, we as parents were heartbroken. This was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime educational trip. Instead, it left our child feeling left out, overlooked, and less important than their peers in Group A. There is no excuse for this kind of disparity. If all families paid the same amount -- and we did -- then every child deserves equal treatment and equal opportunity. What happened was unfair, poorly managed, and deeply disappointing. WorldStrides had more than enough time to plan properly and ensure equity between groups, but they failed. We expected professionalism, fairness, and care. What we got was chaos, exhaustion, and clear favoritism. We will not be using WorldStrides again and cannot recommend them to any other families or schools unless serious changes are made. Our children deserve better. read more

As a parent this is was smooth sailing from beginning to end. Information, sign up and communication. Our 8th grader also had a wonderful trip on top of all that! read more

They are so freaking like oh my God I haven't single that was good the food was bad the boat ride was bad The service was OK. I would not recommend. read more

My son had the opportunity to travel with friends from school and learn in an enjoyable manner while staying safe with a trusted company like WorldStrides. Thank you, WorldStrides. read more

I don't understand why schools choose this company but when you're stuck with their choice make sure you understand your options in paying: #1 Any money given to them at any point is gone for good unless you pay $169 up front for their travel insurance (I have never opted for their insurance so I'm not even sure that it works as painlessly as they say). So I encourage you not to pay unless you have to ($99 deposit sounds about right until you are entirely sure of your travel plans) #2 To pay by installment you need to pay $6 per invoice. If there are two installments they're netting $12 extra on top of the payment for the trip. Honestly worth it. I'm not giving them large chunks of money any earlier than I have to because I don't trust their business practices (once, a rep on the phone told me that they would only be charging a certain amount just to get me off of the phone, but when I got the credit card bill I found that they charged me an extra fee anyway and no one would respond to my request to refund the fee even though I told the rep on the phone I was only authorizing a certain amount, and that was before they had credit card fee disclosures on their website. sketch). #3 Realize that they will make you pay a 2% credit/debit card fee. I guess they're allowed to charge that stuff now in most states. I've never tried to use the credit card function to try to get a refund but I suspect that in all of their agreements that you electronically sign that you agree your money is gone; so not sure using a credit card is that useful. But, it also feels wrong to let them have your bank account number due to trust issues so ??? As for the trips themselves, I haven't heard anything from the child perspective that would cause alarm (2 trips), but I'm not sure the kids know what to look for--they are happy to miss school and hang out with friends regardless. You and the student do need to assume they are sharing beds with their roommates. read more

Contacting the company is a tedious process and even worse when overseas. A group of 12 was often seated away from each other , including a minor age 13 who sat alone on three of our five flights. My wife and I were never scheduled to fly together but fortunately people were kind enough to trade seats so that we could be together on our 16-hour, 8,000 MI trip. Tempted to contact me Airline who was unable to do anything due to the group booking. I was referred back to World strides who were unable to do anything as well other than recommend I speak with the people at the airport who may be able to accommodate us. Yeah, as you can imagine that with nowhere. read more

Our trip was packed full of activities and the kids had fun. The food was not very good and the airline flights were terrible. It definitely felt like world strides was cost pinching on the food and flights. The kids had a wonderful time in New York and DC but thought Philly was long and boring. The kids loved the tour guide in NYC. read more

