MTI are fully compliant with Package Travel Regulations 2018 by using Protected Trust Services which ringfences funds securely, up until the tour date and only releases funds upon return. With this assurance in place, MTI are not ABTA/ATOL members.
For SCHOOLS
Read our comprehensive guide to understand what to expect from our tour experiences.
Founded in 1996 by Edinburgh History teacher Des Brogan, Mercat Tours International was built on decades of experience in the classroom and understanding of how our young people learn. Since then, The Brogan family has grown the team and carefully crafted our tours to deliver first class, student-centred, immersive learning experiences.
Our guides compel a deep connection with historic events which lie beyond living memory through powerful and balanced storytelling, enhanced with carefully chosen music, poetry, drama and archive footage. We thoughtfully combine facts with the human stories of conflict, exploring how war shaped lives, communities, and values across generations, around the world.
Our tours:
We promise to:
This is not just a school trip.
A Mercat Tours International experience is life changing, as attested by our students and teachers over 3 decades.
We know that organising a school trip can be a big task—passenger lists, rooming plans, travel documents, special requirements—it’s a lot to manage!
Our experienced team is here to guide you every step of the way, with help from our specially designed Tour Support Pack:
We value our connection with your school community and the benefits of bringing people together. That’s why we offer a Parents Evening led by one of our team—either in person or online, depending on what’s possible for your location and our availability.
Peace of Mind
Financial
In accordance with the EC Directive on Package Holidays, all monies received by Mercat Tours International are deposited in a Trust Fund administered by Protected Trust Services. This means your monies are safeguarded until after the tour has returned and can therefore be refunded to you in case of cancellation by MTI.
In case of Emergency:
Fair Tax
Tax contributions are a crucial part of the positive social and economic impact made by businesses! The Fair Tax Mark accreditation scheme encourages and recognises organisations that pay the right amount of corporation tax at the right time and in the right place.
Travel
We take care of all travel arrangements so your group can enjoy a smooth, well-organised journey from start to finish. Students will be collected directly from school and travel by coach to the ferry port, before boarding either a day or overnight ferry to the continent.
Our trusted coach partners have a long-standing reputation for safety and professionalism, meeting all statutory transport requirements in the UK and across Europe. Their experienced drivers prioritise comfort and care, ensuring every journey is safe, reliable, and positive for all.
We are proud to partner with DFDS, a ferry company recognised for exceptional reliability, and outstanding customer service. Awarded World’s Leading Ferry Operator in 2024 and nominated again for 2025, DFDS shares our commitment to responsible tourism. Their strong environmental initiatives are a key reason we choose to work with them, helping us provide journeys that are not only efficient but also light impact on the environment.
Food & Drink
Each day while staying at the hostel, students will be provided with a continental breakfast, a packed lunch and an evening meal.
An evening meal and breakfast will be provided onboard for any groups travelling by overnight ferry. For those travelling by day ferry, an onboard breakfast will be included.
We do encourage students to bring spending money for any meals, snack and drinks they require on both the outward and return UK leg of the coach journey, and for lunch in Bruges for those that choose the Dover to Dunkirk ferry crossing. Some schools choose to collect money from families and keep safe until it is needed.
Accommodation
We work closely with our accommodation partners to select hostels that best suit each group’s needs and can support any additional requirements such as accessible rooms. Your group’s safety, security and comfort are our top priorities. For this reason, we personally inspect all new accommodation before any stay and ensure that all local legislative requirements are fully met.
You will stay in the same accommodation for the duration of your trip, giving you a safe and consistent base to return to each day - a place to rest, recharge, and reflect on everything the group have experienced.
To ensure your stay is as comfortable as possible, please let us know about any specific requirements concerning accommodation, such as accessibility needs, at the time of booking. Demand for accommodation is high and once we have reserved your place with accommodation it is very hard to change it.
The minimum number of students required is 25. The smaller the group, the more expensive the trip becomes - but most groups average about 35 students. We have a maximum of 40 students per coach to ensure maximum comfort for all on board, however we can book you multiple coaches for larger groups. One school who travel with us take up to five coaches!
There is one free place for an adult per ten students. Usually this means all teachers go free.
We will ask you to advise us of any specific needs within your group, including any dietary, medical and mobility needs. We understand that not all additional support needs are physical. We ask early in the booking process to ensure these needs are factored in at all stages of your trip.
Simply submit an enquiry form online and one of our team will be in touch with a proposed itinerary and initial costings. Payment of the deposit (£100 per paying member) to secure the booking is required no later than 9 months before the departure date.
All travellers will require their own Passport and GHIC card. Any non UK, non-Irish travellers may require an ETA and/or visas.
There are plans to introduce a new scheme, ETIAS, in the near future - if this is required we will let you know. You can find out more about each of these documents by clicking the links above.
Please refer to the official Government website for guidance on passport requirements after Brexit. Please note this information is updated regularly.
Our tour itineraries are carefully designed to provide a comprehensive look back at the history, making the most of the group's time with us.
The days are packed full of opportunities to learn, connect and engage with the stories, and our guides are always happy to be flexible to the needs of the group to ensure the tour is being pitched appropriately. However, it is our overwhelming experience that students become absorbed by our guides' storytelling, responding meaningfully to the places we visit and the various stimuli and resources they will encounter. This is strongly reflected in both the student and teacher evaluations and feedback, and it is regularly reported that students talk about their experience long after their return. We recognise that it is a busy few days, and so down time is factored into each day.
Your tour pack will include a kit list, which varies depending on weather and time of year. You should bring a small overnight bag for travel, as all main luggage will be kept on the coach until you arrive at your accommodation. If travelling on the overnight ferry, we would suggest including toiletries, essential medications, phone chargers, a change of clothes, and PJs. Check out our Packing List.
Yes. We have risk assessments for all sites visited - will share as part of your Tour Pack when you book.
There is no specific limit. However you may need to carry all your belongings a short distance from the coach drop off point to your accommodation, so please bear this in mind!
Seats and seatbelts, toilet for emergency use/medical requirement/ AV equipment for guide/educational use during your trip. Not all coahes have USB charging ports.
We happily invite anyone on our tours to let us know of any relatives who are buried or commemorated at any of the sites on the itinerary. The information you provide will be shared with your guide, who will make efforts to research the relative(s) and gather any additional information in time for the tour. We will do our best to arrange a visit to the site(s) where the relatives are buried or commemorated. However, please note that this will depend on time, traffic, and weather conditions. We also invite schools to let us know of any former pupils who are buried or commemorated at any of these sites.
Don’t take our word for it. Read our customer reviews
"Thanks so much for this amazing trip and for helping me understand about The Great War. Thanks for some of the stories of the soldiers who fought there. You have definitely changed me."
Dominic, Edinburgh Academy
The WWI Battlefield Experience
"Thank you greatly for what you taught me. Not only do I respect the men who died for us but I also respect you for showing us there is more to find if you look deeper."
Holly, Dunbar Grammar
The WWI Battlefield Experience
"We have learned more on this trip than all previous trips to The Western Front put together. Excellent organisation. Will recommend this ‘experience’ to others."
Mr Ian Gourlay
The WWI Battlefield Experience