FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What kind of tour is this?:
This is primarily a WW2 tour (concentrating on the North Shore Regiment and 28th Field Battery’s experience), with some time spent on Canadian WW1 sites, all the while incorporating the traditional “Must See” tourist venues in Paris and Amsterdam.
Who is leading the trip?:
The tour is being offered by Anglophone School District- North and has been carefully designed by History teachers from the district who have been organizing and leading student tours since 2004. They have not only visited each of these locations multiple times, they have established connections with the leadership in various municipalities in France and Holland to provide not only a historically significant tour but a cultural one as well. They most recently helped lead a delegation of 150 students and teachers from New Brunswick on a 75th anniversary commemoration of the D-Day landings in June 2019. They have dealt with most issues which arise while travelling and have had excellent service while on tour with a world’s largest educational tour company, EF Tours.
When Is this tour?:
The tour dates are specifically chosen to coincide with 80th anniversary of the D-day landings as well as to return in time for students to write exams. We will depart May 29, 2024 and return on June 9, 2024.
Who can go?:
Almost anyone! Our aim is to provide this opportunity to as many people as possible. The tour is designed primarily for students who are in grades 9 through 12 in June of 2024, as well as community members of all ages who have an interest in following in the footsteps of the North Shore Regiment and being part of their legacy.
Families are welcome and may bring younger children but any student born after 2010 must be accompanied by an adult. Obviously, the nature of the itinerary does not lend itself to very young children.
Due to the nature of the trip being a community-school partnership, EF has a standard background check policy that will be implemented on all adult participants. In addition, as per Anglophone North School District policy, all adult travelers will be required to complete a short online “Policy 701” form to be compliant with all rules and regulations.
Unfortunately, this is not a wheelchair accessible tour.
Do I need to be a History Buff?:
While this tour is specifically designed for those with an interest in History, it will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for anyone who has any interest in the most significant places visited by Canadian soldiers during WW2 and WW1. We have packed as much historical content into the tour as we could within the time constraints, while still allowing time for personal reflection, exploration, and fun. Well in advance of departure we will be emailing and posting reading/ video material, and suggested reading material about specific locations that we will be visiting on tour, to give you a better understanding of what you will be experiencing. It is up to you whether you choose to read or watch it. Many of the locations we will be visiting will have a strong connection to most Canadians, and in particular the North Shore Regiment of New Brunswick. It is not your typical cookie-cutter tour. It has been specifically designed to go where our veterans (in many cases our relatives) went and, in some small way, honor their courage and sacrifice. If you know very little about this time in history, you will learn much! On the other hand, some of you will have more historical knowledge in particular areas than we do-- we look forward to learning from you!
Walking Expectations:
As you can tell by the itinerary, the tour is designed to accommodate travelers who could potentially have difficulty using city transit or walking great distances. Essentially, the coach buses will pick us up and drop us off relatively close to most venues. The amount of walking a person does at each venue is entirely up to them. The same will go for the days in Paris and Amsterdam; during free time in these cities people can explore to the extent they feel capable and comfortable. Travelers are expected to be able to carry and load their own luggage and be able to keep pace with the group when needed.
EF Tours:
We’ve chosen to travel with the tour company EF Tours for two simple reasons: Experience and size. They have been in business for over 55 years. We’ve dealt with EF Tours since 2004 and have had some scenarios come up on tour (taxi strikes, travel warnings, medical issues) and EF has never failed to meet or exceed expectations in terms of how these unforeseen circumstances were dealt with. We have a tremendous level of trust in the EF Tours relationship and product. We sit down with their tour customization experts to carefully map out every detail of the itinerary to ensure that they can provide exactly what we are asking for. Their customer service team is excellent in terms of answering questions pertaining to pre-trip preparations, methods of payments or trip cancellation/ reimbursement. The company is so big that on any given day, EF may have dozens of different tours going on in the same city. Safety and traveler satisfaction are what they are most concerned with, and have the greatest impact on their reputation as a travel company. An EF Tour Director will meet us at the airport in Amsterdam on day 1 and will be with us 24 hours/day taking care of all the logistics such as communicating with coach bus drivers, guides, hotels, and picking up group tickets at various venues. The TD will be with us until they drop us off at the airport in Paris on day 12.
Is the tour bilingual?
