Pre-Summer Update - June 2025

Home Pre-Summer Update – June 2025

Update From Travel For Teens Headquarters

We’ve made it to our last update of 2025! Departures are right around the corner so this update is packed with everything you need to know for your teen’s upcoming trip!

You can find the accompanying update video here.

Travel For Teens just completed its annual US based staff training at a summer camp in upstate Pennsylvania. Since we are a summer camp at our core, it was a blast for us to be campers!

The goal of our monthly updates is to share key information relevant to the time of the year and a centralized place for general information that will help you and your teen prepare for their program.

These are the key items for our final update:

Timeline from now to Departure
Join us for a Pre-Departure Webinar!
Safety & Risk Management Team
Flight Confirmations & Audit
Packing and Luggage
Traveler Tees
Add-ons and Itineraries
Final Trip-Related Reminders
How to Reach Us

Key Pre-Departure Information

Preparation is the key to smooth travel! Here is a quick timeline of what to expect from us now through the moment your teen returns home.

You should receive an introduction email from your teen’s Trip Director by June 20th!
- TDs will send the WhatsApp group info for travelers 7-10 days before departure.
Two weeks before departure: Our Office will send detailed, pre-departure instructions
One week before departure: Airport day-specific instructions including who to contact, where to drop off, and how to find the group
- Information for setting up an Unaccompanied Minor Service or record locators to tie a traveler to a chaperone will be sent one week to three days before departure.
72 hour before departure: The Safety & Risk Management Team will send an important message on safety and rule expectations
- All information already included in this update and the pre-departure email!
Once the group has arrived safely, the Trip Director will email to confirm and kick off the trip!
Every 24-48 hours: The Trip Director will email a travel update with accompanying photos.
24 hours after the program ends: The TFT Office will email families with wrap-up information including surveys and guidelines to tip staff if they so choose.
In August, the TFT Office will begin to email out certificates for travelers who completed community service or language classes on their program.

Meet the Teams!

Pre-Departure Webinars

Our Client Service Team is hosting Pre-Departure webinars! We will go in-depth on travel days, communication during the trips, packing, what to expect, and more! Our webinars are in a presentation format with general information. You will be able to submit questions by chat and survey that will be answered by email 24-48 hours after the webinar.

We have two more webinars on June 25th and July 2nd and 8:00 PM EST. Click here to register!

We encourage you to go ahead and sign up for these webinars even if you are unsure you can make it! All registrants whether they attend or not receive a copy of the recording in a follow-up email full of helpful links.

TFT Staff

We’re ecstatic that it’s finally time for you to meet the fantastic counselors that will be making our trips come to life! Our summer team is made up of incredible people from all around the world and they are BEYOND excited to meet your teens.

Our Trip Directors will be introducing themselves this week and next. You can use our Meet the Team page to see them and all our other talented staff that makes up the TFT Family!

Safety & Risk Management Team

Safety is our number one priority and our Safety & Risk Management team works hard all summer to ensure this. We send our company leadership around the world while programs are running so we can offer 24/7 support in every timezone. Our leadership team performs site visits to our programs to provide ongoing support and ensure everything runs smoothly. We ask you to please read our core rules and watch a video from the Senior Vice President, Ned Clark, to fully understand why we have these rules and how they pertain to the safety of your traveler.

No alcohol or drugs
No leaving the group without permission
No bringing outsiders into the group
No sexual activity
No negative energy

Violations of the first four rules and repeated violations of the fifth or our Code of Conduct will result in dismissal from the program. All costs associated with the participant’s departure will be the responsibility of the participant and their family.

This information will be emailed to you and the traveler directly 72 hours prior to departure to review one more time.

