Transportation
Full board courses: how to come to the course?
Odyssey Tennis Camps
Option 1: the intern arrives with a legal representative
Legal guardians drop players off at the Academy on Sunday afternoon, and pick them up on Saturday afternoon at the end of the camp.
Option 2: the trainee arrives alone
Most of the trainees are underage and this may be their first time traveling alone away from home. Thus, we fully understand how stressful such a trip can be for both players and their families. For this reason, staff members will communicate frequently with legal guardians by telephone, Facebook, Skype or any other available medium to:
- Confirm the player’s arrival at the airport in France
- Confirm that we have arrived at the camp
- Respond to any questions or emergencies family members may have
We hope that these efforts on the part of our staff will help reduce the apprehension associated with this new and yet unique experience.
Type of Transportation: Players arrive by plane or train.
Day of Arrival: Sunday afternoon (Contact us before buying a ticket!)
Day of departure: Saturday afternoon
Place of arrival: (Contact us for arrival times covered by the Academy):
- Railway (train) stations: Dax, St Vincent-de-Tyrosse
- Airports: Biarritz, Bordeaux (exclusively for the Junior Tour: arrival on Saturday)
Arrival at the airport or train station in France: Our educational team will pick up and bring the trainees back personally to their station/airport of arrival and departure.
Young players are taken care of within the train station or the airport to meet the players at the furthest access point possible by our staff.
In the same way, they are accompanied to the platform or to the security point as close as possible to their train or their departure plane.
The identity, contact details, photos and biography of each staff member responsible for this transition will have been communicated to you by e-mail before the trip. Depending on the overall flight schedule of other players, one may have to wait with airport staff. Food and beverages will be provided to help reduce the wait.
We leave nothing to chance to ensure the safety of the players and provide peace of mind to our young players and their loved ones.
Important Travel Notes
From home to domestic airport
Legal guardians or mandated third parties are responsible for driving players from their residence to the domestic airport.
From domestic airport to connecting flight
Odyssey Tennis Academy is not responsible for any complications that may arise while players make connections to reach the airport in France. Legal guardians are fully responsible for ensuring and facilitating the transition between flights if connections need to be made.
Young adults: 15-17 years old
According to most airlines, passengers between the ages of 14 and 17 are considered “young adults”. En général, “l’utilisation du service Mineurs non accompagnés n’est pas obligatoire pour les jeunes adultes[14 à 17] mais est disponible sur demande”. (American Airlines, Children traveling alone).
Secondary players are generally able to manage flight connections on their own, without special assistance.
12-14
For the youngest in this age group, the need for professional assistance mainly depends on:
- Personality
- Previous experience with travel
- Airline policy (ex: AA and United allow passengers 12-17 years old to travel alone without purchasing “unaccompanied minor service”. Delta requires passengers 12-14 years old to purchase UMS.)
Therefore, these campers may or may not need professional assistance to change flights at connecting airports.
Unaccompanied minors: 8-11 years old
Children between the ages of 8 and 11 traveling alone are generally classified as “unaccompanied minors”. In this case, the purchase of the “Unaccompanied Minor Service” (American Airline terminology) is mandatory.
While prices vary by airline, such a service usually costs around $100 each way.
Legal guardians must book an itinerary that includes a connection with the same airline. Indeed, airlines do not accept unaccompanied children when their itinerary includes a connection to/from another airline.
Useful links:
American airline:
http://www.aa.com/i18n/disclaimers/childrenTravelingAloneChecklist.jsp
Delta Airline:
http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/traveling-with-us/special-travel-needs/children.html
United:
http://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/travel/specialneeds/minors/default.aspx
Please contact the airline of your choice before booking and for more information.