Study Tours for Universities & College Groups

A Different Class

Trips designed around you
Whatever teaching outcomes you’re planning, we can work closely together to design your perfect trip. Whether you’re focusing on A Level of Degree topics, Equity Student Travel will plan an exciting tour around you and your students.

Talk to destination experts
You are undoubtedly the experts on your students; we can give you detailed destination advice. We’ll help you weigh up the pros and cons of accommodation and give you advice on which excursions and attractions fit in best with your subjects. Together, we can provide an exciting, manageable and educationally effective tour for your group.

We take the strain
You can relax knowing the trip will run to the highest possible standards as Equity are members of ABTA. We’ll take the strain of planning, leaving you to teach.

Something different for your students
Once at the destination we’ll help to ensure students get the most out of their trip. We can organise guided tours to complement your learning objectives. Our customer feedback shows it’s not only the students who learn a thing or two from the guides' knowledge!

About Equity

Equity Travel was founded in 1991 and is a leader in the field of University and College residential and study tours for student groups. Our company is based in Brighton.

Membership

Equity Student Travel is an Assured Member of the School Travel Forum (STF) and in booking with us you can be secure in the knowledge that we:

• Understand and facilitate the needs of educational travel
• Have effective Safety Management Systems in place, specifically focused on travelling with young students
• Offer fair terms and condition and the best financial security

To ensure our health and safety standards are maintained our systems and procedures are fully audited annually by independent experts.

STF membership is the benchmark for good school tour providers; consequently it is an Awarding Body for the prestigious Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge.The Outdoor Education Advisors Panel (OEAP) endorses the Quality Badge and requests Local Authorities to recommend the use of Badged Providers and require the minimum of additional paperwork where Quality Badge accreditation is in place.This means that you can book your trip with confidence, meet your due diligence and reduce the amount of External Provider paperwork necessary.

Protection

Equity is fully ABTA bonded and has IATA and ATOL licences so any monies paid to us are completely secure.

Why Equity?

Years of Experience

We are experts with over 15 years of experience in organising student tours, and we pride ourselves on the quality of our services, which is one of the main reasons universities and colleges book with us each year. We provide accurate and friendly advice and we are here to help you with all your travel needs.

Customer Service

You will receive the highest standards of service you would expect from a company with so many years experience in the student travel market. Our knowledgeable, experienced & friendly members of staff will assist you at every stage of the booking process. Customer service is our top priority.

Knowledge

Our staff members have visited the key destinations we offer to your students and can provide advice on the different types of accommodation and the best places to visit during your stay.

Accommodation & Transport

All our accommodation and transport both in the UK and overseas have been inspected either by a member of the Equity Student staff or by our local agents to ensure they conform to the highest safety standards. We have carried out safety audits on all suppliers currently used on our tours.

Flexible Payment Plans

We fully understand how difficult it can be for students to fund their trips therefore we will only ask for an initial deposit to confirm your booking.  The balance is then due 10 weeks prior to departure however in some instances we can extend your due date.  Please speak with a member of staff who will be happy to discuss payment terms with you.

Tour Packs

To help you advertise the trip and promote the educational benefits gained from their visit we will provide you with relevant Destination Information, Posters, Luggage Labels and Insurance (if you take out Equity Student Travel's comprehensive insurance policy). If you require any further assistance please let us know and we will do as much as we can to help you with your tour.

Financial Security

Equity Student Travel are fully ABTA (W0798), ATOL (2680) & IATA (9127495) bonded – all our Air Tours are protected by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). This is done through our ATOL Licence which protects you from losing your money or being stranded abroad. If a tour operator goes out of business, the CAA will make a refund to you or if abroad will arrange for you to finish your holiday and fly home. Our Coach Tours are protected under a financial failure insurance policy. If the coach company goes out of business then we will arrange for your return to the UK (or within the UK). This scheme is approved by ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents). Because we are regulated by ABTA and we do our utmost to act at all times in accordance with the ABTA Code of Conduct.

24 Hour Emergency Duty Office & Fully Comprehensive Insurance

If for any reason you have an emergency whilst on your trip you can contact our 24 emergency duty office and immediately speak to an experienced member of staff who will assist you. For a peace of mind you can take out our fully comprehensive insurance policy specially put together for student tours. Please ask a member of staff for further information.

Value for Money. How do we do this?

Because we are part of the Education Travel Group, the UK's leading supplier of educational group tours we have negotiated exceptional rates with all our hotels, transport suppliers and the major city attractions in the UK, Europe and Worldwide. The quality of your tour is not compromised because we are competitively priced and are able to match or beat any tour price on a like for like basis.

Inspection Visits

Seeing the place you are taking your students makes it easier for you to manage, plan and organise your trip. We are happy to arrange an inspection visit for you and a colleague or spouse.

Safety Management System (SMS)

Our SMS document sets out the standards required for each component of our tours. Audits are completed annually to guarantee that our hotel and transport suppliers meet all safety regulations and have appropriate documentation. In addition, we understand the challenges party leaders' face when organising trips, so in order to help you ensure the tour is as safe as possible, we are happy to assist with risk assessments and any other safety planning.