Frequently Asked Questions
If you still have questions, contact us!
Before You Book
Planning your group’s trip could not be easier! Fill out this form and one of our MTL Break travel specialists will contact you. Once you decide where to go, your travel specialist will be with you every step of the way.
See how to book your trip here or follow the steps below:
- Please visit www.mtlbreak.com
- Click the “Book Now” button, located on the screen’s top right corner
- In the left-most box, select Canada from the drop-down and then select your school
- Review Trip Information & Click the “Join Trip” button
- Enter Traveler’s information and agree to the Terms & Conditions
- Complete the initial deposit
An initial deposit is required to secure your spot. A confirmation receipt will be sent after payment and will list your Customer ID. This Customer ID is your unique account number, used for logging into your account, so please note this for future reference.
Please contact our Help Desk if you have any questions or concerns at info@mtlbreak.com.
Signing up early reserves your spot on the trip, and gets you the lowest pricing. The earlier you sign up, the more time you have to pay off your trip before the final payment.
See the GradCity Travel LLC Customer Agreement for details.
Account Details
Login to your account:
- Click here to access your online account
- Login under Customer login with ‘Customer ID’ and ‘Last Name
- Click Make a Payment tab
- Agree to terms and conditions
- Enter the amount that you would like to pay into the payment amount field
- Enter credit card information and submit
To secure your spot on the trip, an initial deposit is required. Upon registration, all travelers are opted into automatic payments. Autopay is the easiest, worry-free option. The card used for the initial payment will be kept on file for automatic payments. Automatic payments follow the payment schedule displayed under the “Make a Payment” plan.
Auto payments are withdrawn on one of the last days of each month, between the 28-30/31, and will withdraw the remaining balance on the final payment due date. Automatic payments follow the payment schedule displayed under the “Make a Payment” plan.
Should you ever change your mind about the autopay option, you can turn it off at any time by emailing our Help Desk at info@mtlbreak.com.
If you need to change the card on file, you must call our office to update this information over the phone.
To get started, please use the below login information to your account.
- Log in to your account here
- Login under customer login with ‘Customer ID’ & ‘Last Name’
- At the very top of the page click “Payment History”
You will see a record of all of your payments that have been made towards your trip. You can also access a downloadable invoice by clicking “Invoice” at the top of the page.
You cannot change the card on file through your online account. Please schedule a call with our office to update or change the card on file.
To keep your spot on the trip, you are required to pay each month until the final balance date. This monthly payment is due by the last day of each month.
If you have opted into manual payments, we will send a monthly payment reminder email.
If you opted into automatic payments, the card on file will automatically be charged the monthly payment amount on the last day of the month. You will receive a receipt for successful withdrawals.
We’ve put together an easy monthly payment plan to help you pay for your trip, starting with a deposit to hold your spot, then low monthly payments leading up to your final balance date.
Each month, your payment will be due by the last day of each month.
The final balance date is the same for every traveller based on the destination you are travelling to.
Please remember that to keep an active spot on the trip, you will need to keep up with your monthly payments.
Search your inbox for an email from us! The majority of our emails list your Customer ID Number for your reference.
We recommend searching MTL Break, info@mtlbreak.com, or payments@gradcity.com.
A payment receipt from payments@gradcity.com will be sent after payment is made; this email will list your Customer ID in the body of the email.
You will also receive several emails and texts from MTL Break that will include your Customer ID Number.
This Customer ID is your unique account number, used for logging into your account, so please note this for future reference.
If you cannot find your Customer ID Number, please contact our office.
Reservation Details
Once we release hotel information, it will be listed in your online account under the “Reservation Details” tab.
Typically hotel information is not released until after the final balance date, about two weeks before departure.
As we block space nearly a year in advance, once the final payment date passes, we evaluate group sizes and the group space we have in each hotel. We never separate travellers signed up with the same group/trip code.
If you do not have a hotel listed on your account, do not worry! As soon as we have your group’s assigned hotel, you will receive an email to let you know it has been added to your online account.
On all MTL Break trips, we have optional Night Events and Excursions available to purchase.
Although we recommend adding these options to your trip ahead of time for the lowest price, we will also be selling these options at our On-Site Info Desk while supplies last. Please note, that space may be sold out if you wait to book on-site.
