How we estimate your costs
Estimated trip total = program price + accommodation + return travel + meals and local transport + mandatory fees not already included. A ticket-and-hotel figure is a subtotal, not the full trip cost. Our calculator uses your inputs; zero means no amount has been added, not that a cost is included or free.
- Ticket: the lowest price on the organizer's official page or in its official terms on the day we check. If no price is published, we say so and show how we estimate, for example from the official payment plan.
- Hotel: current guides use momondo area averages as illustrative starting points. They are not quotes for event dates and do not confirm availability. We state the assumed nights; choose your actual arrival and departure dates, and divide the room price by the number sharing. Replace the default with a quote including mandatory hotel fees.
- Optional purchases: extra coaching, books and later programs are shown separately. We do not count them as necessary trip expenses.
- Currency and inclusions: we keep original currencies and distinguish event tickets, annual subscriptions and residential packages. We do not add prices in different currencies without a dated conversion rate. Meals or accommodation already included in a package must not be counted twice.
Which sources we use
- The organizer's official pages, terms and calendar.
- Venues and official partners, such as the European organizer of a US event.
- Reporting from established media.
- Reviews, forums and social posts, always labelled as individual experiences.
Every guide ends with its sources and the date we checked them. When sources conflict or have no date, we say so.
How we rate events
Our current guides carry a Research-based guide label: they assess published sources, not our own attendance. An overall “skip”, “depends” or “worth it” is conditional editorial guidance for the reader described on the page, not a measured result or a promise of personal benefit. Price transparency and refund terms can be assessed from documents; organizer descriptions are attributed as such.
Experience, atmosphere, sales pressure in the room and actual value after attending remain unverified unless we have first-hand evidence. A future First-hand review must name its author, event edition and attendance date, and distinguish personal observations from organizer claims.
How we keep prices current
The source-check date records when prices, rules or dates were checked. “Updated” records an editorial change and does not mean every source was checked again. Offers can expire and places can sell out; confirm availability and the total payable with the organizer. We label past offers and unconfirmed figures instead of presenting them as current bookable prices.
Seen a different price? Tell us and we'll check it.