Frequently Asked Questions
Please take a moment to review the answers to these frequently asked questions. Most of the information on this page applies to all trips. Some of the individual trip profile pages contain trip-specific FAQs as well.
Did not find an answer to your question? Please contact us, and we will be happy to help.
What's the Passport program about?
What's included in the price?
Do I have to be a member of BBYO to go on Passport?
What's your approach to safety & security?
How are trips staffed?
How old is the staff? What are their qualifications?
What are the group sizes?
Is there an age limit?
What is the gender breakdown?
How do I register?
What does no-risk registration mean?
Can I go on the same trip as a friend?
Where are most participants from? Do teens usually travel alone or with friends?
How does rooming work?
Am I guaranteed a spot?
Do I need to be in good physical shape to enjoy a Passport trip?
Do I need any immunizations before traveling?
What about health insurance?
Do I need to be religious to enjoy a Passport trip?
What is Shabbat like on a Passport program?
Is the food kosher?
I am a vegetarian / I have food allergies / I am a very picky eater. Can you accommodate me?
Will I have any free time during the trip?
What airlines does the Passport program use?
Are Passport's airline costs fixed?
How do I meet my group at JFK? Will someone pick me up from my gate?Can I make my own flight arrangements?
Will I be able to extend my flight after the trip is over?
How do I keep in touch with friends & family back home?
What is the weather like?
What do I need to know to prepare for the trip?
How can I get in touch with Passport alumni?
How can I get more information even if I am not ready to register?
Will this be an amazing experience?
What's the Passport program about? Passport to the World (Passport) is BBYO’s worldwide travel program for high school-age teens of all Jewish backgrounds. Passport trips span five continents and connect teens with countries as diverse as Israel, Italy, Costa Rica, Holland, Belgium, England, France, Spain, Hungary, Austria, the Czech Republic and the Western USA. Each program shares the same core elements – active touring, community service, cross-cultural interactions, and meaningful Jewish experiences. All BBYO Passport trips embrace pluralistic Jewish values and are designed for Jewish teens with a spirit for adventure and a desire to experience the full color of the world.
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What's included in the price? The tuition for each program includes: round trip flights from New York (or Los Angeles in some cases), all accommodations, all meals, professional guiding and local transportation, all activity costs and entrance fees, as well as medical insurance covering non-pre-existing conditions. All you are responsible for is getting to the airport in New York to meet the group and bringing enough spending money to cover souvenirs (Note: the Trek West program does not include a group flight, and the group flight for Eco-Quest Central America program is optional and priced separately.)
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Do I have to be a member of BBYO to go on Passport? All Passport trips are open to BBYO members and non-members alike. The ratio of members to non-members tends to be nearly half/half, so non-members do not have to worry about ever feeling left out. The trips have been designed for Jewish teenagers of all background with a spirit for adventure and a desire to experience the world. Note: The ILSI program was designed primarily for BBYO members as a leadership experience.
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What's your approach to safety & security? As an organization that has been serving teens for over 80 years, our philosophy is to treat each and every BBYO Passport participant as a member of our own family. Safety and security considerations always come first. In practical terms this means that we plan our itineraries to avoid areas of concern, limit opportunities for free time, and generally use accommodations outside of city center. Our staff to participant ratio is no higher than 8:1. In Israel, where BBYO has been organizing Israel programs for 55 years, we have implemented an extra layer of safety & security policies which we encourage you to review. Of course, you can be sure that the Passport staff will also be sending your parents regular trip updates and posting pictures online so that they can follow along with your experience from home.
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How are trips staffed? Every Passport trip is staffed by at least two North American chaperones, a licensed guide, and a bus driver. Our Israel trips are also staffed by a licensed medic/security escort. Outside of Israel, most trips are also staffed by a program leader from Israel in addition to a locally licensed guide.
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How old is the staff? What are their qualifications? All Passport chaperones are at least 23 years of age, and most are significantly older. Our program guides are professionally licensed educators with expertise in the areas where they lead groups. Our North American staff are young adults who have extensive Jewish leadership experience, either in a professional or lay capacity. In most cases, at least one North American chaperone is a full-time BBYO professional. The medic/security escorts in Israel are trained by the Israeli army and licensed to provide protection and first aid.
