To think this trip is overpriced

[grumpysquash3]

DS1 is going on a trip to Rome with school for history. So far so good. It cost nearly £600 for three nights. Less good, but sort of ok.
Now it turns out that they have stupid flight times - by this I mean having to meet at school at 2am to go; returning to school at 1.30am.
It also turns out that they have to buy a picnic every lunchtime, and the three evening meals provided are just pasta or pizza and ice cream. They are staying in some kind of hostel, six to a room. Entry to the Coliseum and the Basilica is included at least.
AIBU or is this really expensive for what they're getting?
I think it will be a really good trip, but I'm just a bit disappointed in the details.

[pregnantat50]

I guess the insurance, adult places and flights are whats costing the money. try and see what it would come to if you booked it yourself but my guess is its to cover the above.

[Mrspotatohead18]

Like PP said it's probably insurance etc. I did 4 days in Rome with good flights, an apartment and entry to both sights, plus meals out (and supermarket food for cooking) alcohol and some cheap presents. That cost about £400 with flights spends and accommodation!

[Mrspotatohead18]

Oh and that what high season if that makes any difference

[pregnantat50]

actually did a calculation and for 3 nights, flights alone with easy jet which I got very cheap deals its £200 for flights, then £15 for insurance, extra for luggage, picking your seats and then another 400 for 3 nights accommodation , although a hotel and not a hostel...I think its a fairish price

[Anasnake]

Sounds about right to me as they're flying, coach holidays are cheaper. I'm a teacher and we did 3 days to Poland this year which was over £600 and Italy (Pompeii) last year which was 4 days and closer to £800.

[pregnantat50]

Italy is lovely though, she will have a wonderful time

[wishing4sun]

That's quite reasonable for a school trip with flights. We had a Barcelona trip for similar amount of time but was coach travel so 2 days traveling and was near on 800.00

[BackforGood]

It's always going to be much more expensive 'per day' for a short break, than a longer one, as so much of the cost is the travel.
Then I presume they will be packing in entry to quite a few famous places, which will add up.

[Oblomova]

I can't comment on pricing, and my child is only reception age, but from parents with older children at the local schools, the early hours start and end, while hellish, seems standard around here.

[BusyBeez99]

Do the parents have to fund the teachers going?

[parklives]

Errr...yes busy unless you want the kids to go alone!?!

[DurhamDurham]

Busy I think they do as the teachers are working, I'll stand corrected if I'm wrong.

[NapQueen]

Well the teachers won't be paying for themselves. So the cost of the kids going is partly the cost of their supervision I would imagine.

[RJnomore1]

TBH it's Rome, meals are mostly pasta or pizza and ice cream so that's not unusual.

I paid £1000 for dd to spend 4 nights in Iceland in the summer; the schools use specialist trip companies with insurance to hilt and local guides etc, I suspect you also cover the costs of the accompanying teachers as well. It's pricy but it's great experiences for them if you can afford it

Deck knows why they always have those horrendous departures and arrivals times though.

[NoraDora]

😂 yes busy, seeing as teachers are giving their time for free I'm not sure they'd want to pay for the trip!

[grumpysquash3]

I looked up flights and you can get Ryan Air flights very close to their travel times for about £60 return. They are going in February, in term time.

I keep thinking that if we went as a family, it was be 5 times that, so £3k and I would expect something better than a hostel.

But fair point that they must be covering the teachers places.

[user1484226561]

The teachers are volunteering four whole days and nights of their free time, unpaid, for the benefit of the children, and I take my hat off to them. No way would I ever consider doing that.

[harderandharder2breathe]

Um yes parents pay for teachers to go. I'm sure teachers would rather spend the money on an actual holiday than being on duty for 72 hours straight.

[Verbena37]

I think yes, parents fund the staff.
My dc is off to Switzerland in summer from Friday to Monday and they'll be walking up on the glaciers and visiting CERN LHC and all that. Are to about £575......staying in a ski lodge type hostel/hotel and with all meals included (hotel making up packed lunches). Flying with BA from London during the day.

[happypoobum]

Yes it sounds fairly correct to me. Including evening meal it seems a reasonable price for three nights in Rome. Also, with the flight times it sounds like they will have four fullish days which is great - so much to do and see in Rome.

The travel companies arranging student travel usually fix a price and say if 30 students go, four teachers go free, that kind of thing. Obviously the teachers cost will be absorbed into the unit prices.

[Celaena]

are they flying with Ryan air then?

[FuzzyWizard]

The companies that schools usually book with don't charge for teachers they will give a free teacher place for every X number of students, but they obviously charge more for student places to cover the cost. The cost obviously includes a certain number of meals but added on to this there is often coach hire or public transport fares and a guide for the days they are there, entry to museums etc. When you add it all up I think they usually work out fair in terms of cost.

[grumpysquash3]

are they flying with Ryan air then?

I actually don't know, but they are definitely not on the flights I looked up earlier. Those were from Stansted. The trip goes out from Heathrow and back to Gatwick. School is 25 minutes north of Stansted which would have been far more convenient

[NoraDora]

Don't forget all the coach travel, that adds up quickly.