EF is great for what they do. You need to understand what they do, though. EF helps kids experience the world. The tours are geared toward students, and are fast moving. You see a lot, but not as in depth as you may prefer. As a teacher, I appreciate this approach because it works for students. Some kids have shorter attention spans. Some activities fall flat. The speed of the tour prevents problems. As a traveler, I don't love it, but there is a big difference between individual travel and group travel. Also, EF tours include local guides at many sites. Some are better than others, but teachers have the chance to rate guides, and EF tries to work with the best as often as possible. Students who expect to learn and want to listen get more out of these tours than others. Teachers need to prep kids for the educational parts of the tour, and parents need to stress that trips are educational, not just vacations. Most of the students I have taken on tours want to experience more of the world afterward, and go on their own tours later, so EF is doing their job creating lifelong travelers and exposing kids to the world. While it might be possible for a teacher to get a slightly cheaper price cutting out the middleman and running the trip alone, I prefer to have support. I want someone working on logistics so I can work with the students. I also feel safer having someone who is fluent in the language, knows local laws, and how to navigate the health care system (much different an America's in many countries) in case something goes wrong. EF also does a good job working with teachers. When I have had issues, they have quickly resolved them. On one tour, due to a ferry strike, we had to reschedule some of our events. Legally, EF did not have to do anything, but when I called my rep, she immediately refunded some of the cost of the trip to all of my students. Similarly, when I have complained about food or hotels, EF has been responsive, and on my recent tours, both have been better. Importantly, teachers are responsible for student behavior. Some teachers who travel are not good at this. As a parent, you need to get to k so your child's teacher before sending your child to a foreign country. Some teachers think they are getting a free trip. That's a problem. My chaperones and I work all week to make sure our students are safe, and having a great time. We have travelled with teachers who don't do that, and ended up helping their students as well. I can see why sme students would have issues on tour with the wrong staff, but there is not much EF can do about that. When I travelled with a bad group, my EF tour director did go out of her way to keep their teacher away from my students so that I didn't have to worry about them and the teacher, but there isn't much more that can be done, short of kicking teachers out (which I would be fine with). EF doesn't make cancellation fees a secret. We warn our students that they're not getting their deposits back if they cancel (though EF has refunded them when I've found replacement students). EF does offer a school board guarantee, where we have a certain amount of time to cancel the tour if our board does not intend to approve the trip, so people can get money back. In addition, after the Paris attacks, EF offered vouchers for the full value of the trip if our school board cancelled the trip (though they did not offer money back, as the state department did not say that Europe would be unsafe). In general, EF has been transparent and fair with their prices. At the end of the day, most students who have travelled with me have expressed interest in traveling again. EF is as good as any educational travel company in the world, and charges less. It's important to know what you're getting into and prepare (I tend to make the food and hotels sound worse than they are so people are pleasantly surprised). It's important to be flexible, because when 30+ people travel together, no one is going to be happy with EVERYTHING, and it's really important to trust the teachers you're sending your kid with, but EF does their job creating a great experience who student travel. read more

