Field notes

Stories from
the road.

Teacher stories, destination guides, packing tips, and lessons from three decades of running student tours in Europe and beyond.

A teacher-led group of students
On this page
  • New field notes from teachers, parents, and our team
  • Search or browse by category
  • Practical guides for first-time group leaders
Aerial View on Port of Nice and Luxury Yachts
travel inspiration

Educational Travel Services: How Necessary Are They?

Educational travel services are essential for teachers who wish to travel with their students overseas.

Read post
Central Park
travel inspiration

Contest Voting

Vote once per day for your favorite contest photos! Poll will close September 28 at 11:59 PM

Read post
Golden Temple of Kyoto
travel inspiration

Blog Spotlight: Lillie Marshall

Lillie Marshall is a Boston public school teacher with a passion for teaching and traveling.

Read post
Sacre-Coeur
travel inspiration

2016 Passports Photo Challenge Winners

Read post
Paris
travel inspiration

Expand Your Mind and Boost Creativity

Travel has the potential to revamp and vitalize the mind by immersing us in unfamiliar cultures with new customs and ideas.

Read post
Travel scene — hero image for "Passports Traveler Blog Contest".
travel inspiration

Passports Traveler Blog Contest

Time for another contest! Send us an original blog post following the guidelines below. We’ll pick our favorite entries to feature on our blog and those winners will receive a $50 Amazon gift card . Sound easy? It is! We

Read post
Pompeii
travel inspiration

April 7- April 11 Lesson Plan Roundup

This week was a short one for those of us in the Educational Department here at passports.  Tuesday and Wednesday we attended the 45th Annual Northeast Regional Conference on the Social Studies, where we had a chanc

Read post
St. Basil's Cathedral
travel inspiration

March 17- March 21 Lesson Plan Roundup

Check out our lesson plans from this week! Imperial Russia (1721-1917) - Dostoevsky’s Grand Inquisitor Through an in-depth analysis of various primary and secondary sources, including a full reading of the parable of the

Read post
The Eiffel Tower
travel inspiration

10 Travel-Themed Songs for Your next Trip to Europe

Looking for some travel songs?! Look no further, we got you covered.

Read post
Travel scene — hero image for "What's a Prezi?".
travel inspiration

What's a Prezi?

Along with the same menu items you’ve become accustomed to on passports.com , we’ve added quite a few new options, along with our new look. ONLINE PREZITATIONS One of passports.com ’s most exciting new features is the op

Read post
Piazza San Marco
travel inspiration

Tour Spotlight: Monet and Michelangelo

Explore three of Europe's greatest cities on a tour perfect for lovers of art, culture and history.

Read post
Amsterdam Central Station
travel inspiration

10 Pre-Departure Reminders for Students Traveling to Europe This Spring

10 pre-departure tips before you head abroad!

Read post
The Colosseum, Rome
travel inspiration

3 Ideas for Your Next Group Tour

Faculty-led group tours are shorter, affordable for most families, and provide travel abroad opportunity for more students. Here are our five favorite itineraries. Pick one of ours, or design your own!

Read post
Taj Mahal
travel inspiration

Historical India: Explore the Subcontinent's Forts, Palaces and Monuments

Historical India: Explore the Subcontinent's Forts, Palaces and Monuments

Read post
Le Beau Voyage
travel inspiration

Le Beau Voyage

9 Days London 2 • Caen 1 • St. Malo 1 • Loire Valley 1 • Paris 2… join us!

Read post
Tourism on the Big Ben tower - Westmister bridge
travel inspiration

Benefits for Teachers Who Travel with Their Students

As our partner in organizing educational travel, we’ve always rewarded group organizers with cash bonuses, EXTRA free trips, and other great benefits.

Read post
Rock of Cashel
travel inspiration

5 Things Successful Group Travel Organizers Don't Do!

Five ways to avoid failure when recruiting passengers for your educational travel group!

Read post
Assisi
travel inspiration

The Editor's Choice: Emilia-Romagna Culinary Arts Tour

The Editor's Choice: Emilia-Romagna Culinary Arts Tour

Read post
Ha'penny bridge
travel inspiration

First-Hand Account: How an Educational Tour Impacted Me

First-Hand Account: “How an Educational Tour Impacted Me” - learn how educational travel impacted a student FROM a student.

Read post
Eiffel Tower, Paris
travel inspiration

Getting School Board Approval for Educational Travel

If you are seeking permission to organize an overseas trip, there are some important things to keep in mind before talking to your school principal, or to the school board.

Read post
Amboise Castle
travel inspiration

Wordless Wednesday: Students Traveling in France

Wordless Wednesday: Join us as one of our student groups shares photos from their recent educational tour to France!

Read post
Naples
travel inspiration

Wordless Wednesday: 25 Travel Brochure Photos

For this week's Wordless Wednesday post, we're celebrating 25 years with our readers. Here are 25 years worth of student travel catalog cover photos. Enjoy!

Read post
Sarlat, France
travel inspiration

Fear and Courage

A response to the NYTimes piece, Travel is my Antidote for Fear. As Covid eases, I’m heading out again.

Read post
Arlington National Cemetery
travel inspiration

3 Must-See Sights in Washington, DC

In honor of Veterans Day, here is our choice of the top three must-see sights in Washington, DC -- the Korean, Vietnam and WWII War Memorials

Read post