WorldStrides

Negative experience: I would leave zero stars if I could.

Fantastic experience: Very well organized, kept everyone busy and moving. Well scheduled events and mealtimes and provided us with good tools like a necklace for holding valuable items and itinerary. We had a driver, tour bus, we were not worried about renting a car, we visited all of the historic sites in DC and it was very educational. The meals were authentic and all the restaurants had a friendly, close enivronment. All the tour guides were well-read and were very knowledgeable of all the sites they showed us.

Fantastic experience: My daughter traveled to Washington DC with her school in the month of April and had a wonderful time and experience. She loved the trip and she rated it a 10 out of ten!!! Thank you!!

Positive experience: My daughter had a wonderful time on her WorldStrides trip to Dc this Spring. Payments were easy & convenient. Her organizer at her school went above & beyond to make this trip great for my girl. It was a great introduction to some independent-esque travel. I’m not sure how much was WS organized but I don’t think she had a complaint the entire trip. I came to the area to be there in case she needed me & she didn’t! ❤️ everything was well taken care of. Can’t wait for my son’s trip next!

Fantastic experience: It was a great tour. Except one of the dinner place was not good

Fantastic experience: I went on the DC trip with my 8th grader and also brought my 19yro daughter who missed her own 8th grade DC trip. Our tour guide, Debbie “middle name Flexibility”, was amazing! She had a great sense of humor and was way more patient than I expected anyone to be with 50 people, 40 of them being 8th graders. She was excited to do her job, happy and full of energy. Very easy going. She really knew her facts and also often tied stories in with things relevant to kids and often tied things into our area of the country (Washington state). To keep us out of the peak heat and humidity of the day, (since our blood is thick being from the PNW) she took us to the outdoor memorials and tours early or late and the air conditioned museums at the hottest times. She also seemed to get us to the food courts/restaurants just before the crowds. Yes it was hot, humid and a lot of walking and paying attention for the kids but Debbie was extremely skilled at tips and tricks to make it as comfortable and pleasant as possible with a group of our size and always with a smile, a little sparkle in her eye and making us all feel like her friends. John, our bus driver was so kind and patient with all the kids. He maneuvered the bus through the busy city safely and like he was driving a little car! He was always ready and waiting for us whenever and wherever! I was also impressed with all the behind the scenes planning and scheduling. The kids were kept busy and fed all day making the most and experiencing as much as possible in 4 days. I also appreciated the security in the halls in the hotel overnight so the adults could sleep peacefully. It was a great trip!

Negative experience: Never again!!! My daughters DC trip was terrible. The lunches were horrible and barely fed the kids, the tour guides they had was extremely rude and making fun of my daughter and her health condition. I feel like I was scammed out of money for what she got..... a 50$ lunch card to spend in a tourist area for 4 days.... she had to pay additional money to even eat! Never again!

Negative experience: This company is crooked and dishonest. Wouldn't use them if you paid me. SCAM ARTIST!!! STAY FAR AWAY FROM WORLD STRIDES!!!

Positive experience: Really good tour operator! The guides were nice, their itinerary was good, and had a really good time. The only let down were two of the dinner restaurants (Madhatters in DC was not popular amongst vegetarians, and Silver Diner in Arlington took too much time to deliver food), but otherwise the group allows students to explore sights freely and to their interests.

Negative experience: This was my second time as a chaperone on a World Strides DC trip. On this trip, our busses left from school at 1:30 AM. This was totally unnecessary. There were two flights, 5 and 6 AM. It is a 30-45 minute trip to the airport, even when traffic is busy. No way did we need such a buffer to travel and get through security. This started our trip off on the wrong foot. Why wouldn't they allow the kids more sleep? Especially for the 6 AM flight. Generally, the timing of the whole trip was off. We would get places and have to wait (again, we were on the bus by 7 AM to go to the Spy Museum, arrived at 7:30, and it didn't even open until 8:30.) Meal timing was off. And the meals were generally terrible. Especially The Diner where we ate a buffet. The Holiday Inn was not good. Powdered eggs for breakfast. And, they had the kids in Tower 1 and the adult chaperones (except for a few) in Tower 2. No wonder the kids were loud! The adults were in a separate tower! The trip 6 years ago was much smoother and better run. Get it together, World Strides!

Fantastic experience: Our travel coordinator Doug was amazing!!