This tour will have a Tour Director who is fluent in French and English but the tour is offered in English, but of course Francophones are most welcome to join. If there is enough interest from the Francophone population the possibility exists that this same tour could be offered completely in French and would travel alongside the English tour.
Passport:
Must be valid up to 6 months passed the end of the trip (January 2025). We will ask you to send us a picture of your passport photo so that in case you lose it we will have a digital copy to show consular authorities. You must keep the passport on you at all times. We will have you check numerous times each day that you still have your passport. This way we will be able to backtrack to where you had it last and hopefully recover it. Any additional declaration to enter forms for Europe that may be required in 2024 will be provided by EF prior to departure.
Packing:
Over the years we’ve developed detailed packing lists that we will make available to all travelers a few months prior to departure.
Dietary concerns:
As part of your personal profile, you will indicate if you have any nutritional or dietary needs/concerns. We will pass this information onto EF and they will ensure the meals that are provided have respected these requests. Having said that, only breakfasts (which are almost always buffet) and most evening meals are provided by EF. The rest of the meals on the trip on your own and it will be up to you to insist on your usual requirements.
Personal Profile:
This is simply a basic information profile you will be asked to provide your group leaders indicating your general physical description and any medications you are on. This will only be seen by the tour leaders and provided to emergency medical people if necessary and will not be shared with anyone.
Money while on tour:
We will be visiting three countries in the European Union all of which use the Euro. We recommend having $100 Canadian in Euros in your possession before leaving in case you have trouble with the first couple of ATM or Credit Card machines. Most banks will have this amount of foreign currency on hand, or they will order it in. Honestly, except for street vendors selling knick knacks, most places easily accept point of sale credit and debit cards. Always be sure and confirm with your bank that your card will work abroad and that you notify them of your plans to travel.
Tips:
Tour Directors, Guides and Bus Drivers in Europe depend on tips as part of their wages. We’ve already included all the tip money in your Program Fee ($168). EF Tours will issue the leaders of this tour a cheque for the amount of tips required while in Europe and they will handle all of the tipping on tour.
Behaviour Expectations While On Tour:
This is a multi-generational tour. While on the bus and during guided visits travelers will be expected to keep their language clean, be respectful, courteous, pleasant and excellent Canadian ambassadors. Outside of the programmed itinerary adult travelers may spend their time as they wish-- just be on the bus at the designated time or it could be a costly taxi ride to catch up with the group at the next destination! Also, please note that the Global Travel Protection Plan does not cover activities that are not sanctioned by EF. EF reserves the right to remove travelers from the group if their behaviour is disruptive to the itinerary and other travelers on the tour, as outlined in the EF booking conditions.
Do I have to stay with the group?:
Students are responsible to stay with the group at all times, unless given specific permission on travelling in small groups in certain places for short periods of time. As for everyone else, we encourage you to remain with the group for all the planned itinerary items (as you have paid for them and you will receive excellent teaching and commentary both on the bus and on the ground at various sites). However, if there are other sites you wish to see, or people you would like to meet up with at different times on your own, you are certainly welcome to do so. We simply ask you let one of the group leaders know so we have a general idea where everyone is at any given time. Again, if you miss your provided transportation, it will be your responsibility to catch up with the group at your own expense!
Travelling with a group:
When travelling with a large group it’s important to have patience! While there are many exciting things to see and experience, there are other times when we have to be patient and wait in lines at airports and certain venues. There is no use in complaining, it doesn’t make things any better! The advantage of travelling in a group is that the company is responsible for making timed bookings which helps us avoid long lines at most venues.
Rooming/Accommodations:
Hotel quality with EF Tours is 3 stars. Keep in mind these tours are designed for students and sometimes European standards are not quite the same as we are used to in North America. Costs are based on quadruple occupancy (4 students to a room)if you are a student. If you enroll as a single adult, rooming is based on double occupancy you will be placed in a room with someone in the group of your same gender (as indicated on your passport). If you would like to guarantee your own room, you can pay an additional fee at the time of enrollment (approx. $40/night).
Family rooming arrangements: If a family of 3 is travelling together, they will typically have one bed and one cot. A family of four would be placed in a quad. A family of 5 or more would see a parent in one room with a child and a parent with the other children in a separate room, but those arrangements get made with EF prior to trip. EF does recommend students who are travelling with a parent to stay with other students to receive the full experience.
What does the Program Fee include?
