European Christmas Experience

Staying at NST’s Chateau d’Ebblinghem

Friday 11th December – Saturday 12st December

This evening we will be collecting the following items:

•Your child’s original passport•EHIC

•Medical consent forms•Behaviour contract

Today’s presentation will cover:

• Tour objectives & overview• What will we see & do?• Our accommodation & meal arrangements• What’s included in the price? • Questions

NST - Our educational travel company

We have booked this tour through leading educational travel company, NST.

We’ll benefit from their knowledge and experience in arranging school tours, as well as the 24 hour assistance they offer should we need their support whilst we are away.

Tour objectives

On our tour, students will:

• Experience Christmas culture in another country• Practice knowledge and understanding of French• Further develop French skills, especially speaking• Enjoy themselves!

Tour overview

We will depart from St. Michael’s Catholic School by coach on Friday 12th December.

We will stay at NST’s Château

d’Ebblinghem on the Opal Coast for 1 night, and will return home on Saturday 13st December by coach.

Tour overview

Morning Afternoon EveningDay 1

Day 2

Coach travel to France

Visit to Tyne Cot cemetery and Langemark cemetery.Visit the Passchendaele Museum

Time in Lille to visit the Christmas markets

Visit to Ypres for Menin Gate and chocolate shops

5 course Christmas dinner and quiz

Visit to Auchan hypermarket and coach travel back to UK

What will we see & do?

Lille Christmas markets

Tyne Cot and Langemark Cemeteries

Ypres and the Menin Gate

Passchendaele Trench Museum

Auchan hypermarket

NST’s Château d’Ebblinghem

We’ll be staying at NST’s Château d’Ebblinghem…

…a 19th century French county house set in a rural location in the north west of France that’s been specifically renovated to provide unrivalled facilities for school groups.

Château d’Ebblinghem - Location

The château is 45 minutes from Calais, 55 minutes from the Eurotunnel terminal and 45 minutes from Ypres.

Château d’Ebblinghem at Christmas

Beautifully decorated for a magical festive experience, the château offers a perfect base for a European Christmas experience.

On our visit, we will visit the Christmas markets in Lille and have a quiz evening and a five-course traditional Christmas dinner.

Château d’Ebblinghem - Accommodation

There are 3 accommodation blocks and we’ll have sole occupancy of our own building…

…including our own dining room, meeting room and games room, so we won't have to share facilities with anyone else.

Château d’Ebblinghem - Bedrooms

All bedrooms are bright, modern and clean, and feature a private shower, toilet and washbasin.

Château d’Ebblinghem - Meals

Breakfast and evening meals are provided on-site and packed lunches are supplied daily for a nutritious, balanced diet.

Please let me know if you have any special dietary requirements so that these can be catered for.

Château d’Ebblinghem

During our stay, we’ll have our own personal Group Co-ordinator to provide full-time assistance throughout our tour.

Our NST co-ordinator will be based at the château, travel with us to our visits, organise our on-site activities and always be on-hand to help.

Château d’Ebblinghem – Recreational facilities

We’ll have our own dedicated room for recreational activities, as well as access to the communal games room.

Château d’Ebblinghem - Evening activitiesWe’ll plan a programme of evening activities so even when we’re not out and about, there will never be a dull moment!

What’s included in the price?

• Return transportation by coach• 1 night’s full-board accommodation• Travel insurance• Visits and entrance fees

Travel tips - Passports

All students travelling must hold a full passport – we will be collecting these in tonight.

We will arrange for a list of travellers for students who don’t have an UK passport.

Travel tips – European Health Insurance Cards

UK residents are entitled to medical treatment, at reduced cost or sometimes free, when temporarily visiting a European Union (EU) country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland. Only treatment provided under the state scheme is covered. However, to obtain treatment we will each need to take a European Health Insurance Card with us. We will be collecting these in tonight.

For full details and to apply for a free EHIC card online, visit www.ehic.org.uk.

Travel tips - Money

The currency in France is the Euro.

We recommend that students take around €20 with them on the visit in cash, but the only money they definitely need is to buy a sandwich for Saturday evening on the return journey.

Travel tips - Packing

What to take on the tour:

• Backpack or bag containing:•Small amount of money for souvenirs/snacks•Drinks bottle•Packed breakfast/brunch for journey•Camera/mobile phone/mp3 player/PSP (optional – the students’ responsibility)•Hat, scarf and gloves•Coat – several students didn’t last year

• Overnight bag to go in the coach containing:•Towel•Toiletries•Change of warm clothes + pyjamas•Smart outfit for evening meal•Wellies or walking boots in a plastic bag

About NST

• Established in 1967• Europe’s leading educational travel company• Offices in Blackpool & Dublin• Tailored educational tours for schools, colleges

& universities in the UK, Europe & Worldwide• Enviable reputation for quality, professionalism

& value

Safety & financial security

Safety Management SystemNST has already assessed the safety features on parts of our tour including accommodation, transport, excursions and visits. This assessment process is independently verified annually for further peace of mind.

Safety & financial security

School Travel Forum (STF)NST are founder members and assured members of the STF, an organisation that promotes good practice and safety in school travel. This initiative is welcomed by many industry bodies involved in teaching and outdoor education.

OEAP

Safety & financial security

Quality BadgeNST was one of the first UK educational travel companies to have been awarded the Learning Outside the Classroom Council’s Quality Badge. The badge provides a nationally recognised benchmark that identifies organisations which provide good quality, safe learning outside the classroom experiences for young people.

Safety & financial security

Association of British Travel Agents & Air Travel Organisers’ LicensingWe are booking our tour through educational travel company, NST. They are fully bonded through ABTA (for non-air travel) and ATOL (for air travel) which means we’ll have complete financial protection as soon as we pay our deposits.

We hope you will join us on our NST educational tour!

For further information about NST, please visit www.nstgroup.co.uk

Any questions?