The way this company does business is appalling. I have had a long and positive relationship with EF spanning over 10 years. I have organized girl scout groups to travel with EF tours, I have worked teaching English online with Englishtown, I have worked as an exchange coordinator for the EF high school exchange year and I have successfully hosted and supported several students from all over the world over the years. Recently, I learned of a student needing a family from a facebook post from the local coordinator and I applied to host again. The coordinator pressured me to get the room ready which for me, included rearranging family members bedrooms, cleaning out a room, purchasing a new bed, dresser and nightstand and setting it all up. After I got all of that done, I sent a picture to the local coordinator. No response. I sent it again after a few days. No response. This week my 16 yr. old daughter asked what the update was on the student so I texted the coordinator again. No response. Then yesterday I received a text from her saying that Matt from Boston had been trying to call me and to call him back. I checked my voicemail and tried to call him. It was a non working number. So I asked her for a direct number. No response. Next thing, Matt was calling me again. The call was to inform me that we have now been denied the opportunity to host because a call came into their office saying that I aided and abetted a former co worker to violate his probation. Now, I have not worked at that establishment for over 3 months and neither has the employee in question for whom Matt had a full name and personal details about. Nor am I in contact with that person because he was sent to prison for 2.5 years for the probation violation. I asked where and how Matt could have got this kind of information and while he refused to say specifically, the details he provided could have only come from someone who knows me and my past, which would be my ex husband, with whom I am in the middle of a contentious divorce and hold an order of protection against for his violence against me. I asked if Matt even tried to verify his facts and he said it didn't matter, they would not be moving forward with us ever again because of my relationship with the former co worker. I called the local coordinator, Dawn, and she said they take all calls about children seriously. The fact is that the call wasn't about children. It was about a bitter and spiteful ex trying to cause problems. So, my complaint is this: This company takes random phone calls about host families, doesn't question the source or verify complaints. Believes lies about people without checking anything. Does not take into consideration that my back ground check is and always has been clean, not to mention my long history of positive interaction and support for EF and its various programs. Nor, did they consider that it was not my fault that I was employed by an establishment that also hired someone with a criminal background. Yes, I knew about the background, eventually, but was I supposed to quit my job? Do all law abiding citizens quit jobs or avoid establishments that employ people with criminal pasts? Why am I at fault and how would my future student be in danger because of the fact that in the past I WORKED at a place that also employed someone who committed a crime? Not to mention the fact that the information Matt and Dawn were telling me was inaccurate and all public record so they could have easily looked it up online when the complaint came into their office. Never will I do business with EF again in any capacity, nor will my 3 teenagers participate in any programs associated with EF. read more

HORRIBLE!!!! For real do not book! Save your time, money, and sanity and book with a legit travel agency. This was supposed to be my first travel experience as a young adult but it was the most debilitating experience of my life. I rarely write reviews but this felt beyond necessary. This is a joke of a company. They are unorganized and unprofessional. MY EXPERIENCE: I originally asked several months in advance to reschedule on another date which in most cases is easy breezy, but when I looked on my account again they rebooked me on a different trip??? When trying to figure out the miscommunication they were changing prices and unable to give me a quoted price. It took over a month and SEVERAL phone calls to get it taken care of. When I asked to speak to a supervisor they said that they were out of office at that moment and that I should be expecting a call back. Never did. Shocker. At one point I finally thought I got it taken care of. I was sent a CONFIRMATION EMAIL that I was booked on the trip. When speaking on the phone I was told that my account will continue to say "pending" for a week or so and not to worry about it. I am now single digit days until the scheduled departure date and still haven't gotten my flights or ANY info. My travel companion emailed and asked for an update and ONLY THEN did they email back saying they were "just updated" (because I'm sure they were coincidentally updated 20 minutes after our email) that we were no longer being accommodated on the trip. We were given the opportunity to reschedule... AGAIN, but when trying to do so they gave us a voucher and said we still owe $800 (I had already paid the original quoted price). Keep in mind they're the ones who canceled my attendance on the trip (TWICE). This is a scam. I would also like I clarify that this is not a result of anything Covid related, they are simply an unreliable company. I beg you to not support this company, for your own sanity. read more

As an educator, I have been working with EF tours to provide educational tours to Europe for 33 years. I did a lot of research on various student travel companies before choosing EF, and each time I did a trip, I made comparisons in price, safety, organization, and value with other student tour companies. EF is the largest student travel organization in the US. I like that it has offices overseas in all the countries we visit. If any issues come up (weather, unrest, accidents, etc), I'm not trying to work with someone back in the US or in a office far away. The Tour Directors are always very well trained, professional, multi-lingual and engaging with the students. During the pandemic, our planned June 2020 tour was postponed to July 2021 and this was the first time in my working with EF in over 30 years that this had to happen. Of course, this pandemic is unprecedented, and there's no way anyone could have predicted that this would happen. Most of my travelers used their refund credits to go on our postponed trip in 2021 with no issues. A few students, since they were seniors going off to college or in the military, had to cancel. I know that since we had planned this trip a couple years prior, a lot of planning and reservations and arrangements had been made for our tour in advance. Despite all of the work and investments EF had already made on behalf of my students, they were still able to offer a refund minus $500 and I think this is fair. Those who rolled over to 2021 simply have more time to finish off payments and save spending money for our tour. I think that the students will appreciate our 2021 tour even more, having spent so many months enduring stay in place orders and having a crazy unusual year at school. I know I'm excited to travel again and it gives me something to look forward to in the meantime. read more

