Go Schoolies, in partnership with Educational World Travel, has over 30 years of experience in the travel industry, specializing in overseas adventures for secondary school students. We have strong relationships with our travel suppliers and understand how to provide an exciting and life changing experience for our schoolies travellers.

GO Schoolies is for those travellers who want to GO beyond the shores of Australia and start exploring the world. Overseas travel can feel a bit daunting and overwhelming, so we are here to support you on your adventure, from the moment you sign up to the moment you come home. Make a lifetime of memories and GO that little bit further!

GO Schoolies trips will depart on the 2nd December 2020, 20th November 2021 and 19th November 2022.

GO Schoolies tours run from 7 - 10 days depending on the destination.

On the final page of each tour itinerary or at the bottom of your payments section there is a breakdown of tour inclusions. Every tour includes travel insurance, return international economy airfares, breakfast daily and some meals, internal domestic flights at your tour destination and bus transportation while on tour. You can view a copy of the tour itinerary inclusions from your trip page on our website or in the ‘My Docuemnts’ section on your trip page.

Shortly after registering for your GO Schoolies trio you will receive a unique URL called your ‘Magic Link’- this allows you access to view all your trip details, make payments and complete tasks and forms for your upcoming trip. To view how the YouLi trip page works and some of the features available to you please watch: https://youtu.be/O-CnAhaOguY

Absolutely! GO Schoolies tours include loads of attractions and all included highlights are pre paid. There are occasionally a few optional activities in certain destinations. This allows you to customize your experience and get the most out of your trip. This means you can do your GO Schoolies experience your own way!

Each tour itinerary includes a few optional activities which you can choose to participate in. These are visible in the Trip Highlights section of your personalised Trip page. Due to the number of travellers on our tours, we cannot guarantee there will be places available so all optional tours are on a first come first served basis.

Most GO Schoolies optional tours and activities are paid locally in local currency directly to the operators. You can select optional activities in your ‘Payments’ section on your unique trip page. These need to be selected before final payment is due. Prior to selecting them you will see if the cost of the optional activity will be added to your tour cost and appear on your final invoice or if you must pay this locally on arrival.

While most meals are included we also want to offer you the flexibility to eat what you want, when you want it. Want to skip lunch and laze by the pool? No worries! Food is such an important cultural experience when travelling, so we provide just enough meals to allow you to sample the local cuisine but let’s face it, we all like different stuff. So on a GO Schoolies trip you can do food your own way. Breakfast is included every morning though so we know you’re not missing out!

You will have both a travelling and local GO Schoolies Squad Leader. Your travelling GO Schoolies Squad Leader will be one of our Australian staff members, who will be with you from your Australian airport check in, throughout your tour, and return to Australia with you at the end of tour. You will also be joined by local GO Schoolies Squad Leaders in your destination country. In Vietnam, your local GO Schoolies Squad Leader will remain with you for the whole tour. In the USA, your local GO Schoolies Squad Leader may change in each city.

Absolutely! We will organize a meet and greet around a month before departure, so you’ll have the chance to meet your fellow travellers as well as your GO Schoolies Squad Leader. This may be in person or over Zoom. At this meeting you’ll also be able to nominate who you would like to share rooms with on tour (if you haven’t already) and any other last minute bits and pieces. Obviously, this can be changed once on tour, but it gives us a chance to get things sorted before you depart.

Don’t want your adventure to stop? We hear you. If you need to leave the tour early or want to continue your travel adventure afterwards, get in contact with our GO Schoolies Head Office as soon as you have travel plans, so we can see how we can help. Please note, for GO Schoolies 2021, requests must be made before 31st July, 2021; any requests after this date will not be considered. Any customizing of your travel arrangements will incur a $250 administration fee and may involve additional airline fees, etc.

A great medical question best left to the professionals. We recommend you contact your local travel doctor to get the most up to date information on vaccinations for your chosen destination.

