France School Trip Overview
From the wide boulevards of the Champs-Élysées to the beachside boardwalks of Vieux Nice, France is a diverse, dynamic country that is the perfect introduction to Europe for student travelers. Our France Explorer program is designed to enhance students’ understanding of the different regional cultures of this Mediterranean country. On this tour, popular with students and teachers alike, we’ll visit the most iconic sights of Paris before heading south to the hidden gems of the French Riviera.
Our mission is to provide an authentic experience rooted in “teaching teens to be travelers, not tourists.” Language students will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in French and practice what they have learned in the classroom. Our guides will help students discover that foreign languages are an exciting tool they can use wherever their travels might take them.
TFT began as Paris For Teens, and our years of experience bringing students to France means that we know exactly how to educate, excite, and inspire. Join us for the chance to immerse your students in the best that France has to offer and leave them with memories to last a lifetime!
Did You Know? Teachers travel for free! Enroll just six paying participants and your trip is covered. Learn more about the Benefits for Teachers.
During this trip, you and your students will…
- Take an off-the-beaten-path bike tour through the Marais, Bastille, and Île-de-Saint-Louis
- Have a guided tour of the Musée du Louvre to get up close to the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Winged Victory
- Show students traditional street markets where locals continue to buy their groceries
- Ascend to the very top of the Eiffel Tower for an iconic experience
- Ride the high-speed TGV train from Paris to Nice, where students will get a feel for the charming Provencal villages where French culture thrives
- Enjoy the view of Paris lit up at night from Sacré-Coeur Basilica in Montmartre
- Explore quaint medieval villages in the Côte d’Azur
- Teach students about traditional Provencal products like lavender, olive oil, and soap as they browse for souvenirs in the Cours Saleya Market
- Take a day trip to Monaco to marvel at the yachts in one of the world’s last remaining principalities
Trip Itinerary
DAY 1: Bonjour Paris!
Flight from your preferred airport to Paris.
DAY 2: Exploring the City of Light
Upon your arrival in Paris, you’ll be greeted at the airport by your Travel For Teens guides, who will accompany you for the duration of your journey. After getting settled into the hotel, we’ll have lunch and head down to the impressive Gothic Cathedral of Notre-Dame, where you can climb the towers for your first view of Paris. Finish off the day with your first taste of authentic French cuisine at one of our favorite bistros.
DAY 3: The Eiffel Tower
No trip to Paris would be complete without going all the way to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and that’s how we’ll start our first full day in the City of Light! Have lunch at a classic boulangerie before splitting up for the afternoon choices. We understand that student travelers have diverse interests and needs, so our staff do their very best to accommodate everyone’s must-sees. Students can choose to visit the Musée d’Orsay, home to Post-Impressionist masterpieces by van Gogh, Monet, Degas, Cézanne, Signac, and more, or check out the modern art at the Centre Pompidou, where the museum itself is just as much a work of art as what’s within. The group will reconvene in the hip artistic neighborhood of Montmartre, where we’ll see the infamous Moulin Rouge and enjoy the view from the Sacré-Coeur Basilica before a fantastic dinner.
DAY 5: The Château de Versailles
Take a short train ride out of Paris to the spectacular Chateau de Versailles, a hunting lodge-turned-palace. Our staff will teach students about the most important historical moments that have taken place here, including the reign of the Sun King, the French Revolution, the Treaty of Versailles signed in the Hall of Mirrors, and more. Stroll through the gardens and see Marie Antoinette’s Hamlet before picking up fresh lunch ingredients in the Versailles farmers’ market. After returning to Paris, climb the Arc de Triomphe and enjoy some world-class souvenir shopping on the Champs-Élysées. As always, dinner will be traditional, local cuisine at one of our favorite authentic restaurants.
DAY 6: The South of France Awaits
Board the high-speed TGV train from Paris to Nice. Upon our arrival, we’ll take a seaside stroll around Vieux Nice, including the yacht port and the “#ILoveNice” sign. Climb up to the clifftop fortress and waterfall for incredible views of the Côte d’Azur. We’ll have our first dinner of Niçoise cuisine, followed by a nighttime stroll to soak up the ambiance and get a gelato for dessert.
DAY 7: Provençal Charm
Today we’ll explore some of the charming Provençal villages surrounding Nice. Begin with a morning visit to Èze, a beautiful medieval village on a clifftop, where you can also visit the Fragonard perfume factory. And who said school tours had to be all work and no play? Spend the afternoon relaxing on one of France’s best beaches. In the evening, we’ll have dinner in Nice and watch the street performers on the Promenade des Anglais.
DAY 8: Lavender and Yachts
Begin the morning like the locals do with a trip to the Cours Saleya marketplace, where fresh produce, flowers, handmade soaps, olive oil, and lavender products are on offer. Then it’s time to cross another country off your bucket list, as we hop the border to Monaco! Marvel at the opulence of the Royal Palace, Monte Carlo and the yacht harbor. We’ll return to Nice for dinner and enjoy a dessert of crêpes or gelato, whichever strikes your fancy.
DAY 9: Clifftop Villages
On our last day in the beautiful Côte d’Azur, take a trip to Saint-Paul-de-Vence, a medieval village with incredible views of the surrounding mountains. After returning to Nice, students will have the choice of visiting the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, having more time to relax on the Nice beach, or going last-minute souvenir shopping. We’ll celebrate the end of an incredible trip with an upscale final dinner at one of our favorite fancy restaurants.
DAY 10: Au revoir, France!
Your TFT guides will accompany you to the airport and assist you with check-in for your flight. Wave goodbye as you head through security and sit back and relax on your flight home.
LOOKING FOR A SHORTER ADVENTURE? THIS TRIP CAN BE ADAPTED!
For teachers who are short on time, we can make this a 7, 8, or 9-day adventure! One of our expert trip designers will help adapt this itinerary to suit your specific needs. Contact us for more details.
The TFT Difference
We Never Combine Groups
Your tour should be special and just for you and your students! We will never combine two or more groups on the same bus or tour. We will lead a trip with as few as six people and a teacher. Your Trip Director travels with you for the duration of your program.
Stress-Free Planning and 24/7 Support
We are there for you every step of the way, and our support begins the moment you decide to do a TFT trip! We will provide you with a team member who will help bring your tour to life, along with everything you need to help get students to sign up for the adventure! On the tour you will have 24/7 dedicated staff with you to ensure everything runs smoothly and because we know travel is full of surprises, solve anything that may pop up along the way.
Photos and Email Updates
Your trip is special and you and your students should have those memories captured forever! Expect frequent personal email updates and hundreds of photos from your TFT staff shared with you and your students’ families so everyone can follow along on the journey. We are the only teen travel program to offer this in-depth trip communication and it truly makes all the difference!
Central Accommodation and Local Meals
Authenticity is engrained in everything we do. We stay at locally owned accommodation in the city center so you don’t waste your valuable time commuting. We dine at charming authentic restaurants to get a real flavor (literally!) for the local culture. The best way to travel is like a local. So ditch the tour bus and have a real traveler’s experience with us!
Photo Gallery
Authenticity is engrained in everything we do. Eat, stay, and travel like a local.
Check out what past travelers have to say about TFT and discover why we are consistently winning awards for Top Youth Travel Organization.