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Departure from Camp

Please schedule your camper's flight between the hours of 2:00 PM – 8:00 PM. Please note that all campers leaving before 5:00 PM ET/4:00 PM CT may not be able to attend the graduation ceremonies.

We must know how you intend for your camper to leave Culver. Please ensure you have submitted your transportation information to Culver. If circumstances necessitate an early departure of your camper, we require a letter, phone call or email as soon as you are aware of the change. In such cases, you will need to make arrangements for transportation. Last-minute itinerary changes may create difficulties for your child and the Summer Transportation office. Please plan ahead!

All Camper Departures

Camp ends on Saturday, August 3. All campers are required to depart on Saturday, August 3.

It is required that campers who arrive by air have round-trip tickets or firm plans for alternative departure procedures. Any reservations or changes that have to be made while the campers are at Culver must be made by you. Last-minute changes that involve changing tickets at the airport are discouraged as complications may arise when the campers arrive at the airport and try to claim new tickets.

Shipping Luggage Home

Campers may ship or carry their luggage home at the end of camp. Culver will not be responsible for shipping luggage home for campers. Airport luggage fees will be charged to the camper's tuition account.

Culver Summer Schools and Camps has partnered with Ship Camps to make baggage delivery to and from camp easier for everyone. Ship Camps offers round-trip, door-to-door service with outstanding customer support and an experienced operations team that ensures on-time delivery, continuous baggage monitoring and tracking as well as detailed coordination with our camp staff.

For these reasons, we recommend that you consider Ship Camps as one of the options to get your camper’s bags to and from camp. 

Setup with Ship Camps is quick, taking just a few minutes. Starting February 1st, you can visit https://shipcamps.com/culver-camps or call 855.540.2267 to book the service. 

Once setup is complete, Ship Camps will mail you your shipping labels, pick your bags up from home prior to the camp session AND drop off at your desired location after camp.

Culver Departure Information

Departure by Air

It is important to note that Culver Summer Schools & Camps only provides transportation to and from Chicago O'Hare International Airport this summer. Please keep this in mind when scheduling transportation from Culver. 

Please note that Culver observes Eastern Daylight Time when making travel arrangements. Chicago is one hour behind Culver on Central Daylight Time.

A chartered bus service is provided to Chicago O'Hare on Saturday, August 3.  If you want your child to ride the bus to Chicago, you must indicate so by filling out the Arrival and Departure Transportation Form. Please ensure that the departure ticket is on August 3. The Summer Transportation office is unable to make changes in airline tickets and Culver is not responsible for arranging additional overnight stays at the airport unless weather delays cause flight cancellations.

Campers who are not flying, but who are meeting you or family friends at Chicago O'Hare, should meet in the upper level of Terminal 5. You must park and enter the airport to check out your camper from a staff member.

In order to attend camp graduation, it is recommended that flights be arranged to depart after 5:00 PM ET/4:00 PM CT. For flights from other airports, it will be necessary for you to make travel arrangements from campus to the airport.
 

Bus Transportation to/from Airport

Campers utilizing Culver's chartered bus transportation to Chicago O'Hare must complete the online transportation information form. A fee is billed to your Tuition Account for this transportation. 

  • The fee will be $160 each way to/from Chicago O'Hare on August 3 departing from 2:00 PM - 8:00 PM EST

Other Departure Notes

  • It is possible for a camper to take our chartered bus to Chicago O'Hare airport and then a taxi or bus downtown to depart Chicago by train or bus - provided your follow-on itinerary corresponds with the arrival time of our chartered buses. However, please note that there will not be a staff member available to accompany your child on any other transportation other than the chartered bus service. 
  • In the case of trains or buses from South Bend or some other point, it will be necessary for you to make all transportation arrangements. Please call the Culver Summer Schools & Camps office for possible alternative arrangements.

Additional Methods of Departure

Taxi/Limousine Service

Culver cannot guarantee the availability of transportation on any dates other than the designated June 21 and August 3 travel dates. Additionally, taxi arrangements can also be made between South Bend Regional Airport and Culver. If Culver transportation is not available, you will need to make arrangements with a local taxi company.  Below are some of the available taxi services - Culver does not make any recommendations or endorsements of these taxi services:

  • Insight Limousine & Sedan (Chicago area only): 773-227-6903 

  • All-American Transportation and Taxi: 269-697-0000 or 313-450-5900 

  • Limo Pro Chicago Inc.: 312-296-7430

  • LimoChicago: 312-972-9900

  • Templar VIP Transportation: 312-724-8333 or 800-517-4370

Private Aircraft 

Privately owned or chartered aircraft can use the following nearby airport facilities.

  • Plymouth Municipal Airport in Plymouth, Indiana - 15 miles 

  • Starke County Airport in Knox, Indiana - 18 miles 

  • South Bend Regional Airport in South Bend, Indiana - 40 miles 

Personalized Travel Reservations 

Travelmore/Carlson Wagonlit Travel of South Bend, Indiana handles Culver's travel needs. It is a full-service travel agency and is prepared to arrange air travel for your camper both to and from Culver. Please note that this is an outside travel agency and not someone employed by Culver.  
 
Telephone and e-mail are provided below: 

Office: 877.543.5706 or 574.251.3066 

Fax: 574.251.3027 or 574.282.4569 

E-mail: culver@travelmore.com 

Transportation Safety

If your child is traveling alone, please remind him or her that their Culver summer ends as soon as they arrive home from camp.  They should follow all rules and regulations on the plane, in the airport, and on the bus ride from Culver.  It is important that your child knows the rules and how they should behave.  Please share these safety tips with your child prior to their departure.

On the plane:

  • Follow all directions given by fight attendants, pilots, and airline staff. 
  • Be respectful of the people in the seats around you
  • Use headphones if listening to music or a movie
  • Do not kick the seat in front of you
  • NEVER joke about safety threats to other people.  This is taken extremely seriously on airplanes and will not be tolerated. 

In the airport:

  • If your flight has a layover, stay with the flight attendant.
  • Always keep your luggage and personal items with you.  Do not leave them unattended.
  • Follow all directions given to you by the staff in the airport.
  • Stay with the group.  There will be food available.  Let an adult know if you need to use the restroom.

On the bus:

  • Follow all directions given by the bus driver and Culver Staff.
  • Stay seated during the entire bus ride.
  • Please do not distract the bus driver.
  • Be respectful of the people in the seats around you.
  • Use headphones if listening to music or a movie.
  • Do not kick the seat in front of you.

Thank you in advance for your help and support in getting your child home from Culver safely!