DAY 1 AUSTRALIA - PARIS

Fly from Australia to Paris.

DAY 2 PARIS (D)

Arrive Paris. You will be met by a local representative. Private coach transfer to your accommodation at FIAP Jean Monnet for 2 nights. This highly sought-after accommodation is located in the city centre in the bustling 14th arrondissement and is perfect for school groups. It provides spacious rooms, private bathrooms and fantastic communal areas for groups to gather and discuss their upcoming plans for the day. Dinner at hostel.

DAY 3 PARIS (B, D)

Following breakfast at your accommodation, you will be taken on a city sights tour by coach, introducing students to the major landmarks of this magnificent city. Some of the sights the tour includes are the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Champs-Élysées, the Arc de Triomphe and Notre Dame Cathedral (no entrances included). You will have free time for the rest of the day to continue exploring these amazing sights. Dinner is included at your accommodation.

DAY 4 PARIS – VERSAILLES – LOIRE VALLEY (B, D)

After breakfast at your accommodation, depart by coach and begin your tour of the French countryside. Your first stop is Chateau de Versailles, one of the finest achievements of Louis XIV’s reign. After a visit to the palace, continue by coach to Chartres where you will visit Chartres Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Following the cathedral, your coach will take you to your hotel accommodation in Tours, the largest town in the Loire Valley. Dinner is included at a local restaurant.

DAY 5 LOIRE VALLEY (B, D)

After breakfast at your hotel, you will meet your coach and guide for a full-day tour of the Loire Valley castles. The tour includes visits to Chenonceau castle, Amboise castle and Clos Lucé castle, the last residence of Leonardo da Vinci. In the evening you will return to your hotel in Tours and dinner will be included at a local restaurant.

DAY 6 LOIRE VALLEY – LIMOGES (B, D)

Following breakfast at your hotel, your coach will travel south via Poitiers and the village ruins of Oradour-sur-Glane, a silent memorial to a World War II tragedy. In the afternoon you will continue by coach to Limoges, a beautiful village in central France renowned for its fine porcelain and enamels, where you will check into your hotel accommodation. Dinner is included.

DAY 7 LIMOGES – TOULOUSE (B, D)

Following breakfast at your hotel, your coach will continue south through the stunning Black Perigord region, famous for its natural parks and delicious truffles, before arriving in the vibrant city of Toulouse. Located on the banks of the River Garonne, Toulouse is a picturesque city with impressive Roman architecture, and a great city for a walking tour. Check in to your hotel accommodation. Dinner included.

DAY 8 TOULOUSE – CARCASSONNE – MONTPELLIER (B, D)

After breakfast at your hotel, depart by coach for Carcassonne, a town made famous by its impressive medieval fortress, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the afternoon you will continue by coach to Montpellier where the students will meet their host families and begin their homestay experience. Dinner tonight is with your host family.

DAYS 9 – 13 HOMESTAY (B, L, D)

The next 5 days will give students the chance to immerse themselves completely in the language and culture of Southern France with a fantastic homestay experience in Montpellier. Each morning the students will have breakfast with their host families and then make their way to the language school where they will begin their day with a 3-hour French class. Following the morning lessons, the afternoons are spent enjoying various cultural activities. A guided walk of Montpellier, as well as a half-day excursion to Nimes and the Pont du Gard is included in the package. Additional cultural excursions to Avignon and Arles can also be arranged upon request. At the end of each afternoon the students will return to their host families where they will have a chance to talk about their day and share dinner with their family. The language school will provide lunch each day.

DAY 14 MONTPELLIER – PARIS* (B, D)

Following breakfast, you will say goodbye to your host family and make your way to the train station to return to Paris on the TGV high-speed train. Upon arrival you will be transferred to your accommodation at FIAP Jean Monnet for your final night in Paris. Dinner is included at your accommodation.

DAY 15 PARIS* – AUSTRALIA (B)

After breakfast at your accommodation, transfer to the airport for your return flight to Australia.

DAY 16 ARRIVE AUSTRALIA

Arrive Australia (subject to airline schedules).

Paris Options

at additional cost

Guided walking tour of Paris

3-hour guided walking tours of the city can be arranged with your choice of an art and museum tour, history and architecture tour, or an off the beaten track tour. Another option is to design your own walking tour in conjunction with our guides. Entrance fees to various sights on the tour are at an additional cost.

Eiffel Tower ** (subject to availability)

No trip to Paris is complete without visiting the Eiffel Tower! Group tickets to the second floor or top floor can be arranged by G.E.T ahead of time to avoid the long queues on the day.

Seine River cruises

Tickets for a 1-hour cruise along the Seine River can be arranged by G.E.T The boats depart from the Pont de l’Alma near the Eiffel Tower and are a really fun way for students to discover many of the key landmarks of the city. The cruises are commentated in several languages, including French and English and students will learn interesting and historically significant facts about Paris along the way.

Disneyland Paris

For those wanting to add another element of fun to their itinerary, a trip to Disneyland Paris can be arranged. This will include return transport and entrance to the park. The easiest way to access Disneyland is by RER train from the city centre directly to the park entrance.

Louvre Museum** (subject to availability)

Entrance to the Louvre Museum is free for students if the group can provide a school letter. Please ask your G.E.T tour consultant for a sample of this letter in French, which can be easily adapted for your school. To avoid waiting in line on the day, G.E.T can arrange for a group reservation and tickets for any adults in the group. Guided tours of the Louvre can also be arranged at an additional cost.

Versailles Palace** (subject to availability)

Entrance to Versailles Palace is free for students if the group can provide a school letter. Please ask your G.E.T tour consultant for a sample of this letter in French, which can be easily adapted for your school. To avoid waiting in line on the day, G.E.T can arrange for a group reservation and tickets for any adults in the group. Guided tours of Versailles can also be arranged at an additional cost.

Paris Story

Paris Story is a fantastic opportunity for students to learn about the history of Paris in an exciting and memorable way. This 50-minute show is presented on a 12-metre-wide panoramic screen and takes students on a journey through 2000 years of Paris history with photos, film, music and special effects. Located in the heart of Paris, right near the Opera house, it is a great addition to any itinerary.

Monet’s Gardens in Giverny

G.E.T can arrange a half-day or full-day coach tour to Giverny with tickets to Monet’s house and gardens. This is a wonderful excursion which gives students the opportunity to see first-hand the beautiful water lily garden which inspired much of Claude Monet’s work - a real must-see for any aspiring artists out there!

Day Tour to the Somme Battlefields

10-hour day trip from Paris by private coach to experience the places where Australian and Allied soldiers participated in the great battles of WWI on the Western Front in the Somme region including the Australian Memorial, Le Hamel and the Franco–Australian Museum in Villers-Bretonneux.

Additional information

** Tickets to climb the Eiffel Tower as well as reservations and guided tours of the Louvre and Versailles Palace become available to purchase 3 months in advance. These reservations and tickets sell out incredibly quickly and are therefore subject to availability. If you would like any of these arrangements to be made, it is essential that you have chosen your preferred date and time to visit these monuments at least 3 months in advance and that you have communicated this to your tour consultant.