Negative experience: I would have given a 5 start review, however, the flight home was so upsetting I feel it warranted subtracting 3 stars. The buses provided were clean and mostly comfortable. The driver and guide were amazing. Most of the meals were great, except for the "Mexican" restaurant we were taken to, I'm pretty sure Taco Bell would have been better. The sites we visited were interesting, and we were able to see A LOT. For the flight home, our group was split into two groups, one flying home on Southwest, the other group on American Airlines. We were on the AA flight. Our AA entire group, of around 50, were split up with each of us in the center seat on different rows. The children were 8th grade aged. There was at least one girl sitting between two unknown grown men. The parents who traveled with the group were separated from their children, some by over 20 rows. I was fortunate enough to at least be on the same row as my daughter, but on opposite sides of the isle. So when she started to have a nervous breakdown I could at least talk to her over the two people and isle between us. I was also fortunate-ish that about 2 thirds of the way through the 3 hour flight, when the turbulence started, the woman sitting next to my daughter offered to switch places with me so I could sit by my daughter and the woman would sit by her husband (who was sitting next to me). There is absolutely no reason why our group needed to be split up like that. This trip was planned with plenty enough advanced notice (almost a full year) for our group to be seated together.

Negative experience: I realize conditions change, and my son had a great time, but as someone who has organized events, our trip did not go well. We had to start our day at 3a.m., bus to a nearby city since the local airport flight was cancelled, told we could not stay overnight near the new airport, but catch the bus from the school (yet one parent drove to the new airport and was accepted into the group because they missed the school bus, so it WAS possible). The tour should have been an overnight. There wasn't really enough time in each place, it was rushed. Instead of 3 busses at the location city, there were only two, one of which broke down. The food provided for lunch was not the usual quality. The dinner restaurant was dirty, no working bathrooms, no air conditioning and the salad bar was gross. No one ate there and ate at the airport. Our bus driver was MORE than AMAZING. So patient and kind. A little more prep on what we were going to see and expect would have been good. NO ability for adults to get coffee or other beverages (it was a hot day) except the bottled water provided....I don't miss coffee, but many parents do and it was hard. We reached home at 11:30p.m. Kids were so loud on the plane no announcements could be heard (no fault of the WorldStrides staff) it was just such a long day, everyone had totally burnt out by then. It was fun for my son because I remained positive and it was a shared experience. As an adult, this was a nightmare and could have and should have been planned better.

Negative experience: A disappointing travel experience. Accompanied my grandson on his eighth-grade trip to Washington DC. We’ve been traveling together since he was 18-months old. He’s been to Europe, Hawaii, and all over the US. His opinion of this trip was that it was “the worst mistake of my life.” Wake-up calls were at 6:15 daily and we were not returned to the hotel until 10pm or later each night. The kids were so tired they couldn’t stay awake on the bus. Hustled through museums and monuments without discussion- one crazy day we saw 13 sites. Meals at food courts were rushed - the only meal we had time to finish was when an unexpected deluge of rain and wind made it (thankfully) too difficult to walk back to the bus. By day three we had lost five of our travelers to exhaustion. I would recommend NEVER using this tour company.

Positive experience: I had a really good time in D.C. and it was my first trip away from home and I think it was a good one. But on the first day, me and my classmates got to school at 1:15 in the morning, and our bus was supposed to arrive at 2:00 am. Our bus didn't show up until 3:30-3:45, causing us to be late to the airport (Midway, we were flying Southwest). We were still 10 minutes early to the airport, so Southwest could've let us on the flight, instead THEY WATCHED AS WE POOR CHILDREN WATCHED OUR PLANE DRIVE AWAY WITHOUT US! But, because the bus didn't show up, we practically missed our flight. We missed half of the first day (of a three day trip) which included the White House Tour and the Korean War Memorial (which my mom told me was really cool so I was excited to see it) and we still haven't gotten a refund because my parents paid for that white house tour and I think we should get some money back. If the bus had come on time, WE WOULD'VE GOTTEN TO SEE A LOT OF STUFF THAT WE WERE ALL EXCITED ABOUT. I do think WorldStrides did give us a good tour guide (I think his name was Brian), and our bus driver, Carl, was really nice and let us have ice cream on the bus. Overall, it was a nice trip and I'm happy I went, but if my school goes to NYC next year, I don't think I'd go unless I had friends to go with me in case something like this ever happened again. So, WorldStrides, you need to make sure you know what you're doing and have better customer service.

Fantastic experience: We had a great experience with WorldStrides for an 8th grade D.C. trip. Our guide was very informative and great with the kids. The company was flexible and accommodating when we had several students get sick, making sure all details of medical care, rearranged hotel accommodations, and supplemental transportation were covered to take care of everyone.

