Frequently Asked Questions
Southwest Road Trips provides a variety of custom-tailored services, including transportation, lodging, and booking of educational activities. Below are answers to some common questions. Please feel free to contact us with any additional questions you may have.
Travel services by Southwest Road Trips are provided to educational experiences and venues in Arizona and its surrounding states. Examples include single-day excursions in the greater Tucson area, trips to northern and southern Arizona, as well as a myriad of destinations in the state of California.
We specialize in building custom itineraries for each school. Let us help you find—or create—the perfect tour for your group. We offer a wide range of educational experiences that can be customized to suit the needs of your students, your school, and your budget. Need suggestions? Please contact us, so we can create the best field trip experience possible for your students.
Services provided by Southwest Road Trips include (but are not limited to) bus transportation, lodging, meals, and booking of special events. Special events include educational experiences, festivals, training camps, competitions, and special attractions. Entry fees for events are included in the package price.
Most trips are school-sponsored events. Therefore, Southwest Road Trips is able to take Arizona tax credits to help fund your child’s adventure. Participants may pay for the deposit and final payment with tax credits.
For all our tours, Southwest Road Trips uses deluxe motor coaches. Buses are equipped with air conditioning, reclining seats, DVD players, monitors, and a restroom.
Each bus holds up to 54 passengers, with a minimum requirement of 35 paying participants per bus (excluding chaperones). There is generally no limit to the total number of participants as long as there is a minimum of 35 students per bus.
Tour reservations need to be made at least 3 months prior to the trip. Early bookings give a school or an organization a better chance of getting the desired dates.
A complete set of meals can be provided for any tour package. Overnight packages already include breakfast at the hotel.
One free chaperone is awarded for every ten (10) paying participants. “Free” means everything that is included in the package.
There is at least one assigned chaperone for every ten (10) students, which results in a ratio of 1 to 10. Chaperones are teachers, administrators, and parents from participating schools. Chaperones can be provided if needed.
For overnight trips, Southwest Road Trips reserves rooms at three-star hotels with indoor corridors. All prices are based on quad-occupancy for students. Students may upgrade for a small fee to a double room. Chaperones stay in double rooms.
For the safety and well-being of students, all participants must carry a charged cell phone on their person at all times. Therefore, students need to bring a fully-charged cell phone before boarding the bus. Students are required to exchange phone numbers with their chaperon in order to stay in touch.
At a park (or other venue), students always use the buddy system. That means, students continuously are teamed up with a partner (or group) wherever they go, even when using the restroom. Mandatory chaperone rendezvous check points and times are set up throughout the day. Chaperons will pass out tickets and exchange other important information at rendezvous check points.
Security is our top priority. Southwest Road Trips books exclusively hotels with indoor corridors for added safety. Our preferred three-star hotel chains with indoor corridors include Hilton and Marriott hotels.
For overnight trips, students are allowed one piece of well-identified luggage. Please make sure you mark your luggage with your name, address, and phone number.
Students who require prescription medications are required to supply the exact amount of medication for the length of the trip, along with precise directions for distributing the medication. Prescription medications must be given to the student’s assigned adult supervisor before boarding the bus. Medications will be dispensed during rendezvous times and food breaks.
Students are allowed to eat snacks on the bus as long as the bus stays clean. All drinks on the bus require screw-on caps. Prohibited items include glass containers, gum, ice cream, and fountain drinks.
All final payments for participants must be received 30 days prior to the departure date. Final payments may be made with tax credits.
Cancellations for individual participants (students) must be made 30 days prior to the departure date. If cancellations are made less than 30 days prior to departure, the deposit may be forfeited. Southwest Road Trips will attempt to resolve each case individually in an effort to satisfy the customer.
If the offered trip is cancelled for whatever reason, all collected monies (deposits) will be refunded to the school, parent, or student.
Downloadable Documents
Please download, print, and complete any forms required by your school. Please return the completed and signed form(s) to your school. Feel free to contact us with any additional questions you may have.
Trip Registration Form
Please download, print, and complete the form. Return the completed and signed form to your school.
Tortolita Middle School – Field Trip Agreement
Please download, print, and complete the form. Bring the completed and signed form to your school.