Whomever is responsible for planning these trips should be fired. We were put on a red eye and were unable to know where our seats were prior to flying and couldn't talk to the airlines about moving seats to ensure children were with chaperones. We had kids mixed with other adults and parents and children not seated together. Then upon landing the insane mad dash to every event begins and does not stop until you arrive back at your original destination. They try and stuff so many free attractions into everyday to make it seem like you are getting your money's worth but the entire time you are just exhausted and are rushed through everything. Do not even get me started on how rude their tour guides are to you. Screaming and yelling at every turn when someone isn't staying in line which is hard to do with 40+ people. You are so exhausted from being forced to be awake for 24 hours to begin with that the entire trip is unenjoyable. They also book you at hotels that are 45 minutes out of town to save a buck. We spent more time on buses driving everywhere than we spent anywhere else. The food is horrible, we would get boxed lunches that were of low quality, most meals were barely a step above fast food and also you were rushed through each meal. Their debit cards to help pay for meals didn't work, and you were only allotted $15 for a meal, where in the US is that enough money for a meal? You are treated like cattle and just rushed through everything so they can check off a box that you saw an attraction. On our last day it was pouring rain and there was no changing the plan we were all still forced to walk over 5 miles around NYC in the pouring rain with everyone and everything soaked and then load the bus in the middle of the street and taken directly to the airport. Horrible experience. read more

Scammed us greatly because there was a discount with hidden fees but then they added up the price so it cost the same as before, take this company down!!!! Would NEVER recommend your child or children to go on this trip for school! read more

Super fun, the guides were nice and we went to a lot of places. The food was good, the bus rides, and the overall experience.

My son had a great trip overall. One improvement that could of been made was getting him to Washington, D.C. in time to do the scheduled activities for the first day. He had a 5 hour lay over, so some of the activities were shoved into the rest of the week and he felt rushed and overwhelmed by the amount of activity. He would rather have quality over quantity and slow down the day. He also had a 22 hour day on the last day, so that flight should have been scheduled sooner or made a direct flight. read more

We went with WorldStride this spring break to New York and kids performing at Carnegie Hall. With the amount of money we spent, you would assume that they would take care of everything for us to have a smooth trip, however, our own teacher had to spend so much time to make sure things happen. For example, checking in for flights and luggage, we had to make sure that students able to bring instruments. What lost my faith in this company? A: 110 people showed up to Top of the Rock to find out that we didn't have reservations, so given the option to go home and sleep or wait another hour for new tickets, it was late, we have to wake up early the next day for rehearsal, but voted to wait, of course this cut down the amount of time we could enjoy the views. B: showed up to ferry to Statue of Liberty to find out that we didn't have Timed entry, must line up with general public in the 3 hrs long line. We didn't have lunch, last ate breakfast 5 hrs ago. We got 5 minutes on the island to see the back of the statue. We were supposed to eat lunch on the island. We didn't get to go to Ellis island as scheduled. C: included meals we terrible, in nyc and we're eating like school cafeteria food that only had 1 menu, they ran out of vegetarian options. One restaurant wasn't sure if what they served had meat in it. D: we couldn't get into one of the breakfast place cuz another group were there, I guess someone forgot to reserve? Luckily by this time, one of the tour guide was able to find us another breakfast place. E: performing at Carnegie- we weren't allowed video tape or pictures during performance, they didn't bother taping also. Kids got ushered into bus directly after performing, so no chance for pictures of themselves or with family. What went right: we did get to perform at Carnegie, however no proof. We did get tickets to Hamilton, back corner but we were in. Overall, will never use this or recommend this company again. read more

Amazing from start to finish! Everything was well-organized and professionally managed. Activities were both fun and educational. The experience was exactly what I hoped my son would have. Highly recommend to other parents looking to give their child a global adventure! read more

Numerous problems with payment site. Lack of communication with our trip leaders cause of numerous unnecessary problems and headaches. Schedule left us sometime rushed and other times with major time to fill with high school kids. French Quarter Festival a terrible time to schedule this. Crowds impossible. read more

I would give zero stars if I could. This trip was consistently running late from the time we left until we got home, all due to poor time management from WorldStride. read more

I would have to agree with all the other comments about the business aspect of worldstrides. These school trips are insanely expensive and when life happens for whatever reason and you can't make the trip there is no refund of any sort and no remorse! Where does all our hard earned money go? Do we just fund someone else's vacation? It doesn't seem far and worldstrides doesn't make the refund program affordable. read more