Negative experience: Deceiving field trip to Washington for my kids in 9th grade. Hotel very far from Washington (1 hour away), very average meals, only 45 minutes to see a museum and children were left alone while visiting a museum without the guide supposed to show them around... Very expensive trip for a very cheap service...

Fantastic experience: Team is fabulous!

Negative experience: I am a Hs band director that traveled to Orlando during spring break with 140 people. Promises made and not kept, emails unanswered, info given that was not verified, disregard for students during an emergency travel change due to weather. Company’s credit card declined for hotel rooms due to cancelled flight. Students were shuttled to hotel in a storm only to find it completely booked because their credit card declined and they lost the rooms. They weren’t even going to pay for breakfast for them the next day. My high school students had to sleep on the floor of the airport in Orlando. No sympathy from the emergency line, only a “we may have a hotel 30 minutes away”. At that point it was midnight and had to be back for a 8am flight. All because they didn’t have a valid credit card. Many many lack of communication issues by the company. DO NOT USE!

Fantastic experience: Beautiful office space, great staff

Negative experience: Due to COVID our tour was cancelled. On March 9, 2021 We requested a refund of the trip and were told that we would forfeit $399 per person, and that a refund would be issued in 10-12 weeks. On June 14, 2021 we received a check for each of the four travelers, but the total was $12,486 less than they promised on March 9, 2021. I am currently talking to a customer service rep and have asked to talk to a supervisor 5 times! I advised the customer service rep that I was writing this review right now, and they didn't seem to care.....said "go ahead". Unbelievable the lack of professionalism and customer service from this company. Everyone was affected by COVID but they seem to think that keeping $1200 of our money for a trip that has been cancelled wasn't enough. They decided to keep $12,486!!!!!! I strongly recommend against using this company. I would choose EF Tours in a heartbeat. We also had a trip scheduled with them that had to be cancelled. Although they did keep a non refundable deposit, they refunded the remainder promptly.

Negative experience: If this is the parent company of Explorica then they should be getting the whole fiasco figured out of the millions of dollars owed to parents/students that lost money on trips due to COVID. Apparently they don’t care about continuing to be a reputable tour company if they partner with bad insurance!

Negative experience: Was told we would receive our refund july 6th never came now they are saying we have to wait 4 more weeks after waiting almost 2 months for the refund how can u hold onto our refund and keep changing the refund date?

Fantastic experience: Amazing school and Worldstrides chaperones were the reason our daughter had the perfect trip to Washington D.C. and New York with her 8th grade classmates. I highly recommend this educational and fun experience for every child!

Fantastic experience: Awesome people!

Positive experience: Friendly site.

Negative experience: The tactics of the sales reps are deplorable. She wanted me to tell her everything I was getting from a rival tour company and when I didn't, she became upset and didn't want to continue the conversation. I chose to go with a different company because of their bargaining tactics and I never even received tour specifics from WorldStrides, even when I asked for them. Now a year later, they leave me messages at odd hours of the day with just a name and a phone number. They don't state who they are and why they are calling. I called back today and told them if they don't stop calling me, I will report them to the FCC. Teachers--RUN away from this company!

Fantastic experience: As a rising 8th grader, my daughter went on a trip to Costa Rica. This was her first big trip away from home without her parents, so she was a little nervous, but she ended up having an amazing time. She didn't know any of the other kids who were going, but the sponsoring chaperone was her track coach, so that helped with her anxiety. Although it was a pricey trip, we felt this was a great opportunity for her to get out and see other parts of the world, meet new people, and experience new things. And now that she's back, we're sure it was a great choice. Logistically, we did the payment plan and bought the trip insurance. Sure, it wasn't fun taking her to the airport for a 5:45 am flight, but I'm assuming those are the flights the groups get. (My wife and I had the new experience of getting to Cracker Barrel and having to wait in the parking lot for it to open.) We never really had much interaction with World Strides directly, other than registering on the website to do the payment plan. All other communication was through our chaperone. These are some descriptions from my daughter about the trip: - thrilling activities (bats, zip lines, white water rafting, etc.) - full, action-packed days - great food with many options - amazing guide - nice tour buses The only negative she could come up with was that they switched hotels every night, so they never "settled in" to one place. But they were nice hotels! While she wouldn't necessarily go back to Costa Rica (because she's interested in seeing other places now), she would definitely do a World Strides trip again. And we would certainly consider it.

