School Trips to Italy
Land of pasta, pizza, grand piazzas, opera, Renaissance art and iconic architecture, Italy has a rich and vibrant culture that is all its own.
This makes the country an ideal destination for an unforgettable school trip, particularly if your focus is language, art, architecture or even a tour of world class museums and monuments. Cities such as Rome or Florence are steeped in history yet still bristle with the life of a modern city. There is so much to do and see on a school tour to Italy, which makes effective planning all the more essential to get the most out of your visit.
That’s exactly where we can help – NST have been organising school trips to Italy for over twenty years, providing incredible learning experiences for thousands of students and taking the hassle away from thousands of teachers.
Take a look at our most popular options below, or feel free to get in touch for more information or free advice on Italy school trips.
Learn more about our school trips to Italy
Bay of Naples
Bay of Naples
The Bay of Naples is an awe-inspiring destination for school groups of all ages. Steeped in history, the region is also one of Italy’s most spectacular and home to picturesque ancient villas and the country’s largest vintage clothes market.
Find more information about our school trips to the Bay of Naples here
Florence
Florence
A trip to Florence presents the perfect opportunity for Italian language students to put their conversational skills to the test, while developing a taste for the authentic Italian way of life.
Find more information about our school trips to Florence here
Lake Garda
Lake Garda
The picturesque setting of Lake Garda – famed for being the largest lake in Italy – is situated roughly halfway between Milan and Venice. The lake itself is surrounded by plenty of quaint villages and rustic towns, and boasts an impressive events programme all year round.
Find more information about our school trips to Lake Garda here
Rome
Rome
When you ask somebody to list the world’s greatest cities it’s probably not long before Rome is mentioned. Experience one of our unforgettable school trips to Rome.
Sicily
Sicily
A school trip to Sicily gives students a chance to visit one of the most active volcanoes in the world, Mt. Etna. This is a prime case study which is guaranteed to bring elements of physical geography to life outside the classroom.
Tuscany
Tuscany
Our groups are usually based in Montecatini Terme, an attractive town famous for its many natural thermal spas and surrounded by the Tuscan Hills. Florence, Pisa, Siena and Lucca are within easy reach and offer excellent concert venues and performance opportunities for all types of music groups whether choral or instrumental.
Find more information about our school trips to Tuscany here
Venice
Venice
A school trip to Venice offers the opportunity for art students to scour the collections of Bellini, Titian and Giorgione – masters of the hugely influential Venetian artistic style.
Italy school trip experts
Hundreds of groups travel with NST to Italy every year, and members of our team regularly visit the Bay of Naples, Rome, Florence, Venice, Lake Garda, Tuscany and Sicily to really get to know the ins-and-outs of the area, from logistics and visits to our range of student-friendly accommodation.
Your dedicated Tour Co-ordinator will use their knowledge to create an itinerary that’s tailor-made, perfectly timed and meets your exact school travel needs.
They’ll be able to share their first-hand experience, suggest options you might not have considered and give you insight into the feedback other teachers have given us too.
There’s a lot to contend with when travelling abroad, and many teachers find the service of NST’s Representatives in Rome invaluable. We can arrange for your representative to meet you on arrival, assist you with hotel check-in, advise on points of interest and public transport and provide your group with 24 hour emergency assistance. With NST, you can be safe in the knowledge that you’ll never be on your own on your school tour.
They’ll also be happy to discuss your programme of visits, offer an insight into your destination and suggest popular evening activities too.
Planning your first school trip?
If you're planning your first school trip, our essential guide will take you through each step of the process...
- Choosing your destination
- Gaining approval from your Local Authority and/or your Head
- Promoting your tour in school
- Confirming your booking
- Tailor-make your tour
- Completing your risk assessments (including a sample risk assessment)
- Quick reference timeline
- Pre-tour checklist
Additional support, resources & information
Tour planning service
Tour planning service
With NST, you’ll get your own dedicated, knowledgeable Tour Co-ordinator who’ll work with you from start to finish. You’ll benefit from their unrivalled destination knowledge, and their experience gained from working with many other groups too. They’ll tailor-make your itinerary from scratch and take care of everything for you:
- Pulling together an itinerary that runs smoothly
- Planning the right balance of visits every day with realistic timings
- Pre-arranging and pre-booking your visits, entrance tickets, passes and meals
You’ll receive your final itinerary a full 4-weeks before you travel too.
