Posted on Mon, Feb 27, 2012
There has never been a better time to plan an educational tour with Casterbridge! We are pleased to present our Diamond Early Booking Incentives! These tour incentives are the best set of rewards that we have ever offered to our Program Leaders. Book your education group by providing the first 10 deposits by March 31, 2012 and you will qualify for our Diamond Reward Package.
Earn up to three free trips, earn a cash bonus of up to $2,200, and provide the very lowest rates possible for your tour participants! Here are the wonderful rewards available for you and your group!
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A Weekend Getaway in Historic Virginia or an iPad2 ®
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A Weekend Getaway in Southern England or an extra $500 cash
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Cash bonuses up to $2,200
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A guarantee of 2012 Land Rates on your group's 2013 tour
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Free travel on your group's tour
Contact us today to begin planning your educational tour!
Posted on Wed, Feb 23, 2011
The Kings & Queens of England
Our educational tour of London begins at Westminster Abbey, where Britain's Kings and Queens have been crowned since 1066. A highly trained Blue Badge guide will lead our private tour.
Click below to briefly review 12 centuries of history at Westminster Abbey:
We continue with a stroll past Parliament Square and Big Ben.
(Bonus points for anyone who can successfully photograph Churchill's statue, the Clock Tower, a double-decker bus, and the Union Flag in one shot!)
Next, we'll board a boat for a leisurely River Thames Cruise.
We will disembark at Tower Pier, which of course is named after the Tower of London. Here is a short introduction to this historic site:
After this educational tour of London that highlights the Kings and Queens of England, many groups choose to spend the evening in Piccadilly Circus or Leicester Square. Taking in a West End Show [The King's Speech is scheduled to open in late 2011!] is also a fitting finale to this thematic day.
Some of our most popular educational tours to Britain that include this thematic day can be viewed here: http://casterbridgetours.com/index.php/itineraries/division/educational_travel/21/57
Call 1-800-522-2398 to speak with a tour coordinator about an educational travel program to England. You can also request information online or download our worldwide educational tour catalog.
Posted on Tue, Feb 15, 2011
Educational travel is immensely helpful in applying classroom learning and forging lasting impressions.
Rick Steves' website offers simple and concrete guidance on what to pack. (More on how to pack in a future post.)
The old adage for packing goes like this:
- Lay out everything that you want to take on a bed
- Put half back in the closet
- Pack what's left
This sounds so simple, but it's hard to do! Here's how you can conquer the Boy Scout urge to always be prepared.
Pack One Bag
And make sure it's a carry-on! This lessens the chance of loss, theft, and damage. You'll also be glad to be able to easily carry your bag for long distances, which you will probably have to do more than you think. Expect to carry your own bag wherever you go, even up a few flights of steps. Steves offers this recommendation: "Don't pack for the worst scenario. Pack for the best scenario and simply buy yourself out of any jams."
Clothes
Bring fewer clothes and wash them more often. Try to pack darker clothes that dry quickly and resist wrinkles. Try to avoid wearing shorts in Europe.
Gadgets
In Europe, you will need your appliance to run on 220 voltage. Many newer devices can run on 110 (what we use in the U.S.) and 220 (including most electric shaver charges.)
You'll also need a plug adaptor to fit the receptacles where you are traveling.
To save money, research what you'll need well beforehand and order online so you don't overpay at the airport!
With some forethought and practice, packing with become easier and easier. Taking less stuff allows you to more fully enjoy the country that you are visiting. After learning to travel, you can travel to learn!
Source: http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/packlight.htm
Posted on Wed, Nov 10, 2010
Why settle for a standard educational tour? Why not custom-design an educational tour that includes experiential activities, combined with educational visits and cultural experiences?
Casterbridge offers educational tours that go beyond your standard educational travel experience by including interesting activities that are “hands-on.” These activities can be the difference between a good educational tour and a great educational travel experience.
When in Paris you must visit the Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Eiffel Tower, but why not also include a Patisserie Class while in Paris? While on the French Riviera, why not create your own perfume, design your bottle, and bring it home!
When in Italy, take cooking classes, engage in a pizza making demonstration, or make gelato. In Perugia, learn to make chocolate in one of the great chocolate centers of Europe.