Flight Confirmations & Audit

Our Logistics Team audits every single one of the flights your teen will take around the world! It is a monumental task, but essential in catching flight changes and missing connections. If you have purchased your teen’s flight and not yet sent the confirmation to help@travelforteens.com, please do so now. We will complete your transportation form for you and won’t have to reach out when we audit and see that flights are still missing. If you’re unsure of whether or not you’ve submitted your flights, you can view your flights in your MyTFT account in the Transportation Plan section.

If you are still working on domestic connections, please finalize your travel plans ASAP to complete your teen’s arrival and departure for their trip. If your teen is being dropped off or picked up at the destination but you have not yet communicated that to us, now is the time! You will be able to contact your teen’s Trip Director directly to work out the specific details closer to departure.

If you still have not booked your flight and are not quite sure what to do, you can schedule a Flights Logistics call to go over options.

What to Bring and How to Bring It

You may not be packing your bags yet but it’s never too early to plan! Thoughtfully thinking about what you will pack and what kind of luggage to use will go along way toward the ultimate goal– not to overpack!! Read on to find our packing lists, luggage recommendations, and other pre-trip prep!

Packing Lists

You can find our suggested packing lists here. Scroll to find your region and within it your specific trip.

For guidance on how to pack, this blog will give you 11 useful tips on best packing practices!

Read our Parent FAQ’s dedicated packing section for more information on how much to pack and what to leave behind.

Luggage

One of our most common questions asked this time of year is what type of luggage should my teen use?? The simple answer is: it’s up to you! Luggage preference changes from person to person and type of trip, but our general rule is not to pack more than you can carry and have a suitcase you can manage, whether that’s a suitcase with wheels or a traveler’s backpack.

Please note: All travelers are responsible for managing their own luggage!

Read this blog to help you compare wheels vs straps. The decision is yours!

If you see a duffel in your future, this blog will help you find one. If it’s four wheels or bust, check out this list of hard-side luggage.

You can find many of these bags and more on our staff-curated list of travel gear!

Money Money Money

Another common question this time of year is how your teen will spend money on their trip. In general, a working debit card is best for payments and taking foreign currency out of an ATM. There is no need to buy currency prior or try to exchange dollars upon arrival. Having a credit card for emergencies is not required but is an option.

In the ‘Money’ section of our Parent FAQ, you will find great resources for suggested debit and credit cards, budgeting, and other money what-ifs.

Your TFT Traveler Tee

Finally, your packing list is not complete without your free traveler tee! This bright teal shirt is optional to wear on airport and travel days and helps staff recognize travelers as they arrive. Not to mention it’s a great souvenir!

If you haven’t already, follow these detailed instructions to order yours today!!

In the event you don’t get a TFT traveler tee– no need to panic! Any bright blue shirt will do

Trip Items

Itineraries

You can view the program itinerary in the MyTFT portal!

Navigate to your manage trip page and click View Itinerary at the top.

Click here to access the MyTFT parent portal.

For a virtual tour of the portal with instructions on how to find everything you need, click here!

Optional Add-Ons

Many of our programs offer an additional element to a program that not every participant would necessarily want to do, such as SCUBA, high-adrenaline, or just high heights! These activities are an additional cost, not part of the advertised tuition, and are, of course, completely optional. Not every program will have an add-on.

You will find the optional add-ons in the MyTFT Portal at the bottom of your teen’s trip page. If you have already registered, there will be a ‘Yes’ in the field. If you haven’t, simply click the carrot next to the add-on and select ‘Register’.

Final Reminders

Passport Validity

Last chance to check your teen’s passport expiration date to ensure that there is AT LEAST SIX MONTHS of validity from the return date of the program. For example, if they are going to Costa Rica on June 29th and coming back on July 9th, the passport needs to be valid until January 9th, 2026 to be safe! Even if a country’s requirements are less stringent, your teen could be denied boarding at the departure airport, and it would be completely out of our control. If the passport is expired or set to expire, you will need to make immediate arrangements to renew it.

You can view our Passports, Visas, and Vaccinations page for information on applying for or renewing a passport.

