The minimum is seven nights in accommodations.

Depending on the destination and time period, this will generally be 4 – 6 weeks prior to departure. Minor details can change up until a few days before departure.

Yes, you may book your own flights. WorldStrides Excel Programs has its own in-house travel agent who can book group fares available only to travel agents. However, some participants chose to do a ‘land only’ package and book flights using points.

WorldStrides Excel Programs selects accommodations with great care. Most accommodations have been used for many years with great satisfaction by other soccer groups. The choice of accommodations depends on the budget of each group. We offer many lodging options, including university dorms, budget hotels, business-class hotels and sports centers.

This is decided by each individual club, school or university. Most tours are ‘coach driven’ and the goals of the tour are set by the team’s coach. Their decision as to whether it is a soccer intense tour or a social and soccer tour then affects whether families would be welcome.

Yes. It is recommended by the US and Canadian governments that if only one parent/guardian is traveling they carry a notarized (witnessed in Canada) letter of permission from the stay-at-home parent. If sending a child alone, it may be a good idea for the group to obtain a notarized letter of permission signed by the parents or legal guardian.

In our experience the teams who start the booking process approximately 15 to 12 months in advance have a better chance of making the trip happen. Our best advice is to decide on your preferred trip and confirm the dates as soon as possible. Because the trip is dependent on availability of services at the time of booking, the sooner you confirm the more likely the exact dates, hotels and flights you want will be available. If you are traveling during high season, airlines and hotels can have significant demand for seats/rooms and the sooner we are able to submit your group’s request, more likely we are to secure your exact, preferred schedule. Please contact us as early as possible for a tour proposal that is fine tuned to the exact the needs of your team.

We require a completed and signed general conditions form and deposit from each traveler as well as a group contract from the group leader.

Yes, subject to flight and accommodation availability.

Yes, but we still require a deposit for each traveler, regardless of whether we have their name.

Many of our teams travel with less than their full roster. There are many reasons for this; family holidays, school conflicts, financial inability, seasonal employment, academic reasons, or selection for the O.D.P. or Regional squads. In order for the other players not to miss out, you may choose to invite guest players from your own club, other clubs, or classmates to complete your roster. Guest players can also be found for you from your destination country.

Yes. Full payment of each installment should be remitted to WorldStrides Excel Programs on or before the due date. Installments can be remitted by credit card (3% surcharge), club/school check, money order, or personal check.

There are benefits to bringing larger groups, including better discounts. Please request details of this from your soccer travel specialist.

Our cancellations policies are clearly defined on our general conditions form and we would encourage you to read them in advance of booking your trip.

A valid passport is needed for any person travelling outside your country of citizenship. Tour participants are individually responsible for obtaining a valid passport prior to departure, as well as any visa that may be needed. Please make sure any non-US or Canadian citizens and non-permanent residents have the necessary documents required for entry into your destination as well as any country of transit. Please inform us of any non-US or Canadian citizens in your group as soon as possible.

This will depend on your governing body (NCAA, USYSA, etc). Most governing bodies require each registered team to advise them of their plans to travel. The group leader/tour coordinator should contact their governing body as soon as possible to complete the relevant paperwork.

We strongly recommend the purchase of trip cancellation insurance. We can provide you with brochures and details of how to purchase travel insurance. The terms and conditions of coverage vary according to the insurance provider. Cost of coverage is generally based upon the cost of the trip. It is understood that WorldStrides Excel Programs accepts no liability for damages incurred by circumstances that would be covered under trip/travel insurance.

These, and many other questions, will be answered in our pre-trip handbook which is available on your unique MY TOUR team page.

The electricity supply varies by country. We suggest you travel with an adaptor and converter which are designed for your destination country.

Most US cell phones do not work in Europe unless it is a tri-band phone and you have the correct provider. If they do work it can be very expensive to make and receive phone calls. If a cell phone is need we suggest renting a European cell phone.

This varies by accommodation and we provide this information prior to departure.

Most countries in Europe work from calendar year of birth, similar to how O.D.P. works in the US. However, many tournaments offer dispensation for a certain number of players born between August and January of the previous year. Again, this changes from tournament to tournament. Please contact us for further details.

This changes from country to country and from tournament to tournament. If you are looking to participate in a certain tournament, please ask for details on that tournament’s rules. In most friendly games the make-up of the game is very flexible and can be arranged to suit the needs of both teams. In the past games have consisted of 2 x 30 minute halves; 3 x 30 minute thirds; 2 x 40 minute halves, etc, etc. Much of this depends on the roster size, time of year, and many other factors.