If I could give world strides a 0 or negative numbers I absolutely would. What a SCAM!!!!! Most recent trip to Gothia Cup. They promise all these things at the beginning, then you agree, sign and pay then comes... bait and switch!!!!! Not only did the person who was supposed to be our contact stop replying then told we don't have one and to call the 800 number. Only we did have one and kept getting told different information. During the trip was horrendous, from the so called 3-4 star hotel with absolutely no basic services or amenities to the "tour guides" we had who said they're not tour guides, there will be no tours and went on to be two very nice gentlemen but unhelpful, bothered and apparently got a free trip from This. Half the time they were drinking, conveniently forgot their phones and were just useless. Icing on the cake with them for me was they didn't want to help during a medical situation initially replying there's a hospital nearby (alcohol on the breath at 11am). It wasn't until I pushed did he attempt to try which was ridiculous. Didn't even know the basics re: worldstrides but I'm convinced this is a SCAM of all scams. When on the trip given the continuous removing of initially agreed upon package, I requested a complete receipt breakdown down to the dollar / penny for myself and daughter knowing exactly how much hotel and food was less than half of what we paid. They said they cannot provide that. I've been on many group travel since I was a kid and always provided a breakdown. I have planned many groups travel and have all breakdown per headcount. This is unacceptable. If they do not provide compensation I will take further action. Avoid getting scammed and urge you to go elsewhere or have an expert individual manage it. read more

Dennis Diggins was the best part of our trip. I just wish we could've seen more on the trip. We went to see the Capital and the White House which I loved. If we went to more places I would give it a 5 star. Overall, great tour guide, and great places. :) read more

Alaska trip June 2022: Son went with other students & teacher from his high school group, but met up in Alaska with middle school & Junior high students. Main tour guide (Janet) was very informative, kind, took things nice & easy. Secondary tour guide (Jacob Berger) rushed them, even left our group (2 adults 5 teens) and 2 other small groups, on a mountain during a hike in Kenai Fjords National Park. Jacob took others down without the rest of the groups! When the groups left behind got down the mountain and told the guide that they were left behind, he didn't care. He said there was a "sweeper" -- yes, but she was left behind as well! Not enough money allotted for food on flying days when food was not included -- did this company assume people would skip meals? Group had to spend their personal money on meals. Food that was included was lacking. First night's dinner was supposed to be catered/ delivered to hotel, but was "cancelled" and the restaurant sent Domino's pizza. Only the 1st group got hot food -- by the time our group returned later from Potter's Marsh, it was cold. Taco bar another day was mediocre ground meat, peppers, rice. Spaghetti with meatballs another night was mediocre. Golden Corral was what they got for lunch on their last day, in Anchorage -- there are so many other better options there! All 3 lodgings booked were nice. One did not have AC so windows had to opened, just FYI. Glass roof train was cool. Catamaran ride was good except for getting nauseous after lunch (fed on the boat when it was speeding in rough waters!) Buses were good. Penny the driver was nice. read more

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My son just did DC trip at the end of his 8th grade and made so many memories! The entire trip from first email to when they bused him back to school at 2am from airport was very well communicated. Hotels, tours, museums were all executed very well and a memorable experience. Few reasons I didn't give 5, he wished he had the White House tour, better food choices, and some down time to chill at hotel! read more

Worst company Ever. Had to cancel because of passport issues for the young one. Been trying to get a refund for over 4months now. ive been told that the money was put into a bank account that has been closed for almost a full year. Everytime you call you get the run around. no one will ever send you to a manager. the CSRs just repeat the same false information. im ready to higher a lawyer and sue this company. read more