Negative experience: Problem after problem. If your child has allergies DO NOT SEND THEM! My son has celiac so I was very hesitant to let him go, but after calling World Strides, and emailing back and forth with them and putting it all over my son's paperwork, I thought he'd be safe. Not only were they completely unprepared, most of the vendors DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT GLUTEN WAS!!! They handed my son a Philly Cheese steak (without a bun) and fries. Gluten free DOESN'T MEAN no bun, it means - CHECK EVERYTHING! The cheese sauce they used contained wheat and the fries were coated in wheat. He ate one bite before I stopped him to question the chef. He spent 2 of his 6 days so sick he could barely moved and missed the things he was looking forward to the most. Also - 14 year old boys don't want a salad... which was the only gluten free option at many of the meals. After asking our world strides rep - they said gluten free wasn't in any of the paperwork they had received - which is complete bull. Second issue - the bus that was supposed to take us to the airport NEVER SHOWED up, which meant we had to scramble for rides at the last minute for 41 people at 2:30 IN THE MORNING! We almost missed our flight.

Negative experience: Overcharged by several hundred dollars. Would not refund to correct balance. Horrible customer service that doesn't follow up.

Negative experience: I would give this place a negative star review if I could. They charge way too much for the trip. You could take your whole family for that price. They squeeze many kids in one room, take cheap buses and must make a fortune on each kid. The schools should be shamed of themselves for doing business with this company. The presenters that come to the school are feeding pure non sense. When it comes time for a refund the company gives you a run around and keeps tour money wether or not you buy the insurance. Shame on them. Do not send your kid unless you want to throw your money away.

Fantastic experience: I was concerned this was going to be an over priced gimmicky field trip. Was strongly recommended by our child's private school so we opted in. I didn't go but my son had a fabulous time in DC, came back full factoids, happy, and excited to share all he learned. He had no complaints about the food or being bored or without his electronics. He didn't eat 25% of the extra food we sent along so I know they fed him well. He said his tour bus driver was amazing and fun. Pictures (taken by the teachers - kids were electronics free) were very interesting and showed that they were doing much more than walking around a museum. So grateful my son was given the option to go to the new AA Smithsonian which he chose and he thought it was interesting. Well worth the investment.

Fantastic experience: The coffee is fresh. The people are the best you will ever meet. Smart and fun. What an amazing combination!!!

Fantastic experience: My daughter had a great time the week was awesome and she felt very safe and excited on how many different places they got to see in one place.

Fantastic experience: We had a 8th grade week long school trip that was facilitated by Worldstrides from start to finish, a week long trip, D.C. Philly, New York, and Boston. I commend the staff and guides we interacted with as they took great care of us and our guides were really keeping us on schedule and helping with the history education they were providing thru the journey. Was the trip perfect, no, but did it meet the purpose of taking us thru a tour of history, yes, so for this I rated 5 stars. Our guide Mrs. Sue was definitely 5 stars!!!

Positive experience: Happy friendly staff

Negative experience: Most students were terribly disappointed that the highlight of their trip - the Air and Space Museum visit - would be cancelled because of rain. WorldStrides could load the children on the bus to take them home early, but they couldn't take the same bus at the same time a short distance to the museum. The significant cost of the trip should guarantee transportation to the sites if it rains. Very disappointing.

Fantastic experience: Best place to work

Fantastic experience: Excelente servicio, muy buenos productos para viajes educativos. Diversas opciones para cada necesidad de cada maestro o instructor. Calidad mundial.

Positive experience: Seems nice :-)

Fantastic experience: These people do a great job. As an ex-teacher I really appreciate them. I wish they were around when I taught science to get us to the Smithsonian.

Negative experience: Horrible planning, lost luggage, the security at hotel wasn't present, food was terrible, trip not well planned.

Negative experience: The five-star reviews with no comments are WorldStrides employees. When dealing with this company, do your homework thoroughly - prospective customer, employee, and vendor, beware. Any company that needs to astroturf social media ratings is sketchy at best.

Negative experience: This company is horrible. They tout a Full Refund Program and promise that if you have to cancel you will receive a refund. They give a time line of 4-6 weeks for the refund. It has now been over 2 months and no refund, they have also started ignored my email regarding an update for the refund. I have filed a complaint with the BBB and am considering legal action. Update: I am still not happy with the company. They did not issue a refund in a timely manner nor in the manner that I believe was stated in their FRP. They did however, issue a refund. I have received a check for the "full" refund.