Occupancy Fees:
Upon sign-up, pricing is per person based on maximum occupancy in the room (typically quad occupancy which means four guests per room). If there are fewer people listed in the room, there will be an occupancy fee assessed per person. This occupancy fee varies based on the destination, hotel, and week of travel. Your Reps and our team will inform you of the price per person, the maximum occupancy of the hotel room, and the occupancy fees upon sign-up and/or during the rooming process.
Change Fees:
Changes are no problem as long as our suppliers can accommodate the request. We can’t make any guarantees, but we promise to make every effort on your behalf. Change fees will be applied for, but are not limited to, the following situations: name changes, hotel changes, and destination changes. These additional fees will appear on your final price after the change.
Destination Fees:
There may be fees mandated for travel to specific destinations that the destination’s government requires. These are not fees made by or paid to MTL Break. These could include entry visas, testing fees, environmental fees, and more. If you have any questions regarding your specific destination, please email info@mtlbreak.com.
Your trip dates are set before you even sign up! The dates of your trip are listed on the Join Trip page as well as on your individual accounts for your reference.
Since we secure the reservation as a group booking, we are unable to alter your individual itinerary. You would be responsible for booking any alternate transportation to meet your specific travel needs and notify our team.
Once you’ve booked your new travel details, you must send us an email with your new itinerary. This is so that we can notify the MTL Break Team of your separate plans. Any unused bus transportation is non-refundable.
If you must leave due to any other reason, we would be happy to help you find return transportation home if you do not feel comfortable doing it on your own.
If you are planning to stay in your destination to join your family on vacation, we will require a letter confirming all of the details. Please include when you will be departing the program and who will be picking you up from the hotel.
If you will be arranging your transportation to meet your family, you will also need to include in the letter that you (and your parents if you are under 18) understand that once you leave the group, MTL Break no longer holds responsibility.
The confirmation of your stay at the destination can be sent to info@mtlbreak.com. From there it will be passed to the appropriate Program Director and our operations team.
Rooming
Students choose their roommates! MTL Break will request your preliminary rooming either by working with your Group Rep/Travel Specialist or by contacting you directly. Once final payments are made, MTL Break will finalize rooming and your roommates will be listed in your online customer portal.
Upon sign-up, all travellers are billed at the maximum-occupancy rate. It is the student’s responsibility to fill their room to maximum occupancy to ensure the lowest cost. If there are fewer travellers in the room, there will be an occupancy fee assessed to all roommates (essentially less people splitting the cost of the room). If a roommate cancels, the remaining students are responsible for filling the room or paying the increased price due to occupancy changes.
MTL Break will only randomly assign rooming if this is requested to alleviate occupancy fees. In this case, we will only assign travellers of the same sex to a room.
*If a traveller does not submit their rooming, does not have any roommates, and/or no open rooms for them to be randomly assigned, they will be placed in a single-occupancy room and incur the total cost of the room.
If students wish to room co-ed, an authorization form must be filled out and signed by all occupants in the room (if under 18, the form must also be signed by their parent/guardian). This must be completed and submitted to info@mtlbreak.com to confirm any co-ed rooming request. Find the Co-ed Rooming Form here.
As long as rooming is still open to changes, we will do our best to accommodate your request. You can send us an email at info@mtlbreak.com. You must cc’ everyone in the room so we have everyone’s consent for any changes.
Before You Travel
Everything you need before travelling
We require all travellers to present a Photo ID to board the bus. This must be a valid photo ID with a full name and picture. This can be a Drivers License, Health Card, High School ID, etc. We strongly recommend that travelers DO NOT take their passports with them to their destination unless they do not have any other form of Photo ID.
You will need to print your MTL Break Travel Documents and Code of Conduct. When you are getting on the bus, you will be handing in your signed Code of Conduct Form to your Trip Leader. If you do not have it, we will now allow you to board.
The MTL Break Terms and Conditions, and Code of Conduct
This document must be signed by the Traveler, as well as signed by a Parent/Guardian if you are under 18 at the time of travel. This form is more or less our expectations of how we expect our Travellers to conduct themselves while on our trips. By signing it, you are agreeing that you understand what our expectations are of you while traveling with us.
Once final balances have been collected from all the travellers on the trip we will update everyone on their specific travel itineraries to their destination. You will receive an email letting you know once these details have been finalized.
Please note that Pick Up locations for our buses are typically centrally located to the groups travelling from a region and are usually Community Centres, Arenas, or SuperCentre Parking Lots. A team member, in uniform, will be there to greet you and make sure you are in the right place.
