Organising School trips to Paris are always a memorable experience for the students and the teachers. What about toping up that trip with a few tips that will make it unforgettable and hassle free ?
Here are top 3 tips we can give you based on our experience with school trips organisors :
- Mobility : how to save time on arrival and departure ?
- Safety: how to keep your student safe ?
- Logistic : Save 1 days worth of time by liberating you and your students from lugagge
N°1 Mobility: how to save time on arrival and departure ?
Navigating the City of Lights with many kids, teenagers or young adults can be an epic effort. We learnt with our customers a few things can be done prior arrival to make that easy for you.
Buy metro cards prior arrival
You will most certainly travel through Paris using bus or subway. Really, using Coaches is not needed, public transport is extremely well organised.
You can buy prior arrival your tickets. As a group of students, you'll most likely be more than 20 pax traveling.
What ticket should you buy for student under 26 years old ?
You have many options on the official website. Have a look yourself but here are our recommendations based on value for money and also ease of mind. No question about where you can or cannot use the tickets depending the transport zoning...Both options below are valid everywhere.
If you are visiting Paris during a week end choose : Forfait Navigo Jeune. Its cost 5€ a day for unlimited travel during weekend and bank holidays.
If you are visiting Paris during working days choose : Forfait Navigo Semaine. It costs 30€ for 7 days, unlilmited. Watch out : it is a pass valid from Monday to Sunday and the pass will necessarily starts on Monday. If you buy it on wednesday, it will start on the next Monday. So you'll need to anticipate the purchase but definitely worth the trouble, it is the most valuable offer you can find. As an example, if you stay 3 days only, it is 10€ a day (or equivalent of 6 trips single way tickets). Even though you are using it only three days out of 7, it is already cheaper than any other tickets with the same zoning. Great no ?
Warning : in both cases, you'll need a spacial ticket to go to the airport.
How to buy These tickets ?
The best is to use your mobile phone. Why ? because paper tickets are magnetised. If they happen to be close to keys or phones too long, they won't work anymore and you'll have to go to a counter to change them. This can very long to do so. Second reason, they are easily lost. Really, best option, as much as you can, it to buy those with a phone.
For Android or Iphone, download those file and make your students download the app, create an account and pre-charge their phone with the tickets. Then, in France, they can use their phone as a ticket. Additional benefit : all gates are equiped for scanned tickets where paper based are disappearing. You'll save loads of time at metro or bus entrance, trust us !
What are the alternatives in case the one above doesn't fit ?
Well, you can buy the tickets are arrival at a counter or through a electronic device. Bear in mind, you'll have to queue, distribute the tickets to the students and will have to manage the lost or non working tickets along the journey.
If you are organising the trip with a travel agencies, refer to them to sort this out for you. Alternatively, if you book a service with Alfred, we can arrange that for you at arrival as well. See below the service we offer to School groups or trips.
Book a luggage transfer service with Alfred
Draggable luggage can quickly become a nightmare and take away from the unique attractions the city has to offer. Many school trips to Paris involve long days, crowded attractions and unique experiences, all of which can be ruined when facing a mountain of luggage. The good news is that with a little bit of extra planning, you can save a day of logistical headaches and devote that time to other activities. One way to save a day of logistical headaches (and draggable luggage) during a school trip to Paris is to find a luggage transfer service.
How does it work ?
Alfred will pick-up your luggage at arrival and deliver them at the place and time of your choice. At arrival or Departure, everywhere in France and in Paris. From experience, this service save 4 hours of trip minimum of the groups we already served. You can enjoy your first and last day, free of trouble.
On departure day (the most sensitive day), we dedicate a driver for the order. We want to make sure we are ahead schedule to deliver luggage on time, stress-free prior to entering airport or train.
Go to Contact us section if you'd like more information about that service.
N°2 Safety: how to keep your students safe ?
Paris has increasingly see its population grow over the last decade and become a multi-modal transport city. If your students are of age to have some free time to explore the city independently, you may be anxious for their safety.
Our best tip is to make a safety brief with them with following instructions :
- Do not explore the "fringe" quarters of Paris. Stay in popular quarters if it is a first time trip.
- Avoid the subway after midnight. It is not dangerous, but depending on where you are or where you'll go, chances are greater to encounter individuals making you feel unconfortable. It is not worrying when you know the langage as you can engage and appreciate if the situation is dodgy. However when you are a foreigner, you don't have that chance. Better to avoid that situation where you are unsure what is happening.
- Always...Close your items in zipped bags. Foreign Tourists are seen from a distance, without hearing the langage.
- Be mindful of where you walk and where you cross. Paris is a dense city, where bikes, bus, cars, scooters evolve without being very mindful of you. There are more and more place where we (french !) don't feel safe crossing side walks. The city is shifting to greener mode of transports, unfortunatly some areas have not been thought through well enough. Make sure, really, to inform students despite their excitement, to be mindful of the paint on the floor signaling Bike or Bus alleys. Electric device circulate without any prior noise, from anywhere. Again, it is not dangerous as long as you pay attention.
N°3 location: where to find an accommodation in Paris ?
For school trips, you probably wish to find a place close to every attraction. There are no many options for a cheap and decent price. Group operators may be of great helps, otherwise turn to Hostels way in advance to place a booking.
If you want to make your journey worth the time, stay close to city center and prefer hostels located in the following area (safe and reasonnably priced) : 9th, 10th and 11th arrondissements.
