How to plan a budget-friendly Spanish school trip

Two destinations we often recommend to groups who are prioritising price are Malaga and Madrid. With an extensive amount of flight options, if you’re willing to travel from different airports, the cost of travel can be significantly reduced based on time and location of flight. Additionally, both destinations are very walkable. With many excursions being within walking distance from the main centre, there is limited cost spent on coaches, other than for the airport transfers.  

Madrid is a much-loved destination for language trips, due to the wide range of excursions and variety of experiences offered to students. Although many excursions come at an added cost, trips to El Rastro Flea Market are free, and can provide your students with experience interacting with Spanish locals. You can also allow your students to explore the Retiro Park or wander down Gran Via to admire the architecture, both of which can provide as much of a valuable experience as the paid excursions. Having a balance of the two can make for a successful Spanish trip.  

Want your students to truly embrace Spain? Malaga is home to one of our new Spanish Language Immersion Programmes, which includes up to 6 hours of language practice each day. This heavy focus on improving your students’ linguistic ability enhances the educational value of a trip to Malaga. Like Madrid, the city is also very walkable in between excursions, meaning limited cost on coach travel. Additionally, the city expresses several influences of Picasso, making it a beautiful city for students to explore during free time and a great option for those looking for lower cost excursions. 

Although there may be factors that limit the amount you can reduce fees for your Spanish school trip, one thing you can do is help parents manage the cost.  

Affordability of a trip is often less about the total cost, and more about the timings and structure of payment. A single lump sum at the end of the month is a lot more intimidating and harder to fund then a broken-down monthly payment plan. Throughout the planning process, a great tip is to provide different options wherever possible, so parents can choose whichever alternative suits them the most. This is also an excellent opportunity to get parents involved, as their opinion matters! Parents can provide their opinion on timelines, cost break downs and how realistic it is to fund a trip.  

Travelbound organises payment plans for the school, so if there are any determining factors when it comes to payment, make sure to flag them as soon as possible. Although you can be flexible in terms of parent payment, there are still deadlines which need to be met to book flights, accommodation etc. Typical deadlines include a second deposit needed one month after the initial deposit, and the final balance will need to be fulfilled at least 14 weeks prior to travelling. 

Organising a school trip shouldn’t just be on your shoulders; you need to rely on your staff and wider school community. This is where PTAs can help. Discuss with the PTA board about setting up a dedicated trip fund. This is a rolling fundraising scheme throughout the year, which means support is already in place if a family needs it. Fundraising events such as a raffle, bake sale or summer fate can all lead to a pot dedicated to ensuring no child is left out of their school trip. This is a great alternative to voluntary contributions, so it can be split across the entire school. 

When it comes to trip funding, government guidance is clear: if a trip makes up part of the curriculum, no child should miss out due to lack of funding.  

To ensure every child gets the opportunity to attend, one option is to ask for voluntary contributions from the wider school. Whilst it may sound daunting, it’s an option we’ve seen many school successfully trial, with equal opportunities for all students being a value held by parents and teachers alike.  

It must be made clear that these voluntary contributions are optional, and if enough contributions aren’t made, the trip will be cancelled for the whole group, not just the child who can’t fund the trip. The student who is needing the contributions should of course remain anonymous throughout the entire process. 

Including this option when advertising your trip to parents can break down barriers for families who won’t have afforded the trip otherwise and allows the school community to give back. 

If you’re worried about a student missing out on a trip due to cost, contact our team to see how we can help. 

For international trips, the Turing Scheme is worth researching fully, rather than dismissing as too complicated. The Turing Scheme is the UK government’s global programme which provides funding for students to travel abroad. Each year, the criteria slightly change, so it’s important to double check before you consider introducing this into your trip.  

For the 2026/27 academic year, schools can apply for up to £50,000 towards a single international trip, which covers travel, accommodation and visas. The scheme also allows extra funding for disadvantaged and SEND students. Each school can only submit one application, so it’s important to plan and send off as early as possible. For teachers wanting to create a Spanish trip for every student to be immersed in, the Turing Scheme can be transformative.