I just came back from this tour, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria and it was not the greatest. The tour was a beautiful tour but there were some bumps in the road. To start off we had a bus with no AC with Europe having a heatwave. Our teacher director called the bus company and had a hard time getting an AC bus out to us. After two days we finally got a new bus. Due to the heatwave, we had to change hotels. During the first couple of days, we went to a classical concert at night and at night the bus driver was not allowed to drive. So the tour guide said she called taxis for us but they never came. SO after the concert 52 students and parents had to haul cabs and pay for them. After a while, the tour was going fine till we pulled one night to a BOARDING school. Before we stepped into the boarding school our teacher was on the phone with the company, trying to get us out of a hotel. Although we, the travelers, went in were told to not unpack. We went to our rooms and in the rooms, there was MOLD, COCKROACHES, HUMAN FECES, and PEE STAINS ON THE SHEETS. At about midnight we were out in the parking lot with our suitcases open trying to get an outfit out for the next day because we could not bring our suitcase with us to the new hotel, due to us going into another cab. The next bump in the road was going to the next hotel which was up a mountain. The hotel gave the bus driver a bus route but it was not. We all had to evacuate the bus because the bus was on the side of the cliff. Graciously locals took us in and drove us to the hotel that night but were charged each ride, which was not covered by EF. After that, we had problems with the plane coming home. Beautiful countries but had a better experience with Explorica. read more

EF Tours takes advantage of travelers during COVID-19 crisis! Please do not allow your students to use this company for their group trips. There are other companies out there who provide the same services and who have taken excellent care of their clients during this unprecedented time. No one could have predicted or planned for a virus to shut the world down, but I salute the reputable travel companies who have responded by taking excellent care of their clients and have not tried to profit and take advantage of school kids, many of whom worked hard to earn this money to travel. EF Tour's response has been to steal money from clients, provide false information to try and justify 30% refund penalties, and have all but ensured they will not be around to serve customers into the future. We took out their Global Protection Plan which covers nothing in this case. I even asked for a compromise to give me the two $1,000 penalties (for me and my son's trip) in travel vouchers and refund the remaining $5,500 we paid. The company refused, which tells me all I need to know about their business practices. Pay close attention to how companies are responding to clients during this time and it will give you an excellent indication of whether you should ever do business with them in the future. Avoid this one like the Coronavirus! read more

I spent a year researching all the student travel companies when I was tasked with finding a program for my students. I have never regretted my decision to travel with EF. Every aspect of every detail is thought through, and the Tour Consultants, Tour Directors, and Customer Service people are professional and courteous. I have now taken six tours with EF. I had two more planned for 2020 and 2021 but chose to postpone them due to the pandemic. EF has worked with me to make this easy for my travelers. They are doing everything they can to ensure that we have a safe experience when we can travel again. I trust them because on the few occasions that I have experienced an emergency on tour, everything was handled immediately and with every regard for the well being of my students and chaperones. Nothing compares with watching my students blossom into independent, confident young adults. It's one of the things I miss the most about travel. I used to be wide-eyed at all the sights, but now I find joy in just watching my students' faces as they discover the world. I can't wait to travel again, and I will always use EF. Do your research, read the fine print, choose your tour based on the needs and abilities of your students, and you will not be disappointed! read more