• If you have an existing medical condition, you will need to get a pre-travel assessment done prior to your departure to make sure you’re fit and healthy. For an example please see: Pre-Travel Assessment Form - Countries
• Also some great info from the Australian Department of Health here

After registering for GO Schoolies, you will be prompted to complete a medical & dietary form on your unique trip page. Please include all medical information, no matter how big or small. We like to know everything about our travellers and feel we can never be over-prepared. If anything changes between the time you complete the medical form and travel, it is your responsibility to update the GO Schoolies team so we can update your information. If you have a severe medical condition or allergy GO Schoolies requires you to obtain a medical clearance letter and compile an action plan with your GP or doctor on trip sign up and again 1 month prior of there have been any changes to your condition.
You will also need to let your travel insurer know if you have any pre-existing medical conditions - we will prompt you to do this so don’t worry if you forget!

GO Schoolies is all about making new friends and sharing an adventure, so if you are travelling solo there is no need to worry. The accommodation on tour is twin or triple share, which means you are sharing a room with another traveller of the same sex. We will sort it for you.

The accommodation on all GO Schoolies trips is twin or triple share, which means you are sharing a room with other travellers of the same sex- you can select who to share with or we can sort that for you. You are going to meet some amazing people on your schoolies trip, but if you want your own room and space, we can arrange that for you (aside from Fiji trips). Just select the ‘single room’ option when in the checkout in the payments section of your trip page, and we will arrange a single room where available. Check out the highlights section on your unique trip page for the single supplement fee’s payable for each trip.

Of course, we can accommodate that. Once you have both processed your bookings, head to your ‘Traveler Information Profile’ (TIP) form and enter in the name the person you wish to share with.

All of our groups stay in three to four-star hotels and whilst we generally use the same hotels every trip, you will find your final hotel details in your ‘My Documents’ tab. Don’t worry - you will have all this info well before you need it!

On your Go Coasting USA or GO Beyond USA trip, you’ll jump on a United Airlines or Air New Zealand flight to cross the Pacific. If you are off on a GO Explore Vietnam trip, you’ll be flying Vietnam Airlines or Singapore Airlines all the way. And if you’re heading off on GO Troppo Fiji, we love to fly Fiji Airways or Virgin Australia. We use trusted airline partners and try to get you to your adventure destination the quickest way possible so you can start GO Schoolies sooner.

If you would like to sign up for your airline’s frequent flyer program, please refer to their website and arrange this directly with the airline: Air New Zealand, Fiji Airways, Singapore Airlines, United Airlines, Vietnam Airlines, Virgin Australia.

Due to the number of travellers on tour, GO Schoolies is unable to add your loyalty program number to the booking. Travellers will need to do this themselves when checking in for their flight – just let the check-in staff know and they’ll add your number to the booking. Easy!

Limits vary between airlines and destinations, but as a baseline, you are allowed to travel with one piece of checked-in luggage weighing up to a max of 23kg. If you measure the length, width and depth of your bag and add up the dimensions it should be around or under 158cm. This will do you well for your 7-10 day trip – you’re on this trip for a good time, not a long time, so we’d strongly advise against carrying more than this anyway!
On board you’re allowed to take one carry-on item (such as a small wheeled bag, duffel bag or backpack – length + width + depth no greater than 113cm) with a maximum weight of 7kg as well as one “personal” item (such as a handbag, laptop bag or tote). There are further restrictions about what you can carry on board, and we’ll let you know about all of these in due course. You can also check out your airline’s website for more specific information!

Worried you’ll forget something important when packing? Don’t - we know that feeling, so we’ll make it easy for you! Check out the “GO Pack” section of your tour’s ‘Useful Info’ document for a suggested packing lists. This document will be located in the ‘My Documents’ section of your trip page.

Great question. Nothing worse than freezing your way across the Golden Gate Bridge or sweating in jeans in the tropics. You’ll find information on specific destinations, including average temperatures in your Useful Info document. This document will be located in the ‘My Documents’ section of your trip page.

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. We have produced a Useful Info document for each of our tours which include lots of great info, as well as packing tips, items we recommend for each destination and a brief pre-departure check list. You can download a copy of the Useful Info document from your tour page on our website. We’ll also send you a final check list a month before you travel to ensure you have everything you need.