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What are the group sizes? Maximum group sizes differ according to the nature of the program. Most groups are comprised of 30-40 participants, although some groups can be comprised of as few as 20 teens.
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Is there an age limit? BBYO Passport trips are open to high school-age Jewish teens currently in 9th through 12th grades. That includes graduating seniors who are still eligible for all BBYO Passport trips. We do our best to separate bus groups by grade.
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What is the gender breakdown? Over the years, we have found that the breakdown between men and women has varied and is often hard to predict. Just as we balance age groups where possible, we also try to balance males and females.
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How do I register? Just go to the Register Now page, follow the instructions, and submit all of the necessary forms. Getting registered is easy, but if you have any questions at all about the process, just give us a ring.
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What does no-risk registration mean? We at BBYO Passport want to make it as easy as possible for you to get registered now. Accordingly, you can register now with no risk at all through March 15th. This means that you can register and cancel as late as mid-March and still receive a full refund. You can even keep the free BBYO Passport t-shirt that we will send to you when you register! Why register now? Apart from the comfort of our no-risk registration policy, the sooner you register, the sooner we can confirm your spot on the program of your choice before it closes out.
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Can I go on the same trip as a friend? Of course! During the registration process, you will have an opportunity to let us know with whom you want to travel and whether you have any special roommate requests. Please contact us directly if you plan to travel with a larger group of friends.
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Where are most participants from? Do teens usually travel alone or with friends? Passport trips attract Jewish teens from all over North America, Europe and elsewhere. Some teens choose to sign up together with a friend or two. Most teens choose to come on their own because they would like to be as open as possible to new friendships. Either way, you will have the opportunity to meet a diverse group of your peers from many different places, which makes exploring a new place together with them even more exciting.
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How does rooming work? Rooming is typically three or four per room, and each participant will always have their own bed and a private bathroom. Generally speaking, our policy is to grant roommate requests for wherever the first accommodations are located on any given program. Once we move to the next accommodations location, we start to mix up the rooming assignments randomly in order to give all participants a chance to get to know each other better.
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Am I guaranteed a spot? While we are committed to bringing as many teens as possible on our programs this summer, each trip is subject to availability based on group flight limitations. We will always try to post in advance when a trip is almost full. But our advice is to start the no-risk registration process now, and reserve your spot on a BBYO Passport program today.
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Do I need to be in good physical shape to enjoy a Passport trip? The bottom line is that Passport trips are meant to be enjoyed. Anyone with a basic spirit for adventure will feel more than comfortable on any of our trips. However, some of our trips tend to be more physically challenging than others. Specifically, Trek Israel and Trek West are suited for those who love the outdoors and who are looking for a more active experience. That does not mean you need to be a super athlete to enjoy either of the Trek programs…and do not worry, you will not need to schlep your belongings on any hikes!
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Do I need any immunizations before traveling? This varies depending on the part of the world where you will be traveling. Please see the FAQ page for each individual trip for specific recommendations.
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What about health insurance? The Passport tuition includes local health insurance coverage for all non-pre-existing conditions. If you are interested in purchasing cancellation insurance or insurance covering pre-existing conditions abroad, BBYO Passport recommends Travel Insured International.
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Do I need to be religious to enjoy a Passport trip?While all Passport participants are Jewish, our participants come from all Jewish backgrounds, and you do not need to be religious to participate or appreciate this program. Like most people, we do not like labels. That being said, the Passport experience is best described as being "non-denominational." What does that mean? It means that we have planned these trips carefully, and take great pride that participants from all Jewish backgrounds will feel comfortable traveling with us in Israel or around the world. Past experience has also taught us that having a group made up of participants from diverse Jewish backgrounds makes the BBYO Passport experience that much more special for everyone in the group.
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What is Shabbat like on a Passport program? On all Passport trips, we take advantage of Shabbat as a day to rest from a very busy schedule while enjoying the local surroundings. There is no bus travel on Shabbat, but there are often nature walks or neighborhood tours in addition to group discussions, festive meals, and free time to relax and swim. On Friday evening and Shabbat morning there are egalitarian and participatory prayer services which allow for the sharing of personal customs and exposure to new ones. In countries outside of Israel, we try to visit local synagogues on Shabbat as a way to experience the unique customs of Jewish communities abroad.
