Program Directed by
Julian Hartmann-Russell
If you have questions or would like to talk further about this program, please get in touch!
France
From Alpine Peaks to the Riviera
Immerse yourself in French language and culture as you explore villages and cities in six regions of France. During your travels, bike to village markets and interview local fishermen, make truffles with an artisan chocolatier, savor the culture and cuisine of Paris, surf in the Mediterranean, hike to glaciers in the Alps, and spend a week living with a French host family.
- Highlights
• Visit Cézanne’s studio and discuss modernism in French
• Surf the Atlantic, swim in the Mediterranean, and hike in the Alps
• Ride a téléphérique high above Alpine peaks and glaciers
• Interview a farming family about their Breton heritage
• Surf the Atlantic, swim in the Mediterranean, and hike in the Alps
• Ride a téléphérique high above Alpine peaks and glaciers
• Interview a farming family about their Breton heritage
“I am so happy and proud of myself that I can now truly speak in French with confidence.”
—Josh H., Walt Whitman High School, Bethesda, MD
Itinerary
This itinerary represents our best projection of the group’s schedule. However, we may implement changes designed to improve the quality of the program.
Departure — Travel Day
Meet your fellow high school student travelers and one or more of your leaders in New York, and fly together to Paris, France. To learn more about how we organize travel, click here.
Brittany — 5 days
After landing in Paris, board a train to spend five days in a traditional Breton fishing village on the remote coast of Brittany. Stay in a small family-run inn on an educational farm, and explore the area by bike. Warm up your speaking skills by working alongside local shop owners, market vendors, and artisans.
Paris — 4 days
Return to Paris by train and spend four days savoring the pleasures of Parisian life and taking in the world-class glamor. Discover your favorite boulangerie, visit the world’s most renowned art collections, taste escargots at grand Art Deco brasseries once frequented by Picasso and Sartre, and cruise down the Seine River to see the city illuminated at night. Explore the neighborhoods of the Left Bank, Île de la Cité, and Montmartre, and visit our favorite local spots as well as renowned sites such as Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, and the Musée d’Orsay.
Homestay — 8 days
Immerse yourself fully in French language and culture by spending a week living with a local family. Both leaders remain in the same town as students throughout the homestay, and the group gets together for excursions during the week.
Provence — 3 days
Head south to Aix-en-Provence to explore this university town and take day trips throughout the region. See where van Gogh painted, visit Cézanne’s studio, and swim beneath the Pont du Gard, an ancient Roman aqueduct.
The Riviera — 4 days
Continue south to the Mediterranean coast and relax on the sunny beaches of the Riviera in the town of Saint-Raphaël. Spend your days on the glittering sea learning to sail, surf, and tube in the warm waters. Sample seafood and peruse the waterfront night markets.
The French Alps — 4 days
Journey to St Gervais Les Bains a small town near Chamonix, surrounded by endless opportunities for outdoor adventure. Hike through wildflower fields with panoramic views of snowcapped peaks, try canyoning through glacial streams with professional guides, or raft in the valley with the spectacular backdrop of the Alps.
Paris — 1 day
Return to Paris by train, and enjoy a final celebratory dinner with your group.
Return — Travel Day
Fly with your group and a leader from Paris to New York, then continue on to your final destination. To learn more about how we organize travel, click here.
Itinerary
This itinerary represents our best projection of the group’s schedule. However, we may implement changes designed to improve the quality of the program.
Departure — Travel Day
Meet your fellow high school student travelers and one or more of your leaders in New York, and fly together to Paris, France. To learn more about how we organize travel, click here.
Brittany — 5 days
After landing in Paris, board a train to spend five days in a traditional Breton fishing village on the remote coast of Brittany. Stay in a small family-run inn on an educational farm, and explore the area by bike. Warm up your speaking skills by working alongside local shop owners, market vendors, and artisans.
Paris — 4 days
Return to Paris by train and spend four days savoring the pleasures of Parisian life and taking in the world-class glamor. Discover your favorite boulangerie, visit the world’s most renowned art collections, taste escargots at grand Art Deco brasseries once frequented by Picasso and Sartre, and cruise down the Seine River to see the city illuminated at night. Explore the neighborhoods of the Left Bank, Île de la Cité, and Montmartre, and visit our favorite local spots as well as renowned sites such as Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, and the Musée d’Orsay.
