Small Group Tours

Educational group tours and educational group travel to South America

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Group Leader Reviews of Our Small Group Tours

As groups return from their travel programs, we are always heartened to read the latest comments that are noted on the tour evaluation forms or e-mailed directly to us. We hope that you find these comments useful as you consider Casterbridge.

We’re back, and we had an amazing trip! Thank you and Brooke so much for EVERYTHING!
N.Z. – California – Educational Tour to England

Oia was even lovelier than I expected and the Aegean and Classical artifacts provoked admiration. I hope that our conscientious guides received generous tips. Thank you for your assistance in making the trip informative and fun.
B.J.M – Maryland – Educational Tour to Greece

We just had a GRAND time, and I sing the praises of Casterbridge at every chance I get. Many, many thanks to you in particular, Sue, for your patient, gracious help.
J.B. – Washington, DC – Educational Tour to France

I wanted to tell you that one of the parents traveling with us has gone on two trips with another of our teachers who always uses Passports. Her experience with the Casterbridge trip was, she says, MUCH better. Better food, better hotels, and much more knowledgeable guide.
S.A. – Tennessee – Educational Tour to Italy

My experience was positive enough to go through Casterbridge again and will be contacting you about future tours I’m sure.
H.M. – North Carolina – Educational Tour to Mexico

We returned safely yesterday after an amazing trip to Peru. I would like to thank you both for your EXTRAORDINARY efforts and behind the scenes attention to details. Your pre-trip work provided the foundations for a most memorable and mind expanding cultural experience for our students, parents, and teachers. I speak for the group in giving our Peru Guide Francesca, Maria Teresa, and Carlos an A+ for their personal and professional assistance. In particular, our kids really appreciated Francesca; she is an incredible individual and she was tremendously energetic, fun loving, and supportive. Simply outstanding!
M.D. – Virginia – Educational Tour to Peru

All went well in spite of volcanic ash and the British Air strike. We were very satisfied with the tour. I was quite satisfied with José Luis Montaner López, our guide. It’s very easy to fall in love with Spain!
R.A. – Texas – Classical Tour to Spain

I have to tell you that Costa Rica was PERFECT! The food, hotels, guide and bus driver were all fantastic. The volunteering experiences and the hospital tours, especially the children’s hospital tour, were all meaningful. Thank you so much… what a great experience.
L.L.P. – California – Nursing Tour to Costa Rica

J.D., my wife, and I want to thank you for helping Hannah get to Budapest and for working so diligently to enable us to get home on the same day we were scheduled. We greatly appreciate all your efforts on our behalf. As the evaluations will undoubtedly show, we had a wonderful trip. Iain was a phenomenal guide. It is difficult to imagine someone who would be better organized, more personable, more interesting, more experienced, or had more personal stories to share.
G.S. – Pennsylvania – Educational Tour to Eastern Europe

I just wanted to send you a short note to thank you for all the work you and Casterbridge did on our Italy 2010 trip. The group is now home; they had no difficulty with their flights. I think the trip can be declared a great success. Sergio Solazzo was an absolutely wonderful guide; he was patient, good humored, organized, and very knowledgeable.
C.S. – Georgia – Educational Tour to Italy

Everything went very well for the Granada trip. Thank you for all that you did to finalize things. The hotel was very nice, and the location was very good. The bus and driver were great. The guide at the Alhambra, Elena, was super. Thanks so much for all of the arrangements.
L.G. – Virginia – Educational Tour to Spain

Akiko was a perfect tour manager. She was very friendly and very knowledgeable.
N.H. – Pennsylvania – Educational Tour to Japan

The first day was great, we were busy and Giverny & the Bayeux Tapestry were AWESOME! Alan was great at keeping us on time, was very accommodating and approachable. Next time I travel with Casterbridge, I would like to request him again.
C.T. – Rhode Island – Educational Tour to France

It was excellent! The breakfasts were lavish and tasty. We had outstanding guides, who went out of their way to help us. We arrived rather late in the afternoon at St. Petersburg, but our guide oriented us and took us to a charming restaurant for dinner. Our guides were knowledgeable and spoke good English, and knew how to adjust the time to best fit our schedule. I want to thank you for accommodating us in all our complications, especially when I thought that we would not have enough people. You made adjustments to the itinerary that enabled us to have an outstanding experience.
S.M.H.K. – Pennsylvania – Educational Tour to Russia