When in Scotland, why not learn the crafts of Kilt Making or Glass Painting? Students can design, make, and bring home a glass paperweight from Perth. There is no greater souvenir than one you create!
For any worldwide destination, Casterbridge can suggest wonderful experiential activities that you can include on any custom-designed educational tour. We are dedicated to providing participants and group leaders alike with unique experiences that can enhance your educational tour. Let us help you design a trip to include educational visits, cultural experiences, and recreational activities!
Here are a few of our favorite experiential activities:
- Incan Ritual Demonstration in the Sacred Valley
- Volunteering at an Orphanage in Merida, Mexico
- Learning and playing Cricket in London
- Japanese Tea Ceremony in Kyoto
- Chinese Calligraphy classes in Xi’an
- Create a Costa Rican Ox Cart in Sarchi
- Learn the art of Falconry in Ireland, Scotland, or Austria
- Take Flamenco Lessons in Madrid
- Experience Curling in Bavaria
- Discover the Art of the Salmon Bake in the Pacific Northwest
- Design and Take home a Mardi Gras Mask in New Orleans
- Miniature golf at St. Andrews in Scotland
You still have time to plan for 2011 or you can get a jump on 2012! Register online, or call us at 1-800-522-2398 to begin planning an educational tour of a lifetime for your group!
See What Our Group Leaders Have to Say:
"The trip was incredible. I would recommend highly that you add the Perugina cooking lesson to your itineraries. It was phenomenal. We made chocolates from scratch. For 4 hours, the chef taught all of us how to make chocolate candy. I think that it was the highlight of the tour."
S.G. - Group Leader - Georgia
Posted on Fri, Oct 01, 2010
The new Casterbridge Tours catalog for worldwide educational tours is now available. Casterbridge is the leader in providing quality educational tours to Europe and around the world. We would be pleased to send you one of our brand new, full-color catalogs featuring student travel programs in destinations on six continents.
Casterbridge specializes in private, custom-designed group tours for student and adult groups. Our new catalog will provide you with background information on what makes Casterbridge unique in group travel, supply you with information on organizing a group tour for students or adults, and feature sample itineraries, all of which can be customized to meet your needs, from destinations across the globe.
Browse through our “tried and true” educational tours to Europe, Africa, Asia, South America, Central America, and North America. If you do not see exactly what you are looking for, contact us to custom-design an educational tour to the destinations of your choosing, on your guaranteed travel dates, and around the educational travel theme for require for your group.
Contact us online now, or call us at 1-800-522-2398 for a phone consultation with a Regional Tour Coordinator. We will be pleased to assist you in planning a student travel program or life-long learning program!
Posted on Wed, Sep 15, 2010
Each week we are going to give you our top ten favorite visits, activities or experiences in a particular destination. Here are ten great visits or experiences that you can include on any educational tour to Madrid with Casterbridge.
Number 10 – Enjoy a group tour of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, housing a collection of European paintings including works by El Greco, Velázquez, Dürer, Rembrandt, Canaletto, Caravaggio, Hals, Goya,Picasso, Sargent, Kandinsky, Homer, Pollock, Rothko, Hopper, and Lictenstein.
Number 9 – Explore the massive Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas, Madrid’s spectacular bullring built in 1931 to accommodate 25,000 spectators. In addition, visit the Museo Taurino, which will serve as an introduction to the controversial sport of bullfighting.
Number 8 – Tour the Royal Tapestry Factory, where skilled artisans continue the age-old process of making exquisite tapestries. Nearly every tapestry created today is based on a cartoon by Goya, who was the factory's most famous employee.
Number 7 – Any student travel program is sure to be enhanced when including a Madrid Bike Tour, where you will explore the main sites and attractions in Madrid. The three-hour tour includes a local guide that will lead the group through Madrid, and then commentate at each stop. Get some exercise and admire the beauty and charm of Madrid on your next educational tour to Spain.
Number 6 - Enjoy a cultural experience by having a Paella Dinner while on an educational tour to Madrid. chefs in Madrid make wonderful traditional Paella, and this is an excellent opportunity to eat like the locals.