Stay away from WorldStrides I went as a chaperone with my daughter for her 8th grade DC Trip. This company's purpose is to make money and make money alone. I wish they spent some of the $1500 we paid per person to make us comfortable and feed us decent food. (1) They put us up at a hotel an hour outside DC. This added time, traffic, and when kids are tired that drive feels like forever. Further the hotel was awful with plumbing issues in multiple rooms. (2) WorldStride did not allow us to eat the hotel's breakfast. They brought pre-prepared food from somewhere else. Food was cold, hash browns had hardened, and scrambled eggs looked like a slab of gooey slime. (3) Adults (complete strangers) as in chaperones and teachers were forced to share rooms as long as they are of the same sex (as if that makes it acceptable). (4) In general, for middle school kids seeing that many memorials and cemeteries is a bit much. Design the itinerary that allows more time in the Capitol, the Supreme Court, MLK Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and the Museums. (5) WorldStride had security on each floor to watch over the students rooms. But they allowed kids to roam all over the hotel if the student gave an excuse without verifying it. One girl told the security guy she needed to pick up something from her Chaperone dad's room and she was allowed to leave the floor without an escort. This is a 13 year old in an unknown city at a late hour at night walking alone in the hotel. The one star is for the tour guide, and the driver who really kept us on schedule while giving us some time to explore (when the students were inclined to). read more

WorldStrides is the worst travel company there is. My recommendation is to stay away and look elsewhere. My daughter and I are currently on the trip from h#*% in Costa Rica with her school. To start off, instead of flying a direct flight out of DFW that left at 10 and arrived at 1. They made us drive an extra 20 miles to fly Southwest with a connection in Houston that departed at 6:30am. The direct flight was no more expensive so I assume they were getting kickbacks from Southwest. Lunch on the first day was at WalMart. They gave everyone debit cards with $15 on them but they did not work. Yesterday evening, dinner was at Dennys but even that had a fixed menu and they were unable to accommodate kids with food restrictions. To add insult to injury, the meals came with a soft drink with no refills. Today, they brought us to Sirapiquia but the hotel rooms that they booked for everyone have no A/C. The hotel wants another $45 per night to "upgrade". I'm not sure who thinks staying in a hotel room without A/C when it is 90 degrees and 90% humidity is reasonable. I suspect the rest of the trip will be more of the same. Looking to escape and pay my own way out of here... read more

WorldStrides organizers: You MUST offer better food options. I see from the reviews here that I'm not the only one whose child did not receive adequate protein or choices of entree. My kid doesn't eat burgers, and there were days they were the only choice at BOTH lunch and dinner. The DC/NY sights offered are good, and if your kid likes burgers 24/7, this is for you. But if you plan to book this trip for a kid who needs variety, I would organize with the other parents and demand WorldStrides give you a meal itinerary with what the kids will be offered. Example: Red Robin. While I thought they could pick an entree, they only offered them burgers and chicken fingers...and the chicken fingers were gone by the time it was my child's table to go to the buffet. So she had to buy her own food at the hotel when they returned (after we spent $4K plus!). She also said many places did not allow water bottles so they were all dehydrated. She's pretty scrappy about finding food & water so I know this was serious. So...if you plan to book, like I said: Demand a food itinerary with options. If not, your kid will be offered burgers almost every meal. read more

My daughter and I were left behind at the Eiffel Tower. We were in line for the lift to come down when I received a call that I needed to come down "now". The lift was taking too long so we ran down the stairs just to be left behind. It was 11:00 pm, it was cold and drizzling and my phone had no service. My phone only had service while connected to WiFi. It was a scary experience that I wish on nobody. We were stranded in another country with no phone service. Our tour guide, Carolina, had no sympathy and honestly didn't care. We managed to get back to our room at 2:00 am. Dinners and hotels were not "kid-friendly". We spent a majority of our time getting to restaurants that were a great distance from our hotels. We had 2 breakfasts to go that were ridiculous. We did nothing in London except a bus tour that was extremely boring especially for the students. After being left behind at the Eiffel Tower, Paris was hard to enjoy. Carolina was extremely rude and spent most of the trip singling out another parent as if she was a child. We tried our best to make Rome better. I was given a key to a room that was already occupied. The hotel's front desk staff was extremely rude and acted like it was our fault they gave us the wrong key. The restaurants we had our dinners at in Rome were rude. I missed the 1st one because I was sick in bed. The 2nd one was rushing us out. And the 3rd one wouldn't allow us to sit with our children so we walked out. Carolina then chose to yell across the restaurant, "why do you have to make a scene?" She was an extremely unpleasant woman. The time management on this trip was nonexistent. Promises were made and unfulfilled. Rome was hot. A hotel with a pool would've been nice for the students to unwind. A dinner that consisted of pizza would've been ideal. Dinners should have two options and include a drink. Late night activities should not be scheduled hours before having to catch a flight. Time to take pictures should be a given. read more