Misia was right there and greeted us warmly when we arrived. She paid close attention to the needs of our group. She was very knowledgeable and the students liked her very much. Casterbridge is so thorough. Brooke & Emmeline were always helpful and had excellent communication. Will do it again; absolutely!
S.G – Connecticut – Educational Tour to Italy

We continue to use Casterbridge because of our fine experiences with your company.
J.M. – Texas – Educational Tour to London, Paris, Florence & Rome

We had a really great tour – loved our guide Jorge. The students had a fantastic time and everything went smoothly (even in the snow in Barcelona)!
V.O. – North Carolina – Educational Tour to Spain

Manuela is fabulous! She exceeds every expectation for a tour manager. She went above and beyond to please everyone. I have always enjoyed working with Peter and all of the staff. You are always accommodating and work very hard to ensure a great trip.
V.S. – Virginia – Educational Tour to Italy

Our guide was energetic, sociable, flexible and creative. Philippe was able to offer us opportunities for visits that were not included in the original itinerary. We found the service exceptional.
G.H. – Virginia – Educational Tour to France

Our students were very impressed with Massimo’s knowledge and kindness! We would tell others to choose him as a guide.
L.R. – Virginia – Educational Tour to Italy

Sergio is probably the best tour manager/guide in my 38 years of travel! He took care of everyone with ease & expertise. He went out of his way for 2 birthday celebrations and was loved by all.
S.R. – Virginia – Educational Tour to Italy

When we checked in at the Baton Rouge airport, the ticket agent said that our tour company did a great job!
J.L. – Louisiana – Educational Tour to England

Everyone at Casterbridge went above and beyond to make this happen for all of my students. A sincere thank you for all of your work! Peter, our guide, connected perfectly with the students; without him, we would have been absolutely lost. He is an incredible guide, but more importantly an incredible person, intellectual, and professional. Peter is, without a doubt, a master of his trade!
C.R. – Virginia – Educational Tour to London & Paris

As usual, Casterbridge is an excellent company to work with. Pauline in Virginia is a delight, Emmeline was prompt and extremely helpful, Barrie was extremely accommodating and I can’t say enough wonderful things about our guide, Massimo. He starts and ends everyday with his wonderful, upbeat, enchanting personality. He is extremely intelligent and well versed in all aspects of history.
S.G. – Georgia – Educational Tour to Italy

I was very pleased and my students were also. Sergio was wonderful. He went out of his way to show the students a good time and provided excellent commentary. Sergio was very good about showing us extra things along the way. I will definitely request him for future tours. It was a job well done.
M.R. – Tennessee – Educational Tour to Italy

How did you find such an exceptional guide? Iain’s international and intercultural background provided our group, and especially our students, a wonderful experience. The food at the Maison Verlaine was very good and the service was terrific. It was good to see a family restaurant and everyone loved the Hemingway connection.
P.Y. – Virginia – Educational Tour to Paris

Outstanding! John is masterful in his knowledge & related beautifully with high school students. His enthusiasm for his job came through clearly. The London hotel has outstanding rooms and location. I plan to stay here on my next visit. The American staff was excellent.
D.N. – Ohio – Educational Tour to Britain

Massimo made our trip! His strength is his flexibility – whenever we had an idea, Massimo was able to make it happen! He was great with the kids, always knew the area well, made suggestions for choices, and helped get a bag back from an airport mishap! All of the restaurants were very accommodating to food restrictions, and the Magghetteria in Rome was amazing!
K.S. – CA – Educational Tour to Italy

The Greece trip was outstanding. I really was impressed with everything. You all did a wonderful job of planning the trip, from the big stuff to the details. We all loved the pace of the tour, the selection of locations and the quality of the meals. Overall, the hotel selections were great as well. And to top it off, we had an excellent, young, energetic and knowledgeable guide throughout. I suppose the best compliment that I can give is to tell you that I’d love to have Casterbridge plan our next field trip for us!
P.K. – Humanities Teacher – Educational Tour to Greece

I wanted to thank everyone at Casterbridge Tours for a putting together a great tour. The Hotel was good and in a great location. All of the restaurants were excellent for a student tour. All the visits to the museums were instructional and interesting. We also loved our guide Alex Paiva.
M.M. – New York – Educational Tour to France