Number 5 - Explore the Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, which houses the greatest repository of 20th century art in Spain. The museum houses Picasso’s masterpiece, Guernica, which immortalizes the tragic blanket bombing of the Basque town by the German Luftwaffe fighting for Franco during the Spanish Civil War.
Number 4 – Take a break from educational travel experiences and enjoy the relaxing atmosphere in the Parque del Retiro, once the grounds of Felipe IV’s royal palace complex. Take the opportunity to interact with the locals and hire Row Boats around the park’s shallow lake.
Number 3 - Visit the Palacio Real, a huge palace with over 2,000 rooms filled with art treasures and antiques, including Tiepolo ceilings and paintings by Goya.
Number 2 – A Wonderful interactive cultural experience awaits those groups that include Flamenco Dance Lessons on their educational tour to Madrid. Learn the art of Flamenco dance and music with trained professionals. Who knows, you may have the next great talent in your group!
Number 1 – Take a guided group tour of the Prado, one of the world’s finest art museums. A local specialist-guide will provide an educational travel experience to remember, as you will learn about and view works from the Spanish masters, such as Velazquez, Goya, and El Greco; as well as other European masters like Raphael, Bosch, Rubens, Titian, and Caravaggio.
Please be sure to explore our “tried and true” Spain Itineraries, including Madrid based itineraries where all of the above visits and experiences can be included on your next educational tour to Spain.
Posted on Tue, Sep 14, 2010
Many group tours to Germany include a day or more in the beautiful Rhine Valley. But why not add an extra day to your custom-designed itinerary and travel into the Mosel Valley for a visit to Burg Eltz on your next educational tour with Casterbridge?
Burg Eltz, or Eltz Castle, is a truly hidden gem for an educational tour in Germany; it is one of the most beautiful medieval castles in Europe. The castle can easily be reached while based in the Rhine Valley and can be combined with brief stops in many of the charming and quaint small towns along the Mosel River.
Burg Eltz began to develop as early as 1157, during a period where medieval castles were just coming into existence. The castle was built in a strategic location to protect an important trade route along the Mosel River, and was constructed on a rocky crop of land that added to its defensive advantage.
Today the castle appears much as it did in the 14th-century and provides for a wonderful experience on any educational tour to Germany. With Casterbridge you will have a guided group tour of Burg Eltz. This educational travel experience will bring to light the life of a powerful family in Medieval Germany.
During your group tour you will visit many halls and bedrooms of the castle, including the magnificent Knight’s Hall and Banner Hall. The castle is also filled with armor, period furniture, game trophies, important works of art, and tapestries.
Burg Eltz is certain to enhance any student travel program, but is also a great option for any adult or alumni group on a group tour to Germany. Casterbridge offers educational tours that include a visit to Burg Eltz.
Register online today to get a quick quote and begin planning an amazing educational tour to Germany with Casterbridge Tours.
Posted on Mon, Sep 13, 2010
Welcome to the first posting on our new and exciting Casterbridge Tours Blog, where you will find a world of possibilities for educational tours and cultural travel, as well as a wealth of fresh ideas for your future group tour plans.
Check back on a regular basis or link to our RSS feed for a wide range of fascinating features that will include:
• Undiscovered Jewels and Hidden Treasures – off the beaten track gems to be found on the road less traveled!
• Our Destination of the Week – reviews, unique experiences, and feedback from recent travelers;
• Virtual Visits – view online slideshows that offer stunning visual overviews of the most historic and picturesque locations on earth;
• Learn to Travel - Travel to Learn – Receive the latest group travel news, views, and practical updates from around the globe;
• Interactive Itineraries –slide shows and hyperlinks which provide a virtual experience of some of the greatest touring itineraries on the planet;
• Top Ten Tours – the definitive experience, not to be missed attractions, and visits in the world’s great destinations.
• Cross-Cultural Connections – Meet and mingle with the people, enjoy unique hands-on opportunities to get behind the tourist facade and immerse yourself into the local culture for an unforgettable appreciation and understanding of the local way of life. Be it for your own personal travel plans, those of friends or family, or for a future group you are organizing. You are certain to gain invaluable insights and updates that could contribute to making your next trip a truly educational travel experience as you Aspire, Explore, Achieve....