While the trip was fun and very educational, I have issues with several things. For starters, students were 3 per room, with no cot for the 3rd person. Now, I understand the girls shared beds, but the boys did not and 1 boy was forced to sleep on the floor, switching nights for the bed with the other boys. That's not fair. All students should be able to sleep comfortably in a bed, or even a cot. If cots are not available, then rooms should be booked with 2 students per room. We parents do pay for our students to go on this trip and sleep on the floor, or even be forced to share a bed. Another issue was the cash allotment for certain meals. $10 for breakfast is not enough when going to places that charge $10 for a breakfast sandwich alone. $15 for lunch and dinner at places where all they can buy is a burger or sandwich and not even have enough for a bottle of water. These kids were spending their own money to be able to get both food and drink just to be full and have the energy to do all the walking they did, taking way from money they wanted to spend on souvenirs of their trip. My 3rd issue is World Strides needs to be more aware of who they hire. The first guide in New York bummed a cigarette from someone on the street and smoked it while walking with the students. He also shared his political views and hatred for a President, calling him names and saying other inappropriate and unprofessional things about said President, directly to the students. Now, all that being said, I want to make sure I let you know that the guide in Virginia/DC was PHENOMENAL! Josiah P was absolutely AMAZING and everybody adored him. He walked fast, and it was a little hard to keep up at times, but his love for what he does and for the kids really showed. I wish everybody could experience him as a guide! I do wish we had been able to see things like the front of the White House and Treasury Dept instead of the back, but that will be saved for a personal trip for my son and myself. All in all, it was a fun trip, but the main issues I described at the beginning really need to be addressed. read more

This continues to be the worst experience of my professional career. I am so sorry that this company was chosen - their reputation, especially in the arts And music world, is HORRIBLE and for good reason. 0.0 At this point I'm just praying out students get home safely - just the worst company. Do not, ever use them. read more

My son's 8th Grade class took at trip to Washington DC through WorldStrides. Great experience, extremely organized and we all know there's no way we could have put together a better trip on our own. Every detail from start to finish was thought out and explained in advance. We were lucky that the chaperones (parents/teachers) helped make the entire week go according to plan. Aside from being tired from walking, all the kids enjoyed every minute and I belive this is a trip they will not soon forget. read more

WorldStrides - Travel Services Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

GAVE US UNSANITARY FOOD AND LEFT US AT A HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT! Our 4th grade class went on a tour of Sacramento. To summarize a day that started and ended with all disasters -- Absolutely rude and brash tour guides, two of three broken down buses, unsafe Subway sandwiches with warm meat and brown greens that were sitting in the bottom cargo of the bus, poor planning of having us sit on grass with no shade or picnic tables in 90 degree heat, they had NO clue that the Blacksmith shop was closed on Fridays, that nothing was going on in the Capitol on Fridays, and they had no educational information about any of the places we visited. Sound in our bus went out so our tour guide did kid movie trivia. When the second of the three buses broke down, they decided not to take us directly to the dinner restaurant (which was not vetted because it was dirty, no restrooms, and no AC) and instead dropped us off 100 feet from a homeless encampment!! Then they picked up the other people in the broken down bus, only to take them directly to the airport and leave us at the restaurant! We had to take rideshares to the airport!! To add insult to injury, when many of us sent a complaint email to WorldStrides, they sent us a callous, non-apologetic, canned response (signed by a person, so it couldn't have been automated). Absolutely UNACCEPTABLE. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!!!! read more