We arrived last night from abroad and I think I can safely say that we had the best trip ever. You guys put together a fantastic itinerary- that was efficient, well planned and organized. Not even having my bag stolen in Barcelona could diminish the experience of this trip! I also want to say that John Lionet is by far the best tour guide that I have had the pleasure to work with. He is exemplary. I am sure that you guys are well aware of how fantastic he is so I want to thank you for allowing us to work with him. Thank you again for putting together such an amazing trip!
N.A. – Maryland – Educational Tour to Europe

Our trip was fabulous, and as soon as I get one of the kids to help me download photos, we will get them to you. Misia Boccia was great as well as our tours. Really such a great time! Thanks, as always, Brooke!! Really a great time in Italy and I will get photos to you!
S.G. – Connecticut – Educational Tour to Italy

Thanks for your comments. We had a wonderful trip and our guide, Sophie Monbeig, was amazing. The best guide I’ve had for these school trips. I certainly will be in touch if I do another trip.
M.T. – Ontario – Educational Tour to France

Just a short note to say that all went well with my group in Paris. Normand Bourget was a wonderful guide willing to adjust the schedule depending on weather forecasts and the stamina of the students.
J.S. – History Professor – RI – Educational Tour to France

I wanted to thank you once again for all of your hard work. The trip was incredible. Despite lots of rain, we had a great time. I would recommend highly that you add the Perugina cooking lesson to your itineraries. It was phenomenal. We made chocolates from scratch. For 4 hours, the chef taught all of us how to make chocolate candy. I think that it was the highlight of the tour. Massimo was terrific as usual and everything else fell into place.
S.G., – Georgia – Educational Tour to Italy

We had a wonderful trip, despite the cold weather and some rain in Rome. Our guide Sergio was fantastic, and I will certainly request him for my next trip.
M.R. – Tennessee – Educational Tour to Italy

“Just wanted to let you know the Costa Rica trip was fantastic! Students voted this trip #1 and I have to agree. I would highly recommend this trip. Casterbridge and Travel Excellence were great in organizing this trip. Tour guide and bus driver were excellent and the country is beautiful.”
C.J. – New York – Educational Tour to Costa Rica

“You should have been with us at the airport the day we left – soooo many tears, warm embraces and a demonstration of genuine affection for our guide, Francesca. We definitely would ask for her again! The guides used are wonderful – punctual, knowledgeable, engaging and we loved them all!! The selection of hotels and restaurants were excellent as well. I think everyone’s favorite hotel was in Aguas Calientes. There were other “nicer” hotels, but the service at the Cabana was outstanding. The manager worked his “buns” off for our group and went the extra mile to make our visit truly memorable. My hats off to Casterbridge from beginning to end – the staff is most professional, on-task, and helpful.”
C.B. – Spanish Teacher – Educational Tour to Peru in January 2010

This was the shortest of our three trips but it really is amazing how much we were able to get done. Also thanks be to Luigi who said he would lie awake each night trying to figure out how to best coordinate events and such to get our needs met. I would recommend to you that you request him in the future if you have any trips to Italy, France or Spain. I feel certain that if you haven’t heard already from the students that he was a real favorite with them. He went out of his way to spend time and energy with each one. That is also unusual and was much appreciated. I have mostly good memories of the journey – always a good sign.
J.W. – Art Professor – Tour to Italy

I must offer special gratitude for this trip. I understand the financial pressure was on, not due to anything but the meltdown of the dollar and the airline. You were very generous with me and I appreciate it. I do feel like we are working together on these trips and I look forward to making a lot of people happy with their travels in the future. The Italy group certainly seemed to think they had received their money’s worth.
J.J. – North Carolina – Tour to Italy

“I must say I was very impressed with Casterbridge. Your hotels were fabulous, the food was varied and good, and your guides were sensational. From the planning stages to the actual trip, everyone we had to deal with was knowledgeable and accommodating. You all worked very hard to meet our specific needs and that enthusiasm and know-how was demonstrated each day on our trip. It is not an easy task to move around such a large group of people, but your guides did it with confidence and that made us feel safe and cared for. I can now personally recommend Casterbridge as an excellent educational travel company. Thank you Kathy and the rest of the Casterbridge staff for all of your assistance in making our trip such a successful one. The kids are still talking about what a good time they had!”
C.C. – New Jersey – Educational Tour to Britain