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Is the food kosher? The food on all Israel trips is kosher throughout. On trips in Europe and the Western Hemisphere, meals are either kosher or vegetarian. On all programs, we frequently provide a cash stipend so that participants can buy their own meals and choose what they wish to eat directly.
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I am a vegetarian / I have food allergies / I am a very picky eater. Can you accommodate me? Many meals during each trip are served buffet-style, so you will be able to choose your own food. You should certainly indicate on your registration forms if you have any health-related requirements, and our staff will do their best to assist you in making the proper selections.
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Will I have any free time during the trip? While the trip itineraries are quite intensive, we do set aside plenty of time for relaxation, shopping, and personal exploration. Because we take your safety and security so seriously, there will understandably be some limits on our flexibility when it comes to free time -- especially when we are touring in the larger cities.
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What airlines does the Passport program use? The short answer is that it depends on the program. Our Israel-only programs fly exclusively on EL AL Airlines. Our trips to the rest of the world fly on European airlines as well as domestic airlines like Continental and Delta. In the case of trips that involve travel to Europe and Israel, we typically fly on a combination of a local European airline and EL AL. Actual flight schedules will be posted in early March 2010.
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Are program airline costs fixed? Airlines reserve the right to impose fuel surcharges up until the time that ticket is fully paid for and issued. Passport rates for 2010 are confirmed but are subject to any such new airline-imposed fuel fees. In the past, we have been able to pre-issue tickets to avoid such fees, and we will of course, try to do so in the future, if we know that such a fee is about to be imposed.
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How do I meet my group in New York? Will someone pick me up from my gate? Detailed instructions for trip departure day will be sent to all participants about two months prior to the start of the program. There is a designated meeting spot for each group where participants will meet five hours before their international flight departure. Staff cannot pick up participants from their domestic arrival gates (except for Camp P2I), but there will be Passport staff present in the airport from an hour before the meeting time who can be contacted by cell phone in case of any difficulties or delays. All participants and staff will be wearing a Passport T-shirt so as to be easily identifiable to one another, and staff will remain at the group meeting point until every participant is accounted for.
Can I make my own flight arrangements? Although we do not encourage it for most programs, participants are allowed to meet the group at the destination airport and will receive a flight credit accordingly. If special arrangements need to be made to pick up a participant in-country, a supplemental service fee will apply.
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Will I be able to extend my flight after the trip is over? Definitely. Participants who want to extend their stay beyond the normal return date can do so. The exact terms for extension depend on the airline used, and change fees starting at $125 apply. Flight extensions are subject to some availability restrictions and other terms. Once final flight schedules are announced in March 2009, we will be able to begin to help you arrange extensions. Just keep in mind that should you choose to extend your ticket, the Passport program does not assume liability for you beyond the official dates of the trip.
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How do I keep in touch with friends & family back home? For starters, since you will be busy seeing the world, our staff promises to keep your friends & family up to date with plenty of postings and pictures on our website. Meanwhile, as the trip gets closer, we will be distributing hotel phone numbers and staff emergency numbers. Finally, you are free to rent a cell phone or purchase an international calling card through our provider, Global Phones. In most cases, the phone will be hand delivered to you upon arrival, and you will be sent your phone number in advance. While your phones must be off during programming, you will be able to use your phones during free time and in the evenings.
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What is the weather like? The weather depends entirely on what country you choose – and can even vary widely within a given country. Please see the FAQ page for each individual trip for specifics.
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What do I need to know to prepare for the trip? About two months prior to the start of the program, we will post a detailed pre-trip preparation manual for each trip, including the final itinerary, packing tips, emergency contact info, and instructions on how to rent a cell phone abroad or purchase an international calling card. In the meantime, the FAQ page for each individual trip has some basic information. If you have any specific questions that you would like answered in advance, please contact us.
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How can I get in touch with Passport alumni?If joining us on a Passport trip sounds great, but you would really like to speak with a recent alumnus or alumna to get a peer perspective, we would be happy to make the connection. Just give us a call or send us an email. Let us know where you are from, your current grade, and what trip(s) you are interested in, and we will be sure to get you in touch with a recent participant from your area.
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How can I get more information even if I am not ready to register? While we do encourage you to take advantage of our no-risk registration and sign up well in advance, if you need time to make up your mind, you can always sign up for our Summer 2010 Update List and sign-up for the 2010 Brochure.
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Will this be an amazing experience?Yes, it will!
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