This company is a big scam. Spent over $15,000 on a two month around the world trip that was supposed to depart the end of May 2020. THEY canceled the trip in March. When I asked for a full refund, they refused. Offered me a travel voucher instead. As if I am going to take a travel voucher for a company that is most likely going to be out of business by the time this pandemic is over with?! They are taking advantage of the terrible situation and trying to turn it into a cash grab for themselves. They claim to have already spent a lot of your money on flights and hostels, etc. but yet airlines are giving full refunds and hostels are about $5 a night so they have no leg to stand on here. They also refuse to show you any proof that these things were already booked. I urge everyone to file a dispute with your credit card company. DO NOT accept a voucher from these people. I will be getting my money back from them one way or another but mark my words, this company will never recover from this if they don't decide to do the right thing in this situation. read more

I am a teacher and have organized tours with EF since 2005. I have never changed tour companies because EF offers the best experience at a value price for my students. Each day on tour is packed with student-centered activities and cultural experiences. When we return from tour, our parents are always amazed at the opportunities their children had and the positive stories they tell after returning home. My tour consultants have always been willing to work with me in planning the best tour possible for my students. While on tour, my students have enjoyed the kind and charismatic tour directors who have shared their travel expertise with us. EF provides a safe experience for students as they have a 6:1 student to chaperone ratio and offices throughout the world for up-to-date safety information while on tour. Over the years, I have been able to travel with over 200 students and have plans set up for our next tour. In a competitive student travel world, EF will always get my business! read more

Had a wonderful time in Greece last summer! The Tour Director was incredible, very knowledgeable, and connected well with the students on the tour. The trip was definitely geared towards teenagers, meaning we were on the go all the time - seeing as much as we possibly could! I can see how some adults would not enjoy the trip, because it was NOT a vacation. The hotels were clean and comfortable, but not anything spectacular. Perfect for what we were using them for - just to sleep! The meals fed our hungry teenagers and were tasty. Other reviews on this site talk about their poor experience with customer service - I didn't experience that. Everyone I spoke to was helpful and polite. Overall, EF provided a quality trip experience geared towards the students on the tour. As an adult, I would have preferred some things be different but I had to remember that the trip wasn't about me - it was about my student! read more

CONTACT YOUR STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE AND FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE CONSUMER PROTECTION DIVISION REGARDING THIS COMPANY'S HANDLING OF COVID-19. IF ENOUGH OF US FILE A COMPLAINT, THEN A CLASS ACTION MAY BE FILED ON BEHALF OF ALL CONSUMERS THAT ARE BEING TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF BY THIS COMPANY DURING THIS PANDEMIC. Never ever book a trip with this company. My daughter's trip was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and our family is out of $2,260. The company is keeping this amount due to the trip being cancelled and rescheduled for a time that we cannot go. This is robbery and I feel like this is a class action that can be filed for many that were robbed of their money. This company should do right during this pandemic and frankly they are finding a way to profit off of people during trying times. Never do business with them. This company cannot be trusted. And they are asking for a lawsuit. read more

I have been using EF Education First since 2011 for my school's 8th grade trip. They were AMAZING guiding me through my first experience as a group leader with 113 travelers! Since then, I've continued to be impressed by their customer service at every level. My tour consultant, Chelsea, is efficient, personable, and reliable. She responds to my every need immediately. EF allows me to personalize my itinerary each year and they never tell me that my requests are too much. The students have the time of their lives and return to see me year after year to retell their stories. They made memories that will last a lifetime! I've also traveled to Costa Rica, Boston, and San Francisco on adult trips and had the best time! The tour guides did a terrific job of showing us all of the sights and were extremely knowledgable about their city. I feel 100% confident recommending EF for your travel adventures! read more

This is one of the best Educational Travel partners a teacher could have. I take great pride in being associated with EF knowing that students are their first priority when traveling. I found great comfort knowing that they have people assigned to our group to help during travel. As a parent, it is important to me to ensure that I am kept up-to-date with changes happening to our travel destination. EF works to ensure that we are informed of COVID situations and constantly monitor to see if trip modification needs to happen. My Tour consultant Alicia has simply been amazing helping get us organized and prepared to travel and keeps me updated with any changes. I feel that she is as excited as my students preparing to travel. EF has a lot of love and passion for Educational Travel and I get excited looking through all the opportunities we are able to offer students. read more