“We’re back from our fantastic trip to England and Italy! Everything you say in your literature is absolutely true. We ran into a group from Johnstown, NY (about 15 miles from Galway) that was traveling with another Tour Operator. They were not at all happy with their arrangements or guide. I told him to contact your company for future trips. You can use my name as a reference for him or anyone else. Everything that we experienced on the trip met and usually exceeded what we were promised and expected. . As a result, all those on the trip, adults and students alike, were pleased beyond expectation with Casterbridge Tours. As always thanks for all your help, I look forward to planning another trip together!”
W.Y. – New York – Educational Tour to England and Italy

“I wanted to thank all of you for the fabulous trip. Everyone from St. Francis had a terrific time. Every year that I go to Europe with Casterbridge feels like it’s the best trip until I go again. From the onset of planning the trip with Pauline to the finalizing the details with Stacey and then traveling through Spain was amazing. Our tour manager, Jose was the best. I can’t say enough good things about him. He led us everyday with a positive attitude and a great deal of vigor. I hope that I will have the fortune of working with him again in the future.”
S.G. – Georgia – Educational Tour to Spain

“Fortunately my comments are overwhelmingly positive. Not only were we quite pleased with the hotels, restaurants, sights, specialist guides, bus transport etc., but having things set well in advance, with almost no last-minute surprises, made my job so much easier. The best testament to what a great trip this was is seeing how enthusiastic the students continue to be about their experiences. Thanks SO MUCH to both of you for all you did to make this such a memorable trip for all of us.”
M.H. – California – Educational Tour to France

“Casterbridge is a first class travel experience from planning an itinerary all the way through. They have been very accommodating, punctual and friendly. Casterbridge has done everything to make sure our trip was safe and enjoyable for everyone! Tanja was an excellent guide. She was very organized and prompt. We appreciated her willingness to accommodate each of our needs. I appreciate Casterbridge’s assistance in helping me recruit students for the Germany trip. Everything was very professional and organized. I also want to thank you for all of the time spent to accommodate our school tour when we had a student drop out due to illness. The care and flexibility was much appreciated. I highly recommend Casterbridge Tours to anyone organizing a trip. I will definitely be using you again in the near future. Thank you.”
A.H. – Ohio – Educational Tour to Germany

“Thank you so much for providing our tour group with such a great trip throughout Costa Rica. Our tour guide taught us so much about the culture, history and language of the country, and this trip will always hold a special place in our hearts! ¡Muchas gracias!”
K.F. – Delaware – Educational Tour to Costa Rica

“I cannot say enough about how perfect it was. I am proclaiming Casterbridge as the only way to go!!!!! We were lucky with the weather, but I felt that everything was outstanding because you do such a good job of organizing and helping us get the most for the money.”
I.M.- Georgia – Educational Tour to France

“The trip was just perfect in every way… Everything on this trip was so much better than the two experiences I have had with EF Tours and I am looking forward to traveling with you again…. I can’t wait to travel with you all again!”
M.R. – Group Leader, Pennsylvania – Educational Tour to Italy

“Thank-you for your follow through and initial help with the itinerary. I feel we increased the scope of styles and periods of design and architecture over our previous trips. We also experienced more countryside outside the big cities than we have previously and the students could understand more about country. I would highly recommend Casterbridge in all respects. I feel you and Claire covered all of the details and provided us with an exceptional experience. I thank-you very much.”
R. S. – North Carolina – Educational Tour to London & Paris, May 2007

“We had a wonderful time and plan on doing it again. Casterbridge was wonderful and Ciaran was a grand leader for our group. I have also recommended Casterbridge to several of my colleagues, most of whom received far inferior service from their organizers. Thank you again for leading me through this process…You made a potentially difficult task an absolute pleasure.”
B.G. – South Carolina – Educational Tour to England

“I also want to thank you so much for patiently holding my hand through the whole planning process… I will definitely use Casterbridge again, and will recommend your company to other teachers looking to plan educational excursions abroad.”
E. C. – French Teacher – Illinois France in February 2007

“We just got back last night. That was the BEST trip ever! John Lionet was TERRIFIC! Everyone loved him!! France was just wonderful!! Stacey and her replacement did a great job. I honestly can’t imagine another travel group giving the same service. Thank you again for your high standards and good quality! Feel free to quote me to others or use me as a reference.”
A.L.- Ohio – Educational Tour to France