The program fee for students is $4999 (those under 20) and $5579 for adults, and is based on a minimum of 35 paying travelers. We encourage potential travelers to enroll as soon as possible, as the fee will likely increase due to rising travel costs. It includes flights, hotels and sleeping accommodations, entrance fees to all activities listed, and all transportation to and from hotels and venues in buses. It also includes daily breakfasts, and supper meals most days. It includes the all-inclusive Global Travel Protection Plan insurance ($199) and all tips for bus drivers, guides and the Tour Director. Travelers are responsible for their own lunches, supper meals that are not indicated, and any spending money for souvenirs or additional adventures outside the itinerary.
More information regarding fees can be found at: https://www.eftours.ca/eliterature/etca/S23_ETCA_Parent-Guide_EN_Booking%20_Conditions.pdf
How do I pay for the tour and to whom?
The program fee is paid directly to EF Tours. EF provides you with 3 options.
1) pay the full amount up front at the time of enrolment
2) Automatic Payment Plan
3) Manual Payment Plan
For more details on payments visit: https://www.eftours.ca/help-centre/policies/payment-plans#paymentplans
Insurance and Tour Cancelation:
There are two insurance policies offered by EF Tours. The first is EF Tours Global Travel Protection Plan ($199) which covers traditional tour cancelations. We’ve included the GTPP as part of the Program Fee. It is not optional. It is very comprehensive covering everything from lost baggage, to tour-cancellation for specific reasons, to medical issues. We have never led a tour where at least one person did not need to access the insurance either prior to leaving or while on tour. Leading up to various trips students have broken ankles, torn ACL’s or have had parents lose employment or have changes in family circumstances and not be able to participate on the trip. In every case the insurance reimbursed all monies except the initial $199 enrollment fee and $199 insurance fee. We recommend that if you have any concerns regarding the insurance, or if you have pre-existing medical conditions that you are not sure will be covered if something should occur while on tour, we strongly encourage you to read the literature regarding these issues found at the link below.
The second option for insurance comes directly from EF Tours, the company, and is called “Cancel for Any Reason.” It costs $99 and deals with receiving a full/partial refund depending on when/if you have to cancel for ANY reason by a certain deadline. While this insurance is not mandatory we strongly recommend purchasing it, particularly in today’s climate. It provides an additional layer of protection and peace of mind than the Global Travel Protection Plan and also allows you to have most of your money returned to you should any unforeseen situation arise. It can be purchased at the time of enrollment.
More information on both insurance options can be found at: https://www.eftours.ca/help-centre/policies/coverage-flexibility
For additional help please call customer service and they will know where to direct your specific questions 1-800-263-2806
Covid and EF Tours Frequently Asked Questions:
We have undoubtedly forgotten to mention something in this section, but EF has been doing this a lot longer than we have. Here is the link to their Help Center with Frequently Asked Questions as well as their current and recent policies involving Covid-19: https://www.eftours.ca/our-covid-response
Everything Else:
Finally, please read EF Tours’ Booking Conditions for all the fine details and cancellation policies that may have been omitted in this section: https://www.eftours.ca/eliterature/etca/S23_ETCA_Parent-Guide_EN_Booking%20_Conditions.pdf
How do I enrol?
We have an easy self-enrol process built into this website. You will be asked to fill out a short application to the North Shore Legacy Team, so we can get to know you and better serve you on the tour. Following that you will receive a link and be directed to the EF tour page to formally enrol.
Click here to be directed to the sign up portal.
Deadline for Enrolment:
110 days prior to departure, but prices are subject to increase the longer you wait to enroll. We advise signing up as soon as possible to get the best rate for the tour as fees will increase in time due to rising fuel costs. Final date to enrol is February 1st 2024. However, due to an overwhelming response, enrollments for the 2024 North Shore Legacy Tour are now paused. Should you choose to apply through EF Tours, your name will be placed on a waiting list. Priority will be given to students on the wait list, should any openings become available. You will be contacted directly should your name be moved from the wait list to the trip participant list.
Once I am enrolled on this tour, now what?
Once you have enrolled with EF Tours, we will be in contact with you by email to provide you with further details and updates regarding the tour (i.e., packing lists, flight itineraries, travel advisories, background reading and viewing material for the various destinations etc…). This also includes anyone who has been placed on a waiting list and their future steps regarding that status.
How do I contact North Shore Legacy Tour if I have further questions?
You can simply email us at: northshorelegacy@gmail.com