NEW DEPARTURE PROCESS FOR 2023 - Please read carefully!
How CedarS Express Works
CedarS Express provides a complete transportation package for your "precious cargo." Campers fly into the St. Louis airport on Saturday. They’re met at their gate by CedarS Express parents and staff, shuttled to Principia School, provided with meals, and chaperoned overnight at Principia School. On Sunday morning, they'll eat breakfast, have Sunday School, and then take a 3-hour supervised bus ride to CedarS. At the end of the session, CedarS Express staff supervise campers overnight at Principia School on Friday, help campers check in at the St. Louis airport on Saturday, accompany them to their gate, and stay until their flight departs.
Arriving & Departing By Airplane
Book flights into and out of the St. Louis International Airport (STL). All arrivals and departures are on Saturdays.
Schedule incoming flights for the Saturday before the session begins, with an arrival window between 11:00am and 6:00pm.
Schedule outgoing flights:
- For end-of-session departures (1st through 4th Sessions), schedule departing flights for the Saturday after the session ends, with a departure window between 11:00am and 6:00pm.
- For mid-session departures (only available in the middle of 1st and 4th Sessions - 1.1 on Saturday, June 17 and 4.1 on Saturday, July 29 only), schedule departure flights after 2:00pm. We cannot accommodate flights on June 17 or July 29 that depart before 2:00pm.
Terminals: The CedarS Express Team operates out of both terminals of the St. Louis airport. They are headquartered at a table by baggage claim in each terminal on the travel day.
Finding CedarS Staff: Your child should look for adults wearing CedarS shirts, carrying CedarS clipboards. In the rare instance your camper cannot find a CedarS representative, call 417-532-6699, or ask an airport official to have CedarS Camps paged over the intercom system.
Arrival Communications: Our staff will call you as soon as your child arrives at the airport. Camper phones and electronics will be collected at Principia School and secured, to be returned on the last night of camp, powered and ready for travel home.
Preparing to Fly
CedarS Express Bus Service
A Great Way to Get to Camp: If no airport pick-up is needed, campers are still welcome to utilize CedarS Express for the bus ride only. Many families from the St. Louis area choose this option for the ride to and/or from camp. The three-hour ride on a plush, air-conditioned bus will seem to fly by with the beautiful scenery, as Cedars' staff encourage new and old friends to get to know each other.
Taking the Bus to Camp: Arrive at the Principia St. Louis campus on the opening Sunday of the session by 7:30am. The chartered bus departs campus on Sunday at 8:00am promptly.
Returning from Camp by Bus: The bus arrives back to the Principia School campus on the closing Friday of the session around 5:00pm. Please be there promptly to pick up your camper.
Key Travel Details
CedarS Express Fees Per Person
Options for Getting to CedarS
- Airport pickup at your gate (minors), overnight stay, and bus ride to CedarS
- Includes Saturday dinner and Sunday breakfast
- Overnight stay and bus to CedarS
- Includes Saturday dinner and Sunday breakfast
- Overnight stay and bus to CedarS
- Includes Sunday breakfast only
- Bus service on Sunday from Principia School to CedarS
- No meals included
- For those arriving by plane on Saturday, June 17th for 1.2 and Saturday, July 29th for 4.2
- Airport pickup at your gate (minors) and bus ride to CedarS on Saturday
- Includes lunch and dinner on Saturday as needed
Options FOR Returning From CedarS
- Bus service on Friday to Principia School
- Includes Friday dinner, supervised evening activities, and overnight stay
- Includes Saturday breakfast, shuttle to STL airport, and accompaniment to your gate (minors)
- Saturday bag lunch included
- For end-of-session departures on 6/23, 7/7, 7/21 and 8/4, bus service on Friday to Principia School arriving at 5:00pm
- For mid-session departures during 1st and 4th Sessions only on 6/17 and 7/29, bus service will be on Saturday to Principia School arriving at 11:30am
- No meals included but light snack is provided on the bus
- For those departing by plane on Saturday, June 17th after 1.1 and Saturday, July 29th after 4.1
- Bus service on Saturday to Principia School, shuttle to STL airport, and accompaniment to your gate (minors)
- Includes bag lunch
*** Prices are per camper. Campership Travel Assistance is available.***
CedarS Express Bus Rules:
- There will be two chaperones on the bus.
- Attendance will be taken by the chaperones, and they will review rules before the bus departs.
- All electronic devices will be collected and safely stored before campers board the bus.
- Remain seated while the bus is in motion.
- Ask a counselor first to use the bathroom located at the back of the bus.
- Respect the staff and driver, and obey the Golden Rule in how you treat all passengers.
How CedarS will communicate with parents/guardians:
- After enrolling in CedarS Express, you will receive a registration packet in the mail with luggage tags and instructions.
- If there are updates or notifications, CedarS will email parents/guardians and update the CedarS Express website. Be sure to check your email in the days leading up to your camper's travel.
- Upon arrival and departure, you can expect a call or text when your camper lands at the airport and is met by the CedarS Express staff member, as well as when their departing plane takes off.
- If emergency communication is needed, CedarS will send out a text message to all parents/guardians.