“We had a WONDERFUL time! I knew my students were enjoying themselves while abroad, but to come back to class and hear them recount the stories and facts, etc was just the most rewarding feeling I could’ve had as a teacher! Thanks again for your help in making this a reality for my students!”
M.R. – Virginia – Educational Tour to Europe

“We thank you heartily for helping us make this tour. Compared to other larger tour companies, yours was a step up in quality in hotel and food and ticketing. I’m very thankful that I chose to follow Ian’s advice and book with Casterbridge!”
K.R. – Middle School Teacher, California

“Casterbridge really lived up to its motto of “Travel to Learn, Learn to Travel.” I’ve received numerous calls from parents of students who attended this trip thanking me and Casterbridge, and telling me how fabulous their children thought this tour was.”
J.L.W. – French Teacher from California

“The trip surpassed my expectations in this regard. Lots of tour companies for students just view it as a sightseeing enterprise, but you approached it also as an educational experience. Because of the fine local guides and Frederique’s knowledge and enthusiasm, the trip was much more than just sightseeing – it was also a true learning experience.”
D. F. – Group Leader, Indiana

“This trip was superb!! Every time I called or emailed, both Sue Rickards and Aaron Neckowitz answered questions, fixed the problems, were gracious, helpful and encouraging. They are the best!! I would hop on a plane and do this trip over again. It was the best!! It was a dream of a trip, truly!!!! Thank you seems so inadequate to say because it does not cover the heartfelt gratitude for this special trip. Tell all concerned that it was great and thank you.”
A.F.- Illinois – Educational Tour to Greece

“I want to thank both of you for your part in making our France/Spain trip such a wonderful and memorable one. The itinerary was good (special thanks to Pauline for this part), the chosen stops were all interesting and historical, the transportation was tops, the guide was great (Silvia), and everything was so smooth. I would definitely recommend Casterbridge Tours, and so would everyone in our travel group. It exceeded our expectations.”
K.M.G.- Tennessee – Educational Tour to France and Spain

“I look forward to traveling with Casterbridge again. Thank you for all the effort you and the good people at Casterbridge put into making our trip (Italy) last year possible. I have recommended Casterbridge to many of my friends, and am happy to report that one of them is traveling with you this summer. I have assured her that she will not be sorry she chose Casterbridge.”
D.M. – Virginia – Tour to Italy

“I must say that I continue to be impressed with Casterbridge. You make travel easy, educational and enjoyable and our tour was another wonderful experience. I have traveled extensively with other groups but have traveled exclusively with Casterbridge for the past several years. I truly believe that there is no better travel company available in the world today!”
B. W., North Carolina – Tour to Greece, January 2007

“I don’t even know how many times I have traveled with Casterbridge, but its enough so that I know I don’t want to travel with any other company!”
D.A.- Mississippi- Tour to France 2009

“I want to thank you both, and anyone else at Casterbridge who helped with our Paris/Rome trip. Whenever I needed information and/or help, Casterbridge was prompt and very helpful. The parents, students and two sisters enjoyed it immensely. The trip will be a fine memory for a long time. John and the rest of the tour guides were excellent. The places toured were wonderful. Thank you again.”
M.L. – Connecticut – Educational Tour to Paris and Rome

“Peter and Pauline, I greatly appreciate both of you who have been golden through all these years and through the five tours I have taken with Casterbridge. It is wonderful to have you helping us stateside. In short, Casterbridge is excellent and deserves its respected reputation.”
R.H. – Virginia – Educational Tour to Italy

“What a wonderful time we had, thanks to all of your tireless efforts and superb touring skills. The trip was fantastic and the students are still talking about different aspects of it every day in class. Once again, we are indebted to Casterbridge for such a terrific time in Spain!”
B.G. – Maryland – Educational Tour to Spain

“Tour surpassed my expectations. We saw more than the schedule showed and still felt unhurried. This was the least hurried tour of the seven we have taken. Our tour manger, Karine was wonderful – knowledgeable, patient, flexible and kind. Superior experience. She had a good sense of children’s changing needs, and altered things accordingly.”
L.D. – Teacher, Florida

“Thank YOU for all your work and especially for taking the time to answer all my questions. I think everyone who travelled with our group had an unforgettable time. Parents are already asking about the next trip.”
J.W. – New York – Educational Tour to France

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