Most of our travellers pack a duffel bag with clothing as the trip is only a few days long, then have a purse or backpack to take with them on the bus.
Although we do make some stops on our way to the destination, we recommend that travellers pack some snacks for the bus.
You should keep all important documents and spending money inside this bag as well, rather than putting it under the bus.
Clothing/Equipment
As our trips take place in the winter, we recommend that you pack warm clothing.
For our night events, most travellers like to dress to impress and pack clothing to go along with the themes.
Food
While we make stops to and from, we recommend you pack snacks in your backpack/purse to bring on the bus rides.
Meals are not included. We recommend bringing $30-$40 per day for food. This is just a rough estimate as this could change based on each traveller’s dietary needs. In the areas where our travelers are staying, the restaurant options range from fast food options like Tim Hortons, and Subway, to nice sit-down restaurants. You can bring dry snacks to keep in your room as well!
Room Damage Deposit
Each traveler is required to pay a room damage protection fee of $20 CAD or a room damage protection deposit of $60 CAD. For more details, please visit our FAQ titled “What is the room damage deposit/ protection plan?” under During Your Trip.
Optional Events and Excursions
Our MTL Break program will offer optional event packages. Our team will correspond these options to groups via email and on our social pages.
We recommend pre-purchasing these options ahead of time to secure the lowest price and your tickets to these events! These options may be available onsite but it is not guaranteed.
During Your Trip
We require all travellers to present a Photo ID to board the bus. This must be a valid photo ID with a full name and picture. This can be a Drivers License, Health Card, High School ID, etc. We strongly recommend that travelers DO NOT take their passports with them to their destination unless they do not have any other form of Photo ID.
You will also need to print your MTL Break Code of Conduct. This document must be signed by the traveller, as well as signed by a parent/guardian if you are under 18 at the time of travel. This form is the expectation of how we expect our travellers to conduct themselves while on our trips. You will hand this form to your Bus Captain as you board your bus. If you do not have it, we will not allow you to board.
Meals are not included on MTL Break Bus trips. Depending on the dietary needs of each traveler, we generally recommend bringing $30-$40 per day for food.
Tip: To cut down on the cost of food, we recommend packing snack foods like granola bars or fruit snacks for when you need a quick bite!
Not every room comes equipped with a fridge/kitchenette so we do not recommend bringing foods that could go bad at room temperature or that require a stove, oven, or microwave.
The age of majority in the destinations we travel to is 18, as all our trips take place in Montreal. We have a zero tolerance for underage consumption of alcohol on our trips.
Please note that the age of majority for marijuana possession and consumption is 21 in Montreal. We have a zero-tolerance for consumption of illicit substances or underage consumption on our trips.
Pick Up locations for our buses are typically centrally located to the groups travelling from a region and are usually Community Centres, Arenas, or SuperCentre Parking Lots. A team member, in uniform, will be there to greet you and make sure you are in the right place.
Upon boarding the bus, Travelers must hand over a signed copy of the MTL Break Travel Guidelines which outlines alcohol use and explains that any abuse of alcohol can lead to reduced privileges. Pending the situation, we will remove a passenger from our program if they break this agreement at which point, they will be responsible for paying for their return home.
In addition, carry-on bags will be checked before boarding the bus to help us comply with Highway Regulations and Laws as well as the coach company’s policies. If we locate any illegal substances or alcohol inside of a bag we will ask the passenger to dispose of the items before they are allowed to board the bus.
The safety of our passengers is our #1 priority!
Once you arrive at your hotel, your Program Director or Hotel Coordinator will meet with your group, and give you a Briefing speech to remind you of the travel guidelines and hotel policies, and the check-in process. This is the time where we go over what is expected of each traveler, and how to navigate around the area.
All passengers will be required to, with their roommates, decide whether they would like to choose the Room Damage Protection Fee for $20 each or the Room Damage Deposit for $60 each
- Room Damage Protection Fee – $20/pax in the room
- The non-refundable fee protects passengers up to $300 CAD on accidental damage
- Peace of mind to protect you and your roommates if damage brought to the attention of the on-site team at time of damage
- Please note*** any damage created through a violation of the Traveler Guidelines will void out the protection of this option (ie. underage alcohol consumption, fighting, drug use/possession, etc.)
