| What documentation does my child need? |
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| For tours within Canada a valid Health Card is required. For tours outside of Canada a valid passport or proper government issued documentation is required.
The passport must be valid six months after the return date. It is the responsibility of the parent and passenger to ensure that they have proper documentation when travelling. Visas may be required for some destinations.
Passport information/application visit: www.ppt.gc.ca
For visa information contact the embassy of the destination you are visiting : www.embassy.org |
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| What if my child has a food allergy? |
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| Student food allergies are always of utmost importance to us and to our meal suppliers. Brightspark takes great care to record all allergy information received from the school and to ensure our restaurants receive all the details in advance of the meal. We ask that all passengers indicate their dietary restrictions on our reservation form at the time of booking. Before the tour departs, we will send this information to the restaurants on the schools behalf. Upon arrival at the restaurant the tour leader and head teacher will re-confirm the allergy information with the wait staff and duty manager. For more information about the meal and resturant, we suggest the parent call ahead to all of the restaurants their child will be eating at to further ensure the information has been received and noted. |
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| My child has a special need; how will this be accomodated? |
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| Please let us know what accommodations your child will require while on tour. We work with your child’s teacher and our suppliers to ensure a positive travel experience. |
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| What does my child need to bring on tour? |
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| The key to packing and dressing while on tour is comfort. We recommend comfortable walking shoes and loose fitting seasonable clothes. Depending on the choice of activities specific clothing may be required, for example bathing suits. Please refer to the Brightspark suggested packing list and your schools itinerary. |
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| Does my child need to take money on tour? |
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| Yes, as most tours do not include lunches, items of a personal nature or souvenirs, we suggest you send some spending money with your child. Brightspark recommends a minimum of $10.00 per day. |
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| What if my child has to cancel? |
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| Deposits are non refundable upon receipt. All payments up to the full cost of the trip are non refundable and non transferable within 60 days of the departure date. If you have purchased insurance through Brightspark some or all monies may be refundable depending on the specific reason for cancellation. |
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| How much luggage should my child bring? |
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| We suggest you pack one medium sized suitcase which will go under the bus and a carry-on knapsack. Brightspark has created suggested packing lists for our spring and winter tours. |
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| What happens if my child gets sick on tour? |
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| On each tour, we have provided a complimentary ratio of chaperones to students. Should a child become ill during the tour, it is the role of the chaperones to ensure that the student receives appropriate medical attention. Our guides are trained in basic first aid and can direct chaperones to the best places for medical attention. We suggest that all passengers purchase travel and medical insurance at the time of booking. |
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| Is there night supervision? |
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| Yes, in our Canadian destinations night supervision is included in the cost. We provide one night supervisor for every bus. For our United States tours, night supervision can be arranged if requested by the school at an additional cost. The hours the night supervisor is on duty is up to the individual school. |
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| If there is an emergency, how can I get a hold of my child? |
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| In the event of an emergency, parents can call our office during regular business hours, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. We also have a 24-hour emergency number. |
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| Does your company offer or recommend purchasing insurance? |
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| Yes, we offer and highly recommend purchasing travel cancellation and health insurance. Information on insurance packages can be found on your reservation form. Passengers must purchase insurance with initial deposit. |
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| What kind of transportation will the group be taking? |
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| Our company works with the most reputable coach companies in the industry. We will let the school know which company will be used for their tour, so that the school board can approve it. Each motor coach we use will come equipped with a public address system, air-conditioning and washroom facilities. Most come with televisions and VCRs or DVD players. The majority of the buses we book will be either 47 or 56 passenger coaches, depending on your group size. If a group is smaller than our average size we may book a smaller vehicle; most of which do not have the same amenities mentioned previously. |
