Firstly, to our Italian ‘host’ Fausto Ferazzoli. Your warmth and hospitality has made our time in Italy truly memorable. Your care and organisation, particulary with the ‘homestays’ ensured an unforgettable experience for our language students. You have treated us like family. Mille grazie per tutti!
To Laura Kostouros and the Exchange Me team, sincere thanks for all your hard work and attention to detail in putting our trip together. Your choice of accommodation for our group was suberb. Your flexible approach and patience with our countless requests and questions was very much appreciated. You ensured that our trip was an experience of a lifetime.
Anthony Burke, Teacher at Marcellin College Randwick

Our trip took student learning beyond the classroom, linguistically, culturally and spiritually, We were able to see first hand experience of the many characteristics of Italian society. Such as, school life, the importance of the piazza, how religion and culture are intrinsic, how everything revolves around food, the coffee culture, and visits to many historic and religious sacred shrines and tourist attractions. Special thanks to Laura from Exchange Me and our tour manager Fausto for their expert organization and advice.
Michael Timpano, Language Coordinator at St Joseph’s Albion Park

The European trip was a whole new experience for me. Everything we did was interesting and breathtaking. The whole journey was a whole new experience and I would highly recommend for anyone. Throughout the trip we visited numerous churches and basilicas, each one different and unique. St Peters was an amazing experience. The Sistine Chappell was incredible. Touring through the catacombs was eye-opening. The colosseum was amazing. We got a train to Pompeii and stayed there for one night. In Pompeii we walked around the streets that had once been covered in volcanic ash. These streets were so different to what we would see at home. Each night we went to a different restaurant with the teachers which was one of the highlights of the trip.
Luke, History Student at Marcellin College Randwick

My daughter returned from an Exchange Me trip to Italy a few weeks ago.
While she was away with her school friends, I received constant messages from my daughter detailing what a wonderful time she was having. Very soon all our fears and doubts about allowing our teenager to travel across to the other side of the world vanished as we looked forward to receiving her daily messages describing that days events.
She has no issues as the trip was well planned and thought out.
Olivia became very fond of the host family she stayed with and they became fond of Olivia too. Not just the host parents and sisters, but aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins. Olivia's host sister is coming to Australia with her school next year and she will stay with us where she can then become fond of us and our extended family and we can become fond of her. The host family drove 4 hours each way from their home to my family in Latina so Olivia could meet my extended family. I could not believe how accommodating this generous family were and they gave Olivia more than she ever thought she would get out of the trip. Her host family also lived the true Italian life and Olivia said it allowed her to truly identify with her Italian heritage.
Just like My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the host family took up the street. My daughter loved that! You can't get more Italian than that!
We had so many reservations about sending our daughter so far away, but now I can say are glad we did and would do it again. It was a gift to read my daughters daily messages and know that her dad and I enabled her to have this amazing experience. She dreamt of this and was living her dream!
Many thanks to Exchange Me for the careful and thoughtful planning and having the patients to answer my many questions and hear all my reservations.
Have to give it 5 stars because I cant think of anything I wasn't happy with.

Our family would like to let every person or organization that are thinking of wanting to experience a cultural immersion / School Exchange in Europe to put their total trust in Exchange Me. Their profound knowledge through experience, of the different aspects of travelling in Italy to achieve a holistic cultural experience is second to none. Meticulous care was taken with the welfare of the children. Our daughter’s host sister was perfect and a happy friendship was forged in the 11 days she spent in Gualdo Tadino. Her host family cared for her beautifully taking her to a Circus at night and the annual festival of Saint Michele Arcangelo and Donkey Palio in Gualdo Tadino. The hotels we stayed in were amazing! Clean and comfortable. Food Incredible. Transfers and transport throughout Italy for our group were well organised and efficient. The sites visited in Italy were wonderful and well-co-ordinated to get the most out of visiting.
We would highly recommend Exchange ME to everyone!

EDUCATIONAL TOURS TO EUROPE
Europe offers students and teachers a variety of destinations and curriculum related attractions in many areas, including languages, religious studies, ancient history, WWI and WWII history as well as business studies, STEM and economics.
The destinations below are samples of what your educational European trip can look like. Exchange Me is able to customise all tours to fit your specific educational focus, group size and budget.