- Room Damage Deposit – $60/pax in the room
- The refundable fee acts as a deposit on any damages suffered by the room
- Should the room suffer no damages, then the deposit is returned to the passenger(s)
- However, if any damage occurs, accidental or not, the deposit will be applied to the cost of the damage
- If there is a remaining damage cost, the passenger(s) will be responsible for paying the difference
- If there is leftover money after paying the costs of the damage, it will be returned to the passenger(s) at the end of the program as long as no further damage occurs.
When the damage deposit or damage protection is collected by our destination Team Member, we will provide each room with a Room Damage Report Form. We recommend that the first thing our Travelers do when entering their room is making sure that there is no previous damage, as well as checking to be sure that they have all of their bedding and towels. Whether or not any damages are found or they have missing items, they must fill out the form and sign acknowledging the state of their room. If we do not receive this form signed and returned, the Travellers are held responsible for the state of the room when they check out.
If we and the bus driver feel it is not safe to continue we would then find a safe and warm location for travellers to wait out the storm and then continue on our way once we feel it is safe enough to continue our journey. With lots of experience running our trips during the winter months, we know that there is always a risk of in-climate weather affecting our travel days. With that being said, we can assure you that our Head of Operations works very closely with our Bus Suppliers to make sure that we are only traveling in safe conditions.
If there is in-climate weather on the day of departure, it could cause a delay in our travellers arriving at their destination on time. We do understand that is not ideal. If it does happen, we are not able to provide any compensation for the missed time at the destination. We do however do our best to make sure we are turning the experience around for the students once they arrive.
Should travellers already be on the road and the weather takes a turn for the worst, we entrust our Trip Leaders and experienced bus drivers to make the call and pull over if needed.
Safety
Our staff make themselves available to students when needed. Staff roam the resort premises during designated hours, are in attendance at all MTL Break events, and are available 24/7 via emergency phone. Staff are available to manage medical emergencies, including accompanying travellers to clinics/hospitals.
All of the rules and expectations of travellers are listed on the MTL Break Code of Conduct. These are further explained during the Welcome Orientation in destination.
MTL Break staff are chaperones, not parents, and expect travellers to behave as adults. MTL Break staff do not know the location of every traveller at all times and cannot prevent all infractions. MTL Break staff reserve the right to remove travellers who pose a threat to themselves or others.
Although most of our travellers can reach their parents via cell phone being that they are still in Canada, while trips are in progress, we will have staff in the office 24/7 to assist with any emergencies. We provide this contact number before departure to all parents and travelers.
*Please keep in mind that this line is for emergencies only.
Safety is paramount for us, so you can rest assured that we will be in contact with you immediately should any issues arise with your son/daughter on our side of things. We always like to say “no news is good news.” Oftentimes our travellers are having such an amazing time, that they just lose track of time and forget to call home.
Before our Travelers even step onto the bus, we go through the below Pre-Travel Medical Emergency Procedure to be as proactive as possible –
- We establish relationships and work with hotel/travel partners with exemplary safety protocols
- Escalated medical conditions receive a follow-up from a MTL Break Team Member to ensure travel is the best option for student
- On-site coordinators are debriefed on Travellers with medical conditions on their program
- Coordinators meet with Travellers with medical conditions upon arrival at the destination and review Emergency Procedures
In the event that there is a medical emergency in the destination, one of our Team Member will be with the Traveller as soon as possible, until the situation has stabilized and the Traveller returns to the hotel.
Below you will find the standards and steps that our Team will follow to make sure we are doing whatever we can to handle the situation properly –
- Get immediate medical attention for the Traveller
- Contact Parent/Guardian and notify of the situation
- Contact MTL Break Head Office and notify them of the situation
- Communicate any updated information from Doctor to Parent or Guardian (ongoing)
- If necessary, help make travel arrangements for the Parent/Guardian to the destination
- Once stabilized, find suitable transportation back to the hotel
- Continue checking on Traveler throughout the week and help them whenever needed
- Should it be applicable, start an insurance claim with Manulife.
Existing Medical Conditions
We have extensive experience in traveling with students who have existing medical conditions such as Diabetes and extreme allergies. No one should miss out on the trip of a lifetime.
- 10% of travellers have an allergy
- 5% of travellers have asthma
- 1% of travellers have a severe medical condition
- We have experience traveling students in wheelchairs
In the event that a traveler needs handicap accessibility, we kindly ask that the traveller and parents advise us upon booking so that we can be sure that the bus and hotel are as accommodating as possible.