Free school trip promotion pack
Free school trip promotion pack
We’ll support you and provide everything you need to advertise your school trip around school and to parents. Our free school trip promotion pack consists of:
- Parents’ letter & permission slip template for you to complete A3 posters to promote your trip around school
- PowerPoint presentation templates which you can tailor to your own needs
- Online parents’ video which showcases the benefits of taking a school trip
Risk assessment support including preview visits
Risk assessment support including preview visit
Risk assessment plays a vitally important part in the planning and organisation on any school tour.
Our risk assessment guide aims to help you understand more about your obligations and how you can more effectively manage group safety on your next educational visit and provide you with risk assessments for your trip.
Planning first school trip
Planning first school trip
Organising your first school trip can appear to be a daunting process.
If you're planning your first school trip, our guide will help to take you through each step of the planning process, answering frequently asked questions and providing tips and support along the way.
Our helpful guide covers the following:
- Choosing your destination
- Gaining approval from your Local Authority and/or your Head
- Promoting your tour in school
- Confirming your booking
- Tailor-make your tour
- Completing your risk assessments (including a sample risk assessment)
- Quick reference timeline
- Pre-tour checklist
Get live updates on your group's tour location
Get live updates on your group's tour location
Locate My Trip uses GPS technology and is the easy, convenient way for your school to follow your location whilst on tour. Specifically designed to provide reassurance to both parents and teachers, NST will know where your group are 24/7. If your schedule needs to change, we’ll put plans in place to keep your tour on track.
With Locate My Trip your group can also share photos and videos with the school and parents, via a secure link, to keep them updated on your experience whilst you’re away.
Your online school trip organiser - My Tour Manager
Your online school trip organiser - My Tour Manager
Save time and stay on track with your school trip admin with our online orgnaniser - designed to help busy teachers like you.
With My Tour Manager, you'll be able to download FREE resources and access trip paperwork online and in one place. Your personalised checklist details what you need to do and by when, plus you'll receive fortnightly reminders too.
What's more, you can take all your trip documents on the go whilst on your tour with our app, My Tour Manager-On-the-Go.
Find out more and watch out short My Tour Manager video here
Free classroom resources
Free classroom resources
We've created a range of free geography resources and educational posters to brighten up your classroom!
Take a look at our downloadable posters here
Why choose NST...
Here's why hundreds of teachers choose NST each year...
- Unrivalled knowledge
Your dedicated tour co-ordinator will use their unrivalled local knowledge and expertise of Italy to create a tailor-made, curriculum-linked itinerary to meet your group’s exact needs.
- Making it easier for you
With our online school trip organiser, travel app, free classroom posters to support in-school promotion.
- FREE group leader inspection visits
We offer a free inspection visit to your chosen destination to support your risk assessment planning.
- Value for money
We’re committed to bringing you the best possible value trips to help make every penny count.
- More than 20 years’ experience
With over 20 years’ experience, with NST you can rest assured that your group is in safe hands.
- Risk assessment guidance
Our risk assessment guidance will help you to manage group safety on your next educational trip.
- Peace of mind
Your group’s location can be followed with our trip tracking device - Locate My Trip - plus you’ll have 24/7 support from us whilst you’re away.
- Offsetting carbon emissions
For every trip taken, we'll plant a Maya nut tree in Peru to support reforestation, local communities & biodiversity. Plus, we'll offset an additional tonne of CO2 to guarantee carbon emission reductions.
Looking for protection on your next school trip?
Booking with a school travel company is the best way for you to protect parents’ money and give yourself peace of mind.
Financial protection from the moment you book
NST are fully bonded & licensed:
- ABTA
- ATOL
- IATA
- Commission for Aviation Regulation
Managing safety on school trips
For your protection, NST's independently audited Safety Management System covers:
- 24-hour emergency cover
- Audited accommodation & transport
- Excursions & school visit assessment
- Group leader preview visits to assist with risk assessment planning
Package Travel Regulations 2018
Don't forget - if your school arranges transport, accommodation and other services directly, you’ll be liable under the Package Travel Regulations – meaning you’ll have all the responsibilities of a travel company, both legal and financial.
We're LOtC Council’s Quality Badge assured
For groups travelling from Northern Ireland... the Department for Education advises schools to always look for the LOtC Quality Badge when choosing a school travel provider.