Be careful of the fine print, no matter what the representatives tell you! Signed up for my son to go to Thailand with his school. We were not sure if my step-son was going to be able to secure his passport because of some technical issues. The EF Tours rep said they would only charge a $95 cancellation fee if we could not secure one. Well after trying to get through for a week and finally reaching them they said that I would have to pay a $550 cancellation fee. So the rep at the school absolutely lied to me. Madison the rep I spoke with at the company even had the nerve to tell me I had plenty of time to take care of anything legal with my step-sons passport issues in the next ten months... What a joke, and I heard they are making people pay cancellations during the covid-19 pandemic. Sleazy travel company, I will never send my other children on a trip with them! read more

Much like every parent right now. We spent 2 years making payments to give our daughter an opportunity of a lifetime. We fully understand covid-19 interfering with travel plans, what we can't understand is why this greedy company ran by employees with attitudes have the right to keep almost $500 of the money we barely had and made sacrifices to contribute to an unforgettable trip. I sure hope this company does not bother responding to thins with their generic crap about policies etc... there is not one Company that can follow "normal" policies during this unique pandemic. We are out of work and EF TOURS is adamant about keeping EVERYONES money. I hope this pandemic is enough to sink this company forever. They DO NOT care about students or the families involved. SCAM... book your own trip through a real reputable travel company. read more

I have nothing but good things to say about EF! My tour consultant Victoria has always been there for me with anything that I have needed. They always put the kids experience first to make sure they have the best experience possible! On my tour in 2019 we had an issue and I called my tour consultant and the problem was fixed in a matter of minutes! I am a group leader out of Oklahoma and I know that EF had some problems with the Covid situation, but all my parents who reported back to me said that everything was handled in a professional manner and got back what they should have when they cancelled! The tours that I get to take my students on every summer is a very educational and fun experience for all of us! I completely understand the frustrations from some people, but my interactions have always been good! read more

Zero Star. Huge liability for your family! If an exchange student wants a "better situation" they will say anything to get moved. I know a FEW families who had false CPS complaints filed by EF against them. This affected their entire family to include their children in a very negative way. Once the claims are found false, no apology or answers from this company. Students compare other students home, families that travel a lot, give them full freedom... if you are willing to volunteer, feed the student, provide a perfect home, travel all the time at your expense and let them do whatever they want... you will have a great year. The Reps are sneaky and lie. Beware!! If you have had any problems contact the Department of State at 1-866-283-9090. They need to stop damaging American VOLUNTEER families. read more

I've enrolled in 6 different tours with this company and still haven't learned my lesson. Shady business practices. After you enroll online, EF will later add "optional" items to your account without your authorization, and without notifying you, to increase the overall tour price. Terrible customer service. Not unusual to wait 30-40 minutes on the phone to reach a live customer service representative. Don't select the call-back option because you likely will never get a call back. They would not allow me to speak to a supervisor when I had a complaint about unauthorized changes made to my account. So I emailed customer service and also received absolutely not reply to my inquiry. Regarding the tours in different countries....accomodations are typically in 2 star hotels. read more

The trip is great! My daughter had a wonderful time. On the way back in June 2022 in Canada the flights were cancelled. So they asked the students to pay for their transportation and meals and the would be reimbursed in 3-4 weeks. So my daughter asked to use my credit card for that. 6 other of her friends had no money so asked if she could also put their expenses and I said sure. If we are getting reimbursed. It has been 7 months and I still have not been reimbursed. They said they were behind but on 3-4 months they would reimburse. I cannot get anyone to help me and they just keep throwing the ball to someone else. I have accrued interest on those charges. Please don't pay anything that they say they will reimburse you. It's all a lie. read more