About | Traveling Homeschoolers

Traveling Homeschoolers

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About

Welcome!

Traveling Homeschoolers was created when we outgrew our Carolina Homeschooler website. Although we still offer local/regional trips for families in South Carolina, the trips featured here are open to families throughout the United States and beyond.

Want to join us?

We’d love for you to join us! If you want to get news and announcements of new trips and events, subscribe to the Traveling Homeschoolers newsletter here.

You can also join our Community, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Frequently Asked Questions

I subscribed to your mailing list but haven’t received any newsletters.
Sometimes our newsletters get routed to spam, promotions, marketing, or junk folders. Check those folders to see if they’re stuck there.

What’s the best way to get trip announcements and updates?

    1. First, click the Like button.
    2. Then, click the Follow button (near the “Liked” button below the cover photo). It will have a checkmark beside it if you’re following us.
    3. Then, click the See First (In Your Newsfeed section), and then click On (in the Notifications section). A checkmark will appear beside both, confirming you’ll get notifications when I post something on my wall, and they should show up in your newsfeed first every time you log into Facebook.
    4. Interact with my page every once in a while (like something or comment on something) to keep our connection active. If you don’t, you’ll stop getting notifications.

I try to keep Facebook posts down to one or two a day (or fewer) so you won’t get bombarded with notifications. During a trip, I’ll post more often with trip photos so you can travel virtually with us.

Where do your travelers come from?
Our travelers come from all over the United States, Canada, and beyond!

Do you have a membership fee?
Traveling Homeschoolers does not require membership, and doesn’t charge a membership fee.

I coordinate separate local, state, and regional field trips and events for members of my South Carolina homeschool association (which requires a membership fee). Some of those trips are open to non-members if space is available. You’re welcome to check them out here.

How long have you been doing these trips? Do you have trips every year?
I’ve been coordinating trips for homeschooling families every year since 2006.

Do you go on all of your trips?
I attend all of the trips I plan, with very few exceptions.

Do you use tour operators?
I coordinate US-based trips myself instead of using tour operators in order to provide us with the best experience at the best price. Tour operators tend to do a lot of “photo stops” and “fly-bys.” I prefer to experience the sites we visit.

If I partner with tour operators for international trips, I still customize the trip for our group to get the best price, and to avoid the pitfalls of most group tour companies.

How do people afford these trips?
See this thread in our community for tips and advice from other families.

Do you know all the families on your trips? Will I feel like an outsider?
Although I have many repeat travelers, the majority of families on each trip are meeting me (and each other) for the first time. You won’t feel like an outsider, and will most likely make new lifelong friends.

My husband doesn’t like being part of a group. Should we still go?
Yes, please do! Many husbands have told me they started out feeling the same way, but ended up enjoying my trips after all. I organize them so families can stick with the group, go their own way, or mix things up according to how they’re feeling each day. We’re a friendly group, but your husband won’t be stuck with us the whole time.

I have a question about a trip that isn’t answered at your website.
Please check here to see if there are FAQs about the trip. If your question isn’t answered there, email me and I’ll add it to my FAQs.

Do you recommend your Washington DC, NYC, Boston, Philadelphia, rail journeys, river cruises, or international trips for younger children (under 5)? 
I don’t usually recommend these trips for younger children because we have busy itineraries and do a lot of walking, with no time built in for naps. Wait until they’re older – your family will enjoy it much more!

What trips do you recommend for families with younger children (5 and under)?
I recommend any of my retreats (they’re great for all ages), Disney World, most of my campouts and road trips, and probably a few others. Read the trip descriptions for each trip and let me know if you need my advice.

Do you have teens on your trips?
Yes, we have teens on almost all of my trips, unless they’re specifically targeted to younger children. Email me if you’re worried your teen will be the only one on a specific trip.

Do you have room for my family on your trip to (wherever)? Is your trip to (wherever) full?
The status of each trip is updated in the trip description. Sometimes my trips fill very quickly, so I won’t know how many spots are available until I receive your registration. If we don’t have spots available, you can go on the waiting list.

How do I get on the waiting list for a trip?
Information about how to get on the waiting list for each trip is available in the trip FAQs in our community area.

Where am I on the waiting list? How long will I be on the list?
It’s difficult to determine where families are on the waiting list. Not everyone on the list will follow through if offered spots, so even if there are 10 (or 100) families ahead of you, you may actually be the next family on the list.