First off, if you’re considering cancelling, or if there is anything we can do to help, please reach out for a chat with us first! Please send us an email at letsgo@goschoolies.com.au and we can either help you out or start the cancellation process for you. For details on our cancellation and refund policy, please read through the Terms and Conditions. Please note, if you replace your spot with someone else you won’t be out of pocket!

All GO Schoolies adventures are international, so yes, you will need a passport. If you already have a passport, fantastic! Just make sure it has at least six months validity after your proposed return date. Don’t leave getting a passport to the last minute as it can take up to six weeks to process when the passport office is really busy.

If you are an Australian citizen, you can apply for a passport online at www.passports.gov.au. Once an online application is lodged, please allow approximately three weeks to receive your passport. This is not a process you should complete at the last minute, as several documents are required as part of the application process.

If you have a non-Australian passport (a passport issued by a country other than Australia), please let our Head Office know as different passports sometimes require different travel documents and may have different entry requirements for your selected destination. Please understand that while GO Schoolies can assist with support documents, we are not responsible for individual countries requirements and restrictions placed if you chose to travel on a non-Australian passport.

An ESTA is an Electronic System for Travel Authorization which can be applied for by Australian passport holders, as well as nationals from several other countries, to enter the United States as part of the Visa Waiver Program. The application process is completed online through the US Department of Homeland Security and costs approximately $14 USD. Once an application is submitted it may take up to 72hrs for approval. Please note that GO Schoolies is unable to complete this application on your behalf but we will assist and remind you when it’s due. Please only use this official link when obtaining an ESTA to ensure you don’t pay more than $14 USD: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/

If you submit an online ESTA application and it is not approved, you will likely need to apply for a B2 visa instead. This process generally involves an interview at your nearest US Consulate (Melbourne, Sydney and Perth). This process can take up to six months to complete, so if you are ineligible for an ESTA please start this application as soon as possible. GO Schoolies is not responsible to obtain this visa for you, you must arrange and pay for the visa yourself.

If you are travelling to the United States on an Australian passport, an ESTA is the equivalent of a visa and is required by all travellers. If you are travelling to Vietnam, Australian passport holders must obtain a visa letter prior to departing Australia. GO Schoolies will obtain this visa letter for you prior to departure and we will also include the cost of the Vietnam visa in the tour price.

We need you to upload a copy of your passport on your trip page under the ‘Upload passport’ task. We need a copy of your passport to ensure that we have issued the airline tickets in the correct name. An error in the name on an airline ticket may result in the loss of that ticket and require a new ticket to be purchased or a fee to make the appropriate change. To avoid any additional cost to you, we like to make sure we have everything correct right from the start.

On your unique trip page you will find everything you need to set off on your GO Schoolies adventure. At GO Schoolies, we do our best to reduce our carbon footprint, which includes printing – everything is electronic now anyway! You’ll receive your final documents link around a month before you travel, which will include your travel insurance details, e-tickets for your flights and a final itinerary. Ready, set, GO!

We think travel insurance is a must for all travel, so we have included it in the cost of the tour. You will be covered by a comprehensive international travel insurance policy through Cover-More. The policy details are available here.

If you have a preferred travel insurance provider, by all means you are welcome to take out a policy with them. Please ensure it covers unlimited medical and dental cover. Better to be safe than sorry! Once you have purchased your policy, you will need to upload a copy of your certificate of insurance in the document upload button at the bottom of your ‘Medical & Dietary Form’ so we can refund you the cost of the included Cover-More travel insurance.

No. We will not allow any travellers to travel on any GO Schoolies trip if they do not have appropriate travel insurance with unlimited medical coverage. Life is uncertain and it is not worth the risk.

In the unlikely event that you need to make a claim on your travel insurance, your GO Schoolies Squad Leader will be there to help. Each situation is different, so the process can change accordingly. For example, if you become unwell on tour, we may call a doctor to the hotel to see you. Payment for this consultation would be required at the time, and receipts would be issued. When you return to Australia, you would put in a claim for that consultation to receive your refund. Unfortunately GO Schoolies is unable to put through any claims on behalf of our travellers. But we can definitely assist you!

