From 29th July to 6th August 2025, 60 of us are heading to the Kandersteg International Scout Centre for 9 incredible days of adventure! Explore the stunning Alps, tackle exciting challenges, and meet Scouts from around the world.
All the key info is here—get in touch if you have any questions. Let’s make this summer unforgettable!
Important Upcoming Dates
Parent and Participant Meeting
Tuesday 24th June 2025 – 1930 at The Unit
We’ll share the exciting plans we have in store, what your young people will be getting up to, and everything you’ll need to know to get them ready for the trip of a lifetime. Don’t miss it!
All parents and Explorers/Network are asked to attend so we can get important information across to you.
Trip Check In and Kit Drop Off
Sunday 13th July 1300 – 1600 Drop In
Check-in day is here, and we’re getting everything ready for the big adventure! Drop by anytime between 1:00 and 4:00 pm with your bags.
We’ll check you in online, copy passports, make sure all forms are sorted, weigh and tag your bags, and get them packed up and ready to go. It’s the first step in the journey—don’t forget your excitement along with your luggage! This should take around 20-30 minutes.
Meeting Point and UK Airport Transfers
Meeting Point
We’ll all be meeting at 2300 on Monday 28th July 2025, at Morrisons Meadowhead. This will allow us enough time to travel, check in and go though security with plenty of time.
Transfers
Travel down to Gatwick will be by 4 minibusses.
Participants will be assigned a minibus prior to arrival.
Groupings
All Explorers and Network members will be placed into smaller friendship groups.
An assigned Leader to that group will look after you during the entire travel process.
Flight Details
We are flying with easyJet both directions from London Gatwick to Basel-Mulhuose-Freiburg.
Seats have been booked and are pre-allocated. We will all be sitting together, and seating will be allocated next to friends where possible.
There will be in-flight snacks/drinks available to buy, but this will be at your own cost, so please bring some extra money (GBP) if you wish to purchase anything. These can be expensive, so you may want to bring your own snacks in your bag.
Outbound Flight LGW – BSL
Flight Number: 8477
Departure time: 0810
Arrival time: 1050
Inbound Flight BSL – LGW
Flight Number: 8507
Departure time: 1840
Arrival time: 1925
Hand Luggage
Everyone is allowed to carry one small piece of hand luggage onboard.
This has to be a maximum of 45cm x 36cm x 20cm, be a maximum of 15kg, and must fit under the seat infront of you.
If your hand luggage exceeds this size, you will be responsible for any excess baggage fees (we’ll have to call you from the airpot for your card details), so please ensure it’s the correct size.
Prohibited Items
There are strict rules on certain items that can be taken through airport security.
Please ensure you follow these, and ask if you have any questions.
ALL liquids must be in one transparent, re-sealable plastic bag measuring max 20cm x 20cm, and be a maximum of 100ml per item.
This includes creams, gels, pastes, sprays and aerosols. The plastic bag should be ready to be easily removed hand luggage ready to be X-rayed. You are limited to 1 bag per person.
Any large electrical items need to be removed for X-raying.
There are several items you can carry in hold luggage that you are not allowed to carry on board with you in your hand luggage. These include:
- Liquids, creams, gels and pastes in containers of over 100ml
- Sharp items including scissors and cutlery
- Toy or replica guns (including water pistols)
- Razor blades (razors that have the blade set into a plastic moulding are allowed in hand luggage, but other types are not)
- Knives with blades of any length
- Hypodermic needles (unless required for medical reasons, for which you will need proof)
- Catapults
- Walking/hiking poles
ETIAS & EES
ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System)
ETIAS is due to launch 6 months after EES, so mid-2025.
Once ETIAS is active, every traveller entering the EU (including Switzerland) must get electronic authorisation before entering the Schengen Area. This system is designed to improve security and simplify EU Border checks.
If this is activated before our travel, every participant will have to register online and pay a fee of €7 (£5.80).
We will be in contact nearer the time if this is applicable to us.
EES (Entry-Exit System)
The Entry/Exit System (EES) is an automated IT system for registering non-EU nationals travelling for a short stay, each time they cross the external borders.
The first time you enter Europe (including Switzerland), biometric data will be taken (to include photos and fingerprints). This is likely to impact our travel time out of the airport being such a large group, but this has been built into our timing plans.
An online application form will speed up the process. This system is already 18 months behind schedule, and is not currently active. If it goes live before our travel, we’ll be in touch with next steps.
Swiss Transfers
Once we’ve finally passed customs, and made it out of the airport, we’ve got a short 20 minute bus ride into Basel City Centre.
From there it’s on to Switzerland’s famous public rail network, think amazing views, punctuality and even a double decker train!
What’s even better, the train company are putting on an extra, exclusive carriage just for us!
We’ve got the whole carriage to ourselves, and announcements will be in English, so you’ll know which little Swiss villages you’re flying through.
The first train will take just over 1.5 hours, before a quick change in Spiez, and another 30 minute regional train straight to Kandersteg village.
From there its a picturesque 25 minute walk through the valleys of Kandersteg to the site.
Phew – what a day!
The Site
Value for money
The total cost of this trip is £849.
Additional payments in blocks of £100 are then to be made as and when you can. We just need all balances paid by the start of June 2025.
This allows for some flexibility during the Christmas period when budgets are already tighter anyway.
We’ve worked incredibly hard to find a balance between doing lots of awes ome stuff and keeping the price down, and we hope you agree.
When you compare what we can offer, compared to school trips and other external trip agencies, we believe we are offering excellent value for money, and hope you agree too.
Funding Opportunities
We understand finances are tight at the moment, so we’ve spent the past few months ensuring we keep the costs down, in relation to actually getting out there and doing stuff. We hope we’ve found the right balance.
To help, there are a number of external funding providers that you can apply too.
Please do not apply to The Brian Sellars trust – they’ve already donated £100 per person directly to us (already taken off your price), to keep the costs down to £849.
We have found the following grants that you can apply too:
Alec Oates Fund – upto £100 per participant.
FORM | GUIDANCE
The Scouts International Fund
Guidance
They will match local Souting grants, so £100 from Brian Sellars, and if you apply to the Alec Oates fund, an additional £100. Please email Sid if you wish for the group to apply for this on your behalf. If you have applied to Alec Oates – please wait till you have heard back from them. Applications must be submitted at least 3 months prior to the trip.
Complete your own fundraising
Guidance
Extra information
- The camp leader is Richard Hollingworth (Sid) and can be contacted by email or phone.
- The deputy camp leader is Matt Downs and can be contacted by email or phone.
- A large volunteer leadership team will be attending too, in fact 12 of us are personally paying the full Explorer price to make the adventure possible.
- Full insurance (both travel and personal) will be purchased through Unity, but will not cover personal kit.
- Bags will be travelling out/back in the minibus. These will need to be ready a few days prior to the trip, and not available until a few days after.
- A full kit list will be sent out nearer to the time, but they will need summer clothes and proper outdoor clothing.
- A camp T-Shirt and UK International necker will be provided and to be worn during travel there and back. Neckers are to be worn when on site.
- Catering will be done by us (the Explorers) in small teams, with local foods. Teams will be given a budget to work toward, under the supervision of Leaders.
