First school trip abroad with school - what top tips / advice for your children- and how did you survive?

[SNoraWotzThat]

For any of you that have older children please share your experience.

DD1 is 11 (yr 7) coach trip to France - I need to calm my nerves.

DH keeps saying she'll be fine - I'm sure she but there is a little voice in head keeps saying "oh my - what have I done?"

Is it the coach bit that's worrying you?

Yes and the stopping off at service stations in France
and being in the hotel room at night...keeping her passport and money safe (no room safe)....

I am worrying aren't I?

Where are they staying, sia public hotel or a schools type venue ? Can you ask teachers what will happen about money and passports . They may keep them together safely and limit pocket money. If this is a regular trip can you talk to someone whose child has been before ?

I expect the teachers will keep the passports--that's what happened on my son's trip. I think they kept some of the money, too. Just remember that tens of thousands of children do this every year and the teachers are very good at managing the trips.

My DS went to France last year in Y7. The teacher looked after the passports and money - just giving out enough for the day. He stayed in a "hotel" that was only used by school children and there were 4 in his room with a 2 teachers on both floors.
She will be fine - but I have to say I breathed a massive sigh of relief when he got back safe and sound!

I could talk to someone - its a different trip this year though, so not sure what would be gained.
The hotel a french version of a travel lodge - public - short stay kind of place 2star hotel (I stayed in one and its was rough) Maybe that's why I am worrying.

Went to a school meeting and all the child's personal belongings are up to them to keep safe. They do keep a back-up fund if things go wrong. Should be at least 2 or maybe 3 in a room.

there are no room safes - I checked the website

I will give her a padlock for her suitcase ! We will have to get some Euros and have a practice of their value.

Some of the French Travel Lodge-type hotels are actually lovely. There was a Novotel near Troyes that my children loved so much they actually didn't want to drive on to the ski resort! We have stayed in many of these and found them generally excellent.

Bridie3 thank you

I just haven't been sleeping well, daft isn't it?
She is very tall for her age and doesn't look 11 (much older) and I don't know how she got to be so grown up - when it only seems like yesterday I taught her to ride a bike! She still likes a good cuddle and squashes me when she sits on me!

I am sure it will all be fine, they are also having a day http://www.futuroscope.com/eng/plan.php here and I have only just started letting her go to town on her on while I sit in a cafe. It's big isn't it? They can all go off and 'do their own thing' in min of groups of 4. She did have a school trip in year 6 to a UK theme park and I'm glad she did for the experience of it.

Thank God for mobile phones.

try here

That looks amazing. I bet she'll come back just thrilled with what she's done. The teachers are, in my experience, very caring on these trips. It matters to them that the children enjoy themselves and are safe.

It will be a wonderful experiece for her. Risk assessments will have to have been carried out, covering ever aspect of the trip.

I'm sure that she will be safe. DS went on similar trip to France in his Y7. The only downside - probably confined to boys - is that they all came back with scary knives and bb guns that seemed to be readily available in France. I hope your DD's school have banned this.