Frequently Ask Questions

IST Campus Tours is a division of International Student Tours, Inc. (“ISTours”), which helps students explore the top universities and colleges. ISTours has been the leader in student travel since 1976, traveling over 500,000 students both domestically and abroad. We only partner with quality brand-name hotels, airline providers, and SPAB-registered motor coach operators. We take pride in providing a quality experience for our travelers through outstanding customer service, detailed travel itineraries, and hassle-free planning. With over 40 years in the travel industry, we have the professional experience to make your trip easy and worry-free. When you travel with IST Campus Tours, you know you’re getting the best value and expertise in the industry!

To register for a Campus Tour trip, please visit our IST Campus Tours homepage, then click “REGISTER” at the top-right of the screen.

1. 1. Enter your zip code and school/group name.
   2. Review the trip’s Terms and Conditions for the year attending, then check the box to agree, then click “Continue.”
   3. On the next page, select your school/group’s trip, click “Continue,” and follow the prompts to complete your traveler’s (the person physically traveling) registration online form and make the required deposit payment.

Registration Help!

Each IST Campus Tours trip is customized to match the specific needs and interests of each school/group. Final trip details will be provided to the school’s trip coordinator approximately seven (7) days before their listed departure date. The trip coordinator will then share the Parent Page, which includes the full itinerary and hotel information, with all registered travelers and their parents/guardians.

• For bus trips, travelers will need to provide a valid school photo ID for travel.

For trips involving flights, travelers 18 years of age and older (at the time of travel) will need to provide a valid government-issued REAL ID-compliant license or state photo ID (as of May 7, 2025, every state and territory resident will need to present a REAL ID to board commercial aircraft for domestic travel).

• You can also use a valid passport in your name in lieu of a Real ID for domestic flight travel.
  • If you don’t have a valid passport booklet or REAL ID, apply as soon as possible, as identification applications can take 4-8 weeks for processing.
  • Refunds will not be issued for travelers unable to attend due to missing or invalid documents.
• We strongly recommend visiting www.travel.state.gov for the most current travel documentation requirements.
• Non-U.S. Citizens should consult their country’s consulate for specific documentation requirements. Please visit – U.S. Department of State — Bureau of Consular Affairs.

Airlines and bus companies have specific rules for how names are submitted to them for travel. Sometimes, this means that first, middle, and last names are combined into a single word—without spaces, hyphens, or accents. For example, James Robert Jones-Smith II might appear as JamesRobertJonessmithii. This can happen for travelers with multiple first, middle, or last names.

If your trip includes flights and the traveler is 18 or older at the time of travel, the name in your traveler account/invoices must match the name on a valid government-issued photo ID (State REAL ID or REAL ID Driver’s License), following the same format without spaces, hyphens, etc.

If you have questions, please contact our office via email campustours@istours.com or by phone, Monday – Friday, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm at (800) 448-4444 for further assistance.

Monthly invoice statements involving billing information (sent on the first business day of each month) and/or status changes will be sent via email to the email addresses provided on the traveler’s registration/account. All communication will be delivered primarily through email, with occasional updates sent via text message (when necessary). To ensure you receive important trip and account information, it’s essential that we have two (2) valid email addresses and cell phone numbers on file—one for the traveler and one for a parent/guardian. Please use a personal email address that you check regularly. We strongly recommend avoiding school or work email addresses, as they are often checked less frequently or may block external messages.

Yes. Payment plans are available depending on how early you register. Once you have registered for an IST Campus Tours trip, you will have an online traveler account that you can access 24/7. With your online traveler account, you can make your required minimum monthly payments (under “Payments” on the menu bar) to keep your traveler account “Active” and hold your spot on the trip.

Yes. Auto-billing payments are available for IST Campus Tours trips. Travelers are not automatically enrolled in auto-billing unless they opted-in during trip registration.

