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13 October 2018

Dear Parents and Carers

AAN Tours Austria and Germany 2016

After returning your expression of interest for your child accompanying us on a trip to Vienna, Salzburg, Munich and Paris during the July 2016, the lottery for places has been completed and I am pleased to inform you that they have a place. This letter repeats some of the information contained in the original letter for your convenience and confirms the tour company, some elements of the itinerary, the final cost, and the procedure for payment.

Dates: Saturday 16 July – Sunday 24 July 2016 (these dates are provisional)

Tour Company:Euro Study Tours

Accommodation:1 night in transit; in hotels: 2 nights in Vienna, 1 night in Salzburg, 2 nights in Munich, 2 nights in Paris

Year Groups:Year 10– 13 (during the academic year 2015/16)

Cost: £900

Costs include:

  • Coach / Ferry
  • All transportation between activities
  • 7 nights in twin/triple/quad rooms
  • Breakfasts daily, and 4 evening meals including a meal at Hard Rock Café, Munich
  • Entry to the Prater fairground, Sky Tower, and Cathedral in Vienna
  • Tour of the Fortress in Salzburg
  • Tour of Neuschwanstein Castle
  • One ticket for the Sommerrodelbahn in Garmisch Partenkirchen (tbc)
  • Entry to the Olympic Park and a ticket for the Olympic Tower, entry to Old Peter in Munich
  • Ticket to stand on top of the Arc de Triomphe and a river cruise in Paris
  • Entry to the two Disney Parks at Disneyland Paris
  • Trip Hoodie

Additional Costs: Lunches have not been included in the above cost, as we will be visiting a range of sites each day where students will have time to select their own lunch from local shops, vendors and restaurants. Three evening meals have not been included as the first will be bought by students in the Prater in Vienna, and the other two will be bought by students in the Disney parks.

Payments Schedule:

Due to the cost of the trip, we have to operate a strict payment schedule as follows:

Deposit: £150 payable by 7September 2015

Stage One: £250 payable by 2November 2015(those who have already paid a deposit for the trip to Washington that this trip has replaced need only pay £150 at this payment)

Stage Two:£250 payable by 15February 2016

£250 payable by 4April 2016

Please note:

  • In the event of being successful in gaining a place, the deposit is non-refundable.
  • All payment dates must be adhered to, unless agreed otherwise in writing (late payments will be investigated). Smaller, more regular payments can be made but this will need to be agreed ahead of time in order for WisePay to be set up on an individual basis.
  • Should your child withdraw from this trip during Stage One, it is likely that some monies (except the deposit) could be refunded once a replacement is secured.
  • The Academy is unlikely to be able to offer any refunds of monies paid if your child is withdrawn during or after Stage Two. The probability of securing a replacement at this stage is remote and the financial repercussions for the Academy would be substantial.
  • Withdrawals must be confirmed in writing so that we can maintain an accurate record of participants and monies due.
  • As is now common practice with residential trips, discussions will take place with the Heads of House/SAFE team throughout the year to ensure that your child has met the expected levels of behaviour and attitude in order to remain a part of the trip.
  • If your child has to be removed from the trip due to poor behaviour or attitude in the Academy during or after Stage Two no refund will be available without securing a replacement. This is a non-negotiable condition of accepting a place on this trip.

The WisePay system will be set up later today to enable you to pay your £150 deposit, which must be received no later than Monday7September 2015. If you wish to pay the balance in full at any time, or would prefer to make larger payments, this is of course possible. To pay, simply click on the WisePay logo on the Academy’s website and follow the instructions that were issued with your account user name and password (you must be logged in to see make the payment). Should you have any queries or problems, please do not hesitate to contact our Finance Department for further assistance.

To enable you to plan effectively for this trip some additional important information is included below:

  • Students will need to bring with them €20 (outside of their spending money) to cover behaviour deposits in the hotels and city taxes and charges. It is almost certain that they will receive €10 of it back after checking out from the final hotel.
  • It is recommended (given the number of meals students will be organising themselves) that students take with them at least £20 spending money per day in Euros. The exchange rate for the Euro has been extremely variable over the last year so it may be worth watching it closely and choosing to buy Euros early. This year many of the students took their currency as a pre-paid cash card; this provides you with security and the ability to top it up should they run out of money while abroad. Both the Post Office and Travelex offer additional cards on a single account, allowing you to be the card holder and give the spare to your child.

There will be a Parents’ Information Evening in April of next year, and a final meeting for students in the week leading up to the trip. I will write to all students and parents before Christmas with an update of the itinerary and with some information about the places we are visiting so that students can do some research before we depart into areas they would like to visit in each of the cities.

We look forward to your child accompanying us on this fantastic trip across Europe! If you require any more information or have any queries at this stage please do not hesitate to contact me on 01953 452335 or by email: .

Yours sincerely

Mr A Cole

Trip Leader