Nature guides: booking school and group outings online

Offer private outings for schools, holiday centres and groups as services with one place per slot: the teacher or organiser books the date for the whole group, and the slot leaves your page so no other group takes it. Say in each description the group size it covers, the ages it suits, the meeting point and what the teacher should prepare. Groups book a date that fits their timetable, you know in advance which class and how many children, and each outing is planned for that group.

A class of thirty isn't thirty separate bookings: it's one group on one date. On Book, each service has a name, a price and an optional description shown on your public page, and each slot belongs to one service, sits within one day and has its own capacity. Give group slots one place, so one booking takes the whole outing.

Durations and prices are examples: set your own, and say what the price covers and how many participants.

The booking form takes first name, last name, email and phone, plus an optional note that reaches you in the new booking email and appears in the teacher's calendar file. Ask in the note for the school or group name, the class and the exact number of children, and any special needs to plan for.

Schools may plan trips weeks or months ahead. Open group slots for the term well in advance, on the weekdays you're available, and keep holiday weeks for holiday centres. Slots repeat each week on the weekdays you choose until an end date, so a regular Tuesday and Thursday pattern for a term takes a few minutes to set up.

A short call a week before helps: what the class is studying, any pupils with additional needs, and the timings with the coach. Offer it as a short service the teacher can book, or book it yourself after the outing is confirmed. First and last name are required, email and phone optional; enter the teacher's email so they receive a confirmation with a calendar file.

School trips are hard to move: buses are booked and parents informed. Say in the description what happens in bad weather, such as an adapted route, an indoor activity or a postponement, and agree it on the preparation call. If you have to postpone, move the booking from your bookings list and tell the teacher yourself, since Book doesn't email clients about changes.

Companies and associations may want a private outing as a team day. Offer it as its own service with its own description, and ask in the note for the number of people and their fitness level. Book doesn't take payments, so say how the outing is invoiced, especially for schools that pay by purchase order.

A school may want two classes out on the same day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Open a morning and an afternoon slot, each with one place, so each class books its own. If you work with a colleague and can take two groups at once, give each of you your own service, so the bookings list shows who leads which group.

A short worksheet before the visit and a few questions after help pupils get more from the day. Send them by email once the outing is booked.

A class that visits in autumn may want to come back in spring to see the changes. Book the return visit yourself at the end of the first outing, and say in the description if you offer a series. Your bookings sync with Google, iPhone or Mac calendars, so you see the whole season at a glance. Book costs €5/month, everything included: unlimited services and bookings, no commission, no contract.