• To enroll, please sign in to your traveler account under “ACCOUNT LOGIN” on the IST Campus Tours homepage.
• Once logged in, select “Payments” from the menu bar and then click “Auto-Billing Options.”
• You can also check your current auto-billing status in your online account or refer to the auto-billing section on your most recent monthly invoice statement.

IST Campus Tours does not accept or process payments over the phone. Payments can be made online through the traveler’s account. Alternatively, you may mail a check or money order to the corporate office, along with the Traveler’s ID Number. You may also complete a credit card authorization form and submit it via email to campustours@istours.com for us to manually process your payment.

If you register after your school or group’s trip has reached full capacity, you may be placed on a Waitlist. This usually happens when all bus (or flight), hotel, and/or tour spots are filled. Any update notices about a traveler’s status will be sent to the email addresses listed on the traveler’s registration/account. Waitlist status and/or space availability are at the discretion of each school.

All roommate assignments for the trip are determined and finalized by your school/group’s trip coordinator. If you have questions about roommate names and/or rooming for the trip, please contact your school/group’s trip coordinator directly for more information.

For rooming requests for a specific rooming arrangement and/or occupancy, travelers must first contact their school/group’s trip coordinator. All rooming changes are on an approval basis, as well as hotel(s) availability, as well as the agreement of all roommates regarding any extra costs for triple or double occupancy.

If a change is approved, everyone in the room must be aware of and agree to the additional fees. These additional charges will be added to each traveler’s account and must be paid in full within seven (7) days of receiving the rooming invoice statement.

No. However, if you have an Airline Mileage Reward Number, it can be easily added upon arrival at the airport (if you are traveling by air) when you go to check in on your day of departure. Just simply ask the airline agent to add your number to your ticket before they give you your boarding pass. It is recommended to arrive early at the airport to allow ample time for them to process your request. Your airline mileage rewards number can also be added through the airline’s app, once you have your boarding pass/ticket.

To get ready for your trip, check the weather forecast for your destination ahead of time. Packing comfortable walking shoes is essential, as students will be on their feet most of the day. On the day of departure, wear comfortable clothing. For trips that include flights, we recommend packing toiletries in your carry-on so you have easy access to anything you might need while traveling. For additional packing tips, visit the “Resources” page on the IST Campus Tours website.

The first step for a flight deviation (change) request is to notify your school’s trip coordinator. Approval is subject to airline availability and any applicable fees for the requested change. If approved, any airline change fees will be applied to the traveler’s IST Campus Tours online account and must be paid in full by the trip’s designated Final Payment Due Date.

For additional questions, please contact our office at campustours@istours.com or (800) 448-4444, Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. PST.

Yes! If the trip price is reduced because more participants registered, resulting in an overpayment, any eligible funds will be refunded closer to or after the trip once the final number of trip participants is confirmed. You will receive an updated invoice by email showing the refund amount, and once the refund is processed, you will receive another invoice notification by email. The money will be returned using the same payment method you originally used.

If you no longer plan to travel, the student/traveler will need to submit their official “cancellation” request in writing by either mail or email (note: the emailed request must come from the same email address that is listed on the account) to campustours@istours.com, and must also include Traveler ID Number (account #), First & Last Name of the traveler, and state their request to “cancel”.

Once your cancellation request is received and processed, the traveler will be cancelled from the trip, and cancellation penalties will be applied, per the Terms & Conditions of the trip. If any refund is owed after the applied cancellation fee (per the terms and conditions), the funds will be issued back to the traveler listed on the account. Refunds are issued within 4-6 weeks (or 6-8 weeks if cancellation occurs on or after the final payment deadline date) of the approved cancellation date and returned in the same method of payment they were received (i.e., credit card payments = credit card refunds and check or money order payments = a check refund). IST Campus Tours is not responsible for misdirected refunds due to a change of address, closed or overdrawn bank accounts, or transactions processed on prepaid credit cards or gift cards. For full cancellation details and trip policies, please refer to your trip’s terms and conditions.