This Summer See "Paris By Night"

Travelers attending the D-Day trip this summer have lots of amazing opportunities ahead of them! One that we will discuss at this Sunday night's meeting is an optional "Paris By Night" activity.

This activity will be available either the first or second night we are in Paris. Those who choose to do it will have the opportunity to go up the Eiffel Tower! (Note: This will be travelers' only opportunity to go up the Tower. The following day we will stop to take pictures overlooking the Eiffel Tower, but we will not have time to go up). The trip up the Tower will be followed by a cruise along the River Seine, with a look at some of Paris's most famous landmarks. I had a chance to preview this activity during my training this past Thanksgiving, and I HIGHLY recommend it. Paris is beautiful when lit up for the night, and this is one of the best ways to see it. The pictures here are from my experience.

This is not one of the "optional excursions" that must be pre-booked and paid for through our tour company, but we do need to sign up in advance. This is because our tour director, who would be arranging this for us, must book space for groups and pay for it two weeks in ahead of our arrival. If you want to do this activity, you'll have to commit to it at our meeting and make plans to pay for it while on tour. I'm anticipating the cost will be around 20-25 Euro ($26-30).

Well worth it to take pictures like this: YOU at the top of the Eiffel Tower!

Culver's Night to Benefit D-Day Trip - April 7th

Once again, the nice folks at the Culver's in Lake Hallie have agreed to help us out with raising money for our D-day trip! A "Culver's Night" has been planned for April 7, 2009.

At our meeting on April 5, I'll distribute coupons to be used for the fundraiser. Travelers hand them out to friends, relatives, co-workers, etc. For anyone who presents a coupon when making a purchase on April 7, Culver's will donate 10% of their total sale to our group. What a deal!

We've done similar events in cooperation with Culver's in the past, and they've always been very nice to us. Let's do our best to honor their goodwill by generating record turnouts this time around! One rule to keep in mind: Culver's does not want us to just stand outside the restaurant handing out coupons to anyone who goes in. They are able to provide this service because they are relying us to bring in more customers than they would generally get on a slow weeknight. So, gather your friends and head to Culver's on Tuesday, April 7th!

Deadline to Enroll in Italy Trip: March 31!

For those considering enrolling on the 2010 Italy trip, an important deadline is approaching. You must enroll by THIS TUESDAY, MARCH 31 to get the best rate on your trip. It may cost you up to $200 more if you wait one more day, so don't delay!

Enroll online at www.eftours.com/student. You'll need to enter our tour number: 673733 and make your $95 downpayment.

I hope you can join us on this amazing trip! See this post from March 16 for prices, itinerary, and other details.

Reminder: Mandatory Meeting for D-Day Travelers April 5

With our departure date rapidly approaching, it's time for our next scheduled check-in meeting for the D-Day trip. On Sunday, April 5th we will meet in the Chi-Hi Cafeteria at 6:00 PM to discuss a number of important travel-related topics. Items on the agenda include:

• Pre-booking optional excursions
• Signing up for the "Paris by Night" activity
• A general itinerary (some details still in the works)
• As complete flight information as I can get by then (currently I have flight schedules for the extension group, but not the regualar, 11-day group)
• General Fund and Individual Account status information
• Expectations for Students (must sign required paperwork)
• Students indicate rooming/roommate preferences

See you there!

New Candy Bar Order has Arrived!

Can you smell the chocolate? Our last order of candy bars for this school year has arrived! To sell (and raise $ for your trip), here's what you need to do:

Bring payment for however many boxes you would like to me in room 136. Each box costs $28 and contains 52 items which you sell for $1 each. This means $24 profit for your trip per box. Sell the candy at school/work. When you've sold your lot, bring in the profits and I'll credit them to your trip account.

Boxes will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, so don't delay if you would like to participate. If you act soon, you will have a choice between an assortment of Fannie May chocolates or M&M Mars candies.

Note: If you've returned fundraising money to me within the past month, you may have funds in your school account that you may put toward the purchase of your first box. Just ask and I can give you the amount.

Butter Braid Kick-Off a Tasty Success!

Jim Knobloch (a.k.a. "the Butter Braid guy") met with student travelers this past Monday during Lunch & Learn, and urged students to get out there and sell to raise money for their trips. He also provided us with samples of some delicious Butter Braids, so we all have had a taste of their gooey, buttery goodness.

He also gave us plenty of ideas about who to sell to, and many of our students left the meeting and immediately drummed up some business. In fact, I talked to one traveler who sold EIGHT before the end of the school day. Given the popularity of the product with those who have purchased before, Jim recommended to me that we make sure students sell in areas/organizations that have some familiarity with the product.

This morning he emailed me and suggested that students attempt to sell at these locations, as they have previously ordered products from him:

• Our Savior's Lutheran Church
• Halmstead Elementary
• Landmark Christian Church

If anyone belongs to these churches OR would be willing to take forms to Halmstead staff, post a comment below so we know they were approached! Remember, forms and money are due back April 20th!

Considering Your Options: Should I Purchase Traveler's Insurance?

As you are likely aware, the tour company we are traveling with offers an "All-Inclusive Insurance Plan" for travelers. For D-Day Travelers, the deadline to purchase this insurance is April 1, 2009. I do not require travelers to purchase this plan (though some Group Leaders do), because I feel this decision should be up to parents and travelers. Traveling without insurance does involve some additional "risk", though whether the elimination of that potential (minimal) risk is worth the fees charged, is largely a personal decision.

With that in mind, here are some things to consider when making your decision:

• Most U.S. insurance companies do not offer complete coverage while you are traveling abroad. Check with your insurance company to be certain if you believe you already have coverage. Don't assume and then find out later you don't have coverage.


• If your current medical insurance covers care in Europe, you will have to carry with you proof of your coverage. This is because hospitals in our destination countries won't just "take your word for it" if you show up needing care.


• Although traveling in Europe is VERY safe (rates of violent crime are MUCH lower than those of most major US cities), crimes like petty theft and purse-snatching are not uncommon, especially in areas frequented by tourists. You will need to be vigilant in keeping track of your possessions, and it wouldn't hurt to have a "back-up plan" in case you become a victim of theft.


• The cost of EF's All-Inclusive Insurance is $115 for 2009 travelers and $125 for 2010 travelers.

EF does provide insurance to travelers who would like extra protection while on tour. Listed below is what's included in EF's All-Inclusive Insurance Plan:

1. Tour Cancellation & Interruption Service:

• Full refund of Program Fee if canceling or partial refund if leaving tour early due to serious illness or injury requiring hospitalization, financial hardship due to unexpected job loss, jury duty, military call to active duty or severe damage to home. Note: Because of EF's new "Job-Loss Guarantee", all travelers may cancel due to job loss with minimal fees; purchasing the insurance is no longer required for that. For cancellations due to other reasons listed above, the insurance is necessary to get reduced fees.

2. Medical and Accident Insurance:

• Direct payments will be made to the hospital in the event of hospitalization


• Travel and accomodation expenses for a family member to be with you while you are hospitalized


• Combined coverage of up to $35,000 for the above situations.

3. Baggage and Property Insurance

• Coverage of theft of baggage, cash, airline tickets, valuable documents and valuable property in cases of theft or delay.


• Emergency cash on tour of up to $300 within 24 hours in case of theft

If I want to purchase this insurance, what do I do?

You may enroll by 1.) Contacting Mrs. Welle (I can add it to your account) or 2.) logging on to your EF Account and following the links to add insurance, or 3.) calling EF's Customer Service at 1-800-665-5364. Have your account number handy.