Homestay — 8 days
Immerse yourself fully in French language and culture by spending a week living with a local family. Both leaders remain in the same town as students throughout the homestay, and the group gets together for excursions during the week.
Provence — 3 days
Head south to Aix-en-Provence to explore this university town and take day trips throughout the region. See where van Gogh painted, visit Cézanne’s studio, and swim beneath the Pont du Gard, an ancient Roman aqueduct.
The Riviera — 4 days
Continue south to the Mediterranean coast and relax on the sunny beaches of the Riviera in the town of Saint-Raphaël. Spend your days on the glittering sea learning to sail, surf, and tube in the warm waters. Sample seafood and peruse the waterfront night markets.
The French Alps — 4 days
Journey to St Gervais Les Bains a small town near Chamonix, surrounded by endless opportunities for outdoor adventure. Hike through wildflower fields with panoramic views of snowcapped peaks, try canyoning through glacial streams with professional guides, or raft in the valley with the spectacular backdrop of the Alps.
Paris — 1 day
Return to Paris by train, and enjoy a final celebratory dinner with your group.
Return — Travel Day
Fly with your group and a leader from Paris to New York, then continue on to your final destination. To learn more about how we organize travel, click here.
Featured
Leaders
Meet some of our featured leaders. Please note that these may not be your leaders for the program.
Featured
Leaders
Meet some of our featured leaders. Please note that these may not be your leaders for the program.
What to Expect
Review specific program expectations here. For more general information:
Language Learning
The goals of this language immersion program abroad are to improve your fluency in French by building vocabulary and confidence in speaking, and to explore France’s culture through outdoor activities and interactions with locals. Each day, leaders hold dynamic conversational language lessons designed to help students let go of their inhibitions and communicate more easily. Language lessons are fun, interactive, and incorporate hands-on elements such as scavenger hunts, games, and informal interviews.
Language Pledge
Two years of language study are required for this program. Each student signs a language pledge to speak only French during the program, not only with the many local people you meet, but also with your leaders and within your group. To learn more about our Language programs click here.
Independent Project
Pursue an independent project and explore an aspect of local culture of particular interest to you—set up an easel at Cézanne’s favorite lookout and paint a landscape in his style, create a recipe book with traditional recipes from your homestay family, or interview mountaineers preparing to climb Mont Blanc.
Technology
To encourage full engagement and immersion in the Putney travel experience, we limit the use of cell phones and other devices on our High School programs. Students are allowed to use their phones in transit to the program, and keep their devices throughout. During in-country orientation, leaders will lock phones with a code, unlocking them for the second half of the program. During the tech-free portion of the program, students have the opportunity for a weekly call home according to a pre-arranged schedule. For more details, please see our FAQ.
Physical Activity
This is a physically active summer program. You can expect to participate in hiking, biking, surfing, canyoning, and walking during this program. You do not need to be at peak fitness to participate, but it is important that you have a desire to be physically active, and that you are excited about trying all activities.
Accommodations
Accommodations in France are varied, ranging from old world-style hotels to mountain chalets, many of which are run by welcoming families Putney has known for years. During the homestay, students will be matched with a trusted local family. Accommodations are simple and comfortable. Rooms are a mix of doubles, triples, and quads. Students have access to common and outside space at our accommodations for community meetings, working on projects, and socializing. Leaders reside together with the students throughout the program.
Meals
We begin each day with a traditional French breakfast at our residence. For lunches and dinners, we complement meals at restaurants and bistros with delicious picnics and plenty of stops at cafés and boulangeries.
Altitude
This program visits a high-altitude destination. On hikes in Chamonix, we climb up above 9,000 feet/2,743 meters.
What to Expect
Review specific program expectations here. For more general information:
Language Learning
The goals of this language immersion program abroad are to improve your fluency in French by building vocabulary and confidence in speaking, and to explore France’s culture through outdoor activities and interactions with locals. Each day, leaders hold dynamic conversational language lessons designed to help students let go of their inhibitions and communicate more easily. Language lessons are fun, interactive, and incorporate hands-on elements such as scavenger hunts, games, and informal interviews.