EDUCATIONAL TOURS TO ASIA & THE PACIFIC
School tours to Asia have become very popular with many schools, as it offers students the opportunity to discover first-hand the many cultural differences between Asian and Australian culture. Sample tours include language tours to Japan, China, Indonesia and New Caledonia, as well as history tours to China, Japan and Vietnam. The destinations below are samples of what your educational trip to Asia can look like. Exchange Me is able to customise all tours to fit your specific educational focus, group size and budget.

EDUCATIONAL TOURS TO AMERICA
North America offers a wide range of destinations for teachers of many curriculum areas, including geography, STEM, business, economics and politics. The destinations below are samples of what your educational trip to the USA can look like. Exchange Me is able to customise all tours to fit your specific educational focus, group size and budget.

How do I get started on an educational tour?
If you are thinking of taking your students on an educational tour, the preparation process might seem a bit overwhelming. Where do I start? When is the best time to go? What can I show my students within a limited timeframe? Have a look at our Step By Step Guide To Planning An Educational Tour.

How do I enrol students for my tour?
Many teachers take advantage of the captive audience in their classrooms. With your school’s approval, distribute your brochures and set an enrolment deadline. If you organise events, we are more than happy to join you to present the itinerary and answer any questions your students and their parents may have. Contact us if you are having trouble recruiting participants and we’ll help you with creative strategies.

Do I need to hold meetings for my students and their parents?
We recommend that all tour leaders hold at least two meetings prior to travel. The first meeting serves as an opportunity to hand out brochures and application cards and generate buzz about your tour. Teaming up with other teachers will make promoting your tour even easier. Once your group has formed, you may hold a second pre-trip meeting to discuss the details of the tour, and answer questions such as “What should I pack?” and “How much spending money should I bring?” Let us know if you need any assistance in preparing for the types of questions parents and travellers often ask.

How do tour finances work with Exchange Me?
If you wish to take on the task of collecting the payments for your student tour, you can - however we are more than happy to do this for you. We usually handle the payments with the parents directly to make the trip preparation as easy as possible for you.

A student needs to cancel – what do I tell them?
If a registered participant must cancel, please encourage them or their parents to contact us as soon as possible. Cancellation notice must be received by our office in writing, either by email, fax or standard mail. Refunds are based on the amount of advanced notice we are given. Once we make deposits with airlines, hotels and other partners abroad, it can be difficult to make changes and receive refunds. Time is of the essence, so please have them contact us immediately and to refer to the Term and Conditions for refund policies.

When will I know my flight details, hotel names and day-by-day itinerary?
We’ll send you a Day-to-Day itinerary about four to five months prior to departure. This is a calendar format schedule of all daily activities that we are arranging for you. We’re not just sending you this document to dictate how your tour will run – we actually want your approval! When you have looked over your Day-to-Day schedule, please reply with the green light, or tell us what you want to rearrange and we’ll do our best to grant your wishes. We book your airfare up to 11 months in advance, so we can tell you your flight information at any time. However, airlines have been known to adjust their schedules frequently over the course of a year. Unless a major change occurs, we will hold off on sending your final flight details until closer to departure in order to avoid confusion.

Can you assist with Risk Assessment?
The Exchange Me team has been organising educational tours to destinations all over the world for many years, and is familiar with the safety requirements. We are here should you need any assistance with your risk assessment.

What about travel insurance?
All students going on a student tour with us have to have travel insurance. We usually include it in our package so you don’t have to worry about it.

How long does a passport need to be valid for at time of travel?
Some foreign governments require visitors to carry passports with at least six months validity beyond their planned stay, and you may be refused entry if you do not comply. For more information, contact us.

Can I stay in a single room?
Yes. We offer one teacher per 10 students to travel free of charge. You will be accommodated in a single room unless you wish to share a room with your colleague / tour leader.

What airlines will we fly?
We work with premium airlines including Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Qantas, Qatar and Cathay Pacific. If you prefer a specific airline, we can take this into account, however we always try to offer your group competitive prices for the flights that are most convenient for you.

Do you offer rewards for teachers?
If you know someone who would enjoy traveling with us as much as you do, contact us about our referral program. Earn a reward or some money and help a friend – and their students – discover the thrill of overseas educational travel.