Can I opt out of the hotels on your trips?
My road trips, Disney trips, and some others are hotel-optional. For other trips, it’s a package deal and we’re required to have minimums to qualify for group discounts. If several families opt out of the hotel, then the rest of the group may be negatively impacted. Also, the children (and parents) love having the opportunity to connect in the evenings at our group hotel. If the hotel is optional, it will clearly state this in the trip description.

I live in or near the area you’re traveling to. Can I opt out of the hotel?
See answer above.

Can I opt out of visiting specific sites while I’m on a trip with you?
Most of my trips are flexible, and families can opt out of activities if they’d rather do something else (no refunds, though). If an activity is mandatory (to qualify for discounts or whatever), it’ll state that in the trip description.

Can you tell me the exact itinerary and/or hotel(s) we’ll be using for the trip?
I give a general idea of our itinerary in our trip description. However, I wait until closer to our travel dates to share final itinerary and hotel information in case something changes (due to circumstances beyond my control).

What do your trip fees cover?
They cover the cost of planning and organizing each trip, hotel, admission fees, educational programs, included meals, included transportation, and anything else I can get at a group discount. Please read the description for each trip to see what’s covered.

Your trip to (wherever) seems too expensive! Why does it cost so much?
It’s difficult to answer this question because “expensive” is in the eye of the beholder. What’s expensive to one person is reasonable, or even cheap, to another. (In fact, I get many more emails asking, “Why are your trips so cheap? Is this a scam?”)

It’s also difficult to answer because everyone has different quality standards for hotels, what sites and experiences they want to include, etc. So my advice is to compare my trips and itineraries with other companies, making sure to compare apples to apples:

  • I don’t do “photo stops” and “fly-bys,” for example. Some companies will list “fly-bys” (sites you’ll see out a bus window) as sites on their itinerary.
  • I don’t list multiple sites in the same location to make it seem like you’ll see more. For example, other companies will often list all the museums and monuments/memorials in the National Mall area of Washington DC (sometimes giving full paragraph descriptions for each), where I’ll just say “monuments and memorials” and “your choice of museums.”
  • I don’t include “student” lunches and dinners (often a lot of pizza and pasta, with no choice of entrée) to make it seem like you’re getting a better deal. Other than breakfasts at our hotels, our group meals are part of an experience – afternoon tea at Parliament in London, for example.
  • I don’t include airfare in my price to make it seem like you’re getting a better deal. This allows families to get lower fares from their closest hubs, use rewards or points, and have complete control over their flight – flight times and connections, seats, cabin level (economy, premium), etc.

After you’re finished comparing, choose the itinerary that best fits what you’re looking for.

Your trip to (wherever) seems too cheap! Is this a scam? Can I trust you with my money?
I try to keep prices as low as possible, taking advantage of group discounts whenever I can. Sometimes the discounts are so good that people think my prices are “too good to be true.” Most of the time, if it seems too good to be true, it’s usually a scam, so you’re wise to question it.

However, I’ve been organizing trips since 2006 and am trustworthy. But don’t take my word for it – do a search of “Carolina Homeschooler trips.” If I’ve cheated anyone, it’ll be all over the internet. My “Traveling Homeschoolers” website is newer (created in 2016 it to differentiate between my local member trips, and trips that are open to everyone), but you can search that name, too. Please don’t register for any of my trips or send me money until you trust me.

What forms of payment do you accept?
I accept checks, bank checks, BillPay, and online payments through Zelle (if your bank offers that). I don’t accept PopMoney or any other payment method that requires me to give my bank account number to a third party. I accept credit and debit card payments through Stripe for some trips. (Each trip description will describe the type of payments I accept.) I don’t accept PayPal or money orders.

I can’t go to (wherever) with your group. Can you tell me your itinerary, hotel, etc., etc., so I can plan a trip?
I’ve found that each family’s preferences and expectations are very different. What works for one family may not work for another, and I don’t want to give you wrong advice that will ruin your trip. So the best way to plan is from the ground up – research your destination, sites, hotels, etc., and choose what’s best for your family.

What’s your privacy policy?
Click here to read our privacy policy.

What other policies should I be aware of?

  • Parents or another designated adult (grandparents, aunt, uncle, etc.) must accompany children on all trips, excursions, and activities.
  • If you have to cancel a trip, your spots aren’t transferable to others outside of my waiting list.
  • No weapons are allowed on any of my trips.
  • Due to space and site limitations, adding extra people without my prior approval is not allowed.

Have more questions?
Please email me if your question isn’t answered here.