We want to make sure this trip is possible for all potential travellers. We think it is important for everyone to have the chance to experience a trip of a lifetime. We will do everything we can to make that happen!
Life can be unpredictable, and circumstances may occur where you have to leave early from your trip. This is one of the reasons why we recommend all of our travellers purchase Premium Protection via Manulife Insurance.
The insurance options can be reviewed during the registration process or on your online account under the Itinerary section.
If you do not have comprehensive insurance, unfortunately, MTL Break is not able to refund you for any unused portion of your trip. Each trip is created, priced, and sold as a package, and we do not receive any portion of those funds back in the case of an early departure.
Our On-site/Destination Team
Our programs have many different levels of MTL Break Team Member positions that provide support for all trips from start to finish.
The MTL Break Team comes from a wide and eclectic background but all believe that working with youth and helping them travel and explore other places is the best role in the world. Our Team Members range from age 21 (Bus Captains) to 40+ (Senior Program Directors) and all are available throughout the trip to the travellers for support, guidance, suggestions, and assistance.
The MTL Break Team must undergo background checks and a comprehensive training program before they are assigned to a destination. Our senior Team Members have often been to the destination on numerous occasions and are very familiar with the programs, destinations, hotels, and tour partners to ensure that the group has the best experience possible.
On our programs, we aim for no less than a 1:30 ratio for our MTL Break Team Members to travellers. These are the ones on the program to run the events, make sure everyone is having fun and is safe, and interact daily with the travellers (think of a camp counselor).
Beyond the Bus Captain that travels to and from the destination with our groups, there is a network of other Leaders to help make sure the program runs without issues. This includes a Program Director, Hotel Coordinator, Activities Coordinator, Staff Coordinator, Student Coordinator, event staff, Security, MCs, and others to support the Bus Captains. Back in our head office we also have a team running the 24/7 Emergency Line.
Our team will meet you at your pick-up location and travel with you to your destination. Upon arrival at the hotel, a welcome meeting will be held as well so that we can make sure everyone is on the same page about safety, what will be the itinerary day-to-day, and other important information that our travellers need to know. MTL Break leaders will be around at the dedicated MTL Break info desk during the daytime.
They will be joining our travellers on the slopes if skiing is included, going to the Old Port, and will be around in other popular areas of the city that our travellers tend to flock to in case they need anything.
Since our night events are MTL Break exclusive, our MTL Break leaders also will be at the night event making sure that everyone is having a good time in a safe environment. For our night events, we also hire extra security to make sure only our travellers and staff are part of our party and to make sure we are creating the safest space possible.
Travel Protection & Cancellation Policy
We are sorry that you may not be able to travel with us. We understand unforeseen circumstances may come up and prevent you from attending your MTL Break trip. You can always send us a message, and we will try to figure out how to ensure you don’t miss this opportunity.
We offer all of our travellers the option to add Premium Insurance with Cancel for Any Reason coverage. This insurance can only be added up to 72 hours after registering and paying the initial deposit for the trip, as per Manulife’s policy.
If you need to cancel your trip, please contact us via email at info@mtlbreak.com. Our team will provide your available options.
In most cases, you may transfer or sell your reservation to a new person looking to join the trip. There may be a fee associated with transferring your reservation. If you are looking to transfer your reservation please email our Help Desk at info@mtlbreak.com and they will be able to further assist you. All transfer requests must be submitted in writing.
You can reinstate your trip as long as we still have space for you to join. Please reach out to us at info@mtlbreak.com and we will do our best to get you back onto the trip.
Please keep in mind that there may be an increase from your original booking price as prices vary depending on the time of booking with our suppliers. Pending when you would like to rejoin the trip, you may also be required to provide rooming details before we can add you back to the trip.
Contact Us
Our Help Desk team is around to help answer any questions you may have.
Hours of Operation:
- Monday – Friday: 10 am – 5 pm EST
- Saturday: Closed
- Sunday: Closed
Summer Hours of Operation:
- Monday – Thursday: 10 am – 4 pm EST
- Friday – 10 am – 3 pm
- Saturday: Closed
- Sunday: Closed
We are available via email at info@mtlbreak.com and do our best to get back to everyone within 24-48 hours.
During our trips, we also have a 24hr assistance line that parents can reach us in case of emergency.