France
From Coastal Villages to the City of Light
Immerse yourself in French language and culture as you explore the cosmopolitan cities and off-the-beaten-track villages of France. During your travels, explore Mont Saint-Michel and the D-day beaches in Normandy, savor the high culture and hidden neighborhoods of Paris, swim and picnic beneath the Pont du Gard, try zip-lining or surfing, and spend five days becoming part of a French family.
- Highlights
• Enjoy a pain au chocolat as you relax at a sidewalk café
• Canoe with your host siblings to a Roman aqueduct
• Go hiking or canyoning with professional guides
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.
Meet your fellow middle 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.
Travel by train to the idyllic seaside town of Trouville-Sur-Mer, the oldest seaside resort in France, with extravagant Belle Époque architecture and a welcoming Normand culture. Stay in a seaside inn and explore the Atlantic shoreline by bike, chat with Norman fishermen in the historic fish market, and adapt to the rhythm of life in France. Visit the Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey on its tidal island, and learn about World War II history at Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery. Language instruction begins on your first day, and continues throughout the program.
Board a train to Paris and savor the pleasures of Parisian life, 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 by 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.
Immerse yourself fully in French language and culture by spending five days living with a local family in Montpellier. Both leaders remain in the same town as students throughout the homestay, and the group gets together for excursions during the week.
Journey to the village of Arcachon, on the sun-drenched Atlantic coast near Bordeaux. Enjoy the beach, hike on the pristine sands of Europe’s tallest dune, and try surfing or paddle boarding.