If you have a pre-existing medical condition, you need to include all the details on your medical & dietary form after you register for your GO Schoolies tour. Some pre-existing medical conditions will need to be declared to our travel insurance company. They will then be in contact with you regarding your policy and whether any additional payment is required to cover your pre-existing medical condition.

Your GO Schoolies trip deposit is $295 AUD. After registering for the trip of your choice you will have access to your unique GO Schooleis trip page through YouLi. By going to the ‘Payments’ section on your trip page you can pay your deposit online via Visa or Mastercard (credit or debit cards accepted). You can save your card details in the secure vault inside the payments section of your trip page. GO Schoolies can automatically take your future installments for your chosen payment plan if you pay by VIsa or Mastercard. You have the option of paying quarterly, monthly or fortnightly. You can also pay by direct bank transfer however you will need to remember to make your payments on the due dates.

If you have selected the quarterly, monthly or fortnightly options you will see your progress payment due dates in the ‘payments’ section of your unique trip page. All payments are made automatically for you on the same credit or debit card that you paid your deposit on. In your payments section on the trip page you can load a new credit card and view payments made and upcoming payments due. If you wish to change your instalment plan or dates, or pay your plan out early please contact our Head Office at letsgo@goschoolies.com.au.

Shortly after registering for your GO Schoolies trip you would have received a ‘magic link’ emailed to you. This is your unique URL to access all your private details on your upcoming GO Schoolies trip. Your payments can be viewed in the ‘payments’ tab on your trip page. Only you can view these details! You do not need a password which is great but you can set up an account or even download the YouLi app on your phone. If you didn’t receive your magic link or cannot find it, please get in contact with our Head Office at letsgo@goschoolies.com.au.

Final payment is due 3 months prior to travel departure. Do not miss it! Put it in your phone, calendar, diary, alarm, etc. Your final invoice amount including any currency fluctuations and government/airline taxes will be added to this final installment. You can view this in your ‘payments’ section on your trip page roughly 4 months prior to departure.

If you are paying with credit card the final installment amount will be automatically processed on the due date. If paying by bank transfer and you miss your final payment, you risk being cancelled from the tour. Please contact Head Office immediately if you know your final payment will be late. A processing handling fee of $50 may be charged for late payments.

Who doesn’t love a discount? We love friends to travel together on GO Schoolies, so we have an incentive for you. Our ‘Refer a Friend’ section on your unique trip page allows you to share the tour with all your friends. For each person you refer who ultimately signs up and travels on GO Schoolies, you will receive a $100 credit towards the cost of your trip up to a maximum of $500 AUD! The credit will be applied just prior to your final payment and will be subtracted from your final balance due. Keep it all yourself or split it with your friends. Completely up to you. Everyone loves a bit of extra spending money, so start sharing the GO Schoolies love! Please note you cannot refer yourself and more than one person cannot refer the same person. If they do the person who referred them first will be eligible for the credit.

This is the million-dollar question, but obviously doesn’t come with a million-dollar price tag. We recommend you look through the itinerary and determine how much you think you will need to budget for: food (snacks, drinks, any meals not included), optional activities, shopping, etc. Most people take between $500-$2000 AUD. Remember you will need enough for any meals not included and any extra snacks, souvenirs or optional activities you wish to take part in locally.

Meals included in each trip program can be viewed in the itinerary section of your trip page. B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D= Dinner.

Great question. It depends a little on your destination. Most travellers take a combination of cash, say a few hundred dollars, with the rest on their card. You can also get special travel cards from the post office, FOREX or local bank with your spending money pre-loaded in the local currency - pretty cool huh?! If you are using your regular bank cards, please let your bank know before you depart so they do not put a hold on it when you are overseas.

No, tipping is not included in the tour cost. Your GO Schoolies Squad Leader will be able to advise you when tipping is required/appropriate. We recommend approximately $25 USD per tour for tipping.

Most Australian mobile providers will offer call and data packages for travel overseas. We recommend you contact your provider in advance to find out the costs involved, so you don’t return home with a massive bill. Always turn off data roaming if you have not purchased a travel data pack and just use WiFi which is available at all the hotels you will be staying at.

