FAQ

CAS Trips is a full-service educational tour operator founded in Prague in 2013. We work with international schools across 47 destinations worldwide, designing trips that go far beyond sightseeing. Every program CAS Trips plans is guided by a single mission: to Educate, Challenge, and Inspire students to become global-minded, conscientious young adults. 

CAS stands for Creativity, Activity, and Service: the three core components of the International Baccalaureate’s CAS program. Our trips are designed to bring all three to life in meaningful, real-world settings. Whether you’re an IB student completing your CAS hours or simply looking for a purposeful school travel experience, our programs are built to deliver exactly that.

CAS Trips was founded by educators, not by a travel company that then hired educators. That distinction shapes everything, from how we design itineraries to how we support teachers on the ground. Our trips are built around curriculum alignment, genuine community engagement, and sustainable travel practices, so students aren’t just visiting a place; they’re learning from it. We’re also one of the few education tour operators with formal sustainability certifications, which reflects the standard we hold ourselves to year-round, not just on paper.

Sustainability isn’t an add-on. We take responsibility for the inevitable use of resources as we travel by embedding this awareness into how we operate. CAS Trips is Travelife Certified, a founding signatory of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, and a member of Tomorrow’s Air. We actively measure the carbon footprint of our trips and work with schools to understand and reduce their travel impact. 

Yes. In June 2024, CAS Trips became the first tour operator in the Czech Republic to be awarded the Travelife Certified Award, an internationally recognized standard for sustainability in travel and tourism. This certification reflects our ongoing commitment to responsible travel; for the communities we visit, the environments we travel through, and the students we bring along.

We offer four types of trips, each designed to meet different school goals and student needs. Customized Destinations let schools build a bespoke itinerary in any of our locations. Community-Led Service Trips connect students with local communities and their genuine, identified needs. Global Student Exchanges bring together students from different schools at fixed dates in one of three iconic destinations. And Curriculum-Specific Trips are designed to bring subjects like STEM, History, Art & Design, and Language Immersion to life through hands-on, real-world experiences.

Global Student Exchanges (GSEs) are programs that bring together students from different international schools in one place, at one time. Each year, students join us for either 7-day programs with Prague Spring or Peru Discovery, or 5-day programs with Berlin Venture or Lisbon Venture. These are set-date programs designed to combine intercultural exchange with Creativity, Activity, and Service. GSEs are a great option for schools that want to offer a meaningful international experience without building a full private itinerary from scratch.

Community-Led Service (CLS) Trips are exactly what they sound like: itineraries shaped by the communities we visit, not by us. We work with local partners to identify genuine needs and co-design programs that create real impact, both for the community and for the students involved. With regular cultural immersion opportunities, CLS trips go beyond traditional volunteer travel.

Curriculum-Specific Trips (CSTs) are designed to take classroom subjects off the page and into the real world. Schools can choose from four focus areas — STEM, History, Art & Design, and Language Immersion — with itineraries built to deepen understanding, spark curiosity, and connect academic learning to lived experience. If your department has a specific unit or theme you want to bring to life, we can work with you to build a trip around it.

CAS Trips currently operates in 47 destinations worldwide, including: Amsterdam, Athens, Azores Islands, Barcelona, Berlin, Bordeaux, Brussels, Budapest, Copenhagen, Dublin, Dubrovnik, Edinburgh, Florence, Geneva, Krakow, Lisbon, Ljubljana, Madrid, Munich, Prague, Rome, Salzburg, Vienna, Bhutan, Cambodia, Istanbul, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Morocco, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Galápagos, Mexico, New York, Panama, and Peru. Don’t see your preferred destination? Get in touch – we’re always expanding.

Our trips are rooted in the IB framework, particularly the CAS component of the IB Diploma Programme, but they’re relevant well beyond IB. We regularly work with schools following Cambridge, AP, and other international curricula to ensure that every trip connects to meaningful learning outcomes. If you have specific curriculum goals or assessment requirements in mind, we’ll build your itinerary around them.

Yes. All private CAS Trips are completely customizable around your needs. Maybe you would like to fit your trip around your curriculum, or you would like to focus more on Service or Creativity? Just tell us your preferences and leave the rest to us!