Visas

Have you applied for your teen’s visa? As a reminder, TFT DOES NOT secure visas for travelers. Submitting all required paperwork and all application fees is the responsibility of the traveler.

If your teen holds a US passport and is visiting one of the countries listed below, they will need a visa prior to entry!

Tanzania
Laos
Vietnam
Cambodia
Australia
New Zealand
United Kingdom (England, Wales, and Scotland)
- This is required for both entry and through-transit

Please visit our Passports, Visas, and Vaccines page for more information on the visa process including direct links to apply!

If you are not a US passport holder, we recommend contacting your local government or consulate directly for details on entering destinations.

Optional Tipping

Over the years, an overwhelming amount of families have asked us how they can tip their counselors. Tipping is not required. However, if you feel so inclined, our office wants to make it easy for you! After your teen’s trip ends, we will send you an email with information about tipping including suggested amounts and the Venmo or PayPal of your teen’s Trip Directors and Counselors. You can also instruct your teen to tip their counselor in cash at the end of the trip–whatever is easiest for you and your family.

Again, counselor tips are never expected but they are greatly appreciated by our staff who work hard to make these trips above and beyond!

Trip Photos

Our counselors will be taking hundreds of photos during your teen’s trip and sharing them with you! All parents will need to set up a free account to view the daily photos from the trips. Parents can also elect to buy high res photos in real-time directly from the website and utilize their photo recognition software to have every photo their child is in texted to you and up to 5 other family members! Thanks, technology!

To enroll in Waldo Photos or find the free Travel For Teens photo galleries for the summer simply visit our 2025 Trip Photos page! This link will also be included in every email sent from your teen’s Trip Director while on the trip.

Summer Video Contest

We want to experience your TFT summer with you! We are offering one lucky winner a free trip in 2026 for sharing their TFT summer story! To enter, create a video sharing your experience with us and show us what your TFT summer was all about.

Find the full contest details and rules here.

Still Have Questions?

Our phones are very busy! Review the options below on the ways to get ahold of us that are most convenient for you.

Schedule a Call

We highly recommend this option, as it allows us to call at a time that is convenient for you! Depending on your question, you can schedule a specific type of call that one of our skilled Logistics or Client Service team members can help you with!

Welcome Call – Recommended for first-time families and alums as well, this allows you to holistically go over the account with us and discuss deadlines, to-dos, and what to expect. Even if you signed up a few months ago, it’s never too late to schedule a welcome call!
Flight Logistics Call – Schedule this call to discuss purchasing a flight with TFT or independently. We can go over connections, independent arrivals or departures, or any other travel-related question you may have
General Call – If you have a quick question, this is the one for you! You can even type up what you want to talk about so we can be prepared to answer with exactly what you need

Click this link to schedule any of the above calls. We are here to help!

Call Us

Our Client Service/Logistics Team answers the phone between 9 am and 5 pm EDT. Our phones can get very busy during this time, and if you call, you may reach our voicemail, which we will return within one business day at the latest.

We have a lot of talented teammates answering the phones, however, not every single person that you speak to may be able to answer your specific question, but don’t worry, they will get you that answer! This may mean setting up a future call. We do this not to inconvenience you, but to ensure that you are getting the correct answers you need.

We are coming into the busiest time of the year at the TFT Office. Our volume will be heavy but we will get back to each of you.

To call, dial 888-457-4534, Option 2

Email Us

Any questions can be answered by email as well! We answer all emails within two business days unless otherwise noted or we are closed for a holiday. Emails are answered in the order in which they are received, so it is very important to understand that if you reply to your own email in an attempt to point out you haven’t been answered yet, the email becomes recent from that moment and actually moves you out of your place in the queue! We don’t want that!

You can reach us at help@travelforteens.com

What to Expect Each Month

Want a quick snapshot of what’s next? Check out our “Month to Month” page to see what we do and what you need to do at any point throughout the year!