Language Pledge
Two years of language study are required for this program. Each student signs a language pledge to speak only French during the program, not only with the many local people you meet, but also with your leaders and within your group. To learn more about our Language programs click here.
Independent Project
Pursue an independent project and explore an aspect of local culture of particular interest to you—set up an easel at Cézanne’s favorite lookout and paint a landscape in his style, create a recipe book with traditional recipes from your homestay family, or interview mountaineers preparing to climb Mont Blanc.
Technology
To encourage full engagement and immersion in the Putney travel experience, we limit the use of cell phones and other devices on our High School programs. Students are allowed to use their phones in transit to the program, and keep their devices throughout. During in-country orientation, leaders will lock phones with a code, unlocking them for the second half of the program. During the tech-free portion of the program, students have the opportunity for a weekly call home according to a pre-arranged schedule. For more details, please see our FAQ.
Physical Activity
This is a physically active summer program. You can expect to participate in hiking, biking, surfing, canyoning, and walking during this program. You do not need to be at peak fitness to participate, but it is important that you have a desire to be physically active, and that you are excited about trying all activities.
Accommodations
Accommodations in France are varied, ranging from old world-style hotels to mountain chalets, many of which are run by welcoming families Putney has known for years. During the homestay, students will be matched with a trusted local family. Accommodations are simple and comfortable. Rooms are a mix of doubles, triples, and quads. Students have access to common and outside space at our accommodations for community meetings, working on projects, and socializing. Leaders reside together with the students throughout the program.
Meals
We begin each day with a traditional French breakfast at our residence. For lunches and dinners, we complement meals at restaurants and bistros with delicious picnics and plenty of stops at cafés and boulangeries.
Altitude
This program visits a high-altitude destination. On hikes in Chamonix, we climb up above 9,000 feet/2,743 meters.
A Day in the Life: Saint-Raphaël
Due to the traveling nature of this summer program abroad, each day is different. Here is a snapshot of a day in Saint-Raphaël on the French Mediterranean Riviera.
- Morning
8:00am
Breakfast on the terrace of our waterfront hotel, steps from the Mediterranean
9:00am
Language lesson focused on modern art
10:00am
Take an excursion to the tiny medieval village of Saint-Paul de Vence
- Afternoon
12:00pm
Shop for local specialties and picnic on the medieval fortress walls
1:00pm
Relax, enjoy some downtime, and join a game of boules in the village square
3:00pm
Head to the nearby Fondation Maeght, a tucked-away wonderland of modern art
- Evening
6:00pm
Cool off in the Mediterranean waves, and sample fresh seafood at a beachside restaurant
7:00pm
Take an evening walk along the beach and shop at the nightly market
9:00pm
Get some gelato and watch fire jugglers dance on the beach, or dance to live music
10:00pm
Meet as a group to discuss the day and upcoming schedule
A Day in the Life:
Saint-Raphaël
Due to the traveling nature of this summer program abroad, each day is different. Here is a snapshot of a day in Saint-Raphaël on the French Mediterranean Riviera.
- Morning
8:00am
Breakfast on the terrace of our waterfront hotel, steps from the Mediterranean
9:00am
Language lesson focused on modern art
10:00am
Take an excursion to the tiny medieval village of Saint-Paul de Vence
- Afternoon
12:00pm
Shop for local specialties and picnic on the medieval fortress walls
1:00pm
Relax, enjoy some downtime, and join a game of boules in the village square
3:00pm
Head to the nearby Fondation Maeght, a tucked-away wonderland of modern art
- Evening
6:00pm
Cool off in the Mediterranean waves, and sample fresh seafood at a beachside restaurant
7:00pm
Take an evening walk along the beach and shop at the nightly market
9:00pm
Get some gelato and watch fire jugglers dance on the beach, or dance to live music
10:00pm
Meet as a group to discuss the day and upcoming schedule
“I really enjoyed living with a French family and getting to experience their daily life.”
—Zara J., Pembroke Hill School, Westwood Hills, KS
Program Directed by
Julian Hartmann-Russell
If you have questions or would like to talk further about this program, please get in touch!
