We've had several families inquire about a suggested amount of funds for students to bring on the tour. While this post will make a suggested amount, it is written with the understanding that EVERY FAMILY is a unique situation. So, consider these suggestions, then operate under your normal families guidelines when making your final decision.
On a typical student tour, usually one, no more than two, meals per day are planned as an out of pocket expense for students. This helps to keep the overall cost of the tour lower for the group.
For meals, each student should bring between $85-$100 dollars to cover the out of pocket meal costs on the itinerary. Please note: dinner on departure day is now at home, and, the meal arriving at Ithaca College is now a box breakfast. These meals are no longer out of pocket expenses. Specifically, here are the out of pocket meals for the tour:
02-27 Lunch at Ithaca College (campus eatery)
02-27 Dinner enroute (fast food)
02-28 Lunch (Rockefeller Center area eatery)
03-01 Lunch (Times Square eatery)
03-02 Lunch (Carnegie Hall area eatery)
03-03 Breakfast enroute (fast food)
For spending money, again, your family guidelines should inform your decision. We will have tours at Ithaca College, 9/11 Museum, Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall and Times Square. All of these experiences provide patrons with a chance to remember their experience by facilitating spending on souvenirs. In total, between $50-100, depending on your family, is a place to start when consider how much money to send along with your student on tour.
So, in total, between $135-200, depending on your family, should be sufficient spending money for meals and souvenirs on the tour.
While you may choose to send your student with cash, we suggest a pre-paid card, such as this option from Visa . Many banking institutions also offer products that you might want to research for your family.
Finally, we will coach the students on tour, but, New York City and Times Square are home to some of the finest pick-pockets in the world. Wallets should be carried in front pockets, not in back pockets or on backpacks that can be easily unzipped. If you do carry cash, separate the total amounts into several different stashes to eliminate the chance for complete theft. If you do choose to carry cash, take only what you need for each day, and, locate the remaining funds in an inconspicuous place in your hotel room.
Thanks for your consideration of the information in this post. We hope this information is helpful in your planning for the tour. If you have further questions about this topic, please contact your director straight away.