Our GO Schoolies itineraries are jam packed, so when you land there may not be time straight away to purchase a local SIM card. As such, we recommend you purchase an international SIM card before travelling, and ensure you phone is unlocked and working before leaving Australia. We can recommend DataGO!

Absolutely! Free WiFi is available at all hotels your stay in, and at many of the attractions you visit on tour. No excuse not to stay in contact with home.

Everything seems to have an app these days, so be sure to find out whether the attractions you are visiting have one. Most airlines also have an app which allows you to track your flight and departure details as well, which can be useful for family and friends back in Australia. If heading to USA, the Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm and Universal Studios apps are a must to ensure you get the most out of your visit including some pre booked rides.

Everyone needs to power up devices while travelling, so let’s make sure everyone has the right plugs. For travel to the USA, you will need a Type A and Type B converter. Travel to Vietnam will require a Type A, B and D converter. Fiji uses the same plug type as Australia (Type I), so no dramas there. If you’ve got the travel bug (or think you will after this trip) we recommend investing in a universal plug adaptor. It will be your best friend on all your overseas adventures and can plug into almost all plugs around the world!

The standard voltage output of Australian power points is 230V. In the USA, the standard voltage is 120V, which means to use Australian electrical appliances (eg. phone charger, hair dryer, laptops) needs to be able to function with an input of 100-240V. As most appliances have that as standard, you should not require a power converter for the USA. In Vietnam, the standard voltage is 220V, so essentially the same as Australia.

That’s what your GO Schoolies Squad Leader is trained for. If one of your flights is delayed, they will ensure that travel continues as smoothly as possible. If a flight is cancelled, they will coordinate with the airline to arrange the next available flight so the tour only has minimal disruptions. Travel can sometimes be full of unexpected surprises but we are with you every step of the way.

No one wants to get sick while travelling, but if it happens, we’re here for you. We have an awesome network of professional doctors that we can get in touch with 24/7 - some can even come to the hotel and see you in the privacy of your own room. And don’t stress - you have your travel insurance that will cover the costs of the doctor (minus the excess). Remember, you will need to cover the consultation cost upfront with cash or a credit card and then we will help you get all the right paperwork to lodge the claim through your travel insurer ASAP.

At GO Schoolies, we always plan for the ‘what if’. What if we need to contact you while you’re on tour? It is essential for our GO Schoolies Squad Leaders to be able to contact all travellers in their group in case of any changes of plans or an emergency.

Gluten free? Diary free? Vegan? Make sure to include all these details on your medical & dietary form so we can do our best to ensure you are catered for throughout your adventure. Some tours will take you through regions that may not be as familiar with your certain allergy, so please don’t feel shy to remind your GO Schoolies Squad Leader and they will take extra care at restaurants to make sure you get fed! We also recommend you bring snacks on board your flights as sometimes your requested special meals are not available.

Lacto-ovo-vegetarian

• Does not contain meat, fish or seafood. May contain dairy products such as milk, butter, cheese and eggs.

Vegan vegetarian

• Does not contain meat, fish, fowl, eggs, honey, dairy products or derivatives.
• Example: Vegan Thai curry.

Asian/Hindu vegetarian

• A meat-free, spicy meal. Does not contain fish, shellfish, meat, poultry or eggs.

Muslim

• Does not contain pork, by-products of pork, or ingredients containing alcohol. All meats come from ritually slaughtered animals.

Kosher

• Prepared to comply with Jewish dietary laws.

Diabetic

• Does not contain sugars, syrups, jams, cakes and chocolate, unless they’re specific diabetic varieties to help you manage your blood sugar levels.
• Example: Chicken Ciabatta

Gluten intolerant

• Does not contain wheat, wheat flour, barley oats, rye, bread, cakes (unless wheat free), pastry, sausages or any flour-based products.
• Example: Chicken Basquaise

Low fat

• A high-fibre meal with reduced fat.

Low salt

• Does not contain salt, MSG and baking soda/powder. Instead, the meal is flavoured with herbs and spices.

Low lactose

• Does not contain cheese, dairy products and their derivatives, lactose or milk products.