Less than you might think. Once you share your goals, dates, and group details, CAS Trips takes care of the rest including transport, accommodation, meals, activities, guides, and logistics. Your job on the ground is to focus on your students; ours is to make sure everything runs smoothly so you can do that. We’ll keep you informed at every stage of the planning process, but you won’t be managing the details.

Simply fill out our enquiry form and we will provide you with a customized quote for your group within 72 hours. Your quote will include a proposed itinerary, destination overview, activity recommendations, and a full cost breakdown tailored to your group size and dates. From there, a dedicated CAS Trips team member will guide you through every stage of the planning process: from finalizing your program to coordinating logistics on the ground. Want to understand what the journey looks like from first enquiry to departure? Read our planning guide and watch our how-to video.

To confirm your booking, a non-refundable deposit of 30% of the total trip cost is required at least 12 weeks prior to arrival, paid by international bank transfer. Your trip is not confirmed until this deposit is received. The remaining balance is then due at least 6 weeks before departure.

Yes. Travel and health insurance is mandatory for all participants on every CAS Trip. CAS Trips’ own liability insurance does not extend to individual participants, so it’s essential that each traveler has their own adequate coverage in place before departure. We also strongly recommend insurance for personal property damage or theft, as well as a trip cancellation policy. If you have questions about what coverage is appropriate, we’re happy to advise you.

We understand that plans can change. Our cancellation policy is structured as follows:

• 90 days or more before departure: Full refund, less the non-refundable deposit
• 90 to 45 days before departure: 50% of the final trip price is charged
• 45 to 15 days before departure: 70% of the final trip price is charged
• 14 days to 1 day before departure: 100% of the final trip price is charged

All cancellation requests must be submitted in writing to info@castrips.org.

For private CAS Trips, there is a minimum of 8 participants and a maximum of 120. Some destinations and programs may have different maximum group sizes. For our Global Student Exchange program, the minimum is 5 participants per school. 

Yes. We offer 1 free teacher place for every 15th student enrolled and discounts are available for additional traveling teachers.

No. CAS Trips do not provide international flights, but we can facilitate them through our international travel partners. Please contact our team for more details.

Yes. Once you have approved your school’s customized program, we can provide posters, brochures, and pre-trip information.

Yes. A CAS Trip doesn’t begin the moment students board a plane, and it doesn’t end when they get home. Before departure, we provide schools with materials to help students prepare for the experiences ahead and get the most out of them. After the trip, students have access to our Reflection Center and Student Challenges. These are structured tools designed to help them process what they’ve learned, document their CAS hours, and carry that experience forward. Certificates of achievement are also available upon request for participating students, providing a meaningful addition to any personal portfolio.

Yes. Your dedicated CAS Trips Leader will be waiting at your arrival terminal or train station and will assist in escorting the group to your transfer.

Yes. Airport and station transfers are included in all itineraries.

Yes. Each group is assigned a dedicated CAS Trips Leader for the duration of the trip. Your Trip Leader takes responsibility for the organization and running of transport, meals, and activities, so you can stay focused on your students.

Yes. All meals are included in your CAS Trips experience and all dietary requirements will be catered for, provided they are submitted in writing at least four weeks prior to arrival. Please note that for travelers requiring Halal or Kosher cuisine, this may not be possible in all destinations; in these cases, vegetarian menus will be provided instead. We make every effort to ensure our suppliers are informed of all requirements, though we cannot guarantee accommodation by all third-party providers.

Student safety is at the center of everything we do. Every trip is supported by a dedicated, professionally trained CAS Trips guide who oversees transport, activities, and on-the-ground logistics throughout your stay. Before departure, all activities undergo comprehensive risk assessments, which are available to schools upon request.

We provide 24/7 support before and during every trip, ensuring that teachers, parents, and students have access to real-time assistance whenever it’s needed. We also conduct background checks on all staff and guides, and we are a proud signatory of The Code, an internationally recognized commitment to protecting children from exploitation in travel and tourism.

For Global Student Exchanges, CAS Trips staff provide overnight supervision. On customized school trips, accompanying school staff are expected to oversee evening duties at the accommodation.

Every CAS Trip is packed with experiences that go well beyond the classroom, and we think that deserves recognition. Certificates of achievement are available for all participating students upon request, providing a meaningful addition to any personal portfolio or CAS documentation.