Everything you need to take a group abroad
The planning timeline, the questions directors ask, how groups fund a tour over a school year, and how safety and insurance are handled.
Eighteen months, in order
- 18 to 15 months out
Decide the season and get a first outline
Choose a travel window that fits your school calendar and performance season. Request an outline and price range so you have numbers before you talk to administration.
- 15 to 12 months out
Approve the proposal, hold the parent meeting
Board or principal approval, then the parent meeting with our deck. Deposits collected, venues confirmed in writing, hotels and coach held.
- 12 to 9 months out
Airfare and payment plan
Group airfare is booked, the installment plan starts, fundraising calendar runs. Passport applications begin for students who need them.
- 9 to 4 months out
Repertoire and logistics
Repertoire agreed with each venue's music office, instrument plan finalized, rooming lists, medical and consent forms collected through our portal.
- 4 to 1 months out
Final itinerary and briefing
Balance due 60 days out. Final itinerary book for every traveler, chaperone briefing, packing lists, emergency contacts, and a pre-departure call with your tour manager.
- Departure
Your tour manager meets you at arrival
From the arrival gate to the flight home, Hollis Ridge runs the day so you can run the ensemble.
Directors who start eighteen months out get first choice of venues and the best airfare. Twelve months is comfortable. Nine is possible.Jordan Calloway, Director of Operations
Funding a tour over a school year
Most groups of 40 to 90 travelers fund a tour with a deposit, three installments and one or two fundraising pushes. Nobody receives a single large invoice.
- Deposit at sign-up, installments spread across the school year, balance 60 days before departure
- Online payment portal for families, with statements for the director
- Fundraising guide with the ideas that actually work for music programs: benefit concerts, sponsor-a-seat, community partners
- One complimentary place per ten paying travelers, applied to directors and chaperones as you choose
- Booster and PTA-friendly documentation: itemized budget, cancellation terms, insurance summary
What is in place before you board
- A Hollis Ridge tour manager with the group every day, plus a 24-hour emergency line to Asheville
- Vetted hotels with group floors and night reception; coach operators with current safety records and rested drivers
- Group travel insurance offered at sign-up, covering medical, cancellation and baggage
- Chaperone briefing, headcount routines, room checks and a written emergency plan for each city
- Medical and dietary information collected in advance and shared only with the tour manager
Before you request a proposal
How far ahead should we start planning?
Twelve to eighteen months before departure is ideal for choirs and orchestras, and up to twenty-four months for large bands that need instrument logistics and bigger hotel blocks. Later requests are possible, but venue choice narrows.
What is included in the per-person price?
Everything listed in the proposal: hotels, private coach, listed meals, performance venues and fees, guided visits, entrance tickets, a tour manager from our team, and travel insurance options. Airfare can be included in the price or booked separately. Anything not included is stated in writing.
How is the price affected by group size?
Prices on this site are based on 40 paying travelers. Larger groups pay less per person because coach, guide and tour manager costs are shared; smaller groups pay more. Your proposal shows the price at your expected size and at two alternatives.
Do you handle instruments and equipment?
Yes. We arrange coach luggage space or a separate equipment vehicle, secure overnight storage, percussion and piano hire at venues, and airline instrument policies. Bands and orchestras get an equipment plan as part of the proposal.
Can you arrange a Mass, evensong or festival performance?
These are among our most requested performances. Sung Mass in Rome, Paris or Vienna and evensong participation in England are booked directly with the music office of each church. Festival applications are handled on your behalf, with deadlines noted in the timeline.
What about passports, safety and insurance?
Every proposal comes with a pre-departure timeline covering passports, school approvals, medical forms and packing. Our tour manager carries a 24-hour emergency plan, hotel and coach partners are vetted, and we recommend group travel insurance, which we can arrange.
How is payment structured?
A per-traveler deposit reserves the program, followed by two or three installments, with the balance due about sixty days before departure. Payment schedules are aligned with your school year and fundraising calendar, and families can pay online in installments.
Is there a minimum group size?
Programs work best with twenty or more travelers. One complimentary place per ten paying travelers is standard, and directors travel free on most programs.
What happens if a traveler has to cancel?
The cancellation schedule is printed in the contract and mirrors what hotels and venues charge us. Group travel insurance covers most medical and family reasons for cancellation, which is why we recommend it at sign-up.