Parents

Personal and Financial Security should go without saying, security is a big issue these days and at Real Gap we take this issue very seriously. We have put in place various systems to help ensure personal and financial security for anyone who travels with Real Gap. Personal security Our quality control team complete risk assessments on all our programmes abroad, and every Real Gap programme manager completes a detailed programme analysis to make sure that projects are suitable. Of course we cannot eliminate every possible danger or risk (and there would be little point travelling abroad if it all became too sanitised), but we aim to reassure participants, and their loved ones, that we consider their safety paramount. We also recommend that participants undertake our one-day Gap Year Safety Course, for £99. This course will teach you how to recognise tricky situations, and how to look after yourself, it is money very well spent. Financial Security Real Gap adheres to the UK's legislation regarding travel operations. Your funds are secure. Real Gap operates under ATOL number 6527 and we also issue all participants a personal financial failure insurance certificate. The flight inclusive air holidays in this brochure are ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL licence is ATOL 6527. In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the CAA will ensure that you are not left stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any money you have paid to us for an advance booking. Security for travel documents and credit cards Would you know the serial numbers of all the valuables in your luggage? Do you have copies of receipts as proof of purchase? Even if you make copies of all credit cards, what if the copies are lost or stolen too? myTsafe has been created to cater for the very real problem of dealing with lost information – prevention is better than cure! You can record details of passport, credit card, tickets, itinerary, key names and addresses, receipts and other documents, so that you can have all the details to present to the police and insurance companies. For just £20, you get a years' security. Visit the myTsafe page to find out more.

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The internet has made it far easier and cheaper for gap year travellers to stay in touch with family and friends. Email is without doubt the simplest and cheapest form of contact. Email accounts are free of charge and can be set up quickly and easily. Gap year travellers and backpackers making their way round the world don't have to look too far to find one of the countless internet cafes which have sprung up throughout the globe. They can even share what they've been up to by posting their latest digital photos online. Some computer savvy travellers these days go one step further by using a webcams or even setting up a website where they can write articles or post pictures regularly. Of course, nothing beats a phone call. While reverse-charge calls are still going to hit your pocket, it's possible for your son or daughter to buy very reasonably priced international pre-paid calling cards whilst they are away. These offer far cheaper calling rates and can be used on any phone simply by typing in an individual pin-code. There is one other option for keeping in touch that you might not have considered. If your son or daughter's gap year or career break is for an entire year then why not fly out to join up with them for a while? Those working on a volunteer project or job abroad aren't permanently tied down and have plenty of opportunity to book ‘holiday' time whilst they're on their year out. Whatever you do, though, don't plan on springing them a surprise! Use myTsafe’s ePost and sharing for handling sensitive information. For sharing both will need a myTsafe account – get one through us at the preferential rate. Visit the myTsafe page to find out more.

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A good gap year programme can provide an ideal link between the regimented lifestyle of school and the unstructured temptations of university. At Real Gap Experience we offer planned gap year programmes that have been researched our experienced travel advisors. We insist on a policy of stringent safety precautions, ensuring our clients are never too far out of touch with the western world. We would say that a gap year programme booked with us has far fewer un-known factors than if your son or daughter went off and did it all by themselves. The emergence of the internet in the last decade has made life much easier for gap year travellers making their way round the world. Travellers can easily find internet cafes and keep in regular touch with family and friends at the touch of a button by email. Emails are instant and cheap so you'll find it easy to keep in touch and hear about all the amazing things they have been up to. But use myTsafe’s ePost and sharing for handling sensitive information. For sharing both will need a myTsafe account – get one through us at the preferential rate. Visit the myTsafe page to find out more. The question of your son or daughter being ready for a gap year ultimately falls to your son or daughter together with your input. However, if they are mentally prepared, have thorough travel plans and all the equipment they need, a lot of concerns can be eliminated.

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A gap year or career break can be whatever you want it to be. Some people travel solo or with a group of friends. A gap year can be anything from spending a month or so in one destination to an entire year away backpacking and travelling around the world. Some people might opt for work on a volunteer project with animals, children or within a community, whilst others may choose to find paid work abroad simply as a means to make their gap year cash go further on their travels. A gap year is typically taken before, during or after university or college. Those seeking a career break to re-charge their batteries can be any age or at any point in their career when they decide to go for it. Perhaps the only common link between the many different activities, duration and destinations of gap year or career breaks is that everyone who takes one seems to come back saying it was the best decision they ever made.

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Your son or daughter will obviously need money as they travel round the world on their gap year or career break. In our experience the safest, easiest and most convenient option for gap year travellers is to carry a Visa or Mastercard. Banks do charge for each transaction on credit cards, but using them is definitely by far the simplest way for your son or daughter to access their funds. It's also a good idea for your son or daughter to back up their credit card by taking away with them a good supply of travellers' cheques. These can easily be exchanged at most banks and also at airports, (again there is usually a charge for this). As with credit cards, if they are lost or stolen they are also easily replaced. One thing you could consider as a parent is to set yourself up a power of attorney on your son or daughter's bank account. This means that, in the event of any emergency, you'll be able to pay in money or pay bills speedily and without any complications. If your son or daughter is planning on finding paid work abroad then we advise they contact the travel advisor for that particular programme. We try and take the hassle out applications and paperwork by doing as much of the advance financial leg-work as possible. We can even set up the bank account. We have loads of ideas for gap year fundraising.

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Gap year preparation puts minds at ease prior to departure and also helps to ensure the trip goes smoothly throughout its duration. Our experts can put together anything from a full year backpacking round the world to just a few weeks away working on a volunteer project worldwide. Your son or daughter will be assigned their own travel advisor who, aside from helping to plan and design the trip, can offer advice on everything from negotiating a good deal on the flights, right down to what they should pack. Our travel advisors are all exceptionally well travelled and experts on countries that we operate in. We are more than happy to take calls from parents should you have any queries relating to your son or daughters trip. All of our clients are set up with a personal on-line account, containing just about every piece of information you or your son or daughter could wish to know before they leave.

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